November 6^th , 2016

9:30 am ----------------------------------------------------The Pool of Bethesda – John 5:1-14

10:00 am ---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- - The Election

Nursery Today: Second Service – Debra , Alt. -- Jill

Ask And Ye Shall Receive

We live in a day when most are ‘wise in their own conceits’; most are ‘heady, highminded, proud’; few are asking anyone anything, certainly not asking for truth, calling on the Lord for truth, asking His servants of the truth (Isa.59:4). “Yea, if thou CRIEST AFTER KNOWLEDGE, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God” (Prov.2:3-5). Alas, but few do. A chosen few in scripture asked of the prophets and apostles . . . and of the Lord Himself; but most did not ask, seek, call or knock. Even fewer do so today. God has not left Himself without a witness; without men sent of God, taught of God from His Word; men who know the mind, the will, the Truth of God; yet few ask them anything. There are men of God today who spend their lives studying God’s truth and yet few ask them anything. Folks will ask many questions of those with this or that field of knowledge and expertise; I know I do, I am interested in what others know and do; but very, very few ask the preacher anything. Folks ought to be asking him more than anyone, for he, as the preacher in Ecclesiastes, “gives his heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven . . . The preacher seeks to find out acceptable words: and that which is written is upright even words of Truth” (Eccl.1:13, 12:10). Three reasons why people aren’t asking.

1. They are dead in sin and have no interest in the truth or eternal matters.
2. They think they already know. They have the answers and don’t have anything to learn.
3. They are afraid to ask, afraid what the answer might be; not wanting to hear the truth, but wanting their will and way.

Brothers and sisters, let it not be so with us. We know in part, we have much to learn, so let us ask, seek, knock, search, cry out for truth as one who is hungry would cry for bread. In the words of our Lord: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” – Matt.7:7-8

Six Arguments for Holiness of Life -- By Henry Mahan

The following verses all have a two-fold theme; believers will live godly in this present world and they will love one another. Faith is always connected with obedience and love.

1.) I John 2:29 - If we know that Christ our Lord is righteous then we know that those who are begotten of Him will be righteous. To be born of God is to have the nature of God, the grace of God, and the presence of Christ formed in us, causing us to be like Him.

2.) I John 3:1 - The amazing, eternal, infinite love which God has bestowed on us, making us sons of God, is a privilege that exceeds all others. How can we then serve self and sin in the face of such love and grace?

3.) I John 3:3 - We are going to be like Christ and every person who now has this hope in Christ of being like Christ will make every effort to be like Christ NOW. It is foolish for a man to say, "I want to be like Christ someday…but not now."

4.) I John 3:4 - Every person who practices sin as a course of life, excuses and justifies a life of flesh, and lives unrestrained, is lawless and a transgressor of the law. But no true believer can ever find peace outside of the fellowship of God. If we say we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie.

5.) I John 3:5 - Christ was sent to take away sin and, in Christ, the believer has no sin. But the main thought of this verse is that Christ did not come to put away the penalty of sin only but also the power of sin over His sheep. Sin shall not reign over you. We are, therefore, servants of Christ and not servants of Satan or sin.