One of the greatest benefits of our salvation has to be that of hearing God speak to us personally. There can be no intimate relationship with our heavenly Father without it. But, as easy as it is for us to speak to Him, the average Christian has a hard time hearing His voice. This is not the way the Lord intended it to be.

Learning to clearly distinguish God's voice is invaluable. Instead of going through life blindly, we can have the wisdom of God guide and protect us. There isn't a single person receiving this letter who couldn't have their life radically transformed by hearing the voice of the Lord better. The worst marital problem is one word from the Lord away from a total turnaround. If you have sickness or disease, one living word from the Lord will instantly heal you. If you are in financial crisis, the Lord knows exactly how to turn your situation around. It's just a matter of hearing His voice.

The Lord constantly speaks to us and gives us His direction. It's never the Lord who is not speaking, but it's us who are not hearing. Jesus made some radical statements about hearing His voice in John 10:3-5. He was speaking about Himself as the Shepherd of the sheep and the only way to enter the sheepfold.

"To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers."

Notice that He said in verse 3, His sheep hear His voice. He didn't say His sheep CAN hear His voice or SHOULD hear His voice. He made the emphatic statement that His sheep DO hear His voice. Most Christians would question the accuracy of that statement since their experiences don't line up. But it's not what Jesus said that is wrong; all true believers can and do hear the voice of God; they just don't recognize what they are hearing as being God's voice.

Radio and television stations transmit twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week; but we only hear them when we turn the receiver on and tune it in. Failure to hear the signal doesn't mean the station isn't transmitting. Likewise, God is constantly transmitting His voice to His sheep, but few are turned on and tuned in. Most Christians are busy pleading with God in prayer to transmit when the problem is with their receivers.

The first thing we need to do is fix our receivers — believe that God is already speaking and start listening. However, that takes time, effort, and focus. The average Christian's lifestyle is so busy, it isn't conducive to hearing God's voice. For instance, what is your typical answer to the question, "How are you?" Many of you probably answer something about being very busy. I often say, "I'm busier than a one-arm paper hanger." All of us seem to be busier than ever, and that's one of the BIG reasons we don't hear the voice of the Lord better. We're just too busy.

Psalm 46:10 says,

"Be still, and know that I am God."

It's in stillness, not busyness, that we tune our spiritual ears to hear the voice of God. The Lord always speaks to us in that "STILL, small voice" (1 Kings 19:12, emphasis mine), but often it's drowned out amid all the turmoil of our daily lives.

Second, and this is very important, most often we mistake the voice of the Lord for our own thoughts. That's right. I said the voice of the Lord comes to us in our own thoughts.

John 4:24 says,

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

This is saying that communication with God is Spirit to spirit, not brain to brain or mouth to ear, the way we communicate in the physical realm. The Lord speaks to our spirits, not in words, but in thoughts and impressions. Then our spirits speak to us in words like, "I think the Lord wants me to do this or that." The Lord doesn't typically say "You do this or that," but He will impress your spirit to do something, and then your spirit says, "I think I should do . . ." Therefore, we often miss the leading of the Lord, thinking it's our own thoughts.

Every one of us has done something stupid and afterwards said, "I knew that was the wrong thing to do." We didn't feel right about our decision, but we followed logic or pressure only to find that our impression was actually the Lord speaking to us. I learned this the hard way while pastoring in Pritchet, Colorado.

All the elders of the church were custom combiners. Six months of the year, they were gone following the wheat harvest. They insisted that we ordain another elder who would always be there. Their choice for eldership, I had nothing against, but as I prayed about this man and his wife, I didn't feel right ordaining him as an elder. However, being a man, I went with logic instead of my heart.

Within two weeks of the others leaving for wheat harvest, this new elder turned into the devil himself. In his reports to the elders, he accused me of stealing money from the church, committing adultery, drinking, smoking, and everything else you can imagine. It was a terrible experience. As soon as this man showed his true colors, I knew in my heart that the feelings and thoughts I had were the Lord speaking to me, and I had dismissed them as my own. I made a decision right then and there that I would never ignore my heart again.

Psalm 37:4 says,

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."

This verse has often been interpreted to mean that the Lord will give you whatever you want and has been used to justify selfishness, greed, and even adultery. But it doesn't mean that the Lord will give you whatever you want; it means that when you are seeking the Lord, He will put His wants or desires into your heart. He will make His desires become your desires. The Lord changes your "want to."

