{"id":6186,"date":"2022-04-04T12:12:48","date_gmt":"2022-04-04T12:12:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6186"},"modified":"2022-04-04T12:12:48","modified_gmt":"2022-04-04T12:12:48","slug":"bulletin-edition-april-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6186","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition April 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“A certain Samaritan.”Luke x. 33.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look, my soul, beyond the letter of the parable, and see if thou\ncanst not instantly discover who it is that is here meant. Mark how he is\ndescribed: “A certain Samaritan.” Not any indifferent undetermined\none among the whole mass of men called Samaritans, but an identical certain\none: and who but Jesus answers to this character? “Said we not well, (said\nthe Jews) that thou art a Samaritan?” Yes, truly, thus far ye said right;\nfor our Jesus is the true Samaritan, that came a blissful stranger from his\nblessed abode, to deliver us from our lost estate, for his mercy endureth for\never. And, my soul, observe how exactly corresponding to all that is said of\nthis certain Samaritan in the parable, thy Jesus proves to have been. Our\nnature, universally speaking, was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when it\nfell among thieves, and when it was left more than half dead by the great enemy\nof souls; for we had all miserably departed from the Lord, when Jesus came from\nheaven to the Jericho of this world, to “seek and save that which was\nlost.” And what could the priest or levite do by law or sacrifice, to help\nour ruined nature? But when Jesus came and bound up the wounds which sin and\nSatan had made, by pouring in the balsam of his own precious blood, then he\nproved himself to be this certain Samaritan; for none but Jesus could have done\nthis, since there is salvation in no other; “neither is there any other\nname under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.” And what is\nit now, but the same gracious mercy carrying on the same blessed purpose in\ncompleting the perfect recovery of our nature. It is Jesus, Samaritan-like,\nwhich hath brought us to the inn of his church, hath appointed his servants and\nangels, who are ministering spirits, to minister in all divine things to the\nheirs of salvation. He hath commissioned the whole train of ordinances, and\nprovidences, and promises, to minister to our good. His holy word, his Holy\nSpirit, are unceasingly engaged to the same blessed end. And what crowns all,\nand makes our state and circumstances most safe and blessed indeed, is, that\nJesus hath commanded all the remaining costs and expenses of our cure to be put\ndown to his account. He saith himself to me, a poor worthless sinner as I am,\nand to every individual of his\nredeemed, “Whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will\nrepay.” And is it so, my soul? Is not the blessing too great to be\nbestowed, and thou too worthless to receive it? Oh no! for it is Jesus who\npromiseth: that is enough. Hail, then, thou certain Samaritan, thou Almighty\nTraveller through our miserable world! Since the first day that thou didst pass\nby, and didst behold me in my blood, cast out to perish, and didst bid me live,\nhow hath my soul hailed thee, and now and unceasingly will hail thee, as my\nlife, my hope, my joy, my portion for ever! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-John Newton<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those passages of Scripture wherein the Gospel-truth is compared\nto LIGHT lead to this familiar illustration. Men by nature are stark blind with\nrespect to this LIGHT; by grace the eyes of the understanding are opened. Among\na number of blind men, some may be more ingenious and of better capacity than\nothers. They may be better qualified for such studies and employments which do\nnot require eyesight than many who can see, and may attain to considerable\nskill in them; but with respect to the true nature of light and colors, they\nare all exactly upon a level. A blind man, if ingenious and inquisitive, may\nlearn to talk about the LIGHT, the sun, or the rainbow, in terms borrowed from\nthose who have seen them; but it is impossible that he can have (I mean a man\nborn blind) a just idea of either; and whatever hearsay-knowledge he may have\nacquired, he can hardly talk much upon these subjects without betraying his real\nignorance. The case of one mentioned by Mr. Locke has been often quoted. He\nbelieved, that after much inquiry and reflection, he had at last found out what\nscarlet was; and being asked to explain himself, “I think,” says he,\n“scarlet is something like the sound of a trumpet.” This man had\nabout the same knowledge of natural light as Nicodemus had of spiritual. Nor\ncan all the learning or study in the world enable any person to form a suitable\njudgment of divine truth, till the eyes of his mind are opened and then he will\nperceive it at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neither education, endeavors, nor arguments, can open the eyes\nof the blind. It is God alone, who at first caused light to shine out of\ndarkness, who can shine into our hearts, “to give us the light of the\nknowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Newton<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hear men talk of progressive sanctification. I am told that\nGod\u2019s people grow in holiness and righteousness. Some men will even dare to\nassert, \u2018I am holier than thou.\u2019 They think that their good works, their piety,\ntheir devotion, their prayers, their meditations and their Bible reading since\nthey professed faith in Christ make them more holy, inwardly and outwardly,\nbefore God. But it is all a self-righteous delusion. God says of all such\npretenders of piety, \u2018These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the\nday.\u2019 It is true, God\u2019s elect grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus\nChrist. We grow in faith, devotion, submission and even obedience to Christ.\nBut never in all the Word of God do I read of a man who trusted Christ claiming\nto grow in holiness, purity, or sanctification before God. In fact, the very\nopposite is true. When Isaiah saw the Lord, he said, \u2018Woe is me! for I am\nundone; because I am a man of unclean lips.\u2019 When Job had grown the most in\ngrace and had seen the most of God\u2019s glory, he cried, \u2018Behold, I am vile!\u2019 When\nDavid had the greatest assurance of God\u2019s pardoning grace, he had also the\ngreatest awareness of his own sin. He said, \u2018I acknowledge my transgressions:\nand my sin is ever before me.\u2019 When Paul had faithfully preached the gospel for\nmany years he said, \u2018I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good\nthing.\u2019 When Paul was about to lay down his life in martyrdom, when he reached\na far higher degree of faithfulness and dedication than anyone I know, he did\nnot call himself the holiest of all saints, he called himself the chief of all\nsinners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do you find sanctification? I can tell you where all of\nGod\u2019s saints find it – Christ is our sanctification. He is all my\nrighteousness, all my redemption, all my sanctification and all my holiness\nbefore God. Sanctification is not by the works of the flesh any more than\njustification is. Sanctification is the work of God\u2019s sovereign grace whereby\nhe has separated us to be holy in Christ by election, declared us to be holy in\nChrist by redemption, and made us to be holy in Christ by regeneration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

