{"id":6831,"date":"2025-04-03T09:57:56","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T09:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6831"},"modified":"2025-04-03T09:57:56","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T09:57:56","slug":"bulletin-edition-march-2025-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6831","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition March 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Two Great\nQuestions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genesis\n3:13 and John 18:35<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \nHere are two great questions I want you to consider. As you consider these two\ngreat questions found in the Word of God, I pray that God the Holy Spirit will\ncause you to know your sin and that he will reveal Christ to you, granting you\nfaith in him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God\u2019s\nQuestion to a Sinner<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a\nquestion from the holy Lord God addressed to a sinner: \u2014 “What is\nthis that thou hast done?”<\/em> (Genesis 3:13). There was Eve after\nthe fall. She had taken the fruit of the tree, which God had forbidden. She\nwilfully rebelled against God’s authority, being deceived by the serpent. And\nwhen she saw that she was naked before the Lord, she attempted to hide her sin\nand her nakedness from God by the works of her own hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \nThat is exactly what we have done! Our sin, all our sin, is rebellion against\nGod. It arises from a heart of rebellion. Like Eve, because you are a sinner,\nyou are justly condemned by the law of God. Your sin must be punished. Your own\nconscience tells you that these things are so. But instead of seeking mercy,\nyou have been trying to hide your sin by your own good works. Is that not true?\nAnswer honestly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \nYou have been trying to make up for your sin by doing good. As God stripped Eve\nof her fig leaves, so you must be stripped of every confidence in yourself. As\nthe Lord killed an innocent animal for Eve and made clothing for her, so you\nmust have a sacrifice and a righteous clothing that only God can provide. That\nsacrifice and clothing is the Lord Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Sinner\u2019s\nQuestion to God<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is\nanother question, a question from a sinner addressed to the Lord Jesus Christ:\n\u2014 “What hast thou done?\u201d<\/em> (John 18:35). Though our Lord\nrefused to answer Pilate, he has answered this question for us in the gospel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \nThis is what Christ has done for sinners. \u2014 For the disobedient he rendered\nperfect obedience to the law of God, establishing perfect righteousness for all\nwho trust him. \u2014 For the guilty he died, the Just for the unjust, that he might\nbring us to God. \u2014 As the sinner’s Substitute, Christ died upon the cross,\nsatisfying the law and justice of God for the sins of all who believe on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \nToday, the Son of God sits as King in heaven, Lord over all things. As the\ngreat High Priest over the house of God, this great Saviour sovereignly rules\nall things for the salvation of his people. Yonder in heaven, at the Father\u2019s\nright hand, he makes intercession by the merits of his blood for the salvation\nof sinners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \nTrust him, and in spite of what you have done, he will save you forever by what\nhe has done. God help you to trust him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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


\nThe Great Attraction!<\/strong>
\nThe following is from Spurgeon’s sermon,
\n“The Great Attraction” No. 775.  John 12:32.
\n
\nChrist dying for sinners is the
\ngreat attraction of Christianity!
\n
\nSince men will not come to him, the crucified
\nSaviour becomes himself the attraction to men.
\nHe casts out from himself bands of love and
\ncords of gracious constraint, and binding these
\naround human hearts, he draws them to himself
\nby an invincible constraint of grace.
\n
\nSinners by nature will not come to Jesus, though
\nhis charms might even attract the blind, and
\narouse the dead. They will not melt, though
\nsurely such beauties might dissolve the adamant,
\nand kindle affection in rock of ice.
\n
\nBut Jesus has a wondrous power about him
\nto woo and win the sons of men. Out of his
\nheart proceed chains of gold by which he binds
\nthousands of willing captives to himself.
\n
\nMany a heart has been so charmed with his
\nlove, that it has run to Christ, drawn by the
\nsilken bonds of love.
\n
\nJesus is the universal attraction, the attraction
\nto which all hearts must yield when he draws
\neffectually by his grace.
