Complete In Thee, Aaron Wolfe/Ben Nyce

With the sunshine streaming in the window and warming my back, I feel completely in my element. Warm tea, lunch is over and cleaned up (well almost), and my heart is enjoying the creativity of planning next years garden or planting a new climbing rose. But do I think for a moment that this really makes me whole or complete? There is the reality of childhood hurts, gnawing insecurities, and fears that I often push aside. Am I really complete in myself? No way!

But I choose rather to dwelling on the promises of our Lord for me and for you as I ponder the words of this melodic song. For all my sin there is Pardon; for all my offenses there is Mercy, and for my emptiness vast Supply!

Originally a hymn to a different melody, Ben Nyce rewrote Complete In Thee keeping the great old words of Aaron Wolfe (1821-1902). As with many of the other songs you will find here, when used with piano, guitar, or violin, etc., it could be used in a congregational worship setting or to teach your whole family. To get the sheet music for free download go to http://www.crowdedship.com/?p=942

Lyrics:
Complete in Thee, no work of mine
May take dear LORD the place Thine;
Thy Blood hath Pardon Bought for me,
And I am now Complete in Thee.

Complete in Thee no more shall sin,
Thy Grace hath Conquered, reign within;
Thy Voice Shall bid the Tempter flee,
And I Shall Stand Complete in Thee.

*Chorus

Yea Justified! O Blessed Thought
And Sanctified Salvation Wrought
Thy Blood hath Pardon Bought for me,
And Glorified I too Shall be.

Complete in Thee each want Supplied,
And no good Thing to me Denied;
Since Thou my Portion LORD will be I ask no more,
Complete in Thee.

*Chorus

Dear Savior when Before Thy bar
All Tribes and Tongues Assembled are,
Among the Chosen will I be,
At thy Right hand, Complete in Thee!

Supporting Scriptures:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

"And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ." Colossians 1:28

"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands..." Revelations 7:9

"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. " Psalm 73:25-26

"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together." Romans 8:17

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, by Selah with scenes from The Nativity Story

The Nativity Story (used for this video - not the best visual quality) gives us the context of a Jewish nation in the midst of oppression. Historians tell us the following:
Hebrew identity was maintained through a deep spiritual conviction that Yahweh had chosen them to play a unique role in the history of the world. In particular, the Jewish people had come to expect a Messiah who, they believed, would enable them to fulfill this divine mission. There were differing understandings of the mission and role of the Messiah ranging from the establishment of a Jewish political kingdom here on earth to the idea of a heavenly kingdom at the end of the world.

Religion and politics were deeply intertwined in Hebrew faith and self-understanding. By the time of Jesus' birth, the Romans had established a two-tiered system of government consisting of Roman overseers and Jewish leaders who exercised control in the name of Rome. This was the system of power in which the family of Herod the Great grew to prominence.

Although half-Jews, the Herodian family was detested by the Jewish people for its tyrannical rule and also because of its key role in selling out the Jewish heritage to a foreign power. One of Herod's sons, Archelaus, was so brutal in his exercise of power in Jerusalem, that Rome replaced him with one of its own governors, Pontius Pilate, who was to play a significant role in the crucifixion of Jesus.

Another of the sons, Herod Antipas, was responsible for the beheading of John the Baptist. It was the same Antipas who is accredited with the mocking of Jesus at his pre-crucifixion trial.

Lyrics:

Oh come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!

Oh come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Thy people with Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight

Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!

Oh come, Thou rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave

Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!
Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!

Supporting Scriptures:
4 Old Testament prophesies-

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners." Isaiah 61:1

"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord—...
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. " Isaiah 11:1-2, 4 (and all of Isaiah 11)

"And thou, child (speaking of John the Baptist, forerunner of Jesus), shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us,
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." Luke 1: 76-79

New Testament fulfillment-
"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.' " Matthew 1:23

“And he (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began said to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4: 16-21

Here Is Love, Vast As the Ocean, by Robin Mark (Old Welch Hymn)

Do you feel loved? Dr.Gary Chapman, a respected Christian marriage counselor and author of The Five Love Languages says, "Many couples find that their "love tanks" are empty. They may have been trying to express love for their spouse, but in reality they may have been speaking a different love language. The best way to fill your spouse's 'love tank' is to express love in their love language." However, the love language that Christ spoke while on the cross of crucifixion is an eternal word of love. Our spouse or children will never be able to give us this kind of love even though they learn to speak our love language! We can never find true satisfaction in anything the world has to offer, but there is one thing that will last forever...and ever...the deep, vast love of God!

