CENTRAL GRACE BULLETIN

Central Grace Church

3596 Franklin Street Rocky Mount, Virginia

August 22^nd 2021

9:30 am ---------------------------------------------------------------------------The Vineyard – Luke 20:1-9

10:00 am -------------------------------------------------------The Peculiar People of God – 1 Peter 2:9-10

“They Shall Not Depart From Me” -- “And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good: but I will put my fears in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.” (Jer. 32:40)

And what is the evidence that the Lord has made this everlasting covenant with me? It is that He has put His fear in my heart. The fear that is the beginning of wisdom. The fear that makes a man afraid of sin! The fear that makes a man afraid to look anywhere but Christ alone! It is the fear that makes me fear departing from Him. Most who begin this heavenly path end up departing. The stony ground hearer departs in a highly visible way. The thorn-choked hearer has a gradual departure. It may be that his body never departs. He remains a church-member, but he brings forth no fruit. The “cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches and the lust of other things” lead him to depart. But those who do not depart, and continue walking with Christ, they are the ones He has evidently made an everlasting covenant with. He has put His fear in their heart, so that they will not depart from Him. – unknown

“See That Ye Refuse Not Him That Speaketh” – Hebrews 12:25

Here are 5 ways sinners refuse him that speaketh:

1. By neglecting to read daily and diligently the Scriptures through which He speaks.

2. By failing to attend public preaching where His Word is faithfully set forth.

3. By failing to comply with the terms of His Gospel and yield ourselves unto His authority.

4. By forsaking the Narrow Way of His commandments and going back again to the world.

5. By abandoning the truth for error--for will-worship, sanctification by your obedience to the law rather than by Christ the

Sanctifier and the Word of his grace. – unknown

Author Unknown

Have you ever noticed that the author of some of the best articles is unknown or anonymous? The author of the book of Hebrews is unknown . . . anonymous. Neither John the Baptist or John the apostle would give their name or credentials, though Christ said there was none greater than John the Baptist and none had the Revelation that John the apostle was given.

My pastor was quite a good writer but would never sign his name to his articles. While living here with us he asked me to stop signing his name to his articles. I told him I could not do that, since others would think I wrote it. It is certain that the Lord used his articles and is still using them. And it is doubly certain that the Lord uses those who abase and deny themselves; those who care not for their own name and glory, but only for the name and glory of the Lord. George Whitfield once said: “Let the name of George Whitfield perish from the earth. Let the name of Jesus Christ be praised.”

Might be a good thing to put a six month moratorium on signing our names. Maybe God would use us more.

Trouble in the Flesh

John Bunyan once said, “A believer is seldom long at ease; when one trial is gone, another doth him seize.” We can be sure that when we are on the mountain top, the valley is not far away. We have many joys, but we must have afflictions. The apostle called it, “trouble in the flesh” (1 Cor. 7:28). Sometimes these troubles come from our family relationships. Those whose lives are interwoven with ours naturally cause us great grief spiritually. Christ said, “A man’s enemies will be those of his own household” (Mt. 10:36). How can it be otherwise? The people of this world never did understand the people of God and they never will. “Light came into the world and the darkness comprehended it not” (Jn. 3:19). How can darkness do anything to light but oppose it? Light and darkness can’t mix; oil and water will not mix; and it cannot be expected that the believer shall have peace with the unbeliever, whether they live across the street or in the same house. When King David came home from that high and holy adventure with God, when he brought the ark back to the tabernacle, who should meet him at the door with sarcasm, criticism, and ridicule but his own wife! When I look at David singing and dancing before the ark, how happy he is! How filled with the joy of the Lord! But I know what is ahead and so do you. And it will hurt more because it will come from the most unexpected source—his own dear wife! Satan works in this manner; “wounded in the house of my friends” (Zech. 13:6). Husbands, wives, children, parents, and close friends who do not know our Lord and his sovereign, free, and redeeming grace will not help us on our heavenly journey but will do all they can do to wound and hurt. This, too, we will endure and accept as the good providence of the Lord! – Henry Mahan