Address—C.E. Lunden
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He returned to the 19th chapter first king, the 19th verse go he that is the light the departed then, and found Elijah the son of Shaffer, who was plowing with 12 yoke of oxygen before him, and he was the 12Th.
And Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him, And he left the option, and ran after he liked her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow thee. He said unto him, Go back again, for what have I done to thee?
And he returned back from him, and took the yoke of Oxford, and flew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxygen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him. Possibly a year ago some of us were looking together over the life of.
Elijah and we noticed as we were.
Following along as the scripture LED us into the various activities of Elijah the prophet, that his ministry took on a certain character. I suppose that's all was true of every service, some particular character.
We noticed that in his life there were seven pictures of repentance.
We didn't go into all of them, but we did notice some of them.
And in reading them carefully, we discovered that as seven is the perfect number, we have here rather a complete picture of that subject.
Not now doctrinally, as we have in the New Testament.
Set out before the beautiful order of display in the activities of that process. The first person that was mentioned was the widow of Sarepta. She repented.
Because that prophet had been in her house for 3 1/2 years.
She says have you come to the flame lifestyle?
Our Carson was awakened because of the presence of that man of God in her home. Had he said anything to her about?
This though, and it shows us the power of a godly life.
I brought that woman to a sense her need before God.
But we also learned at the same time that the Spirit of God is bringing before us a lovely type, the Gentiles who today are gathering around a rejected Christ because Elijah is the type of Christ, the rejected Christ. Don't you will turn with me to Luke's gospel just for a moment. We'll notice what we did notice at that time in connection with.
What the New Testament says about these two ministries.
The ministry of Elijah and the ministry of Elijah, you know, our dear brother Eric, who is now going to be with the Lord some years ago, many years ago, brought before me a thought that I value very much, he said. Whenever you read the Old Testament, remember you have to read it in the light of the news.
Because we're told that all scripture is given to us by inspiration of God.
We're told also that the things that were written before I were written for our learning. And we're told that the scriptures that are given by inspiration of God are profitable for doctrines, but it doesn't say they're all doctrines.
Until we get the doctrine in the news. But the older profitable for doctors.
That is, here we have perhaps one or two verses in the new, we have a whole chapter explaining them in the old picture forms, and that's the prophet of the Old Testament. And so in the in the 4th chapter of Luke's gospel.
We have what the New Testament says about the ministry of Elijah and Elijah.
Now it's a remarkable thing that we have this in Luke's gospel because Luke gospel brings before us the subject of rejection.
It also brings before us.
The subject of the Son of Man, and so in the 24th verse of the 4th chapter of Luke.
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And he said, Verily I say unto you, no, prophet.
Is accepted. Now that should really read acceptable because it's the question of rejection here, and better translations would give us the word acceptable.
No problem is acceptable in his own country, but I tell you of the truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias when the heaven was shut up three years and six months.
When great feminists wrote all the land.
But as none of them was Elias, then save unto sorrepto city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow, and many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elijah as the prophet, none of them was cleansed saving name in the Syrian.
College passage of Scripture gives us the key to the ministry of Elijah and Elijah we find the Lord here in His rejection.
Because Luke gives us the rejection of the Son of Man, and so we have the subject of faith coming out.
In this book of rejection, we find that the Lord is setting before them now in this matter, the two ministries that he's about to bring to Mass. The first ministry takes the character set before us, and he likes his life. That isn't the subject of repentance.
It takes in the life of the Lord Jesus when he was here, before he went on high.
And if you are familiar to all of these histories of Elijah and Elijah, you'll find that when one ends and the other begins, Elijah is carried into heaven.
And Elijah continues down here in the desert. And so we find that the ministry of Elijah then.
Is that line of ministry every sentence which was the Lord's ministry when he was here on earth?
But then there's a new ministry that he has when he goes to heaven.
That's when he went on high. He gave gifts on the man. We see the Apostle Paul coming forth with a line of truth that was entirely new.
