March 12, 2006

 

Here is a cause for great joy. — Our God finds the reason for his mercy to us in himself, and in himself alone!

 

Daily Readings for the Week of March 12-19

        Sunday            Joshua 18-20                                   Thursday                Judges 5-7

        Monday          Joshua 21-22                                   Friday             Judges 8-9

        Tuesday          Joshua 23-Judges 1                         Saturday          Judges 10-12

        Wednesday     Judges 2-4                                       Sunday            Judges 13-15

 

·         Bro. Ron Wood is preaching today for the Grace Fellowship in Princeton, NJ.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  Debbie Bartley-13th    Shante’ Birchum-17th    Eric Wall-17th

 

NURSERY DUTY THIS WEEK

Today: Shante’ Birchum (AM) Jenny Bartley (PM)          Tuesday: Debbie Bartley

 

‘Twas with An Everlasting LoveJohn Kent

(Tune: #109 — Ride on! Ride on in Majesty! — LM)

 

1.        ‘Twas with an everlasting love

That God his own elect embraced;

Before he made the worlds above,

Or earth on her huge columns placed.

 

2.        Long ere the sun’s refulgent ray

Primeval shades of darkness drove,

They on his sacred bosom lay,

Loved with an everlasting love.

 

3.        Then in the glass of his decrees,

Christ and his bride appeared as one;

Her sin, by imputation, his,

Whilst she in spotless splendor shone.

 

4.        O love, how high thy glories swell!

How great, immutable and free!

Ten thousand sins, as black as hell,

Are swallowed up, O love, in thee!

 

5.        [Loved, when a wretch defiled with sin

At war with heaven, in league with hell,

A slave to every lust obscene;

Who, living, lived but to rebel.]

 

6.        Believer, here thy comfort stands,-

From first to last salvation’s free,

And everlasting love demands

An everlasting song from thee.

 

4

FORGET IT!

 

Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philip. 3:13)

 

The child of God is constantly aware of the blessings of yesterday as he remembers God’s hand of mercy and grace upon him both Spiritually and Providentially. These things we are not to forget, but we cannot rely upon and rest in those things which are behind. We are to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us (today), and let us run with patience the race that is set before us (today)” - Hebrews 12:1. Yesterday is past and “…ye know not what shall be on the morrow” - James 4:14. We live by faith - “Now the just shall live by faith” Heb 10:38 , we walk by faith - “For we walk by faith, not by sight” 2Co 5:7 , and we stand by faith - “…for by faith ye stand” 2 Co 1:24, and therefore we die in faith - “These all died in faith” Heb 11:13 . Our life’s work as a child of God is not done until faith is done…TODAY’S FAITH! The Apostle said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” – 2 Tim. 4:7. We are not saved by works, we are saved by grace through faith, yet it is equally true that “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:26 - which is no faith at all. The believer must not look back and be at ease or presume with good intensions on tomorrow, but rather look to Christ and press forward, by faith, today. It is good to remember the work that God has done in us, but we are to forget it as our necessary substance for today. Today we must “reach forth unto those things which are before, and press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”. Salvation is a present work of grace in the heart carried on by faith that God gives. Faith in Christ is sufficient for today, and it will be sufficient for tomorrow as well.                                                    Pastor Tommy Robins

 

“A Great Gulf Fixed”

 

And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.” (Luke 16:26)

 

There are many distinctions among men that will soon be blotted out; but this is an eternal distinction. It is a distinction made by God himself before the foundation of the world. In the eternal covenant our great Jehovah wrote our names in the book of life. God’s dear Son, our eternal Christ, became our Surety and Substitute, entering into covenant engagements made for us, and for us only, with the Father. Our names were inscribed in the book of God from everlasting, and engraved upon the precious stones of our great High Priest’s breastplate. We were set apart by our God from all others in the covenant. — “The Lord hath set apart him that his godly for himself.”

 

        Though God’s elect are no different from the rest of mankind by nature, divine sovereignty, linked arm in arm with eternal grace, chose some to be the vessels of mercy, who would be fitted for the Master’s use, in whom the Triune God would show forth the riches and glory of his mercy, grace, and love in Christ. Other distinctions are only temporary. This is everlasting. Before the foundations of the earth were laid, the Lord our God had made a difference between Israel and Egypt.

 

5

Irreversible Distinction

 

The whole human race is divided by God into two categories: Those who are God’s people and those who are not his people, those who are elect and those who are reprobate, sheep and goats. This distinction between men was made by God in eternity; and it is an irreversible distinction. Sheep shall never become goats, and goats shall never become sheep. The elect of God will never become reprobates, and reprobates will never become the elect of God. Between the two there is a great gulf fixed. If any of Adam’s fallen race is so infinitely blessed of God as to be numbered among God’s people, his elect, his sheep, surely a soul to whom God has been so gracious will gladly acknowledge that the only thing distinguishing between him and those who are damned is the distinguishing grace of God (1 Cor. 4:7). “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake,” is the cry of every saved sinner. All who are saved by grace fully recognize, and rejoice in the fact that grace alone has distinguished them from the rest of Adam’s fallen race.

 

Distinguishing Grace

 

All who believe belong to God. We are Christ’s sheep by a distinguishing election. We became the Lord’s sheep by the choice of his love. In the covenant of grace God branded us as his sheep, set a hedge about us, and secured our eternal salvation in Christ (John 10:16). The Lord says of his sheep, “I know them” (John 10:27). And his knowledge of his sheep is that peculiar knowledge of his own elective purpose and omniscient love.

 

        We are his, too, by distinguishing purchase. Christ laid down his life for his sheep, in the place of his sheep. Christ died as a Substitute for his sheep to redeem them, all of them, and only them. He died instead of his sheep dying. Because he died for us, we shall not die (John 10:11, 15).

 

        And we belong to him by a distinguishing call. “He calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.” His gracious call is personal, particular, and powerful. When he calls, his call causes his sheep to follow. This call of grace always results in eternal life.

 

No Middle Ground

 

There is no middle ground. There is a great gulf fixed between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. There is no intermediate spot. Every person is either God’s elect, one of his peculiar people, ordained to eternal glory, or reprobate, of old foreordained to everlasting perdition. Each is either redeemed, or reprobate. Each is either among the called, or among the reprobate. Each is either loved, or hated. Each is either an heir of God and joint heir with Christ, or an heir of everlasting damnation. Each is wrapped up in Christ’s righteousness and washed in His blood, or is to howl in the torments of the damned through endless ages. Each is either complete in Christ, or without God, without Christ, and without hope. Each will either be carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom, or cast down into hell, there to suffer everlasting destruction. Each will either be eternally blessed and happy, or eternally damned and tormented. — “Make your calling and election sure!

 

6

Grace Bulletin

 

March 12, 2006

 

GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH of DANVILLE

2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438

Telephone (859) 236-8235 - 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

7:30 P.M. Mid-Week Worship Service

 

 

Television Broadcasts

 

Danville

Channel 6 - Sunday Morning 8:00 A.M.

Channel 6 - Wednesday Evening 6:00 P.M.

Channel 6 - Friday Evening 7:00 P.M.

 

Web Pages

http://www.donfortner.com

http://www.sovereign-grace/gracechurch.htm

http://www.freegrace.net/danville/default.asp