Psalm 32:5-6

Terms of Surrender

I cannot know Christ through another man’s mind. I cannot love Him with another man’s heart. I cannot believe on Him with another man’s faith. I cannot hear Him with another’s ears nor see Him with another’s eyes!

I pray that He will reveal Himself to me, that He will come and dwell with me, and that Christ may be formed in me! It is not enough that I know of His historical life, nor that I give mental agreement to His doctrines, nor that I approve of His laws. I must gain an interest in Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, but His (Phil. 3:7-9).

The fact is, I no longer have my own life; it is His. I am not my own master; He is my Master. God’s terms of surrender are unconditional!

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1985)

A Message for Fools

Fools believe that their gain and prosperity comes from their intellect, their ingenuity, their great talent. The Fool never acknowledges God’s hand in any of his successes. The Fool sets himself on high not realizing that his throne is nothing more than his own dung. The message to the Fool is this, you have what you have because God’s mercy is over all His works. God’s sun shines on the wicked as well as the just. The Fool does not realize that God uses him to provide for His elect and to instruct His elect by observing their foolishness. One day The Fool will acknowledge that God gave him all he had, but that day will be when he lifts up his eyes in torment. Too late! Pastor John Chapman

GRACE OPENS THE DOOR OF SALVATION TO SINNERS

Salvation by God’s grace opens wide the door of salvation for SINNERS. Salvation by grace excludes anyone who has anything they think will make God happy with them. But if you can’t find any reason in you for God to save you, then salvation by grace is for you.

God’s grace is the only way any sinner has any hope of salvation. Since I am unworthy of God’s love, I trust God’s electing grace. Since I am dead in sin and incapable of doing anything spiritual, I don’t trust my decision to accept Jesus. I trust God’s gracious decision to accept me in Christ. Since I have nothing to pay God for my sin, I trust Christ crucified as all of my redemption. Since I have no goodness in myself, I trust Christ who is my righteousness. Since I cannot and will not come to Christ, I trust God the Holy Spirit to graciously draw me to Christ. Since I cannot keep myself, I trust that God’s grace will keep me to the end.

My friend, don’t waste your time trying to find something in you that would give God a reason to save you. You are wasting your time because there is nothing in us that impresses God. Simply look to Christ and trust Him who saves undeserving sinners by His grace.

Pastor Frank Tate

Any belief we have that is not founded on “It is written” will prove to be error. Any position we hold that is not held up by a “Thus saith the Lord” is a wrong position. Any doctrine we promote that does not arise from “What saith the Scripture” is false. God has given us the written revelation of Himself, the Bible! Can I prove the Bible is God’s inspired Word? No. But it claims to be and I know it is. The Truth commends itself as the Truth. Only that which is less than the Truth needs proofs to hold it up. Pastor Todd Nibert

Idle Tales and Unbelief

“And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not” (Luke 24:11).

When the faithful women returned from the grave and after they had met the risen Lord Jesus Christ that resurrection morning they did as there were instructed (Mark 16:7); they went and told the disciples the Lord indeed was risen from the grave.

You would think the disciples would be overjoyed with such great and glorious good news. But instead we read they were full of unbelief, “They believed not.” What was the cause of such unbelief on their part? They discounted the word of the women who gave such true words; “Their words seemed to them as idle tales.”

In this we can see one of the reasons of doubt and unbelief in men and women today. The word of the Lord our God is not received as the word of truth which effectually works in them that believe (1 Thes. 2:13). Faith is always given and grows as we hear the word and receive it into our heart as the blessed truth of God. It is still completely true, faith comes by hearing the word of the Lord (Rom. 10:17). It is still absolutely true,faith grows as we desire and drink up the sincere milk of the word of truth (1 Peter 2:2).