STIRRINGS AT BETHESDA
A Monthly Publication of
Bethesda Baptist Church
April 30, 2015
Volume VI Number 4
Upcoming Activities
* Business Meeting: our monthly business meeting is Wednesday, May 13 at 7 p.m. Our God is a God of order and our business meeting is a time each month when we can conduct the matters of the church in an orderly way. Each of our members is encouraged to attend.
* Ladies Book Study has reached the half-way point. The study continues to meet on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. through May 19.
* Breakfast Fellowship: On Sunday, May 31 we will have a breakfast fellowship before Sunday School. The fellowship will begin at 9 a.m. and we will start our Sunday School classes 15 minutes late at 9:30. More details will follow in upcoming bulletins, but mark your calendars and plan on joining us for this unique time of fellowship.
Submission to the lordship of Christa heart attitude that works itself out in obedience to Himis the defining mark of those who are genuinely converted.
John MacArthur
HAPPY
!
Our monthly calendar indicates several celebrations are slated for May:
Happy Birthday to:
* Tom on the 3rd
* Alicia on the 23rd
* Nick on the 25th
* Bruce on the 27th
Happy Anniversary to:
* Jon & Kate on the 11th
and, Happy Mothers Day on the 10th!
Promptly and Sincerely in the Work of God
John Calvin
The Luther Monthly
Our natural reason looks at marriage and turns up its nose and says, Alas! Must I rock the baby? Wash its diapers? Makes its bed? Smell its stench? Stay at nights with it? Take care of it when it cries? Heal its rashes and sores? And on top of that care for my spouse, provide labor at my trade, take care of this and take care of that? Do this and do that? And endure this and endure that? Why should I make such a prison of myself?
What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful and despised duties in the spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels.
It says, O God, I confess I am not worthy to rock that little babe or wash its diapers, or to be entrusted with the care of a child and its mother. How is it that I without any merit have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will? Oh, how gladly will I do so. Though the duty should be even more insignificant and despised, neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labor will distress me for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight.
Martin Luther
Pastors Postscript
Recently I was reading the final chapter of a book by Christopher Love, a 17th century Welsh Puritan, and came across these words:
A gracious heart knows his own inability, and his own insufficiency and imperfection, that he is unable to overcome the least sin though never so small.
As we grow spiritually, we better understand how little we have done and how much God has done on our behalf. We contribute sin; He contributes everything else by reason of His grace.
His grace designed the plan to save some out of all lost humanity. His grace chose me as one of those whom He would save. His grace sent His only Son to live among men and to die in my place. His grace sent His Holy Spirit to work in the affairs of my life to slowly but surely draw me to Christ. His grace brought conviction to my heart over my sin. His grace regenerated my soul, caused me to be born again, and gave me new life. His grace resulted in my repenting of my sins. His grace enabled me to trust Christ alone for my salvation. Over 40+ years, His grace has continued to mold me into a servant more and more like Jesus. And, finally, His grace will welcome me into heaven for all eternity!
The more we learn of the importance of Gods grace in our life, the more we recognize who we really are apart from Christ: poor, wretched sinners. And recognition of that truth makes Gods grace even more precious!
May God continue to pour out His grace and then grace upon grace to each of you and upon our church. May His Spirit bring true revival to each of our hearts and, through all of this, may Jesus Christ be glorified in each of our lives and in the ministries of Bethesda Baptist Church!
Pastor Bruce