Recent Bulletins

February 17, 2019
Sundays 9:00 am                                                                            WKYT     Channel 27-2
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
I once was a stranger to grace and to God
I knew not my danger and felt not my load
Though friends spoke in rapture of Christ on the tree
Jehovah Tsidkenu meant nothing to me.

When free grace awoke me by light from on high
Then legal fears shook me, I trembled to die
No refuge, no safety in self could I see
Jehovah Tsidkenu my Savior must be.

My terrors all vanished before His sweet Name,
My guilty fears banished, with boldness I came
To drink at the fountain, life-giving and free
Jehovah Tsidkenu is all things to me.

(Tune: How Firm A Foundation p. 268)

*****

Our Bible Conference is March 8-10.  There are sign-up sheets in the Fellowship Hall.  Give toward these extra expenses as you are enabled.

SCHEDULE
Friday March 8th       7:00pm  Donnie Bell & Dave Eddmenson
Saturday March 9th  10:00am Chris Cunningham  & John Chapman
Saturday March 9th    6:00pm Greg Elmquist & Don Fortner
Sunday March 10th  10:00am  Clay Curtis & Joe Terrell
(Please note - daylight savings begins March 10th– move your clocks an hour ahead Saturday night)

Birthdays
20th– Megan Harries                                 21st– Tim Daniel
22nd– Zac Byrd                                          22nd– Evonne Kincer

“A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.” - Proverbs 14:16

If all I have is Christ, I have all, because Christ is All.  If I have anything in addition to Him, He is no longer all, and in reality, I have nothing. Christ is All is Christ alone!  Nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else!

SATAN’S ADVANTAGE
Paul said to the church at Corinth that if they failed to forgive, restore, and confirm their love to the man that had sinned so grievously, Satan would get the advantage over them (II Cor. 2:11).  What all it means for Satan to have the advantage I do not know. But it is not good!  What damage can be done in a church, a home, or an individual when Satan has an advantage.  When we fail to forgive we act contrary to the Gospel, contrary to the law of Christ (Gal. 6:3), put ourselves in the state of not being forgiven (Matt. 6:15), and give Satan room to work powerfully in our lives.  May we be quick to forgive, with some small measure of understanding how much we have been forgiven of!

In the kingdom of God the way up is down, the way to live is to die, the way to strength is weakness, to be wise is to become a fool, to be clothed in His righteousness is to be stripped of my own, to receive is to give, and to reign is to serve. If God does not turn my affection, interest, and love from this world, I will perish with the world. - Copied

“When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” -  I Corinthians 13:10
When the “Perfect Man” comes, only then shall we see Him as He is and be made like Him. In the meantime, our faith is mixed with unbelief. Our love is mixed with selfishness. Our understanding is mixed with ignorance. Our sorrow for sin is shallow. Our worship falls so far short of its mark. Our experience of peace is fraught with fear. Our joy is mixed with sorrow. Truly, “Now we see through a glass darkly…”
Here is our hope brethren... Faith does not look to our experience in these graces for the hope of our salvation. Oh no! Faith looks to that Perfect Man in whom all these spiritual graces are full and complete. May we rest the hope of our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ who stands in our stead before Almighty God. “Wherefore, He is able to save them to the uttermost (perfectly) that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25).   – Greg Elmquist

TRAINING A CHILD IN THE WAY THEY SHOULD GO
Getting “The cart before the horse” is such a vivid picture of the backwards way of trying to do things.  It just simply will not work.  Yet the wisdom of man is always trying in vain to deliver the goods in just that fashion.  We have been told that the way to build our children’s self-esteem is by telling them how wonderful they are (even when they are bad), making them feel like winners (even when they lose), and always rewarding them (even when they are lazy).  The result is that we have raised a generation of self absorbed brats with an entitlement mentality. Truth is, self-esteem is the by-product of good decisions, hard work, and showing a genuine interest in others.  Teach your children by example, precept, and correction to choose right over wrong, to respect others (especially authority), and to work hard.  Then, they will grow up feeling good about themselves. Parenting is hard work. It’s a battle against the flesh. Many mistakes will be made along the way. But, if we take the easy way out, you can be sure that their Adamic nature will not only turn the cart over, it will kill the horse.
Now all that being true, there is but one thing that really matters in the end.  Has the Lord been pleased to save my child?  Do they know Christ?  Here is where our God given responsibility must not falter.  If the Lord is pleased to save our children, He will use the preaching of the Gospel to do it.  There is no greater thing we can do for our children than to have them in public worship. May God give us the grace to make this THE priority in our homes.  Again, some get the cart before the horse.  They wait for the child to want to come.  Remember, faith comes by hearing, not hearing by faith.  Always have them where they can hear and pray the Lord will give them ears to hear.                  – Greg Elmquist

THE HUNGRY EAT
I remember my father saying to us children at home when we did not like our food that he had been to the Union House and the boys and girls always like their breakfast there because they were hungry, and, said he,“If you had to go without, it would do you good.” Sometimes, children of God get worldly, and then they have no appetite for God’s Word.  They say, “We do not profit under Mr. So-and so.”  The truth is, we do not profit under the Bible itself, and should not profit under the apostle Paul or under the Lord Jesus Christ, for we have spoiled our appetites. But when our appetite is healthy, we can come to the Scripture, and not care much how it is carved.                                     - C. H. Spurgeon

February 10, 2019
Sundays 9:00 am                                                                            WKYT     Channel 27-2
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

Hark, how the Gospel trumpet sounds
Christ and free grace therein abound
Free grace to such as sinners be
And if free grace, why not for me?

The Saviour died, and by His blood
Brought rebel sinners home to God
He died to set the captives free
Then why, my soul, why not for me?

Christ Jesus came the poor to bless
To clothe them with His righteousness
The robe is spotless, full and free
Then why, my soul, why not for me?

Eternal life by Christ is giv’n
And ruined sinners raised to heav;n
Then sing of grace so rich and free
And say, My soul, why not for thee?

(Tune: “Doxology”)

Our Bible Conference is March 8-10.  There are sign-up sheets in the Fellowship Hall. Give toward these extra expenses as you are enabled.

