“Reaching Forward to Perfection”

“He was wounded for our transgressions”

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

In the book of Isaiah, in chapter 53, we find a portion of Scripture of unrivalled beauty and poignancy. Please read the whole passage, where, so clearly and graphically Isaiah foretold the propitiatory death of Christ. But bear in mind that Isaiah prophesied thus seven hundred years before the event actually took place. That is yet another unique aspect of the Bible. The prophets foretold that the Saviour of all mankind would come and become the supreme sacrifice for man’s sin.

The deep-seated desire in the human heart to somehow appease the just wrath of God at man’s rebellion and sin found expression in a variety of sacrifices being offered. Many of these sacrifices were intended to atone for man’s sin. But how can any offering, animate or inanimate, expensive or inexpensive, please the heart of the Holy God, to whom our sins are unutterably loathsome and immeasurably offensive? It is inconceivable that we can please the Living God by some gift and buy our way to Heaven. 

But God found the Lamb for the sacrifice—His own Son, who is the express image of His person. Thus while we were without hope, the Saviour came. At a location called Calvary, just outside the walls of Jerusalem, He gave His life as the sacrifice for our sins and the sins of all mankind. It was on a cruel cross, rejected, despised, spat upon and sneered at, that He died. 

The colossal cost of Calvary’s cross is impossible to calculate. Sin was foreign to Him—He never knew sin. Yet He took upon Himself your sins and my sins. Even we ordinary mortals abhor our sins at times and even make many futile resolutions not to dirty ourselves again, though all in vain. But the sinless Saviour left Heaven’s holy clime and came down to identify Himself with you and me. This is love at its highest and purest level.

The Bible says, “Being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). To pay the penalty for man’s sin, He had to humble Himself further and the Immortal had to bear the indignity of death and that too the death of a criminal.

His own disciple Judas Iscariot betrayed Him and literally sold Him for thirty pieces of silver. There are many today who betray Christ for far less money than that.

Think of all the greed which our sick modern society has produced. A lie is nothing to them; deceit is a trifle; their body they will give to immorality; their souls they will sell away in acquiring ill-gotten money.

Judas had to choose between money and Christ; he chose money. Many, like Judas, choose money today and throw moral values to the winds and their souls to the devil.

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not” (Isaiah 53:3). How tragically true these words are even today! Never did God come as a man to dwell with man until Jesus came; never did a man walk on earth, sinless and untainted by impurity, until Jesus walked on earth; and yet He was rejected and despised of men. His matchless purity reproves them too severely of their impurity, so even today men would rather have someone else than Jesus.

It was no sin of His that brought this shameful death upon Him. He was wounded for our transgressions and sin. Taking our sins upon His body not only caused Him physical suffering but was a crushing weight upon His soul.

Let me illustrate. In an army camp an offence was committed by the men in a tent. The major was a strict man and wanted the culprit to own up to his crime as someone in the tent would have to pay the penalty. He would have to bear 50 lashes with the heavy whip. Almost everyone knew who it was but none admitted having done the crime. To the officer’s dismay, Willie the little drummer boy stepped forward and asked to be whipped.

It was a cruel scene. The penalty could be no less severe because it was a weak boy who was under the heavy whip. As the stripes were counted out, Willie bravely took the whipping until he could bear no more and collapsed. Unable to bear the sight of innocent Willie taking his whipping, the real culprit stepped out and asked to be whipped. But once again the penalty was meted out to Willie.

Willie never recovered from the whipping. At Willie’s death-bed, the real culprit Robert was found sobbing, “Willie, why did you do it, why did you take my whipping?”

Now, the little drummer boy Willie loved Jesus and simply felt he had to take Robert’s whipping, although it cost him his life.

Yes, our precious Lord Jesus took our sins upon His own body and died in our place, so that we may be freed from our sins and live this most beautiful and victorious life, which He gives.

—Joshua Daniel

“Reality Check”

Behold, [Jesus] cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen. - Revelation 1:7

“The Barber and The Preacher”

A preacher and an atheistic barber were once walking through the city slums.

Said the barber to the preacher: ”This is why I cannot believe in a God of love. If God was as kind and loving as you say, He would not permit all this poverty, disease, and squalor. He would not allow these poor bums to be addicted to dope and other character-destroying habits. No, I cannot believe in a God who permits these things.”

The minister was silent until they met a man who was especially unkempt and filthy. His hair was hanging down his neck and he had a half-inch of stubble on his face.

Said the minister: ”You can’t be a very good barber or you wouldn’t permit a man like that to continue living in this neighbourhood without a haircut and a shave.”

Indignantly the barber answered: ”Why blame me for that man’s condition? I can’t help it that he is like that. He has never come into my shop. I could fix him up and make him look like a gentleman!”

Giving the barber a penetrating look, the minister said: ”Then don’t blame God for allowing the people to continue in their evil ways, when He is constantly inviting them to come and be saved.”

Truth be told, God can’t change you unless you step forward and ask God to help you change for the better.

