Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Are the works of the Devil being destroyed in your life? Or, what do you think it would be like for you if God was actually destroying the works of the Devil? Our scripture text this week answers this question and gives us what is one of the clearest and most powerful statements in the Bible regarding the nature of sin and its cure. John does not want us to be “deceived” (v7) regarding sin and righteousness and the status of the works of the Devil. This is why 1 John 3:4-9 brings us to recognize some very important definitions and distinctions. First, John defines sin as “lawlessness,” (v4). Second, John makes distinctions between those who are born of God and those born of the Devil, (v9). Third, he makes it clear why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (v8).  How does this happen? Simply by seeing and knowing and being born of God. Why does John bring this message to us? So that we might further, “behold what manner of love the Father has given to us that we should be called the sons of God.”EndFragment

This Wednesday Night at 7:00, we will gather for Prayer at the Burke home.

Please remember to pray for the workers preaching the Gospel at the abortion clinic this Saturday. On Friday, we will send out a prayer sign up sheet for prayer coverage.

Don’t forget the Father Daughter Retreat, August 12-13.

Colossians Study – Have you considered just how “Complete” a Savior is Jesus Christ? Or, do you understand what it means to be “complete in Christ?” Come to our, “Rediscovering the New Testament Church” course on Thursday at 5:00 in Scott’s library where we will survey the message of Paul to the Colossians. Or, you can listen wherever you are by dialing in to the lifestream. https://ncfic.org/events/bible_survey

Don’t miss this short video clip of Jason Dohm on “Suppressing the Fear of God.” He speaks of the importance of those times, when you realize that every second you live is under His gaze, there is a subsequent fear of God…

The Songs are below:

• Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
• Holy, Holy, Holy!
• What God Ordains Is Always Good
• Rejoice in the Lord
• Jesus! what a Friend for Sinners!

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy, never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise His name – I’m fixed upon it

Name of God’s redeeming love

Hitherto Thy love has blest me

Thou hast bro’t me to this place

And I know Thy hand will bring me

Safely home by Thy good grace

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wand’ring from the fold of God

He, to rescue me from danger

Bo’t me with His precious blood

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter

Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

Holy, Holy, Holy!

Holy, holy, holy!  Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee

Holy, holy, holy!  Merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy!  All the saints adore Thee

Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea

Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee

Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be

Holy, holy, holy!  Tho’ the darkness hide Thee

Tho’ the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see

Only Thou art holy – there is none beside Thee

Perfect in pow’r, in love, in purity

Holy, holy, holy!  Lord God Almighty!

All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth, and sky, and sea

Holy, holy, holy!  Merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity

What God Ordains Is Always Good

What God ordains is always good:

His will is just and holy;

As He directs my life for me,

I follow meek and lowly.

My God indeed in every need

Knows well how He will shield me;

To Him, then, I will yield me.

To Him, then, I will yield me.

What God ordains is always good:

He is my Friend and Father;

He suffers naught to do me harm,

Though many storms may gather.

Now I may know both joy and woe,

Some day I shall see clearly

That He hath loved me dearly.

That He hath loved me dearly.

What God ordains is always good:

Though I the cup am drinking

Which savors now of bitterness,

I take it without shrinking.

For after grief God gives relief,

My heart with comfort filling,

And all my sorrows stilling.

And all my sorrows stilling.

What God ordains is always good:

This truth remains unshaken.

Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,

I shall not be forsaken.

I fear no harm, for with His arm

He shall embrace and shield me;

So to my God I yield me.

So to my God I yield me.

Rejoice in the Lord

God never moves without purpose or plan

When trying His servant and molding a man.

Give thanks to the LORD though your testing seems long;

In darkness He giveth a song.

   O Rejoice in the LORD; He makes no mistake,

   He knoweth the end of each path that I take,

   For when I am tried and purified,

   I shall come forth as gold.

I could not see through the shadows ahead;

So I looked at the cross of my Savior instead.

I bowed to the will of the Master that day;

Then peace came and tears fled away.

Now I can see testing comes from above;

God strengthens His children and purges in love.

My Father knows best, and I trust in His care;

Through purging more fruit I will bear.

Jesus! what a Friend for Sinners!

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!

Jesus! Lover of my soul;

Friends may fail me, foes assail me,

He, my Saviour, makes me whole.

   Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

   Hallelujah, what a Friend!

   Saving, helping, keeping, loving,

   He is with me to the end.

Jesus! what a strength in weakness!

Let me hide myself in Him;

Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,

He, my strength, my vict’ry wins. 

Jesus! what a help in sorrow!

While the billows o’er me roll,

Even when my heart is breaking,

He, my comfort, helps my soul. 

Jesus! what a guide and keeper!

While the tempest still is high,

Storms about me, night o’ertakes me,

He, my pilot, hears my cry. 

Jesus! I do now receive Him,

More than all in Him I find,

He hath granted me forgiveness,

I am His, and He is mine.