REIGNING IN LIFE

Jack Davis

“They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” Rom. 5:17. Herein we read of the present overcoming activity of the believer in fellowship with the dependance upon our dear Lord Jesus Christ. We might also express it like this, living victoriously, being a crown winner, prevailing. There will be no prevailing without availing ourselves of an abundance of God’s grace.

 

Grace must be received, appropriated, claim, laid hold of, seized upon or grasped by faith. “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” Rom. 5:2. Oh, who can tell the full measurement, and total contents of such a room? Such a standing should produce wholehearted rejoicing from recipients of amazing grace divine.

By the new birth we are destined to reign with Christ, but our capacity for reigning then is being determined now, developed now. Marvelous development is taking place during this life by the present workings of grace. Grace works; The apostle Paul could say I am what I am by the grace of God, it was not bestowed upon me in vain. He found it sufficient to make him something special for God’s glory and so may we. I Cor. 15:10.

Paul spoke of the saints at Philippi as being partaker’s of his grace, and they were in many ways. In this series I would like to consider three aspects of reigning in life. Receiving the grace of God’s peace plan, power plant, and provision pavilion. In the grace of God’s peace plan we find incomprehensible peace whereby we are preserved. At the power plant we may receive energizing grace to persevere, and in His provision pavilion we gain exhaustless supplies to prevail.

INCOMPREHENSIBLE PEACE: “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation by known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” Phil. 4:4-7.

The grace of God’s peace plan is enjoyed by those who by faith are at peace with God – Rom. 5:1. We experience a peace that “keeps” (guards as with a garrison) our “hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. This is realized when we let our requests be made known unto God with thanksgiving. God does resist the proud and give grace to the humble, that cast their care upon Him. Therefore we are challenged to come boldly to the throne of grace, and thus enjoy the comfort of his peace.

OUR ATTITUDE: In Col. 3:15 we are admonished as to what we are to do with this peace. “Let it rule” in our hearts, hence submit to divine control. “Let” expresses yieldedness, obedience. In other words we are to allow his peace act as umpire or be the ruling principle of our living. We may permit peace to decide all issues, each decision may be made in relation to that which accommodates real deep-settled peace. We are told to let God’s peace rule in our hearts, ah, there is the secret of it’s protection.

I have read that archaeologist have discovered castles and forts that have been built over or around deep springs of fountains giving important protection of this water supply which was guarded by a peace force during time of siege. A channel bringing their water supply from without could be cut off, or controlled by their enemy. But they could not stop the spring from within. In Jesus Christ, with Him within, our hearts are wonderfully supplied with an eternal peace, not as the world could give. The world’s peace? Depends on surrounding conditions, and in times of trouble such is cut off, but divine peace is also for us a personal well or spring within. Jesus said, “My peace.” He is the peace bringer, peace maker, prince of peace. His peace overcomes the anxieties and fears that would arise in our hearts and minds as we stay focused by faith on Him. Unbelief and fear of a troubled heart are related, See John 14:27.

Jesus said; “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” – John 14:1-3. Does it not give peace to our heart to know that Jesus wants us with Him? Can we believe all that He went through to prepare a place for us?

“I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on me, because he trusteth in me” – Isa. 26:3. We are so prone to fear the unknown, but how comforting to know that our future is in His hands. Now it is the Holy Spirit’s place to reproduce the peace of Christ within us. He inspired Paul to write, “to be spiritually minded is life and peace” – Rom. 8:6. We are told to “bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” - II Cor. 10:5.

That which only Jesus can impart, is a deep settled calm. It is not a downer that can wear off or leave bad after effects. This that He gives does far more then subdue our anger, or quite our anxieties. His preace is enjoyed by faith which enables us to rise and reign, lifting us above our troubles. We are able to look beyond this earthly scene, and to being caught away to our eternal home. What will all the little daily frets and worries amount to then? How will those things actually be that seem now to loom so large and threatening? Ah, Yes, remembered then will only bring a smile.

