Mark 9:7 and Galatians16-26

And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son. Hear him!” (Mark 9:7)
      Father, give us ears and hearts to hear what Jesus is saying to us.

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)
      Holy Spirit, help us and guide us in our walk with Jesus.

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (Galatians 5:17)
      Jesus, I confess that I do the things I don’t want to do and avoid doing the things I should do, and there is no health in me. Renew me by your Holy Spirit to do what you desire of me.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Galatians 5:18 )
      Holy Spirit, lead me so that I am no longer under law but under grace. Thank you.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)
      Holy Spirit, please help me recognize the works of the flesh in my life and repent of them.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
      Holy Spirit, help me live these out day by day in the work place and wherever I am. Thank you.

And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24)
      Jesus, help me today to take up my cross and follow you.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)
      Holy Spirit, lead me and guide me today — help me seize every opportunity you give me. Thank you.

Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:26)
      Father, I want to be a man of peace — I pray for this especially in the work place where I spend so much of my time. Thank you.

Sine Nomine-For All The Saints [With Lyrics] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQcTn_oEuxU

Friday: 69:1-23(24-30)31-38 * 73; Isa. 56:1-8; Gal. 5:16-24; Mark 9:2-13
Saturday: 75, 76 * 23, 27; Isa. 57:3-13; Gal. 5:25-6:10; Mark 9:14-29

      Notes from the Front Line

***** Schenectady City Mission Prayer Table Report, Friday, February 08, 2013, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.. Torre and Jean Bissell, and Chuck Rinaldo from Christ Church Schenectady. This took place during the evening meal at the City Mission.

+–indicates received a wooden cross made by Dennis Adams of North Carolina
a–indicates anointed with Holy Water

a DAN — He had just had two teeth extracted and was in pain. REGGIE and LAURIE (Dan’s wife) joined us in praying for him. We prayed for speedy healing and relief of pain and that he would have the wisdom to not over-do it while recovering.

+ VICKY — We prayed for her son CALVIN who had received prayer a couple of weeks ago.

RON — We prayed that God would break down the barriers that are preventing him from being able to see his daughter ISABEL.

+a ALBERT — He asked prayer for his mother MADELYNN who is not well.

a GARY — We prayed for his daughter BECKY who is due to deliver a child on March 4th or 5th. Gary’s wife DEBBIE is flying out to Salt Lake City to be with Becky. We prayed for travel mercies for her. We prayed that Gary’s son-in-law STEPHEN would be able to get a college teaching job near here and for Gary’s two sons JOSH and CHRIS and Chris’s girlfriend SUZY. We prayed that God would raise up a good Christian woman for Josh.

REGGIE — We prayed that he would be a shining light and a living gospel to the men and women at the Schenectady City Mission.

+a KEVIN — “I have some bad habits.” We prayed that he will be set free from the bondage to those habits.

+ RICK — “Everything.”

+a HELENE — Her 13 year old daughter died in her sleep a year ago. We prayed for peace and comfort for Helene and the whole family.

Albany Intercessor

Charles Wesley, priest, evangelist, hymn writer

Charles Wesley (1707 – 1788) was an English leader of the Methodist movement. He was said to have averaged 10 poetic lines a day for 50 years. He wrote 8,989 hymns, 10 times the volume composed by the only other candidate (Isaac Watts) who could conceivably claim to be the world’s greatest hymn writer. He composed some of the most memorable and lasting hymns of the church: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “And Can It Be,” “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” “Soldiers of Christ, Arise,” and “Rejoice! the Lord Is King!”

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name.

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’Tis life, and health, and peace.

He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me.

He speaks, and, listening to His voice,
New life the dead receive,
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
The humble poor believe.

Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy.

In Christ your Head, you then shall know,
Shall feel your sins forgiven;
Anticipate your heaven below,
And own that love is heaven.

Glory to God, and praise and love
Be ever, ever given,
By saints below and saints above,
The church in earth and heaven.

References: Wikipedia, Christianity Today, Cyberhymnal

John Newton, priest and hymn writer

John Newton (1725-1807) went to sea at age 11. By the age of 23, he was the master of a slave-trading ship. Although he had had some early religious instruction from his mother, who had died when he was a child, he had long since given up any religious convictions. His fellow sailors called him “the blasphemer” because of his language.

For days his ship had been caught in a violent storm. Too weak to stand and giving himself up for dead, he had his body lashed to the steering wheel so that he could guide the ship as his last act. During that night, he experienced what he was to refer to later as his “great deliverance.” He recorded in his journal that when all seemed lost and the ship would surely sink, he exclaimed, “Lord, have mercy upon us.” Later in his cabin he reflected on what he had said and began to believe that God had addressed him through the storm and that grace had begun to work for him. For the rest of his life he observed the anniversary of May 10, 1748 as the day of his conversion, a day of humiliation in which he subjected his will to a higher power.

He eventually gave up seafaring and began educating himself. He came to know George Whitefield and John Wesley, evangelistic preachers. He decided to become a minister, was ordained. and accepted the curacy of Olney, Buckinghamshire. Newton’s church became so crowded during services that it had to be enlarged. He preached not only in Olney but in other parts of the country. He aided William Wilberforce in his campaign against slavery in the British Empire.

In 1767 the poet William Cowper settled at Olney, and he and Newton became friends. Cowper helped Newton with his religious services and on his tours to other places. They held not only a regular weekly church service but also began a series of weekly prayer meetings, for which their goal was to write a new hymn for each one. They collaborated on several editions of Olney Hymns, which achieved lasting popularity. The first edition, published in 1779, contained 68 pieces by Cowper and 280 by Newton. Among Newton’s contributions which are still loved and sung today are “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds”, “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” and most famous of all, “Amazing Grace”:

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.

O Father,
How You have blessed us with the hymns of John Newton, William Cowper, John Wesley, and Samuel Wesley. May the Church of England once again be a seedbed of holy music. Sow for a Great Awakening! Amen.