{"id":6079,"date":"2021-06-18T23:52:30","date_gmt":"2021-06-18T23:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6079"},"modified":"2021-06-18T23:52:30","modified_gmt":"2021-06-18T23:52:30","slug":"bulletin-edition-june-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6079","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition June 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“The Lamb Slain From The\nFoundation Of The World”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Revelation 13:8<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don Fortner<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Though he did not come until after the\nworld had existed for four thousand years, Christ is described as “the\nLamb slain from the foundation of the world” because he offered himself to\nGod as a sin-atoning sacrifice for his people from the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     In the prophetic scriptures of the Old\nTestament Christ was presented as one already sacrificed for us. Other\nprophetic scriptures speak of things to be done in the future. When the\nprophets spoke of our Saviour\u2019s incarnation, his exaltation and his second\ncoming, these things were looked upon and spoken of as events to be\naccomplished in the future. But when the prophets spoke of the sacrificial\ndeath of Christ and the atonement of sin by his blood, it was looked upon and\nspoken of as a thing already accomplished (Psa. 22; 40:6-13; 69:4-10; 20-21;\n85:10; Isa. 43:25; 44:22; 53:1-12). Redemption by Christ was not an after\nthought of God, something he did because the Jews would not “let”\nJesus be their king. Far from it! In the mind and purpose of God our redemption\nby Christ was accomplished in eternity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     All the Old Testament types bear\ntestimony to Christ as the Lamb that had been slain. Beginning with the\nsacrifice of Abel, God’s saints of old offered the blood of lambs upon the\naltar by faith. And that faith was based upon the Divine revelation that the\nonly way of acceptance with God is by the blood of “the Lamb slain”.\nEvery type was drawn from the picture given by God’s direct revelation and\nforeshadowed the coming of the Lamb to be slain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     When Christ is described as “the\nLamb slain from the foundation of the world” it is to show us that, from\nall eternity God regarded Christ as the Lamb who had been slain for his elect.\nThere has always been only one way of salvation: The blood of the Lamb! In the\nOld Testament God forgave sin and imputed righteousness to believers exactly as\nhe does in the New, upon the basis of Christ’s sacrifice as “the Lamb\nslain from the foundation of the world” (Rom. 3:24-26). God’s eye of\njustice always has been and always shall be upon “the Lamb slain”!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most prominent object in heaven?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spurgeon, “The Lamb in Glory” #2095.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the midst of the throne and of the four beasts and in the\nmidst of the elders, stood a lamb as it has been slain. Revelation 5:6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus, in his ‘sacrificial’ character, is the most prominent\nobject in heaven. So far from ‘substitution’ being done with, and laid aside as\na temporary expedient, it remains the object of universal wonder and adoration.\nIn all his present glory, Jesus disdains not to appear as the Lamb that has\nbeen slain. This still is his chosen character. Jesus, as the Lamb, is the\ncentre of the wonderful circle which makes up the fellowship of heaven. As the\nLamb slain, he is the object of heavenly worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He who became a Lamb that he might take away the sin of the\nworld, is not ashamed of his humiliation, but still manifests it to adoring\nmyriads, and is, for that very reason, the very object of their enthusiastic\nworship. They worship the Lamb that sits upon the throne and say, “Worthy\nis the Lamb,” because he was slain and redeemed his people by his blood.\nHis atoning sacrifice is the great reason for their deepest reverence and their\nhighest adoration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doctrine of Atonement is the first and foremost teaching of\nScripture, the greatest well of the believer’s comfort, the highest hill of\nGod’s glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, that was\nslain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory\nand blessing!” Rev. 5:12<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed\nthem, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe\naway all tears from their eyes.” Rev. 7:17<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One everlasting memorial of anguish and suffering<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(John MacDuff, 1818–1895)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rev.\n5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about\nthe throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten\nthousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rev.\n5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to\nreceive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and\nblessing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What an anthem is this! No harp is unstrung, no voice<\/p>\n\n\n\n

silent. One strain thrills on every tongue–“Worthy is<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the Lamb who was slain!” What an attestation to . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  God’s immaculate holiness,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  His burning purity,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  His unimpeachable rectitude,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  His boundless mercy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Heaven, there shall still be one everlasting memorial<\/p>\n\n\n\n

of anguish and suffering–in a place where pain never<\/p>\n\n\n\n

enters and suffering is unknown!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accordingly, when the Redeemer puts the coronation anthem<\/p>\n\n\n\n

into the lips of His worshipers, He reveals Himself, not in the<\/p>\n\n\n\n

glories of Godhead–but as a slain Lamb, wearing the marks of<\/p>\n\n\n\n

humiliation. He tells them to make Calvary still their\nmeditation,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and His Cross and Passion the great centre of eternity. The\nprint<\/p>\n\n\n\n

of the nails in His hands, and the spear-mark in His side, are\nnot<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the mementos of shame but of victory–remembrancers of a love<\/p>\n\n\n\n

