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• WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS
• GOD MEETS US WHERE WE ARE
• A CHRISTIAN WITNESS AT ABORTION CLINICS
• THE WAY OF CAIN
• THE DEITY OF JESUS
• “CONSIDER YOUR WAYS”
• DO MIRACLES MAKE BELIEVERS?

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February 2022

 

 

 

 

WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Alfred King

        Those familiar with the history of the Old Testament are cognizant of the fact that God promised Abraham the land of Canaan centuries before it was possessed by Israel under the leadership of Moses and Joshua. God had promised that He would go with Abraham’s descendants and would by various means, drive out the Canaanites before them. The strategy used against Jericho was not the same as that against Ai; neither were the strategies used against those two cities necessarily that which was used in conquering the remainder of Canaan. In every battle Israel had to depend upon God as He directed them.

        God not only promised Israel the land of Canaan, but He promised them the land would be a land flowing with milk and honey. It was a land of great opportunity with provisions to meet their every material needs. It would be a land where Israel would be free from oppression of enemies, and a land where they could worship God as God had commanded Moses. While it was a land provided by God and abounding with every natural resource, God cautioned them against serving the gods of the Canaanites, repeatedly warning them of the repercussions which would follow such idolatry.

        God loved Israel so much that He gave Solomon the architectural plans for a temple where He could dwell among His people. The temple was the envy of the world for it was there at the temple that God met Israel, directed them, and promised to dwell among them. When Israel followed God’s order, God blessed them tremendously and no enemy could stand before them. However, when they departed from God and His commands their adversaries overcame them, the blessings provided Israel were sacrificed to her enemies and Israel became servants of their adversaries. Their history was more of a long roller coaster ride than that of a stable nation with Godly judges and kings. That roller coaster ride ended with judgment so severe that it appeared that Israel would be forever forsaken. Their holy city where God had placed His Holy Name and the temple where He once met with His people were completely destroyed and burned with fire. It seemed as though Israel was finished.

        In the natural the situation was hopeless. Nevertheless, God had promised Abraham that from his seed would rise a Messiah, and God, in great mercy, brought His people back to Jerusalem and the temple was rebuilt.

        Unfortunately, Israel did not learn the lessons their history preached to them; for though they were permitted by God’s grace to rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem, by the time Jesus appeared on the scene, the Jews were a poor representation of their former glory and a total disgrace to the God they once served. Once again, they had completely rejected Jehovah and were groveling in self-proclaimed doctrines and traditions which had nothing to do with the teachings of Moses and certainly not in keeping with the nature and character of God. So blind were they that they hated the Son of God and crucified the Lord they claimed to serve.

Another Nation Blessed by God

        When Jesus died, was resurrected, and taken up into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father, the Gospel was no longer just for Israel or the Jews; it was now offered to the Gentiles. The Apostles and disciples proclaimed the Gospel throughout the known world at that time. It spread north, east, south, and west like wildfire as thousands were added to the church. While the Gospel flowed like water in every direction, it seemed to have taken root most firmly in Europe. However, it wasn’t long before evil men crept in and the Gospel was taken captive and distorted by what became known as the Catholic Church. The persecutions which Christians faced under the Roman Emperors ceased when Constantine was supposedly converted to Christianity. However, it wasn’t too long before the so-called, “Holy Roman Empire” took up the sword against any and all who did not toe to the dictates of the Catholic Church. It is questionable which Christians suffered most, those under Roman emperors or Christians whom the Catholic Church listed as, “Heretics.”

        After several centuries, God in His great wisdom brought some of His servants to a land across the Atlantic. It was a land much like that of Canaan, a land of great provisions, opportunity and, most importantly, a land where Christians could worship God as they understood scripture teach. The years which followed that first settlement in America were very difficult; yet in the midst of extreme adversity, God paved the way by which America was founded. It was a land of freedom. It was a land blessed with many natural resources and fields which would produce food for millions. Many Christians considered it a promise land much like Canaan of old, for its bounty and opportunities seemed unlimited.

        When the Revolutionary War began, it was, by all reason, an impossible win for the colonies. Yet God brought about victory and the United States of America was born. After much prayer, God gave the founders of this nation great wisdom and understanding in creating “The Constitution of the United States of America.” This document has proven to be of divine wisdom, for it has held this nation together to this day. It was sufficient to unite America’s citizenry during the wars that seemed to threatened her existence: first the War of 1812 and the two great World Wars. The Civil War was probably the most dangerous for America’s survival. Although America was greatly divided during the Civil War, a war which sought her self-destruction, she managed to slowly put the past behind her. She wrestled through those difficult and trying times and began to unite for the good of the nation and her future.

