3/15/20
Call To Worship
Soon as I heard my Father say,
"Ye children, seek My grace,"
My heart replied without delay,
"I’ll seek my Father’s face." (REPEAT)
Let not Thy face be hid from me,
Nor frown my soul away;
God of my life, I fly to Thee
In a distressing day. (REPEAT)
Should friends and kindred near and dear
Leave me to want or die,
My God would make my life His care,
And all my need supply. (REPEAT)
My fainting flesh had died with grief
Had not my soul believed,
To see Thy grace provide relief;
Nor was my hope deceived. (REPEAT)
Wait on the Lord, ye trembling saints,
And keep your courage up;
He’ll raise your spirit when it faints,
And far exceed your hope. (REPEAT)
(Tune: "All Things Work Out For Good", pg.267)
Remember In Prayer This Week:
Tracey Riedstra; Kim Mullings; Pam Austin; Sarah Caniano;Judy Ward; Gina and Graham Dison; Leroy Moore;Stanley Dison; Monica Aaron; Tye Wilson; Lael Pedersen; Devonne Lewis; Jackie Gaddis; Dusty Adams;Ashton Ward; Rayna Kay Bartley; Diane Balsamo
Happy Birthday This Week:
Russell Barfield - March 17
Abby Stepp - March 21
Happy Anniversary This Week:
Matt and Kim Warmack - March 19
From "Through Baca's Valley"
"Is there no balm in Gilead? is there no physician there?" Jeremiah 8:22
There is balm in Gilead, and there is a physician there. This is, and must ever be, our only hope. If there were no balm in Gilead, what could we do but lie down in despair and die? For our sins are so great, our backslidings so repeated, our minds so dark, our hearts so hard, our affections so cold, our souls so wavering and wandering, that if there were no balm in Gilead, no precious blood, no sweet promises, no sovereign grace, and if there were no physician there, no risen Jesus, no great High Priest over the house of God, what well-grounded hope could we entertain? Not a ray. Our own obedience and consistency? These are a bed too short and a covering too narrow.
But when there is some application of the balm in Gilead, it softens, melts, humbles, and at the same time thoroughly heals. No, this balm strengthens every nerve and sinew, heals blindness, remedies deafness, cures paralysis, makes the lame man leap as a deer and the tongue of the dumb to sing, and thus produces gospel sight, gospel hearing, gospel strength, and a gospel walk. When the spirit is melted, and the heart touched by a sense of God's goodness, mercy, and love to such base, undeserving wretches, it produces gospel obedience, aye, a humble obedience; not that proud obedience which those manifest who are trusting to their own goodness and seeking to scale the battlements of heaven by the ladder of self-righteousness, but an obedience of gratitude, love, and submission--willingly, cheerfully rendered, and therefore acceptable to God, because flowing from his own Spirit and grace. It is the application of this divine balm which purifies the heart, makes sin hateful, and Jesus precious, and not only dissolves the soul in sweet gratitude, but fills it with earnest desires to live to God's honor and glory.
This is the mysterious way the Lord takes to get honor to himself. As he opens up the depth of the fall, makes the burden of sin felt, and shows the sinner how his iniquities have abounded, he brings the proud heart down, and lays the head low in the dust; and as he makes him sigh and cry, grieve and groan, he applies his sovereign balm to the soul, brings the blood of sprinkling into the conscience, sheds abroad his mercy and love, and thus constrains the feet to walk in cheerful and willing obedience. This is obeying the precept from right motives, right views, right influences, under right feelings, and to right ends. This is the true Christian obedience, obedience "in the spirit and not in the letter," an obedience which glorifies God, and is attended by every fruit and grace of the Spirit.
J.C.Philpot
Robert Hawker's "Poor Man's Morning And Evening Portion"
"And FOR THEIR SAKES I sanctify myself."(Jn.17:19)
Let thy morning thoughts, my soul, be directed to this sweet view of thy Saviour. Behold thy Jesus presenting himself as the SURETY of his people before God and the Father. Having now received the call and authority of God the Father, and being fitted with a body suited to the service of a Redeemer, here see him entering upon the vast work; and in those blessed words, declaring the cause of it - "I sanctify myself." Did Jesus mean that he made himself more holy for the purpose? NO, SURELY: for that was impossible. But by Jesus sanctifying himself, must be understood (as the Nazarite from the womb, consecrated, set apart, dedicated to the service to which the Father had called him), a voluntary offering-an holy unblemished sacrifice. And observe for whom: "for their sakes;" not for himself; for he needed it not. The priests under the law made their offerings, first for themselves, and then for the people. "But such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; and who needed not daily, as those high priests, so to offer. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the Son is consecrated for evermore." My soul, pause over this view of thy Jesus; and when thou hast duly pondered it, go to the mercy-seat, under the Spirit's leadings and influences, and there, by faith, behold thy Jesus, in his vesture dipped in blood, there sanctified, and there appearing in the presence of God for thee. There plead the dedication of Jesus; for it is of the Father's own appointment. There tell thy God and Father, (for it is the Father's glory, when a poor sinner glorifies his dear Son in him) that He, that Holy One, whom the Father consecrated, and with an oath confirmed in his high priestly office for ever, appeareth there for thee. Tell God that thy High Priest's holiness and sacrifice was altogether holy, pure, without a spot; and both his Person, and his nature, and offering, clean as God's own righteous law. Tell, my soul, tell thy God and Father these sacred, solemn truths. And while thou art thus coming to the mercy-seat, under the leadings of the Spirit, and wholly in the name and office-work of thy God and Saviour, look unto Jesus, and call to mind those sweet words, for whose sake that Holy One sanctified himself; and then drop a petition more before thou comest from the heavenly court: beg, and pray, and wrestle with the bountiful Lord for suited strength and grace, that as, for thy sake, among the other poor sinners of his redemption-love, Jesus sanctified himself, so thou mayest be able to be separated from every thing but Jesus; and as thy happiness was Christ's end, so his glory may be thy first and greatest object. Yes, dearest Jesus, methinks I hear thee say, - Thou shalt be for me, and not for another: so will I be for thee. Oh! thou condescending, loving God, "make me thine; that whether I live, I may live unto the Lord; or whether I die, I may die unto the Lord; so that living or dying, I may be thine."
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