{"id":4252,"date":"2017-06-02T11:14:52","date_gmt":"2017-06-02T11:14:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=4252"},"modified":"2017-06-02T11:14:52","modified_gmt":"2017-06-02T11:14:52","slug":"bulletin-edition-348-may-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=4252","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition #348 May 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

Looking unto Him<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure that some who lived in the days of our Lord\u2019s visitation to earth, and many who heard the gospel from the apostles and the faithful preachers who followed them, could tell you the exact day when they met the risen Redeemer and bowed to His sovereign rule. I have never felt that it was important for a person to be able to tell WHEN he was saved, but rather that he be able NOW to state that he has experienced repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; that NOW he is looking to Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King; that NOW he is resting in His righteousness and effectual sin-offering.<\/p>\n

Too often men and women like to establish a time of conversion and some sort of experience, in order to have something to look back upon for comfort and assurance. But this is dangerous! We are not to look to anything nor anything but Christ for our hope, our assurance, and our comfort. Paul said something about, \u201cforgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before\u201d and \u201clooking unto the Lord Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of us came through the confusion, errors, and false professions of modern fundamentalism, and had so much to unlearn and so many false foundations which had to be destroyed, that it is difficult to set an exact hour when our eyes were turned totally from our idols of religion to our living Lord; or when our hearts were weaned from the pride of our religious works and professions and brought to REST IN HIM ALONE! This is the unaided work of the Spirit of God and the Word of God. And this is the living union which shall never be dissolved.
\nH.T. Mahan<\/p>\n

Substitution<\/p>\n

2 Corinthians 5:21<\/p>\n

Pastor Gene Harmon \u2014 Rescue Baptist Church \u2014 Rescue, California<\/p>\n

Substitution is not a take it or leave it gospel. Substitution is the<\/p>\n

gospel! As the God-man, Jesus Christ walked on this earth in perfect<\/p>\n

obedience to the will of God the Father, establishing a perfect<\/p>\n

righteousness for his chosen people. As the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ<\/p>\n

satisfied the holy justice of God for his elect by laying down his life<\/p>\n

for them. As God\u2019s risen, glorified, exalted King, Jesus Christ now<\/p>\n

lives to give eternal life to all who were given to him by God the<\/p>\n

Father (John 17:1-3). Jesus Christ is the sinner\u2019s only hope, who has<\/p>\n

already entered within the veil, there to appear in the presence of God<\/p>\n

for those he purchased with his own precious blood. Flee to him for<\/p>\n

refuge, and lay hold upon the only sure hope for sinners (Hebrews 6:17 –<\/p>\n

20).<\/p>\n

election<\/p>\n

It is striking how the holy truth of election was woven into the common<\/p>\n

speech of the early church. When Paul greets the Thessalonians, he<\/p>\n

writes,\u201d Knowing brethren beloved your ELECTION of God” (I Thess. 1:4).<\/p>\n

Peter begins his epistle with, “ELECT according to the foreknowledge of<\/p>\n

God;” and when he closes the same letter he says,\u201d The church that is at<\/p>\n

