Sing Unto the Lord a New Song

I don't think David was thinking we need to sing different words, lyrics or even familiar lyrics to a new tune when he penned these familiar words in Psalm 96:1.  In fact, he may not have even been thinking of music at all.  Our lives speak volumes of God's working without words being spoken.  And as we are continually sanctified daily through His Word, and His grace and mercy in our lives, we do have more to praise Him for each and every day.  Thus, we have a "new song" to offer to Him to close each day.

This morning, we will be singing a new song entitled Never Once.  Here are the lyrics:

Never Once by Matt Redman

Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we've come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You've done
Knowing every victory
Is Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace
Never once, no, we never walk alone

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we'll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

"Don't sweat the small stuff"

One question I remember my mother rhetorically asking many years ago, and it has stuck with me - when going through a troubled time, dealing with a problem, just dealing with change or a difficult hand you've been dealt in life - "does this affect my salvation?"  The answer - no.

Our conclusion then, is if it does not affect our salvation, why worry about it?  Worrying about tomorrow does not help us today.  As Jesus said in Matthew 6:33-34, "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."  There are many times we fret over the small things in our lives, many times we just want to have our own way, many times we fear change.  But in the end, life will go on. And our faith will continue to grow, having placed our future in our Savior's hands.  And, whatever the circumstance it is that we had been dealing with, it will fade.  As Ecclesiastes 3 reads, there is a time for everything.  But after spending verses 1-8 naming different circumstances we face in our lives, verse 11-12 concludes, "He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."  After facing our season, we find out what really matters: our faith, hope, and love.  (I Corinthians 13)

So, next time you face the small stuff - you get discouraged, face someone or something you just can't seem to conquer, or just have a bad day - ask yourself, does this affect my salvation?

Now the big question - are we saved?  And if not, how do we become saved?  Answering these questions not only allows us an eternity with God, but while we are still alive, it will also allow God to conquer these issues in our lives. What does it mean to be saved?  Please check out this website, listing step by step what we must do to be saved.  The article is entitled, "How can I be sure of my salvation?"
http://christiananswers.net/q-dml/dml-y005.html

My Life Verse - Answering the Question "What Would Jesus Have Me to Do?"

Many years ago, I worked on Greensprings Farm, a dairy farm owned by Dale Clymer, a fellow church member.  I don't remember when I heard this particular verse, but I remember hearing it on the radio playing one afternoon as I planted some flowers along the barn.  Since then, I have made this my life verse:

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
Colossians 3:23

This past Sunday, we were studying from I Peter 4:7-11.  It is neat how one portion of Scripture can remind us of another.  Here is verse 11:

"If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.  If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever.  Amen."
I Peter 4:11

Colossians 4:17 is also very similar:
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

May this be on our minds, even when difficult times come.  I know I struggle with my anger and get easily annoyed when others make unreasonable or incorrect statements or have unrealistic expectations.  I pray God can use these verses to bring not just my actions, but also my reactions closer to what He would expect.  After all, we should work as unto Him.  As Pastor Jeff shared a few weeks ago, let us not just only say "what would Jesus do", but "what would Jesus have me to do."

Some New "Old" Songs

I was searching for some new music this evening to help lead us in some songs and hymns we have not sung in a while - My Redeemer and He Is Lord.  While looking, I stumbled upon a song that reminded me a lot of something Pastor Jeff shared during this past week's sermon.

Here are the words to the song "He Is Able."

He Is Able

He is able more than able
To accomplish what concerns me today
He is able more than able
To handle anything that comes my way
He is able more than able
To do much more than I could ever dream
He is able more than able
To make me what He wants me to be

Written by Greg Ferguson and Rory Noland
© 1989 Maranatha Praise, Inc.

When I discovered "He Is Lord", I found an additional site that had extra stanzas.  Like many other creeds in the Christian faith, these extra stanzas help highlight portions of Christ's ministry here on earth we should not only believe, but learn to emulate.  As far as I know, these words were anonymously penned and public domain.  The words to the first stanza are based on Philipians 2:10-11; the following verses are based upon John 12:32; John 3:16, and I John 5:11, according to www.hymnary.org.