Our peace, will be entwined with Jesus; who could be at rest and sleep in the midst of a threatening storm. We certainly face frustration, anxious moments and pass through very disturbing experiences here. They seem to grow and glow and rage. The elements against us on our course seem to multiply as we near the end of this age. The sea and waves are roaring. Yet He can still any storm, speaking to the winds and waves and say “Peace be still” Mk. 4:35-41. Oh, yes, He did it the, and does it now, even in our most troublesome times. SOON HE WILL AGAIN!! He will arise and rebuke the winds and the sea, and there will come the greatest calm the world has known since the fall of man.

The grace of God extends unto us, and provides for a perfect peace, which we cannot explain, for we do not fully understand it. Yet His peace is promised as our’s to enjoy and employ to make us victors.

Part 2 – next issue

 MYOPE

Gordon Crook, Pastor

Grace Assembly, Wichita, Kansas

MY’OPE, n. A near-sighted person.

This is a physical condition that occurs when the eye can no longer focus well on things at a long distance. It requires glasses or contacts or surgery to fix. If left unfixed, it can lead to unexpected collisions and other clumsiness, as well as many missed opportunities. Some people will take a long time to do something about it, because they don’t want to wear glasses. People might laugh at them.

Unfortunately, many of God’s dear children have this condition spiritually. They can not see well. They are unable to focus on the person of Jesus, and this leads to spiritual collisions and other clumsiness. Fortunately, this is an easy condition to remedy, but we sometimes would rather run around not seeing well. Maybe we are afraid people will laugh at us. Maybe we are a little prideful. Maybe we are just happy with what little we can see.

God wants us to have our eyes focused on Jesus. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2. If we get focused on the burdens of life, we might get depressed. If we get focused on what the world has to offer, we might get distracted. If we get focused on other people, we might get discouraged, or even prideful. If our eyes are on Jesus, then we will not lose sight of the prize, for He IS the prize.

In John 1:29, when John sees Jesus coming, he immediately focuses everyone’s attention on Him. “Behold the Lamb of God.” This Lamb was so important, that John says about Him, “I am not worthy to untie His sandals.” Also, “I must decrease, but He must increase.” John had a great ministry at that point, but he wanted everyone to have their eyes focused on Jesus, and not himself or his ministry.

Just as we might focus our attention, or even our gaze upon someone that we care about deeply, so we ought to focus on Jesus. He is the one that we love. As we get our focus on Him, He will change our lives, and make us more like Him. Our outlook on life will be different. We will begin to see from His viewpoint, and not the viewpoint of this world.

Paul constantly encourages us to look to Jesus. We are to be looking for His coming. Phillipians 3:20, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 9:28. Those that truly love Jesus will be looking for Him to come at any time. This means that we will not be so occupied with this world that we are not ready for Him to come right now. 

In keeping focused on Jesus, we also are to keep focused on eternity. The things of this world will seem dim in the view of eternity. We can endure the trials here, because we look for a day when all this will be done away, and we will no longer suffer, but rejoice in His presence.

If you need some spiritual sight correction, just ask the Lord. He will use the Holy Spirit to do spiritual eye surgery so that you can get focused on Jesus, and the eternal hope that we have with Him. This spiritual surgery will require some reading. We cannot be focused on Jesus if we are not reading His Word. We need time for prayer, so we can spend time in His presence. It is necessary to have some time alone with Jesus if we are to be focused on Him.

As we get older in the natural, we find we need more light to see well. The same is true in the spiritual. We need more light to see better. You will find God’s Word will give you light. The more light you get, the better you see. Don’t allow Satan to remove or even reduce your spiritual light as he is always trying to do.

Having good spiritual vision allows us to see far away, into the future where we find that Jesus has a place prepared for us, and a reward for those that have kept their focus on Him. He is always encouraging us to look beyond this world to our eternal future with Him.

