... a new sense of the rubber hitting the road. Amen.



While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around,

“Fear not!” said he, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind.
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.

To you, in David’s town, this day
Is born of David’s line
A Savior, who is Christ the Lord,
And this shall be the sign,

The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid."

Thus spake the seraph and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God on high,
Who thus addressed their song,

"All glory be to God on high,
And to the Earth be peace;
Good will henceforth from Heaven to men
Begin and never cease."



Tune: Farrant
[url=http://ccel.org/cceh/0004/x000450.htm]http://ccel.org/cceh/0004/x000450.htm[/url]

Lord, lead the way the Saviour went, #440
[url=http://www.lutheran-hymnal.com/online/aTLH_Hymns6.htm]http://www.lutheran-hymnal.com/online/aTLH_Hymns6.htm[/url]

For traditional tunes -
[url=http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/s/wshepwtf.htm]http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/s/wshepwtf.htm[/url]





[b][size=small][color=006699][font=Courier New]3 John 1:4

I have no greater joy

than to hear that my children walk

in truth. [/font][/color][/size][/b]

... grace for obligations and deep refreshing in the company of the Holy Spirit thereafter



O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;

[i]Refrain[/i]
[i]O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.[/i]

[b]True God of true God, Light from Light Eternal[/b],
Lo, He shuns not the Virgin’s womb;
Son of the Father, begotten, not created;

[i]Refrain[/i]

Amen! Lord, we bless Thee, born for our salvation,
O Jesus! Forever be Thy Name adored;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;

[i]Refrain[/i]

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, in the highest;

[i]Refrain[/i]



Tune: Adeste Fideles
[url=http://www.hymnal.net/Hymns/Hymnal/midi/e0085_i.mid]http://www.hymnal.net/Hymns/Hymnal/midi/e0085_i.mid[/url]



[b][size=small][color=006699][font=Courier New]3 John 1:5

Beloved, you do faithfully

whatever you do for the brethren

and for strangers,[/font][/color][/size][/b]

... Jesus, and, receiving the answers to another's prayers



All praise to our redeeming Lord,
Who joins us by His grace;
And bids us, each to each restored,
Together seek His face.

He bids us build each other up;
And, gathered into one,
To our high calling’s glorious hope,
We hand in hand go on.

The gift which He on one bestows,
We all delight to prove;
The grace through every vessel flows,
In purest streams of love.

E’en now we think and speak the same,
And cordially agree;
Concentered all, through Jesus’ Name,
In perfect harmony.

We all partake the joy of one;
The common peace we feel;
A peace to sensual minds unknown,
A joy unspeakable.

And if our fellowship below
In Jesus be so sweet,
What height of rapture shall we know
When round His throne we meet!



Tune: Lucius
[url=http://www.familyfriendlychurches.org.uk/midihymns/HP753.MID]http://www.familyfriendlychurches.org.uk/midihymns/HP753.MID[/url]

Tune: Arlington
[url=http://www.ccel.org/cceh/0000/000068a.mid]http://www.ccel.org/cceh/0000/000068a.mid[/url]

Tune: Richmond
[url=http://www.ccel.org/cceh/0004/x000460.htm]http://www.ccel.org/cceh/0004/x000460.htm[/url]



[b][size=small][color=006699][font=Courier New]3 John 1:6

who have borne witness of your love

before the church.


If you send them forward on their journey

in a manner worthy of God,

you will do well, [/font][/color][/size][/b]

... the sense of progress on all fronts



Down from His splendor in glory He came,
Into a world of woe;
Took on Himself all my guilt and my shame,
Why should He love me so?

[i]Refrain[/i]
[i]How can I help but love Him,
When He loved me so?
How can I help but love Him,
When He loved me so?[/i]

I am unworthy to take of His grace,
Wonderful grace so free;
Yes, Jesus suffered and died in my place,
E’en for a soul like me.

[i]Refrain[/i]

He is the fairest of thousands to me,
His love is sweet and true;
Wonderful beauty in Him I now see,
More than I ever knew.