The Melting Pot Of The World

        Since her founding, America has been known as the “Melting Pot of the World,” for people from all nations of the planet come to her shores to enjoy the freedoms for which America is known. It was, and still is, the least racist nation in the world, in spite of what is being proclaimed today. It is the only nation that welcomes all who will come legally and desire to obtain a better life. It is very much like the land of Canaan. But America is not for Israel as was Canaan, but for Gentiles; it was given as a blessing from God to all people, including Jews. Yet this nation today is under attack. The foundations are being threatened. The youth of America no longer appreciate what they have inherited. Instead, they ignorantly want to bring in socialism and communism, a tyrannical rule which will destroy every freedom America has known. They know nothing about what they are asking, for they have been brainwashed in our universities and are constantly told all the bad things about this nation, and they are blind to the good.

        However, the real problems here are not only what our young people are taught but what they are not taught. No longer is the Bible taught in our public schools. Not only is the Bible regarded with contempt, history also has taken a tremendous beating by those who don’t want our youth to know truth. Atheism has taken the place of Christian principles and is the religion of most of America’s youth. This genders every kind of moral decadence, for there are no longer any standards of right and wrong. There is no foundation upon which our youth can set their moral compass and build their lives. They live in a vacuum where they struggle to make sense of everything. They gravitate to the impulses of their fallen natures and the product is degeneration. Where does it all end? It will end in time, but the end may not be pretty. Just as it did not end well for Israel and Judah, we can be certain that it will not end well for America either. When God has blessed America so abundantly and she turns from His holy commandments and His laws, we are like Israel of old, destined to experience the same fate. May God awaken His people, and may He be merciful to America.

 

 

 

 

GOD MEETS US WHERE WE ARE

Warren Berry

        It is somewhat amusing when a believer is asked about his conversion and to hear one say, “The Lord found me” and another say, “I found the Lord.” Some take the expression they use very seriously. They feel their particular view is scriptural and the other not. So, you may ask, “Which is it?” I am not writing to convince anyone of which is correct or best to say, but Luke 15 is often used to support the expression, “The Lord found me.” In this chapter, Jesus gives three parables, each referring to when a person is saved.

        The first is the parable of the lost sheep. According to the parable, a shepherd has 100 sheep and one goes astray. The shepherd leaves the 99 and sets forth to find the one lost sheep. When he finds the sheep, he places it on his shoulders and carries it home. Jesus states that there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents more than over the 99 that needed no repentance. This obviously speaks of one who is saved and “The Lord found him”.

        The second parable is of a woman who has several coins and she loses one. Therefore, she lights a candle and sweeps the house until she finds the lost coin. She, then, invites her neighbors over to celebrate finding the lost coin. Again, the Lord seeks and finds the lost.

        The third parable is called, “The Parable of the Prodigal Son.” In this parable, the younger son of a wealthy man leaves home and wastes himself and his inheritance on foolishness. When his wealth is depleted, he finds himself eating pig food. In this deplorable state, Jesus says that the young man “came to himself” (Luke15:17). He then returns to his father where he is welcomed, and his father throws a feast for him.

        In the first two parables, the lost was sought and found. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the son returned to the Father. It seems, in this case, the sinner finds the Lord, since there is no mention of the father seeking his son. To be fair, however, at the end of this parable the Father in speaking to his elder son, makes this statement, “… for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost and is found.”

        Lest the latter of these parables falls short of proving the second profession of the saved (I found the Lord), let us remember there are scriptures which state that when we seek God, He will be found of us. Jer.29:13: “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Then again in Matt.7:7 Jesus preaches, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” So again: Which is it? Semantics can be very hurtful and destructive and in this case, people lose the wonderful fact that a lost soul was delivered from sin and destruction and translated into God’s kingdom and adopted into His divine family.

        God meets us where we are. How He works to draw one to Christ varies. God doesn’t have just one method of bringing souls to Himself; He has many means which He, in His great wisdom, uses to bring one to salvation. Some find God in the privacy of their own homes, others at an altar in a church. Some find Him in prison, while others are convicted while in a drunken stupor or strung out on drugs. One thing is certain, no one can come to Christ except the Father draw him (John6:44). It seems that God is not limited to our human understanding or our wise interpretations of scripture. If man’s wisdom were the solution, the Pharisees and religious rulers in Jerusalem would have not missed the Messiah when He came, but human wisdom is faulty and easily misled.

        I bring up the issue of how one finds salvation for the purpose of bringing another thought to the forefront. How often we Christians condemn activities of other Christians as being unorthodox or “not like we do it.” I wonder how often God has met sinners in a manner which is not “like I got saved.” I wonder how many Christians have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but it was kind-of pooh-poohed by other Christians because it was not how they received it or according to their theologically preconceived ideas.

        Why would God meet a drug addict while lying in a dark alley, strung out on drugs? This is just the type of question the Pharisees asked Jesus when He was eating and drinking with sinners. Notice in the first few verses of Luke 15, the circumstances which brought about the three parables mentioned above: “Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them” (Luke15:1-2). According to the Pharisees: “This is not how it is done.”

