The Introductory to the Two
Testaments 258
The Old and New
Testament 260
Election
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244
I’ve
often wondered if Election isn’t one of God’s attributes seeing it’s among His
many traits that testifies to His brilliancy and sovereignty.
Be
that as it may JESUS CHRIST is the center of God’s Holy and Righteous universe
and Election is a major part of it.
The
doctrine on Election puts to rest the non-scriptural saying that “GOD is
obligated to call on sinners to repent and be saved at least once during his or
her lifetime.” While at the same time
it brings to the forefront such doctrine as: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have
chosen you, and ordained you.” (That’s what JESUS told His disciples) John
15:16
I
like what the Great Apostle Paul had to say on Election. Therefore we will be peaking at his work time
and time again. His letter to the
Romans went like this:
“Having
made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure
which he hath purposed in himself: That
in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one,
all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in
him: In whom also we have obtained an
inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will:” Ephesians 1:9-11
King
Nebuchadnezzar taught a good lesson on Election. He told his people:
“All
the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to
his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and
none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” Daniel 4:35
The
HEAVENLY FATHER prophesied of the coming of His Elect SON
JESUS CHRIST:
He
avowed: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine Elect, in whom my soul
delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the
Gentiles.” Isaiah 42:1
As
God predetermined, “Before the world was, JESUS CHRIST came in due time.”
During
the last three-and-half years of His short life JESUS removed all obstacles
that prevented sinners from being saved.
(That
is to say, He fulfilled the Law.)
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I
like the Apostle Paul’s presentation on Election:
He
commenced where God said: “Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated, (For the
children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that
calleth;)”
It
was said unto Rebecca: “The elder shall serve the younger. As
it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What
shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have
compassion. So then it is not of him
that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even
for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in
thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have
mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou
wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his
will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that
repliest against God? Shall the thing
formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath
not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto
honour, and another unto dishonour? What
if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with
much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his
glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even
us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?”
Romans 9:11-24
After
Israel killed Jesus, such merciless killing kindled God’s wrath to the extent
that He rid the Kingdom (of Israel) of both the righteous and her wicked
members.
Paul
concluded that Israel’s saved minority were the Elect of GOD.
He
wrote: “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to
the election of grace. And if by grace,
then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of
works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that
which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were
blinded, (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of
slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;)
unto this day.” Romans 11:5-8
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Yea,
GOD’S retaliatory action against the Beloved Israel was of a spiritual nature
and only the Elect understood what had befallen them. Many are still in the
dark as to what happened.
Daniel
prophesied that some would understand while others would not. He wrote: “Many shall be purified, and made
white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked
shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” Daniel 12:10
On
the Day of Pentecost God baptized His Elect few back into the Kingdom and
reinstated them by Grace as opposed to the Law wherein they were previously.
(Allow
that all of the Elect of God are saved and all the saved are His Elect.)
Isaiah
prophesied that Israel’s Elect few would be called by a new name which the
mouth of the LORD should name. Isaiah
62:2
Our
LORD did call them by a new name.
He
said to Peter: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it.”
Matthew
16:18
JESUS
did give her a new name He called her His Church and her members became known
as Christians.
In
one of his epistles the Apostle John addressed the Church and her members as:
“The ELECT lady and her children.” 2
John 1:1
(How
about that?)
God
wasn’t about to make it easy for men and women to get to Heaven via any of the
ways that seemeth right unto man, since Jesus had endured three and half years
of non-relenting horrific sufferings by the hand of God and man.
I’ve
copied some of those horrific scenes:
Isaiah
prophesied of the physical abuse that JESUS suffered at the hand of man.
He
wrote: “As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any
man and his form more than the sons of men:” Isaiah 52:14
The
prophet also foretold how the Jews and Gentiles would mutilate the face and
body of JESUS. (Believe me they lived up
to the prophecy.)
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The
Governor initiated the physical abuse of that ordeal.
John
said: “Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns,
and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said, Hail, King
of the Jews! and they smote him with
their hands.” John 19:1-3
He
was mocked and ridiculed.
Mark
said: “They that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah,
thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days, Save thyself,
and come down from the cross.”