SCHEDULE
Friday March 8th       7:00pm  Donnie Bell & Dave Eddmenson
Saturday March 9th 10:00am Chris Cunningham  & John Chapman
Saturday March 9th    6:00pm Greg Elmquist & Don Fortner
Sunday March 10th  10:00am   Clay Curtis & Joe Terrell
(Please note - daylight savings begins March 10th– move your clocks an hour ahead Saturday night)

Birthdays
13th– Mark Benton          13th– Kathryn Kelley          15th– Joseph Anjos
15th– Amber DuFour       16th– Andrea Vincent     16th– Henry Williams

“Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?” - Proverbs 20:9

“I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.” – Psalm 138:18
Yes these are the words of David, but they are also the words of the Lord Jesus from the cross.  He owned the sins of the elect as His own.  My confession of sin always feels inadequate and my sorrow over my sin is not sorry enough.  My confession of sin and sorrow for sin is sin!  He is the only one who  truly confessed sin aright and had genuine sorrow for it.  Just as we are justified by the faith of Christ, we look to Christ for the true confession of sin and sorrow over sin.  All that God requires of us He looks to His Son for.  All that God requires of us we look to His Son for!

BELIEVERS REPRESENT THE LORD
Several years ago I applied for a home improvement loan at a local bank.  I did not deal with the president of the band or an officer of the bank but with one of the employees.  This particular employee was quite rude and unkind to me causing me to cancel my account at that bank and move to another.  The only contact I had with the bank was with this very poor representative but it was enough to discourage me from going there again.
You and I represent our Lord, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus, and the church of the first-born. The only contact some people have with the church and Kingdom of God is through us.  What kind of impression do we leave on them?  What idea of Christianity do we convey to them?
I wonder if they do not sometimes walk away offended, disappointed, and resolved not to inquire any further into our faith or listen to our message.  I realize that we are frail creatures, subject to all the limitations of the flesh, but we need to set a watch on our lips, control our tempers, and put forth a special effort to adorn the Gospel of His grace.  If we endure persecution for the Gospel’s sake, well and good, but not if we bring it on ourselves by our own faults!       - Henry Mahan

To believe God is no small thing!  It is the evidence of a heart reconciled unto God; it is the proof of our being weaned from our own works and deeds; it is a clear sign of the true conviction of sin; it is honoring to Christ, our only Redeemer; it is the essence of true worship; and it is the root of sincere obedience.                                       - Henry Mahan

FAITHFULNESS
“It is required in a steward that a man found faithful”
The faithful man is the man who believes and can be believed. He trusts and he can be trusted. He relies and he can be relied on. There is nothing more beautiful and beneficial than faithfulness.  Faithful to the Gospel of Christ.  Faithful to believe all that is written.  Faithful to view himself as a sinner.  Faithful in humility.  Faithful in whatever the Lord puts in his hand to do. Faithful to prayer and reading the Word.  Faithful to attend worship services.  Faithful in giving.  Faithful in loyalty.  Faithful as the friend who loveth at all times.  May the Lord enable us and may we seek to be faithful.   Joshua and Caleb were the only adults over 20 years old that entered the Promised Land.  Joshua is the Hebrew word for Jesus, the Savior.  Caleb’s name means faithful dog. Oh, for grace to be a faithful dog.
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So long as two men are walking together, you cannot tell which one of  them the dog belongs to.  But let the two men part company and it then becomes evident; the dog will follow his master!  The dog does not hesitate, debate, or remain undecided; he quickly follows the one he loves.
Where Christ and men separate; where the Word of God and the traditions of men divide; where the ways of God and ways of the flesh part, the servant of Christ does not hesitate, debate, or remain undecided; he follows Christ, whom he loves, regardless of the cost.
The master may go to a simple cottage, a meal of dry bread, and a lonesome existence while his companion enjoys all the luxuries of the world.        But the faithful dog cares little for these things so long as he is with his master.                                                      - Henry Mahan

God does love all who are in Christ. If you trust the Lord Jesus Christ, if you are robed in His righteousness and washed in His blood, God loves you.  Your faith in Christ is both the fruit and the evidence of God’s everlasting, immutable love for you.  “We love Him because He first loved us” (I John 4:19).
That love which caused God to redeem and save chosen sinners is without cause, without condition, without beginning, without change, and without end.  If you now trust Christ as your Savior and Lord, it is because He loved you from the beginning and He will love you forever!  If you do not trust and love the Lord Jesus Christ, you have no reason to imagine that God loves you.  The wrath of God abides on you (John 3:36).  Flee from the wrath of God.  Flee away to Christ, and you will find in Him all the fullness of Jehovah’s everlasting love. – Don Fortner

January 20, 2019
Sundays 9:00 am                                                                            WKYT     Channel 27-2
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 of God redeemed by blood
Raise your songs to Zion’s God
Made from condemnation free
Grace triumphant sing with me.

Calvary’s wonders let us trace
Justice magnified in grace
Mark the crimson streams and say
Thus my sins were washed away.

Wrath Divine no more we dread
Vengeance smote our Surety’s head
Demands of justice fully met
Christ hath paid the dreadful debt.

Lamb of God! Thy death hath giv’n
Pardon, peace and hope of heav’n
It is finished; let us raise
Songs of gratitude and praise!

(Tune: “Depth of Mercy” p. 233)

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            We welcome Frank Tate, pastor of the Hurricane Grace Church in Ashland, KY, and his wife Janet. Frank will bring the messages today. I am preaching at the Grace Gospel Church Bible Conference in Apopka, FL this weekend.

            We will have our Bible Conference on March 8-10.  Give toward these expenses as you are enabled.

Birthdays
26th– Emily Elliott             26th– Mike Farmer             26th– Lynn Nibert

            “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”                                       - Proverbs 14:12
            “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”                        – Matthew 7:13-14
            When an individual seeks to make the gate wider than Christ does and the road broader than Christ does, he has entered the wide gate and broad road that leads to destruction. The person who does this says by this action that he is more merciful than Christ. Under the cloak of love for souls and not being judgmental of others he is actually denying the Gospel. The gate is so strait that the only way you can get through it is if all you have is Christ.  The road is so narrow that you will fall off into the precipice if you have anything more or less than Christ.  If you can look at anything else that gives you confidence that you have entered the strait gate and are on the narrow road, you have actually entered the wide gate and are on the broad road that leads to destruction.  The Lord says plainly that many are on the broad way and few are on the narrow way.