It has to do with grace, the gospel of the grace of God. It isn't exactly the Kingdom line of things, although that's involved.
But it's an entirely new thing, for God is coming out now, hidden before to manifest all that He is in Jesus Christ, because the apostle Paul was given to see Jesus, not now as a man on earth.
See Him in the glory.
Exalted Son of Man.
That's the character of the Ministry of Elijah.
Is that why the ministry that sets before us Grace?
That, my dear friends, tonight.
You'll never understand grace. I'll never understand grace till I first had the ministry of Elijah. If someone else has said you and I will never know God.
Who we noticed something this wretched All the pride that's found here.
All slowly on to a bit, but we were singing in that little hymn tonight.
I nothing.
That's where the gospel brings us in. It gives us to see what we are. And we find in all of these repentances of the minister of Elijah that Elijah himself has to repent.
And Elijah has to repent.
And so we find that there's that in the life of everyone of it.
To which we discover the recession is not an act merely when we receive Christ as our Savior, but repentance is the state of soul.
And unless you and I go along through life conscious of the fact of what we are by nature.
Conscious of the great that saves them. I'm not saying occupied with it, no, but I say conscious of it because it's our privilege. It's our happy privilege now to be occupied with Christ and the inheritance.
But you know, dear friends, unless you and I are conscious of what we are.
The enemy is going to get advantage over.
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And so we have here then before 1St the Ministry like him.
And then we have the ministry of Elijah we said before, which brings before the new thing, before the new thing Elijah speaks. The ministry of Elijah speaks to us is coming in contact with that man Naman, who also was a Gentile.
And upon his repentance.
And following the prophet of God and what the word of God had to say to him, his flesh comes again with a little child. He's a letter now that has to do with a new line of things. It has to do with an entirely new life, a divine life. It's a type of a kind of life that only comes to the sovereign grace of God.
Now, in considering these things.
We find that.
Just as we close the ministry of Elijah, as it were, and again the ministry of Elijah, we find that the subject of repentance is prominently brought before us, because the Spirit of God is bringing before us a candidate, shall we say, for the Kingdom of God.
Now let me use that expression, Kingdom of God. We speak here in a moral sense.
That is righteousness.
The joy of the Holy Ghost is what characterizes the Kingdom of God.
I believe that's the 15th of Roland, isn't it?
I'm not sure.
Righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Now in order for that to be brought about, we find the Spirit of God and just before us and things for our conscience.
And we have them in the 9th chapter of Luke's Gospel. Now I speak of that because it's the explanation.
Of a part of the passage that we read of Elijah tonight.
And I think we should read it first before we go into the ministry.
Of Elijah.
In the 9th chapter of Luke's gospel, dying of the 57th verse, we have a new line of things, and it's called In the Way.
And the kind of fast that as they went in the way. Now what is this way Speaking of? It's a new way. And if you'll turn back to the early part of the chapter, you'll find that the Lord Jesus asks the disciples what men say of him. Old one of the prophecies returned again, but he says, whom do you say that I am?
Oh, you're the Christ of God, Peter Wright. Yes, he was right.
But Peter hadn't understood what had happened. All the Lord says, don't tell any man this thing anymore.
This other man has been rejected, and so he tells his disciples in the 23rd verse.
If a man will come after me.
Let him deny himself and take up his cross daily Follow. Now. That's the first step of a candidate for the Kingdom of God. First step.
Christ has been rejected as the King.
And now he's Speaking of something else.
It's a place in heaven. There's no place for you on earth now. If you're going to follow Christ, you'll have to give up everything here. Oh, brethren, this is precious truth. With that we laid hold of.
You have to give up everything there. We're going to follow Christ except the man Forsake all. He cannot see my disciples.
Until we notice then, in reading this from the 57th verse. And it came to pass that as they went in the way this way a certain man said under him, the Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goeth. Jesus suddened him. Boxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nest of the Son of man does not where to lay his head.
