The Kingdom of Heaven Suffereth Violence (link)

The Kingdom of Heaven Suffereth Violence (link)
By Al Stoner


https://sway.com/0Q_OxGXPNbovTVDt

Preaching Festival Announcement, Antwerp, Ohio, October 2-4, 2015

 The Role of Understanding in the Kingdom of God

October 2-4, 2015
Antwerp Community Church, Antwerp, Ohio

Many church people today feel that understanding is unnecessary and even, in some circles, undesirable .  Yet, the essential change that takes place in salvation is going from darkness to light, from blindness to seeing.  Our faith is intimately connected to understanding and growing up into Christ requires that we grow in understanding.  Our prayer is that by considering the role of understanding in salvation we will encourage and challenge one another to go on to perfection and increase in the knowledge of God.  Contact Tim McCulfor for further information (tmcculfor@msn.com).

1. Understanding to Know the Father and the Son, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life” (I Jn. 5:20).
2. The Understanding of Faith, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Heb. 11:3).
3. Understanding Given By God, “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” (II Tim. 2:7).  “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures” (Lk. 24:45).
4. Revelation of the Mystery, “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith” (Rom. 16:25-26).
5. The Full Assurance of Understanding, “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ” (Col. 2:2).
6. Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding, “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Col 1:9).
7. The Wisdom of God in a Mystery, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory” (I Cor. 2:7).
8. The Peace of God Which Passeth All Understanding, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7).
9. Understanding God’s Will, “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Col. 1:9; Eph. 5:17).
10. Increasing in the Knowledge of God, “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10).
11. Alienated through Ignorance and Restored through Knowing the Truth, “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart” (Eph. 4:18). “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (I Tim. 2:4).
12. The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened” (Eph. 1:17-18).
13. Understanding must be Pursued, “Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding” (Prov. 2:3-6).
14. Faith’s Connection to Understanding, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God” (Heb. 11:3).
15. In Thy Light Shall We See Light, “For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light” (Ps. 36:9). “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end” (Ps. 73:17).
16. In Understanding Be Men, “Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men” (I Cor. 14:20).
17. The Necessity of Fruitful Understanding in the Church, “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful” (I Cor. 14:14-19).
18. They That Have Not Heard Shall Understand, “But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand” (Rom. 15:21).

The Accepted and Anointed Saints

In Christ Believers Are Kings and Priests

 

 

The Accepted and Anointed Saints

 

By Richard W. Ebler

"Our status as the accepted with God and the anointed by Him as kings and priests is our portion in Christ, who Himself was anointed by the Father and now sits at His right hand as the great High Priest over the house of God and King of the universe.”

The Acceptance of His Brethren in Christ

"In order to appreciate his acceptance in the Son, one must come to deeply realize how badly he needed to be accepted.” "That is where the problem lies with most people—they do not easily come to such deep awareness of their own sinfulness. When Adam sinned, he plunged the whole human race into sin, misery, and alienation from God. This fundamental fact is overlooked by those who imagine themselves to be naturally acceptable to God.

 

The destruction of the whole world by the flood and of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire are divine commentaries on the depth of man's corruption in Adam. God inflicted these destructions because man had become grossly corrupt and rebellious against Him. In view of this corruption, the great question, as Job recognized, obviously is, How can a man be just with God? (Job 9:2).

 

"Mount Sinai also demonstrated the sinfulness of the race. The law was given and broken before it was received. At the foot of the mountain, while the law was being delivered to Moses by God, idolatry and adultery were rampant among the people. All this is illustrative of how badly man needed to be accepted by God. A look at ourselves as to how we keep the law likewise reveals our need for divine acceptance. How do you keep the law? Perfectly? If you were to be accepted with God on the basis of the law, you would have to so keep it. This is because, as James tells us, (Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all' (Jas. 2:10-11)."

 

The Priesthood of the Believer in Jesus

The Gracious Provision of God. “But when the fulness of the time was come," however, God effectually intervened in man's behalf, to do for him in Christ "what the law could not do," the preacher observed (Rom. 8:34; Gal. 4:4-5). That is, "God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." The Scriptures apprise us of the forgiveness of sins through Christ and of justification before God by His blood, which was shed for the remission of sins. Passages like Acts 13:38-39 keynote this great truth: "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by Him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." "That is the glorious gospel. It is also enunciated in Second Corinthians 5:18-19: 'All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world "unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.' Similarly, in Colossians 1:20-23, we read, 'And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself."  We also read such great apostolic declarations as, 'Ye are complete in Him, which is the Head of all principality and power' (Col. 2:10), and that God 'hath made us accepted in the Beloved' (Eph. 1:6). Christ Himself is accepted at God's right hand, having been 'received up into glory’ (I Tim. 3:16), and we are accepted in Him. This is a fundamental representation of Scripture."

 

The Essentials of Priesthood. A good portrayal of the essentials of priesthood in the divine economy is provided in Numbers 16:5.  "Even whom He hath chosen will He cause to come near unto Him" was Moses' pronouncement for God in the case of Korah's rebellion. To "come near" to God for the sake of others is thus a principal function of the priesthood, it was concluded. As it is put in Hebrews, the priest is "ordained for men in things pertaining to God" (Heb. 5:1-4), and is to minister before God, or "about holy things" in that capacity (Acts 13:2; I Cor. 9:13-14).

 

"How do you become a priest?" the speaker asked. "You are to be born a priest. So was the requirement of the Levitical law. 'No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron' (Heb. 5:4). God calls us in Christ to the spiritual priesthood when He calls us 'unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord' (I Cor. 1:9)."

 

The Demonstration under Law. The anointing for both the priesthood and kingship of the believer was demonstrated under the law. "Both the priest and the king were anointed with oil. Exodus 30:30-33 tells of the 'holy anointing oil' that was used in the consecration. First Kings 1:39 shows that the same oil was used to anoint kings. Of course, this anointing under the law was a type of the anointing of the Holy Spirit under Christ. This is apparent from First Samuel16:13, where it is recorded that 'the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward' when he was anointed by Samuel. Correspondingly, it is written that 'God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil; for God was with Him' (Acts" 10:38).

 

"The anointing oil is an especially fitting type of the Spirit, since oil gives light when it burns. So, as we feel the burning of the Spirit in our hearts, we are enlightened as to God and His Word (Ps. 39:3; Lu. 24:32). It is significant that the high priest was anointed with oil at his right ear, his right thumb, and his right big toe (Exod. 29:20). Leviticus 14:14-17 shows that the oil was likewise placed upon the leper to be pronounced cleansed. Thus, it can be inferred that the anointing of the Spirit sanctities one's ears to hear the Word of God; his hand, to do His work; and his feet. to walk in His statutes and paths."