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NEWS
            The Gospel is good news. If something is news that means it happened recently.  If it is old news, it is not news at all.  If the Gospel is not preached as news, it is not preached at all.  Martin Luther said he preached Christ as if He died yesterday, rose today, and is coming again tomorrow.  If I do not hear the Gospel as good news, one of two things is true.  (1) I was not hearing the Gospel in the first place.  Why, even to present the facts of the Gospel in an academic way is not really preaching the Gospel at all!  (2) I am not hearing as a sinner.  The Gospel only comes as good news to sinners.  When I hear the Gospel as a sinner, every time I hear it, it is like the first time I ever heard it!  The old, old story is always new.  When it is not new, it is no longer the old, old story.
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            The atonement does not change the nature and character of God but rather, the atonement honors and magnifies the character of God. The death of Christ is not the cause of God’s love, but the result of it.  God is not merciful because Christ died. Christ died because God is merciful.  In order that every attribute might be expressed, glorified, and honored, God gave His Son to be the Savior of His chosen people! Thank God!  There is an atonement BEFORE THE LORD.                   – Henry Mahan

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 their 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 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, Missionary

*****

GOOD NEWS OR BAD NEWS
            The Gospel means good news.  News is a report of what has taken place.  It is not an interpretation of what has taken place.  It is the reporting of the facts.  The newspaper is filled with news.  I pour over the sports page every day to get the news.  I look to see if my team won or lost.  If they won it is good news to me!  But it is not good news to the fans of the team who were defeated by my team.  The stated score is the news.  It will be good news to some and bad news to others.  The Gospel is good news to some and bad news to others. The message of sovereign grace is good news to those who cannot be saved by their works.  But the same message is not good news to that one who is hoping to be saved by his works.

*****

            Every time you insist that I am a sinner, you call me to remember the benefit of Christ my Redeemer, upon whose shoulders, and not mine, lie all my sins.  So when you say I am a sinner, you do not terrify me, but comfort me immeasurably. – Martin Luther

January 13, 2019
Sundays 9:00 am                                                                            WKYT     Channel 27-2
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
Thy works, not mine, O Christ
Speak gladness to this heart
They tell me all the work is done
They bid my fear depart.

Thy cross, not mine, O Christ
Has borne the awful load
Of sins that no one else could bear
But our incarnate God.

Thy death, not mine, O Christ
Has paid the ransom due
Ten thousand, thousand deaths like mine
Would have been all too few.

Thy righteousness, O Christ
Alone can cover me
No righteousness can satisfy
Save that which is of Thee!

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

*****

            The Grace Gospel Church in Apopka, Florida will have their Bible Conference this weekend, January 18-20.

            We rejoice with Jennifer Anjos will confess Christ is believer’s baptism at the close of the service this morning.

Birthdays
25th– Mike Rigsby                            16th– Kelli Harries
              17th– Aiden Carver                           19th– Amanda DuFour

            “ The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.” - Proverbs 15:33

            Over the years I have seen many people struggle with Baptism.  “Was I a believer when I was baptized?  Should I be baptized again?”  There are two questions that must be answered to know if I should be satisfied with my baptism.  (1) What is the Gospel?  (2) Did I believe the Gospel when I was baptized?  If the Gospel I heard was not the Gospel of the Scriptures I was never baptized in the first place.  A religious ritual?  Yes. Christian baptism?  No.  Did I believe the Gospel I heard?  “Whoso believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”  Faith in Christ is the one requirement for baptism. If you heard and believed the Gospel when you were baptized, you should be satisfied with your baptism. If you had not heard the Gospel of the Scriptures, and had not believed the Gospel you now believe when you were baptized, you were not really baptized. You cannot truly be baptized without faith in Christ.  If you are satisfied that you had heard and believed the Gospel when you were baptized….thank God!  If you believe you had not heard nor believed the Gospel when you were first baptized, you really never have been baptized, and it is time for you to confess Christ in believer’s baptism.

CONTENTMENT
            “I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”  Contentment is satisfaction with whatever God does. It is not envious at the blessings others have.  It does not fret over circumstances. It does not covet what it does not have. It is humble, being content with anything because it knows it deserves nothing.  It is not ambitious for greater recognition. It believes all of God’s providence is good. Contentment arises from trust.  God is too wise to err, too kind to be cruel, and too powerful to not be the first cause of all things.  A content person is a happy person.  A discontent person is a dissatisfied, envious, covetous, proud, ambitious, mistrusting, unhappy person.

             A man said that he was saved because Christ did His part, and he did all the rest.  Somebody asked him, “But what was ‘the rest’ that you did?”  And he replied, “Why, Christ did it all, and I only stood in His way, and hindered Him all I could.” This is about all that we shall ever do in the matter of our soul’s salvation. It must rest with Christ alone, and our wisdom is to commit ourselves to Him who is able to meet all the necessities of our case, and to conduct us safely to our journey’s end; but since, from the first to the last, salvation is of the Lord, then give all the glory to His Holy Name, for to Him all the glory belongs.
                                                                                    - C. H. Spurgeon

WHY WAS ISRAEL DIVIDED?
            Have you ever wondered how or why Israel was divided into two kingdoms (Israel and Judah)?  Israel had been united under the rule of David and Solomon.  After the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam reigned in his stead. Some people from one of the twelve tribes said to Rehoboam, “Your Father made our yoke grievous…make it lighter and we will serve thee.”  Rehoboam asked his Father’s counselors what he should do.  Their answer, “If thou wilt be a servant to this people, and wilt serve them, and speak God’s words to them, then they will be thy servants forever.”  But the younger counselors told Rehoboam to tell them he was going to make the yoke more grievous!  He followed the advice of the young men… and it made Israel divide itself from Judah…hence, the divided kingdom.
            What do we learn from this? If we seek to be a servant, and serve, those we serve will want to serve us. If I am seeking to be served, division will be the outcome.  If I am seeking to serve, unity will be the outcome. We are to follow the example of the One whom the Father called “My Servant.”  “The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

THE BELIEVER’S RULE OF LIFE
            I left the pulpit one night and a fellow asked me, “Do you believe the law to be a believer’s rule of life?”  He seemed surprised when I told him I did not.  His very next question was, “How do you know how to live?”  I told him immediately that I lived just as the Apostle Paul, “The life that I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20).  This was the rule of life for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Abel and all others who have nothing but Jesus Christ to live upon.  Someone would say, “You mean you live as you want to?” I wish I could: I would be filled with the Sprit, I would never sin again, all my motives would be pure, and I would be delivered from the body of this death.  Oh, I wish I could live just like I want to.  The closest thing I have found to living just like I would like to is living by faith upon Jesus Christ the Dear and Blessed Son of God.                        - Bruce Crabtree

*****

            God displays His character and attributes in the manner in which He saves. To reject any aspect of His salvation is to reject some aspect of His character.  To fail to confess any aspect of His salvation is to fail to confess Who He is.  Error in doctrine or failure to preach doctrine is more than a mistake!  It is a denial of and failure to confess Christ!

