Cornerstone Baptist Church

 “And, behold , I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.  And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.  And it came to pass , while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.  And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy”—Luke 24:49-52

“Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey .And when they were come in , they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren”—Acts 1:10-14

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.”—Acts 2:1-4a

For the past many years, our church has begun every New Year with what we call our Ten Days of Tarrying prayer meetings. We believe that God has blessed our church through the years as a result of our beginning it with this prayer emphasis.  Each night, at 7:00 P.M. we will be meeting in our Multi-purpose building for a time of prayer together. We will pray, much like we do each Wednesday night at the close of our midweek service. 

This year we want to very specifically for our missionaries, for an ingathering of souls and for a number of families to be added to the church. There are other areas of prayer focus that will be especially addressed during the week.” 

ACCESSING THE POWER OF GOD

Notice in the Scripture text above that Jesus promised to equip or empower His disciples for the work He had for them to do. It was a tremendous task that Jesus had set before the church; He had said in Matthew 28:18, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo , I am with you alway , even unto the end of the world.” And in Acts 1:8 He’d said,  “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 all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” 

The task we have before us today as a local New Testament Church hasn’t changed.  We still have a mandate to reach our local communities (our “Jerusalem”), the outlying areas (our “Judea”) with the Gospel and support the spread of the Gospel throughout the world (“the uttermost parts of the earth,”). It is still true, as it was for the early church, that we can do nothing whatsoever in terms of accomplishing God’s work without His power; therefore we desperately need to access this power of the Holy Spirit.

Thankfully, the same power that was promised to, and could be accessed by the early church, is promised to and can be accessed by us today. The Lord has promised to give power to them who will tarry for it—that is, wait for it, by waiting on Him prayerfully—tarrying, for an enduement of power from on high. We have God’s assurance:  “How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13).  

WHAT TARRYING INVOLVES 

Tarrying involves waiting on God.  This requires our assembling with other believers to pray in the same way that the 120 gathered together and prayed in the upper room (Acts 1:12-14).  The Bible teaches that the Lord is present in a special way and that there are special benefits when His people pray together. See Matt. 18:19, 20; Acts 4:24-31; 12:5-12.

As I do each year, I want to remind everyone that we will derive the maximum spiritual benefit from our Ten Days of Tarrying just to the degree that we are willing, during this time to, as much as possible, if not altogether, refrain from watching television and listening to worldly radio programs, music etc. The Bible warns us that “the cares of this world” (Mark 4:19) work effectively to choke out spiritual things. Another suggestion is to minimize activity on the internet where it is not necessary for legitimate work or school purposes.

Understand too, that each year there are those in our church family who include fasting as part of their Ten Days of Tarrying. Fasting is especially helpful in certain cases where a believer may be facing extraordinary spiritual challenges from the evil one in their own personal life or in their family, etc. Jesus taught His disciples about this in Mark 9:29, “And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” The Bible teaches that fasting is meant to serve as a kind of spiritual supplement, even a catalyst, to prayer. I would strongly recommend that those who are physically able to do it, fast for at least one whole day during these Ten Days of Tarrying.

TARRYING TIME IS TRANSFORMATION TIME

Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” We need to have our minds renewed from day to day, so that we are from day to day, being transformed. Nothing is more effective in our accomplishment of this than prayer, and, as we have already mentioned, there is something especially beneficial to our praying together.

The Bible teaches, and our own experience during and after our times of tarrying in prayer at the first of the year have shown us, that wonderful results come from these meetings. Each year we look forward to the testimonials given by those who tell how God has blessed their participation in these meetings.

We need the power of God in and on our lives as we go through this New Year that is ahead of us. We need it, not only for the sake of evangelism and church growth, but also for the sake of our fulfilling our roles as husbands and wives, parents and children, employers and employees, etc. We need God’s power to discover, develop and exercise our individual spiritual gifts for the glory or God and the good of others.  We need, as individuals and as a church, to be transformed in order to “overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21), anywhere and everywhere, all year long.

It isn’t compulsory; like everything else connected with our church life, participation in our Ten Days of Tarrying is purely voluntary. We realize that some may have truly extenuating circumstances that may prevent any or all participation. But we do encourage everyone who possibly can to take part as members of our church family gather together for Ten Days of Tarrying in prayer before God.

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”—1 Thess. 5:18

There’s Something Very Plain Here

Here is an admonition that is very plain; God says to believers, “In every thing give thanks.” Notice that the instruction here isn’t to give thanks for every thing. God doesn’t expect us to give thanks for all of the things that come into our live. But He does expect, and He commands, that we give thanks in every thing.  In other words, no matter what the situation, we need to be careful not to ever quit giving thanks to God. There is so much to be thankful to God for; we will never be at a loss to find things about Him and His dealings with us for which we can be grateful.

The Apostle Paul said, "I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation" (2 Corinthians 7:4). Paul knew what it was to experience trouble and trial and to find himself in difficult situations, but he’d learned to maintain a thankful heart towards God no matter what.  He wrote from a prison cell, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Phil. 4:11). How could he be thankful and have inner contentment in such situations?  He was a man who really believed that “All things work together for good to them that love the God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

There’s Something Very Practical Here

The Bible tells us that our giving thanks to God in every situation is “the will of God in Christ Jesus.” One reason that this attitude of gratitude is God’s will for us is because it will help us to live victoriously, daily as Christians. It may sound odd, but a thankful heart is vital to our resisting the temptations of the devil.  He has many “wiles” and “devices” (2 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 6:11) that he uses against believers to try and tempt us to sin, and one of them is to generate resentment and distrust in our hearts towards the Lord when problems come our way.

As long as we are in this world, we’ll find that troubles will come our way as surely as “sparks fly upwards” (Job 5:7). Just as certainly as the sun will shine on the “evil and the good,” and the rain will fall on the just and the unjust” (Matt 5:45) there are temptations that are “common to man” (1 Cor. 10:13a). But this verse goes on to tell us that, “God is faithful, who will not suffer us to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13). We can be thankful for this. And remember that keeping a thankful spirit will prove to be a powerful antidote, a mighty defense, against Satan, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us” (2 Cor. 2:112).

