Daily Readings - October 19-25 Sunday - Mark 12-13 Monday - Mark 14-16 Tuesday - Luke 1 Wednesday- Luke 2-3 Thursday - Luke 4-5 Friday - Luke 6-7 Saturday - Luke 8-9 *****
Daily Loaded with Benefits "Blessed be the LORD, Who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah" (Psalm 68:19). This verse has so much packed into it. The LORD is the one who daily loads us down with benefits. Think on some of them, each day we have air to breathe, loved ones to share our lives with, food and drink, homes to live in and bread to eat and wonderful pictures in nature to see. Most important is we have a God who is ever present and promises He will never leave you nor forsake you. This is great comfort for the believer! The believer’s sins are forgiven, not just his past sins, but his future sins as well. "Blessed is the man to whom God will not impute sin." –Pastor Wayne Boyd *****
We may be sure that when the Lord is at work blessing His people, Satan will also be at work, not that he can undo, hinder or interrupt divine labor, but he will seek to disturb the peace and unity of the people of God. "We are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Co 2:11). Be thankful that our God rules over the enemy to accomplish His eternal purpose. "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen" (Romans 16:20). –Pastor Jim Byrd *****
THE IMPORTANCE OF BAPTISM Baptism has nothing to do with the salvation of a sinner. Salvation is by grace alone, through Christ and His blood and righteousness alone, made known to us by the power of the Spirit alone through the gospel alone. Yet, it is a mistake to think that baptism is of no consequence. Everyone who believes on Christ is commanded to be baptized. "And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15-16). As we read through Acts and the Epistles, we see that all who professed faith in Christ were baptized. What is the significance and importance of baptism?
1. It pictures the believer’s salvation by the substitutionary death, burial and resurrection of our Lord. Being lowered into the water we illustrate His death for sin and in being brought up out of the water we show His resurrection which proved He successfully finished redemption’s work. By His sacrifice, divine justice was satisfied, everlasting righteousness was brought in and we were redeemed from the curse of the law.
2. It illustrates our spiritual resurrection by the Holy Spirit. By submitting to be immersed, we acknowledge our death in Adam. Being brought up out of the water by the power of another signifies that we are raised to spiritual life by the unaided work of the Spirit who grants us repentance and faith.
3. It is public identification with the gospel of God and the people of God. It says to all who are witnesses that we are committed to Christ, His Word and His people. It declares to the other members of the assembly that we are not ashamed to be numbered among them. It affirms to everyone that we renounce the world and all false religions and embrace the true gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace.
4. It is the answer of a good conscience toward God (1 Peter 3:21). Knowing that the Lord commands believers to be baptized, by submitting to this ordinance we have an inward peace, confident that we have obeyed God’s revealed will. –Pastor Jim Byrd
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