{"id":1161,"date":"2011-08-07T09:24:38","date_gmt":"2011-08-07T09:24:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=1161"},"modified":"2011-08-07T09:24:38","modified_gmt":"2011-08-07T09:24:38","slug":"bulletin-articles-issue-80-july-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=1161","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Articles Issue #80 July 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bread or Poison?<\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/strong>Clay Curtis<\/a><\/p>\n

Malachi 1:7: Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD <\/strong>is<\/strong><\/em> contemptible.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>The next time you are baking a fresh loaf of homemade bread, mix in rat poison. Do you think you could obtain life by eating it? Why not, there will be good bread in each bite? The problem is that the whole loaf is contaminated by the poison. We would not even call such mixture bread, we would call it poison.<\/p>\n

There is no doubt that the Pharisees used the good food of the scriptures. The Judaizers in Galatia even used that good name of Christ Jesus the Bread. They added many good ingredients of true doctrine. Yet, insisting there is something the sinner can do to make himself more holy than Christ does, they denied that God put away the sin of his people according to his holy justice; that he by himself justified each child whom he saves in the person of his Son; they sprinkled in the poison of man’s free will contaminating the whole. The apostle Paul called it, “another gospel.” The Lord called it, “the leaven of the Pharisees.” Believers call it poison.<\/p>\n

According to his word, a sinner can as soon expect life from eating rat poison as from eating such polluted bread. The Lord Jesus Christ saves in power, in righteousness and in truth or he does not save at all<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

The good Shepherd’s flock<\/strong>
\n(Henry Law<\/a>, “Deuteronomy” 1858)<\/p>\n

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know
\nthem, and they follow Me.” John 10:27<\/p>\n

The good Shepherd’s flock<\/strong> is widely
\nscattered. They wander far on hills, and
\nvalleys, in every land, and every climate.<\/p>\n

Some pant beneath a tropic sun.
\nSome shiver in perpetual snows.
\nA watchful eye sees all.
\nAnd in fit time each is approached.
\nJesus Himself draws near.
\nHe wins the heart.
\nHe enters in.
\nHe takes the throne.
\nHe shows His smile.
\nHe melts the rock.
\nHe turns the enmity to love.
\nHe sits a conqueror in a once rebel camp.
\nAll given by the Father come to
\nHim, because He comes to them.
\nThey follow, because He calls.
\nThey run, because He draws.<\/p>\n

He opens out His arms; and then \u00a0they flee quickly to the shelter.<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Are you Hungry?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Clay Curtis<\/p>\n

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (Matthew 5: 6)<\/p>\n

I read that during the days of the Great Depression in this country there was such a famine of bread that families had to go to soup kitchens or bread trucks and wait in long lines in awful conditions just to get enough food for one meal. They did not have a concern for what the kitchen looked like, or the bread truck, or those who served.<\/p>\n

Never did they ever think of not going because the time did not suit them just right. It was not a concern how far they might have to travel or that they were required to go back time-after-time for each meal. No. None of those things mattered for one simple reason: they were hungry. The only thing that mattered was getting the bread.<\/p>\n

So it is when God gives a hunger for Christ the Bread .<\/p>\n

Keep this medicine next to your heart<\/strong>
\n(Thomas Watson<\/a>, “The Lord’s Supper”)<\/p>\n

“The people of Israel called the bread manna<\/em>.
\nIt was white like coriander seed and tasted
\nlike wafers made with honey<\/em>.” Exodus 16:31<\/p>\n

The manna <\/em>was a lively type and emblem of Christ,
\nfor manna was sweet<\/em>. It was a delicious food\u2014and
\nwas called angel’s food <\/strong>for its excellency. Psalm
\n78:25. So Christ, the sacramental manna, is sweet
\nto a believer’s soul. “His fruit was sweet to my taste,”
\nSong of Solomon 2:3. Everything of Christ is sweet.
\nHis name is sweet. His virtue is sweet. This manna
\nsweetens the bitter waters of Marah.
\nNay, Christ’s flesh excels manna. Manna was food<\/em>\u2014but
\nnot medicine<\/em>. If an Israelite had been sick, manna could
\nnot have cured him. But this blessed manna is not only
\nfor food\u2014but for medicine! Christ has healing <\/em>under His
\nwings, Malachi 4:2. He heals the blind eye<\/em>, and the hard
\nheart<\/em>. Keep this medicine next to your heart<\/strong>\u2014and it
\nwill heal you of all your spiritual distempers!
\nAlso, manna was corruptible. It ceased when Israel came
\nto Canaan. But this blessed manna will never cease! The
\nsaints will feed with infinite delight and soul satisfaction,
\nupon Christ\u2014to all eternity! The joys of heaven would
\ncease\u2014if this manna would cease.<\/p>\n

Every crumb of this Bread of life is precious!<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I asked the Lord, that I might grow<\/span><\/strong>
\n(John Newton<\/a>)<\/p>\n

I asked the Lord, that I might grow
\nIn faith, and love, and every grace;
\nMight more of His salvation know;
\nAnd seek more earnestly His face.<\/p>\n

Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
\nAnd He, I trust has answered prayer;
\nBut it has been in such a way,
\nAs almost drove me to despair!<\/p>\n

I hoped that in some favored hour,
\nAt once He’d answer my request;
\nAnd by His love’s constraining power,
\nSubdue my sins–and give me rest!<\/p>\n

Instead of this, He made me feel
\nThe hidden evils of my heart;
\nAnd let the angry powers of hell
\nAssault my soul in every part!<\/p>\n

Yes more, with His own hand He seemed
\nIntent to aggravate <\/em>my woe!
\nCrossed all the fair designs I schemed,
\nBlasted my gourds–and laid me low!<\/p>\n

“Lord, why is this!”<\/em> I trembling cried,
\n“Will you pursue your worm to death?”
\n“This is the way,” the Lord replied,
\n“I answer prayer for grace and faith.”<\/p>\n

“These inward<\/em> trials<\/em> I employ,
\nFrom self<\/em> and pride<\/em> to set you free;
\nAnd break your schemes of earthly joy,<\/em>
\nThat you may seek your all in Me!”<\/p>\n

“God’s people, whenever they are scorched by
\nafflictions as by hot sun-beams, may resort to
\nhim, who is as a shadow of a great rock, and be
\neffectually sheltered, and sweetly refreshed<\/strong>.”
\n
\n-Jonathan Edwards <\/em><\/p>\n

“All is well that ends everlastingly well.”\u2014Anon.<\/p>\n

God takes care of poor weak Christians that are struggling with temptations and corruptions; Christ carries them in His arms. All Christ’s sheep are diseased, and therefore He will have a tender care of them (Isaiah 40:11). Richard Sibbes<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bread or Poison? Clay Curtis Malachi 1:7: Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. The next time you are baking a fresh loaf of homemade bread, mix in rat poison. Do you think you could obtain […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bulletin-editions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1161"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1163,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1161\/revisions\/1163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}