A boy once observed a butterfly struggling to get out of its cocoon. He thought he would give it some help, and with his penknife, he carefully cut the cocoon open. The butterfly was able to crawl out of its cocoon, but it hadn’t developed the strength to fly, and died soon after it had escaped its “problem” area.”

Sometimes Christian people resent the situations they find themselves in and try to extricate themselves from them when what they may need to do is to just wait on the Lord with a thankful heart and see what He may be doing by allowing them to experience a problem. Sometimes we will try, out of sympathy, but in our flesh, to get a friend out of a difficult place. We need to be very careful. When we find others or ourselves struggling in the storms, struggling with the stuff, of life, we need to remember the lesson of the butterfly.

A butterfly is designed to gain strength through struggle. It’s the struggle that gives the butterfly a stronger hearts and enables it to ascend to new heights.  So it is with believers; our trials have their purpose. As we struggle with troubles and trials, while being thankful in the midst of them, we will develop a stronger heart for the Lord and deeper faith. To this end, Paul wrote: “I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Cor. 4:7), and James wrote that when we fall into different types of temptations, we should “count it all joy … knowing this, that the   trying of your faith worketh patience,” and that we must “Let patience have here perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing(James 1:2, 3

Someone once wrote a book entitled, The Bumps are What You Climb On. There are a lot of bumps on the road of life, and as Christians, instead of stumbling over them, we need to get real good at stepping up to new spiritual levels on them and counting our blessings and praising the Lord while we do it.  This is “the will of God.”

There’s Something Very Personal Her

Think about this: God’s will in this matter of thanksgiving is His very will for each of us personally; it is “concerning you.” If his eye is on the sparrow, and not one of them can fall to the ground without His notice, you can be sure that He cares for you. He knows everything about you—He knows how many hairs are on your head (Matt. 10:29; Luke 12:7). He knows every thing that is going on inside you and every thing that is going on around you. 

God knows you, and He knows what’s best for you. He knows how powerfully impacted your life will be if you will be the kind of person who, no matter what the situation, will still give thanks.  Remember, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”—1 Thess. 5:18

HOW MIRACLES HAPPEN

LESSONS FROM THE LOAVES AND THE FISHES

Wednesday night, I addressed this church on our need to see God do miraculous things among us, through us and for us.  If you weren’t here Wednesday night, you should see someone in our sound room for a free cd of Wednesday night’s service.  Our God still performs miracles for His children, and the account in John, chapter six of His feeding 5,000 people on a handful of fish and bread tells us how these miracles come about.

THERE WAS A PROBLEM

In the first place there was a problem: 5, 000 people had followed Jesus far out into the countryside, and found themselves, late in the day, far from any place to obtain desperately needed food. All miracles begin with a problem.

How did this situation come about? Who dropped the ball by not telling them to bring some food, by not watching the time, by not noticing how far they had traveled?  The answer to all these questions is that it isn’t relevant. All that is relevant is that they needed a miracle.

Jesus apparently allowed this situation to happen for a greater purpose. Verse six  says, “He himself knew what He would do.” What He was going to do was demonstrate how miracles are gotten from God. Sometimes God allows desperate situations to happen for His children because He wants to perform a miracle for them.

THERE WAS AND IS A PLAN THAT NEEDED TO BE FOLLOWED

This account of the feeding of the five thousand teaches us that there are two things involved when God performs a miracles for our sakes:

Notice first, that the disciples became proactive.  “One of the disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, there is a lad here which hath five barley loaves and two fishes” (vv. 8, 9). This lad here was a disciple too; he was a follower, and attention was called to the fact that he had something that could be given to Christ for the sake of others.  He gave up his little bit of bread and fish, Jesus took it, and then and only then was He prepared to meet the need at hand as only He can.  We must learn from this that the size of our gift isn’t significant to miracle-getting; what is all-significant is the sacrifice of our gift.

God wants to provide for His people in miraculous ways, but first, something has to be provided to God by His people.   This is the way every miracle begins.  The waters of Jordan wouldn’t part until God’s people first put their feet in them.  The poverty-stricken widow’s empty barrel wasn’t miraculously filled until, in response to the prophets question, “What hast thou in thy house?” (2 kings 4:2), she started bringing out what she had.

By the way, what do you have in your house, in your pocket, in your life, that you could give to God for the sake of seeing a miracle? What would you be willing to turn loose of for God, in order to get Him to turn loose something for you andothers?

THERE WAS PRAYER

Secondly, prayer always precedes a miracle.  “And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples” (v. 11).

Sacrificial giving, coupled with prayer is God’s formula for a miracle. Make sure you are on praying ground so the miracle/s we need as a church will be surely

As a church we need God to do miracles for us.   Make sure you are on praying ground so that any miracles we need will surely forthcoming. First John 3:22 says, “And whatsoever we ask,, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”

No one can be on praying ground that is knowingly breaking any of God’s commandments.  And, no one is positioned to receive a miracle, even if they are keeping His commandments, who isn’t finding out, and then following through, on doing those things that are pleasing in God’s sight.  You may have things in your life that aren’t necessarily a violation of God’s commandments, but that aren’t pleasing to Him; if you aren’t willing to change anything so that it pleases God, don’t think you can pray for a miracle.

WE HAVE A PROMISE

There are two parts to a miracle: our part and God’s part.  God always does His part when we do ours.  When what was in the lad’s hands was transferred into the Lord’s hands, a miracle ensued. thousands were filled on 2 or 3 pounds of food, and there were twelve baskets of leftovers. 

We can’t afford to forget that God “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask of think” (Eph:2:20), and can supply all of our need “according to His riches in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). He wants to perform miracles in answer to our prayers: “Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 2:10).

