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STAND & COMFORT Newsletter I still receive emails of sorrow mixed with tears over being rejected and called names when someone attempts to tell the truth concerning false doctrines in the Church. People are still experiencing rejection bringing sorrow. My response to one such email went as follows: "The purpose of all you're going through has the image of Christ as its basis. That's what you and the Lord glean out of it. In the beginning of the Toronto blessing experience, there were many, many people who would go through what you are going through: crying, grieving, etc. It seems this would last about two weeks and then the strength would come to face the fact that not all people would listen to the facts of what was happening and that's their decision and that's just the way it has to be. It was a very, very hard time, as it is for you. I don't know how long exactly you've been going through this, but we are to tell others of the dangers and if there is no indication of an honest response to show they only want the truth then we need to set our face like flint and let them alone. The Lord could then use someone else later to approach them again. If there is a questioning response, then we keep speaking. Otherwise, we only get worn out and frustrated and drained. A time came when even Jesus was done speaking. Paul said, Christians who speak the truth in love are already on the way of being conformed to Jesus. They place themselves in situations extremely similar to Jesus Himself and they are able to do so because His character and love have taken hold in them by the work of the Holy Spirit. Isa 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should DESIRE him. In verse 3, Isaiah states that when the Messiah would come, He would be "a man of sorrows." This description is usually applied to our Lord's sufferings on the way to crucifixion, but the context shows this was His experience during His ministry years as well. The sorrow in part was over Israel's despising Him and their rejection of Him for the most part and the consequences Jesus knew they would suffer because of that rejection. In spite of all He said and did, they refused to believe He was God's Son come in the flesh. Therefore, the time came when He had to say: Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! The rulers of Jerusalem did not esteem Him even in the days of His youth: Mark 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. Those who heard Him were divided, as John relates in his gospel:
Jesus warned them of their rejecting Him, but they would not listen: Luke 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. Jesus comforted His disciples in the face of those who were rejecting Him and causing much consternation: Luke 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. The majority in Israel despised Him and rejected Him; "there is no beauty that we should desire him" (Isaiah 53:2). For the most part, I think we tend to look at the miracles Jesus did, His preaching and teaching, but there were some pretty ugly things going on against Him. He was "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Ibid.). It was a common thing He experienced on a consistent level. The point is, the rejection of Him and His being despised did not initially occur on the walk to Calvary. It happened during His ministry. Calvary occurred because He HAD BEEN rejected and despised. It was the seal of these things against Him. What comes to mind is a document and across it is stamped in big red letters REJECTED, the result being the paper then being filed and better left forgotten: Mat 26:3 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, That is being despised. That is ultimate rejection. There was one, however, who didn't reject Him. This one, in fact, told Him what to say and what to do, knowing this would bring Him to a place of being rejected and despised. It was His Father who rejected Him not: 1 Cor 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are DESPISED, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: The final word was God's and He spoke that word by raising Jesus from the dead: "Accepted." Jesus was not a man desired by the leaders of Israel as He ministered in the midst of His own. He died, He rose, and now sits at the right hand of God to wait for the time of His return. In the meantime, the world waxes worse and worse. We know the sins of the world and their increasing power to manifest in the lives of the lost. As these things increase, the desire for peace among the nations will increase also until the world and its religions and governments cry out for an answer. All this will happen because God has stamped "Rejected" across this world and its inhabitants. But, there is good news. There is a way, one way, for that stamp to be replaced with another - Accepted: Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. God has given the world His Son and His gospel and they alone are the means of acceptance into God's plan and purpose. We have accepted that Gospel and His Son by believing on them, but in the meantime, we must watch the world struggle for the peace that only He can bring. Its desire is growing for it. Its desire is growing for someone to take over and bring peace where there is war and conflict and trouble. This desire amongst the nations is growing. The problem is that the world knows what it desires, but doesn't know how to bring it about. This is where the gospel takes center stage because God has placed a man in the position where God alone will fulfill the desire of the nations by sending Jesus back: Hag 2:6 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; These verses apply to Christ's first coming, but I've taken a little liberty to apply them to His second coming as well because of the words "the desire of ALL NATIONS shall come." The nations desire a savior who will bring their world into peace. What they don't realize is it is really Jesus who they desire, but won't believe the truth so their seeking continues. There is a day when the glory of God will be manifested in the earth in a very visible way. That day is when He returns to deal with all who have rejected Him and bring salvation to all who have been accepted by God because of Him. God has turned our own despising Him and rejection of Him to a deep desire for Him. Instead of taking part in the battle against Him, consciously or not, we now have the power to turn others to Him as well. That power is the gospel. Along with it comes the griefs and sorrow for those who continue to reject Him. That's part of being conformed to His image and likeness - the sufferings and griefs and sorrows. If your despised because of your belief in Him, know its because you are of Him. If you are rejected, remember the words of Jesus: Luke 10:16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. Jesus said in such situations we are to rejoice because we have reward in heaven: Mat 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. That does not mean that we are to rejoice over the rejection and being despised. The sorrow and the like that such things bring about are very real, but persevere we must in the manner of Paul: Rom 9:2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. Have you as a Christian ever felt such things? You rejoice when you think of the Lord and His great salvation and that we are going to see Him in all of His glory. But, then other thoughts come of those who are rejecting Him and sorrow accompanies that joy because you want them to believe on Him, too. There is a swirl of emotion in such times, a mixture of joy and sorrow and it is the Christian experience, but in the end God has given a very precious promise: Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. There are many in our day who will hear the words of their Father in that day: ============== This newsletter will be sent out whenever I think there is something the body of Christ needs to consider, to build it up, to give it encouragement or comfort in hard times. To sign up for this newsletter, email Ed at ejt@ncinter.net
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