For generations, soldier’s have marched into battle motivated by a melody of courage, strength and victory. During the United States Civil War a song was written to inspire the northern army (the Union.) But due to the songs ‘sing-ability’ the southern army (the Confederates) adopted the tune and adjusted the words to fit their own rally. The words, for the North, were a simple cry to rally the troops;
“And we’ll rally ’round the flag boys, rally once again shouting the battle cry of freedom!”
But as a soldier of the cross, we have songs of our own to inspire and encourage each other in this ‘fight for the right.’ Consider songs like “Soldiers of Christ, Arise” or “Faith is the Victory” as just a couple of these motivating spiritual songs. But for the next few moments, allow me to direct your mind and consider how this old Civil War melody, “The Battle Cry of Freedom,” compares with one of the Christian’s battle songs as we prepare for conflict. First, from George Root in 1863, the Civil War song of motivation; “The Battle Cry of Freedom.”
“Oh we’ll rally round the flag, boys, we’ll rally once again, shouting the battle cry of freedom, And we’ll rally from the hillside, we’ll gather from the plain,shouting the battle cry of freedom!”
(Chorus) “The Union forever! Hurrah, boys, hurrah! Down with the traitors, and up with the star; While we rally round the flag, boys, we rally once again, shouting the battle cry of freedom!”
From the same period of time, a short six years later in 1869, from the pen of William Sherwin, notice the similarity in reassurance and support that the Christian soldier sings as he calls us to…”Sound the Battle Cry.”
“Sound the battle cry! See, the foe is nigh; raise the standard high for the Lord; Gird your armor on, stand firm, every one; Rest your cause upon His holy Word.”
(Chorus) “Rouse, then, soldiers, rally round the banner, ready, steady, pass the word along; Onward, forward, shout aloud, Hosanna! Christ is Captain of the mighty throng.”
We will continue to find motivation and inspiration in our hymns, but only as long as we’re looking for it (ie., singing with understanding). Don’t take for granted the songs, hymns and spiritual songs that we sing as we encourage one another day by day. God gave us the ability to sing for basically two reasons; so we can praise His name and so we can admonish (inspire) His people. He is deserving of all our praise, and we must never forget that we are in a battle against a wicked enemy. The key is to remember that we are called to victory, so let’s ‘rally round the banner.’
Have you ever read a bedtime story to your child? You know the routine; before we can read a story, you need to get ready for bed, brush your teeth, get another drink of water, and then crawl in bed for a ‘bedtime story.’ Sometimes those stories are made up from our imaginations, but many times we read from a favorite book. But wherever the story comes from, we must always remember to followed up with a prayer and a good night kiss. Certainly this sound vaguely familiar?
But how do many of those bedtime stories begin? Whether fantasy or factual, many of these stories begin with these four short words… ‘Once upon a time.’ Or maybe you’ve read the story that starts like this, ‘One day…’ We set the stage back in time to establish the story line. But maybe tonight as you tuck your little one in bed let me encourage you to read them a familiar old story that’s not a fantasy, but one you’ve read (sung) before…
“One day when heaven was filled with His (God’s) praises, One day when sin (life on earth) was a black as could be…Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin (remember, this isn’t a fantasy,) and he dwelt among men…and He’s my example!’
When you read (sing) this bedtime story, be sure you have your Bible handy. For some support I’ve listed a few scriptures. Enjoy the time with your children and practice Deuteronomy 6:7, “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”
Mark 11:18, “The chief priest and the scribes heard this (“…you have made the temple a robber’s den.” ) and began seeking how to destroy Him…” and John 20:18, “…I lay down My life so that I my take it again. No one has taken it from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative…”
After Christ’s death on the cross…
Mark 15:45-47, “Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead.And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph (of Arimathea).Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.“
Luke 24:1-9, “…on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing;and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead?He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”And they remembered His words,and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles...”