Likewise
the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes: “He saved
others; himself he cannot save.”
Let
Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and
believe.” Mark 15:29-32
He
was rejection of men.
John
wrote: “And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour:
and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with
him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief
priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
Then
delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and
led him away.” John 19:14-16
On
that frightful faithful day, God took the handwriting of ordinance that was
against us and nailed it to His cross, perhaps at noon. (He bore our sins in His own body.)
For
most part the last three hours of His suffering was inflicted by FATHER GOD.
The
Sprit of CHRIST that was in David, Prophesied of what JESUS felt while suffering
for the sins of the world.
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In
another place the Spirit of CHRIST that was in David said: “I am poured out
like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is
melted in the midst of my bowels.
My
strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and
thou hast brought me into the dust of death.” Psalms 22:14-15
Again
the Spirit of Christ that was in David encouraged Him to say: “My heart was hot
within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue.
LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I
may know how frail I am.” Psalms 39:2-3
Then
the Spirit of Christ that was in the weeping prophet, prophesied:
“I
was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was
stirred. “From above hath he sent fire
into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my
feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the day.”
Lamentations 1:13
Sometime
during that last three hours of the crucifixion of JESUS, God sent earth
tremors to add to the misery of His suffering.
Job
prophesied of the results of such an event, he said, “His archers compass me
round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out
my gall upon the ground. He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth
upon me like a giant.” Job 16:13
Now
since JESUS suffered all of the things I’ve recorded, and more, it’s easy to
see why God didn’t intend for mankind to get to heaven any other way than
through JESUS.
The
way He accomplished that was by confounding the language according to the way
He did to those that built the tower of Babel. They did it in their effort to
reach Heaven, the same principle.
On
the spiritual side, God exposes the sinner to the Ten Commandments to show him
or her that they are a sinner and then they serve as a schoolmaster to lead or
bring them to Christ. But the large
majority in their confusion uses them to establish their own righteousness,
which is by law, and it is a stench in the nostrils of GOD. Isaiah 64:6
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Then
Paul said: “It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks
seek after wisdom:
But
we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the
Greeks foolishness;” 1Corinthans 1:22-23
For
that reason Isaiah said: “And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be
broken, and be snared, and be taken.” Isaiah 8:15
Peter
assured that CHRIST is: “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to
them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were
appointed.” 1Peter 2:8
In
retrospect, consider the results of the ministry.
Paul
did and he came up with: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the
sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:” Romans 9:27
Then
Jesus said: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is
the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in threat:
Because
strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few
there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
In
conclusion as we have seen above that election is a large part of God’s plan
for mankind. But not only for mankind
but for His Glorious Son. It is a fact
that the life and sufferings of Jesus Christ His Son was the election of the
Father. John said in 3:16, “For God so
loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son”. The Father has
elected that thru His Son is the only way for us to be with Him.
Amen
and Amen!
God Loves Sinners but
He Hates the Workers of Iniquity
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While
my wife and I lived in Ohio, Brother Wade Partin from Middlesboro Kentucky
preached revival at the Church where we were members. In
one of his messages he preached that God hates sinners. I believe that he got his text from where
the psalmist said to God: “The foolish
shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.” Psalms 5:5
I
am convinced that the preacher’s preacher was aware that the Apostle John had
written: “Herein is love, not that we
loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for
our sins.” 1John 4:10
The
word sinners and workers of iniquity fall into the same category in that both
are transgressors of the law. And the
sin of iniquity can and is committed by both saint and sinner.
In
the case of the Christian when he or she commits iniquity they receive
chastening from the Lord. Jesus said:
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and
repent.” Revelation 3:19
Hebrews
warned Christians not to fall into the sin iniquity for the penalty can mean
disaster.
He
wrote: “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of
the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful
looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the
adversaries.”
Hebrews
10:26-27
Though
Christians often commit the unthinkable they are not subject to be abandoned by
God. Paul assured us of that. He said: “For I am persuaded, that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.” Romans 8:38, 39
But
Jude warns the sinner: “Keep your selves in the love of God, looking for the
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
Jude
1:21
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The
essence of Jude’s warning is that God offers sinners salvation though
repentance by the Law, by the Holy Ghost.
