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Life Centers In Christ

To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God. (2 Corinthians 2:16,17)

The Lord has not called upon us to form churches. That is not our business. Would to God men had recognized the fact! A very different situation would obtain today from what exists, if that had been recognized. It is the Lord Who expands His Church, Who governs its growth. What we have to do is to live in the place of His appointment in the power of His resurrection. If, in the midst of others, the Lord can get but two of His children, in whom His Life is full and free, to live on the basis of that Life, and not to seek to gather others to themselves or to get them to congregate together on the basis of their acceptance of certain truths or teaching, but simply to witness to what Christ means and is to them, then He has an open way....

The Church is not increased by your going and taking a building and trying to get people to come to it, and to your meetings, and then forming them, by a church roll, into a local church. That is not the way. Growth is by Life, and this, to begin with, may be by the entering into Life of but one soul, and then after a long waiting time of another; or it may be more rapid. But the point is that it is increase because of Life. That is the growth of the Church. For the growth of His Church, the Lord must have Life channels, Life centers. I believe that, given a Life center, sooner or later one of two things will happen, that it will be abundantly manifest that Christ is fully and finally rejected there, or else there will be an adding, a growth. There is tremendous power in Life, and the Life of the Lord either kills or quickens. It depends on the attitude taken toward it. He is a savor of Life unto Life, or of death unto death. Things can never remain neutral.

He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.

Jesus … said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. § He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise. § To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers it the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. § That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. § You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Isa. 53:11;  John 19:30;  2 Cor. 5:21;  Isa. 43:21;  Eph. 3:10,11;   Eph. 2:7;   Eph. 1:13,14;  1 Peter 2:9

The day of trial in the wilderness.

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be temped by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin.

[They] lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert.

Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit … was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. § Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail.

Heb. 3:8;  James 1:13,14;  James 1:15;  Ps. 106:13,14;  Luke 4:1,2;  Luke 4:3;  Heb. 2:18;  Luke 22:31,32

Safe Beyond Question 

 Neither give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:27).

To a large extent, we will be pawns of the devil until we stand on the specific facts of the Bible and assert, "I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, and am a new creation in Him on the basis of the finished work of Calvary. He is my life; my death in Him on the Cross separated me from the dominion of all the old creation. As far as my Lord and I are concerned, Satan, sin, self, the world, and the law, all are on the other side of that death." "We never get into conflict with Satan until we realize our privileges in Christ. We cannot cross the Jordan without finding the Canaanites in the land."

"Satan may challenge my clearance and my acceptance; he may raise all kinds of questions about what I am and what I have done, but he can raise no questions as to the worthiness or acceptance of my Saviour. The forgiven man is on an altogether new ground with God; he is on the ground of grace - grace which is set forth in Christ. The apprehension of this is redemption, and it puts the soul beyond the reach of the oppression and harassing of the enemy." -C.A.C.

"If the first step in the Christian course were definitely understood the saints would have a happier time. If they saw that the power of the old man was broken on the Cross, and that in Christ they are new creations before God, they would walk here in deliverance. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.'" -J.B.S.

"Your great accuser, the Devil, is going about like a roaring lion to see whom he can devour. Withstand him, firm in your faith" (1 Pet. 5:8, 9, Wey.).

God, My Friend (God - All I Need-6)

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