{"id":2687,"date":"2013-12-07T10:01:49","date_gmt":"2013-12-07T10:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=2687"},"modified":"2013-12-07T10:01:49","modified_gmt":"2013-12-07T10:01:49","slug":"bulletin-edition-192-december-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=2687","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition #192 DECEMBER 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mark then well the importance of the Truth of God<\/strong>, for in these days men are apt to set light by it and, for the sake of peace and quiet, to lead us to suppose that contrary things can also be true.
\nThe Truth is not only important, but substantial in its character. The Gospel which God has revealed is so essentially THE Truth there is nothing false, as there is nothing trifling in it. It is Truth unalloyed. It is Truth which ought to be undoubted. It is a vile sin to imagine that there can be any fallacy in the utterances of an Infallible God! Let everything else we credit be a lie. Let all that man has asserted and proved be swept away\u2014God\u2019s Words are the Truth, substantially and really so!
\nThe Truth, moreover, is a thing of unity. It is not said \u201ctruths,\u201d but \u201cTHE TRUTH.\u201d God\u2019s Truth is only one. Have you ever noticed, in the great summary of Doctrines, that as surely as you believe one, you must believe the rest! One Doctrine so leans upon the others that if you deny one, you must deny the rest. Some think that they can believe four out of the five points and reject the last. It is impossible! God\u2019s Truths are all joined together like links in a chain. There is but one Truth, and one system of the Truth of God. \u201cThen,\u201d say some, \u201ctell us how to discern the Truth.\u201d You may judge of it by three things\u2014by God, by Christ and by man. That is, the truth which honors God, the truth which glorifies Christ, and the truth which humbles man. Unless a Doctrine exalts God, unless it acknowledges Him Monarch of Creation and gives Him absolute power over His creatures\u2014 He the Potter and ourselves the clay, He molding the vessels as seem good in His sight, we the vessels that are molded after His pleasure, God everything and ourselves nothing\u2014that doctrine is not the Truth of God. And unless a Doctrine magnifies the Atonement\u2014if it asserts that the Atonement may fail, that it was made for many who do not benefit by it, that God\u2019s purpose in redemption is in anywhere frustrated\u2014it is not of God, it is of Satan! If a doctrine teaches that man is possessed of good natural powers, that he is not so fallen as the Bible states, that he can do something to help himself, that his exertions can meet with God\u2019s Grace half way, that he can assist a little in the work of salvation, or, at any rate, that he can preserve himself from falling and hold on his way with steadfastness, it is a man-glorifying, God-dishonoring doctrine! Cast it to the winds, for it never came from above. God never intended it to be preached otherwise than as the very foil of blackness against the brightness of His own Truth! C. H. Spurgeon<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

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

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

Love suffering, and bleeding, and expiring!
\n<\/em><\/strong>
\n<\/em>(Octavius Winslow, “No Separation from Christ Jesus”)
\n<\/em>
\nThe love of Christ! Such a precious theme!
\nOf it can we ever weary? Never!
\nIts greatness can we ever know? Never!
\nIts plenitude can we fully contain? Never!
\nIts depths cannot be fathomed, its
\ndimensions cannot be measured!
\nIt passes knowledge!
\nAll that Jesus did for His people was but
\nthe unfolding and expression of His love.
\nTraveling to Bethlehem; I see love incarnate!<\/p>\n

Tracking his steps as he went about doing good; I see love laboring!
\nVisiting the house of Bethany; I see love sympathizing!
\nStanding by the grave of Lazarus; I see love weeping.
\nEntering the gloomy precincts of Gethsemane; I see love sorrowing!
\nPassing on to Calvary; I see love suffering, and bleeding, and expiring! <\/strong>
\nThe whole scene of His life is but an unfolding of the deep,
\nand awesome, and precious mystery of redeeming love! <\/strong><\/p>\n

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

—<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

It is utterly impossible!
\n<\/strong>
\n(Octavius Winslow, 1852)<\/p>\n

It has been the distinctive aim, and the sincere
\ndesire of my ministry \u2014 to make known and to
\nendear the Savior to your hearts. <\/em><\/p>\n

Oh, how worthy is He . . .
\nof your most exalted conceptions,
\nof your most implicit confidence,
\nof your most self-denying service,
\nof your most fervent love!<\/p>\n