        How many souls have been genuinely saved at a Christian Rock Concert? Can we say, “None”? How many have found themselves calling out to God when sitting in a dark room with a pistol placed under their chin ready to pull the trigger, but at that moment God intervened and stopped them? How many have found Christ while shut in a prison cell with no hope, as they reflect upon how they have destroyed their lives and the lives of their loved one with remorse filling their hearts and tears flowing down their faces? In that moment, they turn to the only One who can bring hope and give them something to live for. How many have had their eyes opened when they attended a Christian service at Christmas or Easter? (These are heathen holidays.) Should God save a soul at such a celebration? And yet there are many who have come to know Christ at such settings. God’s ways are not our ways nor are His thoughts ours. Aren’t you thankful?

        There are many testimonies of people who were saved at a Christian Rock Concert but later, as they grew in knowledge of God and gained an understanding of scripture, turned from that way. There are countless Christians who were saved in a denominational church but, later, the Holy Spirit led them out. And there are those who were saved just by reading the Bible and God spoke to their hearts. Most Christians have not had a transforming experience similar to that which Saul of Tarsus had and yet, are just as saved.

        The real issue here is that there is danger in being so dogmatic and sectarian in our doctrines and bound by our limited understanding of God’s ways that we cut off members of the body of Christ because they didn’t receive Christ as we did or in a manner which is conducive to our doctrinal ideas. Several years ago, I attended a church where a music group had come to sing, which is sometimes called, “A Singing.” One song they sang had repetitious words that said, “I was saved on a Monday.” The next time around it would say, “… on a Tuesday,” then Wednesday and so forth. As they mentioned the day on which people in the congregation were saved, those saved on that day of the week were to stand up. They started with Monday and ended with Sunday, so you knew that when they got to Sunday, most of the congregation would stand up. However, on Monday there were only one or two people who stood. So it was on Tuesday with Wednesday having a few more, probably because of Wednesday services which many churches have. I was saved on a Friday so when Friday was sung, I stood. Because people were saved on a day other than the Sabbath; were they not saved? Of course they were saved. God is not limited to the Sabbath only, for He saves whenever a person calls upon Him with an honest heart.

        The critical point here is that we are genuinely saved and that we seek God by reading and studying His word and praying regularly so that we will be led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that He would send the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit’s purpose was to lead those who will listen into truth. If one is saved in a church that is not teaching truth, the Holy Spirit will lead him out in time. I have met very devoted Christians who attend churches that I could not attend on a regular basis. This might be because of the music or the doctrines or other things of which I would feel convicted.

        However, there are no perfect churches nor are there any perfect people. If Jesus only showed up and saved people in perfect churches or in perfect situations, He would never show up anywhere. So be thankful that God condescends to imperfect gatherings and He moves to save sinners. After all, isn’t that one reason He came in the first place?

        And aren’t you glad that He doesn’t just work with perfect people? If He did, who would He work with? We don’t all see eye to eye and God knows that. What He does desire of us is that we love one another as He loves us. That’s a big order and it will keep us busy for a long time. If we do that, we won’t have so much time to question others.

 

 

 

 

A CHRISTIAN WITNESS AT ABORTION CLINICS

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

        There are those who claim to be Christian who are putting bullets into doctors who work at abortion clinics. There are those who claim to be followers of Jesus who burn down clinics. There are those who carry the banner of the cross who scream at women going into abortion centers. None of this is Christian. This is not the example Jesus set.

        The only time that Jesus got physical was in the house of His own religion. He turned over the tables and sent pigeons flying because the Place of Prayer was being turned into a five-and-dime.

        Yet, when Jesus left the sanctuary for the marketplace, He refused to knock into anything with fist or raised arm. Even when His cousin, John the Baptist, was beheaded for scolding Herod for sleeping with a woman not his wife, Jesus did not stage a revolution of armed might. He, instead, went into the next village to heal the sick.

        Why did Jesus act this way? Because Jesus would never have underwritten violence as a mode for His kingdom building. His weaponry was truth-in-love – period. Jesus knew that judgment would come from heaven upon those doing evil. In the meantime, He would leave the vengeance with heaven while continuing His mission of compassion.

        This is the approach on mission stations globally. Missionaries would never think of burning down another religion’s temple or putting a bullet into the devotees of another teaching. Christian missionaries, working against awesome odds, go forth with truth-in-love. They win converts to Christianity by godly example and compassion. How can those who represent Christ in America do anything other than what their counterparts are doing around the world? It is the same gospel, the same cross, the same message.

