{"id":6467,"date":"2023-08-27T10:39:36","date_gmt":"2023-08-27T10:39:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6467"},"modified":"2023-08-27T10:39:36","modified_gmt":"2023-08-27T10:39:36","slug":"bulletin-edition-august-2023-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6467","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition August 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The pulpit’s real issue is this:\nChrist, and Him crucified. Men, whose eyes are fixed on Christ, do not argue.\nThey do not love controversy whose hearts are touched with Him. They do not\nlook for issues and sticky theological problems who are busy knowing and showing\nChrist. Those whose interest is singularly Christ have little difficulty\nsettling all matters and quickly in His Word. The problem they see is sinners,\nlost and hell-bound; and the only answer they see is Christ.                                         \n              Pastor\nHenry Mahan<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fear Him!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Who would not fear Thee, O King of nations?” Jeremiah\n10:7
\n
\nHow reasonable it is that this glorious Being whose greatness is unsearchable,\nshould be regarded with feelings of the profoundest reverence. It is indeed,\nHis due\u2014and as such He claims it from all His creatures.
\n
\n“Concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before\nhis eyes!” Psalm 36:1. To have no fear of God before our eyes, is at once\nthe greatest injustice<\/em>, and the most unutterable folly!<\/em> All\nwho have the impudence to lift up their puny arms in rebellion against Him\u2014are\nengaged in a conflict, which, if persisted in, is sure to terminate in their\nutter destruction!
\n
\nReader, think of His incomprehensible<\/em> greatness<\/em> and majesty<\/em>.\nThink of Him as the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity. . .
\n  the heavens His throne,
\n  the earth His footstool,
\n  the light His garment,
\n  the clouds His chariot,
\n  the thunder His voice!
\nViewing Him thus\u2014it will be impossible for you to treat Him with indifference,\nfar less with scornful disdain. If you are only brought in some measure to\nrealize the fact of God’s greatness and majesty\u2014you cannot fail to acknowledge\nthat He is greatly to be feared, and to be held in reverence by all His\ncreatures.
\n
\nJust so, with all the other attributes<\/em> of His nature.
\n
\nWho can think of His power<\/strong> so mighty, so irresistible\u2014a power\nthat is able to crush us into atoms with infinitely greater ease than we can\ntread the crawling worm beneath our feet\u2014and not fear Him?
\n
\nWho can think of His knowledge<\/strong>, nothing being hidden from His\nomniscient glance, the darkness of midnight and the splendour of noon, being\naltogether alike to Him\u2014and not fear Him?
\n
\nWho can think of the terrors of His avenging justice<\/strong>\u2014and not fear\nHim? Especially as when He proclaims from His exalted throne,
\n“There is no God other than Me.
\n I am the one who kills and gives life.
\n I am the one who wounds and heals.
\n No one delivers from My power.
\n As surely as I live, when I sharpen my flashing sword and begin to carry\nout justice, I will bring vengeance on My enemies and repay those who hate\nMe!” Deuteronomy 32:39-41
\n
\nOur God is truly a consuming fire! It is most befitting for us, to regard Him\nwith a reverence and godly fear.
\n
\nIt is not those who can deprive us of our present life, whom we should so much\ndread. Limited and of brief duration, is the power of all mortal<\/em> foes\nat best.
\n
\n“Be not afraid of them who kill the body, and after that have no more that\nthey can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: Fear Him<\/strong>,\nwhich after He hath killed, hath power to cast into Hell; Yea, I say unto\nyou, fear Him!<\/strong>” Luke 12:4-5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GOD’S WORD
\n<\/strong>(The following is by Spurgeon)
\n
\n“He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth:
\n His word runeth very swiftly” (Psalm 147:15).
\n
\nNo language ever stirs the deeps of my nature like the Word of
\nGod, and none produces such a profound calm within my spirit.
\n
\nAs no other voice can,
\n  it melts me to tears,
\n  it humbles me in the dust,
\n  it fires me with enthusiasm,
\n  it fills me with pleasure,
\n  it elevates me to holiness.