I Thessalonians 4:13-18, “…if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Romans 6:3-11, “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
The version of this song is different from the traditional one…but the words are the same. And remember, it’s the words are the bring us the message!
Reflecting on and remembering the death of the Lord Jesus is perhaps the best and most humbling thing one can do with their time. There are many ways we can reflect upon His death; however, there is one way we are commanded to. Each week the faithful children of God meet and reflect on the sacrifice and purpose of Christ’s death. We call this The Lord’s Supper or The Communion. To outsiders, it might seem strange that we take part in what we do. To Christians, we should fully understand the act of worship. The Lord’s Supper is not just a time where we reflect on the death and sacrifice of Christ, but a time where we think about the opportunity of a new life that we have been given through His resurrection, because “The Lord who pours the cup is risen from the dead.”!
In First Corinthians 11, we read of Paul reflecting on the Lord’s death. In the context, Paul has to remind the Corinthian church of why it is important to do so. “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” (I Cor. 11:23-26 NKJV).
One of my favorite songs about the Lord’s Supper is Come Share the Lord. Not only is it a beautifully written song with each verse seamlessly leading into a chorus that evokes great emotion and expresses the great love that we have burning within our hearts “like living flame(s)”; it is a song that causes one to emotionally think of the death of our Savior and the holy communion with Christ that all Christians should continue to remember and praise God for.
“We gather…” as a family and “He joins us…”, and soon we’ll all be together where “…angels sing.”. He desires us all to be together when we “come take the bread…”. The next time you sing this song, don’t just sing it as an encouragement to those around you, reflect inwardly.
Leading up to this time of year, world-wide, children and adults alike express a belief in Santa Claus. ‘If you’re good enough, then he’ll leave something for you under the tree’, is what we’re told from a young age. We
have put so much trust and devotion into ‘being good’, so that we won’t be disappointed come Christmas morning. However, as we grow older, we lose that desire to trust and believe in Jolly ‘ole St. Nick. In the 2004 movie, The Polar Express, a boy is whisked away on a magical train all the way up to the North Pole. All throughout the movie, he is skeptical of the fact that Santa even exists and at the end {SPOILER ALERT} he meets the Santa and is even given a silver bell that comes off of the Santa’s sleigh. Before meeting Santa, the boy repeats these words several times out loud, “I believe…I believe…I BELIEVE!”. After so much skepticism, this boy comes away with so much faith, or belief, in someone he had only heard stories about. There’s a song we sang this morning in worship called Bethlehem, Galilee, Gethsemane, and the lyrics go as such.
“Bethlehem, He was born there, I believe, I believe.
Galilee, Jesus walked there, I believe, I believe.
Gethsemane, my Savior prayed there, on Calvary, He died alone
But the tomb, He left there, I believe, I believe…”
As much as we believe in the physical things in this life, no matter what they are, they will not take us or give us as much fulfillment as our belief in Christ. Belief in Christ, means that we believe in truth (which He is…2nd Thessalonians 2:13).
Belief in Christ is not something you can proclaim only when it suits you, when it’s most convenient or when everyone else is doing it. Belief has to be genuine, from the heart and intentional. He was born, walked His earth and died for us to allow everyone of us access to the greatest gift we could ever have. I believe that He gave up everything for me, and I try everyday to live and show that to those around me.
-Do we believe the stories and historical events that we grew up hearing about from our parents and grandparents as they read from God’s word?
-Do we believe in the God that we know sent His Son to die for our sins, so that we would be able to be with Him one day?
-Do we proclaim our belief in God as much as we encourage our children to believe in a magical being that rewards kids for being good one time a year?
Who has more of your belief and trust? Christ or the things of this world?
