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People of The Living God |
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May 2021
WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS
ENDUED WITH POWER
Alfred King
“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). These are some of the very last words our Savior Jesus Christ spoke to His disciples before departing to heaven, where He sits at the right hand of the Father. It is from this position He rules and reigns in His kingdom. This is a wonderful truth, and Christians worldwide rejoice in the fact that no matter what transpires on this earthly globe, whether it be persecution, tribulation, disappointments, plagues (including Covid-19), whether it be war between nations and race against race, or whether it be demonic forces from hell itself, we are convinced and assured that Jesus still is King of kings and Lord of lords. We know that God has a divine plan, a plan revealed in scripture that He has promised to fulfil and has committed Himself to finish that work which He began over six thousand years ago. No matter what evil men or demons of hell do, Jesus will triumph over them all.
While we see the evil spewing forth from the very pit of hell, we know from Jesus’ own words that we can rejoice and look up, for our redemption draweth nigh (Luke 21:28). It is easy in a world, which has lost its moral compass, to be concerned and perturbed with the madness of our world’s populous and feel that the whole system is whirling towards destruction, destruction not only in the world to come but in this present time as well. It is in times like these that we must fix our eyes upon Jesus Christ, His finished and perfect work accomplished at the cross, and His divine authority as He sits on the throne of His majesty in the heavens, ordering all things according to His divine sovereignty. While things may look out of control in earth, Jesus, in His infinite wisdom and power, will allow evil to progress to that point where there is no remedy, and at that time He will “…make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom” (Psalm 145:12). (all emphasis of scripture in this article are mine)
It is preached in every Christian Church that Jesus died to save mankind. Jesus, Himself in Luke 5:32 said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” And Peter made this comforting declaration in II Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” And probably the best known and most popular verse in scripture is John 3:16, where Jesus in speaking to Nicodemus said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
These verses reveal to men some very precious characteristics of God’s divine nature. John made an astonishing statement in I John 4:8 and 16, where he personifies the word “love” by stating, “God is love.” It is God’s revealed love for sinners that melts the stony heart through the convicting power of the Holy Spirit and brings him to the foot of the cross where he finds the power of Christ’s cleansing blood. He is changed. He is a new creation. He is translated from the kingdom of darkness, a kingdom where the god of this world has held him captive in chains of sin, slavery, and hopelessness, and he is translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son (Col. 1:13). Those who have experienced this wonderful transformation truly know the freedom, the liberty of a soul set free, and have discovered a love so rich, so pure, so divine that they desire that all men come to this saving knowledge provided in Christ Jesus.
BUT THERE’S MORE
While the majestic and heavenly LOVE of God sent down from the Father and most vividly expressed and revealed through Jesus Christ in saving man from sin and its eternal consequences is most glorious, providing salvation was not all that was accomplished at the cross. When Jesus declared, “It is finished,” He was proclaiming that every intent of heaven’s divine plan, which revolved around the offering of Jesus Christ, was accomplished. There was nothing left undone.
Jesus made several statements throughout His early ministry that reveal that His purposes were more glorious and were designed to, not only save man, but to destroy Satan and his evil kingdom of darkness, bondage, fear, tyranny, and slavery. John proclaimed that Jesus came to destroy the power of the devil: (I John 3:8b) “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” In Matthew 12:29 Jesus, in addressing His purpose to destroy Satan and his kingdom, used an analogy to convey His intentions. “Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house” (Matt 12:29). Jesus plainly revealed that the purpose He came was not only to subdue the devil, but to completely annihilate him.
But this statement begs the question: If Jesus destroyed and annihilated Satan, why do Satan and his demons still function in the world today? Why do we see so much evil in the world if Satan is bound? These are pertinent questions and deserve an answer, so let’s address these questions.
SATAN’S PART, MAN’S PART, AND SIN’S PART
To answer these questions thoroughly could take considerable time, but we will attempt to condense this as much as possible. Sin came into the world when Adam sinned, and this sin nature passed on to all of Adam’s descendants, even to us today. But Adam’s sin brought about another great catastrophe. Adam was placed over this world as its overseer or ruler. However, in Adam’s fall, he lost that God-given authority and it was assumed by Satan. This is why, even today under the New Covenant, Paul referred to Satan as “the god of this world” (II Cor. 4:4). And Jesus also confirmed this fact: “…the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me” (John 14:30b). He was clearly speaking of Satan, who constantly resisted His ministry and sought through evil men to slay Him. In John 16:11, Jesus again spoke of His divine purpose and acknowledged Satan as the god of this world: “… because the prince of this world is judged.”
