There are many things that we ask the Lord to\ngive us in prayer. But did you know there is something that we ought to ask\nfrom above all things? \u201cAnd above all things have fervent charity among\nyourselves.\u201d Love is \u201cThat more excellent way\u201d which we should \u201cFollow after\u201d,\nor make our aim. The Scriptures tell us that \u201cKnowledge (only) puffs up,\nbut charity edifieth.\u201d It is not simply the truth that we are to receive, but\n\u201cThe love of the Truth.\u201d The Lord gives this as the true badge of discipleship.\n \u201cBy this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one\nto another.\u201d Never forget, \u201cFor now abideth faith, hope, and charity,\nthese three: but the greatest of these is charity.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Todd Nibert<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“HE BROUGHT HIM TO JESUS.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Don Fortner<\/p>\n\n\n\n John 1:42<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, salvation is all of grace. It is the Good Shepherd who goes\nout to seek his sheep. He finds them. And he brings them home. But according to\nhis infinite wisdom and condescending grace, it is our Lord’s good pleasure to\nemploy men in this heavenly work. Andrew was present when John said,\n“Behold the Lamb of God!” And Andrew beheld him. Immediately, Andrew\nwent and found Simon, and told him \u201cWe have found the Christ,” “And\nhe brought him to Jesus.” Andrew could not give Simon faith. He could not show\nhim Christ’s glory. He could not save him. But there was something he could do\n– He could tell Simon what he had seen. He could tell Simon about Christ. And\nhe could bring Simon to the place where he might meet Christ for himself. You\nknow the result of Andrew’s effort. Simon was converted and he became the\nmighty spokesman of the early church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nAndrew never preached like Peter did. But had it not been for Andrew’s witness\nto his brother, Peter would never have preached either. Maybe you can’t preach.\nBut you can be an Andrew. Go and tell men what you have experienced, tell them\nabout the Christ of God. Then bring them with you to the place where they are\nmost likely to meet Christ for themselves. Bring others with you to the house\nof God to hear a man preach the gospel of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nI cannot believe that a man has tasted the honey of the gospel if he is content\nto eat it all by himself. Free grace compels a man to be generous. We do not\nwant to bring others to our Lord that they may enjoy his riches with us. You\nhave a tremendous opportunity before you. How many people do you know who are\nperishing for a lack of knowledge? You have at your disposal tracts, articles,\ntapes, and your own experience by which you can share the knowledge of Christ\nand his gospel. Who knows? Maybe God will be pleased to use you to bring\nanother sinner like yourself to a saving knowledge of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What a glorious prospect! Let it inspire you to begin the work\ntoday. Andrew brought Simon to the Savior. Philip brought Nathanael. Who will\nyou bring?<\/p>\n\n\n\n “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be\njudged.” 1 Cor. 11:31<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Octavius Winslow<\/p>\n\n\n\n Self-condemnation averts God’s condemnation. When a penitent\nsinner truly, humbly, graciously sits in judgment upon himself, the Lord will\nnever sit in judgment upon him. The penitent publican, who stood afar off,\nwrapped in the spirit of self-condemnation, retired from His presence a\njustified man. The proud, self-righteous Pharisee, who marched boldly to the\naltar and justified himself, went forth from God’s presence a condemned man.\nWhen God sees a penitent sinner arraigning, judging, condemning, loathing\nhimself, He exclaims, “I do not condemn you; go and sin no more.” He\nwho judges and condemns himself upon God’s footstool shall be acquitted and\nabsolved from God’s throne. The Lord give unto us this secret spirit of\nself-judgment. Such was Job’s, when in deep contrition he declared, “I\nabhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Such was David’s, when he\npenitentially confessed, “Against You, You only have I sinned, and done\nthis evil in Your sight.” Such was Peter’s, when he vehemently exclaimed,\n“Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Such was Isaiah’s,\nwhen he plaintively cried, “Woe is me, for I am undone; because I am a man\nof unclean lips.” Such was the publican’s, when he humbly prayed,\n“God be merciful to me a sinner.” Oh lovely posture! Oh sacred spirit\nof self-abhorrence, of self condemnation! The Holy Spirit works it in the\nheart, and this stamps it as so precious, so salutary, and so safe. The great\nday of the Lord will unveil blessings passing all thought, and glories passing\nall imagination, to the soul who beneath the cross lies prostrate, in the\nspirit of self-condemnation. The judgment-day of the self-condemning soul is on\nthis side of eternity; while the judgment-day of the self-justifying soul is on\nthe other side of eternity. And oh, how terrible will that judgment be!