August 15^th 2021

9:30 am --------------------------------------------- Gird Up, Be Sober & Hope -- 1 Peter 1:13-25

10:00 am ---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- --- The God of Jacob – Psalm 146

Christ, All I Need -- “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” (Psalm 85:10)

When I read this verse of divine inspiration, I can only think of one person and one thing: — Christ and Him crucified. Mercy I could never deserve and truth I could never see, have met together for me in Christ my Lord. For you see, Christ alone is Truth. God’s mercy that I so desperately need is only found in Him. In Christ alone have mercy and truth met together in perfect harmony for me an undeserving sinner. And because God caused them to meet together, now perfect righteousness I could never perform or provide and peace I could never buy or embrace have kissed each other in Him. Christ is truly made unto me all I need; and He is all that God requires. - David Eddmenson

Abiding

It is true that once a man is saved by God’s grace through faith, he will remain saved forever; yet the Scriptures are full of warnings to believers against unbelief (Heb.3:12-14), against drawing back (Heb.10:38-39), and against neglecting the Word of God (Heb.2:1-3). Abiding in Christ is abiding in His Word, abiding in his Love, and abiding in His Spirit, and in Faith. This abiding in Christ is not a condition a man fulfills before receiving life, but abiding in Christ is the result of Christ’s gift of life and is true evidence that we have the life of Christ. Branches on a grapevine do not bear fruit of themselves, but from the vine. Neither can any man bear, produce, nor possess any spiritual knowledge, life, gift, grace, nor His holiness except through Christ’s abiding in him and his abiding in Christ. -- Henry Mahan

"...And Lose His Own Soul " -- Mark 8:36

No man can describe the loss of the soul as he should. No man can paint this dreadful picture in true colors. You and I will never fully understand what it means to lose one's soul until we pass through the valley of death and wake up in eternity. Then, and not until then, shall we know the value of the soul.

The value of all things will change greatly in that day. The hour is coming when money, bank notes, and bonds will be worth no more than waste paper. The day is coming when our diamonds, silver, and gold will be as dust in the streets. The day will dawn when houses and lands will be as worthless as a child's worn out toy. In that day the fame, honor, and glory of this world will be worth no more than faded flowers and withered grass.

In that day a man will be willing to trade all that he knows and can imagine for the privilege of hearing one gospel sermon, one hour of prayer, or one verse of scripture. In that day a man will be willing to trade all the world for one grain of faith. He will curse the day he was born! Oh, in that day of God's wrath, what will a man give in exchange for his SOUL?

“When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.” – Proverbs 11:2

Whoever becomes lifted up with pride, for whatever reason, you can count on it, they will be brought down. God hates pride more than anything, for what do we have that we have not received? All talent, beauty, knowledge and strength is given from above. That one who takes credit for what was given them will most assuredly be put to shame. The proud, beautiful woman will grow old and ugly. That proud, strong man will be someday be without the strength to stand. That proud, wise man will soon forget his own name. “But with the lowly is wisdom.” That one who, by God’s grace, understands that He is what he is by the grace of God; that one who knows that he knows nothing, has nothing, is nothing in himself; and humbles himself and is lowly before God; with that man is wisdom. And that man will never be put to shame.

“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1