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ARE YOU READY? - NOVEMBER 2024 


“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the Bridegroom arrived.  The virgins who were ready went in with Him to the wedding banquet.  And the door was shut”
(Matthew 25 v10)


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THE DAWN OF A NEW LIFE.

By J C Metcalfe


“He who has the Son has life” (1 John 5 v12).

 

The Christian Gospel is more than a set of ideas and teachings which must be accepted and believed.  It is also much more than a call to try and live a better life.  It reveals to us our great need, that we are so full of the sickness of sin that we can do nothing for ourselves. It tells of the boundless love of God, Who having pity on our helplessness gave His only Son to be our Saviour.  It calls us to come directly to Him and seek from Him healing and life.  This life is given through a new birth, a birth from above, and we must remember that, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3 v3).

This new birth must be the aim of every preacher because nothing else is pleasing to God, and we can only bring it about by lifting up the Lord Jesus before the eyes of the world.  He has said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself” (John 12 v32). So the preacher should agree with the Apostle Paul and say, “we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1 v23-24).

The only way in which a person can receive the gift of a new life from God is by being born again.  At once the question will come to our minds, as it did to Nicodemus, “How can someone be born when they are old?” (John 3 v4).  The answer of course is, by trust in a crucified Saviour and it is this answer which I wish to explain.

In His teaching about the new birth, the Lord Jesus Christ used an Old Testament story as an illustration.  You can find this story in Numbers 21 verse 5 to 9.  The children of Israel had been guilty of complaining against God and as a result “the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died” (Numbers 21 v6).  Moses prayed to God that the people might be spared and in answer to his prayers was told to make a bronze snake, and to put it up on a pole.  “Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived” (Numbers 21 v9).  Healing power was given to the bronze snake by God and new life flowed through the veins of all who by believing obeyed and looked at it.

When asked to explain the new birth the only answer given by the Lord Jesus was, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him” (John 3 v14-15).

Many years ago a man drew a picture.  In the centre there is a pole with the snake of bronze nailed to it.  The Cross is the centre of all God’s dealings with us and nothing can take its place.  Moses is standing to one side holding a stick with which he is pointing at the snake.  He is doing the only thing that any preacher can do, he is pointing to Jesus Christ.  He is doing what John the Baptist did, who when he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1 v29).  You can almost hear him calling out to those within reach of his voice, “Look and live.”

At the foot of the pole is a man praying.  He is kneeling and surely he must be one who has listened to the call of Moses and found healing and safety.  If, however, you look carefully at him you will find that he is not looking at the serpent at all, his eyes are fixed on Moses’ face and he is therefore still in danger.  Many make this mistake and think that if they belong to a Church, or have been brought up in a Christian home, they are therefore Christians. They may have been near the Cross, they may have listened to the Gospel but if they are relying on this for their salvation, they are still dead in sins.  Some place their faith in a person.  They think they are good and they believe them, but loving and following others can never lead you into the Kingdom of God.  You must look only to Jesus Christ or be lost.  There is no Church that has ever been formed, and no man or woman who has ever been born, who can bring another into touch with God.  All that a Church, a preacher or a friend can do for us is to say with Moses, “Look and live.”

At the right side of the picture is a man fast asleep and at his side is a snake ready to strike.  He is unconscious of what is going on.  There are many drugs which make us sleep so that we are unconscious of the reality of spiritual things.  Some Church members are self-satisfied and asleep to the facts of heaven and hell.  Many are sent to sleep by material comforts and prosperity and do not see that the day of judgment will come and that sin will lead them into outer darkness.  Sleeping is dangerous.  Paul wrote strongly to those who think that they can be Christians and yet live in sin.  “Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God” (1 Corinthians 15 v34), and again, “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5 v14).  Yet again writing to the Romans, he told them, “The hour has already come for you to wake up” (Romans 13 v11).  “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here” (13 v12). 

The work of salvation is urgent.  None of us can afford to let self-satisfaction lull us to sleep, and Christians should be ready at any time to go to the help of those who are asleep and in danger of missing the way.  The man in the picture is within such easy reach of healing, and yet is unconscious either of the danger or of God’s mercy.  People need to be awakened to spiritual realities.

