SHREVEPORT GRACE CHURCH

2970 Baird Rd., Shreveport, LA 71118

CHRIST ALONE-SCRIPTURE ALONE-GRACE ALONE

October 16, 2005

OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORSHIP

SUNDAY

WEDNESDAY

6:30 PM- Mid-week Service

Nursery care available for all services for ages 4 and younger.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Ken Wimer, Pastor- ( (318) 687-4943

PO Box 5028, Shreveport, LA 71135

E-MAIL: pastor@shrevegrace.org

WEB SITE: http://www.shrevegrace.org Updated weekly with audio messages now available on-line.

CALL TO WORSHIP       (Tune – #10- O God Our Help)

hy statutes, Lord, are wonderful,

My soul them keeps with care.

The entrance of thy words gives light,

Makes wise who simple are.

My mouth I have wide opened,

And panted earnestly,

While after thy commandments

I longed exceedingly.

Look on me, Lord, and merciful

Do thou unto me prove,

As thou art wont to do to those

Thy name who truly love.

O let my footsteps in thy word

Aright still ordered be:

Let no iniquity obtain

Dominion over me.

From man's oppression save thou me;

So keep thy laws I will.

Thy face make on thy servant shine;

Teach me thy statutes still.

Rivers of waters from mine eyes

Did run down, when I saw

How wicked men run on in sin,

And do not keep thy law.

RAHAB THE HARLOT

“By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace,” Hebrews 11:31

y the religious world’s standards, Rahab should have perished with the wicked of her generation.  Yet, we learn through the testimony of the Spirit that she was the Lord’s and given faith to believe God through the witness of the spies.  Her hope was not in any righteousness in herself.  She had none.  However, taught of God, she received the spies WITH PEACE, and hung the scarlet cord in her window, as a testimony of her hope in the Lord Jesus who should come and lay down His life for her, scarlet being a type of His redeeming and justifying blood.  What a grace of God who saves sinners by the blood of the Lord Jesus, and gives them faith to trust Him who died for them, and by whom they stand justified before God. 

                                KEN WIMER

REVIVAL

“Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.”                                     Song of Solomon 4:16

oday, “revival” is a “big business”. Numerous “full time evangelists” crisscross the country with a full schedule of meetings designed to touch the emotions of the hearers.  A man’s ability to “perform” in this setting is judged on the basis of the number of people he can get down to the front after a meeting.  What he preaches takes a second seat to how well he gets the job, of producing “decisions”, done. Top dollar is waiting for the man that can “shell the corn”.

            Because of the power of sin that still remains in these mortal bodies, from time to time the LORD’s people find themselves in a state of spiritual coldness as the LORD for their benefit hides himself from their view.  The remedy for such a condition is a visitation from the LORD.  Sometimes the LORD revives HIS people individually and sometimes HE is blessed to visit them in the assembly of the saints and to bring revival to a whole church at once. True revival has nothing to do with meetings, preachers, or the amount of excitement that can be generated.  True revival depends on the sovereign mercy of GOD being poured out on his people. 

            The beginning of true revival is usually not easily recognized, because the work of GOD in HIS people is often very subtle.  Just like the small cloud that Elijah sent his servant to look for (see I Kings 18:44); the beginnings of true revival are not easy to see.  The LORD begins to stir HIS people up to clearly see how cold and indifferent they have grown to HIS overtures of love.  HE causes them to become dissatisfied with their current state of heart.  Then HE moves upon them to begin praying for deliverance from this listless state even as Habakkuk of old who prayed, “O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy “ (Hab 3:2)  As the bride says in our text, “Awake O north wind---blow upon my garden”,  so the children of GOD thus stirred begin to long for HIS presence.  They are made aware of their own inability to procure HIS presence or to produce a sweet savor unto the LORD.  The Psalmist was aware of this when he said “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?  Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.” (Ps.85:6-7)

MIKE MCINNIS, O’Brien, FL

 O HOW I LOVE THY LAW

Psalm 119:97

The psalmist, whom we know to have been raised up to declare the majesty and glory of our God and Savior, begins this portion with the statement, ‘O how I love thy law.’  In declaring his love for the law of God, David is able to write of the character and attributes of the Creator through eyes of faith.  By grace, God had revealed to him his needs that lead him to love God, His ways, and His Word.  David loved His eternal purpose that brought creation forth, but above all, he loved the promises of grace in the Savior yet to come.  He understood by the Spirit of grace and understanding that God had put within him.  He understood the compelling grace that directed his life and he was thankful for it.

                David was God’s prophet and an earthly king, but he, like we, look to the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, the One who, not only wrote the law and the commandments, but accomplished the righteousness it required on behalf of those for whom He died.  David loved the law, loved the law-giver, loved the purposes of the law- loved it all because he was created as a vessel of God’s mercy and grace in Christ!       DAVID STRANGE, Shreveport, LA

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“The dearest idol I have known, whate’er that idol be.

Help me to tear it from thy throne, and worship only thee.”

WILLIAM COWPER