{"id":6520,"date":"2024-01-22T23:40:03","date_gmt":"2024-01-22T23:40:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6520"},"modified":"2024-01-22T23:40:03","modified_gmt":"2024-01-22T23:40:03","slug":"bulletin-edition-january-2024-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6520","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition January 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The best and the only sufficient expositors of Scripture<\/strong>
\n
\nJohn Newton<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth <\/em>comes,\nHe will guide you into all truth.” John 16:13<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 25:14, “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear\nHim; and He will shew then His covenant” \u2014 not notionally, but experimentally<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few minutes of the Spirit’s teaching<\/em> will\nfurnish us with more real, useful and experimental knowledge \u2014 than toiling\nthrough whole folios of commentators! It will be our wisdom to deal less with\nthe streams<\/em> \u2014 and be more close in applying to the fountain-head. <\/em>The Scripture <\/em>itself,\nand the Spirit <\/em>of God \u2014 are the best and the only\nsufficient expositors of Scripture<\/strong>. Whatever men <\/em>have\nvaluable in their writings \u2014 they got it from Scripture; and the Scripture is\nas open to us \u2014 as to any of them. There is nothing required but a teachable,\nhumble spirit; and academic learning<\/strong>, as it is commonly called, is\nnot necessary in order for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We learn more, and more effectually, by one minute’s\ncommunication with God through the medium of His written Word, than we could\nfrom an assembly of theologians, or a library of books!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out\nof Thy law!” Psalm 119:18<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Teach me Thy statutes!” Psalm 119:12<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n All-sufficient salvation!<\/strong>
\n <\/strong>
\n The following is from Spurgeon\u2019s sermon,
\n “WITHHOLDING CORN” No. 642<\/em>
\n
\n Christ’s salvation is an all-sufficient\n salvation!<\/strong>
\n
\n However great your sins, Christ\u2019s
\n blood can take them all away.
\n
\n However deep your needs, Christ can supply them.
\n
\n You cannot be so big a sinner as he is a Savior.
\n You may be the worst sinner out of hell, but your
\n sins are not too great for him to remove.
\n He can carry elephantine sinners upon his shoulders,
\n and bear gigantic mountains of guilt upon his head
\n into the wilderness of forgetfulness.
\n
\n He has enough grace for you however deep your necessity.
\n
\n Your biggest sins shall no longer trouble you, your
\n blackest iniquities shall no longer haunt you.
\n
\n Believing in Jesus, every sin you have of thought
\n and word and deed shall be cast into the depths
\n of the sea and never shall he mentioned against
\n you any more for ever!\n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

“I Am Ready To Go\nWith Thee”   <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luke 22:33<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Without question, Peter’s words\nexpressed much pride and self-confidence. And the Lord knew how to humble him!\nBut these words also expressed the true devotion of his heart. And he proved\nit. In the end Peter went with his Lord both to prison and to death! Are we\nready to go with our Master? A disciple is ready to go with his Master wherever\nhis Master is pleased to lead. He weighs neither cost nor consequence, only his\nMaster’s will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\u201cThou Knowest\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 21:17<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\nthe Lord asked his fallen servant, Peter, \u201cLovest thou me?\u201d <\/em>Peter\nreplied with these words of confident, comforting faith – \u201cLord, thou\nknowest all things; thou knowest that I love the.e\u201d<\/em> Knowing his\nterrible sin, his miserable failure, and knowing that none of his brethren\ncould see beyond his actions, the fallen saint took refuge in his Saviour\u2019s\nperfect knowledge of him. He was saying, Lord, you see beyond what I am by\nnature. You see beyond my sin. You see me as I really am by your grace. In\nspite of what I am, in spite of the evil I have done, \u201cThou knowest\nthat I love thee.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

John Newton’s tombstone<\/strong>
\n
\nIn his old age, when he could no longer see to read, John Newton<\/em><\/strong>,\nthe author of “Amazing Grace” <\/em>heard someone recite\nthis verse, “By the grace of God–I am what I am.” <\/em>1\nCorinthians 15:10. He remained silent a short time, and then said:
\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am not what I ought <\/strong>to be. Ah! how imperfect\nand deficient.
\nI am not what I might <\/strong>be, considering my privileges and\nopportunities.
\nI am not what I wish <\/strong>to be. God, who knows my heart–knows I\nwish to be like Him.
\nI am not what I hope <\/strong>to be. Before long, I will drop this clay\ntabernacle, to be like Him and see Him as He is!
\nYet, I am not what I once was<\/strong>–a child of sin, and slave of the\ndevil!
\nThough not all these–not what I ought <\/em>to be, not what I might <\/em>be,\nnot what I wish <\/em>or hope<\/em> to be, and not what I\nonce was<\/em>–I think I can truly say with the apostle, “By\nthe grace of God–I am what I am!”<\/em>
\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n


