February 2024 | VOLUME 50 | ISSUE NO.2
the
EVANGEL
OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF FIRST FREE CHURCH
Nothing But The Blood Hymn Spotlight According to a Methodist history of this well-known and enduring hymn, its author, Robert Lowry (1826-1899), was a Baptist preacher who served churches in our home state of Pennsylvania. He also served as a minister in New York and New Jersey. Moreover, as a graduate of Bucknell University, Lowry spent time serving his alma mater as a professor. Somehow, amid these varied and demanding involvements, Lowry became a popular and in uential hymn writer, producing what were originally Sunday school song collections.
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The original printing of this beloved hymn featured a reference to Hebrews 9:22 above the title. That verse reads: "Indeed, under the law almost everything is puri ed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." As the Methodist history points out, the hymns' repeated reference to blood, so central to scriptural teaching regarding the nature of Christ's atonement and our forgiveness, troubles some today. They consider repeated references to blood as gory, at times even gratuitous. These objections stand at odds with scripture, considering how prominently the Old and New Testaments speak of the power of our Messiah's sacri ce and blood
Peace, Not Panic By Pastor Kevin Labby "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7 We worry about so many things, most of them mainly, if not entirely, beyond our control. Our fearful imaginations create catastrophic visions of the future that will likely never come to pass but trouble us in the present. What an invitation from God we receive in these two verses! Here, the Apostle Peter, inspired by God's Spirit, urges us to humble ourselves before God the Father (simultaneously acknowledging our limits while also confessing His limitless love for us), see our lives under His hand, and believe that His mighty hand hovers not to crush but rather to cover and comfort us. What a blessing to know that God in Christ is not only near us. He is for us. As we enter a New Year seemingly promising innumerable threats to our peace in Christ, including a challenging election cycle, economic and geopolitical uncertainty, pressures to bend our knees to the gods of this age, and more, the temptation toward anxiety is powerful, even palpable. Thankfully, the provision of God's peace through prayer is even more so. Let's resolve to enjoy this gift, choosing peace through prayer over panic.
Does the Bible Mention Dinosaurs? By Pastor Kevin Labby The Bible does not overtly describe dinosaurs. However, several Hebrew words describe creatures so large and ferocious that some believe they might refer to dinosaurs.
Day of Prayer and Fasting On Thursday, February 22nd, we plan to open the First Free auditorium at 9:00 a.m. for those desiring to pray at the church building throughout the day, either individually or in small groups. Lord willing, we will conclude with a Prayer and Praise Service from 7:00 - 8:30 pm.
AT FIRST FREE
YOU’RE INVITED!
Mark your calendars! GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE Friday, March 29th @ 7:00 pm
However, a particularly intriguing word used in the Old Testament only once is the also familiar, BEHEMOTH. Usually left untranslated, some ascribe it to dinosaurs by citing the contextual description of this massive and powerful creature in Job 40:15-24:
In particular, the description of Behemoth's tail swaying like a cedar seems to distance its identity from other possibilities o ered usually the hippopotamus. While we don't know for sure if the Bible mentions dinosaurs, some believe our currently limited understanding of a few ancient Hebrew words leaves open some intriguing possibilities. SOURCES: James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
EASTER SUNDAY Sunday, March 31st @ 10:45 am
NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries. Copyright © 1981, 1998 by The Lockman Foundation. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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There will be no Bible Fellowship Hour at 9:30 am.
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Another more familiar term to English speakers, LEVIATHAN, appears six di erent times in the Old Testament. As with TANNIN, scholars translate LEVIATHAN in a variety of ways ranging from "serpent" to "sea monster" to "dragon."
15 "Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox. 16 What strength it has in its loins, what power in the muscles of its belly! 17 Its tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of its thighs are close-knit. 18 Its bones are tubes of bronze, its limbs like rods of iron. 19 It ranks rst among the works of God, yet its Maker can approach it with his sword. 20 The hills bring it their produce, and all the wild animals play nearby. 21 Under the lotus plants it lies, hidden among the reeds in the marsh. 22 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow; the poplars by the stream surround it. 23 A raging river does not alarm it; it is secure, though the Jordan should surge against its mouth. 24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes, or trap it and pierce its nose?”