 

The Display by the High Priest. The Jewish high priest effectively showed the symbolism of both the priest and the implements of his office. Not only was the high priest and his regalia typical of Christ and His ministry within the veil, it was pointed out; he and it also set forth the office and function of the believer's priesthood under the new covenant. "The breastplate is the center of the picture. In nature, the highest faculty is the intellect; in grace, it is the Spirit-filled heart; and so that will be the glory of man in heaven. The picture shows how Christ loves His people; regarding us, it depicts the brethren's love for one another. The Urim and Thummim means light and perfection. So, in heaven we shall know as we are known and be like Christ—perfect The inscription 'Holiness to the Lord’, which appeared on the holy crown of the high priest (Exod. 28:36; 29:6), denotes the perfected holiness of the "heavenly life, and that into which we by grace are to aspire and unto which we are to be ever pressing in this life. The Priestly robe, woven without seam, portrays heavenly integrity—the heavenly color of blue. The linen breeches were to cover the priest's nakedness; so we are not to walk naked before God (Rev. 3:18; 16:15). The girdle depicts heavenly service; we shall 'serve Him' (Rev. 22:3). The bells and the pomegranates seem to suggest that the heavenly life will be a joyfully happy one of service—joy in service without burden or weariness. The bare feet denote that God desires immediate contact between the believer and Himself and His holy things. Thus, the representation in Revelation 22:1 of the 'pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb’.  As we drink from that river, there will be no taint of earth or earthly thought."

 

The Portrayal in Christ. Some of the typical aspects with reference to Christ of Aaron's anointing, as set forth in Psalm 133, are as follows: "The precious ointment," it was recalled, "ran down upon the beard" and "went down to the skirts of his garments." "A parallel is the anointing of Christ's head, hands, and feet with His own blood in His mockery and persecution preparatory to His entry through death and resurrection into the office of His heavenly Priesthood. Leviticus 21:17-22 sets forth the restriction of the priesthood; to be eligible, one had to be without blemish. The Lord Jesus fully met this condition as High Priest, being 'holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners' (Heb. 7:26). He offered His humanity upon the altar of His deity, and the altar sanctified the gift, making it acceptable to God (Heb. 9:14). He took His own blood into the Holy of Holies—into Heaven itself—and there offered it to the Father in expiation of the sins of man; and it was accepted for that purpose by God (Heb. 9:11-12, 24).

 

"In His entry into the heavens, Jesus is our Forerunner as priests and kings in Him; for we, too, enter into the same place by His blood (Heb. 10:19-22). Soon we shall be elevated to sit with Him in His throne (Rev. 3:21), where we shall exercise the functions of our office in a much fuller measure. It has been well said that 'God loved His Son so much that He purposed to fill Heaven with saints just like Him.' And, since God is God, that is the way it is going to be. The Levitical law is thus seen to be, as the Apostle declared, (a shadow of good things to come' (Heb. 10:1). The tabernacle provided 'patterns of things in the heavens' (Heb. 9:23). It is quite proper for us to think and speak of spiritual things in terms of the Levitical institution, therefore, seeing that institution set forth a picture of heavenly things. And this is a Festival of heavenly things."

 

The typical elements of Melchizedek's priesthood are necessary as a supplement to those of Aaron's in order to present a complete picture of the priesthood and kingship of Christ. "The latter, it might be said, set forth the pattern and the former, the order of the divine Priesthood. Hebrews 9 speaks of the pattern, and has to do with the Aaronic priesthood. When it comes to 'the order,' Scripture brings up Melchizedek as the illustration (Heb. 7:17; cf. Ps. 110:4; Gen. 14:17-20). He is presented as 'King of righteousness, 'King of peace', and as being typically eternal (Heb. 7:1-3). As God's Son and the Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ possesses all these qualities. Through Him, we partake of them now in a preliminary sense; and shall more fully share in them in the life to come."

 

The Anointing for Kingship under Christ

"And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as My Father appointed unto Me," the Master declared to His disciples (Lu. 22:28-30). "The Apostle tells us that 'the saints shall judge the world' and that 'we shall judge angels' (I Cor. 6:1-3). This is one of the functions of a king—to judge—as Solomon did in the case of the disputed motherhood of the child. In time of war, the king led in battle; in peacetime, he was a judge and administrator of the kingdom. This gives an idea of our function in glory. Right now, we are kings, if we are in Christ. We are unrecognized by the world as such, it is true. But, whatever our earthly station may be, we are kings unto God, and can reign through Christ in the area assigned to us."

 

The Situation with David. "It will be remembered that it was some time after David was anointed to be king of Israel before he actually ascended the throne and began the fullness of his reign. So it is with us. David at times seemed to despair of ever being enthroned as king. 'I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul,' he said in his heart on one occasion (I Sam. 27:1). Again, 'There is but a step between me and death' (I Sam. 20:3). ‘And I am this day weak, though anointed king’ (II Sam. 3:39).  In these times of discouragement, he was as surely destined to be king as in his brighter moments, for God had purposed that he should reign over Israel. So it is with our appointment and anointing as kings unto God. 'The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning' (Ps. 49:14). Right now, they seem to be the head and we, the tail; but the day will come when the tables will be turned. 'If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him,' is the promise of God (II Tim. 2:12), and on that we can confidently rely."

 

The Prospect for Us. "In old times, kings ruled over cities, as the scriptural record makes clear. Thus, the Lord Jesus' assignment to the faithful, 'Have thou authority over ten cities' (Lu. 19:17). Whatever that denotes, it certainly represents rule in the world to come by the saints. What the saints enjoy of grace in this life is just a little foreshadowing of their eternal portion and reign in glory. We shall reign over our allotment from Christ—our task, our situation—whatever the Lord has assigned to us. The meek shall 'inherit the earth,' saith the Lord (Mt.. 5:5); so shall we reign over the earth (Heb. 2:5-9).

 

"Melchizedek, as you know, was a King-Priest. Christ is Such, too. And, in Him, we also have this dual office. We experience this ministry in the firstfruit sense right now. Kings reign with power, and so can we, as we cleave unto the Lord, our glorious Head.  We also exercise our priestly influence upon our fellow men as “we are ambassadors for Christ” (II Cor. 5:20).

 

“Whatever ministry God gives you, seek to reign in that sphere by His grace, as becomes your high calling in Christ. Since you are a king under Christ, make full proof of your kingship. As priests, you can fulfill your ministry through prayer—interceding for others— and by proclaiming the truth of God to them. You are a 'royal priesthood' right now, saith the Scripture (I Pet. 2:9). Let us proceed on that basis, to the glory of God." –Noted and Recorded by Fred O. Blakely

 

I Do Remember

I Do Remember

By Al Stoner

“For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God” (I Thess. 2:9).

