God’s Call to Guilty Sinners - Genesis 3:9, presented by Bro Michael Orlino. Text: Genesis 3:9 = And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? God’s call to sinners like us is a gracious call that should bring us to repentance and to flee, not away from God, but towards God. When God asks, ‘Where are you?’ may we respond, ‘In Christ!’ Outline: I. The Source of the Call v. 9 ~ And the LORD God called... • Personal Call • Merciful Call • Gracious Call II. The Recipient of the Call v. 9 ~ And the LORD God called unto Adam... • He is guilty • He is scared • He is foolish (as to hide away from God!) III. The Content of the Call v. 9 ~ And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? • An enquiry to establish their predicament (that they are lost) • An enquiry to establish their preciousness before God (Why would you seek that which has no value. God seeks sinners because he valued them!) • An enquiry to establish their proper hiding-place (God should be their hiding place) Where are you? ‘In Christ!’ should be the response! ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-s1oBpHlk8

The Book of Obadiah unpacked. What lessons we can learn from this ancient book? An exposition of the message of this minor prophet. Very relevant to a world consumed with praising godless pride. Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, just 21 verses. Obadiah means: Worshipper or Servant of Yahweh. Edom was a prideful people. God rebukes pride. Obadiah issues God's message of justice, humility, and hope. God rebukes Edom for mistreating its neighbour, Judah. God's judgment is against Edom’s pride. Our world considers pride a virtue, but the Bible tells us the opposite. It tells, of Edom, “the pride of thine heart hath deceived thee.” Man's pride is destructive. The heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked. Pridefulness of the heart is a very serious sin. Pride blinds the hearts. It blinds people to their need of God. Edom proudly trusted in their might, their riches, their allies, their wisdom. Yet they did not trust in God. They were prideful in their self-will. They boasted, “Who shall bring me down?” Proverbs 16:5 says that everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord. God will bring down the proud. They will fall. Pride is dangerous. People can get this high opinion of themselves – an intellectual superiority. Edom made a load of foolish decisions. Pride leads to downfall. God opposes the proud; God resisteth the proud but he giveth grace unto the humble. Interestingly, the sin of Sodom, among other things, was pride (Ezekiel 16:49). Edom also vainly trusted in its riches - its wealth. Materialism leads people to think they don’t need God; they've got it all. Edom were cousins to Israel, but they allied themselves with God's enemies; they trusted in men who actually turned against them. Edom joined in with the Babylonians - with God's enemies. When the children of Judah were suffering these Invaders came and caused destruction. Edom had selfishly stood by as a spectator and joined in the looting of Judah, and gloated over their suffering. Edom is a picture of pride, of the prideful. Proverbs 16:18, Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall. Edom suffered the judgment of God, as prophesied, and was destroyed in 70 AD. Edom’s judgment is a preview of the judgment that has yet to come on all nations. They will yet face the Day of the Lord. Obadaih teaches us three things about the LORD. 1. God is Judge We can know the gracious pardon of our judge, because of Calvary. The Day of the Lord will mean two things: the destruction of the wicked, and the deliverance of the righteous. The godless will see the cup of God’s wrath poured out at the Judgment. For them, it's a day of judgment and trembling. The righteous will be victorious and will know God's mercy. For us the Day of the Lord is a day of hope, of gladness and joy. 2. God is our Deliverer Upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance and there shall be Holiness… Our Lord has set us free; He's the Redeemer. He's promised deliverance for you. There shall be Victory upon Mount Zion. There shall be holiness. How we need to have the grace of God for His salvation and for His work of holiness. We can know it because of Mount Zion; Mount Calvary. The time is coming where God will deliver his people in the ultimate Deliverance; the end time Victory. He is our righteous judge. He is our gracious deliverer. Also, 3. God is King He's the king. His is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. The kingdom of God shall come. His ultimate Kingdom. He'll establish His kingdom, His dominion, His rulership - over all the Earth. And he shall reign for ever and ever. The pridefulness of Edom represents sinful man in his own fleshly, self-governing ways. It brings destruction and misery. There is a judgment day coming - the day of the Lord. For us, who are the saved, it's a day of rejoicing, it's a Day of Victory. The major lesson of this book is: God hates Pride. Rather, let us humble ourselves before God. Let's not be self-sufficient, trusting in ourselves. Let go of pride and self-deception. God promises deliverance and victory for His people. We can trust that God will bring about His purposes in our lives. Thy kingdom come! We have great hope, just days ahead again. Let go of pride, and humble yourself, and trust the Saviour. You can enter God's kingdom today if you haven't already. Our Lord offers pardon to such as we, unworthy though we be. He is a gracious King, full of compassion and full of grace. The King of glory. Yield to His rulership over your hearts by faith. And He shall reign for ever and ever! ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52uRz8GRnc8

