All the religions of this world focus on preparing people to\nlive in this world. The gospel of Christ focuses on preparing people to live in\nthe world to come.
\n-pastor Don Fortner<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A TRUE HEART
\nThere are several things I constantly beg from God for this congregation and\nfor myself. One of them is a true heart. I don\u2019t want to just know some things\nabout Christ. I want to KNOW Christ. I want to know Christ so that I truly love\nHim and trust my soul to Him. I don\u2019t want to just know some good religious\njargon to use in public so people will be impressed with me. I want to be able\nto speak from the heart in genuine love for God and love for people. I don\u2019t\nwant to just know some verses of scripture that I can twist to use for my own\npurposes. I want to know how Christ is the true meaning of those verses so that\nI see more of Him. I don\u2019t want to just change my behavior so I act more\nreligious before men. I want God to give me a new heart that believes Christ,\nthat loves God, and that worships God in Spirit and in truth. I want God to\ngive you and me a new heart that God loves and that God accepts.
\nPastor Frank Tate<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Believing On the Lord Jesus
\nThis is what I am hearing. Accept Jesus as your personal Savior, but nowhere in\nthe New Testament do we find any apostle, prophet, or preacher ever telling a\nsinner to accept Jesus as his personal Savior. What we hear them saying is\nbelieve on the Lord Jesus Christ. The command to sinners was bow and be subject\nto the Lordship of Christ. That is, lay down your weapons, surrender, worship,\nand adore Him. You come to Him in your true character as a beggar; a lost\nundone sinner or you don’t come at all.
\nScott Richardson<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Welcome \u2014 Ambassadors of God!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 Corinthians 5:18-21<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Gospel\npreachers are God\u2019s ambassadors to you. That is how God the Holy Spirit\ndescribes them. It has been our great privilege to hear six faithful ambassadors\nof God deliver God\u2019s message to us this weekend. Today, we will hear two more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Divine Authority<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The call of the gospel is given by divine\nauthority. That man who\nis sent of God to preach the gospel is sent with a God given, divine authority,\na divine authority which cannot be obtained by any means except the call and\ngift of God. It is an authority that cannot be obtained from any source other\nthan God himself. That man who is sent of God to preach the gospel stands\nbefore his hearers as God\u2019s servant, God\u2019s messenger, with God\u2019s message. Such\na man carries \u201cthe burden of the Word of the Lord\u201d<\/em> and\nspeaks to those who hear him in God\u2019s stead, by the power of his Spirit(Matthew\n10:40). When God speaks by that man, he strives with men (Genesis 6:3). When\nmen resist the message delivered to them by a man who speaks in the power of\nGod, they resist God the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51-52).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Urgent Responsibility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This divine authority makes the preaching of\nthe gospel a matter of urgent responsibility (Proverbs\n1:23-31). Gospel preaching leaves sinners without excuse. If you would\nobey the gospel call, if you would trust the Lord Jesus Christ, he would save\nyou. That is exactly what we are told in Proverbs chapter one. The true,\nfaithful preaching of the gospel is, therefore, always \u201ca sweet savor\nof Christ.\u201d<\/em> To those who believe not it is \u201ca savor of death\nunto death\u201d<\/em>. To God\u2019s elect it is \u201ca savor of life unto life\u201d<\/em> (2\nCorinthians 2:14-16). In either case, the Word of God, sent by God the Holy\nGhost through the lips of his servant, never returns void. It always\naccomplishes the exact purpose for which God sent it (Isaiah 55:11). The labor\nof the gospel preacher is never labor spent in vain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Sincere Call<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The call issued to sinners in the preaching of\nthe gospel is a sincere call as well as an authoritative call. Those who despise the gospel of\nGod\u2019s free and sovereign grace in Christ often attempt to discredit our message\nby asserting that it is impossible to preach unconditional, electing love and\nparticular redemption and, at the same time, sincerely call all who hear the\ngospel to repentance and faith in Christ. Nothing is further from the truth.\nLike Paul of old, God\u2019s servants sincerely call sinners to repentance (Romans\n10:1-4). We know that none shall ever come to Christ except the elect. Yet, we\nalso know that all who will come may come, and that all who do come to the Son\nof God are saved by his grace (Romans 10:9-13).