Sun, Jun 25th - 4:46PM

Jesus Thrills Me!

Tue, Jun 20th - 11:44PM

Grace Alone, Faith alone, Scriptures Alone

Grace Alone, Faith Alone, the Scriptures Alone

GRACE ALONE

Both the Bible and human experience testify that all men and women are defective in character.  The Bible puts it this way:  "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God". (Romans 3:23)  Because of this, it is impossible for human beings to merit God's favour.  Isaiah tells us that "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags". (Isaiah 64:6)

Keeping the Ten Commandments will not make us fit for heaven.  The Law of God was not given to prepare us for heaven, but rather to show us that we are sinners before God.  St. Paul the Apostle said "Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin". (Romans 3:20)

The key to the problem is found in the New Testament:  "For by Grace are ye saved, through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast". (Ephesians 2:8,9)

God manifested His grace by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to die for sinners such as you and I.  "God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us".   (Romans 5:8 )



FAITH ALONE

In the light of God's absolute and infinite holiness, how can a poor sinner deserving of the judgment of Hell, be brought into an eternal relationship with God and enjoy the knowledge of sins forgiven?  The answer is profound and simple--BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST ALONE!

St. John the Apostle tells us that he wrote his Gospel for the purpose of bringing the truth of "faith in Christ alone" to us; he says, "But these things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through His name".  (John 20:31)

St. Paul makes a similar statement in Romans 5:1.  "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by FAITH into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God".   In Romans 1:17, Paul triumphantly proclaims "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH".  

Will you, like Paul, stand in GRACE by FAITH or will you continue to sink in the mire of your own feeble "good works"?  All human "rationalizing" (be it ever so pious or profane) is always a substitute for faith.  God requires faith to believe that it is NOTHING OF SELF but EVERYTHING IN CHRIST.  

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish but have everlasting life".  (John 3:16)



THE SCRIPTURES ALONE

The blessed Son of God said of the religious people and priests of His day, "In vain do they worship Me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men".  (Mark 7:7)  He also said to them "Ye do err not knowing the Scriptures".

It is sad that in our day many religious and non-religious people are also in error for the same reason.  They follow human traditions and rituals and ignore what the Bible has to say.  St. Paul tells us that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness".

David the psalmist wrote, "Forever, O Lord, thy Word is settled in heaven".   (Psalm 119:89) and the Lord Jesus declared "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but MY WORDS shall NOT pass away".   (Mark 13:31)  It is that same word that shall judge us in the last day.  (John 12:48)

The Holy Scriptures alone must be our guide in spiritual matters.  There we find that when we believe to the saving of the soul, we should:

• Tell others of God's grace.  (Matthew 28:19)
  
• Join with other of like faith.  (Hebrews 10:25)
  
• Separate ourselves from ungodly systems. (2 Corinthians 6:16)

Jack Scott loved his Lord! He passed away on January 10, 2001 after a lengthy illness.
He is missed greatly by his family.

Fri, Jun 16th - 9:24PM

Worship: What good is it?

And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!"
--Isaiah 6:3

If you want to pray strategically, in a way which would please God, pray that God might raise up men who would see the beauty of the Lord our God and would begin to preach it and hold it out to people, instead of offering peace of mind, deliverance from cigarettes, a better job and nicer cottage....

What good is all our busy religion if God isn't in it? What good is it if we've lost majesty, reverence, worship--an awareness of the divine? What good is it if we've lost a sense of the Presence and the ability to retreat within our own hearts and meet God in the garden?  If we've lost that, why build another church? Why make more converts to an effete Christianity? Why bring people to follow after a Savior so far off that He doesn't own them?

We need to improve the quality of our Christianity, and we never will until we raise our concept of God back to that held by apostle, sage, prophet, saint and reformer. When we put God back where He belongs, we will instictively and automatically move up again; the whole spiral of our religious direction will be upward. 
Dr. Tozer in The Attributes of  God, 194-195.

"Lord, I do indeed pray this morning that You might 'raise up men who would see the beauty of the Lord our God and would begin to preach it and hold it out to people....' Help us to 'raise our concept of God back to that held by apostle, sage, prophet, saint and reformer.' Oh, Lord, help us to 'put God back where He belongs.'
Amen."

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Day By Day
(Click to hear music)

Words by Lina Berg         
Music by Oscar Ahnfelt


Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best
Lovingly, it's part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and with rest.


Ev'ry day the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He whose name is Counselor and Pow'r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
"As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,"
This the pledge to me He hath made.


Help me then in ev'ry tribulation
So to trust thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy Holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a father's hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
'Til I reach the blessed, promised land.

Tue, Jun 6th - 10:27PM

O Christ He Is the Fountain

Just a tiny Shamrock

Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
Genesis 22:8

Isaac was in a quandary: "Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the
lamb for a burnt offering?"

Fortunately, God provided a ram for Isaac and later Christ the Lamb of God for us. Through this story, God wants us to understand the cost of His sacrifice.

The first mention of "love," "worship," and "lamb" occur in Genesis 22. August Van Ryn writes, "There is no worship without love and there is no love without a lamb."

Love came through the Lamb of God and He shall have all the glory!
--Warren Henderson

O Christ He Is the Fountain
(Click to hear music)
 

The wedding of the Lamb has come,
and His bride has made herself ready.
Revelation 19:7

Listen to a choir sing this


Anne R. Cousin

O Christ, He is the fountain, the deep, sweet well of love!
The streams of earth I've tasted more deep I'll drink above:
There to an ocean fullness His mercy doth expand,
And glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.

O I am my Beloved's and my Beloved's mine!
He brings a poor vile sinner into His house of wine.
I stand upon His merit.  I know no other stand,
Not even where glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.

The Bride eyes not her garment, but her dear Bridegroom's face;
I will not gaze at glory but on my King of grace.
Not at the crown He giveth but on His pierced hand;
The Lamb is all the glory of Immanuel's land.

Mon, Jun 5th - 11:52AM

For Raymond Peluszak

I am the rose of Sharon,

and the lily of the valleys.

Song of Soloman 2:1

Precious Lord, Take My Hand
(Click to hear music)


Words and music by Thomas Dorsey
© 1932


Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God:
I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee
with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 41:10




Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light:
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.


When my way grows drear,
Precious Lord, linger near,
When my life is almost gone,
Hear my cry, hear my call,
Hold my hand lest I fall:
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.


When the darkness appears
And the night draws near,
And the day is past and gone,
At the river I stand,
Guide my feet, hold my hand:
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.

After the Rain in the Garden

Sat, Jun 3rd - 11:05PM

Worship

Fri, Jun 2nd - 1:19PM

Jesus, our Saviour

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Immortal, Invisible 
(Click to hear music)

“To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.” 1 Timothy 1:17

Words: Walter C. Smith, Hymns of Christ and the Christian Life, 1876

Music: “St. Denio,” Welsh melody; from Canaidau y Cyssegr, by John Roberts, 1839




Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
But of all Thy rich graces this grace, Lord, impart
Take the veil from our faces, the vile from our heart.

All laud we would render; O help us to see
’Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee,
And so let Thy glory, almighty, impart,
Through Christ in His story, Thy Christ to the heart.