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Wednesday Worship: Jesus Paid It All

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Opening Reflection

Hebrews 10 invites us to stand before the cross with clear eyes and a quieted heart. It reminds us that the law was never the destination. It was only the shadow of a greater reality yet to be revealed. The sacrifices of the Old Testament expose sin, but they never erase it. They bring people near, but they can not make them clean.

Christ, nevertheless, offered one sacrifice for sins for all time—and then He sat down. His work was finished. His offering was done. His blood accomplished what the law never could. It cleansed the conscience. It perfected those who draw near.

This is the truth that the beloved hymn Jesus Paid It All proclaims with such simplicity and power. Every believer confesses this. They have discovered that their hope does not rest in their own efforts. Instead, it rests in the finished work of Christ.

Scripture Anchor: Hebrews 10:12–14 (ESV)

“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God… For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

Devotional

Hebrews 10 opens with a sobering reminder: the law was never meant to be the final answer. It was a shadow—a silhouette cast by something greater that had not yet appeared. The sacrifices of the Old Testament exposed sin, but they never erased it. They brought people near, but did not make them clean.

If the blood of bulls and goats had truly cleansed the conscience, the offerings would have stopped. But they didn’t. Year after year, the priests stood—always standing, always sacrificing—because the work was never finished. The very repetition of the sacrifices was proof of their insufficiency.

Hebrews 10:12 interrupts with the gospel in a single sentence. Christ offered one sacrifice for sins for all time. Then He sat down. The priests stood because their work was never done. Christ sat down because His work was finished.

This is the heart of the chapter: we do nothing because Jesus has done everything.

His sacrifice is not one more offering in a long line of attempts. It is the final offering. It is the perfect offering. It is the once-for-all offering. It actually cleanses the conscience and perfects those who draw near. The blood of Christ does what the law could never do—it makes us clean, whole, forgiven, and welcomed.

And this is where the hymn Jesus Paid It All becomes more than a song. It becomes a confession of faith that rises straight out of Hebrews 10. The hymn writer understood what the writer of Hebrews proclaimed. Our efforts and our striving cannot make us presentable before God. Our spiritual disciplines and attempts to “be better” are insufficient. None of these can make us presentable before God. They are good, but they are not atoning. They are helpful, but they are not saving.

We do not approach God because we have prayed enough. We do not approach God because we have behaved well enough. We do not approach God because we have avoided sin long enough. We approach God because Jesus paid it all.

And that changes everything.

Have you ever hesitated to come to God because you felt unworthy? Have you ever tried to “clean yourself up” before praying again? Have you ever believed the lie that you need a streak of good days before God will welcome you?

Hebrews 10 dismantles that lie. The hymn reinforces it. The cross settles it.

Your confidence before God is not rooted in your performance—it is rooted in Christ’s finished work. His sacrifice is not fragile. His blood is not temporary. His cleansing is not conditional. You are invited to draw near, not because you are worthy, but because He is.

So take a moment and ask yourself: Where am I still trying to offer God my own sacrifices?

  • My discipline
  • My consistency
  • My ministry
  • My moral effort
  • My attempts to “make up” for my failures

All of these things matter—but none of them save.

You are a son. You are a daughter. Not by your offerings, but by His.

And that is why generations have sung, and will continue to sing, that simple, liberating truth: Jesus paid it all. Not some. Not most. Not the part you can’t fix. All.

Hymn: Jesus Paid It All

Words: Elvina M. Hall (1865)
Music: John T. Grape (1868)

Verse 1
I hear the Savior say,
Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.

Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Verse 2
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Verse 3
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Verse 4
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
My lips shall still repeat.

Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Jesus Paid It All: take time to meditate upon this great hymn as you are reminded as to how great a love the Lord has bestowed upon us, sinners as we are.

About the Hymnwriter

Elvina M. Hall wrote the words to Jesus Paid It All. She was sitting in the choir loft of Monument Street Methodist Church in Baltimore. As she listened to the sermon, the lines began forming in her heart—a simple, profound declaration of Christ’s sufficiency. John T. Grape, the church organist, later composed the tune that carried her words into the worship of generations.

