Scripture and ...

8 Free "Thinking of You" Images  with Bible verses I created some sympathy greeting images to send to friends through social media or email.  I got the images from different stock photo websites.   You are welcome to use these images for non-commercial purposes (where the end product is not for sale).  Also, if you share them on a blog or website, please post a link back to this page.  Feel free to share them in emails or on social media without any attribution.  Also, cards and gifts for personal use do not require attribution.  Please do not remove the watermark. Enjoy! To save the image, click on it to view the larger image.   Then, right-click on it and choose "Save Image As...". Original photo  from  Unsplash.com  by Anders Jildén Original Photo from Pexels.com by Ryan McGuire Original Photo  from  Unsplash.com  by Julia Revitt  Original ph...

8 Free Birthday Images  with Bible Verses I created some birthday greeting images to send to friends through social media or email.  I got the images from different stock photo websites.   You are welcome to use these images for non-commercial purposes (where the end product is not for sale).  Also, if you share them on a blog or website, please post a link back to this page.  Feel free to share them in emails or on social media to wish someone a Happy Birthday without any attribution.  Also, cards and gifts for personal use do not require attribution.  Please do not remove the watermark.  Enjoy! To save the image, click on it to view the larger image.  Then, right-click on it and choose "Save Image As...". Original photo from Unsplash.com by Aaron Burden Original photo from stocksnap.io by Brooke Lark Original photo from pexels.com by Adrianna Calvo Original photo from pexels.com by Pok R...

For Valentine's Day, I was going to do a hymn study on a hymn about God's love. God's love is the ultimate example of love.  His loving is giving, sacrificial, and gracious.  Our love can only hope to be a reflection of his agape love. Since I was unable to choose just one hymn, I have decided to share some of my favorites instead. And Can It Be? (Amazing Love) by Charles Wesley, 1738 And can it be that I should gain An interest in the Savior’s blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain— For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? ’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies: Who can explore His strange design? In vain the firstborn seraph tries To sound the depths of love divine. ’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore, Let angel minds inquire no more. ’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore; Let angel minds inquire n...

I love good hymns and I love good modern praise songs.  While I like the music of some more than others, what is important to me is the words and how well they are true to God's Word.  The music should reinforce those words.  For example, it is appropriate that Crown Him With Many Crowns sounds majestic, that Amazing Grace is reflective, and that How Firm A Foundation sounds strong and steady.  It would be odd for Onward Christian Soldiers to sound like a lullaby (even if that is the song my dad sang to us at bedtime when we were little - but, hey, he sang what he could). That is why I love the modern hymn "How Deep The Father's Love For Us".  Yes, I would classify it as a hymn.  When most people think of hymns they are thinking of older church songs, but they are actually songs that are written in meter.  The meter is the number of syllables in a line.  How Deep The Father's Love For Us is written in 8.7.8.7.8.7.8.7 (which is the same as 8...

Blessed Assurance Blessed Assurance was written by Fanny Crosby in 1873.  Fanny Crosby was a prolific hymn writer who also happened to be blind.  Apparently, Fanny's friend and tune writer, Phoebe P. Knapp, played a tune for Fanny and asked her what the tune said to her.  Fanny listened and replied, "It says, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine."  The rest of the words for this hymn just flowed from her.    I love how the first verse talks about our position in Christ, knowing that what we have now is only a foretaste of what is to come.  The second verse is more of an emotional response.  I don't personally believe that her reference to the rapture means any eschatological event, but rather intense joy (a more common definition of rapture).  This matches with the "perfect delight" that she just mentioned.  It is even more inspiring when you envision this blind author having "visions of rapture burst on [her] sight ."  The th...