Blessings to you, the readers of this page, in Jesus Christ our Lord. May He guide you and protect you always.

Worship Service At Internet Church Of Christ
For Week Of Sunday, February 18, 2007

To see see previous worship services, please click => http://www.loveallpeople.org/recentworshipservices.html

CONTENTS: 

Welcome
Opening Hymn - "Fairest Lord Jesus" - words and MIDI music
Invocation
The Lord's Prayer - with MP3 reading
Declaration Of Faith: The Apostles' Creed

Scriptures and Teachings - 
"An Ante-Bellum Sermon" (to slaves before the Civil 
War) by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Exhortation - "Do Not Try To Think Too Much"
Prayer For You - "Go Ahead And Give Yourself To Christ"
Holy Communion
How To Find A Real, Live Church
Closing Hymn - "Deep River" - words and MIDI music
Benediction
   

If you have the Holy Spirit of Jesus abiding within you, then you are able to endure all trials, blessed with the peace which surpasses all understanding. If not, you remain deprived of the many blessings the Lord has waiting for you. If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour, you have the opportunity to do that right now by clicking => HERE! - http://www.internetchurchofchrist.org/jesusdirect.html

Welcome

Welcome to the online worship service at Internet Church Of Christ. Here is a good place to worship our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. You are invited and are welcome at any time. Blessings to you in Him.

Opening Hymn

Fairest Lord Jesus

Words: Anonymous, from Munster Gesangbuch; translated by Joseph A. Seiss (with altered first verse ?). Music is a Silesian folk melody, published as Schlesische Volkslieder, arranged by Richard S. Willis. Believed to have been sung by Crusaders, known as "Crusaders' Hymn." Historical details at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/f/a/faljesus.htm. MIDI file sequenced from a published Public Domain arrangement by Bill McGinnis. Everything here is Public Domain

FAIREST LORD JESUS - Anonymous, from Munster Gesangbuch, translated by 
Joseph A. Seiss - Public Domain


                      Fairest Lord Jesus,
                      Ruler of all nature,
                      O Thou of God and man the Son:
                      Thee will I cherish,
                      Thee will I honor,
                      Thou my soul's glory, joy, and crown.

                      Fair are the meadows,
                      Fairer still the woodlands,
                      Robed in the blooming garb of spring.
                      Jesus is fairer,
                      Jesus is purer,
                      Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

                      Fair is the sunshine,
                      Fairer still the moonlight,
                      And all the twinkling starry host.
                      Jesus shines brighter,
                      Jesus shines purer,
                      Than all the angels heaven can boast.

                                    Amen.

Invocation

O Lord, we come together in Your name,
And as You promised, we know You are here.

AND SO WE WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS,
AND PRAY THAT YOU FIND PLEASURE HERE WITH US,
AS WE, YOUR LOVING CHILDREN WORSHIP YOU.

We now invite You to reveal Yourself,
And share with us Your presence, openly,

FOR YOU ARE EVERYTHING THAT WE DESIRE,
AND EVERYTHING WE HAVE, WE GIVE TO YOU.

In Jesus' holy name we pray, Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

The Lord, Himself, taught us to pray like this . . .

                     The Lord's Prayer 
   

          Our Father, who art in heaven,
            hallowed be thy Name,
            thy kingdom come,
            thy will be done,
              on earth as it is in heaven.
          Give us this day our daily bread.
          And forgive us our trespasses,
            as we forgive those who trespass against us.
          And lead us not into temptation,
            but deliver us from evil.
          For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
            for ever and ever. Amen.

                      Source: Book Of Common Prayer, based on
                              Matthew 6:9-13    


          

Declaration Of Faith

The Apostles' Creed

   This historic affirmation of faith comes to us from the early
   centuries of the Christian church.


      I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
      Maker of heaven and earth:
      And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord;
      Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost;
      Born of the Virgin Mary,
      Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
      Was crucified, dead, and buried;
      He descended into hell;
      The third day he rose again from the dead;
      He ascended into heaven
      And sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
      From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
      I believe in the Holy Ghost;
      The holy catholic church;     *
      The communion of saints;
      The forgiveness of sins;
      The resurrection of the body;
      And the life everlasting.

                             Amen.


                * Note: "catholic church" here means the entire body of
                  believers in Christ, not just one particular church.

Scriptures And Teachings

An Ante-Bellum Sermon-
To slaves, before the Civil War

Original Poem in Dialect, by Paul Laurence Dunbar, converted into Near-Standard English by Rev. Bill McGinnis, with MP3 Audio Readings

AN ANTE-BELLUM SERMON

     By Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)

NOTE: This is Dunbar's poetic concept of a sermon which might have been
      given by a slave minister to a slave congregation, before the
      American Civil War freed all the slaves in the United States.

