Hymns: He Hideth My Soul – p. 258 | Jesus Paid It All – p. 125
“But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:13-14).
An unregenerate man is equally dead to the things of God whether buried in a cesspool of vile iniquity or in the decorated mausoleum of false religion. —Pastor Jim Byrd
Some believe that “what is to be will be.” This is not faith but mere fatalism. Faith is always associated with God and what He has said in His word! This word says, “all things are of God.” Not some impersonal force or fate but the will and work of God. Most of all, all things of salvation, the salvation of His people, and all the things necessary to accomplish it, are of God IN CHRIST JESUS and HIM CRUCIFIED!
-- Pastor Gary Shepard
From whence this fear and unbelief? Hath not the Father put to grief His spotless Son for me? And will the righteous Judge of men, Condemn me for that debt of sin, which Lord, was charged to Thee? Complete atonement Thou hast made, and to the utmost farthing paid Whate’er Thy people owed; how then can wrath on me take place If sheltered in Thy righteousness and sprinkled with Thy blood? If Thou hast my discharge procured, and freely in my room endured The whole of wrath divine, payment God cannot twice demand First at my bleeding Surety’s hand, and then again at mine. Turn then, my soul, unto thy rest! The merits of thy great High Priest ave bought thy liberty! Trust in His efficacious blood, Nor fear thy banishment from God, since Jesus died for thee.
—Augustus Toplady
9-11
Whenever we mention the date 9-11, it has special significance for most Americans. Like many dates in history, it will live on in infamy. But we as true children of God should never forget that our great God and Savior is the God of all times (Eccl. 3:1-8). He has always been (and will always be) in control. Unbelievers cannot grasp this. They want to attribute such times either to the devil, evil men, or fate (chance). They deny God’s sovereign justice, power, and goodness by questioning how God could allow such things to happen. On his own sinful man can only grope in the dark and come out on the other end of his search just as blind and ignorant as was when he began. But God answers all questions with a just a few words recorded in His Word. Two examples of God’s answer are –
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Eccl. 12:13-14)
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)
Those who “fear God and keep His commandments” and those who “love God” and are “called according to His purpose” are only those who, by the power and grace of God, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for ALL salvation, righteousness, forgiveness, blessing, and eternal life. They are sinners redeemed from their sins by God’s grace based on the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. They stand before God at this time and at all times IN CHRIST having His righteousness charged to their account. There are times here on earth that they can only stand and shake their heads, not knowing all the intricacies of day-to-day living and what it all means as pertaining to individuals and nations. But they know that their times are in God’s hand (Psalm 31:15). They live as sojourners who times on this earth are temporary. When their soul is broken, their desire is “unto(GOD’S)judgments [God’s Gospel and Word] at all times” (Psalm 119:19-20). – Pastor Bill Parker
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