January 6, 2019
Sundays 9:00 am                                                                             WKYT     Channel 27-2
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
O, Lamb of God, still keep me
Near to Thy wounded side
Tis only there in safety
And peace I can abide.
What foes and snares surround me!
What lusts and fears within!
The grace that sought and found me
Alone can keep me clean.

‘Tis only in Thee hiding
I know my life secure
Only in Thee abiding
I steadfast shall endure.
Thine arm the victory gaineth
O’er every hurtful foe
The love my heart sustaineth
In all its care and woe.

Soon shall my eyes behold Thee
With rapture, face to face
The half hath not been told me
Of all Thy power and grace.
Thy beauty, Lord, and glory
The wonders of Thy love
Shall be the endless story
Of all Thy saints above.

(Tune: “The Church’s One Foundation” p. 186)

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Grace Gospel Church Apopka, Florida Bible Conference - January 18-20

Birthdays
6th– Nathaniel Sligh           6th– Annette DuFour            7th– Henry Lynn
8th– Rachel Harries            9th– Nancy Benton               9th- Emily Bryan  10th– Cali Warta                                                           12th– Aaron Sligh

            “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.”                        - Proverbs 15:28
            Our wish for the New Year?  To be found in Christ and to know more of Him.  And that is a wish that is granted to all who desire it.

*****
            “My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.”                                                   – Psalm 34:2
            Boasting in the Lord is rejoicing in Christ!  Glorying in the cross!  It is the joy of knowing that God’s salvation is entirely in Christ.  Than means that if I am in Him, all God requires, I have! God is as pleased with me as He is with His own dear Son!  In Him I have wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.  In Him we are complete! In Him is no sin. In Him I have no sin.  Me being in Him is not God’s reward to me for my works as God’s response to anything I do. It is simply and mysteriously my eternal union with Christ.  Being one with Him.
            Who will be glad when they hear this message?  The humble! Those who have nothing to be proud about but Christ Himself.  Those who can only be saved by being in Christ.  Those who really believe themselves to be sinners and have nothing to bring to the table of salvation. When they hear of the salvation in Christ, they will be glad, and all the proud will be mad!
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TWO TYPES OF CALLS
            God gives us a precious promise in Romans 10:13 – “For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.”  Many people have claimed to call upon His Name, but what kind of call was it?  Was it the call of works sounded forth by the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees (me and you be nature) – “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy Name?  and in Thy Name have cast out devils? And in Thy Name done many wonderful works?” (Matthew 7:22)  Or was it the call of grace humbly offered by David and the publican (God’s elect) – “O Lord, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul” (Psalm 116:4).
            Notice a couple of things about these two calls. The call of works was long, embellished with adjectives, and made mention only of man’s works.  The call of grace was short, to the point, and made mention only of God’s work.
            And on which type of call did God carry out His promise of salvation?  The call of grace sinner went down to his house justified.  The call of works sinner was told to depart, “I never knew (loved)you.”  Ask God for grace, to enable you to call in grace, for salvation by grace, and you shall be saved!                                                       - Brian DuFour
JESUS CHRIST LOVES EVEN ME
John 13:23
“Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.”
            The apostle John in the Gospel narrative that bears his name referred to himself often as the disciple whom Jesus loved.  Do you think that it was an arrogant statement for him to refer to himself that way?  I can assure you that it was not. It was not because the Lord loved him more than the other apostles.  It was not because he felt that he was more special than the others.  The reason he referred to himself that way was the fact that he never got over Christ’s love for him.  To John, his name was not worth mentioning.  He had done nothing to earn, merit or deserve Christ’s love.  It was almost as if he was saying, “I can’t believe that the Lord Jesus loves me.”  John knew that Christ loved Peter, James, Matthew, Mark and all the others, but all that he could think about was that Christ loved him.  It is the same with me.  It is easy for me to see how the Lord could love others. But me?  How could He love me?  There is no reason that my Lord would be mindful of me, or merciful to me, and yet He loves me.  I am the one who deserves the least of His love, and yet He loves me.  When a saved sinner, by the sovereign grace of God sees Christ’s love for them, they do not desire to talk about themselves. No, they simply consider themselves as one whom Jesus loves.  They want to talk about nothing but Christ’s love for them!  It was this same dear apostle who wrote in his first epistle these words, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins” (I John 4:10). “We love Him, because He first loved us” (I John 4:19).  Yes, it is true.   Jesus loves even me.                                                            - David Eddmenson


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            Young Christians may think much of themselves.  Growing Christians think themselves nothing.  Mature Christians know that they are less than nothing.                                                                           - Copied
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            Everything that God requires, God must provide; and God only accepts that which He provides. - Greg Elmquist



December 30, 2018
Sundays 9:00 am                                                                            WKYT     Channel 27-2
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
The Saviour lives no more to die
He lives, the Lord enthroned on high
He lives triumphant o’er the grave
He lives eternally to save!

He lives to calm His people’s fears
He lives to wipe away their tears
He lives to soothe their troubled heart
He lives, all blessings to impart!

He lives, all glory to His Name
He lives eternally the same
He lives, their mansions to prepare
He lives to bring them safely there!

I would forever speak His Name
I would forever praise the Lamb
I would to all His grace make known
And worship at His Holy Throne!

(Tune: “Doxology”)

There will be no evening services tonight. We will have a New Year’s Eve service on Monday, Dec. 31stat 7:00pm and observe the Lord’s Table. After the New Year’s Eve service, Paul and Kelly Harries have invited everyone to their home. You may bring a dish to share (please no nuts of any kind in foods).

Birthdays
30th– Will Hands             31st– Donna Wooten              1st– Wyatt Davis
3rd– Rachel Sullivan          4th– Laura Brown              5th– Michael Mohr

“He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth Him.”                                  - Proverbs 14:2

The end of the old year and the beginning of the new is certainly a time for reflection. The Lord has brought us through many things, some difficult, some joyous, for all of which we give thanks! It is my prayer that the coming year will be a year we, “Grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” That we increase in love to Him, love to one another, zeal for His glory, and humility. I pray we become more merciful, less judgmental, more generous, less selfish, more dependent upon Him, more distrustful of ourselves, more forgiving and less self-promoting, more of a friend, less of a discouragement. I pray that we all will look for opportunities to preach the Gospel to men, and that men will find us to be like our Master, the friend of sinners. By the grace of God, these things will be. Happy New Year!