        There are some within the pro-life movement who are condoning violence. They are working up the emotions to take vengeance into their own hands. They are encouraging one another to let loose with more hurt and maiming. Of course, they conclude that this is right since killing is going on in the abortion clinics. Yet, two wrongs do not make a right. Jesus never confronted violence with more violence. Jesus confronted violence – even His own death on the cross – with truth-in-love.

        Yet, some pro-lifers conclude that truth-in-love is not combative enough, strong enough, forceful enough. In so thinking, they are playing the part of God.

        Let God be God. Let Him bring the condemnation. Let Him see through His eternal vengeance. His way is far superior to any human, carnal battling. All the Christians are called to do is love the enemy, pray for those who despitefully use us and do good to those who would malign us. Wimpy? Try it. It takes all the strength you can muster. It is far more courageous than simply walloping the foe in the teeth.

        What, then, can anti-abortionists do to express their opinions outside abortion clinics? They can stand there in prayer. They can sing forth the songs of deliverance. They can hold signs of light, life and love. They can invite dialogue to those entering the clinics. They can distribute literature.

        Is this all? This is enough. Let the power of God settle upon such a witness. Let God carry the heavier weight of the cause. Let eternity honor the efforts. When Christians act like Christ, then they can truthfully label themselves “Christians.” However, when people who call themselves “Christians” act in an unchristian-like manner, they forfeit the title. It is time for Christians to study again the methods of Jesus when dealing with societal issues. His way is the best way. His way is the only way if one calls himself a Christian.

 

 

 

 

THE WAY OF CAIN

Alda Scullin

        “It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should EARNESTLY CONTEND for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude1:3).

        The reasons Jude gave for this need are just as valid today as they were then. Certain men, he said, had crept in unawares, and he lists certain characteristics that will identify these imposters.

        1. They turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness (loose living) (verse 4).

        2. They deny the Lord – not in word, of course, but in deed (verse 4).

        3. They despise dominion – “We will not have this man to rule over us” (verse 8).

        4. They have gone in the way of Cain (verse 11).

        5. And ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward (verse 11).

        These are ungodly men of the worst sort because they profess godliness. Like Cain and Balaam, they are very religious. Cain was as religious as his brother Abel. Both came to offer sacrifice as God had ordained, but while Abel slew the lamb, shedding its blood and thus picturing the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world, Cain made an offering that appealed to himself. He substituted the fruit of the ground for the lamb. It seemed to him so much better. It was a bloodless sacrifice and also meaningless as far as righteousness was concerned, and God rejected it.

        The way of Cain has flourished even down to the present day when the religious drive in man’s being is bringing millions into the fold of “Christianity,” but generally speaking, that which is today called Christianity is, like the worship of Cain, a way of substitution.

        Instead of being separated from the world, the church has become amalgamated with the world.

        For genuine repentance and a born again experience, a handshake and church membership now suffice.

        Instead of forsaking all to follow Christ, most Christians are occupied with accumulating as much as they can as fast as they can.

        In place of respecting the Sabbath day, which God Himself hallowed and blessed, they have substituted what they are pleased to call “the Lord’s Day.”

        For being buried with Christ in baptism, one now has more pleasant alternatives, such as sprinkling, or being showered with rose petals.

        Many communion tables are polluted with leavened bread, and grape juice takes the place of wine.

        The substitution of greatest magnitude, however, is that which claims that “GRACE” has replaced LAW.

        The word of God teaches that sin is transgression of law; therefore, if law has been annulled, no one can sin! There is no other possible logical conclusion! Now, no one in his right mind would dare contend that there is no more sin!

        Truly we are saved or born again through the power of the blood of Jesus, but we are converted or changed as we apply His laws to our lives. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul” (Psalm19:7). It is by denying the validity of the law that men have turned the grace of God into “loose living.” The popular thing today, even in religious circles, is for each one to “do his own thing.” It is reminiscent of Israel when every man did that which was right in his own eyes (Judges17:6), or as IIKings17:33 relates, “they feared the Lord, and served their OWN gods.” In so doing, they brought judgment upon themselves time and again. Only when they returned to doing what the law of God commanded were they saved from their enemies, or from judgment. It is well to study this pattern in the history of Israel, for these things were recorded for our admonition.

        Make no mistake, God’s laws are as absolute as they ever were. The way of Cain is no more acceptable to God now than it was in the beginning. What is sown will be reaped – Job4:8; Gal.6:7,8 – “He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.”

        Like Balaam, the modern ecclesiastical mercenaries are after reward. Balaam had spiritual gifts, and he was for hire. The church world today is filled with hirelings who seek to please those who hire them. They promise life to those who should not have it and set a snare for the people of God. They have built up tremendous organizations that are rich and increased with goods, influential even in world politics, loaded with prestige, beautifully white-washed, but within are full of dead men’s bones.

        Balaam, the enemy of God, foretold his own doom and the destruction of the enemies of God’s people (Num.24:17), “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.”

