God of our fathers, whose almighty hand...

God of our fathers, whose almighty hand

Leads forth in beauty all the starry band

Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies,

Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.

Thy love divine hath led us in the past,

In this free land by Thee our lot is cast;

Be Thou our ruler, guardian, guide and stay,

Thy Word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.

From war’s alarms, from deadly pestilence,

Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense;

Thy true religion in our hearts increase,

Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.

Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way,

Lead us from night to never-ending day;

Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,

And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.

-Daniel C. Roberts

By Faith....

 

 "By Faith" 

 Praise and Harmony Singers

By faith we see the hand of God

In the light of creation's grand design

In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness

Who walk by faith and not by sight

By faith our fathers roamed the earth

With the power of His promise in their hearts

Of a holy city built by God's own hand

A place where peace and justice reign

We will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward

'Til the race is finished and the work is done

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

By faith the prophets saw a day

When the longed-for Messiah would appear

With the pow'r to break the chains of sin and death

And rise triumphant from the grave

By faith the church was called to go

In the pow'r of the Spirit to the lost

To deliver captives and to preach good news

In every corner of the earth

We will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward

'Til the race is finished and the work is done

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

By faith this mountain shall be moved

And the power of the gospel shall prevail

For we know in Christ all things are possible

For all who call upon His name

We will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward

'Til the race is finished and the work is done

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

Oh, we will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward

'Til the race is finished and the work is done

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

Songwriters: Keith Getty / Stuart Townend / Kristyn Getty

Now therefore, O kings, be wise,,,

Why do the nations rage

    and the peoples plot in vain?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves,

    and the rulers take counsel together,

    against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,

3 “Let us burst their bonds apart

    and cast away their cords from us.”

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;

    the Lord holds them in derision.

5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,

    and terrify them in his fury, saying,

6 “As for me, I have set my King

    on Zion, my holy hill.”

7 I will tell of the decree:

The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;

    today I have begotten you.

8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,

    and the ends of the earth your possession.

9 You shall break them with a rod of iron

    and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;

    be warned, O rulers of the earth.

11 Serve the Lord with fear,

    and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son,

    lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,

    for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

-Psalm 2 Image

There is Hope...

 

 There is Hope 

CityAlight

There is hope in grace unceasing

You withhold Your wrath from me

Poured it out upon my Saviour

On the cross of Calvary

There is hope now for the hopeless

There is victory all can know

For the tomb lies bare and broken

And deaths pow’r is overthrown

CHORUS

Jesus Christ my hope forever

Hope unlike the world can bring

Your steadfast love beyond all measure

There is hope in Christ my king

There is hope for sons and daughters

Who have wandered on their own

Hear the songs of joy from heaven

As the lost are welcomed home

BRIDGE

Hallelujah, Hope of heaven

Precious treasure of my life

All my joy is in Your presence

I am Yours and You are mine

I will wait until I see Him

Though the twilight turns to night

For my hope is not defeated

It will greet His dawning light

Give me an open ear, O God...

Give me an open ear, O God, 

that I may hear Thy voice calling me to high endeavor.

Give me an open mind, O God, 

a mind ready to receive and to welcome such new light of knowledge as it is Thy will to reveal to me.

Give me open eyes, O God, 

eyes quick to discover Thine indwelling

 in the world which Thou hast made.

Give me open hands, O God,

 hands ready to share with all who are in want the blessings with which Thou hast enriched my life.  

...John Baillie

Goodness of God...

 

 Goodness of God/Don Moen

I love You Lord

Oh Your mercy never fails me

All my days

I've been held in Your hands

From the moment that I wake up

Until I lay my head

I will sing of the goodness of God

Chorus

All my life You have been faithful

All my life You have been so so good

With every breath that I am able

I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice

You have led me through the fire

In darkest night

You are close like no other

I've known You as a father

I've known You as a friend

I have lived in the goodness of God

Your goodness is running after

It’s running after me

Your goodness is running after

It’s running after me

With my life laid down

I’m surrendered now

I give You everything

Your goodness is running after

It's running after me

The Christian landscape...

The Christian landscape is strewn with the wreckage of derelict, half-built towers—the ruins of those who began to build and were unable to finish. All too many people still ignore Christ’s warning and undertake to follow him without first pausing to reflect on the cost of doing so. The result is the great scandal of so-called nominal Christianity.  

...John R. W. Stott

Listen to the Word of the Lord...

