The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit. The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand. Proverbs 12:5-7

Pastor Frank Tate from the Hurricane Road Grace Church, Ashland, KY., will be with us on Thursday evening.

THE ONLY SCARS IN HEAVEN

“Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:39).

The only scars in heaven will be those that belong to my Savior. The two in His hands will forever remind me that no work of mine could ever attain the perfect righteousness that God demanded and the Lord Jesus provided. The two in His feet will endlessly call to mind that I could not of my own will and doing come to Him that I might have life. The scar on His brow will perpetually mark Him to be the King of all kings, who was wounded for me. Yet it is the scar in His side that I will adhere to and admire the most, for that is the scar that assures me that I will, by His grace, forever be next to Him. The only scars in heaven will be the ones that were inflicted on Him for me, for all mine will be gone! Like my old friend Ed Hale once wrote, “I will be looking for scars up in heaven.”

Pastor David Eddmenson

A Hiding Place from the Wind and a Shelter in the Storm

“Thanks be unto God Who causeth us to always triumph in Christ, our Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:14).

I creep under my Lord's wings in the great storms of life and the waters cannot reach me. Let fools laugh the laughter of fools. Let them mock me. Let them bid the weeping one to sing them one of the songs of Zion. We can sing; we can sing in the winter storm; we can sing in the day of falling leaves; we can sing in the summer's scorching sun.

We can sing for our victory is won; our victory is Christ. No created power on earth or in hell can mar our Lord's work so no invisible force can spoil our song. No trial within or trial without can destroy our union with Him.

"For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39).

Though our hearts be keenly aware of our sins; though our minds endure a conflict over natural evil; though our eyes be filled with tears of repentance; though dangers are within and without; "Thanks be unto God Who causeth us to always triumph in Christ, our Lord" (2 Cor. 3:14).

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1980)

Surrender To God

To be saved from sins is to be saved from ignoring and despising the authority of God. It is to abandon the course of self-will and self-pleasing. It is to forsake our way; it is to surrender to God’s authority; it is to yield to His dominion; it is to give ourselves over to be ruled by Him. One who has never taken Christ’s yoke upon himself and who is not truly seeking to please Him in all details of life, and yet supposing he is resting in Christ, is deceived.

Pastor Scott Richardson

CALEB AND JOSHUA

“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 sin and 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) (Num.32:11-12). 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 of 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).