THE DOG FOLLOWS HIS MASTER<\/p>\n
By Henry Mahan<\/p>\n
Song by John Newton<\/p>\n
So long as two men are walking together, you cannot tell which one of<\/p>\n
them the dog belongs to. But let the two men part company and it then<\/p>\n
becomes evident; the dog will follow his master! The dog does not<\/p>\n
hesitate, de\u00adbate, or remain undecided; he quickly follows the one he loves.<\/p>\n
Where Christ and men separate; where the Word of God and the traditions<\/p>\n
of men divide; where the ways of God and ways of the flesh part, \u00adthe<\/p>\n
servant of Christ does not hesitate, debate, or remain undecided; he<\/p>\n
follows Christ, whom he loves, regardless of the cost.<\/p>\n
The master may go to a sim\u00adple cottage, a meal of dry bread, and a<\/p>\n
lonesome ex\u00adistence while his companion enjoys all the luxuries of the<\/p>\n
world. But the faithful dog cares little for these things so long as he<\/p>\n
is with his master.<\/p>\n
“Content with beholding His face,<\/p>\n
My all to His pleasure resigned;<\/p>\n
No changes of season or place,<\/p>\n
Would make any change in my mind;<\/p>\n
While blest with a sense of His love,<\/p>\n
A palace a toy would appear;<\/p>\n
And prisons would palaces prove,<\/p>\n
If Jesus would dwell with me there.”<\/p>\n
“When They Heard This”<\/p>\n
(Acts 2:37) “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart,<\/p>\n
and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren,<\/p>\n
what shall we do?”<\/p>\n
Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost is one of the best that has ever<\/p>\n
been preached. Through it 3000 were brought to conviction, to<\/p>\n
conversion, to faith in and union with Christ. It is plain and clear. It<\/p>\n
hit them hard. It was very personal. It was to the point. It was full of<\/p>\n
Scripture.<\/p>\n
It was a powerful sermon because Peter believed what he was saying. He<\/p>\n
knew that these, with wicked hands, had crucified our Lord and Saviour.<\/p>\n
He knew that the Lord Jesus Christ had risen from the grave, and<\/p>\n
returned to Heaven.<\/p>\n
It was a powerful sermon because it was full of Scripture. He quotes<\/p>\n
Psalm after Psalm, for that is the best way to preach.<\/p>\n
It was a powerful sermon because he was filled with the spirit. He had<\/p>\n
heard “the sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind,” which “filled<\/p>\n
all the house where they were sitting.” He was so filled with God’s<\/p>\n
Spirit in his preaching that many cried out, “Men and brethren, what<\/p>\n
shall we do?”<\/p>\n
“They were pricked in their heart” \u2013 and this is painful. The best<\/p>\n
preaching is that which pricks our heart. This is the only kind of<\/p>\n
impression that is a saving impression. It is not if I please your ears,<\/p>\n
your eyes, your sense of smell, but if your heart is pricked.<\/p>\n
Many attempts are made to make people religious from the outside. It is<\/p>\n
done with clothes, and how you wear you hair. How can our heart be<\/p>\n
affected by what we wear? None have ever been brought to Christ that way.<\/p>\n
Some say salvation comes by eating or not eating, by drinking or not<\/p>\n
drinking. Our Lord said, it is “Not that which goeth into the mouth<\/p>\n
defileth a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, that defileth a<\/p>\n
man.” It is the heart which must be changed. If your conversion is<\/p>\n
produced in the flesh, it will only be concerned with fleshly things.<\/p>\n
Never be satisfied with a religion which does not affect your heart.<\/p>\n
Never be satisfied with worship that is not from the heart. If you are<\/p>\n
to be blessed by the hearing of this Gospel, then you must be pricked in<\/p>\n
your heart.<\/p>\n
When Peter preached in Acts 5:33, we find that, “When they heard that,<\/p>\n
they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.” Did you<\/p>\n
notice the difference in some being pricked in their heart, and the<\/p>\n
others only cut to their heart? Being only cut to their heart, it did<\/p>\n
not go all the way \u2013 and since it did not go all the way, they were not<\/p>\n
converted, but tried to kill the preachers. These are the 2 impressions<\/p>\n
the preaching of the Gospel always makes. If the Sword of the Spirit<\/p>\n