You still want to follow me? Oh, he doesn't say that.
But what an appeal to the heart. You still want to follow me? You know what it means to follow Christ.
Dear friends, tonight thousands have rallied under the banner of Christianity.
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What do they know following a rejected Christ? And if we were to ask tonight?
Do I know about it? What you will want? What was the answer?
Boxes that hold those clever creatures of nature, they can find a way through this world and arrest to the birds of the air. With the big choice of the wicked spirits that have control of things down here. They can make their way through here and one falling over injections, right? He has no place in this world and the closer we get to this world.
The closer we are to the Prince of it, and the further we are from Christ.
Now we have the Lord Jesus saying to another Follow me, the man in the first case suggested. But now the Lord Jesus is asking 1 to follow him.
He said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my Father. Jesus telling him left the death, bury their death.
That goes out and reach the Kingdom of God. Now we see an urgency coming in. In this thing, the Lord is asking a man to follow him.
Oh, he said I have something to attend to 1St.
No.
If this man wants to come into the blessing and follow the Lord Jesus to blessings, you'll have to drop everything and come. Why was it that the servant said to it? Rebeccas, folks?
Relatives, friends. Well, they said, why don't you tell me 10 days? No, he says, we're going now, we're going now. If Rebecca had carried 10 days, she probably would never have come. Now when God speaks is the time to act. I remember when my own boy said to me, Lane delirious on his bed, he said, father.
If the Lord speaks, will he speak again?
If the Spirit of God speaks, will he speak again? You know, that boy didn't receive Christ for at least a year after that. But you know, God was speaking and there are times when he's speaking and the Lord is speaking to this man. I redact. Oh, what a solemn thing it is when God speaks. What does Peter do when he spoke? What did Levi do? He up in quality.
What a solemn thing it is to have to do with God.
So we have again another also said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first go and bid them farewell when you're at home at my house. Now this is the part that connects with Elijah's ministry and probably was taken from that.
Suddenly, and no man, having put his hand to the flower, looking back his fit for the Kingdom of God. You know, the Lord Jesus said to his disciples once. I'll read his stuff.
We should be very careful how we read the Word of God.
I know this scripture has often been used as someone who started out as it were in some mission field and he didn't continue and he came back and they say, well his man puts his hand to the plow and turn him back. He didn't fit for the Kingdom of God.
Then what does it say? It says one who puts his hand with the plow and turns back if he sits for the Kingdom of God. What it says. So it's a question of sickness here for the Kingdom of God. Or it may involve the servant in the other too. It's a question here of Christmas for the Kingdom of God. Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hands to the plow and looking back.
Is fit for the Kingdom of God. To know who's that in mind, let's turn to the facets we've read in First Kings, the 19th chapter.
In the 1930s we have in this passage, first of all, the end of the ministry of Elijah. The name of Elijah means Jehovah is God. The name of Elijah means Jehovah is salvation.
Down the far ones and realize.
Salvation is all you have to know who God is. He would come to God and believe that he is and that he's a rewarder of them, which diligently seek him, Hebrews says. And so there has to be first of all.
Sense of what we are and all are ruined.
Realize what God is.
And the Spirit of God produces that we have in the Gospel of Luke.
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The fear of God sitting before us, that precious state is the Lord Jesus, but as a man and one who can open up not only by his ministry, but by His very act, the hidden springs of the human heart, but at the same time can bring down that measureless grace of God that meets every need.
Because the heart is opened up at the same time, the most gospel we see before us, as we meditate on us, the right path for a man, a divine path for a man through a world like this. At the same time, we see a blessed Savior.
Attracting the heart of a full rebel center, coming himself and drawing the heart, as it were, with the chords of a man. Love right home to the father's house. That's the 15th of the father's house.
