Articles

Bulletin - November 13, 2022

Hymn of the Day

 

(tune: The Church’s One Foundation)

 

I lay my sins on Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God;

He bears them all, and frees us from the accursed load;

I bring my guilt to Jesus, to wash my crimson stains

White in His blood most precious, till not a stain remains.

 

I lay my wants on Jesus; all fullness dwells in Him;

He heals all my diseases, He doth my soul redeem:

I lay my griefs on Jesus, my burdens and my cares;

He from them all releases, He all my sorrows shares.

 

I long to be like Jesus, strong, loving, lowly, mild;

I long to be like Jesus, the Father’s holy Child:

I long to be with Jesus, amid the heavenly throng,

To sing with saints His praises, to learn the angels’ song.

 

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Today’s Hymns

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ - #495

How Great Thou Art - #37

My Hope Is in the Lord – cb5

 

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Congratulations to Cornell and Shaina Hoogendoorn on the birth of a son, Olten Cornelius Hoogendoorn, born Thursday, November 11, 2022!

 

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The important question is, "Have you come to Christ?" It is not to which church you belong, but if you belong to Christ. It is not if we believe in a church, but if we believe in Christ. It is not if we go to church, but have we come to Christ. It is not, “Have we bowed at some altar,” but “Have we bowed at the feet of and confessed the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and King.” It is not making some profession of religion, but if we have professed Christ to be our Lord and Saviour. He said, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to Me;" He does not say you will be religious, He does not say you will be good folks, He does not say you will be Bible readers, hymn singers, hand clappers, or loud and long prayers, but that "You will come to Christ." We know that, but how quickly we forget it. -Milton Howard

 

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I have spilled ink over a bill and blotted it till it can hardly be read, but this is quite another thing from having the debt blotted out, for that is not accomplished until payment is made.  A man may blot his sins from his memory and quiet his mind with false hopes, but the peace that this brings him is widely different from that which comes from God’s forgiveness of sin through the satisfaction, which Christ made in His atonement.  Our blotting out is one thing; God’s blotting out is something else far higher.  -Charles Spurgeon

 

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“For by grace are you saved.” – Ephesians 2:8

 

We are saved by grace, free grace, rich grace, sovereign grace, distinguishing grace without one atom of works, without one grain of creature merit, without anything of the flesh. Oh! Sweet grace, blessed grace! Oh! What a help, what a strength, what a rest for a poor toiling, striving, laboring soul to find that grace has done all the work, to feel that grace has triumphed in the cross of Christ, to find that nothing is required, nothing is needed, nothing is to be done!  -J.C. Philpot

 

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Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him,

went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? -John 18.4

 

There was a time, dear Lord, when the multitudes sought for thee to make thee a king; so convinced were they, for the moment, who thou wert; and then thou didst hide thyself from them. But now thine enemies come to make thee king with a crown of thorns, and to nail thy sacred body to the cross, thou didst hasten to meet them. Well might the prophet say, thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people.  -Robert Hawker

 

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And this is the Father's will which hath sent me,

that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing,

but should raise it up again at the last day. -John 6.39

 

It is sad that the glorious doctrine concerning our Lord’s saving sacrifice should be given the name, “Limited Atonement.” The Bible does not speak of it in those terms. When I consider the greatness, righteousness and justice of the God to Whom Christ’s sacrifice was made and Who pronounced His acceptance of it by raising the Lord Jesus from the dead, it is hard for me to put the word “limited” to it. When I consider the greatness of my sin – the depravity it reveals by its number and stubbornness – and realize that the Lord’s atoning sacrifice put it all away, it is difficult for me to put the word “limited” it.

 

I know that the “limited” aspect of the Lord’s atoning work is with respect to the individuals for whom His sacrifice was made – He did not make atonement for everyone. But that should not surprise us. He did not make atonement for the devil and his angels; why should we be surprised that some of the human race would not be included in His atoning work? Do we think our sin less sinful than theirs? Do we think the human race is more worthy than the angelic race, moving God to attempt the salvation of all humanity while utterly ignoring the fallen angels?

 

But the Scriptures do not concern themselves with the limitations of the atonement but with the complete success of it. In fact, it is utterly impossible to have an unsuccessful atonement, for a sacrifice is not an atonement unless and until it actually atones.

 

What a glorious thing the work of our Lord was and is! Every sinner for Whom He shed His precious blood shall, without fail, be conformed to His image and adopted as the sons of God. As Christ, Himself, said: Of all that the Father gave Me, I shall lose none!  -Joe