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Grace Baptist Church of Danville

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In Bible language love is not the evidence of faith, but faith is the evidence of love (1 John 5:2; 3:23).

Daily Readings for the Week of May 19-26, 2019

Sunday 2 Chronicles 28-29 Thursday Ezra 2-3

Monday 2 Chronicles 30-32 Friday Ezra 4-6

Tuesday 2 Chronicles 33-34 Saturday Ezra 7-9

Wednesday 2 Chronicles 35-Ezra 1 Sunday Ezra 10-Nehemiah 2

Happy Birthday! Billy McCormack-25^th

Nursery Duty Today: Molly McCormack (AM) — Brittany Torson (PM)

Every Trial, Every Care — Don Fortner

(Tune: #393 — Take My Like and Let It Be — 77.77)

1. Every trial, every care,

Every burden, every tear,

Every heartache, grief, and pain

Comes from God, my Father's hand. (Repeat)

2. Gladly bowing to His will,

I will trust Him and be still;

He who gave His Son to die

Will not fail to hear my cry. (Repeat)

3. Father, give me peace or pain,

Only glorify Your name.

If my God is glorified,

Then my heart is satisfied. (Repeat)

What a Contrast

2 Corinthians 4:17

“Our light affliction” — Our affliction we shall soon exchange for glory. Our light affliction works for us a weight of glory. Our momentary affliction will give way to eternal glory! — “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

“Which is but for a moment” — John Trapp, quoting one of the martyrs, said, “Mourning lasteth but till morning.”

“Worketh for us” — God performs all things for us, even our afflictions. These “light afflictions” work for us, never against us. They are wrought of God. And by them our God is working us for glory.

“A far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” — Yes, heavenly glory will be far more glorious because of “our light affliction” here than it could otherwise be. That makes the trial of our faith “more precious than gold that perisheth.” Words are too weak to express the “exceeding and eternal weight of glory” that shall soon be ours because of “our light affliction.”

“Our Light Affliction”

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

There is a very real sense in which all those things that cause us great pain and sorrow may be looked upon as “our light affliction.”

World of Sorrow

So long as we live in this world of sin, we will live in a world of sorrow. Here, we must never expect to be free of suffering, adversity, and pain. It is written, “We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

I am redeemed, justified, and sanctified by the blood of Christ. I am saved, born again, and forgiven of all my sin by the grace of God. I am an heir of God and joint-heir with Jesus Christ, an heir of heaven’s eternal glory. But as long as I live in this world I will have to deal with pain, affliction, and heartache. My body is subject to sickness, disease, pain, decay, and death, just like anyone else’s. God’s children, in the process of time, grow old, get sick, and die, just like all other people.

God’s Will

Our God plainly tells us that whatever comes to pass in my life is his will (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Nothing in this universe happens by chance, or luck, or blind fate. All that comes to pass, be it good or bad, prosperous or adverse, both the great and the small, is ordained by my God and governed by our heavenly Father for our spiritual and eternal good (Romans 8:28; 11:36). I may not be able to see what God’s good purpose is in a given situation at the present time, but…

“In heaven’s clearer light I’ll see,

All things worked out for good!”

Whatever my heavenly Father does, he does because of his infinite, mercy, love, and grace toward me, because of his great goodness, never because he is angry with me, never because he is punishing me!

Our heavenly Father uses the rod of love to chasten and correct his erring child; but he never uses the rod of his justice to punish us, to satisfy his wrath and anger because of our sins. He punished our sins to the full satisfaction of his holy justice in Christ.

Whatever the Lord my God does to me and with me, whatever he ordains to be done to me and with me is best. It is enough for me to know that he who rules this world is my loving, ever-gracious, all-wise, and good heavenly Father. I do not need to know what he is doing or why, only that he is the One doing it! Believing God, it is my soul’s great joy and comfort to trust his wisdom, power, love, and goodness. It is written, “There shall no evil befall thee” (Psalm 91:10). — “There shall no evil happen to the just” (Proverbs 12:21).

“Our times are in His hand. Why should we doubt or fear?

Our Father’s hand will never cause His child a needless tear!”

“But for a Moment”

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Grace Sufficient

Whatever my affliction is, the grace of God is sufficient to meet my every need. My Savior says to me, “My grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul asked God to remove his terribly painful thorn in the flesh three times. But it was best for Paul to endure the pain and carry the thorn in his flesh to the grave. Therefore, his heavenly Father refused to take it away. But he gave him something far better. — The knowledge and experience of his all-sufficient grace!

Christ’s Presence

No matter what my trial may be, the Lord, my God and Savior, is with me. He has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). This was Paul’s comfort in prison (2 Timothy 4:9-18); and it is our comfort in the midst of all earthly woe.

I do not need perfect health. I need Christ’s perfect peace. I do not need prosperity and wealth. I need the riches of God’s grace. I do not need a life of ease. I need the comfort of my Savior’s presence.

Only Momentary

How sweet, how comforting, how delightful it is for us to hear our God assure us that “our light afflictions are but for a moment!” They are only for a moment. They will soon be over!

“Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day.

Earth’s joys grow dim. Its glories slip away.

Change and decay in all around me I see. —

O Thou who changest not, abide with me!”

Working Glory

Commenting on this text, Robert Hawker, wrote, “All afflictions in their nature, being the consequence of the fall, are in themselves evil; and work evil, to the whole Adam-nature, void of Christ. Yet coming in and through the Covenant of Grace in Christ to the Lord’s people their very property is changed. Hence, the Holy Ghost hath caused it to be proclaimed in his Scriptures, “that all things work together for good to them that love God; to them who are the called according to this purpose” (Romans 8:28). Reader do not forget this. — A child of God must be ultimately a gainer by every affliction, when sanctified.”

Things Eternal

“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” — As we look away from the transitory things of time to those things which are eternal, our light and momentary afflictions fade into insignificance. The eternal God is our Father. His eternal Son is our Savior. The eternal Holy Ghost is our Comforter. Eternal glory is our home.

The Grace Bulletin

May 19, 2019

Grace Baptist Church of Danville

2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438

Telephone (859) 576-3400 — 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