{"id":6533,"date":"2024-03-11T10:27:37","date_gmt":"2024-03-11T10:27:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6533"},"modified":"2024-03-11T10:27:37","modified_gmt":"2024-03-11T10:27:37","slug":"bulletin-edition-february-2024-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6533","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition February 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The absolute Monarch of the\nuniverse!<\/strong>
\n by Don Fortner
\n<\/em>
\nTo worship a god…
\n…whose purpose can be defeated,
\n…whose will can be thwarted,
\n…whose work can be overturned, and
\n…whose grace can be frustrated is to worship an idol.
\nSuch a god is no GOD at all!
\n
\nJesus Christ our Lord is the unrivalled Sovereign of the
\nuniverse (Matt. 28:18; John 17:2). He who is God our
\nSaviour does as he will in the army of heaven and among
\nthe inhabitants of the earth. He makes one a vessel of
\nhonour and another a vessel of dishonour, one a vessel of
\nmercy and another a vessel of wrath, one to show forth
\nthe riches of his grace and another to show forth the severity
\nof his justice, exactly as it pleased him from all eternity.
\n
\nTo deny that Christ created all things and rules all things
\nis to deny that he is God. To deny that he is God is to
\nmock him, blaspheme him, and attempt to deny him his glory.
\n
\nTo deny that Christ is God, sovereign upon his throne is to
\ndeny hope to needy sinners who look to him alone for grace,
\nsalvation, and eternal life (John 17:2; Rom. 14:9).
\n
\nNone but an absolute sovereign Lord can save.
\nNone but an absolute sovereign can be trusted implicitly.
\nNone but an absolute sovereign will be worshipped.
\nJesus Christ, our God and Saviour, rules all things absolutely
\n(Ps. 76:10; 115:3; 135:6; Pro.16:1, 33; 21:1).
\n
\nJesus Christ is the absolute Monarch of the universe!<\/strong>
\nOur Saviour is the great King! Nothing more fully shows
\nforth the unrivalled excellence of Christ than his total
\nsovereignty, “upholding all things by the word of his power.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In him we live and move and have our being.  (Acts 17:28)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

           \nBefore this blessed and only potentate, all the nations of the earth are but as\nthe dust upon the balance and the small drop of a bucket and might be thought,\nif compared with the immensity of his works, scarcely worthy of his notice: yet\nhere he presides, pervades, provides, protects, and rules. In him his creatures\nlive, move, and have their being: from him is their food and preservation. The\neyes of all are upon him: what he gives they gather and can gather no more; and\nat his word they sink into the dust. There is not a worm that crawls upon the\nground, or a flower that grows in the pathless wilderness, or a shell upon the\nseashore, but bears the impress of his wisdom, power, and goodness. With\nrespect to men, he reigns with uncontrolled dominion over every kingdom,\nfamily, and individual. Here we may be astonished at his wisdom in and over all\nhis creatures, the greater part of whom are his enemies, to accomplish his\npurposes: but, however reluctant, they all serve him. His patience likewise is\nwonderful. Multitudes, yes nearly our whole species spend their life and\nstrength which he affords them, and abuse all the bounties he heaps upon them,\nin the ways of sin. His commands are disregarded, his name blasphemed, his\nmercy disdained, his power defied yet still he spares. It is an eminent part of\nhis government, to restrain the depravity of human nature, and in various ways\nto check its effects, which, if left to itself, without his providential\ncontrol, would presently make earth the very image of hell: for the vilest men\nare not suffered to perpetuated a thousandth part of the evil which their\nhearts would prompt them to. The earth, though lying in the wicked one, is\nfilled with the goodness of the Lord.                                                                                            \n                     John\nNewton<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Pride<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Pride is a groundless thing. We have reasons\nfor almost everything, but we have no reason to be proud. Pride should be\nunnatural to us, for we have nothing to be proud of. Our CREATION ought to\nhumble us, for we are frail creatures who are here today and gone tomorrow. Our\nIGNORANCE should be sufficient to lay us low. We spend a lifetime trying to\nlearn a few things in part; then, in old age, we can\u2019t remember where we left\nour glasses. Our SINS should lay us in the dust, for it would be embarrassing for\nthe most trusted friend to view our hearts. Our BLESSINGS ought to humble us;\nfor the more we have, the more we are in debt to God who makes us to differ. A\ngreat debtor has no cause for pride. Certainly a believer has no cause for\npride, for our SALVATION is all by grace! Mephibosheth accurately summed up our\nconfession, \u201cWhat is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog\nas I am?\u201d Let us pray to be delivered from pride, for it is such a subtle enemy\nthat only the Lord can deliver us; but we MUST be delivered, for God resisteth\nthe proud and giveth grace to the humble.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 ~Henry Mahan <\/p>\n\n\n\n

