Latest / Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons / Retirement of Rev James Maciver - Service of Thanksgiving

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Retirement of Rev James Maciver - Service of Thanksgiving · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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  I will extend a very warm welcome to everybody this evening as we come to what is a wonderful
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  occasion in many ways and yet it's sad also that we're marking the retirement of Reverend
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  James McKeever and giving thanks for his ministry here and also throughout the church.
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  So there'll be one or two announcements given at the end so we're going to begin our service
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  singing to God's praise from Psalm 48a verses 8 to 14 that's in Sing Psalms Psalm 48a verses 8 to 14.
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  As we have heard so have we seen God's city will endure the Lord Almighty evermore his city keeps
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  secure we contemplate your steadfast love within your house oh God for like your name your praise
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  extends through all the earth abroad all that you do is righteous Lord Mount Zion's joy is great and
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  Judah's towns rejoice as they your judgments celebrate round Zion walk and count her towers
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  view every citadel so that the children yet unborn her story you may tell for God the Lord who is our God
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  forever will abide he is our God forevermore and to the end our guide we'll stand to sing
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  Psalm 48a verses 8 to 14.
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  As we have heard so have we seen
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  As we have heard so have we seen
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  As we have heard so have we seen
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  God's city
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  God's city
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  God's city
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  God's city
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  God's city
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  God's city
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  God's city
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  God's city
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  the Lord almighty
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  God's city
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  God's city
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  is there and the glory that has been given to you and the way that the church triumphant
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  praises and exalts the Lord. We would find it as we are here so difficult to fully comprehend and
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  understand. But we give thanks Lord that in Jesus Christ one day that will be our portion and lot
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  us well. We pray that you will bless us as we wait upon you tonight in the singing of your word,
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  in the reading of your word, in the preaching of it. And we give thanks Lord for the occasion which
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  brings us together here. And we give thanks Lord for your servant James's ministry here and throughout
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  the church over the years. We give thanks Lord for the abilities that you gave him and he'd be the
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  first to recognize that whatever abilities he had they were given by you. And so we give thanks Lord
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  for the great administrative ability he had, the pastoring wisdom that he had, the teaching skills
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  that he was given where he was able to bring us into pastures new even although sometimes it was
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  the truth that we were familiar with. We always got a new insight, a new understanding. And so we pray
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  Lord that you will bless him and Donna as they enter into a new sphere, a new way, a new time in their lives.
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  And we pray that you will bless them with many years of retirement, with health and with strength,
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  and that they will know the abundance of your joy, the abundance of your grace,
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  and the supreme filling of their hearts with your love. And we give thanks Lord for all that they
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  brought to this congregation. And we give thanks Lord for such a faithful ministry, such a dedicated
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  ministry, such a committed ministry. And we give thanks Lord that he touched our hearts and we will
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  prayerfully remember him and Donna. We also pray for the family. We pray for Kershna and Andy and their
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  family. We pray Lord for Ian and Annas and their family and we pray for Ali and Eli. Ask Lord that you will
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  bless them all and that you will guide them and keep them, protect them and lead them in the right way.
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  We give thanks Lord for your providence that brought Calamurdo and Joanne here and pray your blessing upon
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  them. And ask Lord that as we are now entering into a vacancy, we pray your blessing upon the
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  intermoderator Colin McLeod. And pray Lord your guidance and your wisdom and direction.
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  Grant us the patience and the faith to look to you and to wait upon you so that we will be clear in
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  the way forward. We are aware that you are far keener that we would know your will than we sometimes
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  are to find it. And so we pray Lord that we might wait upon you and learn to do that. We ask that you
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  will be with us then and also as we will soon make our way through to the hall. We give thanks for the
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  wonderful provision that has been made there. We give thanks for all the willing hearts and willing
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  hands that were involved in the preparation and all that takes place in this. Lord we give thanks Lord
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  that you are the God who equips your church with so many different gifts and different abilities.
