Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Prayer will be at the Burke home this week.

Get ready for prayer week, next week… We will launch prayer week on Sunday, and will fast on Wed, breaking the fast with a meal at church on prayer night.

Preaching on Sunday: What do you say to a people who have slacked off in their duties before the Lord to establish worship and rebuild their lives? In short: you give them a vision of our Lord Jesus Christ – His life, death and resurrection. Making much of Christ is the only way to energize a people to return to the building of the temple… So, on Sunday, we will conclude the explanation of what Zechariah said to them. As we continue our study of Ezra, we are learning what the prophets Haggai and Zechariah had to say to the returnees who had ceased building the temple for sixteen years because of the opposition and their own worldliness. Last week we looked at Zechariah’s eight visions and the messages he delivered. Now, we will examine Zechariah 6:9-14:21, where every chapter breathes of Christ. From chapter 6-14 we see Zechariah casting a vision for Christ using language that is very familiar in the New Testament. We encounter “the branch,” “zeal,” the “seed,” the “vine,” the savior “on a donkey,” the” latter rain,” the “cornerstone,” his betrayal for “30 pieces of silver,” looking on “me whom they pierced,” “living water,” a “fountain” and the Lord who says, “I will strike the shepherd.” 

Evangelism at the women’s march on Saturday,  sponsored by NARAL, PlannedParenthood, and a host of LGBT groups.  Here is the website: https://womensmarchonraleigh.org/ When: Sat, January 21 @ 10am. Where: Downtown Raleigh, in front of Marriott (Fayetteville St) – we will pray together in the street somewhere here. Contact Paul Carrington for more info.

On Sunday Night, Paul Carrington will continue his explanation of the SLBC on God’s covenant.

We will be singing these songs on Sunday:

• Crown Him with Many Crowns
• Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted
• Man of Sorrows
• The Power of the Cross
• The Suffering Servant

Crown Him with Many Crowns

Crown Him with many crowns

The Lamb upon His throne

Hark! how the heav’nly anthem drowns 

All music but its own!

Awake, my soul, and sing

Of Him who died for thee

And hail Him as thy matchless King

Thro’ all eternity

Crown Him the Lord of Love!  

Behold His hands and side –

Rich wounds, yet visible above

In beauty glorified

All hail, Redeemer, hail!  

For Thou Hast died for me

Thy praise and glory shall not fail

Thro’out eternity 

Crown Him the Lord of life!

Who triumphed o’er the grave

Who rose victorious in the strife 

For those He came to save

His glories now we sing

Who died and rose on high

Who died eternal life to bring 

And lives that death may die

Crown Him the Lord of Heav’n!

One with the Father known

One with the Spirit thro’ Him giv’n

From yonder glorious throne

To Thee be endless praise

For Thou for us hast died

Be Thou, O Lord, thro’ endless days

Adored and magnified

Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted

Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,

See Him dying on the tree!

’Tis the Christ by man rejected;

Yes, my soul, ’tis He, ’tis He!

’Tis the long expected prophet,

David’s Son, yet David’s Lord;

By His Son now God has spoken

’Tis a true and faithful Word.

Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning,

Was there ever grief like His?

Friends through fear His cause disowning,

Foes insulting his distress:

Many hands were raised to wound Him,

None would interpose to save;

But the deepest stroke that pierced Him

Was the stroke that Justice gave.

Ye who think of sin but lightly,

Nor suppose the evil great,

Here may view its nature rightly,

Here its guilt may estimate.

Mark the Sacrifice appointed!

See Who bears the awful load!

’Tis the Word, the Lord’s Anointed,

Son of Man, and Son of God.

Here we have a firm foundation,

Here the refuge of the lost.

Christ the Rock of our salvation,

Christ the Name of which we boast.

Lamb of God for sinners wounded!

Sacrifice to cancel guilt!

None shall ever be confounded

Who on Him their hope have built.

Man of Sorrows 

Man of Sorrows! what a name

For the Son of God, who came

Ruined sinners to reclaim:

Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

In my place condemned He stood,

Sealed my pardon with His blood:

Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

Guilty, vile, and helpless, we;

Spotless Lamb of God was He;

Full atonement! can it be?

Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

Lifted up was He to die,

“It is finished!” was His cry:

Now in heav’n exalted high:

Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

When He comes, our glorious King,

All His ransomed home to bring,

Then anew this song we’ll sing:

Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

The Power of the Cross

Oh, to see the dawn of the darkest day:

Christ on the road to Calvary.

Tried by sinful men, torn and beaten, then

Nailed to a cross of wood.

  This, the pow’r of the cross:

  Christ became sin for us;

  Took the blame, bore the wrath—

  We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain written on Your face,

Bearing the awesome weight of sin.

Ev’ry bitter thought, ev’ry evil deed

Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

  This, the pow’r of the cross:

  Christ became sin for us;

  Took the blame, bore the wrath—

  We stand forgiven at the cross.

Now the daylight flees; now the ground beneath

Quakes as its Maker bows His head.

Curtain torn in two, dead are raised to life;

“Finished!” the vict’ry cry.

  This, the pow’r of the cross:

  Christ became sin for us;

  Took the blame, bore the wrath—

  We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see my name written in the wounds,

For through Your suffering I am free.

Death is crushed to death; life is mine to live,

Won through Your selfless love.

  This, the pow’r of the cross:

  Son of God—slain for us.

  What a love! What a cost!

  We stand forgiven at the cross.

The Suffering Servant

Who is this God did forsake;

Who Himself our griefs did take?

Stricken, smitten by His God;

Our transgressions brought the rod?

   The Great I Am Whom we call Saviour,

   Mighty God, and Prince of Peace;

   The Righteous Servant of Jehovah;

   Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest.

   As a Father to His children

   Everlasting He will be.

   Our Counselor, Most Wonderful,

   Immanuel, ‘tis He.

Who is this for us now bruised;

Oppressed, afflicted, and abused?

Like a lamb to slaughter led;

All of our sins placed on His head?

Who is this Whose stripes can heal,

Justify, and pardon seal?

Poured His soul out unto death;

And bore our sin ‘til His last breath?

Who is this from Whom we strayed;

Everyone to his own way?

And from Him we hid our face;

Condemned He stood to take our place.

Who is this Who intercedes;

Poor lost sheep, their case He pleads?

All our sin on Him was laid.

He bore God’s wrath; the debt’s been paid.