BROKENNESS AND WORSHIP
“There came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head”--Mark 14:3

The Character of the Box

The box the woman brought to Jesus represents us, all of us, —our body, soul and spirit (1 Thess. 5:23).  We, like this box, must be presented to Jesus in such a way that that which is within us, the worship which He so richly deserves, can be poured out upon Him.

With this in mind, think about the character of this box:  First it was not without significance, in and of itself. Such boxes were usually beautiful in their design, and this woman probably thought quite a bit about her box. But she knew that however precious it was to her, it would have to be broken before she could worship Jesus as she wanted to. How many Christian’s attachment to their “box”—their pride, their plans, etc.—prevent them from being broken, even for Jesus’ sake?

Another thing we have in common with this woman is that her box was very strong; it was made of alabaster—one of the strongest materials available in that day.  The love of some believers for their ways, and the strength of their wills, prevent them from ever offering Jesus the innermost worship or their hearts. They simply can’t bear the thought of, much less bring themselves to the place of brokenness.

The Contents of the Box

As to the contents of this woman’s box, the preciousness of it is made clear in the Bible.  We’re told that it contained ointment of spikenard, “very precious” and “very costly” (Matt. 26:7;  Luke 14:3; John 11:3).  The fact that there was an intended purpose for the contents of this box is made clear to us too. Simply stated, what was in the box was meant to be poured out on Jesus.

God wants us to worship Him from the depths of our being.  Just as the most precious pearls lie deepest in the sea and the highest-grade diamonds and gold are deepest in the earth, there is praise and gratitude, “a high grade” of worship ” from deep within us that God deserves. The Lord deserves more than shallow, surface, superficial worship. The psalmist said, “I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart” (Ps. 9:1). Is it your intention to “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name,” and to “worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness” (Ps. 29:2) even though it means your own brokenness?

The Crushing of the Box

For the precious ointment of spikenard could be poured out, something was required; the woman had to see to the breaking her box. Nobody did it for her. She did it herself.  Do you have a “box” a “self” that has become hardened by pride or self-will? Do you love your box, the way things are, more than you love Jesus and the way things could be in terms of your worship and relationship with Him.? The Holy Spirit will help you bring about the brokenness that’s needed if you ask him, but other than this, no one can break your box but you.

What resulted when the woman broke her box for Jesus sake?  John 12:3 says, “The house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” There was a noticeable change; she was aware of it and everyone around her noticed it too. A new freshness, and sweetness permeated her world. This is what happens when we let our spirits be broken for Jesus’ sake. Revival will take place: “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isa. 57:15).

Many people wonder today, why there are so many different churches and denominations, and if there are any churches today that could be considered a true church. In today’s bulletin we will do what we can to address these issue, and show that churches founded by men and women are not the same as the New Testament Church founded by Christ Himself.

Identifying the New Testament Church

The fact is, that Jesus Himself, during His personal ministry, founded the New Testament church. In Matthew 16:18 He said, “Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  The “Rock” Christ referred to was Himself (see 1 Cor. 10:4). There is a New Testament church that has been founded, organized, instructed and commissioned by Christ Himself. These churches exist all over the world, and are made up of born again believers who have been baptized and who are committed to the faith and policies Christ placed in His church, and to carrying out the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19, 20).

Why is it so difficult for people to accept the fact that all of the modern day different churches and denominations, with their differing beliefs and practices, are not the same as the New Testament church that Christ established? Why is it so hard for some to understand that, things that are different are simply not the same!

What is Christ’s Position Regarding the Present Day Multiplicity Denominations?

Our Lord made it clear when He was here that He wanted unity, and not disunity, clarity and not confusion where His church was concerned. In His high priestly prayer, He prayed, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:21). Jesus’ prayer is answered when His people are one in spirit and one in belief and practice.  True unity is based upon, and depends upon, adherence to biblical truth. Did not Christ tell the woman at the well that they who genuinely worship God must worship Him according to the dictates of truth: “God s a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

The apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 are a rebuke to all denominationalism and division that is a manifestation of a departure from what the Word of God teaches: “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.  Now this I say , that every one of you saith , I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided ? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Cor. 1:10-13). 

Christ and the apostles recognized the tendency of people to follow men instead of the Bible and warned against it. Sadly men and women have deviated from the truth, devised creeds and doctrines of their own and found people who have been more than willing to follow them. This, very clearly, accounts for the many denominations and churches we have today which believe all sorts of different things. Such divisions started very early with the Gnostics in 125 A. D. the Montanists in 156 A. D. and the Manicheans in 144 A. D.

In 325 A. D., the first major splintering or division from the New Testament Church that Christ established took place under the Roman Emperor Constantine, when a number of pastors, under his influence, succeeded in leading members of their congregations to form what we know today as the Roman Catholic Church. In 1054 there was a split within the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in another denomination, the Greek Orthodox Church.

Then, in 1517, the Protestant Reformation began. This movement, led by a Catholic monk named Martin Luther gave birth to the Lutheran, Presbyterian and Episcopalian denominations—splinter groups from the Roman Catholic Church. And out of these have come the various Methodist, Pentecostal and other denominations. It is estimated that there are more than 33,000 Christian denominations in the world today. All the while, the New Testament Church that Jesus founded continued to steadfastly adhere to the teachings and practices instituted in them by Jesus Christ Himself, often in spite of hardships and persecution.

The Confusion Continues

Christ cannot be pleased with the multitude of teaching that is done in he name of His Church. Yet, men and women who have founded and are founding “churches” continued to find followers. Jesus said, “In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9). Paul wrote, “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears” (2 Tim. 4:3).

Paul warned the Church at Galatia, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 3:8). And yet, there is a large denomination that claims to have received its teachings from an angel!

New Testament Church Exist Today

New Testament churches survive today. They can’t be identified strictly by name. The name, whether it be Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Pentecost, Baptist, Nazarene or Charismatic, etc. is not the Criteria for identifying a true New Testament Church.  New Testament churches are identified by what they believe and practice, and by their continuing in the tradition of the Church that Jesus built, to “Contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).

