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A Word from THE WORD

Good Morning Happy Church,

Today is Thursday, April 28^th, 2016. Today is the 119^th Day of 2016.

There are only 247 days left in this year; and, there are only 9 days left until Mother’s Day!

THE HARDEST LESSON ABOUT JOB’S SUFFERING

Job 1:1

¹ “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.

Here is the hardest, and maybe the most profound lesson from the Book and life of Job:

Job deserved the suffering he endured.

Yes, I did just read verse 1. I am fully aware of what God has said about Job; and, of course everything God says is true.

Job was a wonderful example of a God-fearing and God-honoring man. But, let us not forget that Job was a sinner.

Romans 3:10, 23
¹⁰ “as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”

A wise Christian once said, “it is well for us to remember that the best of men are just men at best.”

God allowed this horrific suffering to come upon Job. God did not author it; but, HE did allow it.

Since God is perfectly just, (Romans 9:14) it is not possible for HIM to act in any unjust way. HIS actions in allowing this suffering to come upon Job are not unjust.

REMEMBER: If Job (and all of the rest of us) received what he “deserved” from God, he would be in hell right now.

I know this is not the most encouraging thing you will think about today; but, whatever we may be suffering is not 1% of what we deserve to receive from the hand of a holy God.

HERE is the most encouraging thing you will think about today… God is a merciful God. HE will not deal with us according to our sins, but, according to the real righteousness of Jesus Christ that has been accounted to us. (2^nd Corinthians 5:21)

In spite of the fierceness of our suffering and sorrow, we can never say that God is unjust in allowing this to come our way.

HE is never unjust.

Let me close today with the words of a miserable and undeserving sinner who squandered a zillion blessings of God…

“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

(Lamentations 3:21-23)

God spared Job in spite of Job’s sins. HE spares us the very same way.

We have much more to learn from Job about suffering and how to minister to those who are suffering. Hopefully, we will learn what God is showing us.

REMEMBER… This coming LORD’s Day (as the LORD allows) will be AWANA CELEBRATION SUNDAY

We will have a Hamburger and Hot Dog Lunch after Church with the Kids and their Families. I hope you will stay for lunch and get to know some of the families who do not attend Church.

Carpe Diem!

A Word from THE WORD

Good Morning Happy Church,

Today is Wednesday, April 27^th, 2016. Today is the 118^th Day of 2016.

There are only 248 days left in this year; and, there are only 10 days left until Mother’s Day!

Job 1
¹ “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
² There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
³ He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east.
⁴ His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
⁵ And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.
⁶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.
⁷ The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
⁸ And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”
⁹ Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason?
¹⁰ Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
¹¹ But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”
¹² And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
¹³ Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
¹⁴ and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,
¹⁵ and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
¹⁶ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
¹⁷ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
¹⁸ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
¹⁹ and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
²⁰ Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.
²¹ And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
²² In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”

On one horrific day, Job, the most righteous man of his day suffered a series of catastrophic losses that make the suffering of most look trivial in comparison.

Over the next several devotional studies, I want us to think about suffering in the Christian life.

Thursday, as the LORD allows, I will conduct a Graveside Service for Kenny and Evelyn’s brother, John Collins.

Last July, Kenny passed away after an extended period of suffering from a disease that he should have never gotten. It is a disease whose very name means, “we don’t know why this is happening.”

Just 29 days ago, Gary Kaalberg, the husband of Kenny’s daughter Cathy died suddenly at home.

Last Friday John died suddenly and completely unexpectedly while working in his yard.

This one dear family has suffered a heart-breaking and mind-boggling set of events that would test the faith of Job himself.

Why does God allow such things as these to happen? Why IS HE allowing your suffering right now?

Looking back; looking around; and looking ahead we see suffering and suffering and suffering.

I must tell you I believe that unless God grants our Nation a broken-spirit and deep heart-felt repentance, we and our children are facing suffering in this Nation such as we have not seen in our lifetime.

The signs of the impending judgment of God upon our sinful Nation are undeniable.

Why?

Why does God allow anyone to suffer? Why does God allow HIS People to suffer?

Why?

The Book of Job, the oldest Book in the Bible, has the answers to all of these questions. As we work our way through many of these passages, I think we will find them. (We will not like many of them; but, we will at least find them.)