• I remember with great indebtedness and gratitude Brother Given O. Blakely.
• (For the sake of our readers, I would like clarify that Brother Given, now living in Joplin, Missouri, has been in extremely frail health in recent months and years.  Our purpose here in this edition of The Banner of Truth is to minister encouragement, as he has been such an integral part of this ministry.)
• I remember, in that twenty plus year duration of time when he was with us here in Indiana, being more impressed with the Word of God itself, than with Brother Given’s person.  He was not promoting himself.  And I would also like to say by all these remarks, that my purpose, here at the outset, is not to “promote” Brother Given, but rather to give honor where honor is due, and perhaps, where the honor is now long overdue.  Thus, we take this opportunity to say things that should have been said long ago.
• I remember every Lord’s Day, and every time of gathering of the saints, being profitable and substantive for the nurture of faith.
• I remember the very thorough verse-by-verse ministrations from Romans, from Hebrews, from the Revelation, from Habakkuk, Nehemiah, Daniel, and several others.  I remember being brought into acquaintance with all of Scripture, not just certain parts of it.
• I remember being brought into familiarity with such vitally-substantive concepts in the Word of God such as “new” and “old”, “first” and “last”, “first”and “second”, and “the right hand of God”.  New covenant, old covenant, new man, old man, new heavens and new earth, first heavens and first earth, the first man Adam, Christ, the Last Adam, the first covenant, the second covenant, first resurrection, second death, etc.
• I remember in that time being brought into acquaintance with both “the goodness and the severity of God” (Rom. 11:22), and with serving “God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Heb. 12:28). 
• I remember during that time being deeply and increasingly impressed by the importance and centrality of the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; II Cor. 3, Gal. 3; Heb. 8, 10, etc.), with the truth of justification by faith in Christ, and with the reality of the Romans 7 conflict.
• I recall being often admonished about Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth, of the significance of the two beasts in Revelation 13, and of religion that has a form of godliness, but denies the power thereof.
• I remember being regularly instructed, and put earnestly in mind of, the coming of the Lord, and of the preeminent need for being ready for Christ’s appearing.
• As I look back on those years, I can say one of the foremost benefits that Brother Given gave to me through his ministry was the ability to minister the Word of God, without feeling like I was imitating or quoting Brother Given.
• I call to mind that, in the entire extended time (twenty plus years) that Brother Given was with us, there were only one or two “outbreaks” of iniquity in the assembly.  “All the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) was being regularly declared, and this served, among many other things, to culture among those regularly attending an appetite for righteousness and truth, and to suppress such “outbreaks”. 
• I remember the assembly being itself being, as it were, an environment of focus on the Father, the Son, the Word of God, and the purpose of God in Christ Jesus.  It was a place of men and women being cultured for the world to come.
• I remember being duly impressed with the all sufficiency of God’s Word for all things pertaining to life and godliness.  While others were clamoring over “seminars” to be a better “this” or a better “that”, I was enabled to see the inferiority and shallowness and falsity of such approaches to living godly.
• I have in my memory extended times when there was a houseful of us, and other times when there was but a handful of us.  I know this had to weigh heavily on Brother Given’s spirit, but it did not affect his faithfulness in ministering.
• I have in my recollection Tuesday night meetings when there was hardly enough room for everyone in the room where the meeting was held.  Oftentimes, in the course of the lesson for that evening, someone would ask a question about the Scriptures, and the remainder of the time would be devoted to dealing with the question that was asked in a way that would be profitable to all.
• I remember particularly his message on Romans 16 at the end of one his series in the book of Romans.  After ministering on such ones as Rufus, Apelles, Urbane, Philologus, Tryphena, and Tryphosa, to name a few, Brother Given addressed each member present there in the assembly, and had a word of encouragement that was especially tailored for them.
• I remember that there were times when I would go home from the meeting being wounded in spirit, but yet in those same wounds I sensed that God was talking to me.  In those times I learned, that if the Word of God chafes against me, not to be offended by the speaker, or take it personally. And in those times I was given to learn about “the peaceable fruit of righteousness” that was the blessed fruitage of such wounds.
• I can recall specific messages, and series of messages, that Brother Given preached years ago, and yet they are still very clear and distinct in my mind.  In many instances I can call to remembrance specific things that were said, because they were well said, and worth remembering.
• I remember seasons of spiritual exhilaration directly associated with the preaching of the Word of God, where it seemed that I was “caught away”.
• I also remember seasons of exceedingly hard trial and casting down where the Word preached was my only stay, as well as the means for coming out of trouble.
• I remember well the Men’s Fellowship meetings led by Brother Given.  I remember early on going through John 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 verse-by-verse, Matthew 24, Daniel, and Romans, just to name a few.
• I remember Brother Given’s manner and conduct consistently being instructive in itself.  Whether he preached, or ministered at the Lord’s Table, or gave words of instruction at baptisms, or weddings, or funerals, something profitable for faith was always to be gleaned by the believer.  Nothing was ever done by him perfunctorily.
• I remember that everyone who had any ability to speak in the assembly was given a regular opportunity to minister, and was encouraged to develop and enlarge their kingdom abilities.  Though Brother Given was fully capable of doing everything by himself, he always insisted that everyone that was capable would have a part.
• I remember visits to our assembly from such ones as Jonathan Kwon, of South Korea, Abraham Samuel, of India, Doug Willis, of Australia, Jack and Mary Hendrickson, of Illinois, of Clayton Bowman, of Florida, and later of Illinois.  All of these associations had been made because of Brother Given’s focus on the Word of God, and the God of the Scriptures.
• I remember the debates centered around various issues related to the faith, and also the trips to India, to preach there, and the radio ministries from Chicago and Crown Point.
• I remember Project Plus 60, inaugurated by Brother Given to reenlist “retired” ministers who had been “pushed out to pasture” from the circles where they used to regularly minister.  Brother Given had a great burden to tap the resources of godly men as Seth Wilson, Harold Key, Roy Key, Don DeWelt, Charles Gresham, and several others. 
• Project Plus 60 soon became The Refreshing Waters Renewal, an annual preaching conference, held in various locations, for the purpose of enlarging upon central scriptural themes.
• I remember that Brother Given had a full time job at Lever Brothers, where he was promoted to one of the top positions in the company.  And yet his earthly vocation always remained, as it were, his “avocation”, compared to his labors in the kingdom of God.
• I remember that, in the whole course of time that Brother Given was with us, there was only one message on tithing, or offerings, and it was for the purpose of instruction, not because the people weren’t giving enough.  All of the regular attendees regularly gave because they wanted to.  I credit this to the fact that the focus was always upon the Word of God.
• I remember in that entire time that Brother Given was with us, he received a $100.00 a month salary from the assembly, but had it deposited in The Word of Truth account.  He never used it for himself, or even for his family.
• I remember Sister Adanna, Brother Given’s first wife. I remember her zeal and godly character, and her contagiously joyful spirit.
• I remember that after it became known that Sister Adanna had Lou Gehrig’s disease, upwards of twenty brethren were summoned to the Blakely home in Cedar Lake to make a special request to the Lord for her recovery, and to anoint her with oil.  The Lord graciously said “no” to our request, not audibly, of course, but in the subsequent rapid decline of her health.
• I remember that Sister Adanna was taken from us on January 1st, 1979, at 1:40 a.m. 
• I remember that when Sister Adanna died that several people were offended that God would take her, and they stopped coming to the assembly, and in some cases, they stopped attending anywhere at all.
• I here call to remembrance that in the weeks and months following that Brother Given was greatly and tenderly affected by Sister Adanna’s departure.  In the evening service, before his message, he would take his guitar and sing songs like, “Give me a Song to Sing at Midnight,” and “Gathering Flowers for the Master’s Bouquet,” and “We Shall Shine as the Stars of the Morning.”  He would sing them to comfort us, as well as himself.
• I remember the meetings Brother Given held at The Light of the World Tabernacle in New Port Richey, Florida.  Some meetings were held prior to Sister Adanna’s death, and some were held after. 
• I remember a particular sister that attended there, named June Ellen, who stood out from among all the rest in her godly character and manner.
• I remember that not long after this a courtship between Brother Given and Sister June ensued, and that they were married in Florida in the summer of 1980.  My wife, Sara, and I had the privilege of being present there at the wedding.
• I remember the great help that Sister June proved to be to Brother Given in the months and years following their marriage. 
• I remember how that Sister June was able to step in and lead the Ladies’ Fellowship meetings in a very profitable manner.
• I remember Sister June’s humble and cheerful manner, coupled together with her great zeal for the truth.  I remember the wonderful ministry that Sister June had with our young people while she was still with us here in Indiana. 
• And I remember very well the time when the sad news came that Brother Given and Sister June were moving to Joplin.  It was difficult for us, but it was difficulty that was coupled together with profitability not yet perceived at that time.  There was no thought of looking for another minister, for the Lord had raised up ministers in our very midst during Brother Given’s time with us. It was difficult for us, but it seems that the Lord was saying to Brother Given, with regard to Joplin, “I have much people in this city,” and “lo, the fields are white unto the harvest.”
• These remembrances and recountings only go up until the year 1992 when the Blakelys moved to Joplin.  Another major part of this story yet remains to be told pertaining to the last eighteen years.
• And yes, I do indeed, with great thankfulness to God, remember. --Al Stoner

