About Christ’s Coming

“Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen” (Rev. 1:7).

He that findeth his life shall lose it

Jesus said,  "He that findeth his life shall lose it" (Mt. 10:39).  He who inordinately gives himself to the preservation of his life in this present world shall finally lose everything, and be a castaway.  "Finding one's life in this world" involves not mortifying the sinful deeds of the body, as well as drawing back from the inevitable suffering that is associated with living by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Losing one's life for Jesus' sake entails crucifying the flesh, and nourishing the new man, or new creature, in prospect of the coming blessedness in the world to come (see Heb. 2:5; 6:5). --Al Stoner

The Exceeding Sinfulness of Sin

The Exceeding Sinfulness of Sin


By William Lee Parsons (Now present with the Lord)


If  men  are  going  to  be  saved  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  they must  be  brought  into  a  lively  awareness  of  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin.    It  was  for  this  purpose  that  the  Law  of  Moses was  given.    It  was  given  with  a  divine  objective,  and  that  objective  was  much  nobler and loftier than merely providing men with  a  standard  of  living  for  the  time  that  they  spend  in  this world.    It  would  and  has  become  thee  effectual  means  for  unequivocally  showing  men  that  they  “come  short  of  the  glory  of God” (Rom. 3:23).  It would have the ministry of stopping selfjustifying  mouths,  and  making  men “guilty before God” (Rom. 3:19).      Yea,  it  would  and  has  become  the  means,  even  the “schoolmaster”  (Gal.  3:24-25),  for  readying  men  for  the  Savior from  sin,  which  God  has  provided  in  His  beloved  Son.    And this  was  to  the  end  that  men  might  be  justified  by  their  faith  in Christ,  that  God  might  be  glorified  through  His  Son.

Without  the  Law  Sin Was Dead. “For I was alive  without  the  law  once:  but  when  the  commandment  came,  sin  revived,  and  I  died.  And  the  commandment,  which  was ordained  to  life,  I  found  to  be  unto  death.  For  sin,  taking  occasion  by  the  commandment,  deceived  me,  and  by  it  slew me.  Wherefore  the  law  is  holy,  and  the  commandment  holy, and  just,  and  good.  Was  then  that  which  is  good  made  death unto  me?  God forbid.  But  sin,  that  it  might  appear  sin,  working  death  in  me  by  that  which  is  good;  that  sin  by  the  commandment  might  become  exceeding  sinful”  (Rom.  7:9-13).


The  Law  Was  Our  Schoolmaster. The  Law  brought men  into  experiential  bondage,  like  unto  that  of  the  children of  Israel  in  Egypt,  cultivating  in  men  an  earnest  desire  for  the liberty  that  only  Jesus  can  bring.    The  Law  was  a  “ministration  of  condemnation”  (II  Cor.  3:9),  effectually  readying  men for  the  justification  that  is  only  found  in  believing  on  the  Son of  God.    The  Law  proved  to  be  a  “ministration  of  death”  (II Cor.  3:7),  preparing  men  to  earnestly  savour  “the  Living Bread”  and  “the  Living  Water”  (Jn.  4:10;  7:38)  that  is  found only  in  “Christ,  who  is  our  Life”  (Col.  3:4).


“Is  the  law  then  against  the  promises  of  God?  God  forbid: for  if  there  had  been  a  law  given  which  could  have  given  life, verily  righteousness  should  have  been  by  the  law.  But  the scripture  hath  concluded  all  under  sin,  that  the  promise  by faith  of  Jesus  Christ  might  be  given  to  them  that  believe.  But before  faith  came,  we  were  kept  under  the  law,  shut  up  unto the  faith  which  should  afterwards  be  revealed.  Wherefore  the law  was  our  schoolmaster  to  bring  us  unto  Christ,  that  we might  be  justified  by  faith.  But  after  that  faith  is  come,  we are  no  longer  under  a  schoolmaster.  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.  There  is  neither Jew  nor  Greek,  there  is  neither  bond  nor  free,  there  is  neither male  nor  female:  for  ye  are  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus. And  if  ye be  Christ’s,  then  are  ye Abraham’s  seed,  and  heirs  according to  the  promise”  (Gal.  3:21-29).

The Righteousness of God without the Law

The Righteousness of God without the Law

"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Rom. 3:21-26).

This righteousness of God that Paul is drawing our attention to has a particular application and context.  It is an aspect of His righteousness that was not readily apparent before sins were put away by the Lord Jesus Christ.  

The gospel reveals that God Himself did not sin in His forbearance of men's sins.  When Adam and Eve sinned the holy and righteous God did not forthrightly cast them away from His Presence forever with no hope of recovery, but rather He immediately announced that He had provided a remedy for them to return (Gen. 3:15).  

