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• >WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS
• OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST
• KNOW AND LIVE
• THE DEATH OF MY BEST FRIEND
• THE CHURCH
• THE SAINTS
• WARNING – GOD AT WORK
• CHANGED

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February 2026

 

 

 

 

WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS

LEFT BEHIND?

Randall Walton

        Authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins have written a successful novel (over 15,000,000 sold) regarding the supposed rapture of the church and the unlucky people who are left behind.  (The name of the book?  Left Behind).

        This 468-page Christian(?) book has but one Scripture “proof” reference in its entirety, a reference which, when taken in its totality, refutes the very idea which the book attempts to put over.  It is well-written and interesting to read because of the suspense and romance.  But it is a vain attempt to prove a fictitious tale which has no Scriptural foundation and could even cause irreparable harm to the unknowledgeable and Biblically ignorant peoples.

        The authors obviously assume that the doctrine of a secret catching away of the church just prior to a period of great tribulation and worldwide trouble is an accepted and well-founded belief; they, therefore, make no attempt whatever to present one iota of proof for their assumption.  And yet they have managed to sell over 15 million copies of this tall tale, and have also made a popular movie of the same.

       There are many other prophetic mistakes throughout the book, all of which are based upon private interpretation of symbolic language in parts of the Old Testament and the Book of Revelation.  It is a fact that people are interested in and are concerned about the future and the many events spoken of in the Scriptures, but it is cruel to prey upon people’s curiosity about future happenings with fables that have no reason to be believed, such as the rapture fantasy.

“The Last Trumpet”

        On page 210, at the top of the page, the writer has this quote from I Cor. 15:51,52: “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality”.:. (cont’d).

        Paul tells us precisely the moment for this resurrection – “at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound.”  In His description of the resurrection, Jesus declared that it would occur “at the last day” (John 6:39,40,44,54).  So we have Scriptural proof that the resurrection of the saints will occur at the last day when the last trumpet sounds; not before, not after.

        It is of utmost importance that Christians pay special attention to simple statements such as last day and last trumpet.  They pinpoint the exact time for the occurrence of important events and were placed in the Scriptures so readers could know and understand the truth.

        These statements also help make clear Paul’s record in I Thess. 4:16,17, where he says, “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trump of God (the last trump, ed.): and the dead in Christ shall rise first; Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD.”  When will this occur?  At the last day, at the last trumpet!!  And notice also, the saints will not be returning back to this earth: they will “meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”  So simple and plain, it is fantastic.

        There are other fables and theories galore in the “Left Behind” book, too many for us to refute, but we believe it is our sacred duty to warn people that the Bible absolutely does NOT support the idea of any group of people being secretly translated to heaven before Jesus returns in the clouds of glory with all His holy angels at the last day.  How many days will there be after the last day?

        Ask nearly any third-grade student!  He, or she, knows that last means there are no more; the last day is the same as “the end,” or as one young lad said, “When you come to the end of a dog’s tail, there is no more dog!”

        The false hope of a secret rapture before tribulation is lulling millions of people to sleep.  They are actually being victimized by a totally unscriptural falsehood which promotes a condition of lukewarmness (which God does not tolerate) and leaves them vulnerable to the tricks and lies of satan and his host of wicked spirits.

        This is serious business.  We advise you to search the Scriptures diligently for absolute proof of this secret escape teaching.  You can prove to yourself that it does not exist by a thorough study of the Word of God.  And you owe it to yourself to do just that!

        We also recommend Dave MacPherson’s book, “The Rapture Plot,” plus other writings of his, which may be obtained at amazon.com books.  He has done an excellent job of researching the origins of this horrible doctrine and leaves no stone unturned in his zeal to bare the truth regarding this important topic.

        By the way, don’t waste your money buying the phony book, Left Behind.  It’s not worth the paper it was written on, unless you enjoy romantic fables.

