Dear Brothers and Sisters, Prayer will be held at the Daming home.

In times of trouble, the easiest thing for us to do is to turn to some mechanism, some solution, some strategic way out of a problem. It may be drugs, attorneys, manipulation, food, music, entertainment or various kinds of alliances… It could be almost anything. One of the most prominent features of our own culture is that we turn to chemicals, food and medical treatments to soothe our troubled brows. When the problems roll, so does the Excedrin, Tums, Prozac, Lexapro, Zoloft, Zanax, Klonopin. Gotta feel better. Gotta get relief. Gotta feel protected. Gotta get beyond this. Gotta get your serotonin up. We live in the age of antidepressants, and chemical helps – alliances. Their use often points to the unresolved turmoil, turbulence, fear and disappointment that presses upon us. This is where Isaiah 18 comes in. While the economies are in turmoil, the nations are in a rage, and there are threats on every side, Isaiah brings a message of hope. However, it is not a hope in nations or economies or mechanisms or crutches. Rather it is a hope in God who says, “I will take my rest,” and everything is under control. This chapter declares that all things are working according to His plan. God is untroubled, undisturbed and immoveable. Chapter 18 also brings us to a picture of a people who are frantically scurrying to and fro. The are fitful and fearful about the threats all around. In contrast, God is still. His is unflappable as the commentator, E.J. Young explains, “God rests serene and calm, not agitated as is man.”

Isaiah 18 is a call to observe three things in the midst of the dramatic tug-a-wars that surround us. First, Isaiah brings to our attention the inevitable danger for those who trust in their alliances. Second He reminds us of the calm of God as He rules all things. Third, He shows us the salvation He brings to people who live in pagan nations. In this chapter, God summons all the nations. He will speak and act. Yet his patience is clearly visible. And, His patience is forbearance unto repentance. As we have seen many times so far, Isaiah always exposes us to the realities of fallen culture, but he also repeatedly brings us back to the gospel and its power.

On Sunday evening at 7:00 we will have our Quarterly Meeting at the church. We will be explaining the changes in the constitution we are going to be proposing.

The focus of our Father Daughter Retreat this year is, “Seasons of life for Daughters at Home.” We will focus on the many aspects of a daughters life at home when she is young, in the middle years and as an older adult. This is right around the corner, beginning Friday evening, April 11 and concluding before dinner on Saturday. Details and registration information are coming.

Don’t’ forget Memorial Day, May 26.

Songs are as follows:

To God Be the Glory
To God be the glory – great things He hath done!
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin
And opened the life-gate that we may go in

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father
thro’ Jesus, the Son
And give Him the glory –
great things He hath done

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood
To every believer, the promise of God
The vilest offender who truly believes
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives

Great things He hath taught us; great things He hath done
And great our rejoicing thro’ Jesus, the Son
But purer and higher and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see

Psalm 66:1-7
All lands, to God in joyful sounds
Aloft your voices raise;
Sing forth the honor of His Name,
And glorious make His praise;
And glorious make His praise.

Say ye to God, how terrible
In all Thy works art Thou!
To Thee Thy foes by Thy great pow‘r
Shall be constrained to bow;
Shall be constrained to bow.

Yea, all the earth shall worship Thee,
And unto Thee shall sing;
To Thy great Name shall songs of joy
With loud hosannas ring;
With loud hosannas ring.

O come, behold the works of God,
His mighty doings see;
In dealing with the sons of men
Most wonderful is He;
Most wonderful is He.

He led in safety through the flood
The people of His choice,
He turned the sea to solid ground;
In Him let us rejoice;
In Him let us rejoice.

He rules for ever by His might,
His eyes the nations try
Let not the proud, rebellious ones
Exalt themselves on high;
Exalt themselves on high.

