God's Grace Will Cover It

God’s grace is an amazing thing. Never has anyone forgiven more than what God has forgiven, and continues to forgive, in spite of the continued sinning of each person whom He’s forgiven. Millions of people on a daily basis break God’s law, sinning against their Creator and the one who loves them more than anyone ever could. Yet His forgiveness still awaits each one of us.

“God’s grace will cover it” is a phrase I’ve heard many times in my life from people in and out of the church. This phrase actually reflects a promise from God. But like all of God’s promises, it comes with conditions. One must first be a Christian in order to taste the fruit of this promise. If a person has never obeyed the gospel plan of salvation, their sins are still with them and God’s grace will not cover it. Sadly, many today apply this phrase, “God’s grace will cover it,” to the plan of salvation itself. When presented the truth from God’s Word about how to become a Christian and have their sins forgiven, they recognize a clear difference between this Biblical plan and the actions they took in order to “be saved.” When encouraged, in love, to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins, being added to Christ’s one church, they balk. They claim that it doesn’t matter; that God’s grace will cover it.

Friends, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son for it (John 3:16). That same Son is the only way, truth, and life, and in order to come to the Father, it must be by Him (John 14:6). It must be on His terms. A part of those terms is that we must believe and be baptized (immersed; cf. Mark 16:16) for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38). If any part of this plan is altered, then it is not God’s plan and therefore cannot save. If a person believes his sins were forgiven at any time other than at baptism, then what was the reason for his baptism? It could not have been for forgiveness of sins, and therefore was not the “one baptism” of the New Testament (Eph. 4:5). He is still in his sins.

God has provided a plan for us to follow in order to receive His grace. We didn’t earn it, but we must follow it. If we reject it, add to it, or subtract from it, we cannot receive grace. Make no mistake about it, God’s grace does not cover rejection of His grace. If you alter his plan of salvation, His grace will not cover you. Jesus will return with His angels, “taking vengeance on them that…obey not the gospel” (2 The. 1:8). We earnestly plead with everyone to accept Jesus Christ on His terms, thereby allowing His grace to save you.

submitted by:
David Ray

The Third man

Last night I dreamed I took a walk
Up Calvary's lonely hill.
The things I saw with my own eyes
Could not have been more real.
I saw upon three crosses
Three men in agony;
Two cried out for mercy;
The third man looked at me.
And, Oh, the hurt in the Man's eyes
Just broke my heart in two.
It seemed that I could hear Him say,
"I'm doing this for you."
I knelt beneath the third man's cross
And slowly bowed my head.
I reached out to touch His feet,
They stained my hand with red.
And when I heard Him cry in pain,
I raised by eyes to see.
The blood spill from the third man's side
And some of it spilled on me.
And there among the mighty crowd
The ones who mocked Him cried,
"King, save thyself, if thou art King."
And then the third man died.
Suddenly I heard the thunder roar,
I saw the ligtning pierce the sky.
The third man was still hanging there;
And I began to cry.
I saw the darkness fall;
I heard the breaking of the ground.
Then I awoke, and though I had dreamed,
I touched by cheek and found.
My eyes were wet where I had cried,
A dream? I wish I knew.
Yes, I can still hear Him say,
"I'm doing this for you."

by request from Tom Wacaster
Author Unknown

50 Things A Christian Can Do

Someone may be asking, "What can I do in the church?" Here is a list of 50 things to start out with, if you still have time left over or need further direction we can add another 150 things to the list. Here are some simple, yet practical areas you may be able to help in:

