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• WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS
• WITH A PURPOSE IN MIND
• SATAN CAME ALSO
• RANK FATALISM
• LETTER FROM A READER
• OUR RESPONSE ON THE SABBATH QUESTION

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August 2024

 

 

 

 

WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS

PRAYER FOR AMERICA

Alfred King

        As the news spread across the U.S. of the attempted assassination of former President Trump, it brought afresh and more acutely the division, turmoil and confusion that exists in America’s politics today.  Over the past decade the political climate has become hotter and hotter and is to the point today that hatred is affecting citizens on both sides of the aisle.  In less than twenty-four hours after the attempted assassination of President Trump, accusations and finger-pointing were being hurled from politicians and news personalities.  This most unfortunate event was not really shocking considering all the animosity expressed from most news sources and media companies which stir up strife among the populous.  The whole political landscape is filled with anger, contention, and strife to the point that some who have no moral foundation are ready to take matters into their own hands and strike out in anger and do the unthinkable.

        Some wonder how we arrived at this point in our nation’s history.  How is it that many of America’s cities have become hot beds of crime, drugs, homelessness, and other deplorable conditions?  Crime is growing every day in major cities and little is being done to curb it.  Lawlessness and anarchy seems to be the norm in the 21^st century and many of those proven methods of the past which dealt with these issues have been set aside and more liberal policies put in their place.  Yet, with all the evil that has sprung from these new policies, they continue down the same foolish road being too proud to admit that their policies don’t work.  Pride will not humble itself and face truth.

        It seems that over the past few years, every decision that our government has made has been wrong.  When speaking of “wrong decisions” I refer to scripture as the manual on how human beings should live in God’s creation.  Hardly any recent laws or policies line up with God’s standards and instructions.  God, who is infinite in knowledge and wisdom, gave men laws which, if followed and observed, would offer the greatest blessings upon all men.  Yet, men have since creation refused to follow God’s moral and governmental laws.  We then wonder how we have arrived at the place we are today where more and more people are becoming barbaric rather than more civilized.

        It is sad that our politicians do more criticizing of their opponents than informing the electorate what their vision for the future is and how they plan to bring about that vision.  I have felt for years that it would be nice to hear a speech where one would share his vision and leave off completely all the slander and personal attacks on their opponent.  Let us hear each one’s blueprint for the future of America and his strategy in bringing it about and let the people elect whom they prefer.

        Where we are today makes one wonder: Can America survive the internal strife that is dividing her today?  Will she wake up and realize that she is self-destructing before it is too late?  How long can this continue before our enemies take advantage of our weakness and we find ourselves no longer the greatest nation that has ever existed on the earth?   We may be the most foolish nation ever to exist when we have allowed these known destructive forces to continue in this once great nation.  Can President Trump change the course America is on?  No man can himself alone change the course she is on; only God can.  The future of America lies at the feet of the church.  Let us continue to pray and seek God that He will change the direction America is on and find the path He desires.

        We at People of the Living God are thankful that former President Trump escaped the assassin’s bullet but are saddened for Corey Comperatore who was killed at the Trump rally.  Our hearts go out to his family who have lost more than we can possibly know.  Our prayers are with them and for our nation.  May America return to God so He can bless her once again.

 

 

 

 

WITH A PURPOSE IN MIND

Curtis Dickinson

        This is the generation of knowledge and power.  Man has been able to explore space as well as the tiny invisible human cell.  He has created “smart bombs” that destroy targets with pinpoint accuracy, and he has developed technology to instantaneously transmit voices and images worldwide.  At the touch of a key, vast realms of knowledge that would fill thousands of volumes are available on the internet to millions of people in their homes.  Our nation is now said to be the world’s one and only Super Power.

        The question is: To what purpose?  We hold the world’s record for incarcerations.  Ours is the only nation where children murder their classmates.  The electronic “information highway” has failed to lead down the road to moral standards and a safe environment.

        We have attained great power and knowledge but with no great purpose in mind.  The rule of those who hold the reins of this power is marked with injustice, deceit, and greed.  It is said that “power corrupts,” and never has this been more obvious than in our present time.  Wielding power without the right purpose can only yield destruction.

        If there is a correct purpose to be pursued by man, it must be that purpose revealed by man’s Creator, and if we seek any other purpose than that, it is not only the wrong purpose but it is doomed to failure, for only that which fits the eternal plan of God will ultimately be accomplished.  His purpose was stated in the beginning, when He said, “Let us make man in our image after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26).  Adam and Eve rejected that purpose when they sought to become “as God,” and pursued a purpose of their own (Gen. 3:5).  We know the sad results.