In the diction of the woman of Tekoah, Neither did God respect any person: yet He nevertheless had devised means in the gospel of His Son, that His banished sons and daughters be not expelled from Him forever (see II Sam. 14:14).  

The gospel of Christ reveals that God has devised a means for you and me to be unquestionably accepted with Him, a means that is completely in harmony with His impeccably righteous character and Person.  And that place of acceptance is in Christ, and in Him alone.  It would be a flagrant violation of HIs holy and righteous Person for God to receive men unto Himself apart from the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.  He cannot deny Himself.  He does not and will not act work in a manner that is contrary to His own Person. 

But now the righteousness of God without the Law is revealed, a righteousness by which men, who have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, may come unto Him through His beloved Son and received the abundant salvation and remission of sins that He has provided in Christ, who "was manifested to take away our sins" (I Jn. 3:5).  That was the express purpose of God for sending His beloved Son, namely, to take away our sins. 

We praise God for the glad tidings that He has given us to declare in the gospel of His Son!  We urge all men to freely partake of God's salvation in Christ while it is yet "the accepted time".  Al Stoner

The Corruption of Overextended Association

The Corruption of Overextended Association

By Fred O. Blakely

Those who are enamored by the glamor of the cosmopolitan relationship in religion need to consider its devastating effects. Although they are gratifying to the gregarious instinct, few people are able to weather the multifarious and widespread associations without serious injury to themselves and their influence for God. Especially is this the case with those who have been granted an exceptional measure of grace and truth. And it is particularly so in this day, when the genuine faith is so scarce, but its corruption and counterfeit abound on every hand. 

The Testimony of Paul the Apostle. “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these [vessels of corrupting influence], he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work” (II Tim. 2:19-21).

Contrastively, the tendency is for the religious confusion and pollution of the times to corrupt the truly spiritual person who mingles with it. The scriptural principle that “evil companionships corrupt good morals” is fully as operative here as elsewhere (I Cor. 15:33, ASV). The divine mandate is unequivocal and insistent. “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing” (II Cor. 6:17); “Ye that love the Lord, hate evil” (Ps. 97:10); and, “Let everyone that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity” (Rev. 18:4; II Tim. 2:19; see also Isa. 52:11; Mic. 2:10). 

Departing from Evil in All of Its Forms. The evil and iniquity which one is to loathe and from which he is to separate himself are wholly as inclusive—if not even more so—of religious corruption as they are of what is commonly considered moral defilement. That such disregard of God’s demand for the separation of His people from “the unclean thing” inescapably results in their spiritual contamination and degeneration, is abundantly evidenced by observation and experience, as well as declared by Scripture. 

It has been the universal tendency for the bad apples in a basket, so to speak, to corrupt the good ones, rather than the other way round. Although men, in apparent sincerity of desire to be helpful, continue to mingle indiscriminately with contemporary religionists, they do not escape the consequences. The law of retrogression through imprudent association cannot be defied with impunity. It is observable that the intent of sharing more widely what one has from God tends to boomerang on those who proceed ill-advisedly in the undertaking. Characteristically, Babylon influences its reformers instead of them making any corrective impression upon it. To all practical intents, the effectual sharing generally winds up being done by the other side. Thus, the compelling yen to adapt to current religious society results in the adapter being changed—for the worse—not in him changing that society for the better. 

The Danger of Neutralization of Influence for God. A secondary consequence of unwise religious desire and association is also spiritually frustrative, and to be eschewed. It is that of the substantial decrease—if not outright loss—of vital influence for God and the faith once delivered. It is altogether possible that one, in the ambition to spread himself afar, may spread himself so thin that he actually exerts no determinative influence anywhere. He becomes just another of those many “evangelicals,” among the already superfluity, who is running to and fro, with no clear and convincing word or unyielding loyalty (see II Sam. 19:22-30). It is far better, it seems to us, to be able to make a positive, enduring impression for God and truth upon a few than to so diffuse oneself among the multitude as to not really count with any. We had rather seek to keep ourselves “unspotted from the world”—both the undisguised world and that camouflaged with religious veneer—and bear a genuine message from God than to neutralize both our message and influence by inordinate desire for the masses (Jas. 1:27). To borrow the words of Solomon, we deem it better to “dwell in the corner of the housetop” and retain our full impact for God, than to company with many influence-destroying Babylonians in a “wide house” (Prov. 25:24; cf. ch. 21:19). 

The Urgency of Legitimate Concern for Proclaiming God's Word. These observations and remarks certainly are not directed against legitimate concern and endeavor to sound forth the pure Word of God far and near. It would seem that more than forty years of continued effort by us to that end sufficiently attest to that as fact. By all means, let us, as we are able, “buy up” the opportunities to “testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24; Eph. 5:16, Weymouth). In our zeal for this holy cause, however, let us beware of the dangers of our mission. While we preach to a confused and polluted religious world, let us keep ourselves distinctly aloof from it. It is only in this called-out and separated stance that we can effectually herald the gospel, reprove sin, and retain the unique thrust for Him which God has imparted to those who dwell apart with Him. To in any vital sense blend with the Babylonians, is to be shorn of our spiritual locks, as was Samson, and so to be deprived of our genuine power with God and men. 