He Is Lord

He is Lord, He is Lord!
He is risen from the dead, and He is Lord;
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord!

He is King, He is King!
He will draw all nations to him, He is King;
and the time shall be when the world shall sing
that Jesus Christ is King!

He is Love, He is Love!
He has shown us by his life that He is Love.
All his people sing with one voice of joy
that Jesus Christ is Love!

He Is Life, He is Life!
He has died to set us free and He is Life;
and He calls us all to live evermore,
for Jesus Christ is Life!

He Suffered for You - Do You Stand In Awe of Him?

One other song that came to mind for this Sunday's service is I Stand in Awe of You.  The first verse is well known, but did you know the second as well?

I Stand in Awe of You

You are beautiful beyond description, too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension, like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom
Who can fathom the depths of Your love
You are beautiful beyond description, majesty enthroned above

I stand I stand in awe of You
I stand I stand in awe of You
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You

You are beautiful beyond description yet God crushed You for my sin
In agony and deep affliction, cut off that I might enter in
Who can grasp such tender compassion
Who can fathom this mercy so free
You are beautiful beyond description, Lamb of God who died for me

Music and Words by Mark Altrogge
© 1986 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

Powerful lyrics indeed, reminding us of I Peter 3:18a:

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God."

Remembering some old hymns - from all parts of the world

As I was preparing for this week's service, I stumbled across one hymn called Come Christians Join to Sing. Interestingly, it is sung to a traditional Spanish melody, which is probably why I've never come across it before.  A lot of hymns in our hymn book, entitled "The New Church Hymnal" from 1976, which are not specifically written by a particular composer, are sung to traditional melodies, such as This Is My Father's World (English), Be Thou My Vision (Irish), How Great Thou Art (Swedish), or O How I Love Jesus (American).  But I've rarely seen a Spanish melody before.  It just goes to show, you can praise God in each and every tongue, and that music is a universal language!

So, here are some older hymns for your listening pleasure.  Thanks once again to www.hymnpod.com, a source for good piano music for a lot of well-known classics:
Come Christians Join to Sing http://www.hymnpod.com/2011/03/25/come-christians-join-to-sing/
Have I Done My Best for Jesus http://www.hymnpod.com/2010/07/03/have-i-done-my-best-for-jesus/
Thank You Lord (well known chorus, lesser known verses) http://www.hymnpod.com/2009/01/27/thank-you-lord/

Alleluia! He Is Risen! He Is Risen, Indeed!

Happy Easter, everyone!  I am thankful for the opportunity to lead in song and worship to the Lord this morning as each at Zion Bible Church.  I am thankful we will be spending a lot of time visiting with both Nikki's family and my family.  And I am thankful that both our families, for the most part, celebrate Easter as a day to be thankful for our Lord Jesus rising from the grave to conquer death and save us from our sins.

This morning, I was going to lead in several classic hymns, including Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, Christ is Alive, Lead Me to Calvary, and Because He Lives.  We will also be singing Victor's Crown, by Darlene Zschech, for the first time as a congregation. It is based on the following scripture, from the International Standard Version (ISV):

1Then Pilate had Jesus taken away and whipped. 2The soldiers twisted some thorns into a victor’s crown, put it on his head, and threw a purple robe on him. 3They kept coming up to him and saying, “Long live the king of the Jews!” Then they began to slap him on the face.

4Pilate went outside again and told the Jews,a “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” 5Then Jesus came outside, wearing the victor’s crown of thorns and the purple robe.

Pilate told them, “Here is the man!”