So, don’t be a myope. Get some vision correction and get focused on Jesus. Nothing else matters. You’ll never be sorry, and it’s guaranteed, forever. Read Ephesians 1:18. This is my prayer for you.

 WE SEE JESUS

Anita Clark – Pastor

Grace Chapel, Carbondale, Kansas

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor: that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Hebrews 2:9.

Right now in reading these words from the Bible, let your mind think about how Jesus Christ did this for us, and all humanity.

The phrase “We see Jesus,” in the Greek means “to look at, or regard or take heed.”  First, we see how Jesus came down from His high position with His Father.  Apostle Paul speaking of Jesus Christ says in  Philippians 2:6-8,  “Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant (Gk. slave) and was made in the likeness of men.  And being found in the fashion of a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”  Can you in your thoughts see Jesus hanging there?  He is no longer on that cross of shame, but now on high at the right hand of God the Father interceding for us. There are eight instances where the Scripture states, that Jesus is right now sitting on the right hand of God.

Jesus Christ, if not made a human being could not have died for our sins.  Hebrews 7:25-26 says, “Wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him; seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them. For such a high priest became us, Who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens.”  Remember, Jesus did not stay on the cross or in the grave.  

Notice our beginning verse, and the phrase, “Jesus - crowned with glory and honor.”  Praise God - He is exalted, at the right hand of God the Father, waiting to take His rightful place on His throne. (Read Rev. 4:1-3; 19:1-16). I Timothy 6:14-16 Paul says, “That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable. until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: which in His times He shall show who is the blessed and only Potentate, (sovereign God), the King of kings, and Lord of lords.”

Notice our first verse where Paul says, “by the grace of God.”  The word “grace” means “unmerited favor, or something for nothing to the undeserving.”  None of us can be good enough to receive salvation by our strength because none of us can measure up.  Titus 3:4-5, tells us, “But after the kindness and love God our Saviour toward man appeared. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us...”

Looking at Hebrews 2:10, we see, “”For it became Him. For whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings” Wasn’t Jesus Christ already “perfect?”  Yes, in Who He was as God, but His suffering there on the cross, caused Him to understand the weakness and hurt of the human race.  

Without His human suffering, we could say, “He doesn’t understand my weakness, or how much I’m hurting, or how I feel.” Because He became human, He does understand.  He has compassion on us. Because He has a human nature, He understands our feelings and emotions.

Verse 11 says, “For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” The word “sanctifieth” means “set apart to God.”  In verse 14, Paul says, Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil.”  When Jesus died and rose again, He destroyed the devil having the power of death.”

Verse 15 gives us assurance when it says, “And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”  Verse 17 is such a dynamic verse.  “Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”

Verse 17 says, “Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”  Now, He knows how we feel and what we suffer.  Now, He is a merciful High Priest. He has made “reconciliation” between the people and God.

The word “reconciliation” means “to atone for sin - to be merciful.” He paid the price that was brought to God and accepted for our salvation.  Praise the Lord!

 LEARNING THE HIDDEN TRUTHS

Phil Wainright

“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing but the honor of kings is to search out a matter” - Prov. 25:2.

By way of introduction, I would like to define the words used here. The word “glory” means splendor or lavishness, honor (-able). The word “conceal” means to hide, be absent, keep close, keep secret. The word honor is the same word as glory used already. The word “search” means to penetrate, hence to examine intimately, find out, seek out.

FIRST OF ALL WE WANT TO LOOK AT THE FACT THAT GOD DOES HIDE TRUTH.

“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing…” and in Isaiah 6:9-10, “Hear ye indeed, but understand not, and see ye indeed, but perceive not.” God does not have to reveal His Word to everyone. We hear so often by the ungodly and even the carnal that there are so many contradictions in the Bible and that many things don’t make sense. Those that say such things are often bitter toward God and His word, but actually they don’t appreciate God’s Word and don’t really want to know and understand it. Paul spoke in I Cor. 14:38, “But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.” If they choose to be ignorant there is nothing that we can do. And God, again, is not in any way obligated to reveal these truths found in His Word to them.