I hope you will start reading through this long and difficult Book now. Go slow. Take it all in. Think hard. Think deeply. Pray.

We have suffered. We are suffering. We will suffer yet more. Knowing the lessons from the Book of Job will not exempt us from suffering but it will help us to understand it.

REMEMBER… This coming LORD’s Day (as the LORD allows) will be AWANA CELEBRATION SUNDAY

We will have a Hamburger and Hot Dog Lunch after Church with the Kids and their Families. I hope you will stay for lunch and get to know some of the families who do not attend Church.

Carpe Diem!

A Word from THE WORD

Good Morning Happy Church,

Today is Tuesday, April 26^th, 2016. Today is the 117^th Day of 2016.

There are only 249 days left in this year; and, there are only 11 days left until Mother’s Day!

On This Day in 1877: “Residents of Minnesota observe a statewide day of prayer, set by Governor John Sargent Pillsbury, imploring deliverance from a plague of grasshoppers that has been ravaging their crops. Many families are on the verge of starvation. In the next two days warm weather will cause millions of larvae to wiggle to life and skeptics scoff; but a plunge in temperature on the fourth day will freeze and kill them. A chapel will be built at Cold Spring to commemorate the miracle.” http://www.christianhistoryinstitute.org

On Sunday, April 22^nd, 2007 this dear Church called me to serve you as the 50^th Pastor in the (then) 115-year history of the Church.

9 years… 468 Sundays… over 1,000 sermons and other lessons… miles and miles and miles and miles…

Blessing after Blessing after Blessing after Blessing after Blessing…

A lot of dear ones have come and many have gone over these past 3,287 days. We have shared lots of sweet (and some bittersweet) memories that will last us all for a lifetime.

So here we are today. What would God have us to do?

I believe HE would have us to honor the past, faithfully serve HIM today, and look faithfully for HIS return.

John 4:35
“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.”

All around us this week we will see faithful farmers planting their fields. They do this because of one simple fact – no planting, no harvest.

The exact same thing is true spiritually. If we are going to experience a “Harvest of Souls” in the days and weeks and years ahead, we need to start planting the SEED of God’s Word in the minds of people NOW.

While I have ideas in my mind about how many more years I will serve this wonderful Church; all of us know that we do not really know how long we have left to serve Jesus.

I know this. Every day that I can, I want to serve HIM (and you) faithfully and tell others about HIM (and you).

I hope you will join me in this happy work.

I am thankful to God to be your Pastor and your Friend.

REMEMBER… This coming LORD’s Day (as the LORD allows) will be AWANA CELEBRATION SUNDAY

We will have a Hamburger and Hot Dog Lunch after Church with the Kids and their Families.

I hope you will stay for lunch and get to know some of the families who do not attend Church.

Carpe Diem!

A Word from THE WORD

Good Morning Happy Church,

Today is Monday, April 18^th, 2016. Today is the 109^th Day of 2016.

TODAY IS DAN CHAMBERS’ BIRTHDAY!

TODAY IS PETE HOPKINS’ BIRTHDAY!

TODAY IS KEEGAN MORFEY’S BIRTHDAY!

On this day in 1521, Martyn Luther stood before Emperor Charles V and representatives of the Pope refusing to deny his teaching of “Justification by Faith Alone.” Luther famously said, “Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me.”

There are only 257 days left in this year; and, there are only 20 days left until Mother’s Day!

BIG WORDS – Imputation, and “Double Imputation” at that!

2^nd Corinthians 5:21

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

An excellent definition found at Theopedia.com states, “Imputation Is used to designate any action or word or thing as reckoned to a person.

Thus in doctrinal language

(1.) the sin of Adam is imputed to all his descendants, i.e., it is reckoned as theirs, and they are dealt with therefore as guilty;

(2.) the righteousness of Christ is imputed to them that believe in him, or so attributed to them as to be considered their own; and

(3.) our sins are imputed to Christ, i.e., he assumed our “law-place,” undertook to answer the demands of justice for our sins. In all these cases the nature of imputation is the same.

This is basically an accounting term. To “impute” something means to reckon, count, or reckon something as applying to someone in a particular situation.

Jesus is perfectly HOLY. So, for HIM to die for our sins, HE had to be guilty by implication. Our sins were reckoned to HIM and so HE is put to death as a sinner in spite of the fact that HE was sinless.

