On October 6th, we enjoyed our fall outing at Shady Grove Park, located in Windsor, PA. The building was beautiful, and we had a good turnout for the service. Our special guests for the service were Jim and Wendy Allshouse, good friends of Nikki's family in years past from Lancaster, PA. The shared some of their new music from their new album, Absolute Peace, as well as some older gospel medleys as well. http://www.jimanwendy.com/
Our congregational singing included hymns focusing on praising God for His beautiful creation. Among the hymns sung were: Blessed Assurance, Praise Him! Praise Him!, and For the Beauty of the Earth (and a few others I unfortunately did not have backup tracks for...I am thankful for a congregation that can carry a tune and keep a beat, even a capella when needed!
Hope, Nikki and my daughter, actually made it until around 1:45 without a nap, amazingly. She followed all the other kids and played on the playground after enjoying some hot dog wraps Nikki had made for the soup and sandwich dinner. I particularly loved the soups, which were plentiful! They included (all home-made) - chili, vegetable, cream of crab, cheesy broccoli (yum!), chicken corn, chicken noodle, and chicken pot pie. I do love a good potluck dinner!
We all enjoyed a good time of food and fellowship. It is great when we can glorify God for His blessings to us, and our closeness as a church family. He is faithful!
"Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples. For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD."
Psalm 117:1-2
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Sunday, September 29th Order of Worship at Zion Bible Church
Opening Hymn:
Holy, Holy, Holy # 86Worship Set:
Majesty
How Great Is Our God
Above All
Closing Song:
He Leadeth Me # 330
Key verses this week:
Psalms 139:7-12 - Our God is so great, He will guarantee that there will never be a time we are without Him.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
Colossians 1:16-18 - Jesus is "Above All"
16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Sunday, September 8th Order of Worship at Zion Bible Church
Opening Song:
Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)
Worship Set:
Standing on the Promises # 147Jesus Is All the World to Me # 28
As the Deer
Closing Hymn:
The Way of the Cross Leads Home # 162
Our theme verse today is John 14:6 -
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
With this promise of salvation, comes a promise that is also dangerous - if we depend on anything else other than Jesus' and His finished work on the cross, we will never make it to heaven. We do not have to depend our enough good works, nor should we depend on anyone else who is not God's only Son. Jesus' greatest promise it that He is our way, our only way. Thus, we need to look to the cross for our way home.
The refrain of the song Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me) contains more promises we can depend on:
Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
Saturday, August 31, 2013
The Message of the Cross
This Sunday, we will be singing many hymns and songs that focus on Jesus and His sacrifice for us on the cross. We will also be observing the Lord's Supper, in remembrance of Him. Little did I know, the Lord would open my eyes to two new websites that focus on returning the church to its roots - THE CROSS. Both of the following blogs offered ways to turn your eyes back to the Lord. Both are written by experienced worship leaders that reveal the best way to lead music is to simply "Lead Me to the Cross."
The first is written by Bob Kauflin, director of Sovereign Grace Music, one of my newer favorite groups. I find their music refreshing because it offers great, focused, and biblically-based lyrics. (And I love the "modern day hymn writer" style of it.) I listed their website below, as well, with a link for a song I just listened to this evening entitled "Jesus Died for Me." Sovereign Grace's newest release is entitled "Grace Has Come: Songs from the Book of Romans." In Bob's post entitled "Idolatry on Sunday Mornings", he addresses different forms of idolatry we can have in our lives that even pervade our Sunday Morning services. He points out that our music can become an idol to us, leading us away from Christ instead of toward Him. Many more good posts can be found on his site www.worshipmatters.com.
The other blog is written by a veteran worship leader named Jim, who serves in the American Evangelical Church. He offers the challenge that many of today's churches have lost their focus on the cross, instead focusing on bringing in people with things exterior to the Gospel message. I find his thoughts on coffee interesting...
WARNING! These blogs will challenge you to think about your faith! I know they challenged me!
