Hymn of the Day
(tune: "In Christ There is No East or West"p.417)
Lord, at Thy table I behold,
The wonders of Thy grace;
But most of all admire that I,
Should find a welcome place.
I, that am all defiled with sin,
A rebel to my God;
I, that have crucified His Son,
And trampled on His blood.
What strange, surprising grace is this,
That such a soul has room!
My Savior takes me by the hand,
My Jesus bids me come.
Eat, O My friends, the Savior cries,
The feast was made for you;
For you I groaned, and bled, and died,
And rose, and triumphed, too.
With trembling faith, and bleeding hearts,
Lord, we accept Thy love;
'Tis a rich banquet we have had,
What will it be above?
Ye saints below, and hosts of Heaven,
Join all your praising powers;
No theme is like redeeming love,
No Savior is like ours.
Had I ten thousand hearts, Dear Lord,
I'd give them all to Thee;
Had I ten thousand tongues,
They all, Should join the harmony.
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Today's Hymns
Come Thou, Almighty King! - 6
Lord, At the Table I Behold (Bulletin Front)
He Surrendered All - #cb12,
He Included Me #cb16
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Special Dates: Cindy Hasche – 20 ~ Jake Van Der Brink - 21
James Koedam – 23 ~ Zach Drenth – 23 ~ Helen Vlastuin – 28
It is important to remember that the Bible does not tell other people how to treat me. We all spend far too much time fretting over the way other people treat us. The Bible does not address other men. It addresses me! It tells me how I am to treat others! We cannot control how we are treated (although I believe that if we treat others well, we will be treated well). But remember the words of our Lord, "All things, whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, you do to them: for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12.) -Todd Nibert
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The pulpit's real issue is this: Christ, and Him crucified! Men whose eyes are fixed on Christ, do not argue. They do not love controversy whose hearts are touched with Him. They do not look for issues and sticky theological problems who are busy knowing and showing Christ. Those whose interest is singularly Christ have little difficulty settling all matters and quickly in His Word.
The problem they see is sinners, lost and hell-bound, and the only answer they see is Christ. -Henry Mahan
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Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD,
when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
and he shall reign as king and deal wisely,
and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely.
And this is the name by which he will be called:
Jehovah our Righteousness.
As you read this, I ask you: What is your righteousness? Is it your works? They will fall short of the standard! Is it your church-going? It will not do! Is it your religious experiences and emotional responses at moving religious services? They are no substitute for righteousness! None of these things will satisfy God. And if they will not satisfy Him, they must not be allowed to satisfy you.
It is written in 1 Corinthians 1.30 that Jesus Christ has been made the righteousness, sanctification, and redemption of His people. Nothing more is needed, and nothing more (or less) will be accepted. All who try to make a righteousness of their own in the expectation that it will gain them God's blessing will perish under His wrath. But to all who cry to Him for mercy, a righteousness - a perfect, flawless, God-accepted righteousness - is freely given.
Settle for nothing less than this wondrous gift of God: Christ's righteousness freely given and credited to the account of sinners, There is nothing in heaven, earth, or hell that can tarnish THAT righteousness. No one can find a fault with it - not even God.
May God grant you faith to abandon everything about yourself that you thought would commend you to God and lay hold of this righteousness of God! -Joe
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I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart:
and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
For great is thy mercy toward me:
and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
~Psalm 86:12-13
Now it is indeed true that David writes of his own experience, yet his tongue is that a of a ready writer who speaks of the blessings which are appointed to fall upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and by imputation to be applied to all who are found hidden in the bosom of Christ. "My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever" (Psalm 45:1-2). Every blessing which accrues to the elect is theirs because of the Father's approval of HIS SON's righteousness, and they are seen in HIM as worthy of such blessing. Left to themselves they would surely perish along with those vessels of wrath fitted for destruction. -Mike McKinnis
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The story is told of a certain pastor who was disturbed greatly because one of his dear brethren was getting too involved in other things and was absent from the worship services. One Sunday evening at the close of the service, the pastor went to his friend's house and found him sitting before an open fire. Somewhat startled by the appearance of his pastor (who spoke not a word), the man pulled up another chair before the fire, waiting for words of rebuke from his visitor; but none came. The minister took his seat before the fire and silently took the tongs and lifted a glowing coal from the midst of its fellows and laid it by itself on the hearth. Remaining silent, both men watched the blaze die and the coal grow dark. Then the truant brother opened his mouth and said, "You need not say a word, pastor; I will be there Wednesday night." -source unknown