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Grace Baptist Church of Danville

March 16, 2014

 

When God sends good things to the reprobate it is for evil. When God sends evil things to the elect it is for good.

 

Daily Readings for the Week of March 16-23, 2014

Sunday                Judges 5-7                                       Thursday       Judges 16-18

            Monday                      Judges 8-9                                       Friday             Judges 19-20

            Tuesday                    Judges 10-12                                               Saturday                    Judges 21-Ruth 3

            Wednesday  Judges 13-15                                               Sunday                      Ruth 4-1 Samuel 2

 

·      I am scheduled to preach for the Sovereign Grace Fellowship in Wasilla, AK Tuesday –Thursday. Bro. Todd Nibert, pastor of Todds Rd. Grace Church in Lexington will be here to preach to you Tuesday night.

·      The Lord willing, we will have our Quarterly Fellowship together on March 30th.

·      Please mark your special offerings for Grace Baptist Church’s new building in Taylor, Arkansas — “TAYLOR.” At the end of the month we will send your gifts to our friends there. Thank you for your generosity.

 

Happy Birthday!

Shante’ Birchum-17th   Eric Wall-17th   Nicholas Pruter-21st    Carla Henson-22nd

 

Nursery Duty this Week

Today: Mindy Peterson (AM)  — Ruth Wall (PM)  — Tuesday: Stephanie Wall

 

Our Sovereign God Maintains His Universal ThroneDon Fortner

(Tune: #39 — This is My Father’s World — SMD)

1.     Our sov’reign God maintains His universal throne;

In heav’n, and earth, and hell He reigns, and makes His wonders known!

His counsels and decrees, firmer than mountains stand;

He will perform whate’er He please; and none can stay his hand!

 

2.     All things His will controls; and His all-wise decree

Has fixed the destinies of all in matchless sov’reignty. —

Jacob by grace He saved, and gives no reason why;

But Esau’s heart He left depraved. — And who shall dare reply?

 

3.     What if the Potter takes part of a lump of clay,

And for Himself a vessel makes and casts the rest away?

Who shall resist His will, or say, “What doest Thou?”

Jehovah is the Sov’reign still; and all to Him must bow!

 

4.     My soul, bow and adore the Lord in all His ways;

His sov’reignty none can explore; but I will trust His grace!

For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things:

To Whom be glory evermore! Amen! Amen! Amen!

 

The Called

Romans 8:28

 

Those who are “the called” are those who were chosen and predestinated unto salvation in Christ before the world began (Romans 8:28-31; 9:23-24). And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” — God will “make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles.” The objects of election and effectual calling are the same. Those who were chosen in eternity are called in time; and those who are called in time were chosen in eternity.

Those who are “the called” are those who are in Christ (Jude 1). — Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.” We were from eternity in his hands as our Surety, in his loins as our Representative, in his care as our Shepherd, and in his heart as our Husband.

Those who are “the called” are those who were redeemed and purchased by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary. Throughout the Word of God, election, redemption, and effectual calling are works of grace performed for the same people. We were chosen because God loved us, redeemed because God the Father chose us, and called by the Holy Spirit because the Father chose us, and the Son redeemed us. Is this, or is it not the teaching of Holy Scripture? Read Isaiah 43:1 and Zechariah 10:8, and see for yourself. “But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” — “I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them.”

Those who are “the called” are those who appear the most unlikely to be called (Matthew 11:25; 1 Corinthians 1:26; James 2:5). Publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God, being called of God, while scribes and Pharisees sit around and debate about who is holiest, which church is the true church, where heaven is, when the Lord is going to come again, whether Adam had a navel, or where Cain got his wife! Sinners, real sinners, guilty, helpless, doomed, damned, ungodly, abominable, filthy sinners are interested in just one thing — mercy! The people who need mercy, publicans and harlots, not good, religious people, are those who are the called.

Those who are “the called” are those who ultimately are glorified with Christ (Romans 8:30). — “Whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also called.Those who are irresistibly called are infallibly kept by the grace of God, and shall be eternally glorified with Christ. After all, he has called us to glory and honor!

Those who are “the called” are all who trust the Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:16; Colossians 2:12). If any sinner calls on Christ in faith, it is because he has been called by the effectual, irresistible power and grace of God the Holy Spirit.

 

8

All Our Righteousnesses are as Filthy Rags

Andy Davis

 

Righteousness is only that which is good, holy, right, and just before “Him with whom we have to do.” I think we forget that! We will be judged by God’s standards, not our own. The Scripture uses the word “all” when speaking of our righteousnesses – no one is left out or exempt from “all”. This means any righteousness you produce before God as a means for Him to be pleased or show favor or mercy to you is: filthy rags before Him. Filthy rags go much further than what it appears – it is not just a dirty garment. The word translated as filthy is actually menstruous. This is the process by which a woman sheds the lining of her womb. Why does this occur? There is no life present. She cannot produce life in and of herself; and the womb, the place where life should be, is barren. Therefore the lining of the womb is cast off because there is no life to sustain. The woman is said to be unclean during this time. How then can we, as sinful men and women, hold up our menstruous rags, which are the only “righteousness” we can produce for a holy God to be pleased with? We are all as an unclean thing. Our righteousnesses cannot sustain life.

      I will not defile the precious robe, clean and white, that my Lord bought by shedding His blood for me. His righteousness is the only righteousness there is! Shall I mingle my polluted self-righteousness with His precious blood as my contribution? God forbid! I plead only the righteousness of Christ. It is not my sin that will keep me from God – it’s my filthy rags.

 

 

God Uses Evil to Accomplish Good

Frank Hall

 

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain” (Acts 2:23). They meant it for evil; but God meant it for good. Satan rebelled against God. He meant it for evil; but God meant if for good. Satan deceived Eve. He meant it for evil; but God meant it for good. Man sinned. He meant it for evil; but God meant it for good. Christ died at the hands of wicked men. They meant it for evil; but God meant it for good to save much people alive.

We have gained more from evil, by the fall of Satan, the fall of man, and the entrance of sin into this world, than we ever could have had evil never been, Satan never fallen, man never fallen, and sin never entered in. Now, by the over ruling, manipulating, sovereign grace, power, purpose, and providence of our God, we have, through much evil, received much good.

What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?Strangely enough, according to the infallible wisdom of God, the greatest good depends on the greatest evil! No sin means no salvation, and no salvation means no Savior. A world without Christ I could never imagine. Does that mean we should sin that grace may abound? God forbid!

Only in the hands of God can evil be turned to good. May God be pleased to continually overrule our evil for his glory and the everlasting salvation of our immortal souls.

The Grace Bulletin

 

March 16, 2014

 

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 in Danville

 

Channel 6 - Sunday Morning 7:45 A.M.

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

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

 

Television Broadcasts in Harrodsburg

Channel 6 - Sunday Afternoon 3:00 P.M.

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

 

Web Pages

http://www.DonFortner.com

http://www.FreegraceRadio.com

http://www.Grace-eBooks.com

 

 

 

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