Babylon, ELECTED together with you, saluteth you.” John writes, “The<\/p>\n

elder unto the ELECT lady,” and closes the letter with, “The children of<\/p>\n

my ELECT sister greet thee.”<\/p>\n

It was not at all awkward for election to come out even in these<\/p>\n

greetings and good-byes. Why? Because election was not merely a doctrine<\/p>\n

which they believed the Bible taught, but they worshipped the God of<\/p>\n

election. Election tells us God is God! and election tells us that<\/p>\n

salvation is all of grace. This was doctrine that not only a few of the<\/p>\n

more mature believers believed, but it was woven into the ways and woof<\/p>\n

of the thinking of the early church. It was the first thing Annanias<\/p>\n

told Paul about: “The God of our fathers hath chosen thee” (Acts 22:14).<\/p>\n

Remember this; you cannot separate election and God himself. He is the<\/p>\n

God of election. The early church knew this, and the church of the 20th<\/p>\n

century knows it also!<\/p>\n

Pastor Todd Nibert<\/p>\n

THE MESSAGE OF OLD<\/p>\n

Many religious organizations proudly advertise their services as<\/p>\n

“contemporary”. Their true message is, “we deal with topics that are<\/p>\n

relevant for today’s world.” These religious organizations unashamedly<\/p>\n

proclaim, “Tell us what you want, and that’s what you’ll get. We will<\/p>\n

meet your needs”. This tactic is nothing more than an attempt to be all<\/p>\n

things to all men in order that the masses might be drawn in. These<\/p>\n

congregations major on issues that are actually nothing more than<\/p>\n

current events. They sing songs that are designed to glorify the flesh<\/p>\n

with words that exalt man. Preaching the Gospel has been replaced with<\/p>\n

“share time” to fill the need for so-called “spiritual growth.” After<\/p>\n

all the necessary programs have been strategically laid out to meet the<\/p>\n

criteria of their supposed spiritual needs, these organizations then<\/p>\n

provide every sort of entertainment and bodily exercise humanly<\/p>\n

possible. With million dollar budgets, these religious “works-shops” do<\/p>\n

whatever is necessary to meet the bottom line. That Christ’s honor and<\/p>\n

truth are being disregarded; that men’s souls are being merchandised<\/p>\n

means nothing to them! Obviously, men have been left to their own<\/p>\n

fleshly desires and the blindness of their unregenerate heart.<\/p>\n

In the church of the Lord Jesus, oh how different is the case. The issue<\/p>\n

is not some current event. The believer must hear the truth of Him who<\/p>\n

changes not. He is not satisfied unless he hears the message of the<\/p>\n

sovereign, ruling, reigning God who has everlastingly loved a particular<\/p>\n

people in Christ. The saint of God thrives on the message, the “psalms,<\/p>\n

hymns and spiritual songs” exalting their heavenly Father, the very God<\/p>\n

who has chosen a people in Christ “before the foundation of the world,”<\/p>\n

that they should be holy and without blame before Him in love. The<\/p>\n

believer subsists on the declaration of the beloved Son who, as the<\/p>\n

Surety of the sheep, has lived in righteousness before God’s law on<\/p>\n

behalf of all that the Father has given Him. Herald again the glorious<\/p>\n

message, which is without controversy — the message of God, manifest in<\/p>\n

the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the<\/p>\n

Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. The<\/p>\n

regenerate sinner needs to be told again and again how Christ put away<\/p>\n

his guilt by divinely being made to be sin for him. To the one who has<\/p>\n

been made to know something of his true need, the message of how the<\/p>\n

Lord Jesus Christ died under the wrath and judgment of God’s holy law<\/p>\n

for His sheep, that they might be made the righteousness of God in Him,<\/p>\n

never grows old. Rehearse again in the saint’s ears these eternal<\/p>\n

truths, truths that when received are rejoiced in as if they had never<\/p>\n

been heard before. Justification by Christ’s imputed righteousness,<\/p>\n

propitiation by His blood, and freedom from condemnation for those<\/p>\n

blessed ones found in Christ, that is the message that changes not, the<\/p>\n

message that is the life-sustenance of the renewed man.<\/p>\n

Marvin Stalnaker.<\/p>\n

PAUL, CALLED<\/p>\n

1 Cor. 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the<\/p>\n

will of God . . .<\/p>\n

The Apostle Paul never forgot, nor tried to hide the truth of what he<\/p>\n

was made of. He recounted his self-righteous, God-hating past (1 Tim<\/p>\n

1:13) and acknowledged his present sinfulness, crying, O wretched man<\/p>\n

that I am (Rom. 7:24)! He did not pretend to be something he was not,<\/p>\n

considering himself to be less than the least of all saints and unworthy<\/p>\n

to be called an Apostle (Eph. 3:8, 1 Cor. 15:9). His only claim to any<\/p>\n

authority or favor whatsoever is that he was called (divinely selected<\/p>\n

and appointed) in grace, by God Himself.<\/p>\n

The text also reveals that God didn\u2019t allow Paul to become an Apostle,<\/p>\n

it being Paul\u2019s will to become one. It was by the will of God, that he<\/p>\n

came to this place. The last thing Saul of Tarsus wanted was to be a<\/p>\n

servant of God and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, until God opened his<\/p>\n

eyes. Likewise it is by God\u2019s will that sinners are divinely selected<\/p>\n

and appointed to be saints by the grace of God (Rom. 1:7). The last<\/p>\n

thing I ever wanted to do was submit to God\u2019s will and way of salvation<\/p>\n