The Matter of Perdition and Glory

The Matter of Perdition and Glory

By Given O. Blakely

“But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul” (Heb. 10:39).

“The word ‘second coming’ indicates a final and different order of coming. It does not necessarily mean second chronologically. The Lord Jesus ‘appeared’ to Paul, Cephas, James, the Twelve, and some five hundred brethren (I Cor. 15:5-8) after He arose from the dead. However Christ’s ‘second’ coming, or appearing (Heb. 9:28), shall be the final one.”
“There are manners of life [which are presently being lived] that lead to both glory and perdition, and when Jesus comes again, they shall have led there. Right now all men are associated with either perdition or glory. Both perdition and glory shall come when Jesus comes.”
“Laying up treasures in heaven entails developing an appetite for the glory that is to be revealed.”
“A coveting, grasping life is leading to perdition (cf. I Tim. 6:9). Believing “unto the saving of the soul” (Heb. 10:39) is leading to glory.” “The only way to avoid perdition is to be godly, which entails living by faith. Ungodliness is a manner of living that leads to the lake of fire, which is the second death.”
“It is presently hard to convince the sinner of perdition, and sometimes it is even difficult to persuade the believers of glory, because both perdition and glory are obscure now. They can only be perceived by faith. But both perdition and glory shall be experienced by men when Christ comes again the second time.”
“God did not call us for the ultimate purpose of being good neighbors, or for being a good husband or wife, but rather for the purpose of obtaining the glory that shall be revealed.”
“The ungodly shall be subject to “shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2) in every sense of the word when they enter into perdition.”
“Perdition is the worst thing that can happen unto men, and glory is the best thing. And when Jesus shall appear the second time [and not before then], the wicked shall go into perdition, and the saints shall enter into glory.”
“When Christ comes again, the eternal habitations shall at that time be occupied by both sinners and saints. For the sinners the habitations shall be in “outer darkness,” but for the righteous they shall be in the presence of the Lord.” “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Mt. 25:46).
“Both perdition and glory shall be the logical outcomes of the manner of living that preceded them. The identifications with both of these states are presently in the process of being made.” As it is written, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still” (Rev. 22:11).
“Christ’s coming, like a battery, has both positive and negative points. It speaks of an ending and a beginning. It will end temporal existence and begin eternal existence. The saints will come out of tribulation, and the sinners shall go into it. He will take away from sinners, and bring to the saints. The objects of lust will be taken, the objects of hope will be brought.”
“He will take away the handicap and struggle from the righteous and give them to the sinner. He will take away liberty from the wicked, and give it to the saints. The saints shall exchange a cross for a crown, and the sinners shall exchange ease for tribulation.” --Excerpted from a sermon preached by Brother Given, entitled, “The Perdition and Glory That Shall Follow Christ’s Coming”

Initial Orientation, Subsequent Disorientation, and Final Reorientation

A Principle of God’s Working with His People

Initial Orientation, Subsequent Disorientation, and Final Reorientation

By Al Stoner

To restate and clarify our title we could say:

What and Where We Were, What and Where We Are Now, and What and Where We Shall Be, by God’s grace.

Or, The Orientation Associated with God’s Original Design, The Disorientation Caused by the Entrance of Sin in to the World, and The Reorientation Owing to the Purposed Demonstration of God’s Manifold Wisdom and Lovingkindness.

Or, having one’s beginnings in an environment and domain that have been defiled by sin, becoming mercifully and graciously disoriented from the defilement by a purposeful Divine working, and being refashioned and transformed unto the far better thing, which God has provided in the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.

This is a principle that is operative on the personal level as well as with an entire people. In the beginning orientation, there is, at best, a general sense of incompleteness and discontent.  In the beginning orientation the Holy Spirit strives with men, as He did in the days prior to the Flood.  He strives with men to turn from their wicked ways.  In the disorientation, there follows distress, anguish, heartache, woe, and even a sense of hopelessness. In the reorientation, there is a sense of wonder, and gratitude for the marvelous working of the blessed God of salvation, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Adam, and his Time of Orientation. “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7).  “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (v. 15).

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (vv.16-17).

“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (v. 18).  “And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (vv. 19-25).

The Subtle, yet Abrupt, Disorientation Caused by the Transgression. “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” (Gen. 3:1-7).

“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (vv. 8-19).

“Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life” (vv. 23-24).

Abram’s Time of Orientation in Ur of the Chaldees. “Now these are the generations of Terah: TERAH BEGAT ABRAM, NAHOR, AND HARAN; and HARAN BEGAT LOT. And HARAN DIED BEFORE HIS FATHER TERAH IN THE LAND OF HIS NATIVITY, in Ur of the Chaldees. And ABRAM AND NAHOR TOOK THEM WIVES: THE NAME OF ABRAM'S WIFE WAS SARAI; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. BUT SARAI WAS BARREN; SHE HAD NO CHILD.

The Inception of His Disorientation. And TERAH TOOK ABRAM HIS SON, AND LOT THE SON OF HARAN HIS SON'S SON, AND SARAI HIS DAUGHTER IN LAW, HIS SON ABRAM'S WIFE; AND THEY WENT FORTH WITH THEM FROM UR OF THE CHALDEES, TO GO INTO THE LAND OF CANAAN; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and TERAH DIED IN HARAN” (Gen. 11:27-32).

Completing the Disorientation and the Beginning of Reorientation. “NOW THE LORD HAD SAID UNTO ABRAM, GET THEE OUT OF THY COUNTRY, AND FROM THY KINDRED, AND FROM THY FATHER'S HOUSE, UNTO A LAND THAT I WILL SHEW THEE: AND I WILL MAKE OF THEE A GREAT NATION, AND I WILL BLESS THEE, AND MAKE THY NAME GREAT; AND THOU SHALT BE A BLESSING: AND I WILL BLESS THEM THAT BLESS THEE, AND CURSE HIM THAT CURSETH THEE: AND IN THEE SHALL ALL FAMILIES OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran (Gen. 12:1-4).

The Completion of Abraham’s Reorientation. “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:8-10).

“Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (Heb. 11:11-16).

Job and the Time of Orientation Prior to his Trial. There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters” (Job 1:1-2).

