January 30, 2011

 

It is written, Òwith the heart man believeth,Ó but that heart that trusts Christ is not the heart of the old man that is enmity against God. It is the new man Òcreated in righteousness and true holiness,Ó the new creature who believes God.

 

Daily Readings for the Week of January 30-February 6

Sunday                Exodus 35-37                                                           Thursday                   Leviticus 8-11

            Monday                     Exodus 38-40                                                           Friday             Leviticus 12-13

            Tuesday                    Leviticus 1-4                                                 Saturday                    Leviticus 14-15

            Wednesday  Leviticus 5-7                                                 Sunday                      Leviticus 16-18

 

á      I am preaching today for Rescue Baptist Church in Rescue, CA, where Bro. Gene Harmon is pastor.

á      Bro. Larry Criss will bring the messages here today.

á      Bro. Ron Wood is preaching this morning for Grace Baptist Church in Harrodsburg, KY, where Bro. Dave Collier is pastor.

á      Bro. Todd Nibert, pastor of Todds Road Grace Church in Lexington, KY, will be here to preach to you on Tuesday evening.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Merle Hart-1st

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: Sam & Ruth Wall-3rd

CHURCH CLEANING IN FEBRUARY: Don & Shelby Fortner

NURSERY DUTY THIS WEEK

Today: Mindy Peterson (AM) Pam Wood (PM) Tuesday: Jayalita McCormack

 

My Beloved — Don Fortner

(Tune: #90 — It Came Upon a Midnight Clear — CM)

 

1.    Savior, the glories of Your grace

My songs of praise record;

Giver of life, blest Prince of Peace,

And my Beloved Lord!

 

2.    Blest Son, the FatherÕs chief delight,

Whose beauty angels view,

You are all fair in ZionÕs sight,

And my Beloved too.

 

3.    Of You, the ancient prophets wrote,

Of You let Israel sing,

And heavÕnÕs vast choir, in evÕry note,

Praise my Beloved King!

 

4.    Your precious name great joy imparts

To all who are Your own.

In life and death, O may my heart

Be my BelovedÕs throne.

 

13

A Tribute to a Faithful Pastor

Tommy Robbins

1948 — 2011

 

            Bro. Tommy Robbins and I have been friends for more than thirty years. In all those years, we have never had a cross word between us or a disagreement of any kind. The Lord graciously delivered my friend from all the evil consequences of sin and the Fall Sunday morning, January 9, 2011, just before eleven oÕclock. The previous day I had the privilege of being at his side. We had several good visits.

 

When Shelby and I arrived at his home, Bro. Tommy assured us of his complete peace and his great desire to depart soon to be with Christ and His family in Òthe heavenly Jerusalem.Ó The last time he called me to his bed was about eleven o'clock Saturday night. He requested that I read and have prayer with him, his family, and his visitors. We read Isaiah 35, sang Amazing Grace, and prayed together. Shortly thereafter he went to sleep, awaking periodically, but no longer cognizant.

 

            Seventeen years ago Fairmont Grace Church in Sylacauga, Alabama called him to be their pastor. He served them and served the Lord Jesus with them with great faithfulness. Bro. Robbins was a soft spoken man of tremendous character and strength. Firmly convinced of the Gospel of GodÕs free and sovereign grace in Christ, he preached it faithfully and had no tolerance for those who compromise the Gospel.

 

            He sought no advantage or gain of any kind for himself. He pastored a small congregation, and considered it his honor to do so. He was loved by them; and he loved them. I had the privilege of preaching for him three days every year for seventeen years. For the past ten year Shelby and I have spent our annual visits to Sylacauga with Bro. Tommy and his wife, Robin, in their home. Never once did I hear Bro. Tommy speak ill of any of the LordÕs sheep who had been trusted to his care.

 

            The last few years of his earthly pilgrimage were years of deteriorating health, constant sickness, and much physical pain. Yet, Bro. Tommy never complained in my presence. Many others who attended to his needs and were in his presence almost constantly during his last days have said the same. The last time I asked him about his pain, Saturday afternoon, he said, ÒO we donÕt want to get into that,Ó and smiled. He died as graciously as he lived.

 

            Tommy Robbins was greatly respected and greatly loved. He will be greatly missed. He showed me by example how to live in this world for the glory of God, trusting Christ and serving the interests of His kingdom. I pray that God the Holy Spirit give me grace to follow my friendÕs example to the end of my appointed days.

 

14

ÒBehold, the man is become as one of us!Ó

Genesis 3:22

 

What an astounding statement that is! What can it mean? When Moses wrote, ÒThe Lord God said,Ó who did he have in mind? It is Jehovah-Elohim speaking; but he says, ÒThe man has become as one of us.Ó One Person is speaking, but more than one person is represented. The Person speaking is Christ, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God, Jehovah-Elohim. He is speaking for the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In that one sentence we have set before us the plurality of persons in the eternal Godhead, the eternal Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the preexistence of our Savior before His incarnation. But what do these words mean? — ÒThe man is become as one of us.Ó

 

Adam a Type

First, this is a declaration of the fact that Adam was a type and picture of Christ our Substitute, as the Holy Spirit tells us in Romans 5:14, Òthe figure of him that was to come.Ó Nowhere do we see the love of Christ for his Church set forth so fully as in the case of AdamÕs love for Eve. The popular notion is that Eve beguiled Adam. Eve did nothing of the kind. Satan beguiled her, allured her by deception into sin and rebellion against God; but the Holy Spirit tells us plainly that ÒAdam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgressionÓ (1 Timothy 2:14).

Adam was not deceived to any degree, neither by the devil nor by his wife. He knew exactly what he was doing and sinned with his eyes wide open. He saw his cherished wife, Eve, in the depths of her guilt and shame; and out of nothing but love for her, before he would be parted from her, he would be damned with her. He cleaved to his wife, for they were one flesh. And into ruin he plunged himself for her sake. In all this he was the figure of Him that was to come, for so it was with our dear Savior. Moved by nothing but His love for us, before He would be parted from us, He plunged Himself into our sin, our guilt, and our death, that He might save us from everlasting ruin (2 Corinthians 5:21).

 

Made Like Christ

This is also a declaration of AdamÕs present state and condition, and of ours in Christ. Though fallen by nature, we are now, as Adam was, restored by grace. What God here says of Adam is true of every believer. Though in Adam we fell, in Christ we are restored, just like Adam was by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God and call of omnipotent grace.

Like Adam, we have been clothed with ChristÕs righteousness and we are Òrighteous, even as he is righteousÓ (1 John 3:7; Jeremiah 23:6; 33:16). Like Adam, being renewed by grace, we are now created in the image of Christ, conformed to him, created new by the grace of God Òin righteousness and true holinessÓ (Ephesians 4:24). Like Adam, having been called from darkness to light in Christ, we now know both good and evil. We know both the goodness of God and the evil of our own hearts. Like Adam we have become as one of the Holy Trinity, we have become like Christ our Mediator. — ÒAnd as He is so are we in this world!Ó

 

15

The Grace Bulletin

 

January 30, 2011

 

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 in 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.

 

Television Broadcasts in Harrodsburg

Channel 6 - Sunday Afternoon 3:00 P.M.

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

 

Web Pages

http://www.DonFortner.com

http://www.FreegraceRadio.com

http://www.Grace-eBooks.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

Listen to sermons at FreeGraceRadio.com