ZEBULON BAPTIST CHURCH
Weekly Bulletin
Sunday, March 22, 2009

The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people. Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy. The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy. Psalm 99:1-5

The Future At A Glance

"Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world" (Acts 15:18).

While hanging up a new year wall calendar, I noticed the name of it was, AT-A-GLANCE. It is a calendar of the whole year in which you can write down all your plans and appointments for each month and look at all those plans. . . at a glance. As I was doing that, the above scripture came to my mind, how that, our omniscient God, before the world began, purposed all things. He wrote down in His book of life every detail concerning all things, according to His will and pleasure, and is working all things after the counsel of His own will"(Eph.1:11). Nothing was left to chance. Everything was predetermined and pre-recorded by God. He could, before the world began, at a glance, look at that Book and see all that is to be. This is not fatalism nor superstition, but Bible! Such is the wisdom and power of the true God! Aren't you glad it is so? Aren't you glad, believer, that God hath purposed all things and worketh all things for His glory and our good? We would live in fear were it not so. Though the future is mostly unknown to us, yet not to God, for He hath pre-determined all things. Believing this, we need not fear the future, for our God holds it in His Sovereign Hands! Pastor Paul Mahan

SALVATION IS OF THE LORD

Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. (Psalm 3:8).

This verse contains the sum and substance of Calvinistic doctrine. Search Scripture through, and you must, if you read it with a candid mind, be persuaded that the doctrine of salvation by grace alone is the great doctrine of the word of God: "Salvation belongeth unto the Lord." This is a point concerning which we are daily fighting. Our opponents say, "Salvation belongeth to the free will of man; if not to man's merit, yet at least to man's will;" but we hold and teach that salvation from first to last, in every iota of it, belongs to the Most High God. It is God that chooses his people. He calls them by his grace; he quickens them by his Spirit, and keeps them by his power. It is not of man, neither by man; "not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy." May we all learn this truth experimentally, for our proud flesh and blood will never permit us to learn it in any other way.

In the last sentence the peculiarity and speciality of salvation are plainly stated: "Thy blessing is upon thy people." Neither upon Egypt, nor upon Tyre, nor upon Nineveh; thy blessing is upon thy chosen, thy blood-bought, thine everlastingly-beloved people. "Selah:" lift up your hearts, and pause, and meditate upon this doctrine. "Thy blessing is upon thy people." Divine, discriminating, distinguishing, eternal, infinite, immutable love, is a subject for constant adoration. Pause my soul, at this Selah, and consider thine own interest in the salvation of God; and if by humble faith thou art enabled to see Jesus as thine by his own free gift of himself to thee, if this greatest of all blessings-be upon thee, rise up and sing:

"Rise, my soul! adore and wonder!
Ask, 'O why such love to me?'
Grace hath put me in the number.
Of the Saviour's family:
Hallelujah
Thanks, eternal thanks to thee."

Charles Spurgeon

GOD'S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2Cor. 12:9).

What a glorious promise is given to every believer. God's grace, given through our Lord Jesus Christ is all sufficient to the saving purpose of His people (Acts 15:11;). Grace is never said to be insufficient but always sufficient to accomplish its intent, purpose and glorious end (2Tim. 1:9). Sufficient, enough, plenty and adequate to justify (Rom. 3:24), to redeem (Eph. 1:6-7), to supply all our every need (Phil. 4:19;), to sustain us through all trials (Heb. 13:5), to strengthen us when weak (Heb. 4:16) . This mighty and sovereign grace appears to us most glorious, sufficient and appreciated when we realize our own weakness, inability and utter helplessness before God (Rom.7:24-25). "Most gladly therefore," do we rejoice in our own infirmities, and weakness that the power of our Lord Jesus Christ may rest upon us (Rom. 1:16), or tabernacle over us (Psa. 27:5), sheltering (Psa. 46:1), preserving (1Peter 1:5), protecting us from all adversaries and enemies of the gospel (John 10:2-30). Thank God for His unfailing, everlasting and all sufficient grace (Rom. 8:37; 1Cor. 15:57; 2 Cor.9:15).

CONSIDER WHAT GOD HAS SAID

"Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" (2Tim. 2:7).

No man has in himself an understanding in spiritual things (1Cor. 2:14). If we would have any understanding in the mysteries of the gospel it must be revealed (Matt. 11:25). However, let us never forget that God has been pleased to reveal Himself to us through the Word written (Heb. 1:1-3), and the Word preached (2Cor.4:6; 1Cor.1:21). Therefore, let us carefully consider, meditate, examine, weigh and receive the Word of God and the Lord will give us understanding in all things (1Thes. 2:13). The Holy Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2Tim. 3:15). Listen to the inspired word's of David, "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation (Psalm 119:97-100). It certainly would be true, that the person who refuses to consider, meditate, believe and receive the Word of God shall never have any understanding in the mysteries of the gospel of Christ, nor true repentance toward God, nor genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21; Rom. 10:17; Jas.1:17). Pastor Tom Harding