A little further off are two men, one obviously very ill and the other holding him up.  Both of them look utterly miserable and neither are looking in the direction of the bronze snake.  Many people wish to help others and will do anything for them, except point them to Christ.  Some say, "Let us educate them”, others say, "Let us give them more money, and better living conditions”, and yet others “Let us amuse them.  Life is hard and we will try to take their mind off the struggles.”  They are all like the two men in the picture.  They have the one solution for the sick man within reach but they are rejecting it.  Once someone receives the gift of new life through the crucified Saviour the material things of life fall into their proper place.  The Lord Jesus taught us to, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6 v33).

The last figure of those on the right of the pole and the snake of bronze is that of a man holding a club in his hands.  Snakes are all around him.  As fast as he kills one another takes its place.  In spite of all his efforts and strength, he is doomed.  But if he were to throw the club away and in belief look at the bronze snake, he would be safe.  There are many who realise that their lives are not what they should be, who are always trying to alter them without being able to overcome their sins.  We must always remember that it is “not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3 v5).  No one is saved by their own efforts, but once they look to the crucified Saviour and receive from Him the gift of eternal life, then the fruits of that life will be seen in good works.  Righteousness and good living spring from the new life in Christ.

On the left side of the pole, standing next to Moses, is a man whose face glows with peace and joy.  It is easy to discover the secret of this peace if you look at his eyes.  They are fixed steadily on the bronze snake.  He has no fear of the venomous snakes around him because he has believed in God’s gift to him.

Let us be clear, you must be born again and you can only be born again by faith in a Crucified Saviour.

Read what the Lord Jesus Christ says about this, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.  Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3 v16-19).

Finally, I will try to illustrate what believing means.  It does not mean to accept a fact as true in your mind, it means to trust.  Once during the First World War I had to leave one small ship at sea and join another.  The sea was rough and the captain of the boat I was on said, “I dare not try to bring the boat alongside the other.  I will signal to them to remove the rail where the gangway should go and we will do the same.  Then I will go as near to the other ship as I can and you must jump from one to the other”.  I asked, ‘But how shall I know when to jump?”

“If you will trust me”, he said, "I will tell you.  You go and stand in the open space where the rail has been removed and I will stand beside you.  At the right moment I will shout, ‘Jump’, do not hesitate but jump at once and you will be safe”.  I did as I had been told but as the two ships drew nearer I was afraid.  Fortunately, I had not long to wait and think.  The ships drew closer and closer and suddenly I heard the call “Jump”, so I leapt straight out towards the other boat.  The next instant I found myself on my hands and knees on its deck.  I had put my trust in another and was safe.

Remember the story recorded in Matthew 14 v22-33, the disciples were crossing the sea in a boat and Jesus came to them walking on the water.  When Peter realised who it was, he cried out, “Lord, if it’s You tell me come to You on the water” (Matthew 14 v28).  I often wonder if Peter really expected the Lord to answer like that.  While Peter had his gaze fixed on the Lord Jesus, he was able to walk with Him on the water, and it was the Lord who was glorified through it.

The Lord Jesus died for you and lives for evermore.  His message to you is, “You cannot live and you dare not die without Me.  I will not only forgive your past sins but will give you right now eternal life and you will live a new life by My power.  Will you come to Me, and will you trust Me?”

“I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from Me there is no Saviour” (Isaiah 43 v11).  “There is no God apart from Me, a righteous God and a Saviour, there is none but Me.  Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45 v21-22).

 

From ‘Out of Adam - into Christ’.

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THE EDITOR’S LETTER.


Dear Friends,

   

The theme of this edition is “Are you ready?”.  Are you ready for the Lord Jesus Christ’s coming again?  Are your family, friends and acquaintances ready for His coming again?  Are the nations ready for His coming again?

It has been on my heart to bring together in this issue articles relating to both the Gospel, which makes us ready for His coming again.  And also, the Second Coming, for every believer is commanded by our Lord to be expectant of His coming again.  In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, He said, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25 v 13).  We must be ready!

In Christ, 

Mark


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ENTERING THE KINGDOM - THE NEW BIRTH.

By Geoffrey Grogan


No expression in the Bible sounds more natural or more fitting than “the Kingdom of God”, particularly when we realise that it means “the rule of God”.  Never was there a king with such a right to rule.  In Great Britain, the House of Stuart used to talk about the “divine right of kings”.  Whatever we may think of that expression, there can be no doubt as to the Divine right of the King.