 

 Listen to the Word of the Lord 

 Getty Girls, Keith & Kristyn Getty, Jordan Kauflin

Listen to the Word of the Lord

Listen to the Word of the Lord

Great and wise, good and kind

Listen to the Word of the Lord

Learn to know the sound of His voice

Learn to know the sound of His voice

Strong and sure, calm and pure

Learn to know the sound of His voice

Hear and believe Him, trust and obey

Walk in His wisdom every day

Lean on every promise of God

Lean on every promise of God

Tried and true, holding you

Lean on every promise of God

Hear and believe Him, trust and obey

Walk in His wisdom every day

Jesus is the Word of the Lord

Jesus is the Word of the Lord

Great and wise, good and kind

Jesus is the Word of the Lord

Listen to the Word of the Lord

Jesus Calms the Storm

Jesus Calms the Storm

 The Getty Girls, Keith & Kristyn Getty, Sandra McCracken, 

Joni Eareckson Tada

When my heart is filled with fear

Like a stormy sky

Jesus says “be not afraid”

He is at my side

Chorus:

There’s a rock where I can go

Keeps me safe and this I know

Deep within my troubled soul

Jesus calms the storm

When my thoughts are tossed and turned

Like a raging sea

I will listen to His voice

He will comfort me

Chorus:

There’s a rock where I can go

Keeps me safe and this I know

Deep within my troubled soul

Jesus calms the storm

When I feel the shame of sin

Like a crashing wave 

My Redeemer rescues me

By His grace I’m saved

Chorus:

There’s a rock where I can go

Keeps me safe and this I know

Deep within my troubled soul

Jesus calms the storm

He who rules the wind and waves

Soon will come again

Oh take courage little heart

Every storm will end

Chorus:

There’s a rock where I can go

Keeps me safe and this I know

Deep within my troubled soul

Jesus calms the storm

There’s a rock where I can go

Keeps me safe and this I know

Deep within my troubled soul

Jesus calms the storm

Jesus calms the storm

Prayer for Memorial Day 2024

Heavenly Father, as our nation pauses today to remember those in the military who have given their lives for freedoms we enjoy, we pray you would have us all look to you for strength, comfort and guidance. Be with all who serve in our Armed Forces. Bless them and their families. Grant your loving protection. Let peace prevail among all the nations, O God. Especially let your mercy rest upon our land, even as we acknowledge with thanksgiving your past goodness on this country. If it is your will, preserve the lives of the men and women in uniform as they defend our citizenry. Most of all, we pray that you would turn the hearts of all – military and civilian – to your holy Word where we find the true peace for our sinful souls that surpasses all understanding. Keep us repentant of sin. Move us to know, take hold and treasure your saving grace. In the name of Jesus, our Savior and Your beloved Son, who alone gives this peace and hope for eternity, we pray. Amen. Found here

Living Hope...

 

 Living Hope 

 Laudate Mennonite Ensemble

How great the chasm that lay between us

How high the mountain I could not climb

In desperation, I turned to heaven

And spoke your name into the night

Then through the darkness

Your loving kindness

Tore through the shadows of my soul

The work is finished, the end is written

Jesus Christ, my living hope

Who could imagine so great a mercy?

What heart could fathom such boundless grace?

The God of ages stepped down from glory

To wear my sin and bear my shame

The cross has spoken, I am forgiven

The king of kings calls me His own

Beautiful savior, I'm yours forever

Jesus Christ, my living hope

Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free

Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me

You have broken every chain

There's salvation in your name

Jesus Christ, my living hope

Then came the morning that sealed the promise

Your buried body began to breathe

Out of the silence, the roaring lion

Declared the grave has no claim on me

Jesus, yours is the victory 

Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free

Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me

You have broken every chain

There's salvation in your name

Jesus Christ, my living hope

Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free

Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me

You have broken every chain

There's salvation in your name

Jesus Christ, my living hope

Jesus Christ, my living hope

Oh God, you are my living hope

-Song by Phil Wickham

The Power of Prayer...

by Doug Eaton

Excerpt:

Prayer is a powerful means of grace that God has provided to us. He has good things to give us that we do not have because we have not asked. Some may argue, but God knows what we need even if we do not ask. That is true, but refusing to pray is disobedience, and there are rewards to obedience in prayer that we will not experience any other way. For one, intimacy with our Father will always be lacking in our Christian life if we neglect prayer, and the peace that passes all understanding that flows from it will continue to elude us.

There is power in prayer; it changes things. Ask, seek, and knock, and you will receive. Do you believe this? I am not asking if you mentally agree with this truth. I am asking if your life gives evidence that you believe it to be true. Are you living the way someone who believes Jesus’s teaching on prayer would live? If not, begin today and find out what you are missing. Read it all!

Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God...