Then Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6, in Matthew 13:10-18, in the parable of the sower. Notice his disciples came and asked about the parable. Jesus said in verses 14-15, “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall not perceive. For this people’s (and this tells why  God hides truth, they don’t understand) heart is waxed gross, their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” In verse 16, “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.” In verse 18, “Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.” And Jesus went on to explain the truths within this parable. Did everyone in this audience understand what Jesus was talking about? We would conclude that they didn’t. Did they want to? Apparently not. Do even the vast majority of  God’s people want to know and understand His Word today? Sadly, we often come to the conclusion they do not. They don’t seem to care enough to stick around and ask Him to explain it. They don’t take the time to learn. The disciples heard the same thing others heard and likewise didn’t understand, but they hung around and asked Him to explain the parable, which Jesus did. God is the same today. To those who earnestly care and want to know, He is faithful to reveal His Word to that heart. If our heart is at all tender and wanting to know the Word of  God, He will reveal it to us. I’m very confident of this. But again, many simply don’t want to know.

Remember in ACTS 7:54 (Stephen’s sermon), “When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth,” and V. 57, “and stopped their ears.” Notice they were cut to the heart and stopped their ears. This faithful brother anointed by the Holy Spirit was sharing God’s precious Word with them and they did not want to hear. They were convicted by the truth and turned from it. And so it is today, that many simply don’t want to hear. It’s uncomfortable for them (they stop their ears, close their eyes and heart) because the Word convicts them. Because God’s Word does convict and convince of sin and unrighteousness, many don’t want to responsibility. They choose to stay in sin and to be ignorant of God’s Word that would set them free from the power and bondage of sin. Another reason men don’t understand these wonderful truths is that they don’t want or can’t appreciate them. Read and consider Matthew 7:67-8. “Give not that which is holy to the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” A dog cannot appreciate nor discern what is valuable. We would not be so foolish as to put a necklace of pearls about a pig and turn him loose in his pen. Before long he would lost the pearls and destroy them. They are of no value to him. Therefore, a pig cannot appreciate a necklace of pearls. And many today cannot appreciate God’s Word enough to care for, protect, keep it and allow it to enhance the life of Christ within. God has placed His Word above His name. He values it and does not feel that He has to share it with those who do not appreciate it.

There is a story of a little girl who had a pig. She brought him in cleaned him up placed a bow about his neck and then turned him back into his pen. He soon was wallowing in the mud again. A pig doesn’t appreciate these things. Sadly, the world doesn’t appreciate God’s Word. Even sadder, perhaps, many of God’s own people have too little regard for the Word also. I like what Job said in Job 23:12, “I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” Job appreciated God’s Word and valued it, and God was faithful to reveal wonderful truths to him.

Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” V. 8 – “For everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” God is faithful to reveal His Word as we ask Him to help our understanding. Luke 10:21, “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.” We think of the wise and prudent as having ability to really appreciate the Word. The scripture talks about the foolishness of peaching – to the wise of this world it is foolishness. But to those who are of a humble spirit, God does reveal His Word to them. To those who despise and reject His Word it will remain hidden. They will never understand God’s Word. Even with all of their so-called wisdom, knowledge, and education, they will not come to a good understanding of the Word. This is by choice. Those who do go on and come to an understanding of God’s Word have made a conscious effort to do so.

SECONDLY: “…BUT THE HONOR (GLORY) OF KINGS...”

Consider Rev. 1:5-6, “…and hath made us Kings and priests unto God,” also Rev. 5:8-10,”…And hath made us unto our God kings and priests.” Who are these kings and priests? Those, first of all, that have been washed in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 1:5). And secondly, I believe those that are laying hold of God’s Word.