We are utterly without holiness, “without which no one will see God.” (Hebrews 12:14) So, to be saved the righteousness of Christ must be “accounted” to us.

We have no righteousness of our own, but, if we trust Jesus as Savior, HIS righteousness is reckoned to us so we stand before God robed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Double Imputation. Jesus pays for our sins. We are credited as having HIS righteousness.

That is how unholy sinners are made righteous before GOD.

So how must we respond?

Accept this offer from God.

Worship God.

Live a life of obedience and thankfulness to God.

Share this “Good News” with those who do not know Jesus as Savior.

Carpe Diem!

A Word from THE WORD

Good Morning Happy Church,

Today is Saturday, April 16^th, 2016. Today is the 107^th Day of 2016.

TODAY IS MARK AND ANITA KRUTSINGER’S ANNIVERSARY

TODAY IS KAMDEN MORFEY’S BIRTHDAY

There are only 259 days left in this year; and, there are only 22 days left until Mother’s Day!

BIG WORDS – Substitution

Isaiah 53:4-6
⁴ “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Let me be painfully clear. Somebody is going to Hell for our sins. Either we will suffer the torments of Hell forever, or Jesus will take God’s wrath upon HIMSELF in our place.

Jesus did not merely die as a martyr for a good cause…

HE did not merely die as a role model for HIS followers…

HE was not the unintended victim of Judas’ act of betrayal…

JESUS IS the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world.

HE is God in human flesh WHO came to earth to pay for the sins of HIS people.

HE bore our griefs. HE was pierced for our transgressions. The LORD has laid on HIM the iniquity of us all.

HE is our Substitute. HE died in our place.

Jesus dies… we live.

O! What a Savior!

I am looking forward to Sunday. I hope to see you at Church.

Carpe Diem!

A Word from THE WORD

Good Morning Happy Church,

Today is Friday, April 15^th, 2016. Today is the 106^th Day of 2016.

TODAY IS EMMA BAILLIEZ’S BIRTHDAY

TODAY IS J.C. RHOADES’ BIRTHDAY

1958: Dayuma, the first Waodani (Auca) Indian ever saved was baptized at Wheaton College. Her testimony would eventually lead her entire Tribe to salvation. It was her Tribe in Ecuador that killed Missionaries Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming, and Ed McCully on January 8^th, 1956.

(I have the book that tells her story. It is a wonderful read…)

There are only 260 days left in this year; and, there are only 22 days left until Mother’s Day!

BIG WORDS “Sanctification”

1 Corinthians 1:1-2
¹ “Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
² To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours…”

The word, “sanctify” means to “set apart.” In this case, every born-again person is “set apart” both to and for Jesus Christ.

It also means to “make holy.” According to Jesus in John 17:17, this work is done by the Word of God…

John 17:17
“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

God sets us apart for HIMSELF before the foundation of the world. We are and always will be HIS.

As the Word of God does its work in our life, we are transformed to be more and more like Christ.

Here is the key passage on this doctrine:

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (New King James Version)
”For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

The Word of God works in believers. And the work that it does is to make us more and more like Jesus. One of the surest ways to know that you are born-again is witnessing the work of the Word in your life.

Think about this logically… the more a believer is exposed to the Word of God the more work It does. The more work the Word does, the more like Jesus the believer becomes.

If you want to be more like Jesus, exposure to the Word of God is how to do that. If you do not want to be more and more like Jesus, you need to repent and ask God to save you.

I am looking forward to Sunday. I hope to see you at Church.

Carpe Diem!

Sermon Starter for Sunday, April 17^th, 2016

Ephesians 4:1-6
¹ “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
⁴ There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—
⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

As we move from the first half of Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians (Chapters 1 – 3) and begin the second half of the Letter (Chapters 4 – 6) I want us to pay close attention to the purpose of these final Chapters.

Paul’s Letters are almost always outlines as: Doctrine followed by Duty.

Bobby would say “Orthodoxy” followed by “Orthopraxy.”

Of course, I would never use big words like that…

HERE is Paul’s point: What we Believe Determines How We Behave.” Right now I am sure that you believe you are safe and secure. I am also sure that you are.