        To enable man to fulfill His purpose, God has given rules and instructions that we might have a mind-to-mind relationship with Him, but the history of man is a record of his attempt to find a way to live by his own rules.  “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against Jehovah, and against his anointed, saying Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their cords from us” (Psalm 2:2-3).  Our legislators and courts make it illegal for God’s commandments to be taught in school and, instead, seek to annul those commandments by legalizing abortion, prohibiting parental discipline, and making sodomy acceptable.  One can spend 12 years in a public school and 4 to 6 more years in a University, and learn absolutely nothing of the Creator’s purpose.  In fact, great effort is made to keep the student from thinking of the Creator at all, or even believing that He exists.  Then the “educators” hold conferences and ask how the massacre at the Littleton school could have happened.

        The violence taking place all over the world is the result of man exercising his God-given power for the wrong purposes, rather than seeking the purpose of God.

        God’s purpose is demonstrated in His Son, Jesus Christ, “who is the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15).  God not only gave His son as a sacrificial offering to atone for our sins that we might be free of sin and death but also that we might know the purpose of the Father through the Son.  We see in Jesus one who perfectly fulfilled the Father’s purpose.  Not only did God publicly announce that He was well pleased with His son, but Jesus so perfectly fulfilled every facet of God’s purpose that He was exalted to the right hand of God and given dominion over the creation (Luke 3:22; Eph. 1:20-22).

        When we make the commitment to follow Jesus, we are also committing to fulfill God’s purpose to have us in His image.  Paul wrote that those who are called according to His purpose are foreordained to be conformed to the image of His son (Rom. 8:28,29).  Making us into that image requires a lot of changes – serious changes.  He isn’t playing – none of this foxhole religion, false promises, hollow worship, or lip service.  We are to be transformed from the inside out.  The theme that is popular with the church crowds today is prosperity, fame, pleasure, and security, and little concern for the ultimate purpose.  One wants to settle the whole thing about eternity in one moment, so he can get it over with and get on with his life.

        But it is a lifetime process.  Jesus said, “Let him take up his cross daily and follow me.”  In the words of Paul, we are buried with Christ through baptism into death: “that we also might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).  That’s just the beginning of new life, and it is a continuous walk in the direction of God’s purpose.

        John wrote that everyone who has the hope of becoming like Jesus “purifies himself, even as he is pure” (I John 3:3).  This is not to say that we can perfect ourselves to His image by our own will and efforts.  The broad way, which Jesus said leads to destruction, is littered with the broken lives of those who thought they could rise to the heights of perfection by their own determination and ability.  What God wants from us is humility, trust, and obedience.  The transformation is by His hand when we submit to Him.

        Our confidence is in God, not in ourselves.  Can God fulfill His purpose?  Indeed, He can.  “God is able to make all grace abound unto you…” (II Cor. 9:8).  That grace may come in the form of suffering, loss, or persecution.  When we allow external circumstances to fill us with anxiety and make us worry, what does this say about God’s grace but that it has failed and God cannot provide:?  The apostle Paul prayed to the Lord three times to remove the “thorn in the flesh” which he suffered, but the answer was, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness” (II Cor. 12:8,9).  Paul then wrote, “Wherefore I take pleasure in weakness, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong” (v. 10).

        Once we tell Him that we want His will to be done we can expect some real work to begin to reshape us – cutting off a growth of pride here, shaving away an ugly spot (in the heart) there, cutting out a tumor of lust or cancer of greed.  We are talking about change in which the old man is put to death and buried, so that the new man may emerge in the image of God (Eph. 4:22-24).  We must cease thinking as the world thinks, in terms of a life of ease without problems or pain.  Jesus promised the opposite: tribulation, persecution, a cross to bear, hatred of the world, chastening, etc.

        Sometimes the things that we see as tragedies and hardships are rather the strong steps that God takes in order to humble us, for we will never yield to the strong hands of the Potter until the lumps of pride and self-righteous resistance are removed.  He has the power to use all the tough trials as tools to fashion us into His image.  He could remove the pain, but it might also remove an important step in our growth.  Hard circumstances are our opportunities to depend on God’s grace, and also to manifest to the world that we belong to Him.  A recent letter from a dear brother asked for prayer because he was battling cancer and was weak in faith.  In my reply, I said that I, too, had battled cancer but believed that I would live as long as God wants me to, and therefore I have no reason to be anxious about it.  I wrote, “The Lord will give you life as long as He can use you for His purpose.  Of course, we would like to feel good and healthy while He is using us, but if not, there is still spiritual health and growth that may be advanced in spite of the physical problems.”  Such problems remind us of our mortality, that this life is temporary and will soon pass, but God has something far better in His plan for us.

        The fulfillment of that plan will be glorious beyond anything we are able to imagine.  Peter described it as “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away” (I Peter 1:4).  Peter was writing to Christians who were suffering terrible persecution, but he told them not to think of their fiery trials as something strange, “but inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also you may rejoice with exceeding joy” (I Peter 4:13).

        When Jesus prayed, “Not my will be done, but thine,” He knew the Father’s purpose, and that it would bring Him suffering and death.  He also knew that death was not the end, but that He would be raised up and crowned with glory and honor.

        Paul wrote, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18), and that “Our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory” (II Cor. 4:17).

