LIFE
IN JESUS' BLOOD
By
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
“And
still the Cry of the Synagogue comes to us through the many
centuries of past unbelief and ignorance: “Let One who is Innocent
come and make atonement for the guilty!” to which no other response
can ever be made than that of the apostle: “Such an high priest
became us, Who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the Heavens.” - Alfred
Edersheim, 'The Temple, in Ministry & Service'
On
the Day of Atonement, a cry was made from Jewish Synagogues
confessing their need of a sinless One who would be able to atone
for them. Year after year, the Cry from the Synagogue was made, but
there was no Messiah to answer their call.
Then,
John the Baptist announced: “I indeed baptize you with water unto
repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose
shoes I am unworthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost
and fire.” (Matt.3:11); “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away
the sins of the world.” (John 1:29)
Prophets
like David, Isaiah and Malachi had prophesied His coming and when He
did arrive, the chief priests and the nation of Israel rejected Him. St. John wrote: “He came unto His own and His own received Him not.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become the sons
of God, even to them that believe on His name.” (John 1: 11, 12)
St.
Paul wrote: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
(Rom.10: 9,10)
Gospel
Songs shout out His Love and Power:
“There is power, power, wonder working
power in the blood of the Lamb. There is power, power, wonder working
power in the precious blood of the Lamb.”; “On Christ the Solid
Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”; “I have decided
to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No
turning back,”
Jesus
Christ said: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on
Me hath everlasting life. I am the Bread of Life. I am the Living
Bread which came down from Heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he
shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is My FLESH which
I will give for the life of the world.
“...Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man,
and drink His Blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh
and drinketh My Blood, hath Eternal Life. And I will raise him up at
the last day.” (John 6: 47-58, 63)
Jesus
did not offer up His spirit. That remained untouchable, holy, pure
and without blemish. He gave His flesh and His blood to redeem us.
His blood was poured out and His body beaten, scourged and crucified.
He had the mind of God and His spirit was God-filled and inspired!
Nothing could touch His spirit. It was immune to sin, fear or
spiritual death!
A
spurious doctrine argues that Jesus suffered as a sinner in Hell for
three days, overcame Satan and was born again in Hell. That has no
Biblical foundation!
JESUS
DIED AS GOD'S PASCHAL LAMB!
Jesus
died as God's Paschal Lamb upon 'the cross of shame' on Golgotha as a
sin offering. All our sins were laid upon Him. He bore our sins like
the paschal lamb. He was identified with our sins, sicknesses and
diseases, in order to destroy them. There were no sins within Him.
His spirit was pure, holy and without spot!
If
there had been any sin in Him, He would not have been able to rise
from the dead. Death would have held Him fast until the judgment Day.
The Bible says: “Behold...the soul that sinneth it shall die.”
(Ezek. 18:4); “For the wages of sin is death...” (Rom. 6: 23)
Jesus'
spirit did not go to Hell. He went to Hades in 'Abraham's Bosom'
where He stayed for three days, until He arose together with the
righteous dead. (John 20:14; Matt.27:52,53). His pure and holy blood
did not die and is alive today in the Holy Place in Heaven, pleading
for us. Christ's sinless Blood raised Him from the dead:
“Neither
by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in
once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for
us.... How much more shall the Blood of Christ, who through the
Eternal spirit offered Himself without spot to God purge your
conscience from dead works to serve the Living God.”
(Heb. 9: 12-14)
ANDREW
MURRAY states: “This does not mean merely that the Holy Spirit was
in Jesus (the Lord) and bestowed on His Person and His blood a Divine
worth. It is much more than that – it indicates that the shedding
of His Blood was brought about by the Holy Spirit and that the SPIRIT
lived and worked in that BLOOD, so that when it was was shed, it
could not DECAY as a dead thing, but as a Living Reality it could
be taken up to Heaven to exercise its Divine Power from thence.”
Although
God the Father had to judge His Son for our sins, the Holy Spirit did
not leave JESUS while He hung on the cross. St. Paul clearly states
that God was in Christ at that very time, reconciling the world to
Himself: “That is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world
unto Himself not imputing their trespasses unto them...” (2 Cor. 5:
19).
GOD
WAS IN CHRIST!
When
did God reconcile the world to Himself? That Great Transaction
happened while our Saviour was hanging on the Cross suffering for and
paying for our sins. God the Father judged His Son for the sins of
humanity at the very time that God the Holy Spirit was within Jesus
reconciling the world to Him.
