Hymn of the Day
(tune: "Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed "p.110)
Alas! and did my Savior bleed,
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head,
For such a worm as I?
Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine,
And bathed in its own blood,
While all exposed to wrath divine,
The glorious Sufferer stood!
Was it for crimes that I had done,
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man, the creature’s, sin.
Thus, might I hide my blushing face,
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.
But drops of grief can ne’er repay,
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
’Tis all that I can do.
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Today’s Hymns
It Is Well with My Soul – 256 ~ Come Thou Fount – 17
He Included Me – #cb16
Special Dates:
Brooklyn Riebeling – 8 ~ Dena Koedam – 16 ~ Nancy Vande Hoef – 16
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John the Baptist was a man sent from God. But our Lord Jesus was not a man sent from God; He was (and is!) a man who IS God. We rightly show respect to those men whom God has sent to proclaim His Word to us. But men show an extreme lack of respect to Christ when they regard Him as simply another of the prophets, even if they regard Him as the greatest of prophets.
Indeed, He was a prophet and certainly the greatest there ever was. But He exceeded the status of prophet in this: He did not merely tell God’s message; He IS God’s message. He did not merely teach us God’s truth; He IS God’s truth. No other prophet could say, “He that has seen me has seen the Father.” Christ called John the greatest of prophets, but John claimed he was not worthy to untie Christ’s sandals.
Let us always reserve our highest reverence for our “great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2.13). -Joe
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Men often say, “Nobody’s perfect,” in a feeble attempt to justify themselves before God. Of course, nobody (among the sons of Adam) is perfect. Truth is, men who say such a thing have no idea how far from perfection they really are. The problem is, perfection is exactly what God demands. He can settle for nothing less. Which is why He sent His only begotten Son into this world. The Lord Jesus Christ is God’s perfect man, and He is man’s perfect God. The God-Man. The sinners substitute. The sovereign, successful, surety of His people. Yes, Someone is perfect. Without Him standing in our stead, God’s holy justice will demand our eternal damnation. “Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.” (Psalm 37:37) -Greg Elmquist
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What was the situation that caused the disciples to ask the Lord to increase their faith? When He told them to forgive their brother every time they asked for forgiveness. (Luke 17:4-5) “And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” I don’t need faith to move mountains, I need faith to forgive, even as I have been forgiven. -John Chapman
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When I get to heaven, I shall see three wonders there: the first wonder will be to see many people there whom I did not expect to see; the second wonder will be to miss many people whom I did expect to see; and the third and greatest wonder of all will be to find myself there. -John Newton
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Church membership has become the best place to hide from God. Religious beliefs and experiences serve as refuges to shield them from the arrows of conviction and the message of real redemption in Christ. Everybody in this super church is "saved" and are insulted if the question of their interest in Christ is raised or even suggested. There is no possible way to confront these "know-so salvationists" with the gospel of God's glory! The so-called church of today exists as a social power, a political power, and as a powerful body in the community; but it has lost its true nature as the body of Christ. They have sold their birthright for respectability, social and intellectual acceptance. -Rolfe Barnard
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This world is always disturbed when God’s people have the courage to come together to see Christ lifted up in the preaching of the Gospel. This is what will stir this town to cry, "Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." This area will not be moved if we promote something else. When Christ becomes important to us, then He will become important to our children, friends, and neighbors. When He becomes to us worth living and dying for, then we will see this area moved. -Milton Howard
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The Gospel of God's grace in Christ Jesus is not a thing to be proved, but a truth to be believed. It is not submitted to our reasoning powers as a subject for critical examination. The Gospel is a MESSAGE FROM GOD, addressed to the conscience, feelings, and affections. For this reason, men fond of argument and proving everything by strictly logical deduction generally make very poor preachers. In the Scriptures, God does not argue. He proclaims! -Milton Howard