Vol. 33, No. 1 January, 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF OUR READERS WHEREVER YOU MAY BE.  MAY THIS NEW YEAR FIND US ALL DOING OUR BEST IN SOME KIND OF ACTIVE SERVICE FOR OUR DEAR LORD JESUS!

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      WORTHY IS THE LAMB
        By Dr. George Mills

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” (Rev. 5:12).

I am well aware of the depths of the riches of the text I have chosen for this issue of the WILDERNESS. And then again, who can fathom the depths of all that our Lord Jesus Christ is. I do know that He is everything to me, and I trust, to you also.  I feel like joining in with the elders as they fell before the Lamb after the search was made for one worthy to open the seven sealed book.
“And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. And
Hast made unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth.” (Rev 5:8-10).
Let us together, from the Word Of God, see some of the reasons why we can join with the chorus, “Thou art worthy.”
Our study is mostly from the first Chapters of the Book of Revelation.

1. WORTHY IS THE LAMB BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS:
(A) HIS POSITION, Ch. 4:11.

He is the Great creator of ALL things. He is the thrice Holy God of 4:8, The Lord God Almighty, the One who was, and is, and is to come. At the time of my writing this we are in the Christmas season. We are celebrating the Birth of This Saviour. His Name is Emanuel, “God with us.” All that God ever was, or ever will be, was invested in the Babe of Bethlehem, some 2000 years ago. We celebrate His Birth, His Sinless Life, and
His vicarious death on the Cross in full payment for our sins, His burial in a borrowed tomb, His Glorious Resurrection from the dead, and His ascension back into the Heaven of the Heaven to assume His Position as King of Kings and Lord of lords. We cannot comprehend all of that. There is no explaining that, but by Faith alone, we receive that. Jesus Christ is the Great Creator of John 1:1-14, Col. 1:14-16, Heb. 1:1-3.
He is the coming King of Kings, and Lord of lords of Rev. 19:11-21.
He is our Eternal High Priest, (Heb. 9:22-28). Nothing can be added to Him or to His Position. WORTHY IS THE LAMB!

2. WORTHY IS THE LAMB BECAUSE OF WHAT HE DID:
(B) HIS PRICE, Ch. 5:9.
Christ alone paid the price that no other could pay. “For Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” (Rev 5:9). This can be said of no other. “Who His own self bare our sins in His body on the tree that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1Pet. 2:24). “And He (Christ) is the Propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1Jn. 2:2). “Propitiation” meaning that God was satisfied with the offering of Christ on the cross. No other sacrifice, no other work, or works great or small. No other deed, no gift, no labor, nothing within the realm or imagination of man could ever pay the price for just one sin. Christ ALONE paid the debt and the Just demands of the God of Heaven were satisfied. He will be satisfied in no other sacrifice, act, or deed. Oh, thank God for the PRICE PAID for our sin. HE IS WORTHY!

3. WORTHY IS THE LAMB BECAUSE OF WHAT HE HAS:
(C) HIS POSSESSIONS. “I have the key.” “I am He that liveth, and was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen, and HAVE the keys of hell and of death.” (Rev 1:18). He has the keys. Keys are symbolic of power and authority.

(A) He is the KEY of all knowledge. In Luke 11:52, He rebuked the Lawyers for their refusal to rightly explain the Law, or to enlighten the people. They kept the people in ignorance. “Ye have taken away the KEY of knowledge.” Little did they realize that “In whom (Christ) are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col. 3:2).
To know Christ is to know. To know Christ better is to know more. He is the KEY to all knowledge.

(B) “I have the KEYS of hell and of death.” (Rev. 1:18). Jesus Christ alone has the destiny of every human soul in His jurisdiction. He alone is “the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. No one cometh unto the Father but by me.” (Jn 14:6).

(C) He has the KEYS of the Kingdom. (Mt. 16:18-19). This Key is the opening of the door of faith in Christ, first to the Jews in Acts 2-7, and to the Gentiles. “And when they had come and had gathered the Church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how He had OPENED THE DOOR OF FAITH unto the Gentiles, (Acts 14:27). This open door of faith is evangelism, (Rev 3:7-8). We must enter this door while it is still open. Doors around the world are beginning to close. Christ’s coming is ever so close.

