Articles

Bulletin - May 9, 2021

Hymn of the Day

(tune: "Must Jesus Bear His Cross Alone?"p.234)

 

Come, humble sinner, in whose breast, A thousand thoughts revolve,

Come, with your guilt and fear oppressed, And make this last resolve.

 

I'll go to Jesus, though my sin, Hath like a mountain rose;

I know His courts, I'll enter in, Whatever may oppose.

 

Prostrate I'll lie before His throne, And there my guilt confess,

I'll tell Him, I'm a wretch undone, Without His sovereign grace.

 

I'll to the gracious King approach, Whose scepter pardon gives;

Perhaps he will command my touch, And then the suppliant lives.

 

Perhaps He will admit my plea, Perhaps will hear my prayer;

But, if I perish, I will pray, And perish only there.

 

I can but perish if I go; I am resolved to try;

But if I stay away, I know I must forever die.

 

But, if I die with mercy sought, If I the King have tried,

This were to die (delightful thought!) As sinner never died.

 

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Today's Hymns

Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed - #110

How Can It Be? #67,

Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned - #52

 

Special Dates:

Elayna Vlastuin – 9 ~ Morgan Van Der Brink – 11

Eric Van Beek – 13 ~ Mae Van Beek - 17

 

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The lukewarm state of the church of Laodicea nauseated Christ.  And what is this state of lukewarmness?  They lost their sense of need! "Thou sayest I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Rev. 3:17).  A sense of need is essential in walking with Christ.  "He healed them that had need of healing."  "The whole need not a physician, but they that are sick."  Ten times, David, the man after God's own heart, described himself as "poor and needy."  The only way I can hear the Gospel is as poor and needy. When that leaves, I start to analyze, see if I agree, and critique.  The doctrine of the Gospel loses its sweetness.  It is one thing to know the meaning of election.  It is another thing to need it!  It is one thing to understand justification.  It is another to need to be justified.  May the Lord keep us poor and needy!   -Todd Nibert

 

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The most difficult thing for any of us to do is to TOTALLY and COMPLETELY trust and rest in our blessed Lord Jesus to redeem us, sanctify us, and make us accepted to the Father.  We are so prone to self-righteousness and works that we have a constant battle trying to remember that "man at HIS BEST STATE is altogether vanity," and in his WEAKEST MOMENTS is no less loved and accepted if he is in Christ.  As brother Fortner said, "My relationship with the eternal God (in Christ) does in great measure determine what I do.  But what I do (good or bad) in no way determines my relationship with the eternal God."  Actually, "In my flesh dwelleth NO GOOD THING."  "In the flesh no man can please God."  It is in Christ that the Father is well pleased, and only in Christ can He love, accept, and be pleased with me.

 

I did not come to Christ on the basis of my works, nor am I kept in Christ on the basis of my works!  I looked to Him then for all things, and I look to Him now for all things!  Any look within will serve only to discourage and depress me, but looking to Christ, the Author and Finisher of my faith, will only encourage, for He never changes. His gift of life and calling to grace is without change. 

 

The command, "Look unto Me and be ye saved," is not only the hope and strength of the seeking sinner, but it is the constant hope and strength of the believing sinner.  I know my sins, but I rejoice in His grace. I know my weakness, but I rest in His strength.  I know my emptiness, but I am complete in Him.  "Oh! what peace we often forfeit, Oh! what needless pain we bear," all because we do not cast our sins, our souls on Christ and LEAVE THEM THERE!   - Henry Mahan

 

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Return to your rest, O my soul,

For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. ~Psalm 116.7

 

How foolish of us ever to leave our rest, but we do. We slip into the legalism natural to our hearts and forget that God has dealt bountifully with us. He has given us the unsearchable riches of Christ! So, whenever our souls begin to feel weary, let us immediately return to our rest – Christ!     -Joe

 

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And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto Him much incense, that He should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 

~Revelation 8:3

 

Christ Jesus, the Great High Priest of God, perfumes heaven with the savor of His glorious intercession on behalf of His people. God's people admit that they know not what to pray but know also, by faith, that while they struggle to pour out their heart before God, their prayers are offered, by Him Who ever liveth to make intercession for them upon the golden altar before the throne. With the precious fragrance of His blood the prayers of the saints are thereby heard and accepted of God totally upon the merit of the Lord Jesus. -Marvin Stalnaker

 

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When I look at myself, I worry about everything; when I look at Christ, I worry about nothing. I think there is a lesson in there somewhere!  -Joe

 

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There is never an excuse nor any justification for any sin committed!  Nor is there a denial that sin has been committed!  Facing my sin and sins honestly makes me cry out, "God be merciful to me the sinner!" -Todd Nibert

 

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Though my mother never forced me to eat vegetables when I was a child, she ate them, herself. As I got older, something told me (maybe my subconscious) that vegetables must be good for you because my dear mother ate them. I began to eat them, and I now love them.

 

Mom and Dad, you can't force your young children to love the gospel of Christ, but when they see you loving it, and your commitment to it, perhaps they will begin to think, "This gospel must be good, for my Mom and Dad sure loved it." And just perhaps through your love for it, they will be brought to love it themselves.   -Bruce Crabtree