by the Person and work of Christ, but like the man of authority in Matt.<\/p>\n

8:9, God said to this man, Come and I came.<\/p>\n

Paul declared his own calling to be a “pattern” of those who should<\/p>\n

thereafter believe. We cannot forget nor hide our shameful past as<\/p>\n

hateful enemies of the God Who made us, nor can we deny our ever-present<\/p>\n

wretchedness and unworthiness to be called by the gracious God Whose law<\/p>\n

we have broken and Whose Son we have slain. Nevertheless, He hath called<\/p>\n

us and His gracious calling is to life and glory in Christ. All that is<\/p>\n

worth mentioning about me can be traced back to His calling me out of<\/p>\n

darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).<\/p>\n

I did not choose Christ, nor make a decision of any kind for Him, nor<\/p>\n

have I ever done anything good, nor ever shall. I am simply Chris,<\/p>\n

called and I have no reason nor desire to ever be anything else.<\/p>\n

Chris Cunningham.<\/p>\n

” ‘TIS not that I did choose Thee,<\/p>\n

For, Lord, that could not be,<\/p>\n

This heart would still refuse Thee.<\/p>\n

But Thou hast chosen me.<\/p>\n

My heart owns none before Thee:<\/p>\n

For Thy rich grace I thirst:<\/p>\n

This knowing, if I love Thee,<\/p>\n

Thou must have loved me first.”<\/p>\n

Josiah Condor<\/p>\n

Election!<\/p>\n

Redemption!<\/p>\n

Calling!<\/p>\n

Justification!<\/p>\n

Preservation!<\/p>\n

From Octavius Winslow’s, “The Divine Attributes<\/p>\n

Entwining Around the Tempted and Trembling Believer”<\/p>\n

The doctrine of God’s eternal, sovereign, and<\/p>\n

unconditional election of a people; his redemption<\/p>\n

of them by the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ;<\/p>\n

his particular and effectual calling of them by the<\/p>\n

Eternal Spirit; their complete pardon and justification,<\/p>\n

and their preservation to eternal glory; these are<\/p>\n

God’s truths, and not to be rejected. They come<\/p>\n

from God, and, when received in the heart, they<\/p>\n

lead to God; they have their origin in him, and to<\/p>\n

him they draw the soul.<\/p>\n

Precious truths!<\/p>\n

How they abase the sinner!<\/p>\n

How they exalt the dear Redeemer!<\/p>\n

How they glorify God!<\/p>\n

How they empty, humble, and sanctify the soul!<\/p>\n

Doctrinal preachers<\/p>\n

by J. C. Philpot<\/p>\n

Some people cannot understand why the doctrinal preachers of our day<\/p>\n

should not be as highly esteemed and as greatly blessed as the doctrinal<\/p>\n

preachers of the last century. They do not see the wide difference<\/p>\n

between receiving the truth at first hand and at second hand. When<\/p>\n

Toplady preached election, and Whitefield urged the new birth, they<\/p>\n

preached what their souls had received directly and immediately from<\/p>\n

God. It was not with them a second or third running, but the pure blood<\/p>\n

of the grape. Their souls had drunk of the wine of the kingdom; and,<\/p>\n

like the apostles on the day of Pentecost, they preached under its<\/p>\n

influence. Peter preaching Christ’s resurrection at Jerusalem;<\/p>\n

Athanasius contending for the Trinity at Alexandria; Luther declaring<\/p>\n

justification by Christ’s righteousness at Wittenberg; Knox thundering<\/p>\n

against Popery at St. Andrews; Whitefield pouring out his very soul in<\/p>\n

enforcing the new birth in Moorfields; Toplady urging election at Orange<\/p>\n

Street Chapel–all preached with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven.<\/p>\n

Many ministers now preach just the same truths; but are they equally<\/p>\n

blessed? No! Why not? Because they have not received them in the same<\/p>\n

way, nor do they preach them under the same power and influence. Their<\/p>\n

thunders are mimic thunders; their preaching is rather acting than<\/p>\n

preaching. Some one asked to see the sword of Scanderbeg, a celebrated<\/p>\n

warrior against the Turks, which was preserved in a museum. “Why,”<\/p>\n

exclaimed he, “there is nothing remarkable in this sword.” “No,” was the<\/p>\n

reply; “but you should have seen the arm which wielded it.” So the<\/p>\n

doctrines of justification, as preached by Luther, and of the new birth,<\/p>\n

as urged by Whitefield, may be stated by any white-cravated youth, with<\/p>\n

a few hairs on his chin. It may be the sword of Scanderbeg; but where is<\/p>\n

the hand that made it drunk with the blood of the slain? The secret of<\/p>\n

all preaching and of all writing is the power of the Holy Spirit; and if<\/p>\n

that be denied, the tongue and pen are both those of the stage-actor!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Looking unto Him I\u2019m sure that some who lived in the days of our Lord\u2019s visitation to earth, and many who heard the gospel from the apostles and the faithful preachers who followed them, could tell you the exact day when they met the risen Redeemer and bowed to His sovereign rule. I have never […]<\/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-4252","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\/4252","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=4252"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4253,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4252\/revisions\/4253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}