It was about 10:30 a.m. or so, and I was sitting in a local, and seemingly popular, millennial coffee shop, attempting to work on some things for remainder of my current school semester and for post-school work. I decided taking a second to pull back from my work and reign in my thoughts, so I looked up and took in the environment around me. I noticed an older man, maybe in his early 60’s, and his young grandson, maybe 4 or 5, walking in. He had ordered his “little guy” a hot chocolate and then sat at the table next to me. A few ladies walked in shortly after, ordered
their coffee and went to sit on the soft, plush couches nearby. The little one kept asking about his grandma, the fact that his hot chocolate had “Ice” on top, and why his grandpa’s beard was so long. His grandpa then struck up a conversation with the family behind him, who was having coffee, with what looked like a daughter home from college. After talking about his Alma mater, his time in the Marine Corp, and how it had such an influence on his life, the family then thanked him for his service and parted ways He watched them leave and then the man returned his attention to his young grandson, who had been quietly sitting, watching and listening to his grandpa. The ladies that had ordered and sat on the couch, approached the older man about taking their picture, to which he agreed and joked about his lack of ability with technology. Hearing and silently observing the things going on around me, it struck me that the things we have most wrong with our world and the people therein, it’s the lack of common courtesy and care for one another. One may argue that it’s a lack of love that we’re seeing in our world, to which I would not disagree, but where do we even see and get our example of love? Obviously, I can say with utmost certainty that our example of love comes from Christ, His treatment of others and the ultimate demonstration of love, His death on the cross. If we expect to be loved by others, to be treated the way we desire to be, and to see others be treated the way we think they should be, WE need to be the example of Christ’s’ love. It is simple, but not easy. Loving how He loved, is not something we can expect to happen as soon as we’re baptized or as soon as we pray about it. It takes practice. Learning how to love someone regardless of their actions and flaws, is not something that is picked up after one ‘attempt’. We will fail, but that is all part of learning how to be better the next time.
Driving down the street with your mind on that meeting; your spouse’s doctor appointment and the ‘conversation’ you had with the kids earlier, did you notice the stop sign? Of course I did, I stopped didn’t I…didn’t I? After leaving the house you drove those familiar streets to your next stop, but have you ever ask yourself, “What did I pass, how did I get here?”
This Sunday morning we’re not talking about driving, but we are going to look at what we have done (what happened while I was raising my family) to get where we are today. And since its Father’s Day, we’ll look at a father whose son challenged him at every corner. With or without challenges, you have grown up in a family that brought you to this day, so maybe we should ask the question…“How Did We Get Here?”
“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” I Corinthians 14:15
Sunday morning, June 18, 2017
The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.
“Let Every Heart Rejoice and Sing” – 8
We’ll open our worship with a song encouraging ALL to rejoice and sing. “…Ye aged men and children bring to God your sacrifice…” Together we will lift up our hearts as a sacrifice of praise!
“Wonderful Words of Life” – 543
Dads (Grandads), as you raise your family insure that you are singing to your children about a God who created them and loves them? Sing so that your children would say, “Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life…” If you want your family to head toward heaven, point them toward God. You can do that by singing to them about the wonderful words of life.
“There is a Redeemer” – 287
The next two songs will usher us toward the Lord’s Supper. The prayer we’ll sing is simple, “Thank you, O my Father for giving us Your son.” Tell your children and your grandchildren about the gift God has given us through His Son! Without it, our families will be in distress wondering ‘how did we get here?’
“It Is Well with My Soul” – 490
The second verse of this song before the Lord’s supper we’ll focus on a call to remember Christ sacrifice, “My sin! O the bless of this glorious thought, my sin, not in part, but the whole is nailed to HIS cross and I bear it no more…Praise the Lord!” Maybe this could be a song before the Lord’s Supper.
“Remind Me Dear Lord” – 606
“Nothing good have I done to deserve God’s own Son, I’m not worthy of the scars in His hands. Yet He chose the road to Calvary to die in my stead, why He loved me, I can’t understand.” Sometime we need the curtain of our memory rolled back so we can remember where we came from…we need that if we are ever going to know how we got where we are!