 Christians should reject the popular attitude that says, “Does it really matter what church one goes to?” and the counsel to “Just go to the church of your choice.” Believers should align themselves with a New Testament Church.

THE PASSION IN VIEW HERE

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God …. “
  
In Romans 12:1, 2, we find the Apostle Paul, inspired by thee Holy Spirit of God, pleading passionately with believers to live sanctified lives.  He bases his plea on what the Lord Jesus, in His mercy towards sinners was willing to suffer so that we could be saved; the word “therefore,” is intended to refer the reader back to all that Paul had previously written in this letter.  The word “beseech” is very strong. Paul is literally begging believers to give heed to the admonition that follows in the second part of verse one.

THE PRESENTATION IN VIEW HERE

“… Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”

The admonition here is clear. As believers, we are told that it is the duty of every Christian to consciously and deliberately present their body as a living sacrifice to God; to consider their body as “holy,” that is, separated unto God.  Furthermore, we are told that this it is nothing more or less than “reasonable” for us to do this.

It is reasonable for us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, because God has told us plainly in His word that our bodies actually belong to Him and therefore, it is our duty is to use them in ways that acknowledge his ownership of us: “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Cor. 6:20). In the verse preceding this one, Paul expressed amazement that there were people in the Corinthian church who apparently didn’t understand this: “What?,” he wrote, “know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (v. 19).

We might well wonder the same thing concerning the seeming majority of Christians today! Where is the disconnect? Why can’t Christians (or why won’t they) acknowledge the fact that their bodies are not their own and it is therefore a “reasonable” thing to expect that they would want to make sure that they are doing nothing in or with their bodies that would be inconsistent with God’s Word and therefore keeping Him from receiving the glory, through them, that He demands and deserves? (See Rom. 6:13)

THE PROHIBITION IN VIEW HERE

                                         “And be not conformed to this world… “                       

The word “conformed” is translated from a word meaning, “Do not assume an outward expression in your life that is inconsistent with and falsely misrepresents the life that is within you.” In other words, we as believers are prohibited from displaying the mannerisms, expressions of speech, styles and habits that are common to the world. The “world” referred to here is that world system spoken of in 1 John 2:15-17: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  And the world passeth away , and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17). 

The “world” which the Bible forbids Christians to conform to is, “All that floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims, speculations, hopes, impulses, aims, aspirations, at any time current in the world, which it may be impossible to seize and accurately  define, but which constitute a most real and effective power, being moral, or immoral atmosphere which at every moment of our lives we inhale, again inevitably to exhale” (K. E. Wuest). See James 4:4;

THE PRESCRIPTION IN VIEW HERE

“be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind … “

There are professed believers who “mind earthly things” (Phil. 1:19); preoccupied with, and fixated on, and fascinated by, the things of this world, they give little if any serious thought to spiritual matters. Their conformity to this world in their thinking, is manifested in their lives (Prov. 23:7). Believers prevent their being conformed to this world when they practice good stewardship of their minds, allowing themselves to be  steadily, daily, transformed through the development of a godly thought life.  “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” is a challenge and a command that we all should take seriously. See Eph 4:23; 1 Pet. 1:13.

THE PROMISE IN VIEW HERE

“ … that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

How important is it to you as a Christian that you have the ability to discern what the will of God is for your life? Understanding God’s will for you relative to marriage, parenting, Christian service, handling of finances – virtually anything and everything, is vital. But we can know God’s “good, and acceptable, and perfect, will” only to the degree that we are presenting our bodies to Christ as a living sacrifice, and avoiding our conformity to the world by being transformed through the renewal of our minds. There’s no other way to understand and follow through on that, which constitutes God’s will for us.

Discerning the will of God begins with your understanding that “this is the will of God, even your sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3). Sanctification means setting ourselves apart to God, which requires setting ourselves apart from the world in terms of attitude, conduct, lifestyle, etc.  God promises us that we will be able to discern His perfect will as we (1) present our bodies a living sacrifice, (2) do not let ourselves conform to this world and (3) become transformed by the renewing of our minds.

In this church, the King James Bible is used exclusively in the pulpit and the classrooms. One reason for this is to avoid the confusion that is inevitable when one Bible version is being used by a preacher or teacher while his hearers use others. “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Cor. 14:33). We want to avoid confusion and the injection of an “uncertain sound” (1 Cor. 14:8) during the ministry of His Word. Therefore, believing the King James Version of the Bible to be superior to all others, we encourage its use.

We know there are other versions, etc. that can be chosen. The Tyndale Bible Society lists 158 on their website, ranging, in alphabetical order from the Abbreviated Bible to the Wuest Expanded Translation, Revised Edition. An updated list would probably be much larger.

Why all the different “Bibles,” when for 250 years, the King James Bible was read almost exclusively by English speaking people? There are basically two reasons; one having to do with pride and the other with money.

Men, however well intentioned, have (however unconsciously) assumed in their pride  that they can produce a better product than the King James Bible; hence the outpouring of Bible versions, translations, etc. And, as Christian author, Richard Hanser writes, “The tinkering and general horsing around with the sacred texts will no doubt continue, as long as pious drudges continue to try to get it right, and it will not dawn on them that it has already been gotten right.” 

This proliferation will also continue as long as (1) publishing houses believe there’s a market for newer and hipper versions of the Bible, and (2) there are spiritually lazy Christians. who are mentally challenged by the words  “thee” and “thou” and the suffix  “eth” (as in believeth), and (3) there are people deficient enough of the fear of God to care about His warning to those who are tempted to  “horse around” or “tinker” with his Word: “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book”—Rev. 22:18, 19

And so, we recognize the reality that many Bibles exist today. And we know the reasons for this are more than the desire to “make the Bible more readable and understandable for the average person.” We know too that earnest Christians ask: “If I could only choose one version of the Bible, which one should I choose?” Our unequivocal and unapologetic answer is: Choose the King James Version.  Here are three reasons for our position:

THE SUPERIORITY OF THE TRANSLATION
The first thing to consider relative to choosing a Bible is its translation. The scholarship and the spirituality behind the translation is critical.