The Two Distinct Waves of Disorientation that Came upon Job. The First Wave. “And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee” (Job 1:13-17).

The Second Wave. “AGAIN there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD , and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD . And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD , and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.  So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes” (Job 2:1-8).

Job’s Reorientation after his Trial. So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters” (Job 42:12-13).

Joseph’s Disorientation and Reorientation. “He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance: To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom” (Ps. 105:17-22).

The Time of Disorientation. “This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not” (Ps. 81:5).

Joseph’s Ultimate Reorientation. “Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand” (Rev. 7:8). Sealed forever, world without end.

Israel’s Disorientation and Reorientation. “To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever: And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever: With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever: And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever: But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever: And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever: And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever: Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever: And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Ps. 136:10-26).

The Psalmist. A Blessed Foretaste of the Final Reorientation. “A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed” (Ps. 103:1-6).

The Reorientation Overshadowing the Present Disorientation. “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour” (Ps. 8:4-5).

“For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place” (Ps. 66:10-12).

The Church. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:25-27).

“For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit” (I Pet. 4:6).

We, as Individuals. God’s Wise Design in Disorientation. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (Jas. 1:2-4).

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him” (Jas. 1:12).

Chastening and Affliction. Divine Implements of Disorientation unto Reorientation. “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Heb. 12:5-9).

The Lord Jesus Christ. The Entire Gamut of Experience. His Experience Counts for Every Man. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:5-11).

“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” (I Pet. 3:18).

“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne” (Rev. 12:5).

The Attestation of Sonship

The Attestation of Sonship

By Fred O. Blakely

"In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" (Eph. 1:13).  “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:36-27).
In Zacharias' prophecy of John the Baptist's ministry, he said that its effect would be to give to people "the knowledge of salvation" by "the remission of their sins" (Lk. 1:76-79). Whoever's sins are forgiven, on the terms laid down in the new-covenant Scriptures, is saved, and so is constituted a son of God (Jn. 1:12-13; Acts 2:38; Gal. 3:26-27; Eph. 1:7). He may be assured of that blessed situation simply on the authority of God's Word.
Those so "accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:6), however, have another witness to their sonship of God. It is the Holy Spirit, "whom God hath given to them that obey Him" (Acts 5:32). Thus, Jesus' promise: "Ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you" (Jn. 14:20; cf. vv. 15-19).
"Because ye are sons," declared Paul, "God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father" (Gal. 4:6; cf. Rom. 8:15-17). So do we have "the witness" of our filial relation to God within ourselves (I Jn. 5:10; cf. ch. 2:20, 27). God having given unto us "His Holy Spirit" (I Th. 4:8), we are divinely "sealed," or marked, as His spiritual offspring (Eph. 1:13-14).
With Paul, therefore, we are "always confident" concerning our sonship, as well as of our immediate presence with the Lord upon our departure from the earthly body (II Cor. 5:5-8). Accordingly, we say with John, "We know that He abideth in us by the Spirit which He hath given us" (I Jn. 3:24). Or, "Hereby know we that we are in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit" (ch. 4:13).
Blessed assurance, indeed, is this twofold attestation to our full acceptance by the heavenly Father, the forgiveness of sins, attested to by the impartation to us of the Holy Spirit.
We pity those poor souls who drudge through their religious life on a mere "hope-so," or "I'm trying" basis, in their attempt to relate to God. We earnestly exhort them, in the Name of Christ, to render to Him the "obedience of faith" (Rom. 16:26), and receive the anointing that certifies to them their sonship. --The End-- 

And What About America?

And What About America?

By Alfred M. Rehwinkel

(Written in the 1950's)

“Atheism and a purely materialistic view of life are even finding their way into the pagan world. The temples of the heathen are decaying. The gods are crumbling or are being thrown into the rubbish heap. Atheistic communism has overrun all of China and is finding is way into India and Africa. It is no longer a question of what god or gods, but it is no god at all.”

“And what about America? According to the last religious census, less than half of the adult population of the United States is connected with one of the Christian denominations. This means that at least seventy million in our country profess no religion. They are not pagans in the common meaning of that term. They are indifferent to all religions, are unconcerned about God and God’s revelation; in other words, they are godless. This means that seventy million Americans are practical atheists! And that in a country which boasts of the superiority of its religious and moral standards. To millions of our people, the Bill of Rights, guaranteeing freedom of religion, stands for a freedom from all religion.  Democracy has become our fetish, and in the minds of many it supersedes in importance even religion and God. In our seats of higher learning, the colleges and universities of our country, where the leaders of the next generation are being trained, the authority of the Bible has been completely eliminated. The Creation story and the Great Flood are ruled out as impossible. What remains of the Old Testament is relegated to folklore or is placed on the level of mere poetry.  The miraculous elements of the entire Bible, the deity of Christ, the atonement of Christ, the resurrection from the dead, in fact, most of the fundamental articles of our Christian faith, are either questioned or openly denied and even ridiculed. What the Bible calls the Moral Law of God is placed in the categories of taboos and social mores, and sin has been reduced to a mere maladjustment, the result of frustration, or is merely termed a form of anti-social living.” –Written in the 1950’s, this segment taken from the final chapter of “The Flood”, entitled “The Flood, a Prototype of the Final Judgment”

The Proper View of Death

The Proper View of Death

By Beverly Brunner

Our Lord said, "Watch," "be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Mt. 24:42-44). There is not one person who has ever lived or who is living now that can predict the time of their death or departure from this earthly body. The flesh never wants to leave this earth because it is rooted and grounded in it. But I confess with all the dear and precious brethren who have gone on before and, as well, to those whom I may meet while sojourning in this hostile land, that I am a stranger and a pilgrim. My citizenship is in Heaven, and when my Lord calls me, I shall be ready to go.

As we walk down the path that leads to Heaven we will have sorrow, but we "sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him" (I Th. 4:13-14).

We are not of those who are under the delusion that the body and the spirit lie in the grave until Christ returns. Our life, that is, the life we now have in Christ, does not stop at the grave. Death is but a door that opens into the very Presence of God. What a blessing this is for all those whose "life is hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). What great peace and joy this brings within our hearts to know that in God's time we shall be reunited with all those who have died in Christ. --The End--

