1 Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not: Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be. Refrain
ref Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
2 Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. Refrain
3 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! Refrain
Text: Thomas O. Chisholm, 1866–1960; Tune: William M. Runyan, 1870–1957; Text: Public domain; Tune: Public domain
1 God sent His son, they called Him Jesus; He came to love, heal and forgive; He lived and died to buy my pardon, An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!
2 How sweet to hold a newborn baby, And feel the pride and joy he gives; But greater still the calm assurance: This child can face uncertain days because He Lives! (refrain)
3 And then one day, I’ll cross the river, I’ll fight life’s final war with pain; And then, as death gives way to victory, I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives! (refrain)
1 O sacred Head, now wounded, With grief and shame weighed down, Now scornfully surrounded With thorns, Thine only crown. O sacred Head, what glory, What bliss, till now was Thine! Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine.
2 What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered Was all for sinners’ gain; Mine, mine was the transgression, But Thine the deadly pain. Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place; Look on me with Thy favor, And grant to me Thy grace.
3 What language shall I borrow To thank Thee, dearest Friend, For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end? O make me Thine forever! And should I fainting be, Lord, let me never, never, Outlive my love for Thee.
4 Be Thou my consolation, My shield, when I must die; Remind me of Thy passion When my last hour draws nigh. Mine eyes shall then behold Thee, Upon Thy cross shall dwell, My heart by faith enfold Thee. Who dieth thus dies well.
1 When peace, like a river, attendeth my way; When sorrows, like sea billows, roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. Refrain
ref It is well (It is well) with my soul, (with my soul), It is well, it is well with my soul.
2 Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate And hath shed His own blood for my soul. Refrain
3 He lives—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought; My sin, not in part, but the whole, Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! Refrain
4 And, Lord, haste the day when our faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll, The trumpet shall sound and the Lord shall descend; Even so it is well with my soul. Refrain
Text: Horatio G. Spafford, 1828–88, alt.; Tune: Philip P. Bliss, 1838–76; Text and tune: Public domain
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“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Philippians 4:8
This prescription comes after God invites us to remember Christ’s presence and find relief from Him as we give to Him our anxieties “in prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving.” God promises to bring us peace and invites us to take a break from worrying. Instead of worrying He says to think about, “Whatever is true, honorable, just pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise…”.
No doubt this is why generations of Zion members have loved the hymn “Beautiful Savior.” Consider using it in your after-prayer meditations. Think about all you know of our most-excellent Jesus. “Beautiful Savior, King of creation, Son of God and Son of Man! Truly I’d love Thee, Truly I’d serve Thee, Light of my soul, my joy, my crown.” Consider the wonders of God’s creation and the one who created and rules it, “Fair are the meadows, Fair are the woodlands, Robed in flow’rs of blooming spring; Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer, He makes our sorr’wing spirit sing.” Let God know your appreciation and awe. One of my favorite prayers is simply, “Wow, God!” as I picture in my mind something He made…. Humming birds come to mind, or the massive elephant with a tiny tip of a trunk that can pickup a little pea and carry it to its mouth. “Jesus, you made these!” (John 1:3)
It is my prayer and goal that every Sunday will provide you fuel for your after-prayer meditations. What did Jesus do? What did He teach? What does it mean that “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8)”? Indeed, “Fair is the sunshine, Fair is the moonlight, Bright the sparkling stars on high” but “Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer, Than all the angels in the sky.”
May the peace that surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus as you pray to Him about the situations that cause you anxiety, as you thank Him for His mercies, and as you think on Him. You’ll never run out of things to admire about Jesus, His ways, His works, and the depth of love He has shown to us on the cross.
in Christ’s peace,
Pastor Stephen
This article, news, and information is found in our November 2023 newsletter, available by mail, email, of pickup in the church entryway and office. Let us know if you wish to subscribe to receive this monthly publication.
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Matthew Charles Miertschin was carried to Heavenly Glory in the grace of Jesus Christ on Saturday, October 28th, 2023 at 61 years of age. Matt was a detective with El Paso Police Department for 20 years. He graduated from Eastwood High School, attended McLennan Community College, where he played basketball, then later returned to UTEP where he was a President of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. He is preceded in death by his Father, Charles Miertschin. Matt is survived by his wife, Lisa Miertschin, son Devin Miertschin, daughter Mattison Casaus, son-in-law Leonard Casaus, and granddaughter Glynda Casaus. He is also survived by his mother, Ernestine Miertschin, and brother Michael Miertschin.
Pallbearers- Devin Miertschin, Leonard Casaus, Bill Multhauf JR., Patrick Ivey, Brian Huber, and Randy Means.
Honorary Pallbearers- Michael Miertschin, Bill Multhauf, and Chris Multhauf.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Assistance League of El Paso; 2728 E. Yandell. Or a charity of your choice.