The Solid Rock
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name

On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil

His oath, His covenant, His blood, support me in the whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay

When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found
Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne

Immovable Our Hope Remains
Immovable our hope remains
Though shifting sands before us lie
The One who washed away our stains
Shall bear us safely to the skies
The floods may rise, the winds may beat
Torrential rains descend
Yet God His own will not forget
He’ll love and keep us till the end
You’ll love and keep us till the end

This is eternal life: to know
The living God and Christ, the Son
The Savior will not let us go
Until His saving work is done
Our debt was great, as was our need
But now the price is paid
Who can behold Immanuel bleed
And doubt His willingness to save?
We trust Your willingness to save

The Lord acquits, who can condemn?
Though Satan’s accusations fly
His pow’r can never reach our names
To blot them from the Book of Life
The Son has surely made us free
His Word forever stands
And all our joy is knowing we
Are graven on His wounded hands
We’re graven on Your wounded hands

Built into Christ, secure we stand
For with His Spirit we’ve been sealed
By grace we’ll see the promised land
Where every sorrow shall be healed
To God who gave His only Son
To Jesus Christ, our Lord
To God the Spirit, Three-in-one
Be songs of praise forevermore
We’ll sing Your praise forevermore

Behold the Lamb
Behold the Lamb who bears our sins away
Slain for us and we remember
The promise made that all who come in faith
Find forgiveness at the cross

So we share in this bread of life
And we drink of His sacrifice
As a sign of our bonds of peace
Around the table of the King

The body of our Saviour Jesus Christ
Torn for you eat and remember
The wounds that heal the death that brings us life
Paid the price to make us one

So we share in this bread of life
And we drink of His sacrifice
As a sign of our bonds of love
Around the table of the King

The blood that cleanses ev’ry stain of sin
Shed for you drink and remember
He drained death’s cup that we may enter in
To receive the life of God

So we share in this bread of life
And we drink of His sacrifice
As a sign of our bonds of grace
Around the table of the King

And so with thankfulness and faith we rise
To respond and to remember
Our call to follow in the steps of Christ
As his body here on earth

As we share in His suffering
We proclaim Christ will come again!
And we’ll join in the feast of Heaven
Around the table of the King

Rock of Ages
Rock of Ages, cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee
Let the water and the blood
From Thy wounded side which flowed
Be of sin the double cure
Save from wrath and make me pure

All the labors of my hands
Could not meet Thy law’s demands
Could my zeal no respite know?
Could my tears forever flow?
All for sin could not atone
Thou must save, and Thou alone

Nothing in my hands I bring
Simply to Thy cross I cling
Naked, come to Thee for dress
Helpless, look to Thee for grace
To Thy fountain, Lord I fly
Wash me Savior, or I die

While I draw this fleeting breath
When my eyes shall close in death
When I soar to worlds unknown
See Thee on Thy judgment throne
Rock of Ages, cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee!

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Prayer will be held at the Burke home.

As we continue our study of Moab in Isaiah 16, we see again both hope for the repentant outcasts and the doom of the hard hearted Moabites. As we have seen, Moab, is desperate. She is reaping the consequences of hundreds of years of pride and lies and inviting others to sin with her that began in a cave in Zoar and never stopped. But now Moab is stopped in her tracks. In chapter 16 it becomes plain that Moab has decided to seek refuge in Judah, but only by sending tribute. She is weeping but unrepentant. She is at her wits end and wants relief. This is a challenging text from an interpretation standpoint. You will need to read this section very carefully in order to understand who is talking, who is being talked to, what the imagery is referring to, and what do the geographical locations have to do with the message. You will have to slow down and carefully consider the flow of thought. The imagery here takes us back to the children of Israel coming out of Egypt, Jesus the Son of God going down to Egypt, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, yet is rejected as it travels through the land (from Edom to Zion as it passes through Moab rejected). What Isaiah is saying here is that deliverance is only found in “David,” and His kingdom. As you are studying, look at Amos 9:9-14; Acts 15ff; 2 Kings 3. Notice that Sela is the city of Petra, in Edom, not Moab but rather a famous location, a city carved out of the rock (and the location of an Indiana Jones film). See Isaiah 63, “who is this who comes from Edom.” Bottom line: It is a tragic thing when the lamb passes through your land, and you do not know the time of your visitation. You feel the pain of your sin and the judgment you are receiving in your mind and your body, but you are really only interested in sending a little tribute rather than to bow down before the Lamb.