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The Prophecies of Christ in Isaiah, by Al Stoner, First Revision

The Prophecies of Christ in Isaiah, by Al Stoner, First Revision (PDF). www.banner.org

This is the Work of God

God said to Satan: "Hast thou considered My servant Job?"  God did not issue such a challenge to the old serpent regarding Adam and Eve.  Thus we see that progress had been made in process of time in the outworking of God's eternal purpose in Christ.  Job's senses had been exercised to discern both good and evil to such an extent that he would not curse God in spite of the sudden loss of family, goods, and health.  Job responded precisely as God knew that he would to the calamities that came upon him.  This is the work of God!

Some Words Fitly Spoken

Some Words Fitly Spoken

"My name is Thomas McKenzie. I’m an Anglican priest, and the pastor of a congregation. I speak here on my own behalf, and not on behalf of my denomination or congregation. I speak as a Christian, husband, father, and American. I’m writing this before Super Tuesday, before anyone is the nominee of either party."

"I do not believe that pastors and churches should endorse political candidates or political parties. I don’t allow “voter guides” or any other kind of party-politics at our church. I don’t even tell people who I’m voting for in elections. I love the fact that people of every political persuasion go to our church, and that my friendships are trans-political."


"I don’t get into party-politics for three key reasons. First, Jesus is Lord. The passing of power from one politician to another does not change that. So why be anxious about such things? Second, no political party or politician has ever fully represented my Christian beliefs. Most don’t even come close. Third, politics divide Christians. If I were to support a particular candidate, it could harm my relationship with Christians who think otherwise (I know this from experience). And, my support wouldn’t make any difference to the result of a national or state-wide election, so why do it?"


"I do believe in talking about issues. When I do, I try to do so through the lens of the Gospel, focusing on God’s mercy and grace, while highlighting personal responsibility. So, if (for instance) I talk about abortion, I’m assuring forgiveness and mercy to those who have had one, but also encouraging people not to have one. I focus on adoption, and care of unwanted children and mothers-in-crisis. And, if necessary, I’ll talk a little about the government."


"All that to say, there is an issue I have decided I need to say something about. And that issue is Donald Trump. I oppose his election as President, and believe that any other candidate now running, from either party, would make a better President. I believe his election would be dangerous to our country, and to the Church."


"I do not believe that Donald Trump has the best interest of our country in mind. Rather, I believe he has shown concern only for himself and his personal advancement. His focus on himself as a 'winner' and others as 'losers,' his obsession with polls, his demagoguery ('I could kill someone and people would still support me'), and more lead me to this conclusion."


"Donald Trump is endlessly entertaining. If this election were a reality show, I’d watch every episode. But it’s not. This is too important. This isn’t funny anymore."


"I believe that Donald Trump holds and proclaims racist, sexist, and violent attitudes that are in direct opposition to the Christian message, and to the good of our nation. Things he has said about women and minorities (in specific and in general), his mockery of a disabled man, his foul language directed at opponents, his declared desire to punch people in the face, his call for America to commit war crimes (by killing the families of terrorists), and more—all of these lead me to this conclusion."


"I believe that Donald Trump is taking the Name of the Lord in vain. He is misusing the Faith by claiming to be “a great Christian” while his actions—not seeking forgiveness from God, mocking the Sacrament, barely pretending to know the Bible, supporting abortion, divorcing twice, cynical pandering to evangelicals, his hatred for Muslims and others—belie this claim."


"I believe that Donald Trump has lowered the level of political discourse to that of a school yard. He acts like a bully. I believe that if he succeeds, this level of vitriol and obscenity will become the 'new normal,' if it hasn’t already."


"I also happen to disagree with Donald Trump on some actual issues, but that isn’t the point. I disagree with all the candidates on certain issues. My opposition to him is not about his political party or his political beliefs; this is about his character."


"That character matters to the Church and to the world. Presidents have limited power in domestic issues; they have to deal with the congress and the courts. But their power is far greater in foreign affairs, particularly in the use of the military."


"If Donald Trump is nearly as aggressive as he claims he will be, I believe he will use military force in ungodly ways. He could make America into a true villain on the world stage, which will only raise up countless new terrorists and destabilize an unstable world. He will have the power to separate us from our allies and strengthen our foes. All of this he could do in the name of Christ, a Name he pulls out whenever it suits him. I have no reason to believe he will show anything like godly restraint. He will be the face of America, and the face of Christianity, to billions of people around the world. Can you imagine Donald Trump in charge of our nuclear arsenal?"


