3. Devotional: The Worship Of The Work

The Worship Of The Work  

by Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)

Labourers together with God. (1 Corinthians 3:9)  

    Beware of any work for God which enables you to evade concentration on Him. A great many Christian workers worship their work. The one concern of a worker should be concentration on God, and this will mean that all the other margins of life, mental, moral and spiritual, are free with the freedom of a child, a worshipping child, not a wayward child. A worker without this solemn dominant note of concentration on God is apt to get his work on his neck; there is no margin of body, mind or spirit free, consequently he becomes spent out and crushed. There is no freedom, no delight in life; nerves, mind and heart are so crushingly burdened that God's blessing cannot rest. 

    But the other side is just as true - when once the concentration is on God, all the margins of life are free and under the dominance of God alone. There is no responsibility on you for the work; the only responsibility you have is to keep in living constant touch with God, and to see that you allow nothing to hinder your co-operation with Him. The freedom after sanctification is the freedom of a child, the things that used to keep the life pinned down are gone. But be careful to remember that you are freed for one thing only - to be absolutely devoted to your co-Worker.  

    We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything; wherever He puts us our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to Him in that particular work. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."

2. Instrumental Hymns, Vol. 3

1. Instrumental Hymns, Vol. 2

2. Hymn: Leave All To God

Hymn: Leave All To God

Author: Anton Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick (1633-1714)

1. Leave all to God,
    Forsaken one, and stay thy tears;
    For the Highest knows thy pain,
    Sees thy sufferings and thy fears
    Thou shalt not wait His help in vain,
    Leave all to God.

2. Be still and trust!
    For His strokes are strokes of love,
    Thou must for thy profit bear;
    He thy filial fear would move,
    Trust thy Father's loving care,
    Be still and trust!

3. Know, God is near!
    Though thou think Him far away,
    Though His mercy long have slept,
    He will come and not delay,
    When His child enough hath wept,
    For God is near!

4. O teach Him not
    When and how to hear thy prayers;
    Never doth our God forget,
    He the cross who longest bears
    Finds his sorrows' bounds are set,
    Then teach Him not.

5. If thou love Him,
    Walking truly in His ways,
    Then no trouble, cross or death,
    E'er shall silence faith and praise;
    All things serve thee here beneath,
    If thou love God!

1. Instrumental Hymns, Vol. 1

    The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church; however, the hymns are the dry tinder for church revivals.

    There were drastic changes of social morality which happened because of the preaching of the salvation of Christ’s cross when the spirituality of God’s church reached to its climax in the past church history. And people confessed their sins and repented, and they were baptized and born again.

    Meanwhile, the messages of church were strong, solid and abundant. The published books were often classic christian literature which benefited the saints of God greatly. In the realm of hymns, there are a lot of hidden and precious treasures awaiting us to excavate and to appreciate for our enjoyment.

    May these hymns serve as the dry tinder for our spiritual revival today!

2. Hymn: Jesus, Priceless Treasure

Hymn: Jesus, Priceless Treasure  

Author: Johann Franck (1618-1677) 

Tune: JESU, MEINE FREUDE, by Johann Crüger (1598-1662)

(Vocal)

(Music)

1. Jesus, priceless treasure,
    Fount of purest pleasure,
    Truest friend to me.
    Ah, how long in anguish
    Shall my spirit languish,
    Yearning, Lord, for Thee?
    Thou art mine,
    O Lamb divine!
    I will suffer naught to hide Thee,
    Naught I ask beside Thee.

2. In Thine arms I rest me;
    Foes who would molest me
    Cannot reach me here.
    Though the earth be shaking,
    Ev'ry heart be quaking,
    Jesus calms my fear.
    Lightnings flash
    And thunder crash;
    Yet, though sin and hell assail me,
    Jesus will not fail me.

3. Satan, I defy thee;
    Death, I now decry thee;
    Fear, I bid thee cease.
    World, thou shalt not harm me
    Nor thy threats alarm me
    While I sing of peace.
    God's great pow'r
    Guards ev'ry hour;
    Earth and all its depths adore Him,
    Silent bow before Him.

4. Hence, all earthly treasure!
    Jesus is my pleasure,
    Jesus is my choice.
    Hence all empty glory!
    Naught to me the story
    Told with tempting voice.
    Pain or loss,
    Or shame or cross
    Shall not from my Savior move me
    Since He deigns to love me.

5. Evil world, I leave thee;
    Thou canst not deceive me,
    Thine appeal is vain.
    Sin that once did blind me,
    Get thee far behind me,
    Come not forth again.
    Past thy hour,
    O pride and pow'r;
    Sinful life, thy bonds I sever,
    Leave thee now forever.

6. Hence, all fear and sadness!
    For the Lord of gladness,
    Jesus, enters in.
    Those who love the Father,
    Though the storms may gather,
    Still have peace within.
    Yea, whate'er
    I here must bear,
    Thou art still my purest pleasure,
    Jesus, priceless treasure!

1. Hymn: Himself

Hymn: Himself 

Author: A. B. Simpson
(Vocal)
(Music)

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.

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 pray’r;
    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.

7. Hymn: Blest Father, Infinite in Grace

Hymn: Blest Father, Infinite in Grace

Author: John Nelson Darby (1800-1882)   

1. Blest Father, infinite in grace,
    Source of eternal joy;
    Thou leadst our hearts to that blest place
    Where rest's without alloy.  

2. There will Thy love find perfect rest,
    Where all around is bliss,
    Where all in Thee supremely blest,
    Thy praise their service is.  

3. Eternal love their portion is,
    Where love has found its rest;
    And, filled with Thee, the constant mind
    Eternally is blest.  

4. There Christ, the centre of the throng,
    Shall in His glory shine;
    But not an eye those hosts among
    But sees His glory Thine.  

5. Yet deeper, if a calmer, joy
    The Father's love shall raise,
    And ev'ry heart find sweet employ
    In His eternal praise.

6. Hymn: Oh, How I Love Jesus

Hymn: Oh, How I Love Jesus

Author: Frederick Whitfield (1829-1904)

Tune: O, HOW I LOVE JESUS

(Vocal)

(Music)

1. There is a name I love to hear,

    I love to sing its worth;

    It sounds like music in my ear,

    The sweetest name on earth.

Refrain:

Oh, how I love Jesus,

Oh, how I love Jesus,

Oh, how I love Jesus,

Because He first loved me!

2. It tells me of a Saviour’s love,

    Who died to set me free;

    It tells me of His precious blood,

    The sinner’s perfect plea. 

3. It tells what my Father hath

    In store for every day,

    And though I tread a darksome path,

    Yields sunshine all the way. 

4. It tells of One whose loving heart

    Can feel my deepest woe,

    Who in each sorrow bears a part,

    That none can bear below. 

5. Some Books About Church History

Some Books About Church History:  

1. The Pilgrim Church, by E. H. Broadbent       

    http://followthelamb.net/28/SID28122.pdf

2. Short Papers on Church History, by Andrew Miller 

    https://www.google.com.tw/search?hl=zh-TW&tbs=bkv:r&tbm=bks&sxs..

3. History of the Christian Church, by Philip Schaff 

    https://archive.org/search.php?query=Schaff%2C%20Philip%..