Let's Get Back to the Cross - Page 5

mfblume · #41 09-23-2008, 05:42 PM

I gave some pastoral advice to one brother who called me today, and he wa sunaware of how to even rebuke the devil. He said he'd never done that, and always wondered what it was, feeling only the church "hierarchy" could do such a thing. I shared with him the truth that Christ identified with all of us, not just church hierarchy, when he died on the cross. This was a death to sin, satan and the power of the world. We need to, in turn, identify with Christ. Whenever we face satanic powers coming against us, we have a right to rebuke hell and overcome it.

The man asked me how it was possible to rebuke something from the enemy that we have not been overcoming in the past. I informed him that when we claim the bloo and appeal to the work of the cross in comimng against any enemy, we are not standing on the grounds of our goodness or righteousness or power, but on the grounds of Christ's qualities. That is what "in the name of Jesus Christ" means. So it does not matter if we have been failures, so lonog as we identify with Christ's death on the cross and are thereby appealing to the work of the cross for our right to victory, the enemy cannot resist and God wil empower our claims to see us enjoy the victory we need.

Thank God for identification with Christ!

mfblume · #42 09-29-2008, 01:42 PM

I was thrilled to hear a brother connect the idea of Jonah in the whale's belly with Christ in the heart of the earth. He said that EHUD thrust a dagger in the belly of the wicked king EGLON. Eglon was a grotesquely fat man. Ehud was a Benjamite. Paul was a Benjamite and preached a message in his epistles that is much like the dagger that stuck the enemy king in the belly. The word of God is sharper than any sword or dagger. And the dagger of Ehud was a type and shadow of this message of the cross.

Since Christ was in the heart of the earth for three days and nights, and we are informed that was foreshadowed by Jonah in the BELLY of the whale, we see a powerful picture. Just as Ehud killed the wicked king Eglon with a dagger in his belly, when Christ went into the heart of the earth after His crucifixion He SLEW satan's kingdom and power. He was in the BELLY OF HELL and caused death's destruction! He was the WORD -- the SWORD. And all we preach is CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED. So our preaching is like that sword. We preach Christ - The Word - the Sword.

Christ killed the enemy power in the belly.

When Christ went into that BELLY of hell, He destroyed satan's power, as Ehud destroyed Eglon's rulership by sticking him in the belly.

Thank God for the cross!

mfblume · #43 10-21-2008, 07:37 AM

Esther's story points ot the cross, as do all the other OT stories. Some believe Esther should not be in the Bible, since it does not even mention the name of God, among other reasons. The types of the cross are so plainly seen in Esther that we know it is a book from God.

The obvious connection is Haman's plot to "hang" Mordecai. Hanging in the Bible days was gibbeting, which is not the hanging with a noose by the neck. It is hanging just like Jesus hanged on a cross. They tie the arms up, or in Jesus' case, nail his hands up, and thereby hang the victim. So, the gallows Haman built was not a rope and noose situation. Therefore, the type is seen.

Just as Haman intended to destroy Mordecai, but was destroyed by his own "tree", satan thought to destroy Christ with the cross, but Christ destroyed the power of the devil through the every means of death. Heb 2:14 says the devil had the power of death, and Christ, through death, destroyed him.

Surrounding the hanging, we read over and over again of Esther's banquets of wine, where wine is a type and shadow of the shed blood of Jesus. In those banquets of wine she was able to urge the king to punish Haman. Through the blood of Jesus and the revelations we gain from the New Testament, we are able to overcome the devil.

Jack Shephard · #44 10-21-2008, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfblume

Esther's story points ot the cross, as do all the other OT stories. Some believe Esther should not be in the Bible, since it does not even mention the name of God, among other reasons. The types of the cross are so plainly seen in Esther that we know it is a book from God.

The obvious connection is Haman's plot to "hang" Mordecai. Hanging in the Bible days was gibbeting, which is not the hanging with a noose by the neck. It is hanging just like Jesus hanged on a cross. They tie the arms up, or in Jesus' case, nail his hands up, and thereby hang the victim. So, the gallows Haman built was not a rope and noose situation. Therefore, the type is seen.

Just as Haman intended to destroy Mordecai, but was destroyed by his own "tree", satan thought to destroy Christ with the cross, but Christ destroyed the power of the devil through the every means of death. Heb 2:14 says the devil had the power of death, and Christ, through death, destroyed him.

Surrounding the hanging, we read over and over again of Esther's banquets of wine, where wine is a type and shadow of the shed blood of Jesus. In those banquets of wine she was able to urge the king to punish Haman. Through the blood of Jesus and the revelations we gain from the New Testament, we are able to overcome the devil.