 

 Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God 

-Keith and Kristyn Getty

Holy Spirit, living breath of God,

Breathe new life into my willing soul.

Let the presence of the risen Lord,

Come renew my heart and make me whole.

Cause Your Word to come alive in me;

Give me faith for what I cannot see,

Give me passion for Your purity;

Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.

Holy Spirit, come abide within,

May Your joy be seen in all I do.

Love enough to cover every sin,

In each thought and deed and attitude.

Kindness to the greatest and the least,

Gentleness that sows the path of peace.

Turn my strivings into works of grace;

Breath of God show Christ in all I do.

Holy Spirit, from creation’s birth,

Giving life to all that God has made,

Show Your power once again on earth,

Cause Your church to hunger for your ways.

Let the fragrance of our prayers arise;

Lead us on the road of sacrifice,

That in unity the face of Christ

May be clear for all the world to see.

O God of burning, cleansing flame...

O God of burning, cleansing flame:

Send the fire!

Your blood-bought gift today we claim:

Send the fire today!

Look down and see this waiting host,

And send the promised Holy Ghost;

We need another Pentecost!

Send the fire today!

God of Elijah, hear our cry:

Send the fire!

And make us fit to live or die:

Send the fire today!

To burn up every trace of sin,

To bring the light and glory in,

The revolution now begin!

Send the fire today!

It’s fire we want, for fire we plead:

Send the fire!

The fire will meet our every need:

Send the fire today!

For strength to always do what’s right,

For grace to conquer in the fight,

For power to walk the world in white:

Send the fire today!

To make our weak hearts strong and brave:

Send the fire!

To live, a dying world to save:

Send the fire today!

Oh, see us on Your altar lay,

We give our lives to you today,

So crown the offering now we pray:

Send the fire today!

...William Booth

His Glory and My Good...

 

CityAlight - His Glory and My Good

V1

I have seen my Father’s glory

Revealed in Jesus Christ

And the more that I behold Him

The more He satisfies

When I gaze upon His beauty 

When I see Him as I should

Then my eyes are lifted upward      

For His glory and my good

V2

There is hope in every trial 

For I can trust the Lord 

He will turn my heart towards Him 

And help me bear the thorn

So in faith I follow Jesus

On the road not understood

For I know that He is working 

For His glory and my good

CHORUS

To our God be the glory

To our God be praise

He alone, the name above all names

I will boast ever only in the Lord my God

For I know His glory is my good

V3

See the open arms of Jesus

Upon the cross that day

What they understood as weakness

Deserves my every praise 

For the charge that was against me

It was nailed into the wood 

Yes I know that He has saved me

For His glory and my good

CHORUS

To our God be the glory

To our God be praise

He alone, the name above all names

I will boast ever only in the Lord my God

For I know His glory is my good

V4

Would I gladly be made nothing

That Christ would be made more

Would I seek the only kingdom 

That far outweighs them all 

I will stand before my Father 

Where the faithful saints have stood 

And with joy my heart shall praise Him

For His glory and my good

To our God be the glory

To our God be praise

He alone, the name above all names

I will boast ever only in the Lord my God

For I know His glory is my good

The Matchless Name of Jesus...

The Matchless Name of Jesus

Matt Boswell and Matt Papa

Praise to the matchless name of Jesus

Sing of His grace forevermore

Raise now an endless hallelujah

To the matchless name of Jesus Christ the Lord

We sing the name, the matchless name of Jesus

We hymn the name the angels long adore

From age to age, one chorus rings forevermore

To the matchless name of Jesus Christ the Lord

Come to the fountain of forgiveness

Run to the light of His great love

Join in the joy of this salvation

Now that echoes through the endless realms above

We sing the name, the matchless name of Jesus

We hymn the name the angels long adore

From age to age, one chorus rings forevermore

To the matchless name of Jesus Christ the Lord

Go to the corners of creation

Christ be the name that we proclaim

Go til His glory fills the nations

And the heavens with His everlasting praise

We sing the name, the matchless name of Jesus

We hymn the name the angels long adore

From age to age, one chorus rings forevermore

To the matchless name of Jesus Christ the Lord

All blessing and honor

And praise be to the Lamb

All glory forever more

Amen Amen Amen

Ascension of Christ...

And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." -Luke 24:51

We have no corresponding experience to the events in Our Lord's life after the Transfiguration. From then onwards Our Lord's life' was altogether vicarious. Up to the time of the Transfiguration He had exhibited the normal perfect life of a man; from the Transfiguration onwards - Gethsemane, the Cross, the Resurrection - everything is unfamiliar to us. His Cross is the door by which every member of the human race can enter into the life of God; by His Resurrection He has the right to give eternal life to any man, and by His Ascension Our Lord enters heaven and keeps the door open for humanity.