\n
\nEvery faculty of my being owns the power of the sacred Word.
\n
\nIt sweetens my memory,
\n  it brightens my hope,
\n  it stimulates my imagination,
\n  it directs my judgment,
\n  it commands my will, and
\n  it cheers my heart.
\n
\nThe word of man charms me for the time,
\n  but I outlive and outgrow its power.
\n
\nIt is altogether the reverse with the Word of the King of kings;
\nit rules me more sovereignly, more practically, more habitually,
\nmore completely every day. Its power is for all seasons–for
\nsickness and for health, for solitude and for company, for
\npersonal emergencies and for public assemblies.
\n
\nI had sooner have the Word of God at my back than all the
\narmies and navies of all the great powers, aye, than all the
\nforces of nature; for the Word of the Lord is the source of
\nall the power in the universe, and within it there is an infinite
\nsupply in reserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three Witnesses to the\nAccomplishment Of<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Redemption by Christ<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 John 5:7<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are\nthree that bear record in heaven.\u201d \u2014 <\/em>Bear record of what? That\nJesus is the Son of God? No. Heaven needs no evidence of that! These three bear\nrecord in heaven that God has given us eternal life, in strict accordance with\nhis just and righteous law, by the merits of Christ\u2019s obedience and death as\nour Substitute. The three Persons of the Holy Trinity bear record in heaven\nthat Christ has accomplished redemption for God\u2019s elect by his blood\natonement. \u201cThere are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the\nWord, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 1.\nGod the Father bears record that redemption is accomplished by his acceptance\nof Christ as our Representative and Surety <\/strong>(Hebrews 1:1-9; 6:19-20;\n10:11-14).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 When\nthe Father raised Christ from the dead and received him back into heaven as our\nMediator, he accepted all his elect in Christ and bare record that redemption\u2019s\nwork was done (Ephesians 1:6; John 17:1-5).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. God the\nSon, the living, eternal Word of God, the second Person of the blessed Trinity,\nbears record of his people\u2019s right to eternal life by his perpetual advocacy\nand intercession at the Father\u2019s right hand <\/strong>(Romans\n8:34; 1 John 2:1-2; Hebrews 7:24-25; Hebrews 6:20).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The\nrecord he bears, which secures the eternalsalvation of God\u2019s\nelect, by which we merit heaven and eternal life, is twofold: \u2014 His\nrighteousness as our Representative, and his satisfaction as our Substitute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. God\nthe Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy Trinity, bears record of the\naccomplishment of redemption by effectually applying the blood of Christ to the\nhearts of God\u2019s elect in effectual calling <\/strong>(John\n16:14; Hebrews 9:13-14).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The\nSpirit of God takes the merit of Christ\u2019s blood and righteousness and reveals\nto God\u2019s elect their acceptance with God by the gospel. In effectual calling,\nchosen, redeemed sinners hear the gospel. But they hear more than the bare word\nof the gospel. They hear the Spirit of God speak in their hearts! Each one\nhears God speak pardon to his own soul by the gospel of his salvation. \u2014 \u201cIn\nwhom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your\nsalvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy\nSpirit of promise<\/em> (Ephesians 1:13).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cAnd\nthese three are one.\u201d <\/em>The three Divine Persons are one God. But more,\nthe record of the Father, the record of the Son, and the record of the Spirit\nare one. What is that record? \u2014 Redemption is accomplished by Christ\nalone!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

“For we which have believed do enter into rest.”\n\u2013Hebrews 4:3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

We enter into rest by ceasing from our own works, and resting on\nChrist’s; according to the words, “For he who has entered into his rest,\nhas also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” Now when you\ncan fully rest upon the finished work of the Son of God, and believe by a\nliving faith that your sins were laid upon his head; that he bore them in his\nbody on the tree; that he has washed you in his precious blood, clothed you\nwith his righteousness, and is sanctifying you by his Spirit and grace, then\nyou can rest. There is something here firm and solid for the conscience to rest\non.