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There is a new section that has been added for our ZionFireFriends.



<URL url="http://zionfirefriends.com/forum/3040493/">Psalms of Ascent takes you through the journey up to Jerusalem for the feast. We invite you to take this journey with Dean as he brings in historical and personal anecdotes along the way. Click the link above or find it on our Jewish Roots section.



Our <URL url="http://zionfirefriends.com/forum/66604/">Lenten Meditations forum has a couple of new entries: Ride On to Die (Michael Card) and the old hymn, My Jesus I love thee. Also videos have been added to many of the topics there. We think that there is an opportunity for some beautiful meditation time as you let the music and images wash over you.



As always, we are happy for any feedback or questions which can be posted here or right in the topic.



A blessed holiday time to all our friends.!

Ride on to die, Michael Card



Poignant and hauntingly beautiful Palm Sunday meditation.

My Jesus I love thee, was penned by a 16 year old William Featherson of Montreal, Canada in the mid 1800's.   He had come to Christ at an early age, but he obviously had a deep walk with the Lord to be able to write this love poem to the Savior.   He tragically died at the age of 27.  The composer of the music, Adoniram Judson Gordon, a baptist pastor, also loved Christ and wrote the music to go along with Featherson's poem to be sung at his funeral.  Both men were everyday people who led quiet lives, but their offerings expressing their deep love of Christ live on to give honor to our Lord's saving grace.

https://youtu.be/7O8ba0-A-Ps




My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;

For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.

My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.



I love Thee because Thou has first loved me,

And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree.

I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.



I'll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,

And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;

And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.



In mansions of glory and endless delight,

I'll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;

I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

Psalm 135 is not a part of the Psalms of Ascent, but there is much in that psalm that sums up the previous fifteen. It is a hallel type psalm, full of the rehearsal of Who He is and what He does and has done. Yes, there is a warning about the falsity of idols, made by men with mouths that don't move, but look at the beginning and the ending.



1. Praise the LORD!

Praise the name of the LORD;

Praise Him, O servants of the LORD,

2. You who stand in the house of the LORD,

In the courts of the house of our God!

3. Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;

Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.

4. For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself,

Israel for His own possession.



5. For I know that the LORD is great

And that our Lord is above all gods.

6. Whatever the LORD pleases, He does,

In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps...



19. O house of Israel, bless the LORD;

O house of Aaron, bless the LORD;

20. O house of Levi, bless the LORD;

You who revere the LORD, bless the LORD.

21. Blessed be the LORD from Zion,

Who dwells in Jerusalem.

Praise the LORD!



This is all very amazing. We're inside the gate and dancing in celebration while the watchmen smile at our glee and exuberance. As we see that, we invite them in on the celebration, asking them to praise the Lord with us. After all, they are the ones standing in the house, on the wall, and in the courts of our God. We are all part of the same family, the chosen of God. The psalmist joins our exhortation and includes all of Israel, all of the houses of Aaron and Levi; in fact, he commands "all who revere the Lord" to bless Him. Praise the Lord! HALLELUJAH!

Psalm 134

Greetings of Night Watchers

A Song of Ascents<LIST type="decimal">

1. <LI>
2. Behold, bless the LORD, all servants of the LORD,
   
   Who serve by night in the house of the LORD!</LI>
   <LI>
3. Lift up your hands to the sanctuary
   
   And bless the LORD.</LI>
   <LI>
4. May the LORD bless you from Zion,
   
   He who made heaven and earth.</LI>

</LIST>And as we enter the gates and look up, see and hear the greetings of those who've been watching for us and will watch for our safety while we're in the City of God. Wave at them and bless them for their service! Remind them that we know of their service in the dark of night and that they, too, need to lift holy hands toward the sanctuary and bless our God. Even the watchers cannot watch unless God gives the vision and the strength. They cannot build the house--only God builds His house on His mountain, in His capital city! Acknowledge Him in all your ways.

Psalm 133

The Excellency of Brotherly Unity

A Song of Ascents, of David<LIST type="decimal">

1. <LI>
2. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
   
   For brothers to dwell together in unity!</LI>
   <LI>
3. It is like the precious oil upon the head,
   
   Coming down upon the beard,
   
   Even Aaron's beard,
   
   Coming down upon the edge of his robes.</LI>
   <LI>
4. It is like the dew of Hermon
   
   Coming down upon the mountains of Zion;
   
   For there the LORD commanded the blessing--life forever.</LI>

</LIST>We've arrived at the gate. This part of our journey is accomplished in safety and great spiritual prosperity as we've rehearsed our history of our people as we walked between our village and Jerusalem. After the days appointed for the Feast of the Lord, we'll walk back again and we'll share the stories of the marvels we've seen here. As we enter the city, we'll go our separate ways to the homes of relatives where we'll spend our nights during our stay. The time together has been sweet indeed, totally without strife or argument. There have been no conversations about the village politics or people who refused to make the pilgrimage or gossip. Everything spoken was excitement and expectation about what would happen at the Feast.



We can sense the strength of the Presence, as we draw near to Jerusalem. It is thick, like the very best olive oil that's reserved for the finest homes. If is like the horn of oil that Moses poured over Aaron's head. It is like the horn of oil that Samuel poured over the head of Jesse's youngest son. It flowed down over the head, the beard, onto the clothes and all the way to the edge of their garments. Just as Aaron and David were soaked in that oil, so here is the Presence as we approach. We know that it flows onto and down from His mountain, from where the blessing of eternal life comes. Let it mark and permeate our lives, head to hem.