        So shall it be for all who run “greedily after the error of Balaam,” for they are the enemies of God. When they see Him they shall wail because of Him, for then they shall know as they are known.

        The faith must be contended for in a day when the leaders of the church world are trying to bring about a compromise that will bring all so-called “Christian” faiths into one unified organization. The contenders will not be popular.

        Those who are honest of heart and hope to escape the judgments when the wrath of God is poured out must tear away the façade of present-day Christianity and see conditions in reality. There must be a contending to restore truth and the standards of righteousness. This will greatly disturb the serenity of those who have closed their eyes so that they will not see, and their ears so they will not hear. Those who prefer the substitute way will not appreciate having their errors aired, and, like Cain, they will rise against their “brother” and slay him. So great is their delusion that they will even think they are doing God a service. Nevertheless, the contenders’ own freedom depends upon walking in truth. It is time to AWAKEN, to become AWARE of that which has crept in and to take some action against it.

 

 

 

 

THE DEITY OF JESUS

Alfred King

        The deity of Jesus Christ is one of the most important and fundamental doctrines of Christianity. To those who see so clearly that Jesus is God, it seems strange to think that any born again believer would think differently. Sadly, there are many professing Christians that do not believe that Jesus is God. Although Jesus came as a man and abode in human flesh, nevertheless, He still was God. Consider just a few scriptures which positively prove this point.

        John 1:1-4: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

        Four things in these verses vividly reveal that Jesus was and is God: 1) The Word was with God. 2) The Word was God. 3) All things were made by Him. (This refers to the physical world and the physical universe.) 4) The Word had life in Himself.

        Lest there be some doubt that the Word here is referring to Jesus, couple these verses with verses 10-12 of the same chapter of John. “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 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.”

        Pay special attention to the statements which state that Jesus is God: 1) He was in the world. “He”, referring to Jesus. 2) The world was made by Him. 3) As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God. The only means by which a person can become a son of God is through Jesus Christ and His atoning and redeeming sacrifice.

        These verses alone should be sufficient to convince any honest seeking person to acknowledge that Jesus was God. But let us examine several more portions of scripture to secure the issue.

        Heb. 1:1-3: “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

        Let us list the main phrases from these verses that express the deity of Jesus. 1) God has spoken to us today by His Son, which is Jesus Christ. 2) By whom He made the worlds: We know from John one that Jesus created the world, so we know of whom God the Father is referring when He made this declaration. It was Jesus. 3) Jesus was the brightness of God, the Father’s glory. According to Colossians 2:9, in Jesus was the fullness of the Godhead. In this verse we read, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” This verse is speaking of Jesus Christ. 4) And it is very clear that it was Jesus who “by himself purged our sins” and today sits at the right hand of God the Father.

        Notice, also, verse eight of this same chapter of Hebrews: “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.” Here the writer of the book of Hebrews states very succinctly that God’s son is also called, “God.”

        For your reading pleasure and to better substantiate the deity of Jesus, consider the following scriptures and note the high-lighted portions:

        1 Cor. 8:6: “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

        Eph. 3:9: “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” Some may object the fact that Jesus was the creator. However, we have already proven that Jesus was the Creator from the scriptures mentioned above. But let us understand that the creation was not the work of only one God. It was the work of The Trinity.

        God the Father, was the designer. Jesus was the creator or builder. And the Holy Spirit was the one who moved upon the face of the waters. Creation was the Father’s plan. God had a purpose for creation; He had a desired end. The final product of His creation will be the divine family of God: creatures with whom He will share His glory.

        The Son, Jesus Christ, was the builder of this cosmos, and He was the One who would pay the price for saving men from eternal hell. However, there are requirements for those who would escape that hell. They must come to Christ through faith in His sacrifice, find forgiveness and thereby be adopted into God’s family.

        The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to lead and guide believers into Christlikeness. He speaks not of Himself but He always lifts up Christ. It is His work that keeps Christians on the path to eternal salvation. It is obvious that each member of the trinity has a part in bringing many sons to glory. The Trinity is first seen in Geneses 1:26 which reads: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness …” (emphasis mine) Notice, the pronouns are plural. It cannot be that God is referring to the angels or any other created beings in heaven, for they are not created in God’s image. Only man was created in the image of God. The Hebrew word, “eloheem” or “eloliym” used here very unquestionably refers to more than one. Eloheem is plural, unlike “Yahweh”, which is singular. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one in unity, purpose, desire, and in every other way and, therefore, are One, yet three separate beings. Jesus prayed that His disciples would be one as He and the Father are one (John17:21). This prayer which Jesus prayed just prior to His crucifixion helps us understand the nature of The Trinity and the unity that exists among those three.