"On Super Tuesday, I will be voting against Donald Trump. If he happens to become the Republican nominee, I'll have to do the same. Prayer is the most powerful tool I have, and I’ll be doing that to. I would prefer to vote FOR someone. I would prefer to find the candidate who most closely aligns with my Christian beliefs. But, not this year. This year I’m choosing to do what little I can to protect us from a Trump presidency."




Jesus is Lord. He reigns no matter what, and nothing can shake his Throne. And, at the same time, evil triumphs when good men remain silent. I trust in the Lord, and I must speak out." --Article Source

Yet it Pleased the Lord to Bruise Him

 “Yet it Pleased the Lord to Bruise Him”

By Al Stoner

 

“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; he hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand” (Isa. 53:10).

 

The Nature of this Bruise or Bruising

 

Other Translations

• “ . . . to bruise Him” (KJV, RSV, Amplified Bible, Emphasized Bible)
•  “ . . . to crush him;” (ESV, NASB)
• “ . . . to crush Him severely” (HCSB)
• “ . . . to crush Him with pain” (NJB)
• “ . . . to crush Him with suffering” (God’s Word)
• “ . . . that he should suffer;” (GNB)
• “ . . . to crush him, and he made him suffer” (ISV)
   
  Other Uses of the Word “bruise” in Scripture
  The first occasion was when God was publicly pronouncing judgment upon the serpent for beguiling Eve.  “And I will put enmity between thee (the Devil) and the woman (Eve), and between thy seed (the wicked) and her seed (which is Christ); It shall bruise thy head [a wound from which the Devil would not recover], and thou shalt bruise His heel” [this was the heel of Christ’s humanity, the bruising of which was the crucifixion] (Gen. 3:15). 
  In this case both bruisings spoken of here [that of the head, and of the heel] are of the nature of a figure [a figure that startles the reader and prompts him to consider that there is more here than what appears[1]].  Normally, for a man to receive a bruise on the head would not be fatal, and this would be something from which the one receiving it would completely recover.  [But a bruise on a serpent’s head would very likely prove to be deadly.]  Likewise, a bruise [or bite from a deadly serpent] on a man’s heel would, in many instances, could also prove to be fatal. 
  But in this case the One who has bruised the serpent’s head is He who has gone to such great lengths to identify with us, and yet He is far superior to us.  He has become our “near Kinsman” (Ruth 3:9, 12), and as our great High Priest He has now been “made higher than the heavens” (Heb. 7:26).  This is Christ Jesus, “Emmanuel” (Mt. 1:23), “the Son of Man” (Mt. 12:8, 32, 40; 13:37, 41; 16:13, 27-28, etc.), the Son of God (Mt. 4:3, 6; 14:33; 26:63; Lk. 1:35; Jn. 1:34; 9:35; 10:36; 11:4, 27; 19:7; 20:31; Acts 8:37; 9:20; Rom. 1:4; Gal. 2:20; I Jn. 5:13, 20, Rev. 2:18, etc.), even He who is “God” “manifest in the flesh” (I Tim. 3:16).  This is “the Lord of hosts”, “the King of glory” (Ps. 24:10), “the Mighty God” (Isa. 9:6). 
  He it is also who has received a bruise in the heel of His humanity.  The Lord Jesus Christ tasted “death for every man” (Heb. 2:9), and it was “through death” that He destroyed “him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil” (Heb. 2:14).  “And having spoiled [robbed, plundered] principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in” His Cross (Col. 2:15).  [These were the principalities and powers that followed Satan in his rebellion against the Most High, prophetically depicted in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28].
  When “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (Jn. 1:14), He was, in accordance with the purpose of God in Christ, placing the heel of His humanity in harm’s way for our sake’s.  Prior to the enfleshment of Christ there was absolutely no way that the Devil could have had any access to Christ’s heel.  The Savior Himself declared, “Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father” (Jn. 10:17-18). 
  An Unexpected Miscarriage.  The bruise that was inflicted upon the Lord Jesus Christ by Satan was one that resulted in an unexpected miscarriage for the Devil, as it was through death, that Christ destroyed the Devil (Heb. 2:14). 
  At this point we would like to clarify once again that the Devil is not, and never was, all knowing or all powerful.  And now, we, who are in Christ, “are not ignorant of his devices”.  The Devil is strapped by limitations, over which those who are living by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ have been made the victors.  [Those who are outside of Christ are still subject to his wiles and are no match for him, because of their being entrenched, by nature, in “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (I Jn. 2:16)].  But thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!  By His grace we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. 
  At this point let us consider once again the malicious designs and intent of the old serpent.  He is “a liar”, and “a murderer from the beginning” (Jn. 8:44).  He walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour among the sons of men.  The only pleasures that he has to hold before men are “the pleasures of sin for a season” (Heb. 11:25).
  In the gospel record there is recounted the temptation in the wilderness where Satan tried to provoke the Savior to sin, and thereby stop any further Divine working in the accomplishment of our salvation (Mt. 4: Lk. 4).  Similar to “checkmate” in the game of chess, if Satan could have had the upper hand at this point, it would have brought an end to the work of salvation.  The consequences, if he had been successful, would have been incomprehensibly grave, even more so than the serpent was able to grasp.  But as the Lord Jesus Christ said, “the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me” (Jn. 14:30).  Though He was took part of flesh and blood, like as we are partakers, there was no sinful defilement or defilement of conscience in the Savior for the Devil to appeal to.