I once was planning a trip to Costa Rica, a place I had been before, and was excited to be returning to. Yet, as I prayed about it, I lost my desire to go. Instead, I actually felt dread about going. The first thing I did when that happened was make sure I was really seeking the Lord with my whole heart. While on a road trip, I spent seventeen hours praying in tongues, and the more I got my mind stayed on the Lord, the less I wanted to go back to Costa Rica. On the strength of that alone, I canceled the trip.

When the people of Costa Rica asked why, all I could tell them was I didn't want to go. That was hard to do, and I'm not sure they understood. The plane I had booked my flight on crashed on take-off from Mexico City, killing all 169 persons onboard. The Lord warned me of that and saved my life, not by saying, "Don't go to Costa Rica," but, by communicating to my spirit and taking away my desire to go. That is the dominate way the Lord speaks to us, and we often miss that kind of communication.

One of the most important decisions of my life came in 1968. I was in college when the Lord radically touched my life, and all my desires changed. I didn't want to be in college anymore, and following those new desires, I made the decision to quit school. Then all hell broke loose. My mother didn't understand, and she quit talking to me for a time. Leaders in my church told me I was hearing from the devil. I stood to lose $350 per month in government support from my father's social security, and I would lose my student deferment from the draft. Without the deferment, I stood a good chance of ending up in Vietnam.

Because of these adverse reactions to my decision, I backed off for a while and was absolutely miserable. This continued for two months until I couldn’t take it anymore, and one night the Lord finally spoke to me through Romans 14:23, which says,

"Whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

I realized I was in sin because of indecision. I determined to make a faith decision that night and stick with it. As I prayed and studied the Word for guidance, I found Colossians 3:15, which says,

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts."

The Lord spoke to me that I was to head in the direction that gave me the most peace. To be truthful, I didn't have total peace in any direction, but just as an umpire has to make a decision and stick with it, I needed to make the call. I had the most peace about quitting school, so I made the call and stepped out of indecision into faith, to the best of my understanding. Within twenty-four hours the Lord gave me such confirmation and joy that I have never doubted the wisdom of that decision since. That one decision, possibly more than any other, set my life on a course that has brought me to where I am today.

I am convinced that our gracious heavenly Father speaks to every one of His children constantly, giving us all the information and guidance we need to be total overcomers. There isn't a problem with His transmitter; it's our receiver that needs help.

I have a three-part teaching album called How to: Hear God's Voice that expounds on this in greater detail. I teach this every year to our second-year CBC students and see powerful results. Most people are imploring God to speak, when it's our hearing that needs to be adjusted. Taking this faith-stance that God is speaking and then learning to listen and obey will transform your relationship with the Lord. It could save your life just as it did mine.

http://www.awmi.net/extra/article/gods_voice

http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1030

How To Hear God's Voice

Hearing the voice of the Lord is probably the single most important element in having a victorious Christian life after being born-again. The Lord knows all things and will show us things to come. There is no problem that His wisdom can't solve. If we can tap into His heart by hearing Him speak to us, all would be different.

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1. Elijah followed the exact instructions of God.
2. He repaired and rebuilt the altar according to the exact requirement and specification of God.
3. Similarly he prepared the sacrifice accordingly.
4. He eliminated the possibility of unbelievers rationalizing that the fire could have been caused by the dry weather etc. He made sure that the whole place was practically soaked in water.
5. He offered the sacrifice at the time of offering of the evening sacrifice.
6. He testified to the people that he was praying to the true God, the Lord God.
7. The fire of the Lord came to the altar at the above time-at the right time and the right place only.

Today’s application:

None of the things I do in seeking to know God could originate from me and be acceptable. All that I do in relation to worship, singing praises, praying in understanding and in the spirit must be led by the Holy Spirit Himself. I have grown to be more and more aware of this important requirement. In 1 Corinthians 2:14-15, the Holy Spirit plainly stated through the Apostle Paul that the natural man (as contrasted with a spiritual man) does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned, but he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself id rightly judged by no one. “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2:16)

The fire of the Holy Spirit falls on the altar and at the time of the sacrifice (prayer) as prescribed by the Lord. When I was in my natural state, I could not receive any revelation or any message at all. Only after I have worshipped for sometime I began to discern clearly what the Holy Spirit had led my spirit to see or read or sing. Once that happened I knew and could testify the presence of God.