Next issue – The third point – Searching out a matter.

 JONAH

Debra Isenbletter, Pastor

Christian Assembly, Springfield, Missouri

Jonah 4:5—”So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.” In this verse we can see five things concerning Jonah and what he does, Separation; Observation; Preparation; Relaxation and Expectation. 

Separation: Jonah “went out” of the city after he had preached and after he had prayed.  He went out weary but also angry. He went out with an attitude.  He had seen the people’s repentance and he knew that God had seen their repentance.  I believe that Jonah went out of the city with the same attitude that he went into the city.  The people had changed their mind, but not the prophet. He still felt they deserved to be destroyed and still felt they did not deserve mercy.  His attitude reflects the attitude of legality, it is rigid and unbending. Jonah “went out” of “the city” of Nineveh.  It was in “the city” where both the people and the prophet were tested. He is like those that Paul said began well (Gal.3:3) and who did run well (Gal.5:7). He has forgotten that the Lord had begun a good work but was not finished (Phil.1:6). It is not enough to simply do what the Lord asks, we must do it wholeheartedly not grudgingly, or resentfully. Jonah’s separation does not seem to be with the right attitude of heart.

Observation: The first thing we see is that Jonah “sat” and then where he sat “on the east side of the city.”  To “sit” can mean “to sit and wait” and Jonah was sitting and waiting to see if God would change His mind.  To “sit” can mean “to be set” and Jonah was “set” in his attitude, he would not change his mind. To “sit means “to sit as a judge” and Jonah had already judged the city guilty and deserving of destruction.  Jonah chose to sit  on “the east side of the city.”  The Bible does not tell us why he chose this place but it must have been both a place of good observation and at the same time a place of good protection.  Jonah wanted to be close enough to see and safe enough to be secure.  He chose the place but God knew exactly where Jonah would go and was waiting for him. “Nineveh” had fifteen monumental gateways that people could use to enter the city.  Five of them have been excavated and located and their names found.  One gate was used to take livestock to water, and one was used for ceremonial purposes. One gate was located near the south end of the eastern city wall and was considered one of the most important gates.” Jonah leaving the city may have used this gate.  

Jonah departed the city and sat to wait to see what he thought God should do. He did not wait to see the salvation of the Lord, instead he waited to see the judgment of the Lord.  We can sit and wait on the Lord with a right attitude or a wrong attitude. Ruth is an example of the right attitude, she waited to see “how the matter would fall” (Ruth 3:18). She sat in faith.  Jonah waited to see “how (he thought) the matter (should) fall.” Jonah sat in fury. There is a difference in the words would and should.  In “would” Ruth did not know. She waited on the Lord.  Jonah did not wait to see what the Lord “would” do, he already knew what he thought the Lord “should” do. There are different ways we can sit and wait, Jonah sat and waited but not in faith in God’s mercy.

Preparation: “and there made him a booth,”— Since Jonah does not know how long he will have to wait he makes a “booth,” a “temporary shelter;” “a tabernacle.”  If Jonah only preached one day, then he would have to wait for 40 days.  If he preached for 40 days, he would still have to wait but not as long. He made a booth because he knew how to do this.  He had done this for the Feast of Tabernacles, to celebrate the harvest (Exo.23:16; Deu.16:13) and to rest and remember deliverance (Lev.23:33-43).  Jonah forgot what the booth represented, deliverance and not destruction. He should be celebrating God’s deliverance instead he wants to celebrate God’s destruction. He made a booth, a temporary shelter but it will be used to teach him a permanent lesson.

Relaxation: After building this booth, Jonah sat under the “shadow” or shade it provided.  He sat there and it became a place of contemplation, a place of deliberation, a place of protection and a place of instruction.  The moment we sit still is the moment the Lord can show us what we need to see. The Lord does not speak to Jonah in words but nonetheless He speaks to Jonah clearly. This shelter would not be enough to meet his need. God would use this to reach him and to teach him.  What God teaches Jonah is grace. 

