April 16^th, 2017

9:30 am--------------------------------------------- To Never See Death – John 8:46-51

10:00 am--------------------------------------------Good Things To Come – Hebrews 10

Wednesday: 7:30 pm ------------------------------These Perilous Times – 2 Timothy 3

Lord willing, I will be preaching Friday through Sunday for the Calvary Baptist Church of Winston, Georgia, where brother Terry Worthan is pastor. In my absence, brother Eric Floyd from Hurricane Road Grace Church will be here to preach to you.

Birthdays: April 14^th – Charles Wesley Hudson, 17^th – Betty Groover & Emma Holland, 21^st – Jennifer Holland

Cleaning: This Week: Sheesleys Next Week: Spring Cleaning Day on Saturday, 29^th – All Come!!

Nursery:

Listen to WYTI Radio, 1570 AM - 104.5 FM, Sundays 8:00 am

Listen to live audio of services on: www.mixlr.com/centralgracechurch

New website: www.centralgracechurch.com

True Religion, Ministers and Christians

“I know no true religion but Christianity; no true Christianity but the doctrine of Christ; of His divine person (the image of the invisible God, Col.1:15); of His divine office (the Mediator betwixt God and men, 1 Tim.2:5); of His divine righteousness (He is the Lord our righteousness, Jer.23:6; which name is also called upon His Church, Jer.33:16); and of His divine Spirit (which all that are His receive, Rom.8:9). I know no true ministers of Christ but such as make it their business, in their calling, to commend Jesus Christ, in His saving fullness of grace and glory, to the faith and love of men; no true Christian, but one united to Christ by faith, and abiding in Him by faith and love, in the beauties of gospel holiness. Ministers and Christians of this spirit, have for many years been my brethren and companions, and, I hope, shall ever be, whithersoever the hand of God shall lead me.” -- Robert Trail, Scottish pastor, 1642-1716

A Great Shame Not To Be Ashamed

Shame: an ingredient of true repentance.

Many have sinned away shame: “the unjust knoweth no shame” (Zeph.3:5). It is a great shame not to be ashamed. The Lord sets it as a brand upon the Jews: “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: (Jer.6:15).

The devil has stolen shame from men. When one of the persecutors in Queen Mary’s time was upbraided with his bloodiness to the martyrs, he replied, “I see nothing to be ashamed of.” Many are no more ashamed of their sin than Nebuchadnezzar was of being turned out to eat grass. When men have hearts of stone and foreheads of brass, it is a sign that the devil has taken full possession of them.

There is no creature capable of shame but man. The brute beasts are capable of fear and pain, but not of shame. You cannot make a beast blush. Those who cannot blush for sin do resemble the beasts. -- Thomas Watson, England, 1620-1686

In 1560, the Parliament of Scotland agreed to reform the religion of that country, in order to destroy the Roman Catholic mass and idolatry and to set up true religion ‘according to the booke of God’. John Knox was made superintendent of the work and proceeded to write a national covenant or confession of faith, which faith followed the teaching of Scripture as expounded by Knox and John Calvin. The Confession of the Church of Scotland later became the Westminster Confession of Faith. Below is the heartfelt confession of a grateful lady, upon reading that confession of faith . . .

“ I here give my hearty consent, Lord Jesus, to Thy coming in and taking possession of my soul, and to Thy casting out of everything there that stands in opposition to Thee. I desire to take Thee for my All, to be ruled and governed by Thee, acquiescing to whatsoever shall be Thy way of dealing with me. Give me Thyself, and this shall be all my desire.”