God’s right to exercise absolute rule over us is so clear that it hardly needs mentioning, but it is good to remind ourselves even of the most obvious truths when they have great spiritual importance.

Think, for instance, of the fact that He is your Creator.  This means that you would have and could have no existence at all unless God had made you.  Every faculty you have, everything you possess, comes to you from His good hand.  He has lavished blessings on us, giving us life and breath and all things richly to enjoy.  This surely gives Him the right to absolute rule.    

Think also about the fact that He is your Redeemer.  In the Lord Jesus Christ, He has dealt with your sins at tremendous cost, and broken down the barrier between Himself and you in marvellous grace.  Here is more reason to acknowledge His right to rule and to do so gladly.

     Then there is His Fatherhood.  If, by His grace, you have been brought into His family, He has every right to command you.  We often have a sentimental idea of fatherhood, which is cultural rather than Biblical.  In the Bible, true fatherhood was not only loving and caring but also carried authority with it.  

If God's right to rule is so clear, why then did our Lord speak of "entering" the kingdom (Matthew 18 v3 and John 3v5)?  Because kingship needs to be acknowledged, and among human beings there is widespread resistance to this.  Entering the Kingdom means submission, glad submission to the loving authority of the King.

Our Lord came to proclaim and to institute the Kingdom and it is inseparable from Him.  He proclaimed it as good news (Mark 1 v14-15).  This may seem strange but in fact nothing could be more appropriate.  To live outside God's Kingdom, to refuse to acknowledge His sovereign right over us, is no recipe for joy but rather for eternal misery.  It is not surprising then to find that, in the Acts of the Apostles, the Kingdom of God and the Gospel of God's grace in Christ are preached as if they are virtually identical (Acts 8 v12 and 20 v24-25). 

Now if we are to enter the Kingdom, it is clear that something radical must happen, for we are in fact members of Satan's kingdom and under the dominion of darkness (Colossians 1 v13 and 1 John 5 v19).  To be in Satan's kingdom is to express the sinful life that is seen in his subjects.  That life follows "the way of the world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient" (Ephesians 2 v2).  As Paul says again, "the sinful mind is hostile to God".  It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.  Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God (Romans 8 v7-8).  It is rebellious, disobedient, and unbelieving.  

Sin is not an unimportant part of human nature.  It has taken possession of it. This is not to say that there are no people with attractive characters who live without God.  We all know by experience that there are.  But the major sin is rebellion against God, and this does not have to be expressed in open Godlessness but simply in living my life the way I want to live it, and without acknowledging His right to rule over me. Because rebellion against God is such a deep-seated feature of the human heart, it is an amazing miracle of grace when there is a fundamental reorientation of life, so that a person now begins to live for God. This is what happens in the new birth.  It is like a river turning its flow right round, so that the water now begins to flow backwards to its source.  Clearly it is only God who can do this.  

The Gospel as Christ preached it has two great essentials and these are inseparable. Both of them are found in John chapter 3.  The first is the necessity for the Cross.  "The Son of Man must be lifted up" (John 3 v14), said the Lord, and with its comparison with the brass serpent on a pole, clearly suggests that He had His Cross in view.  There had to be a remedy for sin based on the paying of our debt to God, and Christ alone did this in our place.  

The hymn is so right when it says, "There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin, He only could unlock the door of heaven and let us in.” The second essential is the new birth.  You cannot either see or enter the Kingdom of God without it (John 3 v3-5). Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews.  No doubt his knowledge of Scripture was deep and his conduct admirable.  But it was to this man, perhaps one of the best in the land, that our Lord insisted on the absolute necessity for new birth.  If Nicodemus needed to be born again, you and I certainly do.  We know that Nicodemus belonged to the Sanhedrin. This great council of the Jews consisted of Sadducees, who were priests, and Pharisees.  Nothing that is said about him suggests that he was a priest, and so we can safely assume that he was a Pharisee and that he will have shared their general outlook on things.  

As our Lord said, the Kingdom required a greater righteousness than that of the Pharisees, which had come to be centred on the keeping of the Law of God (Matthew 5 v20).  This would be reckoned a very hard saying by the people of His day.  Also hard to take in and accept was another saying of His.  He declared that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God (Mark 10 v23-27).  You see, the Pharisees tended to link righteousness and riches.  They pointed to the riches of righteous men of the Old Testament, and particularly to Abraham and the other patriarchs, as evidence of God's blessing.  But trust in righteousness and riches is an abomination to God.  