The scholarship of the translators of the King James Bible is incomparably superior to that of modern-day translators., Translation of the King James Bible formally began in 1607, after the king had found 47 of the most pious and brilliant men in his kingdom to do this work. The academic caliber of these men may be illustrated by referencing a few of them.

Lancelot Andrews was one. A master of, and conversant in, 15 languages, his colleagues said, “The world wanted learning to know how learned this man was.” John Bois, proficient in reading and writing Hebrew by the time he was 7, was another; a student at Cambridge at age 15 he corresponded regularly in Greek with his superiors. John Milton described Andrew Downes, as “the most learned man in England,” And Dr. John Rainolds was called, “a living library, and a third university” (Oxford and Cambridge being the first and second). These men were typical of the other translators of the KJV, and any attempt to compare our modern translators, who, by comparison, merely “horse around” and “tinker” with God’s Word would be ludicrous and embarrassing.

The spirituality of the translators of the King James Bible is also incomparably superior to that of modern-day translators.  Unlike most who serve on committees for translation and revision today, the men who gave us the King James Version of the Bible were men who strongly believed in the inspiration and inerrancy of the Word of God. Men of extraordinary godliness and spiritual power, they were also fiery preachers and diligent pastors.  Richard Brett is a fair representative. In addition to being proficient in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chalee, Aramaic and several Ethiopic tongues, it is recorded that “He was a most vigilant pastor, a diligent preacher of God’s Word, a liberal benefactor to the poor, a faithful friend, and a good neighbor.”  The dry theologians and skeptics today, “horsing around” and “tinkering” with God’s Word, under the delusion that they are correcting the mistakes of the King James translators should be ashamed of themselves, and would be if they had the spirituabl and intellectual capacity for it.

Little of the piety common to the King James translators marks the lives of those involved in modern-day translation work. Consider that B. F. Westcott (1825-1901) and F. John Anthony Hort (1828-1892), whose work underlies nearly all of the modern translations (including the NASV and the NIV) both denied the infallibility of Scripture and were deeply involved in the occult. At least two of the members of the translation committee for the NIV were open homosexuals. Comparing the spirit and scholarship behind the translation of the KJV and that of modern Bibles is like comparing apples to hickory nuts.  What kind of spirit and scholarship is behind the translation of your Bible?

THE BEAUTY OF THE LANGUAGE
Our first, and foremost reason for recommending the Authorized King James Bible of 1611 over all other translations is because of the integrity behind, and the accuracy of, its translation.  Our second reason is because of the beauty of the language in this Bible that we believe God has preserved throughout these centuries for use by the English-speaking world.  One admirer of the King James Bible has said, “ “The translators of the King James Version went beyond balance, however. What they produced is not merely a good translation. Their work is critically regarded as one of the great literary masterpieces of the English language.”

Many believe the King James Bible is the unrivaled masterpiece of the English language.  Sir William Macaulay, the great 19th century British statesman who authored the famous multivolume work, A History of England said of the King James Bible: “It is a book, which, if everything else in our language should perish, would alone suffice to show the whole extent of its beauty and power. 

Even the unsaved have been unrestrained in their praise of the language in the King James Bible. One world renowned linguist, who does not identify herself as a Christian, recently described her feelings when first introduced to the King James Bible; she wrote: “It was as if I had suddenly found, in the house of language that I had loved and explored all my life, a hidden central chamber whose pillars and vaulting, rhythm and strength had given shape to everything around them.”

George Bernard Shaw, a truly ungodly and despicable man, was nevertheless considered a great man of English letters during the 18th and 219st centuries. Of the King James Bible he wrote, “The translation was extraordinarily well done because to the translators what they were translating was not merely a curious collection of ancient books written by different authors in different stages of culture, but the word of God divinely revealed through His chosen and expressly inspired scribes. In this conviction they carried out their work with boundless reverence and care and achieved a beautifully artistic result...they made a translation so magnificent that to this day the common Englishman or citizen of the United States of North America accepts and worships it as a single book by a single author, the book being the Book of books and the author being God."  H.L Mencken, the famous attorney who covered the Scope’s Monkey Trial and a notorious infidel, said that King James Bible was, “probably the most beautiful piece of writing in any language.”

Summing up the consensus of most scholars over the last four centuries, Donald L. Blake of Multnomah Seminary called the King James Bible, “The crown Jewel of English literature.”  Can anything close to this be honestly said of any other version of the Bible?  The honest answer, of course is, “No.”

The Good News for Modern Man (later titled the Good News Bible, and the Good News Translation), published in 1966, was one of the most popular “new” Bibles to hit the marketplace. Billy Graham, the Roman Catholic and Episcopalian denominations, and the Southern Baptist Convention promoted it early on and heavily. Its sales had reached 30 million copies by 1971. But it was and is light years away from the King James Version in terms of accuracy of translation and beauty of language.

Another big seller was Kenneth Taylor’s Living Bible which he said he “translated” from the New Standard Version for the sake of having something his little children could understand (Weren’t any children in previous centuries able to understand it, or were his just exceptionally dumb?). The vulgar street language in The Living Bible cheapens some of the most wonderful stories in the Word of God with such coarseness and crudity that spiritually minded parents wouldn’t want their children to read it. Since Taylor’s work, others have filled the shelves of Christian bookstores with even more dumbed-down, slummed-down versions (perversions) of the “Bible.”

But the early modern Bibles weren’t popular with every one, including future president, Ronald Reagan, who referring to the Good News for Modern Man, asked, on a radio broadcast:  “What would you say if someone decided Shakespeare’s plays, or Charles Dickens’s novels or the music of Beethoven could be rewritten and improved?” He then went on to quote Christian author Richard Hamser as follows: “For more than four centuries, the language of the King James Bible has penetrated more deeply into the general culture of the English speaking world, and has been more dearly treasured than anything else ever put on paper.”

