{"id":2559,"date":"2013-06-29T09:38:43","date_gmt":"2013-06-29T09:38:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=2559"},"modified":"2013-06-29T09:38:43","modified_gmt":"2013-06-29T09:38:43","slug":"bulletin-edition-177-june-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=2559","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition #177 JUNE 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE BELIEVER SEEKING JESUS
\n<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/em>Spurgeon, “Lions Lacking– But the Children Satisfied”<\/em><\/p>\n

Once a man is saved, he seeks Jesus that he may
\npraise him and put a crown on his head.<\/p>\n

His desire is– Oh, that my heart could find you!
\nthat all its strings might sing sweet music to you.<\/p>\n

Oh that my mouth could find your ear, and that I might
\nbid it open and listen to the whisper of my song.<\/p>\n

Oh that I knew where you did dwell,
\nthat I might sing by the eaves of your habitation,
\nand that you might hear me forever-
\nthat I might perpetually send the songs
\nof my gratitude up to your sacred courts!<\/p>\n

I seek you that I may break the alabaster box
\nof praise on your dear sacred head.<\/p>\n

I seek your that I may put my soul upon the altar,
\nand sacrifice my living self to you.<\/p>\n

I seek you, that I may go where cherubim are singing,
\nwhom I envy, because they–<\/p>\n

“All night long unwearied sing
\nHigh praises to the Eternal King.”<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

CHRIST IS ALL, AND IN ALL<\/strong><\/p>\n

“The Lord is my portion, says my soul.”<\/p>\n

“Christ is all, and in all.”<\/em>–Col. 3:11<\/p>\n

We close these devout meditations with a magnificent Doxology–Christ all, and Christ in all! <\/em>It is an epitome, the substance, the consummation and crown of the whole. Each theme has been a wider opening of the Divine jewel box, presenting another and a closer glimpse of the precious, priceless gem it contained. We now uplift and remove the lid, and, lo! it stands before us in all its grandeur, luster, and completeness–CHRIST, ALL AND IN ALL. Language is exhausted, imagery supplies its last symbol, imagination drops her wing, for inspiration can bear it no higher–Christ is all, and in all!<\/em><\/p>\n

“Blessed Jesus! You are all in all, in creation and redemption, in pardon, grace, and glory. You are all in all in Your Church, and in the hearts of Your people–in all their joys, all their happiness, all their exercises, all their privileges. You are all in all in Your word, ordinances, means of grace, the sum and substance of the whole Bible. Do we speak of promises? You are the first promise in the sacred word, and the whole of every promise that follows; for all in You are ‘Yes and Amen’. Do we speak of the law? You are the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes. Do we speak of sacrifices? By Your one sacrifice You have for ever perfected those who are sanctified. Do we speak of the prophecies? To You give all the prophets witness, that whoever believes in You shall receive the remission of sins. Yes! blessed, blessed Jesus, You are all in all. May You be to me, Lord, the all in all I need in time, and then, surely, You will be my all in all to all eternity!”<\/p>\n

My soul! all that Jesus has is yours! <\/em>Every perfection of His nature, every throb of His heart, every thought of His mind, every drop of His blood, every shred of His righteousness, every atom of His merit, is yours! <\/em>How rich and vast the inventory! How precious and boundless the wealth! Draw largely upon His opulence–He will honor every draft–sink deeply into His fullness–He will supply every need–“for all is yours.”<\/p>\n

But, my soul, Jesus is not only all <\/em>to you, but He is in all that concerns you.<\/em> <\/strong>He is in every event of your history, and He is in every circumstance of your life. He is in every affliction–sanctifying it; He is in every sorrow–sweetening it; He is in every cloud, brightening it–He is in every burden–sustaining it; He rides upon every storm and walks upon every billow, saying to the winds and the waves, “Peace! be still.” Oh, never meet an event or a circumstance in your daily life, be it sad or joyous, but let your faith exclaim, “Jesus is in this! <\/em>He sent it, He comes with it, He will control it, and I shall prove the all-sufficiency of His <\/em>grace, and He shall have every ascription of my praise!” And if the Lord has seen fit to remove from you the one you loved–the blessing you prized–the supplies you needed–the prop upon which you leaned, it is only that He Himself <\/em>should be your all in all. <\/em>Jesus can fill every blank, replace every loss, and be infinitely more to you than the fondest and most essential treasures He ever gave or took away!<\/p>\n

Christ will be all in all when eternity is nearing, and the eye is closing, and the heart is chilling, and the pulse is sinking, and the countenance is changing, and earth is disappearing, and heaven is opening, and friends are weeping–oh then, then,<\/em> JESUS will be ALL AND IN ALL! Down the shaded valley–across the swelling flood–up the celestial hills–onward to the throne high and lifted up–glory bathing it, saints and angels circling it, anthems floating around it–Jesus will then appear as never before–THE ALL AND THE IN ALL of His Church.<\/p>\n

“My flesh and my heart fails; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.”<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
This is my body, which is broken for you<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u201cAnd when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me.\u201d 1Corinthians 11:24<\/p>\n

The sufferings of our Lord in His flesh is not a matter of insignificance. His pain and agony in body stirs the compassion of all those that love Him. It would be heartless not to be touched with the feelings of His infirmities, as by them He is touched with ours. We all justly merit suffering because all we are in the flesh is sin. But not Jesus.<\/p>\n

