August 14, 2005

 

 

Our sin was not pasted on our Savior; and his righteousness is not pasted on the believer. Christ was “made sin for us, and we are made the righteousness of God in him.”

 

 

Daily Readings for the Week of July August 14-21

    Sunday                Jeremiah 46-48                                Thursday                Lamentations 3-5

    Monday              Jeremiah 49-50                                Friday             Ezekiel 1-4

    Tuesday              Jeremiah 51-52                                Saturday          Ezekiel 5-8

    Wednesday         Lamentations 1-2                            Sunday            Ezekiel 9-12

 

 

·         Bro. Larry Criss is preaching today for First Baptist Church in Almont, MI, where Bro. Jim Byrd is pastor.

·         Bro. Milton Howard and I are scheduled to preach Friday through Sunday for Mid-south Baptist Church in Merigold, MS, where Bro. Bruce Gresham is pastor.

 

NURSERY DUTY THIS WEEK

Today: ShanteBirchum (AM) Celeste Peterson (PM)     Tuesday: Jayalita McCormack

 

Will God His Own Elect Cast Off?Don Fortner

(Tune: #52 — Majestic Sweetness — CM )

1.        Will God His own elect cast off; or shall His promise fail?

Can He forget His own decree? Can His compassions fail?

 

2.        Such dark, hopeless, and sinful thoughts blaspheme His holy name.

The work begun, that God has wrought, He will fulfil the same.

 

3.        “I am the Lord, and I change not; therefore,” our God declares,

“Ye sons of Jacob perish not!” His word forbids our fears.

 

NONE BUT CHRIST

John Warburton

 

Have you any other rock but Christ? I do not ask you, whether you have a feeling enjoyment of it? I know you will rejoice in Jesus when the Holy Spirit enables you. But have you any other refuge? Can you go into eternity, resting upon any other rock but the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you any other righteousness but His? Can you lean upon, desire, or want any other than Christ’s righteousness? ‘No,’ says the soul, None but Christ! None but Christ! Bless your poor heart, then, you shall have it as sure as God has wrought the desire in your conscience, and brought you to trust alone in Jesus for refuge, righteousness, and salvation, by stripping you of all false props and dependencies. Such a soul as this will trust in the Lord, overcome all opposition, and be more than a conqueror through Him that hath loved him.

 

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“Him That Is Able”

Jude 24

 

As Jude comes to the close of his Epistle, having warned us of the incessant assaults of hell, showing us the terrible apostasy of many, he urges us to “keep ourselves in the love of God.” And he tells us that we must do so, “building ourselves up in our most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

 

        When I read that admonition, immediately, my thought is, “But I can’t do that. I’m too weak, too sinful. I cannot keep myself in the love of God. It is my responsibility. I must do it. There the commandment stands — ‘Keep yourselves in the love of God.’ But I can’t do it.” Then, I read verses 24 and 25, and my heart dances with joy. I can’t keep myself; but God my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ can and will keep me. And keeping me, he will cause me to keep myself.

 

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen.”

 

Having persuaded us of our duty and responsibility, Jude now commends us to the grace and power of God our Savior, teaching us to trust him, from whom alone we expect eternal life, to keep us from falling. Except he keep us, we can never keep ourselves.

 

Who?

 

When Jude speaks of “him that is able to keep you,” I have to ask, of whom does he speak? Without question, God the Father, our heavenly Father, is able to keep us. With God all things are possible. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. Jude here assures us that our God’s omnipotent power and ability is engaged by promise and by covenant office as our Father.

 

God the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, by whom we are sealed unto the day of redemption, is able to keep us, and is engaged to do so. He who is the Earnest of our inheritance will make certain that we come into the full possession of our inheritance.

 

And God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Guardian of our souls, the Shepherd of the sheep, and the King of Zion, is able to keep us and is engaged to do so as our covenant Surety. In a word, the eternal, triune God is our Keeper.

 

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“We fall not,” Thomas Manton wrote, “because God doth not let go his hold. Our necessities and difficulties are so great that nothing less than a divine power can support us.” We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.” —”Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand” (Psalms 121:4-5).

 

Our weak flesh says, “I will fail.” The world says, “I will choke out the influence of the Word of God upon them.” False religion says, “I will deceive them.” The devil says, “I will take them.” But he who is God our Savior, the Custodian of our souls, says, “I will keep them. I will never fail them, nor forsake them.” That is our safety and security!

 

Our Relief

 

What a great relief it is to my feeble faith to read of “Him that is able to keep you!” It is “him that is able to keep you,” who said, — “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29). He declares in his Word that all his own shall stand firm in his grace on this earth until they stand in the fulness of his glory in heaven. — “Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand” (Romans 14:4).

 

Boaz and Jachin

 

At Solomon’s command, we are told that Hiram set two pillars in the porch of the temple and named them Boaz and “Jachin.” “Boaz” means “Strength.” And “Jachin” means “he will establish” (1 Kings 7:21). Boaz, as you know, typified Christ our Kinsman-Redeemer. Jachin was a priest in Israel. As such, he was also typical of our Savior. And Christ our Redeemer and Priest is our Strength and “he will establish.” The power of God and the grace of God in him are the two pillars upon which our confidence stands.

 

God’s Power

 

Here is the power of God our Savior. — He who is our omnipotent Savior is “Him that is able.” What a great thought that is! He who is our God and Savior is a God with whom all things are possible. —He is able!Those three words mean that nothing is too hard for the Lord. No problem is too great for him. “With God nothing shall be impossible!

 

He’s able, He’s able,

I know He is able;

I know my Lord is able to carry me through!

 

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Grace Bulletin

 

August 14, 2005

 

GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH of DANVILLE

2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438

Telephone (859) 236-8235 - E-Mail don@donfortner.com

 

Donald S. Fortner, Pastor

 

SCHEDULE OF REGULAR SERVICES

 

Sunday

10:00 A.M. Bible Classes

10:30 A.M. Morning Worship Service

6:30 P.M. Evening Worship Service

Tuesday

7:30 P.M. Mid-Week Worship Service

 

 

Television Broadcasts

 

Danville

Channel 6 - Sunday Morning 8:00 A.M.

Channel 6 - Wednesday Evening 6:00 P.M.

Channel 6 - Friday Evening 7:00 P.M.

 

Web Pages

http://www.donfortner.com

http://www.sovereign-grace/gracechurch.htm

http://www.freegrace.net/danville/default.asp