"Whatever happened to the message of the cross?" - http://notforitchingears.com/2010/11/09/the-cross-versus-coffee-and-the-winner-is/
"Idolatry on Sunday Mornings" - http://www.worshipmatters.com/2005/11/29/worship-service-idolatry-on-sunday-mornings/
Also, check out http://www.sovereigngracemusic.org/. There is even free music to download. I definitely look forward to getting my new CD sometime in the next week or so, entitled "Before the Throne" by Steve and Vikki Cook, Sovereign Grace songwriters. Their song "Jesus Died for Me" I also learned about from the Worship Matters website (I had a terrible time finding a CD with it, as they are no longer on Sovereign Grace's website. Thank you Amazon!) Listen to it and follow the lyrics at http://www.worshipmatters.com/2008/01/29/new-song-%E2%80%94-jesus-died-for-me/.
That's all for now. Thanks be to God for the Cross!
The first is written by Bob Kauflin, director of Sovereign Grace Music, one of my newer favorite groups. I find their music refreshing because it offers great, focused, and biblically-based lyrics. (And I love the "modern day hymn writer" style of it.) I listed their website below, as well, with a link for a song I just listened to this evening entitled "Jesus Died for Me." Sovereign Grace's newest release is entitled "Grace Has Come: Songs from the Book of Romans." In Bob's post entitled "Idolatry on Sunday Mornings", he addresses different forms of idolatry we can have in our lives that even pervade our Sunday Morning services. He points out that our music can become an idol to us, leading us away from Christ instead of toward Him. Many more good posts can be found on his site www.worshipmatters.com.
The other blog is written by a veteran worship leader named Jim, who serves in the American Evangelical Church. He offers the challenge that many of today's churches have lost their focus on the cross, instead focusing on bringing in people with things exterior to the Gospel message. I find his thoughts on coffee interesting...
WARNING! These blogs will challenge you to think about your faith! I know they challenged me!
"Whatever happened to the message of the cross?" - http://notforitchingears.com/2010/11/09/the-cross-versus-coffee-and-the-winner-is/
"Idolatry on Sunday Mornings" - http://www.worshipmatters.com/2005/11/29/worship-service-idolatry-on-sunday-mornings/
Also, check out http://www.sovereigngracemusic.org/. There is even free music to download. I definitely look forward to getting my new CD sometime in the next week or so, entitled "Before the Throne" by Steve and Vikki Cook, Sovereign Grace songwriters. Their song "Jesus Died for Me" I also learned about from the Worship Matters website (I had a terrible time finding a CD with it, as they are no longer on Sovereign Grace's website. Thank you Amazon!) Listen to it and follow the lyrics at http://www.worshipmatters.com/2008/01/29/new-song-%E2%80%94-jesus-died-for-me/.
That's all for now. Thanks be to God for the Cross!
Friday, August 23, 2013
What "Who Am I" says about "Who I Am"
It has been a while since Casting Crowns released their song "Who Am I", but we will be singing it this Sunday morning for the first time during our service.
The words to the chorus tell the whole story behind the meaning of the song:
Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done.
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are.
To further answer the question of who we are, the closing to the chorus states, "You've told me who I am. I am yours."
Ephesians 2:8-9 reads, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."
John 1:12 states, "Yet to all who receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."
And finally, Galations 3:26 states, "So in Christ you are all children of God, by faith."
It is not who we are or what we have done that causes God to love us. In fact, it is in spite of ourselves that God loves us. Romans 5:8 says Christ gave himself for us while we were yet sinners. It was His action that caused us to become who we now are. We are no longer sinful creatures by birth, through Adam. We are saved in Christ, and through Him we can be made righteous (Romans 5:19). Taking that thought further, our new identity in Christ is now so much more than we ever were when we counted on our own devices. Our own glory and faithfulness is fading (I Peter 1:24 and Isaiah 40:6-8) and our time here is earth is but a vapor - gone quickly (James 4:14). However, through God and His Word, which endures forever (Isaiah 40:8), we can become His own, His sons and daughters, children of God, heirs to His kingdom. First, however, we must receive Him, and actively believe, though faith, that He is our saving grace. It is then and only then that we can finally say, "I am Yours."