Dr. Henry Morris, founder of the Institute for Creation Research wrote recently:  “The beautifully poetic prose of the King James is a great treasure which should not be lost or forgotten. It has been acclaimed widely as the greatest example of English literature ever written. Apart from a few archaic words or words whose meaning has changed, which can easily be clarified in footnotes, it is as easy to understand today as it was four hundred years ago. That is why the common people today, especially those without higher education, still use and love it. It is usually the "intelligentsia" who tend to favor the modern versions. These modern translations commonly tend to use long words and pedantic rhetoric, but the King James uses mostly one and two-syllable words. Formal studies have always shown its readability index to be 10th grade or lower. There is nothing hard to understand about John 3:16, for example, or Genesis 1:1, or the Ten Commandments, in the King James.

What’s wrong with the thinking of those today who want to tinker and horse around with the beautifully edifying language of the King James Bible, and replace it with language that is boring, cheap and silly?  We recommend the language of the King James Bible over the vernaculars used in the school yards and the shopping malls.

THE FRUIT ON THE TREE

We live in a day when people demand more and more choices in the goods and services offered in the marketplace, and suppliers of these goods and services have responded accordingly by providing more and more choices to the marketplace. In keeping with this, during the last 50 or 60 years, an explosion of “Bible” choices have been made available; Bibles specifically tailored for this reader and that reader, worded this way and that way for the purported sake of “ease of reading and understanding” continue to hit the market. Publishers of course are more than happy to meet the demand for new and trendier versions of the Bible.

Certainly more choices where food, clothes, appliances, furniture, recreation, transportation and communication, etc. have proven to be, for the most part, a definite blessing to all of our lives. Can the same be said about all the choices that have been made available where the written Word of God is concerned? Our answer is, “No,” and there is ample evidence to prove it.

We have, in the last two bulletins given two reasons why we believe that the King James Bible should be the Bible of preference for English speaking people. One is the accuracy of its translation. Both the scholarship and the personal piety of the men who worked on the translations of the 1611 King James Bible was vastly superior to that of the men and women who have, and are “providing the product” for the modern Bible versions. ,

Secondly, it continues to be the consensus of Christians and non-Christians that the beauty of the language in the King James Bible is beyond comparison to that found in any other version. Imagine the disgust and perhaps outrage that would ensue if it were to be suggested that works of Shakespeare or other masterpiece of English literature would be improved upon by putting it into a modern vernacular. Shouldn’t the Words of Almighty God be translated in a way consistent with the majesty of its Author, in language what would provoke a maximum of solemnity and seriousness on the part of its readers? The answer is, “Of course.”

But a third, very important reason why believers should prefer the King James Bible to any other is because of its track record in terms of its spiritual fruit.  No other version of the Bible has made anything remotely close to the impact on the world for the cause of Christ that the King James Bible has. It has brought forth spiritual fruit over the last 400 years that has not been matched by all of the other versions combined.

In defending the modern versions, many people will mention how “helpful” they are. Really? This is being, and should be, questioned by more and more people who are reflecting of the fruit they have produced to date. One is reminded of the great help that “Christian” psychology was going to bring to the body of Christ. It hasn’t happened. The fruit of decades of “Christian’ psychology in the form of counseling, books, seminars, clinical treatment, etc., appears to be either non existent or very sour.

The observation now is, and it is a documentable fact, that the more this “help” has been made available, the greater the increase has been of spiritually troubled Christians, families and churches. One wonders, Could there be a connection between the increase of help and the increase of hurt?

How much help have all the modern versions of the Bible really been to the cause of Christ? The answer is, “Not much” (and this is a generous and charitable answer). The fact is, as the popularity and usage of the modern versions has increased, instances of churches experiencing real heaven-sent revival have dramatically decreased.  Instead, more and more churches have become shamelessly commercialized and entertainment oriented. The same is true where individual Christians are concerned. The use of modern versions over the past fifty or sixty years hasn’t made Christians more holy and Christ minded; it has helped make them more carnal and worldly than ever.

Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,” and Psalm 138:2 tells us that God has magnified His name.  Playing fast and loose, and taking liberties with the Word of God has not boded well for America. It is interesting to note how some of the lowest points in our recent history have coincided with the introduction of modern versions of the Bible. For instance, in 1952 the Revised Standard Version came on the market and the United Nations occupied permanent facilities in New York City; in the same year that the New American Standard Version and the New English Bible were introduced (1962 the Supreme Court banned prayer from public schools; in 1973, the New International Version made its debut, and Roe vrs. Wade legalized abortion. Space doesn’t permit the citing of other available examples. The correlation between the appearance of more and more modern versions of the Bible and the steady, spiritual decline of Christianity in America is hard to ignore.

 Is it possible that all of the help the modern versions have been in helping people avoid having to read “thee” and “thou” hasn’t been worth it? Is it possible that when the modern versions change, omit and add words to the King James Version that they are offending God, and are guilty, intentionally or otherwise of misleading the reader as to what God’s word says?  Is it possible that the modern versions have turned what is the “sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17) into a stumbling block for believers? The answer is, “Yes.”

The historical fact is that it was when the King James Bible was used almost, if not altogether, exclusively by English speaking Christians that the greatest advances of Christianity were made. It was during this period that the great missionary efforts were launched; the great national revivals were experienced, individual Christians, Christian families were, generally speaking much stronger then than they are now. Society was more moral and America was a stronger and happier place than it is today. This has nothing to do with coincidence; it has to do with consequences.

ONE OF THE  MOST BRILLIANT MEN IN WORLD HISTORY

VRS.

MODERN DAY ATHEISTIC NINCOMPOOPS

Sir Isaac Newton, considered by scholars to be one of the most influential people in human history, was raised by his grandmother. Graduating from Cambridge University. Among his early achievements, he not only discovered calculus, but also the laws of gravity and built the first reflecting telescope.  Using a prism, he was the first to demonstrate that a beam of light contained all the colors of the rainbow. A physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher and theologian he made outstanding contributions to, and had a profound impact on, all of these disciplines. In 1703 he became President of the Royal Society and remained in that distinguished position until his death.

