Through preaching the gospel to them He makes known,
The riches of glory and grace by His cross:
Eternal possessions which cannot be lost.
Praise be to the Father who chose us in grace.
Praise be to the Son who has died in our place.
Praise be to the Spirit who gave us new birth.
Praise be to the One God of heaven and earth.
With all of our hearts does the Lord bid us sing
Come humbly before Him , thanksgiving to bring.
All others are idols, He lives, God alone
By grace He has saved us and made us His own.
Today’s Speaker: Brother Randy Wages will conduct the 11:00 am service today. Pray for him as he delivers God’s word.
Television Broadcast: Our Reign of Grace Television program is being broadcast on WFXL Fox 31, Channel 4. The program will air every Sunday morning at 11 AM.
Radio Broadcast: Sunday morning at 9:30am on 98.7 FM –WISK.
Web Sites: Visit our web sites at: Reign of Grace: www.rofgrace.com
Birthdays: Richman Margeson – Jan. 20th , Bill Sparks – Jan. 22nd , Tim Hall – Jan. 26th
THE EVERLASTING GOD
All of God’s gracious dealings with His chosen people are from everlasting because He is "the everlasting God" (Genesis 21:33) whose "mercy is from everlasting to everlasting" (Psalm 103:17). Indeed, since it is written that Christ is "the everlasting Father" (Isaiah 9:6), then He must have everlasting children for whom He has everlasting affection. "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee" (Jeremiah 31:3). Here is love without beginning, ending or cause. It is evident that the everlasting Lord loved His everlasting children with an everlasting love for He chose us unto an "everlasting salvation" (Isaiah 45:17) in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). View the "everlasting covenant" (Hebrews 13:20) of grace and see in that blessed contract God’s everlasting concern, care and provision for His beloved people. He set apart His Son to be the Mediator and Surety of that very covenant and committed His elect and all of their concerns into "the everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27) of their almighty Savior. Behold the Son of God dying on the cross, enduring infinite wrath so that God could save sinners, not at the expense of His justice, but with its full blessing. The message of the good news of His glorious person and finished work is therefore called, with good reason, "the everlasting gospel" (Revelation 14:6). According to God’s everlasting purpose, Christ died and arose to enable God to be both just and Justifier. We are assured that by His justice-satisfying, guilt-removing, transgression-finishing death, He saved His people from their sins and brought in "everlasting righteousness" (Daniel 9:24). In time, the Lord’s redeemed, reconciled and justified people are regenerated by the Spirit and brought to believe on Christ, and they are assured that in Him they already have "everlasting life" (John 5:24). Though we are still a sinful people, yet the Lord has given us an "everlasting consolation and good hope through grace" (2 Thessalonians 2:16). We are comforted in knowing that our everlasting salvation was conditioned solely upon Christ and His faithfulness to do the work committed to Him. When the Lord calls us home to glory, we will then realize the fulfillment of that glorious promise, "And so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:11).
--- Pastor Jim Byrd
“THAT WILL I SEEK AFTER”
“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4) As we begin another new year, let us not make useless resolutions we all know we will not keep. Let us, however, as children of God, sinners saved and given all the blessings of eternal life by His grace in Christ, resolve to “seek after” Christ and the things of God more than we ever have. Let us resolve to love Him and His people more and to know Him and His Word more. Let us resolve every day to give Christ all the glory and praise He deserves as He in sovereign grace and mercy has freely given us all of salvation and preserves us unto the end. “The beauty of the Lord” is found in Jesus Christ, the Son of God incarnate, and in His accomplished work of redemption to secure the forgiveness of our sins by His blood and our justification before God by His righteousness imputed. We are accepted in HIM, and He has given us spiritual life to desire His glory and praise. He is our beauty, and therefore, let us resolve to seek Him more, to know Him more, to trust and follow Him more. Let us all pray that God Who has given us this holy desire to cause this desire to grow so that we not only resolve to seek after Him, dwell in His house all the days of our lives, behold His beauty, and inquire in His temple, but that we follow through with our resolve. Let us pray to our God for such an intense desire to do these things that we cannot help but act upon it to the praise of the glory of His grace in Christ our Lord and Savior.
--- Pastor Bill Parker
“Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28
The time of Christ’s second coming approaches, and it befits His disciples to think of that event and iligently prepare for it. But if we do not witness the descent of our Lord in the clouds, death will soon come and usher us into His presence; and before that we may be exposed to many and painful troubles, so that the direction given by our Lord to us as His disciples may be just suitable, "Then look up!" We are entering upon a new year. We shall have new toils, new trials, new temptations, and new troubles. But whenever they come, let us "look up!" Look not upon or within ourselves, but upon Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Look not to others for wisdom, understanding, peace, and comfort, but to His Word, for all these blessings come in believing and resting in Him. LOOK UP! (Copied)
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