Ah
but saith God: “My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is
flesh.” Genesis 6:3
Jude’s
warning goes out to sinners telling them not to exhaust God’s love, for them,
by spurning His offer to be saved, neither wear out His patience and mercy by
blaspheming the Holy Ghost. The
penalty for either or both is that they will hear Jesus say: “I tell you, I
know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” Luke
13:27
A
classic example of a Christian committing the sin of iniquity is where King
David took Bathsheba and laid with her. She conceived then David had her husband
killed to cover up what he had done, but not from the LORD. God
sent His prophet Nathan with this Parable: “The poor man had nothing, save one little ewe
lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him,
and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup,
and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveler unto the rich man,
and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the
wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed
it for the man that was come to him. And
David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As
the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold,
because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the
man.” 2 Samuel 12:3-7
The
Lord told Nathan to tell David; “Now therefore the sword shall never depart
from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of
Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.” 2 Samuel 12:10
David
repented by saying: I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David,
The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 2 Samuel 12:13
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Remember
David pronounced judgment against the supposed offender. He
said: “He shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and
because he had no pity.” In return the
Lord told David: “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house;
because thou hast despised me.
The
sword that never departed from David’s house was four-fold as he had judged the
assumed offender. It begun with Amnon:
1.
David’s
son raping his half - sister Tama, she was David’s daughter and the sister of
Absalom. (2 Samuel 13:20-22)
2.
Then
Absalom killed Amnon. (2 Samuel
13:23-29)
3.
Absalom
raped his father’s wives as the public watched to the fulfillment of what was
prophesied. (2 Samuel 16:21-22)
4.
Absalom
tried to take the throne from his father David by killing him. During this event
Absalom and his band plotted against David to battle again him and try to kill
his Father. When Absalom failed, he
rode off on his mule. The mule went
through a thicket like tureen, past under an oak tree and Absalom got caught by
his head then the mule pulled out from under him. Then one told Joab what had befallen
Absalom and he shot three darts through Absalom’s heart. Following that David cried out: ‘O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son,
my son! Absalom’.
(2 Samuel chapters 17 and 18)
David
might well have prayed this prayer after he had committed the atrocities
against Uriah. This is
a prayer of a man that had committed iniquity:
“I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I
said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the
iniquity of my sin. Selah.” Psalms 32:5
A GREAT BIG P.S.
In
one of those revival services Brother Wade Partin preached that in a God
ordained Spirit filled service you are subject to hear Old David strumming on
his harp and you will hear Rachel weeping for her children.
I
believe that he was referring to the music and the songs from the Church
Hymnal. For they dispense with the daily
thoughts of the congregation and make them be seated in Heavenly places.
And
I believe that you hear Rachel weeping for her children when the Church has
concern for their lost and you hear with tears one say, “Pray for my
children.” Amen!
May
the Good LORD bless you all,
Amen
and Amen!
Lucifer
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September 9, 2012
I gleaned the title from where Isaiah wrote:
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of
the morning! how art thou
cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” Isaiah
14:12
The LORD
also interpreted the thoughts and intents of Lucifer’s heart;
He
confronted him with: “Thou hast said in
thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars
of God: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most
High. Isaiah 14:13-14
Yea, God pronounced judgment against him with these words:
“Yet thou
shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” Isaiah 14:15
As we
continue you’ll see that Lucifer is definitely the Devil and Satan in disguise
and he’s definitely not The LORD JESUS CHRIST as some might have assumed. Amen!
Yea, the
Devil and/or Satan is a master of deception.
The Great
Apostle said of him: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is
transformed into an angel of light.”
2 Corinthians 11:13-14
Yea, Isaiah said of Lucifer; “How art thou fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer
That’s something liken to what Jesus told His disciples:
Upon their return from preaching the Gospel, Luke wrote: “And He said unto them,
I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” Luke 10:18
Here’s that account:
Luke
said; “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils
are subject unto us through thy name.”
That’s
when JESUS’ told them: “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 hurt you.” Luke 10:17-19
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The
serpents and scorpions whereof JESUS spoke are symbolic of the opposing evil
spirits that they were sure to encounter.
