{"id":5426,"date":"2019-09-02T12:13:29","date_gmt":"2019-09-02T12:13:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=5426"},"modified":"2019-09-02T12:13:29","modified_gmt":"2019-09-02T12:13:29","slug":"bulletin-edition-august-2019-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=5426","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition August 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

No matter where I am preaching from in the whole Bible, if I\ncannot title the message \u201cJesus Christ and Him crucified\u201d, I ought to throw the\nmessage away. – Chris Cunningham<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026as a preacher I cannot be very proud of my diseased prayers and\nsin-stained sermons. Neither can I boast much of my daily backslidings,\nhardness of heart, discontent, vileness, and abominable filthiness. I at times\nknow not what will become of me, and fear I shall live and die a reprobate. I\nfind sin has such power over me, and, though I call on the Lord again and again\nfor deliverance, seem to be as weak as ever when temptation comes. “O you\nhideous monster, sin, what a curse have you\nbrought in!” I love it, I hate it; I want to be delivered from the power\nof it, and yet am not satisfied without drinking down its poisoned sweets. It\nis my hourly companion and my daily curse, the breath of my mouth and the cause\nof my groans, my incentive to prayer and my hinderer of it, that which made a\nSavior suffer and makes a Savior precious, that which spoils every pleasure and\nadds a sting to every pain, that which fits a soul for heaven and that which\nripens a soul for hell\u2026I at times quite despair of salvation, and then again am\nas careless as if hell had no wrath and heaven no love; as if sin had no\nwormwood and pardon no sweet; as if there were no God to mark evil, and no\ndevil to tempt to it. So my friend you must not expect to find your winter\nfireside companion much grown in progressive sanctification and creature\nholiness.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

JC Philpot<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE PRODIGAL<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\nIn Luke chapter 15, the prodigal son, having wasted his substance on riotous\nliving, found himself in a pigpen, eating pig-food. What was it that caused him\nto come to his senses, return home, and repent of his ways? Was it the sorrow\nthat providence brought? Was it the starvation that he was experiencing? Was it\nthe guilt of his rebellious actions? These may have been contributing factors,\nbut it was the consideration of his father\u2019s love and the gracious benefits of\nhis father\u2019s home that in the end sent him on his way home. Truly it is the\ngoodness of God that leads men and women to repentance. (Rom. 2:4) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Edmenson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaiah 60: 1: Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD\nis risen upon thee. 2: For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and\ngross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory\nshall be seen upon thee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The charge God our Savior gives to his redeemed, regenerated church is,\n\u201cArise, shine!\u201d (Is 60: 1) The marginal reading declares this is a passive\n\u201cshining.\u201d It says, \u201cArise, be enlightened.\u201d For example, if you were standing in a dark field and people were looking for\nyou they would not be able to see you for the darkness. But if someone shined a\nlight on you then they could see you, not because you are doing something, but\nby the light shining on you. So it is when Christ shines his Light on us. The\nreason Christ gives his church this charge is because Christ is our Light and\nthe Glory of the Lord is risen upon his church, \u201cFor thy Light is come and the\nglory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the\nearth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and\nhis glory shall be seen upon thee.\u201d (Is 60: 1-2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was with my family on a tour of a cave. The tour guide turned off the\nlight. We could not even see our hand in front of our face. That is gross\ndarkness. In ourselves, we were like everyone else in this earth\u2014covered in\ngross darkness. To be in gross darkness is to be guilty by Adam\u2019s disobedience\nbut unable to see it; to be unholy by being born of Adam but unable to see it;\nto have no spiritual discernment but unable to see it; to be in gross darkness\nbut unable to see it. That was our case, as it is the case of every sinner born\ninto this world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Light of every child of God\u2014of the whole church in heaven and in earth\nis Christ our Light. When Christ is our Light Christ is our Life, Christ is our\nDiscernment, Christ is our Righteousness, Christ is our Holiness, Christ is our\nLiberty from the law, Christ is our Constraint to obey, Christ is our Law,\nChrist is our Glory, Christ is our All! When Christ is our All then we have\nChrist our Light. He is the Glory of God risen upon his church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We once only walked by natural light. But now our Light is spiritual. Now\nour Light is Christ (Rev 21: 23; Isa 60:19-20) This is true of us because\nChrist the Light of the world and he will not let his redeemed walk in darkness\n(Joh 8:12; 1 Pet 4: 14). Brethren, by God\u2019s grace, Christ is our Light and the\nLORD\u2019s glory rests upon us. So Christ says, \u201cArise, shine!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clay Curtis<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DENYING\nTHE POWER OF GODLINESS
\nII Timothy 3:5-12<\/em>
\nPaul\nwarns us in II Timothy 3:5<\/em>of those who \u201cHave a form of\ngodliness, but deny the power thereof.\u201d  <\/em>On the surface these\npeople seem to be devoted. Thy have a form, an outward semblance of true\ngodliness.  They read the Bible and pray.  They use words\nlike grace, love, and faith.  But there is a fatal flaw in their\nreligion. They deny the power of godliness.  How does one deny the\npower of godliness?  There are three ways it can be done.
\n1) The power of godliness is denied when we deny the source of that power: the\nsovereign grace of God.  When salvation is ultimately conditioned\nupon the will of man, the source of power is denied.
\n2) The power of godliness is denied when the means through which the power\ncomes is denied. Romans 1:16<\/em>says concerning the Gospel\nmessage, \u201cIt is the power of God unto salvation.\u201d  <\/em>When\nsomeone says it is not necessary to preach or hear the true message of the\nGospel, the power of godliness is denied. 
