Dying For the Gospel

Jesus died and rose again to purify our hearts…

deliver us from the power of sin…

and forgive us from the penalty of sin which is hell.

There is also something else He came to deliver us from.

Forsasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; AND DELIVER THEM WHO THROUGH FEAR OF DEATH WERE ALL THEIR LIFETIME SUBJECT TO BONDAGE.

Hebrews 2:14-15

He came to deliver us from the fear of death.

The fear of death holds people in bondage and as a result they are never able

to submit themselves to the will of God to accomplish and fulfill 

the ministry He has for them to do…

because they fear the consequences.

BUT NONE OF THESE THINGS MOVE ME, NEITHER COUNT I MY LIFE DEAR UNTO MYSELF, SO THAT I MIGHT FINISH MY COURSE WITH JOY,

AND THE MINISTRY WHICH I HAVE RECEIVED OF THE LORD JESUS,

TO TESTIFY THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD.

Acts 20:24-

Paul would never have been able to fulfill the ministry God had for him and finish his course if he had counted his life dear unto him.  

PLEASING GOD AND DOING THE WILL OF GOD,

was more important to Paul than his own life.

Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall LOSE HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE AND THE GOSPEL'S, the same shall save it.

Mark 8:34-35

Notice there is a distinction between the Lord's sake and the gospel's.

Many live for the Lord and serve Him by reading their bible, praying, living clean and moral, but never make any sacrifice to advance the gospel.

The real persecution, sacrifice, suffering, reproach,

and cross bearing comes for the gospel's sake.

Making an effort to advance the gospel

in a world that is hostile to it.

Saving our life and being unwilling to lose it renders us ineffective.

Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die,

it abideth alone: but if it die, it will bring forth more fruit.

John 12:24

We will never bring forth any fruit until we are willing to lose our life

not just for the Lord's sake but also for the gospel.

This is one major reason there is so little genuine fruit in our day in this country.

It is so much more than just being willing to take a bullet in the head

rather than deny the Lord and go to hell.

It is daily laying down our life, denying ourselves,

and allowing the Lord to live through us.

Sin certainly needs to be preached against but sin is so much more than just the lists we see in 1 Corinthians 6 and Galatians 5.

It is exalting our will above God's will

and living for ourselves rather than the glory of God.

Luke emphasized we must do this daily…

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me,

let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luke 9:23

Jesus said He had power to lay His life down …

Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life,

that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.

I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.

This commandment have I received of my Father.  

John 10:17-18

and He gives that same power to His followers …

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:

and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 1:8

To be a witness meant to be a martyr…

And they OVERCAME HIM by the blood of the Lamb,

and the word of their testimony; and

THEY LOVED NOT THEIR LIVES UNTO THE DEATH.

Revelation 12:11

We will never be able to overcome the attacks of the devil

to stop us from serving God, fulfilling His purpose, and bearing fruit

as long as we hang onto our lives and are UNWILLING TO DIE.

We are only fooling ourselves if we think we will not deny the Lord

on the threat of death when we deny Him on a regular everyday basis

by refusing to lay down our lives

FOR THE SAKE OF HIM AND THE GOSPEL.

HANDS TO THE PLOW!

~ By Brother Micah Armstrong.

The Weapons of our Warfare

Put on the whole armour of God…

Ephesians 6:11

The battle is REAL…

The conflict is HOT…

Paul understood this when he penned…

these timeless words…

to the church in Ephesus.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord,

and in the power of his might…

This impenetrable  armor is provided…

for your PROTECTION …

Put on the whole armour of God,

that ye may be able to stand

against the wiles of the devil.

Ephesians 6:11

And for your DEFENSE…

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,

but against principalities, against powers,

against the rulers of the darkness of this world,

against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians 6:12

So that you can stand…

and WITHSTAND evil…

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,

that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day,

and having done all, to stand.  

Ephesians 6:13

and QUENCH the fiery darts…

Above all, taking the shield of faith,

wherewith ye shall be able to quench

all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Ephesians 6:16

Being furnished directly from the heavenly armory…

Your spiritual weapons and armor

were MADE to be USED!

Their potency, strength and effectiveness are unsurpassed…

To defend ground…

and to TAKE ground from the enemy…

advancing the Kingdom of God!

To tear DOWN the strong holds …

that hold countless multitudes CAPTIVE…

and to SET them free!

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,

but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;

2 Corinthians 10:4

 Furthermore…

YOU have GREAT NEED of this heavenly ensemble…

For the Captain of your Salvation…

has placed you on the front lines…

of this raging Spiritual battle.

So KEEP on the FIRING LINE!