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the law thunders, while Satan accuses, while conscience\ncondemns there is no rest. But you can rest where God rests. God rests in his\nlove; in the finished work of his dear Son; in the perfection of Christ’s\nhumanity; in his fulfilment of all his covenant engagements; in the\nglorification of his holy law; in the satisfaction rendered to his justice; in\nthe harmonising of all his attributes; in the revelation of his grace and his\nglory to the children of men; for he is his beloved Son, in whom he is well\npleased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tabernacle in the wilderness, and afterwards the temple on\nMount Zion, was a type of the pure and sacred humanity of the Lord Jesus. There\nGod rested in a visible manner by a cloud upon the mercy seat, called by the\nJewish writers the Shekinah. This, therefore, was the place of his rest, as he\nspeaks, “For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his\nhabitation. This is my rest forever–here will I dwell; for I have desired\nit” (Psalm 132:13, 14).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of\nZion.” \u2013Jeremiah 31:12<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Until the redeemed know something of the efficacy of atoning\nblood and have their consciences purged from guilt and filth by its\napplication, they cannot come and sing in the height of Zion. But when they are\nredeemed from the hand of him who is stronger than they; when atoning blood is\napplied to their consciences to purge away guilt and filth; when Christ is\nrevealed and made experimentally known; when his gospel in the hands of the\nSpirit becomes a word of power, and a view of the King in his beauty is granted\nto the believing heart, then, drawn by the cords of love and the bands of a\nman, they come to Zion, where the King sits enthroned in glory. It is called\n“the height of Zion,” not only because Zion was high literally, but\nbecause the Lord of life and glory is exalted to the highest place of dignity\nand power. God’s ancient promise was, “Behold, my servant shall be exalted\nand extolled, and be very high” (Isaiah 52:13); and the Apostle says,\n“therefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is\nabove every name” (Phil. 2:9); and again, “Far above all\nprincipality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named,\nnot only in this world, but also in that which is to come” (Eph. 1:21).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But why do they come? It is to commune with him, to worship him\nin the beauty of holiness, to get words from his lips, smiles from his face,\ntouches from his hand, and whispers from his lips. And when he is graciously\npleased to speak a word to them as Prince of peace, to reveal himself to their\nsouls in the glory of his divine Person as God-man, and to shed abroad his love\nin their hearts, then they can sing, and in them is the promise fulfilled, “They\nshall come and sing in the height of Zion.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my\nFather, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” \u2013John 20:17<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Why your Father? Because my Father. Why your God? Because my\nGod. As his only-begotten Son from all eternity, God was the God of our Lord\nJesus Christ; as the Father’s messenger and servant, doing his will upon earth,\neven in his lowest humiliation, God was his God; and now that he has risen from\nthe dead and gone up on high to be the great High Priest over the house of God,\nnow that he is entered into his glory and ever lives to make intercession for\nus, God is still his God. This view of Jesus is most strengthening and\nencouraging to faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The great and glorious God, the great self-existent I AM, the\nGod in whom we live and move and have our being, the God before whom we stand\nwith all we are and have, the God against and before whom we have so deeply and\ndreadfully sinned–this great and glorious God is “the God of our Lord\nJesus Christ.” We may, therefore, draw near unto him with all holy\nboldness, present our supplications before him, call upon his holy name, and\nworship him with all reverence and godly fear as the God of our Lord Jesus\nChrist, and our God in him. A believing view of God, as revealing himself in\nthe person of his dear Son, as reconciling us to himself by his precious blood,\nas accepting us in the Beloved, and not imputing our trespasses unto us,\ndisarms God of all his terrors, removes the bondage of the law out of our\nhearts and the guilt of sin from our consciences, enlarges, comforts, and\nsolaces the soul, soothes the troubled spirit, and casts out that fear which\nhas torment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The pulpit’s real issue is this: Christ, and Him crucified. Men, whose eyes are fixed on Christ, do not argue. They do not love controversy whose hearts are touched with Him. They do not look for issues and sticky theological problems who are busy knowing and showing Christ. Those whose interest is singularly Christ have […]<\/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-6467","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\/6467","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=6467"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6468,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6467\/revisions\/6468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}