ZEBULON BAPTIST CHURCH
Weekly Bulletin
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007

My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Psalm 45:1-4

WHO DOES YOUR WORK?
Nothing more clearly reveals to us that salvation, sanctification, and redemption is the work of our God than to observe the efforts and failure of those who TRY TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WORK FOR THEMSELVES! The disciples asked, "Lord, who then can be saved?" He said unto them, "WITH MEN THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE; but with God all things are possible." It is impossible in the flesh for a man to please God. Yet millions, ignorant of the righteousness of Christ, still go about to establish their own righteousness and WILL NOT SUBMIT to the righteousness of God, which is Christ Jesus, our Lord. Many keep up this masquerade to the judgment and then plead their works (Matt. 7: 21-23) before God; but most finally lose interest, keep their names on church rolls, and play church on special days. When they die, their preachers try to find some cause on which to give their families hope; but that, too, is impossible; for IF CHRIST IS NOT IN YOU, there is no hope of glory. "But HE HATH BEGOTTEN US again unto a living hope" (I Pet. 1:3). Pastor Henry Mahan

UNLESS CHRIST
Unless the Spirit of God crosses my path and gives me an understanding of the preciousness of Christ and the glory of His blessed Gospel and creates within me a new heart, giving me a knowledge of Who He is, I will be forever lost. Unless Christ intervenes, He will never be any more to me than someone else recorded in history who walked this earth. When the gospel is preached it will be nothing more to me than a boring hour of the same message heard last week; the songs of praise will be to me nothing more than a different way of singing eighth notes; and when I hear those who call themselves believers witness of Him, their conversation will only grate on the already frayed ends of my nerves.

But if my cold heart is removed and God Himself creates within me a new heart, I will find myself in awe of His mercy. I will not be able to thank Him enough, to praise Him enough, to worship Him enough, or to hear His gospel enough. As Mr. Barnard said, "I'll find myself somewhere between total ecstasy and despair."

Still, even with that new heart, sometimes I will seemingly feel so indifferent to Christ's message. But I will not despair at my feelings-He is greater than my feelings! I must not rest in my feelings. I must rest in Him, in His Word, in His promises. Pastor Marvin Stalnaker

PRECIOUS FAITH
That precious, saving faith which unites the sinner to Christ also unites the sinner to all those who belong to Christ. To be one with Him is to be one with them. Loving and serving Him has something to do with loving and serving them; and loving and serving them has something to do with loving and serving Him. Saving faith says that there is one Savior. Saving faith also says that there is one household, one family, one body, one vine tree, etc. "I (Christ) am the vine, ye are the branches" (John 15:5). - Pastor Maurice Montgomery

THREEFOLD WITNESS OF THE TRUE GOSPEL
"At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established" (Deuteronomy 19:15).

This is the rule of law laid down in Holy Scripture, that for something to be counted as fact and not fiction it must be established on the principal of two or three witnesses. This is exactly the method that Peter employs in His inspired letter given to believers (2Peter 1:16-21). Peter says, "we have not followed cunningly devised fables"(vs.16). Then he proceeds to give us a threefold witness of the true gospel of God's grace, to prove that the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is fact not fiction.

1). The witness of the Apostles, "...but were eyewitnesses of his majesty" (2Peter 1:16). Peter and the other Apostles clearly witnessed the power, coming and majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ. All of the Apostles of the past declared, "the power of the Lord Jesus Christ." He is Almighty God, able to save to the uttermost (Heb. 7:25; John 17:2). They witnessed His first coming (Gal. 4:4; Matt.1:21) and declared His second coming (2Peter 3:10-13; 2Thes.1:7-9). They also witnessed His majesty, His deity (1Tim.3:16), magnificence (Jude 24), and great splendor (Heb. 1:1-3).

2). The witness of God the Father, "For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (2Peter 1:17). This is the declaration of God the Father when He spoke out of the cloud on the mount of transfiguration (Matt.17:1-13). All honor and glory rightly and naturally belong to the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 5:12-14). God is always well pleased with His Son (Matt. 3:17; Isa. 42:1 Phil.2:5-9). God is also well pleased with those only in His Son (Rom.8:1; Eph.1:6).

3). The witness of the prophets, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2Peter 1:19-21). Peter lays down another strong and convincing proof that the gospel is fact not fiction. All the prophets of the past from Moses to Malachi gave witness to the birth (Isa. 9:6), sacrifice (Isa. 53:4-6), and resurrection (Psa. 16) of our Lord Jesus Christ. "To Him (Jesus Christ) give all the prophets witness" (Acts 10:43). Our Lord died for our sins according to the scriptures (1Cor. 15:1-4). All through the Old Testament scripture the Lord is spoken of in type, picture and shadow (Luke 24:25-27). The scriptures, both Old and New Testament are God given (2Tim.3:16). They give unto us an unambiguous (clear) testimony of the true gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom.15:4; Rom.1:16; 2Cor.2:1-5).

December 2nd, 2007
Sunday Worship
Bible Study 10:30 A.M.
Morning Service 11:15 A.M.
Kingsport service 3:00 P.M.
Wednesday Worship 7:00 P.M.

Radio (Sundays):
WXCC 96.5 & 98.1 FM (new time and staion) 8:15 A.M each week