If we ever truly learn that faith in Christ is the\ngift, work and operation of God, \u2014 a supernatural thing, \u2014 it will have a\nprofound effect. It will alter everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 We will stop trying to figure out how to\nmake the gospel effectual, and just preach it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 We will quit trying to determine where\nGod is likely to work, and serve him where we are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 We will cease trying to determine who is likely to be saved, and\npreach the gospel to anyone whose ear we can get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 We will quit trying to make the gospel politically\ncorrect, socially palatable and culturally relative, and just preach it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen Were The Disciples Glad\u201d John 20:20 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The disciples were a band of poor men and women, disowned and\ndisinherited by their families, maligned by their neighbors, and persecuted for\ntheir faith. They had nothing of this world\u2019s comforts. They met in secrecy,\nbehind closed doors, for fear of the Jews. Yet, something made them glad. When the\nLord Jesus revealed himself to them, spoke peace to them, and showed them his\nhands and his side, \u201cThen were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.\u201d\nWhen they saw their redemption accomplished by Christ and realized the love and\ngrace it revealed, they were glad. What makes you glad? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Christ Crucified \u2013 All The Counsel of God<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Without question,\nthe Apostle Paul is the pattern for preachers. He was the Apostle to the\nGentiles, miraculously called and gifted for the work of the gospel. God used\nhim mightily and honoured him with revelations made to no other man on earth.\nFourteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament were written by Paul.\nHis message, his ministry, and his methods should be carefully studied by all\nwho preach the gospel. Every preacher should strive to pattern himself after\nPaul. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This man, Paul,\nsummed up his entire ministry in two statements, one made to the elders of the\nchurch at Ephesus, and one written to the church at Corinth. These two\nstatements summarise all that Paul ever preached or sought to accomplish in the\nwork of the ministry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To the Ephesian\nelders he said, \u201cI have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God\u201d\n(Acts 20:27). Neither the fear of man, nor covetousness, nor the love of money,\nnor desire for approval, nor personal ambition could keep Paul from preaching\nthe full purpose, counsel, and redemptive glory of God revealed in the Holy\nScriptures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To the church at\nCorinth Paul wrote, \u201cI determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus\nChrist, and him crucified\u201d (1 Corinthians 2:2). In both places he was declaring\nthe same thing. Christ crucified is all the counsel of God! To preach Christ\ncrucified is to declare all the counsel of God, for all that God almighty has\npurposed, decreed, revealed, required from and given to the sons of men is in\nJesus Christ and him crucified. No text of Scripture in the Old Testament or\nthe New has any message, meaning, or relevance apart from Christ crucified. The\nDoctrine of the Bible is Jesus Christ and him crucified. \u201cAnd he said unto\nthem, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you,\nthat all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and\nin the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their\nunderstanding, that they might understand the scriptures\u201d (Luke 24:44-45). The\nmotive, the inspiration, the example, and the reward of all Christian service\nis Jesus Christ. The basis of unity, love, and forgiveness among God\u2019s saints\nis Christ crucified. And the glory of heaven is Christ crucified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt shall be perfect to be accepted\u201d – Leviticus 22:21<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Lord God is perfect. And he will never accept anything, or\nany person, that is not perfect. The only obedience that God will accept is\nperfect obedience. The only sacrifice that God will accept is a perfect\nsacrifice. The only man that God will accept is a perfect man. Are we then\nwithout hope? No! The Lord has provided for us a perfect obedience and a\nperfect sacrifice in the perfect God-Man Jesus Christ. \n ~Don Fortner (1950-2020)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Contrary Not\nComplicated<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The gospel does not\nremain a mystery to the natural man because it is complicated<\/strong>. The\ngospel remains a mystery because it is contrary<\/strong> to everything\nhe believes to be true. It is contrary to his view of God. He will honor God\nwith his lips but believe in his heart in a god that is not God. All men by\nnature set themselves up on the throne of God. They make God dependent upon\ntheir will or works to save them. The gospel is contrary to what the natural\nman believes about himself. He does not believe himself to be dead in his\ntrespasses and sins. He