For you and me it is even more sobering to hear Him say, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 7 v21 ).   In relation to the Kingdom, profession of loyalty, whether it be to the Law or even to Christ, is not enough.  There has to be a work of God deep in our hearts, giving us a new life and new desires.  This is associated with receiving and understanding God's word (Matthew 18 v3-4), with receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12 v28).  To humble ourselves means that we have to repent of our pride.  Faith needs to be active in receiving the word of the Gospel of Grace (Hebrews 4 v2).  

This new birth is no fiction, but it is a work of God which gives us a whole new outlook on sin, imparts a new concern for holiness of life, and shows itself in our conduct (1 John 3 v9-10).   If our conduct is unchanged and our self-motivation unaltered, then there has been no new birth.   New people show their new life in their actions.  If this is true, it is also true that the wicked do not inherit the Kingdom, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6 verse 9.  Yet, he says, some who were excluded by sin are now washed, sanctified, justified in the name of Christ and by the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 6 v11 ).  Here then are the two great Gospel essentials again.  We need the blood of Christ to be shed for our sins and the Spirit of God to make us new within.  This is what our Lord meant when He spoke to Nicodemus about being born of water and of the Spirit (John 3 v5).  The prophet Ezekiel proclaimed God's promise to His people of cleansing with the imagery of sprinkled water, and the giving of a new heart in which the Spirit dwells (Ezekiel 36 v25-27).  In the Gospel both are wonderfully fulfilled.

It is true that there are passages which portray the Kingdom as future and speak of people inheriting it then (Luke 22 v14-18; 1 Corinthians 15 v20; 2 Timothy 4 v18; James 2 v5; 2 Peter 1 v11 ).  The tension between the Kingdom as future and as present, between entering it then and entering it now, may be puzzling, but it is entirely due to the fact that the King has two comings.  His first coming, reached its climax in His death and resurrection, in which He opened the door of the Kingdom to those who put their trust in Him, while His second coming brings that Kingdom to its great closure, and enables those who are already within it by faith to enjoy it in all its fulness.  

So then, we see our need to enter the Kingdom now through submission to King Jesus and through the new birth by the Holy Spirit.  This then qualifies us to inherit it in its fulness when Christ comes again. 

Are you in the Kingdom of God?  How important that we should not only experience the new birth for ourselves but proclaim to others, lovingly and faithfully, "You must be born again”.


From a past issue of ‘The Overcomer’.

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THE LAST WORD.

By Norman Hillyer


Most of us are familiar with what goes on in a court of law.  We may never have been inside one ourselves, but television has made up for that. A trial scene is sure to hold our attention, as every television producer knows.  We listen to questions being put with answers given.  And when this routine begins to get tiring, it need only a funny word from the judge to restore our interest. Or perhaps the camera catches the judges making a note. Questions and answers.  Words spoken.  Words written.  Words, words, words.  We cannot imagine a trial in a court of law without words.

Has it ever struck you that in Matthew’s account of the Final Judgement of the Nations, not a single word is uttered until all is over?  

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25 v21-32).  The Judge on His throne, and judgement carried out, with not a word spoken.

All who have ever lived must obey the King’s summons, give account to Him of their lives, and receive their judgement.  Those who would not worship Him on earth will find that they are compelled to come to the Last Judgement when He returns to judge the world.  All who are being judged will be divided into two groups.  There will no longer be a distinction between kings and subjects, masters and servants, denominations and sects, former things have passed away.  The Judge on the Last Day is the Son of Man, Jesus Christ.  It is to Him that the Father has committed all judgement (John 5 v22) and to Him at the last every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord of all (Philippians 2 v10-11).

“All the nations will be gathered before Him” and judged (Matthew 25 v32).  Not a judgement of nations as whole groups, but a judgement of the individuals within them, all who have ever lived.  The whole of the human race will be judged.  He is Shepherd of both the sheep and of the goats, of all people, whether or not He was acknowledged by them in their earthly life.  The royal Judge knows all about those before Him.  He knows them intimately, as individuals.  Although gathered before Him in one vast group, He can reduce chaos to order with infallible accuracy. Seated on His royal throne, He points out to His angels all who should go to the left or to the right.  The least of saints will not be lost in the multitude of sinners, nor the most plausible of sinners be hidden in the crowd of saints.