OPTIONS
Have you ever made a phone call and a voice comes on and says push 1 or 2 or 4, then when you push that number it starts all over again. How frustrating. In every part of life there are too many things to choose from, in going to a restaurant, in choosing a car, what kind of computer should I get, on and on it goes.
But there is one thing in which there are no options. SALVATION from sin and condemnation. God in His Holy Word has made it plain and straightforward; “This is my beloved Son, hear Him.”
God says there is ONE WAY to come unto Him, One who has the power to give eternal life, One who has the power to make God the Father known, One in whom a sinner can be accepted. The Holy Scriptures tells us there is One Righteousness; One Savior of sinners, One Mediator between God and men, “The man Christ Jesus.”   One who has the power to give life and quicken whom He will. God says there is One whom He appointed heir, One by whom He will be addressed by, One by whom He will address sinners by, One JUST ONE.
God will give no man any wiggle room here, freewill won’t do, works won’t do, merit has no place, and law keeping won’t be accepted. The Lord God said it this way, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36).
I am so thankful that God the Father brought me to the place where there was no way out from under the guilt and condemnation of my sin and revealed the ONE WAY in which He would accept and make me righteous. That Way is through and by the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Donnie Bell

All saving acts must be performed by man himself. Faith is the gift of God, but the Holy Ghost never believed for anybody; it is not His office 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? We ourselves must repent. There must be in every man a personal repentance, and a personal faith, and though these are wrought in him by the Holy Sprit, yet they are his own acts. They cannot be acts of anybody else or the man has not believed and has not repented, and there is no life in him. For instance, the Holy Sprit helps us to pray. He helps our infirmities – but we pray. True desires after God must be your own desire. The desire is wrought in you by the Holy Spirit, but still it is yours!                                                                               - C. H. Spurgeon

WONDERFUL METAPHORS
O the wonder, the glory and beauty of God’s Word. It is beyond our ability to fully understand and appreciate. But we marvel at what we do understand. God uses many things to describe His Word; everyday, ordinary, yet wonderful and necessary things. He likens His Word to things such as: Light, Bread, Milk, Honey, Meat, Fire, Water, Hammer, Sword, Plough, Seed, Rain, Dew, Treasure, Gold, Net, Mirror, a Kiss! All this and more is God’s Word for His people.                 – Paul Mahan

THE VANITY OF THIS LIFE
The hope of ever finding anything on this earth which can actually give me fulfillment, contentment, or satisfaction has long ago passed away. I have not, like Solomon, tried it all to the extent to which he did; but what I have seen, heard, and experienced of this world, I have found to be vanity. I shall rest and hope in Christ and know that I shall be satisfied when I awake in His likeness.                          - Henry Mahan

December 23, 2018
Sundays 9:00 am                                                                            WKYT     Channel 27-2
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
Wherewith shall we approach the Lord
And bow before His throne
By trusting in His faithful Word
And pleading Christ alone – And pleading Christ alone!

Thy blood, the righteousness, and love
Of Jesus Christ we plead
He lives within the veil above
For us to intercede – For us to intercede!

Sure ground and sure foundation, too
We find in His dear Name
Herein we every blessing view
And every favor claim – And every favor claim!

Then let His Name forever be
To us supremely dear
Our only all-sufficient plea
For all our hope is there – For all our hope is there!

(Tune: “Majestic Sweetness” p.52)

There will be no evening services tonight, Wednesday, Dec. 26thand Sunday Dec. 30th.  We will have a New Year’s Eve service on Monday, Dec. 31stat 7:00pm and observe the Lord’s Table.  After the New Year’s Eve service, Paul and Kelly Harries have invited everyone to their home.  You may bring a dish to share (please no nuts of any kind in foods).

Birthdays
23rd– Rick Kelly               25th– Paul Daniel               26th– Jake Murphy
26th– Paul Walmsley        29th– Alan Kincer              29th– Amanda Frye

“A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.”  - Proverbs 14:16

We place no religious significance to what is known as Christmas day, the supposed day of the Lord’s birth.  However, I do love that there was a day the Son that was given became the child that was born.  We love His incarnation, and I am thankful that men are made to think about the great Truth that the Lord Jesus Christ came in the flesh!  I am thankful for the warmth between men that comes at this time. I am thankful to see families enjoy one another.  While I realize also that Christmas can be a sad and lonely time for some, I wish all a very Merry Christmas! May you all enjoy the time spent with family and loved ones.

THE GREAT THINGS THE LORD HATH DONE
“Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord has done for thee.”                                                      - Mark 5:19
These were the words of the Lord to the man who had been processed by a legion of demons.  The Lord had cast them out, and now the man wanted to go with the Lord as He was leaving. But the Lord told him to go back to his friends and give them the Gospel message: The great things He has done. Most of what goes under the name of preaching is the great things He will do if…….  That does my soul no good because I know where that will go.  In reality, that is a message of salvation by works. Christ will do this if you do something that will obligate Him to respond. The message of the Gospel is what He has done!  He did not say, “It will be finished if….”  but “It is finished!”  No if’s, nothing I need to do to complete it.  Every aspect of salvation, from pre-destination to glorification has been done (Romans 8:31-35).  A sinner can rest in what the Lord has done!

Spurgeon once said, “I don’t know which renders the greater service – the man who preaches or the man who prays, but I know this, we can do better without the voice than without the heart of prayer!”

