Hymns

Channels Only

Words: Mary Maxwell
Music: Ada Gibbs

This week’s hymn is “Channels Only” by Mary Maxwell (1900). This is a bouncy, enjoyable hymn that has a theme of being a channel for the Lord to flow through. The hymn begins with praise as the Lord’s love has touched us and laid hold of us. But it is interesting that there is a thought that Lord has saved us, cleansed us, and fills us with Himself, and He does so with a purpose and an intention that we would become a channel for His life, Spirit, grace, and salvation to flow through to others.

One of the themes that we see in the Gospel of John is living water. In 4:14 we see that the water that Jesus gives us to drink becomes a spring in us, springing up to eternal life. Later, in 7:38, we see that those who believe in Him will have rivers of living water flowing out from within them. It is not enough that Jesus would give us living water to quench our thirst, He would make that water become a spring within us, even to the point that it would flow out from us that we may be a blessing to all those around us.

The chorus originally had the lines “but with all Thy wondrous pow’r. . . every day in every hour.” I am not sure who is responsible for the change that is contained in the lyrics below, but I like that it also includes the thought of being ready for the Lord to flow in every hour AND every place. There is no place that we should not think that we can be a blessing to others. We can flow the Lord’s life and grace to those at our jobs and schools, other acquaintances we may have, brothers and sisters in the church, and maybe most practically given we have so much time in our houses these days, those in our family. Because we have the Lord’s grace, life, and Spirit within us, we may depend on His infinite supply to meet our own needs, as well as the needs of others.

May the Lord open our eyes more this week to see how we can be a blessing to all those that are around us. May He fill us with such a rich enjoyment of His grace, and may He also lead us how to share that enjoyment with others that they may be edified, encouraged, and watered.

–Ian K

1.
How I praise Thee, precious Savior,
That Thy love laid hold of me;
Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me,
That I might Thy channel be.

Chorus
Channels only, blessed Master,
But with all Thy wondrous grace
Flowing through us, Thou canst use us
Every hour and every place.

2.
Just a channel, full of blessing,
To the thirsty hearts around;
To tell out Thy full salvation,
All Thy loving message sound.

3.
Emptied that Thou shouldest fill me,
A clean vessel in Thine hand;
With no pow’r but as Thou givest
Graciously with each command.

4.
Witnessing Thy pow’r to save me,
Setting free from self and sin;
Thou hast bought me to possess me,
In Thy fulness, Lord, come in.

5.
Jesus, fill now with Thy Spirit
Hearts that full surrender know;
That the streams of living water
From our inner man may flow.

Nearer, My God, to Thee

Words: Sarah Fuller Flower Adams
Music: Lowell Mason

1.
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
  Nearer to Thee;
E’en though it be a cross
  That raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
  Nearer to Thee.

2.
Though, like a wanderer,
  The sun gone down,
Darkness comes over me,
  My rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
  Nearer to Thee.

3.
There let the way appear,
  Steps unto heav’n;
all that thou sendest me,
  In mercy given;
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to thee;
Nearer, my God, to thee,
  Nearer to thee!

4.
Then, with my waking thoughts
  Bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
  Bethel I’ll raise,
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
  Nearer to Thee.

5.    (not included in the recording above)
There in my Father’s home,
  Safe and at rest,
There is my Savior’s love,
  Perfectly blest;
Age after age to be,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
  Nearer to Thee.

In Christ Alone (for Lord’s Table Meeting)

1.
In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

2.
In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev’ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

3.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

4.
No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow’r of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand.

Children’s Content

Song: Every Move I Make

Coloring Page

Message

“Wrestling With God”

Message given by Rex Beck for May 3, 2020

Genesis 32:22-32

²² The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. ²³ He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. ²⁴ And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. ²⁵ When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. ²⁶ Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” ²⁷ And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” ²⁸ Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” ²⁹ Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. ³⁰ So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” ³¹ The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. ³² Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.

A message for your enjoyment throughout the week

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The Wise Men and the Star (2)