“As a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25 v32).  The shepherd has no difficulty in making the separation when He needs to do so.  He is in no danger of mistaking a sheep for a goat.  There is no possibility of error in His judgement.  Matthew goes on to describe the manner of the King’s judgement.  The question to be settled at the Last Judgement is not what was said, but what was done, not what was professed, but what was practised.  It is true, as the New Testament repeatedly makes clear, that what we do does not justify us in God’s eyes because justification comes by faith as God’s free gift.  God's way of putting people right with Himself has been revealed.  It has nothing to do with law.  God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3 v21-22).  But the genuineness of our faith will be expressed in our lives, “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2 v17).

“Then the King will say to the people on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me” (Matthew 25 v34-35).

None of these acts of love necessarily incurs an outlay of money.  But such ministry does involve attention and love, which everyone has in their power to give.  Yet those on the right hand are astonished at the Judge’s comments, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?” (Matthew 25 v44). They are mystified, and they are not humble or modest.  No one can be fully aware of all the motives behind the way they themselves behave or speak, let alone be certain of the reason for the conduct of someone else.  It needs a divine eye to discern motive.  Behind all the deeds of mercy which Jesus lists, He sees faith in Himself.  It was that which inspired the loving actions.  In the good deeds the righteous tried to do, however small, there was a richer glory than they ever realised.

The surprise of those on the right hand is shared by those on the left.  Those on the left are condemned, not for murder or robbery or loose living or breaking the Ten Commandments, nor even for open blasphemy. They are condemned not for doing things which they ought not to have done, but for leaving undone those things which they ought to have done, not for sins of commission, but for sins of omission.  Some may claim, “I have done no harm.”  God takes another view, “Have you done good?”

“He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed’” (Matthew 25 v41). He who in His earthly ministry and through the preaching of the Gospel down the ages has said, “Come unto Me” (Matthew 11 v28), then commanded, “Depart from Me”.  Then they refused Him.  Now He refuses them.  “Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25 v41). That was not the fate God intended for human beings.  But those who share the devil’s work will now submit to sharing the devil’s doom. The gracious invitation to come to Jesus looked for a willing response. The firm command to depart from Jesus allows no refusal, there is no choice now.

The Last Judgement will expose the true character both of the saved and the lost. Those placed on the right hand, Christ’s sheep, will still be “clothed with humility” (1 Peter 5 v5).  They will marvel to hear any of their works remembered, let alone mentioned, still less commended.  Those on the left, not Christ’s, will still be blind and self-righteous, still unaware of any neglect of Christ.  “Lord, when did we ever see You in need and did nothing about it?”  Character formed on earth will prove to be an everlasting possession in the world to come (Revelation 22 v11).  “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out - those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned” (John 5 v28-29).

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left” (Matthew 25 v 31-34). That is, those on the left will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go to eternal life.  The words are the very last that Jesus uttered in His public ministry.  It is a solemn thought. Every one of us will be there on that day. But the true believer will have no fear.  A Christian is by definition everyone who has asked Jesus Christ to come into their life. That is a request Jesus always answers, whether or not we happen to "feel" anything at the time.  A Christian therefore has the Spirit of Christ within, the Spirit that prompts the believer’s every thought, word and action.  It is that Spirit, that motivation, which the Son of Man discerns at the Great Judgment.


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TWO ASPECTS OF THE CROSS.

By Mrs Jessie Penn-Lewis 


It is because the children of God do not comprehend the two aspects of crucifixion with Christ that they fail to realise abundant life in practice. The objective, or the finished work of Christ in His death and resurrection is the basis of the subjective work of the Holy Spirit in us.

Objectively the death of Christ was not only our salvation, but was, in the purpose of God, the death of all for whom He died.  In our position before God, we are believers in Him, planted into His death.  The Holy One became a curse for the cursed ones, that the curse of Adam might be nailed to the Cross with the Substitute, the Lamb of God.  

Subjectively it is the work of the Spirit of God to apply to us the power of Christ’s death and resurrection, and to bring us inwardly into the knowledge about our "position" in Christ.  Which is crucified, buried, risen, and ascended in the Redeemer.  

