October 9^th 2022

9:30 am -------------------------------------------- Christ The Fire & Plumbline -- Amos

10:00 am ---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- Christ The I AM – John 8

NO WEDNESDAY SERVICE THIS WEEK

The Fact of Salvation, Not the Time, is Important – by Henry Mahan

I am sure that some who lived in the days of our Lord’s visitation to earth, and many who heard the gospel from the apostles and the faithful preachers who followed them, could tell you the exact day they met the risen Redeemer and bowed to his sovereign rule. I have never felt that it was important for a person to be able to tell when he was saved, but rather that he be able now to state he has experienced repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, that now he is looking to Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King and is now resting in his righteousness and effectual sin-offering.

Too often men and women like to establish a time of conversion and an experience, in order to have something to look back upon for comfort and assurance. This is dangerous! We are not to look to anything nor to anyone but Christ for our hope, our assurance, and our comfort. Paul said something about “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before,” and, “looking unto the Lord Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”

Most of us came through the confusion, errors, and false professions of modern fundamentalism and had so much to unlearn, so many false foundations which had to be destroyed, that it is difficult to set an exact hour when our eyes were turned totally from our idols of religion to our living Lord—when our hearts were weaned from the pride of our religious works and professions and brought to rest in him alone! This is the unaided work of the Spirit of God and the Word of God; and this is a living union which shall never be dissolved. This is accomplished when sinners hear the gospel of God’s grace and glory, for the Gospel is God’s power unto salvation and it pleased God to use the preaching of that Gospel to save.

Hearing With Hunger and Enthusiasm

We are told in God’s Word to ‘take heed how (we) hear’ His Word. We are told to ‘receive the Word as little children.’ How do we approach the hearing and reading of God’s Word? Do we come hungry and thirsty? Do we come as little children to be taught?

Hunger is what makes a person to crave food. Hunger is what makes food taste so good. One can be hungry and the least portion of food . . . the simplest of food, will be relished and greatly appreciated, whereas the opposite is true. One who is full will only pick at his food, and may even be critical of it. Do you pick at the preaching or do you relish it? The Pharisees, who thought they knew God’s Word, came to ‘catch Him at His word.’ They came to try and find some fault with what Christ, the preacher, was preaching. But the common people heard Him gladly. Which are you? If you pick at the Word or analyze it, you will get no blessing nor benefit from it. If truly hungry you won’t break down the food and analyze its contents, you will devour it. If truly hungry you won’t criticize the cook but will be very grateful to him or her for preparing and serving the meal. Come as hungry, needy people and be blessed by the simple Gospel message.

Hearing the Word as a little child is to hear it with great attention and enthusiasm. I have read and seen others read books to little children who were completely enrapt in what they were hearing, listening with perfect attention and great enthusiasm. O’ my, this is God’s Word we are hearing and reading and is to be received with the greatest attention, humility, enthusiasm and gratitude; it is to be heard and believed implicitly and excitedly. Come to hear as little children and go home greatly blessed. Come as poor and hungry, meek and lowly, ignorant and unlearned, unworthy and undeserving, grateful and appreciative hearers . . . and go home full, satisfied, thankful and happy.

Free Indeed “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” – John 8:32