A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.

A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. Proverbs 18:6-8

Next Sunday, February 5^th we will plan to observe the Lord’s Table and enjoy lunch together.

Salvation Is For Sinners

“The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of herchildren” (Matt. 11:19).

The Pharisees called our Lord, "The friend of sinners." They thought to brand Him with shame and hold His name up to ridicule; but what they thought to be shame is His chief glory. He is indeed "the friend of sinners." Thank God He is! This is what makes the gospel good news. This is a no sham gospel that we preach, but it is real salvation for real sinners. It is real grace for real guilt. We preach no gospel of merit for moralists. We preach good news of pardon and forgiveness for men who are nothing, have nothing, and can do nothing!

Pastor Henry T. Mahan ( Bulletin 1982)

WORSHIP

“But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple” (Psalm 5:7).

When we gather together in the house of the Lord, true believers come with a desire in the heart to worship Him. They don’t come for an emotional experience. They don’t come for an intellectual challenge. They come to present themselves before The Living God, bow to Him, and give Him thanks for every good and perfect gift He has blessed them with. Sometimes, He speaks to them through His word in such a way that causes the believer’s heart to burn within him! Sometimes He increases the understanding of His child’s mind! But when we only come for those things (when we only come for the things we can get from Him) our worship becomes focused on us and not Him! May our Lord remind us, each time we come into His house, of what He said in John 4:23, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.”

Pastor Gabe Stalnaker

"Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding." (Proverbs 23:23).

Hold on to the truth. Today they say it does not matter what we believe; that we should all join together and be one big happy family. To do this you must sacrifice something. I have never seen error compromised. It is always the truth. Somebody has to be wrong. Is it us? It is if we do not hold on to the truth. We cannot all be right. Is salvation of the Lord, or not? Is man dead in sin, or not? Does God

choose out those on whom to show mercy, or not? Did Christ redeem, or not? Does the Spirit bring us to Christ, or not? Does God keep us safe, or not? This is what it comes down to. Either Christ is all, or He is not. Either Christ came to save sinners, or He did not.

Pastor Milton Howard

Dying In Faith

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Heb.11:13).

It is most certainly true that all men shall die (Heb. 9:27). However, it is not true that all men shall die in faith, for all men have not the faith of God’s elect (Titus 1:1). Those who die in faith are those given to Christ Jesus in the eternal covenant of grace (Eph. 1:3-6). Those who die in faith are those for whom the Lord Jesus Christ lived as high Priest to represent them (Heb. 2:17) and died as the atoning sacrifice to redeem and justify them (Heb. 9:12; 26). Those who die in faith are those for whom the Lord Jesus Christ as the forerunner occupies the very throne of God as Advocate and Mediator (Heb. 6:20, 7:25; 1John 2:1; 1Tim. 2:5). Those who die in faith are those who have heard the gospel of God’s sovereign grace in Christ and have been given life to believe and trust Christ alone for all their righteousness before God (2Cor. 5:17; 1John 5:1). Those who die in faith are those who live by faith (Heb. 10:38), looking to the Lord Jesus Christ to provide all things in salvation for us (Heb. 12:2; Phil. 4:19). Those who die in faith are those who are “persuaded” the gospel is true (Rom. 4:20). Believers do embrace and love all the promises of God in Christ (2Cor. 1:20). The redeemed will and do “confess” that they are looking and longing for our heavenly inheritance in Christ (Heb. 11:10). Those made new by His grace “declare plainly” that they are seekers of Christ (Heb. 11:6). God’s sheep have all things better in Christ (Heb. 11:16), a better hope, a better covenant, a perfect sacrifice, a glorious inheritance and eternal salvation (Heb. 7:19, 22; 8:6; 9:12).