        God’s purpose to have us in His image has not changed, and it is to the glory of that goal that we are being led in triumph by Christ our King.

 

 

 

 

SATAN CAME ALSO

Job 1:6

Randall Walton

        In ancient times Satan was a free-roving adversary who had freedom of mobility in both earth and heaven.  Not only was he able to attend a heavenly assembly, he had access to God Himself and conversed with Him openly.  Even though he was allowed to appear in heaven and could go “to and fro in the earth,” and “walk up and down in it,” he was limited in his activities among mankind by the authority of God.

        Satan could not attack God’s servant, Job, without God’s permission.  He was not even allowed to come against Job physically until God assented.  Even then, the Lord limited the degree to which Job could be smitten: “save his life,” God commanded.

        The word satan means adversary or enemy.  He has, from the very beginning, opposed mankind because of his hatred for God.  He is against everything that God is for.  He will strike out against God, God’s people, God’s creation and work with all the ability he is allowed to exercise.  He has been the instigator of all evil, a deceiver who is bent on the destruction of mankind.  As the “god of this world” (age), he has promoted a system of anti-God activities and pleasures as a means of luring humanity into his web of ungodliness and rebellion.

        But let us not forget God’s man Job.  Satan could not attack Job personally without God’s permission!  He had neither the power nor the authority to do as he wished in the affairs of man.  As a deceiver, he could only deceive those who were willing to be deceived.  As an example, consider Eve, the first woman.  Satan did not overpower her and make her disobey God’s voice.  She was deceived (I Tim. 2:14), but willingly so.

        Not only did satan attempt to influence and destroy mankind, he also desired to undermine the very heavenly government of the living God by leading astray myriads of the angels of heaven (II Peter 2:4; Jude 6).  As a murderer and the father of lies (John 8:44), he was successful in rallying a host of spirit beings who willingly followed him in his act of sedition and revolt.  His access to the realms of heaven permitted him to proselytize among God’s created beings who inhabited that heavenly abode.

        But satan’s freedom of travel and mobility was short-lived.  God had determined that satan’s liberty to attend heavenly gatherings would come to an end.  It was prophesied of him at the downfall of Eve that her seed (or offspring) would bruise the “serpent’s head” (Gen. 3:15).  For four long millennia satan enjoyed a freedom of movement and accessibility to God which would be taken away in one grand moment of triumph and victory over that arch enemy of God and man.

Then Jesus Came

        Jesus made several positive statements regarding satan and his activities, statements which should not be overlooked nor set aside:

        “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out” (John 12:31).  “Cast out” of where?  “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven”! (Luke 10:18)

        And again in John: “of judgment because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16:11).

        The Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons with the power of the devil, to which He replied: “But if I cast out devils (demons) by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.  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. 12:28,29).

        The implication is very plain that Jesus bound “the strong man,” the devil or satan, and He then “spoiled his house” by casting out demons.

        The ministry of Jesus was a demonstration of His power and authority over satan and his demonic legions.  The final blow came upon His death, the shedding of His precious blood: “that through death he might destroy (make powerless) him that had the power of death, that is, the devil”! (Heb. 2:14)

        In the light of all the foregoing evidence we wonder why the majority of Bible scholars maintain that Revelation 20:1-4 is future, i.e., that satan will be bound for a literal 1,000 years.  Had Jesus not dealt with satan during His 3½ year ministry and His death on the cross, then satan would be free to wander the streets of glory and to sit in on the heavenly assemblies.  But he has been cast out of heaven and stripped of the liberty he once enjoyed.

Cast Out Into The Earth

        Revelation 12:7-10 pictures an event that plainly parallels the Scriptures we have noted above concerning the devil and his cronies: “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.  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.”

        Here, then, is proof positive that Jesus Christ dealt with that old serpent, the devil, and “bruised his head.” Satan was cast out of heaven and into the earth.  No more can he appear before God and accuse God’s people of receiving special status and consideration with the Almighty.

        Now, Brother Peter informs us, that he traverses the earth as a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8,9).  And James says to “resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:8).

        Not only does he not enjoy the freedom he had before Jesus went to the cross, neither does he have the authority he once exerted.  He can only devour those who are willing to be overcome by him.  Those who want nothing to do with Satan or his crowd need only to resist.

Now

        With the expulsion from heaven of satan and his angels, certain profound victories were brought to pass: Rev. 12:10.

        1-“Now is come salvation.”  Salvation came about as a result of Jesus’ death on the cross: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins…” (Ephesians 1:7).  Salvation means deliverance, deliverance from sin, deliverance from oppression, deliverance from spiritual death.  “who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Col. 1:13).