“Faith of Our Fathers” – 754
Before our lesson we’ll sing about the faith of our forefathers. We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. If we fail to see what our fathers have done to bring us this far we miss the value of our legacy. Not to mention we’ll never know…you got it…how we got here!
“How Deep the Father’s Love” – no book
An invitation song that might not be ‘typical,’ but one that clearly reminds us (if we’re thinking about the words) that we were once a wretch, but now we are His treasure. That it was my voice that was heard among the scoffers and my sin that held Him to the cross. And perhaps most importantly, I have NO answer as to why I should gain from the reward of His death and resurrection. If we fail to examine this, our destination might not be the end result we all are hoping for. We might wonder not how did I get here…but why did I do that?
“Oh, To Be Like Thee” – 429
You want to have certainty of where you’re going? What to have confidence in knowing you’re directing your family toward heaven? Then consider this song, “Oh to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer! This is my constant LONGING AND PRAYER…” If our constant longing is to be with our God, and if we are leading our families in that direction, and if we obey God’s instructions to join Him in heaven…we’ll know how we got there!
Have you ever had the feeling that you’re not as spiritual as you’d like to be? Perhaps you’ve just felt like your walk with Christ wasn’t as good as it once was. Some may have even found themselves going through a time when they just didn’t care. As a Christian when you know that you could be more devoted, but your heart struggles with being close to God…what do you do? If we are true to ourselves, each of us has had times when our ‘love for Christ’ has grown cold or weak. Is there something we can do, some where we could turn? Scripture should always be our first approach, followed by (and accompanied with) prayer. But personally, when Satan poisons my heart with lies and interferes with my walk, I tend to turn to the psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. “In Christ Alone” (Keith Getty, 2007), “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” (Helen Lemmel, 1922), “Day by Day” (Caroline Berg, 1865) and “I Need Thee Every Hour” (Annie Hawks, 1872) are just a few of my ‘go to psalms’ in times of distress. But today let me encourage you to follow the thought of a song written in 1837 by John R. Wreford…
“When my love to Christ grows weak, (exactly what we’re talking about here) when for DEEPER faith I seek, then in thought (in your ‘mind’s eye’) I go to thee, (read, Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42 & Luke 22:39-46) Garden of Gethsemane!
There (in the garden) I walk amid the shades, while the lingering twilight fades, (it’s evening and the sun is going down) see that suffering, friendless One (can you see Him, in ‘your mind’s eye?’) weeping, praying there alone. (But what if I’ve fallen so far that even the sight of a man suffering and struggling doesn’t bother me? (Then read on…)
When my love for MAN grows weak, when for STRONGER faith I seek, (what can I do, where should I go ‘in my mind’s eye?’) Hill of Calvary! (go to the cross if you have trouble caring about mankind…that’s where Christ went! To the cross…) I go to the scenes of fear and woe. (Again, read the text, Matthew 27:33-54)
There (at the cross) behold His agony, suffered on the bitter tree; (look at the scripture, Mark 15:22-39 or Luke 23:33-47) see His anguish, see His faith (if you haven’t read the above passages, you’ll never over come the struggle of a wavering faith)…love triumphant still in death. (Now, what are you going to do?)
Then to life I turn again (away from the poetic imagery in your mind to real time), learning all the worth of pain (His death was for YOU), learning all the might that lies (a lesson we must all learn) in a full self-sacrifice. (where you give your life over to God. Remember, it’s not about you!)”
The answer, if you’re struggling in your walk with Christ, if you want to be have a more spiritual tone in your life…if you want to care again… stop living for yourself. We can be more devoted and closer to God, but we need to ‘learn the might that lies in a FULL self-sacrifice.’ He sacrificed Himself for you and me. Can you, will you, do that for others? When we do, we’ll deepen and strengthen our faith in God.