I
believe the Holy Spirit remained with the body of Jesus protecting it
and His blood from decay, as Andrew Murray declared. When Jesus arose
from the dead, the Holy Spirit was there to receive our Saviour into
His glorified body. Jesus, then carried His own BLOOD into the Holy
Place in Heaven where it now resides, alive and powerful to save,
cleanse, heal and protect us!
The
Bible says: “For Christ is not entered into the Holy Place made
with hands, which are the figure of the true, but into Heaven itself,
now to appear in the presence of God for us: So Christ was once
offered to bear the sins of many...By the which will we are
sanctified through the offering of the BODY of Jesus Christ once for
all.” (Heb.9: 24, 28; 10:10)
St.
Paul expounds: “And He is before all things and by Him all things
consist. And He is the Head of the Church: Who is the beginning, the
first born from the dead; that in all things He might have the
preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all
fullness dwell.” (Col.1: 17, 18)
Jesus
was with the Father before time began. He CREATED all things. (John
1: 1-3). He is the first to rise from the dead, never to die again.
(Heb. 9:28). “And, having made PEACE through the death of His
Cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself...yet now hath He
reconciled in the BODY of His Flesh through death, to present you
holy and unblameable and unrepoveable in His sight...” (Col. 1:
20-23)
Jesus
stated: “Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My
life, that I may take it to 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 of My Father.” (John 8:
17, 18)
Another
proof that God did not leave His Son are His own words: “Behold,
the hour cometh, yea, and is now come, that ye shall be scattered,
every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone: and yet I am NOT
alone, because the Father is with Me.” (John 17:32).
“Then
Jesus said unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then
shall ye know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself, but as
My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And that sent Me is with
Me, the Father hath not left me alone, for I do always those things
that please Him.” (John 6: 28,29)
WHAT ABOUT PSALM 22?
Only
parts of that psalm refer to the Messiah. Most of it is David's
thoughts and prayers: “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?
Why art Thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my
roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but Thou hearest not, and in
the night season, and am not silent.”
First,
Jesus was not on the cross at Night. He was taken down from the cross
between 3:00 and 6:00 pm. Second, if Jesus cried those words, they
would have been the only negative words that He spoke from the cross.
Third, Standing around the cross were people who understood Hebrew,
Greek, Roman and Aramaic and yet, “Some of them that stood there,
when they heard that, said, He calleth for Elias.” (Matt. 27:47)
Some
theologians believe that Jesus may have spoken, in that moment, in a
unique dialect of Aramaic distinct to an area near to Nazareth where
Jesus grew up.
The
Lamsa Bible may have the answer. The Ancient Eastern Manuscripts,
derived from the Syriac Peshitta used by the Assyrian Church of the
East, believes that the first N.T. was written in Assyrian, instead
of Greek.
Here
is the translation of Matt.27:47 in that Bible: “And about the
ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice and said, Eli, Eli, lemana
shabakthani, for this purpose I was spared.”
That
translation says: “This is the purpose for My coming here. You
spared Me when Herod tried to kill Me and the Jews sought to destroy
Me.” If this is the true translation, then Jesus was rejoicing in
the fact that He had made it to the cross, where He would finalize
the plan of Redemption.
He
had come to this earth to die as God's Paschal Lamb for us. The Bible
says: “And it came to pass, when the time was was come that He
should be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to
Jerusalem.” He would NOT allow anything to prevent His vicarious
death on the cross!
Jesus
Christ used similar verbiage to His disciples and to Pontius Pilate:
“Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save Me
from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.” (John
12: 27); “Pilate saith unto Him, Art Thou a king then? Jesus
answered, Thou sayest I am a king, To this end was I born, and for
this cause came I into this world...” (John 18: 37)
GOD
DOESN'T OWE SATAN ANYTHING!
Hades
was divided in two parts. The wicked dead went to the place consigned
for the unrighteous and the righteous dead went to Abraham's Bosom.
The story told by Jesus about the 'Rich man and Lazarus' confirms
that: “And it came to pass, that the beggar died and was carried by
the angels into Abraham's Bosom; and the rich man died and was
buried; and in HADES, he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and
seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom...” (Luke 16:
22,23)
Thirdly,
Satan has never been in Hell. He will go there when God sends him
there! Unfortunately, the King James Bible has used the word Hell in
a number of texts, where the original is the word Hades.
