November 19, 2017
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
MEETING LOCATION
251 Green Lane
Ewing, NJ, 08368
Clay Curtis, pastor
Telephone: 615-513-4464
MAILING ADDRESS:
7 Birch Street
Pennington, NJ, 08538
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.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE WEBSITE: watch videos of our full services—click here.
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
No mid-week
service Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23.
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SUNDAY’S READING IN PROVERBS
Proverbs 10: 14: Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the
foolish is near destruction.
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“The more we are in the presence of
Him Whom our souls love, the less we can bear to be out of it.” Pastor Scott Richardson
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THANKSGIVING
Ephesians
5:20: Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ;
It is good we have a day to remind
our nation to be thankful. But God’s
saints give thanks always. We thank God
“for all things” because all is the
gift of God. (Jn 3: 27) His unspeakable gift is his Son Christ Jesus in whom
our Father has made us fit to inherit heaven. (Col 1: 12) It is in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ that we give thanks because everything for which we thank
God is declared in Christ’s name: JEHOVHAH Jireh—the LORD will provide; JEHOVAH
Rapha—the LORD that healeth thee; JEHOVHAH Nissi—the LORD our banner; JEHOVAH
Tzidkenu—the LORD our Righteousness; JEHOVAH Shalom—the LORD our peace (Judg 6:
24); JEHOVAH Shammah—the LORD is there (Eze 48: 35); JEHOVAH Ra-ah—the LORD our
Shepherd (Ps 23). “Thine, O LORD, is the
greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for
all that is in the heaven and
in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art
exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand
it is to make great, and to
give strength unto all. Now
therefore, our God, WE THANK THEE, and praise THY GLORIOUS NAME.” (1 Chr
29: 11-13)
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The Early Christians gave thanks, “They worshipped together at the
Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals
with great joy and generosity; all the while praising God and enjoying the
goodwill of all the people” (Acts 2).
Let us pray humbly, for the Holy Spirit never puffs us up with pride; it
is His office to convince of sin, and so to bow us down in contrition and
brokenness of spirit. Let us pray with thanksgiving, “In every prayer and
supplication let our petitions be made known to God with thanksgiving” (Phil.4:6). Pastor Terry Worthan
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TAKE THEM TO THE THRONE OF GRACE
And Hezekiah received the letter of
the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of
the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. (2 Kings 19:14)
When we are surrounded by
afflictions, we are prone to look for a carnal remedy. A way to escape
the pain and hurt by some means of the flesh or by the power of man. We too
often must first exhaust all these earthly means before we take them to the
throne of Grace for help. (Hebrews 4:16)
Therefore set thy heart believer to take all your sorrows, all your
troubles, all your pains, all your fears and lay them all before the throne of
God. Do you not know that the voice of God’s saints are sweet in the ears
of our Savior? (Song of Solomon 2:14) Take all the letters of the
enemy, all the complaints and fears of our corrupt fleshly nature, all the
oppositions of wicked men and spread them out before the LORD. And all who wait on the LORD shall see His
Salvation. (Proverbs 20:22) All who wait on Him in faith shall be
strengthened in their heart by the power of His might. (Psalms 27:14) Believer
set all thy cares upon Christ who cares for you. Wait on Him and be of
good courage for He shall defend and save thee, not for thy merit, but for
Christ’s sake. (2 Kings 19:34) He will save us for Jesus’ sake and none
of His saints shall be lost. None of His children shall ever perish and
no one shall ever pluck us from His hand. (John 6:37-40; John 10:27-3o)
Oh child of God why do you wait to call on thy God? Why will you
forfeit so many blessings and mercies and trust in the arm of your flesh that
constantly fails you? Come now and cast all your cares on Him and He will
give you what is appointed to Zion: Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for
mourning, the garment of pray for the spirit of heaviness." (Isaiah 61:3) Pastor
Fred Evans
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TWO BOOKS
Psalm 19: 1: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament
sheweth his handywork…7: The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
There is no numbering the books men
have written. But there are but two great books most needful. They are the book
of God’s creation and the book of God’s word.
The Book of Creation
God’s creation declares God’s glory. The "heavens" are where the sun, moon,
planets and stars hang. The "firmament"
is the atmosphere around the earth where are the clouds, rain, snow, and wind. (Gen
1:6-8, 20). They both declare the glory of God’s power, wisdom and discretion.
(Jer 10: 12) The glory of the sun is so bright that we cannot look upon
it. How much more glorious is God who hung it in the sky! Man has only been
able to go so far into space. But everything we have discovered in the host of
planets and stars and galaxies glorifies God who made them. “By the word of the LORD were the heavens
made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” (Ps 33:
6) God’s creation speaks to us day and night of God’s glory in Christ. Beholding
the moon we behold a believer whose light comes from the Sun of
Righteousness, Christ Jesus. The sun is the center of God’s creation around
which all rotates because the Sun of Righteousness is the focus of all. We are
utterly dependent upon the sun to remind us we are utterly dependent upon the
Sun of Righteousness. The sun is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber
arrayed in his glory to meet his bride, like a strong man running a race,
because Christ is the Bridegroom of his elect, the strong Man who ran the race
set before him, accomplished our redemption and is set at God’s right hand. If
man’s description of creation does not glorify Christ it is not true because God’s
creation glorifies Christ so much that it renders men inexcusable for not
casting all care upon him. (Rom 1: 19-20) We are never to make creation the
point to which we turn men for that is worshipping the creature more than the
Creator. We are to look to Christ who created these things. “To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be
equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath
created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them
all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not
one faileth.” (Is 40: 25-26)
The Book of God’s Word
The most important book which declares the glory of God is God’s word,
the Bible. There are six names in this Psalm for the word of God. One, the word
is the law which is perfect converting the soul. (v7) Two, God’s word is the
testimony or witness of the LORD which is sure, making wise the simple. (v7; Ps
53: 1-3; 1 Jn 5: 9-12; 2 Tim 1: 8-10) Three,
the word of God is the commandment of the LORD which rejoices the heart and
enlightens the eyes because that commandment is to believe on his Son. (v8; Mt
17: 5; Jn 6: 29; 1 Jn 3: 23) Four, the word of God is the fear of the
LORD, clean and enduring, which God writes on the heart, creating in us fear of
the LORD. (v9; Heb 10: 16) Five, the word of God are his judgments, true and
righteous and more desired by his people than all else. (v9-11; Rev 3: 15-18)
May the Holy Spirit make his people everywhere behold the glory of
Christ in these two books!