May 2^nd 2021

9:30 am ---------------------------------------Christ’s Word to Families – Colossians 3:18-25

10:00 am ------------------------------------------Living and Dying Faith – Hebrews 11:1-16

Wednesday: 7:00 pm ------------------------Planted in the House of the Lord – Psalm 92:13

Pride

Our hearts are desperately proud. If there is one sin which God hates more than another, and more sets Himself against, it is the sin of pride. Like a weed upon a dung-heap, pride grows more profusely in some soils, especially when well fertilized by rank, riches, praise, flattery, our own ignorance, and the ignorance of others. We all inherit pride from our fallen ancestor Adam, who got it from Satan, that “king over all the children of pride.” Those, perhaps, who think they possess the least pride, and view themselves with wonderful self-admiration as the humblest of mortals, may have more pride than those who feel and confess it. It may only be more deeply hidden in the dark recesses of their carnal mind.

As God then sees all hearts, and knows every movement of pride, whether we see it or not, His purpose is to humble us! When I look back upon my life, and see all my sins, all my follies, all my slips, all my falls, my conscience testifies of the many things I have thought, said, and done, which grieve my soul, make me hang my head before God, put my mouth in the dust, and confess my sins unto Him. When I contrast my own exceeding sinfulness with God’s greatness, God’s majesty, God’s holiness, and God’s purity… I fall down, humbly and meekly before Him, I put my mouth in the dust, I acknowledge I am vile. “I am nothing but dust and ashes.” (Abraham) “Behold, I am vile!” (Job) “Woe is me, I am undone!” (Isaiah) “I am a sinful man!” (Peter) – J.C. Philpot

The Cross

How significant that modern man uses the cross as an adornment now, since modern religion has removed the “offense of the cross.” The cross of Christ speaks of a Holy God Who is angry with and judges sin; man a hell-deserving, wretched creature; and an awful, bloody sacrifice of death as the only thing which can save that sinful creature. These things are totally missing in present day religion. This “offense of the cross” is offensive indeed to modern, self-righteous man. And so it is only natural that he has taken that instrument of blood, death and hell, and turned into a pretty things wear! -- unknown

Time is Short; Relationships End

“…Brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not”

– 1 Corinthians 7:29-30

Every worldly relationship, sorrow, joy, possession and care is fading and perishing (Job. 1:21). Nothing about this world is permanent nor lasting. We may weep, but weeping endures for the night; joy comes in the morning. We may rejoice in earthly treasure, but only temporarily. We may buy and sell, but we really own nothing. Let us use the world and its material and physical qualities with a loose hand, neither too much depressed by its sadness nor too much elated over its joys. It will all pass away. – from Henry Mahan’s commentarie

The Subtlety of Satan and his ministers