If you’re in the battle for the Lord and right,
Keep on the firing line;

If you win, my brother, surely you must fight,
Keep on the firing line;

There are many dangers that we all must face,
If we die still fighting it is no disgrace;

Cowards in the service will not find a place,
So keep on the firing line.

Oh, you must fight, be brave against all evil,
Never run, nor even lag behind;

If you would win for God and the right,
Just keep on the firing line.

God will only use the soldier He can trust,
Keep on the firing line;

If you’ll wear a crown then bear the cross you must,
Keep on the firing line.

Life is but to labor for the Master dear,
Help to banish evil and to spread good cheer;

Great you’ll be rewarded for your service here,
So keep on the firing line.

When we get to heaven, brother, we’ll be glad,
Keep on the firing line;

How we’ll praise the Savior for the call we had,
Keep on the firing line;

When we see the souls that we have helped to win,
Leading them to Jesus, from the paths of sin,

With a shout of welcome, we will all march in,
So keep on the firing line.

There are many battles YET to be won…

Are YOU on the firing line?

The REAL Warfare.

We will now glance at two or three of the main characteristics

of that warfare to which Christ has called His soldiers.

Christ’s soldiers MUST be imbued with the SPIRIT of the WAR:

Love to the King and concern for His interests must be the master passion of the soul.  All outward effort, even that which springs from a sense of duty, will fail without this.

The hardship and suffering involved in real spiritual warfare

are too great for any motive but that of LOVE.

It is said that one of the soldiers of Napoleon, when being operated upon for the extraction of a bullet, exclaimed, "Cut a little deeper and you will find my general's name," meaning that it was ENGRAVEN on his heart.

So must the image and glory of Christ…

be ENGRAVEN on the heart…

            of every successful soldier of Christ.

It must be the all-subduing passion of his life

to bring the reign of Jesus Christ

over the hearts and souls of men.

If the hearts of the Christians of this generation were inspired with this spirit, and set on winning the world for God, we should soon see nations shaken to their centre, and millions of souls translated into the kingdom.

The soldiers of Christ MUST be ABANDONED to the WAR:

They must be thoroughly committed to God's side:

there can be no neutrals in this warfare.

When the soldier enlists and takes the queen's shilling, he ceases to be his own property, but becomes the property of his country, must go where he is sent, stand at any post to which he is assigned, even if it be at the cannon's mouth.

He gives up the ways and comforts of civilians, and goes forth with his life in his hand, in obedience to the will of his sovereign.

If I understand it, that is just what Jesus Christ demands

of every one of His soldiers,  AND NOTHING LESS.

There will be NO running away…

NO forsaking of the cross…

       NO shrinking from the hard places of the field;

but a DETERMINED PUSHING  of the battle to the gate…

even amid weariness, opposition, and sometimes…

in the face of dire defeat.

I ask, Was it any less a devotion than this which actuated

the martyrs and confessors of old?

Have I depicted an abandonment greater than that

which they understood to be their duty and privilege?

If they might have drawn back, why did they persevere,

many of them, through long years of conflict and persecution,

culminating in stripes, imprisonment, and death?

It is evident that they understood fidelity to Christ

to involve the most perfect self-abandonment,

BOTH in LIFE and in DEATH.

Christ’s soldiers MUST understand the TACTICS of WAR:

In order to do this, they must make it a subject of earnest and prayerful study how to make the most of their time, talents, money, or any other resources which God may have placed at their command for the advancement of the kingdom.

They must think and scheme how best to attack the enemy.

Only think of the time, trouble, skill, and money that are expended by great killing armies in planning for stratagem and maneuver in order to surprise and overcome their enemies.

Some of you will remember reading, in the records of the last German and French war, that the German officers were better acquainted with the geography of France than the French themselves; they knew every road, by-way, and field, likely to be available for their purposes.

Think of the time and trouble that must have been expended in becoming thus familiar with a foreign country, and compare this with the haphazard, rule-of-thumb kind of way in which spiritual warfare is for the most part conducted.

Think of the undigested schemes and abortive plans, throwing away both labour and money, embarked in by professed Christian soldiers, who have never, perhaps, spent a day's anxious thought and prayer over them in their lives.

Think also of the shameful indifference--which cannot be characterised as warfare at all--of the ordinary services and arrangements of the churches.

Alas! Alas!

We may well ask, Where is the zeal of the Christians

of this generation for the Lord of hosts?

How much do they care about His reign over the hearts

of their fellow-men?

What is their appreciation of the present and eternal benefits

embraced in His salvation?

or what is their estimate of the "crown of life"

which He promises to give to every one of

His conquering soldiers?

The soldier of Christ MUST BELIEVE in VICTORY:

Faith in victory is an indispensable condition

to successful warfare of any kind.

