Dear Brothers and Sisters, Prayer will be held at the Brown Barn.

What is your antidepressant? We all take them in one form or another, especially when fear strikes us. Of course, I am talking about antidepressants in a figurative sense… we use many different things to calm our fears. The devil offers them up like candy. The lie of the Rabshakeh – his antidepressant – is that you can purchase a quiet life if you simply quit listening to God and shift your trust to the kings of the earth. The devil always promises a different heaven couched in a sunny promise that he never delivers on. He sells you, then he sells out on you. Our text on Sunday is Isaiah 36:11-37:5, where we hear the Rabshakeh continue to attempt to strike fear in the hearts of Hezekiah’s envoy and the people listening on the wall. His message is clear in verse 18, “Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” As he continues his blasphemous diatribe against the faithfulness of God, the members of the envoy do not reply in obedience to Hezekiah’s command – they listen and then report to their commander. In this picture of faithfulness in the face of blasphemy, we see how grief and trust intermix, and how the only antidepressant we really need is trust in Christ alone for salvation.

Please pray for 18 of us… me, Deborah, Claudia, Colton and Bethany, the interns and the Carrington family as we travel to Mt. Zion Bible Church and Chapel Library where I will be speaking at their annual family conference. We plan to be back home on Monday.

The songs we will be singing are:

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God #151
A mighty fortress is our God
A bulwark never failing
Our helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe
His craft and pow’r are great
And armed with cruel hate
On earth is not his equal

Did we in our own strength confide
Our striving would be losing
Were not the right man on our side
The man of God’s own choosing
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He –
Lord Sabaoth, His name
From age to age the same
And He must win the battle

And tho’ this world with devils filled
Should threaten to undo us
We will not fear for God hath willed
His truth to triumph thro’ us
The prince of darkness grim
We tremble not for him
His rage we can endure
For lo, his doom is sure:
One little word shall fell him

That word above all earthly pow’rs
No thanks to them abideth
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Thro’ Him who with us sideth
Let goods and kindred go
This mortal life also –
The body they may kill
God’s truth abideth still:
His kingdom is forever

How Deep the Father’s Love For Us
How deep the Father’s love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no pow’r, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Psalm (based on text of Psalm 2)
O wherefore do the nations rage,
And kings and rulers strive in vain,
Against the Lord of earth and heav’n
To overthrow Messiah’s reign?

Their strength is weakness in the sight
Of Him who sits enthroned above;
He speaks, and judgments fall on them
Who tempt His wrath and scorn His love.

By God’s decree His Son receives
The nations for His heritage;
The conqu’ring Christ supreme shall reign
As King of kings, from age to age.

Be wise, ye rulers of the earth,
And serve the Lord with godly fear;
With rev’rent joy confess the Son
While yet in mercy He is near.

Delay not, lest His anger rise,
And ye should perish in your way;
Lo, all that put their trust in Him
Are blest indeed, and blest for aye.
Amen

Speak, O Lord
Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of Your Holy Word.
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness,
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.
Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory.

Teach us, Lord, full obedience,
Holy reverence, true humility;
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity.
Cause our faith to rise; cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority.
Words of pow’r that can never fail –
Let their truth prevail over unbelief.

Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds;
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us –
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time
That will echo down through eternity.
And by grace we’ll stand on Your promises,
And by faith we’ll walk as You walk with us.
Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness #139
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

Great 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!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love

Great 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!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside!

Great 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!