God delightfully told the opposing Lucifer:
“They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is
this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake
kingdoms that made
the world as a wilderness.”
Isaiah 14:16
God said that in reference to the controlling spirit in man such
as selfishness, self
centered, abusers of mankind, destructive individuals and haters
of God etc.
While on the other hand, take a look at Christians that are
serving their God by
living a crucified life; for then comes in to play the saying
“They that see Lucifer
shall narrowly look upon him, and consider him, saying,
Is this the man that made
the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;” Isaiah 14::16
The LORD
told Lucifer: “Thou shalt not be joined
with them in burial.”
Isaiah 14:20-a
In Romans
chapter six, Paul explains why Lucifer will not be joined with Christians in
burial. In a nut shell, Biblical account, we were
crucified with JESUS.
Buried
with Him and raised with Him in His resurrection even as He, we were raised
without sin. For that reason Lucifer
was not joined with us in burial.
(Considering
that our being crucified with JESUS, buried with Him, then raised with Him in
His Resurrection is supernatural; however supernatural things has more
substance than the natural, for that which is seen is temporal whereas the
things unseen are eternal.)
Jesus Said: “I am the root and the offspring of David, and
the bright and morning
star.” Revelation 22:16
May the God of Heaven be blessed forever.
Amen!
The
Words of the Lord are Pure Words
September 23, 2012
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I gleaned the title from where the psalmist
wrote: “The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of
earth, purified seven times.” Psalm 12:6
Amen!
That affirmation also applies to the words written
by the prophets that wrote about the last two days of our Savior’s life.
They lived and wrote as though they were eye
witnesses to the trauma, suffering and the LORD’S words that were often
expressed in dismay. What’s more, they
put it into print, centuries before it was carried out at Calvary.
God told us through the pen of Isaiah how He
warranted Jesus Christ to be: “The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”
(Revelation 13:8b).
Just read what He said:
“I have declared the
former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I
shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.” Isaiah 48:3 (KJV)
This is a word to the wise: do not, I repeat,
do not miss the following:
Leave the Biblical grammar and the tense wherein
it was written as you find it, whether in the past, present or future
tense. First and foremost every thing
that was written in the past tense was already history, however in some
Biblical statements it will serve as prophecy as well. Not forgetting that GOD intended that it be
interpreted as it was written. And for
Heaven’s sake stay with the KING JAMES VERSION, Amen!
As he was directed by the Holy Spirit, David
recorded the words of JESUS’ prayer and supplications that He made to GOD during
the six hours he was on the cross, and David accomplished that several centuries before it became real
on Golgotha’s hill.
Is that amazing or what?
David commenced writing Psalm 22 where JESUS
began pouring His heart out to the FATHER with prayer and supplications. David wrote this passage of
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scripture as though he was an eye witness to
the crucifixion for he wrote it in the present tense.
GOD’S only begotten SON
questioned Him with the following words:
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? [2] O my God, I cry in the daytime, but
thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. [3] But thou art holy, O thou that
inhabitest the praises of Israel. [4]
Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. [5] They cried unto thee, and were
delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. [6] But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach
of men, and despised of the people.
[7] All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they
shake the head saying, [8] He trusted
on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted
in him. [9] But thou art he that took
me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's
breasts. [10] I was cast upon thee
from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. [11] Be not far from me; for trouble is
near; for there is none to help. [12]
Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. [13] They gaped upon me with their mouths,
as a ravening and a roaring lion. [14]
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like
wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
[15] My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to
my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. [16] For dogs have compassed me: the
assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my
feet. [17] I may tell all my bones:
they look and stare upon me. [18] They
part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. [19] But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O
my strength, haste thee to help me.” Psalm 22:1-19
Those words also testified that the
sacrificial death of Jesus was valid at the time David wrote the Psalm, and
that it had been official before the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden.
While at the same time it prophesied of the
disgraceful and unjust act that Israel along with the Gentiles should carry out
at Calvary, centuries later.
Now let’s consider Isaiah chapter 53:
Verse 2 was written in the future tense. That
suggested that it was prophecy of the coming Messiah.
