August 24, 2008

Sunday 10:00am & nbsp; 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
Precious Saviour, friend of sinners
We, as such, to Thee draw near
Let Thy Spirit dwell within us
With that love that casts out fear.

Matchless Saviour, let us know Thee
As the Lord our righteousness
Cause our hearts to cleave unto Thee
Come, and with Thy presence bless.

Open now Thy precious treasure
Let Thy word here freely flow
Give to us a gracious measure
‘Tis Thyself we long to know.

Come and claim us as Thy portion
Let us all find rest in Thee
Leave us not to empty notions
We would find our hope in Thee!

(Tune: “Jesus Calls Us” p. 372)

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Cody Groover, missionary to Mexico will be with us this week. He will bring the message Wednesday and Sunday nights. Jesse Gistand, Pastor of Grace Bible Church, in San Leandro, California, will preach next Sunday morning.

The Bible Conference at the Grace Baptist Church in Danville will be this weekend.

Birthdays
24th – John Greenleaf 24th – Don Willis
25th – Elisabeth Marsh 30th – Abigail Holthaus

“He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favor than he that flattereth with the tongue.” - Proverbs 28:23

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WEAKNESS AND ACCOUNTIBILITY
Aaron is called in Psalm 106:16, “The saint of the Lord.” Without question he was a believer. But he was a weak man. When the children of Israel told him to make them gods which would go before them, Aaron complied and became the chief participant in this great sin (Ex. 32:1-5). Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them” (Ex. 32:22). Aaron refused to take responsibility….he said that the people were set on mischief, so they gave me gold, “and there came out this calf” (Ex. 32:24). He was the one who fashioned the golden calf with a graving tool (Ex. 32:2-4). Yet he would not admit responsibility!
It I blame someone or something else for my wrong behavior, my weakness is not the problem. It is someone or something else’s fault. But when I see it is my fault, because of my sinful weakness, I will cry to the Lord for strength, and He will help me. That is what Paul meant when he said, Cwhen I am weak, them am I strong” (II Cor. 12:10). Wherever you find a person who refuses accountability and personal responsibility, you will find a person who remains a weakling. When somebody sees their sinful weakness is the problem, they will cry to the Lord for strength.

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“Let your MODERATION be known unto to all” (Phil. 4:5). This is20the only time the word “moderation” is used in the Bible; and it does not have to do with temperance in food and drink; but it has to do with attitude and conduct. The meaning is “mild and gentle.” Let all people in the church and in the world see and recognize you as a gentle and kind person. Be known, not as harsh and demanding (this sees to be the code of the day) but as “kind and tenderhearted” (Eph. 4:32).
- Pastor Henry Mahan

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We have no power from God unless we live in the persuasion that we have none of our own. – John Owen

 

PERFECTING HOLINESS
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” -II Corinthians 7:1

We read of “perfecting holiness.” To perfect means, “to bring through to the end; to complete.” How does one go about perfecting holiness? We must first understand what Paul means. He means the same thing that he meant when he said, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). When we say we will “work it out”, we mean we will give attention to correcting problems that we see. We begin “perfecting holiness” by understanding that the success of this endeavor is founded upon the promises of God…“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved.” The sanctification of all of God’s people is guaranteed because of the promise of God in Christ Jesus. Since we have this promise, we are called upon to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. Remember how the Lord told Peter his feet would need to be washed, though he was clean every whit? We can pick up filthiness in our conduct or attitude in our walk through this world, and have need of washing. How do we walk? By looking to Christ! There is nothing so cleansing as looking to Christ. When we look to Him, the “filthiness of the flesh and spirit” are of necessity cleaned. Looking to Christ is what cleanses us! Being cleansed, we are in the process of perfecting holiness. It is impossible to look to Christ and remain in conduct or attitude that is contrary to the Gospel. To sum this up, if we look to Christ, we will cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit…and in doing so we will perfect holiness, in the fear of God.