{"id":6839,"date":"2025-05-01T10:47:24","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T10:47:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6839"},"modified":"2025-05-01T10:47:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T10:47:24","slug":"bulletin-edition-april-2025-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6839","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition April 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It is utterly impossible!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Octavius Winslow,\n1852)  
\n
\nIt has been the distinctive aim, and the sincere desire of my ministry-to\nmake known and to endear the Saviour to your hearts.<\/em>
\n
\nOh, how worthy is He . . .
\n  of your most exalted conceptions,
\n  of your most implicit confidence,
\n  of your most self-denying service,
\n  of your most fervent love!
\n
\nWhen He could give you no more<\/em>, and the fathomless depths of His love\nand the boundless resources of His grace would not be satisfied by giving you\nless-He gave you Himself!
\n
\nRobed in your nature,
\nladen with your curse,
\noppressed with your sorrows,
\nwounded for your transgressions,
\nand slain for your sins-
\nHe gave His entire self for you!
\n
\nHis redeeming work now finished, He is perpetually engaged in meting out\nblessings to His people from the exhaustless treasures of His love! He\nconstantly woos your affection, invites your grief, and bids you flee with\nyour daily trials<\/em> to His sympathy; and with your hourly\nguilt<\/em> to His blood. You cannot be too covetous in your drafts upon\nChrist’s fullness! Nor can you be too extravagant in your expectations of\nsupply! You may fail, as, alas! the most of us do, in making too\nlittle <\/em>of Christ-but you cannot fail in making too much <\/em>of\nHim!
\n
\nIt is utterly impossible<\/strong> to know Christ, and not become inspired with\na desire . . .
\n  to love <\/em>Him supremely,
\n  to serve <\/em>Him devotedly,
\n  to resemble <\/em>Him closely,
\n  to glorify <\/em>Him faithfully here,
\n  and to enjoy <\/em>Him fully hereafter!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Christ, there is no\nfurther perfection to attain. In Christ, a sinner is made to be everything that\nGod requires him to be. In Christ, wisdom is complete, righteousness is\ncomplete, sanctification is complete, and redemption is complete. To know Him is\nto know it all, and to have Him is to have it all. In Christ, we are as\nperfectly complete as we will ever\nbe.                          \n       ~Gabe Stalnaker<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are not flogged into\nloving Him!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(J.C.Philpot)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Set your affections on\nthings above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:2
\nWhere are your affections to be set?
\n
\nAre they to be set on “things on the earth” . . .
\n  those perishing toys,
\n  those polluting vanities,
\n  those carking cares,
\nwhich must ever dampen the life of God in the soul?
\n
\nThe expression, “things on the earth,” takes in a wide scope. It\nembraces not only the vain toys, the ambitious hopes, the perishing pleasures\nin which a gay unthinking world is sunk and lost\u2014but even the legitimate calls\nof business, the claims of wife and home, family and friends, with every social\ntie that binds to earth. Thus . . .
\n  every object on which the eye can rest;
\n  every thought or desire that may spring up in the mind;
\n  every secret idol that lurks in the bosom;
\n  every care and anxiety that is not of grace;
\n  every fond anticipation of pleasure or profit that the world may hold\nout, or the worldly heart embrace\u2014all, with a million pursuits in which man’s\nfallen nature seeks employment or happiness, are “things on the\nearth” on which the affections are not to be set.
\n
\nWe may love our wives and children. We should pursue our lawful callings with\ndiligence and industry. We must provide for our families according to the good\nprovidence of God. But we may not so set our affections on these things, that\nthey pull us down from heaven to earth. He who is worthy of all our affections\nclaims them all for Himself. He who is the Bridegroom of the soul<\/em> demands,\nas He has fairly won, the unrivalled love of His bride.
\n
\nBut how are we to do this?<\/em>
\n
\nCan we do this great work by ourselves? No! it is only the Lord Himself,\nmanifesting His beauty and blessedness to our soul, and letting down the golden\ncord of His love into our bosom\u2014that draws up our affections, and fixes them on\nHimself. In order to do this, He captivates the heart<\/em>by\n. . .some look of love,
\n  some word of His grace,
\n  some sweet promise, or
\n  some divine truth spiritually applied.
\n
\nWhen He thus captivates the soul<\/em>, and draws it up\u2014then the affections\nflow unto Him as the source and fountain of all blessings.
\n
\nWe are not flogged into loving Him<\/strong>, but are drawn by love into\nlove.<\/em> Love cannot be bought or sold. It is an inward affection that\nflows naturally and necessarily towards its object and all connected with it.\nAnd thus, as love flows out to Jesus, the affections instinctively and\nnecessarily set themselves “on things above, and not on things on the\nearth.”
\n
\nJesus must be revealed to our soul by the power of God, before we can see His\nbeauty and blessedness\u2014and so fall in love with Him as “the chief among\nten thousand, and the altogether lovely One.” Then everything that . . .
\n  speaks of Christ,
\n  savours of Christ,
\n  breathes of Christ,
\nbecomes inexpressibly sweet and precious!
