BIBLE CLASS- 10:00 AM

Exposition of Luke 16:1-8- ‘The Unjust Steward’

MORNING WORSHIP- 11:00 AM

Scripture Reading/Prayer: Psalm 139 (David)

Call to Worship: ‘Lord When I Count Thy Mercies O’er’

Scripture Reading/Prayer: II Kings 7 (Mike)

Hymn: #188- ‘I Love Thy Kingdom Lord’

Message: THE 144, OOO- Revelation 7

Hymn: #186- ‘The Church’s One Foundation’

AFTERNOON WORSHIP – 12:30PM

Hymn: #48- ‘His Matchless Worth’

Scripture Reading/Prayer: John 21 (Jim)

Hymn: # 66- ‘Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts’

Message: AARON’S ROD- Numbers 17

Hymn: # 42- ‘All Hail the Power of Jesus Name’

CONTACT INFORMATION

PO Box 5028, Shreveport, LA 71135

ark! The dying Savior exclaims-“It is finished!” At that, the great dragon and his host retreat, howling, from the cross. The Prince of our salvation turned back all their artillery upon themselves, and their own stratagems become their ruin. The old serpent seized Messiah’s heel, but Messiah stamped upon the serpent’s head. The dying cry of Jesus shook the dominions of death, so that the bodies of many that slept arose; and rang through all the depths of hell, the knell of its departed power. Thus the Prince of this world was foiled in his schemes, and disappointed in his hopes; like the men of Gaza, when they locked up Samson at night, thinking to kill him in the morning; but awoke to find that he was gone, with the gates of the city upon his shoulders. When the Philistines caught Samson, and brought him to their temple, to make sport for them, they never dreamed of the disaster in which it would result- never dreamed that their triumph over the poor blind captive would be the occasion of their destruction. Suffer me, said he, to lean on the two pillars. Then he bowed himself, and died with his enemies.

So Christ on Calvary, while the powers of darkness exulted over their victim, seized the main pillars of sin and death, and brought down the temple of Satan upon its occupants; but on the morning of the third day, He left them all in the ruins, where they shall remain forever, and commenced His journey home to His Father’s house. CHRISTMAS EVANS

ilate sought many ways to be rid of the Lord Jesus without having to put Him to death. Clearly, He valued his own position before men more than the truth, and therefore delivered Him to the people in the place of a transgressor named Barabbas. As unjust as that might appear, we know that the Lord ordained it, Acts 2:23. Through it we see how the Lord Jesus was delivered up to satisfy His Father’s justice on behalf of sinners every bit as guilty as Barabbas. Here are some thoughts to consider.

1. The Scripture says, ‘OF NECESSITY he must release one at the feast.’ Every year at the Passover, it was customary for the Roman governor to release one of their own to them, in order to appease the people and make them more favorable to the Roman rule. The ideas of NECESSITY and appeasement are certainly true of the reason our Lord Jesus had to be delivered up. It was necessary that God might justly put away the sin of His chosen people, according to His eternal election of grace. Forgiveness of sin could only be granted by a just satisfaction of the Law’s demands.

2. Of significance also is the fact that it occurred at THE FEAST. This was none other than the Feast of the Passover. It was established as a type of the death that the Lord Jesus should die as THE LAMB of God. Being God’s Lamb, to whom all of the Old Testament sacrificial lambs pointed, there could not be any sin in him. Pilate certainly found no just reason to put our Lord to death, nor did Herod (Luke 23:14, 15). And yet, God the Father had reason not to spare His own Son, and to deliver Him up, laying the sin of His elect ON Him, thereby charging Christ with their sin. Upon full payment through His death, He (God the Father) justified those for whom Christ died, having charged them simultaneously with IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS. Just as there was no sin in our Lord, but sin was laid ON Him, so there is no righteousness in us, but if Christ died in our place, HIS righteousness was put to our account when He finished His cross work.

3. What then is the consequence of a just substitution? Barabbas was released from all guiltiness. He may have been near enough to hear their cries of ‘Crucify him, crucify him,’ perhaps thinking them for him, but the moment that our Lord was legally exchanged for him, he was judicially free, even though his personal deliverance did not come until they unbound him. So it is with us. If Christ died for us, we were immediately discharged of all sin and guilt at that time. By God’s Spirit and Word, in regeneration, we were made to know it, see it, and believe it, and delivered from our rebellion and unbelief, but our salvation was accomplished WHEN Christ died! Glory to His Name! KEN WIMER

n my own limited understanding of the truth of the imputed righteousness of CHRIST (and hence their justification before GOD) being laid to the account of the elect, I would reject the notion that their “forgiveness” takes place with GOD when the sinner believes. It appears to me from my study of the scripture that their forgiveness with GOD was decreed from eternity and actually became their possession at the cross of JESUS CHRIST. It is because of what JESUS CHRIST did in their behalf (totally apart from any “faith” on their behalf whether the gift of GOD or not) in HIS death, burial and resurrection, that they are given the gift of faith rather than vice versa. Men are not “counted” righteous before GOD because they believe but rather believe because they are counted righteous by the work of CHRIST. The faith which men are given does not affect their standing with GOD. This gift of faith is for their benefit that they might be reconciled to GOD in their mind and conscience but does not enhance their favor with GOD. Thus it can be said “to you who believe HE is precious”. Any faith or lack in the children of GOD is forever performed by the work of JESUS CHRIST.

hen the apostles were enlightened by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they were made to understand perfectly the nature of Christ’s declaration-“My kingdom is not of this world,” John 18:36. None may claim to be of that kingdom except those born from above by God’s Spirit, John 3:3. All such are brought to submit to Christ and His imputed righteousness alone, and repent of any other way of righteousness than that which He established and imputed at the cross. He is the end (fulfillment) of the Law for all those who believe, Romans 10:4! THE Church of which Christ is the Head, is a spiritual body (not an organization) composed of those that the Father chose, Christ redeemed, and are members, not by ancestral or denominational descent, but born of the Spirit of God! KEN WIMER

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