Blessed and happy is that assembly of redeemed people, brought together and baptized into one body by His Spirit, whose love for the Lord Jesus and for one another enables them to sing with one voice, pray with one heart, walk in one direction, and worship with one Spirit!  Where each member realizes the importance of his presence, his prayers, his support, and his co-operation.  Where Christ is Lord and all others are servants!  Where the will of Christ is preeminent and all other wills and desires are in subjection!  Where there are no young and old, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, but only Christ, who is All and in All.
- Henry Mahan

SOMEONE IS LYING!
Who is spreading lies across America and throughout the world?  Who is it that is telling around that the Lord Jesus Christ ransomed some who are not ransomed?  Redeemed some who are not actually redeemed?  Atoned for the sins of some whose sins are not covered?  Purged the sins of some whose sins have not been purged? Became a Substitute for some who must yet answer unto God for themselves?  Died for the sins of some who must yet die for their own sins? And prays for some who shall never benefit from His prayers?
Who dares to utter such blasphemy against the living God? Who would so impugn and malign God in His wisdom and purpose, holiness and justice, love, power, and grace? Who would be so irreverent and impudent as to speak, or even believe such things?
Who?  The vast majority of preachers throughout the world – most of our religious neighbors and those who preach to them!  Pity them but do not excuse them…they ought to be ashamed of themselves!  To say that Christ suffered and died for those who had already been in Hell 4.000 years when He died, or to say that His soul was made an offering for sin for those whom God knew – being omniscient – would never believe the Gospel when they heard it, or that God ever purposed anything that He shall not bring to pass, is a confession of one’s ignorance of the God of the Bible.                 - Maurice Montgomery

A man’s free will cannot cure him even of the toothache, or of a sore finger, and yet he madly thinks it is in its power to cure his soul.  The greatest judgment which God Himself can, in the present life, inflict upon a man is, to leave him in the hand of his own boasted free will.
Could my tears forever flow
Could my zeal no languor know
These for sin could not atone
Thou must save and Thou alone
In my hands no price I bring
Simply to Thy cross I cling.
- Augustus M. Toplady 1740-1778
Author of the hymn “Rock of Ages”

His commandments are not grievous.  It is more profitable and enjoyable to love than to hate, to forgive than to hold a grudge, to smile than to quarrel, to behave kindly than to act ugly.  The way of the transgressor is hard, not the way of the believer.  The life of faith and love is the good life.                                                            - Henry Mahan

December 16, 2018
Sundays 9:00 am                                                                             WKYT     Channel 27-2
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
The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet water by.
My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the path of righteousness
E’en for His own Name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through death’s dark vale
Yet will I fear no ill
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
My table Thou hast furnished me
In presence of my foes
My head Thou dost with oil anoint
And my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling-place shall be.
(Tune: “The Lord’s My Shepherd” p. 293)

There will be no evening services on Sunday, Dec. 23rd, Wednesday, Dec. 26thand Sunday Dec. 30th. We will have a New Year’s Eve service on Monday, Dec. 31stat 7:00pm and observe the Lord’s Table. After the New Year’s Eve service, Paul and Kelly Harries have invited everyone to their home. You may bring a dish to share (please no nuts of any kind in foods).

Birthdays
16th– Cindy Farmer           19th– Amanda Janes          21st– Erik Charron
“There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.”                            - Proverbs 19:21

GOD’S THOUGHTS
“How precious are Thy thoughts unto me, O God.”
God never had a new thought. His thoughts are eternal. Being infinite, He has all of His thoughts before Him at all times. There has never been a time when His children were not in His conscious thoughts - thoughts of love, joy, peace, complacency, and satisfaction. Thoughts that never had a beginning and thoughts that will never end. And God’s thoughts are immutable. They never change. He said, “I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” And what is that end? Perfect conformity to the image of Jesus Christ. “For Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first born among many brethren.” Truly, “How precious are also Thy thoughts unto me, O God. If I count them they are more than the number of the sand: When I awake I am still with thee.”

Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to walk worthy of God. The word worth is used five other times in the New Testament, and we are given a picture of what a worthy walk looks like. In Ephesians 4:1-3, it is ascribed as walking in humility and meekness, and longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, and endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit. In Philippians 1:27 it is, “With one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel.” In Colossians 1:10it is, “Being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” In Romans 16:2, “Receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints.” In John III 6, it is supporting missionaries. May we all walk worthy of God in all of these particulars!

YOU CAN’T MAKE WATER WET
I am always frustrated to hear “soul winners” tell people, “Let God be Lord of your life.” My friend, you can’t make God the Lord of your life anymore than you can make water wet. Water is wet because that is the nature of water. God is King of kings. He is Lord of all because that is His nature. The only thing sinners like us can do it beg God the King to save us by His grace.                                     - Frank Tate

I OUGHT
“Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.” - I Thessalonians 4:1
I ought to love my God and Savior with all my heart, soul, and strength. I ought to love my neighbor as much as I love myself. I ought to prefer my brothers and sisters so much over myself, that I would die for them. I ought to pray more. I ought to study the Scriptures more. I ought to love my wife, children, and grandchildren more. I ought to think on my Savior more and share His Gospel with others more. I ought to complain less and praise more. I ought to bow to all things providential. I ought to forgive more. I ought to walk and to please God so I could abound more and more as a child of the Living God. I ought to do all these things out of love, adoration and for the glory of God in the Lord Jesus Christ who loved me and gave Himself for me. Lord, cause me to do as I ought!                                       - David Eddmenson

Perfect, complete, without blemish, holy, blameless, spotless; these are just a few of the words the Scriptures uses to describe God’s saints. We do not feel that we are any of these things in ourselves, but this is what God says about us. Do we believe what we see in ourselves or what God says about us? God describes us with these glorious words because of what our Lord Jesus Christ accomplished for us by His holy sinless life and His sacrificial death for us on the cross. God’s Word describes us as what we are in Christ. “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.”                                                       - Donnie Bell

Oh to be able to unsay a careless, cruel word. To be able to replay a scene in my life and apply what has since been learned. Yet when Paul says, “Forgetting those things”in Philippians3:13, he refers not to what would commonly be considered sins and regrets. Paul regretted “those things” in his past that most would consider righteousness. We cannot go back and honor Christ in our past, but by His grace, may we honor Him now, while it is day. – Chris Cunningham

When you become just nothing, when you have no good feelings, no good desires, or anything you can bring to Christ – when you come to Christ, not with a broken heart, but for a broken heart, then He will receive you, then you will be the kind of man that Christ came to save.                                                                               - Milton Howard

December 9, 2018
Sundays 9:00 am                                                                             WKYT     Channel 27-2
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
Thy works, not mine, O Christ
Speak gladness to this heart
They tell me all the work is done
They bid my fear depart.

Thy cross, not mine, O Christ
Has borne the awful load
Of sins that no one else could bear
But our incarnate God.

Thy death, not mine, O Christ
Has paid the ransom due
Ten thousand, thousand deaths like mine
Would have been all too few.

Thy righteousness, O Christ
Alone can cover me
No righteousness can satisfy
Save that which is of Thee!
(Tune: “I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord” p.188)

We extend our sincere sympathy to the James family on the death of Bill James, the brother of Tim James and Ann Schuyler.

