"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).
1. Jehovah reigns, forever great, The King and only Potentate; This world created by His hand, Is governed by His own command.
2. Jehovah reigns with matchless skill, All things fulfill His sovereign will; Nor chance nor fate shall have a say, In everything God has His way.
3. Jehovah reigns in saving grace, Unto the Lord these mercies trace; Before creation He decreed, Redemption for a chosen seed.
4. Jehovah reigns, He sent His Son, Who came for sinners, lost, undone; Justice was fully satisfied, When on the cross the Savior died.
5. Jehovah reigns and He shall lead, Poor, sinful souls to see their need; And by the Spirit’s pow’r and grace, The guilty will seek the Hiding Place.
6. Jehovah reigns and He alone, Performs His will upon His throne; So bow before your God and King, And praise and worship to Him bring.
True humility is to have a right estimate of one's self. It is not to deny or underestimate true ability, real knowledge and obvious gifts. The gifted singer knows he can sing. An intelligent person is aware of his knowledge. A successful businessman knows his business, and an artist knows his skills. It is not humility to speak what one does not truly feel. True humility is born when one discovers the source of all gifts, talents and knowledge. "Who maketh thee to differ?" It is certain that we are different and some have what others do not have in different areas. But the Lord God in His sovereign will gives us all that we have. "Without Him we can do nothing." "A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven." The higher a man grows in the grace of God the lower he will be in his own eyes. The man who has been introduced to what really happened in the Garden of Eden and what really happened on the cross of Calvary will have no problem with pride and arrogance. Apart from the mercy and grace of God he knows where he could be and what he could be. "I am what I am by the grace of God."
The gospel is a real message of good news for real sinners. It is the declaration of the Redeemer Who really lived, died and arose for the undeserving in order that God might be a just God and a Savior. I proclaim real grace for real guilt. Christ established a perfect righteousness which is really imputed to His believing people. The gospel is not make-believe, it is real.
"… We glory in (find peace in) tribulations also …"
(Romans 5:3). It is only by the grace of God wherein we stand with faith in Christ that we have a good measure of peace in the tribulations of life afforded to us by His good Providence - "These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). No matter what the believer’s situation in life we can always be confident knowing "tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Our Lord overcame the world of adversity for His sheep that we may have peace and consolation in our hearts in the experience of His omnipotent care for us. There is no difference in His permissive will and His perfect will (as some insist on the contrary, that the former is of man and the latter is of God), that is to say, what He permits He has perfectly purposed to permit, therefore magnifying and vindicating His purposeful promise, "that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
What shall we say then of our trials, troubles, tribulations, adversities, distresses, our own sin, faults and failures as we acknowledge our own wretchedness? May we have peace as well as remorse? - "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us" (Romans 8:31)? Tribulations are of great benefit to those to whom the love of God is shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost because we know that "when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." The greater our tribulations the more we experience "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, (which) shall keep your (our) hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians. 4:7).
–Tommy Robbins (whose tribulations ended last Sunday)
First Baptist Church 881 Van Dyke Road, P.O. Box 155, Almont, Michigan 48003 810-798-8888 Jim Byrd, Pastor
Sunday Schedule: 8:30 a.m. Television Broadcast over Cable Channel 97 in Almont, Imlay City and Dryden 9:45 a.m. Bible Classes 10:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.. WORSHIP SERVICES
Wednesday: Worship Service & Youth Groups 7 p.m.
Pastor Byrd’s messages are accessible on www.freegraceradio.com, cassette and video tape, CD and DVD
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