His sufferings was the reward of His people\u2019s sin, not His. Every pain inflicted upon our Redeemer was ours and He willingly made them His. Indeed there is no efficacy in our suffering, but thanks be unto God there is in His. The inward travail of His soul for us is incomprehensible and infinitely meritorious. However, His suffering and death as a man in the flesh is as vital and is inseparable in His justifying work in redemption. The full price must be paid.<\/p>\n

The word \u201cbroken\u201d is used to relate all of His physical sufferings which progressively intensified and finally culminated in His vicarious death. In order for His sufferings and death to be efficacious to all His loved ones the Bread of Life must be broken, \u201cHe brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you\u201d. He willingly brake the bread and gave it to whom He would, symbolically showing us He was suffering for His particular people and made us partakers thereof.<\/p>\n

The word \u201cbroken\u201d also means \u201cgiven\u201d \u2026 \u201cAnd He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you \u2026\u201d Luke 22:19. Every piercing, every scourging, every anguish inflicted upon His sinless body was predestinated by Almighty God and executed in time accordingly by the hands of you and I.<\/p>\n

As He represented us in His broken body, those that pierced Him represented us as well. We might well say, \u201cWe are guilty of His death\u201d, and \u201cHe is guilty of our salvation\u201d. However, in His accomplishment, I must \u201cdeclare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus\u201d Romans 3:26.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nTommy Robbins<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

—<\/p>\n

MERCY SOUGHT, MERCY FOUND-<\/strong>Clay Curtis.
\n<\/strong>Matthew 8:1-2<\/p>\n

These are shocking words, \u201cthere came a leper.\u201d\u00a0 Leprosy was so horrible that lepers were quarantined.\u00a0 If a leper came near another person he had to cry \u201cUnclean, unclean.\u201d<\/em> Can you picture this scene?\u00a0 As <\/em>the people stand clear for fear of touching this leper finally he <\/em>gets to the Lord Jesus Christ \u201cand worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>I picture the crowd silent in suspense.\u00a0 What will the Master do?\u00a0 \u201cAnd Jesus put forth his<\/em> hand, and TOUCHED him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.\u201d\u00a0 Mercy is obtained when mercy is truly sought.\u00a0 May we see in this leper what it is to truly seek mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

Come to Christ in Desperate Need<\/strong><\/p>\n

Leprosy is one of the best representations of the plague of sin: sin makes everything we touch unclean, sin is incurable by us and sin means death.\u00a0 The leper realized his desperate case.\u00a0 Do you?\u00a0 You may not have leprosy but you have a disease worse than that, you have the disease of sin. Do you know your need of cleansing? Do you know that without Christ you will surely perish forever?\u00a0 Before any sinner will seek mercy, he must first have this desperate need.\u00a0 Seeking mercy is to come to Christ with a need none but Christ can cure.<\/p>\n

Come to Christ in True Humility<\/strong><\/p>\n

The leper came and worshipped him.\u00a0 Luke says, \u201cSeeing Jesus, he fell on his face.\u201d\u00a0 Christ is worshipped with a heart broken and contrite.\u00a0 When the Spirit of God gives a new heart then we see who and what we are in the Light of who Christ is.\u00a0 Our best deeds are filthy rags; Christ is Holy and Righteous.\u00a0 We are full of uncleanness; Christ is the Fountain open for cleansing.\u00a0 Seeking mercy is to come down<\/em>: down from pride, down from self-righteousness, down from self-sufficiency, all the way down to the feet of Christ.\u00a0 Has your heart been broken and humbled at the feet of Christ? (Mt 5: 3-6). Only when we become poor in spirit will we repent from ourselves, fall on our face and worship Christ (Job 42: 5-6).<\/p>\n

Come to Christ Submitting in Faith<\/strong><\/p>\n

The leper said, \u201cLord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.\u201d\u00a0 As bad as his disease was yet Christ had said, \u201cAsk, and it shall be given you\u201d (Mt 7: 7).\u00a0 He came making no demands but casting himself on the will of another, \u201cLord, if thou wilt.\u201d <\/strong>Are you depending on your will or the will of God? <\/strong>Salvation glorifies the will of the Lord not our will (Ro 9: 15-16).\u00a0 The leper acknowledged Christ\u2019s sovereign right to give or withhold grace according to his own sovereign pleasure.\u00a0 Mercy seekers come to Christ believing he is able to do what no one else can, <\/strong>\u201cthou canst make me clean.\u201d <\/strong>Do you believe Christ is who he says he is?\u2014the Son of God. <\/strong>Do you believe Christ has finished the work of salvation so that there remains nothing for you to do?\u00a0 Do you believe that if it is his will Christ can make you clean?\u00a0 Come to Christ submitting to his will, believing on him (Heb 11:6).<\/p>\n

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

Mercy Found<\/strong><\/p>\n

The God of all grace has never rejected a sinner who cast himself upon the King, Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n

I can but perish if I go,<\/em><\/p>\n

I am resolved to try;<\/em><\/p>\n

For if I stay away I know,<\/em><\/p>\n

I must forever die.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

But if I die with mercy sought,<\/em><\/p>\n

When I, the King have tried;<\/em><\/p>\n

This were to die (delightful thought!)<\/em><\/p>\n

As sinner never died.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Jesus put forth his<\/em> hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed\u201d (Mt 8: 3).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE BELIEVER SEEKING JESUS Spurgeon, “Lions Lacking– But the Children Satisfied” Once a man is saved, he seeks Jesus that he may praise him and put a crown on his head. His desire is– Oh, that my heart could find you! that all its strings might sing sweet music to you. Oh that my mouth […]<\/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-2559","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\/2559","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=2559"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2559\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2561,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2559\/revisions\/2561"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}