believes that he holds the power of salvation in what\nhe decides. Until the Lord gives the spirit of repentance (changed mind),\nthe simple, clear gospel of God\u2019s free grace in the glorious person and accomplished\nwork of Christ will remain a mystery. \n \n \n \n ~Greg Elmquist<\/p>\n\n\n\n But now is Christ risen from the dead, and<\/em> become the\nfirstfruits of them that slept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For since by man came<\/em> death, by man came<\/em> also the\nresurrection of the dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Corinthians 15:20-22<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n J.C.Philpot<\/p>\n\n\n\n Christ risen is the firstfruits of that mighty crop of buried\ndead whose remains still sleep in the silent dust, and who will be joined by\nsuccessive ranks of those who die in him, until all are together wakened up in\nthe resurrection morn. The figure is that of the sheaf of the firstfruits which\nwas waved before the Lord before the harvest was allowed to be reaped (Lev.\n23:10, 11). This offering of the wave sheaf was the consecration and dedication\nof the whole crop in the field to the Lord, as well as the manifest pledge that\nthe harvest was fully ripe for the reaper’s sickle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The firstfruits represented the whole of the crop, as Christ is\nthe representative of his saints; the offering of them sanctified what was\nstill unreaped in the field, as Christ sanctified or consecrated unto God the\nyet unreaped harvest of the buried dead; and the carrying them into the\ntabernacle was the first introduction therein of the crop, as Christ entering\nheaven as the firstfruits secures thereby the entrance of the bodies of the\nsaints into the mansions prepared for them before the foundation of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus Christ rising from the dead presented himself before the\nLord as the firstfruits of the grand harvest of the resurrection yet unreaped,\nand by doing so consecrated and dedicated the whole crop unto God. As, then, he\nrose from the dead, so shall all the sleeping saints rise from the dead at the\nlast day, for his resurrection is the fitst-fruits, the pledge, and the earnest\nof theirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Religion Without Love<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeloved, let us love,\nfor love is of God.\u201d In God alone love has its true abode. Beloved, let us\nlove, for those who love are truly His sons born from above. Beloved, let us\nlove, for love is rest, and he who loveth not remains unblest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Religion without love is\nlike a body without life; it is offensive and needs to be buried from sight.\nReligion without love is like a contaminated well which should bear the sign,\n\u201cDo not drink.\u201d Religion without love is a house built on sand, a branch which\nbears no fruit, a cloak of hypocrisy covering an unregenerate heart, and a form\nof godliness which denies the power! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Henry Mahan<\/p>\n\n\n\n The atonement of\nChrist<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three views\nof the atonement of Christ. One is that He died for all men and all men\nwill ultimately be saved. The next is that He died for all men; some of\nthem will be saved and some will not. The other is that He died for the\nelect and all of them will be saved. The first view cannot be supported\nfrom Scripture. There is a place called hell. This view denies\nthat. The second view denies that the blood of Christ is sufficient to\nsave. He can pay for your sins and you can still be in hell. It makes\nsalvation depend on human works. The third view is not a view, but the\nTruth! The other two are a denial of the Truth! There is no Gospel\nin the first two views. The third is a declaration of the Truth of the\nGospel! \u201cWho is he that condemneth, it is Christ who died, yea\nrather, who is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God: who also\nmaketh intercession for us.\u201d <\/em> ~Todd\nNibert<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t Blame God<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Whenever worship\nattendance is sparse, almost always, someone makes the comment, \u201cEverybody is\nhere that is supposed to be.\u201d I know that is true. God always works everything\nafter the counsel of His own will, and He makes no mistakes. (Ephesians 1:11)\nHowever, we must be careful as to what we blame on God. Our Lord has prepared a\ngreat supper and has bidden sinners to come. If you don\u2019t come, that is on you,\nnot God. By nature, we will not come to Christ that we might have life. (John\n5:40) May God be pleased to make us willing in the day of His power. (Psalms\n110:3) \n \n \n ~David L. Eddmenson<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dear Sir,<\/p>\n\n\n\n By this time I hope you are both returned in peace, and happy\ntogether in your stated favored tract; rejoicing in the name of Jesus\nyourselves, and rejoicing to see the savor of it spreading like a precious\nperfume among the people. Every day I hope you find the prejudices of the\npeople wearing off, and more disposed to hear the words of life. The Lord has\ngiven you a fine first-fruits, which I trust will prove the pledge of a\nplentiful harvest. In the mean time he will enable you to sow the seed in