Though there are many Baptist denominations, we are not a part of any denomination, but the Church of Jesus Christ. We adhere to no creed but His Word. We bow to no head but Christ our Head. We have no activity as a body of believers but His worship.
Our Sovereign God Maintains His Universal Throne — Don Fortner (Tune: #39 — This is My Father’s World — SMD)
1. Our sov’reign God maintains His universal throne; In heav’n, and earth, and hell, He reigns, and makes His wonders known! His counsels and decrees, firmer than mountains stand; He will perform whate’er He please; and none can stay his hand!
2. All things His will controls; and His all-wise decree Has fixed the destinies of all in matchless sov’reignty. — Jacob by grace He saved, and gives a reason why; But Esau's heart He left depraved. — And who shall dare reply?
3. What if the Potter takes part of a lump of clay, And for Himself a vessel makes and casts the rest away? Who shall resist His will or say, “What doest Thou?” Jehovah is the Sov’reign still; and all to Him must bow!
4. My soul, bow and adore the Lord in all His ways; His sov’reignty none can explore; but I will trust His grace! “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things: To Whom be glory evermore! Amen! Amen! Amen!”
“Pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest.” — Let us ever pray that our God will raise up and send forth faithful, gifted men to preach the Gospel for the ingathering of His elect and the everlasting glory of His great name.
Much Forgiven — Much Loved
“Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.” (Mark 16:9)
Those who are forgiven most love most (Luke 7:36-50). The first one who came to the Savior’s tomb was Mary Magdalene. The history of this faithful woman is not given in any detail in the Word of God. We only know that she was one out of whom the Lord had cast “seven devils”. Mary had been possessed of the devil and wasted her life serving him, until the Lord Jesus saved her by His grace. From that day on, Mary was always by His side, following Him, hanging on His every word, and observing His wondrous works.
It was this woman, if I am not mistaken, who anointed the Lord Jesus in the house of Simon the leper. The Master was referring to her when he asked Simon, “Who will love most?” He was referring to her when He said, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, [the same] loveth little” (Luke 7:47).
Mary’s gratitude to our Lord for His deliverance of her soul from the clutches of hell and for His forgiveness of her sins was a gratitude that knew no bounds. Of all our Lord’s followers on earth, none seem to have loved Him so much as Mary Magdalene. None felt that they owed so much to the Savior. None felt so strongly that there was nothing too great to do for Christ and nothing too costly to sacrifice for Him. Mary was the last at the cross and the first at the sepulcher. Mary arose early and came to the tomb while it was still dark. Having been forgiven much, she loved much. Having received much, she loved much; and loving much, she did much, constrained only by a heart of love for and gratitude to her Savior.
The more fully and more deeply we are aware of our depravity and sin, the more we will cherish our Savior and the forgiveness of our sins by His blood. To whom much is forgiven, the same love much.
Why do so many who profess to be the Lord’s disciples do so little for the Savior whose name they bear? How is it that many whose faith in Christ we cannot and should not question work so little, give so little, say so little, take so little pains to promote Christ’s cause and bring glory to Christ in the world? Why are there so many who know the grace of God in truth that do so little to make the grace of God known to others? There is only one answer to those questions. — It is a low sense of debt and gratitude to Christ that makes saved sinners indifferent to the worship and service of our Redeemer.
Where sin is not deeply and painfully felt, little is done for Christ. The person who is deeply conscious of his own guilt and corruption, and deeply convinced that without the blood, the death, the grace, and the intercession of Christ he would sink forever into the lowest hell, that is the person who will spend and be spent for the Savior. That is the person who thinks, “I can never do enough for my Redeemer.”
Spirit of God, make me such a person! Give me Mary’s sense of indebtedness, gratitude, and love for “the Son of God Who loved me and gave Himself for me!” Show me more of myself! Show me more of Christ! Show me more of God’s amazing grace to me in Him!
Then, only then, can we begin to understand what the Apostle Paul meant when he said, — “The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And [that] he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
“Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee!”
Peter, John, and Mary John 20:1-9
Read the opening verses of John 20 and learn that God’s saints are not all alike in personality and temperament. When Mary Magdalene told Peter and John, “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid Him” (v. 3), as they ran to the sepulcher and arrived at the place, all three acted differently. They all ran to the sepulcher; but John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, outran Peter, and reached the empty grave first. He stooped down and looked in, but went no further. Peter, a bit more zealous and impulsive, ran right into the sepulcher, that he might see with his own eyes. Mary, apparently, came somewhat more slowly back to the tomb and quietly waited to see what Peter and John would do and say. They all trusted and loved the Lord Jesus. The hearts of these three believers were, no doubt, full of hopes, and fears, and anxieties, and expectations, all tangled together. Yet each behaved in their own characteristic fashion. Without question, these things were intentionally written by the Spirit of God for our learning.
We should always remember that there are great differences of personality and temperament among God’s saints. All are redeemed, justified, and sanctified. All are washed in the blood of Christ. All live in the Spirit. All seek the glory of God. But God’s saints are not all alike. We do not do things exactly the same way. We do not all react to things the same way.
If we will remember this simple fact, it will save us much trouble in the journey of life, and prevent many unkind and uncharitable thoughts and words. We should never judge one another harshly, or think ill of others, because they do not see or feel things exactly as we do, or because things do not affect them the same way they affect us. The flowers in the Lord’s garden are not all of one color and of one scent, though they are all planted by one Spirit and are all in His garden. The subjects of His kingdom do not all look alike or always act alike, though they all love the same Savior and all have their names written in the same book of life. The Church of Christ has some in its ranks who are like Peter and some who are like John, and some who are like Mary. Some are fathers, some are elders, some are young men, some are mothers, some are children; but all are God’s. Let us always treat them as such: — Loved and chosen of God the Father, loved and redeemed by God the Son, loved and called by God the Spirit (Philippians 2:1-5).
THE GRACE BULLETIN August 14, 2011
GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH of DANVILLE 2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438 Telephone (859) 236-8235 - E-Mail [email protected]
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor
Schedule of Regular Services
Sunday 10:00 A.M. Bible Classes 10:30 A.M. Morning Worship Service 6:30 P.M. Evening Worship Service
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