2970 Baird Rd., Shreveport, LA 71118

CHRIST ALONE-SCRIPTURE ALONE-GRACE ALONE

JANUARY 1, 2006

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: #188- ’I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord’)

ho in the Lord confide,

And feel His sprinkled blood,

In storms and hurricanes abide

Firm as the mount of God.

Steadfast and fix’d and sure,

His Zion cannot move;

His faithful people stand secure,

In Jesus’ guardian love.

On every side He stands,

And for His Israel cares;

And save in His almighty hands

Their souls for ever bears.

But let them still abide

In Thee, all gracious Lord,

Till every soul is glorified,

And perfectly restored.

THE LOVE OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER

"Ephraim is My dear son, he is a pleasant child; for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still; therefore My bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord." Jer. 21:20.

ll God's children are dear to Him, pleasant in His eyes, the delight of His heart. He draws them to Him with the cords of love, and blesses them with the sweets of divine communion, kisses them with the kisses of His mouth, dandles them on His knees of eternal affection, presses them to His bosom of everlasting love, and holds every covenant blessing ready for whatever state or condition they may be in. How sweetly and tenderly this is all portrayed in the account of the prodigal son in Luke 15:20, 24. All the gracious activities are on the Father's part. The son is a great way off, but the Father sees him. He deserves most righteous indignation, but he feels the Father's compassion. He creeps, the Father runs. The Father falls upon the neck of a son who might well fear His frown. The son delights in a kiss where he deserves a curse. How comforting! How precious! to see in all this more than an earthly father's love and care.  THOMAS BRADBURY, 1897

CHANGED FROM GLORY TO GLORY

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."                                    2 Corinthians 3:18

1. "But we all with open face"- no longer veiled in types and pictures, but the very glory of God as revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ, through His finished work at Calvary,

2. "Beholding in a glass"- the fulfilled and revealed Word of God concerning Christ in the Gospel [to behold continually for one self and not through the veil of the Old Testament prophecies that had yet to be fulfilled before Christ came and accomplished salvation]

3. "The glory of the Lord"- specifically Jesus Christ, manifest in the flesh, as the Redeemer, Reconciler, and Justifier of God's elect (John 1:17,18)

4. "Changed into the same image"- [metamorphosed] not that our flesh is being changed, for it is as sinful as it ever has been, but our mind and heart being conformed (brought into subjection to the very image or revelation of Christ as revealed in the Gospel) all that HE is and has accomplished for our salvation by His death on the cross. 

 The growth in grace is a growth in perception of who Christ is and what He did to save His people, and how He is God's satisfaction and therefore ours.  This must be referring to the change of our heart, mind, and will in submission to Him (as is used in Romans 12:2) and not any inherent change into sinless perfection.  Holiness has no degrees.  We are either holy or not, and that only by HIS imputed righteousness, Hebrews 10:10, 14.  I do, however, change in my perception of Him, knowledge of Him, and therefore willing submission to Him, as He is pleased to teach m, 2 Cor. 10:5. 

 Another word, closely related to this is REPENTANCE.  Those who have so learned Christ, by the Spirit of God, are brought to continual repentance with regard to themselves, and His person and work, which is daily, Psalm 139:23.  The fact that we need this daily 'renewing' of the mind is an indication that there is no progression in holiness, but a constant need of repentance as we contemplate HIS glory, and marvel that HE should be merciful to sinners such as we are.

5. "From glory to glory"- from the first revelation of His glory at regeneration, unto eternal glory (when we will be truly like him in a glorified sinless state).  Until then, we continue to reflect on His glory as revealed in the Gospel, the glory of His perfect person and absolute substitution and satisfaction before Holy God, in whose righteousness we stand complete (nothing to be added), and kept until that final day of our bodily redemption and glorification, 1 Corinthians 1:30.                                        KEN WIMER

IT IS VERY HARD TO LEARN

(Letters of J. C. Philpot)

here we err is, that we want to be something, when we are nothing. We want in some way to recommend ourselves to God, and do or be something that we can be pleased with, and which we think will therefore please Him.

It is very hard to learn the depth of our spiritual poverty,
  the greatness of our sin, and our thoroughly lost, ruined, and helpless condition. It is a great lesson, and yet a painful one, to be made nothing; to feel one's self weaker than the weakest, and viler than the vilest; to be a pauper living upon daily alms, and to be made often to beg, and yet sensibly to get nothing.

"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am the chief." 1 Timothy 1:15

"I am less than the least of all God's people." Eph. 3:8

"I am nothing." 2 Corinthians 12:11

WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE?

s it true when people say not only are we not what we should be but we also are not what we could be?  It implies that there is something missing besides Christ’s finished work on our behalf.  According to the Bible we are not taught to reflect on “would' a, could' a, should' a,” but to look to Christ alone. All of our sin, even our seasons of lethargy were all put away by Christ on HIS cross, Colossians 2:14. We have peace with God and in our mind and heart, we rest in Him, knowing that we are exactly what we should be and there is no ‘could be’ otherwise.

                Matt. 6:27 states-‘Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?’ Therefore the answer to our question is, “No it is not true that if we would but act, things would fall out differently.” Nor should there be anything more done by us than what HE has already done on our behalf! We are complete in HIM! Colossians 2:10.  Take heart my friend, trust Christ’s work alone; looking not to anything in yourself even though you believe it to be God given strength. Rather, let us pray as He taught us, “Lord, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.” Amen.                                 LAYNE DENTON