Faith is not the cause of justification but rather the experience of justification. It is by faith that I experience the forgiveness of sins. I was justified from everlasting in the Divine Decrees of God the Father, the actual payment for my justification was completed at calvary by the death of the Son of God, the experience of that justification came by the means of faith in that justifying blood.

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. The word rebuke means to censure or reprove on the account of foolish or criminal behavior. Men who have gained wisdom by a serious contemplation of the brevity and purpose of life under the sun. These being strictly moral and religious individuals, who can sensibly give censures and reproofs to men. Did not Nineveh repent at the preaching of Jonah, who message was only, "forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown"? This heathen city repented at the rebuke of the Prophet. Moral and religious instruction is vital to an orderly society. It provides structure and accountability for wickedness and sin.

Division – The scripture says a "house divided against itself cannot stand" so a church divided over doctrine cannot stand. The word division means disunion, separation, detachment. These false teachers are set on separating the flock of God, creating factions. Like any predator they will spot the weak, young, or sickly from the rest of the flock and separate them for the kill. They become prey to the wolves unless the strong surround these weak ones and defend them from those who desire to devour them.

We are at that time of year that is filled with secular and religious myths and traditions; a time when sentimentalism fills the streets and work places and our pocketbooks are emptied. As much as it might surprise some men, Jesus was not born of Dec. 25th, nor was he visited by three kings and the many wise men that did come, did not come to the manager. The Angels did not sing at Jesus birth, in fact there is no scripture that I am aware of that tells us that the angels sing at all. It does appear the singing is reserved for the Saints and them alone. As the world would have it the baby Jesus is as much a part of the myth and tradition of 'Christmas' as Santa Clause. However, Santa Clause is purported as real and his sleigh is tracked by radar on Christmas Eve but Jesus is just a plastic baby in a mock manger scene. Men are encouraged to have the spirit of Christmas in their heart all the yearlong, but the Spirit of Christ which lays men low and brining us into the conformity of Christ by the new man, oh, no, we can't have that.

Corrective discipline is necessary when a member of the Lord's church begins to walk out of gospel church order either by failing to walk charitably toward the brethren, or by not attending our church meetings, or being absent upon the Supper of the Lord without a lawful excuse, or by grievous public sin. Such behavior, as required and directed by the Scriptures, must be addressed and censures put in place, according to the Scripture, for the retention and saving of that soul which has sinned. This being done for the spiritual well-being of the sinner, and of the church, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Sobriety of life is vital to a happy life and much is learned in the house of mourning, Trivial things are put away and the important, weighty, profitable things of life come to light.

The "Called" or called is never in the Epistles of the N.T. applied to those who have only the external invitation of the gospel. It always means an internal, effectual call upon the hearts and minds of them that receive the call. It always means 'internally, effectually, savingly called;' denoting the first great step in personal salvation, and answers to the term "conversion." Only, whereas the word conversion expresses the change of character which then takes place, this 'calling' expresses the divine authorship of the change and the sovereign power by which we are summoned.

"For wicked men it had been best not to have been born, or being born, to die quickly; since by living long they heap up first sin, and then wrath against the day of wrath. As for good men, there is no doubt, but the day of death is best to them, because it is the daybreak of eternal righteousness; Hence the ancient fathers called those days wherein the martyrs suffered their birthdays, because then they began to live indeed..."

Why does Predestination make people afraid? It is a most glorious truth recorded in the Scripture in the giving of us "blessed assurance" or our salvation. What are we Predestinated to? How about to the image of Christ; how about to the adoption of children; what about an inheritance? This is what we are Predestinated to!

I will briefly lay out our position on non-elect elders and church officers. The main thrust of this message is about Discipline. The first aspect of discipline has to do with discipline of life, instruction in the Word and a decorum proper in the Churches of Jesus Christ