On another note…. “There was not much to it…” I was having lunch with one of the men in our church this week and he said something like, “I hope that in 25 years, our children don’t look back and say, “our parents wanted to do their families different, but there wasn’t much to it.” He was meaning that if our children grow up and see that we did not really do what we said we were wanting to do, regarding making Christ the center of our homes, then they will shrug their shoulders and write it off as a meaningless exercise. I pray that does not happen, but it could happen, and the seeds of it could be happening right now in your family. Here is a good short video clip of Sam Waldron,”Is Your Family Too Busy for Godliness.”

Remember the Hymn Sing at the Damings on March 28 at 7:00 pm. The song we’ll be learning parts for is When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, so if you’re wanting to learn to sing in harmony, be sure to practice your part before then! I’m attaching the recordings to this email. I’d recommend, if you’re learning a part, that you first practice it just listening to your part and then, when you think you’ve got it, see if you can sing it while listening to the soprano part. I’d also recommend trying to look at the sheet music at least some of the time while you’re practicing – it’ll really help you keep on track. If anyone wants copies of the sheet music or their part on a CD, gets confused, or wants to go over parts before the hymn sing, let me know and I’ll be happy to help.

If you’re not interested in learning parts please still come! You can sing the melody and most of the evening we’re just singing whatever is requested.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Note these calendar items: Fathers and Daughters, mark this in your calendars: Father Daughter Retreat, April 11-12. And, remember this: Anniversary Celebration – Sovereign Redeemer Church Plant, Saturday, May 10 for a Bar B-Q at the Brown farm. And, don’t forget to pray for Memorial Day on May 26.

The songs we will be singing on Sunday are below:

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.

A Broken Spirit
A broken spirit and a contrite heart
You will not despise, You will not despise
You desire truth in the inward parts
A broken spirit and a contrite heart

Lord, my heart is prone to wander
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, Lord take and seal it
Seal it for Your courts above

Psalm 83:13-18 (83B)
O Thou my God, make them to be
Like whirling dust that flies,
Like stubble blown before the wind
When winter storms arise.

As fire a forest burns, as flames
That blaze on mountains high,
So with Thy tempest them pursue,
With Thy storm terrify.

With shame their faces fill, O Lord,
That they may seek Thy name;
Disgraced and terrified be they
And perish in their shame.

So they shall know that Thou alone –
Jehovah is Thy name –
That Thou are the Most High, the One
O’er all the earth supreme.

Irresistible Grace
I sought You, Lord, but now I see
You were the one who was seeking me
I found You, Lord, and then I knew
That I was found by You

You have called me with irresistible grace
This was Your eternal plan
Thank you, Lord, for saving me
On Your grace now I can stand

I took Your hand when I was weak
Sinking, yet always within Your reach
My feet were firm though on the sea
For You took hold of me

You have called me with irresistible grace
This was Your eternal plan
Thank you, Lord, for saving me
On Your grace now I can stand

I sought, I walked, because Your grace
Long before had fixed my place
And now I love – how can it be?
‘Twas You who first loved me

You have called me with irresistible grace
This was Your eternal plan
Thank you, Lord, for saving me
On Your grace now I can stand

Rise Up, O Church of God #433
Rise up, O Church of God!
Have done with lesser things
Give heart and mind and soul and strength
To serve the King of kings

Rise up, O Church of God!
His kingdom tarries long
Bring in the day of brotherhood
And end the night of wrong

Rise up, O sons of God!
The Church for you doth wait
Her strength unequal to her task
Rise up, and make her great!

Lift high the cross of Christ!
Tread where His feet have trod
As followers of the Son of Man
Rise up, O Church of God!

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Prayer will be held at the Brown Barn.

Chapter 13 brings us to a new section of Isaiah. The prophet now turns to describe how He will bring down the pride of man as it is expressed in various nations of the world. After hearing of the praises of the heart from the various refreshments of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah (Isaiah 11-12), Isaiah now turns his attention to the destruction of our enemies. God has brought us to a point in Isaiah where we are confronted with one of our most formidable enemies – THE WORLD. This is one of the most difficult matters in all of life. We are born into the world’s system. We have learned the ways of the gentiles. We think and live and work like those around us. We are constantly assaulted with worldly messages in the form of institutions, lifestyles, songs, films, people… In the midst of all of these there are three forces which wage war against us. First, there is an external, impersonal enemy: the World. Second, there is an internal enemy: the flesh. Finally there is a personal enemy – the devil himself. Our scripture focus this week brings us face to face with that external impersonal enemy – THE WORLD. The Bible uses a term for this enemy – BABYLON. In Isaiah 13 and 14 we learn that Babylon is a city, but it is more than a city. It is a way of thinking and living. Thankfully, the prophet delivers the news of Babylon’s doom. This graphic picture is shocking to all, but for the Christian it is also the basis of much comfort because God will destroy all of the enemies of our souls and rescue us by the mighty power through “the son of His love.” For the unrepentant, it is terrifying news because Isaiah prophesies of some of the most horrible calamities that await those who do not believe.

