t                   oPastor John and wife Kathy  
 

 
 

Preaching God's Sovereign, Electing Grace   


 

RESCUE BAPTIST CHURCH

28th Annual Sovereign Grace Winter Conference

Friday Evening January 25th, 2019

“in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” 

                                                                    1 Timothy 6:15-16


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OPENING HYMN

         “We Have Come Into His House”     pg588

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WORSHIP HYMN

           “Hiding In Thee”                           pg348

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           OFFERTORY

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 SPECIAL MUSIC

   John Reeves

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Message by Pastor Rick Warta

        Calling on Christ         

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 CLOSING HYMN

          “I Will Sing Of My Redeemer”           pg506

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                                                           The Effectual Preacher

                                    "...The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings..."

                                                                      ~Isaiah 61:1~

   “These words prophetically describe one great work of the Lord Jesus Christ - He was to come as a preacher.  Not only is the eternal Son of God the author of the gospel and the subject of the gospel, he is the only effectual preacher of the gospel.  He is ‘the Messenger of the Covenant’.  Through his incarnation and death, he created the gospel, and it is he who effectually preaches the gospel.

     Christ proclaimed the gospel through the prophets of the Old Testament, in anticipation of his atoning sacrifice.   They were his mouthpieces.  It was he who went and preached to Noah's disobedient generation, when the longsuffering of God waited while the ark was being prepared.  When those holy men of old ‘prophesied of the grace that should come’, it was ‘the Spirit of Christ within them’ testifying ‘beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.’

     During his life upon the earth, our Lord proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God, of the love of the heavenly Father for his wayward child, and of God's anointed king.  It was Christ who condescended ‘to seek and save that which was lost’.   He went to the publicans and sinners, the dregs of society, and proclaimed God's redeeming mercy.  Christ himself brought the good news of salvation to the Samaritans.

     After his resurrection, it was Christ who commanded his disciples in all ages to proclaim the gospel to every creature, promising the power of his presence.   It was Christ who poured out his Spirit on the day of Pentecost, through the merits of his death and resurrection.  It was Christ who preached the gospel to Saul of Tarsus, and every preacher today speaks in Christ’s name. Rather, Christ preaches through him as his ambassador.  Every true gospel preacher can say with Paul, ‘We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.’

     We preach, but Christ alone preaches effectually.  He created the gospel, is the theme of the gospel, and in truth he is the one and only preacher of the gospel.  He applies the gospel irresistibly by the Holy Spirit.  When Christ preaches, salvation comes.”                                

                         Pastor Don Fortner


Saturday Morning January 26th, 2019

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen”

                                       Jude 1:24-25

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OPENING HYMN

         “My Faith Has Found A Resting Place”        pg405

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WORSHIP HYMN

           “Lead Me To Calvary”               pg176

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SPECIAL MUSIC

   Darryl Starks

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   Message by Pastor Gene Harmon

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WORSHIP HYMN

           “Hiding In Thee”                       pg348

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OFFETORY

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SPECIAL MUSIC

  Denise Warta

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Message by Pastor Rick Warta

        Come to Christ (Part 2)

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CLOSING HYMN

         “I Know Whom I Have Believed”        pg409

 


 “A Broken Heart”

       Every enlightened child of God knows that “A Broken Heart” does not save any hell-deserving sinner.  But no one will be delivered from the power of darkness until they experience the miracle of “The New Birth”.  A broken and a contrite spirit God will not despise (Psalm 51:17) because a true broken heart is God’s work!  When God breaks sinner’s hearts:  He gives us faith to see our totally depraved, hopeless, sinful condition.    He gives us faith to see Jesus Christ as our Sovereign Creator who became a man. As a man, He was perfectly obedient to His Father’s will, even the death of the cross (Phil. 2:8).  That obedience is the only righteousness God will accept, and the only sacrifice our Heavenly Father will accept, for the sins of His people.     And we will see, by the gift of God’s faith, Jesus Christ as the resurrected, glorified God-man; as our Great High Priest; as our Blessed Surety; as our Sovereign King who rules and reigns over this whole universe and everything in it.

   All of these spiritual blessings, and so many more. accompany the miracle of  “The New Birth” (Eph 1:3), and are received by every heart our Lord Jesus is pleased to break.  “All things are of God”  for the glory of His Darling Son, Jesus Christ our Sovereign Lord and Saviour (1 Cor. 8:6).                                Pastor  Gene Harmon

 

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"Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept Thy word" (Ps. 119:67)

 