The Role of Sanctification in the Gospel and in the Purpose of God, Part 3

REFRESHING WATERS RENEWAL #26   The Role of Sanctification in the Gospel and the Purpose of God   Part 3 Quotes from the Holy Brethren, Noted and Recorded by Jonathan Blakely     BROTHER AARON HUTCHCRAFT Introduction ·        The Kingdom of God overturns the natural. ·        The kingdom of God isn’t about age, but about the place where God has placed you.   BROTHER JUDAH HUTCHCRAFT  “God has given us life, and this life is in His Son” Is it possible to get something eternal from someone who is not eternal? God is familiar with “eternal”. History is only “HIS story”. We are pretty narrow-minded when it comes to “eternal”. The eternal one has given us eternal life. Sounds like a good arrangement! Jesus wasn’t like other men. The death of Jesus was of more import than that of other men. When God came as a man, creation listened! How’s this for miraculous? God died. Jesus died for what YOU did wrong. God needed a spotless lamb, and Jesus was it! Sanctification is separation by means of purification. We’ve been set apart to be used ONLY by the Lord. You can probe a dead man all you want, but you’ll never get a response. God put our feet in a firm place. We didn’t get there ourselves. BROTHER SILAS McCULFOR  “Now ye are washed, sanctified, and justification” Sanctification comes from a source outside of ourselves. Sanctification is how our paths were changed. We called out of the wrong path and into God’s path. God separated us for holiness. We were turned around for the sake of sanctification. Anything used in the tabernacle had to be set apart. In order for God to use you in His kingdom he must sanctify you. Sanctification was not a small thing. This sanctifying work is the work of Christ. Sanctification is the thing that took us from the unrighteous thing and made us righteous. Sanctification has the ability to take us away from great wickedness and into the kingdom of God. We need to see sin the way God sees it. It’s an incredible thing that God changed us from what we were to what we are. BROTHER JASON HUTCHCRAFT Audience Discussion (Comments Included) This is not an open mic night. Everybody can’t just come up and say anything they want. Most groups have a hard time getting along. We can talk without becoming hostile. You have to hear someone talk in order to get to know them. So we want communication between the brethren. Sanctification is the changing of ourselves into the image of God. – Brother Evan McCulfor The gospel is GOD’S message of good news. – Brother Jonathan Blakely The gospel is a message from God that has the power to change men. – Brother Al Stoner The gospel has to be preached to everyone that has an ear to hear. – Brother Pat Woods You can be forgiven of your sins, but you also can stop being slave to it. – Brother Pat Woods The thing to get across to people is their usability to God. – Brother Given O. Blakely God has a keen interest in your usefulness to Him. – Brother Given O. Blakely God is calling you to Himself out of your condemnation and past. – Brother Gene Hutchcraft Don’t serve the god of things, but the God who made all things. – Brother Gene Hutchcraft Sanctification under the law was a routine. – Brother Given O. Blakely In Christ Jesus we have been liberated from the routines of our fathers, and you really are clean. – Brother Given O. Blakely We are not servants like ones that are not of the household of God, we are sons. – Sister June Blakely If you look back and see all the things that you have let go of it will strengthen you. – Sister Julie Miller In the old covenant God said, “You do it”. In the new covenant Christ does it. – Brother Silas McCulfor The law came by Moses, but sanctification didn’t come. Sanctification came in the new covenant through Jesus. – Brother Benjamin Blakely Sanctification turned from outward to inward. – Brother Mike Knapp In Christ we are sanctified and fit for the master’s use. – Brother Tim McCulfor Faith is operating in us to sanctify us. – Sister June Blakely Sanctification is when you become so compatible with the word of God that when you hear it you just agree with it. – Brother Given O. Blakely God isn’t mainstream. – Brother Judah Hutchcraft God is very particular in what He uses. – Brother Judah Hutchcraft We shouldn’t use words like “perfection” when describing God because that implies limitation. “Excellencies” would be a better word to use because He does excel. – Brother Al Stoner We work out sanctification, but we do it in view of what Christ has already accomplished. – Brother Al Stoner God can’t join Himself to something that is unholy. – Brother Given O. Blakely If something is going to change from unholy to holy, God is the only one who can bring about that change because He is the one source of holiness. – Brother Jonathan Blakely Sanctification is not an idea, it’s something is put into action and done. The world is the place of corruption because of sin. – Brother Al Stoner “The world” is the environment that became corrupted due to defilement. – Brother Matthew Cobb “The world” is everything that is going to pass away when Jesus. – Sister June Blakely The world distracts us from Christ. – Brother Benjamin Blakely What we are not to love are all the things that pertain solely to this life that will not make the transition into the world to come. – Brother Jonathan Blakely Light and darkness cannot coexist any more than the godly and ungodly can mix. – Sister Taylor The world is the place where the devil is allowed to exercise authority. – Brother Michael Blakely We are separated from the world by our affections. – Brother Al Stoner Seeking God’s grace separates us from the world. – Brother Daniel Blakely We are living out Jesus in this life. – Brother Mike Knapp Give men the word of your testimony. – Brother Given O. Blakely When you eat your food, do you pray for it? That’s shows something. – Brother Jonathan Blakely God’s people have a drawing effect. – Brother Jeremy Williams I do my best because I am working for the Lord. – Sister Emily Arnold The modern church has tailored its programs on the assumption of the people’s disinterest. – Brother Given O. Blakely Godly conduct can provoke a brother that is struggling to do better. – Brother Jonathan Blakely One of the biggest differences in the way Christ lived was the manner in which He suffered. – Brother Erik Olmsted When we stumble we need God to remedy it. – Brother Tim McCulfor God will incline your heart to His testimonies. – Brother Tim McCulfor Jesus has opened all the jail doors. – Brother Given O. Blakely BROTHER RICKY SIMS  “God makes Jesus to be sanctification for us” Before you can live separate you must first BE separate. We continually leap into heavenly places. We’re staying clean because God has work for us to do. God can make you clean so that He can use you. God isn’t going to put His hand to anything dirty any more than you do. You have to be a fit vessel for a fit use. God is a working God. God isn’t lounging on the heavenly couch. Would you give your life for a gold course in heaven? Heaven is not a place of inactivity. In the earth retirement is overrated. Leisure, pleasure, and entertainment only goes so far. You were made for employment. When man is prideful he is very presumptuous of his fellowship with Christ. God made the first move. The fact that you were drawn is evidenced that God was working in the first place. God is the primary worker in salvation. Who is the worker in salvation, us or God? YES!  God doesn’t allow anyone to sit down passively. It is in Christ that the surety of the work is accomplished. Jesus will never let someone be disappointed for trusting in Him. Jesus never quits, not even when things are difficult! You never lack for resources when in Christ. When you’re put into Christ you’re put into Christ’s workshop. When God puts you into Christ He puts you into the place where His hand is working. You don’t want to be outdone by Job because he didn’t have much. Who do you know that is more sanctified or set apart for divine work than Jesus? Jesus lived separate because he WAS separate. Jesus didn’t sin because He wasn’t a sinner. It’s one thing to take sin away from you, it’s another thing to turn you from sin. As you live your life do you notice yourself thinking less about yourself and more about Jesus? That’s sanctification. Everyone who comes into Christ comes in the right way. Satan’s primary mission is to steal you away from Christ by shifting your attention elsewhere. God will see to it that you’re everything He intends you to be. BROTHER MICHAEL BLAKELY  “Jesus suffered without the gate to sanctify the people” If a person is living by laws, he has no right to eat at the gospel table. Those who believe in the Lord Jesus have their hearts established by grace. If God isn’t going to use it then there is no point in sanctifying it. It’s impossible for the new creation to sin. God can work marvelous works in men. If Jesus hadn’t sanctified the work, all the divine objectives of God would have been mere wishes. Sanctification is about how God sees you. God is