In the beginning of this article were two scriptures showing that all power was given to Jesus in heaven and in earth. If all power is given to Jesus in earth, then Satan no longer has full and absolute control. One might ask: Why, then, does Jesus not assume His power and free the earth from Satan’s evil? Why must man be subject to evil desires, temptations, struggles, and problems of every sort? Paul answers these questions for us: “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope” (Rom. 8:20). Notice that God has subjected man to “vanity” or we might say carnality, for this is part of God’s divine plan. Man is exposed to the things of this world, things which are temporal and fleeting. John referred to this “vanity” in 1 John 2:15-17, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” Notice that while man is subject to vanity, God has provided a way for him to gain something that is real and everlasting. Every man has the freedom to choose his god; the world or God.
This world with all its lusts and glitter is a proving ground for men, and this is why Satan, although bound, is permitted to operate to a degree. The degree is that which Jesus allows him to work. The world is called a “sieve of vanity” in Isaiah 30:28; it is separating the wheat from the tares.
Vanity is the sieve or the process which separates the wheat from the tares. Following the statement that men are subject to vanity in hope, Paul states, “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Rom. 8:21). God has chosen to use vanity as a means to a desired end. He is producing a holy people, a people who love God so intently that they are willing to forsake all the gods of this world, the vanities of this life, for the One true God who patiently “…waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth…” (James 5:7).
Jesus came to make a way in which man could become like Jesus Christ and, again, from I John 3:2 we read, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” What a glorious promise and wonderful expectation! The Apostle Paul boldly proclaims that God will produce a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27), and this church is to be the bride of Christ. Consider this wonderful proclamation by the Apostle Paul to the church in Rome: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18). Let that truth propel us onward, pressing for that promised prize.
The problem today is not altogether Satan (although he has his part), it is sin and man’s fallen nature. The Hope that is set before us is that Jesus died to, not only save our souls from an eternal hell, but to empower us to overcome sin and its influence upon that heart which is so prone to sin. This is where God’s empowerment comes in. When Jesus told His disciples, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19), He gave them power over the devil, demonic forces, the world, the self-nature, and any and all adversaries which come against His people or His work. In the very next verse Jesus removes all doubt about the power He gives His people: “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). Clearly, then, all evil spirits are subject to those who follow Jesus Christ.
SATAN’S FINAL DESTRUCTION
Heaven’s divine plan in creation and all that has transpired throughout history has revealed many indisputable facts: One is that Satan will, in the end, be completely destroyed. Another is that man is incapable of delivering himself from the shackles of sin. He needs a Savior. God provided that Savior. But another sad reality the history of man has exposed is that even men who are saved have not fully and completely overcome sin. Sin still manifests itself in the lives of Christians. Maybe not those outward sins which we consider gross, but there still exists those within the heart. Sometimes we find residing in the heart evil thoughts, jealousies, envies, evil speaking, and we find a serious lack of love for both man and God. When we consider those two commandments upon which all others hang and we find ourselves falling short, we grieve, we groan within ourselves, desiring and waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God (Rom. 8:19).
The manifestation of the sons of God is a major part of the plan of God. God intends to bring forth a church which will manifest, reveal, and walk and demonstrate the power of God’s kingdom here on earth. They will walk as Jesus walked, walking above sin and moving in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Let me offer a few scriptures which support the above statements. We will begin in the Old Testament:
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord” (Isa. 54:17).
“Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord” (Psalm 149:6-9).
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Cor. 10:3-5).
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37).
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” (Rev. 12:10-11).
“Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)” (Eph. 4:8-10)
The above verses are what Jesus died to procure for His people. They are not idle words but are to be a reality in the lives and ministries of God’s church. Let me bring to the reader’s attention a couple of things about the last verse above, Ephesians four: When Jesus ascended as the disciples watched and the heavens received Him, Paul wrote, “he led captivity captive.” The margin reads, “He led a multitude of captives.” When Jesus ascended, the graves were opened and some of the saints arose, and those resurrected saints were transported into paradise, the same place Jesus told the thief crucified beside Him he would be that day. However, there is another truth revealed in this passage, and that is that the captivity that held so many, Satan’s prison, his strongholds, his vises were taken captive so that they can no longer hold man in its grip. Jesus opened the prison house, broke the chains that bound men, and shined His light into the darkness opening blind eyes, causing the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, and cleansed all leprosy from the souls of all believers. And He gave, through the Holy Spirit, power over all enemies (Satan included and his demons), strength, and authority in His present kingdom; that kingdom which He established when He came preaching the Kingdom of God in Galilee.
