So Moses, just speak to the rock. You don't need to smite the rock again. Remember this: Any who say you need another mass, another offering of a sacrifice to pay for sins, commit the same sin Moses did. Listen to it.
And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. Numbers 20:9-12.
Notice, as we said before, these thing happened unto them for ensamples and are written for our admonition. So here is a picture of Christ: and Moses had the wrong picture. He is picturing a rock that has to be smitten again. He hit it twice this time. No, no, Moses! To a crucified Saviour, we need only come and ask day by day. You say you may commit sin. Yes, but they are all paid for. When I confess my sins day by day, they are cleansed and fellowship is restored. I can come just as often as I want to God because now the way is open and there is no sin but that is paid for and settled. Aren't you glad! - John R. Rice
A Christian in the will of God does not always have it easy. When Jesus Christ was hated and abused, should a Christian have the plaudits, the luxuries of this life? In this world where Paul was often put in jail and beaten and shipwrecked and finally beheaded; in this world where they stoned Stephen to death, and where martyrs have died; should a Christian have everything so easy? - John R. Rice
There is not a single event prophesied in the Bible which must come to pass before the Saviour returns. As far as we can know, no event, either political, economic or spiritual, need occur before Jesus comes. Not another war need be declared, not another gospel sermon preached, not another soul be saved, as far as can be told from the Scriptures, before the Saviour comes to catch up His saints into the air for the marriage supper in Heaven. - John R. Rice
I do not believe that wars, earthquakes, dictatorships, communism, or modernism are signs that Christ will come at any predictable time or within any given generation. My conviction is that we should look for Christ's coming simply because He said to look for His coming. - John R. Rice
Let us stop looking in the newspapers for signs of Christ's coming and simply believe Christ may come at any moment because He said so. - John R. Rice
The Scriptures teach that JESUS MIGHT HAVE COME AT ANY MOMENT SINCE HE WENT AWAY! Jesus Himself taught the apostles and all the Christians then living that He might return in their lifetime. They were commanded and entreated earnestly to watch and pray since they knew not the day nor the hour when the Son of man should return. At Pentecost the promised pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles took place and they began their witness for Christ. Since that day there has never been a moment but what Christians ought to have expected Jesus to return as He most certainly might have done. - John R. Rice
The Bible is full of teaching about the second coming of Christ and related events. Those of us who take the Bible literally and believe it all and are therefore premillennialists, expecting the literal, bodily, physical return of Christ and His reign upon earth as foretold in the Scriptures, have much to preach. We have the great themes of the resurrection; the rapture or meeting Christ in the air; the judgment seat of Christ; the great tribulation; the man of sin, or Antichrist; the glorious return of Christ with saints and angels; the battle of Armageddon; the restoration of the Jews to Palestine; the judgment of the living nations; the millennial reign of Christ on David's throne, etc. All these matters ought to be preached for they are clearly taught in the Bible. But, very strangely, we often neglect the greatest theme in connection with the Saviour's coming, and that is that His coming is imminent, and that every Christian is commanded to watch! watch! watch! for no man knows the day nor hour when He shall come. - John R. Rice
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