Brothers and Sisters,

Our scripture focus for Sunday is Revelation 2:8-11 – Christ’s letter to Smyrna. As we are learning to think Biblically about everything, regardless of what the world thinks, we are being brought to another culturally discordant principle – Suffering is good for the church. God has ordained it. God designs it. He demonstrates His power and wisdom through it. In the same way that the suffering and death of Jesus christ sounded the death knell to the kingdom of Satan, so the suffering of the true church is a sign of the destruction of the kingdom of Satan. Additionally, suffering strengthens a church.

Samuel Rutherford was very helpful to shepherd his church through the persecutions they experienced. He wrote, “Oh, what I owe to the file, to the hammer, to the furnace of my Lord Jesus.” He says that the Lord is a farmer who is plowing His fields to make them fruitful. On Sunday we will encounter the Lord’s words to a church which will be experiencing suffering on various levels. He identifies the kinds of things that will be happening to them, and that it will only go on for a short period of time. What will it be? Simply, poverty, slander, prison and some of them will be killed.

Please pray for the Tom Ford family, whose eldest daughter Hannah was killed in a car wreck on Sunday night as well as Peter Salyer, whose wife Silena died yesterday, leaving nine children behind. He and Silena were in our home several years ago for our annual marriage retreat and I have been in touch with him over the years. Susan Felmet’s sister is married to Peters brother.

The songs we will be singing on Sunday are,

On Sunday afternoon, Jason Dohm will be coming to deliver the afternoon message in order to remind us of the biblical reasons for homeschooling. Perhaps many in the younger generation do not have a clear biblical vision for this, so we have invited Jason to speak of the Biblical foundations.

Prayer will be held at the Church building – puppies are being born in the Brown’s Barn today.

Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah

    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_q7b8RL-9s)

I Will Trust My Saviour Jesus

   (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDi-4Gp7By0)

It Is Not Death to Die

   (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d45nKyGphvg)

Afflicted Saint, to Christ Draw Near

   (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fjBOHYQXPc)

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

     (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4EoLm3_luM)

Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah

Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,

O my soul, Jehovah praise;

I will sing the glorious praises

Of my God through all my days.

Put no confidence in princes,

Nor for help on man depend;

He shall die, to dust returning,

And his purposes shall end.

Happy is the man that chooses

Israel’s God to be his aid;

He is blessed whose hope of blessing

On the Lord his God is stayed.

Heaven and earth the Lord created,

Seas and all that they contain;

He delivers from oppression,

Righteousness he will maintain.

Food he daily gives the hungry,

Sets the mourning prisoner free,

Raises those bowed down with anguish,

Makes the sightless eyes to see.

Well Jehovah loves the righteous,

And the stranger he befriends,

Helps the fatherless and widow,

Judgment on the wicked sends.

Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,

O my soul, Jehovah praise;

I will sing the glorious praises

Of my God through all my days.

Over all God reigns for ever,

Through all ages he is king;

Unto him, thy God, O Zion,

Joyful hallelujahs sing.

I Will Trust My Saviour Jesus

I will trust my Saviour Jesus,

When my darkest doubts befall

Trust Him when to simply trust Him

Seems the hardest thing of all

I will trust my Saviour Jesus

Trust Him when my strength is small

For I know the shield of Jesus,

Is the safest place of all

  Jesus, only Jesus

  Help me trust You more and more

  Jesus, only Jesus

  May my heart be ever Yours

I will trust my Saviour Jesus

He has said His way is best

And I know the path He’s chosen

Leads to everlasting rest

I will trust my Saviour Jesus

Every hour of my life

As I journey home to see Him

He will never leave my side

  Jesus, only Jesus

  Help me trust You more and more

  Jesus, only Jesus

  May my heart be ever Yours

  Oh on that cross, how it was seen

  I can go now ever trusting in the One who died for me

  What could I bring, for Your gift is complete

  So I trust You, simply trust You, Lord with every part of me

  Jesus, only Jesus

  Help me trust You more and more

  Jesus, only Jesus

  May my heart be ever Yours

It Is Not Death to Die

It is not death to die

To leave this weary road

And join the saints who dwell on high

Who’ve found their home with God

It is not death to close

The eyes long dimmed by tears

And wake in joy before Your throne

Delivered from our fears

  O Jesus, conquering the grave

  Your precious blood has power to save

  Those who trust in You

  Will in Your mercy find

  That it is not death to die

It is not death to fling

Aside this earthly dust

And rise with strong and noble wing

To live among the just

It is not death to hear

The key unlock the door

That sets us free from mortal years

To praise You evermore

  O Jesus, conquering the grave

  Your precious blood has power to save

  Those who trust in You

  Will in Your mercy find

  That it is not death to die

Afflicted Saint, to Christ Draw Near

Afflicted saint, to Christ draw near,

Your Savior’s gracious promise hear;

His faithful Word you can believe:

That as your days your strength shall be.

Your faith is weak, your foes are strong,

And if the conflict should be long,

The Lord will make the tempter flee

That as your days your strength shall be.

  So, sing with joy, afflicted one;

  The battle’s fierce, but the victory’s won!

  God shall supply all that you need;

  Yes, as your days your strength shall be.

Should persecution rage and flame,

Still trust in your Redeemer’s name.

In fiery trials you shall see

That as your days your strength shall be.

When called to bear your weighty cross

Or sore affliction, pain, or loss,

Or deep distress or poverty,

Still as your days your strength shall be.

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

A mighty fortress is our God

A bulwark never failing

Our helper He amid the flood

Of mortal ills prevailing

For still our ancient foe

Doth seek to work us woe

His craft and pow’r are great

And armed with cruel hate

On earth is not his equal

Did we in our own strength confide

Our striving would be losing

Were not the right man on our side

The man of God’s own choosing

Dost ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is He –

Lord Sabaoth, His name

From age to age the same

And He must win the battle

And tho’ this world with devils filled

Should threaten to undo us

We will not fear for God hath willed

His truth to triumph thro’ us

The prince of darkness grim

We tremble not for him

His rage we can endure

For lo, his doom is sure:

One little word shall fell him

That word above all earthly pow’rs

No thanks to them abideth

The Spirit and the gifts are ours

Thro’ Him who with us sideth

Let goods and kindred go

This mortal life also –

The body they may kill

God’s truth abideth still:

His kingdom is forever