November 9, 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 OF THE DAY
Look upon me, Lord I pray Thee
Let Thy Spirit dwell in mine
Thou hast sought me, Thou hast bought me
Take my heart and make it Thine.

Nought I ask for, nought I strive for
But Thy grace so rich and free
This Thou givest by the Saviour
He hath all things who hath Thee.

Precious is the name of Jesus
Who can half its worth unfold?
Far beyond angelic praises
Sweetly sung to harps of gold.

Guide me, Oh Thou great Jehovah
Pilgrim through this barren land
I am weak, but Thou art mighty
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.

(Tune: “Jesus Calls Us” p. 374)

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We rejoice with Nora Imes who will confess Christ in believer’s baptism at the close of the service this morning.

We will have a church dinner next Sunday, November 16th. There will be no evening service next Sunday.

Birthdays
9th – Ryan Vincent 11th – Norma Johnson 11th – Peggy Mohr
11th – Elizabeth Vincent 11th – Patsy White
14th – Terry Squires 15th – Carter Steeves

“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” - Proverb 24:16

WALKING IN NEWNESS OF LIFE
“Like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). The newness spoken of is not in respect to time, but of quality. Because the believer is a “new creation” (II Cor. 5:17), he is a “new man” (Eph. 4:24). He has a “new name” (Rev. 2:17), and sings a “new song” (Rev. 5:9). Because of this he walks in newness of life. When one does not walk in newness of life, it is because there is no new life to walk in.

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THE WILL OF MAN
“He delivered Jesus to their will.” - Luke 23:25
And what was their will? “Crucify him, crucify him.” That is man’s will in a nutshell. That teaching that says God wants to save all men, Christ died for all men, and the Holy Spirit is calling all men, but man’s salvation is ultimately dependent upon his own will, is a lie! Those who preach such a message do not preach the Gospel. When men were left to their will, unrestrained by God, they murdered the Son of God!
To give man’s will such an exalted place in salvation is to deny the sovereignty of God, deny what the Bible teaches concerning the sinfulness of man, and deny that salvation is all of God’s grace. Don’t think that the belief that man’s will has the ultimate say in salvation is merely a less enlightened view of the Gospel. It is another gospel! It makes man’s will the saviour, and not Christ!

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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

FAITHFULNESS
I receive a steady barrage of incoming mail from religious hucksters peddling their gimmicks promising to increase the faithfulness of church members in attendance and offerings. Some employ innovations such as drama and dance which make services more appealing to the flesh. Some employ campaigns with lofty goals designed to excite members to attend and give. Some employ contests with awards such a lapel-pins, and certificates, and trophies. Some employ guilt-trips. I reprobate all their gimmicks. They are perfectly suited for the synagogue of Satan. They have no place in the church of Christ.
Saints attend the worship services of their church because they love Christ. They therefore desire every opportunity to corporately worship Christ, hear the Gospel of Christ, and fellowship with the saints of Christ. The frequency with which they attend will be a fair indication of how much they desire to learn of Christ and fellowship with His saints. They will not be “forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as in the manner of some” (Hebrews 10:25). Those who do not attend, apart from providential hindrance, are evidencing by their absence that they would rather be present somewhere else, be doing something else, be with someone else. - Missionary Daniel Parks

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“Salvation is of the Lord,” cried Jonah from the belly of the fish: and indeed it is. It is the Father who chose us, who set His love upon us from all eternity. It is the Son who redeemed us – THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS – who by His life and death both sanctified and justified us in God’s sight. It is the Holy Spirit who quickened the dead and made us to live. But all saving acts must be performed by the man himself. Faith is the gift of God, but the Holy Spirit never believed for anybody; it is not His office to believe but to woo, draw, and teach us to believe. THE SINNER MUST BELIEVE! Repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit never repented. What has He to repent of? THE SINNER MUST REPENT! There must be in every person who comes to Christ a personal repentance and personal faith, and though these are wrought in him by the Holy Spirit, yet they are his own acts. They cannot be the acts of anyone else or the person has not repented and has not believed and there is no spiritual life in him. For instance, the Holy Spirit helps us to pray; He helps our infirmities. BUT WE PRAY! True desires after God must be your own desires. The desire is wrought in you, but still it is YOURS! - Pastor Henry Mahan