Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Monday, October 28, 2019
Explanation of Acts 2:38 - Les Feldick
Explanation of Acts 2:38
Les Feldick
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Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
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THE DEITY OF CHRIST! - By C. O. Griggs
THE DEITY OF CHRIST! - By C. O. Griggs
Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
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The A, B, C’s of Salvation
The Affliction of Christ - by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam
The Affliction of Christ
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam
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(The following is a message delivered by Pastor Stam on Thursday evening, July 15, 1965, at the Grace Gospel Fellowship Convention in Cedar Lake, Indiana. This article appeared in the April, 1966 issue of Truth magazine, published by Milwaukee Bible Institute/Worldwide Grace Testimony, now the Grace Gospel Fellowship, but has never appeared in the Searchlight.)
“I Paul…now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for His Body’s sake, which is the Church” (Col. 1:23,24).
Already
I can almost hear some of you beginning to quote passages from
Scripture which clearly indicate that our Lord suffered the full penalty
for our sins at Calvary, that His vicarious sacrifice was a once for
all matter. This is true, but it is not the whole truth.
A
New York woman is supposed to have called Transworld Airlines one night
to ask how long it would take to fly to Hawaii. When the young lady at
the other end said, “Just a moment,” the woman said, “Thank you” and
hung up! She didn’t listen long enough to get the true answer. Let’s not
make this mistake here. Let us rather consider this passage
thoughtfully and thoroughly so as to understand its true meaning.
WHAT IT DOES NOT MEAN
This
passage certainly does not mean--it cannot mean--that Paul had to
supply a lack in the vicarious suffering of Christ. This is clear, not
only from Scripture as a whole, but from this very epistle of Paul.
Verse 20 of this very chapter speaks of God’s “having made peace through
the blood of His Cross,” and verses 21 and 22 add:
“And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled.“In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in His sight.”
Again
in chapter 2, verses 10-13, the apostle declares that believers are
“complete” in Christ, having been identified with Him in His death and
resurrection.
These passages in this very epistle speak of the glorious all-sufficiency of Christ’s finished work of redemption.
Once
hostile to God and the things of God, we have now been reconciled and
have in turn been commissioned to proclaim “the word of reconciliation”
to others (II Cor. 5:19). Of this glorious message the Apostle Paul was
the first to be “made a minister,” as he says in Colossians 1:23. But
what, then, does verse 24 mean, where the apostle refers to “that which
is behind of the afflictions of Christ”?
WHAT IT DOES MEAN
There
is an interesting connection between verses 22 and 24 of this chapter.
In verse 22 the apostle refers to “the body of HIS [Christ’s] flesh,”
while in verse 24 he speaks of filling up what is behind of the
afflictions of Christ “in MY flesh, for His Body’s sake.”
To understand the significance of this latter passage let us consider the background.
Psalm 2 predicts the Father’s response to man’s rejection of His Son:
“He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision.“Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure” (Vers. 4,5).
Similarly, in Psalm 110:1, we find the Father saying to His rejected Son:
“Sit thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.”
Such
predictions as these may be found throughout Old Testament prophecy,
and nowhere is there any indication of any prolonged delay in the
judgment, or of any period of grace between man’s rejection of Christ
and the judgment to follow. This was a “mystery…hid from ages and from
generations,” as the apostle points out in verse 26 of the passage we
are considering.
It
was when Jew had joined Gentile in declaring war on “the Lord” and “His
anointed” (Psa. 2:1-3; 110:1), when the stage was fully set, as it
were, for the outpouring of the bowls of God’s wrath, that God
interrupted the prophetic program by saving the leader of the rebellion
and sending him forth as an ambassador of grace and reconciliation.
Thus
Christ was to remain a voluntary exile as the rebellion on earth
continued, and Paul, along with others, was to bear whatever sufferings
might still remain in connection with the continued rejection of Christ.
And this is exactly what happened.
Paul
had been persecuting Christ (Acts 9:4) as he inflicted suffering and
sorrow upon His saints, but now that the persecutor was saved, the Lord
said to Ananias:
“I will show him how great things he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:16).
Thus
Christ was to remain “rejected of men,” but who was to bear the
sufferings associated with His rejection? Surely not the Lord Himself,
for He is forever blessed in heaven. These sufferings were now to be
borne by Paul--and us. “That which is behind,” or which still remains,
“of the afflictions of Christ,” is to be borne, not by Christ, the Head,
but by us, the members of His Body.
Such
suffering was sweet to Paul. If the apostles of the kingdom could
rejoice that they were “counted worthy to suffer shame for His name”
(Acts 5:41), how much more could the apostle of grace rejoice in bearing
the afflictions of Christ so that he might continue to carry on his
“ministry of reconciliation” and so add members to Christ’s precious
Body! This was nothing less than “the fellowship of His suffering” and
the apostle longed to experience it more fully (Phil. 3:10).