SATAN
is: “...the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now
worketh in the children of disobedience.” (Eph. 2: 2); “...the
god of this world (who) hath blinded the eyes of them who believe
not...” (2 Cor. 4:4); “...your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5: 8)
JESUS
said: “Now is the judgment of this world: Now shall the prince of
this world be CAST out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will
draw all men unto Me.” (John 12: 31, 32)
The
worst part of that erroneous teaching is that it elevates Satan's
power and ability and diminishes God's Wisdom and Authority. To say
that Almighty God had to make a deal with the devil to free humanity
from his grasp through Christ's death, is preposterous. At best,
Satan is God's jailer who captures those who continue rebelling
against the Lord. The moment a sinner cries out to Jesus Christ, he
is freed from the devil's grasp!
God
doesn't owe Satan anything but JUSTICE, a place in Hell and the Lake
of Fire for eternity. Lucifer was a deceiver, murderer and traitor!
Almighty God is in charge and Satan has nothing to say about that.
When it is his time to be cast into Hell, it will take only one angel
to do it!
“And
I saw an angel come down from Heaven, having the key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the
Dragon, that old Serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound
him a thousand years and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut
him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations
no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that
he must be loosed a little season.” (Rev. 20: 1-3)
LUCIFER
COMMITTED REBELLION!
Jesus
called Satan by three names: Satan, the enemy, the opposer; Devil,
the liar, the slanderer, the traducer; Beelzebub, the god of flies.
Lucifer had been an archangel in Heaven, but PRIDE entered his heart
and a rebellious spirit had overtaken him. He lost fellowship with
Almighty God, his creator and was cast out of Heaven.
The
Bible records: “And He (Jesus) said unto them, I beheld Satan as
lightning fall from heaven. Behold I give unto you power to tread on
serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the Enemy; and
nothing shall by any means harm you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice
not, that the spirits are subject unto you: but rather rejoice,
because your names are written in Heaven.” (Luke 10: 18-20)
Adam
had committed the sin of High Treason against the Almighty! The
Cross liberated Adam's fallen race through the vicarious death of
Jesus Christ the Son of God, Who was incarnated in order to suffer,
bleed and die to satisfy the righteous demands of Divine Justice in
the Courts of Heaven!
The
Blood of Jesus Christ was shed to pay the ransom price for mankind's
sins. The Bible says: “My little children, these things I
write unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an
Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the
Righteous: and He is the Propitiation for our sins: and not for ours
only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2: 1.2)
“In
this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent
His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent
His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9,10)
The
word propitiation means 'mercy seat, satisfaction, expiation'. God
sent His Son to die in our place to meet the demands of Divine
Justice; to appease and satisfy the Righteousness of Almighty God!
The Cross speaks of God's Righteousness that had been violated
because of the sins of the world.
PROPITIATION MEANS
SATISFACTION!
St.
Paul declares: “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 had 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: 23-26)
Instead
of glorifying the Lord through a righteous lifestyle and obedience to
His commands, we have all fallen short of God's Glory. By our
rebellion against His righteousness and pursuing our own
gratification, we have sinned against our Creator.
The
Cross of Jesus was Almighty God's way of showing forth His
righteousness against sin. The amazing truth is that God set forth
Jesus to die as His Paschal Lamb, for the sins of the entire world
(past, present and future) in order to demonstrate His Righteous
Justice. He could not forgive sins without the shedding of innocent
blood!
“And
at the times of this ignorance God WINKED at it; but NOW commandeth
all men everywhere to REPENT; because He has appointed a day in the
which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man Whom He
hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that
He hath raised Him from the dead.” (Acts 17: 28-31)
When
King David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had Uriah killed, he
sinned against the Almighty! He had despised God's laws but in His
great mercy, our Heavenly Father was gracious unto him. The prophet
Nathan, said:
“Wherefore
hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in His
sight? And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord.
And Nathan said unto David. The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou
shalt not die. Howbeit, because of thy deed thou hast given great
occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme .” (2 Sam.12: -10)
We
learn three truths here: Committing sin is despising God and sinning
against Him. We see God's great Grace and Mercy. Our sins harm God
more than the people we may have sinned against.
David
cried out for MERCY: “Have mercy upon me O God, according to Thy
loving kindness. Wash me thoroughly from my sin...For I acknowledge
my transgressions...Against Thee and Thee Only, have I sinned, and
done this evil in Thy sight: that Thou mayest be justified when Thou
speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest....