patience,\nleaving the event in his hands. Though it does not spring up visibly at once,\nit will not be lost. I think He would not have sent you\u2014if He had not a people\nthere to call; but they can only come forth to view as He is pleased to bring\nthem. Satan will try to hinder and disturb you; but he held by a chain which he\ncannot break, nor go a step farther than he is permitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if you have been instrumental to the conversion of but a\nfew, in those few you have an ample reward already for all the difficulties you\nhave or can ever meet with. It is more honorable and important to be an\ninstrument of saving one soul, than to rescue a whole kingdom from temporal\nruin! Let us therefore, while we earnestly desire to be more useful, not forget\nto be thankful for what the Lord has been pleased already to do for us; and let\nus expect, knowing whose servants we are, and what a Gospel we preach, to see\nsome new miracles wrought from day to day. For indeed, every real conversion\nmay be accounted miraculous, being no less than an immediate exertion of that\npower which made the heavens, and commanded the light to shine out of darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wish I had more of that clear air and sunshine you speak of,\nthat with you I might have more distinct views of the land of promise. I cannot\nsay my prospect is greatly clouded by doubts of my reaching it at last; but\nthen there is such a languor and deadness hangs upon my mind, that it is almost\namazing to me how I can entertain any hopes at all. It seems, if doubting could\never be reasonable, there is no one who has greater reason for doubting than\nmyself. But I know not how to doubt\u2014when I consider the faithfulness, grace,\nand compassion of Him who has promised. If it could be proved that Christ had\nnot died, or that he did not speak the words which are ascribed to him in the\nGospel, or that he is not able to make them good, or that his word cannot\nsafely be taken\u2014in any of these cases I would doubt\u2014and lie down in despair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n John Newton<\/p>\n\n\n\n The predestined moment has not yet struck!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (Charles Spurgeon)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not\nafraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for\nI have much people in this city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acts 18:9-10<\/p>\n\n\n\n This should be a great encouragement to evangelise, since God\nhas . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n among the vilest of the vile,<\/p>\n\n\n\n among the most reprobate,<\/p>\n\n\n\n among the most debauched and drunken<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014an elect people who must be saved!<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you take the Word to them, you do so because God has\nordained you to be the messenger of life to their souls, and they must receive\nit\u2014for so the decree of predestination runs. They are as much redeemed by\nChrist’s blood, as the saints before the eternal throne! They are Christ’s\nproperty\u2014yet perhaps they are at present, lovers of the ale-house and haters of\nholiness. But if Jesus Christ has purchased them\u2014He will have them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n God is not unfaithful to forget the price which His Son has\npaid. He will not allow His substitutionary sacrifice to be in any case an\nineffectual, dead thing. Tens of thousands of redeemed ones are not regenerated\nyet\u2014but regenerated they must be! This is our comfort when we go forth to them\nwith the quickening Word of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nay, more, these ungodly ones are prayed for by Christ before\nthe throne. “My prayer is not for them alone,” says the great\nIntercessor, “I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their\nmessage.” Poor, ignorant souls, they do not pray for themselves\u2014but Jesus\nprays for them! Their names are on His breastplate, and before long they must\nbow their stubborn knee, breathing the penitential sigh before the throne of\ngrace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The predestined moment has not yet struck! But when it comes,\nthey shall obey\u2014for God will have His own redeemed people! They must obey\u2014for\nthe Spirit is not to be withstood when He comes forth with the fullness of His\nsaving power. They must become the willing servants of the living God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “My people shall be willing in the day of My power.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be\nsatisfied.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If we ever truly learn that faith in Christ is the gift, work and operation of God, \u2014 a supernatural thing, \u2014 it will have a profound effect. It will alter everything. \u00b7 We will stop trying to figure out how to make the gospel effectual, and just preach it. \u00b7 We will quit trying to determine […]<\/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-6195","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\/6195","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=6195"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6196,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6195\/revisions\/6196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}