September 10^th 2023

9:30 am Bible Study

10:00 am Wors hip-- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- - Messages by brother Roland Browning

*** NO WEDNESDAY SERVICE THIS WEEK ***

“You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free.”

Scripture says that men and women are “taken captive by (Satan) at his will” (II Tim.2:26), and all God’s people know it is so by experience. The natural man is easy prey for Satan, the god of this world, for he is the master of deception and guile. Satan has so many devices (the chief one being false religion) and human beings easily fall to all his devices and become his willing captives. Only when a stronger than (Satan), comes and binds the strong man and spoils his goods . . .only then will these captives be released. Christ is the Captain of our salvation and He alone can and must free us. If the Son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed. Christ makes us free from the law, its penalty, its curse and its demands; free from sin, it’s penalty, it’s power, and someday it’s presence; free from ignorance, blindness, superstition and tradition; free from the nets, traps, snares and pitfalls of the world; free from false prophets who seek to make us their disciples; free from the captivity of sin and the world; and ultimately . . . free from death!

The way which Christ makes us free is through THE TRUTH, the Word of Truth, the Gospel of our salvation. Christ is the Truth and the Truth is Christ. Christ is the Truth of who God is, how God saves sinners, how we may know God, please God and get to God. The Truth is the Word of God concerning Christ. When God, through His Word, shows us Christ the Way, we are then made free from those who tell us of another way. When God shows us Christ, the law-keeper, we are then made free from trying to keep the law to justify ourselves. When God shows us Christ, the wisdom of God, we are then made free from ignorance. When God the Holy Spirit reveals Christ in us and to us, and gives us a love for Him, for holiness and righteousness, we are then made free from sin’s reigning power. When God reveals Christ our Prophet, we are then made free from all false prophets. When God reveals Christ our Priest, we are then made free from confessing our sins to pretended priests. When God reveals Christ our King, we are then made free from bowing and scraping to sinful men. When God reveals Christ as all and in all, we then see The Lord Jesus Christ as all the religion we need! Yes, Christ the Truth makes us free! . . . Free indeed!

Speaking The Truth In Love – Ephesians 4:15

I wonder, if when we preach to others or witness, does the love of God come through? I wonder if when we write of the glorious doctrines of God’s grace, does the love, compassion, and heart of God show forth, or harshness, vengeance, and judgment? I wonder, if in our preaching and witnessing, do those to whom we witness detect not only a belief in what we are saying, but a love for what we believe, and a love for Him whom we believe, and a love for them who do not understand what we say. It was His love that chose us! It was His love that gave us repentance! It was His love that gave us faith! I do not suggest in any way, that we compromise our principles, or our message, or our doctrine, but that our message be tempered with the love and compassion of our Saviour! Are sinners blind? Dead? Deaf? In darkness? Were we not also there once? Then why be angry with them? – H.T.M.

The Sweetness of the Gospel

When we hear the gospel preached in the power of the Holy Spirit it rejoices our hearts for it is the voice of our Beloved we hear. “The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.” (Cant. 2:8).

“My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.” (2:16). It doesn’t get any sweeter than this.

– John Chapman