Hymn of the Day
(tune: "Rock of Ages" p. 126)
Hidden treasure, Christ Thou art,
Hide Thyself within my heart.
There reveal Thy riches great,
Make me my own wealth forsake!
Jewel of Heaven, Gem of Earth,
Show to me Thy wondrous worth.
Treasury of God's blessings He,
In Him is full Deity.
Treasured knowledge, wisdom's store,
Are in Christ for evermore.
In redemption, rich is He,
Grace enough for souls like me.
He's the Pearl of wondrous cost,
Worthy to redeem the lost.
Multiplied in preciousness.
He who finds Him must be blessed!
Let us cast our pearls aside,
That this Pearl with us abide.
-Joe, 1993
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Today’s Hymns
Come, Ye Sinners - vv.1-4, cb20,
Come, Ye Sinners - vv.5-7, cb20
He Included Me, cb16
Special Dates
Scott and Amy – 29 ~ Scott Van Der Brink – 29
Eric and Katie – 7 ~ Elaine Grimsley – 7
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So shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. ~1 Thessalonians 4.17,18
Dear Friends, it shall not be long before we hear the sweet voice of our Lord calling us home to begin an unending existence in His presence. In this passage, Paul is speaking of the time of the Lord’s return. But I am not claiming any special knowledge that the time is near. Rather, I know this: It shall not be that long before we depart this life through death, and for the believer, the result is the same – he goes to the Father’s house to be with the Lord always and forever. Brothers and Sisters, no matter our present circumstances, they shall soon be over. What our hearts long for shall soon be experience to the full by us. Therefore, take heart! Our exile from home will not be much longer! Our separation from our Heavenly Husband shall soon be over, and never again shall we be apart from Him! -Joe
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"God is merciful!" said old Mrs. Jenkins, as she came from the funeral home where drunken Sam Voller was just laid out. Last night Sam was at "The Fighting Rooster" and drank too much beer, then he quarreled, a fight followed, and Sam got an unlucky blow--and now he has gone to appear before his Maker, to give an account of his deeds!
Yes, Mrs. Jenkins, God is merciful, but not always. God is merciful, but not to all. There was no mercy for the world of the ungodly, who perished in the flood. Nor was there any mercy for the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, who were consumed by fire from Heaven.
Neither can we see, though we do not wish to judge harshly of our poor fellow-creatures, how there could be mercy for Sam, who lived in sin, died in sin, and died in consequence of his sin. "He who confesses and forsakes his sin, shall find mercy." But how can he hope for mercy, who hardens himself in sin, and perseveres in it until summoned to appear before God to give an account of it?
"There is mercy with God, that He may be feared"--not that He may be trifled with, and insulted to His face!
Mercy may now be obtained by anyone and everyone who seeks it. But the Lord, who is now so merciful and gracious, will by and by, manifest His wrathful indignation and say to those who now refuse to come when He calls them, "Depart from me, you cursed ones, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels!" Terrible words! … May no reader of these lines, ever endure the threatening contained in them!
In vain for mercy now they cry;
In lakes of liquid fire they lie!
There on the flaming billows tossed,
Forever! O, forever, lost!
-James Smith, "God is Merciful" 1858
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The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.
~1 Thessalonians 5.24
God never changes in His affections for His people or His purpose of good toward them. It is for this reason, and no other, that our salvation is sure and certain. Four thousand years of human rebellion did not cause God to abandon His promise of a Substitute to redeem His people; and our few years floundering in this world cannot move Him from His purposed grace toward us. What a comfort! Our salvation is not founded upon the shifting sands of our righteousness, confessions, or faithfulness, but on the bedrock of Divine consistency. -Joe
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Almost everybody in America is a church member, but they don’t think that God will punish sin. They sleep well at night, because they don’t believe that God will punish sin. They don’t let their church membership interfere with their daily living, because they don’t believe that God will punish sin. Talk to them about Jesus dying on the cross and they are not interested, because they don’t believe that God will punish sin. And, of course, nobody will be interested in whether Christ did anything for him on the cross until he believes that God will punish sin. There is no use to apply a remedy to this generation; this generation does not need its sins forgiven, for they don’t think there is any punishment awaiting them. What they need to hear is the first message of that bloody cross of my Lord, GOD WILL PUNISH SIN! Every time they nailed those nails into the flesh of the Son of God, every stroke of the hammer was saying, "God will punish sin," "God will punish sin," "God will punish sin."
-Rolfe Barnard