I did not start in the truth of Christ. I was not in the way of life until I was afflicted. I was ignorant of Christ. I was ignorant of God’s word. I did not believe God or Christ or His word. My way was to go astray. I did not live by faith on Christ. How did the Lord turn me? Affliction was a necessary ingredient. Where was that rod applied? To my conscience. What did that accomplish? It made my foolish heart believe His Son when He spoke from the Gospel, that Christ accomplished my salvation, that He is my all. This is the way of God with men. He plows the ground. The heart is made soft by affliction. The word declares Christ to the weary, those long-plagued, long-burdened, sorely helpless, needing to be rescued (Luke 15:14-20; 18:13). Then the glad news of the Gospel of Christ crucified is sent by the messengers of peace (Isa. 52:13)! God looks upon Christ for me! God provided and offered and accepted Christ for sinners! He afflicts all for whom Christ died. Then He declares Christ crucified, risen and reigning as their eternal Rest (Heb. 4:1-10). Salvation in Christ has become my song (Isa. 12). He is God. He is Man. He reigns on heaven’s throne with all honor, authority and power. He sovereignly calls and brings His own. It seems too good to be true, that God would look to His Son as my Substitute and answer His own law in the answer Christ my Surety gave when He answered with Himself. Until I was afflicted I went astray. But now I have believed His Son, I have believed the Gospel. This is God’s work of grace (John 6:29; Acts 18:27; Eph. 2:8-10; Rom. 6:17)!

                                                                                                                   Pastor  Rick Warta


Saturday Evening January 26th, 2019

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” 

          Romans 1:16-17

 

OPENING HYMN

         “Revive Us Again”                         pg295

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WORSHIP HYMN

           “Wonderful Grace Of Jesus”        pg198

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SPECIAL MUSIC

   Men’s Group

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             Message by Pastor John Reeves

                          Free From Sin

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WORSHIP HYMN

           “No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus”    pg528

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OFFETORY

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SPECIAL MUSIC

 Cheryl Hafdell

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     Message by Pastor Gene Harmon

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CLOSING HYMN

         “My Savior’s Love”                     pg512 

“God’s Glory”

     Back in old eternity our Great, Majestic, Triune God predetermined that Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, would become a man (Mt. 1:18 - 23) and be crucified by wicked hands.  But it was by the determinant counsel and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23).  Jesus Christ the God-man has risen from the grave, and is now seated  in heaven as Lord of all (Acts 10:36), working all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph. 1:11).

     Moreover, God has chosen a particular people to be recipients of His amazing grace.  Those who are given faith to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as He is set forth on the pages of Holy Scripture, will see God’s Glory in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:5 - 6).  Having mercy on whom He will have mercy is God’s Glory.  He told Moses that very truth, and Paul repeated those very words in Romans 9:15 - 16.

     In addition, everything that happens in time was purposed by God before time began, and executed by the sovereign power of Jesus Christ at God’s appointed time.  This is what every enlightened child of God is pleased to confess for the glory of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:28; Phil. 2:5 - 15).  Brethren, all things are of God (2 Cor. 5:17 - 18).  How important is it to give God all the glory?  Read Acts 12:21 - 23).          Pastor Gene Harmon

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FAITH IS GOD’S GIFT

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9).

   “Wherever faith exists, it is the gift of God. Faith is not a plant that grows spontaneously in the soil of corrupt human nature. It matters not whether we are talking about little faith or great faith, it is the gift of God.  If we find faith in one who was raised under the sound of the gospel by godly parents, with loving care and discipline, it is the gift of God.  If faith is found in one who was raised in infidelity as an educated barbarian and has lived all the former part of his life in the most vile profligacy, his faith, too, is the gift of God.  Faith is the gift of grace, the operation of God, the work of the Holy Spirit, in no way dependent upon man (Ephesians 1:19-20; 2:8-9; Philippians 1:29; Colossians 12:12).”

                                                                                   Pastor Don Fortner

 


“And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:  To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 

                                                                                                                Galatians 1: 2-5


Sunday Morning January 27th, 2019

          

OPENING HYMN

         “How Great Thou Art”                      pg4 

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SPECIAL MUSIC

    John & Kathy Reeves

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WORSHIP HYMN

           “Jesus Is Lord of All”                   pg360      

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     Message by Pastor John Reeves

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WORSHIP HYMN

           “Love Lifted Me”                          pg505    

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OFFETORY 

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SPECIAL MUSIC

  Mike Loveless

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    Message by Pastor Gene Harmon 

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CLOSING HYMN

         “It Is Well With My Soul”            pg493

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Fellowship dinner following this service
Friday Night Bible is Canceled 


A sincere THANK YOU to all who were able to attend this year’s winter conference. We do so very much appreciate all who labored diligently before and during these special meetings, and for all who contributed your monies and your prayers in support of the one true gospel that gives our Great, Majestic, Triune God all the glory. We thank our God upon every remembrance of you (Philippians 1:3). May our Lord Jesus be pleased to give all of you a safe and uneventful trip back to your homes.              Pastor John Reeves

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

A Strong Consolation (Hebrews 6: 17-19).

