July 31^st 2022

9:30 am ----------------------------------------------Christ Crucified – Psalm 22

10:00 am ---------------------- The Only Man Equal With God – John 5:17-27

Let Us Go To The House Of The Lord

“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.” - Psalm 122:1

What defines a true house of the Lord? It is a house where the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ is declared - God, Man, Mediator, Savior! It is a house where the Word of Christ is declared - every word that has proceeded out of the mouth of God. It is a house where the Spirit of Christ dwells - in truth. It is a house where the glory of Christ dwells - in power. It is a house where the people of Christ dwell - in love. It is a house where Christ is ALL and in all. That is a house that all of God’s people are glad to go to. May that be THIS house today! - Gabe Stalnaker

“They That Observe Lying Vanities Forsake Their Own Mercy” – Jonah 2:8

What are the lying vanities of which the scripture speaks? It is written: “Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, ALL IS VANITY” (Prov.12:8). The flesh, the world and the devil promise many things, but are all liars! Riches are deceitful¸ promising happiness and contentment, when in fact they gender the opposite. The world talks of wisdom, knowledge, enlightenment, when in fact they lie about most things (not revealing the facts, bringing up false ‘witnesses’, manufacturing ‘findings’ and ‘sources’). David said in his haste “All men are liars.” (Note: God’s people are not liars, but the world is so full of them, that all seem to be so). David’s son said: “Money answereth all things” i.e.. behind every lying scheme is the love of money, as God’s Son said. The devil, who is the father of lies, is perpetrating all his lies in the name of truth. Behind the façade of religion is the smiling face of the devil, who has his ministers of righteousness, who are all liars, evil men and seducers, waxing worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

To observe lying vanities, is to listen to the world and put stock in what it is saying; it is to believe the so-called wisdom of this world which the Lord calls foolishness; worldly wisdom which says, you and yours will be healthy, happy and wise if you get an education, get a good job, get plenty of money for your security, get the things of this world; but the Wisdom from above says to gain the world is to lose your soul. The Lord says ‘with all thy getting get understanding’ (Prov.4:7) . . . understanding of God, Christ, the vanity of things. To observe lying vanities is to listen to and participate in the world’s religions. To observe lying vanities is to walk with, talk with and commune with the liars of this world (evil communications corrupt good manners). To observe lying vanities is to think that anyone or anything in this world can be of some good to us. Fact is, there is nothing truly good in this world except the things of God and the people of God. God says of this world, “They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, NO, NOT ONE!” (Psa.14:3).

To forsake our own mercy is to absent ourselves from the preaching of God’s Word, God’s gospel, which is the mercy of God; the gospel truth which exposes all lies within us, without us, and reveals to us the vanities of this world. The Word of God is His mercy to hell-deserving sinners, sparing them from sin, wrath, and death. God’s Word is full of warnings, rebukes, reproofs and corrections to save us from perishing with this world . . . to save us from this untoward generation; a generation which is far from God and heading toward destruction.

Yes . . . They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. To listen to, pursue and court the things of this world and the people of this world rather than the things of God and the people of God, is to cut your own throat . . . it is to cut off your own life-line . . . it is to commit spiritual suicide. Wherefore . . . “Flee Idolatry” . . . “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” . . . “Come thou with us and we will do thee good” . . . “Desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby” . . . “Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, all is vanity.”

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