9:30 am -------------------------------------------------------------------------Fire & Sword – Luke 12:49-59

10:00 am ----------------------------------------------------------The Preeminent One – Colossians 1:15-18

Wednesday: 7:00 pm

"With Long Life Will I Satisfy Him, And Shew Him My Salvation." -- Psalm 91:16

It is not in the number of our years that we shall find preparedness for death. It is not the longer a man lives the more will he be satisfied. No such thing. Then what can the promise mean? Why, that God will satisfy his people with their length of life, whether long or short. God takes his children home at all ages, and he always satisfies them. He always brings them to see and feel that this life is empty and vain, and that it is better, far better, to live in His presence. You may be harassed by the thoughts of death, and be in bondage through the fears of death; and you may be saying, "How will it be with me then?" I will tell you. If you are a child of God, I firmly believe you will not be removed unwillingly and reluctantly, but you will be willing in the day of the Lord's power. You will be willing to breathe out your soul into His dear hands, to Whom you will commend your spirit; you will be willing to be with Christ, which is far better. You may not now be willing. If you pluck at an unripe apple, it resists the touch, but let it be fully ripe, how little, how slight a touch will cause it to drop from the tree. You shall be gathered as a shock of corn in its season. Why, a farmer will not gather in his corn until it is fully ripe; and do you think the Lord will gather his corn into his heavenly garner and it be in an unfit and unripe state? We cannot think it. Be that thought far from us, as it is far from the Lord.

"With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation." Ah! the soul will never see it unless the Lord shews it him; but the Lord will shew it him. He says he will. "I will shew him my salvation." What can we want more? All that we may want, all that we may need in this journey through this wilderness is there. Is there not a sufficiency? Is there not that which we feel is enough? If these promises be mine, be yours, and if they be fulfilled to you and to me, what can we possibly want more? -- J.C. Philpot (1802-1869)

Delight In Self Turned to Disgust

So long as we do not look beyond the earth, we are quite pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue; we address ourselves in the most flattering terms, and seem only less than demigods. But should we once begin to raise our thoughts to God, and reflect what kind of Being he is, and how absolute the perfection of that righteousness, and wisdom, and virtue, to which, as a standard, we are bound to be conformed, what formerly delighted us by its false show of righteousness will become polluted with the greatest iniquity; what strangely imposed upon us under the name of wisdom will disgust by its extreme folly; and what presented the appearance of virtuous energy will be condemned as the most miserable impotence.

- John Calvin (1509-1564)

The Mirror -- Colossians 3:5

When a person stands before a mirror, he sees three things--the mirror, himself, and other things, which are in the room. When I sincerely look by faith into the scriptures, I see many things, but primarily three things. . .

(1) I see the LORD JESUS CHRIST, for He verily is the WORD OF GOD. It is of Him, from Him, and to His glory that it is written. "To Him give all the prophets witness."

(2) I see MYSELF as I truly am, for the word reveals the true nature and need of this son of Adam. "Lord, be merciful to me, the sinner! Let Thy blood atone for me on the mercy-seat."

(3) I see OTHER PEOPLE and my RELATIONSHIP and my RESPONSIBILITY to them!