The word “shadow” is found in the Psalms and there are two different types.  There is the shadow of death which can be a place of testing (Psa.23:4); a place of discipline (Psa.44:19,22) and a place of despair (Psa.107:0-11).  There is the shadow of God (of His wings). This is a place of hiding (Psa.17:8); a place of love (Psa.36:7); a place of mercy (Psa.57:1) and a place of rejoicing (Psa.63:7).  Jonah in attitude is sitting under the “shadow of death” but the Lord will show Jonah “the shadow of His wings.” Jonah can sit there and look at death or look at life, he can grieve or he can rejoice.

Expectation: Jonah still had hope that the city would still be destroyed. Why? One reason is because God said He would do this in the beginning and another reason is that God had not actually said that He would not do this at the end. Jonah suspected that God might not destroy the city but did not know for sure.  He knew God saw evil and judged it. He knew God saw repentance and received it. He knew what God could do but not what God would do.  Sometimes the Lord does not have to speak directly to us because we already know.  Jonah already knew but did not want to believe it nor want to see it.  He may have thought their past evil outweighed their present repentance. He saw what they did but did not think it was enough or that it would last.  He saw uncircumcised Gentiles, idolaters, He saw what he wanted to see not what God saw. 

Jonah knew what God might do, he was afraid He would do it and he would not believe it. It is God’s character, that description that Jonah gave earlier that told Jonah what God would do. Those wonderful attributes: “gracious;” “merciful;” “slow to anger;” “great kindness” and “repenting of evil.”  The Lord does not have to speak to us to show us what He will do, all we have to do is look in the Word and He shows us. All we have to do is know His character and He shows us.  The question is, will we accept what the Lord shows us concerning Himself?  Jonah could not accept these attributes of God when applied to the Gentiles.  Jonah wanted the city to be destroyed.

 God’s Timing and Purposes – Ecc. 3:1-8

Part 16

Pastor Vicky Moots

Kingman, Kansas

Ecc. 3:7c: “…a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.”  Jesus remained silent at the time of His trial, but He did not remain silent on the cross.  Even though it was physically difficult for Him to speak while enduring the suffering of the crucifixion, it is recorded in the Gospels that He spoke seven specific things before He died.  It was now His time to speak.”

First, He asked His Father to forgive those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34); second, He assured the repentant thief who was hanging next to Him that he would be with Him in Paradise (Luke 23:43); third, He committed the care of His mother to the beloved disciple, John (John 19:26-27); fourth, He cried out in despair, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46); fifth, He stated, “I thirst” (John 19:28); sixth, He cried out, “It is finished” (John 19:30); and His seventh and final cry was to dismiss His spirit into His Father’s hands (Luke 23:46).

Each of these things which Jesus spoke were important, but I would like to specifically discuss the sixth one: “It is finished,” for it is the victor’s cry.  Because of Jesus’ “time to keep silence,” He was condemned to die.  But because of His death on the cross, the work of redemption was accomplished.  It was finished, completed, once for all.  The Lamb of God that was able to take away the sin of the world had to be slain, but that was not defeat.  It was victory because He rose triumphant from the grave: the Victor over death itself.

It is now our “time to speak.”  The angel at the empty tomb told the women, “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said…go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead…” (Matt. 28:6-7).

Just prior to ascending into heaven, Jesus commanded his disciples, and the other believers with them, to preach the Gospel, and He promised to send the Holy Spirit to empower them, and us, to be witnesses of His resurrection, not only in Jerusalem but unto the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8).  Ten days later, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost, and 3,000 people were saved.  The good news began to spread even farther after the lame man at the temple gate was healed through the ministry of Peter and John.

But then the persecution began.  The religious leaders were “grieved that they (Peter and John) taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead” (Acts 4:2), so they arrested and questioned them.  At this point they tried to silence them by threatening them: “and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:18-20).  Isn’t that what witnesses are supposed to do: to speak what they have seen and heard? We are to do the same, as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses, and not to keep silent.

