October 8^th 2023

9:30 am ----------------------------------------- A Wall of Waters – Exodus 14:22

10:00 am ---------------------------------Quickened, Raised & Sitting Together– Ephesians 2

God’s Discriminating Grace

The doctrine of God’s discriminating grace is not fashionable among a certain body of professors; but it is nonetheless true. According to their views, Jehovah Himself is the only being in existence who is not allowed to make a choice. To talk of God making a choice, and setting apart a people for Himself, . . . they say He is an unjust God and the fault of damnation is His; He is not a holy and just God in that case. According to them, God is unjust because He chooses; yet you find these very characters vindicate their own right to make a choice, in almost every instance. They think they have a right to choose a companion for life; to choose their own food; to choose or reject God; and yet Jehovah has no right to make a choice. He is the only being without the right. Consequently they sink God lower than the lowest beggar in existence, they make Him lower in their estimation than the poorest sinner under the heavens. But when they have used all their arguments and spent all their pride and enmity against God’s right to make a choice, He still chooses as He sits on His unshakable throne; and , in His electing, immortal, and everlasting love, chooses a people for Himself; a people that shall glorify Him and be His portion forever. “The Lord’s portion is His people, and Jacob is the lot of His inheritance.” -- William Gadsby (1773-1844)

Put Ye On The Lord Jesus Christ-- Romans 13:14

What does it mean to put on the Lord Jesus? It doesn't mean that we can put Him on, and take him off as putting on and taking off clothes. It means that we are to arm ourselves, arm our minds with Christ. We are to arm our minds with the whole person of Christ, as God and sinless humanity. Arm our minds with his love, his eternal electing love, with his righteousness (it is the only one acceptable to God Almighty), also arm our minds with his atonement, his bloody sacrifice put away sin once and for all. He alone makes us at-one with God. Put on Christ in his offices, as Prophet to teach us, as Priest to appear in the presence of God for us, as King to rule us and provide us our needs. Put on The Whole Christ, his whole salvation, for there is no salvation in any other name, any other way (Acts 4:12, John.14:6). "We are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lust thereof."

Our fallen natures will seek to control us, and will excuse us when we fulfill the lusts of our flesh. We fulfill the lusts of our flesh when we indulge our minds to wander where they shouldn't, our tongues to say what they shouldn't, our bodies to do what they shouldn't, our feet to take us places we should not go. Why would any believer want to provide for their flesh? Why wouldn't a believer want to put on Christ so they would not make provision for the flesh? I am persuaded that those who continually make provision to fulfill the lusts of the flesh are not believers. "How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein" (Rom.3:2)? -- Don Bell, Crossville, TN

Martin Luther, Music and Singing

How I thank the Lord for Martin Luther. The Lord made him courageous and valiant for the Truth. He stood against the prevailing false religion of his day and ours, roman catholicism (sic). Like Stephen of old, no one was able to resist the wisdom and spirit by which he spake (Acts 7:10). The Lord used Martin Luther to preach the gospel, opening the blind eyes of many; beginning what is now called The Reformation. The following was written in commentary upon Luther's great hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God:

'One of the important benefits of the Reformation was a rediscovery of congregational singing. Martin Luther had strong convictions about the use and power of sacred music. He expressed his convictions in this way, "If any man despises music, as all fanatics do, for him I have no liking; for music is the gift and grace of God, not an invention of men. Thus it drives out the devil and makes people cheerful. Then one forgets all wrath, impurity and other devices. The Devil, the originator of sorrowful anxieties and restless troubles, flees from the sound of music almost as much as before the Word of God." '