Call to Worship
Great Father of glory, how rich is Thy grace!
What wonderful love is displayed in Thy face!
In Jesus Thy image with brightness we view,
And hope to be formed to that likeness anew.
By favor adopted, Thy sons we appear,
And led by Thy Spirit, we boldly draw near;
In Jesus belovèd, and washed in His blood,
With hope we adore at the footstool of God.
The man who is blessèd with hope in the cross,
Is freed from the bondage of guilt and the curse;
The blood of his Surety by faith he reviews,
While hope in that fountain his spirit renews.
The world knows us not; but in this we rejoice,
To God we’re no strangers, but objects of choice.
His love from eternity gave us a home,
Where now we are hoping in safety to come.
Arrayed in obedience, all wrought by the Lamb,
By Christ our Jehovah, the ancient I AM;
With boldness we journey, while Christ leads us on,
And hope soon in glory to praise the Three-One.
(Tune: ‘How Firm a Foundation’ Pg. 268)
The law offends us because it tells us what to do; grace offends us even more because it tells us we can’t do anything!” -Copied
I have read of a great man who was once taken round the French galleys. He was an ambassador from a foreign country, and the French king wished to do him honor, so he told him that, when he went to the galleys, he might set free any one of the convicts whom he pleased. So the ambassador took the following method of finding out to whom he would give this free pardon. He began by asking the first man, "How came you here?" The man said that he had done wrong, but that he had been entirely led into it by other people, and they were to blame more than he was. So the ambassador went on to another man, who said that he was perfectly innocent. He had never committed any crime at all, but he had been condemned through perjured witnesses, and so on.
The ambassador found quite a number of "innocent" men of that sort; but, at last, he came to a man who frankly confessed that he deserved to be there. What had he done? Well, he had committed such crimes that he was ashamed to mention them; but, in answer to many questions, he did mention them, and he said, "I very richly deserve all that I have to suffer here, and I think myself happy that I was not condemned to die, for I well deserved it." "Well," said the ambassador, "you are evidently too bad a fellow to be here with all these 'innocent' men, so I shall give you a free pardon."
He had the right to give it to whomsoever he pleased, and he made his choice in that way; and when the Lord, who has the right to give pardon to whom he pleases, gives it to anybody, if there is any choice, it generally is given to the man who feels that he does not deserve it, but owns that he deserves the wrath of God. "Ah!" saith the Lord, "you are the man who shall receive the free pardon which you admit that you do not deserve."
(Luke 18:13) "The publican…smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”
- C.H. Spurgeon
Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” - Romans 12:2
The word “world” means the nature, the opinions, the goals, and the attitudes of natural men and women. The believer lives in the world, works and associates with worldly people; therefore, he faces constant pressure and temptation to be and do what the world is and does.
The world seeks the praise and favor of men; the believer seeks the praise and favor of God. The worldling thinks only of himself; and the believer considers others. The world cares only for the body, its desires and needs; and the believer is concerned for his soul. The world believes and is concerned only with what is seen (which is temporal); the believer believes and rests only in that which is unseen (which is eternal). The world cries, “What shall we eat, drink, and wear;” the believer cries, “Feed me with food convenient for me; lest I be full and deny Thee, and say who is the Lord? or lest I be poor and steal and take the name of the Lord in vain” (Prov. 30:9). But above all, “That I may win Christ and be found in Him, clothed in His righteousness and washed in His blood.” The spiritual walk and attitude can only be accomplished by “a renewing of your mind,” or the regenerating work of God in mind and soul (Titus 3:5).
- Henry Mahan
~~~ O ~~~
The Gospel of the free grace of God in Christ is the message of the Bible. It is the only message that God uses to call sinners. It is the only message that glorifies God. It is the only message that gives hope to the sinner. It is the only message that is needed today. - Pastor Milton Howard
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