May 5^th 2024

9:30 am --------------------------------Life for Life, Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth – Exodus 21:12-36

10:00 am ------------------------------- The Lord & Saviour – Mark 4 & 5

Perfect Peace – by Henry Mahan

Are you happy? Yes! But I am not without times of sorrow and depression. Like any human, I weep over loved ones, friends, sickness, death, and disappointment. But I sorrow not as those who have no hope. Christ is my hope! He loved me, gave himself for me, and will make all these things work together for my eternal good.

Are you at rest in your soul? Yes! But I am not free from concern and conviction over my sins and my infirmities. I love Christ but not as I should or as I desire. I am satisfied with him, his mercy, his grace, and his love; but, I will never be totally satisfied until I wake with his likeness.

Do you have peace? Yes! But that peace with God, peace of conscience, and peace in any situation or condition is not based on my merit, feelings, nor religious duties. Christ is my peace! He said, “In me ye have peace. In the world ye shall have trouble.”

Any man or woman who claims continual, uninterrupted joy, rest, and peace in this world is either not telling the truth or has no connection with reality! True joy, rest, and peace are things we enjoy in Christ in the midst of troubles, afflictions, and infirmities.

Paul’s exhortation was “rejoice in the Lord.” When I am conscious of my weakness, failure, and sins, I rejoice in Christ, my righteousness. When I am concerned about food, clothing, and shelter, I rejoice in Christ, my provider. When I am grieved, Christ is my comfort. When I am faced with death, Christ is my life! So, it is not necessary to put on a false face and deceive others. We are still human; but, our peace, rest, and joy is Christ.

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stay on thee.” – Isaiah 26:3

The Word Watered by Tears -- "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,

shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." – Psalm 126:6

A most wonderful and comforting thought is how the Lord Jesus Christ lived by faith on earth. He became a flesh and blood man and had to live by faith as all His people do. He depended on everything from His Father in Heaven and so He prayed with “strong crying and tears” (Heb.5:7). Amazing! Knowing what God would do, what He Himself must do and would do; knowing the end from the beginning, and yet He prayed . . . with all His heart, with great emotion, crying and weeping many tears. And scripture says: “He was heard.” The “prayers and supplications” the Lord was praying were His High Priestly prayer in John 17, in which He was praying for all His people, and He prayed for Himself, for strength to endure the cross. And the Father heard Him and granted all His request. In this prophecy of Christ, He came forth, wept, bearing precious seed, and rejoiced to see His prayers answered and all His wheat, ‘His sheaves’, gathered into His House someday.

Would God hear us if we prayed as our Lord did? Would He grant our requests if we prayed according to His will, in Christ’s Name, and with strong crying and tears? Would to God we were more earnest in our desires and prayers toward God for His people, for the lost, for our own faith, help and strength. What would God do if we prayed, even wept over the gospel to be preached on the Lord’s day . . . and prayed and wept afterward . . . that God would speak to our lost loved ones. The promise is: "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, SHALL DOUBTLESS come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Maybe, yea surely we would see some more souls saved.

"But mine eyes are unto Thee, O God the Lord: in Thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute." -- Psalm 141:8