  And there was also at least one occasion when Satan tried to hinder Jesus from going to the Cross (Mt. 16:23; Mk. 8:33), and there is the other more obvious working whereby the Devil actually had a hand in perpetrating the crucifixion (Lk. 22:3; Jn. 13:2).
  In the Scripture the word “destroy” generally does not mean to annihilate, but rather to dispossess of goods, to plunder or to spoil.  In this case the goods that the Devil was dispossessed of by Christ were those which gave him a firm moral grip upon the sons of men, particularly in the domain of the conscience.  Satan is no longer able to tempt men irresistibly, thus causing men to sin and fall into God’s disfavor. Wherever Christ is believed, and believed on, there Satan is no longer able to defile the consciences of men.  He is no longer able to hold over men’s eyes and understanding the uncertain gloomy forebodings of death and the grave: that is, wherever the gospel is preached and believed.  For in and by and through His death Christ has “abolished death, and” has “brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (II Tim. 1:8-10). 
  The bruise that Satan inflicted upon the Savior, just as the sacrifices ordained under the law, could never take away sin.  But nevertheless Christ’s putting of Himself in harm’s way in our behalf became an ever-enduring demonstration and memorial of His love for us.  If the children were to be set free, it was necessary that their Redeemer, not only be a partaker of flesh and blood, but also that He would taste death instead of them. 
  Death, a Separation, not a Cessation.  Death here is speaking of the second death primarily.  The first death, which is implied by the term “the second death”, is that of separation of the soul from the body.  “The second death” (Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8) is a final separation of the soul from God.  “The second death” is clearly identified as “the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:14) and “the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone” (Rev. 21:8).  Those who overcome this present evil world by their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ shall not be hurt by the second death.  Jesus said, “He that keepeth My saying shall never see death” (Jn. 8:51). Before raising Lazarus from the dead He declared, “Whosoever liveth, and believeth in Me shall never die” (Jn. 11:25-56).  To John on the isle of Patmos, He solemnly affirmed, “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death” (Rev. 1:18).
  An Overshadowing Bruise.  There was another bruise, however, that was inflicted upon the Lord Jesus Christ than the one He received from Satan.  It was that which Christ received from God Himself, because of our sins, and it was received in just retribution.  All of the holy and righteous “fury” (Isa. 51:17, 20; 51:22; 59:18; 63:3, 5; Mic. 5:15; Nah. 1:6, etc.) that had been justly reserved for men, because they had sinned, was poured out upon Christ by God Himself.  Jesus Christ was “smitten of God, and afflicted”. On the Cross it was our peace that was being chastised, and it was for our transgressions that Christ was wounded.  It was for our iniquities that He was bruised. And the Scripture here in our text declares that it pleased the Lord to bruise Him.  This bruise, received from His Father, was indeed “the cup” (Jn. 18:11) which His Father had given Him to drink in our behalf. 
  But by the inflicting of this bruise upon His only begotten Son, the Son would see His seed, even seed that would be His own possession throughout all eternity.  And the pleasure of the Lord would prosper in the hands of Christ, even the Lamb of God, who has taken away the sin of the world.
  The Consequence of Satan being Cast out of Heaven. “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:6-17).
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

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[1] A similar figure and expression is found in the Revelation, where the Lord is speaking to the church at Smyrna. “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death” (Rev. 2:11).

The Chastisement of our Peace was upon Him

 

“The Chastisement of our Peace was upon Him”

 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5).

Other Translations.  This is an intriguing expression in regard to that which Christ suffered for us, and in our behalf.

“The chastisement of our peace was upon him” (KJV, ASV, Brenton, Darby, DRB, LITV, RV, Webster);

“the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him” (AMP);

“the chastisement for our well-being, was upon him” (EB);

“He took the punishment we deserved” (ERV);

“upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace” (ESV);

“He was punished so that we could have peace” (GW);

“the punishment reconciling us fell on him” (NJB);

“the punishment that brought us peace was upon him” (NIV);

“the chastisement of our welfare was upon him” (JPS);

“upon him was the chastisement that made us whole” (RSV).

The Manifold Perspectives of the Sufferings of Christ.  There are many ways that the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ may be considered, and each with profit.  There is the primary view, which is God’s perspective of those sufferings, and there is a secondary view, pertaining to how men perceive His sufferings. 