There is one very important and glorious part of God’s divine plan that has yet to be fulfilled. As we near the end of earth’s history, God will use His church as His battleax to finish His work. Christians are to be transformed into the likeness of Christ, and as they are they will be overcomers just as Jesus was. This is not done through their own strength but through the power of God brought about in the believer’s life through the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Peter declared in Acts 3:21 that there would be a restoration of all things before Jesus returns. That includes the restoration of all the gifts and ministrations of the Spirit. The restoration will create and reveal the sons of God in power and will bring a demonstration of Christ’s glorious kingdom in the earth. The man of sin will come forth and he will have great power and many will be deceived through miracles he will produce, but the church will overcome him and will finally destroy him much as Jesus did. This will be the battle of Armageddon. God’s church will be the victors in this final battle. This glorious and powerful church will be made up of believers, disciples who will be seized by God, and they will follow the Lamb wherever He leads. Jesus, the Lamb, will lead this church into this battle, and the victory is sure. Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death (Rev. 20:10,14,15). Praise God!
GOVERNMENT IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Harry Miller
No society can exist for any length of time without some form of recognized law and order. When a society demands a freedom that countenances license, that civilization is beginning to disintegrate, and its destruction is clearly in view. License is a disregard for the principles of decency. Such license may be legal according to men, but whenever violence to the unwritten eternal laws of moral being are violated, society pays a penalty. History proves this to be inevitable.
The most important fact in life is not that we exist; neither is it that God exists. The one supreme fact of importance is that God created and ordained perfect government which is compatible to the nature of free moral agents. In His wise providence, the Lord placed His creatures in certain spheres and under conditions where character might be developed. This world itself is a highly scientific laboratory. Here in the “test-tubes” of “earthen vessels,” a minute embryo of the Living Word transforms the carnal nature of a mortal into a being with a divine nature.
“Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory” (IICor.3:18). “Perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (IICor.7:1). “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom13:14). These Scriptures and their contexts set forth the fact that the creature is obligated to apply himself to the scientific processes of character growth and development.
In the parable of John fifteen, Jesus taught that He was “the vine” and “we are the branches.” He also stated that His Father was the husbandman, and He looked for fruit on His branches. Here the Savior taught the saints the lesson of OBLIGATION by saying that it was the duty of the “branch” to “abide” in the vine – “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide” (verse10). Those who fail to obey the Lord’s commands become “withered” and then they are “cut off” by the Father, and “men gather them” and cast them into the fire. Again, we are taught character growth by obedience to the scientific processes God has ordained.
The processes of which we speak are the active agents of the God-ordained government of the Kingdom of heaven. No superlative is capable of describing the infinite value of divine direction. Even the symbolical language of the prophets is incapable of conveying much of an idea of the supreme delight, system and order of the heavenly country.
God’s government is PERFECT. It also is ETERNAL. It requires no change, or additions. As a matter of fact, it cannot be changed, nor added to: “The law of the Lord is perfect” (Psalm19:7). The whole structure of the kingdom of God rests upon the stability of the nature of His law. God, Himself, is preserved by the infallible provisions of these legal enactments. Not once can the Creator change His attitude toward these precepts. No amount of charity, love or mercy may ever move Him to lower a standard or compromise a principle. Such an act would be connivance with sin, and the whole universe would be jeopardized.
The faithfulness of God the Father to the absolute demands of the law of the Kingdom of heaven was fully tested and tried when His only beloved Son was dying on the cross. The Father of mercy was faithful to His office, as chief administrator of the universe, by respecting His law above His personal feelings and affections. The lives of mortal beings were in jeopardy of eternal suffering. The LAW could not be revoked. His sinless Son could legally and legitimately take the sinner’s place. If anything could ever cause a sinner to repent of the error of his ways, it would be the divine sacrifice. Both the Father and the Son met the issue.
The demands of the law were met in every way. No violence was done to the law. Rather, greater respect and reverence have been given to it; for no angel in heaven or devil in hell, doubts that the Father means what He said when He stated that “the soul that sinneth it shall die.” Had the Creator repealed the law of sin and death, He would have incurred the contempt of the rebellious, and dishonored the dignity of His throne, but His faithfulness has enhanced the glory of His “thus saith the Lord.”
There is an outstanding difference between the precepts of God and the legislative manipulations of sinful beings. Human legislature seeks to preserve, to contain; and it is governed by a law of “self-preservation.” Divine legislation ever seeks to expand, to grow, to progress; and it is governed by the law of sacrifice and selflessness.
The Lord alone can provide the four most important functions of perfect government: 1 – Perfect legal decrees. 2 – Impartial judgment, justice and mercy for all. 3 – An authority capable of restraining any enemy attack, whether without or within the empire. 4 – The ability to provide substance for any national emergency.
For thousands of years, mystics, sages and philosophers have dreamed of the perfect government. Time after time, men of state have labored at the heart-breaking task of trying to bring into existence the utopian order, but all of these attempts have ended in failure. No matter how well-meaning the founders of a society have been, time proves the instability of the human political structure.
