October 16^th 2022

9:30 am ---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- --- The Gospel of Obadiah -- Obadiah

10:00 am ---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ---- Save Yourselves – Acts 2:40

“CHILDREN, COME TO THE TABLE” – by Maurice Montgomery

I was so richly blessed of God to be born of parents who loved and feared the Lord, and to have three brothers and two sisters to grow up with. What a blessing! I remember well when mom would say, “Children, come to the table.” I had never thought of it till a few days ago, but I never felt so safe, so secure, and so cared for, as when we were all together at the table, and for some reason, especially the supper table.

In trying to mentally and emotionally recapture those days, I think perhaps it was because we were all together, one family, and the “big world” was temporarily shut out. We were one family, with basically the same interests. We worked together, played together, cared for one another, and looked out for one another. But most of all, I think it was because of that which we took for granted, the love and care of a faithful dad and mom! We were never anxious about shelter, food, clothing, medication, etc. Our loving, faithful, hard-working parents provided for all our needs.

God our Father, has provided a table for us, even in the presence of our enemies (Ps. 23) – the Gospel Ministry. Here, at this table, the saints meet together and feast upon the “children’s bread,” “Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Oh! how safe, how secure, and how cared for we should feel! Here, we are a family together in our Father’s house, and the “wicked world” is temporarily shut out. Here, we love, care for, and comfort one another. Here, is a family of love and peace, established by the Prince of Peace. When one of us was coming to mom’s table angry or quibbling about something, mom would always say, “Get rid of it….let it go….calm down now. You can’t digest your food when you are upset.” Here, at the Gospel Table, one must never come with bitter feelings against another, for one cannot partake of this gospel feast with such an attitude. Here, in this family, there is no room for pride or boasting, envy, strife or any such thing - because none of us are “natural born” children! We were all hellish and hell-bound enemies of God, and “by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Eph. 2:1-3). But God, in infinite, amazing love and almighty grace ADOPTED US! He snatched us out of the kingdom of darkness and death and translated us into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of His dear Son. We are all sort of like old Mephibosheth, “dead dogs” and “cripples” sitting and eating at the King’s table (II Sam. 9), but our King is “The King of kings and Lord of lords!”

Oh! how safe, how secure, how cared for we should always feel – and how thankful! Our Father has the resources of the whole universe at His disposal, and His word to us is, ‘don’t be over-anxious about anything’ (Matt. 6:25-34). What a faithful and loving heavenly Father we have! How inexpressibly wonderful to be able to call Him our Father and feast at the Gospel Table with His dear children, brothers and sisters in Christ! “BEHOLD, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (I John 3:1). Maurice Montgomery

Six Signs of Trouble – by Henry Mahan

Every true believer fears the removal of God’s presence and power. David prayed, “Take not thy Spirit from me.” Paul feared that, “while preaching to others, I might become a castaway.” My thoughts are that this condition is manifested in the following ways:

1. We begin to experience no blessing nor benefit from the reading or preaching of the Word. When the Word ceases to

convict, rebuke, burn in my heart, and cause me to rejoice in Christ, then God is not speaking to me; for God speaks

through his Word.

2. We are in trouble when we feel satisfied with our spiritual progress and become puffed up with knowledge. We become

authorities instead of learners; having arrived, our humble spirit is in creed alone, not experience.

3. We can be absent from the fellowship of believers and worship of the Lord without feeling a great loss and an empty heart.

A man who can be warmed by his own fire is either dead or dying spiritually.

4. We begin to be critics and find fault with others. The Spirit of God leads a man to feel that he is “less than the least,”

“chief of sinners.” When the Spirit of God is not present, we become judges and fault-finders.

5. When our souls are not vexed by the sin within us and the conversation of men about us, when we can feel comfortable in

the presence of those who never knew our God, when we can conform to the ways of natural men and the trend of

materialism, the light of God is dim or extinguished.

6. When our thoughts become self-centered and the general welfare, well-being, and joy of others is of no great concern to us,

we are certainly not motivated by the Spirit of God. Selfishness, like self-righteousness, is not of God. The heart filled with