But you know, my friend, at the same time the Lord Jesus does not forfeit one bit of that which belongs to the glorious God is righteousness and His Majesty all the Savior. What a man, the man of Christ Jesus. And now in this chapter, I believe the Spirit of God gives us a little outline, the beginnings of a soul with God.
You know there were many prophets in scripture, but I don't know of another one that was taken from the cloud.
Here's the man that's taken from the plow and we find that there were 12 yoke of oxen plowing and he was the 12.
What does that suggest to it? Can we see to your to oxen? A yoke of oxen was starting out, and as they start out with a plow, the second start out to take the next Pearl.
And then the next one until Elijah is the last.
12 yoke of oxen and we were the last. Don't you see? It's the end of a dispensation.
The beginning of a new era, a new day, is what we have in the epistle of John, he which was from the beginning.
Oh, it isn't the beginning back in eternity there it is in John one. But in the Epistle of John, it's the beginning down here, a new beginning for man.
When this world was ruined, not only this whole earth ruined, but man of moral ruined, and there was no hope.
Let's say you're the Son of God, the man thou that starts a new race. It's called the seed of Abraham in the epistle.
Of Romans in the second chapter, a new race, the seed of Abraham, the seed of faith, Those who would simply cast themselves in all their need on that precious Savior, takes them home with him to the Father's house. But now you see in this passage before us the beginning of a new era.
In Cassidy's manual father to test it, what does he do?
Let the ox move around after he like.
Let me, I pray thee, gets my father and my mother, and then I will follow me.
Isn't it so every time?
Didn't Abraham get as far as Karen and Mary stop?
Every time, all dear fellow Christians, you never take one step ahead.
Unless the grace of God gives you the doing, there's no room for pride here.
The one who has learned to know something in his own heart.
Or simply wait upon God independence and that's what brings him along the way.
Because it's God's own prerogative. It's His own choice that you and I are saved at all. We have to learn what dependence is in the 5th chapter.
Hebrew, we find out those two precious, precious truths. It was the character of Christianity. It was seen in the captain of our salvation.
Dependent and obedience. Dependence and obedience is what characterizes Christianity.
And find them both and look brought out vividly in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, until we find now.
He's tempted and immediately turned back to get one more little bit of what he had before.
You know, the expression father and mother here isn't what we often would think. It is just your natural father and mother. That's not the thought at all.
It's the first principle. You learn it with Saul of Solomon. Turning back to first principle, we had it last night. I believe some of us, we were noticing this one who has tasted old wine, never desired new great sovereign date, and that alone.
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Has done anything for man. And that's what we need to learn. The total depravity of man. The total helplessness of man.
God coming in, in the love of his heart.
Taking witnesses bring us home and so he says go back again for what I might under the.
This is a process, beloved. He's drawing him with the course of a man. He's putting him three steps over the way in the scene. What effect it's going to have on him, we're going to do now go back again. What have I done to thee? And he goes back.
But notice what he does. Does he go back to his father and mother? No, he doesn't. The attractions of that man Elijah is so great. He has a new object before his soul. No, unless you and I get Christ before our souls is an object. You're one who go back.
And they go on, and all the religious professional elders for brought up as brethren, we make a lot as brethren in profession. But remember, unless Christ is the object of the soul, you'll not you'll not continue. So what does he do then? Return back from Him? And so it should read the oak of oxen, because you see it was this 12Th.
That he's plowing with it really should read that way. And better translation.
We took videos of Oxford and threw them and borrowed their flesh.
Now what has he done?
In this passage before us the beginning of a new era, and he cast his manual party.
The tested what does he do? The odds move around after your life and said let me I pray thee kiss my father and my mother and then I will follow me.
Isn't it so every time? Didn't Abraham get as far as Karen and Mary stop? Has he made any provision for the flesh? No.
Just cut right into it's the principle of circumcision. It's cutting off the flesh. It's a rolling away of the reproach of Egypt. Now he can't come back.
