{"id":6753,"date":"2024-08-25T10:55:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-25T10:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6753"},"modified":"2024-08-25T10:55:02","modified_gmt":"2024-08-25T10:55:02","slug":"bulletin-edition-august-2024-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6753","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition August 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cHope is \u2026. love extending itself\nbeyond the bounds of sight.\u201d  Joe\nTerrell<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHRIST IS\nSALVATION<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All\nspiritual blessings that sovereign, gracious God has<\/p>\n\n\n\n

for\nsinners IN our Lord Jesus Christ, BY the merits and blood of<\/p>\n\n\n\n

our Lord,\nand FOR the glory of our Redeemer. Simply<\/p>\n\n\n\n

put, CHRIST\nIS SALVATION!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is\nChrist, not the cross, who saves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is\nChrist, not the church, who justifies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is\nChrist, not my faith, nor my confession, nor my profession, who unites me to\nGod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is the\nMaster, not the mother, who is our Mediator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is His\nblood that cleanses, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His\nobedience that sanctifies, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His love\nthat will not let me go, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His\nfaithfulness (not mine) constant and steadfast, and <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His\npromise, spoken to Peter but true of every believer, I HAVE PRAYED FOR YOU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry\nMahan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I asked the Lord, that I might\ngrow<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In faith, and love, and every\ngrace;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Might more of His salvation know;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And seek more earnestly His face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twas He who taught me thus to\npray,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And He, I trust has answered\nprayer;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it has been in such a way,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As almost drove me to despair!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hoped that in some favoured\nhour,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At once He’d answer my request;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And by His love’s constraining\npower,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subdue my sins–and give me rest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of this, He made me feel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hidden evils of my heart;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And let the angry powers of hell<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assault my soul in every part!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes more, with His own hand He\nseemed<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intent to aggravate my woe!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crossed all the fair designs I\nschemed,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blasted my gourds–and laid me\nlow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Lord, why is this!” I\ntrembling cried,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Will you pursue your worm\nto death?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This is the way,” the\nLord replied,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I answer prayer for grace\nand faith.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“These inward trials I\nemploy,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From self and pride to set you\nfree;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And break your schemes of earthly\njoy,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That you may seek your all in\nMe!” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Newton<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe promises of God,\u201d said one\nman, \u201care like the clothes we wear; if there is life in the body, they warm us,\nbut not otherwise.\u201d  Where there is living faith, God\u2019s promises afford\nwarm comfort.  Thus the true believer can say with Luther, \u201cAlthough I am\na sinner, yet I despair not; for Christ, who is my Redeemer and righteousness,\nliveth.  In Him I have no sin, no fear, no sting of conscience, and no\nfear of judgment.  In Christ there is no condemnation.  I am indeed a\nsinner as touching this present life, but I have a righteousness of God which\nis above this life, Who is Christ my Lord.  In Him I rejoice.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maurice Montgomery, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In The Midst of Troubles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any man or woman who claims\ncontinual, uninterrupted joy, rest, and peace in this world is either not\ntelling the truth or has no connection with reality! True joy, rest, and peace\nare things we enjoy in Christ in the midst of troubles, afflictions, and infirmities.\nPaul\u2019s exhortation was \u201crejoice in the Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When I am conscious\nof my weakness, failures, and sins, I rejoice in Christ, my righteousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When I am concerned\nabout food, clothing, and shelter, I rejoice in Christ my provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When I am sick,\nChrist is my healer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When I am grieved,\nChrist is my comfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When I am faced\nwith death, Christ is my life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So it is not\nnecessary to put on a false face and deceive others. We are still human; but\nour peace, rest, and joy is Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry Mahan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Conditions for Salvation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, that the conditions of\nfallen man’s salvation are two — and no more — namely, perfect atonement for\nsin, and perfect obedience to the law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both of these conditions Christ has\ncompletely fulfilled, in the stead, and for the infallible salvation of every\nsoul that comes to His blood for cleansing, and to His righteousness for\nclothing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“To what end, then serves\nfaith?” To let thee into the knowledge, possession, and enjoyment of this\nfree and finished redemption!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Augustus Toplady<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a beautiful rest it is WHEN\nwe believe Christ and what He has accomplished!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Him we have all we need. His\nworks, not mine have secured my salvation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flesh is so strong and so\ndeceitful that it thinks it actually accomplishes something -Law keeping \u2026 even\nif it isn\u2019t for salvation – and yet law keeping CANNOT accomplish\nanything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