        A few more scriptures for confirmation: Col.1:14-17: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

        The phrase, “he is before all things” clearly means that Jesus existed before the world was created. We find this same truth in Jesus’ prayer in John 17. Let’s consider a few verses there where Jesus makes this fact very clear. 1) John17:5: “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” 2) John17:24: “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”

The Humanity Of Jesus

        It appears that some believers have difficulty in understanding the deity of Jesus and His condescension to humanity. The problem seems to be the supernatural power and anointing Jesus operated in as a human. Jesus functioned in the power of God, but He did not operate in His deity. He functioned in and through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus stated clearly that the words He spoke were not His own and the works He did were the Father’s. John14:10: “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” Jesus spoke only what the Father gave Him to speak and teach, and the miracles He performed were under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus laid aside His deity and operated only as the Father instructed Him. Philippians 2:7 reads, “But made himself (Jesus) of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” The Greek word translated, “made of no reputation” is “ekénoosen” and is defined by James Strong: “NT:2758 to make empty, i.e. (figuratively) to abase, neutralize, falsify:” and the various ways it is translated in the KJV is “make (of none effect, of no reputation, void), be in vain.”

        If we consider any of these words, it reveals that Jesus emptied or laid aside the supernatural power of His deity. It was not that He was not God, but that He did not operate in His own power but trusted and rested totally in the power of His Father. This is a very important truth which needs to be clearly understood, for this truth involves every Christian. We are called to follow Jesus and in that call rests the obligation to do exactly as Jesus did. As He relied on His Father for every word He spoke and every deed He did, so must we learn to depend on the Holy Spirit for everything in our lives.

        If we consider this closely, we find that we, as believers, are to walk the same path as Jesus. Jesus said that greater works than He did, His followers were to do because He was ascending to the Father. How can believers do greater works than He did? By surrendering to the leading power of the Holy Spirit and be sold out to do the Father’s will above everything else, just as Jesus did. Jesus learned obedience by the things He suffered and He, as a man, came to the place where His will was totally surrendered to His Father. This was manifest throughout His life, from the time He went into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil until the time He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “not my will but thine be done” (Luke22:42). May all believers come to this place where we can pray that same prayer.

        When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the little donkey, the multitudes laid palm branches and garments in the path He was taking and were shouting praises to Him. The Pharisees and religious leaders were angry with Jesus because He did not stop the people from worshipping Him. If Jesus were not God, He should have stopped them. The very fact that He allowed them to worship Him showed that He considered Himself God. He told the Pharisees that if the people had not worshipped Him, the very rocks would have cried out.

        In contrast with this event, we read of a case where John the beloved almost worshipped a man; John the beloved was on the Isle of Patmos when a fellow servant came to him and the appearance of this fellow servant was so glorious that John almost fell down to worship him. However, the man told him not to worship him for he was a servant of like passion. (Rev.19:10) Yet, in the case above ,Jesus did not stop the worship of the people as He rode into Jerusalem, thereby providing evidence He was God.

        In conclusion, let me make one more important point. If Jesus were not God, it would have been impossible for Him to not sin. He would have had the same fallen nature that all men have. However, if it were somehow possible for Him to have refrained from all sin and had been able to rise above sin, maintaining a sinless life, He could have given His life for only one man and not the whole human race. One human for one human might be just, but one human for a multitude which no man can number (Rev.7:9) would not be just. But God is just, and it will be proven on judgment day. It was, therefore, necessary that the One who died for the sins of the whole world be deity, for Jesus, who is God, is more valuable and precious than a whole world of sinners. The price paid was greater in value than all mankind because Jesus was God.

        When men go to battle, it is the king that is most important to protect. When the king was slain, the battle ended. Many men would die to protect one king and the reason is evident. Likewise, it was the value of Jesus as God, as deity, that made His sacrifice sufficient for the sins of the whole world. We should ever be thankful that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that priceless gift, God in the flesh to redeem a fallen world. It was necessary that Jesus be born of God in order that He not have the nature of fallen man and essential that He be born of a virgin in order that He might also be a man, born of flesh and blood. So, in the virgin birth we see the wisdom and design of God’s omnipotence and omniscience. May His name be forever honored and glorified.

 

 

 

 

“CONSIDER YOUR WAYS”

(Haggai 1:5)

Lorraine Scullin

        Ancient Israel was deceived by certain age-old delusions, and many others have likewise been ensnared by the same philosophies. They felt they were “The” people of God simply because He had called them. They trusted in the fact that they were Israelites, and, therefore, they assumed they were “The” favored of God. They seemed to be unaware of the divine principle – that God is no respecter of persons (Rom.2:11; Deut.10:17; Acts10:34). They took for granted that being called of God was to be equated with being chosen of God.

        Multitudes have been moved upon by the Creator to walk with Him and to come into a special relationship with Him. Actually, every individual has been given a witness of heavenly things so that each man can find God, if he so desires. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Rom.1:20).