        2-“And strength.”  The word strength is translated from the Greek dunamis which is properly rendered power.  We derive our English word dynamite from dunamis.  This dynamite power was given to the church through the redemptive work of Jesus.  He ordered the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they were “endued with power (dunamis) from on high” (Luke 24:49).  And in Acts 1:8 He stated that they would “receive power (dunamis) after that the Holy Ghost was come upon them,” a fact which occurred on the day of Pentecost when they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

        That awesome power was manifest throughout the early days of the church as recorded in the book of Acts.  “wonders and signs,” “miracles,” “healings,” “judgment,” “evil spirits cast out,” etc.  “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus…” (Acts 4:33).

        That same power could have, no, should have, remained with God’s people these many centuries.  But as carnality was permitted to enter the ranks of the people, the power slowly but surely dissipated, and men today say that’s the way it ought to be.  We disagree with that assessment, of course.  The church was to have been a powerhouse of supernatural glory and honor – a city set on a hill which could not be hidden.  With the power deleted from its ranks, it is little more than a religious club, a core of entertainment where the appetites of the flesh are fulfilled.  When the power subsided from the church, so did the mighty presence of the Almighty God.

        3-“And the kingdom of our God.”  Few people today accept the glorious truth of the present reality of the kingdom of God.  They anticipate the setting up of a physical, material, visible, earthly kingdom with its headquarters in Palestine.  Such a monstrosity will never be, for Jesus declared that His kingdom is not of this world! (John 18:36)

        His coming again will be for the purpose of judging the wicked, and for gathering His faithful followers to Himself.  He will not restore an earthly kingdom to a rebellious, unbelieving, ungodly Jewish nation.  Jesus made several outstanding statements regarding the kingdom and His Kingship:

        “The kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:14,15)

        “seek ye first the kingdom of God” (Matt. 6:33)

        “the kingdom of God is come unto you” (Matt. 12:28)

        “the keys of the kingdom” (Matt. 16:19)

        “gospel of the kingdom shall be preached” (Matt. 24:14)

        “of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:33)

        “the glad tidings of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:1)

        “sent them to preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:2)

        “the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you” (Luke 10:9,11)

        “no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you” (Luke 11:20)

        “kingdom of God cometh not with observation” (Luke 17:20)

        “kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21)

        These are but a portion of the references concerning the kingdom of God uttered by Jesus.  To these, Paul has added several pertinent verses:

        “The kingdom of God…is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17)

        “the kingdom of  God is not in word, but in power” (I Cor. 4:20)

        “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (I Cor. 15:50)

        “called you unto his kingdom and glory” (I Thess. 2:12)

        All of these statements allude to the fact that the kingdom of God is a spiritual reality and amounts to the rulership and blessing of the living God within the hearts and lives of the true believers.  The truth that it cannot be seen literally (comes not by observation, or sight) offends many people who expect a material, earthly kingdom to be established upon this earth.  God has something in store for His people far greater than this old planet which is only temporal!  (II Cor. 4:17-18)

        4-“And the power of his Christ.”  The word “power” here comes from the Greek “exousia” which means authority!  In Matthew 28:18 where Jesus declared that, “All power is given unto me, in heaven and in earth,” the word authority should have been used rather than power.

        Jesus, as King of kings and Lord of lords, possesses all authority in heaven and on earth.  Authority is actually greater than power, for whoever has authority is a ruler, or chief administrator.  He is the Supreme Commander over all the affairs of mankind and is presently working out His plans and purposes in the world.

        To His disciples He stated: “Behold, I give unto you authority (exousia) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power (dunamis) of the enemy: and nothing by any means shall hurt you” (Luke 10:19).  This authority was an extension of His own regal status as the governor over the people of God (Matt. 2:6).

        “And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with authority (exousia) (Luke 4:32).  This authority of Christ was demonstrated all through His ministry.  It was seen in His ability to heal “every manner of sickness and disease,” to cast out demons, to raise the dead, to command the winds and waves to be calm, to clean house at the temple (twice), to multiply the bread and fish to feed the thousands.

        And perhaps the greatest show of His authority was when He “laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years” (an unspecific and symbolic period of time).  This He accomplished through His death (Heb 2:14) when He “spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew (or display) of them openly (publicly), triumphing over them in it” (Col 2:15).

        It is a fact that “the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared to many,” (Matt. 27:52,53) thus confirming that Jesus had not only conquered death but also him “who had the power of death, that is the devil.”

        Yes, satan is still alive, though not doing well, but he has neither power nor authority over those who are under the authority of the blood of Jesus Christ.  He cannot rule you nor your life unless you yield to him and allow him to dominate you (I John 3:8).

Loosed A Little Season

        There will come a time when, in order for God to finish His work among mankind, satan will be loosed for a short period.  The restraints which are placed upon him presently will be removed so as to allow him to rally the forces of evil and iniquity in a final thrust at God and His people.  He will not be successful in his final attack against the righteous, but he will certainly try.

        Thank God that we have the absolute assurance that satan will be cast into “everlasting fire” which God has “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10).  Amen.

 

 

 

 

RANK FATALISM

Harry R. Miller

        Over the years several readers of the Testimony of Truth have become offended by certain things which have been written, apparently because they do not conform to the doctrines held by their particular denomination.