I must admit that I still lean heavily to being a natural person instead of a spiritual person. That is why I could spend a lot of time doing religious activities in vain. (I cannot fool myself for long and when I realized that, I stopped the activities.) But God is a merciful God and He likes us to seek to get closer to Him to know Him better. That is why I am still on this quest of Biblical living, making baby steps.

AAA Jack

1-7-2009

1 Kings 18:30-39 (New King James Version)

³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. ³¹ And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”^{[a] 32} Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. ³³ And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” ³⁴ Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. ³⁵ So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

³⁶ And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. ³⁷ Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”

³⁸ Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹ Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”

What, then! you will say, are we all inspired? Yes, doubtless; but not as were the prophets and apostles. Without the actual inspiration of the Spirit of grace, we could neither do, nor will, nor believe any good thing. We are, then, always inspired, but we incessantly stifle the inspiration. God does not cease to speak, but the noise of the creatures without, and of our passions within, confines us and prevents our hearing. We must silence every creature, including self, that in the deep stillness of the soul we may perceive the ineffable voice of the Bridegroom. We must lend an attentive ear, for his voice is soft and still, and is only heard of those who hear nothing else!

Ah, how rare is it to find a soul still enough to hear God speak! The slightest murmur of our vain desires, or of a love fixed upon self, confounds all the words of the Spirit of God. We hear well enough that he is speaking, and that he is asking for something, but we cannot distinguish what is said, and are often glad enough that we cannot. The least reserve, the slightest self-reflective act, the most imperceptible fear of hearing too clearly what God demands, interferes with the interior voice. Need we be astonished, then, if so many people, pious indeed, but full of amusements, vain desires, false wisdom, and confidence in their own virtues, cannot hear it, and consider its existence as a dream of fanatics? Alas! what would they with their proud reasonings? Of what efficacy would be the exterior word of pastors, or even of the Scriptures themselves, if we had not within, the word of the Holy Spirit giving to the others all their vitality? The outward word, even of the Gospel, without the fecundating, vivifying, interior word would be but an empty sound. It is the letter that alone killeth (2 Cor. iii. 6), and the Spirit alone can give us life.

O! eternal and omnipotent word of the Father, it is thou that speakest in the depth of our souls! The word that proceeded from the mouth of the Saviour, during the days of his mortal life, has only had energy to produce such wonderous fruits, because it has been animated by that Spirit of life which is The Word itself. Hence it is that St. Peter says: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. (John vi. 68.)

It is not, then, the outward law of the Gospel alone which God shows us internally, by the light of reason and faith; it is his Spirit that speaks, touches, operates in and animates us; so that it is the Spirit which does in us and with us whatever we do that is good, as it is our soul that gives life to our body, and regulates all its movements.

It is, then, true, that we are continually inspired, and that we do not lead a gracious life, except so far as we act under this interior inspiration. But O God! how few Christians feel it! how few are they, who do not annihilate it by their voluntary distractions, or by their resistance!

Let us recognize, then, the fact that God is incessantly speaking in us. He speaks in the impenitent also, but, stunned by the noise of the world and their passions, they cannot hear Him; the interior voice is to them a fable. He speaks in awakened sinners; they are sensible of remorse of conscience, which is the voice of God reproaching them inwardly for their sins. When they are deeply moved, they have no difficulty in understanding about this interior voice, for it is it that pierces them so sharply. It is in them that two-edged sword of which Paul speaks as piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. (Heb. iv. 12.) God causes Himself to be perceived, enjoyed, followed; they hear that sweet voice that buries a reproach in the bottom of the heart, and causes it to be torn in pieces. Such is true and pure contrition.

God speaks, too, in wise and enlightened persons, whose life, outwardly correct, seems adorned with many virtues; but such are often too full of themselves and their lights, to listen to God. Everything is turned into reasoning; they substitute the principles of natural wisdom and the plans of human prudence, for what would come infinitely better through the channel of simplicity and docility to the word of God. They seem good, sometimes better than others; they are so, perhaps, up to a certain point, but it is a mixed goodness. They are still in possession of themselves, and desire always to be so, according to the measure of their reason; they love to be in the hands of their own counsel, and to be strong and great in their own eyes.