John 19:1-5

and, taken from the NIV:

“Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I Corinthians 15:55-57

Jesus is indeed the Victor over death.  And because of this, we can sing Alleluia.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
He's my Savior, He's my Savior, He's my Savior, He's my Savior,
He's my Savior, He's my Savior, He's my Savior, He's my Savior.
He is worthy, He is worthy, He is worthy, He is worthy,
He is worthy, He is worthy, He is worthy, He is worthy.
I will praise Him, I will praise Him, I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
I will praise Him, I will praise Him, I will praise Him, I will praise Him

Words by Jerry Sinclair, copyright 1972 Manna Music

Now, I love the tune to Alleluia.  I really like the opportunity to focus on such simple words to praise our Lord.  But, the repetition is a bit much sometimes.  Therefore, take a look at the following, a post by Wayne S. Walker, putting new words to the tune, and renaming it Jesus Is Lord, My Redeemer:

This song offers praise to Jesus Christ as Lord, Redeemer, Savior,
Master, and King.

I. Stanza 1 identifies Jesus as Lord
"Jesus is Lord, my Redeemer; How He loves me, how I love Him;
He is risen, He is coming, O come quickly, Alleluia!"
A. Jesus is the Lord who came to be our Redeemer: Acts 2.36, Eph. 1.7
B. Because He died for us, we know that He loves us, and we should love
Him: 1 Jn. 3.16, 4.19
C. Also, as the one who has risen, we look for His coming: Mk. 16.9,
Acts 1.9-11

II. Stanza 2 identifies Jesus as Redeemer
"He was born to die on Calvary, To redeem the lost and sinful:
Conquering death He rose triumphant, And is reigning, Alleluia!"
A. He came to die on Calvary to save sinners: Rom. 5.8, 1 Tim. 1.15
B. But He conquered death by rising triumphantly from the grave: Rom.
1.3-4, 1 Cor. 15.4
C. And now He is reigning at the right hand of God: Acts 2.32-33, Heb.
8.1

III. Stanza 3 identifies Jesus as Savior
"He is worthy, He is precious, He is loving, He is saving,
He is glorious, He is coming, Lord, come quickly, Alleluia!"
A. Jesus is both worthy or deserving of honor, and precious or valuable:
Rev. 5.9, 1 Pet. 2.6
B. Furthermore, He is both loving and saving: Eph. 5.2, Matt. 1.21
C.In addition, He is both glorious, or full of glory, and coming: Jn.
17.5, 1 Cor. 1.7

IV. Stanza 4 identifies Jesus as Master
"He's my Savior, I will praise Him; He's my Master, I will serve Him;
He's my Shepherd, I will love Him; He's my Jesus, Alleluia!"
A. He is our Savior, and we should praise Him: Lk. 2.11, Heb. 13.15
B. He is our Master, and we should serve Him: Jn. 13.13, Heb. 12.28
C. He is our Shepherd, and we should love Him: Jn. 10.11, 15.14

V. Stanza 5 identifies Jesus as the King who should dwell in our hearts
"Every day, Lord, how I need You, In my heart, Lord, in my spirit;
Every day, Lord, yes I need You; I am Yours, Lord, Alleluia!"
A. Certainly, we need the Lord to direct our lives: Gal. 2.20, Col.
3.3-4
B. And He has promised that He will dwell in our hearts by faith: Eph.
3.17, Col. 1.23
C. But for Him to do so, we must always remember that we are to belong
to Him: 2 Cor. 6.16, 1 Pet. 2.9-10

CONC.: This is one of those "praise songs" which seemed to have
arisen out of nowhere and caught on like wildfire. The tune is simple,
eminently singable, and easy to memorize. The words can be quite
repetitive, but this arrangement seeks to use lyrics that would say
something beyond mere repetition. The term "alleluia" means "Praise the
Lord." It is the Latin form of the Hebrew "Hallelujah" which was made by
joining "Hallelu" meaning "praise" and "Jah" which is the first syllable
in the Hebrew name for God. Since it is found in the sacred scriptures,
there is certainly nothing wrong with my saying, "Alleluia," to the
divine Son of God because "Jesus Is Lord, My Redeemer."

Taken from https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/hymnoftheday/conversations/topics/488

Either way, whether by a simple Alleluia or whether by more meaningful words, please accept and worship our Savior today!  No one other than Jesus can save us by conquering death and presenting himself to the Father as our substitute Shepherd!