The Lord’s Table

Pastor Rowland Hill was the guest speaker for a certain church on a Sunday morning. He was seated toward the front of the auditorium, participating in the worship service, when it came time to observe the Lord's Table. The deacons were passing the tray of bread to the worshippers and came to Pastor Hill. When he reached for the bread, the deacon pulled the tray away, saying, "I'm sorry, but you cannot come to our table." (The congregation held strongly to closed communion--meaning only members of the local church are permitted to observe the ordinance.)

Pas­tor Hill replied, "Oh, forgive me; I did not know that this was YOUR TABLE; I understood your pastor to say that we were observing the LORD'S TABLE."

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1994)

THE PROMISES OF GOD

“For all the promises of God IN HIM are yea and IN HIM amen, unto the glory of God” (2 Cor. 1:20).

It is a wonderful thing that the Sovereign, immutable God of Heaven would make promises to the fallen sons of Adam. But He has promised forgiveness of sin, eternal life and justification before His own glorious person. He has promised to receive sinners, give them a new nature, a new heart and to give them a perfect standing in His own presence, and to make them perfect and complete.

There is one thing we must be sure of concerning the promises of God: ALL OF THEM ARE IN CHRIST. If you desire anything from God you must come to the Son, for He is heir of all things. “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands” (Jn.­3:35). God has given His Son Jesus Christ all authority both in heaven and in earth. He has said, “This is my Beloved Son, hear Him.”

If you desire forgiveness of your sin, to have a clean conscience and a perfect standing before God, there is but one way to receive the promises of God: Come to Christ in faith, casting your soul upon Him - trusting Him with your very eternal soul and well-being.

God always makes good on His promises for He cannot lie. There are two sides to God’s promises just as there are two sides to a sword; He has said “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him” (Jn. 3:36). All the promises of God are “yea” and “amen” IN CHRIST!

Pastor Don Bell

MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED (Phil. 4:19)

When Paul was sitting in a Roman prison for preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, he lacked the necessities that he needed to maintain his physical strength. The believers at Philippi found out about Paul’s deplorable circumstances and sent relief to him by the hand of their pastor. Having received the gift from them, he wrote back to them saying, "I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God" (Phil. 4:18). Paul also assured them that the Almighty God would take care of all their need, "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19).

Believer, although we have a great need of all spiritual blessings; to ascend and to stand in His presence (Psalm 24:3), we can fully rest in this and many other precious promises of our Lord Jesus Christ that He will meet all our need, not according to our puny efforts of religious work, but rather according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ (Rom.8:32). Although we are poor and needy sinners, yet the Lord thinketh upon us (Psa. 40:17).

We have a great need of pardon and forgiveness from all sin (Rom. 3:23). The Lord Jesus Christ is ready to abundantly pardon His people from all their sin; seeing, that in our room and stead He paid all our indebtedness to God’s offended justice and put away all our sin (Neh. 9:17; Isa. 55:6-7; Jer. 50:20; Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:26).

We have a great need of righteousness (Isa. 64:6). Men before and after regeneration and conversion have no ability to perform or produce a righteousness that is well pleasing and acceptable unto God. But thank God, He does not ask us to produce a righteousness, but rather to receive the Lord Jesus Christ by God given faith, Who is the believer’s righteousness (Jer. 23:5; Phil. 3:9). Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord would impute (freely give) righteousness without works (Rom.4:6).