“Purge
me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, and I shall be whiter than
snow... Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all my
iniquities...Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right
spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not
Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of my Salvation; and
uphold me with Thy free Spirit.” (Ps. 51: 12)
THE
CROSS SPEAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Christ's
Cross speaks of God's Righteousness: “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: 23-26). In order to justify
the unjust, God has to be Just! The Blood of Jesus, therefore, was
shed to pay for all the sins of the entire world, past, present and
future!
Not
only was the Cross of Christ necessary to cover all whose sins God
had winked at (overlooked), but also for those who had died under the
First Testament:
St.
Paul expounds: “And for this cause He is the mediator of the New
Testament, that by means of death, for the Redemption of the
transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are
called might receive the promise of Eternal Inheritance.” (Heb. 9:
15).
If
Jesus Christ had not died on Calvary's Cross for the sins of mankind
and risen from the dead, there would be No Eternal Life for anyone,
including Old Testament prophets and others. When this truth was
revealed to me, I wept and trembled in reverence at the Holiness and
Righteousness of God and His amazing Mercy and Grace toward us all!
A
Ransom is something that is paid for the release of someone who is
kept in captivity. We were all captives of sin and darkness, born
with a sinful nature and a rebellious will that was selfish, proud
and uncaring.
By
His great mercy and grace, God has ransomed us from sin,
condemnation, death and Hell through the vicarious death of His Son
Jesus Christ. And we are justified by His resurrection from the dead.
We stand in His presence as though we had never sinned; without
condemnation!
The
Bible states: For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God my
Saviour Who will have all men to be SAVED, and to come to the
knowledge of the truth. For there is One God, and One Mediator
between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus: Who Gave Himself a RANSOM
for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim. 2: 3-6)
“And
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was exceeding abundant with faith
and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and
worthy of all expectation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to
SAVE sinners; of whom I am chief. Now unto the King Eternal,
immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever
and ever.” (1 Tim. 1, 14, 15, 17)
JESUS HIMSELF IS
ETERNAL LIFE!
“These
words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to Heaven and said, Father
the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify
Thee: As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should
give Eternal Life to as many as Thou hast given Him.
“And
this is the Eternal Life, that they might know Thee the only TRUE
God, and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent. I have glorified Thee on
the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. And
now, Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own Self with the Glory which
I had with Thee before the world was.” (John 17: 1-5)
St.
John stated: “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness
in Himself: he that believeth not hath made Him a Liar; because he
believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.
“And
this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this
life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath eternal life; and he
that hath not the Son hath not life.
“These
things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of
God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life, and that ye may
believe on the name of the Son of God. And we know that we are of
God; and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
“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.” (1 John 5: 1-13; 19,20)
THE SIN OF UNBELIEF!
The
greatest SIN of all, is rejecting God's gift of Eternal Life through
the sacrificial death of His Son Jesus Christ. Rejecting the Record
that He gave of His Son, is in fact, calling Almighty God a Liar!
The
Holy Bible states: “If we receive the witness of men, the witness
of God is greater; for this is the witness of God, which He hath
testified of His Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the
witness in Himself:
“He
that believeth not God hath made Him a LIAR because he believed not
the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that
God hath given to us eternal life, and this Life is in His Son.
“He
that hath the SON hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath Not
life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the NAME
of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life, and
that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:
9-13)
I
urge all my Muslim, Mormon and Jehovah Witness friends to read and
re-read the above Holy Scriptures that you may also have Eternal
Life!
In
defining the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said: “Nevertheless I
tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I
go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I
will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the
world of Sin and of Righteousness, and of Judgment:
Of Sin
because they believe not on Me; of Righteousness because I go to My
Father, and ye see Me no more; of Judgment because the prince of this
world is Judged.” (John 16: 77-11)
The
Holy Spirit has come to convict the world of Unbelief in rejecting
Christ, God's unspeakable gift. Only through Christ's Righteousness
are we able to approach God the Father. The Holy Spirit was sent to
demonstrate Christ's Victory over the Devil!
FAITH
IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS!
The Blood of Jesus Christ
that was shed for the sins of the world - past, present and future -
on Calvary's Cross nearly 2,000 years ago saves only those who
receive Him. Faith in the Blood of Jesus Christ opens the door of
Heaven to us by bringing instant forgiveness for our sins, purity of
heart and a freedom from guilt, condemnation and shame!