We
belong to a soft generation, in which most seem to think that living in
ease and pleasure is man’s highest good. But those of us who are truly
regenerated and have tasted of the riches of God’s grace in Christ
should long, as Paul did, to experience, yes to enjoy, more fully, “the
fellowship of His sufferings,” standing fast against all odds in the
proclamation of the glorious message He has committed to us. The words
of Paul to the Philippians on this subject are also God’s Word to us:
“For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake;“Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me” (Phil. 1:29,30).
Just
as Paul, Christ’s “Ambassador in bonds,” was a living demonstration of
God’s grace to a rebellious world, so believers today who stand true to
their glorified Lord to suffer for Him, are thereby telling the world
that “the dispensation of the grace of God” is still in effect. The
present “afflictions of Christ,” however, are not the result only of
witnessing to the lost; they are often also the lot of those who defend
the message of the glorified Lord against the inroads of false doctrine
and practice. When Paul referred to “my sufferings for you” and declared
that he suffered the afflictions of Christ “for His Body’s sake,” he
did not mean only that the Body might grow numerically, but also
spiritually, through the teaching of the truth. It was his stand against
false religion in defense of the truth that cost him the most suffering
of all, but think of the far-reaching results!
It
is true indeed that the sufferings of some believers are not exactly
the sufferings of Christ but are due rather to their own failures. On
the other hand, however, there is a growing feeling in more liberal
circles today that those who witness tactfully to the world, as one with
them, and stand diplomatically for the truth, will not be called upon
to suffer for it, while in fact God’s Word declares:
“Yea, and ALL that will live godly in Christ Jesus SHALL suffer persecution” (II Tim. 3:12).
God
helps us to faithfully “fill up that which is behind [still remains] of
the afflictions of Christ… for His Body’s sake.” It is in this
connection that the apostle declares:
“…God would make known [to His saints] what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you [Gentiles], the hope of glory:“Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect [mature] in Christ Jesus:“Whereunto I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily.“For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.“That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement [full knowledge] of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ” (Col. 1:27-2:2).
WHAT THIS MEANS TO US TODAY
All
the prayers of a hundred thousand saints for revival, all the
record-breaking evangelistic-revival campaigns, and all the organized
efforts to establish unity by compromise will fail to bring about a true
spiritual revival, as they have failed through the past several
decades.
Since
the revelation of the glorified Lord through Paul has been committed to
us to proclaim, there will be no revival until this message is
recovered and proclaimed, unadulterated and unmixed.
How
can there be a spiritual revival while the church continues to work
under the wrong commission and practices a dozen different baptisms? How
can the Church enjoy true unity without a practical recognition of the
Scriptural fact that “there is one Body,” whose members have been united
to Christ and to each other “by one baptism”?
To
stand for these truths faithfully entails suffering--suffering for His
Body’s sake. But this suffering is sweet, first because it is “the
fellowship of His suffering,” and second because such a stand brings
great blessing to the hearts and lives of those who take heed, “their
hearts…being knit together in love, and [advancing] unto all the riches
of the full assurance of understanding…” (Col. 2:2).
God
give us pastors, teachers and laymen who are willing to suffer “the
afflictions of Christ… for His Body’s sake,” who count position,
popularity, and material gain as loss for Christ, whose one consuming
passion is to know “the riches of the glory” of the mystery revealed by
our ascended Lord and to dispense these riches to others that the lost
may know the glory of His saving grace and the saved the glory of their
calling as “one Body in Christ.”
Les Feldick Ministries
30706 W. Lona Valley Rd.
Kinta, OK 74552
Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
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Saturday, October 26, 2019
Does Your Heart Murmur? - by Pastor John Frederickson
Does Your Heart Murmur?
by Pastor John Frederickson
After
high school, I worked in a huge plant that employed thousands. Four
gals from my high school worked there also, so we began sharing lunch
breaks. However, one of them was constantly negative. Nearly everything
out of her mouth was a complaint about something or someone, and it had a
negative effect on the others in the group. It was depressing just
listening to it all. After nearly a week, I decided I simply wouldn't be
around them any more.
God's
children of faith are not immune to a complaining spirit. When Moses
was sent back to Egypt to deliver Israel out of cruel slavery, the
Israelites repeatedly complained. Even a chance at freedom should have
brought appreciation. But after finally being miraculously released,
Israel murmured (meaning "to grumble") against Moses when Pharaoh's
armies pursued them. Later "the people murmured against Moses" over a
lack of water (Ex. 15:24). Then while in "the wilderness of Sin," they
murmured over a lack of food (16:1-4). It had become a pattern of life.
When
God promised victory over the inhabitants in Canaan, they once again
murmured in disbelief that God would give the victory (Num. 14). God's
anger was so kindled that an entire generation, except for Joshua and
Caleb, perished without seeing the Promised Land. Paul refers to this in
1 Corinthians 10:10 warning the believers: "Neither murmur ye, as some
of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer."
Complaining
is a dangerous, negative habit. It embitters the soul, sours the
spirit, ignores the rich blessings of God, and robs one of the joy of
life. It also unnecessarily makes life miserable for those around us,
becomes a poor testimony to the lost, and poisons our outlook on life.
