HEAR THE VOICE OF THE LORD

His Word is Truth

Speak, O Lord, as we come to YouTo receive the food of Your Holy

Word.

Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;Shape and fashion us in Your

likeness,

Speak O Lord

That the light of Christ might be seen today

In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.

Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us All Your purposes for Your glory.

Teach us, Lord, full obedience,Holy reverence, true humility;

Test our thoughts and our attitudes

In the radiance of Your purity.

Cause our faith to rise; cause our eyes to see

Your majestic love and authority.

Words of pow'r that can never failLet their truth prevail over unbelief.

Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds;Help us grasp the heights

of Your plans for us,

Truths unchanged from the dawn of time

That will echo down through eternity.

And by grace we'll stand on Your promises,

And by faith we'll walk as You walk with us.

Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built

And the earth is filled with Your glory.

***

The Hard Labor of Love

Romans 12:9-21

Key Principles

• True love is characterized by sincerity, action, and dependence on God

• True love is evident even when someone hates you and persecutes you.

• We can’t control the actions and reactions of others, but we can control our own.

• We must think Biblically, renewing our minds with the Word of God

• Counteract our human instincts to put ourselves first

• Look for your neighbor’s good even the good of your enemy!

• Leave all vengeance to God • We are called to repay good for evil, not in

order to cause our enemy torment, but to bring him to repentance and restoration.

Be loyally subject to the governing (civil) authorities

• submission means to voluntarily follow the direction of those in authority over you.

• Regardless of the failures of government—many of which are immoral, unjust & ungodly—Christians are to pray (1 Tim 2and live peaceful lives that influence the world by godly, selfless living, not by protests, sit ins, and marches, much less by rebellion.

• The Authority behind the authorities is God• Pilate • Nebuchadnezzar • Cyrus • God instituted the system of human

government immediately after the great flood

El Elyon

• The sovereign Most High God over ALL the earth. • Too often we do not realize that God is waiting to govern

the earth properly -- He is waiting, He is withholding, He is restraining evil, He is governing to a limited extent, -- but right now He is showing how weak man is without Him.

• We've not seen the end of "His"story ("HISTORY") yet!. Every government that exists is held in the palm of God's hand. It can only go as far as God wills; it is under His control; it has been instituted by Him.