Ideal government is not a mere fancy, nor a figment of the human imagination impossible of fruition. In man’s attempt to acquire the ideal, he has failed to observe the first law of the science of government: No government can be any stronger than its GOVERNOR. Since humanity is so unstable and subject to so many unpredictable vagaries, it is impossible to establish the ideal, and administer the ideal, under the leprous hand of carnal man.
Nothing so exemplified the unworthiness of human administration as the governmental corruption found among the apostate professing Christian churches of our day. Favoritism, “wire-pulling,” petty jealousies and all manner of carnal antics are ever at work. Think of it! Just where one would expect to see truth, justice and mercy, there all manner of evil is found! In an explanation of this, there is but one conclusion: WHERE MAN RULES MAN, TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND MERCY ARE NOT ON THE THRONE.
The Christian hope is THE KINGDOM OF GOD with the Lord Himself as chief administrator. No saint has ever visualized an eternity where he would be subject to the dominion of humanity! And though Biblical scholars may disagree on many points of doctrine, yet all firmly believe that God is the only being capable of a completely just and righteous rule.
God, who is all-powerful, is capable of using force to compel every creature to do His will. Yet our glorious Sovereign has turned over to the will of the creature the awful power of CHOICE. This God-given prerogative places man on a high plane of being, and the possibilities are of such magnitude that “the angels desired to look into” them. However, with any prerogative there is also an obligation. Man is a responsible creature; his ultimate end will be that of his own choice.
It may appear that Providence has vested too much power in the hands of men, but the nature of the Divine Administrator demanded that He share His divinity and power with His creatures, for anything less than the best would have been selfish and opposed to the nature of God. To whom much is given, much is required. This is a law of the very nature of things. God offers mankind heaven, with peace and happiness supreme, but if man spurns God’s offer, he rightfully reaps his own harvest of suffering and misery.
Justice might have stated the facts of life and death to man, and there let the matter stand, but the Sovereign of the skies is not only Master, He is a true lover. Mercy, compassion, and longsuffering have tempered the severity of holiness. Above all things, God is HOLY, and holiness demands complete devotion to the perfect law. Holiness demands austerity toward sin; but holiness shows mercy with compassion to the repentant sinner. Without compromising the dignity of a righteous Lord, our Father puts forth every effort within His power to invite men to accept His glorious guidance and authority. Providence reaches to the extreme end of the law in order to rehabilitate a soul that desires to repent.
Man must repent of self-direction. He must realize that God’s way is the only way. Many people attempt to use God and His facilities for their own ends. This is very foolish and only ends in confusion. Ministers and priests have often lowered a standard or compromised a position in order to “have peace” with the people. They feel that expediency requires them to surrender a principle in order not to make a complete breach between themselves and their people. God doesn’t work like that. He states a thing, AND THAT IS IT.
There are times when, for the sake of teaching men a lesson, God has agreed to “go along” with a man in certain things for which he has cried. But the Lord, in such acts, did not compromise with evil. The object in view was to teach a lesson which was not to be forgotten. Israel in the wilderness cried for meat, and God gave them quails – but the plague struck them while they were eating. Asking for meat was no sin. The sin was in complaining about His providential care.
Political Israel was one of the most carnal enterprises that ever cursed the sons of Jacob. If there ever was a dastardly national act, it was Israel’s rejection of heaven’s government, and the substitution of a pagan system.
The Hebrew nation had been providentially lifted from the cruel servitude of the Egyptians, and God in His great mercy had led them and prospered them as no nation of people in any other age has prospered. Israel was like one great family whose resources were bountiful and designed to care for every member of society. Authoritative powers were reduced to a minimum, and there was always a direct “wire” to the throne in heaven through God-appointed prophets. However, the earthly systems of world government appealed to the well-fed Israelites and they cried for a change.
One of the most wicked acts of ancient Israel was their rejection of the Kingdom of heaven under the administration of God’s servant, Samuel. God had always been their KING. Heaven was the place of the national THRONE. But they demanded that Samuel make them a “king like unto the nations.” Samuel, greatly disturbed, reported to the Lord that Israel had rejected him, but God told His servant that it was He (God) whom they had rejected. In mercy, the Lord told Samuel to warn the people concerning the manner of the kingdom that they were asking for. He was instructed to tell them of the bondage and servitude entailed with such a kingdom.
But, in spite of all of Samuel’s warning and pleading, Israel stubbornly “refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but WE WILL HAVE A KING over us” (I Sam.8:19).
The reason which Israel gave for rejecting the King of Glory and choosing an earthly king was this: “That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles” (vs.20).
