\u201cThe Wrath to Come\u201d (1 Thess. 1:10)
\nGod poured out His wrath upon the old world and destroyed all mankind except those who were in the Ark with Noah. God poured out His wrath upon His Son, when He died upon the cross bearing the sins of His people.
\nSome may persuade themselves that He has no more wrath to pour out, but they deceive themselves. The apostle assures us in this Scripture that He still has wrath to pour out, there is still \u201cwrath to come\u201d. Upon whom will it come? Just as his wrath was poured out upon all who were not in the ark, so it will be poured out upon all those who are not in Christ.
\nThere is one refuge and one only to flee to from the wrath to come, and that is God\u2019s Son, who is the only Savior of sinners. David Pledger<\/p>\n
WHO is spreading lies across America and throughout the world? Who is it that is telling around that the Lord Jesus Christ ransomed some who are not ransomed? Redeemed some who are not actually redeemed? Atoned for the sins of some whose sins are not covered? Purged the sins of some whose sins have not been purged? Became a Substitute for some who must yet answer unto God for themselves? Died for the sins of some who must yet die for their own sins? And prays for some who shall never benefit from His prayers?
\nWHO dares to utter such blasphemy against the living God? Who would so impugn and malign God in His wisdom and purpose, holiness and justice, love, power and grace? Who would be so irreverent and impudent as to speak, or even believe such things?
\nWHO? The vast majority of preachers throughout the world – most of our religious neighbours and those who preach to them! Pity them but do not excuse them… they ought to be ashamed of themselves! To say that Christ suffered and died for those who had already been in hell 4,000 years when He died, or to say that His soul was made an offering for sin for those whom God knew – being omniscient – would never believe the gospel when they heard it, or that God ever purposed anything that He shall not bring to pass, is a confession of one’s ignorance of the God of the Bible.
\n Maurice Montgomery<\/p>\n
“Preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.” Jude 1
\nWhat a mercy it is for God.\u2019s people that before they have a vital union with
\nChrist, before they are grafted into him experimentally, they have an eternal,
\nimmanent union with him before all worlds. It is this eternal union that
\nbrings them into time existence. It is by virtue of this eternal union that they
\ncome into the world at such a time, at such a place, from such parents, under
\nsuch circumstances, as God has appointed. It is by virtue of this eternal
\nunion that the circumstances of their time-state are ordained. By virtue of
\nthis eternal union they are preserved in Christ before they are called; they
\ncannot die till God has brought about a vital union with Christ. Whatever
\nsickness they may pass through, whatever injuries they may be exposed to,
\nwhatever perils assault them on sea or land, fall they will not, fall they
\ncannot, till God.\u2019s purposes are executed in bringing them into a vital union
\nwith the Son of his love. Thus, this eternal union watched over every
\ncircumstance of their birth, watched over their childhood, watched over their
\nmanhood, watched over them till the appointed time and spot, when “the
\nGod of all grace,” according to his eternal purpose, was pleased to quicken
\ntheir souls, and thus bring about an experimental union with the Lord of life
\nand glory.
\nJ. C. Philpot<\/p>\n
The religion which I want<\/p>\n
(Letters of J. C. Philpot)<\/p>\n
I am quite sick of modern religion–it is such
\na mixture, such a medley, such a compromise.
\nI find much, indeed, of this religion in my own
\nheart, for it suits the flesh well–but I would
\nnot have it so, and grieve it should be so.<\/p>\n
The religion which I want is that of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n
I know nothing but what He teaches me.<\/p>\n
I feel nothing but what He works in me.<\/p>\n
I believe nothing but what He shows me.<\/p>\n
I only mourn when He smites my rocky heart.<\/p>\n
I only rejoice when He reveals the Savior.<\/p>\n
This religion I am seeking after, though miles and
\nmiles from it–but no other will satisfy or content me.<\/p>\n
When the blessed Spirit is not at work in me,
\nand with me, I fall back into all the . . .
\ndarkness,
\nunbelief,
\nearthliness,
\nidleness,
\ncarelessness,
\ninfidelity, and
\nhelplessness
\nof my Adam nature.<\/p>\n
True religion is a supernatural and mysterious thing.<\/p>\n
He has a healing balm for all<\/p>\n
(John MacDuff, “The Throne of Grace”)
\n“The Holy Spirit helps us in our distress.” Rom. 8:26<\/p>\n
You cannot live without the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n
There cannot be . . .
\none heavenly aspiration,
\none breathing of love,
\none upward glance of faith
\nwithout His gracious influences.<\/p>\n
Apart from Him, there is . . .
\nno preciousness in the Word,
\nno blessing in ordinances,
\nno permanent, sanctifying results in affliction.<\/p>\n
The Holy Spirit . . .
\ndirects His people to the waters of comfort,
\ngives new glory to the promises, and
\ninvests the Savior’s character and work,
\nwith new loveliness and beauty.<\/p>\n
Come, then, with your affliction!<\/p>\n
Come with your infirmity!<\/p>\n
Come with your need!<\/p>\n
Come with your wounded spirit!<\/p>\n
Come with your broken heart!<\/p>\n
Whatever, then, be your present situation,
\nseek the promised help of the Holy Spirit.
\nHe has a healing balm for all . . .
