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<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER">“<font size="3"><b>TWO
ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES</b></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><font size="3"><b>Jim
& Marie Watt</b></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><font size="3"><b>Tel:
253-517-9195 - Email: <a href="mailto:jmbetter@gmail.com" target="_blank">jmbetter@gmail.com</a></b></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><font size="3"><b>Web:
<a href="http://www.2rbetter.org/">www.2rbetter.org</a></b></font></p><p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER">August 1, 2011</p><p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER">
<br></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><b>OUR
SALVATION: <u>FOREVER</u><span style="text-decoration: none;"> ASSURED
BY GOD - 2011-08-01</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">Assured
by God's Grace - Romans 3:24</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">Not
on the Achievement of Man's best effort - Romans 3:20</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">How
do we </span><u>know for sure</u><span style="text-decoration: none;">
our salvation is secure?</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">1.
God's </span><u>Protection</u><span style="text-decoration: none;">
guarantees it. (Romans 8:31, 35-39)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">2.
God's </span><u>Power</u><span style="text-decoration: none;">
guarantees it. (1 Peter 1:3-5, 1 Thess. 5:23-24)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">3.
God's </span><u>Pledge</u><span style="text-decoration: none;">
guarantees it. (Ephesians 1:13-14)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">4.
God's </span><u>Plan</u><span style="text-decoration: none;">
guarantees it. (Romans 8:29-30)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">5.
God's </span><u>Pardon</u><span style="text-decoration: none;">
guarantees it. (1 Peter 1:18)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">6.
God's </span><u>Productivity</u><span style="text-decoration: none;">
guarantees it. (1 Peter 1:23, John 1:12-13)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">7.
God's </span><u>Perseverance</u><span style="text-decoration: none;">
guarantees it. (2 Timothy 1:12, 4:18, 1 Cor. 1:8-9, Phil. 1:6)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">8.
Jesus' </span><u>Prayers</u><span style="text-decoration: none;">
guarantee it. (Hebrews 7:25, 1 John 2:1, John 17:2, 9, 11-12)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">9.
God's </span><u>Presence</u><span style="text-decoration: none;">
guarantees it. (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">10.
Jesus' </span><u>Promise</u><span style="text-decoration: none;">
guarantees it. (1 John 6:37-40, 10:27-30)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">(Taken
from Session 2, “Connecting with God”)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">-
>From the “Getting Connected” Class by Pastor Jeff Moorehead,
Christ's Church of Federal Way, Washington.</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">For
those of you who like alliteration - the above should challenge you.
Can you reach heaven without necessarily believing this? Of course!
George Whitefield was a Calvinist, and John Wesley an Arminian. While
Whitefield was visiting in America, one asked him: “Do you think
John Wesley as an Arminian, will make heaven?” “My dear sir”,
responded Whitefield the Calvinist - “When we get to heaven, John
Wesley will be so close to the throne of God that we will scarcely be
able to see him!” What a gracious response.</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">As
many of you know, I highly regard George Muller, who was powerfully
influenced by George Whitefield. In Muller's biography by Dr. A.T.
Pierson, he records under “Appendix B, Apprehension of Truth” on
page 386, some points which God began to show Mr. Muller while at
Teignmouth in 1829:</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">1.
That the word of God alone is our standard of judgment in spiritual
things; that it can be explained only by the Holy Spirit; and that in
our day, as well as in former times, He is the teacher of His people.
The office of the Holy Spirit I had not experimentally understood
before that time. Indeed, of the office of each of the blessed
persons, in what is commonly called the Trinity, I had no
experimental apprehension. I had not before seen from the Scriptures
that the Father chose us before the foundation of the world; that in
Him that wonderful plan of our redemption originated, and that He
also appointed all the means by which is was to be brought about.
Further, that the Son, to save us, had fulfilled the law, to satisfy
its demands, and with it also the holiness of God; that He had borne
the punishment due to our sins, and had thus satisfied the justice of
God. And further, that the Holy Spirit alone can teach us about our
state by nature, show us the need of a Savior, enable us to believe
in Christ, explain to us the Scriptures, help us in preaching, etc.
It was my beginning to understand this latter point in particular,
which had a great effect on me; for the Lord enabled me to put it to
the test of experience, by laying aside commentaries, and almost
every other book, and simply reading the word of God and studying it.
