Central Grace Church
3596 Franklin Street Rocky Mount, Virginia
Website: www.centralgracechurch.com Email: centralgracechurch@gmail.com
August 18th 2024
10:00 am --------------------------------------------------------The True GOD of the Bible – Romans 8-10
Wednesday: 7:00 pm
The Sovereignty of God
“To be GOD and sovereign are inseparable” – Stephen Charnock
“GOD does all that He does because of Who He is.” – R.B. Kuiper
“GOD is a law unto Himself, and He is under no obligation to give an account of any of His matters to any.” – A.W. Pink
“Whether you shall live to reach home today or not, depends absolutely upon GOD’s will.” – C.H. Spurgeon
“GOD is working out His eternal purpose, not only in spite of human and satanic opposition, but by means of them.” - Pink
“The wickedest enemies of GOD are only axes and saws and hammers in His hands, and are ignorantly His instruments
for doing His work in the world.” – J.C. Ryle
“Of all the doctrines of the Bible none is so offensive to human nature as the doctrine of GOD’s sovereignty.” – Ryle
The All Sufficient Christ
When once the soul has been brought to feel the reality of its condition before God . . . the depth of its ruin, guilt, and misery . . . its utter and hopeless bankruptcy, there can be no rest until the Holy Spirit reveals a full and an all-sufficient Christ to the heart. The only possible answer to our total ruin is God’s perfect remedy, Christ crucified.
This is a very simple, but a most important truth; and we may say, with all possible assurance, the more deeply and thoroughly the reader learns it for himself the better. The true secret of peace is, to get to the very end of a guilty, ruined, helpless, worthless self, and there find an all-sufficient Christ as God’s provision for our very deepest need. This truly is rest, a rest which can never be disturbed. There may be sorrow, pressure, conflict, exercise of soul, heaviness through manifold temptations, ups and downs, all sorts of trials and difficulties; but when a soul is really brought by God’s Spirit to see the end of self, and to rest in a full Christ, it finds a peace which can never be interrupted. – Charles Henry Mackintosh, Ireland, 1820-1896
Forgive One Another
Believers are exhorted by the apostle Paul to FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER. Yes, in the presence of Christ and with the approval of Christ and after the example of Christ – FORGIVE! “Lest Satan should get the advantage over us, for we are not ignorant of his devices and intentions” (II Cor. 2:10-11). Satan will use any means against the Lord Jesus and His church (even the apostle Peter, to whom Christ said, “Get thee behind me, Satan”). If Satan can foster division, an unforgiving spirit, harsh feelings, or pride among believers, HE WILL DO IT! He will, under pretense of showing indignation against sin or pretending to contend for certain doctrines or under pretense of caring for the purity and discipline of the church, encourage a strict, harsh attitude toward offenders, destroy unity and fellowship, and convince men that they are serving God in their self-righteous attitudes. One sure and certain way to be in the will of God and not to be used by the enemy is to LOVE one another and FORGIVE one another (Eph. 4:32). – Henry Mahan
O’ My GOD! – “O my God, I trust in thee” (Ps.25:2). . .
“Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.” (Psa.118:28)
Surely it is a sign of the very last days when the whole world blasphemes the Name of GOD. Men, women and even young children continually exclaim “O my GOD” over anything and everything, not knowing nor caring that they are blaspheming GOD’S name and taking GOD’s name in vain. The LORD GOD severely warn us, “The LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name is vain.” It is grievous to GOD and grievous to His people, more grievous than anything we hear; to hear that blessed name flippantly used and abused cuts to the heart. The Name of our GOD is feared by His people. His Name is to be used only in exaltation, praise, worship, thanksgiving, reverence and adoration. O people, young and old . . .let us never cry out “O my GOD” unless it is from a broken and repentant heart, or a thankful and grateful heart.
Scripture says that when Christ comes, every eye shall see Him and the whole unbelieving world will call on the mountains and rocks to “fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb” (Rev.6:16). The awful irony is that every knee will bow and every tongue confess, perhaps crying one last time, “O MY GOD” in horrible fear and dread, while all of GOD’S true people will cry, “O’ MY GOD” with great joy and rejoicing.