God says we \u201clabor to ENTER that\nrest\u201d – His rest!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The battle isn\u2019t to keep the Law.\nThe battle is to BELIEVE Christ. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Law keeping doesn\u2019t bring rest\nbecause law keeping only speaks to the flesh – \u201cthat which is born of the flesh\nis flesh; that which is born of the Spirit is spirit\u201d.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But we \u201care carnal, sold under\nsin.\u201d  We are 100% flesh, which NEVER improves and 100% Spirit (Christ in\nus, the hope of glory) which is perfect!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Law keeping is condemnation and\nhas nothing -nothing to do with grace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The REAL battle is to believe\nHim. Either we are complete in Him OR we are NOT. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“IN CHRIST we have no curse\nfrom the law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

IN CHRIST we have no covenant\nwith the law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

IN CHRIST we have no constraint\nby the law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

IN CHRIST we have no commitment\nto the law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are saved by grace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are justified by grace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are sanctified by grace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are kept and preserved by\ngrace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are motivated by grace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are governed by grace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We shall be glorified by\ngrace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no room in the household\nof grace for the whip of the law.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

–Don Fortner <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“How\nDo I Know If I Have True Faith?”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hebrews\n11:1-6<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\nFortner<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Last\nweek I received a letter from a young lady who seems to be genuinely seeking\nthe Lord. She is going though the struggles and conflicts of soul that all\nexperience in the process of conversion. She asked a question that commonly\nvexes the people of God. It does not vex the carnally secure religious\nhypocrite who has made his decision for Jesus and never doubts it. But it does\nvex one who, by the Spirit of God, sincerely seeks the Lord. And it is most\nvexing to the precious babes in grace. The question is this: “How do I\nknow if I have true faith?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     None\nbut God the Holy Spirit can answer that question to the satisfaction of your\nsoul and conscience. And he answers it by means of the gospel, effectually\napplying the blood of Christ to your heart and enabling you to rest in the\nSavior’s finished work. Yet, there are several evidences and characteristics of\ntrue faith, by which we may know whether our faith is true or false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

