September 13^th 2020

10:00 am &hel lip;& helli p;&he llip; &hell ip;&h ellip ;&hel lip;& helli p;&he llip; &hell ip;.& helli p;&he llip; &hell ip;&h ellip ;&hel lip;& helli p;&he llip; ..&he llip; &hell ip;&h ellip ;&hel lip;F aith and Stability – Isaiah 7:9

No Wednesday service this week. Mindy and I are taking a little anniversary trip.

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

Even As God Hath -- “ . . . forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32).

The love of Christ constrains us. God’s lovingkindness in Christ to sinners like us constrains us to be kind one to another. God’s compassion on such sinners as we are makes us tenderhearted toward brethren. We are constrained to forgive the very worst offenses of our brethren, “even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” God does not continue to dwell on our past sins, he remembers them no more. Forgiveness involves love: it is giving an offending brother a clean slate to move forward as we strive to love them. Sometimes it is near impossible to forgive and go on loving them. But if for no other reason, “be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, EVEN AS GOD FOR CHRIST’S SAKE HATH FORGIVEN YOU.” – Clay Curtis

Pray For One Another

In 1 Thessalonians 5:25 the apostle makes a simple, yet all-important, request; “Brethren, pray for us.” There is no more important area of the 19 believer’s life than prayer. We dare not set one duty against another but, in what way can one better serve another than to diligently, sincerely, and lovingly intercede for one another before the throne of grace? Samuel considered it a sin NOT to pray for his friends. “Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you” (1 Sam. 12:23).

I know that public prayer is an important part of our worship; but the prayer and intercession I encourage here is that personal, secret, and Spirit-led prayer which springs from genuine love and concern for one another. From the pastor to the youngest member, let us love one another with a fervent love and pray for one another every day. -- Henry Mahan

Do Not I Fill Heaven And Earth? -- Jeremiah 23:24

God is the mighty King of all the earth, the high and lofty One. He is so immensely great in Himself, that the heavens cannot contain Him. He made heaven and earth, and can unmake them. With His breath He can crush us to dust and unpin the world. The mountains quake before Him. He does whatever He wills, and weighs the mountains in the scales. Who in the heavens can be compared with the Lord? He has the highest throne, the richest crown, and the largest dominion. All the angels serve Him, and earthly kings rule by his authority. If we belong to Him, we are on the winning side, for He can destroy His adversaries with ease, pull down their pride and restrain their malice. Let us trust this King. Trust Him with your soul for you cannot put this jewel in safer hands. He can make bare His holy arm. If means fail, He is never at a loss; there are no impossibilities with Him; He can make dry bones live. He has the power of life and death in His hand and can cast body and soul into hell. There is great comfort to those who are the subjects of the King of heaven. He puts forth all His royal power for their comfort. He will plead their cause. He will protect His people and sets an invisible guard about them. He is a wall of fire around them, a wall of defence. When it is good for His people, He will raise up deliverance for them. He can save by any means. The fish’s belly was a ship that sailed Jonah safe to shore. God will never lack in ways to save His people. Rather than fail, God will use enemies to do His work. He delivers His people from temporal danger, and from spiritual danger, sin, and from hell. Dare to own God in the worst of times. He is King of kings, and able to reward His servants. We may be losers for Him, but we shall never be losers by Him. -- Thomas Watson

“Yea, He Loved the People” – Deut.33:3

There can be no doubt of the truth of God’s love to Israel. They were often reminded of it, and were often told why He set His love upon them. It was not their greatness, for they were the fewest of all people, nor their goodness, for they were a stiff-necked people, but because the Lord favored them. Hence He chose them, and redeemed them, and provided for them, and distinguished them by miracles and privileges (Rom.9:4). “He dealt not so with any land.”