January 21, 2018

HYMN OF THE DAY
The Lord Will Provide

The birds without barn or storehouse are fed;

From them let us learn to trust for our bread;

His saints, what is needful, shall not be denied

So long as it's written, "The Lord will provide."

We all may, like ships, by tempest be tossed

On perilous seas, but will not be lost;

Though Satan enrages the wind and the tide,

Yet Scripture engages, "The Lord will provide."

No strength of our own, nor goodness we claim;

Our trust is all thrown, on Jesus' dear name;

In this our strong tower for safety we hide;

The Lord is our power, "The Lord will provide."

When life sinks apace, and death is in view,

The word of His grace shall see us safe through;

No fearing nor doubting with Christ on our side,

We hope to die shouting, "The Lord will provide!"

Tune: O Worship The King, p.#1

Someone told me once about a man who had a Bible School to train young men for the minis­try. This teacher told these young men two things that has had a profound influence on me and my preaching. They are:

1. - No matter what you preach, someone will believe you!

2. - They will go out into eternity facing God believing what you preached to them!

The ministry that God calls a man to is not a call to popularity contests nor is it a call to play games with the souls of men. It is a Divine Call to first preach for the glory of God, to preach the message that gives the Triune God all the glory in Creation, Providence and in Salvation. Secondly: It is a call to preach for the good of men, to earnestly and honestly preach to men as they are, not as they appear to each other or think themselves to be, but as the scriptures teach that they are. To endeavor by the preaching of the gospel to convince men to quit self and close with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sinners. Let me share with you a letter I received from a dear preacher friend after I wrote to him concerning this business of preaching, his reply was:

“Your comments on ‘preaching and laboring in the gospel’ were especially meaningful to me. This is the area I’m most discouraged in regard to many who are trusted with this sacred and blessed treasure. I sometimes wonder what it will require to bring those who say they know the gospel and are called to proclaim it to a genuine and serious committal to that task and to the awesome responsibility of the place behind the pulpit. It is not ours to explain but to proclaim the gospel of His glory. It is not ours to get an old sermon we have had some liberty on before and fill up the time with accurate and accepted truth but to wait before God for a revelation of His message for that hour and that people, even if it requires all day and all night. Without doubt we have suffered from too many sermons and too few mes­sages! No man can both play and preach! No man who warreth can be entangled with family, friends, finances and fleshly ambition. We will never find the time to prepare and preach, we must take the time and when we take the time for His work we take it away from either ourselves and those who require us to give it to them (I Cor. 7:29-31)” This letter from my friend has been in my possession for years, I very often get it out and read it. – Pastor

Regeneration is the implantation of spiritual life; conversion is the exercise of that life. Regeneration is God's act alone; conversion is our growth in His grace by receiving and obeying His word. Regeneration is a single act, complete in itself and never repeated; conversion is the commencement of a series of trials, experiences, revelations, and blessings, which end only when we "awake in His likeness." - Copied