On the Mount of Ascension the Transfiguration is completed. If Jesus had gone to heaven from the Mount of Transfiguration, He would have gone alone; He would have been nothing more to us than a glorious Figure. But He turned His back on the glory, and came down from the Mount to identify Himself with fallen humanity.

The Ascension is the consummation of the Transfiguration. Our Lord does now go back into His primal glory; but He does not go back simply as Son of God; He goes back to God as Son of Man as well as Son of God. There is now freedom of access for anyone straight to the very throne of God by the Ascension of the Son of Man. As Son of Man Jesus Christ deliberately limited omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience in Himself. Now they are His in absolute full power. As Son of Man Jesus Christ has all power at the throne of God. He is King of kings and Lord of lords from the day of His Ascension until now. ...Oswald Chambers Image

Completely Known, Completely Loved...

 

Completely Known, Completely Loved-Matt Boswell, Matt Papa 

Completely known, completely loved

My heart is seen by God above

Should I now run? Dare hide my face?

When in His eyes there is only grace

Completely free, the shame is gone

The highest Judge took all my wrongs

And set them on His only Son

He bore my sin, I bear His love

Completely known, completely loved

I’m covered by my Savior’s blood

I’m robed in white and God is pleased

To see His Son, when He looks on me

Completely His, how can it be?

That God would set His heart on me

Loved not for works that I have done

But long before time had begun

Completely known, completely loved

I’m covered by my Savior’s blood

I’m robed in white and God is pleased

To see His Son, when He looks on me

Completely saved, the work is done

The curse, the grave, is overcome

For with that dawn there rose a King!

Now heaven’s smile shines over me

Completely known, completely loved

I’m covered by my Savior’s blood

I’m robed in white and God is pleased

To see His Son, when He looks on me

By Faith...

 

By Faith - Keith and Kristyn Getty

1. By faith we see the hand of God 

In the light of creation's grand design 

In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness 

Who walk by faith and not by sight 

2. By faith our fathers roamed the earth 

With the power of His promise in their hearts 

Of a holy city built by God's own hand 

A place where peace and justice reign 

We will stand as children of the promise 

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward 

Till the race is finished and the work is done 

We'll walk by faith and not by sight 

3. By faith the prophets saw a day 

When the longed-for Messiah would appear 

With the power to break the chains of sin and death 

And rise triumphant from the grave 

4. By faith the church was called to go 

In the power of the Spirit to the lost 

To deliver captives and to preach good news 

In every corner of the earth 

We will stand as children of the promise 

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward 

Till the race is finished and the work is done 

We'll walk by faith and not by sight 

5. By faith this mountain shall be moved 

And the power of the gospel shall prevail 

For we know in Christ all things are possible 

For all who call upon His name 

We will stand as children of the promise 

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward 

Till the race is finished and the work is done 

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

Known and Loved...

 

Known and Loved - CityAlight

But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. 

-1 Corinthians 8:3

God You were there from my beginning

For I was crafted by Your hands

You see my hopes and hesitations

My days are written in Your plan

If You have seen my weakest moments

And still You love me even then

I need no greater confirmation

That God Your goodness has no end

CHORUS

I come to Jesus, lay down my weakness

No need for hiding, here in His light

This truth I treasure, my peace forever

Is being known and loved by Him

I trust with Jesus it is finished

For He has paid my every debt

No need to pull it all together

For what is broken He will mend

Though I can’t see the path before me

I know the one who knows the way

And as I walk His hand will guide me

Until I see Him face to face

Learning Christ...

Teach me, my Lord,

to be sweet and gentle in all the events of life,

in disappointments, in the thoughtlessness of those I trusted,

in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied.

Let me put myself aside, to think of the happiness of others,

to hide my little pains and heartaches, 

so that I may be the only one to suffer from them.

Teach me to profit by the suffering that comes across my path.

Let me so use it that it may make me patient, not irritable.

That it may make me broad in my forgiveness,

not narrow, haughty and overbearing.

May no one be less good for having come within my influence.

No one less pure, less true, less kind,

less noble for having been a fellow traveler

in our journey toward Eternal Life.

As I go my rounds from one distraction to another,

let me whisper from time to time, a word of love to Thee.

May my life be lived in the supernatural, full of power for good,

and strong in its purpose of sanctity. Amen.

My soul, hearken to the voice of your God...

My soul, hearken to the voice of your God. He is always ready to speak with you when you are prepared to hear. If there is any slowness to commune, it is not on His part but altogether on your own, for He stands at the door and knocks, and if His people will but open, He rejoices to enter.  

