{"id":5955,"date":"2021-03-08T00:15:28","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T00:15:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=5955"},"modified":"2021-03-08T00:15:28","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T00:15:28","slug":"bulletin-edition-march-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=5955","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition March 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The more burdens we put on His\nshoulders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Charles Spurgeon)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in\ntrouble!” Psalm 46:1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scripture promises are not meant to be looked at only\u2014but to be\nappropriated. Even our Lord Jesus is given to us for our present use. Believer,\nyou do not make use of Christ as you ought to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you are in trouble, why do you not tell Him all your grief?\nHas He not a sympathizing heart, and can He not comfort and relieve you? But\nno, you are going about to all your friends\u2014except your best Friend; and\ntelling your tale everywhere, except into the bosom of your Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you burdened with this day’s sins? Here is a fountain filled\nwith blood\u2014use it, saint, use it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Has a sense of guilt returned upon you? The pardoning grace of\nJesus may be used again and again. Come to Him at once for cleansing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you deplore your spiritual weakness? He is your strength\u2014why\nnot lean upon Him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you feel yourself spiritually sick? Use the cable of prayer,\nand call up the Beloved Physician! He will give the cordial that will revive\nyou.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are spiritually poor\u2014but then you have “a kinsman, a\nmighty man of wealth.” What! will you not go to Him, and ask Him to give\nyou out of His abundance, when He has given you the promise that you shall be\njoint-heir with Him; and has made over all that He is and all that He has\u2014to be\nyours?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is nothing Christ dislikes more, than for His people to\nmake a show-thing of Him, and not to use Him. He loves to be employed by us.\nThe more burdens we put on His shoulders\u2014the more precious will He be to us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He has given unto us exceeding great and precious\npromises!” 2 Peter 1:4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE SAFE REFUGE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John MacDuff<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a\ncovert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a\ngreat rock in a weary land.” Isaiah 32:2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A man!” This first word forms the key to the precious\nverse, it is “The man Christ Jesus!” And when and where is He thus\nrevealed to His people as their hiding place and shelter? It is, as with Elijah\nof old, in the whirlwind and the storm! Amid the world’s bright sunshine, in\nthe tranquil skies, uninterrupted prosperity \u2014 they seek Him not! But when the\nclouds begin to gather, and the sun is swept from the skies; when they have\nlearned the insecurity of all earthly refuges \u2014 then the prayer ascends,\n“My heart is overwhelmed \u2014 lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.”\nThe Earthquake, the Tempest, the Fire \u2014 and then “the still small\nvoice!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sorrowing believer, you have indeed a Sure Refuge; a Strong\nTower which cannot be shaken! The world has its refuges too \u2014 but they cannot\nstand the day of trial. The wind passes over them \u2014 and they are gone! But the\nlouder the hurricane \u2014 the more will it endear to you the abiding Shelter; the\ndeeper in the clefts of this ROCK \u2014 the safer you are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Man! Delight often to dwell on the humanity of Jesus; you have\na brother on the throne! a “living Kinsman,” one who “knows your\nframe,” and who, by the exquisite sympathies of His exalted human nature \u2014\ncan gauge, as none other can, the depths of your sorrow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An earthly friend comes to you in trial \u2014 he has never known\nbereavement, and therefore can not enter into your woe. Another comes \u2014 he has\nbeen again and again in the furnace \u2014 his heart has been touched tenderly as\nyour own; he can feelingly sympathize with you. It is just so with Jesus. As\nman, He has passed through every experience of suffering. He has Himself known\nthe storm from which He offers you shelter. He is the ROCK \u2014 yet “a\nMan!” “Mighty to save;” yet mighty to compassionate!\n“Emmanuel, God with us!” He is like the rainbow in the material\nheavens, which, while its summit is in the clouds, each base of its are rests\non earth; or like the oak which, while it can wrestle with the tempest, yet\ninvites the most feeble bird to fold its wing on its branches!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mourner! Go sit under your “Beloved’s shadow with great\ndelight.” Hide in His wounded side! The hand which was pierced for you \u2014\nis ordering your trials; He who roused the storm \u2014 is the hiding place from it!\nAnd as you journey on, gloomy clouds mustering around you, let this bright\nrainbow of comfort ever arrest your drooping eye; “For this reason He had\nto be made like His brothers in every way… since He Himself has gone through\nsuffering and temptation, He is able to help us when we are being\ntempted.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was His own love that fastened Him there!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Octavius Winslow, “Morning Thoughts”)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon\nHim.”  John 18:4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His voluntariness was not founded on ignorance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He well knew what the covenant of redemption<\/p>\n\n\n\n