The "objective" and “subjective" aspects must both be made real to the soul by the power of the Holy Spirit, if "life out of death" is to be known in practice.  On our part, if we have been brought by the mercy of God to truly hate our "own life" (Luke 14v26) as well as our sins, and to recognize that the old has now gone, we can now turn to Calvary, and see that in Christ we are delivered, being dead to that which once held us captive (Romans 7 v6).  

In dependence upon the Holy Spirit, we may appropriate the death of Christ as our death, and count upon the immediate flow of life from the Risen Lord, which fills us to overflowing. 

From this point on our faith is in the fact that we have been crucified with Christ and we should expect the Holy Spirit to testify to us, for "by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body" in divine power (Romans 8 v13).  

The Eternal Spirit does the work of applying in us the death of Christ, and of communicating the resurrection life of Christ, causing us to always die daily in Him.  And so, we will see in our mortal flesh the life of Jesus, and in the power of that endless life we will be filled in order to labour according to “Christ’s mighty power” that works in us (Colossians 1 v29).


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THE FREE GIFT.

By Michael Metcalfe


While out shopping I was attracted by a sign which read, “Special offer, buy 3 get 1 free”, and although deep down inside I suspected that I was paying for the “free” article in the price of the other three, the advertising slogan worked.  People in the world rush after these so-called bargains, and yes when God holds out His hand and says “Special offer, absolutely free”, they turn their backs and spurn the free gift, the grace of God, by Jesus Christ (Romans 5 v15).

It is also all too possible for us, who are called by the name of Christ, to hear and use wonderful words without really taking in what they mean.  Again and again, we read at the beginning or end of Paul’s letters such words as “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you” and we often hear or say them to each other at the end of a church service, but do we really appreciate the wonder of what we are being offered.  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2 v8).  In this passage, from Paul's letter to the Ephesian Christians, God is seeking to reveal to us something of the mystery and wonder of His kindness, His unmerited favour and forgiving love, His gift to us, His grace.  

The Greek verb in this verse is complex.  It expresses the fact that we are now experiencing the reality of something that has already been accomplished.  The literal translation of the Greek in verse 8 is "For by grace you are having been saved through faith, and this is not of you, of God the gift.”  

In his brief definition of the word “grace" James Strong, in his Bible concordance, describes it as "the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in life.” This grace of God is no static, fixed blessing, it is a living, all embracing grace. As Paul makes clear in his letter to the Romans, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3 v23), and ”but where sin increased, grace increased all the more" (Romans 5 v20).  The wonderful fact is that we can all be “justified freely by His grace” through faith in what Jesus has accomplished for us through His death on the cross, and His victorious resurrection, or as Paul puts it "through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3 v24).  

Not only does God's free gift of grace bring us to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, but goes on "saving" us in the everyday situations of life.

As Paul points out in his letter to Titus, "For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.  It teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness” (Titus 2 v11-14).   

As the writer to the Hebrews puts it "since we have a great High Priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith" and "approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4 v14, 16).  This help, by grace, is available to us, not because of who we are, or what we have done, but because Jesus died for us and rose again, and is seated at the right hand of God making intercession for us.  As Paul proclaims "God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work“ (2 Corinthians 9 v8).  He follows this up a little later in the letter with a personal witness, when he relates an instance of his own need, and the Lord's provision "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12 v9). 

Many have found this last reference very difficult to accept, but it is important in our understanding of God's free gift of grace in our redemption and sanctification.  We have to accept God's grace on His terms.  Paul confesses that it was to keep him from conceit that this “thorn” was permitted.  "A messenger from Satan” (2 Corinthians 12 v7). But God promises "My grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12 v9).  It is worth reading, pondering and praying through 2 Corinthians 12 verses 1 to 10, so that we may open our hearts and experience this all-sufficiency of the grace of God.  “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory” (Psalm 115 v1).

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ARE THEY READY?

By the Editor 


Throughout history there have been empires made by world conquerors.  I am sure you can name a few, Alexander the Great, Emperor Trajan, Genghis Khan, and many others.  They came and they went just as the Bible says, “For as in Adam all die” (1 Corinthians 15 v22).  All were born and all died.  To think, they achieved world fame  by birthing or expanding world changing empires, yet they lost their own souls.  

