"Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste." (Isaiah 28:17) ***************************************************************** WE GATHER FOR WORSHIP Tune to O FOR A THOUSAND TONGUES CM Words by JIM BYRD
1. Eternal, faithful, gracious Lord, We bow before Thy throne; Come as we gather in Thy Name, And make Thy glories known.
2. O send Thy Spirit from above, To touch these lips of ours; That we would praise and honor Thee, With all our earthly pow’rs.
3. When we shall hear Thy word proclaimed, O send it deep within; And fill each heart with love and grace, And cleanse us from our sin.
4. May all who gather in this house, By faith to Jesus flee; He is the Lord our Righteousness, Who made our peace with Thee.
5. Now give us grace to bless Thy name As one, to raise our voice; To honor and adore our God, To worship and rejoice. **************************************** CONGREGATIONAL SCRIPTURE READINGS: MORNING: PSALM 91 EVENING: LUKE 9:28-45 **************************************** Daily Readings - January 8-14 Sunday - Genesis 22-24 Monday - Genesis 25-27 Tuesday - Genesis 28-30 Wednesday- Genesis 31-33 Thursday - Genesis 34-36 Friday - Genesis 37-39 Saturday - Genesis 40-42 *************************************************************************** THE BEST OF MEN ARE MEN AT BEST "While He yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him" (Matthew 17:5). Let us see in these words a striking lesson to the whole Church of Christ. There is a constant tendency in human nature to "hear men." Bishops, priests, deacons, popes, cardinals, councils, preachers, and ministers are continually exalted to a place which God never intended them to fill, and made practically to usurp the honor of Christ.
Against this tendency let us all watch, and be on our guard. Let these solemn words of the vision ever ring in our ears, "Hear ye Him." The best of men are only men at their very best ...patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, church fathers, reformers, puritans; all, all are sinners who need a Savior. They may be holy, useful, honorable in their place; but they are sinners after all. They must never be allowed to stand between us and Christ. He alone is the Son, in whom the Father is well pleased. He alone is sealed and appointed to give the bread of life. He alone "holds the keys of death and hell" in His hands. Let us take heed that we hear His voice, and follow Him. Let us value all religious teaching just in proportion as it leads us to Jesus. The sum and substance of saving religion is to "hear ye Him!" –copied *************************************************************************** MY TIMES "My times are in Thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant: save me for Thy mercies’ sake" (Psalm 31:15-16). I give grateful praise to the Lord that all of life’s experiences are in His hand. "My times" are not in my hand, my enemies’ hand nor the hand of my friends. Everything that will happen to me is under the sovereign, absolute control of my heavenly Father. 1. The time of my birth was in His hand. My earthly sojourn began at the moment God ordained. 2. The time of my second birth was in His hand. When it pleased the Lord, He Who gave me physical life gave me spiritual life through His gospel. I was made alive by effectual mercy, which life was evidenced by repentance of dead works and false religion and belief of the Lord Jesus Christ. I was brought to trust His blood and righteousness and made content to be saved by pure grace with no contribution on my part. 3. The times of delight and the times of trouble are in His hand. The joyful times and the sorrowful times, the moments of happiness as well as pain, the times of prosperity as well as need and the times of health and sickness are all in His hand. 4. The time of my death is in His hand. As the Lord said to Israel, "The number of thy days I will fulfill" (Exodus 23:26), so I am immortal until my wilderness journey is completed. At that very moment my soul will leave this body, by whatever means He has determined, and take its flight into the presence of the Lord my Righteousness.
In short, all my times are appointed, decreed, ordained and governed by God my Savior. What a comforting, soul-thrilling fact this is to me and to all of the Lord’s people. Let this blessed truth soothe our hearts as we continue our pilgrimage through this world. –Pastor Jim Byrd *************************************************************************** Our times are in Thy hand, Father we wish them there: Our life, our soul, our all, we leave entirely to Thy care. Our times are in Thy hand, whatever they may be, Pleasing or painful, dark or bright, as best may seem to Thee. Our times are in Thy hand, why should we doubt or fear? A Father’s hand will never cause His child a needless tear. Our times are in Thy hand, Jesus the crucified! The hand our many sins had pierced is now our guard and guide. Our times are in Thy hand, we’ll always trust in Thee; Till we have left this weary land and all Thy glory see. –W. F. Lloyd, 1835
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