In 1687 Newton wrote Principia, one of the most famous of his many scholarly works. In it he said: "This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent Being...All variety of created objects which represent order and life in the universe could happen only by the willful reasoning of its original Creator, whom I call the Lord God." In his book, Optics, written in 1704, Newton wrote: "God in the beginning formed matter."

This world-renowned scientist and philosopher was also very much impressed with Bible Prophecy. In 1733 he published a book entitled, Observations on the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John.  He made his sentiments towards the Bible public and very clear throughout his life, as when he wrote: "The system of revealed truth which this Book contains is like that of the universe, concealed from common observation yet the labors of the centuries have established its Divine origin."

A comparison of the intelligence, credentials and testimony of Sir Isaac Newton with modern-day atheistic scientists and philosophers such as Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens would be comparable to comparing the expertise of Albert Einstein in physics with that of any one or all of the three stooges.

Isaac Newton was a scientific and philosophic genius whereas atheists and evolutionists such as Hawking, Dawkins, Hitchens (clinging like rebellious brats to their self-will rather than recognize any absolute authority). are intellectual and philosophic gutter snipes (Definition: “A person who picks at and gathers refuse from gutters).

Newton used his powers of observation, honestly examining the evidence available in  creation to reach his conclusions about God, the Bible, etc.  Militant atheists like the stoo… (I mean) scientists mentioned above pick through the atheistic writings and ranting of others, mix them up with their own wishful thinking (No God, no authoritative Word of God, no judgment for sin, etc., etc.) and hope that if they believe it hard enough, no matter how fantastical their premises are, it will some how become true in the end. In the meantime they try to convince as many people as they can to believe like they do. Misery loves company.

What a dishonest, disingenuous, wicked and truly pathetic lot these celebrity atheists are; “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Rom. 1:22).  And, much the same could be said of the groupies who follow and parrot their nonsense.

Wanna-be atheists are obsessed with the desire to be convinced that there is no absolute truth and that they won’t be held accountable by a sovereign God for how they have lived.  They want to escape reality so badly that there is nothing too ridiculous for them to try to believe as a substitute for truth; even if it means their embracing the totally unsupportable, unproven, cartoonish-like theory of evolution—Charles Darwin’s unconscious venture, driven by a proud and unregenerate heart, into the realm of science fiction. And evolution remains nothing but a silly and vicious fiction—truth be known, even in the dark recesses of the minds those who espouse it most.

Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “Wanting to be an atheist does not make you one.” Wishes and words, sticking ones head in the mud of evolutionary theory won’t make God, the need of men for salvation, or the Great White Throne Judgment or heaven or hell go away. 

Heywood Broun said, “No one talks so consistently about God as those who insist there is no God.”  An old man once listened to a professed atheist present his points relative to his disbelief in God and the Bible and then said, “Mister, dogs have been barking at the moon for thousands of years, but it just keeps on shining.”

Early in life the bitter atheist Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “God is dead.  God remains dead.  And we have killed Him” (More wishful thinking).  Towards the end of his life he wrote, “But what if God lives, and I have doomed myself to destruction because I have separated myself from Him?”   How this man personified the truth that, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 53:1). Nietzsche and all the atheists and evolutionists before and after him have had the same fundamental and fatal problem: “they did not like to retain God in their knowledge” (Rom. 1:28).

In another one of Newton’s writings entitled,  A Short Scheme of the True Religion, he wrote wrote: "Atheism is so senseless and odious to mankind that it never had many professors." This has certainly been the case throughout history. The infidels and atheists have always been a little crowd—especially little where integrity and intellect is concerned. It is nothing but a testimony to the insanity of sin that, where God and the Bible are concerned, people would let themselves be influenced by moral nincompoops (Definition: “A silly, foolish or stupid person”) than by men like Isaac Newton.

THE PERSON ON THE CROSS

“For even hereunto were ye called : because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled , reviled not again ; when he suffered , he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:  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 ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray ; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls”—1 Pet. 2:21-25.

 

Jesus Christ is the Person of the cross, the One who was (1) undeserving of, uniquely qualified for, undeterred by and undefeated at the cross.

HERE IS A PERSON WHO WAS UNDESERVING OF THE CROSS

 

“Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth … “(v. 22).

 

The Way Jesus Lived

 

Jesus lived a life undeserving of the cross, which was intended for transgressors of the Law. He never broke the law, and “He knew no sin” (1 Pet. 2:22). When He asked, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” (John 8:46), there was no response. “Such an high priest became us,” says Hebrews 7:26, “who is harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heaven.” We have been redeemed by “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:19).

The Witnesses Jesus Had

There were plenty of witnesses to Jesus’ sinless life as he came into this world (Matt. 1:20-25) while he was here (Mark 7:37; John 4:29, 42). and as He prepared to leave.  Even Pilate said, “I find no fault in this man (Luke 23:4).

But, He who knew no sin, became sin for us, “that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). “The wages of sin is death,” but Jesus as God’s gift, died on the cross for us all that we might have life in place of eternal death (Rom. 6:23; John 3:16).

JESUS WAS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED FOR THE CROSS

 

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby ye must be saved”—Acts 4:10, 12

Even though He was undeserving of the cross, Jesus was uniquely qualified for it.  NO one but He was qualified to accomplish what He accomplished there. 

Jesus’ Identity with Prophecy Uniquely Qualified Jesus for the Cross

Jesus met all the criterion of prophecy for identifying the promised Messiah. He perfectly fulfilled all of the prophecies pertaining to the Christ of God. This is why he said to the Jews, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39).

Jesus’ Incarnation Uniquely Qualified Him for the Cross

Another thing that qualified Jesus for the cross was His incarnation spoken of in 1 Tim. 3:16: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

The prophecy of Isaiah seven hundred years earlier, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son “ (Isa. 7:14), was fulfilled when Jesus was born. A sinless birth was essential to the sinless Son of God to come and sacrifice Himself for us.  He who was God “made himself of no reputation , and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:6-8).

