August 16, 2009
Sundays 11:00 am Channel 36 WTVQ
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
Sons we are, through God’s election
Who in Jesus Christ believe
By eternal destination
Sovereign grace we here receive
Lord Thy mercy, Lord Thy mercy
Does both grace and glory give.

Every fallen soul, by sinning
Merits ever lasting pain
But Thy love, without beginning
Has restored Thy sons again
All Thy people, All Thy people
Shall by grace through Jesus reign.

Pause my soul! Adore and wonder!
Ask, O Why such love to me
Grace has put me in the number
Of the Saviour’s family
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Thanks, eternal thanks to Thee.

When the Angel sounds the trumpet
When my soul and body join
When my Saviour comes to judgment
Bright in majesty divine
Let me triumph, Let me triumph
In Thy righteousness as mine.

(Tune: Angels From the Realms of Glory” p. 99)


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Birthdays
18th – Molly Mohr 18th – Adam Peters 19th – Nora Imes
19th- Allison Vincent 19th – Sharon Vincent 21st – Mark Ham



“Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess: but be filled with the Spirit.” &n bsp; - Ephesians 5:18
“The north wind driveth away rain: so doeth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.” - Proverbs 25:23


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What disciple is known for his doubting? Thomas. “The other disciples therefore said unto Him, we have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And who was the one disciple who was not there when the Lord appeared? “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.” There is a correlation between those two things.
Whenever we meet together to worship, we have the promise of His presence. “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” To not attend a public worship service is to demonstrate a lack of relish for His presence, and insure the weakening of our faith. I am sure Thomas had reasons for not being there, and I am equally sure Thomas should have been there.

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Election does not prevent the salvation of anybody who wants to be saved. But the distinction needs to be made between a mere desire to escape hell and the desire to be saved from sin. The desire to be saved from hell is a natural desire – nobody wants to burn. The desire to be saved from sin is a spiritual desire resulting from the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, and God’s electing grace is the very mother of this desire. To represent election by saying that God has spread the Gospel feast, a man comes to the table hungering for the bread of life; but God says, “No, this is not for you, you are not one of my elect”, is to misrepresent the Holy Doctrine. Here is the truth – God has spread the feast but the fact is nobody wants to come to the table. “They all with one consent began to make excuse.” God knew just how fallen nature would act, and He took no chance on His table being filled, so, He tells His servant to go out and compel them to come (Luke 14:23). Were it not for the redemptive work of Christ there would be no Gospel feast; were it not for the compelling work of the Holy Spirit there would be no guests at the table A mere invitation brings nobody to the table.
- C. D. Cole
A QUESTION ONLY THE BIBLE CAN ANSWER
“How then can a man be justified with God?” (Job 25:4) To be justified is to be without guilt. How can a sinful man attain to this state before God? Only the Bible answers this question. We read of God “Who justifieth the ungodly” (Romans 4:5). What is the Biblical teaching concerning justification?
1. Justification is by grace. “Being justified freely by His grace.” Justification is the act of God, where He declares a sinner to be justified by the divine act of His sovereign will. “It is God that justifieth” (Romans 8:33).
2. Justification by blood. “Being now justified by His blood” (Romans 5:9). The sins of God’s elect were laid upon Christ and His death put those sins away. We are not guilty because we have no sin! Our sin becomes His, His righteousness becomes ours. Hence, we are justified.
3. Justification by faith. “Being justified by faith” (Romans 5:1). We are not justified by our works, but the work of Christ. And His work is received by faith. We are not justified by doing, but through believing.
4. Justification by works. “By works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:24). James also said, “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show thee my faith by my works” (James 2:1 8). It is our works that give evidence to and prove the reality of our faith. “Faith without works is dead, being alone.”
5. Justification by words. “By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:38). If what I say does not line up with what the Bible says regarding justification, all I prove is I am not justified.
Justification by grace, blood, faith, works, and words. This is what the Bible teaches. Where you have one, you have them all. When one of these is absent, all of them are absent.