The most dangerous counterfeit is the one that most closely resembles the real. Once again, the Gospel of God, the Gospel of Scripture, the Gospel of Truth, is that Gospel that declares the absolute Sovereignty of God, the Total Depravity of man, God’s eternal choice of His people, the Effectual Redemption of Christ, the Invincible Grace of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, and the Perseverance of those God elected, Christ died for, and the Holy Spirit calls. Any deviation from any of this is no longer Gospel, and the closer a deviation is to the Truth, the more dangerous it is!<\/p>\n
\u201cGod sees fit that we should taste of that cup of which his Son drank so deep, that we might feel a little what sin is, and what his Son’s love was. But our comfort is that Christ drank the dregs of the cup for us, and will <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThis hill, though high, I covet to ascend; <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cDark clouds bring waters, when the bright bring none.\u201d The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation. <\/em><\/p>\n God sweetens outward pain with inward peace.\u2014Thomas Watson<\/strong><\/p>\n Sovereign Grace Is The Gospel<\/strong><\/p>\n Let us state clearly our understanding of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. AT MY LOWEST: GOD IS MY HOPE.<\/p>\n AT MY DARKEST: GOD IS MY LIGHT.<\/p>\n AT MY WEAKEST: GOD IS MY STRENGTH.<\/p>\n AT MY SADDEST: GOD IS MY COMFORTER.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Author unknown.<\/p>\n “The holiest of Christians have to acknowledge <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US… Christian, he loved you before time began, and when in eternity he dwelt alone. When as yet the sun and the moon were not– \u201cReturn unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.\u201d – Psalm 116:7 God\u2019s Glorious Gospel <\/strong> THE GOSPEL of the glory of God in the salvation of sinners is the most wonderful, the most amazing, the most glorious \u201cGood News\u201d which ever fell upon the human ear. It is in every way characteristic of its Author (God-like!) and suitable to the desperate need of spiritually dead sinners (John 5:21-27; Ephesians 2:1; Romans 5:12).<\/p>\n This salvation of undeserving, hell-deserving sinners <\/strong>is fully accomplished by<\/strong> the Lord Jesus Christ, both for <\/strong>them and in <\/strong>them. There is full, free, everlasting salvation for sinners in the Lord Jesus. This salvation comes to sinners freely, by grace, through faith in His name. It is by the sovereign grace of God that sinners hear the \u201cGood News,\u201d believe the \u201cGood News,\u201d and have Christ and life.<\/p>\n When food and drink is set forth before the hungry and thirsty, they eat and drink with relish and thanksgiving. When Christ, the all-sufficient Saviour is set forth before lost, guilty, condemned, hell-deserving sinners, they embrace HIM and live upon HIM, with thanksgiving. Any hungry and thirsty sinners here today? \u2018COME, eat and drink, without money, without price and live forever. \u201cHe that hath the Son, hath life.\u201d<\/p>\n FREED TO PREACH CHRIST The most amazing wonder performed in the world throughout all ages, especially ours, is the successful work of Christ our King in calling out his sheep in the midst of so great opposition.\u00a0 The Lord adds to his church as it pleases him.\u00a0 Yet, because the Lord is pleased, in his good providence, to give us seasons of little increase, it is an easy thing for believers to sometimes grow discouraged.\u00a0 But the fact is, we have no good reason for doubt.\u00a0 Our Lord is risen, reigning and he is ruling.\u00a0 Sinners, \u00a0redeemed by his blood, are called out of darkness into his marvelous light, by him, exactly on time, as it pleases him.\u00a0 Knowing that he triumphantly won the victory over sin and death for all God’s elect, as those born of the sovereign, electing, redeeming grace of God, we are guaranteed the certain success of this ministry, because it is the ministry of the gospel of Christ and him crucified.\u00a0 Just as the Lord freed Peter and John and sent them with boldness to preach all the words of this life, so in our day Christ continues to use his vessels of mercy to confound the wise in calling out his sheep.\u00a0 There is no obstacle too great for our Lord.\u00a0 May we go with the liberty that only Christ gives, declaring all the words of this life, knowing as did Peter and John that he has freed us to preach Christ. Clay Curtis<\/p>\n Come, ye sinners, poor and needy, I will arise and go to Jesus, Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome, Come, ye weary, heavy laden, View Him prostrate in the garden; Lo! th\u2019incarnate God ascended, Let not conscience make you linger, The most dangerous counterfeit is the one that most closely resembles the real. Once again, the Gospel of God, the Gospel of Scripture, the Gospel of Truth, is that Gospel that declares the absolute Sovereignty of God, the Total Depravity of man, God’s eternal choice of His people, the Effectual Redemption of Christ, the Invincible […]<\/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-3311","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\/3311","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=3311"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3312,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3311\/revisions\/3312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nsuccor us, so that our spirits may not utterly fail under that little taste of his displeasure which we may feel. He became not only a man but a curse, a man of sorrows, for us. He was broken that we should not be broken; he was troubled, that we should not be desperately troubled; he became a curse, that we should not be accursed. Whatever may be wished for in an all sufficient comforter is all to be found in Christ.\u201d
\n\u2015 Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n
\nThe difficulty will not me offend.