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  and it's wonderful to see people working happily and in unity together. Lord we again give thanks Lord
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  for James service not just here but to the courts of this of the church at large to East Kilbride and to
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  Knock. And we give thanks Lord for the impact that these ministries had and the lasting good that it
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  brought. And so we pray that James and Donna will remain in our hearts and remain in our prayers.
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  And we ask now that as we come to your word that you will bless this word to us. We pray that you
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  will have mercy upon us and you will guide us and you will keep us. We remember also the induction
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  tonight taking place in Greyfriars. We pray for Ian McCritchie and ask Lord that as he will begin a new
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  ministry there. That he will know the power of your spirit upon him and that he will be blessed your
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  goodness and mercy accompanying him all the days of his life. And that he will know the fruit for his
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  labor because we know that no labor in the Lord is in vain. Watch over us then we pray. Cleanse us
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  from our every sin. In Jesus name we ask all. Amen.
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  Calamurda is going to bring the word of God. He's going to read from Joshua to us.
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  We'll turn to reading God's word. We're going to read in Joshua and chapter 3.
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  Joshua chapter 3. We're going to read the whole of this chapter.
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  Let's hear the word of God.
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  Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim and they came to the Jordan.
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  He and all the people of Israel and lodged there before they passed over. At the end of three days
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  the officers went through the camp and commanded the people. As soon as you see the ark of the covenant
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  of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests then you shall set out from your place
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  and follow it. Yet there shall be a distance between you and it about two thousand cubits in length.
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  Do not come near it in order that you may know the way you shall go for you have not passed this way
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  before. Then Joshua said to the people consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders
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  among you. And Joshua said to the priests take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the
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  people. So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people. The Lord said to Joshua
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  today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel that they might that they may know that as I
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  was with Moses so I will be with you. And as for you command the priests who bear the ark of the
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  covenant when you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan you shall stand still in the Jordan.
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  And Joshua said to the people of Israel come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.
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  And Joshua said here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without
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  fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perisites, the Gergashites,
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  the Amorites and the Jebusites. Behold the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is
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  passing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel from each
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  tribe a man and when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord the Lord of
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  all the earth shall rest in the waters of the Jordan the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from
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  flowing and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap. So when the people set out from
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  their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people
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  and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan and the feet of the priests bearing
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  the ark were dipped in the brink of the water now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time
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  of harvest. The waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away at Adam the city that is
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  beside Sarathon and those flowing down towards the sea of the Arabah the salt sea were completely cut off
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  and the people passed over opposite Jericho. Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord
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  stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan and all Israel was passing over on dry ground
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  until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan. Amen and may God bless that reading from his word.
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  Let's turn again to this chapter that we're reading that we've been reading chapter 3 and verse 4
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  that's what I want us to focus on tonight. It tells us here yet there shall be a distance between you and it
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  about 200 cubits in length. That's the ark. Do not come near it in order that you may know the way you shall go
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  for you have not passed this way before.
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  As we know tonight is a very significant night for the congregation here and also for James and for Donna.
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  It's a night where we as a congregation bid farewell to them and it's going to be hard for us to imagine
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  what it's going to be like without James' masterful and calm and yet strong leadership.
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  We will miss so much his teaching, his preaching, his pastoring because he has brought us into the word of God
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  in a wonderful way and we've all been enriched. Every single one of us has learned under his ministry
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  and some have come to faith under his ministry.
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  But it's a feature of this world that all good things come to an end.
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  Not a feature of the world to come but a feature of the world that we're living in.
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  And when we come to this book, the book of Joshua, we find that the great prophet Moses has died.
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  That's how the chapter opens. Moses, my servant, is now dead.
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  Therefore, arise and lead this people over the Jordan into the land of promise.
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  And we are thankful that for James, he has come to the three score years and ten in good health and in good strength.
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  Because the older people here will be aware that it's been different.
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  There were three successive ministries here where your minister, they passed away while still in office.
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  Kenneth McRae, Murdo McCritchie and Murdo Alec MacLeod.
