O Come Let us adore Him!!
We truly hope and pray that in these unsettled times you find peace and joy in Christ our Lord. We pray that you can enjoy time with friends and family reminiscing and remembering as well as making knew memories and traditions.
We pray that the season will be filled with joy- even if it is a time of sorrow and loss for you personally.
There is a joy and peace that transcends our circumstances- that is deeper than pain and flows slowly and steadily as the river of God’s love.

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14

During the desperate days of the Battle of Britain and the Second World War many people referred to the times as “dark days”. Winston Churchill recoiled from using the term- he instead called them “sterner times.”
He was referencing the fact that some times and seasons call for resiliency and fortitude- yes, they may even seem like dark times; however, the Prince of peace has entered our dark world and brought the light of life. So although these may be sterner times- they truly are not dark times- no instead let us always remember- the Light has come!!

Please have a very Merry Christmas- eat a little more than you should- laugh a little more often, stay up late with the kids and grand-kids or those you love, wear your pj’s and sit by the fire and sip a piping hot drink, drink some eggnog and eat a ginger snap- make it a joyous time.

I think our Lord likes to see the lines of laughter about our face more than the melancholy spirit that sometimes drags us down. Read the Scripture and meditate often and long. Worship and pray- Our Lord has come!!
Let us all rejoice! He has come “to save His people from their sin.”

Because of grace,
Tim

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The first day of the week was hallowed for the Christian by the resurrection of Jesus. On Easter we celebrate the resurrection in a special way. However, we celebrate the triumph of the resurrection every Sunday when we gather as Christians to remember and proclaim His victory over death. The Sabbath (7th day) was set apart by God at creation as a day to remember what He had done in 6 days. After He worked, He rested. For the Christian, we remember before we go to work. We rest in Jesus’ finished work and that rest then translates into faithful service all through the week.

It is not with grudging necessity that Christians gather to worship. Rather it is with cheerful freedom that we come to partake of grace and fellowship. As we gather we present ourselves to Christ as living sacrifices. We exalt God in our joyful praise. We seek to edify one another in fellowship and we seek to extend the kingdom to outsiders by evangelism.

So as you meet with Jesus in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, do so intentionally. Intentionally sing and pray and study the Word. Intentionally encourage others in your conversation. Intentionally evangelize those who are being drawn by the Spirit of the Lord. Don’t just let life happen to you- happen to life- be intentional.

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day…” Rev. 1:10
and that has made all the difference.

Because of grace,
Tim

The post On The Lord’s Day appeared first on EBCSV.

Jeremiah 23:6
This is a remarkable declaration: The Lord is our righteousness. All my righteousness is as filthy rags and tainted by sin. His righteousness becomes mine by the simple reception of faith. This is the heart of the gospel.

In Romans 10 the apostle Paul says it this way:

Romans 10:3-4
Because they disregarded the righteousness from God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves to God’s righteousness.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

There is always this tendency within our sinful heart to try to make things right by our own efforts. We, like the Jews of whom Paul is writing, try to establish our own righteousness rather than simply submitting ourselves to God’s gracious offer of His own righteousness. We would rather labor under the heavy burden of the law than seek simple mercy.

In the verses before us in Romans we are reminded that Justification is by faith alone. God does not ask that we clean ourselves up to merit His gift- rather He graciously takes us Just as we are and does the clean- up Himself. This pronouncement of our Right standing before God is based on Christ’ righteousness and His subsequent death on the cross. The cross of Christ is the indispensable atonement that secures our justification. So, as we study through this passage let us grow deeper in our understanding of the “Lord our righteousness” and worship Him and give the glory to Him to whom it alone is due.

Because of grace,
Tim

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Many in the world today look at man more like a virus or a pimple on the face of the planet than the highest of God’s creation. However, in Psalm 8 we are told that man is a little lower than the angels, but nevertheless crowned with glory and honor. He has been set over the works of God’s hand and given a dominion mandate to till the earth and make it useful and productive.

This dominion does not condone trashing the planet and ruthlessly extracting everything possible from it- rather it functions as a stewardship for which man is accountable.
But as stewards we are to utilize, develop and investigate all its profound mysteries and bounty.
The earth was created for man- it is our home away from home. It is God’s gift to us to enjoy- not worship, but rather to worship the One who made it for us.

When we consider the vastness of the created universe and its detailed design we are overcome with worship of the One who knows even when a sparrow falls or a hair is combed.
Despite its almost infinite vastness the One who created it loves each of us as individuals and died to redeem us from our sin. Yea, He now lives to intercede for us before His Father’s throne. There is no greater mystery in all the universe than the profound question: Why? Why would God set his love on mankind?

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you care for him.” Psalm 8:3, 4

As we look once again into the Genesis of our universe and the unraveling of that perfect world because of man’s disobedience, let us lift our hearts in worship to the One who is mindful of us and cares for our needs. “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”

Because of grace,
Tim

Listen to the related message below.

The post Apex of Creation appeared first on EBCSV.