We read of further attempts to silence the early apostles in Acts 5:18-21, which states that they “laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.  But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.  And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught.”

They could not be silent, for it was their “time to speak”, as they had been commanded by God.  When they were discovered teaching in the temple, the high priest asked them, “Did not we straightly command you that ye should not teach in this name? …Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:28-29).  Then they were beaten and commanded again not so speak in the name of Jesus before they were released.  But they did not keep silent, for v. 42 declares, “…they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” 

Neither did Paul and Silas keep silent when they were beaten and cast into the inner prison and placed in stocks for preaching the gospel.  Acts 16:25 tells us, “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”  You would think that midnight would be a time to keep silent! But it was their “time to speak,” and they could not be silenced.

In the midst of our darkest night and our deepest trial, when there seems to be no way out, and we are imprisoned by doubt and fear, we need to lift our voices to God in praise and not allow Satan to silence us.  In addition, in these last days, we are living in a time of deep spiritual darkness, and midnight is fast approaching.  Now is not the time to keep silent, for the spiritual prisoners in bondage all around us need to hear us singing and praying and praising God so that they can be set free.

We have been called to be witnesses to speak “the truth, nothing but the truth.”  Satan is, through various means, including the pandemic, still trying to silence the voices of ministers and other Christians at this present time, even here in America, just as he did 2,000 years ago.  Last summer, the governor of California instituted a policy banning singing or chanting in church since it might spread the virus, and yet large crowds of protesters were allowed to shout and chant while marching in the streets.  Don’t be fooled into thinking that persecution won’t come to Christians in America.

Satan knows that faith comes by hearing the Word of God, and he is using fear to close churches and to close the mouths of believers in order to try and prevent the Word of God from being spoken.  We need to pray in the same manner as did the early apostles, in Acts 4:29, when they were under persecution: “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.”  Then we, too, will have the holy boldness to do as God commanded in Isa. 58:1: “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet…” for now is our “time to speak.”

 Song: The Camel Train

Genesis 24

V.1 T’was a day in early springtime

By an ancient wayside well,

Eleazar paused to rest his camel train;

He had found a bride for Isaac

E’er the evening shadows fell,

And his weary journey had not been in vain.

So he took the fair Rebekah,

Decked in jewels rich and rare,

Back to Abraham who waited far away;

Where Rebekah loved her Isaac

And he loved Rebekah fair -

O, it must have been a happy wedding day!

Chorus: O, get ready! – the evening shadows fall!

Don’t you hear the Eleazar call?

There is going to be a wedding;

Our joys will soon begin -

In the evening – when the camel train comes in.

V.2 So the blessed Holy Spirit

From the Father-God above

Has come down to earth

To find a worthy bride;

For  our Isaac over yonder

Has prepared His tents of love,

For He wants His fair Rebekah by His side.

We have left our kinfolks gladly,

We have bid the world goodby, 

We shall soon behold our Isaac

In our home beyond the sky -

What a happy, happy wedding that will be!

Chorus:

O, get ready! – the evening shadows fall!

Don’t you hear the Eleazar call?

There is going to be a wedding;

Our joys will soon begin

In the evening – 

when the camel train comes in.

V.3 We are on our camel journey 

to the land beyond the sea,

Where our Isaac waits 

to meet His happy Bride;

What a holy consummation! What a glorious 

jubilee,

When he sees the fair Rebekah by His side.

That will be a joyful meeting

When the camel train comes in,

When Rebekah leaves her camel by the way;

When we close our weary journey 

Midst the joyful noise and din -

That will truly be a happy wedding day.

Chorus:

O, get ready! – the evening shadows fall!

Don’t you hear the Eleazar call?

There is going to be a wedding;

Our joys will soon begin

In the evening –

when the camel train comes in.