involved; what stern justice demanded. The entire<\/p>\n\n\n\n

scene of His humiliation was before Him, in all its<\/p>\n\n\n\n

dark and somber hues . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the manger,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the bloodthirsty king,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the scorn and ridicule of His countrymen,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the unbelief of His own kinsmen,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the mental agony of Gethsemane,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the bloody sweat,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the bitter cup,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the waywardness of His disciples,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the betrayal of one,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the denial of another,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the forsaking of all,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the mock trial,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the purple robe,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the crown of thorns,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the infuriated cries, “Away with Him, away<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        with Him! Crucify\nHim, crucify Him!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the heavy cross,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the painful crucifixion,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the cruel taunts,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the vinegar and the gall,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the hidings of His Father’s countenance,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the concentrated horrors of the curse,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the last cry of anguish,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the falling of the head,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  the giving up the spirit;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

all, all was before the omniscient mind of the<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Son of God, with vividness equal to its reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet He willingly rushed to the rescue of<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ruined man! He voluntarily, though He knew<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the price of pardon was His blood, gave Himself<\/p>\n\n\n\n

up thus to the bitter, bitter agony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And did He regret that He had undertaken the work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every step He took from Bethlehem to Calvary<\/p>\n\n\n\n

did but unfold the willingness of Jesus to die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, how amazing was the love of Jesus!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This, this was the secret why He did not spare<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His own life. He loved sinners too well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He loved us better than Himself. With all our<\/p>\n\n\n\n

sinfulness, guilt, wretchedness, and poverty;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He yet loved us so much as to give Himself an<\/p>\n\n\n\n

offering and sacrifice unto God for us. Here was<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the springhead where these streams of mercy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

flowed from. This was the gushing fountain<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that was opened when He died.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when they taunted Him and said, “If You are<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the King of the Jews, save Yourself,” oh, what a<\/p>\n\n\n\n

reply did His silence give, “I came not to save<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myself, but My people. I hang here, not for My<\/p>\n\n\n\n

own sins, but for theirs. I could save Myself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

but I came to give My life a ransom for many.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They thought the nails alone kept Him<\/p>\n\n\n\n

to the cross. He knew it was His own love<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that fastened Him there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behold the strength of Immanuel’s love!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Come, fall prostrate, adore and worship Him!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, what love was His!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh the depth!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do not content not yourself with standing upon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the shore of this ocean; enter into it, drink largely<\/p>\n\n\n\n

from it. It is for you, if you but feel . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

   your nothingness,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

   your poverty,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

   your vileness;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

this ocean is for you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is not for angels, it is for men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is not for the righteous, but for sinners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then drink to the full from the love of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do not be satisfied with small supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a large vessel to the fountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The larger the demand, the larger the supply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more needy, the more welcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more vile, the more fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lord’s secret power in our souls?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(J. C. Philpot, “Power Given to the Faint”, 1845)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He giveth power to the faint: and to them that have no\nmight he increaseth strength.\u201d Is. 40:29<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lord’s people are often in the state that they have<\/p>\n\n\n\n

no might. All their power seems exhausted, and their<\/p>\n\n\n\n

strength completely drained away; sin appears to have<\/p>\n\n\n\n

gotten the mastery over them; and they feel as if they<\/p>\n\n\n\n

had neither will nor ability to run the race set before<\/p>\n\n\n\n

them, or persevere in the way of the Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now what has kept us to this day? Some of you have<\/p>\n\n\n\n

made a profession ten, twenty, thirty, or forty years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What has kept us?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When powerful temptations were spread for our feet,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

what preserved us from falling headlong into them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we felt the workings of strong lusts, what kept<\/p>\n\n\n\n

us from being altogether carried captive by them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we look at the difficulties of the way, the<\/p>\n\n\n\n

perplexities which our souls have had to grapple with,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the persecutions and hard blows from sinners and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

saints that we have had to encounter–what has still<\/p>\n\n\n\n

kept in us a desire to fear God, and a heart in some<\/p>\n\n\n\n

measure tender before Him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we view the . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  infidelity,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  unbelief,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  carnality,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  worldly-mindedness,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  hypocrisy,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  pride, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  presumption of our fallen nature,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

what has kept us still . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  believing,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  hoping,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  loving,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  longing,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and looking to the Lord?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we think of our . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  deadness,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  coldness,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  torpidity,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  rebelliousness,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  perverseness,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  love to evil,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  aversion to good, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  all the abounding corruptions of our nature,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

what has kept us from giving up the very profession<\/p>\n\n\n\n

of religion, and swimming down the powerful current<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that has so long and so often threatened to sweep<\/p>\n\n\n\n

us utterly from the Lord? Is it not the putting forth<\/p>\n\n\n\n

of the Lord’s secret power in our souls?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can we not look back, and recall to mind our first<\/p>\n\n\n\n

