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.
There were no innocent men, for
the Scriptures declare: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
(Rom. 3:23) and, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. There
is none that understandeth, there is none that seek after God.” (Rom. 3:10,11).
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)
THE INNOCENT ONE HAD COME!
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)
OUR SINS HARM GOD!
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 the 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)
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, 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 McCHEYNE 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 reawaken 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.