Andy and Megan Davis will host a gathering at their home for the adults this Friday, December 14thfrom 7-9pm.    Bring an appetizer or dessert.

Birthdays
9th– Chuck Mohr                                        9th– Ben Small
12th– Lisa Gillispie                                      14th– Christie Small

“The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.”                                                                    - Proverbs 10:7

DISCERNMENT
“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all judgment.”                             - Philippians 1:9
The word judgment in this verse is used only here in the New Testament. It means discernment. Paul does not pray that our knowledge and discernment will abound. He prays that our love to the person of Christ will abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment. The more I love Christ, the more I will know of Him. He said, “Learn of Me.” The more I love Him the more clearly I will recognize that which is not of Him and that which is contrary to Him. Discernment is born of love to His Person. Love to His Person hates that which is contrary to Him and loves that which glorifies Him! A supposed knowledge and judgment we have that is not born of a love to His Person is useless knowledge and discernment. May the Lord grant us more love to the Lord Jesus Christ!

“This is a faithful(true)saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” - I Timothy 1:15
There is a lifetime of preaching in this verse but there are two points of great importance which are sometimes overlooked: the truth of the saying and the worth of it! To discover the Truth of the Gospel is to find true peace of mind and to discover the worth of the Gospel is to find true peace of heart.
1. The truth of it. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (I John 5:11). I believe the record that God hath given concerning Christ; therefore, I am not troubled and confused by other voices or other claims. Let God be true and every man a liar. The apostle summed it up this way, “To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). My mind is satisfied!
2. The worth of it. If I have Christ, I need nothing else, either in this life or in the life to come. I am complete in Him, redeemed in Him, accepted in Him, and already seated with Him in glory. I have ceased from all my labors and efforts to secure divine favor. His redemptive work is not only effectual but is sufficient for the greatest sinner, the poorest sinner and the weakest sinner. “My grace is sufficient for thee”(II Cor. 12:9). Does this not leave your heart in a state of rest and peace? If not, then you have not yet discovered the worth of His great atonement.
- Henry Mahan

A LOVING HUSBAND
It is easy to submit to someone who loves us sacrificially. For a man to insist that his wife submit to his authority without earning her respect by putting her needs before his own, can only cause resentment. The Lord proved His love for His wife by giving Himself for her. He always speaks kindly to her. He is always tender and patient with her. He reminds her constantly how precious she is to Him. She in return, delights in submission to His loving authority. “Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it” (Ephesians 5:22-33).                                                           - Greg Elmquist

Christ is more than a Saviour; He is salvation itself! David said, “The Lord is my light and my salvation.” It is well to see salvation in the work, life, and death of Christ; but we must never forget that the essence of salvation lies in His Person. HE HIMSELF IS SALVATION! It is WHO He is which gives virtue to WHAT He does. We are bidden to come, not to His work, but to HIMSELF. The Gospel loses much of its sweetness when the Person of Christ is put in the background and honor given only to His work.                                         – C. H. Spurgeon

In the new birth there is nothing changed in the flesh…it is still sinful flesh. But in that same new birth, there is an imparted new man born from heaven that is holy and does not sin.           – Marvin Stalnaker

The Holy Scriptures DO NOT teach that God loves everybody in the world. However, God’s Word DOES teach that He loves everybody that loves, believes, and trust wholly in His Son.       – David Eddmenson

What is a preacher? A preacher is a nobody, who tells everybody, about Somebody, who can save anybody. – Scott Richardson

December 2, 2018

Sundays 9:00 am                                                                            WKYT     Channel 27-2
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

If I have anything in which
O’er others I might boast
If in these things I’m counted rich
For Christ I count them loss!
What things once seemed to be my gain
Which gave me joy and pride
God’s grace has taught me to disdain
And made me cast aside.

They’re cast aside –What glory here
That I the Lord might gain
That in the day of wrath and fear
I may be found in Him!
Not having my own righteousness
Which I gain through the law
But dressed, through faith, in nothing less
Than the righteousness of God!

O, that I may know Jesus Christ
And know within my soul
That power which raised Him to God’s side
And works to make me whole
And may I learn His sufferings
By which He made me blessed
That like Him, in His death, I’d be
His image on me pressed.

(Tune: “There is a Fountain” p. 222)
*****
We will observe the Lord’s Table this evening.

All ladies are invited to a baby shower for Laura Williams on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 2:00.  The sign-up sheet is in the foyer.

Andy and Megan Davis will host a gathering at their home for the adults on Friday, December 14th.  Bring an appetizer or dessert.

Birthdays
2nd– Susan Holthaus      2nd– Kara Imes      3rd– Kelly Byrd    4th- Jennifer Dent                                    4th- Eden Steeves         5th– Andy Davis          8th– Camden Proffitt

“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.”                           - Proverbs 22:15

*****
“This do in remembrance of Me”
Every first Sunday night of the month we do this.  I would love to see people attend services every Sunday night. Sunday is called the Lord’s day, not the Lord’s morning.  But when the Lord tells us to gather together and eat the bread and the drink the wine in remembrance of Him, there is certainly nothing better or more important to do.  I want to make sure I am there every time it is possible!

*****

TURNING GRACE INTO LASCIVIOUSNESS
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.   – Jude 4
Many interpret this verse as men saying a lascivious life of unrestrained sin is acceptable, because salvation is by grace and not works. Indeed some men will have willfully indulged themselves in sin believing they are covered by the blanket of grace. These men are men that have never been born from above!  But that is not what Jude is warning us of.  These are men who say that the preaching of free grace will give men a license to sin.  That has always been the objection of false religion to the grace of God.  To not teach any Truth that is taught in the Word of God out of fear it will lead men to sin exposes no respect for the Truth and a fear that it will not produce godliness of heart and life.  While it is true that some men will use Truth as an excuse for their own sin, a believer will not.  These men who under the cloak of concern for a holy life conceal the Truth, reveal themselves to be ungodly men who say free grace will promote lasciviousness.  These men have been ordained to this condemnation!  It is a dangerous thing to withhold Truth out of fear of what it will or will not accomplish.

