September 1^st 2019

9:30 am ------------------------------------------------Love, The Rule of Life : 1 John 2:7-11

10:00 am ------------------------------------------------------------------Blessed – Luke 6:20-26

Let Sin Break Your Heart But Not Your Hope – From ‘Honey Out of the Rock’ – by Thomas Wilcox. England - 1621-1687

The sun may as well be hindered from rising as Christ the Sun of Righteousness (Mal.4:2). Look not a moment off Christ. Look not upon sin, but look upon Christ first. When you mourn for sin, if you see Christ then, away with it (Zech.12:10). In every duty look at Christ; before duty to pardon; in duty to assist; after duty to accept. Without this it is but carnal, careless duty. Do not legalize the gospel, as if part remained for you to do and suffer, and Christ were but half a Mediator and you must bear part of your own sin, and make part satisfaction. Let sin break your heart, but not your hope in the gospel.

They That Are After The Flesh Do Mind The Things of the Flesh – Romans 8:5

To ‘walk after the flesh’ (v.1) or to ‘live after the flesh’(v.13) (both terms have the same force) is for a person to conduct himself as do all the unregenerate, who are dominated, motivated and actuated by nothing but their fallen nature. To ‘live after the flesh’ refers not to a single act, nor even to a habit or series of acts in one direction; but rather to the whole man being governed and guided by this vile principle. That is the case with ALL who are OUT OF CHRIST: their desires, thoughts, speech and deeds all proceed from this corrupt fount. It is by the flesh that the whole of their souls are set in motion and their entire course steered. All is directed by some fleshly consideration. They act from self, or base principle; they act for self, or base end. The glory of God is nothing to them, the flesh is all in all. -- Arthur Pink

“We Preach Christ Crucified” -- 1 Corinthians 1:23

This is the verse which has headed our newsletter from the time we first came to the field upwards of 25 years ago. The reason we chose this text is that we believe it represents the clearest summary of the work of the gospel and the content of the gospel ministry.

Christ crucified is not the primary message of Scripture, nor the central message of Scripture, nor the most significant message of Scripture. It is true we often speak in this way, but Christ crucified is the message of Scripture. This is Paul’s meaning when he states just a little further along, “For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). That is a powerful and dogmatic statement.

Paul does not mean, of course, that all he taught were messages about the crucifixion. He means that Christ was the heart and the focus of everything he preached, whether it was on the atonement, justification, sanctification, sin, righteousness, regeneration, holiness, the person of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, faith, the life of the believer, or any other topic which he preached as "the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation". (Ephesians 1:13).

The Apostle Paul clearly saw this as the chief characteristic of his entire ministry. In Romans 1 when Paul writes, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth,” he means salvation in its fullest and complete sense. He means that the gospel of Christ crucified is the whole counsel of God. The centrality of Christ is brought out clearly in 1 Corinthians 1:30 where we read, “But of him are ye are in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” This is the message which under-girds and explains the entire revelation of God in the redemption of his people.