True Humility<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True humility is to have a right estimate of one\u2019s self. It is\nnot to deny or underestimate true ability, real knowledge, and obvious gifts. A\ngifted singer knows he can sing. An intelligent person is aware of his\nknowledge. A  successful  businessman  knows  his\n business,  and  an  artist  knows  his\nskills.  It  is  not  humility  to  speak\n what  one  does  not  truly  feel.  True\nhumility is born when one discovers the SOURCE of all gifts, talents, and\nknowledge.  \u201cWHO  maketh  thee  to  differ?\u201d  (1\nCor 4:7) It  is  certain  that  we  are different and\nsome have what others  do not have in different areas.  But the Lord\n God,  in  His  sovereign will,  gives  us\n all  that we  have.  \u201cWithout Him we can do nothing.\u201d \u201cA\nMan can receive nothing except it be GIVEN him  from  heaven!\u201d  \n The  higher  a  man  grows  in  the\n grace  of  God,  the lower he will be in his own eyes. A\nman who has been introduced to what really happened in the Garden of Eden and\nwhat really happened on the cross  of  Calvary  will  have\n no  problem  with  pride  and  arrogance. \nApart from  the  mercy  and  grace  of  God,\n he  knows  WHERE  he  could  be  and WHAT\nhe could be! \u201cBy the grace of God, I am what I am.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry Mahan <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a man had to wade breast deep through a thousand hells!<\/strong>
\n
\n(Charles Spurgeon<\/a>)
\n
\n“Thanks be unto God for His indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15
\n
\nJesus is God’s indescribable gift!<\/em>
\n
\nHeaven itself is nothing, as compared with Him!
\n
\nIf a man had to wade breast deep through a thousand hells<\/strong> to obtain\nChrist\u2014it would be well worth the venture, if at the last he might but say, “My\nBeloved is mine\u2014and I am His!”<\/em>
\n
\nJesus is so precious\u2014that He cannot be matched! There is none like Him. The\nmost lovely of the lovely\u2014are vile and deformed, when compared with Him. As\nRutherford would say, “Black sun<\/em>, black moon<\/em>,\nblack stars<\/em>\u2014but, O bright, infinitely bright Lord Jesus!”
\n
\nIf you ransacked time and space\u2014eternity and immensity<\/em>\u2014you could find\nnone that could even be compared unto Him\u2014He is so precious!
\n
\nHe is all that your souls can desire; yes, He Himself is all.<\/em>
\nYou could not buy Christ in any market\u2014if you gave the price of heaven and\nearth for Him.
\n“Thanks be unto God for His indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assurance<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every believer enjoys assurance of salvation.\nEvery believer also desires more assurance of salvation. When\nyou desire assurance remember this: assurance of salvation can only <\/p>\n\n\n\n

be found by looking to and resting in the Lord Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assurance is not found by looking at how many good works\nyou have done. Assurance is found by resting in Christ who\nhas finished all of the work of salvation for His people. Assurance\nis not found trying to see if you sin less than you used to, or\nless than someone else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assurance is found by trusting Christ who has put away all\nof the sin of all of His people by His one sacrifice for sin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assurance is not found by believing that you are saved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assurance is found by trusting Christ who is all of our\nsalvation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 -Pastor Frank Tate <\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE TENDERNESS OF GOD<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(John MacDuff, “The Night Watches”)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd. He shall
\n gather the lambs<\/strong> with his arm, and carry them in his\nbosom, and shall gently lead<\/strong> those that are with\nyoung.”  Isaiah 40:11<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How soothing, in the hour of\nsorrow, or bereavement,
\nor death, to have the countenance and sympathy of
\na tender earthly friend. Reader,\nthese words tell you
\nof One nearer, dearer, tenderer still; the Friend that
\nnever fails; a tender God!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By how many endearing\nepithets does Jesus exhibit
\nthe tenderness of His relation to His people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does a shepherd<\/strong> watch tenderly over his flock?