But, (God forbid) if someone came running to where you are and shouted that the place was on fire and that you had to get out now.

You believe you are safe so you are calmly reading this Sermon Starter. But, if you suddenly came to believe that you were in imminent danger of dying, your behavior would drastically change.

That is because you are a really smart person.

Spiritually speaking, what we believe also determines how we behave.

Paul has taken three Chapters to remind them what they should (and must) believe. Now he tells them how to apply that knowledge to their life.

Since you believe this, behave this way.

He uses a common Biblical metaphor for our lifestyle, “walking in the world.”

He reminds them of how they “walked in the world” before they were saved; and now he instructs them how they should “walk” since they have been saved.

Those who have been saved should walk in good works; they should walk in a way that is worthy of their testimony of being God’s child; they must not walk anymore like unbelievers do; they should walk in love; and, they should walk wisely in this present world.

I will begin this message where I often do… reminding us that these are the divinely inspired words of an Apostle and therefore they are “a command from the LORD.” (1^st Corinthians 14:37)

Paul’s overriding plea to the people of God is for unity and he will use that theme over and over again in these verses.

Please remember this… “unity” is not the same thing as “unanimity.” We do not have to have 100% agreement to live in unity; but, we do have to have a godly “minority” on an issue that is willing to sincerely help the “majority” to make our ministries effective.

We can have a unified spirit when we have ONE purpose and that purpose is to find, follow, and finish God’s will for our life and our Church.

I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your family and friends by your side.

A Word from THE WORD

Good Morning Happy Church,

Today is Thursday, April 14^th, 2016. Today is the 105^th Day of 2016.

ON THIS DAY IN 1950, MITSUO FUCHIDA, THE JAPANESE PILOT WHO LED THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR AND SENT THE MESSAGE, “TORA, TORA, TORA” WAS SAVED.

In his own words, “that date, April 14, 1950 — became the second “day to remember” of my life. On that day, I became a new person. My complete view on life was changed by the intervention of the Christ I had always hated and ignored before. Soon other friends beyond my close family learned of my decision to be a follower of Christ, and they could hardly understand it.”

There are only 261 days left in this year; and, there are only 23 days left until Mother’s Day!

How thankful I am to God and to you for your support of these past Revival meetings. This was a truly refreshing and “FUN” time such as I have never before experienced.

I deeply appreciate your amazing generosity in giving Bobby and Sandra one the largest, (if not the largest) love offerings ever in the history of our Church.

I can tell you that they were deeply moved by this demonstration of your love for them. As helpful as the money is, seeing how much we love and appreciate them is even more of a blessing than the money itself.

BIG WORDS “Justification”

Romans 3:23-24
²³ “for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;
²⁴ being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…”

When God saves a sinner, the second thing HE does is declare the sinner “Just” before HIM. This is a forensic declaration, that is a legal pronouncement by a Judge.

God, HIMSELF, the Judge of all the Universe declares the saved sinner to be JUST before HIM.

HE does this based on the obedience and atonement of Jesus for the sins of these saved sinners.

Many have said that justification can be understood by looking at it as, “Just-as-if-I’d” never sinned. Our sins have been paid for by Jesus Christ, so we stand before God completely forgiven… and therefore, just as if I’d never sinned.

And, again, note that we are “justified freely by his grace…” Justification (like all aspects of our salvation) is the free gift of God through HIS grace.

Grace is receiving what we do not deserve and we certainly do not deserve to be “Just-as-if-I’d” never sinned before God.

But we are. God be praised.

Carpe Diem!

A Word from THE WORD

Good Morning Happy Church,

Today is Wednesday, April 13^th, 2016. Today is the 104^th Day of 2016.

TODAY IS BILL FLEMING’S BIRTHDAY

TONIGHT IS AWANA NIGHT. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE CHILDREN AND THE WORKERS

There are only 262 days left in this year; and, there are only 24 days left until Mother’s Day!

How thankful I am to God and to you for your support of these past Revival meetings. This was a truly refreshing and “FUN” time such as I have never before experienced.

I deeply appreciate your amazing generosity in giving Bobby and Sandra one the largest, (if not the largest) love offerings ever in the history of our Church.

I can tell you that they were deeply moved by this demonstration of your love for them. As helpful as the money is, seeing how much we love and appreciate them is even more of a blessing than the money itself.