\nAt the age of 82, Newtonsaid, “My memory is nearly gone, but\nI remember two things: that I am a great sinner–and that Christ is a great\nSavior!”
\n
\nJohn Newton’s tombstone<\/strong> reads: “John Newton, once an infidel\nand libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our\nLord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to\npreach the faith he had long laboured to destroy!”
\n
\n“By the grace of God I am what I am!” <\/em>1 Corinthians 15:10<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restraining Grace<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John MacDuff<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\n“Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat:
\n But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.” Luke 22:31, 32
\n
\nWhat a scene does this unfold!
\nSatan tempting\u2014Jesus praying!
\nSatan sifting\u2014Jesus pleading!
\n“The strong man assailing”\u2014”the stronger than the strong”\nbeating him back!
\n
\nBeliever! here is the past history<\/em> and present secret<\/em> of\nyour safetyin the midst of temptation! An interceding\nSavior <\/em>was at your side, saying to every threatening wave, “Thus\nfar shall you go\u2014and no farther!” God often permits His people to be on\nthe very verge <\/em>of the precipice, to remind them of their own\nweakness; but never farther than the brink! The restraining hand and grace of\nOmnipotence is ready to rescue them, “Although he stumbles\u2014yet he shall\nnot be utterly cast down.” And why? “For the Lord upholds him with\nHis right hand!”
\n
\nThe wolf <\/em>may be prowling for his prey; but what can he do,\nwhen the almighty Shepherd is always there, tending with the watchful eye that\n“neither slumbers nor sleeps!”
\n
\nWho cannot subscribe to the testimony, “When my foot slipped, Your mercy,\nO Lord, held me up!” Who can look back on his past pilgrimage, and fail to\nsee it crowded with Ebenezers<\/em>, with this inscription: “You\nhave delivered my soul <\/em>from death, my eyes <\/em>from\ntears, and my feet <\/em>from falling!” My soul, where would\nyou have been this day\u2014had you not been “kept” by the power of God?
\n
\n“Hold Thou me up and I shall be safe!” Psalm 119:117<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\nThe most holy and blessed life upon earth!<\/strong>
\n(Octavius Winslow, “Nourishment for the Journey”)
\n
\nBe satisfied, dear reader, to live by faith, and
\nnot by sight. You have a full Christ to draw from,
\nand a faithful God to look to. You have a covenant
\nordered in all things and sure; and the precious
\npromise, “As your days, so shall your strength be,”
\nto lean confidently upon all your journey through.
\n
\nBe content, then, to be poor and dependent.
\nBe willing to travel on ’empty handed’, seeing
\nGod’s heart opened, and Christ’s hand outstretched
\nto supply your ‘daily bread.’
\n
\nOh, it is sweet to be a dependent creature upon God;
\nto hang upon a loving Father; to live as a poor, needy
\nsinner day by day, moment by moment, upon Jesus;
\nto trace God’s hand in ten thousand ways; to mark
\nHis wisdom here, His condescension there; now His
\nlove, and then His faithfulness, all combining and
\nexerted for our good.
\n
\nTruly it is the most holy and blessed life upon earth!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God purposed the salvation of\neach one of His elect (chosen people) that will be redeemed by Jesus Christ,\nthrough His own blood and death as our Substitute for satisfaction to God’s\njustice. If you become a believing Christian, it will be that God brought it\nabout in you by His working and not your free-will. In Ephesians 1:5-6 we read,\n“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ\nto Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. To the praise of the\nglory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved.”<\/em> In\nPhillipians 2:13, we read, “For it is God which worketh in you\nboth to will and to do of His good pleasure.\u201d <\/em>There is no way flesh\nand good works can bring about one’s salvation. Salvation is of the LORD, it\nmust be brought by God’s grace toward the sinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/em>Pastor\nWilly Mapote, Salima, Africa<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd she shall bring forth\na son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from\ntheir sins.<\/em>\u201d Matthew 1:21<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank God for that precious name!\nOut of love, respect, and reverence, God\u2019s people refer to their Savior as the\nLord Jesus Christ. \u201cLord\u201d<\/em> because He is God; \u201cJesus\u201d<\/em> because\nHe is Man; and \u201cChrist\u201d<\/em> because He is the only mediator\nbetween the two. The fact that His name was called \u201cJesus<\/em>\u201d means, the\neternal God humbled Himself, and took upon Himself the nature of His sinful\npeople, and bore their sins, and bore the law of commandments against them, and\nbecame obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. And in doing so, He\naccomplished the work of saving every single one of His people from their sins.\nYes, we thank God for that precious name! \u201cThere is no other name given\namong men whereby we must be saved.\u201d<\/em> \u201cPrecious name, O how sweet\u201d; it\nis the \u201chope of earth and joy of\nheaven!\u201d                                           Pastor\nGabe Stalnaker<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the parable of the prodigal\nson, as told by our Lord, there are two lost sons, not just one! The prodigal\nwas a flagrantly wicked, ungrateful, reckless run-away, lost through hot\npassion and wild living. He asked for his inheritance from his father because\nhe didn\u2019t want to wait for it. The other son was morally obedient and\nwell-pleased with himself, even to the point of boasting of his works and\nobedience to his father. Yet he was as truly spiritually dead and lost as his\nwayward brother. While the younger son\u2019s sinful nature took him down the path\nof lust and drunkenness to the hog-pen, the evil nature of the elder son led\nhim to walk in pride, self-righteousness, and envy to the temple of the\nPharisees to worship the god of human merit and free-will. How base and ungodly\nboth of these sons! Which is in the most danger of eternal condemnation? Which\nwill most likely repent and sue for mercy? Neither, if left to themselves; but\nwe observe which of the lost sons God was pleased to save!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                 \n                                    Pastor\nHenry Mahan, 1999<\/em>    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The best and the only sufficient expositors of Scripture John Newton “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.” John 16:13 Psalm 25:14, “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear Him; and He will shew then His covenant” \u2014 not notionally, but experimentally. A few minutes of the Spirit’s […]<\/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-6520","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\/6520","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=6520"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6520\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6521,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6520\/revisions\/6521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}