[i]Refrain[/i]



[url=http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/o/hocihblh.htm]http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/o/hocihblh.htm[/url]




[b][size=small][color=006699][font=Courier New]3 John 1:7

because they went forth

for His name's sake,

taking nothing from the Gentiles.[/font][/color][/size][/b]

... His continuing ministry to my soul... healing... pouring in His health... and His love



[b][size=small][color=006699][font=Courier New]3 John 1:8

We therefore ought to receive such,

that we may become fellow workers

for the truth. [/font][/color][/size][/b]




Come, O thou Traveler unknown,
whom still I hold, but cannot see!
My company before is gone,
and I am left alone with thee.
With thee all night I mean to stay,
and wrestle till the break of day;

I need not tell thee who I am,
my misery and sin declare;
thyself hast called me by my name,
look on thy hands and read it there.
But who, I ask thee, who art thou?
Tell me thy name, and tell me now.

Yield to me now, for I am weak,
but confident in self despair!
Speak to my heart, in blessing speak,
be conqured by my instant prayer.
Speak, or thou never hence shalt move,
and tell me if thy name is Love.

'Tis Love! 'tis Love! Thou diedst for me,
I hear thy whisper in my heart.
The morning breaks, the shadows flee,
pure, Universal Love thou art.
To me, to all, thy mercies move;
thy nature and thy name is Love.

[Added]

My prayer hast power with God, the grace
Unspeakable I now receive,
Through faith I see Thee faith to face,
I see Thee face to face, and live;
In vain I have not wept and strove;
Thy nature and Thy name is Love.

I know Thee, Saviour, who Thou art,
Jesus, the feeble sinner's Friend;
Nor wilt Thou, with the night depart,
But stay and love me to the end;
Thy mercies never shalt remove;
Thy nature and Thy name is Love.

Contented now, upon my thigh
I halt, till life's short journey end;
All helplessness, all weakness I
On Thee alone for strength depend,]
Nor have I power from Thee to move;
Thy nature and Thy name is Love.

Lame as I am, I take the prey,
Hell, earth and sin with ease o'ercome;
I leap for joy, pursue my way,
And as a bounding hart fly home,
Through all eternity to prove
Thy nature and Thy name is Love.


[i]Charles Wesley[/i]



Tune: Mozart
[url=http://www.familyfriendlychurches.org.uk/midihymns/HP788.MID]http://www.familyfriendlychurches.org.uk/midihymns/HP788.MID[/url]

... continuing to minister His love to my being



Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!

[i]Refrain[/i]
[i]Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary[/i].

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!



[b][size=small][color=006699][font=Courier New]3 John 1:9

I wrote to the church

but Diotrephes,

who loves to have

the preeminence among them

does not receive us. [/font][/color][/size][/b]

... His wonderful supply of strength and hope



O mystery of love divine
That thought and thanks o’erpowers!
Lord Jesus, was our portion Thine,
And is Thy portion ours?

Emmanuel, didst Thou take our place
To set us in Thine own?
Didst Thou our low estate embrace
To lift us to Thy throne?

Didst Thou fulfill each righteous deed,
God’s perfect will express,
That we th’unfaithful ones might plead
Thy perfect faithfulness?

For Thee the Father’s hidden face?
For Thee the bitter cry?
For us the Father’s endless grace,
The song of victory?

Our load of sin and misery
Didst Thou, the Sinless, bear?
Thy spotless robe of purity
Do we the sinners wear?

Lord Jesus, is it even so?
Have we been lovèd thus?
What love can we on Thee bestow
Who hast exchanged with us?

Thou, Who our very place didst take,
Dwell in our very heart:
Thou, Who Thy portion ours dost make,
Thyself, Thyself impart.



Tune: Manoah
[url=http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/m/omystery.htm]http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/m/omystery.htm[/url]

[url=http://ccel.org/cceh/0005/x000565.htm]http://ccel.org/cceh/0005/x000565.htm[/url]



[b][size=small][color=006699][font=Courier New]3 John 1:10

Therefore, if I come, I

will call to mind his deeds which he does,

prating against us with malicious words.


