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at the point of our new birth in Christ we have entered into a Royal Priesthood. Prayer is not just that which is given to us as a privledge to enter into communication with the one who sits in the supreme Court of heaven but it is an obligation for all of us to spend time in prayer. If our high priest sits at the right hand of the father and whose business he is conduction to make innercession to the father, how much more should we ourselves as priests be making intercession for each other?

Milissa?

Miracle hill?

Ben doing better?

remember those on our list

Terrie Laubach

Pastor steve and his leadership of the church

O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing hymn 76

1739

. . . The whole multitude . . . began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen. Luke 19:37

The Wesley brothers sent word of their conversion to their sainted mother, Susanna, who didn’t know what to make of it. “I think you have fallen into an odd way of thinking,” she replied. “You say that till within a few months you had no spiritual life and no justifying faith . . . . I heartily rejoice that you have attained to a strong and lively hope in God’s mercy through Christ. Not that I can think that you were totally without saving faith before, but it is one thing to have faith, and another thing to be sensible we have it.”

Well, Charles was now very sensible of having it. His life changed, and he gained victory over both his temper and his unfortunate drinking habit. “I was amazed to find my old enemy, intemperance, so suddenly subdued, that I almost forgot I was ever in bondage to him.”

He also began to spread the news of what had happened to him. “In the coach to London,” he wrote, “I preached faith in Christ. A lady was extremely offended . . . (and) threatened to beat me. I declared I deserved nothing but hell; so did she; and must confess it, before she could have a title to heaven. This was most intolerable to her.”

New vitality came into Charles’ public preaching. He discontinued the practice of reading his sermons, and began preaching extemporaneously.

He found a fruitful arena for ministry at the infamous Newgate Prison, and allowed himself to be locked up with condemned men on nights before their executions, that he might comfort and witness to them during their final hours.

As the first anniversary of his conversion approached, Charles wrote an eighteen stanza hymn describing his praise to the Lord. It was titled, “For the Anniversary Day of One’s Conversion,” and the first stanza began: “Glory to God, and praise, and love . . . .” Verse seven began, “O for a thousand tongues to sing,” inspired by a statement Charles had once heard: “Had I a thousand tongues, I would praise Him with them all.”

Beginning with a 1767 hymnbook, the seventh stanza was made the first, and when John Wesley compiled his Collection of Hymns in 1780, he chose this for the first hymn in the book. Congregations today usually sing verses seven, eight, nine, and ten of Wesley’s original, which we know today as “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.”

While we tend with religious people discuss God, how often is it that when the name Jesus is mentioned it seems to throw cold water on the conversation. As if people are embarrassed to bring up the name Jesus.

I wonder if this phenomenon is historical in the sense that many had died who proclaimed the name. After all in the time of the roman empire you were alright to speak of god. It was culturally acceptable to have a god or two to call upon to get you through a day. There was a god for 365 days a year as well as an unknown God that Paul points out just in case they missed one.

There was no controversy when it came to the Jews speaking of God. Devout people who attributed all proper worship not to idols but to their God even Yahweh.

But then we bring up the name Jesus and there comes a conflict.

Over the name comes being removed from the family, from the society and made a criminal to be hounded and persecuted, it is not believing in a god that many died throughout history but it was the name of Jesus and His work that becomes a stumbling block of offense.

It is Jesus who identified himself as the spearpoint to worship when he said

John 14:6 (ESV) — 6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Or is it a spiritual issue. That the god of this world has blinded man from seeing past the worship of God to worshipping his son the only means of salvation?

1 Corinthians 1:18 (ESV) — 18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Can’t talk about the cross and the message it brings without bringing up the one who hung upon it.

1 Peter 2:6–8 (ESV) — 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Romans 1:14–17 (ESV) — 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Without the gospel there is no other power by which one can be saved.

Without Jesus Christ there is no gospel.

Acts 4:12 (ESV) — 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

who is your God?

Who is your Jesus?

Can you boldly proclaim the name Jesus?

Or is there something that hinders you from speaking his name?

Is the name Jesus mean anything more than a means to get to heaven?

What we come to know about Jesus will change our lives and I suppose this is what the Satan wishes not to happen and the reason for blinding man from the truth about who and what Jesus is.

The writer of Hebrews tells us exactly who Jesus is

First he is God’s message from heaven. While the revelation of the ages from God is not inferior it did come in fragmented and sometimes encrypted communication if I may say that. That is in types and in pieces and portions, that came by the instruments of the prophets.

John identifies Jesus as the Logos.

John 1:1 (ESV) — 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

From the Louw-Nida

33.100 λόγοςe, οῦ m: a title for Jesus in the Gospel of John as a reference to the content of God’s revelation and as a verbal echo of the use of the verbs meaning ‘to speak’ in Genesis 1 and in many utterances of the prophets—‘Word, Message.’ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν ‘the Word became a human being and lived among us’ Jn 1:14.

While the People of the Book, Had many fragments of revelation that they had received throughout the age it was Jesus Christ the word who they were able after the death burial and resurrection of the Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit that would bring to mind those things forgotten. That the people connected the dots and they all point to the Logos himself.

The Message is the highest form of message. The message is in the Son of God.

He is the royal Son. Uniquely born, unique in every way, unique person of the universe. While he is man true humanity, he is also undiminished deity in one person in separately united forever.

It was Jesus who declared himself to be the son of God.