whose depths the ages cannot fathom! The vision of the text thus<\/p>\n\n\n\n

becomes the mightiest of preachers, replete to the multitudes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

above, with the story of grace. There is a tongue in every wound<\/p>\n\n\n\n

of the glorified Sufferer–silently but expressively proclaiming\nthe<\/p>\n\n\n\n

great love that He had for us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the slain Lamb, Jesus proclaims that the same heart which<\/p>\n\n\n\n

throbbed in anguish on the Cross–still beats on the Throne;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that He is still the Almighty Friend. Precious assurance! Jesus<\/p>\n\n\n\n

unchanged and unchangeable! This same Jesus, who mingled<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His tears with the widow at the gate of Nain; who wept over<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the memory of a cherished friendship, and was melted in a<\/p>\n\n\n\n

flood of tenderest compassion over an apostate land; this<\/p>\n\n\n\n

same Jesus, who breathed balm-words of comfort on the very<\/p>\n\n\n\n

eve of His own agony, and in the midst of it welcomed a dying<\/p>\n\n\n\n

felon to Paradise–is now, with a heart of unaltered love and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

sympathy–wielding the sceptre of universal empire!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No sight, short of this<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

J.C.Philpot<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho his own self bare our sins in His own body on the\ntree.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     1 Peter 2:24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We beg of the Lord, sometimes, to give us . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  a broken heart,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  a contrite spirit,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  a tender conscience,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  and a humble mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it is only a view by faith of what the gracious<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Redeemer endured upon the cross, when He bore<\/p>\n\n\n\n

our sins in his own body with all their weight and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

pressure, and with all the anger of God due to them,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that can really melt a hard, and break a stony heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No sight, short of this, can make sin felt to be hateful;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

bring tears of godly sorrow out of the eyes, sobs of true<\/p>\n\n\n\n

repentance out of the breast, and the deepest, humblest<\/p>\n\n\n\n

confessions before God as to what dreadful sinners and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

base backsliders we have been before the eyes of His<\/p>\n\n\n\n

infinite Purity, Majesty, and Holiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, what hope is there for our guilty souls; what<\/p>\n\n\n\n

refuge from the wrath of God so justly our due;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

what shelter from the curse of a fiery law, except<\/p>\n\n\n\n

it be in the cross of Jesus?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O for a view of Him revealed to the eyes of our<\/p>\n\n\n\n

enlightened understanding, as bearing our sins<\/p>\n\n\n\n

in His own body on the tree!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most eloquent mouths that ever spoke!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