Here’s what he wrote:
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“For he shall grow up before him as a tender
plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and
when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”
The next several verses were in agreement
with the doctrine that emphatically says that JESUS CHRIST was slain from the
foundation of the world, while at the same time it prophesied of Calvary’s
Hill.
The Prophet Isaiah continued:
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him;
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
[4] Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did
esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. [5] But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him;
and with his stripes we are healed.
[6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his
own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7] He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a
sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. [8] He was taken from prison and from
judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the
land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. [9] And he made his grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was
any deceit in his mouth.
[10] Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him;
he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he
shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord
shall prosper in his hand. [11] He
shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge
shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their
iniquities. [12] Therefore will I
divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the
strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered
with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for
the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:3-12 (KJV)
What we have found in Isaiah 53:3-12 was both
prophecy and history.
As prophecy it told of the cruel treatment,
the mocking the rejection and much, much more that awaited JESUS CHRIST
centuries later.
In
conclusion, the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ has been valid for salvation
from before the world was until the end of the world.
May God who created it all, be blessed
forever, and ever. Amen!
THE
INTRODUCTORY TO THE TWO TESTAMENTS
November
9, 2012
Page 258
Before we consider the doctrine that deals
with the two testaments, I deem it necessary that we distinguish between the
doctrine that JESUS CHRIST was slain from the foundation of the world, and the doctrine
on the ministry.
Confirming that JESUS CHRIST was the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the word;
the LORD GOD said that the works Of JESUS GHRIST was in force from the
foundation of the world.
The Heavenly FATHER said in a contemptible
voice:
“As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall
enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the
world.” Hebrews 4:3 Then there is where John the Revelator
implied that JESUS CHRIST was the LAMB slain from the foundation of the world.
Revelation 13:8
That slaying was so official that GOD saved
repenting souls from Adam until the end of the world such due to the fact that
it satisfied the ordinance that decreed: “…a testament is of force after men
are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”
Hebrews 9:17
From a carnal view no one was saved before
JESUS CHRIST died at Calvary because another Ordinance that was in place said: “And without
shedding of blood is no remission.”
Hebrews 9:22-b
Ah, but a mere technicality for our wonderful
GOD who said: “I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they
went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they
came to pass.” Isaiah 48:3
Page 259
Then the Apostle said of the GREAT I AM: “God
who quickeneth the dead, and calleth
those things which be not as though they were.” Romans 4:17
The testimonial that follows clearly states
that the blood of JESUS CHRIST was in full force from the foundation of the
world.
A short time after the LORD delivered Israel
from the hand of Pharaoh. Moses and
the children of Israel sang:
“The Lord is my strength and song, and he is
become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my
father's God, and I will exalt him.” Exodus
15:2
Then Isaiah recorded this testimonial:
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust,
and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is
become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2
May the FATHER and GOD of our LORD JESUS
CHRIST be blessed forevermore!
Amen!
THE OLD
AND NEW
TESTAMENTS
December
3, 2012
Page
260
The
man of God said: “For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it
is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.” Hebrews 9:17
As
we established in our introduction God reckoned the Lord Jesus Christ to have
been slain from the foundation of the world, and on that basis salvation was
available to our first parents and their offspring that followed.
Paul
understood that to be true. He wrote:
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” Titus
2:11
After
God saves an individual, from that day hence, he or she is a citizen of Heaven,
and not only that they were saved unto good works; and those works are to be
carried out by the outward man.
And
he or she is subject to the temptations of the flesh. Transgressions of that
sort warrants recompense that only our GOD can provide.
The
LORD did provided a remedy for the sins of the flesh.
After
our first parents sinned by eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good
and evil, God set the Old Testament in motion.
Genesis 2:9
God
did provide the means whereby the sins of the flesh could be dealt with.
Moses
said: “Unto Adam also and to his wife the Lord God make coats of skins, and
clothed them.” Genesis 3:21
By
slaying those animals GOD set aprecedence for future sacrifices of the Old
Testament.
*The
consistency of all testaments is the blood of the slain. And by design its service is to sanctify and
purify the outward man.*
(Don’t
forget that I said the blood of the Old Testament covered sin instead of doing
away with it as the blood of Jesus has done since Calvary.)