“People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him” (Hebrews 9 v 27-28).  

Yes, all are guaranteed a meeting with their creator, are you ready?

What a day that will be for those whose hearts are lost in love with the Lord Jesus Christ.  That moment will be truly a great time.  But, sadly, there will be many who cannot and will not find it a great day.  Only then will they realise that the One who created them and was calling them before the foundation of the world, is standing in front of them.  Are they ready to meet Him?

Let us repent of not being enthusiastic enough to share the Gospel with those around us and give them all a chance to meet Him before that “great and glorious day of the Lord” (Acts 2 v20).  “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field” (Matthew 9 v38). 

 

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THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB.

By Maria Woodworth-Etter 


“Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” (Revelation 19 v9)


Beloved, have you been called?  Let us be glad and rejoice and give honour to Him, for the Marriage of the Lamb has come.  The bride must be clothed in linen, pure and white.

Yes, His wife has made herself ready, see the King coming.  His garments are overflowing with sweet scents.  They smell of “myrrh and aloes and cassia” (Psalm 45 v8).

The bride is rejoicing in His love. Listen, we are blessed because we are called to the heavenly Marriage Supper.  Consider, and incline your ears to hear the whispers of His love.  We must forget our own people and our father’s house (Psalm 45 v10).  Our beloved Bridegroom is very jealous.  We must love Him with our whole heart and our whole being.  We must long for Him, so that He will greatly desire our beauty.  He is our Lord, and we must worship Him (Psalm 45 v11).

We should be ready to leave all at any moment when the herald shouts, “Here’s the bridegroom. Come out to meet Him” (Matthew 25 v6).  Are you ready to leave all to sail away with our Beloved to that heavenly kingdom, to those mansions in the City of Gold that He has been preparing for so many years with all the wealth and jewels of Heaven?  

Our hearts leap for joy and we should cry, “Come quickly my Redeemer, my Beloved and my King.  Oh Most Mighty, with Your glory and Your majesty, You are fairer than all the sons of earth.”  For, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a sceptre of justice will be the sceptre of your kingdom” (Psalm 45 v6).

Look at the lovely bride.  They are all honourable, children of the King.  Behold, on His right hand stands the princess beautifully clothed.  “All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold.  In embroidered garments she is led to the King; her virgin companions follow her - those brought to be with her” (Psalm 45 v13-14).

Glory to God.  Look at the virgins, the guests at the wedding.  They will go in with gladness, they will be brought into the King’s palace, rejoicing with great joy (v15).  

The very gates of solid pearl.  The walls are jasper and the city is pure gold, like clear glass. The streets are pure gold, like transparent glass. The very foundations are built and “The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone” (Revelation 21 v19).

Behold, let us rise on the wings of faith and in the Spirit take a view of our eternal home. “The city was laid out like a square” (Revelation 21 v16).  It is fifteen hundred miles long, fifteen hundred miles wide and fifteen hundred miles high.  The walls shine in the glorious light of God and of the Lamb.  If the outside is so glorious, what will it be like to live in the city, and to walk through the courts of glory?

Our Lord says that we will go in with joy and rejoicing (Psalm 45 v15).  Our Lord will have many surprises for us as He takes us through our beautiful mansions.  We will sit with Him on His throne and be surrounded with all the brightness and glory of heaven (Revelation 3 v21).

We will see the River of Life running out from beneath the throne of God, like a sea of clear glass (Revelation 22 v1).  There will be the nation of kings, wearing golden crowns (Revelation 4 v4).

We will eat of the Tree of Life that bears twelve kinds of fruits every month (Revelation 22 v2).   This beautiful tree on each side of the River will give us fruit to eat.

Jesus said, “I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26 v29).  Yes, we will eat and drink with our Bridegroom in His Kingdom.  Jesus said, “And I confer on you a kingdom, just as My Father conferred one on Me, so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom” (Luke 22 v29-30).  Praise the Lord, this is strong proof that the Kingdom is literal and natural.  And it will be free from the curse of sin.  “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19 v9).

The Lord will make, “a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine - the best of meats and the finest of wines” (Isaiah 25 v6).  He will swallow up death in victory (1 Corinthians 15 v54).  And the Lord God will wipe away all tears from faces (Revelation 7 v17).  The rebuke will be forever taken off His people.