<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/strong>To those who say, \u201cThe\ndoctrines of predestination, election, and limited atonement will dry up a\nchurch\u2019s missionary zeal and fervency,\u201d I say, \u201cCome, and see.\u201d There are no\npeople in the world more generous, zealous, and fervent in evangelistic,\nmissionary enterprises than those who love Christ and the gospel of God\u2019s free\nand sovereign grace in him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nJohn Gill described the call, which goes forth in the preaching of the gospel,\nthis way. \u2014- \u201cChrist stands in the gospel-ministry, at the door of men\u2019s hearts,\nand knocks and calls. Having the key of the house of David, he opens the heart\nby the power of his grace, and lets himself in. In this way, and by this means,\nthe Spirit and his graces are received. Men are called both to grace and glory\nby the gospel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eight Stubborn Statements<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are eight, stubborn, irrefutable statements. They go\nright to the heart of true Christianity. You will either accept or reject these\neight statements. There is no middle ground; and you will find it impossible to\nbe indifferent regarding them. There is no room for compromise on any of these\neight points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Either the Bible is in its entirety the\nholy, inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God, or it is in its entirety a\nlie, by which the souls of men are eternally deceived and damned. If the Bible\nis not the Word of God, throw it away. But if it is, as it claims to be, God\u2019s\nHoly Word, we will be wise to pay attention to it. It claims, as such, a total\nsway over our lives. It must be our only rule of faith and practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Either God almighty is\nabsolutely sovereign, in total control of all things, at all times, or there is\nno God. Again, there is no middle ground between these two poles, between God\u2019s\nabsolute, total sovereignty and absolute, total atheism. To speak of a god who\nis not totally sovereign is utter nonsense. Atheism is far more sensible than\nArminianism. If God is, he is sovereign!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Either man is totally\ndepraved, utterly dead in trespasses and in sins, or there is nothing wrong with\nhim, and he needs no Saviour. There is no such thing as partial depravity or\npartial goodness before God. Either we are totally sinful and depraved, or we\nare totally righteous and good. There is no middle ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Either God chose to\nsave some of Adam\u2019s fallen race to salvation and eternal life in Christ before\nthe world began, as the Bible says he did, or no salvation is possible for any\nman. Salvation is God\u2019s prerogative, not man\u2019s. Grace is God\u2019s gift, not man\u2019s\nchoice. If God does not choose to save and choose whom he will save, no sinner\ncan ever be saved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Either the Lord Jesus\nChrist, the Son of God, is altogether and alone the effectual Redeemer and\nSaviour of his people, or he is a fraud and a failure. Again, there is no\nmiddle ground, no room for compromise. Either Christ did what he came to do, or\nhe is a failure. If he is a failure, he is not God, and we have no Saviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. Either we are\nregenerated and called to life and faith in Christ by the irresistible power\nand omnipotent grace of God the Holy Ghost, or there is no such thing as\nsalvation. The only hope for a dead sinner is free and sovereign grace, grace\nthat asks for nothing and gives everything, grace that waits for nothing and\ndoes everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. Either God\u2019s people are\nentirely free from the law, as the Scriptures declare us to be, or we are yet\nunder the bondage of the law and entirely obligated to keep it perfectly. There\nis no such thing as being partially under the law and partially free from it,\nnot in biblical terms. The only way sinners can satisfy, fulfil, and establish\nthe law is by faith in Christ (Romans 3:31).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8. Either every saved\nsinner shall persevere to the end, being preserved and kept by God\u2019s\ninfallible, immutable grace, or none shall. The perseverance of the saints is\ndemanded by the purpose of God, the purchase of Christ, and the power of the\nSpirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Betrayed with a Kiss<\/p>\n\n\n\n Judas betrayed his Master with A KISS! He came to the Lord\nwith evil in his heart, the price of a compromise in his hand, religious devils\nat his side, and said, \u201cHail Master\u201d, as he planted A KISS on the Lord\u2019s cheek!