D S Fortner<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On our learning this lesson depends our comforting walk\nheavenward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Letters of William Romaine, 1714-1795)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Holy Spirit takes of the things of Christ and preaches\nthem to the heart\u2014oh, what a sweet peace follows! For the believer then finds\nhimself saved from all the miseries of sin, and entitled to all the blessings\nof eternal glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being thus persuaded of his safety by believing in the\nsin-atoning blood of our Great High Priest, the Holy Spirit then teaches him\nhow to live upon Christ, and how to make use of Christ’s fullness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On our learning this lesson depends our comforting walk\nheavenward. For Christ does not give us a stock of grace and expect us to\nimprove it by being faithful to grace given. No, no, that is not His way. Our\nsouls must depend upon Him, just as our bodies do upon the elements of this\nworld. Every moment we must live by faith upon His fullness, and be every\nmoment receiving out of it grace upon grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this is our happiness\u2014to have all in Christ!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A beggar in myself, but rich with unsearchable eternal riches in\nHim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ignorant still in myself, but led and taught by His unerring\nwisdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sinner still, but saved by His blood and righteousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weak and helpless still, but kept by His Almighty love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nothing but sorrow in myself, nothing but joy in Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, this is a blessed life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No tongue can tell what a Heaven it is, thus to live by faith\nupon the Son of God. Thanks be to Him, that I do know a little of it. Surely I\ncould not have thought, some years ago, that there was such a Heaven upon earth\nas I now find. May you find it more and more! Sweet Jesus keep you, my dear\nfriend!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yours,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

William Romaine<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that\nproceeds out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

