(Tune: “According to Thy Gracious Word” p. 192)
*****
We will have a meeting April 17 – 19. Speakers will be Donnie Bell,
Bruce Crabtree, and Jesse Gistand. We will serve dessert after the service
on Friday night and will have a church dinner on Sunday. There is a sign-up
sheet for set-up and clean-up. Services will begin at 7:00pm Friday, 6:00pm
Saturday, and 10:00 on Sunday morning. There will be no morning Bible study
or evening service on Sunday, the 19th.
Congratulations to Mitch Bryan who was promoted to Captain with the Lexington
Firefighters.
Birthdays
22nd – Jean Bradford 27th – Amy Daniel 27th – Jessica Clark
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life: and he that winneth souls
is wise.” - Proverbs 11:30
*****
I was reading the “Faith Values” section of the newspaper. It
now posts various blogs from pastors of chu rches in our area. In all of these
blogs, there was not a drop of Gospel. It saddened me that the truth of the
Gospel does not have much of a hearing in our day. And I believe that sad
fact is our fault! I fear we blame the sovereignty of God for our lack of
effort in preaching the Gospel to every creature, in obedience to the divine
mandate (Mark 16:15). I fear we have become satisfied with the status quos.
In Mark 1:28, we read, “Immediately His fame spread abroad throughout
all the region round about Galilee.” The word fame is the noun form
of the verb “to hear”. His message, His hearing, the report, the
rumor concerning Him…… “spread abroad”. I pray that
a duplication of this happens in our day…where men and women hear the
Gospel. Not a false Gospel. A false gospel will not and cannot save. Oh, for
a hearing of the true Gospel! In Mark 1:45, after the Leper had been healed,
“He went out and began to publish it much, and blaze abroad the matter.”
Oh, that we would do the same, and that God in His mercy would use us to spread
abroad His fame throughout this region, and the world! Let’s pray to
that end.
*****
Richard Baxter once said, “I preach as one who may never preach again,
and as a dying man to dying men.” We need to learn the all-important
lesson, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”
and live our days in Christ, awaiting His call. It is so foolish to set our
affection on a dying world and its short-lived comforts and relationships.
Ryle said, “For a moment of time, men lose a glorious eternity.”
We are toiling and wearing ourselves about trifles, running to and fro like
ants on a hill to build that which shall soon crumble, not realizing that
in a few years we shall all be gone and another generation will fill our place.
“Lord, teach ME to number my days that I may apply my heart to WID SOM.”
- Pastor Henry Mahan
WHAT DO YOU PUBLISH?
Brother Barnard once said, “Henry, be careful what you publish! If you
preach and teach unwisely and impulsively you can apologize, retract your
statements and make amends for your attitude and spirit, but when you put
a matter down on paper, send it to the printer and distribute it – it
is there for all time and continues to find its way into the hands of men.
It might be wise to wait patiently on the Lord, get a little experience and
wisdom, then burden men with what you feel that you must say, remembering
that if your voice is the only voice men20hear and your words the only words
men read, nothing of any spiritual value will be accomplished. Men must hear
Him speak Who speaks from heaven and it is only His Word which finally convicts
of sin and reveals Christ.”
I suppose that the most difficult thing any believer has to learn is that
“Without Him we can do nothing.” This is our creed but not our
experience! We will never be effectually used for God’s true glory until
it becomes our experience. God will never use men that are proud enough to
think themselves necessary or capable. He will throw away the vessel which
begins to boast in itself or allows others to boast in it. Whatever is our
strength in the flesh is sure to become our weakness in the spirit –
whether it be our intelligence, our morality, our length of service, our doctrine,
our courage or whatever. Gideon feared the Midianites because of the small
number of his soldiers, but the Lord said, “Your soldiers are yet too
many for Me.” I20wonder if we will ever become weak enough, empty enough,
and ignorant enough for God to use us for His glory! The logic of the Lord
is strange to the natural mind. “For when I am weak, then am I strong”
(II Cor. 12:10). “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (II Cor. 12:9). The Lord
must go back to the seashore and raise up some fishermen – we’ve
all become masters and doctors, wise men in theology and great counselors.
I disqualify myself for God’s use when I become qualified. My fine talents
and lofty credentials become hindrances rather than helps. I though to prepare
myself for great things, only to learn that it was the rough voice in the
wilderness He planned to use, not the polished preacher; it was the weak,
impulsive shepherd with the sling He planned to use, not the mighty warrior
with his armor of wit and arsenal of facts, doctrines, and learning. It may
not be too late for some, but most are too pro ud to become expendable. If
we don’t pour contempt on ourselves – God will!
- Pastor Henry Mahan