Faith in the shed Blood of
Jesus Christ God's Pascal Lamb, breaks the bonds of Sin, opens the
Prison doors and liberates the captives held by Satan. Faith in the
blood of Jesus Christ causes the Devil to flee in terror, destroys
the shackles of servitude, opens the heart to sing, rejoice and
receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with power.
Faith in the Blood of Jesus
destroys evil habits of lust, greed and pride. It breaks the bondage
of lying, stealing, gambling, fornicating and carousing! It liberates
the spirit from guilt and fear of the past, present and future. It
prepares the spirit for fellowship with God and entrance into the our
eternal Home!
St. Paul says: “For Christ
sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of
words, lest the cross of Christ would be made of none effect. For the
preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto
us which are saved, it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1: 17, 18)
In his book, 'The
Cruciality of the Cross', Dr. Henry C. Mabie writes: “The Greek
word used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1: 18 is Logos... “not preaching
but the subject matter of preaching; with the very essence of that
which was to be preached with that Logos of the Cross, which
constituted a rationale, its divine reason which.., he declares to be
the wisdom of God. This 'Logos of the Cross' is conceived by Paul to
be the key which unlocks the riddle of the universe, solves all
mysteries and reconciles all things.”
The One who was nailed to
that cross, was the One who created all things. He unlocks the riddle
of the universe because He made the universe. He solves all mysteries
like; Who are we? Why were we born? Where do we go from here? He is
eternal and knows all things.
Because He was incarnated
and lived among men, He understands us. He bridged the chasm between
God and man through His substitutionary death for us, thereby
removing the enmity! He reconciles us with God, and by making us new
men in Christ, believers are able to make reconciliation with each
other!
THE
GOSPEL IS THE GOOD NEWS!
“The
Gospel is the joyous proclamation of God's Activity in Christ on
behalf of man.” - Evangelical
Dictionary of Theology
The
Gospel is good news for fallen man. It is the glad tidings of the
great mercy, grace and love of God projected toward a sinful and
rebellious Race! It's main Object is Jesus Christ Who was incarnated
(God in human flesh) and gave His life to save lost humanity from sin
and the penalty of sin which is eternal damnation! Jesus Christ
Himself is the revelation of the will of God regarding all things.
The Gospel of Christ is
the Good News, the glad tidings that Light is come into a world of
Darkness; that Peace has come into a world of Turmoil; that Healing
has come into a world of Sickness; that Love has come into a world of
Hate; that Forgiveness has come into a world of Sin; that Life has
come into a world of Death; that Freedom has come into a world of
Bondage; that Slaves are made into Free Men and Women through Jesus
Christ the Liberator of the Human Race!
As believers in Christ,
we are wrapped up in Him and consumed with His Gospel! We are one
with Him. He lives in us. We are hidden with Christ in God. Christ is
our Life. Christ is our Peace. Christ is our Hope and Joy. He is our
food and drink. By faith we eat His body and drink His blood. He is
our spiritual food. His Word feeds us. His Blood cleanses, purges,
heals and protects us. His Holy Spirit leads us and in His Name we
have received power over sin, fear, sickness, disease and evil
spirits!
We
Died With Christ: When we received Christ as our personal
Saviour, we died to ourselves. St. Paul stated: “I am crucified
with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth within
me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith
of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
(Gal.2:20);
“Knowing this, that our
old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth, we should not serve sin. Now if we be
dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.”
(Rom. 6:6, 8; Col. 2:20)
“For in that He died, He
died to 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. 6:10-12)
We
Were Buried With Christ: After we received Jesus Christ as
our personal Saviour, we were buried with Him through Water Baptism.
We identified with His death through repentance and being born again.
And through water baptism by immersion, we identify with His burial!
“Know ye not, that as
many of us were baptized into Jesus Christ (1 Cor.12: 13) we 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 the newness of
life.” (Rom. 6:3, 4)
We
Arose With Christ: We identify with Christ in His Death
and Burial. We also identify with His Resurrection. He arose with
great power and when we come out of the waters of baptism, we are
candidates for the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and power.