And not content with that,

he himself does not receive the brethren,

and forbids those who wish to,

putting them out of the church.[/font][/color][/size][/b]

... the power of prayer and truth to break through all barriers to knowing God's presence



Lord, I believe a rest remains
To all Thy people known,
A rest where pure enjoyment reigns,
And Thou art loved alone.

A rest where all our soul’s desire
Is fixed on things above;
Where fear, and sin, and grief expire,
Cast out by perfect love.

O that I now the rest might know,
Believe, and enter in!
Now, Savior, now the the power bestow,
And let me cease from sin.

Remove this hardness from my heart,
This unbelief remove:
To me the rest of faith impart,
The Sabbath of Thy love.


[i]Charles Wesley[/i]


Tune: Evan
[url=http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/i/b/libarere.htm]http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/i/b/libarere.htm[/url]

Tune: Spohr
[url=http://www.opc.org/hymn.html?hymn_id=55]http://www.opc.org/hymn.html?hymn_id=55[/url]

Tune: Stroudwater
[url=http://ccel.org/cceh/0013/x001367.htm]http://ccel.org/cceh/0013/x001367.htm[/url]



[b][size=small][color=006699][font=Courier New]3 John 1:11

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil

but what is good.


He who does good is of God

but he who does evil has not seen God.[/font][/color][/size][/b]

... being able to be at peace when 'my' plans are altered by His intervention; and seeing His provision through such alterations



[size=small][b][color=FF0000]Yo[/color][color=000066]u a[/color][color=FF6600]re[/color] [color=990099]the King of Glory![/color]
[color=FF0000]Yo[/color][color=000066]u a[/color][color=FF6600]re[/color] [color=990099]the Prince of Peace![/color]
[color=FF0000]Yo[/color][color=000066]u a[/color][color=FF6600]re[/color] [color=990099]the Lord of heaven and earth![/color]
[color=FF0000]Yo[/color][color=000066]u'r[/color][color=FF6600]e t[/color][color=990099]he Sun of Righteousness![/color]
[color=FF0000]I b[/color][color=000066]ow[/color] [color=FF6600]my[/color][color=336633]self before You -[/color]
[color=FF0000]Wo[/color][color=000066]rs[/color][color=FF6600]hip[/color][color=336633] and adore, for[/color]
[color=FF0000]Yo[/color][color=000066]u h[/color][color=FF6600]av[/color][color=336633]e the words of eternal life -[/color]
[color=FF0000]Yo[/color][color=000066]u a[/color][color=FF6600]re[/color] [color=990099]Jesus Christ the Lord![/color]

[color=FF0000]Ho[/color][color=000066]sa[/color][color=FF6600]nn[/color][color=336633]a to[/color] [color=990099]the Son of David![/color]
[color=FF0000]Ho[/color][color=000066]sa[/color][color=FF6600]nn[/color][color=336633]a to[/color] [color=990099]the King of kings![/color]
[color=FF0000]Gl[/color][color=000066]or[/color][color=FF6600]y i[/color][color=336633]n the Highest heaven![/color]
[color=FF0000]Fo[/color][color=000066]r J[/color][color=FF6600]es[/color][color=336633][/color]us [color=990099]the Messiah reigns![/color][/b][/size]



[url=http://my.homewithgod.com/heavenlymidis2/king.html]http://my.homewithgod.com/heavenlymidis2/king.html[/url]



[b][size=small][color=006699][font=Courier New]3 John 1:12

Demetrius has a good testimony from all

and from the truth itself.


And we also bear witness

and you know that our testimony is true.[/font][/color][/size][/b]

... a new impatience to catch up with His will for me


[b][size=small][color=006699][font=Courier New]3 John 1:13

I had many things to write

but I do not wish to write to you

with pen and ink; [/font][/color][/size][/b]




Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.



[url=http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/o/joyworld.htm]http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/o/joyworld.htm[/url]