Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Can a church change? Can people change? Is there hope for culture change in a church? How about Hope Baptist? Even after patterns of thinking and living are deeply ingrained…? Even for sixteen years? It did happen in the days of Zerubbabel and Joshua. It was a revival. They changed. The old ways and feelings were gone. Selfishness turned to energetic service of the Lord. They got back “on mission.” How did it happen? The Word of the Lord was delivered by two prophets Haggai and Zechariah and the people responded. Their hearts turned back to Him and to the work… and after 16 years of disobedience, they got back to the work of building the temple. And they all lived happily ever after! Not quite. As soon as they started back, the opposition raised its head, proving again that whenever people turn to the Lord, they should expect opposition. This is what we encounter in Ezra 5:3-17. Can a leopard change its spots?  Yes, the Bible tells me so (Jer 13:23).

Wednesday prayer. We are encouraging the church to fast on Wed. We plan to break the fast with a meal together at the church at 6:00. Then, at 7:00 we will begin our prayer meeting.

Sunday night, we will continue our studies in the Baptist Confession focusing on the chapter on Christ the Mediator.

Remember the upcoming conference March 17-18, The Aggressive Power of the Christian Church

The songs we will be singing on Sunday are

• When Morning Gilds the Skies
• Behold Our God
• Be Still My Soul
• Rejoice in the Lord
• It Is Well with My Soul

When Morning Gilds the Skies

When morning gilds the skies,

My heart awaking cries

May Jesus Christ be praised:

Alike at work and prayer

To Jesus I repair;

May Jesus Christ be praised.

When sleep her balm denies,

My silent spirit sighs,

May Jesus Christ be praised:

When evil thoughts molest,

With this I shield my breast,

May Jesus Christ be praised.

Does sadness fill my mind?

A solace here I find,

May Jesus Christ be praised:

Or fades my earthly bliss?

My comfort still is this,

May Jesus Christ be praised.

In heav’n’s eternal bliss

The loveliest strain is this,

May Jesus Christ be praised:

The powers of darkness fear,

When this sweet chant they hear,

May Jesus Christ be praised.

Let earth’s wide circle round

In joyful notes resound,

May Jesus Christ be praised:

Let air and sea and sky,

From depth to height, reply,

May Jesus Christ be praised.

Be this, while life is mine,

My canticle divine,

May Jesus Christ be praised:

Be this th’eternal song,

Through all the ages on,

May Jesus Christ be praised.

Behold Our God

Who has held the oceans in His hands?

Who has numbered every grain of sand?

Kings and nations tremble at His voice

All creation rises to rejoice

   Behold our God seated on His throne

   Come, let us adore Him

   Behold our King—nothing can compare

   Come, let us adore Him

Who has given counsel to the Lord?

Who can question any of His words?

Who can teach the One who knows all things?

Who can fathom all His wondrous deeds?

Who has felt the nails upon His hands?

Bearing all the guilt of sinful man

God eternal, humbled to the grave

Jesus, Savior, risen now to reign

Be Still My Soul

Be still my soul!  The Lord is on thy side

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain

Leave to thy God to order and provide

In every change He faithful will remain

Be still my soul!  Thy best, thy heav’nly Friend

Thro’ thorny ways leads to a joyful end

Be still my soul!  Thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as He has the past

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake

All now mysterious shall be bright at last

Be still my soul!  The waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below

Be still my soul!  The hour is hast’ning on

When we shall be forever with the Lord

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone

Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored

Be still my soul!  When change and tears are past

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last

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.

It Is Well with My Soul

When peace like a river attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll –

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

“It is well, it is well with my soul.”

   It is well with my soul.

   It is well, it is well with my soul.

Tho’ Satan should buffet, tho’ trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control –

That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate

And hath shed His own blood for my soul !

My sin – O the bliss of this glorious tho’t –

My sin – not in part, but the whole

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul !

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live;

If Jordan above me shall roll,

No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life

Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait;

The sky, not the grave, is our goal.

Oh trump of the angel ! Oh voice of the Lord !

Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul !

And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend;

“Even so” – it is well with my soul !