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  Three successive ministries.
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  So that was a time of great sadness.
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  And although we're sad tonight with the parting, with James and Donna leaving us,
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  we're also extremely grateful and thankful for health and strength and for Donna's recovering health.
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  But the focus that we have here is how God's work continues, irrespective of who is leading.
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  Moses is dead, but God's work doesn't stop.
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  And Joshua is now the one who has been assigned to lead Israel into the land of promise.
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  And I think one of the features of the book of Joshua is where we see so much of having to discover the mind and the will of God.
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  That God makes it very clear to them that the only way of true success,
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  the only way where they're going to prosper is by waiting upon him and getting their timetable from him,
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  their strategies from him, their plans from him, and waiting at every stage for the command from God.
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  And there's a lot of lessons in that for all of us, not just as a congregation, but also individually as well,
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  that we always get our timetable from the Lord.
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  It's a journey of faith.
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  And a journey of faith involves waiting upon the Lord.
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  And that's very difficult because we live particularly in the age that we live in,
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  we live in the age of the instant.
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  Everything is instant.
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  We expect the instant.
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  We expect things to happen right away.
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  And people get frustrated if it doesn't happen right away.
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  But that's not often.
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  It's not the way that God works.
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  God works very often in a different way.
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  And we know that sometimes God works before we ask.
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  Sometimes God works while we're asking.
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  Sometimes God works immediately after we've asked.
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  Sometimes God appears not to be working very, very slowly.
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  Sometimes it appears as if God is not working at all.
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  And there are even times when it appears to us that God is working against himself.
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  But that's because our vision and our understanding is so limited.
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  And we so often just are so involved in our own wee life and what we have here that we fail to see that God is a big picture.
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  And a great view of everything at hand.
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  And so God is teaching the importance of waiting upon him.
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  And one of the things that we learn as we wait upon the Lord is patience.
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  One of the most necessary graces.
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  And in some ways the most difficult to achieve, to reach.
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  Because there is a natural impatience in all of us.
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  So here we find that under God's command, Joshua and all Israel make their way to the Jordan River, to the banks of the Jordan.
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  And we find that the Jordan is in full spate.
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  We find that in verse 15.
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  It tells us there that, and as soon as the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest.
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  And that's when it was.
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  The water, it was almost as if the Jordan was in full spate at that time.
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  And so God has brought the nation of Israel to this river that is flowing, that is overflowing, that is flooding.
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  And Israel are wondering, how are we going to cross?
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  Now I'm sure immediately when they came there they would say, which is natural, when we face a problem or a difficulty, there is a natural optimism.
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  That we'll find a way.
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  But you and I know the longer that we stand facing the issue, the problem, the more difficult it becomes.
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  And that's what God is doing.
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  He's bringing Israel to look on this raging torrent of water day after day after day.
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  And that's what faith does, the journey of faith.
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  It brings us to face the impossible.
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  Where at the end we're shut in, as it were, and shut up to God alone.
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  And that's what God often does.
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  He brings us to the end of ourselves.
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  Where we can no longer look to our own resources or depend on our own wisdom or our own strength.
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  Because as long as we can do that, we're very slow to ask God.
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  But God so often brings us to the point where there's no one else we can go to.
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  And we have to say, Lord, help.
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  I'm stuck here.
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  I don't know what to do.
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  And so it's important that we understand that God's strategy is primarily a spiritual one.
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  Because you'll find that in verse 5, we find,
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  Then Joshua said to the people,
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  Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.
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  Now here's the nation of Israel, and they're just about to go into battle against the nations in the promised land.
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  And you'd expect the command to be, right, get out your shields, get out your swords, put on your armor, flex your muscles, get ready for fight.
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  No.
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  It's consecrate yourselves.
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  Because the journey is spiritual.
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  Because the journey is spiritual.
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  And we've always got to remember that.
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  Every day of our life, the journey is spiritual.
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  And even though James is now retiring, the journey is still spiritual.
