{"id":395,"date":"2008-03-27T01:01:03","date_gmt":"2008-03-27T01:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/03\/my-statement-of-faith.html"},"modified":"2008-03-27T01:01:03","modified_gmt":"2008-03-27T01:01:03","slug":"my-statement-of-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/03\/my-statement-of-faith.html","title":{"rendered":"My Statement of Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 2 of series: My Statement of Faith
\n<\/em>Permalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nGreat is thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with thee; Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; As thou hast been thou forever wilt be. (1)
\nHoly, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee; Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity! (2) (Photo: Zion National Park)
\n\"zionSing praise to God Who reigns above, the God of all creation, The God of power, the God of love, the God of our salvation. With healing balm my soul is filled and every faithless murmur stilled: To God all praise and glory.
\nThe Lord is never far away, but through all grief distressing, An ever present help and stay, our peace and joy and blessing. As with a mother\u2019s tender hand, God gently leads the chosen band: To God all praise and glory. (3)
\nFairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature, O Thou of God and man the Son, Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor, Thou, my soul\u2019s glory, joy and crown.
\nBeautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations! Son of God and Son of Man! Glory and honor, praise, adoration, Now and forever more be Thine. (4)
\nCrown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne. Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own. Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee, And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity. (5)
\nHave we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer. (6)
\nSpirit of God, descend upon my heart; Wean it from earth; through all its pulses move; Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art; And make me love Thee as I ought to love. (7)
\nTake my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.
\nTake my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne. Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store. Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee. (8)
\nHave Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Thou art the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will, While I am waiting, yielded and still.
\nHave Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Hold o\u2019er my being absolute sway! Fill with Thy Spirit \u2019till all shall see Christ only, always, living in me. (9)
\nO to grace how great a debtor Daily I\u2019m constrained to be! Let Thy grace, Lord, like a fetter, Bind my wand\u2019ring heart to Thee: Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here\u2019s my heart, Lord, take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above. (10)
\nHow firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word! What more can He say than to you He hath said, You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled? (11)
\nWhen we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there\u2019s no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. (12)
\nThe Church\u2019s one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord, She is His new creation By water and the Word. From heaven He came and sought her To be His holy bride; With His own blood He bought her And for her life He died.
\nElect from ev’ry nation, Yet one o\u2019er all the earth; Her charter of salvation, One Lord, one faith, one birth; One holy Name she blesses, Partakes one holy food, And to one hope she presses, With every grace endued. (13)
\nWe are the Body of which the Lord is Head, Called to obey Him, now risen from the dead; He wills us be a family, Diverse yet truly one: O let us give our gifts to God, And so shall his work on earth be done.
\nWe are a temple, the Spirit\u2019s dwelling place, Formed in great weakness, a cup to hold God\u2019s grace; We die alone, for on its own Each ember loses fire: Yet joined in one the flame burns on To give warmth and light, and to inspire. (14)
\nLift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim, Till all the world adore His sacred Name. (15)
\nMultiply Your love through us To the lost and the least. Let us be Your healing hands Your instruments of peace. May our single purpose be To imitate Your life. Through our simple words and deeds Let love be multiplied.
\nLet us see Your kingdom come To the poor and broken ones. Let us see a mighty flood Of justice and mercy, O Jesus. Let love be multiplied. Let love be multiplied.
\nMultiply Your church through us To the ends of the Earth. Where there’s only barrenness Let us see new birth. Use us as Your laborers Working side by side. Let us see your harvest come. Let love be multiplied. (16)
\nFinish then Thy new creation, Pure and spotless let us be; Let us see Thy great salvation Perfectly restored in Thee! Changed from glory into glory, Till in heaven we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Lost in wonder, love, and praise. (17)
\nGreat is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed thy hand hath provided; Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! (18)
\nReferences<\/em>
\n(1) “Great is Thy Faithfulness” by Thomas Chisholm, 1923. Refrain.
\n(2) “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Reginald Heber, 1826. Verse 1.
\n(3) “Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above” by Johann Sch\u00fctz, 1675; trans. Frances Cox, 1864. Verses 1 & 3.
\n(4) “Fairest Lord Jesus” from M\u00fcnster Gesangbuch, 1677; trans. Joseph Seiss, 1873, Verses 1 & 5.
\n(5) “Crown Him with Many Crowns,” by Matthew Bridges, 1852. Verse 1.
\n(6) “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” by Joseph Scriven, 1855. Verse 2.
\n(7) “Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart” by George Croly, 1854. Verse 1.
\n(8) “Take My Life and Let It Be,” by Frances Havergal, 1874. Verses 1 & 3.
\n(9) “Have Thine Own Way” by Adelaide Pollard, 1907. Verses 1 & 4.
\n(10) “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” by Robert Robinson, 1758. Verse 4.
\n(11) “How Firm a Foundation” by John Rippon, 1878. Verse 1.
\n(12) “Trust and Obey” by John Sammis, 1887. Verse 1 and refrain.
\n(13) “The Church’s One Foundation,” by Samuel Stone, 1866. Verses 1 & 2.
\n(14) “We Are God’s People,” by Bryan Jeffery Leech, 1976. Verses 3 & 4.
\n(15) “Lift High the Cross,” by George Kitchin, 1916. Refrain.
\n(16) “Multiply Your Love,” by Andy Park, CCLI #3278422.
\n(17) “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” by Charles Wesley, 1747. Verse 4.
\n(18) “Great is Thy Faithfulness” by Thomas Chisholm, 1923. Refrain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 2 of series: My Statement of Faith Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with thee; Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; As thou hast been thou forever wilt be. (1) Holy, holy, holy! Lord God…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-statement-of-faith"],"yoast_head":"\nMy Statement of Faith - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=395"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/395\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}