“Buried with Him in
baptism, wherein ye also are risen with Him through the faith of the
Son of God, Who hath raised Him from the dead.” (Col.2: 12); Jesus
promised: “All power is given unto Me in Heaven and earth. Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father,and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” (Matt. 28: 18,19);
“But ye shall receive power
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses
unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in Judaea and in Samaria, and unto the
uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1: 8): “And these signs shall
follow them that believe. In My name shall they cast out devils. They
shall speak with new tongues...They shall lay their hands on the sick
and they shall recover.” (Mark 16: 15-20)
We
Live With Christ: Jesus said: “And I will pray the Father,
and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you
forever; even the Spirit of Truth; Whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him; for
He dwelleth with you and shall be in you.
“I will not leave you
comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world
seeth Me no more, but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also.”
(John 14: 16-19). “It is a faithful saying, “For if we be dead
with Him, we shall also live with Him.” (2 Tim. 2:11)
We
Are Seated With Christ in Heavenly Places:
“But God Who is rich in Mercy, for His great love wherewith
He loved us, even when we were dead in sin, has quickened us together
with Christ, by grace are ye saved; and hath raised us up together,
and made us to SIT together in Heavenly places in Christ.” (Eph.
2:6)
We
Will Reign with Christ for Eternity: “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 will also
deny us. If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny
Himself.” (2 Tim 2: 11, 12);
“And I saw thrones, and
they that sat on them, and judgment was given unto then: and I saw
the souls of men that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for
the Word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his
image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in
their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand
years.” (Rev. 20: 4)
GOD'S WORD IS STEADFAST!
God's
Word cannot return unto Him void. It must accomplish that for which
it was sent. (Is.55:11). It is impossible for Him to fail and since
He has placed His Word above His name (Ps.138:2), it is impossible
for God's Word to fail!
The
Scripture says: “He hath sent His word and healed them and
delivered them from all their destructions.” (Ps. 107: 20); The
Holy Bible states: God is not a man that He should lie or the son of
a man that He should repent (change). Hath He said it and shall He
not do it or hath He spoken and shall He not make it good? (Numbers
23: 19)
God's
great heart of Mercy and Grace desires to bless and heal all who are
hurting and suffering today! I do Not believe that it is God's Will
for any of His children to suffer the pain, agony and torment which
Jesus suffered for us on the whipping Post and on the Cross.
All
sickness, disease and pain were conquored by our Saviour Jesus
Christ, Who took upon Himself our sicknesses and pains: “For He was
wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our Peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are
healed.” (Is. 53: 4, 5)
“When
the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed
with devils: and He cast out the spirits with His Word, and HEALED
all that were sick. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare
our sicknesses.” (Matt. 8: 16, 17)
“Who
His own Self bare our sins in His own BODY on the tree, that we,
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by Whose stripes
we are healed.” (1 Peter 2: 24)
My
deepest conviction and my personal belief is identical to the Holy
Scriptures. I concur with the Word of God. Hallelujah! God is good
and His mercy endureth forever! We thank the Lord, for giving us the
'Gift of Faith'; the same faith that Jesus had when He healed the
sick and afflicted, cast out devils and raised the dead! (John 14:
12)
The
Word of God is the will of God! Since Jesus Christ always did what
His Father asked Him to and on several occasions complimenting and
exalting His Son, why should we then not accept His Word regarding
divine healing and deliverance?
The
Holy Spirit spoke through St. Peter in a forceful way shortly after
the Day of Pentecost: “How 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)
“Ye
men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of
God among you by Miracles and Wonders and Signs, which God did by Him
in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.” (Acts 2: 22);
“... For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He
might Destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)
“How are shall we
escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at first began to be
spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him;
God also bearing them witness, both with signs and Wonders and with
diverse Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own
will.” (Heb. 2: 3,4)
THE FIRE OF GOD IS NEEDED!
VANCE HAVNER, the powerful Baptist preacher, wrote: “Many years ago in
Scotland in a certain community, the fires had all gone out! They
searched everywhere to see if anyone had fire. Finally, they found a
humble house where the hart stone glowed with a cheery flame. Soon
they were carrying coals here and there to replenish their own
blackened fireplaces.
“Today,
there are weary hearts, discouraged souls, needy churches looking for
a soul with fire, someone kept aglow in spite of the world, flesh
and the Devil.”
According
to the Babylonian Talmud (Book of the Rabbis) interpretation of the
Scriptures (1,000 B.C.): The only time in history that homosexual
marriage was practiced was during the Days of Noah, “when men were
given in marriage to men and women were given in marriage to women”.