Preacher Jesse Trumble shares a communion message on faith, hope, and redemption, from Psalm 130. Psalm 130 is a song of degrees. These are the songs people would sing as they went up into the temple to worship. 1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. 7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Who of us could stand, if God were to keep track of our iniquities? Job 10:14 - If I sin then thou markest me and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity. God sees our sin, and that we are sinful. God is right and just. Malachi 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap. Judgment looms. There will be condemnation for those who are not written in the Book of Life, but for those who are written in the Book of Life there is great hope. We read, There is forgiveness with thee. Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. He blots out sin for his own name's sake. We fear God - we reverence and honour Him. And He saves us - He redeems us from our sin. To redeem means to pay the price. Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. God paid the penalty on the cross for our sin – and we can receive His forgiveness and be a redeemed people. We can cry out to Him in the darkest of times, God please forgive me. Joel 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. He will hear - there is great hope in this. We can know this certain hope. It says, my soul waited for the Lord more than they that watched for the morning. Surely, there's hope in the morning. Hope in the Lord. He offers you His forgiveness and mercy. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuussPTkZMo

A short communion message on the theme of self examination. As a process worker in a factory I can remember one of the most important jobs was that of the quality control people. At Bonaire they would examine every air conditioner to make sure all the parts were installed and in good working order. They were there to measure the quality of the product. The Bible talks of an examination for believers, an assessment - it’s something we undertake at this time of communion: 1 Corinthians 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. The Lord calls us to a SELF EXAMINATION. How do we measure up to what God wants for our lives? The Bible talks of at least three things our Lord examines. Our Heart. Our Faith. Our Work. Firstly… The Bible says that God examines OUR HEART Let us also take a look into our own heart. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. God examines the heart. Is it saved, or lost? Is it tender towards God, or hardened? First let us be sure that our heart is yielded unto God. Luther said, “I am more afraid of my own heart than the Pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the great pope, SELF”. Let us take time to pause, and take account of our standing in the sight of God. Examine the accounts. This is a solemn act. As David prayed: Psalm 26:2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. Just to note: the word translated prove is the same word in the Greek Bible as that first word, examine. We must compare our heart and life by the Word. Do we know Christ as our Saviour and Lord? Does He have our heart? Will we let God search out our hearts today? Another area the Lord examines is… OUR FAITH 1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: The Bible talks of a faith that will carry us through trials. and it will all be to the praise and honour and glory of our Saviour. I look back to when at one time I was a worker at another factory - the Bridgestone tyre factory - and one day I recall watching the quality control of a tyre. The assessor would set up the tyre on a machine that would run it repeatedly over a bump to punish the tyre, over and over again - to see what punishment it could sustain. Our faith is tested also. The Bible talks of the trial of our faith. Our Lord calls us to a resilience of faith - that it will be a gold quality faith - despite all the trials and tests we face through life. God is making you stronger for it. He’s making gold. This proving process is also a purifying process. We will come forth as gold. How is our faith today? Is it assured in Christ? Are we established in the faith? We can strengthen our trust in Christ. The Lord examines our Heart, and our Faith. Another aspect is that the Lord examines is: OUR WORK 1 Corinthians 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try (test) every man's work of what sort it is. This word examine is also translated as try - or prove… As we would prove and test metals for their quality and strength. Our work will be examined. How is our workmanship? What of our works, our practical application of our faith? Some people worry a lot about gaining the approval of other people. But what actually matters most is that we have God’s approval. Again, here is a like word, to examine or prove… Paul commended one who was approved: Romans 16:10 Salute Apelles approved in Christ. And again: 1 Corinthians 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. God wants us to be approved, when faith is under fire from false teachings. Again this is a like word to this examination, this proving our Lord calls us to. Let us be those whose faith is firm and Biblical; grounded in Christ. Approved. Stamped with God’s stamp of approval. It’s to His pleasing. Not because of our own works, but because by faith we stand with God’s truth, not error. 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Will you be approved, or be ashamed? God is proving and approving of us. What about you? Paul says examine yourselves. Examine - test… Will we pass the test? 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Take time for personal reflection. Search out and remove what is offensive to God. Come to the Lord Himself - let it be an act of consecration, for His service. Deliberately and honestly examine ourselves - our words, our conduct. Examine your heart, your faith, your work. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwIIq8QTP6c