{"id":6527,"date":"2024-03-11T10:24:43","date_gmt":"2024-03-11T10:24:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6527"},"modified":"2024-03-11T10:24:43","modified_gmt":"2024-03-11T10:24:43","slug":"bulletin-edition-january-2024-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6527","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition January 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n A religion\n that satisfies thousands<\/strong>
\n
\n (Philpot, “The\n Cry of Jonah out of the Belly of Hell<\/a>“)
\n
\n “Having a form of godliness<\/strong> but denying the power\n thereof: from such turn away.”
\n      2 Tim. 3:5
\n
\n Much that passes for religion,
\n is not true religion at all.
\n
\n Much that goes for hopes of salvation,
\n is nothing but lying refuges.
\n
\n Much is palmed off for the teaching of the Spirit,
\n which is nothing but delusion.
\n
\n Vital godliness is very rare.<\/strong>
\n
\n There are very few people spiritually taught of God.
\n
\n There are very few ministers who really preach the truth.
\n
\n Satan is thus daily deceiving thousands, and tens of thousands.
\n
\n A living soul, however weak and feeble in himself,
\n cannot take up with a religion in the flesh<\/strong>.
\n
\n He cannot rest on the opinions of men, nor be
\n deceived by Satan’s delusions. He has a secret
\n gnawing of conscience, which makes him dissatisfied
\n with a religion that satisfies thousands.<\/strong>\n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Jesus Christ is completely\nsufficient!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(author unknown) 
\n
\n“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and ye\nare complete in Him<\/em>, which is the head of all principality and power!”\nColossians 2:9-10
\n
\nOne of the great tenets of Scripture, is the claim that Jesus\nChrist is completely sufficient<\/strong> for all matters of life and\ngodliness! 2 Peter 1:3-4
\n
\nHe is sufficient for:
\n  Creation (Colossians 1:16-17)
\n  Salvation (Hebrews 10:10-12)
\n  Sanctification (Ephesians 5:26-27)
\n  and Glorification (Romans 8:30).
\n
\nSo pure <\/strong>is He, that there is no blemish, stain, spot of sin,\ndefilement, deception, corruption, error, or imperfection in Him! (1 Peter\n1:18-20)
\n
\nSo complete <\/strong>is He, that . . .
\n  there is no other God besides Him (Isaiah 45:5)
\n  He is the only begotten Son (John 1:14, John 1:18)
\n  all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Him (Colossians 2:3)
\n  the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Him (Colossians 2:9)
\n  He is heir<\/em> of all things (Hebrews 1:2)
\n  He created<\/em> all things\u2014and all things were made by Him,
\n      through Him, and for Him (Colossians 1:16)
\n  He upholds<\/em> all things by the word of His power\n(Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1:3)
\n  He is the firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15)
\n  He is the exact representation of God (Hebrews 1:3).
\n
\nHe has no beginning and no end (Revelation 1:17-18)
\nHe is the spotless Lamb of God (John 1:29)
\nHe is our peace (Ephesians 2:14)
\nHe is our hope (1 Timothy 1:1)
\nHe is our life (Colossians 3:4)
\nHe is the living and true Way (John 14:6)
\nHe is the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star (Revelation\n22:16)
\nHe is Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11)
\nHe is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2)
\nHe is Captain of our Salvation (Hebrews 2:10) 
\nHe is the Elect One (Isaiah 42:1)
\nHe is the Apostle and High-Priest of our confession (Hebrews 3:1)
\nHe is the Righteous Servant (Isaiah 53:11)
\nHe is the Lord Almighty (Malachi 3:17)
\nHe is the Redeemer (Isaiah 41:14)
\nHe is the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 54:5)
\nHe is the God of the whole earth (Isaiah 54:5)
\nHe is the Man of Sorrows (Isaiah 53:3)
\nHe is the Light of the world (John 9:5)
\nHe is the Son of Man (Matthew 20:28)
\nHe is the true Vine (John 15:5)
\nHe is the Bread of Life (John 6:48)
\nHe is the Door to Heaven (John 10:7)
\nHe is the Sovereign Lord (Philippians 2:10-13)
\nHe is Prophet, Priest and King (Hebrews 1:1-3)
\nHe is our Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:9)
\nHe is our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6)
\nHe is the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God,
\n    the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)
\nHe is the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4)
\nHe is the Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5)
\nHe is the Rock of Salvation (Psalm 62:2)
\nHe is the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13)
\nHe is the Counselor and Comforter (John 14:26)
\nHe is the Messiah (John 4:25-26) and
\nHe is the great I AM! <\/em>(John 8:58)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPartakers\nof the Divine Nature\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 Peter 1:4<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As all men\nwere created in and simultaneously with the first Adam, all God\u2019s elect were\ncreated new and simultaneously with the last Adam, Christ. As we had being in\nAdam from the beginning of creation, all God\u2019s elect have had being with Christ\nfrom eternity. Being born of Adam in natural generation, we necessarily partake\nof Adam\u2019s nature. And being \u201cborn of God<\/em>\u201d in regeneration, we are made \u201cpartakers\nof the divine nature.<\/em>\u201d As the seed of the first Adam partake of his nature,\nthe seed of the last Adam partake of his nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two Natures\nat War<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nchildren of the first Adam are born of the flesh and are earthy in all their\nthoughts, feelings, and affections. The children of the last Adam are born of\nthe Spirit and are spiritual and heavenly in all their thoughts, feelings, and\naffections. The children of the first Adam are born for the earth. The children\nof the last Adam are born for heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