He slain the oxen with which he was plowing everything along. His former conversation is gone. He must go on. Oh, dear Christian, you and I done that, have you?
Are you making provision for the flesh? Oh, I say, these truths are vital, and they're so necessary today.
You either have to have Christ is everything. You're going back, going back.
And so it says he slew them. But what does he do?
Life turns everything now into a new path and boiled the oxen and provide meat for the people of God. So ministering grace.
Remember the oxen and all the instruments of the oxen in the fire, That's the judgment putting him in the place of judgment where they belong. Because, you know, we never reclaim anything from the flag. The flesh profits nothing. But notice what it says. And they did eat.
What does that mean?
What it means if you say this fast?
Your work will be profitable.
Your work will be profitable. There will be results from it. They did eat well. There's a great deal uncontained in these verses in connection with what we have in that turning point in Luke's Gospel, Chapter 9. That's what the Spirit of God brings before us there.
Because the 9th chapter of Luke is the turning point of that gospel, and from then on we have heavenly things. Before that it was the Kingdom.
Now we have heavenly things, and in the last 11Th chapter we find that in connection with the subject of prayer, he says, if your Father, if you pray, ask your Father for something, for basically to give you a stone and so on.
How much more so much your Father wishes in heaven.
Give good things the Holy Spirit to them, they're asking. So we have introduced the Holy Spirit, which is that person who comes into the believer and dwells there for all eternity. That's Christianity, because strange as it may seem.
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John does not bring us into heavenly things, he brings heaven down here.
But Luke, because of the path of rejection here, they still have anything until the 9th chapter we have.
The Father himself coming out and that's cloud of Shekinah glory enveloping those disciples as they stand on the Mount of Transfiguration. It's the only gospel with us. And so we see in that same chapter, because they they've been rejected and they're following a rejected Christ. He presents to them three heavenly glories. They will participate with him in our view, the earthly glory that's spoken urgently.
16th chapter of Matthew.
Is not there.
The heavenly glory that's prominent in the Gospel of Luther.
Well, I mentioned this because of the character of it and because of its connection with the type that we're looking at tonight.
And so we'll turn them to the second chapter, a second king. It would be nice to go through these other pictures of repentance, but I believe it would be more profitable for us now in connection with the subject we're pursuing to those some things in the second chapter of Second Kings because it continues the history of Elisha in this particular thing that we're noticing tonight.
The second chapter and second game and it came to pass when the Lord would take up Elijah.
By a whirlwind.
That Elijah went with Elijah from Gilgal, and Elijah said unto Elijah, Terry here I pray thee, for the Lord has sent me the Bethel.
You like to set unto him, as the Lord liveth in his thy soul liveth. I will not leave thee. So he went down to Bethel, and the sons of the prophets that were Bethel came forth to Elijah and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today?
He said yeah, I know it holds in your face.
Elijah said unto him, Elijah Terry here I pray thee, for the Lord is certainly to Jericho. He said, As the Lord limit, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho, and the sons of the prophets that were Jericho came to Elijah and said of him, Know about the Lord will take away thy master from my head today. And he answered, yeah, I know it.
Holds you your peace. Would like to set a little Terry, I pray thee here the Lord has sent me to Jordan.
He said, As the Lord liveth unto his life, so liveth I will not leave thee. And they too went on. And 50 men of the sons of the prophets went and stood to view far off, and they too stood by Jordan.
And Elijah took his mammal and Raptor together and smelt the waters, and they were divided, hit her and thither, so that they too went over on dry ground.
And it came as fast when they were gone over.
That Elijah said unto Elijah, Ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee. And Elijah said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Alice asked a hard thing, Nevertheless, if thou see me when I'm taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee, but if not, it shall not be so.
And it came as fast as they still went on and talked.
Behold their appeared chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and part of them both asunder.
Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven and Elijah's God, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more.
