December 29, 2013

Hymn for the Day

For Thy mercy and Thy grace,
Faithful through another year,
Hear our song of thankfulness;
Father, and Redeemer, hear.

Lo! Our sins on Thee we cast,
Thee, our perfect sacrifice;
And, forgetting all the past,
Press towards our glorious prize.

Dark the future; let Thy light
Guide us, Bright and Morning Star:
Fierce our foes, and hard the fight;
Arm us, Savior, for the war.

In our weakness and distress,
Rock of strength, be Thou our stay;
In the pathless wilderness
Be our true and living way.

Keep us faithful, keep us pure,
Keep us evermore Thine own;
Help, O help us to endure;
Fit us for the promised crown.

So within Thy palace gate
We shall praise, on golden strings,
Thee, the only Potentate,
Lord of lords, and King of kings.

(Tune: ‘Jesus, Lover of my Soul #352 )

A Look

It has been my custom for several years to take a LOOK BACK as the year draws to a close. The year just passing, as every year leaves us with a sense of thanksgiving and joy, but also a sense of melancholy. As far as God and His purpose is concerned we have had a very good year. I can say that because "And we know all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose". (Rom 8:28).

God does all things well, he has never failed us, Christ our Lord continues to love us and keep us by his intercession for us. We may not have been as faithful as we should have been, our hearts no doubt many times were very cold and lifeless toward the things of God, towards the gospel, even as Christ has been preached how many times we were untouched and unmoved. But thank God he refuses to let those whom he loves, those for whom Christ died to remain in such sad condition. He quickens us and in that quickening he makes us mourn over not loving him and honoring him as worthily as he should be. Though we are more often than not unfaithful, he is never unfaithful, though we fail him, he never fails us, he is often times not in our thoughts, but we are ever in his mind and heart.

We cannot see into the future, we cannot know what a day will bring forth. It may bring life or it may bring death, it may bring news that will either break our hearts or cause them to rejoice. But I do know this; I know who holds the day, no matter what it brings forth. I know who holds our very souls in his hand. (Job 12:10 Dan.5: 23).

As we LOOK forward to the New Year I also know this, that I want to continue to worship God in spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in my flesh. I want to be faithful to My God, to Christ Jesus My Lord, to the gospel of free and sovereign grace in Christ, and I want to be faithful to you, faithful to love you, forgive you, encourage you, pray for you, and continually preach in such a way as to never let you or me find any hope for salvation or righteousness except only in the righteousness of Christ imputed.

Oh, God give us your grace to know you, to know your Son Jesus Christ in such a way that we find Him To Be our ALL in ALL.

- Pastor

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Paul wrote in Heb. 10:25, "Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together." It is the duty of all believers to meet together for worship, praise, study, and fellowship.

(1) BECAUSE OF GOD, Who has appointed worship, Who approves of it, Who is glorified in it, and Who should be worshipped.

(2) BECAUSE OF OURSELVES. We need to "draw nigh to God," to "seek His face," to praise, pray, and be refreshed and comforted - with other believers.

(3) BECAUSE OF OTHERS - our families, friends, and neighbors who may, by our example and encouragement, be brought to seek the Lord

But worship is not only a duty and commandment; worship is a BLESSED PRIVILEGE. David wrote, "Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest and causest to approach unto Thee, that he may dwell in Thy courts." We are blessed to have the DESIRE to worship God and hear His word. We are blessed to have the FREEDOM to go to the place of worship. We are blessed to have a FAMILY of BELIEVERS with whom to meet and worship. We are blessed to have ELDERS and PREACHERS called of God to preach to us and teach us the word. We are blessed to have the PHYSICAL STRENGTH to go to the house of the Lord and worship. "Blessed INDEED is the man whom Thou choosest and causest to approach unto Thee". - HENRY MAHAN

PERFECTLY ACCEPTED

There was not a speck of sin on the conscience, nor a principle of sin in the nature of His people, for which Christ was not judged on the cross; and they are now looked upon as having died with Christ, lain in the grave with Christ, been raised with Christ, perfectly accepted in Him - their sins, their iniquities, their transgressions, their enmity, their un-circumcision, having been entirely put away by the cross. The sentence of death has been written on the flesh; but the believer is in possession of a new life, in union with His risen Head in glory. What rest, perfect rest, for the heart and conscience is here! What full relief for the burdened spirit! All our sins buried in the grave of Christ, not one - even the smallest - left buried in the grave of Christ, not one - even the smallest - left out! God did this for us! All that His searching eye could detect in us, He laid on the head of Christ when He hung upon the cross! He judged Him there and then, instead of judging us in hell forever!