Power To Prepare
\nActs 8: 26-31
\nIn power, the Lord of glory prepares lost sinners to receive the
\nmessenger and the message of salvation. It was the power of the Lord
\nwhich made the Ethiopian eunuch question what his prior hope had been.
\nThe power of the Lord made the Ethiopian eunuch teachable. Left
\nuntouched by the hand of the Master, his pride would have never let him
\nanswer as he did. Instead, he said, “How can I, except some man should
\nguide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.”
\nGod’s Power breaks down every wall sin builds up. The eunuch was from
\nEthiopia, a Gentile; Philip was a Jew, from Jerusalem. The eunuch was a
\nman in authority; Philip possessed no earthly authority. The eunuch was
\na dignitary; Philip was unknown by the world. The eunuch was a man
\nreceived into the religion of Judaism; Philip was a man rejected by
\nJudaism. Yet, neither the eunuch’s position of authority nor his
\nreligious tradition got in his way of hearing Philip. And none of these
\nthings moved Philip from declaring the single message of Christ the
\nLord. Only the Power of God takes away a man’s pride so that he’s able
\nto say without shame, “I need some man to guide me” and likewise, only
\nthe power of God humbles his messenger so that he does not water down
\nthe gospel because he thinks he can profit from a man of means. God’s
\npower makes a man teachable even as it makes his teachers willing to
\ndeclare nothing save the cross of Christ.<\/p>\n
Power To Cross Our Path
\nIn absolute power God moves his messenger and his vessel of mercy so
\nthat they meet right where God would have them meet. There were two
\nroads which Philip could have taken. Yet, through the Spirit the Lord
\ncommanded Philip to go south on the road which went down from Jerusalem
\nto Gaza. This was the desert road. The phrase “go toward the south” has
\nan alternate meaning in the Greek which means “at midday.” In power the
\nHoly Spirit of God, literally, moved his messenger to take the road
\nleast traveled, at the time of day when it was least likely to be
\ntraveled, to meet the most unlikely person, an Ethiopian eunuch. The
\nLord’s elect may be wandering lost in the most remote places on this
\nglobe but the Lord who saves in power knows exactly where they are. We
\nmay have to be led away from the religion of the day out onto old Gaza
\nRoad, as was the Ethiopian eunuch, but God is able. God our Savior, the
\nKing of heaven and earth, shall bring the good news of his Son to each
\nof his children in his time in his power.<\/p>\n
Power To Send Messengers
\nHad the Gentile, idol teachers in Ethiopia taught the eunuch the truth?
\nHad the Pharisees who called on the name of Jehovah, but taught
\nmorality, taught him the one true Jehovah? Had those liberal thinkers,
\nthe Sadducees, who in their sentimental love accepted everyone who
\nprofessed to believe the name Jehovah preached the truth to him? Who
\ndid? The only one who preached the truth concerning Christ and him
\ncrucified to such a poor sinner was the one whom God sent in Power (2
\nTim. 3: 1-5.) It is the power of God which saves, equips and sends his
\nmessengers. He does it by the gospel wherein he reveals Christ in whom
\nthe righteousness of God is manifest. The Lord Jesus Christ saved Philip
\nwith the same gospel of Christ through the same power of the Holy Spirit
\nwith which he sent him to be a witness of Christ. When the Lord Jesus
\nChrist ascended to the right hand of the Father he gave gifts unto men
\nfor the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry, and the
\nedifying of his body. There are various measures of grace given to each
\nmember of his body but all believers are in one body, led by one Spirit,
\ncalled in one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. Even
\nas there is one God and Father above all, working through all and in all
\nof his saints. It is by his power that he saves, equips and sends his
\nmessengers to each of his redeemed, chosen vessels of mercy (Eph 4:
\n4-12.) How shall they hear without a preacher who preaches the true and
\nliving God? How shall he preach unless he is sent by him who said, “I
\nwill give you pastors after my own heart?” Rest assured, as long as God
\nhas a people who must be called out from among this world he shall
\nperform it by raising up messengers in truth and in spirit by his
\nabsolute sovereign power.
\nClay Curtis.
\nLIFE FROM THE TRUTH
\n\u201cOf His own will begat He us with the Word of Truth.\u201d \u2013 James 1:18<\/p>\n
It is impossible for a fleshly baby to be born from a seed that is not a
\nfleshly seed. That is, a baby cannot be born from a sunflower seed. So
\nit is with the spiritual man. It is impossible for a spiritual man to be
\nborn again from a message that does not tell the truth about who God is,
\nwho man is, and who the Savior is. God will never use error to reveal
\nChrist to the heart. No one is saved and then later on learns the truth
\nof who Christ is. A sinner is saved when we know who Christ truly is and
\nwe believe on Him. We will know who Christ truly is when He is formed in
\nus in the new birth. – Frank Tate<\/p>\n
“UNDERSTANDEST THOU WHAT THOU READEST?” Acts 8:30<\/p>\n
It is good to read the Bible regularly, learn the facts of Bible
\nhistory, memorize as much of the Bible as you can, and study the blessed
\ndoctrines of the Bible. But it is quite possible to do all of these
\nthings and yet gain no spiritual benefit from the Word of God. The Word
\nof God will be of benefit to our souls only to the degree that we
\nunderstand it. Such understanding in the Scriptures is, and can only be
\ngained, by the gracious instruction of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 2:11-16).
