{"id":7247,"date":"2026-09-09T02:43:26","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T02:43:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=7247"},"modified":"2026-09-09T02:43:26","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T02:43:26","slug":"bulletin-edition-september-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=7247","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition September 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The flaming sword of justice quenched in the holy, loving bosom of Jesus!

<\/strong>(Octavius Winslow)

“Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree!” 1 Peter 2:24

The most significant and appalling demonstration of God’s holiness that the universe ever beheld, infinitely distancing and transcending every other \u2014 is the sufferings and death of His only and beloved Son! The cross of Calvary exhibits God’s hatred and punishment of sin in a way and to an extent which the annihilation of millions of worlds, swept from the face of the universe by the broom of His wrath, could never have done!

Behold the most solemn display of God’s hatred of sin!<\/em> Finding the sins of the Church upon Christ as its Surety, Substitute, and Saviour \u2014 the wrath of God was poured out upon Him without measure! <\/em>Finding the sins of His people laid upon His Son \u2014 God emptied all the vials of His wrath due to their <\/em>transgressions, upon His <\/em>holy soul! Go, my soul, to Calvary, and learn how holy God <\/em>is, and what a monstrous thing sin <\/em>is, and how imperiously, solemnly, and holily bound, Jehovah is to punish it, either in the person of the sinner, or in the person of a Surety. Never was the Son of God dearer to the Father \u2014 than at the very moment that the sword of divine justice, flaming and flashing, pierced His holy heart to its hilt!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it was the wrath of God, not against His beloved Son \u2014 but against the sins <\/em>which met on Him when presenting Himself on the cross as the substitutionary sacrifice and offering for His Church. He gave Himself for us!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a new conception must angels have formed of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, when they beheld the flaming sword of justice quenched in the holy, loving bosom of Jesus! <\/strong>And in what a dazzling light does this fact place the marvellous love of God to sinners! Man’s sin \u2014 and God’s love; the indescribable enormity of the one \u2014 and the immeasurable greatness of the other; are exhibited in the cross of Christ <\/em>as nowhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, to learn experimentally these two great facts: sin’s infinite hatefulness \u2014 and a loving God’s infinite holiness! The love of God in giving His Son to die; the love of Christ in dying \u2014 and the essential turpitude and unmitigated enormity of sin, which demanded a Sacrifice <\/em>so Divine, so holy, and so precious!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O WHAT A WRETCHED THING THIS FLESH IS! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 7:24, 25)  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other:  so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Galatians 5:17)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh what a wretched thing this flesh is!  It is the residence of corruption, unbelief, hate, deceit, and every other evil known to man.  Who would want such neighbours living next to them?  Yet, these vile tenants are not mere neighbours to the believer.  No, they are much closer than mere neighbours: they occupy the same duplex.  The believer is of two natures joined into one person: flesh and spirit.  Spiritually, he is a new man, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  But he still possesses the same flesh he was born with, and the same \u201cpeople\u201d live there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 These occupants of the fleshly side of our \u201cduplex\u201d are not considerate at all, having no respect whatsoever for the occupants of the spiritual side of the duplex.  No sooner does the spirit mow the grass and weed the flower bed than the flesh dumps a bag of stinking garbage on the lawn.  No sooner does the spirit sit down for an evening of quiet reflection and prayer than the flesh will throw a party, turning up the stereo of vile thoughts.  