I thank thee, O my God with Jesus Christ, that Thou hast hid thine ineffable secrets from these great and wise ones, whilst Thou takest pleasure in revealing them to feeble and humble souls! It is with babes alone that Thou art wholly unreserved; the others Thou treatest in their own way; they desire knowledge and great virtues, and Thou givest them dazzling illuminations, and convertest them into heroes. But this is not the better part; there is something more hidden for thy dearest children; they lie with John on thy breast. As for these great ones who are constantly afraid of stooping and becoming lowly, Thou leavest them in all their greatness; they shall never share thy caresses and thy familiarity, for to deserve these, they must become as little children, and play upon thy knees.

I have often observed that a rude, ignorant sinner, just beginning to be touched by a lively sense of the love of God, is much more disposed to listen to this inward language of the Spirit of Grace, than those enlightened and learned persons who have grown old in their own wisdom. God, whose sole desire is to communicate Himself, cannot, so to speak, find where to set his foot in souls so full of themselves, who have grown fat upon their own wisdom and virtues; but, as says the Scripture, "his secret is with the simple." (Prov. iii. 32. vulg.)

But where are they? I do not find them; God sees them and loves to dwell in them; "My Father and I," says Jesus Christ, "will come unto him and make our abode with him." (John xiv. 23.) Ah! a soul delivered from self, and abandoned to grace, counting itself as nothing, and walking, without thought, at the will of that pure love which is its perfect guide, has an experience which the wise can neither receive nor understand!

I was once as wise as any; thinking I saw everything, I saw nothing; I crept along feeling my way by a succession of reasonings, but there was no ray to enlighten my darkness; I was content to reason. But when we have silenced everything within, that we may listen to God, we know all things without knowing anything, and then perceive that, until then, we were utterly ignorant of all that we thought we understood. We lose all that we once had, and care not for it; we have then no more that belongs to self; all things are lost, and we with them. There is something within that joins with the spouse in the Canticles in saying; "Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely." (Sol. Song, ii. 14.) Ah! how sweet is that voice, it makes me all tremulous within! Speak, O beloved, and let none other dare to speak but Thee! Be still, my soul; speak, Love!

Then it is that we know all things without knowing anything. Not that we have the presumption to suppose that we possess in ourselves all truth. No! on the contrary, we feel that we see nothing, can do nothing, and are nothing: we feel it and are delighted at it. But in this unreserved abandonment, we find everything we need from moment to moment, in the infinity of God. There we find the daily bread of knowledge, as of everything else, without laying up; then the unction from above teaches us all truth, while it takes away our own wisdom, glory, interest, yea, our own will; it makes us content with our powerlessness, and with a position below every creature; we are ready to yield to the merest worms of the dust, and to confess our most secret miseries before the whole world, fearing unfaithfulness more than punishment and confusion of face.

Here it is, I say, that the Spirit teaches us all truth; for all truth is eminently contained in this sacrifice of love, where the soul strips itself of everything to present it to God.

Francois Fénélon's

(1651-1715)

The Inner Life

Francois Fénélon's

(1651-1715)

The Inner Life

John the Baptist prophesied that Jesus would come and baptize the believers with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Matthew 3:11)

Every believer receives the Holy Spirit when he believes in Jesus and makes a commitment to follow Jesus. Before Jesus left this earth He promised to send the Holy Spirit in His place to every believer. The Holy Spirit in us is a guarantee and identity that we are the children of God and belong to Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives a lot of supernatural gifts to believers and the gifts will help them live and serve God in supernatural power and in truth. But not all believers believe in or have made use of these gifts.

What has happened to me and my family recently is directly linked to the Holy Spirit. An old acquaintance of ours met us and exclaimed that we look so different now compared to what he has seen before. “You both look so well and happy, so… (he ran out of words) what has happened?” He was expecting us to say we have just struck the first prize of the national lottery or something. To his disappointment, we merely smiled and thanked him and said we were just happy in Christ. How not be overjoyed, knowing that the Holy Spirit is real and does work in us? How not to shine in light when we know for sure that the God who is light is shinning in us? How not to look contented and fulfilled when the God who is love has filled us to the brim?