He took all of his own clothes and wrapped them in two pieces, and he took a ball to the man of Elijah that fell from him, went back and stood by the Bank of Jordan, and he took the man of Elijah's cell from him and smelt the waters and said.
Where is the Lord God of Elijah?
Weather also had spit in the waters. They farted hidden Feathers and Elijah went over.
And understands the province which was to view as Jericho saw him. They said the spirit of Elijah just rest on Elijah. Now here we have a continuing picture of the activity of the Spirit of God into the soul who is brought into the Kingdom of God, righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
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That more permanent thing which has a heavenly character, not just the Kingdom on earth, which will be true of Israel in the coming day, but that portion that belongs to all those now will put their trust in Jesus. It's a marvelous thing to think of the work that was done for him, but have you ever thought of the work that is being done in you? Who has begun a good thing to you will perform?
Until the day of Jesus Christ, and I believe we have that here. We see now that Elijah by bringing before the conscience of Elijah.
What he is in himself.
That he has to. He has to be done with everything. We find that now Elijah's eyes are fixed on Elijah. Are your eyes fixed on Christ or mine? I fixed on Christ.
Oh, the Spirit of God appeals to us as we read these scriptures.
Do you know that when we get home to heaven, there's going to be one object in heaven and there's going to be one thing that happens. The object will be Christ and the thing will be a suffering. Readers in the 9th chapter of Luke, can you please, until we see them, that Elisha as he died fixed on Elijah, He won't leave him. Go away may he won't leave him. And you know, that's the power of the Christian life.
If he lied to go to Bethel, he'll go there. He didn't say to go with him. He didn't say you come with me to Bethel. No, he didn't. Just drawing him in the chords a lot. They're the only permanent chords, you know, the only permanent one, because that's what will last for all eternity, course of life. At the same time there were courts of a man.
And we follow that message, Savior, to the Gospel of Luke. See the man Christ Jesus.
Poor heart, we've come to the end of themselves. We have no hope. This is come with me. I'll take you into the Father's. They were ready for it. They were ready for it. Still sitting down at the table with me and all their rags and their ruins. And yes, they were at home there. Oh, what a savior. What a savior.
And so now.
The heart of Elijah has been attracted to Elijah. He won't leave him. He won't be. But we have some others here. We have the sons of the prophet.
And there always have been the sons of the prophets. You know, there may be some here tonight who have taken the name of Christ on their list, but they know nothing of the experiences of Elijah. They don't say We will not leave thee. They stand far off, they observe.
They don't. All the outward follows of it and the doctrines of it. They say your master is going to be taken away from your head today.
They know all about it. They might be able to give you a clear description of the truth of Scripture. Then you know yourself.
But I say that the sons of the they don't cross Jordan with Elijah. They don't know anything what it means to be dead and risen with Christ. They know nothing of that. They may be able to talk about these things, but they'll stand as far off and do. And after it's all taken place on their question, that's the sons of the prophet. Only the Spirit of God awaken our hearts to realize what it is to follow or reject Christ.
And so let's notice them. We have first Gilgal. I don't think this is the Gilgal down by the Jordans. That had to do with the chairman of Israel when they came across into the land. I believe this is the Gilgal back in the flames. Another kills all which is recorded on the map.
Because they came down from yellow golf. You see, we have here a lovely picture of just what we have in the Tabernacle in the wilderness. God side comes first. Male black. The 1St place we start with is the very glory of God itself. Because friends, remember.
Counsels were long before man's responsibility. Man's responsibility only comes in and show us what we are so that God can come in now and claim that we're Chronicle. That's all God's counsel for long before. So we begin at Gilgal when we come down to Bethel. What's Bethel? You know very well.
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In the 28th chapter of Genesis, all the promises that were given.
To Jacob, he said I won't leave you until I've done all this and I'm going to bring you back to Bethel with blessing I will bless thee. Jacob put on the provision. Jacob said if you do this, then I'll do this. God never said a word about what he should do. He says with blessing, I'm going to bless you. That's Bethel.