(Also read, “The Rapture Theory – True or False” by Harry Miller on our website: peopleofthelivinggod.org)

 

 

 

 

OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

James Sanderson

        “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (i.e., a new creation); old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17 ).  According to the Apostle Paul, the one identifying mark of a true Christian is the evidence of a transformed life “in Christ.”  When we became Christians, we did not merely put on “church” clothes, grab our Bibles, and rush off to church, declaring that we are now Christians.  Even being dunked in water to be baptized did not make us a Christian.  A radical change took place in our hearts to the point that we became different people living by a new set of values, with new desires, new ambitions, new and renewed relationships, new everything.  But that is not all!  Our old way of life was put to death, that is, crucified, in order to make way for a new identity in Christ.  The Apostle Paul describes it this way, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

        It might be well to meditate for a moment on this extraordinary statement by the Apostle Paul.  This new life in God is the result of a personal, supernatural encounter with the living God, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Bible describes it as a new birth.  Many have difficulty with this statement because they have a purely physical, secular view of life.  They have trouble grasping the idea that there is an existence beyond this earthly realm.  Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, although a religious man, had this same problem (John 3:1-3).  When Jesus declared to him, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God,” Nicodemus responded with skepticism, “How can a man be born when he is old?”  Jesus, then, answered him, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:5-7).  In essence, Jesus is saying, “We all arrived into this world by a physical birth, but what I am trying to impress upon you is that in order to enter into the Kingdom of God, you must be born from above by the Spirit of God in a new spiritual birth.”

        This new spiritual birth transforms the believer into a new creation in whose heart Christ Himself now abides.  “Christ liveth in me.”  This newfound relationship with Christ becomes the focus of his life.  Christ becomes not only his Savior but also the guide and Lord of his life.  The believer lives by a new standard, a new yardstick, “by the faith of the Son of God.”  Before we became Christians, we identified with the world's standards.  We gauged our success in life by our social status, appearance, grades in school, reputation among men, money in the bank, accomplishments, business acumen, and a host of other things.  As born-again, blood-bought followers of Jesus Christ, Christ now became our blueprint for living.  Our identity was now defined not by those worldly determinants but by the depth of our relationship with the One Who loved us and gave His life for us.  We identify with Christ in His suffering, death, burial, and resurrection.  We long to know more about Him and to emulate His life and character.  The Apostle Paul wrote, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Phil. 3:8-10).

        Christianity is a Christ-centered faith.  Paul's whole life centered on one purpose: knowing Christ, identifying with Christ, and conforming to His image.  It is difficult to become like someone if we don't know anything about that person.  We get to know people by spending time with them, observing how they accomplish things, anl talking with them to understand what they value and how they think.  The same is true of Christ.  Only by spending time with Him in prayer, meditation, and Bible reading can one come to know Christ on a personal level.  If we never or rarely come into His presence, we will not get to truly know Him.  Only in His strength and the power of the Holy Spirit can we begin to incorporate His nature and character into our lives.

        Man was created to find his greatest fulfillment in life when he identifies with Christ in every aspect of his life.  He thrives when he embraces the values, beliefs, and passions that Christ embraced.  John the Baptist declared, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).  Paul declared, “Not I, but Christ.”  Christ must be elevated above everything and everyone in our lives.  Here lies the secret of growth in God.  God is calling us to a spiritual state in which our identity is fully lost in Christ.  This calling is what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he issued this command, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lust thereof” (Rom. 13:14).  Strong's Concordance states, “The Greek word [put ye on] which means 'to clothe oneself with' “is a metaphorical command to let Christ's nature and identity influence one's daily life, so that their actions and character are a reflection of Him, just as a garment is worn constantly.”  The Apostle Paul continues this theme, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:1-3).  The more our lives are hid in God, the more His life shines.  Jesus Christ Himself made this admission, “ Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise” (John 5:19).  Again, in verse 30, Jesus declared, “I can of mine own self do nothing.”  Jesus Christ identified fully with the Father in heaven in every department of His life.  We are called to do the same, that is, “to walk, even as he walked” (I John 2:6).

 

 

 

 

KNOW AND LIVE

Alda Scullin

        “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:…If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isa. 1:18-20).

