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Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday February 06TH 2022, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.

I have what is known as writer’s block. I can’t think of anything to write for this edition of #SundayScripture. On top of that I’m leading my church family in Communion this morning, and I’m not sure what I’m going to say yet. I’ll have that figured out by the time I step foot onto the altar. (I actually wrote this yesterday, so I have a full day to prepare for it.)

Usually when I can’t figure which direction to go with Communion I go back-to-basics. I always love to hear (and preach) a good old-fashioned back-to-basics sermon, and that works just as well for Communion. (We observe and celebrate Communion once per month on the first Sunday.)

I think I’ll speak of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, and how He suffered for us on that day. Never did He sin. Never did He deceive anyone. Never did He retaliate against anyone. Never did He seek revenge against anyone. None of us can claim that, but Christ can. Christ was innocent. We are guilty. He had no sins of His own, so He carried all of our sins – past, present, and future – to the cross. He died a horrible death to pay the penalty for our sins forever. He did that for us. That allows us to be dead to sin. That allows us to live for what is right. We didn’t deserve it, but by God’s Grace – we are saved. By His wounds – we are healed. By His suffering – we are free.

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV)

I think God took away my writer’s block. I have a Communion to prepare now, and perhaps my next sermon.

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2022 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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2000s Bible Blogging Christian Church God Music Radio Scripture

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 2007

Every Friday I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 15, 25, 30, or 35 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 1ST Friday of the month, so I go back 15 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday February 04TH 2007:

  1. “Nostalgiatopia” – Eleventyseven
  2. “Morning Air” – The Wedding
  3. “Live Like We’re Alive” – Nevertheless
  4. “Forgiven” – Relient K
  5. “Jesus Freak” – Chasing Victory

15 years ago I maintained and published online a Top 25 chart each week, and there’s my Top 5. That’s a good sampling right there of Christian pop, punk, and hard rock.

You know I never knew the original “Jesus Freak” song from DC Talk. That version was released back during the Summer of 1995 when I didn’t know God. Although it kinda sorta crossed over to Mainstream Top 40 radio it was just a very minor hit – peaking just below the Billboard Hot 100 nationwide. TobyMac (as a solo artist) released his own version of “Jesus Freak” on a LIVE album in 2008. Newsboys (Michael Tait era) have performed “Jesus Freak” LIVE in concert over the past dozen years. (TobyMac and Michael Tait were 2 out of 3 of DC Talk. The other – Kevin Max.)

I love the Chasing Victory version that hit my chart in 2007. It sounded great on the radio, and I always cranked it up loud and proud. You know – I didn’t really care if they labeled me a “Jesus Freak”. And I still don’t. I cherish that label today.

If you click on the Chasing Victory link up at # 5 above it takes you to their very active Myspace site. That’s right – Myspace. Now that’s retro !

Next #RetroFriday I’ll go back 25 years ago to February 1997.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going retro with me !

All rights reserved (c) 2022 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday January 30TH 2022, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.

You may notice that my blog looks a little bit different than it used to. A few days ago I changed the “theme” of my WordPress blog. (A “theme” is the way that a blog looks – the overall appearance of it.) Basically I got bored with the way that it used to look, so I changed it up a bit. I’m still tweaking it so that it looks as close as possible to the way that I want it to look. Not every theme is perfect, and each one has its own set of irregularities and glitches. It’s all “window dressing”. It’s the content of the blog that really matters, and my goal is to produce a high-quality product that interests you – my reader.

You know sometimes we dress ourselves up real nice. I tend to wear my nicest clothes on Sundays for church service, and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at my workplace. That’s a collared polo shirt, pants (not jeans), and shoes (not sneakers). On Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays I dress down – even more so if I’m staying in and not leaving my home.

But no matter what I’m wearing it’s all “window dressing”. I’m the same me whether I’m dressed-up or not. The me on Sunday with my church family is the same me on Tuesday with my work family is the same me on Saturday sitting at home on my computer with my television on while doing laundry. The me on land is the same me at sea. My “theme” changes daily, but my content remains relatively stable.

I have irregularities and glitches. I’m far from perfect. I’m a sinner. But God’s grace and mercy redeems me. He redeems me from death, and crowns me with love and tender mercies. (Psalm 103:4)

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2022 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday January 23RD 2022, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.

This is also the day that I return home to my brothers and sisters of my church family to celebrate Christ in community. It’s been 3 weeks since we’ve been together, as I’ve been on vacation. I’m very much looking forward to bringing the church this morning. It was exactly 15 years ago this weekend that I attended a church service for the first time as a born-again Christian. My Sunday mornings changed forever on Sunday January 21ST 2007. I was no longer an orphan on this fantastic journey.

Last month (December 2021) I preached to my church family on being “Holy & Redeemed”. It’s based on 1 Peter 1:13-23. Here’s the final excerpt – Part 6:

Before we knew God our life was empty. It had no purpose. It had no meaning. It was led by the world. But now we are “Holy & Redeemed”. You know it’s not easy being holy. To be holy requires us to separate ourselves from the world. We’re still in this world, but we are not of this world. You remember how you used to act and think back then before you knew Christ. Do you want to go back to that darkness ?

We turned away from that nonsense – that chaos – that evil. It took a lot for us to do that. For some of us it was the most courageous act of our life. For all of us it changed our life forever. We couldn’t have done it without our God guiding and directing us every step of the way.

You know to outsiders – those of this world – it may seem pompous – if you will – to call yourself “Holy & Redeemed”. But that’s what we are. And that’s who we are. Because that is who He is. When you’re talking to God – tell Him who He is, and tell Him who you are. You are His child. You are for Him. You want to be more like Him. You are a citizen of His Kingdom. And His Kingdom is your new homestead.

But guess what ?  And this is where I’ll close. Because we’re all getting hungry.

It’s redemption season. The entryways to God’s Kingdom are wide open, and our God – He has His arms wide open. Yeah – we’re “Holy & Redeemed”, but anyone out there of this world can be “Holy & Redeemed” too. Some of our neighbors out there are hungry too. Some of them are hungry for physical food. And some of them are hungry for something different – something that they don’t currently have. They are hungry for guidance and direction from a higher being. They are hungry for a new life that’s completely different from their current life. They are hungry for a fantastic journey that leads them to an eternal life in Heaven.

Go be the disciples that God made you to be when you became born again. Go and tell God’s Good News to your neighbor who needs to hear it from you. Tell them that you are “Holy & Redeemed”, but don’t stop there. Tell them how they can be “Holy & Redeemed” too. Introduce them to God’s Word. Invite them into God’s Kingdom. There’s plenty of room, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13)

Lord we thank You for making us “Holy & Redeemed”. Lead us to opportunities where we can share Your Good News with others. Soften the harder parts of our heart so that we may show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters and as neighbors of this temporary land. Show us the way to expand Your Kingdom here on earth. We love You Lord. It is in Your powerful name that we pray this to you. Amen.

And that’s my message for you today. Thank You for allowing me to share the Gospel with you. Now go out and do the same out there.

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2022 Christopher M. Day, CountUp