 - Selected

“Moving man, through God, by prayer alone”

“True Christian Models”

In the village of Dubrovo in the Soviet Union, a family named Sloboda(name means “liberty” in Russian) had committed the crime of being Christians. For that crime Mrs. Sloboda was jailed for four years. Her five children – Gallia, Shura, Kolia, Liusa, Pavlik(the youngest five years old) – were taken away and placed in atheistic children’s camp. This type of separation is more difficult to bear than that of death. Mrs. Sloboda never saw her children again. At the age of forty-nine she died in prison, as a result of torture. The children were only allowed to attend her burial. At her grave they recited this prayer: “Lord, our mother has died. Help us to be righteous as she has been. Help us to give a witness such as she has given. Amen.” And that was all. Unafraid of pain, they has decided to walk the way of martyrdom. Detection in the Communist camp had neither frightened nor “reeducated” them. Accepting suffering for Christ’s sake will be an essential part of children’s theology, if they are provided with true Christian models.

Julieta was an aristocratic lady who lived during the reign of they fourth-century Roman emperor, the cruel Diocletian. She was asked to bring a sacrifice to a heathen altar, but answered, “I am a Christian. I am prepared to lose not only my property but even my life, rather than deny my God.” Alexander, proconsul of Cilicia, ordered that Julieta’s there-year-old child Quiricus be torn from her embrace and be flogged to a pulp. The child saw his mother’s agony and struggled to return to her. But he was held back by Alexander, who sat him on his knees and tried to kiss him. Punching and kicking, Quiricus freed himself from the tyrant and cried out, “I too am Christian!”. In a rage Alexander grabbed him and beat him to death. The ground was spattered with the boy’s blood and brains. Julieta, who was herself being flogged, cried, “I give thanks, O my God, because you have called my boy to Yourself before me.” Would we have the courage to say, “I too am a Christian,” if it meant “I too am prepared to die under torture for Christ?” A child did so.

In the sixteenth century there were great persecution of Christians in Japan, under the Emperor Taicosoma. At first, the officers whose responsibility it was to make up the list of Christians to be executed refused to include the name of little Louis. But the boy, who had been baptized only a few days earlier, cried and begged to have his name on the list. Eventually he was successful. As he was led to his death, which was to be a crucifixion, his face radiated joyful confidence; and those who were watching were deeply moved. The under-governor of Nagasaki presided over the execution. He was willing to release Louis, provided that he was prepared to renounce the Christian religion. But the child declared, “On such a condition I do not want to live. If I die, I shall be losing this short and miserable life and gaining a happy and eternal one.” When he saw the cross, upon which he was to be nailed, he ran to embrace it. The cross had always been an object very dear to him. Let us earn from such children to find in the very name of Jesus, comfort in all suffering.

-Selected.

“Remarkable Providence”

God never gave me what I wanted. He always gave me more. As a proof, I will tell you the following anecdote:

When I married, I was a working man, and consequently, I had not much money to spare. In about three months after my marriage, I fell ill, and my illness continued for more than nine months.

At that period, I was in great distress. I owed a sum of money, and had no means to pay it. It must be paid on a certain day, or I must go to jail. I had no food for myself nor my wife; and, in this distress, I went up to my room, and took my Bible. I got down on my knees, and opened it, laid my fingers on several of the promises, and claimed them as mine. I said: “Lord, this is Thine own word of promise: I claim Thy promises.” I endeavoured to lay hold of them by faith. I wrestled with God for some time in this way. I got up off my knees, and walked about some time. I then went to bed, and took my Bible, and opened it on these words: “Call upon me in the time of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” I said: “It is enough, Lord.”

I knew deliverance would come, and I praised God with my whole heart.

Whilst in this frame of mind I heard a knock at the door. I went and opened it, and a man handed me a letter. I turned to look at the letter; and when I looked up again, the man was gone. The letter contained the sum I wanted, and five shillings over. It is now eighteen years ago: and I never knew who sent it: God only knows. Thus God delivered me out of all my distress! To Him be all the praise!

I would also like to narrate another similar incidence that took place in one of my friend’s life.

He had been out of employment for a considerable time, and was, in consequence, so circumstanced as only to be enabled to keep himself from dying of hunger; in fact, he was left with but eight pence half penny in the world. Nor had he one friend, but the Friend that “sticketh closer than a brother.”

He went to chapel, thanking God for that which was past, and trusting Him for that which was to come, and heard Dr. Newton preach a sermon in aid of a missionary society that was under perplexing circumstances. Sensibly feeling the solemn appeal which the Rev. Doctor made to the liberality of the audience on behalf of the society, he at once gave the whole of his eight pence half penny. But he still trusted in Him who delivered the Israelites out of the hands of Pharaoh.

He rose next morning penniless. But very soon after terminating the duties of his closet, a message came to him, saying that he was to commence work that morning. He has been in constant employment ever since; and God, in His infinite goodness and mercy, has raised him to a state of respectability. Truly the words of the Lord were verified in this man: “Them that honour me I will honour.”

—W. Robinson

About Us

This newsletter is produced six times per year by the Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship International. It is printed and distributed in the US, UK, Germany, Singapore, Canada, and Australia and is supported by unsolicited sacrificial gifts of young people. For a free subscription or for other enquiries, please contact any of the addresses below.

This Fellowship is an inter-denominational missionary and prayer group working for revival in churches and amongst students in several countries. We invite every layperson to become God’s ally in changing his or her corner of the world. We train people in evangelistic work and to be self-supporting missionaries.

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