Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:17-18

Wisdom in Death

“Lord, make me to know my end and the measure of my days that I may know how frail I am” (Psalm 39:4).

When we, by God’s grace, are wise enough to face death, judgement, and eternity, things are seen in their proper light. All these fine ideas of fame, fortune, and friends, and our so-called importance melt like the frost before the sun.

Death reveals the truth, blows away the chaff, shuts a man’s mouth, and opens the books! Death takes no notice of what I thought nor what others thought of me, but only of what GOD THINKS. “Oh that I may win Christ and be found in Him.” (Phil. 3:8-9).

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (Bulletin 1987)

THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH

The phrase the just shall live by faith is in the scriptures four times (Hab. 2:4, Rom. 1:17, Gal. 3:11, Heb. 10:38) The just shall live by faith must be important since it is in scripture four times, but what does it mean? Three things immediately spring to mind.

First the just shall live by faith means that a sinner is justified by the faithfulness OF Christ to obey the law as a man as the representative of His people and to make the sacrifice that puts away the sin of His people without any help from the sinner.

Second the just shall live by faith means that a sinner is justified through faith IN Christ without any of our works contributing in any way. A sinner is justified by relying on the Lord Jesus Christ to do all the work it takes to justify them.

Thirdly the just shall live by faith means that the justified ones live believing the Word of God. The justified ones believe everything the Word of God says. The justified ones believe every promise of God. They do not try to live on what they think God might do or what they think God should do. They live relying upon what God says He WILL do in His Word.

Pastor Frank Tate

Where Does God Dwell?

Our God is not on a shelf somewhere in some building; our God does not dwell in houses made with hands. Even the heaven of heavens cannot contain him. God is too immense to be contained in a space or place. However, there is one person who contains all that God is; Colossians 2:9, “For in him (Christ) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” Jesus Christ contains in him the fullness of God. If we desire to know and study God in the fullness of his person, look no further than Jesus Christ. “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” (John 14:9).

Pastor John Chapman

THE SUMMARY OF THE GOSPEL

"Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Hebrews 9:26).

We have put before us a very plain summary of the way the Lord Jesus Christ came to accomplish salvation for His chosen people. Make no mistake, what He came to do He successfully accomplished (Matt. 1:21). What He suffered for He obtained (Heb. 9:26). What He meant to do on the cross He actually did, He did not die in vain. Christ Jesus did not die to make salvation a possibility nor to make all mankind savable; He died to purchase and secure the everlasting salvation of His church (John 10:15). It would be traitorous to His person, dishonorable to the gospel of Jesus Christ, contrary to plain testimony of scripture, to suppose or suggest that He failed in His high priestly work (Heb. 2:17; Isa. Isa. 42;4; 53:11). Let us carefully consider four things that this text declares.

1). The sin problem presented. Sin is a very little word, but it contains big problems. Sin is transgression against God (Psa. 51:4). Sin is infinitely and horribly an evil thing, because it denies God’s right to be God (John 19:15). Sin is in every one of us by nature (Rom. 8:7), we are all defiled with it and we have all committed it (Rom. 3:23; 1 John 1:8). Sin is very difficult to put away. All the Jewish sacrifices never put away sin (Heb. 10:1-4). All my repentance and sorrow over sin cannot put sin away. Sin deserves punishment (Ezk. 18:4).

2). The solution revealed, "He hath appeared." This is what gives the guilty sinner comfort and hope. God Himself appeared in the flesh to take care of my sin problem (1 Tim. 3:16). It is Who He is that gives merit and power to what He did (Gal. 4:4). Had anyone else appeared to put a way sin but God, it could never have been accomplished. However with God all things are possible.

3). The sacrifice described, “By the sacrifice of Himself." Jesus Christ did not come to put away sin by example or by teaching, but rather by sacrifice; the sacrifice of Himself (Eph. 5:2). His whole person was involved in this great sacrifice; His blood (Rev. 1:5), His body (1 Pet. 2:24), His soul (Isa. 53:10).