August 30^th 2020

9:30 am ……………………….……………………………Woe Unto Pharisees – Luke 11:37-54

10:00 am ……………………….…………………..…………All This is The Lord – Job 1&2

Wednesday: 7:00 pm …………………………Esther, Part 2, The Substitute – Esther 2

Foreknown, Predestined, Justified, Glorified. – Romans 8:29-30

Our heavenly Father will never disinherit us. He may for a time desert his children, but will not disinherit them. This is evident by virtue of the eternal decree of heaven. God’s decree is the basis on which the saints’ perseverance depends; neither sin, death, nor hell can break it asunder. All he predestined will be glorified. Besides God’s decree, he has engaged himself by promise that all the heirs of heaven shall never be put out of their inheritance. His promises are like a sealed deed that cannot be reversed. They are the saints’ royal charter. God’s fidelity (truth and faithfulness), which is the richest pearl of his crown, is engaged in the promise for his children’s perseverance. A child of God cannot fall away while he is held fast in the two arms of God – his love, and faithfulness. Jesus Christ undertakes that all of God’s children by adoption shall be preserved in a state of grace until they inherit glory. He carries on grace in the souls of the elect by the influence and cooperation of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes good all that Christ has purchased for the saints. Christ also carries on the work of intercession (Heb. 7:25). He prays that every saint may hold out in grace. Can the children of such prayers perish?

If the heirs of heaven should be disinherited and fall short of glory, then God’s decree must be reversed, his promise broken, and Christ’s prayer frustrated, which would be blasphemy to imagine. Not only this, God’s children are united with the body of Christ. As it is impossible to separate the leaven from the dough once they are mingled together, so it is impossible that Christ and believers could ever be separated. Is it possible that any part of Christ should perish? Losing one part loses glory too. By all this, it is evident that God’s children must persevere in grace.

– Thomas Watson (1620-1686)

There Shall Be Showers of Blessing – Ezekiel 34:26

The other day I was feeling so down, so full of sorrow, doubt, fear, worry. . . with my head hanging down. Then I lifted up my head and looked outside . . . the gentle rain was falling, the blessed water of this life was coming down, watering the earth, filling the pools; sweet, refreshing rain . . . while I was mourning and worrying.

Scripture says, “He (Christ) shall come down like rain upon the mown grass, as showers that water the earth”(Ps.72:6). Yes, He came, the blessed Water of life, He heard the cries of His people by reason of their captivity, sins, and sorrow, and He came down to deliver them out . . . to bring them up out of the land unto a good land” (Ex.3:7-8).

Scripture says, “There shall be showers of BLESSING” . . . singular . . . Blessing, the One thing needful . . . the One we need, Christ the Lord. There has been, is now (while we sorrow and worry), and shall forever be, showers of blessing . . . gospel promise after promise of His love, mercy, grace, salvation, peace, protection, preservation, provisions and sure hope in Christ.