The choice of an earthly king and an earthly kingdom was a wicked affront to the kind and generous rule of the King of Glory, yet the Lord, in His mercy, told Samuel to go ahead and anoint a king that the Lord would give them.
On the day of the coronation of their new king, Samuel told all Israel to “stand and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes. Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may see and perceive that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking you a king” (ISam.12:16,17). God sent the thunder and rain as requested, and then “all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king” (verse 19).
The long evil rule of the kings of Israel is a black history of infamous tyranny. Under the heels of godless tyrants, the children of Israel were ground down to the very doors of death. In the blackest hour of the nation’s history the merciful Father of Glory sent the prophet Hosea to the people, saying: “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. I WILL BE THY KING; where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath” (Hosea13:9-11). God never intended for His people to be under the bondage of political tyranny; neither did He intend that they should be dependent upon the economic manipulations of earthly governmental systems.
When the Hebrew people rejected the Lord and His Kingdom of heaven, and substituted king Saul and the political kingdom, they fell into great bondage. Exchanging the dominion of love for the tyranny of carnality, they proved that mortals certainly can be fools.
The Israelitish political kingdom wrought havoc in the nation; and the ecclesiastical and political powers, working as one, brought the country to the brink of disaster. Then it was that God spoke through a herdsman of the little town of Tekoa: “Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the Lord. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord” (Amos9:7,8). Take note of what the Lord called political Israel: “A sinful kingdom.” A political system of government is wrong. It never was right and it never will be. God once demonstrated, through Israel, the nature of a political kingdom. It was also plainly shown to what end such a kingdom would come. GOD WILL NEVER REPEAT THE OBJECT LESSON.
“Israel after the flesh” has never given up the hope of a full restoration of its political prominence and power in the world. Jewish theologians, two thousand years ago, had so indoctrinated the Hebrews with the idea of divinely restored political sovereignty over the nations that they failed to comprehend the gospel of the Kingdom declared by John the Baptist. Rabbinical teachers had interpreted the prophets according to the lusts of the flesh: Jews would be lords of the world, their vanquished sovereignty would be restored, their Messiah would be a great leader sitting upon a material throne in their Jewish city. Every man would own his own vine and fig tree, and things would be so abundant that all Hebrews could loll in the cool shade of their ever-bearing fruit trees. An earthly paradise, with every desire of the flesh fully satisfied, is the carnal man’s dream. Any Messiah who will come forth and make such a dream a reality will be accepted as king by all of those who walk in the flesh. Such a king, and such a kingdom, are not of God, but are “of this world.”
After Jesus fed “the five thousand,” the Jews said, “This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.” Those carnal sons of Jacob were accepting the testimony of their full stomachs. “Ye seek me (said Jesus), not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled” (John6:26). These five thousand Hebrews were so pleasantly impressed with one good meal that they determined to take Jesus “by force to make him a king” (vs.15). Immediately, the Savior left them and slipped off into a mountain alone. He knew what was in man, and He refused to accept the offer of an earthly throne. Besides, they could only offer Him a kingdom of one nation!
At the beginning of His ministry, the Savior had been offered “all the kingdoms of the world” by the “prince of this world” himself (Luke4:5,6). To be king of all earthly kingdoms was far more attractive than to be king of but one! That is, it would have been if He had desired to be king of carnal kingdoms – king of flesh activity.
The statement which Christ made in Pilate’s hall should settle forever the fact that He does not intend to be ruler of an earthly political kingdom. On trial for His life, having been accused by the Jews of sedition, Jesus was tried as an insurrectionist. “He claims to make himself a king,” cried the Pharisees, but the governor saw through their hypocrisy and wanted to set Christ free. “Thou art not Caesar’s friend,” shouted the mob. In exasperation Pilate put the final question to the Savior: “Art thou a king?”
Life and death hung on His response. “To this end was I born” and “for this cause came I into this world,” was the reply. Had He stopped with these words Pilate might not have been guilty of the blood of Christ. Kingdoms and rulers are “ordained of God,” and every kingdom must protect itself against sedition. Had Jesus of Nazareth been found guilty of setting up a kingdom in competition to that of Rome, the governor would have been duty bound to condemn Him according to the law. But lest Pilate misunderstand His words, Jesus clarified His statements by saying, “but my kingdom is not of this world.”
The Kingdom of God never was, neither will it ever be, of this world. When the statement made in Revelation11:15 is fulfilled, it will not be because Christ has returned to reign upon an earthly throne. This Scripture indicates that until the very last trump, the world kingdoms will rule among men. And in the great and final crash of all things earthly, even the world empires will be brought into complete subjection to the King of kings. World kingdoms, like all other world affairs, will reach their final end in the day of the Lord. It is at that time that the power of the Kingdom of God will be manifest over men and devils, and Christ shall have glory in the eyes of His saints.