Neither side of the duplex will ever find full satisfaction, nor will there be any compromise.  It will be a constant state of war for as long as the believer lives in this flesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 No wonder Paul wrote, \u201cO, wretched man that I am.\u201d  Thanks to God through Christ, He shall someday throw out the occupants on the other side, knock down the wall that separates the two sides, and the fruit of the Spirit, the occupants of the believer\u2019s soul, shall reside in BOTH sides, in one harmonious household!        Joe Terrell<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GOD’S WOUNDING AND HEALING<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I wound and I heal.”–Deut. 32:39<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is no little comfort to the afflicted child of God to be thus divinely assured that both the wounding and the healing flow from one Hand–that Hand a Father’s<\/em>. The sword that wounds–“bathed in heaven”–bears upon its point the balm that heals. Meditate awhile, my soul, upon this wondrous truth; and should you, like the stricken deer, endure your wound in solitude, the assurance that He who smites is He who heals, may rouse you from your lonely sorrow, and draw you closer to the heart of Him “by whose stripes we are healed.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I wound.”<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong>What majesty in these words! How worthy of Him who is the sovereign disposer of sickness and health, of life and death, from whose belt hang the keys of the grave and of Hades. To His Hand, O my soul, trace the wound which now fills you with sore pain and grief. What is the sword? Is it the visitation of bereavement–the decay of health–the loss of wealth–the fickleness of friends–the unkindness of other believers–or the taunt and cruel slanders and reproaches of the world? Rise above the sword that has pierced you, and see only the Hand that holds and controls it. “I wound.”<\/em> It is a loving Father’s voice. O Lord, I lose more than half my sorrow when I hear Your voice, “It is I,” <\/em>and when faith responds–“He Himself has done it.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And whose Hand inflicts the spiritual wound? <\/em>Who convinces of sin–gives the broken heart–imparts the humble, contrite spirit–and brings the soul to His feet with the prayer, “God be merciful to me the sinner.” <\/em>Still the language is–“I wound.” <\/em>Then, Lord, let the “sword of the Spirit” pierce me through and through, might it but penetrate the deep-seated evil of my heart, revealing to me more of my sinfulness, thus preparing me for the touch of that Hand that heals the broken in heart and binds up their wounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And I heal.”<\/em><\/strong> Blessed Lord! who can heal the wounded spirit–who can bind up the broken heart but Yourself? My wound is too fresh, my sore too tender, my sorrow too deep, for any hand but Yours to touch. Lord, Your wounds are my healing–Your blood my balm–Your soul-sorrow my heart’s joy. Keep me from a false healing. Let Your blood be the only balsam of my wounded conscience; let Your love be the only solace of my troubled spirit. Precious Jesus! smite and bruise me as You will, may but the hand that bears in its palm the scar of the nail pour the wine and the oil of Your love into my bleeding, sorrowing heart. “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, perhaps, your wound is self-inflicted, and the consciousness of this keeps you back from Christ. Your own hand has pierced you! You have sadly departed from God, have wilfully sinned against conviction, against your own conscience; against so much divine love experienced, so much covenant mercy received, so many rich blessings given, so many sins pardoned and backslidings healed, and wanderings restored. Be it so. Still the language of God is–“And I said after she had done all these things, Turn unto Me.” “I will heal their backslidings, I will love them freely–for my anger is turned away from him.” <\/em>Bring, then, these wounds to Jesus which your own or another’s hand has inflicted; and with the balm that flows from His own pierced heart, He will heal you. “O Israel, you have destroyed yourself, but in Me is your help found.” <\/em>Oh, remember that there can be no wound too deep or too desperate for Christ’s healing, loving touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

