"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out." (Romans 11:33) ******************************************************************* IT IS FINISHED TUNE TO "From Every Stormy Wind" LM WORDS BY Jim Byrd
1. We bless the name of Christ the Lord, By Him, to God we are restored; Redemption’s work was fully done, By Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son.
2. Each of the prophecies of old, Concerning Christ, by men foretold; They all are finished, for our God Upon this earth in flesh has trod.
3. No sacrifice on altar slain, Could wash away our guilt and stain; But Christ the Lamb for us has died, God with His work is satisfied.
4. This message brings us joy and cheer, Let all who trust Him never fear; "It’s finished," Christ the Savior cried, And by His blood we’re justified. ****************************************************** CONGREGATIONAL SCRIPTURE READINGS TODAY: MORNING: PSALM 62 EVENING: LUKE 4:33-44 ______________________________________________________________________ Daily Readings- August 7-13 Sunday - Isaiah 38-42 Monday - Isaiah 43-46 Tuesday - Isaiah 47-51 Wednesday- Isaiah 52-57 Thursday - Isaiah 58-63 Friday - Isaiah 64-66 Saturday- Jeremiah 1-3 _______________________________________________________________________ WHAT GOD DESIRES TO DO IS WHAT HE DOES
"But He is in one mind, and who can turn Him? and what His soul desireth, even that He doeth" (Job 23:13).
Some think they do God a favor or make Him more palatable to unregenerate men by setting forth the redeeming work of Christ as both universal and particular. They say things like, "His death was sufficient for all but efficient for the elect." The design of the redemptive work of Christ is defined by scripture and required by our just God as only particular. By that I mean that Christ died for a particular people chosen of God and given to Him. He states this truth the clearest of all, "I lay down My life for the sheep" (John 10:15). There is nothing randomly done by God, and His designs in all things are governed only by His desires! Thus, Job tells us, "He is in one mind... and what His soul desires, even that He does." Can we hear that? What He will have done in all things, especially the redemptive work of Christ, will be just exactly what He desired! He desired to redeem His elect, and He redeemed them. He desired to save His people from their sins, and He saved them. The issue is not the worth of the blood of Jesus Christ, but God’s purpose and grace given to His elect in Christ before the world began. While men speak of sufficiency, Paul speaks only of efficiency, saying that it is the "church of God which He hath purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). To the Ephesians he says, "Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it"(Ephesians 5:25). Christ’s work was a sure work, designed of God to save His covenant people and this is where His glory lies. These definite statements of God’s word are designed to shut sinners up to the reality that it is God’s will and God’s work that save us and nothing of ourselves! Like Jonah of old, we must be brought to an end of ourselves and acknowledge that "salvation is of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9). There is no preaching of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ without a clear and open declaration of the design of His death. He is not glorified by being a "sufficient" savior for all, His glory lies in His being the "efficient" Savior of all His elect. When men seek to make God to be something He isn’t or try to make the redemptive work of Christ to be something it isn’t, it reveals that they neither know, believe or love Christ as He is or for what He has done! Hear Him, "I give My life for the sheep." What He desired, that He did! –Pastor Gary Shepard ______________________________________________________________________ THE APOSTOLIC MESSAGE 1. I do not hold the apostolic office. That position ceased to exist with the death of the apostle John. Those who claim apostolic succession are deceivers. 2. I do not speak with apostolic inspiration. When I speak or write, I sometimes make mistakes. I am confident my message comes from God but the vehicles I use to express the gospel are the imperfect words of a sinful man. 3. I do not perform apostolic works. I cannot raise the dead, heal the sick or speak in another language without prior study of that language. 4. I do, however, have the apostolic message - salvation by the free grace of God to sinners through the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. By His life, death and resurrection, the Savior and Substitute of His chosen people satisfied every demand of divine justice. He put away all the sins of and established a justifying righteousness for every sinner given to Him by the Father in the covenant of grace. --Pastor Jim Byrd
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