Month: September 2011

A Hymn With A Mystery

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How Firm A Foundation, my all time favorite hymn, is a hymn with a mystery.  It has been attributed to “K” in “Rippon’s Selection of Hymns” compiled in 1787.  We don’t know who wrote the lyrics or the music. I read that it was once sung to the tune of “O Come All Ye Faithful”. The hymn became very popular in both the North and the South during the Civil War. It is really a sermon in verse. The first verse tells us that the sure foundation of the Christian faith is the Bible.

  • Verse 2 comes from Isaiah 41:10

Fear not I am with thee O be not dismayed

For I am thy God I will still give thee aid

I’ll strengthen thee help thee

And cause thee to stand

Upheld by My gracious omnipotent hand

  • Verse 5 is from 2 Corinthians 12:9 and Hebrews 13:5

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie

My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply

The flames shall not hurt thee I only design

Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine

Verse six is my favorite verse. I used to think when I would sing these words it was me talking to God. Then one day I realized it is God talking to me. God says to me, “Morri, you have put your life in my hands. I will not desert you. No matter what comes along to try to shake you, I will never, no never, no never forsake you!

(I am now standing on my chair, shouting and praising God!)

  •  Verse 6

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose

I will not I will not desert to its foes

That soul though all hell should endeavor to shake

I’ll never no never no never forsake

I am sure that this one hymn will be all we need this Sunday to bring us into God’s presence but we will go ahead and sing a few more.

Blessed Be Your Name is a contemporary song that spans the generation gap right along with How Great is Our God. And then we will sing one of the greatest hymns of the 20th Century, How Great Thou Art!

This will be a worship service you will not want to miss!


Second Place and $15.00

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It was early 1930s and this 21-year-old insurance worker was asked to sing in a coast-to-coast radio talent show. He lost to a yodeler but gained nation wide recognition and $15.00. A few weeks after he experienced this wide spread fame, his mother placed a poem, written by Rhea F. Miller, on her piano. She hoped her son, George, would find the poem and read it. George read the poem and almost immediately a tune came flowing out of him. That same Sunday morning he sang “I’d Rather Have Jesus” in church for the first time. The words influenced him so much that when he was offered a singing contract with NBC radio he turned it down. It was in the midst of the great depression and thousands of young singers would have jumped at this chance for fame and wealth. But because his mother placed that poem in his path it changed his life.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause; I’d rather be faithful to his dear cause;

I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame; I’d rather be true to His holy name.

Of course most of you now know of George Beverly Shea. But not because of NBC radio. You know him because of his work for the Lord with the Billy Graham crusades. George Beverly Shea is still living at the age of 102 years old!

This Sunday morning we will start our time of worship together with I Will Sing of My Redeemer. This song will help us set our minds on what Jesus has done for us.
Then we will sing Come, Now is the Time to Worship. I like the phrase that says, “Still the greatest treasure remains for those who gladly choose Him now”. That treasure is a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Then, one of my favorite songs, Because We Believe, will unite us in our own belief statements. “We believe in God the Father, We believe in Christ the Son. We believe in the Holy Spirit, we are the Church and we stand as one.
After that we will sing Knowing You, taken from Philippians 3:10 and finally our foundation hymn for the morning, I’d Rather Have Jesus, will bring us to a time of prayer with Pastor Al.
Click below and listen to George Beverly Shea sing I’d Rather Have Jesus.

I hope this will help you prepare for worship.
Pastor Morri

There Is Only One Way!

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Tonight I had the privilege of visiting with an old friend. Years ago when we had first met he was a Buddhist. Now, over 15 years later he lives his life for Jesus Christ. He spreads the Gospel in places most of us would be afraid to go. I brought up his days as a Buddhist and he looked me in the eye and said, “There is only one way”. That one and only way is Jesus.
That is what this Sunday’s foundation hymn says. “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! Hebrews 9:22 says “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Jesus is the only way to Heaven. The hymn writer says, “For my cleansing this I plea. Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Along with Nothing But the Blood we will sing Are You Washed in the Blood and There is Power in the Blood.
As you sing these songs remember that the blood of Jesus is Salvation. Through His blood we are saved from penalty sin.
Romans 3:23 tells us that all of us have sinned and we have missed the mark that God has set for us. We have all come up short, way short. The Bible says there is a penalty that must be paid. The good news is that Jesus Christ has already paid that penalty for us. Romans 6:23 says,
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1. All I have to do is Admit that I am a sinner.
(Prayer) “God I know that I am a sinner.”
2. Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God Who died for you on the cross, rose from the dead, and is Lord.
(Prayer) God, I believe that Jesus died for me and that He is the only way to Heaven.
3. Call on Jesus!
(Prayer) Lord Jesus, come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. I commit my life to you. Thank you for forgiving my of my sin and cleansing me.
This will not make you a perfect person. You will still fall short, we all do. This makes you forgiven. It means you have decided to follow Jesus. Just like my old friend did. He decided to follow Jesus and now he shows others the way.