Written in 1847, Henry Lyte wrote the words to the hymn, Abide with Me as a prayer seeking God’s presence in life and death. Some contend that this hymn isn’t Biblical considering God is ‘with us always,’ Matthew 28:20. But I would encourage the reader to remember the words of Christ in John 15:5-6…“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.“As we sing this song, let me encourage you to recognize the ‘prayer’ that is being offer within these words. The first verse is an understanding of how soon until this life is over (fast falls the even tide). But I’ve always been moved by the second verse which says Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day (the days of our life are flowing away quickly and); Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away (all the wonder and glory of life will fade and pass away). Still we know and realize that…Change and decay in all around I see (everything I see around me is dying, it’s a fact of life.) And yet, Thou who changest not… abide with me! That is my plea, and that is what I long for. “In life and death, O Lord, abide with me!”
The above video doesn’t includes all five of the verses, but listen and notice the words of each verse as you seek the Father and strive to live so that He will… Abide with Me.
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide; When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away; Change and decay in all around I see— O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
I need Thy presence every passing hour; What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r? Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.
I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness; Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.
Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies; Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
An angry young man storms into the shop, slams his fist against the counter and shouts at the employee, ‘Who is in charge around here?’ With just a few words you know there is unrest and frustration. Someone has been offended and is looking for answers. To get ‘satisfaction,’ we need to know who is calling the shots. In 1952, while speaking to the National War College, President Truman referenced a sign he had on his desk which read, ‘The buck stops here!’ A statement reassuring the nation, “I’m in charge.”
But when the ‘law of the land’ clashes with ‘God’s perfect law of liberty’ (James 2:25), we are left with angry men shouting, ‘Who is in charge?’ In 1974, Leonard Smith penned the words to a song that gives us the answer to our question. “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of Him who brings good news. Announcing peace, proclaiming news of happiness, Our God reigns, our God reigns!” If you are wondering who is in charge of this life, and if you want to know Who has the answer to your questions, join us Sunday morning as we remember…God Still Reigns!
“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” I Corinthians 14:15
Sunday morning, July 12, 2015
The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.
“Come Thou, Almighty King” – 19
“Come Thou, Almighty King, help us Thy name to sing, help us to praise! Father all glorious, over all victorious, come and REIGN over us, Ancient of Days!” Do you see God as the One who reigns in your life? Can you trust that, ‘the buck stops’ with Him? When you do, then you’ll understand why His children long to see His sovereign majesty in glory. Where we will, for eternity, love and adore Him. (Which musically leads us to our next song…)
“O Come Let Us Adore Him” – 264
Many recognize this as the chorus to one of our ‘Christmas’ hymns. But today let me encourage you to sing it with ‘more understanding.’ This is a simple repeat of the cause for which we live, “O come let us adore Him…Christ the Lord!” Sometimes we can find a hymn of praise in the most basic of places.
“By Christ Redeemed” – 366
Breaking this hymn into two parts, we’ll sing verses 1-2 before the Lord’s Supper, then following the fruit of the vine we’ll close with verse 3. And yet for years I have sung this 3rd verse without knowing what I was singing. The message…“And thus that dark betrayal night with the last advent we unite, by one bright chain of loving rite, until He come.” We recognize ‘until He come’ from the words of Paul in I Corinthians 11:26, but what is the ‘last advent’ or the ‘loving rite?’ Understanding that an ‘advent’ is defined as ‘a coming’ and a rite is an act done continually, let’s try it again…”And because of that dark, betrayal night we are united knowing that He will come again (with the last advent). And as we continually, ritually (rite), keep the Lord’s Supper (the one bright chain of love), we keep it…until He come.”
“Sweet Adoration” – 253
Sung during the passing of the collection plate, this contemporary song reminds us that God reigns in our hearts. How often, how clearly does our adoration flow to the throne of God? Are we, as His children, constantly giving Him our praise? We would do well to remember that He is the Divine One who still reigns!
