Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Scripture: We will survey the first section of Isaiah, chapters 1-12, which tells the dramatic story of the love of God for His vineyard. In this section Isaiah’s main focus is Judah, the southern kingdom. It contains His evaluation, His instruction, His care, His discipline, His provision, His preservation. His blessing. Isaiah makes it clear that there is only one hope for Judah or israel: Emmanuel, the messiah. He is the “Holy one of Israel,” he root, the branch, the waters of shiloah… many names and qualities are attributed to Him. This section is exceedingly applicable for the church today. The situation described here is remarkably like our own times. Further, the situation is abundantly instructive for us as church. As you read through these twelve chapters, think of yourself and how you are pictured there. These things have been written for our instruction (1 Cor 10).

Fasting and Prayer: On, Wed, we are encouraging all of us to fast and pray. We will be gathering together at the church building at 6:00 to break the fast by having a meal together, which will be provided by the church, and then engage in prayer there in the church building.

Singing together:

The Son of God Goes Forth to War
The Son of God goes forth to war,
A kingly crown to gain;
His blood-red banner streams afar;
Who follows in His train?
Who best can drink His cup of woe,
Triumphant over pain,
Who patient bears his cross below,
He follows in His train.

The martyr first, whose eagle eye
Could pierce beyond the grave,
Who saw his Master in the sky,
And called on Him to save;
Like Him, with pardon on his tongue
In midst of mortal pain,
He prayed for them that did the wrong;
Who follows in his train?

A glorious band, the chosen few
On whom the Spirit came,
Twelve valiant saints, their hope they knew
And mocked the cross and flame;
They met the tyrant’s brandished steel,
The lion’s gory mane;
They bowed their necks the death to feel;
Who follows in their train?

A noble army, men and boys,
The matron and the maid,
Around the Savior’s throne rejoice,
In robes of light arrayed;
They climbed the steep ascent of heav’n
Through peril, toil and pain;
O God to us may grace be giv’n
To follow in their train.

Complete In Thee
Complete in Thee, no work of mine could take, dear Lord, the place of Thine.
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me, and I shall stand complete in Thee!
Yea, justified, oh blessed thought!
And sanctified salvation-wrought!
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me, and glorified I, too, shall be.

Complete in Thee, each want supplied, and no good thing to me denied,
Since Thou my portion, Lord, will be, I ask no more, complete in Thee!
Yea, justified, oh blessed thought!
And sanctified salvation-wrought!
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me, and glorified I, too, shall be.

Complete in Thee, no more shall sin Thy grace has conquered reign within;
Thy blood shall bid the tempter flee, and I shall stand complete in Thee!
Yea, justified, oh blessed thought!
And sanctified salvation-wrought!
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me, and glorified I, too, shall be.

Dear Savior, when, before Thy bar, all tribes and tongues assembled are,
Among the chosen I shall be, at Thy right hand, complete in Thee!
Yea, justified, oh blessed thought!
And sanctified salvation-wrought!
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me, and glorified I, too, shall be.

Ye Nations of the Earth Rejoice (Tune: Duke Street, as in Jesus Shall Reign 375)
Ye nations of the earth rejoice
Before the Lord, your sovereign King;
Serve Him with cheerful heart and voice,
With all your tongues His glory sing.

The Lord is God; ‘tis He alone
Doth life and breath and being give;
We are His work, and not our own,
The sheep that on His pastures live.

Enter His gates with songs of joy,
With praises to His courts repair,
And make it your divine employ
To pay your thanks and honors there.

The Lord is good, the Lord is kind;
Great is His grace, His mercy sure;
And the whole race of man shall find
His truth from age to age endure.

O Church Arise
O church arise and put your armour on
Hear the call of Christ our Captain
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given
With shield of faith and belt of truth
We’ll stand against the devil’s lies
An army bold whose battle cry is Love
Reaching out to those in darkness

Our call to war to love the captive soul
But to rage against the captor
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole
We will fight with faith and valour
When faced with trials on every side
We know the outcome is secure
And Christ will have the prize for which He died
An inheritance of nations

Come see the cross where love and mercy meet
As the Son of God is stricken
Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet
For the Conqueror has risen
And as the stone is rolled away
And Christ emerges from the grave
This victory march continues till the day
Every eye and heart shall see Him

So Spirit come put strength in every stride
Give grace for every hurdle
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful
As saints of old still line the way
Retelling triumphs of His grace
We hear their calls and hunger for the day
When with Christ we stand in Glory

Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus #730
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Ye soldiers of the cross
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss
From vict’ry unto vict’ry His army shall He lead
Till every foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey
Forth to the mighty conflict in this His glorious day
Ye that are men now serve Him against unnumbered foes
Let courage rise with danger and strength to strength oppose

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone
The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own
Put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer
Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long
This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song
To him who overcometh, a crown of life shall be
He, with the King of Glory, shall reign eternally