January 19, 2014

The Father Is Satisfied

Faith is to be satisfied with what satisfied God.
His Only Begotten died; redemption's through His blood.
Justice has been satisfied. Christ bore God's wrath on sin.
The sins of His sheep are purged. God's satisfied with Him.

The work of grace has been done, finished by God's dear Son.
God's highly exalted One calls faith in Him alone.
Since our Father's satisfied, what have we need of more?
Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s life forevermore.

God could not be pleased with me; such a sinner as I.

But now, in Christ I am free; in Him I will not die.

Our God approved His own Son; He’s only pleased with Him.

When I stand before God’s throne, my hope is all in Him.

By Gary Spreacker

(Tune: ‘The Church's One Foundation’ #186)

~~~ O ~~~

None can appreciate the strength of the anchor until he has felt the wrath of the storm. None can appreciate the cleansing power of the blood until he has felt the pollution of sin.

None can see the personal beauty of the man Christ Jesus but those who see their own personal ugliness.

None can appreciate the triumph of Christ as he should but as he feels his his own utter failure.

None can abhor sin as he should until he sees it is against an infinitely Holy God. - Copied

A GAMBLE WE CANNOT AFFORD!

MARK 8:36-37 "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Think about this, gaining the whole world at the loss of your soul. A man told me once, "Never gamble more than you can afford to lose." That is good advice. There are many people in this world today, who will take great chances to get ahead who end up losing all they have, always with that hope of winning the big one, but in the process, losing all they have. THAT IS GAMBLING MORE THAN YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE.

The Lord Jesus Christ is speaking to us about, "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" That is, laying it all out, playing everything we have to gain this world, but in the process of gaining this world, we lose our soul. There is nothing more dangerous than playing games like this with our soul.

If we were to take care of our business like we care for our soul, we would all be bankrupt. We play games with our soul that we would never think about doing in business. There is a trade that goes on almost every day called FUTURES TRADING which is a betting on future events, and staking all you have now on the outcome of things to come. Now when it comes to our soul, we are not just talking about tomorrow or 6 months from now, but we are trading on eternity. This is a much more serious gamble. When we start gambling away the welfare of our soul for the gain of this world, we are trading eternity for a little time. We are trading our standing before the Holy God, for a little pleasure in time.

What would we gain if we gained the whole world, happiness? NO! You can read in the paper almost every day of people who have gained this world and have not found happiness.

What we are saying is that we really do not believe what is being said about Heaven and Hell. We are saying that we really do not believe we are sinners. We are really saying that we have no need of a Saviour.

If our soul is lost, no matter how much of this world we gain, we have profited nothing. - Pastor Milton Howard

Gave Himself

“The Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20). How do I know that he loved me? He “gave himself for me!” “Gave himself?” Yes, “himself.” He gave me his gifts. He gave me his grace. He gave me his salvation. Indeed, he has given me all things! But all cannot be compared to this. He “gave himself for me!” I deserved his wrath, but he “gave himself for me!” I deserved hell, but he “gave himself for me!”

He gave his body and his soul, his perfect humanity in union with his eternal deity, into the hands of divine justice. He gave himself up unto death upon the cursed tree in my room and stead as a Sacrifice for sin that he might have me! He gave himself a ransom for many. He gave himself for his Church, to redeem it as his holy Bride. He gave himself for his elect, to satisfy divine justice for them and save them. Yet, he “loved me and gave himself for me,” to redeem me, to atone for my sin, to save me!

O my soul, look up! Be encouraged to hope, to believe, to hang upon the Son of God, “who loved me, and gave himself for me!” Oh, for faith to believe him! Oh, for grace to love him and give myself to him, “who loved me, and gave himself for me!” Precious Savior, blessed Author and Finisher of our faith, eternal Lover of my soul, grant me this mercy!

- Pastor Don Fortner

~~~ O ~~~

In all spiritual things all your temptations, all your darkness, all you wanderings God will overrule. It shall be well with you. There shall never be a night, but that morning shall come; there shall never be a day of trouble, but a day of prosperity shall follow; there shall never be an emptying, but there shall be a filling; there shall never be a bringing down, but that He will raise you up again. Let it be either darkness or light, sorrow or grief, night or day, life or death, time or eternity, “It shall be well with the righteous.”