        It is an indisputable fact that every sectarian system under the sun holds its own doctrinal creed, searched out and established by eminent and learned scholars of each particular group.  But regardless of the scholarly erudition and exemplary lives of these men, and no matter how greatly their judgment is respected or their memory revered, unless they received divine wisdom and revelation from God they were not qualified to draft creeds and delineate doctrine.  Even a cursory comparison of the different established denominational dogmas extant today will amply serve to illustrate this point.

        Certainly, it would be the height of absurdity to put a premium on ignorance, but by the same token, it is equally ridiculous to place too high a value upon scholastic ability with regard to religious affairs, for it is almost axiomatic that great scholarship is not conducive to deep spirituality.  “For you see your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (I Cor. 1:26).

        The apostle Paul was one of the few truly great scholars whom the Lord has used to declare His message.  The Holy Spirit always works through people who are completely dedicated to God, and it is usually those “unlearned” in worldly wisdom who are willing to submit themselves to Him.  The backbone of every deeply religious movement has been largely composed of “the lowly people” who are looked down upon by much of the scholastic world.

        The most colossal theological blunders are not perpetrated by illiterate and ignorant men.  Many of those twisted doctrinal timbers which help to support that present-day-Babylonian-type-structure commonly known as the Protestant Church have been maneuvered into line by certain heady and high-minded scholars who have desired to keep the church abreast of the times, at whatever cost to truth; while some of the other warped foundational pillars have been more or less fumbled into place by well-meaning but misguided students of philosophy who have based their theories upon purely human reasoning.

        The Bible plainly tells us that many things which are hidden from the eyes of “the wise and prudent” have been “revealed unto babes.”  Paul declares that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God,” and adds, “for it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness” (I Cor. 3:19).

        It might be a good idea if certain of the scholars would do a little reflecting upon the very basic fact that “the world by WISDOM knew not God” (I Cor. 1:21).

        Certainly, a trained and well-disciplined mind can be a great asset to any sincere and truth-loving scholar in his study of the Scriptures.  Such a person is capable of reason and logic, PROVIDED he is well-balanced emotionally and realizes the limitations of any human intellect.  On the other hand, the greatest hazard to truth lies in the hands of the Bible scholar who is carried away with the magnitude of HIS OWN WISDOM.  Because the emotions are so deeply rooted within the very spirit of man they are capable of becoming the truly dominating factors of his personality.  Then, no matter how brilliant the scholar, if he be emotionally unstable, it is so deceptively easy for his mind to become an obedient slave to the secret desires of his own spirit.  Such an intellectual mind is capable, then, of fabricating pseudo-logical theories as a sop to an enlarged ego; theories that often have foundation only in the fantasies of an excessively proud and sometimes near berserk mind.  This no doubt accounts for some of the ridiculous conclusions sometimes arrived at by otherwise extremely intelligent people.  Our brother Paul refers to such wisdom as “fleshly wisdom” (II Cor. 1:12).  Yet this sort of human mental activity is highly exalted in many religious circles.

        True God-given wisdom, such as that which informed the aged Simeon that the babe held in the arms of that lowly carpenter's wife was actually “the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25), is known as “the wisdom of the just” (Luke 1:17).  It was this same “wisdom” which made the 84-year-old Anna, whose days were spent in constant prayer, to know that this child was the “Lord's Christ.”

        James also spoke of “the wisdom that is from above” (James 3:17).  It is not something that can be arrived at by logical thinking, neither is it derived by the processes of sound reasoning.  What it actually amounts to is revelation from God.

        Such inspired revelation is in no way incompatible with the acquired knowledge of a trained mind, but neither is it dependent upon such humanly-attained wisdom.  There have been some very ignorant people who have received exact knowledge through divine revelation; while certain of the greatest Bible scholars have been known to stumble and fall over some of the primary facts of Christian doctrine because of the overconfidence in their own ability to reason things out had caused them to overlook the simplest things.

        My dear friends, we never despise, or in any way belittle the years of any man's intellectual training.  But we do admonish every man to take stock of the things that he has been taught, comparing them with that wisdom from above to see whether they will conform to the divinely inspired knowledge which is the true criterion, instead of measuring them against a sectarianized denominational rule.  For this reason, it is often well to study the viewpoints of others, even though they may conflict with what you believe.  This is always thought-provoking, as well as often stimulating to the mind, and there is the ever-present possibility of discovering certain aspects of truth which have hitherto escaped your notice.

