Heritage Baptist Church

06/24/2026

“Bring The Book”
Pastor Terry Cruse
June 24, 2026

06/24/2026

Mountain Top Moments with God
June 24, 2026

What Sins Are You Talking About?

“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.” Romans 8:33

What we must realize is that we all have a sin problem, and we all have a sinful past. We all are like sheep that have gone astray because we all have a sinful nature. We are sinners by birth, by choice, and by nature.

The Bible says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Therefore, we all stand guilty before a thrice holy God without any hope of heaven apart from being justified by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us look at this question in reverse that we find in our text verse.

• It is God that justifieth.

The word “justification” is a judicial term. It means to be “declared righteous.” Now the righteousness that God sees on our account is the very righteousness of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” (Romans 3:24-26)

Only a holy God can justify an individual from the penalty and the power and from the very presence of sin one day.

Therefore, only God has the power to justify those that have trusted Christ as their Savior and have placed their faith in Him alone. Justification is not found in church membership or creed or catechism or conformation. It is found only in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

• Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?

The devil, who is the accuser of the brethren and the archenemy of the believers, will continuously bring up our past, our failures, and our mess-ups before God.

God sits high and holy upon His throne, and when He looks at our account, He only sees the blood and the righteousness of His Son. He then says to the devil, “What sins are you talking about?”

Because we have been declared righteous, there is no sin of our past, present, and future that can undo the work that God has declared to be done.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)

The answer is no one can lay anything to the charge of God’s people who are the elect.

Let us rest and rejoice in this great doctrinal truth.

Have a “mountain top moment” kind of day!

06/23/2026

Mountain Top Moments with God
June 23, 2026

Freely Given

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32

There is nothing “free” in this world. We should never go through life with an attitude of entitlement as if we deserve something without it costing us.

Yet the Bible says that God spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. In other words, God the Father freely gives us all things through His Son.

Notice three things that this verse speaks of:

(1) Person

“He that spared not his own Son”

The Lord Jesus Christ is God’s gift to the world. God gave heaven’s best when He gave us His only begotten Son.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

There is no other way to God the Father but through and by God the Son.

(2) Price

“…but delivered him up for us all”

It cost God His only begotten Son to satisfy His demands. Undeserving as we are, yet God gave heaven’s best as a sacrifice for sin.

“Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (I Timothy 2:6)

The word “ransom” means “to give in exchange for another as the price of his redemption.”

(3) Provision

“…how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

The Lord is not only the sacrificial Lamb for sin and the Savior for sinners, but He is also the Shepherd for the sheep. Everything that man will ever need will be supplied through the resources and the riches of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us therefore rejoice in this great truth—everything that we possibly will ever need in this life and in the life to come is freely given to us through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Have a “mountain top moment” kind of day!

06/22/2026

Mountain Top Moments with God
June 22, 2026

Unstoppable

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31

The apostle Paul is addressing the fact that God is working all things together for our good and for His glory. We who are the called and the justified and the soon to be glorified are being conformed to the image of His Son.

This process was set in motion the day we trusted Christ as our personal Savior. And what the Lord has set in motion cannot be stopped.

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6)

The good work that the Lord has begun in us is the glorious work of salvation.

In essence, the Lord says, “If God be for us, who can stop us?”

Friend, there is no devil or demon in all of hell that can stop what the Lord has begun in our hearts. There is no agnostic or infidel in all the world who can stop what the Lord has set in motion.

In other words, there is nothing in heaven nor on earth nor under the earth that can stop what the Lord has set in motion.

They may burn the church buildings down, or they may bar and lock the doors. They may attempt to silence our voices or shut us down and stop us, but the church will always rise and continue because God is for us.

So, let it not surprise us that all of hell and all of the world are against us, but with God on our side, we are unstoppable.

Jesus said, “…I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18).

If God be for us and is on our side, we cannot lose, but if we are not with God and on His side, we cannot win! It is just that simple.

Have an “on the winning side” kind of day!

06/21/2026

06/21/2026

“Job - The Greatest of All Men”
Pastor Terry Cruse
June 21, 2026

06/19/2026

Mountain Top Moments with God
June 19, 2026

It Shall Stand

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” Isaiah 40:8

As their captivity comes to an end, the children of God endured the afflictions of being held captive by their enemies.

As they had already endured the afflictions of the Assyrians, and are now leaving the captivity of the Babylonians to begin their long journey home, the Lord reminds them of a great timeless truth.

“The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.” (verses 6-7)

The Lord points out that the Assyrians are like the grass that withereth, and the Babylonians are like the flower that fadeth away. Yet the Word of God has not and furthermore will not whither or fade, but it shall stand forever.

Let us take heart today. Nations will rise, and nations will fall. Kingdoms will come, and kingdoms will go. Kings or presidents will threaten and think that they are stronger and superior than others because of their powerful position.

And if we are not careful, we will begin to believe that there is no way beyond where we are this moment. Think of all the nations through the centuries that used to dominate other nations and think of all the leaders that used to rule over others. Where are they today? Yet the Word of God is still standing.

Let us therefore not place our hope in the grass or in the flower that will eventually wither and fade away. Rather, let us place our hope in this great timeless truth that the promises of the Word of God shall stand forever.

Before the world was fashioned and long after it fades, the Word of God was settled in heaven and therefore shall stand forever.

Dear friend, we have a timeless book that is relevant in our day. May we spend time in it today.

Have a “timeless truths” kind of day!

06/18/2026

Mountain Top Moments with God
June 18, 2026

A Wounded and Withered Heart

“My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.” Psalm 102:4

The heart is such a delicate thing that even the smallest disturbance can cause it much pain. There are times when it may seem that life is drying up on us right before our very eyes.

In this text, we notice that the heart can become wounded and withered.

Here are some things that can wound and wither the heart:
(1) Disappointment
(2) Division
(3) Discouragement
(4) Down casting
(5) Dryness
(6) Debt
(7) Defilement (sin)
(8) Debate
(9) Doubt
(10) Distance (separation)

This is just a small list of things, and yet there are so many more that can cause a heart to be wounded and become withered.

Yet there are some things that can refresh a withered heart such as:
(1) Loving unconditionally
(2) Laughing often
(3) Leaving things with the Lord
(4) Lifting up the needs of others
(5) Lingering before the throne of God in worship
(6) Letting go and letting God handle it
(7) Listening intently for the still, small voice of God speaking
(8) Launching out into the deep with God
(9) Looking unto Jesus
(10) Leaning not to our own understanding but trusting God with all our heart

Let us therefore take our wounded and withered hearts to the Great Physician and allow Him to administer the healing balm of grace and mercy. For only He can restore, refresh, and repair a wounded and withered heart.

Have a “healthy and happy heart” kind of day!