BECAUSE HE LIVES

(Lyrics by Winston Pannell)

God sent His Son from heavens glory

To make redemption full and free;

It was His mission thus to suffer

In the room and stead of lost humanity.

His way was filled with many sorrows;

God's wrath He suffered all alone,

And when He cried aloud it's finished,

Our salvation was complete in God the Son.

Chorus

And because He lives, I have full assurance,

Because He lives, I'm truly blessed,

Because His life and death and resurrection

Ushered in for me a perfect righteousness.

God's wrath removed, no condemnation

Can ever be ascribed to me,

He bore my sins by imputation

In His body when He died upon that tree.

And now His righteousness imputed

By faith to all who do believe

His blood alone is all that's needed

To appease God's anger, pardon and reprieve.

Today's Speaker: Brother Winston Pannell will conduct the 11:00 am service today. Pray for him as he delivers God's word.

Radio Broadcast: Sunday morning at 9:30am on 98.7 FM -WISK

DEFENDING THE TRUTH

In these days of boasted liberality, it may appear critical and contentious to oppose with zeal the errors of men who have acquired a name in the Christian world. The mantle of charity, it will be said, ought to be thrown over mis­takes that have resulted from a free and impartial investigation of truth, and if not wholly overlooked, they should be noticed only with a slight expression of disapprov­al. Such, however, was not the conduct of the Apostle Paul. He spared neither churches nor indi­viduals, when the doctrines they main­tained tended to the subversion of the Gos­pel; and the zeal with which he resisted their errors was not inferior to that with which he en­countered the open enemies of Christianity. He affirms that the doctrine introduced into the Galatian churches was "another gospel," and twice pronounced a curse against all by whom it was preached. Instead of compliment­ing the authors of this corruption of the Gospel as only abusing in a slight degree the liberty of free examina­tion, he decides that they should be cut off as troublers of the churches. Let not be­lievers be more court­eous in expressing their views of the guilt and danger of cor­rupting the Gospel, than faithful and compas­sionate to the people of Christ who may be injured by false doc­trine. It is highly sinful to ex­change com­pliments at the expense of truth.

The awful responsibility of being acces­sory to the promotion of error is strongly expressed by the Apostle John also. "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doc­trine, receive him not into your house, nei­ther bid him God-speed; for he that bid­deth him God-speed is partaker of his evil deeds."

--- Robert Hal­dane

Oh! Sweet grace, blessed grace!

"For by grace are you saved." Ephesians 2:8

We are saved by grace-free grace, rich grace, sovereign grace, distinguishing grace-without one atom of works, without one grain of creature merit, without anything of the flesh. Oh! sweet grace, blessed grace! Oh! what a help-what a strength-what a rest for a poor toiling, striving, laboring soul-to find that grace has done all the work-to feel that grace has triumphed in the cross of Christ-to find that nothing is required, nothing is needed, nothing is to be done!

J.C. PHILPOT - (1802-1869)

ETERNAL FULFILLMENT OF THE HEART

Solomon wrote God "hath made every thing beautiful in His time: also He hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Setting "the world in their heart" means that God has implanted in the heart of each person an awareness of eternity, that this life is not the end. Some spend their lives denying this truth. Others spend their lives trying to fill this void with material things and false religious hopes and refuges. So many people are consumed with trying to acquire what they see as the necessities of a comfortable life. Some never come to a point where they say, "I have enough; I am satisfied." These continue striving after material comforts and riches until death.

Some finally reach a point of contentment but then try to fill the void by shopping for the meaning of life amongst the vast supermarket of modern religion which always leads them to human experience and works for salvation. Having their fill of the things of this earth, they turn to themselves and false religion for fulfillment. And since demand creates supply, there are thousands of false religions from which to choose.

The truth is this - Man cannot fill the void within his own heart and find everlasting fulfillment until he turns to God through the Lord Jesus Christ who, by His obedience unto death for His people, has provided the only way of righteousness, salvation, and eternal life for sinners. Eternal fulfillment can only be found in Him. Paul described this - That God "would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Eph. 3:16-19)