GOOD NEWS<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is not one sin in the book of God against any believer. Our\nsins were laid on Him, the law is honoured, the justice of God is satisfied;\nand inas\u00admuch as sin condemned Him, sin cannot condemn us. This is my hope, my\ncomfort, and my security; that all my sins, transgressions, and iniquities were\natoned for before they were even committed! This, indeed, is good news for the\nguilty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Henry Mahan<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If chastisement were not necessary<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(James Smith, “The Evening Sacrifice; Or, A Help to\nDevotion” 1859)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“No chastening seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later\non, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who\nhave been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Afflictions are always painful–and days of affliction are often\ngloomy. But as we are training for eternity, as we are maturing for Heaven, and\nas afflictions are necessary discipline–we must be afflicted. If chastisement\nwere not necessary–then our loving Father would never use the rod. But as\nevery one of us needs correction–He chastens every son whom He receives. God’s\nchastisements are intended for our instruction–they are designed to teach us .\n. .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the evil of sin,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
our need of grace,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the holiness of God,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the preciousness of Jesus,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the emptiness of the world,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and the blessedness of Heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are lessons of the deepest importance to us–lessons that we\nare slow to learn; and therefore we must have line upon line, and stroke upon\nstroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heavenly Father, help us to bow to Your sovereign will, to bear\nwith patience every stroke of Your rod, and to learn the holy and important\nlessons which You intend to teach us. May we not only submit to Your\ndiscipline–but, seeing the love which ordains it, and the need there is for it–even\nacquiesce in it. Keep us from fretting at pain, repining at losses, or giving\nway to too much grief at bereavements–knowing that all these things come from\nYou, and that You design them for our good. Help us to understand that every\ntrial and every trouble is a blessing–and will end in eternal glory. Sweet\nthought!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
O for grace to yield ourselves to You–and to sweetly acquiesce in\nall Your paternal dealings!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Blessed is the man whom God corrects–so do not despise the\ndiscipline of the Almighty.” Job 5:17<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have not Preached, If I have not\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 Preached the truth of God, faithfully expounding his Word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 Honoured God as God (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) in his great\nworks of redemption and grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 Shown poor, lost sinners the way to God, shutting them up to\nfaith in Christ, pressing them into the kingdom of God by the gospel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 Slapped you in the face with your sin, stabbed you in the heart\nwith your guilt, and wounded your soul with your own depravity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 Comforted you with the sweet balm of forgiveness by grace\nthrough the precious blood of Christ and the blessed joy of perfect\nrighteousness before God in union with his dear Son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 Inspired your soul with renewed zeal to renewed consecration to\nthe Lord Jesus Christ. \u2014 And\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 Led you to the Throne of Grace in worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Preaching, gospel preaching, is much more than informing the minds\nand stirring the emotions of those who hear us. Preaching, gospel preaching, is\nmuch more than defending creeds and entertaining immortal souls on the brink of\neternity with doctrine. Preaching, gospel preaching, moves immortal souls to\nGod! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don Fortner<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NO TRUE SINNER TURNED AWAY<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I challenge anyone to put his or her finger on one scripture in\nthe Holy Bible where Christ ever turned away a truly repentant sinner. You\nwon\u2019t find one! Many came in pride that were turned away. Many came in religion\nthat were soon drawn away. Yet never was there one desperate sinner who came\nwith great need and desire to be healed that was ever denied His grace. David\nEddmenson<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Poor, moping, dejected creatures<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are, most of us, so fettered down by . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the chains of time and sense,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the cares of life and daily business,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the weakness of our earthly frame,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the distracting claims of a family, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the miserable carnality and sensuality of our fallen nature,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