\n“The Lord is my Shepherd.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does a father<\/strong> exercise fondest solicitude\ntowards
\nhis children? “I will be a Father unto you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does a mother’s love<\/strong> exceed all other earthly
\ntypes of affection. “As one whom his mother
\ncomforts, so will I comfort you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is the ‘apple of the eye’ (the pupil) the most
\nsensitive part of the most delicate bodily organ?
\nHe guards His people “as the apple of His eye!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He will not break the bruised reed<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Shepherd and Guardian of Souls finds
\nthe sinner, like a lost sheep, stumbling on the
\ndark mountains, how tenderly He deals with him!
\nThere is no look of wrath; no word of upbraiding; in
\nsilent love “He lays him on His shoulders rejoicing!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reader, are you mourning over…
\n  the weakness of your faith;
\n  the coldness of your love;
\n  your manifold spiritual declensions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fear not. He knows your frame! He will give
\n‘feeble faith’ tender dealing. He will “carry” in
\nHis arms those that are unable to walk, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 When the Son of Man comes in His glory!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Octavius Winslow, “Evening Thoughts\u201d)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When the Son of Man shall come in all His glory<\/strong>,
\n and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne\nof His of glory.” Matthew 25:31<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surpassing in glory all that the eye has ever
\nseen, or the imagination has ever conceived,
\nwill be the second personal appearing of the
\nSon of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A perfect contrast will it present to His first<\/strong>
\nadvent<\/strong>. Then He appeared a king, but . . .
\n  disguised in the form of a servant,
\n  without a retinue,
\n  without the insignia of royalty,
\n  without visible glory,
\n  His throne a cross,
\n  His crown the thorns,
\n  His scepter a reed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But His second coming<\/strong> will be in perfect
\ncontrast with this. He will now have thrown
\noff the garment of humiliation, and will
\nappear clad with the robe of majesty, the
\nKing acknowledged and adored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He will come in the glory of His Divine nature.
\nHis Deity will now be unveiled, unclouded, and
\nundenied, the “God over all, blessed for evermore!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Angels will laud Him.
\nSaints will crown Him.
\nDevils fear Him.
\nHis enemies will bow to Him.
\nEvery tongue shall confess His Deity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“ When the Son of Man shall come in all His glory<\/strong>,
\n and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne\nof His of glory.” Matthew 25:31<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Christ is the mystery of the scripture\u2013grace the mystery\nof Christ. Believing is the most wonderful thing in the world. Put anything of\nyour own to it, and you spoil it. Christ will not so much as look at it for\nbelieving. When you believe and come to Christ, you must leave behind you your\nown righteousness and bring nothing but your sin (Oh, that is hard!); leave\nbehind all your holiness, sanctification, duties, humblings, etc.; and bring\nnothing but your wants and miseries, or else Christ is not fit for you, nor you\nfor Christ. Christ will be a pure Redeemer and Mediator, and you must be an\nundue sinner, or Christ and you will never agree. It is the hardest thing in\nthe world to take Christ alone for righteousness; that is to acknowledge Him\nChrist. Join anything to Him of your own, and you un-Christ Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever comes in when you go to God for acceptance, besides\nChrist, call it anti-Christ; bid it be gone; make ONLY Christ\u2019s righteousness\ntriumphant. All besides that is Babylon, which must fall if Christ stand, and\nyou shall rejoice in the day of the fall thereof (Isaiah 14:4). Christ ALONE\ndid tread the winepress, and there was none with Him (Isaiah 63:3). If you join\nanything to Christ, Christ will trample upon it in fury and anger and stain His\nraiment with the blood of it. You think it easy to believe. Was ever your faith\ntried with an hour of temptation and a thorough sight of sin? Was it ever put\nto grapple with Satan, and the wrath of God lying upon the conscience, when you\nwere in the mouth of hell and the grave? Then did God show you Christ a ransom\nand a righteousness; then you could say, \u201cOh! I see grace enough in Christ.\u201d\nYou may say that which is the greatest word in the world, believe. Untried\nfaith is uncertain faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas Willcox (1621-1687 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The absolute Monarch of the universe!  by Don Fortner To worship a god… …whose purpose can be defeated, …whose will can be thwarted, …whose work can be overturned, and …whose grace can be frustrated is to worship an idol. Such a god is no GOD at all! Jesus Christ our Lord is the unrivalled Sovereign […]<\/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-6533","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\/6533","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=6533"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6533\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6534,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6533\/revisions\/6534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}