CENTRAL GRACE CHURCH

Central Grace Church

3596 Franklin Street Rocky Mount, Virginia

Website: www.centralgracechurch.com Email: [email protected]

April 21^st 2024

9:30 am ---------------------- The Law: Life for Life, Eye for Eye – Exodus 21

10:00 am ------------------------------- The Whole Armour of God – Ephesians 6:10-22

Wednesday: 7:00 pm ---------------------------- Grace With Them That Love Christ – Ephesians 6:23-24

** Doris Mahan is now living in Ashland, Kentucky. Her address is:

Doris Mahan - Apt. D3

King’s Daughters Home

1100 Bath Avenue

Ashland, KY 41101

A Prayer for Preventing Grace – Bruce Crabtree

Don’t let me put confidence in my preaching, or office, or position, or dress. If being an apostle did not make Judas a saint, neither will preaching, or position, or dress make me one. In fact, unless I first have inward holiness, and have sought it from God alone, it may be that my religious office and dress, etc. will only render my damnation greater.

Don’t let me love money! It will disable both my eyes and ears and make me worse to deal with than a wild beast. It will cause me to harden my conscience, betray friendships, forsake fellowship, and neglect the salvation of my precious soul. Oh, give me grace to be content with such things as are needful for this life, knowing that I must soon leave all and go to my long home.

Don’t let me betray my Savior. Don’t let me say with Judas, “What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you?” What will you give me for the time I spend in private prayer to Him? My time of seeking Him in His Word? What will you give me for my love to Him; my desire for Him; my public profession of Him; my time of fellowship with His People; what will you give me and I will deliver HIM TO YOU? Oh Lord, I am such a wretch, I will prove like Judas at last, if you do not love me, and pray for me, and keep me, and not let me be a Judas IN MY HEART.

Caleb And Joshua – Tom Harding

“For the LORD had said of them, they shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun” (Numbers 26:65).

Caleb and Joshua were among the twelve men who went into the land of Canaan to spy out the land and people and bring the report to Moses (Num. 13:17). Ten men brought an evil and unbelieving report, they said, "We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we (Num. 13:31). God gave the nation forty years in the wilderness for their unbelief (Num.14:28-35).
Caleb and Joshua believed God and said, "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it" (Num.13: 30). None that were numbered among the men from age twenty and older entered into the promise land with exception of Caleb (the faithful dog) and Joshua (the faithful Saviour). This is another glorious picture of the gospel of Christ. None will enter into glory but the Saviour and those sinners (dogs) for whom He died (Rom. 5:5-9). Christ the forerunner has entered in for us and every believer will enter upon His merits alone (Heb. 6:18-20).
However, there is another picture of the gospel here. The scripture says of both Caleb and Joshua that they had another spirit (Num. 14:24; 27:18). It was not the spirit and attitude of unbelief, but that spirit of faith that honors and glorifies God. It is said of Abraham, "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God" (Rom.4:20-21).
Something else is also said of Caleb and Joshua, "they have wholly followed the LORD" (Num. 32:12). Faith and conduct cannot be separated. One preacher of the past said, "Faith is the mother of obedience." Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ puts another spirit and attitude in the sinner, that spirit of love, obedience, devotion, hope and confidence in the Lord (Gal.5: 22; Phil.1: 6; 2:13; 3:3). It is right and commendable for every believer to fully and wholly follow the Lord with an undivided heart (Col. 3:1), unbridled spirit (John 4:24), unwavering commitment (2 Tim. 1:12), unbroken addiction (1Cor. 16:15) and uninterrupted dependence upon the gospel of the Lord Christ (Phil.3:7-9 4:13). Our Lord said, "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it" (Mark 8:34-35).