that we live at best a poor, dragging, dying life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of us are poor, moping, dejected creatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
a variety of trials and afflictions,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
a daily cross and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the continual plague of an evil heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We know enough of ourselves to know that in SELF<\/p>\n\n\n\n
there is neither help nor hope, and never expect a<\/p>\n\n\n\n
smoother path, a better, wiser, holier heart. As then . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the weary man seeks rest,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the hungry man seeks food,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the thirsty man seeks drink,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and the sick man seeks health,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
so do we stretch forth our hearts and arms that we<\/p>\n\n\n\n
may embrace the Lord Jesus Christ, and sensibly<\/p>\n\n\n\n
realize union and communion with Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He discovers the evil and misery of sin that we may<\/p>\n\n\n\n
seek pardon in His bleeding wounds and pierced side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He makes known to us our nakedness and shame,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and, as such, our exposure to God’s wrath, that we<\/p>\n\n\n\n
may hide ourselves under His justifying robe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He puts gall and wormwood into the world’s choicest<\/p>\n\n\n\n
draughts, that we may have no sweetness but in and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
from Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
J.C Philpot<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A few more throbbings of this aching heart!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(John MacDuff, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The days of your mourning shall be ended!” Isaiah 60:20<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christ’s people are a weeping band–though there is much in this\nlovely world to make them joyous and happy. Yet when they think of sin–their\nown sin, and the unblushing sins of a world in which their God is\ndishonored–need we wonder at their tears? Are we surprised that they should be\ncalled “mourners,” and that their pilgrimage is a “Valley of\nTears?” Sickness, bereavement, poverty and death following the track of\nsin–add to their mourning experience! And with many of God’s best beloved\nchildren, one tear is scarcely dried–when another is ready to flow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mourners! rejoice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the reaping time comes–the weeping time ends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the white robe and the golden harp are bestowed–every remnant\nof the sackcloth attire is removed. The moment the pilgrim, whose forehead is\nhere furrowed with woe, bathes it in the crystal river of life–that moment the\npangs of a lifetime of sorrow are eternally forgotten!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reader! if you are one of these careworn ones, take heart–the\ndays of your mourning are numbered! A few more throbbings of this aching\nheart–and then sorrow, and sighing, and mourning, will be forever past!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes! There will be no\nmore death or mourning or crying or pain!” Revelation 21:4<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the\nmorning!” Psalm 30:5<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A weak, defenseless, thoughtless creature \u2014 and prone to wander!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (John Newton)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His\nlife for the sheep.” John 10:11<\/p>\n\n\n\n This great and good Shepherd has a flock, whom He loved from\neverlasting \u2014 and whom having loved, He will love to the end. He . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n humbled Himself for their sakes,<\/p>\n\n\n\n submitted to partake of their nature and their sorrows,<\/p>\n\n\n\n took upon Him the form of a servant,<\/p>\n\n\n\n and was made in the likeness of sinful flesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He died for His sheep, “the just for the unjust,” to\nredeem them . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n from the curse of the law,<\/p>\n\n\n\n from the guilt and dominion of sin,<\/p>\n\n\n\n from the power of Satan \u2014 and to bring them to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They, by nature, are all “gone astray, every one to his own\nway”. But having thus bought them with His blood \u2014 in His own appointed\ntime He seeks, finds, and restores His sheep. By the power of His Word and\nSpirit \u2014 He makes Himself known to their hearts, causes them to hear and\nunderstand His voice, and guides them into His fold. They are under His\nimmediate protection and government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Considered as individuals, they are fitly described by the name\nof sheep. A sheep is a weak, defenseless, thoughtless creature \u2014 and prone to\nwander! If once gone astray \u2014 it is seldom known to return of its own accord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A sheep has neither strength to fight with the wolf, nor speed\nto escape from him; nor has it the foresight of the ant, to provide its own\nsustenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such is our character, and our situation \u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n unable to take care of ourselves,<\/p>\n\n\n\n prone to wander from our resting-place,<\/p>\n\n\n\n exposed to enemies which we can neither withstand nor\navoid,<\/p>\n\n\n\n without resource in ourselves,<\/p>\n\n\n\n and taught, by daily experience, the insufficiency of\neverything around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet, if this Shepherd is our Shepherd, as weak and helpless as\nwe are \u2014 we may be of good courage. If we can say with David, “The Lord is\nmy Shepherd” \u2014 then we may make the same inferences which he did,\n“Therefore I shall not want. Therefore I need not fear.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow\nMe. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish! No one can snatch\nthem out of My hand!” John 10:27-28<\/p>\n\n\n\n “There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.”\nProverbs 28:24.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Octavius Winslow<\/p>\n\n\n\n The power of human sympathy is amazing, if it leads the heart to\nChrist. It is paralyzed, if it leads only to ourselves. Oh, how feeble and\ninadequate are we to administer to a diseased mind, to heal a broken\nheart, to strengthen the feeble hand, and to confirm the trembling knees! Our\nmute sympathy, our prayerful silence, is often the best exponent of our\naffection, and the most effectual expression of our aid. But if, taking the\nobject of our solicitude by the hand, we gently lead him to God- if we conduct\nhim to Jesus, portraying to his view the depth of His love, the perfection of\nHis atoning work, the sufficiency of His grace, His readiness to pardon, and\nHis power to save, the exquisite sensibility of His nature, and thus His\nperfect sympathy with every human sorrow; we have then most truly and most\neffectually soothed the sorrow, stanched the wound, and strengthened the hand\nin God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is no sympathy- even as there is no love, no gentleness,\nno tenderness, no patience- like Christ’s. Oh how sweet, how encouraging, to\nknow, that in all my afflictions He is afflicted; that in all my temptations He\nis tempted; that in all my assaults He is assailed; that in all my joys He\nrejoices- that He weeps when I weep, sighs when I sigh, suffers when I suffer,\nrejoices when I rejoice. May this truth endear Him to our souls! May it\nconstrain us to unveil our whole heart to Him, in the fullest confidence of the\nclosest, most sacred, and precious friendship. May it urge us to do those\nthings always which are most pleasing in His sight. Beloved, never forget- and\nlet these words linger upon your ear, as the echoes of music that never die- in\nall your sorrows, in all your trials, in all your needs, in all your assaults,\nin all your conscious wanderings, in life, in death, and at the day of\njudgment- you possess a friend that sticks closer than a brother! That friend\nis- Jesus!<\/p>\n\n\n\n God will meet all your needs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n J.C.Philpot<\/p>\n\n\n\n “And my God will meet all your needs according <\/p>\n\n\n\n to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:19<\/p>\n\n\n\n Until we are brought into the depths of poverty,<\/p>\n\n\n\n we shall never know nor value Christ’s riches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If, then, you are a child of God, a poor and<\/p>\n\n\n\n needy soul, a tempted and tried believer in<\/p>\n\n\n\n Christ, “God will meet all your needs.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n They may be very great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It may seem to you, sometimes, as though there<\/p>\n\n\n\n were not upon all the face of the earth such a<\/p>\n\n\n\n wretch as you\u2014as though there never could be<\/p>\n\n\n\n a child of God in your state . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n so dark,<\/p>\n\n\n\n so stupid,<\/p>\n\n\n\n so blind and ignorant,<\/p>\n\n\n\n so proud and worldly,<\/p>\n\n\n\n so presumptuous and hypocritical,<\/p>\n\n\n\n so continually backsliding after idols,<\/p>\n\n\n\n so continually doing things that you<\/p>\n\n\n\n know are hateful in God’s sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But whatever your need be\u2014it is not beyond the<\/p>\n\n\n\n reach of divine supply! And the deeper your need,<\/p>\n\n\n\n the more is Jesus glorified in supplying it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do not say then, that . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n your case is too bad,<\/p>\n\n\n\n your needs are too many,<\/p>\n\n\n\n your perplexities too great,<\/p>\n\n\n\n your temptations too powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No case can be too bad!<\/p>\n\n\n\n No temptations can be too powerful!<\/p>\n\n\n\n No sin can be too black!<\/p>\n\n\n\n No perplexity can be too hard!<\/p>\n\n\n\n No state in which the soul can get, is beyond<\/p>\n\n\n\n the reach of the almighty and compassionate<\/p>\n\n\n\n love, that burns in the breast of the Redeemer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n That sympathizing, merciful, feeling,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n tender, and compassionate heart<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n J.C.Philpot<\/p>\n\n\n\n “For we do not have a High Priest who is unable<\/p>\n\n\n\n to sympathize with our infirmities.” Hebrews 4:15<\/p>\n\n\n\n The child of God, spiritually taught and convinced,<\/p>\n\n\n\n is deeply sensible of his infirmities. Yes, that he is<\/p>\n\n\n\n encompassed with infirmities\u2014that he is nothing else<\/p>\n\n\n\n but infirmities. And therefore the great High Priest<\/p>\n\n\n\n to whom he comes as a burdened sinner\u2014to whom<\/p>\n\n\n\n he has recourse in the depth of his extremity\u2014and<\/p>\n\n\n\n at whose feet he falls overwhelmed with a sense<\/p>\n\n\n\n of his helplessness, sin, misery, and guilt\u2014is so<\/p>\n\n\n\n suitable to him as one able to sympathize with<\/p>\n\n\n\n his infirmities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We would, if left to our own conceptions, naturally<\/p>\n\n\n\n imagine that Jesus is too holy to look down in<\/p>\n\n\n\n compassion on a filthy, guilty wretch like ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Surely, surely, He will spurn us from His feet. Surely,<\/p>\n\n\n\n surely, His holy eyes cannot look upon us in our . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n blood,<\/p>\n\n\n\n guilt,<\/p>\n\n\n\n filth,<\/p>\n\n\n\n wretchedness,<\/p>\n\n\n\n misery,<\/p>\n\n\n\n and shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Surely, surely, He cannot bestow . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n one heart’s thought,<\/p>\n\n\n\n one moment’s sympathy,<\/p>\n\n\n\n or feel one spark of love<\/p>\n\n\n\n towards those who are so unlike Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nature, sense, and reason would thus argue,<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I must be holy\u2014perfectly holy\u2014for Jesus to love;<\/p>\n\n\n\n I must be pure\u2014perfectly pure\u2014spotless and<\/p>\n\n\n\n sinless, for Jesus to think of. But . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n that I, a sinful, guilty, defiled wretch;<\/p>\n\n\n\n that I, encompassed with infirmities;<\/p>\n\n\n\n that I, whose heart is a cage of unclean birds;<\/p>\n\n\n\n that I, stained and polluted with a thousand iniquities;<\/p>\n\n\n\n that I can have any inheritance in Him\u2014or that He can<\/p>\n\n\n\n have any love or compassion towards me\u2014nature, sense,<\/p>\n\n\n\n reason, and human religion in all its shapes and forms,<\/p>\n\n\n\n revolts from the idea.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is as though Jesus specially address Himself to the<\/p>\n\n\n\n poor, burdened child of God who feels his infirmities,<\/p>\n\n\n\n who cannot boast of his own wisdom, strength,<\/p>\n\n\n\n righteousness, and consistency\u2014but is all weakness<\/p>\n\n\n\n and helplessness. It seems as if He would address<\/p>\n\n\n\n Himself to the case of such a helpless wretch\u2014and<\/p>\n\n\n\n pour a sweet cordial into his bleeding conscience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We, the children of God\u2014we, who each knows his own<\/p>\n\n\n\n plague and his own sore\u2014we, who carry about with us<\/p>\n\n\n\n day by day a body of sin and death, that makes us<\/p>\n\n\n\n lament, sigh, and groan\u2014we, who know painfully what<\/p>\n\n\n\n it is to be encompassed with infirmities\u2014we, who come<\/p>\n\n\n\n to His feet as being nothing and having nothing but sin<\/p>\n\n\n\n and woe\u2014”we do not have a High Priest who is unable<\/p>\n\n\n\n to sympathize with our infirmities,” but One who carries<\/p>\n\n\n\n in His bosom that . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n sympathizing,<\/p>\n\n\n\n merciful,<\/p>\n\n\n\n feeling,<\/p>\n\n\n\n tender, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n compassionate heart.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" GOOD NEWS There is not one sin in the book of God against any believer. Our sins were laid on Him, the law is honoured, the justice of God is satisfied; and inas\u00admuch as sin condemned Him, sin cannot condemn us. This is my hope, my comfort, and my security; that all my sins, transgressions, […]<\/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-5909","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\/5909","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=5909"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5909\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5915,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5909\/revisions\/5915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}