\n
\nThe attraction of the Crucified One
\nhas bound them to the cross forever!
\n
\nThe gracious Spirit has moved many tender
\nhearts first to pity, and afterwards to love
\nthe bleeding Lamb.
\n
\nWhat a melting power there is in Gethsemane!
\nCan you view the bloody sweat drops, as they
\nfall upon the frozen soil, and not feel that, in
\nsome degree, invisible but irresistible cords
\nare drawing you to Jesus?
\n
\nCan you see him flagellated in Pilate’s hall, every
\nthong of the scourge tearing the flesh from his
\nshoulders? Can you see him as they spit into his
\nlovely face, and mar his blessed visage, and not
\nfeel as if you could fain fall down and kiss his feet,
\nand make yourself forever his servant?
\n
\nAnd, lastly, can you behold him hanging upon the
\nhill of Golgotha to die- can you mark him as his
\nsoul is there overwhelmed with the wrath of God,
\nwith the bitterness of sin, and with a sense of
\nutter desertion- can you sit down and watch him
\nthere and not be attracted to him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nCross\u2014the Expression of Man’s Unbelief<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\nHoratius Bonar, 1867
\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But they\nkept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”<\/em> Luke\n23:21<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crucifixion was the death of\nthe outcast only, the Gentile <\/em>outcast. Stoning <\/em>was\nthe Jewish death, crucifying <\/em>the Gentile death, or rather the\nRoman death; the death devised and inflicted by the fourth great beast of\nDaniel, when exercising his power in trampling down the nation of God with his\niron feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Crucify him,” then,\nmeant, Let him die the worst of deaths\u2014the Gentile death, the death that is so\nspecially connected with the curse; the death that proclaims Him to be not\nmerely an outcast from Israel, an outcast from Jerusalem\u2014but an outcast from\nthe Gentile, an outcast from the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He to whom this cry is\ndirected, is a Gentile ruler; and it is striking to observe the Jew handing\nover his fellow-Jew to the abhorred Gentile, the conqueror of his city and\nnation. With what a hatred must these crucifiers have hated their victim\u2014when\nthey give him over to the Gentile to have their utmost malice executed upon\nhim!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He, against whom they thus\nfuriously shout forth their bitterness, is the Son of God; not merely a holy\nman\u2014but one in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells; one who has been sent\nof the Father to carry out his purpose of love. It is against “the Word\nmade flesh,” the “only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and\ntruth,” that the cry is raised, “Crucify him! crucify him! let him\ndie the worst of deaths; not this man\u2014but Barabbas!” It was not his human\nholiness merely, which excited the hatred and the outcry; it was his divine\nperfection. It was not merely man hating man because better than himself. Here\nis man hating God–man seeking to rid himself, and rid the world of God\naltogether. Here is man seizing the opportunity he now had, in having God in a human\nform within his power–of eliminating Jehovah–as the Being to whose absolute\ndominion he would not submit, and whose presence on the earth, in human form,\nwas altogether intolerable!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This teaches us\nthat . . .<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Charles Spurgeon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For he shall grow up before him as a tender\nplant,
\nand as a root out of a dry ground:
\nhe hath no form nor comeliness;
\nand when we shall see him,
\nthere is<\/em> no beauty that we should desire him.
\n3 <\/sup><\/strong>He is despised and\nrejected of men;
\na man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:
\nand we hid as it were our<\/em> faces from him;
\nhe was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isaiah\n53:2-3
\n
\nIt is astonishing that with such plain prophecies concerning the Messiah, the\nJews should have made such a fatal mistake in reference to Him. They looked for\na temporal<\/em> conqueror<\/em> who would come in splendour,\nnotwithstanding that this and many other Scriptures speak of His coming\nin humiliation <\/em>in express terms. Every unprejudiced person might have\nseen from this passage, that the Messiah when He came, was not to be surrounded\nwith pomp\u2014but would come as “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with\ngrief,” and be “despised and rejected by men.”
