June 06

CALL TO WORSHIP

(Tune: He Leadeth Me)

Hark! How the Gospel trumpet sounds!

Christ and free grace therein abounds;

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 near to God;

He died to set the captives free,

And why, my soul, why not for thee?

Thus Jesus came the poor to bless,

To clothe them with His righteousness;

That robe is spotless, full and free,

And why, my soul, why not for thee?

Eternal life by Christ is giv'n,

And sinful men are raised to heav'n;

Then sing of grace so rich and free,

And say, my soul, why not for thee?

Bible Study: “The Final Reward of Repentance” – II Samuel 19:31-40

Today’s Speaker: Brother Winston Pannell 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. Pray that God will use it for His glory.

Radio Broadcast: Sunday morning at 9:30am on 98.7 FM –WISK. You can also hear the sermons on your computer. Just click on www.americusradio.com

Birthdays: Jane Margeson – June 8^th. , Kelsey Jones – June 10^th.

Smith Flynn – June 11^th.

Announcements: Congratulations to Dennis and Jennifer VanZandt.

Wishing you a happy marriage and hoping that your life together will be rich in joy and love.

Congratulations to our High School graduate: Mariel Moore is our 2010 High School graduate.

THE LOVE OF GOD

STANDING upon the verge of eternity, and feeling a desire, which I wish not to suppress, to address you, before I leave this world of boisterous wickedness, and take the joyful flight for which I have been longing and hoping nearly fifty-six years, I have taken up my pen to gratify that wish. The subject of my epistle, is the love of God. "God is love." What then is the love of God to us, but God himself loving us? May we not therefore, believe and say, that his love to us is eternal ? What he is, he ever was, and ever will be: with him there is, there can be no variation. He eternally decreed our existence. We, with all the creatures, stood before him in the mirror of his decree : he beheld and loved us. His son, whom he ordained to take our nature into personal union with himself, and to be God-man, was the prime object of his love. It was in him he loved us, and chose us to be his people, his sons, his heirs; heirs of himself', and joint heirs with his son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and ordained to be forever the head of the body, the church elect in him; and the head over all things to the church, world without end. Eternal love was the high impulsive cause of the glorious economy of our salvation; and is the grand source whence all the sublime and endless blessings of grace and glory flow. It was the sovereign cause, and is the everlasting bond of our union with Christ ; that union is, therefore, indissoluble : who or what shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord ? Shall life, or death, or angels, or principalities, or powers, things present, or things to come, or height, or depth, or any other creature ? No; never, never. While God is God, and Christ is Christ, we must dwell in him and dwell in love.

Job Hupton - 1762-1829

Chastisement

Chastisements and trials of faith that we as children of God experience do not feel good to us, and certainly not to our flesh, but they are good for us as they are sent by our heavenly Father who loves us and sent His Son to save us from our sins and to keep us through all adversity and trials of faith. They are good for us as they continually wean us away from the world and the desires of the flesh and drive us to Christ for salvation, righteousness, peace, and rest. They bring us to our knees in prayer to God and drive us to His Word alone for our comfort and learning. This is how God uses them for His glory and our good. They ultimately yield “the peaceable fruit of righteousness” which is our thankfulness to God for Christ and all that He has accomplished for us on the cross and all that He continually accomplishes in us in our preservation and perseverance.

—Pastor Bill Parker

THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, THE POWER OF GOD

I do fear that I fail to have the confidence I ought to have in the gospel of our sovereign God. Paul said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Rom 1:16) Though it be in the hands of a weak preacher and weak witnesses, this does not diminish or restrict its power. The gospel is not weak in power but we are often weak in faith. Oh God, grant to us faith and confidence in your sovereign power through that great instrument, the gospel. Awaken your people from spiritual death and call them from darkness to light with this Word. It is the "gospel of Christ" the sovereign, successful Savior and cannot fail. It is the summons of the King and none of your sheep will successfully resist it. I am ashamed of my lack of confidence but I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Lord, give your word success and increase in us a confident faith!