(D) He has the KEY of David. (Rev 3:7).
If you trace the earthly genealogy of Christ in Matthew’s Gospel you will notice that His genealogy begins with Abraham and goes forward to Joseph, Jesus’ legal father. If you trace His lineage in Luke’s Gospel, Luke begins with Joseph and goes backward to Adam. Christ is the only living Jew who can prove, from the Holy Writing of Scripture, His earthly lineage, that He alone is the sole heir to the Throne of David.
As Possessor of these Keys, He alone has ALL POWER, ALL AUTHORITY.
WORTHY IS THE LAMB!

4. WORTHY IS THE LAMB BECAUSE OF WHERE HE IS.
(D) HIS PREEMINENCE.

“In the midst of the throne and of the four beasts and in the midst of the elders stood a Lamb as it had been slain.” (Rev.5:6) “IN THE MIDST OF THE THRONE” Not on the sidelines, not rejected and despised of men, but the very center of all activity, both in Heaven and on earth, in the very center of everything is our Blessed Lord Jesus. He is the Preeminent One. From His high and lofty vantage point He sees everything. Nothing escapes His gaze. In Rev. 2-3, He is seen walking among the seven Churches. He states what’s wrong and the correction needed. He loves His Church. He is ever close to His Church. He is aware of the smallest need or the greatest accomplishment. He opens and closes doors for His Church, and “The gates of hell will never prevail against His Church. His Church is not this vast worldly organization labeled “church,” but His Church is the Redeemed, bought by His Blood, Rev 5:9.
He is Preeminent in the Church and He is Preeminent in all Creation. “By Him, all things consist.”

5. WORTHY IS THE LAMB BECAUSE OF WHAT HE CAN DO.
(E) HIS POWER.

“Thou art WORTHY O Lord, to receive Glory, and honour, and POWER, for Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they were created.” (Rev 4:11).

“Saying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive POWER.” (Rev 5:12).

“And every creature which is in Heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, Heard I saying, Blessing and honour, and glory, and POWER be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” (Rev. 5:13).

His POWER in Creation. All things are upheld by the Word of His POWER, (Heb. 1:3).

His POWER in Redemption. By His Blood alone through the finished Work of the Cross is man, and creation redeemed.

His POWER in the Restoration of all things. We live in a fallen world, cursed because of the sin of Adam. The Book of Revelation ends with “No more curse.”(Rev. 22:3). He who created will restore. He that is under the penalty of sin, Christ can redeem.
Oh, there is so much more to be said about our WORTHY LORD JESUS. I love Him. I love to serve Him. And by His Grace, I will see Him face to face one day. I do Hope that I will hear Him say, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.”
May I ask, Do you know our Blessed Lord in free pardon from all your sin? If your answer is no, you can know Him today, NOW. He is there, wherever you are, in the Person of the Holy Spirit. If there is a desire in your heart to know him, God put that desire there. Why not, in humble submission to Christ, tell Him, in your own words that you, right now receive Him. Trust Him alone to forgive you sin and make you His own. He will hear the cry of the repentant heart. “But as many as received him to them gave He power to become the sons of god, even to them that believe on His Name.”

Begin TODAY to live FOREVER!

Bless His Holy Name, He is Worthy.

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AND THE WORLD IS A WILDERNESS…It is no friend to the Christian. The world crucified the only Friend it will ever have. If the world did that to him, it will do the same to you. Stay close to the One who has overcome the world.

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THINK ABOUT IT…Christ came here to save sinners. He is Worthy. If He is good enough for us to call upon Him in BAD TIMES, He is Worthy for us to serve at ALL TIMES!

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        WORTHY IS THE LAMB
          By Pastor George mills

“Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is The lamb that was slain.” (Rev. 5:12).

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain,
   Bruised and bleeding for my gain,
For He alone could bear sin’s pain,
   Yes, Worthy is the Lamb, slain.

Worthy is the Lamb, now raised,
   From among the dead, I am amazed,
He lives forever to be praised,
   Yes, Worthy is the Lamb, now raised.

Worthy is the Lamb, alive,
   For access now, we do not strive,
And on Heaven’s shore, we will arrive,
   For Worthy is the Lamb, alive!

Worthy is the coming Lamb,
   Heaven’s own, the Great I Am,
Coming for His own to claim,
   Worthy is the coming Lamb.

Worthy, Worthy, Christ alone!
   For no one else could sin atone,
He bore all sin, the Holy One,
   Yes, Worthy, Worthy, Christ alone.

