May 7^th 2017

9:30 am -----------------------------------------------------------------Believing On The Son of God – John 9

10:00 am -------------------------------------------------How Shall I Give Thee Up, Ephraim? – Hosea 11:8

* * * No Wednesday Service This Week * * *

Our meeting begins Friday night at 7:00. This meeting is for you and hopefully someone else in our community. All come and invite someone to come. No Wednesday night service this week.

Give Me Such Grace

No one has ever done anything to or against me that can even begin to compare with what I have done to and against my God, both before He saved me and since. If God in heaven has forgiven me, it should be easy for me to forgive you of anything. Spirit of God, give me such grace! -- Don Fortner

True Love For The Word of God – By Edward Fisher, 1627

How is it known when a man truly loves the word of God, and makes a right use of it; and this a man does? First, when he hungers and thirsts after the word, as after the food of his soul, desiring it at all times, even as he does his “appointed food,” (Job 23:12). Secondly, when he desires and delights to exercise himself therein day and night, that is, constantly, (Psalm 1:2). Thirdly, when he receives the word of God as the word of God, and not as the word of man, (1 Thess. 2:13); setting his heart, in the time of hearing or reading it, as in God’s presence: and being affected with it, as if the Lord himself should speak unto him being most affected with that ministry, or that portion of God’s word, which shows him his sins, and searches out his most secret corruptions; denying his own reason and affections: yea, and his profits and pleasures, in anything when the Lord shall require it of him. Fourthly, This a man does, when he makes the word of God to be his chief comfort in the time of his afflictions; finding it, at that time, to be the main stay and solace of his heart, (Psalm 119: 49-50).

Confessing And Professing Christ – By Maurice Montgomery

Try to remember these words of Martin Luther as you live out your days in this religious world. “If I profess with loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that point where the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, then I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him! Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battle-front besides is merely flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.”

Dear souls, though there is hardly any doctrine of Scripture that modern religion firmly stands for, yet the most basic and essential doctrines of God’s Word, they firmly and unitedly stand against. Modern religion vehemently opposes the truth of God’s sovereign, almighty, saving grace. They oppose the five points of what we call Calvinism – which is God-exalting, God-honoring, gospel truth. They hate the Bible doctrines of man’s Total Depravity, God’s Unconditional Election of men unto salvation, the Limited Atonement of Jesus Christ, God’s Irresistible Grace, and the Preservation and Perseverance of God’s elect. (They especially hate the truth of Limited Atonement or Particular Redemption).

Do not try to push these dear and precious truths of God upon anyone, but do not ever be embarrassed or ashamed to own these truths, though you stand all alone in a crowd of unbelievers. John Calvin once said, “Even a dog will bark if his master’s vineyard is being overrun.” Be zealous for the good opinion of God and care little for the good opinion of men. I have been called a “cultist,” a “different kind of Baptist,” and even a “Jim Jones,” but none of these things move me away from owning God's precious, eternal truths. God’s Word is more than mere doctrine, even divine doctrine – in a sense it is our life! Let us not be mere professors of Christ, but daily confess our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in both doctrine and practice.

“Ye shall loathe yourselves for your iniquities” -- Ezekiel 36:31

A true penitent is a sin-loather. If a man loathe that which makes his stomach sick, much more will he loathe that which makes his conscience sick . . . Christ is never loved til sin is loathed. Heaven is never longed for til sin is loathed . . .