CALL TO WORSHIP

"Praise the Savior"

Praise the Savior, ye who know Him!

Who can tell how much we owe Him?

Gladly let us render to Him

All we are and have.

Trust in Him, ye saints, forever -

He is faithful, changing never;

Neither force nor guile can sever

Those He loves from Him.

Keep us, Lord, O keep us cleaving

To Thyself, and still believing,

Till the hour of our receiving

Promised joys with Thee.

Then we shall be where we would be,

Then we shall be what we should be;

Things that are not now, nor could be,

Soon shall be our own.

"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." (Isaiah 12:2-3)

Bible Study 10 AM. Video sermon by Bill Parker

Today's Speaker: Brother Jim Casey will conduct the 11:00 am service today. Pray for him as he delivers God's word.

Today's Message: "Grace and Peace in Christ" Rom. 1:5-14

Birthdays: Michael Winston Lee - Nov. 20^th.

The pardon which God gives is neither a smothering-up of sins, nor a blinding of justice. God is as just in His pardons as in His punishments. It shall be seen at the last, when believers enter into their glory, that they rise there by law, just as surely as the lost sink down to hell by law: that is to say that the Lord Jesus hath rendered to the law such recompense by His perfect obedience, and His matchless blood sacrifice, that it shall be as just on God's part to save His elect as to condemn the unbelieving world. (copied)

The Apostle Paul knew well the suffering that comes with the ministry of the Gospel, the reproach of Christ. He was mocked, beaten, arrested, misrepresented, and reviled by those who hated him and the Gospel he preached. We know full well why natural man hates the Gospel and will not receive it. It is because the preaching of the Person of Christ and the work of Christ to establish the only ground of salvation for sinners in the merits of His obedience unto death proves them to be lost and exposes their best deeds aimed at salvation to be no more than evil deeds and fruit unto death (John 3:19-20). But some who even claimed to believe the Gospel Paul preached spoke harshly of him. Because of jealousy, pride, and arrogance, they sought to discredit him. However, by the Spirit of God Paul wrote that the proper way to handle accusations and persecutions is not to return evil for evil. He wrote that we "labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:" (1 Cor. 4:12). Let our enemies rail on. We have a great and noble commission from our Lord and Savior to preach the Gospel to every creature. Let us set our minds to doing our Father's business and let our enemies strive unto nothing. Our hope and prayer to God is that they might be saved. (copied)

2 SAMUEL 23:5
Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure.

The covenant which the sweet Psalmist of Israel, in his last dying words, has respect unto, is the covenant of grace: founded on grace; filled with the blessings of grace. It is called the covenant of peace (Isa. 44:10), because a grand article of it is peace and reconciliation with God, by Jesus Christ. He was sent to be our peace; to make peace for us by the blood of his cross. It is called a covenant of life (Mal. 2:5), because a grand article in this covenant is life, and it secures everlasting life to his people; for this is one grand promise of it, that God hath promised unto us, eternal life (1 John 2:25).

Now this covenant is said to be made with David: made with his son and antitype, the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, who bears his name. I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant (Ps. 89:3). A covenant projected by God the Father: it was proposed by him to his Son Christ Jesus, who agreed unto it. A mere creature cannot make a covenant with God; for what has man to give to God, to agree upon with God? What terms can he propose, or have proposed, that he is capable of performing? None at all. When, therefore, God is said to make a covenant with men; the meaning is, he manifests his covenant made with Jesus Christ from all eternity. Therefore, when David says, he hath made with me an everlasting covenant; the meaning is, he hath made it manifest to me, that I have an interest in his everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure. This is the meaning of, Hearken unto me, and thou shalt live, and I will make with thee an everlasting covenant (Isa. 55:3). Can any suppose, that when one, under the influence of grace, hearkens to God, then God begins to make a covenant with him? no, the meaning is, God will manifest his covenant love and grace; shew them their interest in the blessings and promises thereof, so that their faith shall lay hold on this covenant, as David did under all those distressing circumstance he was in. Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant: I clearly see my interest in it, and by faith lay hold upon it, and upon the blessings and promises of it.