The
brothers Cain and Able made sacrifices to GOD.
Cain brought things he had planted and harvested from the ground. Abel brought his sacrifice from the flock.
GOD
rejected Cain’s offering and accepted Abel’s.
You know the story, Cain slew Abel.
That is found in Genesis chapter # 4.
The
LORD GOD shed more light on how His sacrificial Ordinance was to be carried
out:
Page
261
After
Abram ask the Lord God “whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
GOD
told that patriot: “Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of
three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young
pigeon. And he took unto him all these,
and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the
birds divided he not.” Genesis 15:8-10
*Important
note*
Even
though many of the Gentiles were saved from Adam to the cross, but they had no
part in the ministry; thetrfore they were not subject to the Old
Testament.
Now
the LORD GOD combined the Old Testament with the Ten Commandments to form the
Law Covenant.
When
the Commandments found sin in a repenting Israelite, the blood of the Old
Testament was designed to cover it.
GOD
commissioned Moses to mediate the Law Covenant.
During
the Old Testament all Israel shared the work of the kingdom, from the hewers of
wood to the High Priest that applied to both saint and sinner alike.
The
exception to the rule was the Sanctuary.
The
Lord told Israel through the pen of Ezekiel: “Thus saith the Lord God; No
stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into
my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.” Ezekiel
44:9
That
ruling forbade the Gentiles, altogether. It also forbade the unsaved Men of
Israel from ministering in the sanctuary.
During
the Old Testament both saint and sinner served in the office of priest. However the law did specified that he be of
the linage of Aaron.
Qualifying
as being a chief among sinners:
Caiaphas
was the High Priest during the year of the crucifixion. He conducted the mock
trial of JESUS and gave the order to crucify Him..
Moses
gave the ordinance whereby Israel’s priests were to purify themselves of the
sins of their flesh:
He
wrote: “If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the
people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock
without blemish unto the Lord for a sin offering.” Leviticus 4:3
Page
262
What’s
more the author of Hebrews told the effect the testament had on its recipient.
He
said: “For the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer
sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:” Hebrews 9:13
Due
to the fact that time and space is of the essence I’ve elected to go with the
author of Hebrews rather than trying to gleaning my thoughts from the Older
Testament. The Hebrew gave an excellent account on the things of the Old
Covenant.
Israel
flunked the test on the Covenant Moses mediated between GOD and them.
The
writer said: “For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come,
saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and
with the house of Judah:” Hebrews 8:8
In
the above the Lord told Israel that He would make a new covenant with the house
of Israel and with the house of Judah.
The
reason GOD named Israel and Judah was that those two housed contained the
entire twelve tribes of Israel.
He
divided them into two houses during the reign of Rehaboam, Solomon’s son. The
reason being because of his indifference toward GOD. In dividing them, the LORD took ten tribes
from Rehaboam and gave them to Jeroboam leaving Judah and Benjamin for Rehaboam
reign over.
GOD
promised Israel: “And I will make them
one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king
to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be
divided into two kingdoms any more at all:” Ezekiel 37:22
GOD
did bring the two nations together making them one, on the day of Pentecost. He
accomplished that by taking His redeemed from the two nations and making them
one them one on the day of Pentecost.
No
doubt the saints from the two houses were among the hundred and twenty that
awaited the HOLY GHOST in the upper room..
GOD also told Israel: “Thy people also shall be all righteous:
they shall inherit the land for ever.” Isaiah 60:21-a
The land of the living, as it
were, was not the land wherein Israel dwelt during the Old Testament. It was
the land that the spirits of saints dwelt then and at this very day.
In a song of admiration the
Psalmist identified that good land he did it through song.
He sang: “I cried unto thee, O
Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.”
Psalm 142:5
Another promise GOD made to
Israel was: “Thy people also shall be all righteous: Isaiah 60:21-a
During the Old covenant, Israel
was anything but righteous. JESUS told them that the kingdom would be taken
from them and given to a nation that would bring forth fruit in their season.
Page 263
(Since the details of His parable
are lengthy, I have elected to copy a few verses that afford a good
understanding on our subject. Those verses are as follows;
JESUS said to the elders of
Jerusalem: [33] Hear another parable:
There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round
about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to
husbandmen, and went into a far country:
[35] And the husbandmen took his servants, and
beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
[37] last of all he sent unto them his son,
saying, They will reverence my son.
