Once again, to keep ourselves safe from the current epidemic, we will stay in our homes and worship with our families by listening to God’s Word preached on live-streaming. You can access this through our website at www.rofgrace.com or SermonAudio.com. If you have trouble connecting to, we will have the messages upon on our website and on SermonAudio soon. May the Lord cause this epidemic to end soon.
………………..
TODAY’S SERVICES – Messages by Pastor Bill Parker
BIBLE CLASS – 10:00 a.m. –
Christ and His Church – Song of Solomon 1:1
MORNING WORSHIP – 11:00 a.m –
READING – 1 Corinthians 1:29—2:8
MESSAGE – The Word of Forgiveness – Luke 23:34
Birthdays: Mary Margeson – Apr. 29th | Jimmy Casey – Apr. 30th
ALL THINGS
Without a doubt a world crisis is at hand, and everywhere men are alarmed. BUT GOD IS NOT! He is never taken by surprise. It is no unexpected emergency which now confronts Him, for He is the One who “worketh ALL THINGS after the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:11). Hence, though the world is panic stricken, the word to the believer is “FEAR NOT!” All things are subject to His immediate control. All things are moving in accord with His eternal purpose, and, therefore all things are working together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. It must be so, for “Of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things” (Romans 11:36). Yet how little is this realized today, even by the people of God! —Arthur Pink (1886-1952)
“LOOK UNTO ME, AND BE YE SAVED”
(Isaiah 45:22)
Man by nature will always look elsewhere other than Christ and His finished work on the cross for salvation and assurance of salvation. He will look to himself, within himself, to his religious experiences and works. The fact is that any thoughts of salvation or assurance of salvation based upon such notions is an abomination to God (Luke 16:15) and a false refuge for sinners (Matt. 7:21-23). God’s gift of salvation as set forth in the Gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ and based upon HIS blood and righteousness imputed alone is so simple and free that the natural man cannot and will not believe it. He reasons in his depraved mind that he must work for it or, at least, have some life-changing experience within to be qualified for it and settle the issue. Although it is true that all who are saved by Christ will experience in the new birth a life-changing experience in receiving Christ by God-given faith and in being brought to repentance of dead works and idolatry, God the Holy Spirit works in us to cause us simply to look to Christ for all salvation – the forgiveness of our sins by His blood alone, the justification of our persons by His righteousness imputed alone, the giving of spiritual life by His power alone. Even the assurance of salvation is in looking to Christ Jesus as “the Author and Finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). The simple truth is this – CHRIST IS OUR SALVATION AND OUR ASSURANCE. LOOK UNTO HIM, AND BE SAVED!
—Pastor Bill Parker
………………..
HEALING BY THE STRIPES OF CHRIST
"By His stripes ye were healed" (1 Peter 2:24). We must not think that by self-loathing, self-deprivation or self-humiliation we will be healed of the disease of sin. The healing of the soul is in the humiliation of Christ, not in ours; in His agonies, not ours; in His death, not ours. To rely on or trust in anything other than the crucified Redeemer is to set up a rival to Christ. Do not beat up on self, thinking that God will be more pleased with you. God is only pleased with His Son. Look outside of sinful self to the crucified, buried, risen and exalted Christ. Spiritual healing is by the stripes of the Savior, not the stripes of the sinner. —Pastor Jim Byrd
THE LORD IS THE MIDST OF US
“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
The Lord God in the midst of His people is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is in their midst as the One who promised never to leave them or forsake them. He is her faithful Husband and they are one flesh. He is the Head inseparably joined to her in that union of grace. He is not just mighty in some abstract sense but is mighty in that area they need most, mighty to save them from their sins, mighty to save them to the uttermost. By faith, they behold the Lord Christ as Isaiah described Him: “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in His apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” (Isaiah 63:1) He is Emmanuel, God with us. He will save us because He has saved us! He has “saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” (2 Timothy 1:9) He has saved us by His grace: “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (Ephesians 2:5) “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” (Titus 3:5) He is our Savior, always saving us and He will save us. Plus, He is rejoicing over us as He does so! As His beloved children, we are to the praise of the glory of His grace! As the righteous God, He rejoices in His own being made the righteousness of God in Him. He rests in His love for them, finds total satisfaction of all things that He has accomplished for them, given to them and made them in Himself. His love for them is an everlasting and unchanging love. His love for them is the cause of their love for Him! But notice also this amazing thing, “He will joy over thee with singing.” Singing? A vocal expression of His joy and love and salvation? Such is His Word to them, His gospel of glad tidings and good news. His song is our song!
Older
Top