The hymn endures because its message is timeless: Christ has done what we could never do. His sacrifice is enough.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your once-for-all sacrifice. Thank You that You have done what the law could never do. Thank You that we can draw near with confidence, not because of our worthiness, but because of Your finished work. Teach us to rest in the truth that You paid it all. Amen.

Benediction

May the God who perfected you through the sacrifice of His Son fill you with confidence. May He also fill you with peace and joy as you draw near to Him. Walk in the freedom of the cross. Know that Jesus paid it all. Nothing can be added to His finished work.

From Psalms, to Hymns, to Spiritual Songs: Rediscovering the Full Voice of Worship

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

🎶 From Psalms to Hymns to Spiritual Songs: Rediscovering the Full Voice of Worship

There’s a rhythm in the Spirit that many of us miss—not because we’re tone-deaf, but because we’ve grown accustomed to singing in only one key. Paul’s words in Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19 aren’t just poetic—they’re prophetic. He’s inviting the Church into a threefold harmony: psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

But what does that sound like in real life?

📖 The Psalmist’s Cry: Worship That Anchors

David didn’t write songs to impress anyone. He wrote them to survive. In caves, on battlefields, in royal courts and lonely nights, his psalms were raw, reverent, and real. When he sang, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” (Psalm 42:5), he wasn’t performing—he was pleading.

Psalms are the worship of the anchored heart. They remind us that God is not afraid of our questions, our laments, or our longings. They teach us to worship with Scripture as our vocabulary and honesty as our posture.

In today’s worship culture, we need to recover this. Not just quoting psalms—but singing them. Letting the Word shape our sound.

🕊️ The Hymn-Writers’ Declaration: Worship That Teaches

Fast forward to Paul and Silas in prison. Shackled, bruised, and unjustly accused, what did they do? “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God…” (Acts 16:25). Not psalms. Hymns.

Why hymns? Because hymns declare what we believe when everything else is shaking. They’re theological anchors in emotional storms. Whether penned by Luther, Watts, or Fanny Crosby, hymns carry the weight of doctrine wrapped in melody.

Hymns are the worship of the instructed heart. They teach us to sing truth—not just feel it. And in a world drowning in opinions, we need songs that remind us who God is, not just how we feel.

🔥 The Spirit’s Whisper: Worship That Responds

Then there’s the upper room. No hymnals. No setlists. Just wind, fire, and spontaneous utterance. The early Church didn’t just sing about God—they sang with Him. Spiritual songs are the overflow of divine encounter. They’re the worship of the responsive heart.

Think of Mary, pregnant with promise, breaking into spontaneous praise: “My soul magnifies the Lord…” (Luke 1:46). Or the Church in Corinth, where Paul encouraged Spirit-led singing alongside prophecy and teaching (1 Corinthians 14:15).

Spiritual songs are risky. They’re unscripted. But they’re also intimate. And if we silence them, we may miss the now-word of God.

🎯 So What’s the Point?

This isn’t a progression from old to new. It’s not a regression from structured to spontaneous. It’s a divine triad—a full-bodied worship expression. Psalms root us. Hymns instruct us. Spiritual songs release us.

When we lean too heavily on one, we lose the richness of the whole:

Psalms without spiritual songs become liturgical but lifeless.

Hymns without psalms become doctrinal but disconnected.

Spiritual songs without hymns become emotional but unanchored.

💬 A Personal Reflection

I remember a season when all I could sing were psalms. Life was heavy, and I needed the Word to carry me. Then came a time when hymns became my declaration—truth over turmoil. And now, I find myself drawn to spiritual songs—those moments when the Spirit sings through me what I didn’t even know I needed to say.

Worship isn’t just music. It’s movement. And God invites us to sing in every season, with every sound.

🙌 Let’s Sing the Full Song

Let the Word dwell richly. Let the truth ring loudly. Let the Spirit flow freely.

Whether you’re in a cave like David, a prison like Paul, or an upper room like the early Church—there’s a song for you.

Sing the psalm. Declare the hymn. Release the spiritual song.