does not prick you in the heart, no lasting, saving work will be done.<\/p>\n
When these heard that Jesus was the Christ, they bowed to Him. That is<\/p>\n
what Peter told them. He told them who Christ was, what He came to do,<\/p>\n
WHAT He did, WHO sent Him, and WHERE He is now. He spoke of Christ. That<\/p>\n
is all he talked about, for it was the preaching of Christ alone that<\/p>\n
pricked their hearts. And this is what we are to preach, for nothing<\/p>\n
will more pierce your heart than the discovery of God’s great love in<\/p>\n
giving His well-beloved Son to die for you. If that does not prick your<\/p>\n
heart, nothing will.<\/p>\n
Milton W. Howard is pastor of Kitchens Creek Baptist Church in Ball<\/p>\n
(John MacDuff, “The Precepts of Jesus”<\/p>\n
A guide through life to immortality!)<\/p>\n
“Who would not fear You, O King of nations?”<\/p>\n
Jeremiah 10:7<\/p>\n
How reasonable it is, that this glorious Being, whose<\/p>\n
greatness is unsearchable\u2014should be regarded with<\/p>\n
feelings of the profoundest reverence. It is, indeed, His<\/p>\n
due, and as such He claims it from all His creatures.<\/p>\n
“Concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There<\/p>\n
is no fear of God before his eyes.” Psalm 36:1<\/p>\n
To have no fear of God before their eyes\u2014is at once<\/p>\n
the greatest injustice, and the most unutterable folly!<\/p>\n
All who have the impudence to lift up their puny<\/p>\n
arms in rebellion against Him, are engaged in a<\/p>\n
conflict, which, if persisted in, is sure to terminate<\/p>\n
in their utter destruction!<\/p>\n
Reader, think of His incomprehensible greatness<\/p>\n
and majesty. Think of Him as the High and Lofty<\/p>\n
One who inhabits eternity\u2014<\/p>\n
the heavens His throne,<\/p>\n
the earth His footstool,<\/p>\n
the light His garment,<\/p>\n
the clouds His chariot,<\/p>\n
the thunder His voice!<\/p>\n
Viewing Him thus\u2014it will be impossible for you to<\/p>\n
treat Him with indifference, far less with scornful<\/p>\n
disdain. If you are only brought in some measure,<\/p>\n
to realize the fact of God’s greatness and majesty,<\/p>\n
you cannot fail to acknowledge that He is greatly<\/p>\n
to be feared, and to be held in reverence by all<\/p>\n
His creatures.<\/p>\n
Just so, with all the other attributes of His nature.<\/p>\n
Who can think of His power so mighty, so irresistible<\/p>\n
\u2014a power which is able to crush us into atoms with<\/p>\n
infinitely greater ease than we can tread the crawling<\/p>\n
worm beneath our feet\u2014and not fear Him?<\/p>\n
Who can think of His knowledge, nothing being<\/p>\n
hidden from His omniscient glance, the darkness of<\/p>\n
midnight and the splendor of noon, being altogether<\/p>\n
alike to Him\u2014and not fear Him?<\/p>\n
Who can think of the terrors of His avenging justice,<\/p>\n
and not fear Him\u2014especially, as when He proclaims<\/p>\n
from His exalted throne, “There is no god other than<\/p>\n
Me! I am the one who kills and gives life; I am the<\/p>\n
one who wounds and heals; no one delivers from<\/p>\n
My power! As surely as I live, when I sharpen My<\/p>\n
flashing sword and begin to carry out justice, I will<\/p>\n
bring vengeance on My enemies and repay those<\/p>\n
who hate Me!” Deuteronomy 32:39-41<\/p>\n
Our God is, truly, a consuming fire! It is most befitting<\/p>\n
for us, to regard Him with reverence and godly fear!<\/p>\n
It is not those who can deprive us of our present life,<\/p>\n
whom we should so much dread. Limited, and of brief<\/p>\n
duration\u2014is the power of all mortal foes at best. “Do<\/p>\n
not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that<\/p>\n
can do no more. But I will show you whom you should<\/p>\n
fear: Fear Him who, after the killing of the body, has<\/p>\n
power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, Fear<\/p>\n
Him!” Luke 12:4-5<\/p>\n
“WALKING IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD”<\/p>\n
Acts 9:31<\/p>\n
Believers are men and women who walk in the fear of the Lord. God’s<\/p>\n
people do not have a slavish dread of God. We are not afraid to speak to<\/p>\n
him and about him. We are not afraid that he will become angry with us,<\/p>\n
disinherit us, or punish us for sin. Faith in Christ removes that kind<\/p>\n
of terrifying fear. Yet, the believer does not think, talk about, or<\/p>\n
