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Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my extended church body – my brothers and sisters in Christ worldwide. It’s Sunday September 13TH 2020, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this day and each new day that God grants us on His fantastic journey for us.

Last Sunday morning when I arrived at my church sanctuary about 45 minutes prior to the start of the service I saw this to my surprise:

That’s our Communion table – front-and-center. I wasn’t expecting it there. You see for the past 4 years I’ve been in charge of Communion. I schedule it (usually on the first Sunday of every month). I study for it. I pray about it. I prepare the elements. I place the table. I lead my church body in Holy Communion. I did that every month from August 2016 to March 2020, and then COVID-19 hit.

We resumed regular weekly in-person services on Sunday May 31ST, but Communion was not part of the service due to COVID concerns. In June, July, and August I told my church body that eventually we would return to observing and celebrating Communion at the start of every month – once we figure out how to do it safely.

Well our Lead Pastor figured out a way to do it safely. He actually setup that Communion table, and it looked beautiful too. Once I saw that I had less than 45 minutes to study for it and pray about it. A nicety with modern technology is the fact that I had almost my entire history of Communions on a Cloud – accessible via my iPhone. I went to work to find one that was perfect for the day. Once I found it I updated it for the day. I prayed about it. I enhanced it further. I prayed about it some more. I essentially did what usually takes me much of Saturday to do at my traditional computer at home – in less than 45 minutes on my iPhone.

Our Lead Pastor delivered his message titled, “What Is The Day Of The LORD ?”, and then he called me up to lead Communion. It went rather smoothly, and it actually flowed perfectly as a nice continuation of his sermon. (That was a “God-wink” moment there.)

My Communion was based on 1 John 5:1-6:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves His children too. We know we love God’s children – if we love God and obey His commandments. Loving God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world ?  Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by His baptism in water, and by shedding His blood on the cross. And the Spirit who is truth – confirms it with His testimony.

EPILOGUE: You know I’m not big into surprises. I prefer the status quo. I prefer the way that it’s always been done. But you know – I’ve come to expect God’s surprises over the past 14 years, and I love them. Our God didn’t create this fantastic journey for us to live a routine – mundane – monotonous life. He created this journey for adventure and excitement. He died for us so that we can live – live the life that He intended us to live when He created us – a life with purpose – a life with potential to change the world. There are surprises with each new curve along the journey. Grab them, and make the most of them !

All rights reserved (c) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
2000s Blogging Movies Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 2005

Every 2ND, 3RD, and 4TH Friday of the month 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, 20, or 30 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 2ND Friday of the month, so I go back 15 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday September 11TH 2005:

  1. “Pon De Replay” – Rihanna
  2. “La Tortura” – Shakira Ft. Alejandro Sanz
  3. “Let Me Hold You” – Bow Wow Ft. Omarion
  4. “Lose Control” – Missy Elliott Ft. Ciara & Fatman Scoop
  5. “Get It Poppin'” – Fat Joe Ft. Nelly

I’m glad I survived and moved on from that debacle that was 2005. You think 2020 is your worst year ever ?  Not for me. That would be 2005. I don’t even remember much of 2005 other than the fact that it was very dark. 

At the movies (where I escaped reality) I saw “The Man” back on September 18TH 2005. It starred Samuel L. Jackson and Eugene Levy as cops. It received horrible reviews by critics and moviegoers, and it was a box office flop. I rated it as 3.5 stars, so apparently I laughed a few times at the hijinks that ensued.

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) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
Blogging Football Politics Television

I’m Still A Football Fan

I’m still a football fan. Tonight is the start of the 2020-2021 NFL season – with Super Bowl LV scheduled for Sunday February 07TH 2021 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Florida. I’m really looking forward to this new season of fun and games on the gridiron. COVID-19 cheated-us out of 65 preseason games in August, so my excitement has been building for an extra month.

Some of my friends and family on social media claim to no longer be football fans because of the various political stances of the players, the teams, and the league overall over these past few years. I respect that. As for me I don’t participate in boycotts. If I followed that logic then I’d be boycotting the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, the MLB, the MLS, NASCAR, and the WWE. I’d also be boycotting local news, broadcast news, cable news, and newspapers – not to mention Facebook and Twitter. I also wouldn’t support restaurants either – or grocery stores for that matter. Oh – and I wouldn’t go to see movies either.