        These words are not addressed to the heathen but to the people of God.  Today, more than ever, God’s people need to get alone with God and His Word and re-examine their position in its light, for according to the words of Jesus, we are facing the most deceptive days of earth’s history.  “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matt. 24:24).  Already, we see the beginning of these things.  There are many claiming to be prophets of God with signs and wonders following.  There are those who claim that the powers they manifest are proof that God is with them, but this is not necessarily so.  How then can one KNOW that which is of God and that which is not?  Must we depend upon the sight of our eyes, a feeling or an emotion for judgment?  A thousand times no.  What is it then that prevents the elect from being deceived?  Is it blind faith?  Or is it knowledge of the plan and will of God and obedience to it?  The man whose house stood when the storm came was the man who HEARD His words AND DID them.  Herein lies the safety of the elect.

        Many consider knowledge unnecessary and do not seek it.  Knowledge is actually rejected by professed followers of Christ because knowledge brings obligation, and knowledge and instruction go together (Prov. 12:1).  “And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation” (Isa. 33:6).

        God, speaking through the prophet Hosea, said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee.”  If we would not lose our way in this treacherous hour, we must dig deep and be founded upon the rock which is Jesus Christ, the Word of the Living God.

        “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).

        “And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: HEAR HIM” (Luke 9:35).

        And speaking of Jesus, “Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; HIM shall ye hear in ALL things whatsoever he shall say unto you.  And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people” (Acts 3:22,23).

        What then did Jesus say that is so important for us to hear lest we be destroyed?  In short – “The Gospel of the Kingdom.”  The same gospel that was preached unto Abraham; that Jesus Himself preached (Matt. 4:17,23); that He sent the twelve and the seventy to preach; and that Paul preached (Acts 20:25).  This is the same Gospel that He said should be preached in all the world for a witness, and THEN shall the end come (Matt. 24:14).

        More explicitly, it is that which He commissioned His followers to do and teach, saying, “And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:18-20).  “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

        Many are proclaiming the power of God and baptizing men as He said, but where are those who lift up His standards by “teaching them to observe ALL things whatsoever I have commanded you”?  They are few and far between.  Some go so far as to admonish men that they should obey God, but are careful not to become too technical lest they disturb the congregation or their own shortcomings be revealed in the light of Jesus’ exact commands.

        In these days of great spiritual awakening and much spirit activity, we should walk more carefully and watchfully than ever.  When we are bombarded from all sides by religious literature filled with messages purported to be direct from God by His Spirit and surrounded by evangelistic and healing campaigns featuring those who are proclaimed as great men of God, let us not blindly accept them as such.  Rather, let us examine them minutely in the light of “It is written,” not being deceived by emotions or miracles our eyes might behold.

        Let us examine the message itself.  Is it “The Gospel of the Kingdom”?  Is it what Jesus said to teach?  Or is it accounts of wonders performed in order to gender faith for more wonders to be performed?  Is it practical commands of the Lord to help our spiritual growth, or is it spiritual abstractions to entertain the minds of those who love to speculate?  Does the message honor God, or does it inspire faith in man?  Does it promise something for nothing or, more precisely, something for dollars?

        The words of Him whom we are commanded to hear promise more than any other, but His words also spell out the cost.  The cost is not dollars.  It is everything – barring nothing; complete surrender; absolute devotion; an eye that’s single.

        It is true that people are blessed by partial giving, but they have their reward and that’s that.  Eternal treasure is not gained that way.  But rather, like the man who found a pearl of great price and went and sold ALL that he had, and bought it.

        Jesus said, “Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not ALL that he hath, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33).  Beware of any man who comes with a message that offers an easier way.  The same is a “thief and a robber” (John 10:1).

        Beware of those who offer signs and wonders as proof that they are men of God.  Do not expect false prophets to appear as such, for, as Paul admonished the Corinthians, “they transform themselves into the apostles of Christ” (II Cor. 11:13).  Nor is the apparent sincerity of a prophet the criterion by which he can be judged.  He may be “sincerely” deceived himself!  To anyone who receives not a love for the truth, God sends strong delusion that they might believe a lie and be damned (II Thess. 2:10,11).  “And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet” (Ezek. 14:9).  This is a serious matter!

