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Kitchens Creek
Baptist Church Email:
Pastor
Milton W Howard
Weekly Church Bulletin
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DECEMBER 22, 2024 |
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daily
radio: |
7:45
a.m. |
kwdf
am 840 |
morning
worship: |
11:00
a.m. |
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wednesday
worship: |
7:00
p.m. |
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FOOD FOR
THOUGHT – unknown
Christ is the mystery of the scripture -
grace the mystery of Christ. BELIEVING is the most wonderful thing in the
world. Put anything of your own to it, and you spoil it. Christ will not
so much as look at it for BELIEVING. When you believe and come to Christ,
you must leave behind you your own righteousness and bring nothing but
your sin (Oh, that is hard!); leave behind all your holiness,
sanctification, duties, humblings, etc.; and bring nothing but your wants
and miseries, or else Christ is not fit for you, nor you for Christ.
Christ will be a pure Redeemer and Mediator, and you must be an undone
sinner, or Christ and you will never agree. It is the hardest thing in the
world to take Christ alone for righteousness; that is to acknowledge Him
Christ. Join any thing to Him of your own, and you un-Christ Him. Whatever
comes in when you go to God for acceptance, besides Christ, call it
anti-Christ; bid it begone; make ONLY Christ's righteousness triumphant.
All besides that is Babylon, which must fall if Christ stand, and you
shall rejoice in the day of the fall thereof (Isaiah 14:4). Christ ALONE did tread
the winepress, and there was none with Him (Isaiah 63:3). If you join any thing
to Christ, Christ will trample upon it in fury and anger and stain His
raiment with the blood of it.
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(MATTHEW 1:21,23)
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins...Behold, a virgin
shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his
name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."
There are so many things to do
this time of year, that we
get caught up in them, and we seldom take the time to stop and think what
this time means. It is this
time of the year when the whole world is forced to think about the birth
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Think
about the words in the passage above.
"God with us!"
The infinite Jehovah God with us.
No wonder the angels burst into song and sang "Glory to God in the highest."
This was worthy of a new star in the Heavens.
This was worthy of preserving on record for us to read today.
This was worthy of the martyrs' death.
The Apostle Paul said, "This is worthy of all acceptation."
This is the great mystery of the church, that "God
was manifest in the flesh, and dwelt among us." He who was born in Bethlehem, is God, and He is "God
with us." Have
you stopped to think why the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world? The
Lord Jesus Christ did not come into the world to have pity on man, but He
came into the world to redeem sinners. Christ
came to redeem us by the offering of Himself on the cross, suffering the
wrath of God for our sins as our Substitute.
He did not come to prescribe a remedy which we must perform
ourselves, but He came to provide the way of salvation to His people.
The Saviour of the world came not only to provide salvation, but He
is that salvation. "Ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ...(Who) loved
us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,"
We must never think that there
is any spiritual value or even any spiritual meaning in keeping
Christmas-day, or that we will stand any more in the favor of God by doing
it. We know that our Saviour
was not born on what is known as Christmas-day.
Without a doubt, the observance of Christmas as the day on which
Christ was born is of pagan origin. Many
peoples' religion requires that they keep this day holy, but no true
believer should consider it as some sort of holy, sacred day.
However, there are times when
I wish there were more Christmas-days in the year.
This seems to be one of the days in the year when men everywhere
join together in a moment of peace,
and we could sure use more of that. We
know for sure that there is enough work to do every other day, and a
little rest now and then would not hurt us.
Christmas is really a good time for us, a time of rest for us, a
time which enables us to gather around as a family and to visit with our
friends once again.
There
is no harm done in taking a day to consider the incarnation and birth of
the Lord Jesus. I believe
that true believers everywhere can take all the good that is signified by
this Christmas Day, and leave all of its superstitions to the
superstitious.
MWH
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CALL
TO WORSHIP
Isaac Watts - 1709
How beauteous are their feet
Who stand on Zion’s hill!
Who bring salvation on their tongues,
And words of peace reveal!
How charming is their voice!
How sweet the tidings are!
“Zion, behold thy Savior King;
He reigns and triumphs here.”
How happy are our ears
That hear this joyful sound,
Which kings and prophets waited for,
And sought, but never found!
How blessed are our eyes
That see this heav’nly light
Prophets and kings desired it long,
But died without the sight.
The watchmen join their voice,
And tuneful notes employ;
Jerusalem breaks forth in songs,
And deserts learn the joy.
The Lord makes bare His arm
Through all the earth abroad;
Let every nation now behold
Their Savior and their God!
(Tune: "I Love Thy Kingdom")
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(Psalm 115:1) "Not unto us, O Lord, not
unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth Is
sake."