“Man shall not live by bread alone.” There is heavenly\nfood to support his soul, as well as natural food to support his body. If a man\nis supported spiritually by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God,\nif this be the only food the Lord’s people enjoy, how little they have! If you\nand I have no more religion than that which comes from what God has spoken into\nour soul; if that be the bread we are to live upon; if that be the strength of\nour heart; if that be our living portion and our dying sufficiency–how it\nnarrows up our religion into so small a compass, that sometimes we seem to\nrequire a microscope to see whether we have any or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But thus we learn this lesson, “that man lives not by bread\nalone.” He cannot live by doctrines in the head. He cannot live by bodily\ngestures. He cannot live by rites and forms and ceremonies. He cannot live by\nanything that springs from the creature. His life is first given by God, and\nhis life is maintained by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.\nWhat the Lord teaches, he knows; what the Lord works, he feels; what the Lord\ngives, he possesses; what the Lord speaks to his heart, he has in his soul, as\nfrom the lips of the sovereign Majesty himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what a narrow path is this! How it cuts up all creature\nrighteousness! How it lays the creature low in the dust of abasement! With all\nyour religion, you have none but what God gives, nor can you procure a grain;\nfor you have to live, not by bread alone, as in your natural life, but on every\nword that proceeds out of the mouth of God. How then are you spiritually to\nlive, except from time to time the Lord speak a word to your soul?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT QUICKENETH”  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 6:63<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The success of our labors in this world for the glory of Christ\nand the souls of men is entirely dependent upon the power of God the Holy\nSpirit. Talented musicians, eloquent preachers, and religious entertainment can\ndraw crowds and fill our church buildings; but the Spirit of God alone can give\nlife to dead sinners. It is the Spirit who makes the Word of God a Word of\nlife. It is the Spirit who convicts men of sin. It is the Spirit who reveals\nChrist in the heart. It is the Spirit who regenerates. It is the Spirit who\ngives faith in Christ and repentance toward God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \nFor us to attempt the work of God without the presence and power of the Holy\nSpirit of God is futile; and our efforts would be vain. A man can pray, but he\nis only saying words unless the Spirit makes intercession for him with\ngroanings which cannot be uttered. A man can preach, but his preaching is empty\nand powerless unless the Spirit of God speaks through him. Without the Spirit\nof God working in the hearts of his people and speaking through the voice of\nhis servants, preaching is just an exercise of speech, nothing more than the\nmultiplication of sounds and syllables. IT IS GOD IN US THAT MAKES THE\nDIFFERENCE! Without the Spirit of God our worship is dead worship, our praying\nis dead praying, our singing is dead singing, our preaching is dead preaching.\nIt is all empty religious ritualism. It is just the exercise of religious\nhabit. Without God the Holy Spirit working in us and through us we are sterile.\nWe cannot do anything for the souls of men and the glory of Christ. We will\nserve no useful purpose in our generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \nI have said all of this, not to discourage you, but to encourage you to cry\nunto God continually for the unction of his Spirit upon us. “Come from the\nfour winds, O Breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True or False?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(by Don Fortner)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. False faith may be greatly enlightened<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and knowledgeable of gospel truth. Judas was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True faith receives the love of the Truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. False faith excites the affections, like<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the stony ground hearers of the parable,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and causes people to spring up like<\/p>\n\n\n\n

shooting stars, only to fade quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True faith is the abiding, growing gift of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. False faith reforms the outward life and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

causes people to live better before men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True faith arises from a regenerate<\/p>\n\n\n\n

heart and causes people to seek the<\/p>\n\n\n\n

will and glory of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. False faith may speak well of Christ,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

as the Jews did. True faith loves Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. False faith confesses sins, like King Saul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True faith confesses sin, like David.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. False faith may humble itself in<\/p>\n\n\n\n

sackcloth and ashes, like Ahab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True faith humbles itself before God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. False faith may repent in terror, like Esau<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and Judas. True faith repents in contrition,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

being convinced of God’s way of salvation in Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. False faith often performs religious works<\/p>\n\n\n\n

very diligently. Saul of Tarsus did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True faith is a faith, which “works by love.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. False faith is sometimes very generous and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

charitable (Ananias and Sapphira). True faith<\/p>\n\n\n\n

causes ransomed sinners to be generous,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

willingly, constrained only by love and gratitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. False faith may tremble at the<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Word of God, like Felix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True faith trembles and bows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. False faith often experiences much in religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True faith trusts no experience, no matter how<\/p>\n\n\n\n

great, and looks to Christ alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. False faith often enjoys great religious<\/p>\n\n\n\n

privileges, like Lot’s wife. True faith<\/p>\n\n\n\n

places no confidence in the flesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. False faith may preach, perform miracles,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and cast out demons, like Judas. True faith<\/p>\n\n\n\n

rejoices in having one’s name written in heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14. False faith often attains high office in the<\/p>\n\n\n\n

church, like Diotrephes, and walks with great<\/p>\n\n\n\n

preachers, as Demas walked with Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True faith is honored to keep the doors<\/p>\n\n\n\n

of God’s house and walk with Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15. False faith may be peaceful and carnally<\/p>\n\n\n\n

secure, like the five foolish virgins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True faith presumes nothing, but looks<\/p>\n\n\n\n

constantly to Christ.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“A certain Samaritan.”Luke x. 33. Look, my soul, beyond the letter of the parable, and see if thou canst not instantly discover who it is that is here meant. Mark how he is described: “A certain Samaritan.” Not any indifferent undetermined one among the whole mass of men called Samaritans, but an identical certain one: […]<\/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-6186","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\/6186","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=6186"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6187,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6186\/revisions\/6187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}