religious companions; those with whom we started<\/p>\n\n\n\n

in the race; those whom we perhaps envied for their<\/p>\n\n\n\n

greater piety, zeal, holiness, and earnestness; and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

with which we painfully contrasted our own sluggishness<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and carnality; admiring them, and condemning ourselves?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where are they all, or the greater part of them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some have embraced soul-destroying errors; others<\/p>\n\n\n\n

are buried in a worldly religious system; and others<\/p>\n\n\n\n

are wrapped up in delusion and fleshly confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, while most have fallen into the snares of the devil;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God, by putting forth His secret power in the hearts of His<\/p>\n\n\n\n

fainting ones, keeps His fear alive in their souls; holds up<\/p>\n\n\n\n

their goings in His paths that their footsteps slip not; brings<\/p>\n\n\n\n

them out of all their temptations and troubles; delivers them<\/p>\n\n\n\n

from every evil work; and preserves them unto His heavenly<\/p>\n\n\n\n

kingdom. He thus secures the salvation of His people by<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His own free grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How sweet and precious it is . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  to have our strength renewed;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  to have fresh grace brought into the heart;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  to feel the mysterious sensations of renovated life;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  to feel the everlasting arms supporting the soul . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    fighting our battles for us,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    subduing our enemies,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    overcoming our lusts,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    breaking our snares, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    delivering us out of our temptations!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE WONDROUS RELATIONSHIP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John MacDuff<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said,”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“For whoever shall do the will of God \u2014 the same is My\nbrother, and My sister, and mother.” \u2014 Mark 3:35<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As if no solitary earthly type were enough to image forth the\nlove of Jesus, He assembles into one verse \u2014 a group of the tenderest earthly\nrelationships. Human affection has to focus its loveliest hues \u2014 but all is too\nlittle to adequately expatiate the depth and intensity of His love. He is\n“Son,” “Brother,” “Friend” \u2014 all in one;\n“cleaving closer than any brother.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And can we wonder at such language? He gave Himself for us;\nafter that pledge of His affection \u2014 we must cease to marvel at any expression of\nthe interest He feels in us. Anything that He can say or do for us now \u2014 is\ninfinitely less than what He has done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Believer! are you solitary and desolate? Has bereavement severed\nearthly ties? Has the grave made forced estrangements \u2014 sundered the closest\nlinks of earthly affection? In Jesus you have filial and fraternal love\ncombined; He is the Friend of friends, whose presence and fellowship\ncompensates for all losses, and supplies all blanks! If you are orphaned,\nfriendless, comfortless here, remember that there is in the Elder Brother on\nthe Throne \u2014 a love deep as the unfathomed ocean, and boundless as Eternity!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And who are those who can claim the blessedness spoken of under\nthis wondrous imagery? On whom does He lavish this unutterable affection? No\nmere outward profession will purchase it. No church, no priest, no ordinances,\nno denominational distinctions are sufficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is for those who are possessed of holy characters. “He\nwho does the will of My Father who is in Heaven!” He who reflects the mind\nof Jesus; imbibes His Spirit; takes His Word as the regulator of his daily\nwalk, and makes His glory the great end of his being; he who lives to God, and\nwith God, and for God; the humble, lowly, Christ-like, Heaven-seeking Christian\n\u2014 he it is who can claim as his own this wondrous heritage of love!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it is a worthy object of ambition to be loved by the good and\nthe great on earth \u2014 then what must it be to have an eye of love ever beaming\nupon us from the eternal Throne, in comparison of which the attachment here of\nbrother, sister, kinsman, friend \u2014 all combined \u2014 pales like the stars before\nthe rising sun!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though we are often ashamed to call Him “Brother,”\n“He is not ashamed to call us brethren.” He looks down on poor worms,\nand says, “These are My mother, and sisters, and brothers!” “I\nwill write upon them,” He says in another place, “My new name.”\nJust as we write our name on a book to tell that it belongs to us \u2014 so Jesus\nwould write His own name on us, the wondrous volumes of His grace \u2014 that they\nmay be read and pondered by principalities and powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have we known and believed this astonishing love of God to us?\nAh, how poor has been the requital! Who cannot subscribe to these holy words:\n“Your love has been as a shower to us \u2014 but our return but a dew-drop, and\nthat dew-drop is stained with sin!” “If a man loves Me, he will keep\nMy Words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our\nabode with him.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The more burdens we put on His shoulders (Charles Spurgeon) “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble!” Psalm 46:1 Scripture promises are not meant to be looked at only\u2014but to be appropriated. Even our Lord Jesus is given to us for our present use. Believer, you do not make use […]<\/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-5955","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\/5955","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=5955"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5955\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5956,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5955\/revisions\/5956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}