Dear ones,

This Sunday we return to the latter part of the second commandment to consider God’s own reasons to motivate us to love Him and keep His commandments. Having stated the commandment, that we should not worship the true God in a false manner, our Lord goes on to say, “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

He is a jealous God. He is a just God. And He is a merciful God. We are not at liberty to alter any of those attributes for the sake of our own preference – they are His very essence. Do you love Him? Or do you hate Him? Do you have a heart to obey the commandments? Or do they not sit well with you? Are you quick to obey? Or quick to excuse? May we strive to have the heart of the Psalmist – I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments. Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble. Lord, I hope for Your salvation, and I do Your commandments. My soul keeps Your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly. I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies, for all my ways are before You. (119:59-60,165-168).

Prayer Wednesday night will be at the Brown’s Barn.

Sunday afternoon our brother Robert Bosley will begin a short series on the book of Philemon. I would encourage you to read it for family worship one night this week and familiarize yourself with the short one-chapter book before Sunday.

Songs for Sunday are as follows:

•    Rejoice, the Lord is King
•    Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
•    O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer
•    Not In Me
•    Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb