January 27, 2008
Sunday 10:00am WLEX TV Channel 18

Sovereign grace o’er sin abounding
Ransomed souls the tidings swell
Tis a deep that knows no sounding
Who its breadth or length can tell
On its glories, on its glories
Let my soul forever dwell.

What from Christ my soul can sever
Bound by everlasting bands
Once in Him, in Him forever
Thus th’ eternal covenant stands
None shall pluck me, none shall pluck me
From the strength of Israel’s hands.

Heirs of God, joint heirs with Jesus
Long ere time its race begun
To His name eternal praises
Oh! What wonders love hath done
One with Jesus, one with Jesus
By eternal union one.

On such love, my soul, still ponder
Love so great, so rich, so free
Say, whilst lost in holy wonder
Why, O Lord, such love to me
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Grace shall reign eternally!

(Tune: “Come Ye Sinners”)

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Birthdays
27th – Judy Borders 28th – Ryan Rozeboom 29th – Ophelia Mosley



“Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.”
- Proverb 10:12

ARE WE REALLY?
“Likewise reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 6:11). Sin certainly seems alive in our experience. As David said, “My sin is ever before me.” Are we really dead indeed to sin? Yes, we are. We would not be told to reckon ourselves dead to sin if in fact we were not dead to sin.
The word reckon is the same word that is translated impute or account. The sins of the elect were imputed to Christ. They became His. He became guilty before God. He was actually made sin. And He really died for the sins that had become His. He paid the debt of our sins. And just as truly as the sins of the elect were imputed to Him, His perfect righteousness is imputed to them. Just as literally as our sin became His, His righteousness became ours. We are literally “the righteousness of God in Him.” Since our sin was reckoned to Him, and His righteousness reckoned to us, we reckon ourselves to be dead to sin, because we really are! If He really died, then we really are dead to sin. If He really did rise from the dead then we really are alive to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are not required to feel this, but we are required to believe it!



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Faith is necessary for salvation. But, we do not look to our faith to save us; rather, in faith, we look to Christ. Repentance is necessary for salvation. But we do not look to our repentance to save us; rather, in repentance, we turn to Christ. There are graces, which God works in us as He saves us. But these graces are never to be the object of our trust, confidence or hopeful gaze. All the graces God gives us in salvation are to be used to look to, turn to, appreciate, and lay hold of Christ, who is our salvation! - Pastor Joe Terrell



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God without man remains God, over all, blessed forever. He is the glorious God, whether man acknowledges that truth or not. But MAN WITHOUT GOD is nothing, he is vanity, he is useless except to be fuel for the flames of hell. – Pastor Jim Byrd

WHOM SHALL I BE LIKE?
The moment I try to imitate or copy the life of another human, I lose that which is an honor to me and glory to God - my individuality! I become a copy, and a copy is always inferior. The moment I try to mold my life after another person, I lose that which is a power to me - and that is my personality. God made me as I am to serve in His body, to accomplish His purpose, and to glorify His name. There is not in all the history of our race a single person whom I would bid you to mold your life in his image. There is not a single biography I would have you read and say, “I will relive this man’s life.” To imitate other men is weakness and will forfeit God’s purpose for you. There is but one model. There is but one whom you can imitate, copy, and strive to be like in every jot and tittle – that is our LORD JESUS CHRIST!
1. THIS IS GOD’S PURPOSE FORYOU. “Whom He did foreknow, He did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29).
2. THIS IS THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN YOU. “We are changed into the same image from glory to glory even by the Sprit of the Lord” (II Cor. 3:18).
3. THIS IS THE DESIRE OF EVERY BELIEVER. “I shall be satisfied when I awake with Thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15).
4. THIS IS AN INWARD WORK. “Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:5). Changing my mode of dress, my speech to say “thee” and “thou”, my living quarters, or my place of worship will not make me like Christ. I must be given a new heart and mind by God’s Spirit. Let us get our texts, our messages, our words from God. It is not great talent, great oratory, or great programs that God blesses – BUT HIS WORD. A word spoken by you in the power of the Lord – is worth ten thousand words spoken in the energy of our flesh and the wisdom of the flesh. Oh, for a message from God in these days.
- Pastor Henry Mahan

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Remember, sinner, it is not THY HOLD of Christ that saves thee – it is Christ; it is not THY JOY in Christ that saves thee – it is Christ; it is NOT EVEN FAITH in Christ (though that is the instrument) – it is Christ’s blood and merits. Therefore, look not to thy hope, but to Christ, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Christ, the author and finisher of thy faith. – C. H. Spurgeon