The conflict of the ages in all its fury is on the horizon. The cross of Christ is leading the way. The soldiers of the cross are standing up for Jesus.

Will you stand in your place "round about the camp"?

There are three deaths and three resurrections that the saints are to experience.

The first death is death to the world. Death to the world is typified by Israel passing through the Red Sea. The resurrection is to membership in the family of God.

The second death is death to sin. Death to sin is represented by the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. The resurrection that follows is to eternal life (Romans 6:22).

The third death is death to self-will and self-seeking. Death to self is typified by Israel passing through the River Jordan. The resurrection is to fruitfulness and dominion—to spiritual dominion over the material creation.

The first death brings us into the Kingdom of God.

The second death brings us into victory over Satan and our fleshly nature.

The third death brings us into our full inheritance of fruitfulness and dominion.

The Lord God instructed Joshua to command the priests who bore the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders to come to the brink of Jordan (Joshua 3:8).

It appears that for the past two thousand years the majority of the Lord's preachers and teachers have attempted to serve the Lord from a position of "life." No doubt much good has been accomplished through such endeavors.

A few have discovered that the eternal work of the Kingdom of God proceeds from the "death" of those who bear the Ark of God.

The leaders of the Lord's people are to come to the end of themselves and stand still in death to self, allowing Christ's resurrection life to flow through them, until every one of the saints has crossed safely over onto resurrection ground.

There is a time for us to stand still in the middle of the self-denying circumstances into which God brings us and to wait for the Lord to perform powerful works among His people.

To take our place on the cross and allow Christ to work can be difficult at times. But the fellowship of Christ's sufferings is the only acceptable companion and source of the power of Christ's resurrection, and it is the power of Christ's resurrection that delivers people from the chains of Satan and brings them into the Presence of God.

Samson slew more Philistines by his death than he ever did by his life. The Church of Christ has accomplished some aspects of Kingdom work by its life and ministry, but it will be through the "death" of the Church that the army of Satan is destroyed.

The epistles of the Apostle Paul have borne much fruit during the past two thousand years. These epistles were written by a man suffering affliction and imprisonment.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. (II Corinthians 4:8-11)

The Lord's preachers and teachers who bear the glory of the Lord must be willing to "stand still in Jordan." Satan continually will urge us to "come down from the cross." If we will bear patiently with the situation in which God has placed us the Life of Jesus finally will flow forth in Kingdom power.

To be continued.