Click the link for the Holman Bible Dictionary version of the Biblical view and History of Babylon.

The songs we will be singing will season our time in the Word and in fellowship with visions of God’s holiness and love.

The Lyrics to the songs are below:

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

Ye Nations of the Earth Rejoice
(Tune: Jesus Shall Reign)
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.

Immovable Our Hope Remains
Immovable our hope remains
Though shifting sands before us lie
The One who washed away our stains
Shall bear us safely to the skies
The floods may rise, the winds may beat
Torrential rains descend
Yet God His own will not forget
He’ll love and keep us till the end
You’ll love and keep us till the end

This is eternal life: to know
The living God and Christ, the Son
The Savior will not let us go
Until His saving work is done
Our debt was great, as was our need
But now the price is paid
Who can behold Immanuel bleed
And doubt His willingness to save?
We trust Your willingness to save

The Lord acquits, who can condemn?
Though Satan’s accusations fly
His pow’r can never reach our names
To blot them from the Book of Life
The Son has surely made us free
His Word forever stands
And all our joy is knowing we
Are graven on His wounded hands
We’re graven on Your wounded hands

Built into Christ, secure we stand
For with His Spirit we’ve been sealed
By grace we’ll see the promised land
Where every sorrow shall be healed
To God who gave His only Son
To Jesus Christ, our Lord
To God the Spirit, Three-in-one
Be songs of praise forevermore
We’ll sing Your praise forevermore

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.

O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus
O the deep, deep love of Jesus
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me
Underneath me, all around me
Is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward
To my glorious rest above

O the deep, deep love of Jesus
Spread His praise from shore to shore
How He loveth, ever loveth
Changeth never, never more
How He watches o’er His loved ones
Died to call them all His own
How for them He intercedeth
Watcheth o’er them from the throne

O the deep, deep love of Jesus
Love of every love the best
‘Tis an ocean vast of blessing
‘Tis a haven sweet of rest
O the deep, deep love of Jesus
‘Tis a heav’n of heav’ns to me
And it lifts me up to glory
For it lifts me up to Thee

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Prayer will be held at the Daming home.

How does a family make Christ the center of all things? How does a family know that it is not simply going through the motions? How does a person know if he has simply embraced a set of propositions and embraced Christ? Our scripture focus this week, Isaiah 12:1-6, helps us understand.

But first, notice a few details about this chapter: It is the shortest chapter in Isaiah; it is actually a song; it brings us to the end of the first section of Isaiah. Isaiah 1-12, explains His judgment against Judah and their only hope. He summarizes that hope in the personal experience of the redeemed, “you will say: “O Lord, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.” This is simply another way of saying what the apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Isaiah gives us some of the most beautiful language in the Bible to explain the comforts of salvation from belief in the shed blood of Christ that has propitiated the wrath of God toward us. Songs are like that – they gather up the emotions and the words that move our hearts, helping us to love Him from the innermost parts of our hearts. The comforts of God abound in those who trust in His atoning sacrifice. Isaiah says, “Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.”

As you read these things and meditate on them in your homes this week, see how God has desired that at the center of our experience is the water of life and the joy that it brings. Let us draw bucket after bucket of the wells of salvation out of hearts that rejoice in His atoning sacrificial love. Let us meditate on the miracle of the propitiation of Christ. Let us sing of His love. Let us rejoice in His salvation. Our friend Paul Washer named his organization, “Heartcry.” This is what Isaiah is speaking of – a genuine cry of praise from the heart for the comforts of Christ. This is the essence of a gospel centered home. Do you know the “comfort” of Christ. Do you believe that His “anger is turned away.” Let the praise and the comfort begin. “for He has done excellent things (12:6).

