2970 Baird Rd., Shreveport, LA 71118

CHRIST ALONE-SCRIPTURE ALONE-GRACE ALONE

DECEMBER 24, 2006

OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORSHIP

SUNDAY

WEDNESDAY

7:00 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: ‘O God Our Help in Ages Past,’ #10)

ree grace to every heav’n-born soul

Will be their constant theme;

Long as eternal ages roll,

They’ll still adore the Lamb.

Free grace alone can wipe the tears

From our lamenting eyes;

Can raise our souls from guilty fears

To joy that never dies.

Free grace can death itself outbrave,

And take its sting away;

Can souls unto the utmost save,

And them to heav’n convey.

Our Savior, by free grace alone,

His building shall complete;

With shouting bring forth the head stone,

Crying, ‘Grace, grace to it.’

May I be found a living stone,

In Salem’s streets above;

And help to sing before the throne,

Free grace and dying love.

“THAT THY FAITH FAIL NOT”

“But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren,” Luke 22:32

ome might say that Peter’s faith failed when he denied our Lord those three times on the eve of Christ’s death.  Were that so, then we would have to question every other aspect of Christ’s intercession, for then would we have an example of Christ praying for one of His own, and yet that prayer not being heard, putting in question every aspect of His work as Mediator! God forbid!

                We know that God the Father, always hears His Son, and therefore we can say with confidence that Peter’s faith did not fail, because faith here is not a reference to something in Peter, but rather to Christ, the object of His faith.  Christ cannot fail those for whom He came and fulfilled all righteousness.  His work of righteousness is that which God has imputed once for all to sinners for whom He died.  Peter failed, but his faith (Christ) did not.  It is by the faith of Christ that sinners are justified, and not by works of the law- Galatians 2:16.                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        KEN WIMER

THE BIRTH OF THE REDEEMER, CHRIST JESUS THE LORD 

hen most religious people think about Christmas, their thoughts usually consist of those things traditionally associated with the holiday, i.e., the baby Jesus in a manger, the shepherds abiding in the field, and the wise men with their gifts for the Christ child.  Now these things are historical facts and they are to be believed on as the Word of God.  The problem is that most people think by this historical story, that God is teaching mankind a lesson about how important and essential it is for us to give to others who are less fortunate than we are, as proof that we are Christian, or even worse to give in order to attain or maintain salvation.  Nothing could be more contrary to the truth of the Gospel-“ Not by WORKS  OF  RIGHTEOUSNESS  which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”(Tit 3:5)   We could give everything we possess to those who are less fortunate, and it is absolutely worthless when it comes to our justification before God- “Knowing that a man  IS NOT JUSTIFIED by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”(Gal.2:16)    Even though we know that God’s elect, justified sinners will be lovers of mankind and generous people, that isn’t what the story of the birth Jesus teaches mankind.

      The birth of Christ was the beginning of the fulfillment in time of every condition of salvation required to eternally justify all of God’s elect. The birth of Christ wasn’t an after thought of God to correct the sins of man, but THE PURPOSED BIRTH of the Lamb of God-“But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To REDEEM them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”(Gal.4:4,5)   Think about who that person was that was born!  That infant in the manger was none other than God in human flesh-“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh.”(I Tim.3:16) In order for Christ to effectively represent us, He had to be like us, ONLY WITHOUT SIN.  The Child born to Mary began at His birth to fulfill every “jot and tittle” of the law because it was required of all those that He represented.  Every step He took from the cradle to the grave wasn’t for His benefit, but for the benefit of His children.  Christ loved God perfectly and loved His neighbor, including His worst enemy, because God required it of me, AND I COULDN’T DO IT. This is God’s story of the birth of His Son: that an Infinite, Eternal, Sovereign God would accomplish everything necessary to glorify and honor Himself as “a   just God and a Savior” through the giving of His Son, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST to redeem His people-Matt.1:21.

RICHARD WARMACK- Ruston, LA