Moses and the Prophets.  There is the perspective of Moses and the Prophets, as they lived in anticipation of the coming Sufferer.  Then there is the view of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the days of His flesh, as He Himself repeatedly spoke forthrightly of His Cross, where He would “give His life a ransom for many” (Mt. 20:28; Mk. 10:45). 

The Acts of the Apostles.  We find a unique perspective of those sufferings in the book of Acts where the glorified Christ was directing His newly established church from the right hand of God, and where “repentance and remission of sins” (Lk. 24:47; Acts 2:38; 10:43) first began to be preached in Jesus’ Name.  Here Apostles, prophets, and brethren were forging ahead in newly charted waters, “preaching Jesus, and the resurrection” (Acts 17:18), reasoning with ungodly men of “righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come” (Acts 24:25), and “witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come” (Acts 26:22).

In the Epistles.  The epistles afford another necessary perspective of the sufferings of Christ, interpreting, unfolding, and announcing what actually had transpired at the “place, which is called Calvary” (Lk. 23:33), during the final and consummatory Passover, where Christ our Passover, was sacrificed for us.  In the epistles there is found an elaborate unfolding of the greatness of the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, of the New Covenant, of justification by faith in Christ, of salvation by faith through grace, of the High Priesthood of Christ, of life and immortality, of the world to come, of an eternal inheritance that is undefiled, just to name a few things.

In the Revelation.  There is the view given by the Revelation where consolation and judgment are met together in the further outworking of the purpose of God in Christ Jesus.  “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood . . .”   “Behold, He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him . . .”

God’s Perspective.  There is the high and exalted view of the Lord Jehovah, “working salvation in the midst of the earth” (Ps. 74:12).  “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it” (Acts 2:23-24).”

Our Peace.  But from one valid perspective it was not merely peace, but rather “our peace” [peace that pertained to us, peace that once was rightly “ours”], that was at stake in the sufferings of Christ.  It was “our offences” and “our justification” (Rom. 4:25) that were squarely on the line. It was “our griefs” that were being “borne”, and “our sorrows” that were being “carried” (Isa. 53:4).   It was we who were “as an unclean thing”, and it was “our righteousnesses” that were “as filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6).   “The motions of sins” were working “in our members” (Rom. 7:5), accentuating the gravity of the situation as it pertained to us in our standing before the holy and righteous God.  “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (I Cor. 15:3).  He “His own Self bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (I Pet. 2:24).

Chastisement, not Chastening.  The word chastening in Scripture is closely associated with correction with the prospect and hope of perfecting moral character.  “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD ; neither be weary of His correction: for whom the LORD loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth” (Prov. 3:11-12).  “For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth” (Heb. 12:6).  When a person is chastened of the Lord he or she may properly reason that He is working with such ones to perfect holiness in them.  The one who is chastened may rightly infer that God loves him, or her.  “Whom the Lord loveth!”

But in the case of chastisement, especially the way in which the word is used in Isaiah 53, there is no perceived love on the part of the One being chastised.  There is instead an acute sense of the One doing the chastising angrily distancing Himself from, and even forsaking, the One being chastised.  With regard to sin, and its effect upon God, and upon His moral government, divine correction is not an option for remedying the offense.  “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezek. 18:4, 20). Sin is of such grievous nature that it demands that there be death to the sinner together with complete exclusion from the presence of the Holy One, with no apparent alternative in sight. But, praise God, there was indeed an alternative that was found! The chastisement of our peace was upon Christ, and not upon us!  

In the Lord Jesus Christ the God of heaven has devised “means that His banished” sons and daughters “be not expelled from Him” (see II Sam. 14:14).  And that means was by the sufferings of Christ, and the glory which has followed.  Consider how great this Man is!  Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of man, is the only One who was able to bear the consequences of our sin and transgression, and to recover therefrom.  For “God raised Him from the dead” (Acts 13:30)!

The Chastisement of Our Peace.  The Lord Jesus Christ laid down His life in obedience to the Father’s commandment, knowing very well that it was the chastisement of our peace that was upon Him, not of His.  For He Himself “did no sin” (I Pet. 2:22), and He “knew no sin” (II Cor. 5:21), as the Scripture plainly declares.    At Golgotha, the place of a skull, it was the chastisement of our offenses against the Most High in their entirety that was upon the Savior.  And from the perspective of Isaiah 53 it was the chastisement of our peace, or wellbeing before God, that was upon Him.  It was the chastisement of our wellbeing before the living God that was upon the Savior, as He “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).

The Chastisement of our Peace Was Upon Christ. Let every man think soberly when considering the matter of our sins and transgressions being laid upon Christ, for we were the ones that, by our sinning, did eat “the sour grapes”, but it was the Savior’s “teeth” that were “set on edge” (see Ezek. 18:2-4)! We were the ones that had grievously sinned, yet it was Christ that suffered in our stead for them. We were the guilty ones, and Christ was the innocent Victim.