We are not newly converted Christians. Both of us have gone through more than twenty five years of solid Bible teaching in traditional evangelical churches. But this is the first time we know our God is real not only in head knowledge but also in our spirits. When one knows the supernatural God truly lives, and He is a good God, one cannot help but be overjoyed, because all that He has promised is true too. Both of us have been driven to read the Bible with fresh interest and zeal to know Him more. The words of God are alive in our lives. We are no longer spiritual orphans. We need no longer fear the unknown out there and beyond, this life or next or forever.

Every morning we wake to expect God talking to us and walking with us the whole day. Every night we go to bed secured in the arms of God. Sometimes we soar on His wings too. Many times we stand on high grounds with Him looking at the world out there with a totally elevated perspective of life.

Our combined economics, management, health psychology, wellness, counseling and medical professional training and experiences had never given us such security and rest before. The natural can never compare with the supernatural. This is all I can say in mere words.

Believe me, it is worth the effort to seek God and ask to be Spirit-filled and continue to abide in Christ by living in the Spirit as commanded by Jesus. If you are a Christian, do not forget to put on your whole armor of God daily: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the readiness of the gospel of peace on your feet, the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, and praying in the Spirit without ceasing. You can note that all these relate to Jesus.

AAA Jack

For nearly three months now, I have been pondering on the words of Jesus and asking the Holy Spirit to guide me what to read and give me understanding of the truth. Jesus said His words are life and spirit. The word of God is also the sword of the Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit it is impossible to read the Bible not to mention to live the Bible.

When I heard a message I also asked the Holy Spirit to show me the truth I need to pay attention to and take action in my Biblical living. I recently heard a teaching on the passage from Exodus 14. The speaker told us that like the Israelites we have the assurance of God that He will fight for us and we shall hold our peace. (Exodus 14:14) Therefore all we need to do is not to continue crying out to God for help. Instead, we should just step forward by faith and win the battle. Whatever the battle is in your life, be it study or employment, financial, relationship, moral, behavioral, attitude, your mind, your emotion, your diseases, unhealthy or addictive habits, binges, obsessions, oppressions and depressions, suppressions, bondages, cravings of the flesh, the pride and arrogance of life etc. They can be overcome.

All the Israelites had to do was to step into the pathway God had opened for them by faith and cross over to the other side. God really took good care of His people as in the case of the Israelites. He miraculously delivered them out of Egypt, miraculously brought them across the Red Sea, miraculously through the wilderness, and miraculously into the promised land of milk and honey.

Reading this passage, I noted that after the children of Israel crossed over the Red Sea safely, all Moses asked them to do was to sing a song to God. God likes us singing songs and hymns to Him!

During the three months of learning to get close to God and learning to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, I have transformed from a stiff, rational, and skeptical Christian to a Spirit-led, songs and hymns singing Christian; from one who normally would doubt anything to do with the spiritual, to one who pays serious attention to visions and dreams. I still make a lot of mistakes in hearing the voice of God and seeing visions. When I prayed for someone close I tended to use my knowledge of him or her to pray. But the Holy Spirit told me things that I did not know about but was in the plan of God. So when I saw the Spirit-led vision, I thought it was from my own thought despite the fact that I could not recall having thought of such matters previously. Only after I have received confirmation from another intercessor who saw the same vision or received the same message then I was convinced. Why am I still so doubtful? I believe it is because I am still young in the Spirit.

I have come to realize that living Biblically is to live spiritually by faith. I am still learning. But I do enjoy my new life and daily look forward to daily meeting with God. One morning I heard the wind in my garden and I thought to myself how nice it would be if I could hear God walking in my garden. After the intercession I prayed to God to reveal Himself by walking in the garden so I could hear Him. After my request, my heart was immediately urged to sing “Holy, holy, holy”. After I finished singing that hymn, before I could get up from the kneeling position, I was urged to sing “Jesus we enthrone You”. After that I was further urged to sing “Holy Spirit, thou art welcomed in this place”.

Only after I finished singing all three songs to the trinity God, I was allowed to stand up. God indeed responded instantly. What an awesome experience! (I did not hear the sound in my garden as I was too busy singing).

My advice to you, my brethren in Christ, is that be always ready to sing and expect the demand to sing songs and hymns (as led by the Holy Spirit) by memory as you may not have the song book with you. I did not have the song book on the occasion but I managed to memorize them (short choruses and one stanza of the hymn) even though I had to work hard to memorize anything. The preparedness is worth it. Otherwise, be careful what you pray for.

AAA Jack

The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.

The Song of Moses

1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying:

“I will sing to the LORD,

For He has triumphed gloriously!