The words to the chorus tell the whole story behind the meaning of the song:
Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done.
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are.
To further answer the question of who we are, the closing to the chorus states, "You've told me who I am. I am yours."
Ephesians 2:8-9 reads, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."
John 1:12 states, "Yet to all who receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."
And finally, Galations 3:26 states, "So in Christ you are all children of God, by faith."
It is not who we are or what we have done that causes God to love us. In fact, it is in spite of ourselves that God loves us. Romans 5:8 says Christ gave himself for us while we were yet sinners. It was His action that caused us to become who we now are. We are no longer sinful creatures by birth, through Adam. We are saved in Christ, and through Him we can be made righteous (Romans 5:19). Taking that thought further, our new identity in Christ is now so much more than we ever were when we counted on our own devices. Our own glory and faithfulness is fading (I Peter 1:24 and Isaiah 40:6-8) and our time here is earth is but a vapor - gone quickly (James 4:14). However, through God and His Word, which endures forever (Isaiah 40:8), we can become His own, His sons and daughters, children of God, heirs to His kingdom. First, however, we must receive Him, and actively believe, though faith, that He is our saving grace. It is then and only then that we can finally say, "I am Yours."
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Building on the Rock
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
Matthew 7:24-27
I enjoy weather.com, and for more than just weather. My job preparation as a mail carrier depends greatly on the weather, but many times I visit the site just to read interesting stories. I find their stories and pictures fascinating (albeit non-weather related most times).
This past week, I read about "9 Desolate Ghost Towns." It was interesting to see areas once full of prosperity brought down to earth for one reason or another. One intriguing example was Holland Island, formerly found in the Chesapeake Bay. That's right, in the bay. I'm sure we have all thought about owning or own little island at some time or another (even if as a child, when our imagination runs wild.) What I found interesting about this former community is that the residents built their houses on eroding sand. There was no rock on this island on which to build foundations, so the community of fisherman made due with clay. The article states, quoting the Washington Post ""like other Chesapeake islands, [Holland Island] was made of silt and clay, not rock, so its land eroded readily." The last house, it states, collapsed in 2010, bringing to end a community which at one time housed more than 360 people in 1910. (See http://www.weather.com/travel/desolate-ghost-towns-20130618?pageno=9 for the full story and pictures.)
Now this story is more than fascinating because it has a direct parallel to our spiritual lives. When I find myself depressed, angry or sad, many times I can directly correlate this to trying to do things in my life through my own efforts, and not through God's strength and power. It is difficult, as we Christians do experience the same heartaches that those who do not believe do, to show and live Christ's example even through our troubles. I get discouraged sometimes at the simplest things. It is in these times that I find myself building on this sand and silt. And sometimes, God needs to send the storm to bring us back to the realization that He and He alone should be our foundation.
God never promised we would be given a trouble-free life. But we can lean on Him in times of trouble; He is our Rock.
Matthew 7:24-27
I enjoy weather.com, and for more than just weather. My job preparation as a mail carrier depends greatly on the weather, but many times I visit the site just to read interesting stories. I find their stories and pictures fascinating (albeit non-weather related most times).
This past week, I read about "9 Desolate Ghost Towns." It was interesting to see areas once full of prosperity brought down to earth for one reason or another. One intriguing example was Holland Island, formerly found in the Chesapeake Bay. That's right, in the bay. I'm sure we have all thought about owning or own little island at some time or another (even if as a child, when our imagination runs wild.) What I found interesting about this former community is that the residents built their houses on eroding sand. There was no rock on this island on which to build foundations, so the community of fisherman made due with clay. The article states, quoting the Washington Post ""like other Chesapeake islands, [Holland Island] was made of silt and clay, not rock, so its land eroded readily." The last house, it states, collapsed in 2010, bringing to end a community which at one time housed more than 360 people in 1910. (See http://www.weather.com/travel/desolate-ghost-towns-20130618?pageno=9 for the full story and pictures.)
