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Schedule of Services
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Matthew 5:3--"Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." We have to realize we need God. Matthew 19:16-26--The rich, young ruler came to Jesus and asked Him what he needed to DO to inherit eternal life. Jesus tried to get him to see that he needed God. That it is impossible for us to get eternal life on our own. Only God can give us that, and only if we come to Him knowing our need of Him. The rich, young ruler had relied all his life on his ability to do what was right, and he trusted in his ability to get things. Now he could only trust in Jesus to get eternal life, and he was not willing to humble himself, so he went away sorrowful. Salvation is by grace. It is a gift only!! All we can do to get it, is to receive the gift. Pastor Doyle related the story of Jesus telling Peter to go out fishing after he and his co-workers had fished all night and caught nothing. Peter did it because Jesus asked him to, and then Jesus did what was impossible with man. He caused them to catch more fish than they ever had!! He then told of how Saul had relied on his own works for salvation, and was even killing the followers of Jesus, thinking he was working for God. But when Jesus revealed himself to Saul, he was changed, and no longer talked of what he could do, but preached of the GRACE of God. Jesus even changed his name to Paul. Paul knew that he needed God. He knew that he could not save himself no matter how well he kept the law. This is the place we all need to come. To realize that salvation is not by anything that we can do. We simply throw ourselves over on the grace of God and receive His free gift! And this is how we go from glory to glory also. By the grace of God. It is His power that enables us to do what is right. We don't begin by grace, and then become perfect by our own works, but we continue to rely on the grace of God -- the power of God -- to make us holy. |