The result of this was, that the first evening that I shut myself
into my room, to give myself to prayer and meditation over the
Scriptures, I learned more in a few hours than I had done during a
period of several months previously. </span></span><i><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">But
the particular difference was, that I received real strength for my
soul in doing so</span></span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">.
I now began to try by the test of the Scriptures the things which I
had learned and seen, and found that only those principles which
stood the test were really of value.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">2.
Before this period I had been much opposed to the doctrines of
election, particularly redemption, and final persevering grace; so
much so that, a few days after my arrival at Teignmouth I called
election a devilish doctrine. I did not believe that I had brought
myself to the Lord, for that was too manifestly false; but yet I
held, that I might have resisted finally. And further, I knew nothing
about the choice of God's people, and did not believe that the child
of God, when once made so, was safe for ever. In my fleshly mind I
had repeatedly said, If once I could prove that I am a child of God
for ever, I might go back into the world for a year or two, and then
return to the Lord, and at last be saved. But now I was brought to
examine these precious truths by the word of God. Being made willing
to have no glory of my own in the conversion of sinners, but to
consider myself merely as an instrument; and being made willing to
receive what the Scriptures said; I went to the Word, reading the New
Testament from the beginning, with a particular reference to these
truths. To my great astonishment I found that the passages which
speak decidedly for election and persevering grace were about four
times as many as those which speak apparently against these truths;
and even those few, shortly after, when I had examined and understood
them, served to confirm me in the above doctrines. As to the effect
which my belief in these doctrines had on me, I am constrained to
state, for God's glory, that though I am still exceedingly weak, and
by no means so dead to the lusts of the flesh, and the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life, as I might and as I sought to be, yet,
by the grace of God, I have walked more closely with Him since that
period. My life has not been so variable, and I may say that I have
lived much more for God than before. And for this have I been
strengthened by the Lord, in a great measure, through the
instrumentality of these truths. For in the time of temptation, I
have been repeatedly led to say: Should I thus sin? I should only
bring misery into my soul for a time, and dishonor God; for, being a
son of God for ever, I should have to be brought back again, though
it might be in the way of severe chastisement. Thus, I say, the
electing love of God in Christ (when I have been able to realize it)
has often been the means of </span></span></span><i><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">producing
holiness, instead of leading me into sin</span></span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">.
It is only the notional apprehension of such truths, the want of
having them in the heart, while they are in the head, which is
dangerous.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">3.
Another truth, into which, in a measure, I was led, respected the
Lord's coming. My views concerning this point, up to that time, had
been completely vague and unscriptural. I had believed what others
told me, without trying it by the Word. I thought that things were
getting better and better, and that soon the whole world would be
converted. But now I found in the Word that we have not the least
Scriptural warrant to look for the conversion of the world before the
return of our Lord. I found in the Scriptures that that which will
usher in the glory of the church, and uninterrupted joy to the
saints, is the return of the Lord Jesus, and that, till then, things
will be more or less in confusion. I found in the Word, that the
return of Jesus, and not death, was the hope of the apostolic
Christians; and that it became me, therefore, to look for His
appearing. And this truth entered so into my heart that, though I
went into Devonshire exceedingly weak, scarcely expecting that I
should return again to London, yet I was immediately, on seeing this
truth, brought off from looking for death, and was made to look for
the return of the Lord. Having seen this truth, the Lord also
graciously enabled me to apply it, in some measure at least, to my
own heart, and to put the solemn question to myself - What may I do
for the Lord, before He returns, as He may soon come?</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">4.
In addition to these truths, it pleased the Lord to lead me to see a
higher standard of devotedness than I had seen before. He led me, in
a measure, to see what is my true glory in this world, even to be
despised, and to be poor and mean with Christ. I saw then, in a
measure, though I have seen it more fully since, that it ill becomes
the servant to seek to be rich, and great, and honored in that world
where his Lord was poor, and mean, and despised. - George Muller</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><u><b><span style="font-style: normal;">NOTE</span></b></u><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><b>:
</b></span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">I
made a note following the above word: “The apostle Paul and George
Muller saw much alike in this respect.” J.A.Watt</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
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