-CH Spurgeon

Readiness...

God called unto him…and he said, Here am I.  -Exodus 3:4

When God speaks, many of us are like men in a fog, we give no answer. Moses’ reply revealed that he was somewhere. Readiness means a right relationship to God and a knowledge of where we are at present. We are so busy telling God where we would like to go. The man or woman who is ready for God and His work is the one who carries off the prize when the summons comes. We wait with the idea of some great opportunity, something sensational, and when it comes we are quick to cry — “Here am I.” Whenever Jesus Christ is in the ascendant, we are there; but we are not ready for an obscure duty.

Readiness for God means that we are ready to do the tiniest little thing or the great big thing, it makes no difference. We have no choice in what we want to do, whatever God’s programme may be we are there, ready. When any duty presents itself we hear God’s voice as Our Lord heard His Father’s voice, and we are ready for it with all the alertness of our love for Him. Jesus Christ expects to do with us as His Father did with Him. He can put us where He likes, in pleasant duties or in mean* duties, because the union is that of the Father and Himself. “That they may be one, even as We are one.”

Be ready for the sudden surprise visits of God. A ready person never needs to get ready. Think of the time we waste trying to get ready when God has called! The burning bush is a symbol of everything that surrounds the ready soul, it is ablaze with the presence of God. -by Oswald Chambers

There Is Hope...

There Is Hope/CityAlight

1. There is hope in grace unceasing

You withhold your wrath from me

Poured it out upon my Saviour

On the cross of Calvary

2. There is hope now for the hopeless

There is victory all can know

For the tomb lies bare and broken

And deaths pow’r is overthrown

CHORUS

Jesus Christ my hope forever

Hope unlike the world can bring

Your steadfast love beyond all measure

There is hope in Christ my king

3. There is hope for sons and daughters

Who have wandered on their own

Hear the songs of joy from heaven

As the lost are welcomed home

BRIDGE

Hallelujah, Hope of heaven

Precious treasure of my life

All my joy is in your presence

I am yours and you are mine

4. I will wait until I see him

Though the twilight turns to night

For my hope is not defeated

It will greet His dawning light

“For as the earth brings forth its sprouts..."

“For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, 

 and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, 

so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations." -Isaiah 62:11

Asiatic lilies

Daffodils

Periwinkle

Early spring garden blooms....

God of Every Grace...

God of Every Grace

 Keith & Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell, Matt Papa

O let not this world of sorrows

Steal my only hope away

For the power of Your gospel

Shines within this jar of clay

In affliction You bring wisdom

That my comforts can displace

How my true and greatest treasure

Is in You the God of grace

Now to the God of every grace

Who counts my tears, who holds my days

I sing through sorrows, sing with faith

O praise the God of every grace

Weary with the weight I carry

Give me wings of faith to rise

For You know each grief that lingers

Through the watches of the night

Surely You have borne our sufferings

At the cross took up our pain

And You lead us on to glory

As we trust You, God of grace

Now to the God of every grace

Who counts my tears, who holds my days

I sing through sorrows, sing with faith

O praise the God of every grace

There’s a dawning hope before us

That I know is soon to break

As I wait upon Your mercy

Which will swallow every ache

Cries of joy and songs of victory

When we enter heaven’s gates

All Your children home together

All with You the God of grace

Now to the God of every grace

Who counts my tears, who holds my days

I sing through sorrows, sing with faith

O praise the God of every grace

Now to the God of every grace

Who counts my tears, who holds my days

I sing through sorrows, sing with faith

O praise the God of every grace

O praise the God of every grace

O praise the God of every grace

Come People of the Risen King!

Come People of the Risen King - Keith & Kristyn Getty 

Come, people of the Risen King,

Who delight to bring Him praise;

Come all and tune your hearts to sing

To the Morning Star of grace.

From the shifting shadows of the earth

We will lift our eyes to Him,

Where steady arms of mercy reach

To gather children in.

REFRAIN

Rejoice, Rejoice! Let every tongue rejoice!

One heart, one voice; O Church of Christ, rejoice!

Come, those whose joy is morning sun,

And those weeping through the night;

Come, those who tell of battles won,

And those struggling in the fight.

For His perfect love will never change,

And His mercies never cease,

But follow us through all our days

With the certain hope of peace.

Come, young and old from every land –

Men and women of the faith;

Come, those with full or empty hands –

Find the riches of His grace.

Over all the world, His people sing –

Shore to shore we hear them call

The Truth that cries through every age:

“Our God is all in all