l.  TRUE FAITH\nACKNOWLEDGES AND CONFESSES PERSONAL DEPRAVITY, SIN AND GUILT (Ps. 51:3-5; I\nJohn 1:9). No one has true faith in Christ who does not, from his heart, take\nsides with God against himself and justify God in his own condemnation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.  TRUE\nFAITH TRUSTS CHRIST ALONE FOR ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD (Acts 8:26-37). Faith\nlooks to Christ alone for peace, pardon, justification, sanctification,\npreservation and ultimate glorification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.  TRUE\nFAITH SURRENDERS TO, FOLLOWS AND OBEYS CHRIST AS LORD IN ALL THINGS AND OVER\nALL THINGS (Luke 14:25-33). The believer’s submission to Christ in this\nlife is not perfect; but it is sincere and entire. God’s children are not\nrebels to Christ. They do not rebel against his doctrine, his will or his word.\nThey submit to him, willingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.  TRUE\nFAITH LOVES CHRIST, HIS PEOPLE AND HIS WORD (I John 5:1-3). Faith always works\nby love. Where love is absent, faith is absent. Where genuine love is found,\nfaith is found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How\nintricate is often the believer’s way!<\/strong> So hedged up that he\ncannot discern a single step before him. All is dark. He here and there goes\ntoo often to the creature for counsel, and perhaps for sympathy, but finds all\nbroken cisterns. But Jesus is at hand; a Fountain of living waters, ever ready\nto impart all comfort, wisdom, and direction. But, oh, how slow to approach\nthis Fountain! How base and ungrateful the heart, and wretched the unbelief\nthat still lurks within, ever leading us away from Him who is a present help in\nevery time of need. Take up your rest, O my soul, in Him who has loved you with\nan everlasting love, and will love you unto the end!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Octavius\nWinslow<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have faith in God<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have faith in Him as God.\nHis character justifies it, His word invites it, His promises encourage it, His\nblessing crowns it. How frequently in the word does God condescend to invite\nthe exercise of faith in Himself by a declaration and on the ground of what He\nis. Thus to Abraham: “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the\nLord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God: walk before\nme, and be perfect.” And again to His Church: “I am the Lord God, who\nbrought you up out of the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide, and I will fill\nit.” How kind and condescending in God is this mode of asking and\nencouraging the confidence of His people! How signally does He come down to our\nweakness and infirmity! What a foundation for faith to build upon does He\nreveal! what a field for faith to work in does He open! what amplitude, what\nscope, and what riches amid which it may revel! “I am God all-sufficient.\nIs anything too hard for me?” Faith needs and asks no more. Less than this\nwould not meet its case more than this it could not have. When faith feels that\nit has God’s word for its warrant in believing, God’s command for its rule in\nobeying, God’s promise for its encouragement in suffering, and God Himself as\nthe foundation of its confidence and the centre of its rest, it becomes\ninvulnerable, and almost omnipotent. The exact measure of our faith is the\nextent of our experimental knowledge of God. Acquaintance with God must inspire\nthe mind with confidence in Him. The more truly we know, the more implicitly we\ntrust in Him. It is in this way, among others, that He answers the prayer of\nHis people, “Establish Your word unto Your servant, who is devoted to Your\nfear.” God establishes the truth of His word by enlarging the believer’s\nknowledge of Himself, and this knowledge is mainly attained through the truth.\nThe word reveals God, and an experimental knowledge of God confirms the truth\nof the word; the one thus establishing the other. Our faith, then, if it be a\nreal principle, must have respect to God as God. “Have faith in God.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Octavius Winslow<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The duty, the privilege,\nthe safety, the unspeakable happiness!<\/strong>
\n
\n(John Newton<\/a>)
\n
\n“Looking unto Jesus!”<\/em> Hebrews 12:2
\n
\nLook unto the Lord Jesus Christ!
\n
\nLook unto Him as He hung exposed, wounded, bleeding, dead, and forsaken upon\nthe cross!
\n
\nLook unto Him again as He now reigns in glory, possessed of all power in Heaven\nand in earth, with thousands of thousands of saints and angels worshiping Him!\nAnd then compare . . .
\n  your sins – with His blood,
\n  your needs – with His fullness,
\n  your unbelief – with His faithfulness,
\n  your weakness – with His strength,
\n  your inconstancy – with His everlasting love!
\nIf the Lord opens the eyes of your understanding, you would be astonished at\nthe comparison!
\n
\n“Looking unto Jesus” is the duty, the privilege, the safety,\nthe unspeakable happiness<\/strong>, of a believer – are all comprised in that one\nsentence!
\n
\nIt is by looking to Jesus, that the believer is enlightened and strengthened,\nand grows in grace and sanctification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SELF vaulted into the\nvacant throne!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Octavius Winslow
\n
\n“Looking unto Jesus!<\/strong>” Hebrews 12:2
\n
\nWe must look away from ourselves. SELF is, perhaps,\nthe most common and insidious object that comes between the eye of the soul and\nJesus.
\n
\nWhen God was ejected from the heart of man, SELF vaulted into the\nvacant throne<\/strong> and has ever since maintained a supremacy.
\n
\nWe must look fromrighteousself:
\n  from all works of righteousness which we can perform,
\n  from our almsgivings,
\n  from our charities,
\n  from our religious observances, our fastings, and prayers, and\nsacraments,
\n  from all the works of the law by which we are seeking to be justified,
\n  from all our efforts to make ourselves better,
\nand thus to do<\/em> something to commend ourselves to the Divine\nnotice, and to propitiate the Divine regard.
\n
\n>From all this we must look, if we rightly look unto Jesus to be saved\nby His righteousness, and by His alone.
\n
\n“I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I\nconsider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless\ngain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else,\ncounting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with Him.\nI no longer count onmy own goodness or my ability to obey God’s\nlaw, but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with\nHimself depends on faith.” Philippians 3:7-9<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul\nsaid to the Philippians \u2026.. \u201cBe careful for nothing.\u201d <\/em>Do not\nworry about anything!  Why?  Here are two powerful reasons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.\nOur worrying changes nothing.  We really have no control! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.\nThe Lord has absolute control over everything. When we worry we say we believe\nneither of those absolute truths!  As Peter said, \u201cCasting all\nyour care upon Him, for He careth for you.\u201d <\/em>     \n                   ~Todd\nNibert<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\nis Vital Godliness?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\nis vital godliness? To make myself good and holy? To make myself religious\nand serious, and a decidedly pious person? Such husks may satisfy swine\u2014but\nthey will not satisfy a living soul. What must I do, then, to make myself\nbetter? Nothing! Can I, by any exertion of creature-will or power, change my\nEthiopian skin, or wash out my leopard spots? To feel day by day less and less\nin self\u2014to become more foolish, weak, and powerless\u2014and yet, as poor, needy,\nweak, and helpless, to be drawing supplies out of Christ’s fullness, and to\nlive a life of faith on the Son of God\u2014to know something of this, is to know\nsomething of what true religion is. And to know a little of this, will make a\nman more outwardly and inwardly holy, than all the good works or pious resolutions\nin the\nworld.                                   \n~J.C. Philpot<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cHope is \u2026. love extending itself beyond the bounds of sight.\u201d  Joe Terrell CHRIST IS SALVATION All spiritual blessings that sovereign, gracious God has for sinners IN our Lord Jesus Christ, BY the merits and blood of our Lord, and FOR the glory of our Redeemer. Simply put, CHRIST IS SALVATION! It is Christ, not the cross, who saves. It […]<\/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-6753","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\/6753","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=6753"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6753\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6754,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6753\/revisions\/6754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}