“The LORD is in His holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men.” (Psalm 11:4)
FOR US THE SAVIOR BLED Tune to “MY FAITH HAS FOUND A RESTING PLACE” CM/DOUBLE Words by JIM BYRD
1. To save us from eternal death Christ suffered in our stead; The Son of God laid down His life, For us the Savior bled. Christ Jesus bore the wrath of God, The awful agony; To rescue us from guilt and shame, From sin to set us free.
2. For us Christ shed His precious blood, For us the judgment bore; The Lamb of God was sacrificed, To save us evermore. God’s justice can demand no more, The law is satisfied; For us He was the Substitute, And we are justified.
3. The empty tomb of Christ proclaims, Redemption’s work is done; The sins of all His chosen race, Were cancelled by God’s Son. For us the Savior reigns above, Our Advocate is He; And soon for us the Lord shall come, And with Him we shall be.
SCRIPTURE READINGS TODAY: MORNING: PSALM 53 EVENING: JOHN 7:40-53
Daily Readings - September 15-21 Sunday - Daniel 7-9 Monday - Daniel 10-12 Tuesday - Hosea 1-6 Wednesday- Hosea 7-14 Thursday - Joel 1-3 Friday - Amos 1-5 Saturday - Amos 6-9
GLORIFY GOD IN THE FIRES “Glorify ye the LORD in the fires” (Isaiah 24:15). “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you” (1 Peter 4:12). “Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through the fire and through water: but Thou broughtest us out...” (Psalm 66:10, 12). 1. Acknowledge His providence and worship Him. At all times, remember that the purpose of God is continually at work. “The LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). 2. Acknowledge His wisdom. “He is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works” (Psalm 145:17). The Lord knows what is best for His children. “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Thy statutes” (Psalm 119:71). “All things work together for good...” (Romans 8:28). 3. Acknowledge His saving power and trust Him. “When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned” (Isaiah 43:2). Trials cannot really harm the elect of God. Effectual grace keeps us secure; Christ’s blood has cleansed us from our sins; we are justified by His imputed righteousness. As Job said, “He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). “Glorify ye the LORD in the fires.” -Pastor Jim Byrd
NOTHING GOOD TO SAY ABOUT YOU? “And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so” (1 Kings 22:8). I often feel like Micaiah must have felt with regards to what I must say to men and women. Like him, I have nothing good to say ABOUT them. Why? Because God says that “there is none good, no not one.” Nothing good can be said about those who by nature are like Ahab. There is no good news about man in himself. The good news is TO men, for men! The good news is the gospel of grace, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a report of the only good Man, the Man Christ Jesus! People want to be told what to do, but my message has to do with something that is already done, the finished work of Christ. They want to be told “how” to live a righteous life, but my message has to do with an imputed righteousness, a gift from God accounted to the believing sinner. Men want me to praise their works, but I must tell them that salvation is not of works lest any man should boast. It is “not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to His mercy He saved us.” They want advice on how to quit sinning, but I am to tell them of Him who knew no sin and who bore the sins of many in His own body on the cross. I am sent to tell the truth about God, but their carnal minds are enmity against Him. I am sent to speak of spiritual things, but they desire to hear of things appealing to the flesh. They seek advice but rarely heed it because when I tell them what the Word says, what it commands them to do, it is contrary to what they WANT to do. It isn’t appealing to them, and before long they quit asking and often quit coming to hear me at all. They didn’t want advice, they wanted approval! But Christ said, “My sheep hear My voice...” There are a few who listen to the preached word and to Bible-based advice and they, because of the quickening Spirit of God, are given faith and enabled to receive the Word of truth with gladness! I thank God for them and rejoice with them, knowing that it is God in grace who makes them to differ. They know that true gospel preachers can only speak good about them and to them in Christ! Let others say “Peace, peace when there is no peace” but I can’t. Men “heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.” I don’t want to be one of them. –Pastor Gary Shepard
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