        Jesus said, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  The extent of one’s freedom is gauged by the amount of truth one embraces.  He also said, “Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given” (Mark 4:24).

        No child of God wants to be guilty of misjudging the work of His Spirit.  But let this not make us so fearful that we accept every man’s claim, every spirit manifestation, or every prophecy as being from God.  Truth can be examined from every angle without harm.  It is only that which is not truth that shrinks from the light or fears investigation.

        This is no time to be apathetic or willingly ignorant.  The Lord said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”  Why?  Not because God desires it to be so.  We are not the children of darkness but “the children of light, and the children of the day: Therefore let us not sleep as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (I Thess. 5:5,6).  Let us not reject knowledge lest we be destroyed, but be as the Bereans who were commended because “they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).

 

 

 

 

THE DEATH OF MY BEST FRIEND

C. H. Spurgeon

        There was a day, as I took my walks abroad, when I came hard by a spot forever engraven upon my memory, for there I saw my best, my only Friend…MURDERED.

        I stooped down in sad affright, and looked at him.  I saw that His hands had been pierced with rough iron nails, and His feet had been rent in the same way.  There was misery in His dead countenance so terrible that I scarcely dared to look upon it.  His body was emaciated with hunger, His back was red with bloody scourges, and His brow had a circle of wounds about it; clearly could one see that these had been pierced by thorns.

        I shuddered, for I had known this Friend full well.  He never had a fault; He was the purest of the pure, the holiest of the holy.

The Criminal Sought For

        Who could have injured Him?  For He never injured any man: all his lifelong He “went about doing good.”  He had healed the sick.  He had fed the hungry, He had raised the dead: for which of these works did they kill Him?  He had never breathed out anything else but love – and as I looked into the poor sorrowful face, so full of agony, and yet so full of love, I wondered who could have been a wretch so vile as to pierce hands like His.

        I said within myself, “Where can these traitors live?  Who are these that could have smitten such an One as this?”

        Had they murdered an oppressor, we might have forgiven them; had they slain one who had indulged in vice or villainy, it might have been his desert; had it been a murderer and a rebel, or one who had committed sedition, we would have said, “Bury his corpse: justice has at last given him his due.”

        But when Thou wast slain, my best, my only-beloved, where lodged the traitors?  Let me seize them, and they shall be put to death!  If there be torments that I can devise, surely they shall endure them all.  Oh! What jealousy; what revenge I felt!  If I might but find these murderers, what would I do with them!

The Criminal Discovered

        And as I looked upon that corpse, I heard a footstep, and wondered where it was.  I listened, and I clearly perceived that the murderer was close at hand!  It was dark, and I groped about to find him.  I found that, somehow or other, wherever I put out my hand, I could not meet with him, for he was nearer to me than my hand would go.

        At last I put my hand upon my breast.  “I have thee now” said I – for lo! he was in my own heart – the murderer was hiding within my own bosom, dwelling in the recesses of my inmost soul.

        Ah! Then I wept indeed, that I, in the very presence of my murdered Master, should be harboring the murderer – and I felt myself most guilty while I bowed over His corpse, and sang that plaintive hymn…

                “’Twas you, my sins, my cruel sins,

                      His chief tormenters were;

                Each of my crimes became a nail,

                      And unbelief the spear.”

        Amid the rabble rout which hounded the Redeemer to His doom, there were some gracious souls whose bitter anguish sought vent in wailing and lamentations, fit music to accompany that march of woe.  When my soul can, in imagination, see the Savior bearing His cross to Calvary, she joins the godly women, and weeps with them; for, indeed, there is true cause for grief, cause lying deeper than those mourning women thought.  They bewailed innocence and goodness persecuted, love bleeding, meekness about to die – but my heart has a deeper, more bitter cause to mourn.

        My sins were the scourges which lacerated those blessed shoulders, and crowned with thorns that bleeding brow; my sins cried – “Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!” – and laid the cross upon His gracious shoulders.

The Criminal Converted>

        His being led forth to die is sorrow enough for one eternity; but having been His murderer is infinitely more grief than one poor fountain of tears can express.

