June 22^nd, 2014

Today’s Services:

9:30 am ­ ;.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ... Self Denial & Following Christ-- Matthew 16:24-29

10:00 am ......................................................................................Jesus Christ Transfigured -- Matthew 17:1-9

Birthdays: June: 22^nd -- Nancy Parks, 23^rd -- James Holland, 24^th -- Patrick Holland, 25^th -- Walter Groover

To Our Congregation: The Lord willing, I will be preaching for the Millsite Baptist Church of Cottageville, West Virginia, Mike Walker, pastor: this Saturday night and Sunday morning. Preaching for you in my absence will be brother Dan Culver, pastor of Grace Fellowship Church, Wheelersburg, Ohio.

Preaching and Preachers: "God sometimes blesses a poor exposition of a bad translation of a doubtful rendering

of an obscure verse of a minor prophet." -- from the book 'Gathered Gold', 1984

Faith a gift of God

Before any sinner can or will come to Christ, he must be born again. Faith is the result, not the cause of the new birth. That faith by which we receive God's salvation in Christ is the gift of God. "Salvation is of the Lord," in its entirety! It is not of works at any time in a believer’s life, God will never be brought into debt by the works of any man, He will never owe a blessing, all is of grace.
Faith in Christ is as much the gift and work of God's free grace as election, redemption, and regeneration. If you believe, it is because God has given you faith (Phil. 1:29). You "believe according to the working of his mighty power" (Eph. 1:19). Faith is not the work of the sinner's imaginary "free will." Faith is the gift of God's sovereign grace, the result of God's operation upon the heart. "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."

-- Don Bell

F The more faithful the Lord is to bless us, the more prone we are to take His favor for granted. I pray that He will not need to take away any of His mercies from us, in order to remind us from whence they come. - Chris Cunningham

"The silent influence of parental conduct is far greater, either for good or for evil, than most parents are aware of. You teach by what you say, you influence by what you do; and also by what you do not say, and do not perform.
"O parents, parents! Take care what you are teaching your children by your example. You are always influencing them for good--or evil. You are leading them to Heaven -- or to Hell. Not a day passes, but you produce impressions, perhaps permanent impressions--either good or bad!” -- From brother Bruce Crabtree's Bulletin

Blasphemous Modern Preaching

Modern preaching in mainstream religion is this: 'God loves you and wants to save you if you will let him, and he sent Jesus to die for your sins. So if you will accept him as your personal savior and start living right and coming to church, you will be saved.' This is the so-called gospel of every false preacher and false church throughout the world.

That false gospel is not only blasphemous and dishonoring to God and His Son, but is completely contrary to the Word of God and the Truth of the Gospel. It is also contrary to good sense. What kind of 'god' is he, who wants to do something but cannot because puny man won't let him? That's no 'God' at all, but a pathetic failure and an idol. If I am more powerful than him, I am more god than he is. What kind of god is he who needs to be 'accepted' by mortals? Man is the one on trial, not God. It is up to God to accept man, not vice versa. And what kind of love is it that is helpless to do anything for me, or worse yet, stands by while I am perishing and will not save me? Why, my love for my child is not that weak! If I see her fall, I go pick her up. If I see her in danger, I go save her from it. And if the blood was shed for every person and some are now in hell, what good did it do?