        It is never wise to be so completely wrapped up in one particular denominational viewpoint that you are unwilling even to consider the other fellow's angle of perspective.  No denomination on earth can lay claim to perfection, and it is a sad, sometimes even fatal, mistake for anyone to be, even like Peter of old, so impressed and enthralled by the grandeur of the church that he fails to recognize the frailty of its structure, and would be appalled, as was Peter, to consider for even a moment the possibility of its succumbing to the end-time pressure so completely that “there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”  Such blind confidence in a fallible organization is extremely dangerous.  And for that very reason, it is a good idea to study, with an open heart and mind, every possible approach to all question of doctrine, even those that definitely conflict with what one has always been taught.  Surely a man should find out, before it is too late if he is trusting in false doctrine.  On the other hand, a man's faith is seldom strengthened by the ideas of those who believe exactly as he, himself, does.  It is when conflicting views are presented that one must dig deeper into his own foundations in order to defend what he believes.

        For those who have over the years been troubled by some of the articles published in the Testimony of Truth because they savor of what is sometimes called, “rank synergism” (e.g., the doctrine which teaches that in the effecting of regeneration, there is a co-operation between divine grace and the activity of the human will.), we will be offering several articles over the next few months that will addressing these concerns.  We want to present to those who reject “free will” revealing that they are advocates of rank fatalism, that is a doctrine which certainly found its inception in a pagan ancestry!  They further contend that we are in “hopeless confusion” with regard to the subjects of Law and Gospel.  In the light of articles that will be printed in the next few newsletters from People of the Living God, we ask that our readers read and study these articles and then ask yourselves if our logic, reason, and Biblical foundations are not equally as good, if not even superior to those set forth by your own denominations on this particular subject?

        We will appreciate hearing from anyone who feels that he is able to scripturally overthrow our presentation of these matters, however, read and study through the next seven articles and weigh the whole in light of scripture.  May God bless and enlighten each of us as we seek to find the strait gate and narrow way that leads to life.

 

 

 

 

LETTER FROM A READER

        Dear Randall,

        Greetings of Christian love in Jesus' name.

        I've been a long time subscriber to your Testimony of Truth, and I feel I've been helped tremendously in my Spiritual journey by your efforts.  Thank you.

        Over the years I thought a number of times I'd like to write you about an issue which you feel so strongly about, but never did.  Now in the July issue you made such severe remarks about keeping the Sabbath again that I'll put down my thoughts.  Please bear with me to the end.  My heart's prayer is that I write only out of a true love to my Creator, and to you.

        I'm 75, and have been a member of an Anabaptist Group, The Old Order Amish, since I was baptized at 18.  Most of us own, and highly respect, a very large book, The Martyr's Mirror, which has over 1100 pages.  Beginning with the deaths of the apostles, it lists the many thousands of people who were terribly tortured, and martyred down thru the centuries because of their unshakeable faith in the True Word of God.  Especially from 1500 to 1600 are thousands of listings of people who endured horrible sufferings because they refused to practice the false teachings of the R.C.C.  But I haven't found one instance where the issue was Sunday versus Sabbath.  No person on earth will make me believe that God was not with those martyrs.  Human will alone could not have kept them so steadfast.  Plus a number of times there was, without any doubt, Divine Intervention, so startling that the would-be torturers were so shaken that they refused to continue their devilish job, and some joined the Anabaptists.

        But according to your article, all their sufferings were totally in vain – they will not inherit salvation.  Will you be the judge?

        I have many books on early church history, and many Christians were keeping Sunday instead of the Sabbath long before the R.C.C. made that decree.

        You have expounded on Matt. 28:1 a number of times as proof that Jesus arose from the grave Sat. eve.  You glaringly omit the other 3 Gospel narratives which say, very early, yet dark, at the rising of the sun on the first day of the week.  We can also think that all the references Jesus made to the 10 Commandments, He never mentioned the Sabbath keeping, but said He is Lord over it (a power to do what He deems best).

        My greatest reason for not now switching to keeping Saturday.  We are direct descendants of those martyrs in 1600's, and I consider myself way below to their understanding of what God desires of His children.  Bodily sufferings purifies from fleshly lusts.  The 4 centuries since, we have kept Sunday as they did, and I never doubt that we have received untold, Heavenly Blessings – much more than we are ever worthy of.  In my lifetime, I've known a number of our people who became convinced to keep Sat. instead of Sun. because of reading articles like yours.  I don't know of one family who turned out well by making that switch.  Some are now divorced, and don't even attend a church anymore.  We are commanded to judge people by their fruits.

        I firmly believe that if we are part of a church, and/or family, where the leaders formed strong convictions, after much prayer, and serious study of God's Word, then we better abide therein.  For that reason, I would not recommend that you leave your group and join us, even tho I feel you err in more ways than one.  Not to stir up resentment, but only to clarify what I mean.  A few years ago, a reader had asked what you do about the commandment that a woman should wear a head covering.  With all your seriousness of following scripture, I was in disbelief of your callous answer that by twisting scripture, you do not feel necessary to obey that commandment.

        We take the commandment seriously that we are not to be conformed to this world.  That does not say in our thoughts, and desires only.  If our clothing and way of transportation is no different from an atheist, are we truly not conformed?