CALLED! YES. – CHOSEN?
Harold Scullin
“Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt.22:14).
Who are the MANY?
To what are they called?
What are the decisive factors which reduce the many to a FEW?
Consider the first question – Who are the many? – In the light of the following Scriptures: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt.7:22,23). Take note that the “many” in this group were indicted by the Lord as “workers of iniquity.” Not because of the supernatural works which they performed, but because they did not do the will of the Father (Matt.7:21). Titus speaks of another class of many – “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers…who subvert whole houses…they profess that they know God; but in works they deny him…” (Titus1:10,11,16). These Scriptures make it very plain that the “many” are those who profess the Lord as their Savior, but are disobedient and unruly: they walk in their own ways, they do their own wills, and their works deny Him.
With an understanding of to whom “many” refers, consider the teaching of Jesus in these Scriptures:
“…WIDE is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and MANY there be which go in thereat” (Matt.7:13).
“Strive to enter in at the STRAIT gate: for MANY, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able” (Luke13:24).
“When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are” (Luke13:25), then these people begin to argue their case.
Take special notice of the class of people to whom Jesus was speaking: “Then shall YE begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity” (Luke13:26,27). This was the same class of people that He spoke to in Matthew7:22,23 – “workers of iniquity.” The Word of God is most explicit in defining iniquity, or sin – “sin is the transgression of the law” (IJohn3:4). These people failed to do the will of God. God’s will, God’s law and God’s Word are one and the same. If we transgress in one, we transgress in all three.
Notice the position of these people in relation to Abraham and the prophets – “there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the Kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out” (Luke13:28). NOW, they wanted earnestly to enter, but were not able. This was also true of the five foolish virgins (Matt.25:11,12). Time had run out on them. The day of preparation was past.
Somewhere between the wide gate and the strait gate, many failed to qualify, to meet the requirements to enter in at the strait gate.
It is true that Jesus died for the sins of the world (IJohn2:2). Whosoever will may come and drink of the water of life freely: “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts2:21). “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John6:37). Many other Scriptures attest to the fact that salvation is open to any and everyone. Actually, this is a wide gate and a broad way which makes it very easy to become converted. A born again experience is a marvelous transformation in the life of the individual. He becomes “a new creature” (IICor.5:17), hath been “translated…into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Col.1:13). His “citizenship is in heaven” (Phil.3:20), “passed from death unto life” (John5:24). We must remember that the experience of conversion, or salvation, is only an entrance: a door into the Kingdom of God. The individual has come through the “wide gate.” He finds many different kinds of individuals in this realm. He discovers it is hard to discern between him that serves God and him that does not serve God.
Through this “wide gate” and into the Kingdom of God come various kinds of individuals: “the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one” (Matt.13:38). “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind…gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away” (Matt.13:47,48). “So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests” (Matt.22:10). “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins…five of them were wise, and five were foolish” (Matt.25:1,2).
From the above Scriptures and accounts, we conclude that the many are those who do not do the will of God: they are classed as “workers of iniquity” – transgressors of the law. They enter the Kingdom of God through the wide gate, but fail to qualify for an entrance through the strait gate.
The second question: To what were the many called?
In the verses of Scripture preceding Matthew22:14, Jesus was speaking in a parable to the people – “the kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son” (Matt.22:1-3). This same truth is set forth in Luke14:15-24, where a certain man made a great supper and bade “many.” Again, in Matthew25:6,10, the ten virgins anticipated the marriage supper.
This call to the marriage feast, that was extended to this people, was actually an invitation, or summons, to participate in the functions and privileges as set forth in the gospel. Through the act of conversion and the cleansing power of the shed blood of The Lamb in their lives, they were now the recipients of the privilege, the authority given them by the Word of God, and the promises of God, “to become the sons of God” (John1:12), the privilege “to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (IIPeter3:18). Each individual was given the power of choosing to “deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke9:23), to “forsake all” or “he cannot be my disciple” (Luke14:33), to “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh” (Rom.13:14), to “take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink” (Matt.6:25).
In exercising these above privileges, and many others in the Word of God, a work is accomplished within the individual which will qualify him to enter in through the strait gate.
The process of growth and development in the Kingdom of God, which is a requisite for entrance through the strait gate, is a series of slow, tedious, and painful stages of death to the carnal man.
It is evident that the many who were bidden to the marriage supper spurned the call. Death to self, denial of the flesh, taking up a cross daily, demands a complete surrender of our own will, our own plans, our own desires and our own ways. Only a few will pay the price.