Perhaps, worst of all, it spreads like an outbreak of the flu to others,
who, in turn, mirror this negativity.
Simply
put, God hates a complaining spirit. Paul warns the saints at Philippi
saying, "Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be
blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst
of a crooked...nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world"
(Phil. 2:14-15). It is not possible for us to be blameless before the
Lord nor man if we have a complaining spirit. Ask someone today to hold
you accountable any time you are being negative, then purposely practice
being positive in your speech and outlook.
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Les Feldick Ministries
30706 W. Lona Valley Rd.
Kinta, OK 74552
Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
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Thursday, October 24, 2019
Behold, I Come Quickly - by Pastor Kevin Sadler
Behold, I Come Quickly
by Pastor Kevin Sadler
"Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book" (Rev. 22:7).
"A
new preacher had just begun his sermon. He was a little nervous, and
about ten minutes into the talk his mind went blank. He remembered what
they had taught him in seminary to do when a situation like this would
arise: repeat your last point. Often this would help you remember what
was coming next. So he thought he would give it a try.
"'Behold,
I come quickly,' he said. Still his mind was blank. He thought he would
try it again, 'Behold, I come quickly.' Still nothing. He tried it one
more time with such force that he fell forward, knocking the pulpit to
one side, tripping over a flowerpot, and falling into the lap of a
little old lady in the front row. The young preacher apologized and
tried to explain what happened.
"'That's alright, young man,' said the little old lady. 'It was my fault. I should have gotten out of the way. You told me three times that you were coming.'" [Bob Phillips and Jonny Hawkins, The Hilarious Book of Heavenly Humor (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2011), p. 172.]
In
the final verses of the Apocalypse, three times the Lord says that He
is coming to the nation Israel (vv. 7,12,20). Terminology meant for the
Second Coming of Christ to Israel, such as "Behold, I come quickly" or
"thief in the night" is often mistakenly used for the Rapture of the
Church, the Body of Christ. This confuses many people regarding these
two future comings of Christ. When Christ says, "Behold, I come
quickly," He is not speaking of coming before the Tribulation to catch
the Church away to heaven. He is speaking of His coming to Israel at the
end of the Tribulation at the Battle of Armageddon (Rev. 19:11-21).
All
mentions of the coming of Christ outside the letters of the Apostle
Paul refer either to the first or second coming of Christ to Israel. As a
result of not rightly dividing the Word of truth, words, phrases, and
verses are often misused and misapplied to the Rapture of the Church.
When
a preacher or teacher uses the words, "Behold, I come quickly," and
without qualification applies it to the Rapture, that is error. When a
preacher or teacher says that the Rapture and Second Coming are the same
thing, that is unsound doctrine. When a preacher or teacher says that
the Church, the Body of Christ, will go through any part of the coming
Tribulation period, that is not the truth of the Word, rightly divided.
When
the events of the Book of Revelation begin to unfold, the Lord's words,
"Behold, I come quickly," will be a comfort and source of strength to
believers during the Tribulation. By faith and knowledge of the Word,
they will know that they have a deliverance coming. They will long for
Him to come quickly, and these words of reassurance will help them
overcome and endure to the end of the worst seven years ever.
As
for the Body of Christ, we are taught to be "Looking for that blessed
hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ" (Titus 2:13). Every day is a day that the Lord might come to
catch us, His Church, away to heaven. We are taught to be "looking" for
our Savior at all times. Knowing that we might stand before Him today or
any day is to move the Church to "live soberly, righteously, and godly,
in this present world" (Titus 2:12).
Is
Christ coming quickly? Perhaps, and perhaps today! However, to use,
"Behold, I come quickly," for the hope of the Rapture is incorrect. That
is confusing the two future comings of Christ and what that phrase
really means to whom it was written. "Behold, I come quickly" is said by
the Lord and was recorded by John for the saints who will be alive during the Tribulation.
That is most definitely not us. We, the Body of Christ, will have been
"delivered...from the wrath to come" (1 Thes. 1:10). Praise the Lord!
After
Christ catches the Body of Christ up in the Rapture, the prophetic
program will resume. God will pick up right where He left off in the
timeline of prophecy. The next thing on that timeline is the 70th week
of Daniel, the seven-year Tribulation period. It is at this point that
all the events of the Book of Revelation will unfold exactly as they
have been written. The people alive in that day will be able to use
Revelation as a guidebook to help them navigate those horrendous days
when God's wrath is poured out on this world. The hope for believers in
that day is what Christ has told them in this Book: "Behold, I come
quickly!"
Les Feldick Ministries
30706 W. Lona Valley Rd.
Kinta, OK 74552
Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
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Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Explanation of Acts 2:38 - Les Feldick
Explanation of Acts 2:38 -
Les Feldick
Les Feldick Ministries
30706 W. Lona Valley Rd.
Kinta, OK 74552
Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
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this BIBLE STUDY to all your friends
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