<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Thou Art The Christ” <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Matthew 16:16<\/p>\n\n\n\n We who believe rest our immortal souls upon one thing. We\nbuild all our hopes of peace, pardon, and eternal life upon one foundation. We\nbelieve that Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph and Mary, who was crucified\nas a common felon at Jerusalem nearly 2000 years ago, is the Christ, the\nMessiah, promised by God in all the Old Testament prophets. Peter’s confession\nis the foundation upon which the whole gospel is built, the foundation upon\nwhich the whole church and kingdom of God is built, and the foundation upon\nwhich the whole of our faith is built. – “Thou art the Christ, the Son of\nthe living God.” With the disciples of old, we confess, “We believe,\nand are sure, that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John\n6:69). How important is this issue?<\/p>\n\n\n\n (1.) If Jesus of Nazareth is not the Christ, the Mesiah,\npromised in the Old Testament Scriptures, then HE IS NOT THE SON OF THE LIVING\nGOD! The prophecies of the Old Testament plainly declare that the Messiah, when\nhe appears, though he must be a man of the house and lineage of David (Psa.\n132:11; Isa. 11:1), must also be the Son of God (Psa. 45:6-7). To deny the\ndeity of the Lord Jesus is to deny his messiahship. And to deny his messiahship\nis to deny his deity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (2.) If Jesus of Nazareth is not the Christ, the Messiah, then\nHIS OBEDIENCE TO GOD IS OF NO BENEFIT OR MERIT TO ANYONE. Though he was\n“holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners,” though he\nperfectly obeyed the law, though he had no sin and knew no sin, if he were only\na man,his righteous obedience is nothing more than a good example. It could not\nbe of infinite merit to make us righteous. It is the deity of our Savior that\nmakes his obedience to God as a man meritorious for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (3.) If Jesus of Nazareth is not the Christ, then HIS DEATH ON\nTHE CROSS HAS NO SAVING EFFICACY. The blood of one man, however innocent,\ncannot atone for the sins of many. Only that Man who is himself God can make\natonement for and redeem a multitude of lost sinners. He must be man, or he\ncould not suffer and die. But he must be God or he could not satisfy the\njustice of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (4.) If Jesus is not the Messiah, then WE ARE ALL YET IN OUR\nSINS. We have no hope, no pardon, no righteousness, because we have no Savior!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don Fortner<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, the atrocity of the sin of a pardoned soul!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (Charles Spurgeon)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “O Lord, we are covered with shame\u2014because we have sinned\nagainst You!” Daniel 9:8<\/p>\n\n\n\n A deep sense and clear sight of sin\u2014its heinousness and the\npunishment which it deserves\u2014should make us lie low before God’s throne. As\nChristians\u2014we have sinned! Alas! that it should be so. Favored as we have\nbeen\u2014we have yet been ungrateful. Privileged beyond most\u2014we have not brought\nforth fruit in proportion. What Christian is there\u2014who will not blush when he\nlooks back upon his past sins?<\/p>\n\n\n\n As for our days before we were regenerated, may they be forgiven\nand forgotten; but since then, though we have not sinned as before, yet we have\nsinned against light and against love\u2014spiritual light which has really\npenetrated our minds, and the love of Jesus which we have experienced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, the atrocity of the sin of a pardoned soul! An unpardoned\nsinner sins cheaply\u2014when compared with the sin of one of God’s redeemed ones,\nwho has had communion with Christ and leaned his head upon Jesus’ bosom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look at David! Many will talk of his sin\u2014but I beg you to look\nat his repentance, and hear his broken bones, as each one of them moans out its\ndolorous confession! Mark his tears, as they fall upon the ground, and the deep\nsighs with which he accompanies the softened music of his harp! We have\nerred\u2014let us, therefore, seek the spirit of penitence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look, again, at Peter! We speak much of Peter’s denying his\nMaster. But remember that it is written, “He wept bitterly!” Have we\nno denials of our Lord to be lamented with tears?