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For Those Seeking The Truth
& Dynamic Living Christ is Victor |
March/April 2007
Volume 20, Number 2
“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
The colossal cost of
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- 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 was 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 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
“A Great Debt Paid”
“For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in
Him should not perish, but have everlasting Life" (John 3: 16).
The late Czar Nicholas of
Late one night, when all lights were supposed to be extinguished, the Czar was making one of these tours of inspection. He noticed a light shining under the paymaster's door, and quietly opened it and stepped inside, intending to have the offender punished. A young officer, son of an old friend of the Czar, was seated at a table, his head resting on his arms, and sound asleep. The Czar stepped over to awaken him, but before doing so, noticed a loaded revolver, a small pile of money, and a sheet of paper with a pen that had fallen from the hand of the sleeping man. The light of the little candle let the Czar read what had just been written, and in a moment he understood the situation.
On the sheet of paper was a long list of debts due to gambling and other vices. The total ran into many thousands of roubles. The officer had used army funds to pay these wicked, reckless debts, and now, having worked till late into the night trying to get his accounts straight, had discovered for the first time how much he owed. It was hopeless; the pitifully small balance on hand left such a huge deficit to be made up! On the sheet of paper, below the terrible total, was written this question: "WHO CAN PAY SO GREAT A DEBT'? Unable to face the disgrace, the officer had intended shooting himself, but completely worn out with sorrow and remorse, he had fallen asleep.
As the Czar realized what had happened, his first thought was to have the man immediately arrested, and in due course brought before a court martial. Justice must be done in the army, and such a crime could not be passed by. But as he remembered the long friendship with the young officer's father, Love overcame Judgment, and in a moment he had devised a plan whereby he could be just towards the army and yet justify the culprit. The Czar took up the pen that had dropped from the hand of the wearied, hopeless offender and with his own hand answered the question with one word, "NICHOLAS'.
Yes, the Czar himself, Nicholas, could pay that debt, and voluntarily undertook to do so. The young officer wakened soon after the Czar had gone, and took up his revolver to blowout his brains, but as he did so, his eyes saw the answer written by the Czar. In bewildered astonishment he gazed on that one word, "NICHOLAS." Surely such an answer was impossible! He had some papers in his possession, which bore the genuine signature' of the Czar, and quickly he compared the names, for it seemed too good to be true, To his intense joy, yet bitter humiliation, he realized that his Czar knew all about his sins, knew the utmost of his mighty debt, and yet instead of inflicting the penalty he deserved, had assumed the debt himself, and justified the debtor.
Joyfully and peacefully he lay down to rest, and early the next morning bags of money arrived from the Czar, sufficient to pay the last cent of "so great a debt."
Dear reader, you and I have a mighty debt. We may well ask, "Who can pay it?" Thank God, Love has provided an answer, and like the answer given by the Czar it is one word, "JESUS".
Yes, He knows all about your debt. He knows how great it is. He knows how you came by it. He knows all the shame of it. He knows the cost of payment, and in spite of such intimate knowledge of you and your debt, He has assumed the full liability of it Himself. One word "Nicholas," set the heart of that young man at rest; even filled it with joy. One word, "JESUS" has set my heart at rest and filled it with joy. Has that "one word", that one blessed Name filled your heart with rest, peace, and joy? Of course, it can!
-Selected
“Carrying
The Cross”
"Blessed
are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven" Matthew 5:1-12.
It is a privilege for Christians to suffer for righteousness' sake. When we cheerfully receive persecution, our true mettle is seen.
Once Sadhu Sundar Singh was tied to a tree and leeches were released on his body. The leeches did their work in sucking his blood to their full. He became weak and bloodless. But when the people saw him in the morning he was smiling. The people were astonished. They untied him and ran away for fear. Often, it is the joy during suffering and injustice that impresses people most. That is the deepest faith. Most of the sufferings of the Christians are their own making. They think they are suffering for God.
Once I was crossing past a salt creek to go to a place for prayer. Such creeks get dry at low tide and one can walk across them. But when the tide returns they get full. After spending some time in prayer, the Lord said, 'Go back.' I wanted to pray longer but the Lord insisted on my going back. I had forgotten all about the creek, but the tide was fast returning and I could just cross it.
Now in our youth we see everything dry and we want to cross the dry beds and enjoy all the pleasures we like. The dry beds are really creeks and they will be full one day and you cannot come back. You will be caught up in problems you cannot cross. You will be caught in the tide. God cautions us and prepares us. Blessed are they who suffer for righteousness in the prime of their youth and prepare themselves for life. When I see young people laughing, I wish they would laugh all through life and be always happy. But they will not be. Soon they will be caught up in life's problems and will be sorrowful.
The thieves on either side of Jesus were dying for their own sins and not for God. Many say, "I am suffering for Christ." How? "My son has gone astray. My daughter is acting like this." Why? You never taught them the Word of God.
The laws of nature may be overruled by God but never the divine laws. That is why Christ had to die. If your body is crooked He can make it straight, but if you go against the divine laws the Cross is the only way to restore you. Know the tide will surely rise. The problems of life will crush you. Your parents would have left this world by then. You will have to face the problems alone which you cannot solve.
People neglect rebirth. That means neglecting the most fundamental matter in life. There is national reconstruction-Educational, Economical, Medical. Yet things are going topsy-turvy. Why? The spiritual things are neglected. What is your place before God?