Those who enter into the marriage supper have distinguishing characteristics that mark them as guests. The man in Matthew22:11, who came into the marriage chamber, was speechless when the Lord asked him, “Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?” (verse12). He was without excuse. He had been given the same privilege as the others to qualify, but he failed. Perhaps he was among those that “made light” of the invitation “and went their way” (Matt.22:5).
John, on the Isle of Patmos, was told by the angel – “Write, blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev.19:9). For any individual to “make light,” either by word or action, of the call to the wedding feast is an affront, an insult, an indignity to the Personage of the Lord Jesus Christ, to His wisdom, to His call, to His choice, and to what He has blessed. Here, then, is one decisive factor which eliminated many. They treated lightly the privilege of being guests at the wedding feast.
By observing the qualifying characteristics of those guests who remained at the marriage supper, we are able to find other decisive factors which decimate the many. Consider these two portions of Scripture:
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife (the chosen) hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed (clothed) in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Rev.19:7,8). The wife made herself ready – she did something to prepare herself. She availed herself of the privileges granted to her in the Word of God. Her clothing of fine linen, clean and white, is indicative of the concern and labor she put forth as she prepared for this event. She was “prepared as a bride, adorned for her husband” (Rev.21:2). To accomplish this she heeded the counsel of the Bridegroom – “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed” (Rev.3:18). Costly garments! Yes. But don’t forget the extreme price the Bridegroom paid for these privileges – “Not my will but thine be done.” The wife was obedient. She obeyed the words of the Bridegroom.
Ponder these sayings of the Bridegroom: “If a man love me, he will keep my words” (John14:23). Do you love Him? “Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke14:33). Are you a disciple in word and in deed? “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit” (IPeter1:22). “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John17:17).
So, then, another privilege set forth in the Word of God – which is obedience to the teachings of Christ – becomes a decisive factor in differentiating between the MANY and the FEW.
The few enter in through the strait gate. This is a narrow way. It is evident that the entrance into the wedding chamber is through the strait gate, for when the people in Matthew7:22,23, Luke13:24,25 and Matthew25:10 came and knocked for an entrance – “they were not able to enter” (Luke13:24). The way is so confining and the gate so strait that only a few find it.
As it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man” (Luke17:26) – “when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved” (IPeter3:20).
These are serious days in which we live. Time is an important factor in the preparation that is needed to enter into the wedding feast. This is a time for each individual to examine himself, to see if he is “in the faith” – and to “prove your own selves. Know…that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates” (IICor.13:5).
“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear” (IPeter4:17,18).
DECEITFUL AND DESPERATELY WICKED
Alfred King
Recently, I heard on the news that 80% of those surveyed believe that a $15 minimum wage law should be passed. The talk host made a very good point by saying that of that 80%, there were probably very few who ever took the time to study the issue. They just spoke off the top of their heads, parroting what they have heard from the news media, what they had heard at work, or it just seemed like a good idea. But without doing a little research, one’s answer to this question is, for all practical purposes, worthless. One major problem is that minimum wage depends greatly upon where one lives. For instance in Washington DC, New York City, or Los Angeles, fifteen dollars an hour would probably land you on the streets with the homeless. Yet where I live, one can do okay on fifteen dollars an hour. Some people in this area live on less than fifteen dollars per hour. It, then, is evident that the very question of whether a law should be passed concerning minimum wage is actually a foolish question to begin with; unless it is being asked to those who have researched the issue. Truthfully, it should be up to the states and not the federal government, and maybe should be up to the cities where the real cost of living is most pertinent.
But the subject presented by this survey brings us to a very important question in regards to the problems within our nation. Where does the real problem lie in today’s American society? What would a survey produce, and how many who would give an answer have done any deep research before answering? Would such a survey bring us any closer to solving the problem? Some would say it is racism, others government. The list would no doubt include education, inequality, intolerance, economics, crime, immigration, reparations, high taxes, healthcare, and some might even say it’s the GOP; while others would adamantly state it’s the Democrats. All of these are issues that plague America and need to be properly addressed. But who really has the answer to America’s and the world’s chaos? I am fully convinced God’s word holds the true answer. And yet, if we go to God’s word, we find that all of these concerns stem from something much more personal and closer to home than we think, for the solution scripture presents applies to everyone living in America and throughout the world. The issue is sin and man’s fallen nature. We find in scripture the real problem is man’s heart.
In the book of Jeremiah, God states as clearly as can be stated the condition of man’s fallen nature. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jer. 17:9) It is stated by some of the great ministers and evangelists that the root of all sin is Pride and Selfishness. Every other transgression stems from one of these two root problems and these both lie solidly in man’s heart. God continued in Jeremiah 17 with these words, “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jer. 17:10)
This whole dilemma began in the Garden of Eden when Adam chose to disobey God’s one command, “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Gen. 2:16-17)
Adam was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27), and as such, he was created without a sinful nature, or with a heart that was not “deceitful” and “desperately wicked.” Adam was not created a god, but he was like God in that he was sinless. Yet when Adam chose to transgress God’s command, he died spiritually that very day. It is true he lived physically for many years after his transgression, but he died spiritually, or his soul died. He lost that precious sinless nature which was in God’s likeness, and his heart became “deceitful” and “desperately wicked.”
