Vacation Bible Camp is offered to the community free of charge. For more information or to register a child, call the church at 973-467-8454 or email nmorris@covenantshorthills.org

“This is ‘your’ King, your very own. He is not a foreign king or a king bent on his own aggrandizement at the expense of the people, but One who had been commissioned to seek and to save. He ‘is coming to you,’ that is, to benefit you.”
- William Hendriksen

“Blessed is the King who who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
- Luke 19:38

“Jesus is King; but the earthly Jerusalem is too small and mean [i.e., humble] to contain his majesty. All nations are to be his. He is the Savior of the world.”
- Michael Wilcock

“And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.’”
- Luke 19:39-40

“Rejecting the peaceful coming of Christ, hardened sinners await his next coming, which is in wrath and judgment.”
- W. F. Adeney

This is momentous knowledge. There is unspeakable comfort–the sort of comfort that energizes, be it said, not enervates–in knowing that God is constantly taking knowledge of me in love and watching over me for my good. There is tremendous relief in knowing that his love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench his determination to bless me.

There is, certainly, great cause for humility in the thought that he sees all the twisted things about me that my fellow humans do not see (and am I glad!), and that he sees more corruption in me than that which I see in myself (which, in all conscience, is enough). There is, however, equally great incentive to worship and love God in the thought that, for some unfathomable reason, he wants me as his friend, and desires to be my friend, and has given his Son to die for me in order to realize this purpose.

- J. I. Packer, KNOWING GOD.

When we think of God’s delight in us and His love to us, is it not shameful that we should have been so seldom engaged in devotion toward Him. ~ Charles Spurgeon

The things that God is most concerned about are our coldness of heart towards Himself and our proud, unbroken natures. Christian service of itself can, and so often does, leave our self-centered nature untouched. ~ Roy Hession

Morning devotion anchors the soul, so that it will not very readily drift far away from God during the day. ~ Charles Spurgeon

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul . . .
Acts 2: 42 ff.

 Man’s bondage under the law continued for about 1,300 years…. But at last the fullness of time arrived (Mark 1:15) – the date set by the Father when the children should attain their majority, be freed from their guardians and inherit the promise. 

 Why is the period of Christ’s coming termed ‘the fullness of time’?  Various factors combined to make it such.  For instance, it was the time when Rome had conquered and subdued the known inhabited earth, when Roman roads had been built to facilitate travel and Roman legions had been stationed to guard them. 

 It was also the time when the Greek language and culture had given a certain cohesion to society.  At the same time, the old mythological gods of Greece and Rome were losing their hold on the common people, so that the hearts and minds of men everywhere were hungry for a religion that was real and satisfying. 

 Further, it was the time when the law of Moses had done its work of preparing men for Christ, holding them under its tutelage and in its prison, so that they longed ardently for the freedom with which Christ could make them free.

 - John R. W. Stott

 When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said, ‘Repent,’ he called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.  - Martin Luther 

When we have understood, trusted, and received the freeing grace of repentance, rejoicing fills our hearts.  Without this joy that is our strength, the new obedience that should be the fruit of true repentance is impossible. … Knowing his pardon, we delight to serve him with a childlike love and a willing mind.  Repentance renews our joy.  - Bryan Chapell, President, Covenant Theological Seminary

 When men neglect the offer of salvation and freeze in sin, this delights the devils, but when a soul is brought home to Christ by repentance this makes joy among the angels.  - Thomas Watson 

Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.  - Jesus, Luke 15:10

Man’s bondage under the law continued for about 1,300 years…. But at last the fullness of time arrived (Mark 1:15) – the date set by the Father when the children should attain their majority, be freed from their guardians and inherit the promise.

Why is the period of Christ’s coming termed ‘the fullness of time’?  Various factors combined to make it such.  For instance, it was the time when Rome had conquered and subdued the known inhabited earth, when Roman roads had been built to facilitate travel and Roman legions had been stationed to guard them.

It was also the time when the Greek language and culture had given a certain cohesion to society.  At the same time, the old mythological gods of Greece and Rome were losing their hold on the common people, so that the hearts and minds of men everywhere were hungry for a religion that was real and satisfying.

Further, it was the time when the law of Moses had done its work of preparing men for Christ, holding them under its tutelage and in its prison, so that they longed ardently for the freedom with which Christ could make them free.  -  John R. W. Stott

 If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. - Matthew 6

I have been around religious circles quite a long time and I have never heard the word resent used by a victorious man.  .  .  .   In the course of scores of conferences and hundreds of conversations I have many times heard people say, “I resent that.”  But I repeat: I have never heard the words used by a victorious man.  Resentment simply cannot dwell in a loving heart.  Before resentfulness can enter, love must take its flight and bitterness take over.  The bitter soul will compile a list of slights at which it takes offense and will watch over itself like a mother bear over her cubs. 

.  .  . 

Few sights are more depressing than that of a professed Christian defending his supposed rights and bitterly resisting any attempt to violate them. - A.  W. Tozer, Of God and Men

 Forgiveness begets gratitude, gratitude creates love, and love brings forth holiness.   - Charles Spurgeon

 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believe is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.  - Paul the Apostle, Acts 13

From Philippians 3:21 we have learned that the resurrection body will be like the glorified body of Christ—radiant, shining, perhaps even dazzling.  We shall not really know what this glory is like until we ourselves shall see it and experience it. - Anthony Hoekema

You have never met a mere mortal.  Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat.  But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendours.  - C. S. Lewis

 After this period God shall rest as on the seventh day, when He shall give us rest in Himself. … There we shall rest and see, see and love, love and praise.  This is what shall be in the end without end.  – Augustine

 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.  He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. - Revelation 21:3