\n
\nThough this truth was written as with a sunbeam, and the Jewish people were\nacquainted with their own Scriptures\u2014yet when the Messiah came unto them, they\ndid not received Him. Though favoured with the clearest prophecies concerning\nHim, they rejected His claims and cried, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
\n
\nThis teaches us that <\/strong>the plainest instruction, however earnestly\nand forcibly delivered\u2014cannot be rightly understood by the unregenerate\nmind. <\/em>The carnal mind cannot discern spiritual things\u2014its eye<\/em> is\ndarkened, and its ear<\/em> is heavy. The inspired Word itself,\ncannot put a spiritual truth so clearly that lost men will understand it\u2014unless\ntheir eyes are opened by the Holy Spirit. Vain is the best light to blind<\/em> men.
\n
\nHow ardently we should adore the Holy Spirit, that He stoops to our spiritual\nblindness\u2014and is pleased to remove the scales, and pour light into our souls.\nWhatever we have rightly discerned, has been revealed to us by His teaching,\nfor apart from His illumination, we would have been as obstinately unbelieving\nas the Jews who crucified their King.
\n
\n“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God;
\n for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
\n So then, they that are in the flesh cannot\nplease God.” Romans 8:7-87 <\/sup><\/strong>
\n
\n“No man can<\/em> come to Me, unless the Father which hath sent\nMe draw<\/em> him” John 6:44
\n
\n“No man can<\/em> come unto Me, except it were given unto him\nof my Father” John 6:65<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, the enmity of the\ncarnal mind!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(adapted from Octavius\nWinslow’s, “The Soul Before Conversion”)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Because the\ncarnal mind is enmity against God<\/strong>…”
\n  Romans 8:7<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enmity<\/strong> against\nGod, O awful thought!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enmity<\/strong> to\nthe best of beings, the dearest of friends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enmity<\/strong> to\nHim whose nature and whose name is love!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enmity<\/strong> to\nHim who is holy, yes, holiness itself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enmity<\/strong> to\nHim who is good, yes, goodness itself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enmity<\/strong> to\nHim who is true, yes, truth itself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enmity<\/strong> to\nHim, outside of whom nothing
\n  is good, nothing holy, nothing true!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enmity<\/strong> to\nHim, who gave His Son to die for sinners!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enmity<\/strong> to\nHim who died for His enemies!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enmity<\/strong> to\nJesus who thus died; who ‘flew on wings
\nof love’ to the rescue and the redemption of fallen
\nman; who took the place, bore the sins, endured
\nthe curse; who gave His life, His obedience, all He
\ncould give: Himself! All this for the poor, the vile,
\nthe worthless; He suffered, bled and died!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All this for sinners, for\nrebels, for enemies!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was not this enough?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Could He have done more?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Son of God, is it for\nthis they hate You, despise You, reject You?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, the enmity of the\ncarnal mind!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hurl God from His\nthrone!<\/strong>
\n
\n(Henry Law<\/a>, “Forgiveness of Sins”\n1875)
\n
\n“The carnal mind is enmity against God!”
\n    Romans 8:7
\n
\nIf the sinner’s power<\/em> were equal to his will<\/em> \u2014
\nhe would invade the heaven of heavens, and
\nhurl God from His throne!<\/strong> Man’s secret
\nchambers of imagination swarm with
\nthoughts tainted with dislike<\/em> of . . .
\n  God,
\n  His name,
\n  His nature,
\n  His perfections,
\n  His cause,
\n  His people,
\n  His Word,
\n  His sceptre,
\n  His kingdom,
\n  His Christ.
\n
\nSin has strong inclinations, and they all
\nare arrayed against God’s righteous ways.
\n
\nSin has an ungodly bias towards the
\nabominable things which God hates!
\n
\n“The carnal mind is enmity against God!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is man?<\/strong>
\n
\n(by Don Fortner)
\n
\nHebrews 2:6, “What is man, that You are\nmindful of him?”
