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Tract Number 359
Audio download at bottom of page
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STAKES, CORDS, AND THE ROCK
By C. S. Mark
Jesus asked His disciples, “Whom do men say I, the Son of Man am?” Some said John, the Baptist; some said Elias; others said Jeremiah or one of the Prophets. “But whom do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Matthew 16th chapter.
Many today try to tell us He was just a good man, but Jesus said, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for this has been revealed to you by My Father, which is in heaven, and blessed is everyone who has this revelation.”
Jesus said, “Upon this Rock, I will build My Church.” Who’ll do what? Christ said, I’ll build MY CHURCH. Wherever you find the Church of God, Jesus built it, and it is identified by both His name, and His characteristics. The name CHURCH OF GOD alone does not identify it. It’s members are partakers of the Divine Nature through the blood of the Atonement; therefore, they are members of His body and of His characteristics, righteousness, and true holiness. The Church of God is built upon the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone. Ephesians 1: 22. “Hath put all things under His feet and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body.” The fullness of Him that filleth all in all, doesn’t leave room for man to add anything except his loyalty to this Truth.
Isaiah 33: 20, using the old tabernacle for a symbol or pattern of the Church, “Look upon Zion (the church) thine eye shall see Jerusalem (the church) a tabernacle that shall not be taken down. Not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed. Neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.” Here is a picture of the Church. Take a look at the stake, this stake of the New Birth, also this stake of sanctification, or the second work of grace, which uproots and takes out of the heart the carnal nature, and restores the image of God in the heart. These stakes were driven into the pierced side of Christ by the will of God at Calvary, and can never be removed. They will give life to the souls of men through the blood of Christ as long as time lasts.
Take a look at the cords that run from the stakes to the tent. They are the promises of God, not one of them shall ever be broken. There is the throbbing heart beat of the Christ running through the cords into the Church, giving hope to the members and being fulfilled in them.
The stake of divine healing that was driven into His stripes will give physical healing as long as sickness preys on the human body. All other truths and doctrines that came through the sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus Christ are stakes that can never be removed. That is the reason the gates of hell will never prevail against the Church.
The doctrine and experience of unity of the faith are achieved in the body of Christ, which is the Church where all the stakes remain, and where the cords are believed and unbroken. GLORY BE TO GOD FOR-EVER.
If you want to be in the unity that Christ prayed for, and died for, and arose and intercedes for, come to Mt. Zion, the City of Refuge, the Church of the Living God. It is the home for the children of God here upon earth until Christ comes to take His Church home.
Isaiah 33: 21, “But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams, wherein shall go no galley with oars.” To achieve unity we shall have to lay down our oars, move into this stream, and move with the current, or the moving of the Holy Ghost. This will bring us to Mt. Zion, the house of the Lord that is established in the top of the mountain where the Church becomes the Light of the World again — a city that cannot be hid, where her unity will be a part of the Light that cannot be hid. Oh, Brother, it is our oars on our boat that dim the Light of Unity! It is in this stream where the teacher and guide, the blessed Holy Ghost, turns the Light on the open Bible, then we all can and will, see eye to eye to the glory of God. Until our oars are stacked and burned, we will never have unity.
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