[38] But when the husbandmen saw
the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him,
and let us seize on his inheritance.
[39] And they caught him, and
cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
[40] When the lord therefore of
the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
[41] They say unto him, He will
miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other
husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
Jesus saith unto them,
[43] Therefore say I unto you, The
kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth
the fruits thereof. Matthew Chapter 21
In reference to the day Israel
would kill His SON JESUS GOD told Ezekiel:
“And say to the land of Israel,
Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword
out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
Ezekiel 21:3
And that He did.
On the day Israel killed JESUS,
GOD carried out that threat by casting out Israel in its entirety.
Due to their casting out was of a
spiritual nature rather than a physical ousting,
Daniel prophesied of the way it
would impact its victims. He wrote:
“Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do
wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall
understand.” Daniel 12:10
Then GOD promised Israel: “Thy people also shall be all righteous.”
Isaiah 60:21a
GOD did bring that about. The fruit bearing nation of whom JESUS spoke
were those whom He comforted with these words: “Fear not, little flock; for it
is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32
(You know what? The kingdom God
gave the little flock was the kingdom of Israel.
(And the little flock was also
Israel’s finest.)
Because the makeup of the small
remnant was the twelve apostles, the seventy evangelists and more than likely
the women that followed JESUS during His ministry rounded out the number of a
hundred and twenty.
Page 264
On the day of Pentecost they were
baptized back into the Kingdom by the HOLY GHOST, and their return was under
the umbrella of Grace.
That was the beginning to the
promise GOD made to Israel that reads: “Thy people also shall be all
righteous.” Isaiah 60:21-a
That number was increased
manifold. Peter preached to Israel on
the day of Pentecost and about three thousand souls were saved. Although the
writer could have truthfully have said that God added to Israel daily such as
should be saved.
However in reverence to our LORD
JESUS CHRIST who renamed Israel His Church, The writer said: “And the Lord
added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Acts 2:47
The name Israel gradually faded
into the back ground and the Church was moved to the fore ground.
Paul explained, through imagery,
how GOD fulfilled the promise He made to Israel that: “Thy people also shall be
all righteous.”
He portrayed Israel as the good
olive tree and its branches as her people.
Then he let the wild olive tree
represent the Gentile nations, and its branches as their people.
Through a similar process as
Paul’s allegory, God removed the unbelievers of Israel from the Kingdom of GOD
and replace them with the believing Gentiles. Through that adoptive process GOD
made good on His promise to Israel that
“Thy people also shall be all righteous.” which by that time bore the name:
“The Church.”
After explaining his allegory to
the Churches new found members, Paul warned them against having a prideful
conceit.
He admonished: “Thou wilt say
then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well;
because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not
highminded, but fear:” Romans 11:19-20
GOD
also promised Israel: Behold saith the Lord of hosts, I will remove the
iniquity of that land in one day. Zechariah 3:9-b
Paul
explained how. He wrote: “Blotting out
the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us,
and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” Colossians 2:14
Zechariah
prophesied of the method whereby the LORD would do away with the sins that the
Old Testament had hidden.
Page
265
He
prophesied: “In that day living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of
them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea:” Zechariah
14:8
During the Old Testament when a saint died he or she did not go
directly to Heaven but instead they were escorted by the angels to Paradise and
kept there until Jesus paid off their sin debt, even the sins that they
committed during their pilgrimage which is to say wile in the flesh.
During the Old Testament, Paradise and Hell were both in the heart
of the earth. Scriptural? You bet! According to our blessed Savior's own words
He was not with The Heavenly Father during the first three days of His
departure from earth. Proof of that was that
On the third day He told Mary,
“Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father." John 20:17
Remember? Jesus taught
that: "As Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and
three nights in the heart of the earth."
Matthew 12:40
Peter quoted David as saying: "Seeing this before spake of
the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his
flesh did see corruption."
Acts 2:24-27
(A more thorough account on
our subject is to be had on page 118 of book #1.)