“Surely the Presence of the Lord is in This Place” – 398
Following the prayer, we’ll transition to this reminder that God is with us. Our God STILL REIGNS is in this place!
“The Love of God” – 122
A 100 year old song that resonates in our hearts, especially as we consider the chorus; “…the soul will glow like Jesus in His tender mercy, if the heart is made His dwelling place.” God isn’t looking to sit on an earthly throne. He is not running for office or looking to hold a seat in the senate. Our God doesn’t make His dwelling place Washington, D.C. But never forget that God Still Reigns. He reigns in heaven, and wants us to let Him reign in our lives.
“Kneel at the Cross” – 945
With God as our King, He welcomes all who will come to Him. But before be can bow before the throne of God, we must first kneel at the cross. Through an acceptance of His death, burial and resurrection, we too die to ourselves and give Him reign over our lives.
“This World is Not My Home” – 957
Many value this world as home, and for the one who has nothing but this world… that would be a sad state. Yet for the child of God, we will live eternally, not in this world, but ‘up in glory land.’ If this world is what you desire, you’ll never know the glory of Christ in your heart. But when you seek ‘heaven’s door,’ and Christ lives in your heart, then you’ll know…God still reigns!
Have you heard the phrase, ‘Talk is cheap?’ Simply translated, ‘actions speak louder than words.’ On a personal level, if I tell you to call whenever you need something, but refuse to answer your call when it’s not convenient (like say around 3:00 in the morning) isn’t that just cheap talk? In the same manner, if we proudly claim our church family on Sunday morning, but don’t associate with our brothers and sisters on Friday night, our actions are speaking loud and clear? Or, do we believe enough in the church that we’ll sacrifice our time for them? We might say (and sing) all the right words, but how would our life look if we really ‘believed’ in the church Christ died for?
The true test of how much you believe in something can’t be found in your words alone. What we believe in (value) can be seen in how much time, energy and interest we give to its success. In short, how much you trust in something is determined by how much you are willing to sacrifice for it. How much did God ‘believe’ in the church? Enough to have His Son die for her! Each of us would do well to take a look at how much time and energy (yes, even money) we are willing to give to this same church. Then ask the question, ‘How much do I believe in the church?’
“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” I Corinthians 14:15
Sunday morning, April 26, 2015
The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.
“For the Beauty of the Earth” – 67
What a great opening for Sunday morning’s service. As you consider the glory of God, what reasons can you find to praise Him? In 1864, Folliot Pierpoint offered these ideas. For the beauty of the earth, the sky, and each hour of the day or night; for the church that continually ‘lifteth holy hands.’ (See I Timothy 2:8) If for no other reason, these things call on us to say, “Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our sacrifice of praise.”
“Doxology” – 66
“Praise God from Whom all blessing flow!” The Old Hundreth dates back to the mid 1500’s with words that were penned in the early 1700’s. How could something so ancient still be sung and recognized here in the 21st Century? Possibly because some things never change. Things like…God will always be praised!
“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” – 315
Let’s sing this song before the Lord’s Supper and break it up into three different sections. Verse 1 & 3, verse 2 & 4 and conclude with verse 5. Notice the power of the message. “When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died, my riches gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. See, from His head, His hands, His feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did e’er (ever) such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?” Then verses 2 and 4, “Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my Lord. All the vain things that charm me most I sacrifice them to His blood. His dying crimson, like a robe, spreads o’er (over) His body on the tree. Then am I dead to all the globe, and all the globe is dead to me.” Thanks to Isaac Watts we can survey the cross of Christ more vividly as we consider our Savior’s sacrifice for the church.
“I Believe in Jesus” – 356
Do you believe in the church Jesus died for? If you don’t believe His word, you’ll never be able to believe in Him. This spiritual song has one scriptural reference after another. From the day He stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee to the morning He woke Lazarus from His deathly slumber. Do you believe the blind could see and the deaf could hear? Do you believe He died on Mount Calvary only to leave behind an empty tomb? Do you believe He’s the answer…do you believe in His church?