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  Although it will be different.
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  That doesn't change the main emphasis, the main purpose of life.
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  And our journey in this vacancy is also spiritual.
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  If we forget that, we've lost our way.
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  So God is saying to Israel, before you move, consecrate yourselves.
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  And we find that what now takes center stage in the crossing is the Ark, the Ark of the Covenant,
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  which, of course, was kept in the most holy place, the Holy of Holies.
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  And it would be worth looking.
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  We're not going to do that tonight.
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  We don't have time looking at the Ark, what was in it and all.
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  But it was, the Ark, of course, symbolized the presence of God.
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  And on the Ark, there were hooks where staves were put through in order that the priests could carry the Ark.
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  And the priests were going to walk to the water.
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  And the moment they put their feet into the water, the waters of the Jordan were going to stop.
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  And Israel were going to pass over.
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  And that's why the Lord says to them, you have not passed this way before.
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  Because everything was changing.
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  The old order was giving way to a new order.
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  You see, in the past, as they went through the wilderness, these 40 years, it was a great pillar of cloud that led them by day,
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  the pillar of fire by night to give them light and warmth.
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  But it symbolized the presence of God.
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  But no longer was the pillar of cloud going to be there.
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  It was the Ark of the Covenant that was going to lead.
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  Also, for 40 years, they had been fed by manna from heaven.
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  The manna was going to cease.
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  And they were going to now eat of the produce of the land.
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  It was all going to be different.
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  But you'll notice the key, which is so important, that as the people were to cross over, you find that the Ark was to be carried at a distance of about 200 cubits in length away from them.
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  It was a way ahead.
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  Why?
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  So that all the people could look at the Ark.
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  People weren't taking, what do I do by following the person in front of them?
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  They were all focused on the Ark.
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  When the Ark moved, they moved.
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  When the Ark stopped, they stopped.
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  So it is for ourselves.
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  Our eyes must be upon the Christ of the covenant.
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  And we are to follow him.
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  And so it will be also for James as well as he enters into retirement.
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  As James comes to hang up his collar, so to speak, after 37 years of wonderful service, his days of service aren't over.
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  He'll still be preaching.
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  He'll still be teaching.
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  He'll still be visiting.
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  He'll still be involved.
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  But it will be different.
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  Because a lot of the response he sheds, a lot of the responsibilities, a lot of the worries that are part and partial of ministry.
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  But although we're into what we term retirement, it isn't a retirement from battle.
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  It isn't a retirement from service.
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  It's a retirement from the pastoral work of a congregation.
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  And so James will need the very same leading.
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  It's the Lord who led him to this point of retirement.
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  And I'm sure James looked for the Lord's mind and will in.
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  Because it's something we do.
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  When do I retire?
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  When?
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  We're always looking to the Lord for whatever.
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  And so as James comes to this point, as a congregation, let us assure him and Donna and the family that we will continue to remember them in prayer.
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  Because I remember when I retired myself, it was one thing I asked you to do was to continue to remember us in prayer.
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  You see, as a minister, there's a lot of pressures, but there's a lot of privileges.
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  And one of the great privileges is that you're kind of at the center of people's prayers.
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  And you can't put a price on that.
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  So I ask you tonight to commit to remembering in prayer James and Donna and the family as they take their leave from us.
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  And I cannot let this occasion pass without also just on behalf of the congregation thanking James for his dedicated, committed, faithful work amongst us.
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  And I have to add that he was a dream to work with.
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  He's unflappable.
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  Maybe Donna says differently.
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  I don't know.
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  But he seems he has this calmness, a strong calmness about him.
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  And he brings that.
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  And I'm sure we've all been aware of it.
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  And there's a kind of a quiet authority, not in a bullish way, but in a quiet way.
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  And we're going to miss that incredibly.
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  But it's not only us as a congregation that have to give James thanks, but the whole church at large.
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  Because there were times when James was Presbytery Clark.
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  There were times when James was Assembly Clark.
