July 16^th , 2017

9:30 am ----------------------------------------------Job’s Daughters – Job 42:13-15

10:00 am---------Supper For The Savior (Ointment For His Feet) – John 12:1-11

Wednesday: 7:30 pm -----------------------Words To Help Us Out – Exodus 19:1-9

The Soul’s Experience in Trouble – By J.C. Philpot

"And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings,

so shall ye be also of the consolation."– 2 Corinthians 1:7

The Lord has appointed the path of sorrow for the redeemed to walk in. Why? One purpose is to wean them from the world; another purpose is to shew them the weakness of the creature; a third purpose is to make them feel the liberty and vitality of genuine godliness made manifest in their soul's experience. What am I, and what are you when we have no trials? Light, frothy, worldly-minded, carnal, frivolous. We may talk of the things of God, but they are at a distance; there are no solemn feelings, no melting sensations, no real brokenness, no genuine contrition, no weeping at the divine feet, no embracing of Christ in the arms of affection. But when affliction, be it in providence or be it in grace, brings a man down; when it empties him of all his high thoughts, lays him low in his own eyes, brings trouble into his heart, I warrant you he wants something more than outside gospel. He wants power; he wants to experience in his soul the operations of the blessed Spirit; he wants to have a precious Lord Jesus manifesting himself to his soul in love and blood; he wants to see His lovely countenance beaming upon him in ravishing smiles; he wants to hear the sweet whispers of dying love speaking inward peace; he wants to have the blessed Lord come into his soul, manifesting Himself to him as he does not manifest Himself to the world. What brings a man here? A few dry notions floating to and fro in his brain, like a few drops of oil in a pail of water? That will never bring the life and power of vital godliness into a man's heart. It must be by being experimentally acquainted with trouble. When he is led into the path of tribulation, he then begins to long after, and, in God's own time and way, he begins to drink into, the sweetness of vital godliness, made manifest in his heart by the power of God."

Repentance Toward God, And Faith Toward Our Lord Jesus Christ – Acts 20:21

These are the two things that sum up the work of salvation in a believer. Repentance and faith. “Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Both are by grace, both are the gift and work of God in salvation.

Repentance. John preached “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” The Lord Himself preached, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” What is repentance? Repentance is a godly sorrow over sin; the sin that I am, the sins I commit, and my self-righteousness. And repentance is confession of that sin toward God. “Against Thee and Thee only have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight” (Ps.51:4). Sin is against God, against His Law, against His goodness. Although it affects others, it is God we have sinned against. And so it is God we confess to, not man, for man cannot forgive nor forget those sins. It is God alone Who can pardon and remove the sin and its guilt. And there is no peace as long as there is guilt. How? How can one receive pardon of sin and freedom from guilt?

Faith. “Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus Christ is the sinner’s substitute, Who Himself bore ours sins in His own body on the tree. Jesus Christ is the sinner’s Scapegoat, upon Whose Head we confess our sins, and by faith see Him take them on Himself, take them away, remove them far from us, never to be remembered again. By looking to Him and Him only we find peace. Peace by His Word, which says, “Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom.5:1). By simply confessing our sins to God, and looking to the Lord Jesus Christ, we have peace! Peace of mind, heart, conscience and life. By casting ourselves at His blessed feet, like the guilty woman, we will hear Him say, “Woman, where are thine accusers? Doth no man accuse thee? . . . Neither do I condemn thee.” With a Word, He spoke peace to a guilty sinner. And then she heard Him say, “Go and sin no more.” As it is written, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy” (Prov.28:13).

Repentance and faith are a way of life (eternal life), a state of being, and not a onetime thing. Repentance, faith, and the desire and ability to turn, are all by His grace (gifts), and are things we must ask for and pray for without ceasing.