The songs are as follows;

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty #210
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires all have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord who hath fearfully, wondrously made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed and when heedlessly falling hath stayed thee.
What need or grief ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

Praise to the Lord who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee

Praise to the Lord who when tempests their warfare are waging;
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord who when darkness of sin is abounding;
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light, chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.

Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the “Amen” sound from His people again,
Gladly forever adore Him!

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.

Not What My Hands Have Done
Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul;
Not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load.

Your voice alone, O Lord, can speak to me of grace;
Your power alone, O Son of God, can all my sin erase.
No other work but Yours, no other blood will do;
No strength but that which is divine can bear me safely through.

Thy work alone, O Christ, can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.
Thy love to me, O God, not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest, and set my spirit free.

I bless the Christ of God; I rest on love divine;
And with unfaltering lip and heart I call this Savior mine.
His cross dispels each doubt; I bury in His tomb
Each thought of unbelief and fear, each lingering shade of gloom.

I praise the God of grace; I trust His truth and might;
He calls me His, I call Him mine, my God, my joy and light.
’Tis He Who saveth me, and freely pardon gives;
I love because He loveth me, I live because He lives.

Come Let Us Worship and Bow Down
Come let us worship and bow down
Let us kneel before the Lord, our God, our Maker
Come let us worship and bow down
Let us kneel before the Lord, our God, our Maker
For He is our God
And we are the people of His pasture
And the sheep of His hand
Just the sheep of His hand

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.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Prayer will be held at the Brown Barn

As we continue to mine the treasuries of the sovereignty of God, we see that one aspect of it is that God will declare His sovereignty by destroying those souls which pretend to be sovereign. For it is a proud and haughty soul that that claims its own sovereignty. Our scripture focus this week is Isaiah 10:24-34, opens with the words, “do not be afraid of the Assyrian,” telling of the relief that is coming after the chastisement. The “burden will be taken away,” and “the yoke destroyed.” Why? The answer explains: “because of the anointing oil.” The heart of Isaiah’s message here is that there is only One sovereign – He is the Lord – The Lord of Hosts – the one who brings “anointing oil.” Isaiah declares God’s uncompromising opposition to the sovereign soul with clarity, “Behold, the Lord, The Lord of hosts, Will lop off the bough with terror; Those of high stature will be hewn down, And the haughty will be humbled.”

The songs we will be singing deal with the sovereignty of God and with His people not fearing but finding rest and comfort in that sovereignty.

The Songs are as follows:

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?
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 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
Behold our God seated on His throne
Come, let us adore Him
Behold our King—nothing can compare
Come, let us adore Him

Psalm 9
O Lord most high, with all my heart
Thy wondrous works I will proclaim;
I will be glad and give thee thanks
And sing the praises of thy name.

The Lord, the everlasting King,
Is seated on his judgment throne;
The righteous Judge of all the world
Will make his perfect justice known.

Jehovah will a refuge prove,
A refuge strong for all oppressed,
A safe retreat, where weary souls
In troublous times may surely rest.

All they, O Lord, that know thy Name
Their confidence in thee will place,
For thou hast ne’er forsaken them
Who earnestly have sought thy face.

Sing praises to the Lord most high,
To him who doth in Zion dwell;
Declare his mighty deeds abroad,
His deeds among the nations tell.

Rejoice, the Lord Is King
Rejoice, the Lord is King
Your Lord and King adore!
Rejoice, give thanks and sing and triumph evermore.
Lift up your heart; lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Jesus, the Savior, reigns
The God of truth and love;
When He had purged our stains, He took His seat above.
Lift up your heart; lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

His kingdom cannot fail;
He rules o’er earth and heav’n.
The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus giv’n.
Lift up your heart; lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

He sits at God’s right hand,
The Church’s great High Priest,
And all his enemies are placed beneath His feet.
Lift up your heart; lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Rejoice in glorious hope!
Our Lord, the Judge, shall come
And take His servants up to their eternal home.
Lift up your heart; lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

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!

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
It is well with my soul
It is well, it is well with 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!
It is well with my soul
It is well, it is well with 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
It is well with my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul