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Lord, we can see you.
Going.
To.
Would the Brethren be happy to continue on with the 12Th of the loop as we had on Saturday?
Yes.
Verse 49. Is that about right?
Luke chapter 12, beginning of verse 49.
I have come to send fire on the earth, and what will I if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straight until it be accomplished? Suppose here that I am come to give peace on the earth. I tell you nay, but rather division.
For from henceforth there should be 5 in one house divided, 3 against two and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And he said also to the people, when you see a cloud rise out of the West straightway, you say there come with the shower, and so it is. And when you see the South wind blow, you say there will be heat. And it comes to pass.
He hypocrites, he can discern the face of the sky and of the earth. But how is it that you do not discern this time? Yeah, and why even of yourselves, judging not what is right, when thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, and give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him, lest he hailed thee to the judge, The judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. I tell thee thou shalt not depart thence that thou has paid the very last mate.
We would like to just comment before we go on to the verse 49, something that probably was commented on somewhat yesterday in verse 45.
The servant that says my Lord delays his coming and the importance of keeping the Lords coming before us as a present hope. And it's so important as soon as you put off the thought the Lord is not coming for quite a while yet.
Things start happening that are fairly negative. He begins to beat the men service and the maidens and to eat and drink and to be drunken.
And this is what happens when the.
Hope of the Lord's coming is given up.
And brethren, I just feel that there's something there that needs to be reflected on.
It's so easy if we go around the room and ask if all here believe in the pre tribulation rapture, I'm sure everyone would say yes, we'd be all clear as to the doctrine of it. But what I find in my own soul, the challenge is to keep it as a present reality.
That's going to happen, one of these least expected moments and to be ready for that moment at any time the Lord's coming and not to put it off, not to relegate it. We talk about it so much that sometimes it seems like the practical consequences of it are kind of put off to one side. We we need to keep it before us as a practical reality this afternoon.
00:05:16
Perhaps while we're sitting here.
It could happen. We're going home and to be ready for that moment. How important that is to keep before us. Remember you saying, Brother Clem, anybody that puts the Lord's coming beyond today is wrong in spirit.
Wrong in spirit if not in fact.
Paul Jevon woke me up one day and he said.
Clem, do you think that the Lord is overdue?
That's Paul Jones. That's the way he would talk to you.
I didn't know what site for a while.
I came to the first time he came. I said well.
It says about His first coming when the fullness of time has come. God set forth His Son made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the law, and the rest of us too. I said he was on time the first time, he'd be on time the 2nd, but he hadn't told us that time yet. I believe that with all my heart. But the words of FT Patterson are the best that I have ever heard of anybody say as to forecasting.
When the Lord is going to count?
I'll tell the story of.
Fred Tansley in Manchester, England.
He's an old bachelor over there.
And he he was getting old the last time we were over there.
He had started to give away some of his China, said I won't be here long, I'm going to give some of this stuff away. Well, he's still there and the Lord still hasn't come. But concerning the prophecy of the Lord coming, I hope I'm not telling something out of us.
A time here, but.
There was a brother that put out a book saying the Lord is going to come in 1984.
Some of you know it. Even the Canadian. That's enough to say.
I told him that don't do it, don't don't publish that book, but he did anyway. Well, he's gone now too, and we're still here.
My, the Lord doesn't delay his coming. He's going to come on time, but he loves.
Gracious and God, my dad used to say.
Man forced God into doing something that God didn't want to do.
And what was that to be a judge. God didn't really want that kind of an occupation to be a judge. But he's faithful God and he's going to judge, but he delays it. He that's what he delays instead of instead of coming in grace.
Important them too about somewhere between the 4th and 5th century AD they lost the sense of the Lord coming and they went into the dark ages and that lasted till about the 14th or 15th century, about 1000 years and it wasn't fully recovered till probably the end of the 19th century or maybe the first part of the 20th, 19th at least and.
It's what caused them to forget, and they did exactly what it says here.
They started to beat the men, servants and maidens, and they were criminals from about the 4th and 5th century AD to the 15th century, the Dark Ages, and because they lost the sense of the Lord's coming.
Anyone predicts a time beyond today is wrong. Absolutely wrong.
We should not do that. There was a brother and he was not a Canadian, he was an American.
And he also predicted that the Lord would come in that year, and someone said to him after the year had passed, now what do you say I was wrong? He said, That's all I can say, I was wrong.
00:10:09
So the attitude of a believer is to be living in the daily expectation that the Lord Jesus is going to come that very day. I enjoyed reading about a young brother. He had a little motto on his bathroom mirror. It simply said, perhaps today. I thought that was good because he wanted to be reminded every morning when he got up and looked in the mirror that this might be the day of the Lord's return. Now that's the proper attitude of a Christian. That's the way the early brethren used to greet one another. Perhaps today.
There's another thing about that.
It's been put in simple words. It's best cleaning up doctrine. You can preach the Lord's coming.
You wouldn't want to be doing a lot of things that you have done if the Lord was coming to pick you up. Well, everyone that hath this hope in Him purifies himself, even as he is pure. Now sometimes said, in the measure in which we are enjoying in our souls, the fact that the Lord is coming at any moment in that measure, it will have a practical purifying effect on our lives. That's right.
If I had my choice, I'd like him to come right now.
Amen. While we're together over the word of God, think of a better place.
The apostle Paul, when he wrote to the Thessalonians, said We which are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord.
Is it impossible? Mistaken. He's been dead quite a long time.
No, it's always the proper hope of the Christian that the Lord might come at any moment. It keeps us in line like nothing else can. Just to think, if I know that the Lord is coming at any moment, and I let slip some bad words out of my mouth that instant the Lord comes, with what kind of a face am I going to present myself before His presence?
It reflects, it makes you think what you're doing, what you're talking about, what where you go. It all is examined in the light of the fact that we are going to step into the very presence of the Lord of glory to see his face.
Overhead that we can do that when that moment comes.
With joy, with nothing on our conscience.
To hinder the joy that moment.
We might mention too that there is a little principle given at the end of verse 48 that we don't need to dwell on, but it's important to notice it. And that is, it says, For under whomsoever much is given of Him shall be much required, and to whom men have committed much, of whom they will ask the more.
There it's in connection with.
Punishment and responsibility. But I suggest that the universal principle applies, doesn't it? There are those to whom God has committed much, and if they have rejected the gospel, for example, in these favored lands, I have no doubt that men will be held more responsible than in places where it was much more difficult to hear it.
It also applies, I believe, to you and me as believers. That is, if God has given much to some, then he expects the more. And I cannot plead my ignorance or perhaps pretend that I'm ignorant and say, well, he, even a fellow believer, is getting away with certain things or doing certain things. I am obliged to live according to the light that God has shown me from His Word. And so that principle applies, I suggest, to all.
It applies to the unbeliever who's had a brighter and more consistent testimony presented to him, but it applies to the believer in terms of what the Lord has given him and so to speak, for example, about the various ages in the churches history. No doubt God did not require so much of A believer who lived in the dark ages as He would require, for example, of you and me today. And maybe He doesn't require as much of those who have not had the light and truth that many of us have been privileged to have.
00:15:11
Got hold of us responsible for what he has given us, doesn't he?
There's another thing that I think is nice to see in connection with the Lord going up in the first chapter of Acts. I think it's put in there for that purpose.
Even of God.
Verse 11 Worst educating up into heaven. What are you looking up there for?
This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner and give seen him go into heaven. We're the ones that need to be looking up to heaven. He's going to come back.
You're going to come the same way. Which would you rather have had the choice of doing if you'd had a choice once you go up and watch him come down? I believe my brother had the choice of coming down to be with us here, to take us out of here, I should say.
Well, he's coming. He's not delaying.
I have to confess something connection with the last election.
I said to myself, if Kerry wins, that would be a perfect time for the Lord to take us all home.
If that's what you want, I'm taking mine out of here. But he didn't win. We stuck to four more years. No, I hope not.
Well, perhaps today is what we believe.
One thing is for sure, well, we can't put a time on the Lord's coming. One thing is for sure that we've never been closer to the coming of the Lord than we are right now, and that's a great comfort.
We see signs that indicate we are close to the end of the times of the Gentiles, that time period that runs from the time that Nebuchadnezzar took the Kingdom from Israel.
Till the end, when the Lord Jesus comes back to take the kingdoms of this world and reign supreme from sea to sea. That's the times of the Gentiles and we are getting close to the end. There are signs around not of the rapture, but of the coming of the Lord Jesus at the end of the tribulation. Not signs that like there will be in the tribulation period, but there are indications brother.
For example, the nation of Israel.
Its existence is one of the most tremendous signs that there are that we are getting close. For almost 2 Millennium, that nation did not exist. Now it exists again since 1948 and they have their original tongue as well, something that is unheard of in the history of this world.
That is the fig tree that is budded and so we can look around and we can see things that indicate we are getting close to the end. But as to predicting a definite time, that is what we cannot do.
How true that is. But you know, you can go further, can't you?
The Western powers are bringing themselves together. The great revived Roman Empire is being formed over there right today. You're a common monetary dollar over there, the euro dollar and the nations are joining themselves together. There's roughly 400 million people in Europe. That's a lot of people and they're all getting together. And that's the revived Roman Empire when it comes to a head. And, you know, today there might be the man that's going to run it and there might be the false prophet who's going to be in Israel alive today. I'm I'm sure they are both of them.
What a sign we have as to the Lord's return in power and glory. You think that's important because when Jesus came the first time?
It was the Roman Empire in the person of Herod that tried to kill him as a baby and then actually did crucify him under Pontius Pilate, another Roman agent.
When the Lord Jesus comes back the second time, it will be that same Roman Empire revived that will oppose him and try to get rid of him again.
00:20:13
This 49th verse I've come to send fire on the earth.
And what will I if it be already kindled?
I'd like to hear some comments on that.
Well, it seems to me here that the Lord is bringing out the two aspects of His coming into the world.
I believe we get a similar thought. Is it in the 12Th of January? Might turn to it.
12Th chapter of John.
I.
Yes, John 12 and verse.
31.
Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out, That is the rejection of the Lord Jesus.
Was the end, you might say, and we all know this, of man's last trial.
They had rejected every prophet, everyone that God had sent in the Old Testament. And finally God says, as it were, I will send my beloved Son. It may be they will reverence him when they see him, but when they reject the Lord Jesus, there's nothing for man but the fire of judgment. Now I suggest that it goes perhaps even further than that in the sense that the Lord's coming exposed man's heart for what it really was. But I suggest the thought that.
The Lord Jesus is bringing by his coming and by his rejection fire on the earth and he says, what will I if it be already kindled that is already there was the effect of that judgment. It has not been carried out directly yet, but the if I could say it, the battle lines have been drawn by those who accept it and those who reject him. But then on the other hand, the next verse brings out the grace of God that meets man in his need, if he'll accept him.
I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I straightened until it be accomplished? Oh, how beautiful the Lord Jesus as it were saying, but there's love and there's grace to meet the situation and oh, I I don't want to be a reverend, but the Lord is saying almost. I just can't wait until that work is done so that the full outflow of the heart of God can be known to a lost world because it wasn't his desire to bring men into judgment, but rather that they might be saved.
Is that is that a right way of looking at it?
I thought two of the the Holy Spirit, you said man's final Test was a rejection of Christ, but I think the final Test is a rejection of the Holy Spirit's testimony. Steven spoke by the Holy Spirit and Jerusalem said, no, kill him. They stoned him. That was their answer. That's unforgivable. That's unforgivable. And and I don't think the gospel went out to Jerusalem after that.
It went to the Jews elsewhere in the world.
But they said no, that was our final chance. I rejected the Father, rejected the Son, and rejected the Holy Spirit that exhausts the Trinity.
That's that's solemn, isn't it?
The last verse of the chapter probably is that, isn't it?
And that's what's going to that's what did happen. Titus destroyed Jerusalem. They were scattered. And they haven't yet paid the very last night, but they will.
And that's what that last person said. Judgment is still going to be poured out on that nation and the time was filed.
Zions trouble is still to come. It hasn't arrived yet. And when we see that it's going to be so terrible, it says that it's so bad that if the time weren't shortened, even the leg would not be saved. So a terrible time is coming in the 14th chapter of Revelation, in the last verse, last three verses actually.
00:25:11
It says the blood flows to the Bible, the horses bridled for 200 furlongs, 2000 dollars, 200 miles. And of course that is symbolic, but it just goes to show how terrible that time is. And that's that's that last verse, isn't it, of this check.
And isn't it remarkable just while you mentioned that scripture in Revelation about the blood flowing for 1600 furlongs or 200 miles, it's rather striking that that is pretty close to the length of the land of Israel North and N so.
It shows that that is the nation that's going to suffer the most horrible time during the tribulation when his judgments are in the earth. Isaiah 26 verse nine, I believe it is when he's judging concern here essential the world learned righteousness will the judgments that are in the earth are going to be so severe the whole world is going to understand and realize how bad it is in life.
When they rejected the Lord Jesus.
They bought with that money that Judas returned the Potters field to bury strangers in That field is called the field of blood.
And to this day.
What a prophecy of what? That is what you've been saying. That whole land is going to be soaked with the blood of foreigners to bury strangers in. What a place, that place.
In connection with the thoughts on the Holy Spirit in Revelation 4, verse five and out of the throne.
Proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. And when we approach the throne, it's a throne of grace. This is no throne of grace here it's the throne of judgment. Out of the throne proceed lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne. He said he'd come to send fire on the earth, which are the seven spirits of God. Now, when the rapture takes place, the Spirit of God will take us, go with us.
In leaving this scene as the one that has been the baptizer and the uniting into one body, but he'll he'll act in an entirely different way in the tribulation period. He comes forth from the from the the throne piece of judgment and the seven spirits of God. Why 7 There's only one Holy Spirit, but it's the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit acting in in the way of judgment to establish the true king whose right it is to reign then in the next chapter.
Verse six of Revelation 5 And I beheld and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts or living creatures, and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. So the Spirit of God is going to be very active. The Spirit of God has always been active, but in different ways. He'll be taken with the church in the sense of.
The character that characterizes Christianity.
But isn't going to be an entirely different character when those judgments start to fall and and he will proceed out from the throne of judgment and connected with the Lamb that was rejected here.
The Spirit of God is the energy in which God has always moved from Genesis 1 where the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the deep to taking up the judgments of this world. Just say this in connection with the what Bob said. To add to it too, we find that the nation of Israel will be held responsible because they said at the cross His blood be on us and on our children and they little realized what a statement that was.
It was one thing to bring down his blood on their own heads, but to bring it down on future generations and I want to just say this in on a practical note. It's a very solemn thing to make statements like that before God or before the Lord. We need to be very, very, very careful what we say even in prayer because God will sometimes take us up on what we ask or what we say and it's it's search has searched my own heart recently that when we.
00:30:19
Address God first of all, we don't make bargains with God we don't we're not under covenant relationship and man couldn't survive under that anyway we don't make bargains with God but be careful too what we.
We don't know what our own hearts are and be careful what we say in addressing God and asking God to do or not to do. And God will take the nation up on what they said. His blood be on us and on our children. Do they think that they paid for that already? Well, they have to some degree.
You think of the how that nation has suffered and the last Great War, think of how they suffered in the Holocaust and so on, but it is nothing in relationship does been already expressed what they are going to suffer in a future day when blood is in the street up to the horses bridle.
Jim, what is the verse 50? What is the baptism he talks about? I have a baptism to be baptized with. How am I straight until it be accomplished?
Yeah, well, I, I put this out, I and now just I like to hear what others say, but it's really the cross, isn't it? And I think of it in connection with fire. It says in Lamentations prophetically of the Lord Jesus, I have a baptism where with I'm sorry from above hath he sent fire into my bones and it hath prevailed against me. You know, the reason God can reach out in grace to you and me, The reason that we are not going to experience the fire of God's judgment.
Is because the Lord Jesus bore the fire of God's judgment for you and for me. He bore our sins in his own body on the tree and as the cross was before him. He knew that there was no other way that grace could be poured out to man. He knew that there was no other way that you and I could escape the fire of God's judgment except that he feel that fire in his very inner being in being made sin for us at Calvary's cross.
Well, that would be then a baptism of fire, wouldn't? Yes, Dave, you read those very interesting verses of First Kings 18. The fire was so intense it even consumed the stones, didn't it? And that's what took place at the cross, didn't it? Yes.
The verses we often apply to the Lord's suffering in Psalm 69.
Save me, O God, for the waters are coming unto my soul. I sink in deep mire where there is no standing. I am coming to deep waters where the floods overflow me. And the verses 42 That says, All thy waves, thy billows passed over me.
The baptism of those three hours of darkness when he went down under the judgment of God for our sakes, never will we be able to understand it. We have to stand at a distance bread. It's something that we're all eternity will stand in one.
This afternoon my brother spoke on Jonah and the scripture you just mentioned.
Psalm 42.
Jonah repeats those almost word for word and there's the only two places in the Bible and at least in our King James Version that that's mentioned Psalm 42 and the first chapter of Jones all thy ways and thy pillows are gone over me amazing. And the Lord Jesus uses that doesn't he says as Jonah was in the fishes belly 3 days of seeing a social the Son of man being the bowels of the earth.
And so there's the picture Jonah beat without question with a picture of the Lord Jesus going into death in that first chapter.
That word straightened is the old English word that we don't use in that sense of the word today. So much really means shut up.
Straighten the bowels of his affections, of his heart. Could not blow out until that was accomplished.
He came and remember the time in the Gospels where the Sarah Phoenician woman came to him and asked him to cast the demon out of her daughter and he seemed to ignore her.
00:35:15
And the disciples said, Send her away. And then he says, I'm not sent. But to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. That was what she was sent for. That was that the cross was accomplished. Then his affections, his love could blow out without distinction to the whole human race. So in a certain way, until that was accomplished, he could not make known.
What his heart of love was toward the human race. But he still responded to faith, didn't he? Individual faith.
Precious Lord, looking forward to the cross.
Well, wasn't that true of every time he said thy sins be forgiven? Well, even in the Old Testament, the way only way God could bless was the fact that when man sinned in the garden, he immediately announced the news that the woman's seed would bruise the head of the serpent. If God hadn't had that in view, he couldn't have blessed in the Old Testament. The Lord Jesus couldn't have forgiven sins prior to the cross when he was here. But everything, as we say, look forward to the cross.
Now everything looks back. It's the center of all blessing.
Romans 3 says that God and Romans five, yeah, five. Anyway, it's Romans. God passed over the sins of the Old Testament Saints. He's justified in doing that because the work of Christ is done, and he's justified in justifying us right now immediately because it's passed. But he, he looked forward to that work. And so everything, everything is based upon what he did at the cross, isn't it?
That scriptures in Romans 325. Thank you. I thought I was right the first time, but that isn't that's marvelous and it's it's based on that very fact that you mentioned that had not God promised in Genesis that there was going to be that solution to sin that could never have been done.
And you know in Hebrews 10 and verse four, it says for it is not possible that the blood of bulls or goats could ever take a mission.
All those Old Testament offerings, they all they did, God looked at it and he looked forward to the cross. That was why he could pass over those sins. He looked forward to the day, to the moment when the Lord Jesus would be that supreme sacrifice.
I got a letter once from a brother that that he thought that the, the sacrifices of the, the, that they carried out in the Old Testament were what he forgave the sins of the Old Testament Saints. And now it's the work of Christ. And of course I corrected that. I said the, the work of Christ has been the basis for all forgiveness, regardless of what time it occurred.
The as you pointed out, David, it's.
The blood of bulls and goats can never, never, never take away sins. It's just their only value was in that they pointed forward to the one sacrifice that would take them away and put them away. But they didn't take a single sin away, those sacrifices in the Old Testament. They just pointed forward to the one sacrifice that would do that.
How could an animal take a human being sins away? He had to be another human being. The Lord Jesus had to become man in order to accomplish atonement.
Let's just quote the whole verse. We've alluded to it, but it says every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which could never put away sin. And the very fact that they stood and ministered, offered those sacrifices day by day, was a proof in itself that it never put away sin. But it's beautiful to go on in that 10th of Hebrews, then, to the supreme sacrifice.
It says, But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sin forever sat down on the right hand of God. And what is precious, brethren, is to realize that God will never require another sacrifice for sin. In fact, so secure are you and I in Christ this afternoon, having availed ourselves of the finished work of Calvary, so secure are we that if God were to.
00:40:14
Refuse us now.
He'd have to refuse his own dear Son, and that's impossible. That's the security in which we stand. As to the sacrifice of Calvary, any sacrifice that's carried on, such as the Mass Roman Catholics, is a denial of the perfect work of Christ. It's a blasphemous thing.
Got minor, very major talk about fundamental error. That's fundamental error.
We have 4 gospels that tell us of the cross.
Because it's the greatest work that has ever been done and there is no one else that could do it. It's Jesus and he was anxious to get there. And I'm using the word there. How am I straight? Until being topic he, he was going on a straight course and it was narrow. It was rubbing there. Doesn't like it. And then you read the last verse of John's gospel.
And it starts out with these words. There are also many other things which Jesus did.
He had done the crossword and God had written it in four books. Now John says there are many other things which Jesus did. Then what does he say? They were written 1 by 1, the world itself.
Could be it.
That's the Infinity of his works.
All that universe, the Infinity of it, the cross is greater than all, and it's redemption.
That makes a way for us to get up to glory, to be with God and like His Son over the planet. What a marvelous plant. Well, Jesus knew He was going there and He was straight until they accomplished. He wanted to get this over with.
While we're on the subject of sacrifice, I'd like to read 2 verses.
And the last verse that I'm going to read is, if we could just get ahold of it in our soul, what it would mean to us again. He was ten. Well, the Law having its first verse, Well, the Law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never, with those sacrifices which they offer year by year, continually make the cover of their own. 2 Perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered.
And here's the little line. Because that the worshippers, once purged, should have had no more conscience of sin. What a marvel verse that is. A Christian does not ever have a conscience of sins.
That's what that means. That's what mean you accept the Lord Jesus Christ, your Savior. Your sins are gone. They've been put away forever. And the expression that he's a saved Sinner, that's a bad expression because God never looks at you as a Christian, as a Sinner, never has. Once you accepted Christ as your Savior and never, never, never, never will, you're no longer a Sinner. And that's what this person means.
Beautiful that we've been cleared of the conscience of sin through that one sacrifice of Christ upon health.
And so going on here to verse 51.
This world is now divided, isn't it?
Coming of the Lord Jesus has.
Not caused peace on earth. That was, you might say, God's desire if he had been accepted. And that's why the multitude of the heavenly host praised God and said glory to God in the highest odds. I could rest with pleasure. And if he had been accepted, then there would have been peace. But how could man in his sinful state accept the Son of God? It was impossible. He was presented to Israel.
They rejected him.
But Israel was only a sampling of mankind, and so now the Lord's coming.
Causes not peace but rather division, and we referred to that this afternoon earlier. That is something we should expect.
We recognize and we should not expect to find peace on this earth. We're thankful for living in countries like Canada and the United States where there's religious freedom.
00:45:08
We're thankful for the measure of God fearing.
Attitude that there is. We're thankful for the number of believers there are. We're thankful for a president of this country whom it seems as a believer in the Lord Jesus and who espouses right moral values. But that doesn't alter what we have here. In fact, the presidential election recently, I suppose, brought out the truth of this verse in a very real way because the battle lines, as we might say, were drawn.
Between those who wanted that which would stand for moral uprightness and those who wanted a more liberal stance.
And it has split, as it says here, families, it has split those who had a high regard for one another. But it's the whole course of things since the Lord Jesus has come into this world, isn't it?
Cross of Christ is the ultimate, impossible to be exceeded demonstration of how wicked man is.
Not only a demonstration of mind wickedness, it's also a demonstration of love. And that's right. That's great.
Those two principles are in play, aren't they? God's love and man's wickedness. Then the day of judgment has not arrived. And so there are two distinct principles. And that's why we have division, not peace on earth today can't be peace. Really, truly, Bill says we're thankful for the major we have here, but brother, we can't expect that.
Many parts of the world.
Believers are severely persecuted.
We can't expect it here. We have everything real nice always. And it just does seem to me that even though we have liberty in this country, still there are principles in at play. And I find that wherever I travel, life is not easy. It is hard. It's because there are these principles that flavor, we can't avoid it.
There's division in here.
But above all this, we have the greatest power.
In US and with us in the Holy Spirit. So, and that is the reason we can sit here this afternoon and read this Bible and talk about the Lord Jesus. The God is in control.
If I look over there and read about those Assyrians and Babylonians and Iranians and so on, and the armies around Jerusalem and Israel known as the nation for more than 55 years.
But Israel is stuck. They can't get in and they can't get out of Jerusalem. That's been going on for 50 years. God is controlling that. He had let him go one way or the other because.
Of his.
Gracie Jovery, now the God of all grace, who has told us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus.
He lead us here a while. After you've suffered a while, make it perfect.
That physical perfection, well, I suppose as you get it in Hebrews at the end of chapter 12, I think 11:00, that's eight without us should not be made perfect. We get that resurrection body, then the whole thing, things are going to be different with us. It won't be on this earth anymore. Be up in heaven. Well, it's just a comfort to know that the Spirit of God is here.
The Spirit of God is here.
Otherwise we couldn't have what we've got.
That's right.
He restrains.
He restrains the full development of evil. He restrains the full development. Yeah, yeah. Restrains. Yeah, Until he'd be taken out of the way. Well, it goes with us. We know that. So as long as we're here, the Spirit of God is going to have some power here on the earth. And that's a company. That's a that's a, that's a great company.
00:50:06
But it's also great folly to consider that there can be peace and unity in this world in the absence of the Prince of Peace and the King of Righteousness. Not till he rises with healing in his wings will there these things be straightened out because they rejected him and cast him out. And I say that because there are many zealous believers today who are seeking to bring about these things, legislate righteousness, and make people who hated each other for hundreds of years shake hands.
And get along. It's not going to happen this side of the Lord Jesus coming back to reign and righteousness. But what he has given us, as you say, Brother Buchanan is the power now to live amidst the trials and the difficulties and in a world where Satan is the God and the and the Prince. The Lord Jesus said to the disciples in resurrection in the world, ye shall have tribulation. That wasn't very encouraging, was it? But he didn't stop there. But he said be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.
And he had carefully brought before the disciples in the Upper Room ministry in John's Gospel the fact that he wasn't going to leave them orphans here in this world, but that he was going to send the Spirit of God, who amongst other things, would be the power for them to live for God's glory. Our brother was mentioning that book. The heavenly man here was the man who lived in the power of the Spirit and triumph for God's glory. It wasn't easy.
He suffered terrible in those things he went through at the hands of communists and in those prisons and that prison and so on. But by the power of the Spirit, he was able to triumph for God's glory. And God doesn't promise to deliver us. We're not going to be delivered from these things till the Lord Jesus comes. But we can live for his glory. And there will never, brethren, be such a thing as saying that the the world is so dark, the day is so dark.
That we can't live for God's glory. If it ever gets that bad, the Lord will take us out. But as long as we're left here, we have everything we need, all the resources in Christ to live for His glory now.
Just one more comment on verse 53.
It particularly brings in here family relationships.
That does not mean that the opposition will come either.
Mainly from family, or perhaps only from family, but I believe it simply underscores what was mentioned yesterday and that is the Lord Jesus in his claims must have the 1St place.
To quote our brother **** Gorgeous, he said the terms of discipleship are non negotiable. Used to use those words, the terms of discipleship are non negotiable. It doesn't say if this then he should not be my disciple or he cannot be a faithful disciple. The scripture is clear he cannot be my disciple. And so I believe family relationships are brought in here to show.
That when this division comes, it can and will make difficulties in those relationships which are the nearest and dearest in human terms. It may split friendships, it may make difficulties in business and in education and in work life and in other spheres in which we live and move in this world, but it hits the hardest when family relationships are disrupted in that way.
Well then the Lord is at work, says but then I must have the 1St place.
00:55:11
Well, it's a solemn thing beginning in verse 54 when we are not aware.
Of what's going on?
I can still remember.
A colleague of mine many years ago who was very upset because.
The assessment of his professors concerning his ability as a student.
Have this phrase included in his resume? Or not really his resume, but in there.
Assessment of him that he had a lack of total awareness.
He was very upset. Well, it may have been true. It may have been a bit hard on him, but the believer is intended to have total awareness, isn't he? And in fact, he's the only one in this world that can have total awareness. No doubt these disciples at this point in time did not have the vision and the understanding that they had later on because they did not as yet have the Holy Spirit of God.
But God expects that you and I will have the understanding of what is going on in this world.
And be able to react accordingly. And how wonderful that is because God has given us that. Yes, every believer is perhaps not a student of prophecy, as we might say. And every believer may not be able to go through, we'll say, the book of Daniel or the Book of Revelation and give an explicit explanation of what everything means. But we should have, and I think someone read that verse the other day, we should be like the men of Issachar that have understanding of the times.
And we should, on that account, be able to know where we are and what is going on.
And what we ought to do, I will remember Bill's father-in-law telling us as young brothers that we needed to be intelligent bystanders, not overwhelmed with what's going on in the world, not over occupied with it to the point that it saturates our minds and discourages us, and so on. But to at least be intelligent bystanders. I'd like to read a principle in the Old Testament in connection with what Bill has brought before us in 119th Psalm.
Psalm 119.
And verse 98 Thou through thy commandments, hast made me wiser than mine enemies.
For they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers. For thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients because I keep thy precepts. You know, it's interesting, if we were to talk to the so-called great men of the world today, those in political power, those in the upper echelon of economic circles, and so on, you would find that men's hearts are indeed failing them for fear.
And they're trying to figure out where things are going on the world stage there. And and yet they realize that they're dealing with an interplay of economic, political and social forces that are beyond their control. And if you ask them where it's going to end, all the analysts might have all kinds of theories and so on, but nobody, sure, they really, they know something's got to give, but they really don't know where it's going to end. But as Bill says, a Christian who's reading his Bible.
Is more it has more intelligence than, as the psalmist said here, than their teachers and the ancients.
And those who pretend to be wise as to this world.
David, remember at lunchtime you were talking about these communists that went to this man to.
Present you. Would you give us that story? It's worthwhile.
It involves the assistant police Chief of the City of Los Angeles, CA. He was a Christian and he was very active in his Christian circle and his promotion came up with the.
City Council and they were going to promote him to the Chief Police of Los Angeles.
And so some ravish liberals found out about his Christian status and they got some tapes of his talks in there in his church, and they presented it to the council. And after the council heard these tapes, these political activists said, that's what you want for your chief of police.
01:00:11
Make that note. So he resigned from his position and started a corporation of counseling other cities and other countries on police activity and the communist rulers of Beijing colleague and asked him to come over and put on a two week session for which he did and after he got through they said where do you get this stuff?
Is there a book available that we can get that will tell us this? And he said, yes, They said, what is it? The fight? Can we get some keys? I'll send you as many as you want. The condoms rulers in China have ordered Bibles and they've eliminated individuals from owning such things in. But that's God. That's the way God was.
So even if we're in a time of trial and sorrow and difficulty today, God still is working. So the principles that we read of in this book can guide us in every Ave. of blood.
And we should be intelligent as to where we are. Like you were saying, Jim, it should be aware of things that are going on, not ignoring what's going around on around us. But.
Aware of where we are.
In our time in this world, we are getting close to the Lord. Coming here it is. They could tell what the weather was going to be. They saw a cloud of the West. They say there's a shower and when the South wind blew it, they say, well there will be heat and it comes to pass. But there was the Lord amongst them and they could not tell what time it was. It did not know they were blinded.
How we need to be aware of where we are, brethren, right at the end of this age. Thinking of the verse I think was read before at this conference in the 13th of Roman says, knowing the time that it is now high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than when we believe the night is far spent the days at hand.
Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, let us put on the armor of light, let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and oneness, but not in striving and being. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. Make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof.
When knowing the diamond, are we aware of where we are?
Oh, it's high time to wake out of sleep. Shake the dust, wake up. Oh, how important.
They knew the situation of what would happen under natural circumstances. And as you see, Bob, the end of the 56th verse. But how is it that you do not deserve this time this this time is right now, right today and.
The Lord's coming as we started out, the meeting with is imminent.
Perhaps today and do we really realize that that is true. I've enjoyed what the brother suggested. I believe God, I believe God. God told us that the time is short. The last part of Revelation are interesting that that would be the last comments in God's word. Surely I come quickly. Do we believe?
So there are two things here that the Lord charges them with. As to failing in responsibility, at the end of verse 56 he says how is it that you do not discern this time in verse 57 He says, why even of yourselves judging not what is right?
I guess suggest there's a thought there that on the one hand, these Jews particularly ought to have been intelligent as to who the Lord was. They had their Old Testament scriptures. There was every prophecy concerning the Lord Jesus that had been totally fulfilled in just the right way. They had every reason to recognize here was the Messiah that they had looked for and.
01:05:07
To react accordingly, but then we'll suppose, and I believe in that way. The Lord Jesus says to them, if you don't understand that if you don't understand or know those Old Testament Scriptures.
Do have the responsibility to deal in a way that recognizes and upholds moral uprightness, judging not what is right. The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus which was going to take place did not require, shall we say, a knowledge of the Old Testament scriptures to know that it was wrong. Pilate would say to them over and over again, I find no fault in this man, the Lord Jesus testimony.
To this world, if no one had ever heard of the Old Testament, never knew anything about his coming, and yet had seen that man, they would have had to say, been compelled to say never. Man spake like this man. The works that he did brought credence as to who he was. And so I suggest there is an appeal here which shows that not only was man's heart ignorant and rejecting God in holiness and judgment.
But there was an absolute and total rejection of God in grace, because the natural heart is at enmity with God. And of course, as we say, the emphasis here no doubt is on the responsibility of the Jew. But as we said earlier about this chapter, it takes in the whole world in the broad picture, doesn't it, The way it stated that the Lord says he that delivered me to Z at the greater sin the Jews delivered the.
Lord Jesus to Herod through pilot and the whole world becomes guilty. Their heart had not changed. The Lord could save to them. Ye have hated both me and my Father. When did they hate his Father? All the way from the beginning. You know, he could say you carry the the idols all the way across the world.
And so their heart had not changed. And as Clem has already said.
There is nothing that the man that is in the state of a lost condition that's going to ever turn God, the power of the Spirit. And we were the same before we were saying and God, it worked, turned us around. But those poor Jews, when this next class 1St 58 versus finish, they'll come to the end of themselves and then they'll look on him whom they have finished.
And they have not come to the end of themselves yet. When you look at that nation, they're still trying to work everything out by peace pacts and summits, negotiations, lining up with the United States and the Allied forces, despite, in spite of what they've been through in their history, even since the crucifixion, they haven't come to the end of themselves yet. And what we were Speaking of in connection with what they will go through in the tribulation, it's solemn to realize that that is what it will take.
To finally bring Israel as a nation to their knees, that is what it's going to take.
To bring them to the end of themselves so that when the Lord Jesus comes and reveals himself to them, they are finally ready to to receive him. But they're not going to work it out. But the way they're trying to do it, to do it today, it's going to take what they go through then. But isn't it wonderful to think then grace is going to come in when they come to the end of themselves, Only then can they be the recipients of grace, and only then will they appreciate that grace.
And finally, when Zion is addressed, which is the undeserved favor of God, only then can they be brought into blessing.
The Lord Jesus, when he left Jerusalem the last time, going to the cross, they said to those Jews.
Well, we've already quoted that when he delivered me to the after greater sin, but he says he shall see me henceforth no more until he ready to say Russ and he comes in the name of the Lord when the when the Jews when the world is alive ready from this through judgment.
To realize that Jesus is a Lord, to take all these judgments, to bring that to back.
And they'll have to realize their own guilt as well, because that's always the way of blessing, too.
01:10:05
Zachariah. Yeah. Each family weeping, wailing, repenting.
Well, let's let's have an explanation of verse 58.
Don't ask me.
Let me read it in the new translation.
For as thou goest with thine adverse party before a magistrate, strive in the way to be reconciled with him.
Last he dragged me away to the judge, and the judge showed the liberty to the officer. The officer passed the into prison. I stand to thee. Thou shalt when no wise come out thence until thou has paid the very last night.
Was not the Lord to them the adverse party?
Yes, he was that if they didn't receive him as the adversary, they're going to get him as a magistrate.
If they don't receive as a magistrate, they're going to get him as a judge and the prisoner going to be put into is the great tribulation.
Expose the illustration here is one which took place many times in this world's history, and that is the idea of putting people in debtors prisons when they didn't pay their debt. And some have asked, does this scripture imply God's approval of such a practice? I don't believe so, because the Mosaic law did not provide for imprisonment as a form of punishment for wrongdoing.
There was provision for dealing with those that went into debt, but it wasn't by throwing them into a debtor's prison.
But as so many times in the Word of God, while God did not institute some things that man has brought in, yet he recognizes them and uses them in illustrations. God, for example, did not institute an engagement before marriage, but the Word of God recognizes it and even uses it in connection with the church. And so here I suggest the thought is.
Of the adverse party, in this case the Lord taking a hold of Israel and saying you come to the magistrate because you owe me a debt.
Well, what's the way to get to deal with it? Oh, to seek grace and to be reconciled.
Just as we get in Matthew 18, the man fell down to the Lords feet and said give me time and I'll pay everything. And the man says I'll forgive you, I'll forgive you. But they're not doing that. They're not doing that. They're saying we're going to we're going to take our rights, we're going to insist on who we are and what we're going to do.
And eventually, as our brother Clem Buchanan says, they're going to be taken through that great tribulation and morally speaking.
They will pay the very last Mike for that awful crime of crucifying their Messiah.
Well, on the one hand, it will be the most terrible time this world has ever seen. And as scripture says among others, by the time it's finished, it says Judah shall sit upon the ground and the overflowing scourge will be allowed to come through the devastates them in a way. They've got their military power today. They think they can handle anything, and the Arab nations are in disarray and can't seem to get together to direct a concerted effort against them.
But there's a day coming when God's going out to allow them to be overrun, isn't he? And it'll be the most awful time. But then when they realize they're helpless, as we've already heard, the Lord comes in and says, now I'm here. I'm here to act for you and to stand up for you. But by that time, they'll have to realize that it's nothing but grace that.
Is coming in on God's part.
He was their Messiah.
Him as a false Messiah.
Blasphemer.
And to them he was.
As thou goest to thine adverse party, that thou would be Israel.
The adverse party is the way they regarded the Lord. He was not there. He was, He was to be a Savior, but they wouldn't have any such. They had it. They looked upon him as an adversary and they wouldn't be reconciled to Him. So they were going to be delivered to the judge and they've been paying for it ever since. Is that correct? A hard verse.
01:15:09
To get the correct meaning to.
Speaking of the Messiah, he said that I've come in another sin.
And you would not receive me. But another will come with his own name. Him he will receive. That's the Antichrist. And they said you're not the Messiah. They rejected him. But the man that's going to come, who is the wickedest man this world has probably ever seen.
Still feel, Yeah, here's the Messiah and they accept him. That's what the Lord one will come, and only for Him you will receive.
To their own destruction.
MMM.
And a chance to receive him after the presentation, even the first days of the book of the act and I could mention, even presented him again and they had a chance to receive him, to be reconciled that they didn't take it.
They sealed their own doom, didn't they?
I haven't changed yet. Their moral state today is insane. The Jews.
The worst of slaughter of Jews is ahead.
2/3 of that nation is going to be cut off. Awful to think about it.
But it's going to be ultimately for blessing in the end, isn't it, when they do come to the end of themselves.
And he does come in grace, and I've enjoyed in the 4th chapter of Revelation before the judgments begin to be meted out.
There's a rainbow around the throne like unto an emerald. The rainbow is God's promise. The emerald speaks of blessing for the earth. And so even before the judgments fall, God is looking on to the blessed, the ultimate blessing of Israel, and then the blessing of the nations and the blessing of of the whole earth. And I think that's beautiful to see. And just on a practical note, at the end of this meeting, taking up many things, but I think it's good to see in our own lives that however God deals with us, maybe there's been failure in our lives.
Maybe we haven't appreciated the grace of God. Maybe we've tried to do things on our own and by our own plans and schemings. Maybe sometimes we even try to bargain with God and say, well, if you do this, I'll do this. Jacob tried to do that a good part of his life. But isn't it wonderful to think that in God's dealings with us, even as a result of our failure, when we have learned the lesson, then God has blessing to interesting comment made in connection with Israel again.
In Isaiah 40 it says, Comfort ye, comfort ye. My people say, if you're God, speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. And then here's the statement. For she has received double for all her sins. You say, I don't find much comfort or consolation in that. What? Receiving double for all her sins? Well, I just thought of it this way. Maybe even in our lives the Lord has to pass us through the same test.
One young fella goes in to write an exam and he doesn't study or if he's having a headache that day or whatever, he doesn't get it. Well, he's got to go in and do a rewrite. And God often has to pass us through the same thing more than once. But when we do learn the lesson, then we found true comfort. And when Israel does come to them, end to themselves in the coming day, and they learn those great lessons that God is teaching them, we'll, we'll seek to teach them in that day. Then there will be comfort for them.
But I believe in principle we can experience that even now in our lives in government.
They must receive the very last last night. I can't escape the government of God. No. And they got that ahead of them, don't they? And they've been going through it ever since the 1St century. No, no people have ever has ever been persecuting like the Jews because they committed the greatest sin man can commit.
We reap what we sow That's an inflexible principle of God's government.
Grace doesn't change that.
Could we sing part of hymn #170 in the connection with which we've been discussing these?
170.
01:20:02
Perhaps starting at verse 4.
Israel's race shall now behold him full of grace and majesty.
Though they said it not, and sold him, pierced and nailed him to the tree, Now in glory shall their great Messiah. See 170, beginning at verse 4.
But you know he's going to come with his thing. Romans 8.
Verse 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature that won't believe standards of our hands, we as poorly manifestation of the sons of God. For the Christian was made subject to badly, but by reason of him with subjective home, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the ******* of corruption, and from the glorious liberty of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation drones have traveled and fame together from now.
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits in the spirit, even we ourselves, grown within ourselves, waiting for the adoption to whip the redemption of the body.
Forever, but after that's over.
The Lord is going to come out of heaven. Roman. Excuse me, Revelation 19 on a White Horse, followed by the same.
In White Raymond, riding white horses, who are they?
All the Saints in heaven coming forth for the Lord being take His rightful place as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and He will win.
First principle 15 For he must pray, and he will praise him. Lord Jesus, we truly thank Him crazy for once that was done, and we thank these for the prospects that we have. We think about wonderful moment when we hear that shout.
That called us into thy friends, but we think 2 of that wonderful moment when thou shalt take thy rightful place.
And we look forward to that. We thank you for the past couple of days. We ask thy blessings.
We ask thy care for all that will be traveling, and we pray for the local Saints. Preserve and keep them.
And we thank you for.
We thank the Lord we have.
For thyself, so who thou art, what thou art, thou stop.
I worship them, thanks and my person.