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Timeless Comfort: Embracing Psalm 23’s Wisdom

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Experience the timeless comfort as we explore the profound words of “Psalm 23”. Allow this “christian meditation” to bring you “comfort” and guide you into a deeper connection with your “faith”. May these scriptures bring peace and renewal to your soul.

🌅 Wednesday Worship: Great Is Thy Faithfulness – A Hymn of Steadfast Hope

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

🎵 Intro: The Song That Refuses to Expire

There’s something timeless about a melody that echoes eternity. Great Is Thy Faithfulness isn’t flashy—it’s quietly strong, like the steady sunrise or the whisper of grace when you least expect it. This isn’t a song for the mountaintops. It was born in the valleys.

📖 Historical Backdrop

Thomas Chisholm, the hymn’s author, didn’t write from abundance—he wrote from dependence. His life, marked by frail health and modest means, shines with the truth that God’s faithfulness doesn’t depend on our circumstances. It endures.

Chisholm once said:
“I wanted to write something that would show the faithfulness of God as I had experienced it during my many years.”
And so this hymn became a testimony—not to triumph, but to trust.

✨ Lyrical Meditation: “Morning by morning new mercies I see”

How often do we overlook the miracle of “morning”? Not just the literal dawn, but the daily divine reset. The lyric echoes Lamentations 3:22–23:

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

When Chisholm wrote “new mercies,” he was reflecting on the faithful provisions of God that arrive like clockwork, not because we deserve them, but because He’s faithful.

🛡️ Biblical Anchors

  • James 1:17 — “Every good and perfect gift is from above…who does not change like shifting shadows.”
  • Psalm 119:90 — “Your faithfulness continues through all generations.”
  • Hebrews 13:8 — “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Each of these verses confirms what the hymn proclaims: God doesn’t flinch, falter, or fade.

💬 Personal Reflection Prompt

Think of a moment recently, when God showed up, not dramatically, but dependably—in a steady provision, a quiet comfort, or the grace to make it through a hard morning. That’s the kind of faithfulness this hymn celebrates. Write it down. Sing about it. Tell someone.

🔥 Closing Challenge

This week, look for mercy not in the miraculous—but in the mundane. Let each sunrise be a reminder that God remains. That His love still holds. That faithfulness isn’t an event; it’s His essence.

🪨 Shelter in the Storm: Anchored in the Rock Before the Winds Rise

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

The winds howl. The headlines scream. Homes are shattered, hearts are heavy, and the world trembles beneath a thousand storms—natural, emotional, spiritual. And in the middle of it all, an old hymn whispers with unwavering faith:

Jesus is a rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm.

This isn’t just poetic comfort—it’s spiritual survival. A Shelter in the Time of Storm, written in the late 1800s by Vernon Charlesworth, was born out of a world worn down by hardship. It became a lifeline sung by fishermen steering into stormy harbors, echoing through orphanages ministering to broken souls, and later reimagined by Ira Sankey to stir congregations across oceans. Its refrain is timeless—because the Rock it speaks of is eternal.

Storms will come. And when they do, it’s not doctrine or dogma that saves us—it’s Christ Himself. Scripture declares:

“The Lord has been our dwelling place in all generations… He is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.” (Psalm 90:1, 18:2)

But in the middle of the storm—when thunder drowns out reason and lightning blinds perspective—it’s difficult to fix your eyes on anything but the chaos. That’s why it’s vital to know the Rock before the storm hits. Calm seas are the classroom. Quiet days are the training ground. Every peaceful moment spent abiding in Him becomes a spiritual anchor when the winds rise.

When you know Jesus in the stillness, you recognize Him in the storm.
He’s not just refuge; He’s recognition.
Not just shelter; He’s strength.
Not just security; He’s sovereign.

And as the world reels from wildfires, floods, wars, and heartache—this hymn becomes a holy declaration: we are not unmoored. The storm may be raging, but the Rock is not shaking. In Him, we find not just protection—but peace.

So today, as tempests swirl around us, let this truth settle deep into your spirit:
Jesus is sure, sound, safe, and secure. He is your Shelter. He is your Storm-Calmer. He is your Rock—now and forever.
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Allen Scott