Christ, Our Only Enjoyment

“For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3)

Some people in this world can enjoy their sin and think nothing of it. Some people in this world can enjoy their self-righteousness and think nothing of it. But God’s chosen, redeemed, and called people cannot enjoy either. The only enjoyment and rejoicing that they have is Jesus Christ, the One who put away all of their sin in His blood and established all of their righteousness in His body.

Pastor Gabe Stalnaker

WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED

"The Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek af­ter wisdom, but WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED" (I Cor. 1:22-23).

It is the same today, men want clever preachers, not Christ preachers; reason, not revelation; their minds challenged, not their hearts pricked. The wis­dom of this world says, "If you wish to reach the people of this day, you must not be dogmatic; share, discuss, exchange ideas, counsel people, but DON'T PREACH!" I hear people say, "If you would enlist today's youth, you must adapt to their life-style and their language; pick up the rock beat, use com­edy, puppets, and social entertainment; DON'T PREACH TO THEM!" Others insist that if you would win the support and interest of people of education, influ­ence, and wealth, you must curb your Calvinism, sof­ten your stand on substitution, and DON'T PREACH CHRIST TO THEM!

Can you imagine the Apostle Paul compromising with this so-called "wisdom of the world?" NO! His reply to what men require and seek is, "WE PREACH CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED." I desire to reach, enlist, and minister to young and old, wise and unwise, but not at the expense of God's glory and truth. "It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (I Cor. 1:21); and if depravity offends men's dignity, revelation offends their wis­dom, and substitution offends their pride, SO BE IT!

I find God's prophets, apostles, and preachers, who have been used of God in past years, to be com­passionate men but never compromisers, to be comfort­ers but never cowards. They were willing to take the offense out of their manners but never out of their message. They all PREACHED CHRIST AND HIM CRU­CIFIED.

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (Bulletin Article 1993)

DISTRESS, DEBT AND DISCONTENTED

“And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men” (1 Sam. 22:2).

King David is portrayed in scripture as a personal type of the greater David, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our blessed Lord on many occasions was called the Son of David (Matt. 9:27; 23:23; 15:22; 20:31; 21:9; 21:15; 22:24).

Here in our story of David in 1 Samuel 22, he is on the run for his life. His own father-in-law, King Saul had given command to everyone to kill David (1 Sam. 19:1); but there were some that sought out David as their Captain, King and Saviour to provide and protect them from the wrath of Saul who had impoverished them (1 Sam. 8:10-18). Some saw in David what no one else saw, they were given eyes and understanding that David was God’s anointed King and they sought mercy in him. Those that were distressed, in debt and those that were discontented came to King David for relief.

This is a good picture of sinners awakened by God the Holy Spirit through conviction of their sin, who are stressed out over sinning against God (Psalm 51:4), who are in debt to God’s law and justice and who are discontented (bitter of soul) about unbelief. What sweet relief we have in the Lord Jesus Christ, who put away all our sin by the sacrifice of Himself, who paid all our sin debt in full (Heb.1:3; 9:26; 1 John 1:7); who relieves and heals our “broken and contrite heart” with His love, mercy and grace (Psalm 34:17-19; Luke 4:18). According to the promise of Scripture, those truly convicted shall be comforted by the Lord Jesus Christ (Isa. 40:1-2; Matt. 11:28-30; John 16:8-13).