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                   MANNA
At the close of this year, and looking forward to a bright New Year, I wish to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for every act of kindness, for every gift, for every word of encouragement, for every call, every letter and for every Prayer you pray for this Ministry, THANK YOU! The WILDERNESS was born in 1976. Soon this Publication will be 33 years young. My, how God has blessed. May the coming year find us
reaching more places around the world.

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“WE WERE DOING ALRIGHT UNTIL THE WIND DIED DOWN”
       By Pastor George Mills

“The Wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth..” (Jn 3:8).

On the great day of the annual picnic and Sail Boat race the crowd was there all happy and cheering for their favorite racing crew. The air was filled with excitement. The day was pleasant. There was a strong southeast wind blowing. All in all, it was a great day for the race. One of the crowd’s favorite crews had it’s position on the outside, all ready for the left bend in the river ahead. When all boats were lined up, the starter gave the signal, and off they sailed.
At that treacherous left bend in the river the “favorite crew” decided that they would make a wide left turn and take advantage of the wind. They were confident that their calculations concerning the wind would carry them to certain victory. When at last, all boats came around the bend and in view of the crowd, their favorite boat was far behind. In fact, this crew finished last. What a let-down. “What happened?” “What went wrong?” “How could you possibly lose?” “Everything and everyone seemed to say that you would win the race.” “Oh,” Replied the Captain, “We were doing alright until the wind died down.” They blamed their loss on the wind, when in reality; they had sailed out of the southeast wind. The wind was not to be blamed; they had been slowed down by another wind from another direction.
The Holy Spirit is compared to the wind. We cannot explain it, but we know that nothing for God gets done without the breath of The Holy Spirit. In Acts, Ch. 2, The coming of the Holy Spirit was   compared to “rushing wind,” or a tornado like wind. That “wind” blew the early Church all over Europe and Asia Minor. Since those days, the same wind has carried the Church to the ends of the world.
Did you know that false doctrine is also compared to the wind? The Ephesians were cautioned; “That we be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every WIND of DOCTRINE by the slight of men whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” (Eph 4:14). In Acts 27:13, the south wind that blew softly seemed to say “You’re wrong, Paul.” We are living in the days when church groups, denominations, ministries, and various religious movements are driven about by various “WINDS.” False doctrines abound today. False “bibles” by the dozens are produced today, with more coming. Today, I am afraid that so many of us are like the crew of the boat in the race that followed a wrong wind and lost the race. We are warned about “Another Jesus, another spirit, and another gospel. (2Cor. 11:4). Yes, today there is much wind blowing, from every direction. Much movement, but the race is not being won. We have replaced our Bible (KJB) with “versions” we have laid aside the old Hymn Book for “Christian” Rock and Roll,” we have laid aside high Christian standards, for “come as you are, and leave as you came,” or, “The sloppy generation.” We have replaced old fashioned Repentance, with a “repeat after me” prayer. We have replaced Soul Winning with “Social Suppers,” We have replaced old time Revival Preaching with motivational speakers on “how to balance your check book.”  We have replaced the Spirit led life with the “purpose driven life.” We have replaced Bus Ministry Evangelism with “Gospel explosions at Disney world.” We have replaced a “Meaningful Devotional Life” with Psychological counseling. Yes, there is much movement, but no real Revival. I believe that the Wind of the Holy Spirit is still blowing. I believe that The Holy Spirit still fills the believer who seeks His fullness. We want to do things our way and seek the Holy Spirit’s blessings upon “our way.” Some things may “seem” to be good and right, but the Holy Spirit will not go around or beyond the Word of God, no matter how right things may “seem” to be. Did we make a wrong turn at the bend in the river? Yes, I believe that many did. The world still needs the Old fashioned Gospel. This Old Gospel Ship has been driven along by the Holy Spirit for centuries. For so many, it’s time to change courses and be driven by the Wind of the Holy Ghost again. Has God spoken to your heart? Have you been reminded of something? Let us forsake so much of this “new stuff” that produces about a 98% failure rate, and let us “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the Old Paths where is the good way, and walk therein.” (Jer. 6:16).
The wind hasn’t died down; we’re just trying to sail against it.
 
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THINK ABOUT IT…God hasn’t changed. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever, so He hasn’t changed. The Holy Spirit hasn’t changed. The only changing has been man’s attempt at changing the charted course; The Word Of God. This is man’s doing. God had nothing to do with it.