The rest of our songs are:
Come, Now Is The Time to Worship
Come Thou Fount, Come Thou King
As The Deer
I Exalt Thee

He Wrote One Great Hymn

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Ten Years Ago created by “The Skit Guys” purchased from http://www.worshiphousemedia.com

We all remember where we were on September 11, 2001. I remember waking up to a phone call from my mother-in-law. She said to turn on the TV, an airplane had just hit one of the World Trade Center Towers. Robin and I had just been in New York six months earlier. We had lunch at Sbarro’s Pizza in Tower #2 twice while we were there. The Towers were amazing. And then they were gone. September 11, 2001 is a day this generation will never forget.

There have been unforgettable days for every generation. Some will remember exactly where they were when President John F. Kennedy was shot. They will remember where they were when Pearl Harbor was attacked.
The writer of this Sunday’s foundation hymn fought in the civil war. Before his death in 1907 I am sure he could have told you where he was when he heard the news of President Lincoln’s assignation. He wrote a stirring hymn in 1876 that is now included in nearly every published hymnal in this country. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence Rev. Daniel C. Roberts wrote “God of Our Fathers”. Roberts was a country preacher with this one hymn as his claim to fame. This great hymn speaks of God’s providential guidance of our nation in the past and our need for reliance on Him for our future.
The second verse says, “Thy love divine hath led un 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”. The hymn goes on to encourage us to let the strong arm of God be our defense in times of tragedy.
As we gather together to worship this Sunday we will also remember the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Let us also ask Him to “Refresh His people on their toilsome way and lead us from night to never ending day”.
Along with God of Our Fathers we will sing Rise Up and Praise Him, America the Beautiful and Eternal Father, Strong to Save.
The Choir will sing a call to prayer, “If My People”.
2 Chronicles 7:14
New International Version (NIV) If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

I Don’t Want the Chapel; Only the Pulpit.

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Edward Mote devoted himself to building a church for a Baptist congregation in the village of Horsham Sussex, England.  The church members appreciated his efforts so much that they offered Mote the deed to the building. He refused their offer saying: “I do not want the chapel; I only want the pulpit, and when I cease to preach Christ, then turn me out of that.” He preached faithfully in that pulpit for 26 years until his health failed.

Edward Mote wrote over one hundred hymns. One of those hymns, The Solid Rock, is our foundation hymn for Sunday, September 4, 2011. While some hymns are criticized by theologians for being too experiential; this hymn has a solid theological foundation.  “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness”.

This one line makes me ask the question, “On what is my hope built”?  The next line in the hymn says, “I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.” I believe the “Frame” here means a moment of emotion. I would say it like this, I dare not trust the way I feel but I will lean on the name of Jesus no matter what!

 Sunday we will begin the service with a hymn of celebration,  Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee! Every line in this hymn promotes joy! We will continue to “Sing Praise” by singing Chris Tomlin’s Forever. “Forever He is faithful, forever He is strong”.

Rock of Ages tells us that:

     There is no rock, there is no god like our God.    

     No other name worthy of all our praise.

     The Rock of salvation that cannot be moved.

     He’s proven Himself to be faithful and true.

     There is no rock there is no god like ours.

You’re Worthy of all Our Praise and Spirit of the Living God will begin to prepare our hearts for communion.

Let the chorus, Spirit of the Living God, be your prayer as you ready yourself for worship.

Ready: adjective (in a suitable state for an activity, action, or situation; fully prepared: are you ready?)

Spirit of the Living God

Fall fresh on me

Spirit of the Living God

Fall fresh on me

Melt me mold me

Fill me use me

Spirit of the Living God

Fall fresh on me