That was just before God sent the FLOOD which destroyed everyone with
the exception of Noah and his family.
Should
we not be concerned about history repeating itself and judgment
falling on a corrupt and perverted world in this generation? One
thousand years before Christ, the Babylonian Talmud wrote about the
sexual perversion during the 'Days of Noah'. That reflects where are
now and should be a matter of urgent prayer for a spiritual Awakening
among Christians across the world today!
BILLY GRAHAM recently
stated: "Yet, the more this world spirals out of control, my
heart aches for America and its deceived people. Ultimately, we don't
have a CRIME problem or a GUN problem. What we have is a SIN problem.
And since we ordered God out of our schools and communities, the
Military and public conversations, you know we shouldn't act
surprised when all hell breaks loose."
When his great crusades
were stirring Los Angeles in 1947, another Evangelical preacher
criticized him saying that Billy Graham was trying, "to set
religion back 100 years", to which the 'Man of God' replied, "I
did indeed want to set religion back not just 100 years, but 1900
years, to the Book of Acts, when First Century Followers of Christ
were accused of turning the world upside down."
WE NEED A MASSIVE REVIVAL!
MARTIN
LUTHER stated: “The Bible is like a lion; it does not need to be
defended; just let it loose and it will defend itself. If it is in
the Bible believe it. You my not understand it, but it is true.”
ARMIN
GESSWEIN, a Lutheran Pastor and great Advocate of Prayer, stated:
“Revival is Christians returning to normal.” In his testimony, he
states that he learned how to pray from a Methodist blacksmith, who
took him up to the hayloft on his farm where he knelt between two
piles of hay on which were placed two Bibles. He was one of Billy
Graham's Prayer warriors and led prayer Conferences in various
countries!
ROBERT
McHEYNE said: “Men return again and again to the few who have
mastered the spiritual secret, whose life has been hid with Christ in
God. These are of the Old Time Religion, hung to the nails of the
cross”.
LEONARD
RAVENHILL stated: “The greatest tragedy is a sick Church in a dying
world.”
I
believe that God is giving us a Season of Healing, Miracles and Gifts
of the Holy Spirit to re-awaken the Church in these End-Times. We
must seek His face by Fasting and Prayer, asking Him to Rend the
Heavens once more and come down in our midst in Holy Ghost Power! We
anticipate His manifestations among us as we wait for His imminent
return!
The
BIBLE says: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him. For
that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11: 6)
Faith
is three things: Coming to God with our needs. Believing that He is
Whom He claims to be; the Way, the Truth and the Life and that He
keeps His Word. Faith is expecting an answer when we pray to our
Heavenly Father in the Name of Jesus!
Our
Lord promised: “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father
in Me: or else believe for the very work's sake. Verily, verily, I
say unto you, he that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he
do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto
My Father.
“And
whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do that the Father
may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My name, I
will do it. And I will pray the Father and He shall give you another
Comforter, that He may abide with you forever” (John 14: 11-14,16)
SIN
IS AN EVIL FORCE!
SIN
is an evil force and the brain child of the Devil! “Sin is a power
that may be likened to Mathematics. It adds to your troubles,
subtracts from your energy, multiplies your torments, fears and
pains. It divides your mind, takes interest away from your work. It
discounts your chances of success and squares your conscience.” -
anon
Sin
blinds your spiritual eyes. Sin binds with chains of lust, greed and
hatred. Sin deafens your spiritual ears. Sin deadens your conscience
and kills you spiritually and physically. “The wages of sin is
death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord.” (Rom. 6:23);
“For
when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man some would even dare to
die, But God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5: 6-8)
“For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through Him might be saved.
“He
that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the
only begotten Son of God. He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life: and he that believeth not shall not see life: but
the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3: 16-18, 36)
THE
KEY TO REVIVAL!
The
Key to Revival: “If My people which are called by My name shall
HUMBLE themselves and PRAY and SEEK My face and TURN from their
wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and FORGIVE their sins and
HEAL their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14)
“Come
Now, and let us Reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be
as scarlet they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Is. 1: 18-20)
“Let
the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and
let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to
our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” (Is. 55:11)
“For
God so Loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that
whosoever believeth in Him should not PERISH but have Everlasting
Life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through Him might be SAVED.” (John 3: 16,17)
Jesus
Christ invites: “Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy
laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of
Me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto
your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matt.
