First Mini-Despatches - August 23rd, 1997.

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The simplicity that is in Christ Jesus has never seemed so important to me as it does now. Do you realise that
the whole gift of the Almighty God is His Son, Jesus Christ? All that is needed for sinful humanity has been
provided in Him, the only begotten Son. To look anywhere else than Christ Jesus is sheer foolishness. Well, if
this is the case, and the Bible makes it plain that it is, we should get to know in depth what God has given
believers in the Son.

     "But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety,
     so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."
     (11 Corinthians 11:3).

The Church Age is almost at a close. Just as the Bible predicted, the great "Falling Away" of II Thessalonians
2:3 is upon us. In II Cor.11:4 Scripture warns of "another Jesus", "another spirit" or "another gospel", we are in
the midst of these very things, as the Latter Days move irreversibly on. The true Church of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the remnant Church, needs to comprehend afresh who and what Jesus Christ is - so that we can stand
victorious, and bring honour to the Lord in these dark days. I want to be everything that God wants, don't you?
He has made me, redeemed me, loves me, and I want to be conformed to the image of Christ every step of the
way, every day growing in the Lord.

Jesus Christ, the Gift of God, the Entire Gift, is:

     Salvation through His shed Blood - so you and I do not have to work for our salvation; (Ephesians 2:8-9)

     Complete acceptance with God - so you and I do not have to suffer from lack of "self-esteem"; (1 John
     5:11-12; John 1:12-13)
     All the wisdom we need - so we only have to depend on Jesus Christ, forget our own pride in our own
     cleverness, and read God's Word; (1 Cor.1:30-31)
     All righteousness is in Him - so we do not have to manufacture our own, just rely on Jesus Christ to
     provide His own for us; (1 Cor.1:30-31)
     Comfort and everlasting love - so we never need to feel alone, uncared for or insecure; (John 14:15-23)
     An ever-present reality - so we do not have to try to "image" Him or "visualise" Him; (John 14:21)
     A reality to those who will obey and keep His Word - no short cuts here; (John 15:9-11)
     Peace, to those who want Him enough to do what they are told by God - so if we have lost our peace, we
     need to confess sin, and get back on the Way; (1 John 1:5-10)
     The One the Holy Spirit reveals - so we relate to Him, not the Holy Revealer. The Holy Spirit comes in the
     Name of the Lord Jesus Christ; (John 14:26)
     The One true goal of life - so don't try to find real happiness in anything or anyone but Him, there isn't any
     happiness anywhere else. (1 John 1:2-4)

HIS GLORIOUS NAMES!

Christ Jesus' names are so mighty, so numerous in the Word - we will look at just a few, all of them stand for an
attribute of what He is, and what His glorious work for us means:

          Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 41:14).
          Lamb of God (John 1:29,36).
          Saviour (Luke 1 :47; 2:11; John 4:42).
          Redeemer (Isaiah 59:20:60:16).
          Ransom (1 Tim. 2:6).
          Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev.5:5).
          Bright and Morning Star (Rev.22:16).
          Friend of sinners (Matt.11:19).
          Gift of God (11 Cor.9:15)
          Messiah (Dan.9:25; John 1:41).
          Lord of lords (rev.19:16).
          Dayspring from on high (Luke 1:78).
          I AM: the Bread of Life (John 6:35);
          the Light of the world (9:5);
          the Good Shepherd (10:11);
          the Door (10:9);
          the Resurrection (11:25);
          the true Vine (15:1); and
          the Way (14:6).
 

THE "GOEL", THIS IS OUR REDEEMER.

The redemptive work of the Lord Almighty is shown in its glory in the Old Testament revelation of the "goel",
the KINSMAN-REDEEMER-AVENGER. When God became incarnate in the Son, Jesus Christ, we saw the
gracious fulfillment of the obligation of a KINSMAN:

     "After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him;
     either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him
     of his family may redeem him...." (Lev.25:48-49).

We had been sold into slavery to Satan, from the Fall in the Garden of Eden. Jesus Christ became our
Kinsman-Redeemer - and bought us back by His Blood. He paid the price of redemption, we only need to
accept Him as Saviour and Lord.

Jesus Christ our Lord is also "Avenger", shown in the type of the OT "goel". The nations of the Godless, who
have
set themselves against the Lord and His Anointed (Psalm 2:1-4), are the enemies of all those who would live
righteous lives before the One God, Maker of Heaven and Earth. But, the Kinsman-Redeemer-Avenger will
bring
the rebellious nations to nothing, the Scriptures prophetically show this:

     "Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh
     the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

     Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them:
     and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel." (Isaiah 41:15-16).
 

THE REDEMPTIVE WORK OF THE ALMIGHTY.

We Christians, who are the redeemed through the shed Blood of Christ, often see the word "redemption" as
just meaning personal salvation, as individuals, or in relation to the redeemed people as whole, the Church or
the Bride of Christ. However, the Almighty has shown the full assurance of His title, "Jehovah", as it applies to
His redemptive work for this world we live in, shown in many passages in the Old Testament. All the verses I will
list have the word rendered "Redeemer". There is the primary interpretation to Israel, but God will use His
Chosen Nation to be the instrument of His wrath in bringing the wicked and their nations to nothing. Read them
for yourself. Isaiah 43:14; 44:6,24; 48:17; 49:26; 54:5,8; 60:16; Jer.50:34. This is the
Kinsman-Redeemer-Avenger, the "goel", even Jehovah,
the self-existing, ever-existing One.
 

THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL WILL ONE DAY BE NO LONGER AFRAID.

The "mountains and the hills" of Isaiah 41:15, (figurative of the proud and mighty enemy nations), will be
threshed to powder, and be scattered and demolished - just like chaff is blown away by the wind. The wicked
nations of this New World Order will be eradicated by the Lord's wrath - as a relentless whirlwind.

     "Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
     nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

     But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

     And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his
     season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

     The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

     Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation
     of the righteous.

     For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish."
     (Psalm 2)

W. B. Howard ...Editor of Despatch

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