           \nThese two men, the old and the new, Adam and Christ, flesh and spirit, dwell in\nevery child of God in this world; but they do not dwell together. They are in a\nstate of perpetual warfare (Romans 7:14; Galatians 5:16-25). The flesh, the old\nman, is altogether sinful and corrupt. It can do nothing but sin. The spirit,\nthe new man, that which is born of God, is altogether righteousness and cannot\nsin (1 John 3:5-10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ruined in\nAdam<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our\nexistence in Adam was a representative existence, yes; but it was more. It was\na real, vital existence. We had being in our father Adam from the beginning,\nbeing created in him and with him. Our union with him in the Garden was real.\nWhen he sinned, we sinned in him. When he died, we died in him. It is not\nmerely that we were reckoned to have sinned and reckoned to have died. \u2014 We\nsinned in Adam and we died in Adam, because we were one with Adam from the\nbeginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Made Fit in\nChrist<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, here\u2019s\nthe good news. \u2014 Our existence in Christ from the beginning, before the\nfoundation of the world, our eternal union with Christ, was and is a real,\nvital existence with the God-man, our Mediator, Surety, and Savior. When he\nstood forth as our Surety before time began and was accepted of God as \u201cthe\nLamb slain from the foundation of the world<\/em>\u201d (Revelation 13:8), we were\naccepted in him and blessed with all spiritual blessings in him (Ephesians\n1:3-6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

           \nYet, before we could enter heaven as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ,\nsomething more must be done. Justice satisfied does not make anyone fit for\nheaven. Righteousness imputed does not make the ransomed sinner worthy of\nheavenly glory. It is only when redeemed sinners are made \u201cpartakers of the\ndivine nature<\/em>\u201d in the new birth that the righteousness of Christ is\nimparted to them and they are, by the grace and gracious operations of God,\nmade \u201cmeet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light<\/em>\u201d\n(Colossians 1:12). The imputed righteousness of Christ in redemption makes us\nworthy of heaven. The imparted righteousness of Christ in regeneration makes us\nfit for heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Happy here, and happy to all eternity!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Octavius\nWinslow<\/a>, “The Christian’s Joint Heirship”)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is in the heart of our God to give us the chief and the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Had there been a greater, and a better, and a sweeter,
\nand a more satisfying portion than Himself<\/strong>–then that
\nportion would have been ours. But since there is not, nor
\ncan be, a greater than Himself–the love, the everlasting,
\nchangeless love that He bears to us, constrains Him to
\ngive Himself<\/strong> as our God, our Portion, our All.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And have we not experienced Him to be God all-sufficient?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have we ever found a lack in Him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh no! God is all-sufficient, and no arid wilderness,
\nand no dreary land have we experienced Him to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is in Him . . .
\n  an all sufficiency of love <\/strong>to comfort us;
\n  an all sufficiency of strength <\/strong>to uphold us;
\n  an all sufficiency of power <\/strong>to protect us;
\n  an all sufficiency of good <\/strong>to satisfy us;
\n  an all sufficiency of wisdom <\/strong>to guide us;
\n  an all sufficiency of glory <\/strong>to reward us;
\n  and an all sufficiency of bliss <\/strong>to make us
\nhappy here, and happy to all eternity!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only effectual means for\nreforming mankind
\n
\n<\/strong>(Letters of John Newton<\/a>)
\n<\/em>
\nThe Gospel<\/em> of Christ, the glorious Gospel of the blessed God,\nis the only effectual means for reforming mankind<\/strong>.
\n
\nTo the man who possesses and knows the use of this grand, this wonderful\nmachine, if I may be allowed the comparison–what is otherwise impossible\nbecomes easy.
\n
\nThe Gospel<\/em> removes difficulties insurmountable to human power.
\nIt causes the blind to see,
\nit causes the deaf to hear;
\nit softens the heart of stone, and
\nraises the dead in trespasses and sins, to a life of righteousness.
\n
\nNo force but that of the Gospel is sufficient . . .
\n  to remove the mountainous load of guilt from an awakened conscience,
\n  to calm the violence of tumultuous passions,
\n  to raise an earthly soul from groveling in the mire of sensuality or\navarice–to a spiritual and divine life, a life of communion with God.
\n
\nNo system but the Gospel<\/em> can communicate motives,\nencouragements, and prospects–sufficient to withstand and counteract all the\nsnares and temptations with which the spirit of this world, by its frowns or\nits smiles, will endeavor either to intimidate or to bribe us from the path of\nduty.
\n
\nBut the Gospel<\/em>, rightly understood and cordially embraced, will\ninspire the slothful with energy and the fearful with courage. It will . . .
\n  make the miser generous,
\n  melt the grouch into kindness,
\n  tame the raging tiger in the bosom, and,
\n  in a word, expand the narrow selfish heart and fill it with a spirit of\nlove to God, cheerful unreserved obedience to His will, and benevolence to\nmankind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A religion that satisfies thousands (Philpot, “The Cry of Jonah out of the Belly of Hell“) “Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”      2 Tim. 3:5 Much that passes for religion, is not true religion at all. Much that goes for hopes of salvation, is nothing but lying refuges. […]<\/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-6527","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\/6527","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=6527"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6527\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6528,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6527\/revisions\/6528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}