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You Were Asked To Pray For:
All
of Our Military, Their Family’s & All the Civilian Workers in The Middle
East, Zee Mink Fuller and Family, Her son’s Bryan Armstrong and Hunter
Hackie, Daughter Shannon, and Brother Philip & Sondra Thornsberry,
Virgil & Alice Hoskins and his daughters Liz Janis and Debbie Gray, Frank
& Dawana Reigel, Andrew Preston, Helen Maggard, Renee Jackson, LarryMollette,
Larry Mollette
II & Family, Linda Mollette, Kirby Mollette, Kerry Pennington, Kim Butler, Danny & Nita Mollette, Verna Mae Allen, Wendell Henderson, Judy Dunn,
Joshua Kidd, Matthew Kidd, Ronnie Henderson Jr,
Donnie Henderson, Kevin Henderson, Ricky Henderson, Rosalie Graves, Terry
Hanson, Jim Stagner, Bro. & Mrs. Hammond, Don
Hammond, Archie & Barbara Griffin & son Daniel, Larry Platt, Bro.
& Sister Bob Keller, Wanda Fowler, Kathy Rosinbaum,
Brenda Galusha and Jewel, Mary Ramsey, Donna
Johnson, Fay Johnson, Bobby Walker, Luann Reynolds, Bro. & Sis. Curtis
Pugh, Timothy and Nathan Fails, Jacob Ramsey, Jim & Linda Meier, Brother
David & Sister Anne Shortt, Brother Manuel
Seymour & Family, Doris Hammock, Letha Langford, Leacho
Tittle, Brother & Sister Kelley Hinson and
Wesley, Brother & Sister Frank James, Billy and Jo Hobbs, Jerry Hughes,
Sister Nita Bookout and her Niece, Pastor G. L. Burr, Alicia Lightsey, Melody Carr, Betty, Gina, Janie Capps, and Bro.
Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.
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A Though From Pastor Johnson:
Only By Grace!
1
Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace
which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured
more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with
me.”
This has to be one of my most favorite verses in the scripture; it is
certainly one I love to quote a lot. So many times I reference this to the
type of person Saul of Tarsus was before God blessed him with salvation;
however God’s grace with Paul was much deeper than that, Paul’s entire
Christian life was by the grace of God even the pain he endured in his death.
Paul was indeed one whom had a constant reminder of his past life and could
not ever thank God enough for the grace He showered on him the last few years
of his life. We also beloved need to constantly remind ourselves of what we
were before God’s grace was showered upon us at the time we were saved. While
the deeds of Saul of Tarsus were great against the church at Jerusalem they
were not any greater than ours before we were saved. We also were an enmity
of the Lord before we were saved and had great sins against God. However, now
that grace has come let us all put that behind us, but not so far behind us
we forget that they existed. Beloved we need to also like Paul remind
ourselves of what we were so that the grace of God becomes more and more
sweet everyday. It is when we forget what we were that we forget what grace
truly means to us. Everyday we need to pray the prayer of the publican in the
story of the Pharisee and the publican in Luke 18:13 “And the publican,
standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but
smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” Why would the publican not lift his head to
heaven? It was because he knew himself to be unworthy and ashamed to do so.
You see so many today that are so much like the Pharisee who was arrogant in
his prayer. Beloved what we need today is more humbled hearts among
Christians just like the publican. Even though we have received the grace of
God and He has given us the most glorious gift of salvation we have nothing
to be proud of except the grace that God has given. The Lord reminds us in
Psalms 34:18 “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” The word
“contrite” means crushed which means we should have a crushed spirit in that
we are all unworthy to lift our head to the Lord. Even in our justified state
we still remain in sin and will until the day we are with the Lord. We still
live in a state where there is nothing good in us except the grace of God and
Jesus Christ. Beloved we have no right to be proud in our own right but
rather continually thank God for His blessed Grace. We should never have the
glorious honor of belonging to the family of God, we to as Paul proclaimed;
are the chief of all sinners.
Paul also said “his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain”. Even
though I may be the chief sinner I still am by the grace of God an Apostle
and I will do every within the power God graciously gives me to advance His
word and the gospel. Beloved I pray that the grace that God has given me also
was not in vain. I pray that I pursue evil in this world with the word of
God. I pray that the labor I do for the Lord is enough to show the Lord (as
little as it maybe) that I am thankful for His grace, and that it was not in
vain. Paul went on to say “but I laboured more
abundantly than they all” not in an arrogant way but recognizing the short
time he had to accomplish the task that God had given him to do. The rest of
the Apostles had spent time with Jesus and learned from Him and labored with
Him, but Paul had to learn quickly and that he did, but only as Paul put it
“but the grace of God which was with me.” Everything about Paul’s Christian
life was by the grace of God and so is it with us. Beloved we are only what
we are by God’s amazing grace.
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A Thought for the week!
The Forgotten Trail of Blood
It is amazing how quickly men forget when they are
willing to compromise for their own selfish ends! Do you remember the trail of martyrs’ blood
that paid the price for securing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ for your
benefit? Have you counted the cost in
the lives of faithful saints so that you could feast upon the pure Word of
God?
It is written: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith,
quit you like men, be strong.” (I Cor. 16:13)
Paul tells the believers to behave like men by standing fast in the
faith. I ask you, where are those “men
of the faith” today? It seems like the
order of the day is to “wimp out” on the Lord. Where are those who are willing to make a
stand upon “Thus sayeth the Lord our God”? Far too many of the saints have turned into
spineless sissies. Few stand for
anything and are willing to compromise everything for the sake of harmony.
It is written of the first believers
that were added to the church in Jerusalem:
“And they continued stedfastly in the
apostles’ doctrine...” (Acts 2:42)
Most folks today are terrified by that word “doctrine,” primarily
because it means they will have to stand for something. They are afraid of being shunned by the
mainstream populous, never caring that the mainstream is on the broad road to
destruction. Doctrine is the
foundational truths that bind believers in a proper relationship with
God. Is it not written, “All scripture
is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,”? (II Tim.
3:16)
It is also written: “...and having
done all, to stand. Stand therefore,
having your loins girt about with truth...” (Eph. 6:13,14) In heavenly fashioned spiritual warfare, a
believer is required to make a stand girded with Heaven’s Truths - behave
like a man!
It is also written: “...earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude
3) The word “contend” means to strive
in debate or controversy, argue, dispute.
There has been a trail of blood from Adam to this very day of those
who stood like men for the truth that was once delivered unto us by the
living God. Our generation has grossly
forgotten the trail of blood that brought unto us “THE FAITH” of the
saint. Have we forgotten the manly
determination of the martyrs of old to stay the course? Where are those who will behave like men
of God by contending for the Faith?
By: Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.
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