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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, Grandchildren, and his daughters Liz Janis and
Debbie Gray, Alecia Clements, Bryndon
Thomas, Frank & Dawana Reigel, Andrew Preston,
Helen Maggard, Renee Jackson, Larry Mollette, 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, Charles Hammond, Archie & Barbara Griffin & son Daniel, Bro.
& Sister Bob Keller, Wanda Fowler, Kathy Rosinbaum,
Brenda Galusha and Jewel, Mary Ramsey, Donna
Johnson, Fay Johnson, 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 Kelley Lee,
Billy and Jo Hobbs, Jerry Hughes, Sister Nita Bookout and her Niece, Pastor
G. L. Burr, Alicia Lightsey, Melody Carr, Betty, Janie
Capps, Kathy Johnson, Doyle Thomas, and Bro. Sergey Mochalov
and the Churches in Russia.
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A Thought From Pastor Johnson:
Shout For Joy in The Lord!
Psalms
5:11 “But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever
shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let
them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.”
As we take a look at this verse of scripture let us never forget as
believers in Jesus Christ we all have great reason to shout and to shout
often. The word shout means – to cry aloud with joy outwardly – therefore
making it something beyond and inward joy. This is something often missing in
church services today, but should not be at all. I believe we as Christians
and churches of the Lord Jesus Christ have allowed Arminianism to rob us of
some of the goodness of being a real Christian. I believe this is one of
those things and would like to see it returned in the churches. What has
happened to the word “AMEN” in churches today, the word “Amen” means – let it
be so or truth and I agree – however it seem to be that fewer men in churches
today have a desire to say it during a sermon. I understand the last thing we
as Baptist want to do is to allow ourselves to appear anything like an
Arminian with all of the shouting, standing and waving, and etc. but please
understand the Lord told us to show an outward emotion and shout, so come on,
say AMEN. While we do not go to church for some kind of fleshly satisfaction
or for a show which makes us appear to be Christians as the Arminianism, it
doesn’t mean we have to silence the inward joy we have in the Lord by sitting
silent and motionless. The Lord tells us in Psalms 118:15 “The voice of
rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right
hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.”
The Psalmist reminds us “But let all those that put their trust in thee
rejoice…” that is those that put their trust in the Lord has much reason to
rejoice about and do rejoice in the sermons they hear, but fail in the second
fact here “…let them ever shout for joy…” so beloved lift up your voice to
the Lord and excite yourself. The Lord also reminds us “let them ever shout”
meaning it should not come to an end or to become obsolete in the worship of
the Lord. Now please understand I am not talking about the phoniness of the Arminians but when your heart has been blessed by the
teachings of God’s word it should be shown with an outward shout. Jeremiah
31:7 “For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness
for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye,
and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.”
Let us not forget the return of our Lord will be with a shout 1 Thessalonians
4:16 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first:” There will be a great shout in heaven because the Lord is
returning for all of those in the world that has believed in Him for
salvation. I believe this is an example of things to come, that there will be
much shouting in heaven. The Lord love’s to be praised for His works and
believe me if we are there then the Lord is much glorified because He has
performed a great work. Every time a sinner come to believe in Jesus Christ
there is much rejoicing in heaven Luke 15:7, 10 “I say unto you, that
likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth,
more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. (10.)
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God
over one sinner that repenteth.” Not only in the
angels themselves but “in the presence of the angels of God” as in all of
heaven rejoices over the gracious and merciful goodness of God in the saving
of another lost sinner. So beloved let us outwardly show the joy in our
hearts and shout AMEN! And the Lord shall be praised.
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What is most needed today; by A. W. Pink
It is the deepening conviction of the writer, that
what is most needed today, is a wide proclamation of those truths which are
the least acceptable to the flesh.
What is needed today, is a scriptural setting forth of the character of
God—
His absolute sovereignty,
His ineffable holiness,
His inflexible justice,
His unchanging veracity.
What is needed today, is a scriptural setting forth of the condition of
the natural man—
his total depravity,
his spiritual insensibility,
his inveterate hostility to God,
the fact that he is
"condemned already"
and that the wrath of a sin-hating God
is even now abiding upon him!
What is needed today, is a scriptural setting forth of the alarming
danger which sinners are in—the indescribably awful doom which awaits them,
the fact that if they follow their present course only a little further—they
shall most certainly suffer the due penalty of their iniquities!
What is needed today, is a scriptural setting forth of the nature of that
dreadful punishment which awaits the lost—
the awfulness of it,
the hopelessness of it,
the unendurableness
of it,
the endlessness of it!
Excepting the Cross of Christ, nothing else so manifests the heinousness
of sin—as the doctrine of eternal punishment.
It is just because these truths have been withheld so much from public
ministry to the saints—that we now find so many backboneless, sentimental,
lop-sided Christians in our assemblies!
A clearer vision of the awe-inspiring attributes of God—would banish much
of our levity and irreverence.
A better understanding of our depravity by nature—would humble us, and
make us see our deep need of using the appointed means of grace.
A facing of the alarming danger of the lost sinner—would cause us to
"consider our ways" and make us more diligent to make our
"calling and election sure."
A realization of the unspeakable misery which awaits the lost (and which
each of us fully merited) would immeasurably deepen our gratitude, and bring
us to thank God more fervently—that we have been snatched as brands from the
burning, and delivered from the wrath to come! It would also make us far more
earnest in our prayers—as we supplicate God on behalf of the unsaved.
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