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alas! these sins of ours would consign us to the place of\ninextinguishable fire\u2014if it were not for God’s sovereign mercy which has made\nus to differ, snatching us like brands from the burning! My soul, bow down in\nhumility under a sense of your natural sinfulness, and worship your God. Admire\n. . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n His grace which saves you;<\/p>\n\n\n\n His mercy which spares you;<\/p>\n\n\n\n His love which pardons you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn Me Dwelleth No Good Thing!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Romans 7:18<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening my heart\u2019s door, as best I can, entering into its\nmost secret chambers, I see the most foul, abominable, and frightful things\nimaginable. In my sinful heart of flesh I see every evil thing that man has\never done or imagined against God and his fellow man. I make no exceptions\n(Matthew 15:19). I see evil thoughts, murderous imaginations, vile adulteries,\nfornications and perversions, deceit, thefts, lying, and blasphemies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Progressive Holiness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let other men talk of progressively getting more sanctified,\nholy, and righteous, and less sinful if they dare speak so proudly. As for me,\n\u201cI know\u201d, by the testimony of Holy Scripture and by painful experience, \u201cthat\nin me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing!\u201d \u2014 \u201cI am carnal, sold\nunder sin!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before God saved me, I thought things would be different if ever\nGod was pleased to save me. I knew my sins would not be eradicated. But I did\nthink they would at least be fewer, weaker, and less troublesome. But things\nare not as I dreamed! I was shocked to wake up one day and realize that I am\nstill just as sinful as ever by nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My flesh is still flesh. And it always will be. Until this body\nof flesh dies, my sin will never die, or even diminish! The outward deeds are\nnot so bad as they once were. But the inward corruptions are worse, far worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be Honest<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I am trying to be honest with you, because I want you to be\nhonest with yourself and with God. Before God saved you, did you ever imagine\nthat a saved person could be so vile as you are? I never thought a saved man\ncould love Christ so little as I do and love the world so much, trust God so\nlittle and fret so much, have such a cold heart of indifference to the things\nof God and such a lively spirit to the things of the world, have such a hard\ntime praying and reading God\u2019s Word, and be so impatient, murmuring, and\nresentful of God\u2019s providence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In myself I honestly see nothing good, righteous, or holy. I\npray. But my prayers are full of selfish desires. I read God\u2019s Word. But my\nmind runs to every evil thing. I love Christ. But my love for him is shameful.\nI trust my God. But my faith is mixed with unbelief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Only Hope<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is my confession: I am a sinner, nothing else. I have never\ndone or thought even one truly righteous and holy thing, and never can while in\nthis mortal frame. My only hope is God\u2019s free grace in Christ. My only grounds\nof acceptance with God is the righteousness and shed blood of Christ, the\nsinner\u2019s Substitute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nThe only righteousness I have is the righteousness of Christ, his obedience to\nGod as my Substitute. The only atonement I have for all my sin is Christ\u2019s\nprecious blood poured out by the sword of divine justice at Calvary, when he\nwho knew no sin was made sin for me. The only holiness I have is that new man\nin me created by God in righteousness and true holiness, Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don Fortner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are many things that we ask the Lord to give us in prayer. But did you know there is something that we ought to ask from above all things? \u201cAnd above all things have fervent charity among yourselves.\u201d Love is \u201cThat more excellent way\u201d which we should \u201cFollow after\u201d, or make our aim. The […]<\/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-6087","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\/6087","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=6087"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6087\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6088,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6087\/revisions\/6088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}