*****

The common desire to escape punishment does not spring from love to God but love to self.  It springs from the fear of punishment, not from the fear of God.   It is not a hope of the glory of God, but of the glory of self.                                                               - Scott Richardson

THREE THINGS REGARDING GOD’S GRACE
1. Grace is always sovereign. “Therefore, hath He mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth.”  (Romans 9:18)

2. Grace is always free.  “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24)

3. Grace is always saving.  “By grace are ye saved.”  (Ephesians 2:8)  God’s grace is not an offer up for man’s acceptance or rejection.  His grace sovereignly saves!
We cannot believe grace without believing these three things regarding grace.

*****

Faith is necessary for salvation.  But we do not look to our faith to save us; rather, in faith, we look to Christ. Repentance is necessary for salvation. But we do not look to our repentance to save us; rather, in repentance, we turn to Christ.  There are graces which God works in us as He saves us. But these graces are never to be the object of our trust, confidence, or hopeful gaze.  All the graces God gives us in salvation are to be used to look to, turn to, appreciate, and lay hold of Christ, who is our salvation!                                                                              - Joe Terrell

*****

AVAILABLE OR ACCOMPLISHED?
Christ did not die to make salvation available to sinners.  I sure am glad of that because if salvation is merely available in Christ, no son of Adam can be saved since by nature we will not and cannot come to Christ that we might be saved.  Christ died to save His elect people from their sins (Matt. 2:21).   Then if God is as He describes Himself (always doing His will) those people shall be eternally saved from their sin.  I sure am thankful for salvation accomplished in Christ!  That is the only salvation that will save a sinner like you and me.                  - Frank Tate

*****

The strongest inducement for a Christian to obey God is the fact that he had already been graciously pardoned in Christ for having disobeyed.                                                                    - Author Unknown

November 25, 2018
Sundays 9:00 am                                                                            WKYT     Channel 27-2
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

To Christ the Lord let every tongue
Its noblest tribute bring
When He’s the subject of the song
Who can refuse to sing?  Who can refuse to sing?

Survey the beauties of His face
And on His glories dwell
Think of the wonders of His grace
And all His victories tell!  And all His victories tell!

Thou hast redeemed our souls with blood
Hast set the prisoners free
Hast made us kings and priests to God
And we shall reign with Thee!  And we shall reign with Thee!

The whole creation join as one
To bless that Holy Name
Of Him who sits upon the Throne
And to adore the Lamb!  And to adore the Lamb!

(Tune: “Majestic Sweetness” p. 52)

*****
The preacher’s class will meet this Saturday, Dec. 1stat 10:00am.

All ladies are invited to a baby shower for Laura Williams on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 2:00.  The sign-up sheet is in the foyer.

Andy and Megan Davis will host a gathering for the adults on Friday, December 14th. Bring an appetizer or dessert.

Birthdays
25th– Sarah Lynn                26th– Adam Charron    26th– John Frye
26th– Max Murphy              28th– Lydia Lynn        30th- Bryleigh Carroll
30th– Isaac  Steeves                                                  30th– Mitch  Steeves

“A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.”               - Proverbs 18:19

IF I AM NOT SAVED
If I am not saved, it is not because I want to be saved and God refuses to save me. If I am not saved it is not because God did not elect me, Christ did not die for me, and the Holy Spirit did not give me life.  If I am not saved it is because I do not want to be saved. That does not mean I do not want to be delivered from the punishment of hell.  But it does mean I do not want to be saved God’s way on God’s terms.  If I am saved, I do want to be saved.  If I am saved I am saved because God elected me, Christ died for me, and the Holy Spirit gave me life!  But if I am not saved, I have no one to blame but myself.  I do not want to be saved. Could anyone charge God with injustice because He did not give to somebody something they did not want?

*****

If a man is not a believer and hears preaching that makes him  see that he is not a believer - that is a good thing.  It is only then that a man will cry for mercy.  This is what God will use to drive him from his false refuges and look to Christ alone!  But if a man is a believer and hears preaching that makes him fear that he is not a believer because he does not measure up to what the preacher says a believer should be, he is quite simply not hearing the Gospel preached at that time. He is hearing a message that calls upon men to look within for evidence of salvation. Hearing the Gospel gives peace, not lack of assurance!  Hearing the Gospel is really believing that Christ is All, and assurance arises from that.

*****

There has never been a sinner who asked for mercy who was denied.  I have had many people over the years tell me that they have asked for mercy and their prayer went unheard.  The reason their prayer was not heard was they were not really asking for mercy.
When a sinner asks for mercy, two things are crystal clear in his heart.  First, his sin is all his fault. He cannot blame God’s sovereignty, his circumstances, or someone else.  If I do not take complete responsibility for my sin, it is impossible to ask for mercy.  Mercy is needed only when my sin is all my fault.   Secondly, mercy is God’s to give or withhold. Any objection to God being sovereign in giving His mercy to whom He will is leaving the ground of mercy and entering the ground of entitlement.  If I fail to see my sin is all my fault and that mercy is God’s to give or withhold, I have never really asked for mercy.  But if I confess before God my sin is all my fault, and acknowledge His sovereign mercy is His to give or withhold and cry out, “God be merciful to me the sinner,” I will have mercy.  There has never been a sinner who sought mercy who was denied.

“IT IS HIGH TIME TO AWAKE OUT OF SLEEP”
Romans 13:11
Sleep looks like death.  A true Christian can look dead in trespasses and sins.  The five virgins with the oil in their lamps slept and slumbered. On the outside they looked no different from the virgins without oil.  How can a believer become like this?  Too many reasons to list, but it is still a fact that they can.  Wake up! Our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.  We do not have much time left!  There is absolutely no excuse for our letting ourselves get in such a condition.  Where do I begin to wake up?  Hear the Gospel again as you first heard it.  “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk ye in Him” (Col. 2:6).

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“What shall I cry?”   - Isaiah 40:6
In the text above we have in the spirit of prophecy the last of God’s prophets asking of God His message.  What was he told to cry?  He was told to cry two truths.  First, he is to cry of the absolute weakness, and inability of man to restore himself into the image of God.  “All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field.”  Second, he is to cry: “Behold your God!”  The Lord Jesus Christ is God and Savior to all that behold (look) to Him in faith.
By the grace of God as long as I am in this pulpit when you come here you will hear the old, old story of Jesus and His love in dying for sinners.                                                                     - David Pledger

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Augustine once said: “To be assured of our interest in Christ is not arrogance, it is FAITH.  It is not pride; it is DEVOTION.  It is not presumption; it is GOD’S PROMISE.”  If assurance of salvation rested in my works, it would be presumption (even foolishness); but we believe God will receive all who come to Him in Christ Jesus.