Earthen Vessels

“We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

God employs weak instruments to make manifest His mighty power and grace. In this, as in everything else, the Lord’s thoughts and ways are different from ours.

We would try to do His work with the great, the influential, the talented, and the strong. BUT GOD used a shepherd lad to conquer the mighty Goliath. He rejected Moses (the rich and mighty) and used Moses (the humble and poor) to deliver Israel. He chose a peasant woman, not a princess, to be the mother of the Saviour. The mighty revival in Samaria was started by a converted harlot. The apostles were fishermen, not scholars.

Why? A simple answer! That the glory, the praise, and the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. Also that THE FAITH of our hearers may be IN GOD, not in us!

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (Bulletin 1985)

NOAH FOUND GRACE IN THE EYES OF THE LORD

Genesis 6:8

Noah had many brothers and sisters, however, it is written, “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” God saves whom he will and passes by whom He will and is just in doing so. Salvation is not by family inheritance but by grace. There was nothing about Noah that was more commendable than the rest of his brothers and sisters; Noah’s salvation was all of grace. Noah was chosen by grace, called by grace, justified by grace, made righteous by grace, and kept by the grace of God through faith; by grace Noah believed God. Everything concerning Noah was owed to the grace of God. The same is said of all whom God saves in Christ. “O to grace how great a debtor I am daily constrained to be!” Pastor John Chapman

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, MIGHTY TO SAVE.

The Dying Thief – Luke.23:39-43

How near a person may be to hell and yet be saved! That thief was, as it were upon the very brink of hell. He had one foot in the pit. Hell was in his heart. Hell had been his life. Soon, hell must be his portion forever! He had done nothing but evil continually all the days of his life. In the very last hour of his life, he is heard blaspheming and railing against the Lord Jesus. Yet, he was plucked from the fire by omnipotent mercy! - Saved by the Son of God! He was just about to step into everlasting damnation when the omnipotent hand of the Son of God seized him and lifted him up to Paradise! Oh, what grace is here! What boundless love! What power to save! Who after this need despair? Truly our Lord Jesus Christ is mighty to save!

Pastor Don Fortner

IS THERE NOT A CAUSE?

“And David said, what have I now done? Is there not a cause?” (1 Samuel 17:29).

“Is there not a cause?” This was David’s response to his older brother, Eliab’s false accusation against him of pride, irresponsibility of keeping their father’s sheep and naughtiness of heart (1 Sam. 17:28). David came to the battlefield that day being sent by his father, Jesse. He was sent with provision for the three brothers that had followed Saul to the battle against the Philistines (1 Sam. 17:17-18). David heard the ungodly rants and rages of the Philistine giant and the challenge that Goliath had issued to the armies of Israel (1 Sam. 17:8-10) and was concerned for the glory of God. “Is there not a cause?

Yes, there is a cause! God’s glory! When we hear the rants and rages of the religious ungodly against the gospel of Christ it stirs our hearts with zeal for His glory. How can we sit by idly and not pay any attention to what is being said today in most churches about the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is utter blasphemy against the God whom we love and the gospel we believe to hear some say, “Salvation rests upon the sinner and God has done all He can do, the rest is up to you!”

Is there not a cause in our day to take a strong stand for the cause of God and the gospel truth of redemption actually accomplished by Christ, not merely an attempt made (Heb. 9: 11-12; 26)?

Is there not a cause in our day to “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints” and not to compromise to satisfy the feelings of some(Jude 1:24)?

Is there not a cause in our day to boldly proclaim the unvarnished truth that salvation is of the Lord, not by the will of man (John 1: 11-12; Rom. 9:15-16; 2 Tim. 1:9)?