        Israel never discerned that they were to earn the privilege of being set apart for a certain mission to the nations. Those whom God uses must qualify for the honor He has placed upon them. There is no special virtue in merely being called of God, for “many are called,” but the merit lies in making oneself eligible to answer the call. According to the Scriptures, there are few who do this (Matt.22:14; 20:16).

        The Greek word for “chosen” means “selected from a number already called,” indicating both discrimination and elimination on the part of the One who chooses. Since God will make no arbitrary choice of men (He is not a tyrant that He should resort to force), there must be a basis by which He does differentiate and select people. “Them that honour me, I will honour” (ISam.2:30).

        The opposite is equally true: Them that dishonor Him, He will dishonor. God is dishonored when His laws are despised and His commandments are broken (Num.15:31; Lev.26:14-17). “And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering” (Gen.4:4) – “but unto Cain and to his offering, he had no respect” (Gen.4:5). God had given explicit instructions regarding the laws of sacrifice. Abel respected them by obeying them to the letter, while Cain preferred his own ideas of worship. On the basis of Abel’s deliberate choice of doing what God required, Abel found favor with God. The individual makes the decision as to what he shall do in regard to God’s laws. This determines the kind of vessel he will be, either a vessel unto honor (one who respects and loves God so much that he will do what God asks) or a vessel unto dishonor (one who ignores and despises God’s commands) (IITim.2:20,21).

        When God calls men to walk with Him in this marvelous state of fellowship, described in the book of Hebrews as the state of “glory” (Heb.2:10), He makes available to them the means by which this can be done. God provides the instruments – but man must meet the conditions and requirements of the call of God, by his efforts. Through repentance, the cleansing blood of Christ is applied, and he becomes a son of God; at the same time, he is translated immediately into the Kingdom of God. However, man’s state and place in that Kingdom is determined by that individual’s choices as demonstrated by his acts of obedience. Therefore, His people are counseled to work out their salvation “with fear and trembling” (Phil.2:12).

        Another fallacy in which Israel placed great confidence concerned the miraculous works which God performed in their midst. Because of the many signs and wonders, they felt secure, and assumed that this constituted God’s approval of them. These mighty works were speaking a message to them of His wonderful provision and love for them, but miracles do not necessarily create the faith that operates through obedience. Man’s confidence is developed, not by miracles, but by the word of God, for “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom.10:17). The final evidence that one actually hears is that he obeys what he has received, for “faith without works is dead” (James2:20).

        The tragic outcome resulting from the evidence of the miraculous, even though the wonder and the sign are sent from God, is that these works harden the heart if no response is made by those to whom the miracle appears. Pharaoh, of Egypt, is an unforgettable example. Every supernatural act performed before this heathen tyrant only made him more stubborn and rebellious until he was so hardened that nothing could reach him – not even the death of his eldest son.

        “Then began he (Jesus) to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not” (Matt.11:20). They were Israelites, professing to be His people, but seeing His works and hearing His words, they did not respond. “The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here” (Luke11:32).

        “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here” (Matt.12:12).

        “Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you” (Matt.11:21,22). Could it be that someone failed to bear the message to Tyre and Sidon?

        “And thou, Capernaum, which are exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works…had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee” (Matt.11:23,24). Could it be that Lot never gave a testimony to the people of Sodom? Certainly, had he been more “salty” and his light less dim, it is quite possible that some would have repented because of his witness, and the city could have been spared.

        Just as there is always a reaction to the miraculous works of God, so there is a similar one to the words of the Lord. My Word “shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish…the things whereto I sent it” (Isa.55:11). It is either accepted or rejected. When people hear the word of the Lord and refuse to make the proper response to it, the heart becomes like adamant, and after the process of time, nothing can reach it or melt it.

        This was ancient Israel’s plight. “And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers…because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets…till there was no remedy” (IIChron.36:15,16).

        God’s people of this day are warned against this same condition of heart in the book of Hebrews. Three times we are admonished: “To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation” (Heb.3:7,8,15; 4:7). If they make the right response, He will lead those servants into the glories of His Kingdom.

        The appeal of the world had terrific impact upon Israel of old, causing them to want to be like the nations (ISam.8:4-7). Therefore, in their rebellious and hardened hearts they committed one of the greatest, if not the greatest, acts of infamy ever perpetrated by any people. They rejected the God of Israel from being their King. They wanted a king like the nations. They refused divine government and wanted to be led by an instrument of flesh.

        The wonderful God whom they had turned from as King and Commander was the Lord Jesus Christ. He was “that spiritual rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ” (ICor.10:4). They “thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt” (Acts7:37-39). He it was who covered them with the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. For forty years He provided for all of their needs without the benefit of stores, factories, farms or any human agency. He was devoted to them and desired them to become a peculiar treasure unto Him above all people (Ex.19:5), but, as in Christ’s day, they would “not have this man to reign over them (Luke19:12-27)!

