Psalm 25:14-17

DOCTRINE

As a doctrine is not true because I believe it or because you believe it; it is true only if God says it! I do not ask whether you believe what I preach; perhaps you do not. But I ask you to search the Scriptures and determine whether these things be so. I am not afraid to submit my belief in God's immut­able sovereignty, man's total fall and ruin, God's elective grace, Christ's effectual atonement, the Spirit's invincible call, and the perseverance of the sheep to the WORD OF GOD!

Repeated visits to the poor, uneducated mission fields will remind us that a person can REPENT who cannot define the word, and a person can BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus who cannot explain what true faith is or is not, and a person can truly REST IN CHRIST who does not know the meaning of the word covenant!

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1993)

Look and Live

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” (Numbers 21:8).

The wounded person had simply to look and live; to look not at himself, not at his wounds, not at others around him, but directly and exclusively to God's remedy. He was called to fix his earnest gaze upon God's remedy, which was so placed that all might see it. If he refused to look at that, there was nothing for him but death. There was no possible need to look anywhere else, for the word was that everyone gets better when they look upon it, and they shall live. He was to look up to the brazen serpent, for the brazen serpent was God's exclusive remedy. To look anywhere else was to get nothing; to look at God's provision was to get life. No one could be saved by proxy; no one could look for another. There was life in a look, but the look had to be given. This was God's order then, and this is His order now. Look! Look to Christ and live! Pastor Scott Richardson

JESUS IS LORD
“No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”
(I Corinthians 12:3).

That does not mean to articulate the words. A parrot could do that. It means to understand, to believe, and publicly declare that He is Lord. We do not make Him Lord. He is Lord! We do not think He ought to be allowed to be Lord. He is Lord! This is how every believer recognizes Him. He is Lord. He does not have a right to be Lord. He is Lord! This Man Christ Jesus is the Lord of the dead and the living! He is the Lord of Heaven and earth! He is Lord of all! He is Lord of creation, Lord of providence, and Lord of salvation! Every believer without exception clearly recognizes His Lordship. The thief certainly did. “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” We all say with Thomas, “My Lord, and my God.” If I believe He is Lord in my heart, I will confess it with my mouth. “Jesus is Lord.” Pastor Todd Nibert

GOD SAVES SINNERS FREELY!

“WITHOUT ANY CAUSE IN THEM!”

WHAT AMAZING SINFULNESS! “They hated me without a cause” (Psalm 35:19; 69:4; John 15:25). Such is the essence and energy of human sinfulness that men and women, by nature, hate the God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ - “without a cause.” There is no cause in Him that He should be hated by anyone. He is altogether lovely and lovable (S.O.S. 5:9-16). The holy Father loves, adores and delights in Him. The holy angels love, worship and serve Him. And regenerate, converted sinners love, worship and serve Him. Sin is the father of everything which is contrary to God. Sin hates God, who only is Good. Sin is worse than Hell!

WHAT AMAZING GRACE! God saves such sinners “freely (without a cause) by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24). There is no cause in any man, any sinner, which could ever move God to save him. There is absolutely nothing which natural, sinful men and women could do or refrain from doing which would cause God to save them. God saves sinners “without a cause:” that is, without reference to anything in them or done by them. God loves and saves sinners FREELY! Think of it: God saves “without a cause,” those who naturally hate Him “without a cause.” What a change His almighty grace makes in them! What amazing love and grace!

WHAT GOOD NEWS FOR SINNERS! Since God saves sinners without any cause in them, then there is hope for me! There is hope for you! There is hope for any and all sinners! He came into this sinful world on purpose, not to call the righteous (those who think themselves to be righteous), but sinners to repentance – and that is me! What about you? Are you a sinner before God? Do you need Christ and life? Then look to Him in faith. Believe Him. Trust Him.