When He could give you no more<\/em> \u2014 and
\nthe fathomless depths of His love, and
\nthe boundless resources of His grace,
\nwould not be satisfied by giving you
\nless \u2014 He gave you Himself! <\/em><\/p>\n

Robed in your nature,
\nladen with your curse,
\noppressed with your sorrows,
\nwounded for your transgressions,
\nand slain for your sins \u2014
\nHe gave His entire self for you!<\/p>\n

His redeeming work now finished \u2014 He is perpetually
\nengaged in meting out blessings to His people, from
\nthe exhaustless treasures of His love! He constantly
\nwoos your affection \u2014 invites your grief \u2014 and bids you
\nrepair with your daily trials<\/em> to His sympathy, and with
\nyour hourly guilt<\/em> to His blood. You cannot in your drafts
\nupon Christ’s fullness, be too covetous; nor in your
\nexpectations of supply, be too extravagant! You may
\nfail, as, alas! the most of us do, in making too little of
\nChrist \u2014 but you cannot fail, in making too much of Him!
\n
\nIt is utterly impossible<\/strong> to know Christ,
\nand not become inspired with a desire . . .
\nto love <\/em>Him supremely,
\nto serve <\/em>Him devotedly,
\nto resemble <\/em>Him closely,
\nto glorify <\/em>Him faithfully here,
\nand to enjoy <\/em>Him fully hereafter!<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

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

This baffles all our comprehension! <\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>
\n
\n(John MacDuff, “Clefts of the Rock” 1874)<\/em><\/p>\n

“So the Word became human<\/strong> and lived
\nhere on earth among us.” John 1:14<\/p>\n

What a transition! <\/strong><\/p>\n

What a stoop<\/strong> for that Infinite Being who proclaimed
\nHimself the Alpha and the Omega; for “The Ancient
\nof days” to assume the nature and take the form of
\na cradled infant, sleeping on a virgin mother’s breast!<\/p>\n

We have no plumb line<\/strong> to sound the depths of that
\nhumiliation.\u00a0We have no arithmetic<\/strong> by which it can
\nbe submitted to any process of calculation.<\/p>\n

If we can entertain for a moment the shocking
\nsupposition of the loftiest created spirit in heaven
\nabjuring his angel nature, and becoming an insect
\nor a worm; we can, in some feeble degree, estimate
\nthe descent involved in the transformation.<\/p>\n

But, for the Illimitable, Everlasting Jehovah,
\nHimself to become incarnate . . .
\nthe Creator, to take the nature of the created;
\nthe Infinite, to be joined with the finite;
\nDeity, to be linked with dust;
\nthis baffles all our comprehension! <\/strong><\/p>\n

We can only lie in adoring reverence, and
\nexclaim with the apostle, “O the depth!”<\/p>\n

“Wonder, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth!”<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

He gave so much that He could give no more!<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Henry Law, “Gleanings from the Book of Life”)<\/em><\/p>\n

With what a price has Christ redeemed His people!<\/p>\n

He paid not silver and gold for their ransom.<\/p>\n

He gave not all the precious things of earth as
\ntheir equivalent. He heaped not worlds upon worlds
\nand placed them as payment in the balance of God’s
\njustice. All such expenditure would have been as
\nunavailing as the chaff.<\/p>\n

He gave . . .
\nHimself,
\nHis life,
\nHis blood. <\/strong><\/p>\n

He gave so much that He could give no more!<\/strong><\/p>\n

And He gave this to bear the extremest curse of
\nGod, to endure all the punishment, and all the
\nmiseries, and all the anguish which His people
\nmust have suffered if they had wailed through all
\nthe endless ages amid the torments of the lost!<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Invincibly and irresistibly drawn<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

(J. C. Philpot, “True Discipleship”, 1869)<\/p>\n

As the Lord is pleased to enlighten
\nhis mind, the Christian sees . . .<\/strong>
\nsuch a beauty,\u00a0such a blessedness, \u00a0such a heavenly sweetness,
\nsuch a divine loveliness, \u00a0such a fullness of surpassing grace,
\nsuch tender condescension,\u00a0such unwearied patience,
\nsuch infinite compassion, in the Lord of life and glory<\/strong> \u2014 that he is as
\nif invincibly and irresistibly drawn<\/strong> by these
\nattractive influences to come to His feet to learn of Him. So far as the Lord is pleased to reveal Himself in some measure to his soul, by the sweet glimpses and glances which he thus obtains of His Person and countenance, he is drawn to His blessed Majesty by cords of love to look up unto Him and beg of Him that He would drop His word with life and power into his heart.<\/p>\n