Come quickly, that day when the kingdom of this world will become the Kingdom of our Lord and His Christ.  He will reign and we will reign with Him forever (Revelation 11 v15, 22 v5).  He is our blessed King.

We now bear the image of Adam, the first man, but our fleshly bodies will be changed and made “like his glorious body” (Philippians 3 v21). Our mortal bodies will be changed into immortal bodies (1 Corinthians 15 v53-54).  Jesus ate fish with His disciples after He rose from the dead in His new body, it will be the same for us.  “We shall be like Him” (1 John 3 v2).  Our bodies will be resurrected or translated and glorified.

“We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15 v51-52).  “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4 v17).  

At the end, Jesus will come to take us to be His bride and will give us His name.  Yes, we will be called the bride, the Lamb’s wife, she will be His pride and glory. He will be glorified throughout all eternity.

As they travel through the many beautiful worlds. He will present her, in all her beauty, and she in her glory, will point to her royal Bridegroom and tell of His wonderful redeeming love.

Yes, the time is at hand.  Jesus has given us many signs so that we would know when to look for His return, so that we would know that His coming is near, “right at the door” (Matthew 24 v33).  He said that the wise would know (Daniel 12 v10).  “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens” (Daniel 12 v3).

Beloved, we need to be watching and waiting, ready to escape all the awful things that are coming on the earth.  For many it will be a day of darkness with no light.  He will come as suddenly as a flash of lightning, and we will be taken as quickly.

He will come with all the brightness of heaven.  The saints will see all His glory.  In the singing of the great angel choir, they will be caught away, swallowed up in all this brightness and glory.  But the poor lost world will sleep on, not knowing what has happened.  Remember, two will be sleeping in one bed, one will be taken, and the other will be left to sleep on.  Two will be at the mill, grinding, one will be taken, the other left.  Two will be in the field, one will be taken, the other left (Luke 17 v34-36).

This will happen so suddenly that they will not know it until it is too late.  Then they will realise what has happened, when they see that all these foolish “fanatics” have disappeared.

No, the world is too blinded in darkness and sin.  It cannot behold the glory of the Rapture as the saints go shouting through the air.

We can almost hear them getting the host of heaven ready, the angels turning their golden harps.  We can almost see the Banquet, the table spread for the Marriage Supper in the air. The great preparation is soon coming. Will you accept the invitation to the Marriage Supper in the skies?  All glory to God, I will meet you there. 

From ‘Holy Ghost Sermons’.


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OVERCOMER TRANSLATIONS UPDATE.

By The Overcomer Team 

It is a great joy to tell you that the ‘God is Love’ issue of ‘The Overcomer’ from March 2021 has been translated into Russian, and is now on our website as ‘Russian Overcomer, issue 2, 2024’.  The need for good Christian literature that encourages the believer is so vital at this time in history.  It will be on our website and will include an original extra poem by Lyubov Arushanyan based on the Song of Songs.  We wish it could be translated into English in a way that would fully capture its message.  It reminds us of the verse, “His Banner over me was love” (Song of Solomon 2 v4). Here is a translated extract in English, that speaks of the heart of the believer who is united to the love of Christ Jesus:


“We will run to the fragrant mountains, 

There the cedars are beckoning 

Deep into the shady shelter

Higher, higher, where the sky is spacious, 

Where the banner above me is - Your love!”


This is a message that believers preach and it is the message that Europe very much needs to hear.  Please pray with us that the Lord will use the words of our online magazine to revive our readers.

On the website we now have the first ever Chinese language issue of ‘The Overcomer’. It is the March 2023 issue of ‘The Overcomer’ entitled ‘The Resurrection’.  And the March 2024 ‘Fruit of the Spirit’ issue is now translated and will be available online shortly.

We have also put links to the Portuguese translation, published by our friends in Brazil.  

Please contact us at the Overcomer Literature Trust if you wish to receive print copies of any of these different language issues for yourself or to give away. 

Please continue to pray that more foreign language readers will find or get our magazine, either electronically or in print.


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“When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more

And the morning breaks eternal bright and fair

When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore

And the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there”
James M Black


“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come”
(Mark 13 v33)

“So, My disciples, always be ready!”
(Matthew 25 v13)

The Lord Jesus Christ