THE SECOND COMING ... PART TEN
Wednesday May 30, 2012 11:50 amToday I will give you a twofer: that is 2 signs in one blog – GOSPEL PUBLISHED IN ALL NATIONS (and) HEART ATTACKS.
I suppose that in one sense the Gospel has already been published in all nations. Keep in mind the Bible neither states nor implies that “every single soul" will hear the story of Christ... it simply states that the Gospel (good-news) will be “published” (or proclaimed) in all nations.
Think about it: by Internet, radio, television, tracts, and missionaries, the good news of Christ has certainly been sent around the globe. My biggest concern though is what passes for some as the 'Gospel'? The Gospel: according to the Bible is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ! That, and that alone is the complete and atoning work of God for fallen mankind. Christ lived as a perfect man, thereby He had no sin debt of His own which needed paying. Otherwise when He died He would have only been fulfilling Romans 6:23 (the wages of sin is death) for Himself. However, because He was sinless He could now fulfill the role of an Old Testament sacrificial lamb. (On Earth, He was even born in a stable like other sheep have been.) As He is standing before Herod, Christ is seen as the Old Testament sacrifice Isaiah wrote about.
Isaiah 53:7 speaks of the future sacrifice of Christ as the 'lamb.' “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”
And of course we see that fulfilment as Christ is standing meekly before Herod... Luke 23:8-9: “And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. (9) Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.” (HE ANSWERED HIM NOTHING... HE OPENETH NOT HIS MOUTH.)
Of course as Christ was dying on the cross He continued the role of a lamb and He “gave up the ghost” (died) before the Roman guard could break His legs. Because in the Old Testament God would not allow the lamb that was used for sacrifices to have any broken or marred limbs. THEY HAD TO BE PERFECT!
His death satisfied God's quest for redemption for mankind as the 'sin debt' had now been paid. However, the next role Christ had to fulfill was that of High Priest. As now someone had to place the blood upon the Mercy Seat in order for the sacrifice to be accepted. In the Old Testament that was done by Aaron or one of his sons. In the New Testament that was done by Christ after His bodily resurrection.
In the Old testament once Aaron had washed his body and made himself presentable to God he could enter the Holy of Holies (the inner-room behind the thick purple curtain) and place the blood upon the Mercy Seat on the Day of Atonement. It's also important to note that once Aaron was physically cleansed there were two things he could not do. He could not sit down, and neither could he be touched by human hands before the sacrifice was complete.
We see Christ fulfilling both those roles as High Priest when (after His bodily resurrection) He cautioned Mary not to touch Him because He had not yet ascended to the Father. Of course, we know the sacrifice was completed and accepted when He returned to the upper-room and implored Thomas to touch Him and feel Him so that Thomas would no longer be faithless. Then, of course, there is a wonderful verse that lets us know that Christ is forever more the intercessor on the behalf of all those who trust Him because in the Kingdom of Heaven He is no longer standing as the High Priest, but having completed all things to accomplish salvation for mankind... Christ is now sitting at God's right hand. Colossians 3:1: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”
I wrote those things to be certain that everyone knows the COMPLETE Gospel found in I Corinthians 15:1-4: “MOREOVER, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
There you have it... DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION of Christ is “THE GOSPEL!”
I wrote the above to try and make the point that I do believe the Gospel has already been published in all nations... but, I am concerned that what passes for the Gospel in many parts of the world, and even here at home has been corrupted. The Gospel is not a social message! Doctors Without Borders, Habitat for Humanity, and other “humanitarian” groups are not preaching the Gospel. They are only helping man's flesh... not his soul. What I write next, would you please read twice? It is not because what follows are some great words nor even profound thoughts. It is just that if you read it only once you will most probably completely misunderstand what I am saying.
I, Robin Johnson, have not in the past, do not at present, and have no plans in the future of giving money, clothes, food, or any other type of help to anyone in need... UNLESS … UNLESS … I can either witness to them, or at the very least give them a Gospel tract. I quit supporting a (well-known) down-town Louisville mission a few years ago when they stopped requiring those they helped to listen to a Gospel message. At that time they quit becoming servants of God's and they became nothing more than "helpful humanists."
There is a reason why I wanted you to read the above statement twice. It is because I do help people: i.e., strangers broken down along the highway, pan-handlers wanting a handout, etc. etc. etc. However, I ALWAYS hand them a tract along with the money I give them. Otherwise, I am nothing more than a humanist trying to help a “fellow traveller” along life's journey? So, I am not for any Habitat for Humanity builders: even though I have also done that. Unless, along with helping to build a house you also witness to the people you are helping.
(I also have helped people, financially and otherwise, who are already saved, naturally I do not attempt to witness to them.) The main reason, apart from the fact we are commanded to witness, I witness to lost people when I help them is so that in their eyes I am not the one receiving the credit. Many times I have even said something to the effect that the only reason I am helping is that I am saved and the Lord would expect that from me.
Also, if I were ever at a restaurant and you were my server you would like me as a customer, and that is because I always tip... and very well. The reason I do this is because I always put their tip money inside of a Gospel tract and my hope is that they will be more likely to read it if the tip is well-beyond what they typically receive.
Now... HEART ATTACKS. Luke 21:25-26: “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” (MEN'S HEARTS FAILING THEM FOR FEAR.)
I love the verbiage of the KJV... 'men's hearts failing.' What do you think the number one killer in America has been for the last two decades? If you guessed... heart failure (men's hearts failing) you would be correct!
It's also important to know that worldwide this is becoming the NUMBER ONE KILLER across the globe. And, just in case you think it has always been that way, let me set you straight on that point. If you go back in time and search each decade you will find that different things were the number one killer of men and women in different eras and in different countries. Example: in America in the '40's and '50's the number one killer was stroke... today though, it is heart failure.
Today in the following countries and regions around the world it is also heart failure. Africa, Central America, Asia, South America, Middle East, Western Europe, Australia and Eastern Europe. Now do you understand why I said it was important to understand that all ten signs will be happening everywhere and all at once. See, if the Lord would have returned in the '40's or '50's then heart failure would not have been a leading cause of death at that time. However, it is when all ten signs are happening on top of each other... that is when our “redemption draweth nigh.”
Now, call or write some cardiologist and ask them this next question just to prove to yourself how amazingly accurate the Bible is. Ask them what usually precipitates a heart attack? The number one precursor of a heart attack is... ready for it... FEAR! Do you know how they know this? The survivors of heart attacks tell the same story, and that is within a 24 hour period WHICH preceded their heart attack they had some major stress (fear) in their life! Remember... MEN'S HEARTS FAILING THEM FOR FEAR! The Bible is always right... great, huh.
posted by Robin Johnson @ 11:50 AM
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