Now this story is more than fascinating because it has a direct parallel to our spiritual lives. When I find myself depressed, angry or sad, many times I can directly correlate this to trying to do things in my life through my own efforts, and not through God's strength and power. It is difficult, as we Christians do experience the same heartaches that those who do not believe do, to show and live Christ's example even through our troubles. I get discouraged sometimes at the simplest things. It is in these times that I find myself building on this sand and silt. And sometimes, God needs to send the storm to bring us back to the realization that He and He alone should be our foundation.
God never promised we would be given a trouble-free life. But we can lean on Him in times of trouble; He is our Rock.
Thoughts on Matt Redmand and "Jesus, Only Jesus"
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we MUST be saved." Acts 4:12
As a prelude to this week's service, I chose the song "Jesus, Only Jesus" sung by Matt Redman as part of the Passion 2013 lineup. A newer song of Matt's, 10,000 Reasons, I hope to sing at a future service. One of my favorite worship songs, The Heart of Worship, is also a Matt Redman song. I like his combination of powerful lyrics, simple tunes, and his easy-to-lead worship style. Many worship leaders are great song writers, but I find their songs great for personal listening, but not ideal for congregational singing. Matt Redman's songs are definitely a break from this mold.
I also like that the great worship songs nowadays have more than one contributor. This song has 6 total contributors. Many times, we cannot fully express our own Christian faith until we work with and fellowship with others. Christian songwriting is no exception.
Here are the words to Jesus, Only Jesus:
Who has the power to raise the dead?
Who can save us from our sin?
He is our hope, our righteousness
Jesus, only Jesus
Who can make the blind to see?
Who holds the keys that set us free?
He paid it all to bring us peace
Jesus, only Jesus
Holy, King almighty Lord
Saints and angels all adore
I join with them and bow before
Jesus, only Jesus
Who can command the highest praise?
Who has the name above all names?
You stand alone, I stand amazed
Jesus, only Jesus
You will command the highest praise!
Yours is the name above all names!
You stand alone, I stand amazed
Jesus, only Jesus!
Jesus, only Jesus!
Copyright A Thousand Generations, worshiptogether.com songs
As a prelude to this week's service, I chose the song "Jesus, Only Jesus" sung by Matt Redman as part of the Passion 2013 lineup. A newer song of Matt's, 10,000 Reasons, I hope to sing at a future service. One of my favorite worship songs, The Heart of Worship, is also a Matt Redman song. I like his combination of powerful lyrics, simple tunes, and his easy-to-lead worship style. Many worship leaders are great song writers, but I find their songs great for personal listening, but not ideal for congregational singing. Matt Redman's songs are definitely a break from this mold.
I also like that the great worship songs nowadays have more than one contributor. This song has 6 total contributors. Many times, we cannot fully express our own Christian faith until we work with and fellowship with others. Christian songwriting is no exception.
Here are the words to Jesus, Only Jesus:
Who has the power to raise the dead?
Who can save us from our sin?
He is our hope, our righteousness
Jesus, only Jesus
Who can make the blind to see?
Who holds the keys that set us free?
He paid it all to bring us peace
Jesus, only Jesus
Holy, King almighty Lord
Saints and angels all adore
I join with them and bow before
Jesus, only Jesus
Who can command the highest praise?
Who has the name above all names?
You stand alone, I stand amazed
Jesus, only Jesus
You will command the highest praise!
Yours is the name above all names!
You stand alone, I stand amazed
Jesus, only Jesus!
Jesus, only Jesus!
Copyright A Thousand Generations, worshiptogether.com songs
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