        Now please, I did not write this to justify myself, or in any way condemn you.  I only mentioned this to remind each of us that we need forbearance with each other.  Except when there are gross sins, plainly condemned in scripture, then we need to warn loudly as you so necessarily have been doing.

        Keep it up, and May you be Eternally Blest for doing so.

                                                Wishing you His Grace,

                                                EWK

 

 

 

 

OUR RESPONSE ON THE SABBATH QUESTION

        Brother EWK,

        We at “The Testimony of Truth” appreciate your letter and especially your Christian attitude along with your open and honest concerns and opinions regarding our stand on the seventh day Sabbath.  I hope here to respond in like manner and passion as you have shown in your letter to us.

        Let me begin by informing you and our readers that Brother Randall Walton, who was the pastor of People of the Living God and editor of “The Testimony of Truth” passed away in January 2014.  Brother Randall was a diligent student of the Word and was firm on what he believed scripture teaches, as we all should be.  He was not one who was “tossed about with every wind of doctrine” and was firm in what he believed.  However, as with all of us, that does not make everything he believed and taught to be absolute truth nor does it eliminate the possibility of presenting a conviction more forcefully than necessary and thereby causing offense.  All of us are fallible and subject to error in doctrine, and our presentation of doctrine can be over-zealously presented.  All doctrine must be subject to a higher standard and that standard is love.  What we present must be founded upon love for God and love for our fellow man, especially fellow believers.

        The Sabbath is and has been, over the centuries, a very controversial topic and much has been written from both sides of the issue.  Attempting to keep the Sabbath teaching from being that which divides the church seems to be impossible and sometimes in our zeal (whether for or against) we succumb to statements that are offensive and augmentative rather than instructive.  By instructive, I mean presented as one understands scripture teaches and yet with respect to those who may see it differently.  I have listened to many who engage in controversies over certain teachings and I have yet to see anyone convinced through arguments.  Truth most often is revealed through honest convictions when respect and humility are present.  God then is allowed to open one’s understanding to His truth.

        Since your letter is in response to the article in the July 2024 issue of the TOT, I include for our readers the paragraph with which I believe you were especially concerned.

        “Let it be understood that the keeping of the Sabbath is not ‘the seal of God.’  Observing that holy day does not secure one’s salvation.  However, refusing to observe it could cost you your salvation, just as committing adultery, stealing, killing, and lying can separate a person from God.  It is a very serious matter to strike out or rail against any of the commands of God, and it is even more of an insult to make a substitution for any of the laws or ordinances of the Lord.  God accounts such behavior as being worthy of desolation.” (Randall Walton: The Testimony of Truth – July 2024 article title, “Because”. [reprinted from September 1999])

        Two portions of scripture that inform us of what sin is:

        I John 3:4b: “… for sin is the transgression of the law”.

        James 4:17: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin”.

        From John’s statement, breaking the law is sin.  If the seventh day is the day God commands men to rest, then it is sin not to observe it.  If Sunday is the day of rest, then it is a sin not to observe it.  The question then is: Which is the day God blessed and sanctified?  Genesis tells us in chapter 2:2-3, “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”  God blessed and sanctified it: in other words, He set it apart from the other six days.

        The second point that is essential in regard to the Sabbath is that Israel observed the seventh day Sabbath before the Ten Commandments were given on Mount Sinai.  It is recorded in Exodus 16:  (I include the whole passage for the benefit of our readers.)  “And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.  And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.  And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field.  Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.  And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.  And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?  See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.  So the people rested on the seventh day.” (Ex. 16:23-30)

        One of the claims for Sunday observance is that Jesus did things on the Sabbath that showed that He was changing the Sabbath or annulling it.  He healed and performed miracles and He picked some corn.  This a very flimsy reason to change to the first day.  If Jesus were clearly changing the day, would He not have plainly stated it?  If the fourth commandment was to be substituted with Sunday, would He not have made this very clear to His disciples and those who followed Him?  To me, this absence of the change is more supportive of the seventh day than any claim for Sunday observance.  Jesus never gave even a hint of a Sabbath change in any of His teachings or His actions.

        The third point that I would make is that the Sabbath will be observed in the new heavens and new earth.  “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.  And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.” (Isa. 66:22-23)

        The fourth point I would point out is the scripture in Isaiah 24:5, which is the passage Brother Randall Walton referred to.  “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.”  Question: What is “the ordinance” if it is not the Sabbath?  Sabbath observance is the only ordinance contained in the Ten Commandments.  No one has ever answered this question for me except those who believe in seventh-day observance.

        Fifth point: The idea has been presented by many that while Jesus mentioned nine of the Ten Commandments, He never mentioned the Sabbath.  Jesus’ ministry was directed to the Jews who always observed the Sabbath.  There was no need to tell them not to worship on Sunday or any other day.  The heathen worshipped their gods on Sunday and this was obviously not something the New Testament church should do.  In fact, it was partially because of heathens being converted into the church that Constantine changed Sabbath worship to Sunday, to appease the heathen who still had that lingering desire to worship on the day they always did.