able to conform you to the image of His Son. We don’t atone for our sins with works. God arranged the sacrifices of old with the sacrifice of Christ in mind. Sin must be separated from the people. Jesus is the second man from heaven. BROTHER PAT WOODS “He that sanctifies and they that are sanctified are all of One” In sanctification men are being changed from what they are to what they shall be. In your fellowship with the Godhead you’ll become like the Godhead. The everlasting gospel can be preached because of what Christ has done. The gospel is calling men to turn from wickedness. Men will be the vessels where God displays His mercy. The church is a witness of the mercy of God. Jesus is the first of what men shall be. By looking at Christ we see what God is bringing us to. We’re in a vital living union with the Godhead. In saving men, God is giving men to Jesus. The purpose of God is much bigger than us. The purpose of sanctification is about making us more acceptable, but making us more useful. God is at work in our sufferings. Sufferings cause us to rely on resources that are beyond here. We must not be confused about our experiences in this world because it will cause heartache. In this life we are loaded up and do work with weight set on us, but in this the Lord is training us. We want to experiences the resisting of sin, even unto blood. We need something of substance that we can take hold of. It’s a dangerous thing when the people of God are not being built up. Jesus is with us in purification. There is no fellowship between you and the world, but there is between you and God. Our sanctifier knows that we need to be sanctified. What you were in the past doesn’t disqualify you. It’s remembered no more! There is a lot of help in grace. Sanctification isn’t just about separateness, but God-likeness. You have been separate FROM something, but what are you separated to?   SISTER KATIE MILLER Testimony The Lord works above and beyond. It’s crucial to know what the Bible tells us. We need to fill our minds with the word of the Lord. Keep your eyes fixed on Christ so you can see Him. Because we are new creatures it is not in our nature to commit sin. God doesn’t just consider you righteous by follow His law. Because of Christ I have become an overcomer. In darkness I never found rest or mercy. I was attracted to Christ and still am. The Scriptures are like a cold drink on a hot day. This is because it’s living. Knowing I’m a new creature makes me work hard. The devil gives eternal death. Don’t let your mind get lazy. If you do something without God, you sin. Know that when we grow weary we are provided rest. BROTHER MIKE KNAPP Testimony We can see the Lord’s sanctifying work in each other. When our outer man decreases, our inner man increases. The law was revealed because of my transgressions. The prince of this world has blinded the minds of those who believe not. I thought I had control of my own destiny. That’s how blind Satan made me. I used to think I was a good kid who was in no need of that “churchy” stuff. You can’t make good decisions when you’re apart from Christ. The things of this world are not fulfilling. Apart from God this life is hollow and has no meaning. When you come into Christ His affections are your affections and His hatreds are your hatreds. There is no one who can get to the Father except by Jesus. The things we do in the body of Christ are not only of profit to us, but also to the rest of the body. We really are able to sin no more. The blood of Christ is more precious than gold and silver. BROTHER JONATHAN BLAKELY  “The judgment of those who count the blood of the covenant an unholy thing” Satan doesn’t just want a piece of the church, he wants to bring the whole thing down. Scriptural warnings are not just given to backsliders for correction. They are given to the faithful to PREVENT backsliding as well. Jesus didn’t have a list of exceptions when He spoke of salvation through Him. Did Jesus ever say, “If any man go to…him”? Jesus says, “Come to ME”. When God draws a man, that man is going to Jesus. God has provided ONE WAY for men to be saved and that ONE WAY is more than capable of accomplishing salvation! Jesus didn’t get nailed to the cross just for a handful of people. If we are only separated from the world by name only, we’re a big fat joke. The people who are set apart by God are going to be contributors to what He is doing. Because Jesus died the righteousness of God is not compromised. In a world full of guilt God’s people stand out as forgiven. Whatever there is in our hearts that is holy, and whatever influences there are in our lives that make us holy, are all owing to the fact that Jesus was obedient unto death and tasted death for every man. All godliness, holiness, and acceptance by God is traced back to the cross. Is it joyful to consider a believer falling from grace? Not at all. To “sin willfully” is to choose a life of sin over Christ. It is voluntarily sinning as opposed to sinning due to a moment of weakness. Backsliding is stepping towards the cliff. Falling away is falling OFF the cliff and plummeting to your death. A person who falls away can never be saved again. We have no revelation about how to know a person has fallen away. If you could know a person was beyond recovery, how could you live with such knowledge? God has shown mercy to us in keeping this knowledge hidden. If you throw Jesus away you throw away the one means of salvation. Picture God extremely angry…pretty frightening to consider. Hell is eternity without God in a place where you have no place in. Hell isn’t going to be a playroom for the wicked. In hell meaning to life will be nonexistent. To count the blood of Christ as unholy is to deny its power. Counting Christ’s blood as unholy is departing from the provision with a bitter heart and treating it as though it meant nothing to you. If you depart from Christ, you don’t just walk away, you run Him over. If you abandon Christ you forfeit the life you had through Him. You can’t keep dabbling in the world and expect to keep coming back. So many people just say you can fall away and leave it at that, but what about NEVER FALLING? Doesn’t that sound a lot better? The blood of Jesus is unique. Never assume a person has fallen away. There is only one way to be saved. Once you find that way you can’t afford to leave it.   BROTHER AARON HUTCHCRAFT  “In what sense did God sanctify Jesus?” I’m not troubled when I hear that Jesus is King. Jesus was accused of being “the friend of sinners”. He was the only one that could make them NOT sinners! There is nothing that is sanctified and not accepted. The world borrows words, but I don’t see the world borrowing the word “sanctification”. Sanctification is not a process to be placed on the shelf. Nothing that gets sanctified is unused. God doesn’t have any rental services or subcontractor agreements. The opposite of sanctification is to desecrate. Everything that was given to the Lord had to be sanctified. Jesus is above all the shadows, the prophecies, and promises of the old covenant. Jesus is a man after God’s own image. Nobody can avoid or evade Jesus. Jesus is sanctified out of what is sanctified. By speaking God created everything that can be seen. There is coming a day when Jesus will empty all the graves. When Jesus speaks you ought to conclude, “No man speaks like this man”. I’m unlearning disobedience when I learn obedience, but Jesus just had to learn obedience, yet never disobeyed. Jesus’ humility is sanctified above all other humility. When Jesus was sanctified it wasn’t on the same level as our sanctification. God has put the weight of His eternal purpose on Jesus’ shoulders. The advancement of God’s kingdom is in Jesus’ hand. What Jesus is doing the angels couldn’t do. What Jesus is upholding, no one else could uphold. Jesus, today, is saving many men alive. BROTHER SID DAVIS Testimony Something God has been working in me is JOY. I am one that the Lord has brought back. I think the Lord allowed me to wander off just so I would see how sick the world really is. The distance you’re going to wander off will exclusively be based on how much what you know about what God said. When I told the Lord, “I’m going to do it your way”, it was it at that point I died to myself. God doesn’t really want to break your fellowship with the church, rather he wants to keep you from hearing God and make your fellowship with the brethren ineffective. Unanswered prayers are the foundation for patience. If you’re not closer to God today than you were yesterday, you have to ask yourself, “Whose flock am I in?” How much of a forgiving spirit do you have? Make sure there isn’t one unforgiven thing in your life. Pray that your life on earth is as it is in heaven. I want every thought in my head to be under control. When I came back, just think of how God smiled on me. BROTHER JASON HUTCHCRAFT  “Saints elect according to foreknowledge and sanctification” There are some things that exiles need to know. No matter how the world treats you, God has accepted you. Election is the mountaintop view of salvation. God doesn’t have the limitation