Shall we then grumble against the God of our salvation, in much the same way that Israel did, and say to Him that this was unfair, yea that it was not right, for Christ to suffer for sins in our behalf?  Was it unfair that the Most High has devised means that His banished be not expelled from Him? (cf. II Sam. 14:14).  Was it unfair that the chastisement of our peace was on the Lord Jesus Christ when He bore our sins in His own body on the tree?  (It can be seen that with men, the circumference of perceived fairness and equity generally does not extend beyond the borders of what directly affects them.) The chastisement of our peace was upon Him.

The Dead which Die in the Lord

Such Ones are Greatly to be Envied!

 

The Dead which Die in the Lord

By Dean E. Boelt

 

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them” (Rev. 14:13).

 

Death is a subject that many people avoid talking or thinking about. For such ones there is fear and apprehension associated with death. The best approach to this subject, however, is to think of it and to properly prepare for it. The Scripture speaks clearly on this matter from different perspectives: for example, how that with death is directly associated the matter of accountability. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). While, in men’s thinking, death is often connected with irresponsibility and recklessness, yet in the Scriptures, death is consistently associated with men giving a strict account to God (cf. Acts 10:42; II Tim. 4:1; Rev. 11:18).

 

From another perspective the Spirit also gives assurance that those who die in the Lord are, in fact, blessed (i.e., to be envied above all others, fortunate, happy). Jesus said to the church at Smyrna: “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Rev. 2:10). “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death” (v. 11). We would have you then ponder the following vital considerations regarding death, as it pertains to those in Christ Jesus.

 

The Matter of Being Dead with Christ. Let us consider the matter of being dead with Christ. The Scriptures are very clear about this; if we die with Christ (cf. Rom. 6:8; Col. 2:20; II Tim. 2:11), having obeyed the gospel, we will not be hurt by the second death. Notice how secure the saints of God (the ones who had died with Christ) are represented to be (cf. Rev 14:6-12). “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God” (Rev. 14:12). Death has no dominion over Christ in that He died unto sin once (cf. Rom. 6:9). And if we are in Him, being crucified with Him (cf. Rom. 6:6; Gal. 2:20), death shall have no dominion over us. We shall no longer live in bondage to the fear of death.

 

Paul said, “death is ours.” “For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s” (I Cor.3:21-22).

 

When the gospel is preached and received into the hearts of men, and where men are obedient to the call and the commandments of God, continuing strong in the faith, they will possess the necessary patience to endure the trials and vexations of this life.  “The trying of your faith worketh patience,” James declared (Jas. 1:3). Those living by faith in the Son of God have full assurance regarding the outcome of the present conflict. Rom 8:28-39 is speaking of those who are patient in tribulation. Such ones are secure in Christ. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Rom. 8:35).

 

The answer is “nothing,” if we keep the commandments of God and faith in Jesus Christ (cf. Rev. 12:17; 14:12). These that are spoken of as being obedient and who keep the faith are “the elect of God” (Col. 3:12). They were foreknown of God (cf. Rom. 8:29-30) because God is all-knowing, with nothing at all being hid from Him that is is either past, present, or future. By the exercise of their will, which God gave them, being energized by the Holy Spirit from God and the Word of God, they overcame.

 

The Voice from Heaven. “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth (that is, from this time on): Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them” (Rev. 14:13).

 

The Holy Spirit is quick and ready to offer assurance to those in the battle. A great blessing is spoken of here for those in the fight of faith, in that the Spirit adds this word of comfort and assurance “that they may rest from their labors.” With the wicked this is not so. They shall have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name (Rev. 14:11). And “the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it can not rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isa. 57:20-21). And who can forget this word of Job, speaking of the future abode of the righteous: “There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest” (Job 3:17).

 

On the Anticipation of Death. The last enemy, death, has lost its sting! Death is swallowed up in victory O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? (I Cor. 15:54-55). Those secure in Christ need not fear the second death. For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He (that is, Christ) also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage (Heb. 2:14-15). Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once; but in that He liveth He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:9-11).

 

Those who reason like men of the the world would reason that death is a terrible thing; there is great fear in death. Death is anticipated with gloom and doom. From their perspective, death is final. There is no optimism in growing old and facing the finality of death.  The very consideration of Scripture speaking of death as a blessing is foreign to their thoughts. But for those who are dead with Christ, the future is bright and it is faced with great anticipation and optimism. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Ps. 116:15).

 

“Know ye not that so many of as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3-4). As God reckons things, when we come into Christ, and are baptized into Him, we are dead and buried. We must reckon as God reckons! “Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin: but the spirit is life because of righteousness” (Rom. 8:10). “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20, NASB).