\n
\nIn no other way can our affections be lifted up from earth to heaven. We cannot\ncontrol our affections\u2014they will run out, of their own accord. If then our\naffections are earthly<\/em>\u2014they will run towards earthly objects. If\nthey are carnal<\/em>and sensual\u2014they will flow towards\ncarnal and sensual objects.
\n
\nBut when the Lord Jesus Christ, by some manifestation of His glory and\nblessedness; or the Holy Spirit, by taking of the things of Christ and\nrevealing them to the soul, sets Him before our eyes as the only object worthy\nof, and claiming every affection of our heart\u2014then the affections flow out, I\nwas going to say naturally, but most certainly spiritually, towards Him. And\nwhen this is the case, the affections are set on things above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Christ\nrefused to pray for everyone, did He die for everyone?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 19:9<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about that. Religious\npeople everywhere declare that \u201cGod loves all men, Christ died for all men, and\nthe Holy Spirit is striving to save all men?\u201d But could it be that those things\nare not so? If you will examine the Word of God, you will discover that none of\nthose things are so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God does not love all people\n(Romans 9:13). If He did, no one would go to hell. Christ does not pray for all\nmen (John 17:9, 20). If He did, none would perish. He did not die for all men\n(Isaiah 53:8). If He did, none would be required to suffer for their sins. The\nHoly Spirit is not trying to save all sinners (Acts 16:6). If He were, all\nwould be saved!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think! Don\u2019t blindly accept\nthe traditions and doctrines of men. Your soul is at stake! The glory of God is\nat stake! If Christ died for the sins of all men, then none can be lost and all\nthe sins of all men must be forgiven, or Christ is a failure! That cannot be\n(Isaiah 42:4). The Lord Jesus Christ did not merely make a stab at redeeming\nHis people, He redeemed them (Galatians 3:13). His blood was not shed in vain.\nJustice, being satisfied, demands that all for whom atonement has been made\nmust be saved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Sin\nLaid Upon One Mighty To Save     <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaiah\n53:6<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Read\nthe text laying all the weight and emphasis of it upon one word. “The LORD\nhath laid on HIM the iniquity of us all.” This is of infinite importance.\nThat One upon whom sin has been laid must have a back strong enough\nand shoulders broad enough to carry the horrible load of iniquity, without\nsinking beneath it. Were it possible for our Surety to fail, we would be\nutterly without hope. The comfort and hope of the gospel depends entirely upon\nthe ability of Christ to bear our sins, satisfy justice, and execute his\ngracious will to save. Therefore it is written, “The LORD hath laid on HIM\nthe iniquity of us all.” The Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour,\nthat One upon whom sin has been laid, is mighty to save.” Then\nspakest thou in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon One\nthat is mighty; I have exalted One chosen out of the people” (Psa. 89:19).\nAnd of this mighty One it is written, “He shall not fail, nor be\ndiscouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth” (Isa. 42:4). Who is\nthis great HIM upon whom sin was laid? He is Jehovah’s Servant\n(52:13), the Root out of dry ground (v. 2), the despised and rejected Man of\nSorrows (vv. 10-11), the sovereign Lord (v. 12). He is able to save\nto the uttermost!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     This\nis the most wonderful, astounding, amazing thing ever performed by our great\nGod. “The LORD hath laid on HIM the iniquity of us all.” Sin is the\nmost hateful thing in the world to God, the only thing in the world God abhors.\nIt is horrible, abominable and hideous in his sight. Yet, God made his lovely\nSon to be sin for us! I am amazed that God made his Son to be a man, a poor\nman, a suffering man, a crucified man. But when I read that “He hath made\nHIM to be sin for us,” I am altogether astonished! This is too wonderful,\ntoo sublime, too mysterious, too Divine for our puny brains to\ncomprehend. But it is true! Believe it, rejoice in it, and give thanks to God\nfor it. Our sins, being laid upon that Man who is God Almighty, have been effectually\nput away forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

That unclean\ndonkey<\/em> is yourself!<\/strong>
\n
\n(Charles Spurgeon<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut the firstling of\nan ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him<\/em> not,\nthen shalt thou break his neck.\u201d<\/strong> Exodus\n34:20<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every firstborn creature must\nbe the Lord’s but since the donkey <\/em>was unclean, it could not\nbe presented in sacrifice to Him. What then? Should it be allowed to go free\nfrom the universal law? By no means! God admits of no exceptions<\/em>.\nThe donkey is His due but He will not accept it; He will not abate the claim\nbut yet He cannot be pleased with the unclean victim. No way of escape\nremained, but redemption<\/em> the donkey <\/em>must be\nsaved by the substitution <\/em>of a lamb <\/em>in its\nplace; or if not redeemed, it must die!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My soul, here is a lesson for\nyou! That unclean donkey<\/em> is yourself!<\/strong> You are\njustly the property of the Lord who made <\/em>you and preserves <\/em>you\nbut you are so sinful that God will not, cannot, accept you! It has come to\nthis the Lamb of God must stand in your stead or you must die eternally! Let\nall the world know of your gratitude to that spotless Lamb who has died <\/em>for\nyou, and so redeemed <\/em>you from the fatal curse of the law!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Must it not sometimes have been\na question with the Israelite, as to which should die the donkey or the\nlamb? <\/em>Would not the man pause to estimate and compare the values of\nthese animals? Assuredly there was no comparison<\/em> between the\nvalue of a sinful man and the spotless Lord Jesus! Yet the Lamb <\/em>dies\nand man the donkey <\/em>is spared! <\/strong>My soul, admire the\nboundless love of God to you! Vile worms <\/em>are bought with the\nblood of the holy Lamb of God! Dust and ashes<\/em> are redeemed\nwith a price far above silver and gold! What a doom would have been mine had\nnot plenteous redemption been found!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The breaking of the\nneck of the donkey <\/em>was but a momentary <\/em>penalty. But\nwho shall measure the eternal wrath to come<\/em> to which no limit\ncan be imagined! Inestimably dear is the glorious Lamb who has redeemed me from\nsuch a doom!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The death of Jesus was . . .
