March 24^th . 2019

9:30 am ----------------------------------------------------When the Lord Was 12 Years Old – Luke 2:39-52

10:00 am --------------------------------------------------------Last Words of 2 Old Believers – Luke 2:25-38

*** NO WEDNESDAY SERVICE THIS WEEK ***

** The following article was written nearly 400 years ago by Thomas Watson, a faithful gospel preacher and pastor. How relevant, how current, how needful this is. It sounds like our nation and world today. Evidently brother Watson’s nation and world was much the same as ours. Although things may not be worse now, they are more wide spread, therefore making it worse and nearing the fulfilment of the prophecy of our Lord, “As in the days of Noah so shall the coming of the Son of man be.” In the days of Noah, the Lord looked down and saw that, ‘the WHOLE EARTH had corrupted His way . . . and was full of violence.’ And then He destroyed it. That’s our day as no other. Would to God He would grant this nation the repentance that brother Thomas speaks of. Let’s pray for it.

The Need for National Repentance– By Thomas Watson, England (1620-1686)

England needs to put itself in mourning and be humbled by solemn repentance. What horrible impieties are chargeable upon this nation! We see persons daily enlisting themselves under Satan. Not only the walls of religion but those of civility are broken down. Men seem to contend, as the Jews of old, who should be the most wicked: “In their filthiness is lewdness” (Ezek.24:13). If cursing and drunkenness, if lying, and luxury will make a people guilty, then it is to be feared England is in God’s black book. Men have made a private contract with the devil! Instead of crying for mercy to save them, they cry, ‘God damn them!’ Never was there such riding to post to hell, as if men did despair of getting there in time. . . . ‘They declare their sin as Sodom’ (Isa.3:9). Indeed men’s sins are grown daring, as if they would hang out their flag of defiance and give Heaven a broadside, like the Thracians who, when it thunders, gather together in a body and shoot their arrows against Heaven. The sinners in Britain even send God a challenge: ‘They strengthen themselves against the Almighty; they run upon Him even on His neck . . . (Job 15:25-26). . . .

Oh to what height is sin boiled up! Men count it a shame not to be impudent! May it not be said of us as Josephus (the historian) said of the Jews; “such was the excessive wickedness of those times that if the Romans had not come and sacked their city, Jerusalem would have been swallowed up with some earthquake, or drowned with a flood, or fired from Heaven.”

And is it not high time then for this nation to enter into a spirit of repentance?

England is an island encompassed by two oceans, an ocean of water, and an ocean of wickedness. O that it might be encompassed with a third ocean, that of repenting tears!

The Providence of God – Don Fortner

As a wise, skilled pharmacist mixes medicine, our heavenly Father wisely mixes exactly the right measure of bitter things and sweet, to do us good.

Too much joy would intoxicate us. Too much misery would drive us to despair. Too much sorrow would crush us. Too much suffering would break our spirits. Too much pleasure would ruin us. Too much defeat would discourage us. Too much success would puff us up. Too much failure would keep us from doing anything. Too much criticism would harden us. Too much praise would exalt us. Our great God knows exactly what we need. His Providence is wisely designed and sovereignly sent for our good! Let him therefore send and do what he will. By His grace, if we are His, we will face it, bow to it, accept it, and give thanks for it.

God's Providence is always executed in the 'wisest manner' possible. We are often unable to see and understand the reasons and causes for specific events in our lives, in the lives of others, or in the history of the world. But our lack of understanding does not prevent us from believing God. We bow to His will, which is evident in His works of Providence, and say, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!"