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails...And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
~ from 1 Corinthians 13

Below is a reworking of the wonderful old Welsh hymn.

Words: William Rees, (1802-1883). Music: Robert Lowry, (1876).
You can hear a rendition of the original four verse hymn at

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/e/herelove.htm


Lyrics:

Here is love, vast as the ocean,
Lovingkindness as the flood,
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom,
Shed for us His precious blood.
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten,
Throughout Heav’n’s eternal days.

On the mount of crucifixion,
Fountains opened deep and wide;
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love, like mighty rivers,
Poured incessant from above,
And Heav’n’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love.

Supporting Scriptures:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3: 16-17

"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." 1 Peter 1: 18-19

“I will ransom them (mankind) from the power of the grave;

I will redeem them from death." Hosea 13:14

“When the lovingkindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us.” Titus 3:4-5

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7

Jesus, Lover Of My Soul (It's All About You)

This is a gentle song of surrender. It is making peace with God as the struggle is left behind--the focus is on Jesus!

By the way, while dissimilar in style, the original hymn Jesus, Lover Of My Soul was written by Charles Wesley in 1740. It is perhaps one of the finest and most inspiring hymns ever written, full of the Word of God. Here is a link to the wonderful website Cyberhymnal and this old hymn. http://nethymnal.org/htm/j/l/jlmysoul.htm You can hear it (synthesized) and see lyrics.

Lyrics by Paul Oakley:
It's all about You, Jesus
And all this is for You
For Your glory and your fame
It's not about me
As if You should do things my way
You alone are God
And I surrender to your ways

Jesus, lover of my soul
All consuming fire is in Your gaze
Jesus, I want you to know
I will follow you all my days
For no one else in history is like you
And history itself belongs to you
Alpha and Omega, You have loved me
And I will share eternity with You

Supporting Scriptures:
"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen" Galatians 1:3-5

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God..." 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4

“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End"
Revelations 22:12-13
"
"...so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:28

Before the Throne of God Above, Selah

God Almighty's throne is so much more than this!

Dr.Rudi Swanepoel writes, (this is so wonderful)

"A throne is the emblem of authority. From the throne official Kingdom business is ratified, decrees are made and judgments pronounced. Official audience with the King seated on the throne represents the highest form of representation available. In the presence of God there are times of tremendous intimacy and fellowship but then there are also moments to appear officially before the throne. Your moments before the throne of God are reserved for purpose, destiny, worship and judgments.
Unlike an earthly throne room though, God’s throne is mobile. It appears wherever God manifests His presence. God said in Isa. 66:1 “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool.” God’s Throne is mobile! It is carried by the cherubim! The throne is not standing on the ground! (See Ezek. 1:25-26) The throne is part of the procession of Heaven. When the Glory of God enters a room tremendous things happen. In the unseen realm there is angelic activity, an open heaven, a manifestation of the throne of God and the awesome presence of God. There is fire, heaven’s altar, light, worship happening, and more. In Heb. 4:16 we are encouraged to draw near to the throne of grace with boldness that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in good time for every need! How do we draw near? One great way is to pursue the presence of God in worship. He comes seated on the throne, carried by the angels into your circumstance and life. What a tremendous thought!"

Our family loves the group Selah. Their music (much of it) is a little taste of heaven. I will be posting many more by them in the future.

This is actually an old hymn; the words were written in 1863 by Charitie Bancroft to the tune of Sweet Hour of Prayer (tune by William Bradbury). Below is a link to cyberhymnal with a rendition of the original hymn: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/e/beforetg.htm.

Lyrics:

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,

One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

Supporting Scriptures:

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. Isaiah 49:16

"I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." Malachi 3:6

The entire chapter of Psalm 51 by King David illustrates the amazing power of God’s mercy as He responds to our plea for renewal and cleansing from our sin.

"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" Revelation 12: 10-12

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes (pleads) for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will" Romans 8: 26-27

"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Hebrews 4: 14-16