July 6, 2008
Sunday 10:00am WLEX TV Channel 18

It is requested that all children under the age of five stay in our nursery
so there will be no distractions during the preaching of the Gospel.

HYMN FOR THE DAY
Prepare me, gracious God
To stand before Thy face
Thy Spirit must the work perform
For20it is all of grace.

In Christ’s obedience clothe
And wash me in His blood
So shall I lift my head with joy
Among the sons of God.

Do Thou my sins remove
Thy sovereign love make known</ div>
The spirit of my mind renew
And save me in Thy Son.

Let me attest Thy power
Let me Thy goodness move
Till my full soul can hold no more
Of everlasting love.

(Tune: “I love Thy Kingdom, Lord” p. 188)



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Birthdays
8th – Rob Elliott 9th – Michael Cunningham



The “things which are the most surely believed among us” are the warp and woof of Scripture, and have been made precious to us by the teaching of the Holy Spirit. If we thus hold them, we cannot unite with those who deny them. – John Hazelton
“The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.” - Proverbs 19:11

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The altar of incense in the tabernacle was given to teach us of the intercession of Christ. He prays for us! There were four things we were forbidden to offer on the altar of incense. 1) Any incense other than the exact incense prescribed in Exodus 30:34-38. 2) Burnt offerings. 3) Meat20offerings. 4) Drink offerings. The penalty for offering any of these things was death! Remember what happened to Nadab and Abihu. When they offered strange fire to the Lord, fire came down from heaven and consumed them. They failed to sanctify God in doing this! (Lev. 10: 1-4) It was only the blood of the sin offering on the great day of atonement that made the altar most holy (Ex. 30:10). We do not come into God’s presence offering anything as a reason we should be heard but the blood of Christ. Remember the words of Christ… “No man cometh to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6). We come by Christ. Nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else.


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TRUE WORSHIP
True worship is not primarily a cultural thing. It is not simply offering to God our sentiments and feelings expressed according to our culture. It is based on a knowledge of the majesty and holiness of God and what He requires in worship. It is not primarily cultural; it is spiritual. Those who know the true God will come into His presence with holy awe and reverence, whatever thei r cultural background.
Africans, it is true, like rhythm and music but so does the rock-loving culture of the West, as evidenced by what takes place in discos or in other entertainment. Our worship should not be an expression of our culture, but of the holiness and majesty of God and of our gratitude for His grace towards us in Christ. A true knowledge of Christ will lead to worship, which is God-glorifying, whatever the cultural background. There will be more putting our hands over our mouths (Job 40:4) and covering our faces (Isaiah 6:2) than there will be hands in the air and dancing in the aisles! When people know the true God, their worship is reverent and God-glorifying, whatever their cultural background.
-Bill Clark

MOVE NO MORE
I moved a lot during my six years in the Navy, and dreaded it more each time. I’m glad the Lord finally settled me in Kentucky in 1990. Then I started moving from church to church, not really knowing what I was doing....not satisfied with the church I was attending, and dreading having to start searching for another. I’m so glad the Lord finally settled me at Todds Road Grace Church in 1996.
But there is one move much greater, and more important, than any other… “Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more” (II Sam. 7:10).
1. The Lord has appointed a place for spiritual Israel, His elect… “Then will I appoint thee a place whither he shall flee” (Ex. 21:13)….to Christ, our city of refuge.
2. The Lord has planted us in Christ, our righteousness… “That they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord” (Is. 61:3).
3. The Lord has made us to dwell, to abide, in Christ our holiness… “Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not” (I John 3:6).
4. The Lord has moved us into Christ, that we should move no more…. “And be not moved away from the hope of the gospel” (Col. 1:23). Being found in Christ, why would I want to move anywhere else?
- Brian DuFour
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“Get thee (ie. Elijah) hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.”- I Kings 17:3-4

Instead of a river, God often gives us a brook, which may be running today and dry tomorrow. Why? To teach us not to trust in our blessings, but in the Blesser, Himself. Yet, is it not at this point that we so often fail – our hearts being far more occupied with the gifts than the Giver. Is not this just the reason the Lord will not trust us with a river? – because it would unconsciously take His place in our hearts. “Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.” (Deut. 32:15). And the same evil tendency exists within us. We sometimes feel we are being hardly dealt with because God gives us a brook rather than a river, but this is because we are so little acquainted with our own hearts. God loves His own too well to place dangerous knives in the hands of infants. – Unknown