\n3) The power of godliness is denied when the results of that power are\ndenied.  When we give sinners some hope that they are saved when they\nhave not bowed to and willingly embraced the Gospel, and when they have\nnot \u201cDenied self, taken up their cross, and followed Him,\u201d <\/em>we\nare guilty of denying the power of godliness. 
\n             May\nGod in His mercy deliver us from this great crime of denying the power of\ngodliness!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Todd\nNibert<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE\nLOVE OF THE TRUTH
\n            \u201cAnd\nfor this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a\nlie\u201d (II Thess. 2:11). <\/em>For what cause? \u201cBecause they received\nnot the love of the Truth<\/em>.\u201d It is one thing to give mental assent to\nthe Truth.  It is something quite different to receive the love of\nthe Truth.  Anybody that is not blinded by prejudices and\npre-conceived suppositions can see that the Bible does teach our fall in Adam\nand the total depravity of our race, God electing a people in Christ before\ntime, the successful atonement of Christ for the elect, the irresistible grace\nof the Holy Spirit in the new birth, and the preservation and perseverance of the\nsaints all the way to the end. But do you love this?  Is it necessary\nfor you to hear this preached?   It is if you need God to elect\nyou, Christ to die for you and accomplish your salvation, and the Holy Spirit\nto give you life and preserve you so you will persevere.  If this is\nwhat you need you will receive the love of the Truth.  If you do not\nreceive the love of the Truth, you have no need and God will send you strong\ndelusion that you should believe a lie.  Would God do\nthat?  He most certainly will.  To not receive the love of\nthe Truth is offensive to God and all who do love the Truth. To not\nreceive the Truth in the love of it is to not receive it as the\nGospel.  That is to not receive it at all.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If\nI could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million\nenemies. Yet distance makes no difference.  He is praying for me\n\u2013 \u201cWherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come\nunto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them\u201d (Hebrews\n7:25).        – Robert Murray McCheyne<\/em>
\n*****
\n 
\nIt\nis one thing to mourn for sin because it exposes us to hell, and another to\nmourn for it because it is an infinite evil; one thing to mourn for it because\nit is injurious to ourselves, and another to mourn for it because it is wrong\nand offensive to God. It is one thing to be terrified; another to be humbled.\n  – G. Spring<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE\nREASON FOR FORGIVENESS
\n            \u201cI,\neven I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will\nnot remember thy sins\u201d (Isaiah 43:25).  <\/em>The people He forgives\nare described in the precious three verses as having not called upon His Name,\nbeen wearied of Him, not honoring Him with their sacrifices, having no\ngenerosity or tokens of love.  All they have given Him is sins, and\nwearied Him with their iniquities. The reason for forgiveness is not found\nin the ones forgiven!  He forgives for His own sake.  And\nin His forgiveness the sins are actually blotted out; made to not be, and not\nremembered because there is nothing there to remember.  The Lord does\nnot love us or forgive us because of us, but because of Himself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Todd Nibert<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TRUE\nWORSHIP
\nTrue worship is not primarily a cultural thing. It is not simply offering to\nGod our sentiments and feelings expressed according to our culture. It is based\non a knowledge of the majesty and holiness of God and what He requires in\nworship. It is not primarily cultural; it is spiritual. Those who know the true\nGod will come into His presence with holy awe and reverence, whatever their\ncultural background.
\nAfricans, it is true, like rhythm and music but so does the rock-loving culture\nof the West, as evidenced by what takes place in discos or in other entertainment.\nOur worship should not be an expression of our culture, but of the holiness and\nmajesty of God and our gratitude for His grace towards us in Christ. A true\nknowledge of Christ will lead to worship, which is God-glorifying, whatever the\ncultural background. There will be more putting our hands over our mouths (Job\n40:4<\/em>) and covering our faces (Isaiah 6:2<\/em>) than there will be hands\nin the air and dancing in the aisles! When people know the true God, their\nworship is reverent and God glorifying, whatever their cultural background.
\n– Bill Clark, Missionary<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 
\nSOMEONE IS LYING!
\nWho is spreading lies across America and throughout the world?  Who\nis it that is telling around that the Lord Jesus Christ ransomed some who are\nnot ransomed?  Redeemed some who are not actually\nredeemed?  Atoned for the sins of some whose sins are not\ncovered?  Purged the sins of some whose sins have not been\npurged? Became a Substitute for some who must yet answer unto God for\nthemselves?  Died for the sins of some who must yet die for their own\nsins? 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\nand malign God in His wisdom and purpose, holiness and justice, love, power,\nand grace? Who would be so irreverent and impudent as to speak, or even believe\nsuch things?
\nWho?  The vast majority of preachers throughout the world \u2013 most of\nour religious neighbors and those who preach to them!  Pity them but\ndo not excuse them\u2026they ought to be ashamed of themselves!  To say\nthat Christ suffered and died for those who had already been in Hell 4.000\nyears when He died, or to say that His soul was made an offering for sin for\nthose whom God knew \u2013 being omniscient \u2013 would never believe the Gospel when\nthey heard it, or that God ever purposed anything that He shall not bring to\npass, is a confession of one\u2019s ignorance of the God of the\nBible.                 –\nMaurice Montgomery<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No matter where I am preaching from in the whole Bible, if I cannot title the message \u201cJesus Christ and Him crucified\u201d, I ought to throw the message away. – Chris Cunningham \u201c\u2026as a preacher I cannot be very proud of my diseased prayers and sin-stained sermons. Neither can I boast much of my daily backslidings, […]<\/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-5426","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\/5426","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=5426"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5426\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5427,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5426\/revisions\/5427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}