“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 ***** Joy to the World! From Psalm 98 Word By Isaac Watts – Tune G. F. Handel and Lowell Mason
1. Joy to the world! the Lord is come: let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
2. Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns: let all their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
3. No more let sin and sorrow grow, nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found.
4. He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love, and wonders, wonders of his love.
***** Serving today:Ushers: Dan, Neil, Matt, Roy Sub - Tim Audio: Chet - AM ***** Daily Readings December 29-January 4 29-Zechariah 9-12; Revelation 20 30-Zechariah 13-14; Revelation 21 31-Malachi; Revelation 22 1 - Genesis 1-3; Matthew 1 2 - Genesis 4-6; Matthew 2 3 - Genesis 7-9; Matthew 3 4 - Genesis 10-12; Matthew 4
***** The wonders of His providence! “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.” Proverbs 19:21 “Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?” Proverbs 20:24 Do not judge divine providence in little pieces - it is a grand mosaic, and must be seen as a whole. The Lord’s wisdom is seen in arranging the smallest events so as to produce great results. We frequently hear people say of a pleasant or a great event, “What providence! This is the finger of God!” - while they are silent as to anything which appears less important, or has an unpleasant savor. But the place of the flower upon the hillside is as fixed as the station of a king! And the dust which is raised by a cart-wheel is as surely steered by divine providence as the planet in its orbit! There is as much providence in the creeping of an insect upon a rose leaf as in the marching of an army to ravage a continent! Everything, the most minute, as well as the most magnificent is ordered by the Lord who has prepared His throne in the heavens, whose kingdom rules over all. Whatever the event may be, the attentive eye will as clearly see the Lord's providential hand. I am sure that God is in the world, yes, and is at my own fireside, and in my chamber - and manages my affairs, and orders all things for me, and for each one of His redeemed children. We need no miracles to convince us of His working, the wonders of His providence are as great marvels as miracles themselves. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose!" Romans 8:28 --Charles Spurgeon ***** He IS Sovereign Lord of all! Christ, as He is God, is infinitely great and high above all. He is higher than the kings of the earth, for He is King of kings, and Lord of lords. He is higher than the heavens, and higher than the highest angels of heaven. So great is He, that all men, all kings and princes, are as worms of the dust before Him. All nations are as the drop of the bucket, and the light dust of the balance, yes, and angels themselves are as nothing before Him. He is so high that He is infinitely above any need of us, so above our reach that we cannot be profitable to Him, and so above our conceptions that we cannot comprehend him. -Christ is the Creator and great Possessor of heaven and earth. -He is sovereign Lord of all! -He rules over the whole universe, and does whatsoever pleases Him. -His knowledge is without bound. -His wisdom is perfect, and what none can circumvent. -His power is infinite, and none can resist Him. -His riches are immense and inexhaustible. -His majesty is infinitely full of awe. Yet, His condescension is sufficient to take a gracious notice of the most unworthy, sinful creatures, those that have no good deservings, and those that have infinite ill-deservings. --Jonathan Edwards ***** “Thou Shalt Call His Name Jesus” Jesus is in all respects fitted for His mighty work of redeeming. He is very man and very God. He is the Seed of the woman, the Seed of Abraham, the Seed of David, the Son of Mary—yet God over all, blessed forever. Thus He can bear our sins. He can sympathize with our sorrows. He can fight our battles. He can love as a man, a fellow Man, Bone of our bone, and Flesh of our flesh. --Horatius Bonar