   “If only one of God’s sheep were to perish, the purpose of God would be frustrated, the power of God resisted, the promise of God broken, the faithfulness of God would be a mockery and the word of God proved to be a lie.  If but one of His little ones were to be lost and sin win the day, where would be the veracity, the honor, the grace, the covenant and the oath of God? The assurance of faith is not in my ability to hold on but the immutable character of my God who loved me and gave himself for me.”

                                        Pastor Darvin Pruitt

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 IF THERE IS ONE THING that I want to impress upon the hearts of men and women, it is that Christ alone is worthy of honour, worship, praise, love, trust and glory. I read it in God’s book, I hear it in the preaching of the gospel and I have experienced it in my soul: “WORTHY IS THE LAMB!” The Apostle Paul said, “This man was counted worthy of more glory.” The angels are not worthy, but Christ is. No man is worthy, but Christ is. The church is not worthy, but Christ is. The preacher is not worthy, but Christ is. In heaven, all the saints and angels unite in this glorious eternal song: “WORTHY IS THE LAMB!”

  Christ is worthy of all honour, because He is the divine Creator (Rev. 4:11). In heaven everyone delights to worship Jesus Christ as God. And if ever a man gets to glory, he will have to worship Jesus Christ upon the earth as God the eternal Son, the Creator of all things. He created the world in the beginning by infinite power. He creates men anew by sovereign power. And He creates all the events of providence according to His own wise decree. In the end, all things will prove to be for His pleasure, His honour and His glory (Prov. 16:4).

   Christ is worthy of all worship, because He is our merciful redeemer (Rev. 5:9-10). God counted Him worthy to be the Substitute, Surety and Redeemer of His people, committing the salvation of our souls into His hands as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” His righteousness is worthy to clothe us. His sufferings are worthy to make us clean. His power is worth to preserve us. His love is worthy to win our hearts. Christ proved Himself worthy. As the Lion of Judah He prevailed with God. As the Lamb of God, He redeemed us to God, making us a generation of priests and kings. And now, with our hearts, we say CHRIST IS WORTHY! He is worthy of our faith, obedience, love and worship!

   Christ is worthy of eternal praise, because He is God’s exalted King (Rev. 5:11-14). As God’s exalted King every creature of God, in heaven, in the earth, and under the earth will say, “WORTHY IS THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN!” 

                                                                                                                Pastor Don Fortner

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IT IS FINISHED

                                                                                      (John 19:30)

Those of the world around us do not believe our Savior’s last words spoken from the tree of which He hung on. “No!” the god who is spoken of in most of the pulpits of this world, is one who loves everyone, and is waiting for you to receive him by coming to him! That’s what I hear from most pulpits today! Please come to Jesus! Stop throwing your life away and accept Jesus in your heart! He’s waiting, “all you have to do is ...”, and then they fill in the blank! Great is the Mystery of Godliness. God was manifest in the flesh! This a very important detail that must be considered when it comes to this point “IT IS FINISHED”!  If God had done all that He could, and the rest was up to us, then it would not be Finished, would it? You see, our Savior is one for details.  When He says, “IT IS FINISHED”, He is declaring exactly that! Every detail of salvation is complete; every detail of God’s Holy law has been fulfilled in Christ, establishing a perfect righteousness to be imputed to all who believe. But even the details of belief are fulfilled in Christ, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Eph. 2:8&9). This is the peace a true believer has, CHRIST HAS COVERED IT ALL! God the Father chose a people unto Himself before the world was and gave this people to His only begotten Son; God the Son paid their redemptive price, by the sacrificial shedding of His own Blood; and God the Holy Spirit is going about revealing Christ to the hearts chosen from before the foundation of the world, hearts that were predestined to live, and given life by the One who has all power over life and death, Christ Jesus the Lord! (John 17:2), All the fulness of the Godhead bodily dwelleth in Him. Every detail of salvation is in place by His authority and His power! Nothing can separate the people of God from the Love that is in Christ the Lord (Romans 8:38 & 39). And when God Gives life to one of His blood bought children, they will come to see, as Jonah did, “SALVATION IS OF THE LORD (Jonah 2:9).  And they will come to an understanding of this statement, “IT IS FINISHED”.

                                                                 Pastor John Reeves

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CALL IT WHAT IT IS!

“And if by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.  But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work” (Romans 11:6).