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IN THE NEW YEAR, 2009, AS IN YEARS PAST, WE STILL STAND UPON…

1. The BOOK,
2. The BLOOD,
3. The BLESSED HOPE.

1. The BOOK. Today, the Spiritual battle is right where it has always been…The battle is over the BOOK. In the last 50 years there has been an all out assault on the Bible, that is, The King James Bible. Christian Institutions, Bible Colleges, Seminaries that were in times past conservative, and held to the Inspiration, Preservation of the Scriptures have drifted off course. I can no longer recommend many that I once placed so much confidence in. I am grateful that across the nation, God is raising up many new Christian Educational Institutions, and Bible Seminaries, that hold to the Inspiration of the OLD BOOK. Thank God for each one.
Let us be reminded that this avalanche of new “bibles” are NOT updating versions of the Old BOOK, they come from a different text altogether. Dr. Gordon Fee, of Wheaton College, and a defender of new versions said in Christianity Today, “The contemporary translations as a group have one thing in common: they tend to agree AGAINST the King James Bible in omitting hundreds of words, phrases, and verses.”
Dr. Frank Logsdon, Co-founder of the New American Standard Version, made his apology; “I must under God denounce every attachment to the New American Standard Version. I’m afraid I’m in trouble with the lord. I wrote the format. I wrote the preface. When you see the preface in the new American Standard, those are my words. It’s wrong, it’s terribly wrong, it’s frightfully wrong. The deletions are absolutely frightening. There are so many. Are we so naïve that we do not suspect satanic deception in all this?” Trace the textual history of these “versions” and it will lead you to Alexandria in Egypt.

2. The BLOOD. Just as sure as the BOOK is being attacked, so is the BLOOD. I do not know who came up with the idea that somehow we can get to God some other way than through the Blood. “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own Blood.” (Rev 1:5). When you study the truth about the BLOOD, you will find that “We have Redemption through the BLOOD,” and “Without the shedding of BLOOD there is no remission.’ Jesus entered into the Holy Place, by His own BLOOD having obtained Eternal Redemption for us.” (Heb 9:12-14). All the way through the Bible, the BLOOD stands out as the most important thing, and with the BLOOD, God sealed the everlasting covenant. And yet, new versions leave out the BLOOD time and time again. Why? Satan hates the Blood of Christ.
KJB: Col 1:14, “In whom we have redemption Through His Blood..”
NIV: Col. 1:14, “In whom we have redemption” Blood has been left out.
There is so much more. I urge every Christian to check out these things for yourself. There is much material available. As with the BOOK, we stand with the BLOOD.

3. The BLESSED HOPE. “Looking for that BLESSED HOPE and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” (Ti.2:13)The Lord Jesus told us to look for His coming. The last prayer in the Bible, prayed by the Apostle John in AD 96, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.” (Rev 22:20). The BLESSED HOPE is the return of our Lord Jesus Christ for his Church BEFORE one ounce of the judgment of the tribulation falls upon this earth. Some are looking for the antichrist. They are busy trying to figure out who he is. I don’t know, and I don’t care. I am looking for the real, the genuine, the one and only Lord Jesus Christ. And some are looking for the Tribulation period. They are preparing for that time. The Bible says that we, the CHURCH are NOT appointed to that time of wrath, (1Thess 5:9). Some are looking for various signs and prophecies to be fulfilled first, before He returns. There are no signs. Christ could come at any moment. His return is imminent. I have a HOPE. A HOPE that is sure and steadfast. Some would try to take that HOPE away, but it’s mine, bought and paid for by the BLOOD of Christ.
Now, as I have said, I will stay with THE BOOK (KJB), I will preach the BLOOD, and I will ever cling to the BLESSED HOPE. Don’t allow satanic forces, new bibles, new doctrines, and new messages to rob you of these glorious Truths. Many Preachers read this Publication. Preacher, stay with the BOOK, the BLOOD, and the BLESSED HOPE.
And my dear friend, if you are not saved today, Place your trust in the cleansing Blood of Christ. He shed His Blood as the only sacrifice that you might be forgiven of all your sins and be made a new creation in Christ. God will hear your heart’s cry today. “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. “How do I receive Him?” The Bible says, “ask, and ye shall receive.”