What About The Resurrection Of Jesus On The First Day Of The Week?

        Whether Jesus was resurrected on the first day or the seventh has nothing to do with the Sabbath.  Scripture nowhere states that the Sabbath was changed or that believers should now observe the first day instead of the seventh because of the resurrection.  This is a concoction of learned men who “changed the ordinance.”  And while the Catholic Church claims to have been the one who changed the day, it was actually changed before Constantine because of the persecution of the Jews.  (For those interested in studying deeper into this change, I submit the following links:  http://www.anym.org/pdf/from_Sabbath_to_Sunday_samuele_bacchiocchi.pdf (this is over 350 pages and is very thorough)

        https://sgwmscog.org/bible-study/sabbath/sabbath-changed-history/  

        https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1941/03/how-sunday-observance-entered-the-church

        Where in scripture are we told to observe the day Jesus rose from the dead?  We are told to remember His death but never His resurrection.  If we are to celebrate His death and this remembrance is a day, then according to the common teaching, we should observe Friday.  (However, Friday crucifixion is not true either.  Ask for our free tract entitled, “Three Days and Three Nights.”

What About The Martyrs?

        There is no question that God mercifully and mightily strengthened the martyrs to endure the mocking, torture, mental anguish, and death, not only to themselves but many times to their families as well.  Many times these saints would praise God as they faced death, whether it be by beheading or burned to death by fire.  These great Christians would often lift their hands to God as the fires leaped up around them.  It is also true that when Christians were being persecuted, Christianity flourished and members were added to the body of Christ.  Their testimonies witnessed to something greater than the lost had known, and God used these events to build a true body of believers who were willing to sacrifice all in order to please God.

        In your letter, you asked how the martyrs of the past could possibly be wrong about which day to observe.  Many, and possibly most, were Sunday keepers.  But I refer again to the scripture mentioned above: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)

        Brother Randall Walton stated in his article: “refusing to observe it could cost you your salvation, just as committing adultery, stealing, killing, and lying can separate a person from God.”  What he did not clarify is that when one does not know a commandment, and is ignorant of it, God’s grace covers the sin.  The early martyrs lived according to the knowledge they had and they loved God enough to die for Him.  Love covers a multitude of sins. (I Peter 4:8)  If this were not true, I would venture to say that no one would gain heaven.  God’s grace is sufficient for every believer's deficiencies or ignorance, for no man has all truth.  Thank God for that!

        Every moral law is understood to every honest heart.  It is obvious that men should worship only God and reverence Him.  This is contained in the first three of the Ten Commandments.  The last six deal with man’s relationship to others: honor parents, don’t steal, kill, commit adultery, bear false witness (lie), or covet.  These are laws written in men’s hearts.  Paul states in Romans that even Gentiles kept certain parts of the moral law: “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.” (Rom. 2:14-15)  We see then that Gentiles possessed a moral compass to which they adhered at least to some degree.

        However, the fourth commandment is not a moral law in the sense that the others are.  The fourth commandment is an ordinance and is not known innately.  It is moral only in the sense that men need a time to rest their bodies and a time to spend learning and seeking God.  This innate understanding does not indicate a specific day, it might be any day of the week or it might not even be every seven days – maybe it could be ten days or eight, etc.  The fourth commandment had to be specified to men.  Men must be told and taught it.  This is exactly what God did in Genesis chapter two.  God rested and sanctified it and made it holy.  If God made it holy, who should change the day?

The Lord’s Day

        Every Christian that I have encountered who regard Sunday as the New Testament Sabbath, have used Revelation chapter one and verse ten as proof of Sunday worship.  The verse reads thus: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.”  They claim this proves that Sunday is the new Sabbath.  However, this verse proves nothing.  Who can say this is referring to Sunday?  Why could it not be Wednesday or Saturday or any other day?  We must go to scripture to see what day is “The Lord’s Day.”

        We have already mentioned that God sanctified the seventh day at creation.  However, there are two other verses that tell us exactly which day is the Lord’s day. 

        1) Isa. 58:13: “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:”

        2) Mark 2:27-28, “And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.”  (emphasis mine)  These two verses clearly instruct us in the proper day God has chosen to be His holy day, and it is most obvious that John was in the Spirit on Sabbath – the Lord’s Day.

        I realize that there are many other points that could be made and discussed but endeavoring to condense this subject for use in the Testimony of Truth and not writing a book to you, I submit these thoughts for your consideration and prayer.

        In closing I want to again express the benevolent spirit I perceived in your letter.  It appears to me that you have a gentle spirit and you presented some very pertinent points that we all need to appreciate and study to make ourselves workmen who need not be ashamed but rightly divide the word of truth (II Tim. 2:15).  I pray you receive my response in the same manner in which I have received yours.  I pray God will enlighten all of us that we may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and be ready when He returns.

                                Your brother in Christ,

                                Alfred King (Editor)