Dear Brothers and Sisters, Wed night Prayer will be held at the Brown Barn at 6:00. We will break the fast with dinner – Pizza.

Our text for Sunday, Isaiah 40:3-8. It is one of the critical prophetic messianic texts in all of scripture. This is perhaps why it is quoted in all four gospels. Isaiah has just explained what is at the heart of True Christianity. He uses several terms to try to describe the miracle of salvation. It is a message of comfort. The comfort is accompanied by the end of warfare, the pardon for iniquity, and blessing instead of punishment. But how does this happen? What is necessary for this to be accomplished? Something must happen. Something must be introduced that was not there before. First God sends prophets, for how will we know unless God acts and sends a voice. There will be no comfort without hearing the word of the testimony of the prophets. We know exactly what Isaiah is talking about: John the Baptist’s announcement of the transformational changes that true christianity brings, “Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low.”

Fasting and Prayer: As part of prayer week, we are encouraging folks to fast and pray on Wed.

Wed Noon Prayer at Scott’s Office. If anyone would like to join me for prayer during the lunch hour, please accept my invitation to come and pray in the library in the Chevrolet Building downtown. We will begin at 12:15.

The songs we will be singing are…

Notice the New Song We Will Be Introducing

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery
Come behold the wondrous mystery
In the dawning of the King
He the theme of heaven’s praises
Robed in frail humanity
In our longing, in our darkness
Now the light of life has come
Look to Christ, who condescended
Took on flesh to ransom us

Come behold the wondrous mystery
He the perfect Son of Man
In His living, in His suffering
Never trace nor stain of sin
See the true and better Adam
Come to save the hell-bound man
Christ the great and sure fulfillment
Of the law; in Him we stand

Come behold the wondrous mystery
Christ the Lord upon the tree
In the stead of ruined sinners
Hangs the Lamb in victory
See the price of our redemption
See the Father’s plan unfold
Bringing many sons to glory
Grace unmeasured, love untold

Come behold the wondrous mystery
Slain by death the God of life
But no grave could e’er restrain Him
Praise the Lord; He is alive!
What a foretaste of deliverance
How unwavering our hope
Christ in power resurrected
As we will be when he comes

Comfort, Comfort Ye My People
Comfort, comfort ye my people,
Speak ye peace, thus saith our God;
Comfort those who sit in darkness,
Mourning ‘neath their sorrow’s load.
Speak ye to Jerusalem
Of the peace that waits for them;
Tell her that her sins I cover,
And her warfare now is over.

Yea, her sins our God will pardon,
Blotting out each dark misdeed;
All that well deserved his anger
He no more will see or heed.
She hath suffered many a day
Now her griefs have passed away;
God will change her pining sadness
Into ever-springing gladness.

For the herald’s voice is crying
In the desert far and near,
Bidding all men to repentance,
Since the kingdom now is here.
O that warning cry obey!
Now prepare for God a way;
Let the valleys rise to meet him,
And the hills bow down to greet him.

Make ye straight what long was crooked,
Make the rougher places plain;
Let your hearts be true and humble,
As befits his holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord
Now o’er earth is shed abroad;
And all flesh shall see the token,
That his word is never broken.

Wonderful Words of Life
Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of Life
Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of Life
Words of life and beauty, Teach me faith and duty
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of Life
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of Life

Christ, the blessed One, gives to all wonderful words of Life
Sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of Life
All so freely given, wooing us to heaven
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of Life
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of Life

Sweetly echo the gospel call, wonderful words of Life
Offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of Life
Jesus, only Savior, sanctify forever
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of Life
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of Life

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.

How Firm a Foundation
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

Fear not! I am with thee; O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flames shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose;
I will not, I will not desert to his foes.
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!