   Written In Dialect by Paul Laurence Dunbar and converted  into 
   Near-Standard English by Rev. Bill McGinnis

  MP3 Reading (dialect) by Rev. Bill McGinnis at

 http://www.paullaurencedunbar.net/antebellumsermon.mp3

  MP3 Reading (near-standard English) by Rev. Bill McGinnis at

http://www.paullaurencedunbar.net/antebellumsermon-std.mp3



         Dialect

  We is gathahed hyeah, my brothahs,              
    In dis howlin' wildaness,
  Fu' to speak some words of comfo't
    To each othah in distress.
  An' we chooses fu' ouah subjic'
    Dis--we'll 'splain it by an' by;
  "An' de Lawd said, 'Moses, Moses,'
    An' de man said, 'Hyeah am I.'"

                       
                   Near-Standard English

             We are gathered here, my brothers,
               In this howling wilderness,
             For to speak some words of comfort
               To each other in distress.
             We have chosen for our subject
               (We'll explain it by and by);
             "And the Lord said, 'Moses, Moses,'
                And the man said, "Here am I.'"



  Now ole Pher'oh, down in Egypt,
    Was de wuss man evah bo'n,
  An' he had de Hebrew chillun
    Down dah wukin' in his co'n;
  'T well de Lawd got tiahed o' his foolin',
    An' sez he: "I'll let him know--
  Look hyeah, Moses, go tell Pher'oh
    Fu' to let dem chillun go."

          Now old Pharaoh, down in Egypt,
            Was the worst man ever born,
          And he had the Hebrew children
            Down there working in his corn;
          Well, the Lord tired of his fooling,
            And says he: "I'll let him know--
          Look here, Moses, go tell Pharaoh
            For to let my children go."          



  "An' ef he refuse to do it,
    I will make him rue de houah,
  Fu' I'll empty down on Egypt
    All de vials of my powah."
  Yes, he did--an' Pher'oh's ahmy
    Wasn't wuth a ha'f a dime;
  Fu' de Lawd will he'p his chillun,
    You kin trust him evah time.

        "And if he refuse to do it,
           I will make him rue the hour,
         For I'll empty down on Egypt
           All the vials of my power."
         Yes, he did--and Pharaoh's army
           Wasn't worth a half a dime;
         For the Lord will help his children,
           You can trust him every time.


  An' yo' enemies may 'sail you
    In de back an' in de front;
  But de Lawd is all aroun' you,
    Fu' to ba' de battle's brunt.
  Dey kin fo'ge yo' chains an' shackles
    F'om de mountains to de sea;
  But de Lawd will sen' some Moses
    Fu' to set his chillun free.

        And your enemies may assail you
          In the back and in the front;
        But the Lord is all around you,
          For to bear the battle's brunt.
        They can forge your chains and shackles
          From the mountains to the sea;
        But the Lord will send some Moses
          For to set his children free.  

 
  An' de lan' shall hyeah his thundah,
    Lak a blas' f'om Gab'el's ho'n,
  Fu' de Lawd of hosts is mighty
    When he girds his ahmor on.
  But fu' feah some one mistakes me,
    I will pause right hyeah to say,
  Dat I 'm still a-preachin' ancient,
    I ain't talkin' 'bout to-day.

        And the land shall hear his thunder,
          Like a blast from Gabriel's horn,
        For the Lord of hosts is mighty
          When he girds his armour on.
        But for fear some one mistakes me,
          I will pause right here to say,
        That I'm still a-preaching ancient,
          I'm not talking about today.


  But I tell you, fellah christuns,
    Things'll happen mighty strange;
  Now, de Lawd done dis fu' Isrul,
    An' his ways don't nevah change,
  An' de love he showed to Isrul
    Was n't all on Isrul spent;
  Now don't run an' tell yo' mastahs
    Dat I's preachin' discontent.

       But I tell you, fellow Christians,
         Things will happen mighty strange;
       Now the Lord did this for Israel,
         And his ways don't ever change,
       And the love he showed to Israel
         Wasn't all on Israel spent;
       Now don't run and tell your masters
         That I'm preaching discontent.


  'Cause I isn't; I'se a-judgin'
    Bible people by deir ac's;
  I 'se a-givin' you de Scriptuah,
    I 'se a-handin' you de fac's.
  Cose ole Pher'oh b'lieved in slav'ry,
    But de Lawd he let him see,
  Dat de people he put bref in,--
    Evah mothah's son was free.

       I am not; I'm only judging
         Bible people by their acts;
       I am giving you the Scripture,
         I am handing you the facts.
       'Cause old Pharaoh believed in slavery,
         But the Lord did let him see,
       That the people he put breath in,--
         Every mother's son was free.


  An' dahs othahs thinks lak Pher'oh,
    But dey calls de Scriptuah liar,
  Fu' de Bible says "a servant
    Is a-worthy of his hire."
  An' you cain't git roun' nor thoo dat,
    An' you cain't git ovah it,
  Fu' whatevah place you git in,
    Dis hyeah Bible too 'll fit.

       And some others think like Pharaoh,
         But they call the Scripture liar,
       For the Bible says, "a servant
         Is a-worthy of his hire."
       And you can't get 'round or through that,
         And you can't get over it,
       For whatever place you get in,
         This here Bible too will fit.
       