\nA man has understanding in the Scriptures to the degree that HE SEES
\nCHRIST IN EVERYTHING AND SEES EVERYTHING IN CHRIST. Philip gave the
\nEunuch understanding in the Scriptures when he “preached unto him
\nJesus”. He preached Christ, nothing but Christ, and that gave the Eunuch
\nunderstanding. In the Word of God, Christ alone is pre-eminent. The
\nBible is a Book about the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
\nChrist is the whole counsel of God, and the whole counsel of God is
\nChrist (Acts 20:26-27; I Cor. 2:2; 9:16).<\/p>\n
I have understanding in the Scriptures to the degree that MY
\nUNDERSTANDING CREATES IN ME A HUMBLE, SUBMISSIVE, OBEDIENT FAITH IN
\nCHRIST. This Eunuch showed his understanding in the Word by his willing
\nsurrender to believer’s baptism, the ordinance of Christ.<\/p>\n
We have understanding in the Word of God to the degree that OUR
\nUNDERSTANDING CAUSES US TO REJOICE IN CHRIST. Once this man understood
\nthe Scriptures, “He went on his way rejoicing.” Spurgeon said, “The
\nfaith of the Scriptures leads joy by the hand, and chases away despair.”<\/p>\n
I have understanding in the Scriptures to the degree that MY
\nUNDERSTANDING CAUSES ME TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF OTHERS. This Eunuch
\ncarried the gospel with him back to Africa. Once a man learns the
\ngospel, he has got to tell it to others.<\/p>\n
And I have understanding in the Scriptures to the degree that I HAVE A
\nMESSAGE FOR ALL PEOPLE AT ALL TIMES. I have a message of salvation,
\nlife, comfort, peace and joy to all people, in every circumstance of
\nlife. My message to you is the message I have received – Christ crucified.
\nDon Fortner.<\/p>\n
The Beautiful Feet of Preachers
\nMaurice Montgomery
\n\u201cHow beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good
\ntidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that
\npublisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, thy God reigneth\u201d (Isaiah
\n52:7; Romans 10:13-15).
\nNote in the verse above that \u201cThy God reigneth\u201d is an integral part of
\nthe gospel. To the degree that preachers have lost sight of the exalted,
\nglorified, sovereign Christ \u2013 to the same degree they have let the
\ngospel slip away. The gospel is gospel or \u201cgood news\u201d only in the
\ncontext of Christ\u2019s sovereign power and ability to save sinners who are
\n\u201cdead in trespasses and sins\u201d (Eph. 2:1; John 5:21,25; Rev. 1:17,18).<\/p>\n
\u201cThy God reigneth\u201d is the very heart of the gospel hope to conscious,
\nconvicted sinners. They need a new heart, a new nature, they need LIFE!
\nAnd no earthly ecclesiastical powers can help them. Only God can give
\nlife. Only One who is \u201cmighty to save\u201d can encourage their heart.<\/p>\n
Apart from \u201cThy God reigneth\u201d there is no good news for sinners, Adam\u2019s
\nfallen race. But with the sovereign Christ of Scripture, there is hope
\nfor a Saul of Tarsus, for the most obstinate and vile sinner on the face
\nof the earth, for He is able to pursue, subdue, and renew; and He never
\nfails! Lost soul, call upon Him. Call upon Him now. He is a suitable and
\nsufficient, an able and willing Saviour.<\/p>\n
“AND NOW WHY TARRIEST THOU?
\nARISE AND BE BAPTIZED!”
\nHenry Mahan
\nThere are people in our assemblies who have heard the gospel of Christ
\nwith the heart. They believe Him, they love Him, and they truly rest in
\nHim as Lord and Redeemer; but they have not confessed Christ in
\nbeliever’s baptism. The question is asked, “Why tarriest thou?” I
\nbelieve I can answer for them.
\n1. They are troubled by the presence and strength of indwelling sin –
\n“In my flesh dwelleth no good thing.”
\n2. They are shocked, by the weakness of their faith.
\n3. They fear that they will fail and dishonor the Lord and embarrass the
\nchurch.
\n4. They are waiting for greater assurance and more grace.
\n5. They are by nature very timid and shun public demonstrations.
\nBut no such reasons are valid; for in baptism we are not confessing our
\nholiness, but His; not our strength, but His; not our life, but His! “We
\nare dead and our life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3).<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause thou sayest, I am rich\u201d
\n(Revelation 3:17)
\nWhat makes mistaken men afraid of sovereign grace to preach!
\nThe reason is, if truth be said, because they are so rich.
\nWhy so offensive in their eyes does God\u2019s election seem?
\nBecause they think themselves so wise that they have chosen Him.
\nOf perseverance why so loath are some to speak or hear?
\nBecause, as masters over sloth, they vow to persevere.
\nWhence is imputed righteousness a point so little known?
\nBecause men think they all possess some righteousness their own.
\nNot so the needy, helpless soul, prefers his humble prayer;
\nHe looks to Him that works the whole, and seeks his treasure there.
\nHis language is, \u201cLet me, my God, on sovereign grace rely;
\nAnd own \u2019tis free, because bestowed on one so vile as I.
\n\u201cElection! \u2019tis a word divine; for, Lord, I plainly see,
\nHad not Thy choice [preceded] mine, I ne\u2019er had chosen Thee.
\n\u201cFor perseverance strength I\u2019ve none, but would on this depend
\nThat Jesus, having loved His own, will love them to the end.
\n\u201cEmpty and bare, I come to Thee for righteousness divine;
\nO may Thy matchless merits be, by imputation, mine.\u201d
\nThus differ these; yet hoping each to make salvation sure.
\nNow most men will approve the rich, but Christ has blessed the poor.
\n\u2013 Joseph Hart (1712-68)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Power To Prepare Acts 8: 26-31 In power, the Lord of glory prepares lost sinners to receive the messenger and the message of salvation. It was the power of the Lord which made the Ethiopian eunuch question what his prior hope had been. The power of the Lord made the Ethiopian eunuch teachable. Left untouched […]<\/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-4526","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\/4526","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=4526"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4526\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4528,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4526\/revisions\/4528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}