The horse and its rider

He has thrown into the sea!

2 The LORD is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation;

He is my God, and I will praise Him;

My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”

Exodus 15:6-7

“Your right hand, O LORD, has become glorious in power;

Your right hand, O LORD, has dashed the enemy in pieces.

And in the greatness of Your excellence

You have overthrown those who rose against You;

You sent forth Your wrath;

It consumed them like stubble.”

Mode: mp3/MIDI

Once it was the blessing

1. Once it was the blessing,

Now it is the Lord;

Once it was the feeling,

Now it is His Word;

Once His gift I wanted,

Now, the Giver own;

Once I sought for healing,

Now Himself alone.

* All in all forever,

Only Christ I'll sing;

Everything is in Christ,

And Christ is everything.

2. Once 'twas painful trying,

Now 'tis perfect trust;

Once a half salvation,

Now the uttermost;

Once 'twas ceaseless holding,

Now He holds me fast;

Once 'twas constant drifting,

Now my anchor's cast.

3. Once 'twas busy planning,

Now 'tis trustful prayer;

Once 'twas anxious caring,

Now He has the care;

Once 'twas what I wanted,

Now what Jesus says;

Once 'twas constant asking,

Now 'tis ceaseless praise.

4. Once it was my working,

His it hence shall be;

Once I tried to use Him,

Now He uses me;

Once the pow'r I wanted,

Now the Mighty One;

Once for self I labored,

Now for Him alone.

5. Once I hoped in Jesus,

Now I know He's mine;

Once my lamps were dying,

Now they brightly shine;

Once for death I waited,

Now His coming hail;

And my hopes are anchored

Safe within the veil.

前要的是祝福

1. 前要的是祝福，

今要主自己；

前要的是医治，

今要主而已；

前我贪求恩赐，

今要赐恩者；

前我寻求能力，

今要全能者。

* 永远举起耶稣，

赞美主不歇；

一切在于基督，

主是我一切。

2. 前常用手抓主，

今主手牵我；

前常无所适从，

今抛锚稳妥；

前是宝贵感觉，

今凭主口说；

前是频频苦试，

今完全信托。

3. 前是忙于打算，

今则靠祈求；

前是悬切罣虑，

今则主担忧；

前随我之所欲，

今听主支配；

前不住的讨问，

今不断赞美。

4. 前我欲利用主，

今则主用我；

前是我的事业，

今为主工作；

前欲得人称赞，

今求主欢喜；

前不过半得救，

今被救到底。

5. 前羡慕得着主，

今知主属我；

前我灯将熄灭，

今则光炳烁；

前所望的是死，

今等候被提；

我所有的一切，

都在主自己。

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php?t=h&n=513

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php?t=h&n=513&f=mp3

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php?t=h&n=513&f=ppdf

（sheet music, piano）

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php?t=h&n=513&f=pdf

(sheet music, guitar)

Fear thou not: for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee: yea, I will help thee: yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

Isaiah 41

Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

Isaiah 43

Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? Ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God: I know not any.

Isaiah 44

There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Joshua 1

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

Psalms 31

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Deuteronomy 31

And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee; he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

Deuteronomy 31

Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.

Deuteronomy 1

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

Psalms 27

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

II Timothy 1

But if from thence thou shall seek the Lord thy God, thou shall find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shall be obedient unto his voice;

(For the Lord thy God is a merciful God); he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he swear unto them.

Deuteronomy 4

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

St Luke 2

And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

St Matthew 17

But straightway Jesus spoke unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

St Matthew 14

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

St Mark 5

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he was dead, yet shall he live:

And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Believes thou this?

St John 11

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

But in every nation he that fears him, and works righteousness, is accepted with him.

The Acts 10

Then spoke the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:

For I am with you and no man shall set on thee to hurt you: for I have much people in this city.

The Acts 18

And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as you have testified of me in Jerusalem, so must you bear witness also at Rome

The Acts 23

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

St Matthew 24:35 / St Mark 13:31 / St Luke 21:33

A Psalm of David.

¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
² When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
³ Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.

⁴ One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.
⁵ For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.

⁶ And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

⁷ Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
⁸ When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
⁹ Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
¹⁰ When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the LORD will take care of me.

¹¹ Teach me Your way, O LORD,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
¹² Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
¹³ I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.

¹⁴ Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!