The greatest evil that came from Adam’s fall was that his fallen state fell upon all of Adam’s descendants from that day to the present. All men are born with a proclivity toward sin. In other words, every man, woman, and child is born with a nature like Adam’s after his fall and not as Adam was before his sin. However, God in His great love, did not leave man without hope. God left man with what we call, “a conscience.” This is very clear not only in scripture but also in reality. Who does not have some sense of right and wrong? This consciousness of right and wrong is that which God allowed to remain in man’s heart even though it is “deceitful” and “desperately wicked”. In Romans 2:14-15, Paul makes this point very clear when he speaks of the Gentiles, pagans who themselves discern right from wrong. “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.” (emphasis mine)
So we have confirmation both from reality and common sense and from scripture that God left man with a certain sense of right and wrong. Then, we begin to understand that when Jeremiah states that God tries the reins of every man, He gently tests how each person will respond to His nudging, a nudging toward that which is right. Will he submit to God’s drawing or will he reject it? This trying the reins of every man is not only God testing men to see if they will do right but whether they will recognize and acknowledge their own insufficiency, humble themselves, and fall face down at the cross of Christ in confession and repentance.
It was for this purpose that Jesus came, lived, died, and was resurrected. It was the only way man could be saved from an eternity in hell. God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16), to live a perfect and holy life, a life completely free from sin, in order that He could become the atoning sacrifice for men’s transgression. This is also why Jesus told Nicodemus that man MUST be born again, or born from above. There is no other way men can be saved and changed. Being born again means that a sinful soul is brought from spiritual death and made alive by the blood of Christ. He is cleansed by that blood, reconciled by that blood, redeemed by that blood, and purchased and adopted into God’s family by the blood of Jesus Christ. His old life is buried in Christ’s death and he is given a new heart. This new heart is one that desires to please God and obey His laws and commands.
Every person who is born again has been given a new heart and, also, the promised Holy Spirit who comes and abides within. As great as this conversion is, it is not all that God desires to do in man. The Holy Spirit is given to the new convert to lead him, teach him, guide him into truth, comfort him, strengthen him, encourage and even motivate him. But the work of salvation is an ongoing work and a task placed upon the Holy Spirit. Even though the Holy Spirit has been given to every believer, He will not usurp man’s free will. He will lead but He will not force. God’s desire is that the convert be changed into Christ-likeness, and this transformation is gradual. It takes time, perseverance, and patience. This “deceitful” and “desperately wicked” heart is being transformed as the person is discipled by the Holy Spirit.
So, when we come to the issue of the problems in America and around the world, the real culprit is man’s sinful heart. All evil stems from this basic and fundamental problem. While racism is a problem; while our present government is a disgrace; while healthcare is a serious issue; and while this list can go on and on, the basic and fundamental problem is men’s sinful hearts, and the solution is found only in Christ Jesus. The secondary problem is that men will not go to Jesus. Instead, they reject Him and His words. They reject His salvation. Why? Because of their sinful hearts. Every problem in society, in America, and in the world rests primarily in men’s fallen natures and their refusal to surrender to the One Who can change their hearts.
In conclusion: Although 80% expressed their opinions about how to correct America’s and the world’s problems, if they turn anywhere except to God and His word, they are merely expressing their opinions without actually coming to know Christ. And without Christ, one’s heart remains depraved, deceitful, and desperately wicked. It is true that many of our world’s problems could be solved, or at least brought to a minimum, if men, even though unsaved, would take the basic principles of morality, principles of right and wrong found in God’s word. This has been proven over the past 240 years in America, since her Constitution was written based upon divine principles contained in God’s word. The American Constitution was constructed by men who saw the value of those governmental principles and laws set forth in scripture. Even Gentiles and heathen find there is a therapeutic value in obedience to that law which God has written in every man’s heart.
PASTOR PHILIP KIPCOECH KONUCHE
We want to inform our readers that Pastor Philip Kipcoech Konuche, whom People of the Living God has helped support for over 20 years, passed away on November 26, 2020. He fought cancer for about a year and a half before his passing. He was Pastor of People of the Living God Church in Kenya and also ministered to several other churches in the area. He was a pioneer in Narok City, Narok State, Kenya where he evangelized for many years.
"God loves with a great love the man whose heart is bursting with a passion for the IMPOSSIBLE." - William Booth