“The Church’s One Foundation” – no book
Blending the words from Samuel Stone in 1886 with the musically arrangement of George Webb in 1837, we have an all-time favorite when it comes to describing the Bride of Christ, the Lord’s church. “The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord. She (the church) is His new creation, by water (baptism) and the word (the gospel of salvation). 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.”
“Live for Jesus” – 594
Perhaps this isn’t your typical invitation song, but what a great call for the church to live a life for Christ. To be His disciple and stop wandering in sin. Living for Jesus means following His example and giving Him all you have.
“How Firm a Foundation” – 457
It’s been said if you really mean it, repeat it. And if you really want to get your point across, say it a third time. I’ve heard it said if you want to have someone over for supper and they turn you down, ask them again. If they still say no, ask them a third time. Perhaps three is a charm. Whether or not that was on the mind of the one who penned this hymn, repetition is utilized in the last verse of this song. But have you noticed Who is speaking? “The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose (rest), I will not, I will not desert to his foes. That soul, tho all hell should endeavor (try) to shake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.” God believes in the church and He will not turn us out. But what about you, do you believe in the church?
For generations, soldier’s have marched into battle motivated by a melody of courage, strength and victory. During the United States Civil War a song was written to inspire the northern army (the Union.) But due to the songs ‘sing-ability’ the southern army (the Confederates) adopted the tune and adjusted the words to fit their own rally. The words, for the North, were a simple cry to rally the troops;
their coffee and went to sit on the soft, plush couches nearby. The little one kept asking about his grandma, the fact that his hot chocolate had “Ice” on top, and why his grandpa’s beard was so long. His grandpa then struck up a conversation with the family behind him, who was having coffee, with what looked like a daughter home from college. After talking about his Alma mater, his time in the Marine Corp, and how it had such an influence on his life, the family then thanked him for his service and parted ways He watched them leave and then the man returned his attention to his young grandson, who had been quietly sitting, watching and listening to his grandpa. The ladies that had ordered and sat on the couch, approached the older man about taking their picture, to which he agreed and joked about his lack of ability with technology. Hearing and silently observing the things going on around me, it struck me that the things we have most wrong with our world and the people therein, it’s the lack of common courtesy and care for one another. One may argue that it’s a lack of love that we’re seeing in our world, to which I would not disagree, but where do we even see and get our example of love? Obviously, I can say with utmost certainty that our example of love comes from Christ, His treatment of others and the ultimate demonstration of love, His death on the cross. If we expect to be loved by others, to be treated the way we desire to be, and to see others be treated the way we think they should be, WE need to be the example of Christ’s’ love. It is simple, but not easy. Loving how He loved, is not something we can expect to happen as soon as we’re baptized or as soon as we pray about it. It takes practice. Learning how to love someone regardless of their actions and flaws, is not something that is picked up after one ‘attempt’. We will fail, but that is all part of learning how to be better the next time.
sign? Of course I did, I stopped didn’t I…didn’t I? After leaving the house you drove those familiar streets to your next stop, but have you ever ask yourself, “What did I pass, how did I get here?” 
you do? If we are true to ourselves, each of us has had times when our ‘love for Christ’ has grown cold or weak. Is there something we can do, some where we could turn? Scripture should always be our first approach, followed by (and accompanied with) prayer. But personally, when Satan poisons my heart with lies and interferes with my walk, I tend to turn to the psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. “In Christ Alone” (Keith Getty, 2007), “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” (Helen Lemmel, 1922), “Day by Day” (Caroline Berg, 1865) and “I Need Thee Every Hour” (Annie Hawks, 1872) are just a few of my ‘go to psalms’ in times of distress. But today let me encourage you to follow the thought of a song written in 1837 by John R. Wreford…
Written in 1847, Henry Lyte wrote the words to the hymn, 