1. Study your Bible
2. Worship Sunday Morning
3. Worship Sunday Evening
4. Attend Bible Study Sunday Morning
5. Attend Bible Study Wednesday Evening
6. Teach a Bible Class
7. Assist in a Bible Class
8. Bring Children to Bible Class
9. Visit Shut-ins
10. Visit memebrs in the hospital
11. Visit non-members in the hospital
12. Visit old members
13. Visit new members
14. Visit newcomers to the community
15. Visit in the prisons
16. Distribute tracks to hospitals
17. Distrubites tracks to your friends
18. Distribute tracts to your neighbors
19. Do Bible Correspondence Courses
20. Grade Bible Correspondence Courses
21. Do daily Bible reading
22. Give to the Lord's work more
23. Conduct home Bible studies
24. Pray daily
25. Distrubite clothing to needy
26. Greet visitors at worship services
27. Be an active worshipper
28. Donate a book to the church library
29. Support gospel meetings in your area
30. Invite people to attend services
31. Provide transportation to serives
32. Provide transportation at other times
33. Write a missionary
34. Collect toys for needy children
35. Call those who are absent from worship
36. Have the youth in your home
37. Have the elders in your home
38. Have the deacons in your home
39. Have the preacher in your home
40. Take flowers to people who are sick
41. Take food to people in need
42. Baby sit for a working family
43. Prepare food to bereaved
44. Show interest in children
45. Prepare material for teachers
46. Maintain baptistery clothing
47. Help at funerals
48. Do office work
49. Help church secretary
50. Help the preacher

NOTE: This is not a works based salvation but these works should come from our love, care, and concerns for souls. These are things not in any particular order but just beginning is important. Once you begin to work on these things you will be suprised how little time you really have to think of self.

David Dugan

WHAT THEN?

When the great plants of our cities

Have turned out their last finished work;

When our merchants have sold their last yard of silk

And dismissed the last tired clerk;

When our banks have raked in their last dollar

And paid the last dividend;

When the Judge of all the earth says,

"Closed for the night,"

And ask for a balance - WHAT THEN?

-

When the choir has sung its last anthem,

And when the preacher has made his last prayer;

When the people have heard their last sermon,

And the sound has died out in the air;

When the Bible lies closed on the pulpit,

And the pews are all empty of men,

When each one stands facing his record,

And the great book is opened - WHAT THEN?

-

When the actors have played their last drama,

And the mimic has made his last fun;

When the film has flashed its last picture,

And the billboard displayed its last run;

When the crowds, seeking pleasure, have vanished,

And gone out in the darkness again;

When the trumpet of ages have sounded,

And we stand up before Him - WHAT THEN?

-

When the bugle's call sinks into silence,

And the long marching columns stand still;

When the captain repeats his last order,

And they've captured the last fort and hill;

When the flag has been hauled from the masthead,

And the wounded afield checked in,

And the world that rejected its Savior

Is asked for a reason - WHAT THEN?

-
When the Christian has finished his journey,
And his hands lay folded in rest;
When his soul is returned to the Master
Who demanded we give Him our best.
And with sorrow we hear the sad message,
"Depart for you cannot come in,
For you failed to help spread the gospel,
And left it to others" – WHAT THEN?

Last verse added by Tom Wacaster
"The Songs & Devotions of David"
Volume 3, pp. 24-25

A Weak Christian

Weakness rarely receives praise, regardless of the sphere in which that weakness exists. In athletics, your opponent will study you to determine your weakness. The same could be said in a chess tournament. In other cases, weakness might refer to an illness that has left a person without strength. Regardless of the sphere, weakness implies vulnerability to attack. Therefore, we should consider this underlying theme when we read Paul’s exhortation telling us to “support the weak” (1 Th. 5:14). Christians have a ruthless enemy in Satan (1 Pet. 5:8), and like a lion stalking an antelope, the devil preys on weakness.

Weak Christians are those people who constantly require assistance and attention in spiritual matters in order to keep them from completely abandoning their Lord. They have had problems letting go of the life they led prior to their conversion (Col. 3:5-11), and after months and even years of opportunities to learn, they still have difficulty overcoming the same temptations they faced when they first obeyed. They may attend regularly or sporadically, but their weakness limits their involvement in the church because they never really committed to that new way of life.

Weak Christians need support from those who are stronger and more experienced in the faith in order to handle the problems inherent in life. But at some point, those weak Christians have to exercise their faith (Jas. 1:2-4) so that it might grow and stand on their own faith rather than being propped up by others. Weak Christians must move beyond “I know God says that, but...” to making their faith active and strong so that they might one day help others. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (Jas. 1:22).

by Kevin Rhodes