July 20, 2014

Prayer is a powerful thing it brings us into the presence of a holy God who is also our Father which is in heaven. He alone has the power to meet the needs of our body, mind and spirit and he hears us because of His Son Jesus Christ sitting at his right hand making intercession for us.

- Pastor

The Sinner's Hope

Depths of mercy! Can there be
Hope for a sinner like me?
God, who's High, Just, and Holy,
By no means clears the guilty.

Depths of mercy! Can there be
Hope for a sinner like me?
Jesus Christ did plead my cause;
Died for sinners on the cross.

Depths of mercy! Yes, there be
Hope for a sinner like me!
The Lord saves and calls by grace
To His sheep of Adam's race.

Depths of mercy! Can you see
Hope for a sinner like thee?
Christ alone from sin doth free;
His alone is sure mercy.

By Gary Spreacker,

Tune: Depths of Mercy, #233

Missionary Lance Hellar - Papua, New Guinea

Gospel means "good news" and the only good news is that of eternally distinguishing free grace revealed in the redemption of a particular people by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. This alone is good news for it does not tell us that salvation is possible but, rather, that salvation has been fully accomplished for all those for whom Christ died. The writer to the Hebrews makes this clear - "with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." (Hebrews 9:12)

Why then is man so prejudiced against this wonderful message of good news? Why is there such virulent opposition to the truth of particular redemption? The bitter root of this opposition is found in man's fierce contention for autonomy from God from the day of Adam's fall into sin and death, taking along with him all of humanity. If redemption is particular then salvation is of God. But man, in the corruption of his nature, will not have this. If redemption is universal then the determining factor of whether a man is saved or perishes is man's will; his eternal destiny is in his own hands, and salvation is of man.

Believing the lie of universal redemption is really no different than believing the original lie uttered by the father of lies when he spoke to the woman telling her that her life was independent of God. "You will not surely die," he said, but you will become autonomous from God for "in the day that you eat of it your eyes will be opened.and you will be like God" (Genesis 3:4, 5). Believing that lie worked out well, did it not?

Believe, rather, the truth of a particular redemption in which Christ brought in an everlasting righteousness for all those for whom He died; and believing in Him you shall not perish but be clothed with the garments of His salvation and have everlasting life. This truly is good news!

Without the saving knowledge of Christ all learning is nothing. The only knowledge worth having is that which refers to Christ and Him crucified. Why will you not take the time to know this, and know it in a way that it applies to you?

Christ's death is not a pattern but a payment. His death is not an example but an atonement. His death does not revive us but it redeems us. Our problem is with the Law and with the Holy Justice of God, and we cannot go free until someone pays that sin debt before a Holy God. Now God can receive us and pardon us because the Lord Jesus Christ paid our sin debt to whom it was owed. God set the price and Christ paid it.

- Milton Howard

~~~ O ~~~

When faith survives those times when there is NO FEELING to verify it, NO EVIDENCE to confirm it, and NO FLESHLY ENERGY to sustain it, then and only then can we discover that we have that faith that is "the gift of God." God's gifts are "without repentance," and this is as true of faith as any of His other gifts. We know we have believed when we never repent of our faith, but believe in the very face of all that is opposed to faith. This is the trial and proof of faith.

- Joe Terrell

~~~ O ~~~

There are those who profess to desire the salvation of lost loved ones but pray to them to effect their own salvation. They tell hearers: "God desires your salvation, but He cannot save you unless you of your freewill let Him. God has done all He can do to save you, and He can do nothing more to save you, but all His desires and efforts are for nothing unless you now exercise your freewill in completing your salvation. Let God save you!" What a pathetic and worthless god is that!

- Daniel Parks