A man’s free-will cannot cure him even of a toothache or a sore finger, and yet he madly thinks it is in his power to cure his soul of sin. Actually, the greatest judgment which God Himself can in this present life inflict upon a man is to leave that man in the hand of HIS OWN BOASTING FREE-WILL!

Look where you will, and you will generally find that free-willers are not free-givers nor are they free-forgivers, but they are free-livers!

When it is all finished…when everyone who ever shall be called, has been called…when every one of the Lord’s elect has been regenerated, justified, sanctified, and glorified… when the whole of the blood-washed family of God shall surround the throne above, all the glory shall be given to the Lord alone. There will be no jarring note in heaven, no whisper of human merit, no claim of a reward for good intentions; but every crown shall be cast at Jesus’ feet, and every voice shall join in the ascription, “Not unto us, not unto us, but unto Thy name be all the glory of the salvation which thou hast wrought out for us from first to last.”

Charles Spurgeon

A good business practice is to spread risk by diversifying. In salvation, diversifying will bring eternal death. If Christ is your only hope, you have eternal life. If your hope is diversified to Christ plus anything else, you will be damned.

LOOK TO CHRIST

Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. (Ps 27:12-14)

I am my own worst enemy, so my prayer is that the Lord not deliver me over to the will of my flesh. In an attempt to make me look away from Christ, my flesh constantly bears false witness against me by telling me Christ is not enough. But I find that looking to Christ is the answer to every false witness. When my flesh says, “You can’t be saved. No saved person would sin like you do,” then I look to Christ my righteousness and see that I am made the righteousness of God in Him (II Cor 5:21). When my flesh says, “You haven’t done enough to be saved,” then I look to Christ my substitute and see Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour (Titus 3:5-6). When my flesh says, “This trial or trouble has happened to you because the Lord has abandoned you because you are not worthy of Him,” then I look to Christ the faithful One, who promised I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Heb 13:5). When my flesh says, “Be afraid, death is coming,” then I look to Christ who is the resurrection and I hear Him say “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26).

No matter the situation you find yourself in, look to Christ. No matter the false witness or the truthful witness that arises against you, look to Christ. Christ is all you will ever need because Christ is all!

ASSURANCE

Assurance based upon personal holiness, personal graces, and personal works is nothing but self-righteousness and presumption. Lack of assurance, based upon lack of these things is also self-righteousness. True assurance is simple faith, trusting Christ alone for every particle of salvation and eternal acceptance with God.

Pastor Don Fortner

We will have a church dinner following the service on Sunday the 25^th to celebrate Lindy Simpson’s high school graduation.

Our sincere sympathy is extended to the family of Janet Tate, whose father, Charles Conley, passed away last week.