Home

Bulletin

Meetings

Pastor's Book

Audio Messages

Newspaper Articles

Kitchens Creek Baptist Church
7231 Monroe Hwy @ Kitchens Creek Rd
Ball, Louisiana 71405

Email: Pastor Milton W Howard
Mailing:  PO Box 740
Ball, LoUiSiAna  71405-0740

Weekly Church Bulletin
December 22, 2024

*****************************  

merry Christmas
May the Lord's grace and mercy be with you and your family during this Holiday Season. 

NO WEDNESDAY SERVICE 

******************************

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. 

******************************

(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 

******************************

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") 

******************************
(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."