 

“Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?” (Col. 2:20-22).

 

Three-fold Involvement of Being Dead with Christ. If we are dead what are we dead too? We are dead to the law (Rom. 7:1-4). Also Paul writes in Galatians: “For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God” (Gal.2: 19).  We are dead unto sin, as previously mentioned. “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:11). Men are either dead in sin or dead unto sin. As Paul declared, “even when we were dead in sins,” God “quickened us together with Christ” (Eph. 2:5).

 

We are dead to the world. “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6: 14). “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3: 2-3).

 

Our primary text, (Revelation 14: 13), also is applicable to those living in the flesh, who are dead with Christ; they do rest now from their labor. No spiritual blessing can be possessed except we are united together with Christ in His death. We must die with Him in order to live with Him. The resurrected Lord does not minister spiritual benefits to dead sinners. Our text states that the dead rests from their labors, and that is also true as we are dead with Christ.

 

We cease from our own meritorious works as a means of acceptance by God. “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His” (Heb. 4: 10).  “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God” (v. 9). The only rest we have now is rest from meritorious works. The life we live now by faith involves rigorous work that requires total commitment, focus, single-mindedness (cf. Jas. 4:8) and a single eye (cf. Mt. 6:22). Paul said: “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God” (Gal. 2: 20), and that requires alertness and diligence. “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us: If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself” (II Tim. 2:11-12; cf. Phil.3: 7-11). In another place he said: “I die daily” (I Cor 15:31). And again, “always bearing about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh” (II Cor. 4: 10-11).

 

THE PROMISE TO THE OVERCOMERS

Relevant Expressions of the Warfare of Faith being Waged in Kenya

 

 

THE PROMISE TO THE OVERCOMERS

 

By David Mulele

 

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His holy angels.” (Rev. 3:5)

 

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment.” This is actually a repetition of the thought in verse 4, wherein is made reference to the few who have not defiled their garments. We used to have a saying years ago here in Kenya that no doubt was taken from this verse. It was, “Keep your skirts clean.” It meant: don’t get involved in questionable things; others will be involved and you might be tempted to be involved, or someone might even try to involve you; but stay clear of it all by steering a course away from it. Now God is to reward those who follow this advice. They are going to be clothed in white. Apostles Peter, James and John saw Him on Mount Transfiguration: “and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as light” (Mt. 17:1-2). That is how the saints are going to be clothed. Their white garments will be shining exceedingly white.

 

Everybody knows that we are living in the perilous days – in the “end time” (Mt. 24:12; 24:24; I Tim. 4:1-2; II Tim. 3:1-7). In this age churches are coming together – having “unity” and claiming to be “one”, but without God’s Word. And as they are even now controlling world politics, they will soon control the finances of the world. Then, if you don’t belong to the world organization of churches, National Council of Churches (NCC) that leads all to the World Council of Churches (WCC) which is the very “image of the beast” (Rev. 13:14-16); you won’t be able “to buy or sell” (Rev. 13:17). You will lose all.

 

Those who stay true to God and keep their garments clean from the defilement of this “Ecumenical Movement”, “World System”, and “One World Order” of churches will be physically bereft (Rev. 13:15). There will be presented to them a great temptation to give in. Many preachers will give in with the excuse that they will serve God within the framework of the anti-Christ beast-system. They will give in to the flatteries and blandishments of the hierarchy of Rome. And the people will follow these false shepherds right into the slaughter. But in the judgment they will all be found naked. They will not be given those white robes; neither will they walk with HIM.

 

No one who walks in spotted garments of this world, holding hands with the devil here, can expect to be with God.  What a time it is to wake up and hear the voice of God crying, “Come out of her (organized religion), My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, that ye receive not her plagues” (Rev. 18:4)! Amen. God is speaking. Shun the religions of this world like you shun the plague. Leave off walking with the world and make your garments white by repentance under the blood of the Lamb. But do it now, for tomorrow may be too late.

 

The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is at hand; it is later than we think. What a time to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:2)! The world is in chaos and even in a condition like unto Sodom, just as it was in those times (cf. Gen. 19; Lk. 17:28-30). We can see all Biblical signs and Scriptures being fulfilled in our Day.

 

What a time is it saints of God?  Sin is now on the rampage (cf. Isa. 5:20) –sin is greatly cherished and even supported politically, religious and financially in our day more than the Gospel of truth can be supported, yet churches say nothing about it. The average church is now united with the world and doing exactly what the world does. The Apostle James asked this burning question: “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?”  (Jas. 4:4). We must not love the world and the things of the world, because those who do that are lacking the love of God (cf. I Jn. 2:15-17). The world is on its peak, climax and not realizing that judgment is coming? “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh” (Mt. 24:44: I Thess. 5:6).

 

Remember “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment.” Oh, how “blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing” (Mt. 24:46; Rev. 16:15)!