\nthe weak,
\nthe tempted,
\nthe sick,
\nthe sorrowing,
\nthe bereaved,
\nthe dying.
\n“The Holy Spirit helps us in our distress.” Rom. 8:26<\/p>\n
That Heavenly Teacher<\/p>\n
(Philpot, “Daily Words for Zion’s Wayfarers”)<\/p>\n
We do not learn that we are sinners merely
\nby reading it in the Bible. It must be wrought,
\nI might say, burnt into us.<\/p>\n
Nor will anyone sincerely and spiritually cry for
\nmercy, until sin is spiritually felt and known . . .
\nin its misery,
\nin its dominion,
\nin its guilt,
\nin its entanglements,
\nin its wiles and allurements,
\nin its filth and pollution, and
\nin its condemnation.<\/p>\n
Where the Holy Spirit works, He kindles . . .
\nsighs,
\ngroans,
\nsupplications,
\nwrestlings, and
\npleadings
\nto know Christ, feel His love, taste the efficacy
\nof His atoning blood, and embrace Him as all
\nour salvation and all our desire.<\/p>\n
And though there may, and doubtless will be,
\nmuch barrenness, hardness, deadness, and
\napparent carelessness often felt; still that
\nheavenly Teacher will revive His work, though
\noften by painful methods; nor will He let the
\nquickened soul rest short of a personal and
\nexperimental enjoyment of Christ and His
\nglorious salvation.<\/p>\n
The decipherer…<\/p>\n
by Toplady<\/p>\n
To unconverted persons, a great part of the Bible
\nresembles a letter written in ciphers.<\/p>\n
The blessed Spirit’s office is to act as God’s decipherer,
\nby letting His people into the secret of celestial
\nexperience, as the key and clew to those sweet
\nmysteries of grace which were before as a garden
\nshut up, or as a fountain sealed, or as a book
\nwritten in an unknown character.<\/p>\n
How precious!<\/p>\n
(From Octavius Winslow’s, “The Fresh Oil”)<\/p>\n
Oh, there is more real value in one ray of the
\nSpirit’s light, beaming in upon a man’s soul, than
\nin all the teaching which books can ever impart!<\/p>\n
What tongue is sufficiently gifted to describe
\nhow precious is the gift of the Holy Spirit?<\/p>\n
How precious is his indwelling;
\nan ever ascending,
\nheaven panting,
\nGod thirsting,
\nChrist desiring Spirit!<\/p>\n
How precious are all the revelations he makes of Christ!<\/p>\n
How precious are….
\nthe consolations he brings,
\nthe promises he seals,
\nthe teachings he imparts;
\nall the emotions he awakens,
\nthe holy breathings he inspires, and
\nthe affections he creates.<\/p>\n
How precious are those graces in
\nthe soul of which he is the Author;
\nthe faith that leads to a precious Savior,
\nthe love that rises to a gracious God, and
\nthe holy affections which flow forth to all the saints!<\/p>\n
When the Holy Spirit preaches the gospel<\/p>\n
(J. C. Philpot)<\/p>\n
We often know the theory of the gospel,
\nbefore we know the experience of the gospel.<\/p>\n
We often receive the doctrines of grace into
\nour judgment, before we receive the grace of
\nthe doctrines into our soul.<\/p>\n
We therefore need to be . . .
\nbrought down,
\nhumbled,
\ntried,
\nstripped of every prop;
\nthat the gospel may be to us . . .
\nmore than a sound,
\nmore than a name,
\nmore than a theory,
\nmore than a doctrine,
\nmore than a system,
\nmore than a creed;
\nthat it may be . . .
\nsoul enjoyment,
\nsoul blessing,
\nand soul salvation.<\/p>\n
When the Holy Spirit preaches the gospel
\nto the poor in spirit, the humbled, stripped,
\nand tried–it is a gospel of glad tidings indeed
\nto the sinner’s broken heart.<\/p>\n
Can these dry bones live?<\/p>\n
Spurgeon, \u201cThe Restoration and Conversion of the Jews\u201d<\/p>\n
Men, by nature, are just like these dry bones
\nexposed in the open valley. The whole spiritual
\nframe is dislocated; the sap and marrow of
\nspiritual life has been dried out of manhood.
\nHuman nature is not only dead, but, like the
\nbleaching bones which have long whitened in
\nthe sun, it has lost all trace of the divine life.
\nWill and power have both departed. Spiritual
\ndeath reigns undisturbed. Yet the dry bones
\ncan live. Under the preaching of the Word, the
\nvilest sinners can be reclaimed, the most stubborn
\nwills can be subdued, the most unholy lives can
\nbe sanctified. When the holy \u201cbreath\u201d comes
\nfrom the four winds, when the divine Spirit
\ndescends to own the Word, then multitudes of
\nsinners, as on Pentecost’s hallowed day, stand
\nup upon their feet, an exceeding great army,
\nto praise the Lord their God.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cThe Wrath to Come\u201d (1 Thess. 1:10) God poured out His wrath upon the old world and destroyed all mankind except those who were in the Ark with Noah. God poured out His wrath upon His Son, when He died upon the cross bearing the sins of His people. Some may persuade themselves that He […]<\/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-5119","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\/5119","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=5119"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5119\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5120,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5119\/revisions\/5120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}