We need You <\/em>to bring us to You!<\/strong>

(C.H.Spurgeon)

“When my heart is overwhelmed\u2014lead me to the Rock that is higher than I!” Psalm 61:2

Most of us know what it is to be overwhelmed in heart<\/em>\u2014sinking like a vessel deluged by the storm!

Discoveries of inward corruption<\/em> will do this\u2014if the Lord permits the great deep of our depraved heart to become troubled, and cast up its mire and dirt.
Disappointments <\/em>and heartbreaks <\/em>will do this\u2014when billow after billow rolls over us, and we are like a broken shell<\/em> hurled to and fro by the raging surf!

Blessed be God, at such seasons we are not without an all-sufficient solace<\/em>\u2014our God is the harbor of weather-beaten souls, the hospice of forlorn pilgrims! His mercy <\/em>is higher than our sins! His love <\/em>is higher than we could imagine!

It is pitiful to see unsaved men putting their trust in something lower than themselves; but our confidence is fixed upon the exceeding high and glorious Lord.

A Rock <\/em>He is\u2014since He changes not. And He is a high <\/em>Rock\u2014because the tempests which overwhelm us\u2014roll far beneath at His feet! He is not disturbed by them\u2014but rules them at His will. If we get under the shelter of this lofty Rock\u2014we may defy the hurricane! All is peaceful under the shelter of that towering cliff!

Alas! such is the confusion in which the troubled mind is often cast, that we need piloting <\/strong>to this divine shelter. Hence the prayer of the text, “When my heart is overwhelmed\u2014lead me to the Rock that is higher than I! O Lord, our God, by Your Holy Spirit\u2014teach us the way of faith, and lead us into Your rest. The wind blows us out to sea\u2014and our puny hand cannot steer the helm! You, You alone can steer us over the wide ocean between yon sunken rocks\u2014and safe into the fair haven. How dependent we are upon You! We need You <\/em>to bring us to You!<\/strong> To be wisely directed and steered into safety and peace is Your gift, and Yours alone!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take our sins to God!
<\/strong>
Spurgeon, “A Troubled Prayer” No. 741. Ps. 25:18<\/em>

We must take our sins to God!
<\/strong>
The Christian, when he sins, thinks that he must fight this battle for himself,
wrestle with his own evil temper himself, and he himself must enter into conflict
with his lusts and his besetting sins.

But when he comes into the fight, he soon meets with a defeat, and then he is ready to give it all up.
Take your sins to God, my brethren!
Take them to the cross that the blood may fall upon them, to purge away their guilt, and to take away their power.

Your sins must all be slain. There is only one place where they can be slaughtered – the altar where your Saviour died.

If you would flog your sins, flog them with the whip that tore your Saviour’s shoulder.
If you would nail your sins fast, drive the same nails through them which fastened your Lord to the cross. I mean, let your faith in the great Surety, and your love to him who suffered so much for you, be the power with which you do conflict with evil.

It is said of the saints in heaven, \u201cThey overcame through the blood of the Lamb.”

That is how you must overcome.

Go to Jesus with your sins!
No one else can help you!
You are powerless without him!

The most sinful are welcome to Christ.
If your sin has become so outrageous that it were wrong for me to mention it; if it has become so tremendous in its power, that, like the chain and ball at the convict\u2019s foot, you cannot escape from it, yet still come with all your sins to Jesus!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EXCEPT YE BELIEVE <\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 8:24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Lord Jesus plainly declared, \u201cExcept ye believe that I am he, ye <\/p>\n\n\n\n

shall die in your sins.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are sobering words. Our Lord did not say, \u201cExcept ye try harder,\u201d \u201cExcept ye become religious,\u201d or \u201cExcept ye do enough good.\u201d He said, \u201cExcept ye believe.\u201d But believe what? We must believe that Jesus Christ is who He declared Himself to be, and that is the eternal Son of God, the promised Messiah, and the only Saviour of sinners. We must believe that our sin, which is against Him only, has left us guilty before our <\/p>\n\n\n\n

great God and that there is nothing we can do to remove that guilt. Our only hope is Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To believe in Christ is to abandon every hope of saving ourselves and  rest entirely upon Him. He lived the righteous life we could never live,  died the death our sins deserved, and rose again in victory. His <\/p>\n\n\n\n

righteousness is sufficient, His sacrifice is finished, and His salvation  is freely given to all who believe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no salvation apart from Christ. \u201cNeither is there salvation in any other.\u201d (Acts 4:12)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question is not whether we are religious, moral, or sincere. The  question is whether we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. \u201cBelieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.\u201d (Acts 16:31)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Except ye believe, there is no hope. But believe on Christ, and there is salvation, forgiveness, and everlasting life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Edmondson <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The flaming sword of justice quenched in the holy, loving bosom of Jesus! (Octavius Winslow) “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree!” 1 Peter 2:24 The most significant and appalling demonstration of God’s holiness that the universe ever beheld, infinitely distancing and transcending every other \u2014 is the […]<\/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-7247","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\/7247","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=7247"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7248,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7247\/revisions\/7248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}