REJOICE IN THE LORD Tune to "O WORSHIP THE KING" 10.10.11.11. Words by JIM BYRD
1. Rejoice in the Lord, be glad every heart, Our God rules on high His grace to impart; Jehovah is Lord, O how sacred His Name, Bow down at His footstool His glories proclaim.
2. God governs the world and rules from His throne, The scepter is His, He reigns all alone; Creator and Sovereign, omnipotent King, All glorious and holy, His praises we sing.
3. The Lord meets our needs with daily supplies, Let praises from saints to Him ever rise; He gives of His bounties to vessels of clay, Provides for His people by night and by day.
4. The ransomed of God are people made pure, Through Jesus the Lord our hope is secure; His mercies abundant we ever shall share, Receiving salvation and unending care. *****
***** DIVINE PROVIDENCE "In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Ephesians 1:11).
The eternal will of God is the rule of His conduct in providence, according to which He proceeds. His wisdom- which fixed His will and therefore is said to be the counsel of His will- presides, guides, and directs in the execution of it. The execution of His will is called His working. Therefore, providence is to be reckoned as His work. The wise man says there is "a time to every purpose under the heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Whatever is done under the heaven in time, there was a purpose for it in eternity; and for the execution of that purpose a time was fixed; and at that time it is brought about by the providence of God Who "made every thing beautiful in His time," (Ecclesiastes　3:11), that is, in the time and season in which He appointed it to be done. Purpose and providence exactly tally and answer to each other. The one is the fulfilment of the other. "Surely, as I have thought, saith the Lord, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand" (Isaiah　14:24). --John Gill *****
CHRIST IS EVERYTHING What the sun is to the day, what the moon is to the night, what the dew is to the flower, such is Jesus Christ to us. What bread is to the hungry, clothes to the naked, the shadow of a great rock to the traveler in a weary land, such is Jesus Christ to us. What the turtledove is to her mate, what the husband is to his spouse, what the head is to the body, such is Jesus Christ to us. -C. H. Spurgeon *****
DIVINE GUIDANCE "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself" (John 14:3). By His work of redemption and by His presence at the Father’s right hand, our Savior has earned and taken occupancy of everlasting glory for all His chosen people. In addition, He who has prepared the place has prepared the route to the place. The pathway of every believer may appear to us to have no order or arrangement, but we are assured, "the steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord" (Psalm 37:23). He Who chose us in covenant love and redeemed us with His own precious blood will direct our way through this world and bring us safely to Himself. Rest easy my fellow sojourners, the Lord is guiding us to our eternal home. He will soon come again and receive us unto Himself and then we will be truly satisfied. We will awake in Christ’s likeness (Psalm　17:15), be with Him and see Him as He is (1　John 3:2). --Pastor Jim Byrd *****
TRUE GRACE Most preachers are preaching against sin without declaring the true nature and character of God, and it just comes out as do’s and do not’s and decisions and reformations. The whole process is merely peripheral. Their message reaches only to that which they have done; and consequently, that which THEY can change. They have never seen what they are and that which NO MAN can change. Such religion breeds self-righteousness and makes converts who DO NOT NEED the full, free justifying righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just give them a plan, a proposition, a few things to do, a few rules to follow, a few commandments to keep, and they rest very comfortably. You will hear them talking about free grace, but all the while they are thinking about what THEY have done or are doing; and this is contrary to grace! True grace brings a true knowledge of God, a true knowledge of self (sin), and leaves the sinner’s attention focused upon true righteousness, through the doing and dying of the Lord Jesus Christ, righteousness which is obtained through faith alone – a sinner trusting Christ. –Pastor Maurice Montgomery
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