February 12^th , 2017

9:30 am-- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -- Knowing True Doctrine – John 7:1-18

10:00 am ------------------------------ True Grace to Stablish, Strengthen, Settle – 1 Peter 5:10-14

Language Of Hope -- “Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,

that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might HOPE” – Romans 15:4

THE message of Scripture is a message of HOPE to the believer; a message of salvation and deliverance from sin, death and hell. Scripture says that Christ came to . . . “deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb.2:15). The language of scripture is a language of HOPE for all the saints. The disciples, worried about their friend Lazarus, who was sick unto death, were told by the Lord, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.” That eased their worries and fears. God’s Word to His people is a language of HOPE, which dispels all fear of death and dying. “Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:26). None have ever perished who have trusted in God’s mercy, who have believed God’s Christ. NONE! All who have fallen asleep in Jesus, are right now with Him where He is, beholding His glory, in eternal happiness and bliss. They didn’t ‘go to the land of the dead’, as some say, but rather, left the land of the dead to go to the living God. Believer, HOPE THOU IN GOD! Hope in His mercy, hope in His grace, hope in HIS SON . . . and it shall be well with thee, thou shalt never die! You have God’s Word on it.

“Lovest Thou Me More Than These?” - John 21:15

Here is the great question that confronts believers throughout their lives. It is a comfort to those who fail, as Peter had. Despite the many failures of the child of God, he can say, as Peter did, "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee." This question from the Lord is also a challenge, forcing us to decide what is truly important to us. Love for Christ is the first law of the believer. It is a law that no amount of legal hairsplitting can circumvent. Peter was in his own element: by the seashore with other fishermen. The Lord, in as much as said, "Which shall it be, Peter? Me or the nets?" Put in those terms, the answer was easy; it had already been answered in Peter's heart. But, the professions of each of us will be tested by similar choices. "Lovest thou Me more than family, home, career, comfort, plans, hopes, money, even life?" Paul said that he counted all things worthless compared to Christ. May we likewise love Christ more than all things, and may we always show that love in our choices! -- Joe Terrell

Are You a Calvinist?

Most of the time this question is asked by those who do not believe the truth; those who do not believe that God is absolutely sovereign in salvation; those who care nothing for the truth of God nor the glory of God. And most of the time our (my) response is to quickly qualify what is meant by a Calvinist and quickly say, that, the doctrine did not originate with a man (Calvin), nor do we follow the teachings of a man, but the doctrine of scripture alone. But I, for one, am tired of qualifying everything for the sake of rebels; I want to quit apologizing, as it were, to people who hate God and hate those who stand for the truth, namely John Calvin.

Our dear brother John Calvin was a man of God, sent by God, called by God to preach and write the Truth of God, and did so faithfully and truthfully in his generation. While I may not agree with everything he said or wrote, I agree with him in the main, in the essentials of the faith and heartily endorse this man and love him in the Lord. Brother John’s preaching and writings glorified the Lord, abased proud man, and pointed sinners to the Lord Jesus Christ, the sinners only hope. He laid down his life for the gospel and those to whom he preached. For what my endorsement is worth, I stand with the man, behind the man, follow the man (as Paul told us to follow him as he followed the Lord), and would like to be just half the man that brother John Calvin was. Put all the silly, foolish, ignorant, modern day false preachers together and, like the Pharisees before Stephen, they would not stand for a moment before the knowledge of God’s Word, wisdom, understanding of human nature and zeal for the truth of God’s glory that our dear brother Calvin was given. Brother Spurgeon once said: “Calvinism is the gospel and the gospel is Calvinism.”