December 1, 2013

And be found In Him...Phil.3: 4-9

When the Apostle talked about being found in Christ he described himself as at one time being without Christ. How did he know what it was to not be found in Christ?

He at one time was looking to his own righteousness, trusting in the deeds of his flesh. After being smitten down on the Damascus road, after having seen the Glory of Christ, after having heard his voice...then he said; I count all things that was at one time my hope, DUNG, GARBAGE, how could he turn his back on such a fine life of "living for God"?

How could he turn his back on his heritage, he was a Hebrew of Hebrews? How could he turn his back on his religious profession, that gave him such a good standing among his peers?

Those who know The Lord Jesus Christ, all who have seen Him by a revelation of the Holy Spirit, know the answer to these questions. Everyone, who has seen Christ, will also turn their back on all the hopes they had before. They will also count all their former religion but Dung and Garbage, they will be embarrassed that they ever had such high views of themselves and such low views of Christ Jesus The Lord.

It is impossible to see the Glory of Christ and to hear his voice as the Apostle did and still hold to an old profession that made salvation to be partly of you and partly of Christ.

The salvation the scriptures describe, make SALVATION TO BE OF THE LORD from start to finish. The salvation the scriptures describe, sets Christ on the throne, gives Him all the glory. Christ said; "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (Jn.14).

Do you want to be found in Christ? Have you counted all before you believed Him as dung, as worthless not only in God's sight, but also in your sight?

I tell you faithfully, but firmly, if you trust any deed you have done, if you have any hope of righteousness in your self, you WILL NOT BE FOUND IN CHRIST. - Pastor

True Bible Prophecy

What is the central thing in biblical prophecy? It is the description supplied of the Messiah many centuries before He came to this earth. A full portrait of Him was drawn in advance: one inspired artist after another adding fresh details, until the picture was complete. The prophets, with one consent, gave witness to the Lord Jesus Christ, so that nothing befell him and nothing was done by Him which they did not foretell. Those prophecies were in the hands of the Jews, and translated into the Greek, generations before his birth, and were so well known that the apostle Paul could say to King Agrippa that he taught none other things ''than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should arise from the dead''. The fulfillment exactly corresponded to the predictions made long before, for it pleased God to supply such an exact description of the Messiah that His identity should he indubitably established when He appeared among men: and thus the Jews were condemned by their prophets for rejecting Him. The supernatural character of our Lord's humanity was declared when it was said that He should be the woman's ''seed'', conceived and born of a ''virgin''. In Genesis 9, it was made known through which of the three sons of Noah the Messiah should issue, namely, Shem: for God would ''dwell' in his ''tents.'' Later, it was revealed that Christ, according to the flesh, should be of the Abrahamic stock. Still further was the compass narrowed, for of the twelve sons of Abraham's grandson, Judah was chosen (Gen. 49:10).

Out of all the families of Judah, He would spring from the house of Jesse. The place of His birth was specified. The very time of His advent was mentioned. So definite were the Old Testament prophecies concerning Christ that the hope of Israel became the Messianic hope: all their expectations centered in his appearing. It is therefore the more remarkable that their sacred Scriptures contained another set of prophecies, telling of His being despised by His own nation and put to a shameful death.

Though Christ would preach good tidings to the meek, bind up the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to the captives of sin and Satan, and though He should open the eyes of the blind, unstop the ears of the deaf, and make the lame leap as a hart, yet utterly incredible as it appeared, He would be "despised and rejected of men". His back would be smitten, the hair plucked out of His cheeks, and His face covered with the vile spittle of those who hated Him. He would be sold for "thirty pieces of silver", brought as a lamb to the slaughter, taken from prison and judgment, cut off out of the land of the living". His death by crucifixion was revealed a thousand years beforehand. So too His being crucified with malefactors, His being derided upon the cross, His being offered vinegar to drink as well as the soldiers gambling for His garments, were all described. It is also foretold that He should rise from the dead, and ascend into heaven (Ps. 68:18). - A.W. Pink