All the blessings that have been proposed now to the work of Christ. And so then he goes on to Jericho. Let's Jericho first place the experiences coming with him, experiencing the glory of God. And our believer now is seated in the heavenly place to think of it. But then we have vessels and promises and now we've come down to Jericho. Where's Jericho?
The place of the curse. And we find ourselves first of all seated in heavenly places. Our hearts rejoice.
We find that matchless truth of God, the counsels of God. We have an Ephesians one and then we see in Bethel how he is is the House of God. You know, he's gathered all the children of God around Christ, the center. But then he wants us to know the character of the scene we're passing through.
Jericho, it's a place where God's cursive, and it's a place where you and I will find nothing that can satisfy our hearts. And he wants us to know it before he leaves. He wants Elijah to know all about this before he leaves this and he goes out to the glory. And so we have all the precious ministry that God has given us in regard to these things. Are we laying hold of it? Do we know what the character of the world is? Are we trying to prove it? You know, there's two ways to discover.
These veins, one is by faith and the other is by experience. But you know, experience lose of scars. Faith doesn't. Oh, how sad the scars. How better, much better if you and I just took the word golf realized just let the past that we're treading it through a wilderness Jericho place of the curtain. So he says keep your eyes right straight in front of you. Don't turn the right hand into the left.
Go right up, pay no attention to the scene. Keep your eyes on Christ. What happened to Peter as he walked on the water to go to Jesus? Turned his eyes to the side, beginning to think again. Christ, Lord saved me. Experience, I think experience. But then where does it go? That is the beautiful language we have here.
Six birds and Elijah, son of him, carry, I pray thee here, for the Lord has sent me to Jordan. You know, sometimes I think, and I've done it myself.
I tried sometimes to perhaps encourage someone to do something, try to, to set their path out for them. You know, it's not God, it's not a God. Here's the principle of it. The principle is example, the Lord has sent me to this place or that. Now if the Lord has sent me and I take that path.
Then I'm sure it'll be an example of someone else. And he said, as the Lord LED us, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. But notice what it says. And they too went on.
Something new has been happening.
Oh, wonderful. The heart is an object now, and it has something that interests it that didn't interest it before. Not now. Plowing in this earth as we designed to accept word, It goes on in communion. The two went together. None. The fifty sons of the prophets come in again. Spoil everything.
Only once a night. You're either falling like Elijah, or you're a human among the people of God, one of the two spoiling everything.
They stood the viewer far off. Fifty sons of the prophets stood the viewer far off. But these two stood. Where did they stand? By Jordan. Jordan, the river of death. Elijah took his mammal, wrapped it together and smoked the waters. And they were divided. Hitler saw that they too went over him to rise. Like Fella asked you, dear friend, tonight, were you one of these?
Were you? This is the book of Romans.
It's a democratic Do you know why the the apostle said to them in Romans, reckon yourselves to be a dead indeed.
Dead indeed, under sin and so on. Why does he say to recommend? Because the man still alive, he hasn't crossed Joy yet. The river or the Red Sea is a picture to us.
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Of the death of Christ.
And the river Jordan is a picture to us of our death with Christ. The Red Sea, the crossing of it, is a picture of the death of Christ. Four. And all the enemies are talking, they see them dead on the seashore, since the river Jordan crossing it.
The picture to us of our death and whiskey that were free, you see, free because death frees us. You can't put any flames of any guilt on a dead man. They're all gone.
So the soul is set completely free now, full liberty following Christ. And so we see the two of them now across Jordan. Oh, Christ is the one who went down to death for but you see, baptism is a picture of our going down with him in it.
Coming up again, always coming up again. Now we present to them something new came to pass when we were gone over.
How they got over that? Elijah said unto Elijah asked, what I shall do for thee? He doesn't say I'm going to do something for you. He says, you ask what I shall do for me. Why? Because he has the mind of the spirit now, before I be taken away from thee. And Elijah said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. All he wants a double portion of the spirit of that man.