When you become righteous the world cannot stand it. It will persecute you. Even religious people will deride you. There is persecution for God's children. We must take it cheerfully. How much are we able to bear? How much of other people's suffering are we able to take on us in prayer? God proves those that are true to Him. We need not despair. God will vindicate us.
May God help us to suffer for Christ and to suffer for others cheerfully.
-Late Mr. N. Daniel
“Reality Check”
“For God
so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish, but have everlasting Life." - John 3: 16
“Seeking
God First”
In these days of pressure we need to take frequent inventory and find out where we stand before the Lord. Are we making Him first in our life? Are we acknowledging Him in all our ways, so that He can direct our paths? Are we faithful to Him in that which is least, as well as in that which is much? (Matthew 6:33; Proverbs 3:5,6)
In this connection, Mr. R. G. Le Tourneau tells a story of his early years in the manufacturing business, a story which has been a source of strength and encouragement to my own faith.
In those early days, the company, which bears his name was just beginning. Business was small, but the competition was keen. Life in the business world of that day was one of perennial hardship and struggle.
Late one day it was drawn to the attention of Mr. Le Tourneau by his employees that it would be necessary for him to draw up immediately a plan for a certain vital part of a large unit of machinery which the company was building. The part was needed the next morning. If not forthcoming, then work in the plant would have to be stopped.
The time was short. It was essential that the workmen have the blueprint by early morning. Could it be completed by then? How was the gadget to be made? The calculations and blueprinting alone would take the entire evening. For him, it meant spending the whole night over the drafting board with slide-rule and pencil.
As these questions flooded his mind, he suddenly remembered that he had previously arranged for another engagement for the evening. What engagement? A few days before, he had given consent to help a group of young people from the church who were going to take charge of a service in a certain gospel mission in town. He had promised to help them with the singing and testimony.
He said (within himself): "Lord, I cannot go to the mission tonight. It is essential that I plan this vital part for the machine. The men are waiting to start on the first unit tomorrow morning. It will take all night, perhaps longer, to invent it and draw up the blueprint. Furthermore, I have no prominent part in the program at the mission to-night, and the young people can get along without me."
The struggle continued for some minutes. But God reminded him that he had promised the young people to give help with the service at the mission.
At last he said, "Lord, I will go. I do not know what I shall do tomorrow about the vital part for the machine, but I will go."
That evening, in obedience to the Lord's voice to his heart, he went to the mission and took his place in the service.
At ten o’clock he returned to his home. He was tired. He seemed half-awake. What about that part? Was it too late to start on the blueprint? How could he concentrate on the plan in such a weary, worn-out state?
Putting on his coat again, he walked to the office of the plant, and sat down at the drafting board. He sat there for a few minutes. He seemed unable to think or plan. Then, suddenly, the entire design of the needed part flashed into his mind. He quickly made his calculations and put them on paper.
Leaving instructions for the men to begin on the unit the next morning he returned to his home and bed.
What great things God had done for him that night! The Lord honoured His faithful, obedient servant. That gadget, which had been worked out in those few minutes after returning from the mission meeting, worked perfectly. In fact, the performance of the part was so perfect that the units of machinery produced in the plant soon outstripped in popularity and acceptability the units produced by competing companies.
And furthermore, it still is the vital part of the main control unit with which all the machines are equipped, even to the present day.
-Selected
“To Please the Master Only”
A ragged boy with a violin under his arm once roamed the
streets of a great
In the same city was a famous musician. One day he happened to pass by the place where the ragged boy was playing. His attention was arrested by the unusual quality of the music. He lingered until the crowd had passed on and then said to the little violin player, "Son to whom do you belong?”
"I don't belong to anybody," the boy answered.
"Well, where do you live?" was the next question. "I don't have any place to live. I just sleep on the streets and wherever I can. The man thought for a moment and then said, "How would you like to be my boy and come to live with me? I'll teach you all I know about how to play the violin."
The boy's eyes sparkled through the dirt and grime, and he said, "Mister, I'd love it!"
So the great musician took him to his own home. He had him cleaned up and dressed up, and he became like a father to him. For several years he poured into the eager young mind and heart all that he knew about playing the violin. Finally, the boy was ready for his first public recital, and the word went out that a great new musical prodigy was about to appear on the concert stage. On the night of the performance the house was filled to capacity; even the balcony was packed.
At last the boy came out, put the violin beneath the chin, and began his concert. He played such music as the crowd had never heard before. At every pause there was deafening applause. For some reason, however, the boy did not seem to pay any attention to the ovation. He kept his eyes turned upward and played on and on. The audience was mystified by his strange manner. Finally one of the persons present said, "I don't understand why he is so insensible to all this thunderous applause. He keeps looking up all the time. I'm going to find out what is attracting his attention!”
Moving about in the concert hall, the observer found the answer. There in the topmost balcony was the old music master, peering over the banister toward his young pupil. He was nodding his head and smiling, as if to say, "You are doing well, my boy, play on!" And the boy did play on, not seeming to care whether the audience laughed or applauded. He kept his gaze upward. He was playing to please the master only.
What a joy it is to do our best to please the Lord Jesus Christ only. He is our Lord and we should look for His approval.
-
Selected
The nicest
things we can do for our Heavenly Father is to be kind to
one of his children
This
newsletter is produced six times per year by the Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship
International. It is printed and distributed in the
This Fellowship is an inter-denominational missionary and
prayer group working for revival in churches and amongst students in several
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