—<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

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

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

The Wisdom of the Gospel<\/strong><\/p>\n

The gospel is the sum of wisdom; a collection of knowledge; a treasure-house of truth; and a disclosure of mysterious secrets. In it we see how justice and mercy may be associated; here we see unalterable law entirely satisfied, and sovereign love carrying away the sinner in triumph. Our meditation on it broadens the mind; and as it opens to our soul in successive flashes of glory, we stand astonished at the profound wisdom manifest in it. Yes, dear friends! if you seek wisdom, you will see it displayed in all its greatness; not in the firmness of the earth’s foundations\u2014not in the measured march of the clouds of the sky, nor in the perpetual motions of the waves of the sea; not in the vegetation with all its intricate forms of beauty, nor in the animal with its marvelous tissue of nerve, and vein, and sinew; nor even in man, that last and loftiest work of the Creator. But turn aside and see this great sight!-an incarnate God upon the cross; a substitute atoning for mortal’s guilt; a sacrifice satisfying the vengeance of Heaven, and delivering the rebellious sinner. Here is essential wisdom; enthroned, crowned, and glorified. Admire, you men of the earth, if you are not blind; and you who glory in your learning bow your heads in reverence, and admit that all your skill could not have devised a gospel that is one so just to God, so safe to man. C. H. Spurgeon<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

The Gospel<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Octavius Winslow, “Morning Thoughts”)<\/em><\/p>\n

The gospel <\/strong>is the master-work of Jehovah, presenting the greatest display of His manifold wisdom, and the most costly exhibition of the riches of His grace. In constructing it He would seem to have summoned to His aid all the resources of His own infinity . . .
\nHis fathomless wisdom<\/strong>, \u00a0\u00a0 His boundless love<\/strong>, \u00a0\u00a0 His illimitable grace<\/strong>,
\nHis infinite power<\/strong>, \u00a0\u00a0 His spotless holiness<\/strong>, all contributed their glory, and conspired to present it to the universe as the most consummate piece of Divine workmanship! The revelations<\/strong> it makes, the facts<\/strong> it records, the doctrines<\/strong> it propounds, the effects<\/strong> is produces, proclaim it to be the “glorious<\/strong> gospel<\/strong> of the blessed God.”<\/p>\n

We live encircled by shadows<\/span> . . . \u00a0 our friends<\/strong> are shadows, \u00a0 our comforts<\/strong> are shadows, \u00a0 our supports<\/strong> are shadows, \u00a0 our pursuits<\/strong> are shadows, and \u00a0 we ourselves<\/strong> are shadows passing away. But in the precious gospel<\/strong> we have substance<\/span>, we have reality, we have that which remains with us when all other things disappear, leaving the soul desolate, the heart bleeding, and the spirit bowed in sorrow to the dust. But the gospel<\/strong> . . . \u00a0\u00a0 guides our perplexities<\/strong>, \u00a0\u00a0 mitigates our griefs<\/strong>, \u00a0\u00a0 sanctifies our sorrows<\/strong>, \u00a0\u00a0 heals our wounds<\/strong>, \u00a0\u00a0 dries our tears<\/strong>,
\nbecause it leads us to . . . \u00a0\u00a0 the love<\/strong>, \u00a0\u00a0 the tenderness<\/strong>, \u00a0\u00a0 the sympathy<\/strong>,
\nthe grace<\/strong> of Jesus.<\/p>\n

The gospel<\/strong> . . .
\nreveals Jesus, \u00a0\u00a0 speaks mainly of Jesus, \u00a0\u00a0 leads simply to Jesus, and this makes it “glad tidings of great joy,” to a poor, lost, ruined, tried, and tempted sinner!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mark then well the importance of the Truth of God, for in these days men are apt to set light by it and, for the sake of peace and quiet, to lead us to suppose that contrary things can also be true. The Truth is not only important, but substantial in its character. The Gospel […]<\/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-2687","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\/2687","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=2687"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2687\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2689,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2687\/revisions\/2689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}