  So you see de Lawd's intention,
    Evah sence de worl' began,
  Was dat His almighty freedom
    Should belong to evah man,
  But I think it would be bettah,
    Ef I'd pause agin to say,
  Dat I'm talkin' 'bout ouah freedom
    In a Bibleistic way.

       So you see the Lord's intention,
         Ever since the world began,
       Was that His almighty freedom
         Should belong to every man,
       But I think it would be better
         If I'd pause again to say,
       That I'm talking about our freedom
         In a Bibleistic way.     

  But de Moses is a-comin',
    An' he's comin', suah and fas'
  We kin hyeah his feet a-trompin',
    We kin hyeah his trumpit blas'.
  But I want to wa'n you people,
    Don't you git too brigity;
  An' don't you git to braggin'
    'Bout dese things, you wait an' see.


       But the Moses is a-coming,
         And he's coming sure and fast,
       We can hear His feet a-tromping,
         We can hear His trumpet blast.
       But I want to warn you people,
         Don't you get too brigity;
       And don't you get to bragging
         About these things, you wait and see.

  But when Moses wif his powah
    Comes an' sets us chillun free,
  We will praise de gracious Mastah.
    Dat has gin us liberty;
  An' we 'll shout ouah halleluyahs,
    On dat mighty reck'nin' day,
  When we 'se reco'nised ez citiz'--
    Huh uh! Chillun, let us pray!


       But when Moses with his power
         Comes and sets us children free,
       We will praise the gracious Master,
         That has given us liberty;
       And we'll shout our hallelujas,
         On that mighty reckoning day,
       When we're recognized as citizens--
        Huh uh! Children, let us pray!

         # # # 

Exhortation

Do Not Try To Think Too Much

Holy Spirit is prompting me to tell you this: Do not try to think too much! Your human mind was designed by Him to help you process information from the material world, not the spiritual. In spiritual matters, you must let your conscious mind recede and let your spiritual self (your soul) join with Him to receive information directly. He is really there, Creator of the universe, and if you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you.

This is not just a sweet-sounding idea, it is the absolute truth. If you trust in Him, He will guide you, protect you, lead you, comfort you, sleep with you, stay with you every moment. Anything you need, He will provide. If you believe and trust. If not, you are more or less on your own. And good luck!

Basis in Scripture

      "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine
       own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5 KJV)

      "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will
       send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all
       things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
       (John 14:26 KJV)

      "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you."
       (James 4:8a KJV)

      "for your Father knoweth what things ye have need
       of, before ye ask him." (Matthew 6:8b KJV)

      "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit
       of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know 
       them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 
       2:14 KJV)

      "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find;
       knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" (Matthew 7:7 KJV)

       Also, 1 Corinthians, Chapter 2

Prayer For You

"Go Ahead And Give Yourself To Christ"

NOTE:  When you read this prayer, try to imagine hearing my voice as I
       speak it to you.  In this way, the prayer is reactivated, and it 
       the same as if I were actually praying for you at that moment. 
       (Just like television prayers are reactivated when you watch 
       them, although the videotape may have been shot years before.)
 
              
           
                Perhaps you are a Christian even now,
                You go to church and try to do your best,
                You try to put His teachings in your life,
                But still you do not feel that He is yours.
                You do not feel the closeness that you crave.
                If this is you, then say this prayer with me:
                     *             *             *
                O Lord, I want you closer in my life,
                I want you more to be a part of me.
                I want the best relationship with you,
                That anyone on earth could ever have.
                I know that, "as we give, we shall receive,"
                And so I now do give myself to you,
                In full completeness, holding nothing back.
                I'm yours, so you may use me as you will,
                And take whatever things you want from me.
                And now that I did give myself to you,
                I pray that you will give yourself to me,
                As bridegroom gives himself to his new bride.
                In Jesus' holy name I pray, Amen.


                                        by William McGinnis
                                        Public Domain

Holy Communion

If you are alone, you will needed to be both "Leader" and "Assembly," as described in the ceremony.

How To Find A Real, Live Church

Closing Hymn

Deep River - American Spiritual Song

Lyrics and music are both anonymous, Public Domain; MIDI sequence by Bill McGinnis, arranged from a Public Domain arrangement.

MIDI music file at http://patriot.net/users/bmcgin/deeprvra.mid

Scriptural reference . . .

"I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them. And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away. And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD." - Zechariah 10:10-12 (KJV)

DEEP RIVER - Classic American Spiritual Song - Anonymous, Public Domain


       Deep river,
       My home is over Jordan.
       Deep river, Lord,
       I want to cross over into campground.

          O don't you want to go
          To that gospel feast,
          That promised land
          Where all is peace?
          O don't you want to go
          To that promised land,
          That land where all is peace?

       Deep river,
       My home is over Jordan.
       Deep river, Lord,
       I want to cross over into campground.

Benediction

    _____________________________________________________________
       
      "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in
       all ways. The Lord be with you all." (2 Thessalonians 3:16 RSV)
         _____________________________________________________________

This worship service is now completed. Go in peace.

Blessings to you in Jesus Christ our Lord.

   
 Rev. Bill McGinnis, Director - LoveAllPeople.org

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