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  And there were times when he was both at the same time.
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  He was both Presbytery Clark and Assembly Clark.
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  While still pastoring, while still preaching.
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  I remember one time speaking to him when he was Assembly Clark and Presbytery Clark.
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  And I was asking, how do you do it?
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  I thought about it for a long time afterwards.
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  And I just said, I could not do that.
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  He had a tremendous capacity for work.
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  So the church owes a great debt to you, James, for your service over all the years.
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  So let us assure you that we will remember you in our prayers.
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  And it's wonderful, a great blessing to see children, children, children, to see the generations.
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  And little Isaiah James, who was born just so recently.
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  Just kind of wonder if you paid James and Marianne a few quid to name them Isaiah James,
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  to get James in with the same name as Isaiah.
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  Because that's quite wonderful in the one breath.
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  One, the great prophet.
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  Mind you, you weren't too bad a prophet yourself.
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  But let us assure you of our prayers in all the days to come.
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  Now, as I say, this is just a brief, very brief word that we're having here.
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  And we'll very shortly be making our way through to the hall afterwards.
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  But we're going to now sing to God's praise from Psalm 126.
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  And I think this is a very fitting psalm for any preacher of the word.
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  Because there's no doubt that there are times in the ministry when it is tears.
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  There's no doubt when we feel overwhelmed by everything.
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  But we see here in Psalm 126 from the Scottish Psalter,
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  When Zion's bondage God turned back, as men had dreamed were we.
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  Then filled with laughter was our mouth, our tongue with melody.
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  They among the heathens said, The Lord great things for them hath wrought.
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  The Lord hath done great things for us, whence joy to us is brought.
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  We'll sing the whole psalm.
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  And if you take your seats, just whenever we finish singing.
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  When Zion's bondage God turned back.
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  When Zion's bondage God turned back,
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  As men that dreamed were we,
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  Then filled with laughter was our mouth, our tongue with melody.
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  We among the heathens said the Lord,
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  Great things for them hath wrought.
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  The Lord hath done great things for us, whence joy to us is brought.
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  On streams of water in the sun, our bondage Lord recall.
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  Than hope and she is brought.
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  This no Public Harmony
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  alone
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  i'm just gonna a very brief prayer and i'm also going to ask a blessing on the food which we're
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  going to enjoy next door afterwards and i'll also say that the live stream which is taking
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  which is on going on just now will stop when this service is over and after about 15 20 minutes it'll
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  pick up again i'm saying that for those who may be watching on live stream just now it'll pick up
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  again in the hall in about 15 20 minutes on the same channel the youtube just go to stormy free
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  church and it'll pick up again in about 15 to 20 minutes in the hall let us pray lord our god we
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  give thanks for being able to reflect upon your word and to sing your word and we pray that you
• 34:13
  will bless us as we go through to the hall next door we give thanks for these times where we can
• 34:20
  have fellowship and friendship where we're able to reminisce where we're able to enjoy the the
• 34:28
  provisions that have been made we give thanks for people's kindness give thanks for all the love
• 34:34
  that is involved and we pray your blessing upon each and every one and tonight as we as a congregation
• 34:41
  again express our gratitude and our thanks for the ministry of james and donna here we know that
• 34:50
  what we say will be echoed by the congregations of knock and iskel bride as well and so we pray that
• 34:58
  you'll be with us and that you'll bless all that is set out before us giving you the glory and the
• 35:04
  thanks for everything take away from us our every sin in jesus name we ask it amen now in going out
• 35:14
  if you i know this may take a little but we'll do so as quickly as possible james and donna are going
• 35:20
  to go to the door here to my left the door that leads through to the hall and they will shake hands with
• 35:27
  you there so we'll ask them to go to the door and guys don't spend too long hugging donna because we
• 35:36
  we don't have we don't have too long so if you james and donna if you can go to the door and then
• 35:43
  we'll make our way out that way so they get an opportunity to shake hands with you
• 35:57
  okay
• 36:08
  okay