Question did Judas actually hang himself?

mfblume · #45 10-22-2008, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTULLOCK

Question did Judas actually hang himself?

(Mat 27:5) And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

At first I thought this was a no-brainer, but then realized you raised a very good point! If it was not by rope and noose, then how could he suspend both his arms in gibbeting? So it must be by rope in this instance. Commentators agree it was rope here.

However, Albert Barnes noted this about Haman's gallows:

Quote:

Est 5:14
A gallows, in the ordinary sense, is scarcely intended, since hanging was not a Persian punishment. The intention, no doubt, was to crucify (see the Est_2:23 note) or impale Mordecai; and the pale or cross was to be 75 feet high, to make the punishment more conspicuous.

So I was incorrect in saying all instances of hanging were not by rope.

mfblume · #46 10-22-2008, 10:46 AM

Jesus said His blood was represented by wine and his flesh by bread. Eating and drinking the bread and wine represent ingestng the truths of the cross. I believe this is what Jesus meant in John 6. So the banquet of wine is feasting on truths of the blood of Jesus. And by feasting on these truths, we see the enemy defeated IN OUR LIVES by the cross.

Jack Shephard · #47 10-22-2008, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfblume

(Mat 27:5) And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

At first I thought this was a no-brainer, but then realized you raised a very good point! If it was not by rope and noose, then how could he suspend both his arms in gibbeting? So it must be by rope in this instance. Commentators agree it was rope here.

However, Albert Barnes noted this about Haman's gallows:

So I was incorrect in saying all instances of hanging were not by rope.

Thanks for the answer. You know about the Judas thing I had heard somewhere, if memory serves me correct that when he hanged himself that it actually meant he impaled himself. Like as in jumping off a ledge and getting ran through by a tree or something--as an example. Though not sure it matters one way or the other all that we need to know is that Judas betrayed Christ, was given a time to repent and he didn't and it cost his life.

I do have another question for you though. If the bible in most cases talk about hanging but actually is talking about a crucifixion why do you think that the Bible was abundantly clear that Christ was crucified and not 'hanged'?

mfblume · #48 10-23-2008, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTULLOCK

I do have another question for you though. If the bible in most cases talk about hanging but actually is talking about a crucifixion why do you think that the Bible was abundantly clear that Christ was crucified and not 'hanged'?

Actually it does mention hanging...

Quote:

Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Acts 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Acts 10:39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

So it says both.

Jack Shephard · #49 10-23-2008, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfblume

Actually it does mention hanging...

So it says both.

I get it, but wonder why the clarification on this and not others. Again not a big deal but more of a curiosity point.

Ananias · #50 10-24-2008, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfblume

Greeks wanted to see Jesus in John 12. When Jesus spoke to them He immediately made reference prophetically to the cross. This shows us that the cross is Christ's greatest concern for what we need to know about Him. In fact, proclaiming anything "in the name of Jesus" is actually a reference to the work of the cross. When we claim His name, we are saying that we can command something to be so due to OUR INCLUSION in the work of the Cross that Jesus experienced. It's like saying, "On the authority of my union to Christ through the work of the cross,...."

Jesus told the Greeks that a seed will abide alone unless it falls into the ground and dies. He is the seed, and His death is the cross. That work of the cross led to resurrection, so the work of the cross should never be understood without including the burial and resurrection. In short, the work of the cross is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and our union to each of those experiences. His death was the point where we united to Him. That is what it means to be baptized INTO HIS DEATH.

Some people think repentance is death, baptism is burial and Spirit filling is resurrection. THAT IS NOT TRUE!

Watch how BAPTISM incorporates ALL THREE ELEMENTS of death, burial and resurrection into itself.

Baptism is death, burial and resurrection!!!!

And when Jesus said that he does not abide alone if dead and buried, He was saying He multiplies in resurrection by having MANY united to Him.

That is actually what he meant by saying He would draw all men to Himself if He would be lifted up from the earth. He was speaking of HIS DEATH. Through his death, WE WHO BELIEVE ARE UNITED TO HIM! All men are drawn to Him! They become one with Him in His death. And it is at that point, in conjunction with what Paul said in Romans 6, that we DIE, were BURIED and AROSE with Him! We are drawn to Him and thereby UNITED TO HIM to say we co-died, were co-buried and co-resurrected with Him.

Bro Blume,

You may have answered this question already because I haven't read all the threads on this one. But let me say you have some good stuff on this topic. That being said, it sounds like you're saying here that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues isn't where we are resurected with Christ. That, to me, sounds like you're saying the Baptism of the Holy Ghost isn't necessary for salvation. Please clarify this for me, if you could. Do you believe the infilling of the Holy Ghost speaking with tongues is part of God's plan for salvation?

Blessings