Is the object of his heart. It's a type of Christ.
And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing. Why does he say that? Because, you know, as far as man is concerned, it's the hardest thing for one lay hold of a written glorified strike, because it has to be by way of rejection, hard thing.
The path of following a rejected Christ is a hard thing, and it's only the grace of God it can lead his soul in it. Now what does it involve? Notice if thou see me when I'm taken from me, it shall be sore to me, but if not, it shall not be so.
Now that's the ministry of the apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul was smitten to the ground and he saw the Lord Jesus, not as the disciples have seen him down here, but he still I'm up there to the glory, the risen glorified Christ.
That's Christianity. That's the new ministry of Elijah. This is what characterizes Elijah's ministry. Arisen, Laura by Christ. Now what can he like to do? Go on and dispense the grace that's been given got lost. Great. The law was given by Moses. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Oh, and Savior. Well now one more thing, possibly before we close.
Anytime they still went on and talked a lovely picture, beautiful picture that will be continued when we got home to glory, you know, been interrupted. He's gone on high, He's coming back and then we'll go on and talk to love it all in a day that'll be. Does your heart yearn for it? Have you got your eyes fixed on Christ?
Is it the object of your heart? Is he the one that's controlled? You're passed out here and gives you the power each day?
That behold their fear to charity of fire and horses of fire, and part of them both asunder. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elijah saw it. He gries my father and the Father. That's Roman Bates, the spirit in the heart of a father. Christianity brings us the truth of the Father.
It was never known in the Old Testament.
That's Christian. It's not just God knowing God is God, but it's now knowing the Father. It's the base lisping out ABBA Father. That's Christian. And what has happened? Why is having believed you were sealed with that spirit, everyone who cries ABBA Father is sealed Spirit of God.
And he saw him no more. We won't speak of the Israel and the horsemen. That comes in later in life's ministry.
We saw him no more, and he took hold of his own clothes and read them in two pieces. Why is this assault? When they finally come to the place where they see themselves dead with Christ, their whole life changes. Why? Because they get a view of themselves but they've never seen before.
And Christ becomes the object, and all these tinsel, the word that so attract the natural heart, They dropped off like autumn leaves. Its own character passes away. It's Christ from now on.
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Is Christ replaced on earth because he's left here to be a witness in the testimony to the One who's gone on high? A new power possesses his soul, and here is a living witness for the risen, glorified Christ down here on earth.
Now we have a picture of the church.
And you'll notice too that the testimony rendered by Elijah here.
Is that those who saw it, these fifty sons of the prophets, they had to bear witness to the fact that the very same power within his master, within him. And we read the 1St or the 2nd chapter of Peter first Peter, right? We'll read it this way, that she should follow any of them, not follow his death.
Is the only way we can do it follow in his death? Because you're either living that old Adam life or you're living the new life in Christ Jesus. And if you're living the new life you'll fall in, is that. Oh, they won't measure. It's often like a little child who tries to follow his father's footsteps, and his footsteps is awfully small, but still he jumps into his father's step.
In the same steps now he's ready for the mantle. Takes up the mantle. What does he do with it? Same thing is master here it's the same power now he has power to walk through this world the power of a new life. He goes back across Jordan now look for bear with us. And so where does he go He goes back into these four places that he is in with his master but he goes back in reverse order starts at Jordan and he goes.
Jericho and he goes to Bethel and then he goes to Gilgal and then he's home, the father's house. That's the history of the church. It's his progress down here and we may have time. The Lord allows us to speak of those things. On another occasion he took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and went back and stood to the Bank of Jordan, seeing his death, and took the mall of Elizabeth fell from him and spilt the waters and said.
Where is the Lord's God of Elijah?
When he also spent the waters, they farted his and the Elijah went over, and when the sons of the prophets which were to be with Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah does rest on in my ship.