Tag: God of Our Fathers

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Before & After the Wedding Cake…Sept. 21st

Weddings are wonderful occasions adorned with tears of joy, songs of emotion and words Wedding Cakeof commitment. But ask one of my boys what he likes the most about weddings (if he has to go) and he will tell you, the reception. Not for the greeting and visiting, but for the food. The mints are nice and the chocolate fountain is a highlight, but everyone steps forward when it’s time to cut the cake.

Still one might wonder why focus on the wedding cake for a Sunday morning sermon? What comes before and after the ‘cake’ that gives us pause to preach about? Join us Sunday while we learn more about the wedding as we look at the marriage. God gave us a pattern for marriage and the wedding day, but when the world distorts God’s perfect plan, chaos ensues. Perhaps it’s time we step back and take a look at what’s happening before and after the wedding cake.

“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, Sept. 21, 2014

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“Give Me the Bible” – 450

We look forward to things in this world that are temporary. A young person wants his freedom, an older person wants peace and quiet, and a child (the world) wants its toys. But what does the child of God want? This morning we’ll sing it, but do we really want it, “…the Bible…” Do you want it? Do you believe it will guide you in the narrow way? If we know what’s good for us we’ll do more than sing about it, we’ll read it!

“How Shall the Young Secure Their Hearts?” – 432

What a great song of dedication to encourage each other to hold on to God’s word. But not just holding on, passing the message on to our children. Sometimes I wonder if we’re really concerned about the souls of our youth, or if we just want them to have fun. Until we believe and understand that the Bible will guide our children and well support our age we will never be secure in this life or the life to come.

“How Beautiful” – 365

How beautiful are the hands of those who serve, and the feet that bring the good news of Christ. And how beautiful is the bride of Christ, His church, as she waits for His arrival (return.) But nothing compares to the beauty of Christ. We sing, “…and as He laid down His life, we offer this sacrifice, that we may live just as He died, willing to pay the price…” As we commemorate the Lord’s Supper consider just how beautiful…is the body of Christ.

“A Common Love” – 705

We sing about loving one another and we talk about our Christian love for each other…but do we really have a common love? In 1974, Charles Brown wrote this song and punctuated the objective we should all have. Not just a common love, but a common gift and a common bond. We share a common strength and a common hope in Christ. What a joy we find in the truth of God’s word when we understand and appreciate that common love.

“Happy the Home When God is There” – no book

Though the title of this song might be new to you, perhaps you’ll recognize the tune. Written in 1846, Henry Ware penned this poem and 20 years later, John B. Dykes offered the musical accompaniment (St. Agnes). Many may remember the song, “Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee.” These two songs share the same tune, so if you don’t recognize the words to “Happy the Home When God is There,” perhaps you’ll recognize this tune.

“God Give Us Christian Homes” – 843

A beautiful song before our lesson that addresses all elements of the family; father, mother, children. However, we’ll miss the message if we don’t follow verse one, “God give us Christian home! Homes where the Bible is loved and taught, Homes where the Master’s will is sought, Home crowned with beauty Thy love hath wrought (provided, created); God give us Christian homes…!”

“I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” – 674

So what is your decision? How will your family be led? Has God been the same before and after the wedding cake? This lesson might cause some to stop and consider just how we’re handling the issues of marriage? The one who has decided to follow Jesus knows…do you?

“God of Our Fathers” – 1025

Not a hymn we typically sing in the congregational setting, but an exceptional message we must never forget. Perhaps it’s the ‘Old English’ that gives us hesitation, but if you’ll consider the words, you’ll see the wisdom. “God of our fathers, whose almighty hand leads forth Gods handy workin beauty all the starry band of shining worlds in splendor thru the skies, our grateful songs before Thy throne arise…” Would that we take God’s word as our law and our chosen way. Our nation was founded on Godly principles, but sometimes I wonder if something happened after the wedding cake?

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Are We Still a Great Country?

This week the United States of America will celebrate Independence Day on Wednesday, July 4th.  A time in our country’s history that commemorates the independence of our nation.  This year the USA celebrates 226 years of freedom.  Personally, it wasn’t that long ago that I can remember celebrating the 200th Anniversary during the summer of 1976.  But if you look back even further in our country’s history, when our nation celebrated during its 100th Anniversary, Daniel Roberts wrote a poem to honor our country and it soon was given a tune with the title “National Hymn”.  It’s better known today as “God of Our Fathers”.

The United States of America celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 1876.  Any monumental occasion deserves a memorable celebration and Roberts was determined to provide that memory.  But to truly see the fullness of this ‘hymn’, you need to read the lines, word by word.   Notice the scripture reference and Biblical emphasis that our country was founded on and still strove to uphold 100 years later.  (What about today?  Do we still maintain this diligence?  If you live in America today, you might take pause and remember when…)

“God of our fathers, whose almighty hand leads forth in beauty all the starry band of shining worlds in splendor thru the skies, our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.
Thy love divine hath led us in the past; in this free land by Thee our lot is cast; be Thou our ruler, guardian, guide and stay, Thy Word our law, Thy path our chosen way.
From war’s alarms, from deadly pestilence, (the Civil War was a recent memory) be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense; Thy true religion in our hearts increase, Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.
Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way; lead us from night to never-ending day; fill all our lives with love and grace divine, and glory, laud and praise be thine.  AMEN”

Can we still have this devotion to God, calling on Him to be our “ruler, guardian, guide and stay”?  Why would we feel so self-reliant that we would believe our way is better than HIS path?  To be honest, we’re not much different than the Israelite nation as we read Judges 21:25.  “…everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Is there no standard of right and wrong?  Have we determined that morality is subject and best left to individual choice.  How do we know if there is a right or wrong…unless we follow a standard provided by one with absolute truth.  Our society and culture try to answer that too by saying, ‘there is no absolute truth’.  (Which by the very nature of the statement is an absolute!)

Our forefathers, with our new found independence, could have established any standard of governmental rule.  They could have ‘remade’ a system of government that mirrored the tyranny the fled (and bled) to escape.  They could have re-traced the steps of Roman rule (very powerful in the world during its day), but instead they sought a society that was governed by the people.  And if the people were to ‘rule’ the land, our founding fathers knew they would need a ‘guide’; an example to an new nation showing peace and providing ‘bounteous goodness’.  So you can see why it was important to hold up songs like this.

But what has happened to our country?  Did God abandon us like an unwanted puppy on the side of the road?  If you know anything about God and His nature, you know He would never abandon His children.  But as in life (and as some of you may have already experienced) the child can leave the teachings of the parent.  We, as a nation, have turned away from God’s Word, God’s Guidance and God’s Love.  How can we expect God to “Bless America” when America has denounced its God?  My objective, my aim, is to once again let His path be my chosen way.  To let His ‘true religion in my (our) heart increase’.  To seek His strong arm as my ‘ever sure defense’, and to constantly raise before His throne a ‘grateful song’.

If I can encourage my country men to do the same; if we will turn our hearts and minds back to God, then perhaps we can see fulfillment when God speaks to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:13, 14.  “…if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who call by My name HUMBLE THEMSELVES and PRAY and SEEK MY FACE and TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  Can you be humble, pray, seek God, and turn from a life of sin?  When we do that we’ll be returning to the roots that made this country great!