HERE IS A PERSON WHO WAS UNDETERRED BY THE CROSS

 

Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered , he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously

 

Jesus was also undeterred by the humiliation and hard treatment He knew awaited Him at the cross. Nothing ever devised by man compared with the shame and suffering men experienced when crucified. But Jesus was determined to suffer—“even the death of the cross”—for our sakes.

The Shame Jesus Endured for Our Sakes

 

In ancient Israel death on a cross was the ultimate shame. “He that is hanged is accursed of God” (Deut. 21:23). Nothing was more contemptible to the society into which Jesus came than crucifixion. It was a death reserved for vilest of criminals; so terrible, that one of the privileges of Roman citizen was exempted from crucifixion. It goes far to explain the depth of the Jews hatred for Christ that they insisted that He be put to death by way of crucifixion.

But Jesus didn’t draw back from the shame of the cross. He, “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right handoff the throne of God” (Heb. 12:3).

The Suffering Jesus Endured for Our Sakes

The physical suffering that crucifixion was notorious for caused no wavering on the part of Christ. Not the terrible scourging that came beforehand (Isaiah 52:14 tells us that our Lord was so brutally beaten and scourged that He scarcely resembled a human being) or the way His body was transfixed on the cross so that every breath taken required an excruciating effort.

“I gave my back to the smiters , and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. 7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded : therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed” (Isa. 53:5, 6). The key words here are, “I gave,” and “I hid not.”

HERE IS A PERSON WHO WAS UNDEFEATED AT THE CROSS

 “For ye were as sheep going astray ; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” 1 Pet. 2:25).

The Consistency Jesus Maintained

At the cross, Christ’s enemies cried, “If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross” (Matt. 27:42). He could have, but He didn’t. Instead He demonstrated his consistent love for souls.  When one of the thieves being crucified with Him cried to Him for salvation, He answer was, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42, 43).

The Conquest Jesus Made

His death wasn’t arbitrarily decided for Him. It was decided by Him. He’d already said of His life, “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” (John 10:18).

“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again ; when he suffered , he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:  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 ye were healed”—1 Peter 2:21-24

The word translated “tree” in verse 24 above does not refer to a literal tree, i. e., an oak or a maple, but it refers to an object fashioned out of a tree. The “object” in view here is the cross upon which Jesus Christ died for the sins of mankind; the cross of which the Scottish theologian, Samuel Rutherford (1600 1661) wrote: “The cross of Christ, on which he was extended points in the length of it, to heaven and earth, reconciling them together; and in the breadth of it, to former and following ages, as being equally salvation to both.”

Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948), the leader of India’s independence movement while attended a meeting of Christian missionaries was asked to select a hymn. He said, “Sing the one that expresses all that is deepest in your faith. Sing, “When I survey the Wondrous Cross.” Gandhi understood what it appears that the majority of Christians have forgotten today, as so much of preaching, singing, worship and what drives the activity of most churches seems to be anything and everything but the cross, about which Charles Wesley wrote :

When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God! All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.

In this modern day when Christians and churches are so inundated by the world, a fresh look at, and renewed appreciation for, the cross is desperately needed. A great key to spiritual power is to think much about Jesus and His cross. The apostle Paul understood this. His approach to living boldly for Christ while turning the world upside down with the gospel message is revealed in his first letter to the Church at Corinth. He wrote: “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).

Jesus’ Anticipation of the Cross

Let us say, in the first place that Jesus lived in anticipation of the cross during the years that led up to His dying on it. His anticipation of it before He ever left heaven to come into this world was underscored by Peter on the Day of Pentecost as he preached: “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: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain” (Acts 2:22, 23).

Jesus no doubt anticipated the cross every day during his life on earth before it was ever laid on His back to carry up Calvary’s hill. Would not the timber, the hammer and the nails that He handled daily in Joseph’s carpenter shop have been a constant reminder to Him of the cross that He was destined for the not too distant future?

When He left the carpenter’s shop and Nazareth to commence His ministry, would not the specter of the cross He was destined for have remained on Jesus’ mind? That it did was made obvious, when he said to Mary at the marriage festivities in Cana, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come” (John 2:4). This coming “hour,” the hour of His death, was in His thoughts throughout His ministry.  In John 2:19 he said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days, I will raise it up.” John 2:21 tells us, “He spake of the temple of His body.” To Nicodemus He said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up : That whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have eternal life” (John 3:14, 15). Christ lived in anticipation of the cross on which He would lay down His life a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28).

Jesus’ Agony on the Cross

It is a good thing, for a number of reasons, that we give thought on a regular basis, not only to Jesus’ anticipation of the cross, but also to the actuality of the agony that He suffered there. Medically speaking, He endured every kind of wound that it is possible for a man to suffer. We will deal in more detail with this later, but suffice it to say now, that Jesus was physically hurt in every way that it is possible for a human being to be hurt.

Jesus was brutalized by Pilate’s soldiers until is physical features were unrecognizable. Looking on the scene through the telescope of prophecy, Isaiah said, “His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men” (Isa. 52:14).

They scourged Him, and struck Him with their fists; they spat upon Him and smashed a crown of cruel thorns into His head. These were the preliminary agonies He suffered before He began to suffer those of the cross itself. And all of this agony was for our sakes: “or Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” (1Pet. 3:18).

Jesus’ Victory at the Cross

Everything that was against us, the corruption and the condemnation of sin and the gulf it had fixed between us and God, Jesus “took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross” (Col. 2:14b). Peter at Pentecost assured those by whose “wicked hands” Christ had been “crucified and slain” that Jesus had triumphed at the cross; that He is the Son of God, our Savior, “Whom God hath raised up , having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it” (Acts 2:23, 24).

In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o'er the wrecks of time
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.

--Sir John Bowring