I won’t let the political viewpoints of other people or companies take away my freedom to enjoy things. I choose to keep my own personal political viewpoints to myself. That’s why you probably don’t know what I believe or support.

So I will enthusiastically watch, cheer, and support the NFL starting tonight and continuing through the end of Super Bowl LV – 5 months from now.

I’ve been a professional football fan since the late-1970s, and an avid Washington Redskins fan for nearly that entire time. (I’m originally from the Washington D.C. area.) They are no longer the Redskins after 88 years. They are now known (temporarily) as the “Washington Football Team”. They are still my favorite football team. I’ll be rooting them on each week just as much as I did in 2019 – and every year before that – through the good, the bad, and the ugly.

My football team have been given no chance to succeed by football analysts and critics. I don’t agree with them. I won’t boycott them either.

♫ Hail To The Washington Football Team !
Hail Victory !
Braves on the warpath !
Fight for old D.C. ! ♫

All rights reserved (c) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
Bible Blogging Christian God Holidays Home Ministry Music Radio Scripture

My Top 10 Hits – Summer Of 2020

16 weekly hit music charts and 26 positive and encouraging hits (2 more than last Summer) have created this cumulative hit music chart of my Top 10 hits of the Summer Of 2020 based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay. Here it is – from U.S. Memorial Day Weekend (last Sunday of May) to U.S. Labor Day Weekend (first Sunday of September):

RK PK WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 1 16 No Impossible With You I AM THEY
2 1 15 Keep Me In The Moment Jeremy Camp
3 2 15 Alive & Breathing Matt Maher
4 1 9 I Will Fear No More The Afters
5 2 13 The Father’s House Cory Asbury
6 2 10 Amadeo (Still My God) Ryan Stevenson
7 1 11 There Was Jesus Zach Williams Ft. Dolly Parton
8 3 10 You’ve Always Been Unspoken
9 1 6 Miracles Colton Dixon
10 2 4 God So Loved We The Kingdom

# 1 Summer Of:
2019 – “Raise A Hallelujah” – Bethel Music
2018 – “Do It Again” – Elevation Worship
2017 – “Wonder” – Hillsong UNITED

I mentioned it 8 days ago here on my blog. A sleeper smash has dominated my chart this summer. I never saw it coming. It’s a song that probably shouldn’t have charted all along. It’s from a 10-song album – “Trial & Triumph” – that was released over 2½ years ago in March of 2018. It’s been on YouTube since before then. It was released as a single in 2019, and it peaked at Christian radio nationwide this past May. It debuted on my chart the week before this summer began, as airplay was ramping-up on K-LOVE. It’s the only song that spent all 16 weeks of summer (from start to finish) on my chart. Congratulations to I AM THEY with their sleeper smash of the summer – “No Impossible With You”.

There were really no other surprises for my summertime chart. Every # 1 smash made it. Every song that spent at least 1 week at # 2 made it. No artist repeated from last summer. It was a solid summer of good music for the Lord based on Good News from the Lord.

Much like all of 2020 (since March) – I’ll remember this unique summer for years to come. It’s the summer that I spent more time at home than anywhere else, and I was doing something strange at home that I had never done before (this year) – work from home. And while I was working from home I was listening to continuous positive and encouraging hits on K-LOVE. I think I’ve listened to more radio this summer than in any previous summer in modern times.

If you’re not familiar with one or any of these songs then use Google, Bing, or YouTube to check them out. Enjoy the music, but especially listen to the words. The words of these songs represent God’s Word. Any one of these songs can change your life forever. God used music to rescue and save me from the darkness during the Summer Of 2006.

He has given me a new song to sing – a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done, and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD. (Psalm 40:3 NLT)

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again this upcoming weekend – with 4 new entries on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday. I don’t blog on Saturdays. That’s my day of rest.

Your likes, follows, and comments are always appreciated. Thank You for being part of my online ministry to share God’s Good News and win souls for Christ through His music. I’m also on Twitter and Flickr.

Be blessed my friends !  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

All rights reserved (c) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries