Preparing To Rejoice In Him // July 15, 2018

PREPARE YOUR HEART FOR WORSHIP ON JULY 15, 2018

REFLECTION

“The poor have a right to a portion of your estate, as well as your natural children, though not as great a portion. In which respect the Spirit of God calls that part of the rich man’s estate which he can spare the poor man’s due (Proverbs 3:27). As the ancient church father Basil observed, ‘It is the bread of the hungry which moulders in thy cupboard; it is the garment of the naked which hangs useless in thy chamber; it is the gold of the poor which lies rusting in thy chest’. So that your relieving of the poor is not only an act of mercy left to your choice to do or not to do, but also of justice, the performance of which you stand bound to do.” – Thomas Gouge

“Ah! My dear friend! I am concerned for the poor but more for you. I know not what Christ will say to in the great day… I fear there are many hearing me who may know [now] well that they are not Christians, because they do not love to give. To give largely and liberally, not grudgingly at all, requires a new heart; an old heart would rather part with its life-blood than its money. Oh my friends! Enjoy your money; make the most of it; give none of it away; enjoy it quickly for I can tell you, you will be beggars throughout eternity.” – Robert Murray M’Cheyne

CALL TO WORSHIP :: Micah 6:8 (ESV)

[8] He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (ESV)

WORSHIP IN SONG :: All The Poor and Powerless

All the poor and powerless
And all the lost and lonely
All the thieves will come confess
And know that You are holy
And know that You are holy

And all will sing out, hallelujah
And we will cry out, hallelujah

All the hearts who are content
And all who feel unworthy
And all who hurt with nothin’ left
Will know that You are holy

And all will sing out, hallelujah
And we will cry out, hallelujah
And all will sing out, hallelujah
And we will cry out, hallelujah

Shout it!
Go on and scream it from the mountains
Go on and tell it to the masses
That He is God

CONFESSION OF FAITH :: Belgic Confession, Article 20

The Mercy & Justice of God in Christ

We believe that God, who is perfectly merciful and also very just, sent the Son to assume the nature in which the disobedience had been committed, in order to bear in it the punishment of sin by his most bitter passion and death.

So God made known his justice toward his Son, who was charged with our sin, and he poured out his goodness and mercy on us, who are guilty and worthy of damnation, giving to us his Son to die, by a most perfect love, and raising him to life for our justification, in order that by him we might have immortality and eternal life.