­­­Central Grace Church

3596 Franklin Street . Rocky Mount, Virginia

Wednesday: 7:00 pm ------------------Peace Be Unto You – John 20:19-31

Birthdays: March 17^th – Rick Polk & Alec Bobbitt April 3^rd – Steven Parks, 14^th – Charles Wesley Hudson

Cleaning: Mac & Margaret , Next Week: Paul & Mindy / / / Nursery: Teresa

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

CONFESSING CHRIST – by Henry Mahan

"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father. which is in heaven."

- - Matthew 10:32

Are men correct in thinking that because they made a profession of faith some years back, were baptized, joined a local church and adopted a sound system of theology, they are confessing Christ before men. We are going to find out someday, to our eternal woe, that confessing Christ before men involves a great deal more than an isolated decision. Confessing Christ before men is a constant identification with Christ in a world that does not know or love Christ. To be identified with Christ is to be so closely associated with Him that His interests are your interests; His friends are your friends; His enemies are your enemies; His glory is your glory; His will is your will; and His Word is your rule of life. "Where I am, there ye may be also" John 14:3. Where is Christ? Those confessing Him and identified with Him will be there also! We are crucified with Christ, buried with Him in baptism, walking with Him in the light of the Scripture, righteousness and truth, at His feet in humility, assembled with His people in worship and praise, bearing His reproach, forgiving as He forgave, loving as He loved, and waiting for His return. In other words confessing Christ before men is to be so closely associated with Christ that one is called in truth by others — A Christian!

"Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled"-- “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” -- John 14:1

We have here a royal command. Do not give way to despair, depression, doubts and fears, for a troubled heart is dishonoring to our heavenly Father.

(1) It puts a question mark on His love. "Nothing good will He withhold from them that fear Him." His love designs and desires eternal good for His children.

(2) It puts a question mark on His providence. "We know that all things work together for good to them who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose."Though Job lost all, he did not charge God with foolishness.

(3) It puts a question mark on His promises. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." "Lo, I am with you always." "If ye being evil know how to give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask Him."

(4) It robs us of the joys and blessings God has given us. When I am murmuring and complaining about what I want which I do not have, I am overlooking the great mercies and blessings I do possess. It may be true that I do not have all that I want but I have much more than I deserve. My circumstances may not be as good as I want them to be, but neither are they as bad as they could be. Besides the royal command, we have the cure for heart trouble. It is faith! "Let not your heart be troubled — ye believe in God, believe also in Me." There is no want He cannot supply; there is no sickness He cannot heal; there is no danger He cannot prevent; there is no misery He cannot remove; there is no sin He cannot forgive; there is no enemy He cannot defeat. Christ is God in our nature — so near at hand and so accessible to our faith. David said in Psa. 42:5 — "Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Rope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance." -- H.T.M.