December 13,
2020
SOVEREIGN GRACE
BAPTIST CHURCH
Meeting
Location and Mailing Address
251 Green Lane
Ewing, NJ, 08638
Clay Curtis,
pastor
Telephone:
615-513-4464
Clay@FreeGraceMedia.com
Schedule of
Services
Sunday 10: 15 AM Bible
Class
Sunday 11:00 AM Morning
Service
Thursday 7: 30 PM
Midweek Service
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NURSERY
We have a nursery
equipped with a digital flat screen television broadcasting all services live,
for children four and under.
All articles by the pastor unless otherwise noted.
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SUBSCRIBE TO
OUR YOUTUBE WEBSITE: The videos are now listed
as individual sermons, as well as full services—click here.
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Proverbs 15:
24: The
way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
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OUR GOD IS IN CONTROL OF
EVERYTHING
Dear soul, think
about it: if there
is one germ somewhere out there in the universe
that is not under His control, then my health, my life, is just a matter of
chance or fortune – good or bad! If there is one demon spirit out there
some place that is not under God’s control, then my hope of salvation would dry
up like Jonah’s gourd. I would have no assurance at all, for I have no
confidence in me (Phil. 3:3).
I am
so thankful that when the religious heathen asks me about my God, I can answer
with the psalmist, “Our God is in the
heavens; he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased” (Psalm 115:2, 3).
It hath pleased Him to save His people (Matt. 1:21); and He shall not fail
(Isa. 42:4). “Salvation” in its
entirety, “is of the Lord” (Jonah
2:9; Phil. 1:6). The God of the Bible “worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will” and makes “all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”
(Eph. 1:11; Rom. 8:28). I hold onto the
Lord as tightly as I can, But my assurance is that I am in His hand! Maurice
Montgomery (1939-2015)
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Some lose their
souls for fear of trials and persecutions. Others lose their souls by the
deceitfulness of sin. But most who perish under the sound of the gospel lose
their souls by the deceitfulness of riches, the love of money, and covetousness
(Luke 8:14; 12:15, 29-34; Mark 8:34-37). Don
Fortner
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FREELY
Hosea 14:4 “I will Love them freely”.
Do you understand “freely’?” This is the message of salvation in Christ Jesus our
Redeemer. Love flows from heaven in this way. If God did not love us “freely”
then He would not love us at all. We did not deserve His love, we did not
purchase His love, and we did not even seek after His love.
What does “freely” mean? We use it
for that which is given without money and without price. There is no bargaining
in it. A man gives “freely” when he gives hoping for nothing in return. This is
how God gave. He said, “I will not accept their works in exchange for my love;
I will not receive their love as recompense for mine; I will love them all
unworthy and sinful though they be.”
Men give, but no man ever gives
freely. There is always some return or honor or recognition attached to men’s
giving. But God gives to those who can confer no honor and have no position to
cause the giving. They are destitute paupers with nothing in their pockets and
no pockets to put anything in.
The Lord gives that which is
unsought. He does not give grace to those who seek it, because none ever seek
grace until grace has already come. Sovereign grace does not wait for man.
Religion says that man is running after God. We say that man is running after
all manner of sin and evil, and they do not seek God until His love comes upon
them. As the effect of God’s love, men begin to seek Him. We do not entreat the
Lord, because we hate Him. His love comes “freely.”
Have you ever asked the sun to
shine? No, the sun shines its rays on the earth “freely.” It comes on the
blasphemer as well as the child of God. It falls on the farm of the wicked as
well as the righteous. The rain falls upon the rock as well as upon the field.
Such is the grace of God. It does not come because we ask it, much less because
we deserve it. His love is always first. He does not love because Christ died,
but Christ died because the Father loved. It comes from His own infinite heart
of goodness, simply because He chose to do so. Thank God, He loves me FREELY. I
can live with that. Donnie Bell
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Child
of God does it appear you will lose all?
It appeared that way when Joseph was cast into prison. But do you know what the next word says? “But
the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight
of the keeper of the prison” (Gen 39: 21).
The hymn writer wrote, “Prisons would palaces prove if Jesus would dwell
with me there.” He shall for he promised,
“Lo, I am with you alway.”
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He
that turned water into wine to answer the momentary feast can soon convert
everything even of evil into good; and rather than that his redeemed shall want
anything needful, will bring resources from their enemies’ table. Robert Hawker
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A MEDIATOR IS NOT OF ONE, BUT GOD IS ONE
(Gal 3: 20)
If
someone robs a man of his property, he will hire a prosecutor, convict the
robber, seek restitution and more. How
much more if the robber blamed the very one he robbed and spewed hatred,
maligning him all over town. Even an
uninvolved third party whose property was not touched will quickly side with the
robbed and condemn the robber. But whoever
heard of the one robbed, hated, blamed and maligned providing a mediator for his
offender to bring them together in peace?
A mediator is not a representative of
one but of two. But God is one of the two,
even the offended one that we offended! Yet, though we were guilty and worthy of
death, God did not send a lawyer to prosecute nor a judge to condemn. The very God we offended provided the Mediator
who represented the interests of not one, but both parties, reconciling us to himself. Even more amazing, the Mediator that God
provided is his only begotten Son! Still
more amazing “He”—the Offended—“hath made him”—his Son—“sin
for us, who knew no sin, that we—his ungodly elect—might be made the
righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor 5:21).
How exceedingly great is God’s glory! As high as the heaven is above the earth so
are his thoughts above our thoughts! Matchless love! Matchless grace! Melting the hard hearted! Creating peacemakers! “Herein is love, not that we loved God,
but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved,
if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 Jn 4: 10-11).