\n
\nWhat is man?<\/strong>
\nIn the light of God’s greatness and glory, it is an astonishing thing that God\nshould be mindful of man-especially when we see the answer given in the Bible\nto the question, “What is man?”
\n
\nMan is set before us in the Word of God as the particular, distinct object of\nGod’s mercy, love, and grace. But what is man?
\n
\nAnyone who knows and acknowledges the greatness of\nGod, will also freely acknowledge the utter\ninsignificance of man. As soon as David looked up to Heaven and spoke to\nGod of His greatness-his heart was humbled, his pride was withered, and he\ncried, “What is man, that you are mindful of\nhim?”
\n
\nIt is impossible for anyone to have both great views of God<\/em>-and\ngreat views of man<\/em>.
\nThose who imagine that man is great –\nthink that God is insignificant.
\nThose who know that God is great – know\nthat man is insignificant.
\n
\n“What is man, that Youare mindful of him?” Here is:
\n  greatness, and littleness;
\n  grandeur, and nothingness;
\n  excellence, and corruption;
\n  majesty, and baseness;
\n  God, and man!
\n
\nWhat is man?<\/strong>
\nThe Word of God tells us plainly:
\nGenesis 3:19, “You are dust<\/em>, and you will return to\ndust.”
\nIsaiah 40:6, “All men are like grass<\/em>, and all their glory is\nlike the flowers of the field.”
\nPsalm 39:5, “Truly, every man at his best state is altogether\nvanity!<\/em>“
\n
\nWhat is man?<\/strong>
\nDo not ask:
\n  philosophers <\/em>what they imagine,
\n  educators <\/em>what they teach, 
\n  scientists <\/em>what they see under microscopes,
\n  psychologists<\/em> what they see in their clinics, or
\n  sociologists <\/em>what they learn from observation.
\n
\nAsk God who made us!<\/em> He declares in His Word that man is fallen,\ndepraved, sinful, cursed, condemned, helpless, dying flesh!
\n
\nMen are grasshoppers before Him.
\nMen are the dust of the earth, nothing more.
\nMan is a lump of clay, a puff of smoke, a mist of vapour, the small dust of the\nbalance, a drop in a bucket.
\nAll the nations of all men in all the world are less than nothing before the\ngreat and infinite God!
\nMan is insignificant!
\n
\nGod, teach us to know our insignificance, that we may look to Christ for\neverything!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many exhortations\nin the Bible with regard to our conduct and how we should live our lives. \nA man would be a fool to deny that.  But, the Bible is not given to tell\nus how to live, but how to die!  People already know how to live because\nthe Law of God has been written on their heart, and they already know what is\nright and wrong!  But, if a man knows how to die, which is looking only to\nChrist as All in salvation, I have no doubt he will know how to live!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Todd Nibert<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n\u201cMy brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater\ncondemnation\u201d (James 3:1).  <\/em>Do not aspire to be a\nteacher!  Do not seek to instruct others and straighten them out. \nUnfortunately, many feel themselves to be qualified for this.  They do not\nrealise that they are getting themselves in trouble and will receive greater\ncondemnation!  \u201cFor in many things we offend all\u201d (James 3:2).<\/em> \nWhen one feels a need to straighten others out, he exposes his own\nhypocrisy.  Being one who offends in many things, he should feel himself\nto be utterly unqualified to be an instructor of other!  \u201cIf any\nman offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the\nwhole body\u201d (James 3:2).  <\/em>When a man learns the art of keeping\nhis mouth shut, he has reached the stage of maturity, and that maturity will be\nseen in many areas of his life! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Todd Nibert<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two Great Questions Genesis 3:13 and John 18:35       Here are two great questions I want you to consider. As you consider these two great questions found in the Word of God, I pray that God the Holy Spirit will cause you to know your sin and that he will reveal Christ to you, granting […]<\/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-6831","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\/6831","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=6831"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6831\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6832,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6831\/revisions\/6832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}