Please be in prayer for Bobby and Sandra as they travel back to Oklahoma today.

BIG WORDS “Regeneration”

Regeneration is another BIG theological word for a really simple concept. To be born is to “GENERATED” while to be born-again is to be ‘RE-GENERATED.”

Regeneration or the second birth, entails more than just one thing, but, that is a clear and simple way to understand it.

To be regenerated is to be born-again.

At the time God saves a spiritually dead sinner, HE does four specific things…

He calls us to Jesus.

Romans 8:28-30
²⁸ “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

He convicts us of our sins.

Luke 23:39-41
³⁹ “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
⁴⁰ But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

He grants us the gift of repentance.

2 Timothy 2:24-26
²⁴ “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,
²⁵ correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”

He gives us the “gift” of saving faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9
⁸ “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

When HE does so, and we are convicted of our sins and our need of a Savior, we immediately repent and begin to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior.

That is what it means and that is how it works.

If God is working in your life convicting you of sin and causing you to think about Who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for you, HE is very likely in the process of calling you to salvation.

If this is going on in your life, please contact me as soon as you can and allow me to explain in more detail how God works and what HE would have you to do.

Amen and thank YOU LORD.

Carpe Diem!

A Word from THE WORD

Good Morning Happy Church,

Today is Tuesday, April 12^th, 2016. Today is the 103^rd Day of 2016.

TODAY IS CASSANDRA ADAMS’ BIRTHDAY

There are only 263 days left in this year; and, Our Spring Revival Meetings CONCLUDE Tonight at 7pm!

Please clear your schedule to attend this meeting if possible.

As I often say, “The two things you have to invest to be blessed are your Attendance and your Attention!”

Please be in prayer for Dr. Bobby and Sandra Boyles as they travel back on Wednesday.

Pray that God will pour out HIS SPIRIT on us as never before!

Pray for the salvation of the lost; repentance and renewal in the life of God’s people; new people to become part of our Church Family; the calling out of ministers and missionaries; a spiritual awakening in our area; and, for Jesus Christ to be glorified in all that we do!

BIG WORDS “Predestination”

On many occasions in my ministry, I have heard someone say, “I don’t believe in predestination.”

No one has ever answered that better than R.C. Sproul who said, “You have to believe something about predestination; the doctrine is clearly seen in multiple passages of Scripture and the word itself is found in four places in the New Testament.”

(Acts 4:28; Romans 8:29, 30; Ephesians 1:5, 11)

God clearly, clearly, clearly predestined us before the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 1:3-6
³ “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
⁵ he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

There is no question that we have been predestined; the question is, what exactly does that mean?

I am glad you asked…

“Predestined” is the Greek Word “proorizo.”

It would be pronounced “pro-rid-zo” and is a typical compound verb putting together two simple words…

“pro” which means “before” and “horizo” which means “boundary.” (Of course, horizo is where we get the English word “horizon.”)

It simply means to “determine, or set, a boundary before something.”

That “something” is explained in Ephesians 1:4 as being “before the foundation of the world.”

SO, “before the foundation of the world” God set up the boundary of our life. This is made clear (even more clear than the Greek) by the word, “predestine” which means to “pre-determine a destination.”

By the wonderful grace of God, HE has determined before the foundation of the world to choose, call, save, sanctify, and glorify a people for HIMSELF.

Knowing that we are among those people; who the Bible calls, “His Sheep” “His People” “His Elect” and “His Bride” is a cause for a lifetime of humility, thanksgiving, and praise.

We certainly can know that we are among HIS Sheep, but we cannot know who is also among HIS people but have NOT YET come to faith.

OUR WORK is to share the Good News of the Gospel with everyone everywhere knowing that among those with whom we share some will surely be saved.

God will surely do HIS work… the question is (of course) will we do ours?

I am praying for personal and Church-wide revival. I am praying that you will be part of what God is going to do.

I hope that you will sacrifice whatever it takes to be present at every service.

As Pastor Tom Rains, one of my dearest friends, loves to say… “I hope to see you there with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side.”

REMEMBER: Our Revival Meetings conclude TONIGHT at 7:00pm!

Revival CAN happen, it really CAN happen!

Will we really have revival?

Will you?

Carpe Diem!