speak to God carelessly, flippantly, without reverence for his infinite,<\/p>\n
glorious, righteous Being. A true, heart knowledge of the Triune God<\/p>\n
will produce godly fear in a man’s heart.<\/p>\n
The fear of the Lord is simply REVERENCE for him. It is much like the<\/p>\n
reverence a son has for his father, involving both love and respect. God<\/p>\n
has won the admiration of his children’s hearts, causing us to reverence<\/p>\n
him. We reverence his name, his Being, his Word, and his works. All that<\/p>\n
God is, all that has to do with him, all that he says, and all that he<\/p>\n
does is held in high esteem by those who know him. This fear of the Lord<\/p>\n
shows itself in many ways. To fear God is to HATE EVIL. The man who<\/p>\n
knows God hates the evil of his own heart and life, hates the evil<\/p>\n
performed by others, hates the evil of false doctrine, which robs God of<\/p>\n
his glory, and hates those who perpetrate such evil. “Do not I hate<\/p>\n
them, O Lord, that hate thee?…I hate them with perfect hatred: I count<\/p>\n
them mine enemies” (Ps. 139:21-22). Those who fear the Lord are CAREFUL<\/p>\n
NOT TO OFFEND HIM. We cherish our fellowship with the eternal God,<\/p>\n
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And we take care not to grieve and offend<\/p>\n
him, because we want nothing to hinder the fellowship we enjoy. The<\/p>\n
heart that fears the Lord WITHHOLDS NOTHING FROM HIM, no matter how dear<\/p>\n
and valuable, when he calls for it. To fear the Lord is to WORSHIP HIM.<\/p>\n
It is to worship God, as he is revealed in Scripture, in our hearts.<\/p>\n
Such fear of the Lord is PROGRESSIVE. Believers walk in the fear of the<\/p>\n
Lord. The more a man knows him, the more he fears him. God, grant that I<\/p>\n
may be found “walking in the fear of the Lord.” Amen.<\/p>\n
Don Fortner.<\/p>\n
One That Feared God<\/p>\n
Acts 10: 1, 2<\/p>\n
The apostle Paul declares that with all men born of Adam, “There is no<\/p>\n
fear of God before their eyes” (Rom 3: 18.) Luke says of Cornelius that<\/p>\n
he was “one that feared God with all his house.” The Holy Spirit<\/p>\n
declares to us by this statement that Cornelius was a believer.<\/p>\n
Cornelius did not yet know that the Messiah had come, but he worshipped<\/p>\n
Jehovah by faith in that Messiah to come, as did all who truly<\/p>\n
worshipped God before Christ came. He reverenced God as so absolutely<\/p>\n
holy, so absolutely in control of all things, and so absolutely powerful<\/p>\n
to save according to his promise that his only concern in this world was<\/p>\n
bowing to the LORD. His preeminent concern for everyone in his household<\/p>\n
over whom he had any influence was that they know the true and living<\/p>\n
God. Because Cornelius stood in awe of God, the High and Lofty One,<\/p>\n
Cornelius was not concerned with the favor or disfavor of men. He was<\/p>\n
not afraid of telling men “no” when they interfered with him worshipping<\/p>\n
his God. He was not afraid of insisting that those in his household come<\/p>\n
with him to the place they worshipped. A God-wrought fear results in<\/p>\n
trusting God without compromise in the face of even our most intimate<\/p>\n
loved ones who oppose the free and sovereign grace of God in Christ<\/p>\n
Jesus. Where you find compromise in these areas it is due to an<\/p>\n
inordinate reverence and fear of man rather than a fear of God. Oh how<\/p>\n
great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee;<\/p>\n
which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of<\/p>\n
men! (Ps 31: 19.) Clay Curtis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE DOG FOLLOWS HIS MASTER By Henry Mahan Song by John Newton So long as two men are walking together, you cannot tell which one of them the dog belongs to. But let the two men part company and it then becomes evident; the dog will follow his master! The dog does not hesitate, de\u00adbate, […]<\/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-4261","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\/4261","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=4261"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4263,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4261\/revisions\/4263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}