11:28-30).
The
Master said: “All that the Father giveth Me shall come unto Me and
him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37):
“No man can come to Me except the Father which sent Me draw him:
and I will raise him up at the last day. Verily, verily, I say unto
you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.” (John 6: 44,
47)
“All
things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son
but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and
he to whomsoever the SON, will reveal Him.” (Mat.11: 27)
CONFESSION OF FAITH!
THE
TRIUNE GOD: The Father is made of none, neither created or begotten.
The Son is of the Father alone, not made nor created but begotten.
The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor
created nor begotten, but proceeding. - Athanasas
Creed
“But
to us there is but One God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and
we in Him; and One Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we
by Him.” (1 Cor 8: 6)
There
is ONE True God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit: In the Divine Economy
of God, there is no room for counterfeits or manufactured, man-made
gods! The very first of the Ten Commandments that Almighty God wrote
with His own finger in two tables of stone, says: “Thou shalt have
none other gods before Me.” (Deut. 5:7)
“Now
the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the BLOOD of the
Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do His
will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight,
through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
(Hebrews 13:20, 21)
“Now
unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto Him be
glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world
without end. Amen.” (Ephesians 3: 20, 21)
Clearly
stated, there is but One God and Father and One Lord Jesus Christ,
Who is both Creator and Sustainer of the world and sole Saviour and
Redeemer of the Human Race, and One blessed Holy Spirit of God Who
draws all men to Christ. All other so-called gods, goddesses and
deities are mere counterfeits, imitators and pretenders. It is Christ
and Christ Alone Who saves, heals and delivers from sin, fear,
sickness, disease and all the powers of Darkness and Satan! All
praise, honour and glory be unto God our Father in the name of Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE
HARVEST CALL!
Everywhere
Jesus went, great miracles followed His Ministry as He proclaimed the
Word of God. He healed the sick, cast out evil spirits and brought
deliverance to those who were bound by Satan. Multitudes followed Him
to hear His teaching and be healed by Him of their sicknesses and
diseases!
“And
He called unto Him the Twelve, and began to send them forth by two
and two: and gave them power against unclean spirits: And they went
out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many
devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and HEALED them.”
(Mark 6: 7, 12,13)
Then
He called Seventy disciples to help Him gather in the Harvest of
souls for His Kingdom: “Therefore said He unto them, The HARVEST
truly is great, but the labourers are few: Pray ye therefore the Lord
of the Harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His
Harvest...
“And
HEAL the sick that are therein, and say unto them, the Kingdom of God
is come Nigh unto you. And the seventy returned again with JOY
saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us in Thy Name. And
He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning FALL from Heaven.
“Behold,
I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the
power of the Enemy; and Nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke
10: 1,2,8,9,17-20). Jesus was so overjoyed when He heard their report
that He spun around (agaliao, gr.), thanking His Heavenly Father: He
prayed: “I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that
Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast
revealed them unto babes: even so Father, for so it seemed good in
Thy sight.” ( Luke 10:21)
GOD
DELIGHTS IN USING US ALL!
He
uses the weak and unlearned to confound the strong and prestigious,
that no flesh is able to glory in His presence. (1 Cor 1: 29,30).
Here is a beautiful Gospel song: “Without Him I can do Nothing.
Without Him I'd surely Fail. Without Him I would be drifting like a
ship without a sail. So I've asked Him to be my Pilot; His Word my
compass and guide. Till I've anchored safely in Glory; For without
Him I'd drift with the tide!”
Jesus
said: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself, except it abide in the Vine: no more can ye, except ye
abide in Me. I am the Vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in
Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me
ye can do Nothing.
“If
a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered;
and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are
burned. If ye ABIDE in Me, and My Words abide in you, ye shall ask
what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15: 1-7)
If it
is our goal to please the Lord, He is pleased to answer our prayers!
He said: “All things are possible to him that believeth. With men
this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” ( Mark
9: 23; 10: 27): “I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me.” (Phil.4:13)
St.
Paul's admonishes: “For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat
of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in the body,
according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing
therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made
manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your
consciences.” (2 Cor. 5:10,11).
God's
Word states: “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a New
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become
New. And all things are of God, Who has reconciled us to Himself by
Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
“That
is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not
imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the
Ministry of Reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead,
be ye reconciled to God.
“For
He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be
made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor. 5: 17-21). Amen.