In the midst of the throne and of the four beasts and in the\nmidst of the elders, stood a lamb as it has been slain. Revelation 5:6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why should our exalted Saviour appear in Heaven with His wounds?\nThe wounds of Jesus are . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  His glories,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  His jewels,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  His sacred ornaments!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the eye of the believer, Jesus is more than beautiful because\nHe is “white and ruddy” Song of Solomon 5:10. He is white with\ninnocence, and ruddy with His own blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We see Him as the ‘Lily’ of matchless purity\u2014and as the ‘Rose’\nencrimsoned with His own blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christ never was so matchless as when He hung on the cross!\nThere we behold all His beauties in perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wounds of Jesus are far more beautiful than all the\nsplendour and pomp of kings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus appears as the slain Lamb who sought our souls and\nredeemed them by His complete atonement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His wounds are the trophies of His love and of His victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has redeemed for Himself a great multitude which no one can\nnumber\u2014His scars are the memorials of the fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there were not an audible word, those wounds are the mouths\nwhich speak of His love!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most eloquent mouths that ever spoke, are the wounds of\nChrist!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listen! Listen!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every blood-drop says, “Pardon!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every wound says, “Life, eternal life!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In a loud voice they sang: Worthy is the Lamb who was\nslain\u2014to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory\nand praise!” Revelation 5:12<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sanctifying grace, as well as pardoning mercy!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(“Every Day!” Author unknown, 1872)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You shall call His name Jesus \u2014 for He shall save His\npeople from their sins!” Matthew 1:21<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus! Precious name, how sweet it is! How well it befits Him\nwho bears it \u2014 and how glorious is the salvation which He accomplishes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misery is the natural consequence of sin. Everything that God\nenjoins is good \u2014 and everything that He forbids is evil. Jesus saves His\npeople from their sins \u2014 and so saves them from misery. He died to atone for\ntransgressions. He ever lives to save His people from the power and practice of\nsin \u2014 yes, and eventually from the very presence of sin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My soul, let your whole trust be in Jesus, not only for\ndeliverance from guilt and its consequences \u2014 but from sin in its manifold\nworkings. You are powerless against your inward corruptions \u2014 but Jesus is\n“mighty to save.” He can subdue your iniquities. Trust Him then, for\nsanctifying grace, as well as pardoning mercy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dwell much on all He did and suffered for you. In His agony in\nthe garden of Gethsemane, and on the cross at Calvary \u2014 see something of the\nexceeding sinfulness of your sins, from which He died to save you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He will subdue our iniquities \u2014 and cast all our sins into\nthe depths of the sea!” Micah 7:19<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Jesus’ blood, for sinners spilt,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Shows my sin in all its guilt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Ah, my soul, He bore your load,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 You have slain the Lamb of God!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Farewell, world \u2014 your gold is dross!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Now I see the bleeding cross!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Jesus died to set me free,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 From the law, and sin, and thee!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAbraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genesis 22:14<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cAbraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh,\u201d\nbecause he knew Jehovah-jireh for himself and knew by experience his provision.\nThe ram caught in the thicket had been provided as a substitute for Isaac. Not\nonly had the Lord seen, but according to the promise made to Abraham\u2019s faith,\nthe Lord had provided. Even before he knew how this trial would end, Abraham\nconfidently believed God, trusting him to provide what was needed (Romans\n4:20). Isaac said, \u201cBehold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a\nburnt offering?\u201d Abraham answered with confident faith, \u201cMy son, God will\nprovide Himself!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In due time, God did just that. As these words were spoken\nprophetically by Abraham concerning Isaac and his substitute, they were also a\ndirect prophecy of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Substitute God has provided for\nsinners. Abraham was, by the Spirit of prophecy, saying to us, as God provided\na substitute for Isaac, so he will provide a Substitute for all his covenant\npeople in whom the Lord will be seen. That Substitute is the Lord Jesus Christ,\nthe Lamb of God. He was also telling us that, as God provided for him in his\ntime of extremity, so he will provide for all who trust him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The God of Abraham lives today! He is the same today as he was\nin Abraham\u2019s day. In the hour of Abraham\u2019s great need, when there seemed to be\nno possible way of escape, the Lord appeared for him and was seen in the mount.\nSo it shall be with all the children of Abraham. We shall be tried and tested,\nbut in the hour of our utmost need our God will see us. Seeing our need, he\nwill provide for us. And he will be seen in the provision he makes. The name of\nour God is Jehovah-jireh. He is worthy of absolute trust and confidence. The\nLord Jehovah, is our Preserver and our Provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let this truth be firmly fixed in your heart. \u2014 God\u2019s provision\nfor Abraham and Isaac typified the far greater provision of his grace, by which\nall believing sinners are delivered from sin and death. And God\u2019s provision for\nus in Christ, by his death at Mt. Calvary, has given us the sure guarantee that\nall our necessities, both carnal and spiritual, shall be provided by him for\nboth time and eternity. The richest person in the world is the one who is\ncontent. If a person is content, he can never be made richer or poorer. And\nthose who have Christ ought to be perfectly content, because Christ is\ncontentment! He who is Jehovah-jireh has promised, \u201cI will satiate the soul of\nthe priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,\nsaith the Lord\u201d (Jeremiah 31:14). What blessed, heavenly logic Paul was\ninspired of God to use in Romans 8:32, when he asked, \u201cHe that spared not his\nown Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely\ngive us all things?\u201d That is more than a promise; it is a conglomeration of\npromises. It is a mass of precious jewels, of rubies, and emeralds, and\ndiamonds, with a nugget of gold for their setting. What can the Lord God deny\nus after giving us his own dear Son? If we need all things in heaven and earth,\nhe will grant them to us. If there could be a limit anywhere, surely he would\nhave kept back his own Son!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Don Fortner<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What? Will He forgive us all sins?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

J.C.Philpot<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     1 John 1:9<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What? Will He forgive us all sins?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every sin that we have committed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do we not sin with every breath that we draw?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is not every lustful desire sin?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And is not every proud thought sin?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And is not every wicked imagination sin?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And is not every unkind suspicion sin?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every act of unbelief sin?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And every working of a depraved nature sin?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We committed sin when we sucked our mother’s<\/p>\n\n\n\n

breast! We committed sin as soon as we were<\/p>\n\n\n\n

able to stammer out a word. And as we grew in<\/p>\n\n\n\n

body, we grew in sinfulness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will He forgive . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  sins of thought,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  sins of look,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  sins of action,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  sins of omission,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  sins of commission,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  sins in infancy,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  sins in childhood,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  sins in youth,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  sins in old age?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will He forgive . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  all the base lusts,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  all the filthy workings,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  all the vile actions,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  all the pride,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  all the hypocrisy,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  all the covetousness,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  all the envy, hatred, and malice,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  all the aboundings of inward iniquity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all\nsin.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     1 John 1:7<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“The Lamb Slain From The Foundation Of The World” Revelation 13:8 Don Fortner      Though he did not come until after the world had existed for four thousand years, Christ is described as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” because he offered himself to God as a sin-atoning sacrifice for his people […]<\/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-6079","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\/6079","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=6079"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6079\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6080,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6079\/revisions\/6080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6079"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6079"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}