   “If salvation is by grace at all, then it is all of grace.  No aspect of salvation is first dependent upon man’s works in order for it to save.  But if any part of God’s grace is dependent upon man’s works for it to save, then do not call it grace.  It is works, plain and simple.  Call it what it is!  One of Satan’s chief methods of operation is to use Biblical words like grace and faith but give them a different meaning from the Bible’s meaning.  The precise same words are used, but a different meaning is behind those words!”                                                                                                            

                                       Pastor Todd Nibert

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   “The scriptures make it abundantly clear that salvation is by God’s free grace in Christ. The good news of the gospel is that since salvation is by grace, there is no condition a sinner must meet in order to be saved. The Lord Jesus Christ met every condition required to save His people so that they would have salvation freely.”                                                               

                        Pastor Frank Tate

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If we believe that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1Cor. 15:3), we cannot believe what modern religionists are saying. The Jesus that they preach DID NOT make atonement for sins—his death DID NOTHING for the sinner. Their poor excuse for a Saviour merely made it possible for sinful men and women to save themselves—to atone for their own sins. Their Jesus has done his part, now it is up to them to do something that will allow this Jesus to save them (i.e., a decision’ an act of the will). Those who believe such a man-centered doctrine are prime candidates for Real Estate Brokers who are trying to sell ocean front property in Arizona. What does the Bible say about the death of Jesus Christ? “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes WE ARE HEALED” (Isaiah 53:6). “…when He HAD BY HIMSELF PURGED OUR SINS, sat down on the RIGHT HAND OF THE Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:3). “This man, after He had offered ONE SACRIFICE FOR SINS FOR EVER, sat down on the right hand of God” (Heb. 10:12). “BY ONE OFFERING HE HATH PERFECTED FOREVER them that are sanctified” (Heb. 10:14). “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR US. Much more then, BEING NOW JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, we shall be saved from the wrath though Him. For if, when we were enemies, WE WERE RECONCILED TO GOD BY THE DEATH OF HIS SON, much more, being reconciled, WE SHALL BE SAVED BY HIS LIFE” (Rom. 5:8 – 10)

 

Brethren, we do acknowledge that at some appointed moment in time the awakened sinner does receive Jesus—we do confess Him as our Lord and our Saviour. But we do not dishonor and degrade our Wonderful God by saying that our confession is what allowed God to Save us. Rather we believe that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that He rose again according to the Scriptures. Because He lives, we live also. Our understanding of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ is a result of the Sovereign, Majestic Power of the RISEN, EXALTED, SON OF GOD (1John 5:20), and this DIVINE REVELATION is what moves us to openly and gratefully confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Romans 4:25 says that Christ was DELIVERED FOR OUR OFFENCES AND WAS RAISED AGAIN FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION. Reader, do you believe that Christ died and rose again ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES?”

                                                                            Pastor Gene Harmon

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“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Php. 3:21).  Do you know why we will receive a glorious body like Christ’s? Because before God we are clothed in His righteousness. We appear before God in His beauty, and by God-given faith, by the Spirit of God in us, we trust His beauty, not our own. He will change our vile body to be like His glorious body because the Spirit of Christ dwells in us. We have a nature created in righteousness and true holiness (Eph. 4:24). Though our body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of Christ’s righteousness (Rom. 8:10). The Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead dwells in us. He shall therefore raise our body from death (Rom. 8:11).

The Spirit of Christ in us is God’s holy, incorruptible seed (1 John 3:9; 1 Pet. 1:23; John 6:63). We are thus justified before God by the work of Christ alone. Our new nature is holy because of the Spirit of Christ in us. We are joined to the Lord by His Spirit (1 Cor. 6:17). We therefore cannot die because we are one with Him who is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25-26). We will not only be raised, but we will be raised incorruptible. And we will be changed. God will make His sons known (Rom. 8:19). He will openly make us appear to be what we truly are in Christ and what we are because Christ is in us.  Christ in us is therefore our hope of glory (Col. 1:27). When we see Him, we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. We shall be conformed to His image. We will behold His face in righteousness because we are dressed in His righteousness (Isa. 61:10).

Our body must be like His glorious body because we are one with Him. We were one with Him in eternal election. We were one with Him in His life. We were one with Him in His death. We were one with Him in His burial and in His resurrection. We are one with Him by His Spirit in us. Even our body is one with Him (1 Cor. 6:15). We shall therefore be glorified together with Him (Rom. 8:17).  If you believe that your only hope is that you died to sin in Christ’s death (Rom. 6:3-11), that your sins were forever forgotten in His burial (Ps. 31:12; 88:4-5), and that you rose with Him in His resurrection (Eph. 2:6); if Christ, by His sin-atoning death and resurrected life is all of your hope before God, even all of your life, then you shall be glorified together with Him. Therefore, “seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things in the world” (Col. 3:1-2).   If Christ is thus your hope, then you are dead to the guilt and condemnation of sin, and your life is hid with Christ in God. You now live upon Him by faith (John 6:35-56; Gal. 2:20). Therefore, when Christ who is our life shall appear, we shall appear with Him in glory. We shall be changed. Our bodies shall be made like His glorious body! Death’s sting has been removed because it lost its sting to all who are Christ’s when it stung our Savior (1 Cor. 15:53-58).

                                                            Rick Warta