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One recurring Hebrew word in the Old Testament, TANNIN, can be translated in various ways. It appears 27 di erent times, translated as "monster," "sea-monster," or "serpent," but most frequently as "dragon."
Welcome Makayla Rothey! We thank Marie Zajdel for serving as our Interim Children's Ministry Leader through much of 2023. Marie provided excellent leadership and continuity within our midweek, Sunday morning, and summer children's ministries. As she steps back from that role this New Year, we're pleased to add Makayla Rothey as our Sunday Morning Coordinator within the Children's Ministry, also on an interim basis. Makayla joins Beth Jewel, our Children's Ministry Assistant, and Michelle Washington, our Awana (Midweek Ministry) Coordinator. We are discussing plans for Summer Blast and Summer Pop leadership and will keep you apprised. Our search for the next Director of Children's Ministries is underway. Please keep this search in your prayers, joining us in thanking the Lord for His gracious provision of these joyful and dedicated servants. Yours in Christ, The Board of Elders First Free Church
(Nothing But the Blood, continued) for our redemption. Some examples: "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace." - Ephesians 1:7 "For the life of the esh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life." - Leviticus 17:11 "For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." - Matthew 26:28 "He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption." - Hebrews 9:12 "So Jesus also su ered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood." - Hebrews 13:12 "[You] were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." - 1 Peter 1:18-19 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." - 1 John 1:7 In these and many other passages, the Old and New Testaments reveal Jesus Christ as the promised Lamb of God, sent to take away the sins of the world by His sacri ce. Far from shrinking back from the mere mention of blood, the scriptures present Jesus as our willing substitute, the One appointed by God the Father to die the death we deserve in our place by shedding His innocent and precious blood for our forgiveness (cf. John 1:29; Hebrews 10). In that way, Lowry's hymn celebrates the only answer to life's most signi cant question and dilemma: what can take away our sin? According to the teaching of the Old and New Testaments and the words of Lowry's hymn, the answer is plain: "nothing but the blood of Jesus." Amen.
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Source : https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-nothing-but-the-blood
MARK YOUR
CALENDARS!
Understanding Islam Seminar February 3, 10 am - 2 pm
ANNIVERSARIES
CONGRATULATIONS!
John & Lorna Anderson 50 years
to Beth Burge on the birth of her grandson, Dustin Burge, September 24. Parents are David & Monique Burge. Dustin joins big sister & big brother, Mikelle & Declan.
February 4, following worship
George & Antoinette Burdell 65 years
Student MInistry Game Night
Rob & Beverly Conley 47 years
February 16, 7-9 pm
David & Karen Thomas 52 years
Next Gen Prayer
Day of Prayer & Fasting February 22
Barry & Janet Wagner 43 years
Prayer & Praise Service
Howard & Peggie Watson 43 years
February 22, 7 pm
Student Ministry Lock-In
Ed & Karen Winzek 51 years
February 23-24
AWANA Party February 24, 12 - 2pm
General Assembly
MEMORIAL GIFTS Beverlee Barna Dave and Barb Badstibner
February 25, following worship
Being & Bringing Good News Workshop March 2, 9am - 3pm
Next Gen Prayer March 3, following worship
Ron Pry Bob and Anne Hamilton Rick Tarsala Triple B Farms
to Bob & Natalie Fleming on the birth of their daughter, Arabella May, born December 26, 2023. Grandparents are Bill & Lisa Haines and GreatGrandmother is Marilyn Fawcett To Dave and Maria Murr on the birth of their daughter, Aurora Jade, born on January 16, 2024. Grandparents are Rich and Sue Wilson, Great Uncle and Aunt are Ed and Debbie Neimann, and Great-Grandmother is Virginia Kurtz