Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly. The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips. Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Proverbs 16:22-24

“Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.”(Matthew 1:21).

When we feel oppressed and overcome by our sin and our sins, what a precious promise. He shall save. Notice the certainty of the language. His people are the objects of this great salvation from their sins. Here is what I need saved from…my sins! He shall save His people from the punishment of sin. He shall save His people from the power of sin. We can now do what we previously could not do when we were under the power of sin. We can now believe, repent, and love because sin no longer has dominion. And one day, blessed thought, we will be saved from the presence of sin. We will commit sin no longer. We will no longer remember what it was to be a sinner. Then we will understand. “Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.”

Pastor Todd Nibert

I Must Preach The Gospel

"For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (1Cor. 9:16).

The most humbling and challenging thing I face, the great concern of my heart is that my generation experience a return to the preaching of the gospel of God's glory. We are plagued today with a gospel of works, a religion of form and ceremony, a zeal for God but not according to knowledge. (Rom. 10:2).

I pray for a return to the message God was pleased to use in other days to awaken sinners to their need for mercy; that message that reveals the re­demptive glory of God in Christ; that message that humbles the proud Pharisee and gives hope to the chief of sinners.

If God is pleased to restore that message men will once again sense the awesome Holy presence of the Living God. Gone will be the voice of the proud sinner who inwardly debates whether he will accept Jesus or reject Him. Gone will be the haughty spirit that refuses to bow to the Lordship of Christ. Gone will be the bragging of the religionist who boasts of his righteousness and what he has done for God.

Once again we may hear men cry, "Depth of mercy, can there be mercy still reserved for me, can my God His wrath forbear and me the chief of sinners spare?" It may be that we will hear someone ask, "And can it be that I should gain and interest in the Savior's blood?"

I know not what course others may take, but I am determined to put forth every effort to preach that gospel every time I step into the pulpit. "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (1Cor. 9:16). Pastor Henry T. Mahan (1982)

Lord, Don’t Leave Us Alone

“And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God” (Mark 1:23-24).

When the Lord Jesus went among the people preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, the people in the synagogue were astonished at His doctrine, for He taught them with authority. They did not recognize, acknowledge nor confess His person as God the Son, but they were amazed at His words. What is most remarkable the "unclean spirit," knew exactly Who He was and confessed that Jesus Christ is the, "Holy One of God." The demon spirit also confessed he was deserving of God's righteous judgment, "art thou come to destroy us." The demon spirit also cried out and said, "Let us alone; what have we to do with thee."

The believer's cry before the Lord is similar, yet completely different. We, by His grace do confess that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour (Phi. 2:9-11), but not only acknowledging His Lordship over us, but we willingly submit to Him and love Him supremely (1Pet.2:7). We say with Thomas, Jesus Christ is, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28).

Believers also confess they are deserving of God's righteous judgment against our sin and plead for mercy (Psa. 51: 1-4; Luke 18:13-14). However, our plea before the Lord is, don't leave us alone, we need thee every hour in every way. We need Thee, to be Surety and Sacrifice for us (Heb. 7:22), Mediator representing us (1Tim. 2:5), Advocate pleading for us (1John 2:1), Captain guiding and fighting for us (Heb. 2:10), Redeemer delivering us (Heb. 2:14-17), Great High Priest interceding for us (Heb. 4:14-16), the Chief, Great, and Good Shepherd providing all things for us (Psalm 23:1-4; Phil. 4:19).