Way
back when I thought that reference to be to the souls of those of the Old Testament, but nay, those
people were as saved as we are and had no need of anything for their soul. John sets the record straight where he said: “Whosoever is born of
God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin,
because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:9
Here
is another Scripture that applies to the cleansing of the outward man. In the Revelation, the
elder ask John: “What are these which
are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir,
thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great
tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb.” Revelation 7:13-14
Now
we know that the robes they made white was not their soul, that’s done by JESUS
CHRIST and Him only.
However
they were purging their conscience and cleansing their flesh through the
process provided by our Savior.
Page
266
John
made that plain where he said:
“If
we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” John
1:7
Zacharias
and his wife Elisabeth left us a good example on how to make our robes white.
Luke
said: “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” Luke 1:5-6
(Zacharias
and Elisabeth were the parents of John the Baptist)
The
Hebrew writer gave his interpretation of the promise GOD made to Israel. He
wrote: “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write
them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a
people:”
Hebrews
8:10
However,
the whole house of Israel didn’t receive the things promised to Israel.
Paul
said as much where he wrote: “What then?
Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath
obtained it, and the rest were blinded.” Romans 11:7
Then
the prophecy said: “And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every
man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least
to the greatest.” Hebrews 8:11
In
retrospect the LORD told Moses to say
to the children of Israel: “And these words, which I command thee this day,
shall be in thine heart: [7] And thou
shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou
sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest
down, and when thou risest up. [8] And
thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets
between thine eyes. [9] And thou shalt
write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. [10] And it shall be, when the Lord thy God
shall have brought thee into the land which he swear unto thy fathers, to
Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9
The
LORD also told those of Israel: “And I will
give them one heart, I will give them one and I will put a new spirit within
you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an
heart of flesh:” Ezekiel
11:19
The
new heart of flesh was part of the Pentecostal experience, and only GOD’S Elect
were its recipient.
What’s
more He said: I will give them one heart.”
I believe that by giving them one
heart His hope was that they would love Him and love one another for at best peace among the tribes was practically non
existent.
Page 267
A
good example of that is where JESUS asked the Samaritan woman to give Him a
drink: “Then saith the woman of Samaria
unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a
woman of Samaria? for the Jews had near to nothing dealings with the
Samaritans.” John 4:9
He
said: “And I will put a new spirit
within you;”
The
new heart and New Spirit, were both given to the elect on the day of
Pentecost.
Then,
let us glory along with the writer who said: “But Christ being come an high priest of good
things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,
that is to say, not of this building; [12] 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. [13] For if
the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the
unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: [14] 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? [15] 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.” Hebrews 9:11-15
The
writer also assured us of how much more we are blessed than they of the Old
Testament.
He
wrote: “For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that
burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, [19] And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice
of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be
spoken to them any more: [20] (For they
could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the
mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: [21] And so terrible was the sight, that Moses
said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) [22]
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, [23] To the general assembly and church of the
firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the
spirits of just men made perfect, [24]
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling,
that speaketh better things than that of Abel. [25] See that ye refuse not him that speaketh.
For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall
not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: [26] Whose voice then shook the earth: but now
he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also
heaven. [27] And this word, Yet once
more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things
that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. [28] Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which
cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with
reverence and godly fear: [29] For our
God is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews
12:18-29
The
writer had so many good things to say about our LORD, seemingly he just couldn’t say enough; therefore I have
turned him loose:
Page268
Hebrews
7:15 And it is yet far more evident: for
that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
Hebrews
8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is
the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
Hebrews
8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their
iniquities will I remember no more.
Hebrews
9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this
building;
Hebrews
9:14 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?
Hebrews
10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshippers once purged
should have had no more conscience of sins.
Hebrews
10:17-18 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. [18] Now where
remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
Hebrews 1:4 Being made so much better than the
angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Hebrews 7:7 And without all contradiction the
less is blessed of the better.
Hebrews
7:19 For the law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
Hebrews
7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. Hebrews 9:23 It
was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be
purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices
than these.
Hebrews
11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured,
not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Hebrews
11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should
not be made perfect.
Hebrews
12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the
new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than
that of Abel.
May
the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob be blessed forever,
Amen!