John 5:19–24 (ESV) — 19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Pretty bold statement coming from this teacher Jesus. As C S Lewish points out

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [that is, Christ]: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse…. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

–C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity

He is either a lunatic or he is telling the truth.

The pharisees understood and the people understood and the only thing holding the religious leaders back from arresting Jesus on the spot was the fact that Jesus had a large and growing following who may not have been sold out that he was the messiah but certainly sent from God.

Which do you believe and why? If it is the former, and that Jesus was not who he said he was, then what is your religion based on?

Jesus Christ is The Son of God with all the rank and privilege of the one who carries that title. That is the son of the king.

IN the Tanakh the BenElohim the sons of God, the angels held the title. The created universe was their realm of rulership function. They failed in their disobedience. The inheritance will then fall to the one who was faithful in all things over that which is of God’s and therefore will inherit all from His Father.

2. Jesus Christ is the inheritor

As a son He receives an inheritance. That which was so important in earlier times where the family wealth which was the economy of the nation is passed on to the succeeding generation. it would be customary that the first born would receive the lion share of the inheritance as it would be he would take on the patriarchal duties of the family.

It was critical for the future economy of the family to ensure that the family wealth fell into the right hands. While Isaac wanted to bless his older son Esau the man of the world, the providential hand of God saw to it that the family estate went to Jacob.

Yes a scoundrel but it is this scoundrel that the Lord said that he would not leave or forsake.

All belong to the Father and the Father passes it on to the son.

Point of Application at this note.

Satan was God’s crowning created being. Made perfectly. When the morning star thought that he could be like God and gain it all including the worship that is attributed to the one who is worthy of praise and glorification, He lost it all. Became disinherited and cursed.

Then came the Sons of God who shouted for Joy when God laid the foundations of the earth. The sons of God inherited it and would rule over it.

But what happen. There comes the angelic rebellion in Genesis 6:1-4. And they too would lose their inheritance due to their disobedience

Psalm 82:1–8 (ESV) — 1 God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: 2 “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah 3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. 4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” 5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6 I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; 7 nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.” 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!

So then the inheritance falls to man. Who loses it when he chose to disobey.

Christ the last Adam who through perfect submission to the Father in heaven is worthy to receive from his Father full inheritance and it is with the faithful that the Son will then share that inheritance with.

All things in the inheritance package includes those who God chooses to be his and has given them eternal life for what is given to the Son by God is eternal in nature.

Ephesians 1:1-14

John 17

Hebrews 1:2 (ESV) — 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

3. Jesus Christ is the creator of all things.

God is credited with being the creator of all things

Genesis 1:1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

It is the son who becomes the agent of that Creation. Colossians 1:13–20 (ESV) — 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And 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, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Job 38:1–11 (ESV) — 1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 “Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, 9 when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, 10 and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, 11 and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?

Who is your God?

Who is this Jesus?

The message from heaven that brings life to those who receive and obey him

The Son of God who holds all the rank and privileges as any first born son would in the Royal family

The inheritor of all that belongs to the father to include those who believe.

The one whose power is equal to that of the father’s and spirits creates it all to the glory of God.

Tell me again why we might be so embarrassed to speak his name?

We will continue Wednesday night.

It Is Well with My Soul

1873

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:19

When the great Chicago fire consumed the Windy City in 1871, Horatio G. Spafford, an attorney heavily invested in real estate, lost a fortune. About that time, his only son, age 4, succumbed to scarlet fever. Horatio drowned his grief in work, pouring himself into rebuilding the city and assisting the 100,000 who had been left homeless.

In November of 1873, he decided to take his wife and daughters to Europe. Horatio was close to D. L. Moody and Ira Sankey, and he wanted to visit their evangelistic meetings in England, then enjoy a vacation.

When an urgent matter detained Horatio in New York, he decided to send his wife, Anna, and their four daughters, Maggie, Tanetta, Annie, and Bessie, on ahead. As he saw them settled into a cabin aboard the luxurious French liner Ville du Havre, an unease filled his mind, and he moved them to a room closer to the bow of the ship. Then he said good-bye, promising to join them soon.

During the small hours of November 22, 1873, as the Ville du Havre glided over smooth seas, the passengers were jolted from their bunks. The ship had collided with an iron sailing vessel, and water poured in like Niagara. The Ville du Havre tilted dangerously. Screams, prayers, and oaths merged into a nightmare of unmeasured terror. Passengers clung to posts, tumbled through darkness, and were swept away by powerful currents of icy ocean. Loved ones fell from each other’s grasp and disappeared into foaming blackness. Within two hours, the mighty ship vanished beneath the waters. The 226 fatalities included Maggie, Tanetta, Annie, and Bessie. Mrs. Spafford was found nearly unconscious, clinging to a piece of the wreckage. When the 47 survivors landed in Cardiff, Wales, she cabled her husband: “Saved Alone.”

Horatio immediately booked passage to join his wife. En route, on a cold December night, the captain called him aside and said, “I believe we are now passing over the place where the Ville du Havre went down.” Spafford went to his cabin but found it hard to sleep. He said to himself, “It is well; the will of God be done.”

He later wrote his famous hymn based on those words.

The melody for “It Is Well,” titled VILLE DU HAVRE, was written by Philip Bliss who was himself soon to perish, along with his wife, in a terrible train wreck in Ohio

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