January 8^th 2023

9:30 am ---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- --- Zerubbabel & The House of God -- Haggai

10:00 am ---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- Jesus Wept – John 11:35

Wednesday: 7:00 pm

Friend, Lover and Brother

“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” – Proverbs 17:19

The Lord Jesus Christ is the “friend of sinners”, Who loved His own before the world began, loved them while they were yet sinners, and loves them to the end. Christ is the Son of God and the firstborn among many brethren. He is the Elder Brother Who was born for adversity; born to bear the sin of God’s people. He is that Friend that sticketh closer than a brother. He will never forsake His friends and brothers. May we be the same friend and brother to our brethren, loving them in the depth or their sins; loving them fervently (intently) actively, passionately; loving them when they need it most, when they are experiencing great adversity and trouble.

IF THEY MEAN BY LOVE……….!!

I constantly maintain the glories, beauties, and preciousness of love; and yet I am branded an enemy to love. But, if by love, they mean I ought to unite with those who deny the Deity of my God and Saviour; if by love they mean I ought to unite occasionally with people who say without a blush that election is a damnable doctrine and hate it in their hearts; that imputed righteousness is "imputed nonsense," a doctrine that ought to be spurned by all, which is the very covering that hides all my shame, the very robe that adorns my naked soul, and is the joy and rejoicing of my heart, and which I have found to be the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; if they mean by love that I ought to unite with people who testify that we may be a child of God one day and testify that we may be a child of the devil another; that Christ died and atoned for the sins of Esau as well as Jacob, for Cain as well as Abel, for Judas as well as Peter, and that there are thousands in Hell for whom Christ died; if they mean by love that I ought to unite and call them BRETHREN who profess to believe the doctrines of grace, and call themselves Calvinists, but can declare at times that those blessed doctrines which are so precious and glorious to my soul are non-essential things; that is, if I understand their meaning right, they view them as useless things, and that it is of no consequence whatever whether we receive or believe these doctrines or not, provided we do unite with all sorts, and pray for all, and be candid and mild, and esteem all as partakers of grace; I confess from my heart, if all this be love, I AM DESTITUTE OF IT, and instead of being grieved for my lack of it, I glory in it. -- John Warburton (1776-1857)

An Outline Worth Repeating From Psalm 23 -- by Henry Mahan, 1997

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want . . .

1. For REST - “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.”

2. For PEACE - “He leadeth me beside still’waters.”

3. For FORGIVENESS - “He restoreth my soul.”

4. For HOLINESS’ - “He leads me in the paths of right­eousness for His name’s sake.”

5. For FELLOWSHIP - “For Thou art with me.”

6. For COMFORT - “Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.”

7. For PROVISIONS - “Thou preparest a table before me”

8. For ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD - “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”

9. For ANYTHING IN THE WORLD TO COME - “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

GOD Sent Trouble – by John Calvin – 1509-1564