        Therefore, let us “consider our ways” (Haggai1:5) lest we follow in the same footsteps of ancient Israel, who were called to the glories of His Kingdom, but who did not qualify as the chosen of God because they rejected the King of Israel as Their Lord and Master, and they refused His commandments.

        “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall” (ICor.10:6-12).

 

 

 

 

DO MIRACLES MAKE BELIEVERS?

George Scullin

        It is said that seeing is believing. Is this actually so, or is this another fable that many good, sincere people have accepted as truth? Don’t most people feel that if they saw a miracle of God it would inspire them to walk closer to God? How many Christian workers and ministers wish that they could do some supernatural wonder in order to convince others of the message that they give? The truth of the matter is that it just doesn’t work that way. We are clearly taught throughout the scriptures that miraculous events do not change an individual’s unbelief. Jesus said very plainly that “neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke16:31).

        Take a good look at Israel in the wilderness as an example of this truth. This people that God brought out of Egypt were witnesses and partakers of wonderful miracles, but Hebrews, the third chapter, tells us that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Consider the following:

        Israel beheld the miracles performed in Egypt before Pharaoh. They saw the river turned to blood. They saw the plague of frogs. They saw the plague of lice. They saw the plague of flies. They saw the Egyptian cattle destroyed, and their own cattle saved. They saw the plague of boils on the Egyptians. They saw the hail fall and destroy the Egyptian’s crops. They saw the locusts swarm over the Egyptians. They saw the darkness cover Egypt, but they had light in their dwellings. They beheld the sorrow and heard the heart-rending cries as the firstborn of the Egyptians were slain on the night of the first Passover. Did this make believers of the Israelites? No more than it did of the Egyptians. Now, let us ask ourselves this question, “Would I not believe and walk in implicit faith and obedience if I experienced such things as Israel did in Egypt?” We think we would. But let us go on.

        Look at Israel before the Red Sea. A pillar of cloud hovered over them by day, providing a shade. At night a pillar of fire was there for light (Ex.13:20-22). When the Egyptians came in sight, did Israel show faith in God? Not at all. They cried out in accusation against Moses. When God moved the pillar of cloud to stand between Israel and Egypt and rolled back the waters of the Red Sea, giving Israel a DRY path through the sea, and then rolled the water over their enemies, destroying them, one would think that this surely would dispel every doubt and bit of unbelief concerning God’s ability to deliver from any trouble. Not so. Three days later Israel was murmuring against Moses because of a lack of water! Like many of today’s converts, they really were not converted at all. They just had an emotional experience and thought they were changed. Any decision based on an emotional impulse is a poor foundation for a walk with God. Each and every one would do well to heed the words of Jesus in Luke 14, and sit down and count the cost to be sure he is willing to pay the price to serve God.

        And, after all of these miraculous things, Israel continued to experience daily miracles for two years before they finally rebelled to the extent that God said they could not enter the promised land but would die in the wilderness for their unbelief. During that time they had the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud with them constantly. They were given the manna from heaven six days a week. Water was brought out of the rock for them twice. They heard the voice of God speak from Mount Sinai, when He gave them the law. The seventy elders ate and drank with the Lord on the mount. Did these daily miraculous manifestations and these special miracles make believers of the Israelites? It did not! While Moses was on the mount, they persuaded Aaron to make an idol of gold that they might worship it. They rebelled against Moses and against God, refusing to obey what they were told to do. They lusted after flesh, and they despised the manna God gave them from heaven. The miracles did not change them at all, and the Word given did not profit them, because they did not have faith (Heb.4:2)! When the spies were sent out into the land of promise, ten of the twelve that were sent out brought back a report based on unbelief. They were afraid of the giants; they were awed by the high walls around the cities. “Let us return into Egypt,” they cried. They were about to stone the two believers in the camp when God pronounced the awful judgment: “Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened unto my voice; surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it” (Num.14:22,23).

        With the exception of the two faithful, believing spies and those that were under twenty years old when Israel came out of Egypt, every other soul perished and bleached their bones in the wilderness, because they believed not! Miracles did not change them.

        Balaam’s ass speaking as a man did not change Balaam. He went right on in his own headstrong way. The miracles of Elijah and Elisha, as well as those of other men of God, did not change those unbelieving kings and their unbelieving people. True, they acted differently for a short time, and, like Israel in the wilderness, they would say, “All that the Lord hath said, that will we do,” but they did not do it!

        If men cannot be changed by the words spoken by the Son of God, and cannot be moved by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, then nothing else can change them. “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son” (Heb.1:1,2). If men will not heed HIS message, they will not heed anything. Miracles will not change them.