It is universally recognised by generals of killing armies, that if the enthusiasm of expected conquest be destroyed, and their troops imbued with fear and doubt as to the ultimate result, defeat is all but certain.

This is equally true with respect to spiritual warfare,

hence the repeated and comprehensive assurance

and promises of victory from the great

Captain of our salvation.

The true soldier of Christ…

who has the spirit of the war…

and who is abandoned to its interests…

has an earnest in his soul of coming victory!

He knows it is only a question of time, and time is nothing to love!

As he is lying in the trenches, or taking long marches,

or suffering for the want of common necessaries,

or enduring the sharpest bayonets or heaviest fire of the enemy,

or lying wounded, overcome by fatigue, pressed by discouragement,

realizing the greatness of the conflict in contrast with his own weakness—in the very darkest hours and severest straits,

he has the herald of coming victory

sounding in his ears.

The faithful soldier knows that he shall win, and that his King will ultimately reign, not only over a few, but over all the kingdoms of this earth, and that He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.

This faith inspires him to endure hardship and to suffer loss, 

to hold on.

He never thinks of turning his back to the foe, 

or shirking the cross, or turning the stones into bread, 

or of trying to shorten the march.

He never thinks of withdrawing from the thick of the fight, 

but goes on through perils by land, by sea, by his own countrymen, 

by the heathen, by false brethren 

at home and abroad.

He looks onward through the dark clouds

to the proud moment when the King will say...

"Well done, good and faithful servant!"

He listens, and above the din of the earthly conflict

he hears the words…

"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life!"

Excerpts taken from: The Real Warfare

By Catherine Booth, 1887

The Warfare

This charge I commit unto thee…that thou… 

mightest war a good warfare;

1 Timothy 1:18

Thou therefore endure hardness,

as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:3

Of a truth…

the battle RAGES…

on every side.

A HOT conflict…

of Spiritual POWERS…

Diametrically opposed…

Fiercely Incompatible…

Intensely hostile…

 

NEVER to be reconciled!

This warfare takes place on every level.

It’s intensity is like none other…

At times…

It will be physically taxing…

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.  2 Corinthians 4:8-10

and you will have to endure…

Hardship. Affliction. Distress. Persecution.

But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;   2 Corinthians 6:4-5

Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.  2 Corinthians 11:24-27

And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.   

Hebrews 11:33-38

and you will have to fight…

Fatigue. Apathy. Indifference. Temptation. Fear. Sin.

For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.  2 Corinthians 7:5

And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 

1 Corinthians 2:3

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.    1 Corinthians 10:13

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.   James 1:12

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 

1 John 3:4-6

At times…

It will be mentally and emotionally taxing…

Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:  Acts 20:19

Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.  Acts 20:31

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.  2 Corinthians 2:4

and you will need to be focused…

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are TRUE…

whatsoever things are HONEST…

whatsoever things are JUST…

whatsoever things are PURE…

whatsoever things are LOVELY…

whatsoever things are of GOOD REPORT…

if there be any VIRTUE…

and if there be any PRAISE…

THINK ON THESE THINGS.

Philippians 4:8

so that you can OVERCOME…

By pureness, by knowledge…

by longsuffering, by kindness…

by the HOLY GHOST

by LOVE unfeigned,

By the word of TRUTH,

by the POWER of God,

by the armour of RIGHTEOUSNESS…

on the right hand and on the left,

By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report:

as deceivers, and yet true;  As unknown, and yet well known;

as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich;

as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

2 Corinthians 6:6-10

At times…

It will be spiritually taxing…

For you will face large numbers of a formidable enemy…

An enemy bent on destroying the souls of men…

And seeking whom he may devour…

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.   Ephesians 6:12

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  1 Peter 5:8

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;   2 Corinthians 10:4-5

But you will not face him alone!

For IF ye be on the side of TRUTH…

ALL of heaven backs your advance…

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.  Isaiah 41:10

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Isaiah 40:29

The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;  Psalms 20:1-2

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Psalm 91:4-7

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Psalms 91:11-13

O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.  Psalms 140:7

In a word, Christians, God and angels are spectators, observing how you quit yourselves like children of the Most High; every exploit your faith doth against sin and Satan causeth a shout in heaven; while you valiantly prostrate this temptation, scale that difficulty, regain the other ground, you even now lost out of your enemies' hands.  Your dear Saviour, who stands by with a reserve for your relief at a pinch, his very heart leaps within him for joy to see the proof of your love to him and zeal for him in all your combats; and will not forget all the faithful service you have done in his wars on earth; but when thou comest out of the field, will receive thee with the like joy as he was entertained himself at his return to heaven of his Father.

~ William Gurnall   “The Christian in Complete Armor”

Even NOW…

enemy forces are set in array…

WHAT are YOU going to do about it?