Psalm 118:27-29

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 melts like frost in 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.”

Pastor Henry T. Mahan

DO WHAT GOD COMMANDS YOU TO DO

Suppose a man should say to you, "I will not open my store today because I do not know if God has decreed that I should sell my goods, or do not know if God has ordained anyone to buy from me." Suppose that he added, "I shall neither eat nor drink this month, for God has fixed the length of my life and I shall die at the appointed time." Would you not conclude that the man was either mentally ill or a total fool?

EVEN SO, the man who declares, "There is no need to search the Scriptures, seek the Lord, nor strive to enter the kingdom of God; for if I am elected and ordained to life, I will be saved," IS ALSO A FOOL! It is true "the election of grace hath obtained," and "as many as were ordained to eternal life believed;" but let me tell you, in the matter of seeking the Lord, repenting toward God, and believing on Christ, you have no more concern with the secret counsels and purposes of God than you have in the length or quality of your life on earth. DO WHAT GOD COMMANDS YOU TO DO; believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, reach out (like the weary woman) and touch the Lord, cry out for mercy like Bartimaeus of old, and THEN YOU SHALL KNOW YOUR ELECTION OF GOD. "God maketh rich and God maketh poor;" but the man who draws the paycheck is the man who goes faithfully to work; the man who enjoys eternal glory is the man who goes, believing, to Jesus Christ.

Pastor Henry T. Mahan

“Thy people shall be willing” (Ps. 110:3)

God’s elect worship and serve Him with willing hearts. We willingly believe, willingly worship, willingly give, and willingly do what we can for the glory of God. It is God Who, by effectual grace, makes us willing; but we are willing servants of the Most High God! Any worship, service, or gifts offered to God that is not done with a willing heart is an abomination.

Pastor Scott Richardson

“Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.” – Psalm 119:116

A man would be ashamed of his hope if it turned out that it was not based upon a sure foundation. The Lord taught that there will be many that will learn too late that they built their hope on their own works which proved to be as a house built on sand. When the storm came that house fell.

That will never be true of a child of God who built his hope on Jesus Christ. They will never be ashamed that they put their trust in Christ. They will never have a reason to be. The hope of believer’s rests on the sure foundation of the grace of God that is in Christ Jesus. Since it is a good hope through grace, and an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast, we can be certain that those with such a hope will never be ashamed. Pastor Larry Criss

In Spirit and Truth

“God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him, Must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth” (John 4:24).

Here are two principles of worship without which all worship of God is vain. God must be worshipped in spirit – a heart worship – as opposed to mere forms and ceremonies, going through the motions with body and lip service, etc. If the heart does not pray it, the prayer is not accepted. IF the heart does not sing it, the song is not accepted. If the heart does not believe it, it is vain to profess it. Those who worship God, must worship in spirit (Romans 10:10).

Those who worship God in spirit must also worship Him in truth. God has revealed Himself in His Word of truth as who HE is; how HE saves; by whom HE saves; the way in which any one must approach unto Him to worship. All worship that is contrary to truth is vain worship. All who worship God must worship Him in truth. Someone has said, “How astonishing is the fact, that man dares to introduce his miserable inventions to deform the scriptural simplicity of divine; as if God who makes all things perfect, had, in this most important institution, forgotten to direct the use of altars – magnificent vestment – pomp and ceremonies. When will man, with child-like simplicity, follow gospel rules?”