of time. Only the Holy Spirit can take us from the mountaintop and bring us down the ground where the rubber meets the road concerning our salvation. God is the source of salvation. Salvation is not just God responding to our needs. If you’re in Christ today it is because of God. God does the electing in salvation. God made the choice to save men who believe the gospel of our Christ. God did not choose you because you chose Him first. Election is God’s mercy. If you belong to God, who made the first move? It was God! Do you want God to only be fair with you? God doesn’t have to save anyone. God doesn’t owe anything to us except condemnation. If anyone is elect of God, it isn’t “fair”, it’s GRACE! Salvation is not a deal between you and God. Election pulls the rug out from underneath the feet of humanity and forces men to their knees. Election is an insider view of salvation. There are some aspects of the gospel that are unpackaged for believers only. God is behind your exile in the world. Men like to believe they are in charge of their own destiny. Election is about grace, not work-for-pay. You got a problem with God electing? Who are you? God knowing what you were going to do before you did it is true, but that doesn’t minister comfort. Foreknowledge isn’t God knowing what I would do beforehand, it’s knowing what HE would do beforehand. God knowing us is God’s recognition of us. God had kind intentions for us before the world was made. Did God simply know what Jesus would do beforehand? Is that why He chose Him? God knew you before you were born and determined to put you into Christ. God is the origin and foundation of our salvation. Sanctification tends to be skipped over when men talk about salvation. It’s always wrong to represent God with a physical image. The people of God had to be like God. If you want to meet with God and survive you have to be like God. God hasn’t changed His view of sin! Something has to change, but it isn’t going to be God. Under the old covenant men had to be holy. If you look into the new covenant, what does it say? It says “be holy”! What’s changed? People. You’re set apart so that God can live in you. God wants to use us to do something NOW in the world. Sanctification isn’t putting you on the shelf and then doing nothing. Did God sit you in a corner just to blink or look pretty? The very presence of God in us makes us strangers to the world. Sanctification isn’t physical distance. How can we be saved from sin if it still dominates our lives? The whole point of putting sin to death is so that we can live for God. We live a different kind of life that is in harmony with our true homeland. Suffering is a part of our sanctification. You’re being sanctified in a world that hates God. The people of God shouldn’t be known for what we DON’T do, but for what we DO. We should live such acceptable lives that the ungodly see the difference in us. We don’t believe in quite Christians and silent saints. Every believer should be able to speak about their faith intelligently to anyone who is willing to listen. We shouldn’t expect the world to like what we have to say, but we have to say it anyway. SISTER SUSAN BRUECK Testimony It is fitting to publically give thanks to the Lord. God has brought us through many different things, the emphasis is “THROUGH”. Everyone has a valley that they must travel through. I felt the need to give thanks to God. BROTHER AL STONER  “The Holy Spirit sanctifies the offering up of the Gentiles” We must not take for granted our former condition of being Gentiles in the flesh. All men are on the same field when it comes to God’s objective of redemption: God so loved the world.  The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.  Christ tasted death for every man. God is presently engaged in the work of teaching men about His Son.  Men come to Jesus because God has been working in their hearts, teaching them to properly value Him. Both God and Christ are working in concert with each other in the accomplishment of salvation.  God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.  The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.  The Father sanctified the Son and sent Him into the world. There was time there were two folds (Jew and Gentile), but now there is only one fold and one Shepherd.  The middle wall of partition (which once stood between Jew and Gentile in the purpose of God) has now been broken down.  The Gentiles are now fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God. All Christ’s sheep, regardless of what fold they are from, have this one thing in common, they hear His voice! The righteousness of God is unto all, and upon all them that believe.  Don’t let anyone take that away from you! We were once on the outside of “the door of faith”, but that door has now been opened in accordance with God’s eternal purpose in Christ.  The expression “the door of faith” implies that a time would come when that “door” would be thrown wide open. Paul was sent to minister to the “desolate heritages” (the Gentiles), whom the Lord Jesus Christ was commissioned by the Father to raise up, as expressed in Isaiah 49. If you were to buy a house, would you in your right mind buy something that is desolate? That’s what Christ received! But those desolate heritages are not desolate anymore because of what the Savior has worked in them salvationally! God knew Paul’s heart from the time he was in his mother’s womb.  In his letter to the Galatians Paul affirmed that God had called him from his mother’s womb, long before he was known for persecuting the church. God is not purposing to take possession of your possessions, He is purposing to take possession of YOU. Your possessions, and your stewardship of them, are nevertheless an integral part of the process of your being sanctified.   BROTHER GIVEN O. BLAKELY “What it means to be sanctified by faith” God is offering men life for a LOOK, a look with the eye of faith. The eye of faith can penetrate vain religion. God is determined to turn men from darkness and the power of Satan. The forgiveness of sins isn’t everything, it’s the BEGINNING of everything! Forgiven sin loses its power. How do you resist the devil? Say, “NO.” Jesus didn’t die to give you a happy marriage. Moses could have given you that. You were accepted before you were called, and then you were sanctified after you were called. Sanctification takes place without any of your input. Until Jesus died for all sin not one sin could be forgiven. Before Christ men had to live their lives with a defiled conscience. Before the work was started God had it all mapped out. Why did God grant repentance? Because the people were sanctified. Before God even started working He cleaned everything out so that no one could lay a charge against Him. The work of sanctification isn’t a work that’s up to the church. Everybody needs to be made to stand. The work of salvation by God in men has been legitimatized by the sufferings of Christ. If God forgives your sins, you have to believe that! God will give you repentance if you just let Him do it. You’re born into this world as a Siamese twin with Adam. Coming into Christ causes there to be a separation between you and Adam. The people God is going to work on have been set apart for the work. You don’t want to gather around the world so that it’s hard to get out. When you’re sanctified you default to God’s side. You do not have a right to just do what you want. God didn’t set things up for independent living. God’s going to give you good things…a LOT of good things! Getting help from someone other than Jesus is unlawful, a crime, and sin. There isn’t anything Christ’s resources doesn’t cover. If you ask God for something He says that he gives, heavenly beings know this is right! The church (of today) is accommodated to weak spiritual status. It’s time to defer to people who WANT the blessing! If it’s a small number of people, it won’t stay that way! TOMORROW isn’t the day of salvation! TODAY is! Today you can get everything that salvation promises. What do you need that faith won’t give you? Faith is the key that unlocks everything. When you have faith enough to say, “Yes” to Christ and extend yourself, you will find that you are able to do that thing you were unable to do before. All you have to do to hear the words, “Enter into the joy of thy Lord” is keep the faith. BROTHER DAVID MILLER  “Why do we come to the Lord’s table?”  If we don’t partake of the Lord’s supper in the right manner, people can get sick, or die. Jesus, the slain Lamb of God, is why we come to this table. We come to this table because we love God and Jesus. We appreciate what they have done. We want to commune with the Lord often, until we see the face of Jesus. Remember this is the new covenant in Christ’s blood. Jesus isn’t just a loaf of bread sitting on a table. He’s the LIVING bread. The blood of Jesus is much more valuable than gold and silver. We don’t have to experience God’s wrath. Christ has clothed us with God’s righteousness. We’ve been loved and washed. We’re already Christ’s spotless bride, but the fullness of that will be seen in eternity.