May 5, 2013
Fellowship Dinner May 19th. Our annual Bible Conference is June 21-23rd.
Hymn of the Day
I wandered in darkness, so blind and alone;
No purpose for living, no permanent home:
My interests all worldly, I, spiritu'lly dead,
No sense of my sin or of what lie ahead.
But God sent a preacher a story to tell,
How I was a sinner, deserving of hell;
He told of the Savior, who came from above,
To ransom poor sinners in free sov'reign love.
My soul was convicted, much troubled and tossed,
Without Christ, the Savior, I knew I was lost,
I wanted salvation but could not believe,
That God's love for sinners was so full and free.
But God in His purpose chose me for His own,
My soul He pursued, would not leave me alone!
He showed me the Savior accursed on the tree,
To satisfy justice and justify me.
My soul is now resting, no longer alone,
I walk with my Savior, who sits on His throne,
My soul is now resting; my heart's full of praise,
For Christ and salvation and free sov'reign grace.
(Tune: ‘How Firm A Foundation’ pg.268)
Christ in the Scriptures
"To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:43) Before any one can have Christ, they must first have the scriptures. Without the Bible there can be no knowledge of Christ the Lord.
It is only in God's holy word that Christ is fully revealed, "in the volume of the book it is written of Him". All the teaching is concerning Him, in fact it is called "the doctrine of
Christ" (2 John 9).
All the prophecies are fulfilled in him, all the law is fulfilled by him, all the ceremonies find their fulfillment in him, and every sacrifice pointed to his one great sacrifice. The offices of Prophet, Priest, and King are combined in him. It is no wonder then that the scriptures declare that “Christ is all in all” (Col .3:11).
God Almighty is revealed in Christ Jesus the Lord, "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col.2: 9). Our Lord said; "Neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and He to whomsoever the Son will reveal him" (Matt. 11: 27).
All the "promises in Him are yea and amen". His name is the first mentioned in the New Testament (Matt. 1:1) and the last, (Rev.22: 21). Men cannot trust an unknown or unrevealed Christ, and the only book in all the world, THE BIBLE, The Holy Scriptures can make him known! But sadly all most preachers and people see from the scriptures is "God has a wonderful plan for your life," and if you will follow his plan for you, all will be well with you and yours.
All that God has for any sinner who is outside of hell is found in Christ His Son. "All spiritual blessings are given us in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph.1: 3). The average preacher and person is looking for ever thing in the scriptures but Christ, they are looking for Laws to keep, works to be done, conditions to be fulfilled. But thank God, "Ye are COMPLETE in HIM, and, we are ACCEPTED in the Beloved".
- Pastor
Addressing ministers of his day, C.H. Spurgeon said, "Some of you have never preached on Election since you were ordained. The peculiarities of Calvinism are concealed. These things, you say, are offensive. And so, gentlemen, you would rather offend God than you would offend man. But you say, "It would be dangerous." What! God's truth dangerous? I should not like to stand in your shoes when you have to face your Maker on the Day of Judgment after such an utterance as that. If it be not God's truth, let it alone! But if you believe the thing, out with it. Keep back nothing; tell the whole gospel out. Tell out Man's Responsibility: do not stutter at it. Tell out Divine Sovereignty: do not refuse to talk of Election: use the word, even if men sneer."
If you believe what you like in the gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.
-Augustine
The ancient gospel is an unceremonious thing. It pays no respect to the academic because of his profound learning; nor to the moralist on account of his upright conduct. It has not the least regard to the courtier, because of his pompous honors; nor to the devotee for the sake of his zeal or his righteousness. No, the potent prince and the abject slave, the wise philosopher and the ignorant rustic, the virtuous lady and the infamous prostitute, stand on the same level in its comprehensive sight.
- Abraham Booth
Because God is infinite, he can love each believer as much as if that single soul was the only one for whom he had to care. Both in providence and in redemption the whole heart of God is busy with plans for the interest and happiness of the single Christian.
- A. H. Strong
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