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The Country Baptist Church Newsletter “The
Voice Of The Country Church” |
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You Were Asked To
Pray For:
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A
Thought From C. H. Surgeon: Victory Without Battle Precious word!
Jehovah Himself will deliver His people in the greatness of His mercy, but He
will not do it by the ordinary means. Men are slow to render to God the glory
due unto His name. If they go to battle with sword and bow, and win the
victory, they ought to praise their God; yet they do not, but begin to
magnify their own right arm, and glory in their horses and horsemen. For this
reason our Jehovah often determines to save His people without second means,
that all the honor may be to Himself alone. Look, then, my
heart, to the Lord alone, and not to man. Expect to see God all the more
clearly when there is no one else to look to. If I have no friend, no
adviser, no one at my back, let me be none the less confident if I can feel
that the Lord Himself is on my side; yea, let me be glad if He gives victory
without battle, as the text seems to imply. Why do I ask for horses and
horsemen if Jehovah Himself has mercy upon me, and lifts up His arm for my
defense? Why need I bow or sword if God will save? Let me trust, and not be
afraid, from this day forth and for evermore. Amen. |
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A Thought For The
Week: Not
Without Honor, Except When the Lord Jesus went back to his
own country, into the midst of his own people with whom he grew up, he
encountered a stiff resistance and rejection.
They mocked him saying, “From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is
this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his
hands? Is not this the carpenter, the
son of Mary, ... And they were offended at him.”
(Mk. 6:2,3) The home folk and the
relatives encountered the Son of God, and they didn’t know what to make of
it all. So, they took offense,
resisted, and refused to believe.
If this happened to Jesus, is it surprising that it happens to his
ministers? This ought not to be! Most kinfolk and acquaintances can
accept the fact that the sinner can be saved.
They also are able to believe God can change the sinner from
ungodliness to godliness, but this is usually the extent of their acceptance
of the power of God over that “rotten sinner.” For some strange reason they are able to
accept a total stranger as a “man of God,” but when they view that “SINNER”
they cannot see beyond his past, though forgiven, to the grace and power of
God upon him. They have an extremely
difficult time believing he is a man God would call and use. They boast, “I remember when.... and I
can’t believe God would call him.”
Sad, but it is ever so true of every man of God that has ever been
called. Folks are blinded by the old
man; they are unable to see the new creature of divine nature. A stranger has no “in-your-face” visible
past; this makes it easier for folks to accept him as the “Man sent by
God.” As a result, great blessings are
missed. Home folk, near family, and in-home
family inflict mega heartbreaks upon God’s man when they refuse to accept God’s
calling upon him. They can
accept almost anyone else being called of God, but ...HIM? This rejection is magnified in their
negative attitudes and lack of holy respect toward him. Yet, he is still “God’s man” because God
has consecrated him unto Himself. The
home folk did not honor Jesus, and a preacher will never be honored by his
either. He cannot do mighty works
among them, for they will not believe his calling. By Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr. |
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Happy Birthday: Steve McCool August 31st Nathan Fails September 11th
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Other men's sins: By other men's sins, a holy man
is put in mind of the badness of his own heart. Bernard makes mention of an old
man, who, when he saw any man sin, lamented and wept for him; and being asked
why he grieved so, for other men's sins, answered, "He fell
today—and I may fall tomorrow!" The falls of others puts a
holy man in mind of the roots of sinfulness which are in himself.
Other men's actual sins are as so many glasses, through which a holy man
comes to see the manifold seeds of sin which are in his own heart—and such a
sight as this cannot but melt him and break him. |