Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

Psalm 24:8-10

The Wrath of Man

“Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee; the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain” (Psalm 76:10).

Let the heathen rage; let the atheist boast; let the profane swear. All that they do and say shall redound to the glory of God, and they can do no more than God allows them to do. Wicked men crucified the Lord in their wrath, but they did what God determined before to be done. Persecutors mock and ridicule the Lord’s people, causing them great anguish and discomfort; but these trials are used of God to strengthen our faith, wean us from this world, and make us more like Christ.

The wrath, opposition, and persecution of wicked rebels, which God is not pleased to use for His glory or our good, HE WILL RESTRAIN!

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (Bulletin 1985)

JESUS CHRIST LOVES EVEN ME

“Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.” (John 13:23).

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 wasn’t. It wasn’t because the Lord loved him more than the other apostles. It wasn’t 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 is 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.” (1 John 4:10) “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) Yes it is true Jesus loves even me.

Pastor David L. Eddmenson

WHAT DOES IT COST TO BE A CHRISTIAN?

I know that salvation and eternal life are the free gifts of God. Our salvation is accomplished entirely by the grace of God. God the Father chose us in eternal election, God the Son redeemed us by an effectual atonement, and God the Holy Spirit gave us life by sovereign, irresistible grace in regeneration. The people of God are chosen, redeemed, justified, called, sanctified, preserved, and glorified in Christ by sovereign grace alone. But I know this also…if you and I obtain salvation and eternal life in Christ, it will cost us everything we are and everything we have!

Our Lord said, “If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And, whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple… Whosoever he be of you that forsake if not all that he had, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26, 27, 33).

My friends, Christ is no man’s Savior unless He is also that man’s Lord. And, He will be Lord of all, or He will not be Lord at all. Either you will be a servant under the dominion of King Jesus, voluntarily giving up all to His rightful claims as your Master, or you will go to hell. You may or may not, in actuality, have to give up anything; but, surrender to Christ must be as real in your heart as if you had sacrificed everything to Christ, down to life itself. Our Lord requires a total, unreserved surrender to Himself. The word of God knows nothing of this “easy-believism” and “decisionism” that requires no surrender and commitment of the heart to Christ. To believe on Christ is to bow to Him as Lord. Pastor Don Fortner

TRUST

“Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus”

TRUST is a wonderful thing, and SWEET is a good word to describe it. Whether between husband and wife, parents and children, friends, or whomever…..trust is sweet! The word implies faith, confidence, and reliance, but that is not all. There is also a wonderful rest and repose in trust; a freedom from doubts, suspicions, anxieties, and fearful apprehensions. Trust is calm, peaceful and assured. “Tis so sweet” when guilty sinners come to “trust in Jesus.”