\nFor I perceive the way to life lies here.
\nCome, pluck up, heart; let’s neither faint nor fear.
\nBetter, though difficult, the right way to go,
\nThan wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.\u201d
\n\u2015 John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u2015 John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n
\nCharles Spurgeon.<\/p>\n
\nThe gospel is the message of God\u2019s love and saving grace to particular sinners by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Godman. Where there is no preaching of substitutionary atonement, suretyship and representation of sinners by the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no gospel.
\nSalvation is a completed work, accomplished upon the cross, sure and certain for every adopted child of God. If sinners are required to do something to activate, apply or secure the benefits of Christ\u2019s work, there is no gospel and our Saviour\u2019s dying testimony \u201cIt is finished\u201d is bereft of all meaning.
\nIf Christ\u2019s work is offered conditionally to all (\u201cChrist will if you will\u201d) implying grace is available to all upon the fulfilment of a condition, work or action, there is no gospel in it.
\nIf a duty to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation is imposed upon the hearer as an obligation of the natural man there is no gospel in it. \u201cFor the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit\u201d.
\nIf any human effort is required to obtain righteousness, holiness, sanctification or peace with God, there is no gospel in it. If living obediently, giving generously, doing diligently, praying passionately or evangelising energetically is required to gain acceptance with God or to please God, it is not the gospel for it gives no hope to a lost sinner.
\nAnd where there is no gospel there is no salvation (Romans 1:16; Ephesians 2:8-10).
\nThe Gospel is the good news that everything necessary for the salvation of sinners was accomplished and finished on the cross by the Lord Jesus Christ. Every needed grace is sovereignly bestowed as a free gift of God, founded in the eternal purpose of God the Father, secured by God the Son, applied by God the Holy Ghost. Anything else is a false gospel and no gospel at all.
\nTo preach the gospel is to preach Jesus Christ, the only Redeemer and Saviour of elect sinners. It is to preach Him as God and man in all of His divinity and humanity, glory and humility, universal dominion and voluntary submission. lt is to bring a sword of division for it separates between those who belong to Christ and those who do not.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Peter Meney.- \u201cNew Focus http:\/\/go-newfocus.co.uk\u201d<\/p>\n
\nthat they are but poor, empty sinners at best;
\n hanging upon a rich, almighty Savior<\/strong>, and
\nsaved alone by His free and sovereign grace.”
\n(Octavius Winslow)<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>
\n-Spurgeon, “Love”
\n<\/em>
\n“We love God, because he first loved us.<\/strong>”<\/p>\n
\nHe thought of you before you had a being.<\/p>\n
\nwhen the sun, the moon, and the stars slept in the mind of
\nGod, like unborn forests in an acorn cup, when the old sea
\nwas not yet born, long before this infant world lay in its
\nswaddling bands of mist– it was then that God had inscribed
\nyour name upon the heart and upon the hands of Christ
\nindelibly, to remain for ever.
\nAnd does not this make you love God?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “We love God, because he first loved us.<\/strong>”<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The day-to-day life of believers is much like that of unbelievers. Believers are not immune from the pressures of this life so it is very easy to lose sight of our place of rest as we are rushing about with our lives. How blessed it is to gather like this each Sunday and be reminded of Him Who is our rest. We do not gather to fight battles, but to rejoice in Him Who already WON the battle. We do not gather in order to perform some act of righteousness hoping to improve our eternal blessedness, but to praise Him Who IS our righteousness. We do not gather to make atonement, but to be reminded of Him who ALREADY made atonement for us by the offering up of Himself, once for all. Let us return to our rest, calling to mind how bountifully the Lord has dealt with us. Do you lack any good thing today? God has dealt bountifully with us in all things needful for this life and the life to come \u2013 praise His name. In Christ and through the knowledge of Him we have everything we need. Moreover, God\u2019s bounty to us is revealed in what He withholds from us: For there is therefore, now, NO CONDEMNATION \u2026 that is exactly how much condemnation I want \u2013 none! And that is exactly how much God has given me. So, return unto thy rest, O my soul!
\n– Joe Terrell<\/p>\n
\nMaurice Montgomery<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Acts 5: 17-20<\/p>\n
\nWeak and wounded, sick and sore;
\nJesus ready stands to save you,
\nFull of pity, love and power.<\/p>\n
\nHe will embrace me in His arms;
\nIn the arms of my dear Savior,
\nO there are ten thousand charms.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nGod\u2019s free bounty glorify;
\nTrue belief and true repentance,
\nEvery grace that brings you nigh.<\/p>\n
\nLost and ruined by the fall;
\nIf you tarry till you\u2019re better,
\nYou will never come at all.<\/p>\n
\nOn the ground your Maker lies.
\nOn the bloody tree behold Him;
\nSinner, will this not suffice?<\/p>\n
\nPleads the merit of His blood:
\nVenture on Him, venture wholly,
\nLet no other trust intrude.<\/p>\n
\nNot of fitness fondly dream;
\nAll the fitness He requireth
\nIs to feel your need of Him.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Joseph Hart.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"