March 1^st . 2020

9:30 am --------------------------------------------------------Truth: The Doctrine of Christ – 2 John

10:00 am -----------------------------------------------------------Preaching That Heals – Luke 9:1-11

Wednesday: 7:00 pm ------------------------------------------ Prayer of a Troubled Soul – Psalm 31

“Salvation Is Of The Lord.” -- Jonah 2:9

Salvation is the work of God. It is He alone who quickens the soul “dead in trespasses and sins,” and it is He also who maintains the soul in its spiritual life. He is both “Alpha and Omega.” “Salvation is of the Lord.” If I am prayerful, God makes me prayerful; if I have graces, they are God’s gifts to me; if I hold on in a consistent life, it is because He upholds me with His hand. I do nothing whatever towards my own preservation, except what God Himself first does in me. Whatever I have, all my goodness is of the Lord alone. Wherein I sin, that is my own; but wherein I act rightly, that is of God, wholly and completely. If I have repulsed a spiritual enemy, the Lord’s strength nerved my arm. Do I live before men a consecrated life? It is not I, but Christ who liveth in me. Am I sanctified? I did not cleanse myself: God’s Holy Spirit sanctifies me. Am I weaned from the world? I am weaned by God’s chastisements sanctified to my good. Do I grow in knowledge? The great Instructor teaches me. All my jewels were fashioned by heavenly art. I find in God all that I want; but I find in myself nothing but sin and misery. “He only is my rock and my salvation.” Do I feed on the Word? That Word would be no food for me unless the Lord made it food for my soul, and helped me to feed upon it. Do I live on the manna which comes down from heaven? What is that manna but Jesus Christ himself incarnate, whose body and whose blood I eat and drink? Am I continually receiving fresh increase of strength? Where do I gather my might? My help cometh from heaven’s hills: without Jesus I can do nothing. As a branch cannot bring forth fruit except it abide in the vine, no more can I, except I abide in Him. What Jonah learned in the great deep, let me learn this morning in my closet: “Salvation is of the Lord.”

-- Charles Spurgeon

“As You Would That Men Should Do to You, Do Ye Also to Them Likewise”– Luke 7:31

This verse is commonly called the ‘Golden Rule’ and what a wonderful rule it is. If we (by God’s grace) could put this in practice much good could be done for others (as well the good it would do for us). Do we want others to show us….

Mercy? . . . . . . . Then be merciful.

Forgiveness? . . . Then forgive and forget.

Forbearance? . . . Then cover their sins, repeat them not.

Patience? . . . . . Then be patient with others.

Kindness? . . . . . Then show great kindness.

Would we have others befriend us? . . . Then be a friend. Would we like to receive a call? a card? a visit? an invite? . . . Well then, ‘as you would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.’

Love Your Family in Christ

“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” -- 1 Peter 3:8-9

1^st Peter 3:8 says, “Love as brethren.” This would be to love all believers, to love as Christ loved us, to love without hypocrisy, to love, not in word only, but in both deed and truth, and to love continually; for true love never dies!

How will this love be expressed? . . . In praying for one another, in forgiving one another, in sharing with one another both temporal and spiritual blessings, and in seeking out one another for fellowship and encouragement.