\nthe opening and the emptying of the full heart of God;
\nthe outgushing of that ocean of infinite mercy that heaved and panted and\nlonged for an outlet;
\nGod showing how he could love a poor, guilty sinner!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\u201cIt shall\nbe perfect to be accepted.\u201d \u2014 <\/strong>Leviticus 22:21<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How good\ndoes a person have to be to get to heaven? He has to be perfectly good, as good\nas God himself. That which man looks upon as his \u201cpersonal righteousness\u201d he\ncalls good; but is of absolutely no value in the sight of God. God calls all\nyour thoughts and deeds of righteousness, and mine, \u201cfilthy rags.<\/em>\u201d They\nare an abomination to Him (Isaiah 64:6). Man\u2019s definition of righteousness\ndepends entirely upon his definition and understanding of God. The problem is\nmost have never seen God in His glorious holiness. Once a sinner sees God in\nHis holiness, he will cease forever to speak of his own goodness, personal\nholiness, and self-righteousness. With Isaiah, he will cry, \u201cWoe is me! I am\nundone<\/em>\u201d (Isaiah 6:1-6). Who can stand in the presence of the holy Lord God?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No son of Adam can ever stand in the presence of the holy Lord\nGod, because we are all cursed (Galatians 3:10). God is so infinitely holy that\nHe charges the angels with folly, so holy that the heavens are not clean in His\nsight, so holy that when He found sin upon His own dear Son He forsook Him and\nkilled Him! Are we better than the angels? Are we purer than the heavens? Dare\nwe imagine that God will accept us, with our polluted works, when He killed His\nown Son for sin? Only one who is himself equal to God can stand in the presence\nof God and please Him (Psalm 24:3-5; Matthew 17:5). That righteousness which\nGod requires, only God can give. Yet, it must be the work of a man, or it is of\nno value to men. Blessed be God! There is a Man who is himself God, who has\nmagnified the law and made it honourable. He has brought in an everlasting\nrighteousness by His perfect obedience to the law as a man, even the very\nrighteousness of God. He has satisfied the law\u2019s justice, by dying under its\ncurse. And He lives forever to give righteousness and eternal life to sinners.\nThat Man-God is Jesus Christ the Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \nThe Word of God plainly declares that no one shall enter into the glory of\nheaven who is not worthy to do so (Revelation 21:27; 22:11; 1 Corinthians 6:9).\nAnd all are by nature unrighteous (Ecclesiastes 7:20). We are all sinners. We\nall deserve the wrath of God. Yet, God the Holy Spirit tells us that there are\nsome who have been made worthy to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints\n(Colossians 1:12). How can that be? How can a sinner be made worthy of heaven?\nOnly God can do it! Grace alone can make us worthy of heaven\u2019s glory. Every\nbeliever, every sinner saved by grace, everyone who trusts Christ alone as his\nSaviour and Lord has been made worthy of heaven by three mighty works of God:\n\u2014 By Blood Atonement<\/strong> \u2014 The believer\u2019s sins have been fully\npaid for by Christ, so justice cannot require further payment. \u2014 By\nRighteousness<\/strong> Imputed<\/strong> \u2014 The righteous obedience of Christ has\nbeen imputed to all who trust Him, so that the believer stands before God as\none who is perfectly righteous, having fulfilled all His holy law in the Person\nof Christ, our Substitute. \u2014 By Regeneration<\/strong> \u2014 In the new\nbirth God the Holy Spirit gives every chosen, ransomed sinner a holy nature. By\nthese three works of grace, sinners are transformed into saints and made worthy\nof heaven, \u2014 \u201cperfect in Christ Jesus!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\nFortner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is utterly impossible! (Octavius Winslow, 1852)   It has been the distinctive aim, and the sincere desire of my ministry-to make known and to endear the Saviour to your hearts. Oh, how worthy is He . . .   of your most exalted conceptions,   of your most implicit confidence,   of your most self-denying […]<\/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-6839","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\/6839","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=6839"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6840,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6839\/revisions\/6840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}