<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is how most apostates and\ncompromisers operate; they betray the Son of God and the Gospel of grace WITH A\nKISS. They talk of love, humility, morality, and sugar and spice while they\nsell out to the religious world and betray the sovereign Son of God. And men\nwatch their pretended affection and hear their words, \u201cHail, Master\u201d, spoken so\nsoftly, smoothly, humbly, and sweetly, and they say, \u201cCan such devout people be\nENEMIES of the Lord?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do not be deceived; sometimes the most\ndevout looking, religious people can be the most hypocritical in the world. Do\nnot be deceived by their kisses. LISTEN TO THEIR GOSPEL! Peter, bearing the\nsword, had more grace than Judas, who came with a kiss. \n \n \n \n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pastor Henry Mahan<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law manifests what is in men–sin! “Oh, to grace how great a debtor Henry Mahan, Pastor<\/p>\n\n\n\n I Will and They Shall<\/p>\n\n\n\n God\u2019s word is full of; \u201cI Will and They Shall\u201d. The man of sin who has proudly\nset himself on the throne of God reverses the order. Man says, \u201cI will have faith, and God shall save me\u201d. God\nsays, \u201cI will save you, and you shall have faith\u201d. Man says, \u201cI will repent,\nand God shall forgive me\u201d. God says, \u201cI will forgive you, and you shall\nrepent\u201d. Man says, \u201cI will serve God, and He shall bless me\u201d. God says, \u201cI will\nbless you, and you shall serve me\u201d. God\u2019s \u201cI WILLS\u201d is His purpose, and God\u2019s\n\u201cTHEY SHALLS\u201d is His performance. What He has purposed, He shall also perform.\n~Greg<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE All the religions of this world focus on preparing people to live in this world. The gospel of Christ focuses on preparing people to live in the world to come. -pastor Don Fortner A TRUE HEART There are several things I constantly beg from God for this congregation and for myself. One of them is […]<\/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-5428","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\/5428","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=5428"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5429,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5428\/revisions\/5429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nGrace manifests what is in God–love!
\nLaw demands righteousness from men!
\nGrace brings righteousness to men!
\nLaw sentences men to death!
\nGrace brings dead men to life!
\nLaw speaks of what I must do!
\nGrace tells what Christ has done!
\nLaw gives a knowledge of sin!
\nGrace puts away sin!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nDaily I’m constrained to be.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nPaul said in II Corinthians 10:5 that every thought is to be brought into\ncaptivity to the obedience of Christ. After death, when we no longer have a sin\nnature, every thought will be brought into captivity to obedience to Christ.\nBut that is not what the text says! Every thought is to be brought into\ncaptivity to the obedience of Christ. Any thought I have that runs contrary to\nthe obedience of Christ being my only righteousness before God is a wrong\nthought that is opposed to the Gospel of Christ.
\nPastor Todd Nibert<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nIt sometimes shocks me how much the world has changed since I was a boy. Our\ncountry has departed from many of the values that used to be the bedrock of\nsociety. Some of those changes have been good but many have not.
\nHowever, there are some things that have not changed and never will change. Men\nstill refuse to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ because men still think they\ncan be good enough to please God. Men still think they know a better way of salvation than God has set forth in His\nWord. Men still think they know a better way of worship than God has set forth\nin His Word. Men still think they know a better way to govern their lives and\ngovern society than God has set forth in His Word. \u201cProfessing themselves to be\nwise, they became fools.\u201d (Rom 1:22) Men are as lost and dead in sin as ever.
\nIt is obvious to me that man\u2019s greatest need\nhasn\u2019t changed either. It is of the utmost importance that the church be\nfocused on preaching Christ. We cannot believe on Christ until we have heard of\nHim. (Rom 10:14) We cannot see Christ until He is revealed through preaching.\nWe cannot follow Christ until He calls us to Himself.
\nThe world certainly has changed but the truth\nthat Christ is our greatest need has never, and will never change. \u201cThe thing\nthat hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which\nshall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.\u201d (Eccl. 1:9)
\nPastor Frank Tate<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"