        If Christ has died for me, ungodly as I am, without strength as I am, then I cannot live in sin any longer, but must arouse myself to love and serve Him who hath redeemed me.  I cannot trifle with the evil which slew my best Friend.  I must be holy for His sake.

        HOW CAN I LIVE IN SIN WHEN HE HAS DIED TO SAVE ME FROM IT?

(From Voice of Truth, Vol. 41, No. 4)

 

 

 

 

THE CHURCH

Harry Miller

        In the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he gives in detail the complete ministry of the Holy Spirit as it is manifest in a New Testament assembly.  “Diversities of gifts” (no less than ten are enumerated in the twelfth chapter); “differences of administrations” (one who executes the commands of another; a servant, attendant, minister – Thayers Greek English Lexicon).  Definitely not a one-man ministry: even the door-to-door ministers were sent out by TWOS – God never intended that His people be led by one man.  “Diversities of operations” (I Cor. 12:4-6); no chance for the church to get into a rut.  Nothing cut and dried or monotonous in God’s order for His church.  A full, rounded-out ministry was always available for the assembly of saints.

        The apostolic church had the answer to every problem known to human life: physiological, psychological, as well as spiritual.  Under God’s order the church was to be separate from “the world” (in the world physically, but not of it in any way, shape, or form).  It had the means to supply every need of the saints: physical health through the “gifts of healing”; mental peace of mind through a full and complete ministry; the economic problem was solved through the life of the Christian community; social problems found their full satisfaction in the fellowship of saints; the spiritual life of all was one of constant edification through the exercise of the gifts of the Holy Ghost.

        One cannot help wondering why a church so endowed with heaven’s bounties would ever turn aside from God’s glorious order and exchange it for the carnal programs of man.  However, it was through foolishness and stupid self-will that our first parents lost Paradise.  Which of God’s blessings to men have they not defiled?  Is there anything heaven-sent that man has not abused?  Even the letter to the church at Corinth was written with the object in view of correcting their abuse of spiritual gifts.

        The apostle had to instruct this apostolic tongues-speaking church that the moving of the Holy Spirit in an assembly did not have to turn the meeting into a madhouse.  They were informed that God is not the author of confusion; that He is the very Father of order, system, and law.  A so-called “holy roller” is like a shooting star out of orbit – he finally burns out or else he crashes into some other body.  “Let all things be done decently and in order” (I Cor. 14:40).  It might be well for every saint to consider this capstone of this most marvelous chapter.

        The manifestation of spiritual gifts of the Holy Ghost should not be manifested in a disgusting manner; fanatics try to impress their “audience” with the authenticity of their ACT by doing some outlandish caper with their manifestation.  Sad to say, the so-called Pentecostal movement is infested with many thousands of such characters.

        Things in the church should be done “decently,” declared this writer to the Corinthians.  Let us look at this word, here translated “decently,” in the Greek: “Euskaymon” is the word in the original tongue.  Our translators used the word “decently” only once in the New Testament.  In other places, this Greek word is translated as “honestly” (I Thess. 4:12; Rom. 13:13).  Just like spoiled-brats love to vaunt themselves and “show off” before company, so do many adults when they get into an assembly of people.  There is a certain vulgar type of person who loves to be seen and heard.  It is such material as this that the devil will use to disgust people with “the manifestation of the Holy Ghost and power.”  Such characters are not honest: they are putting on a cheap show, and many times they are unctionized by familiar spirits that give them plenty of animation, and even “inspiration” so that often they can dance in the spirit one night and commit adultery the next without a qualm of conscience.

        How did it ever happen in our day that the Holy Spirit went to the slums on the “other side of the tracks,” among the riffraff, to find a house in which to dwell?  We all know the answer, but we hate to admit it – the “better classes” (those who recognize an ethical code, hold up certain commendable standards, and practice decency) were practically all overcome by the religious morticians (the professional priests, hirelings of Babel) who had embalmed their souls in the cold, dead tombs of sectarianism.  Without God, and without hope, they slept the serene sleep of the spiritually dead, fully satisfied with the meaningless formalities of the sanctimonious mausoleums where the dead (in trespasses and sins) rest.  Not even the Spirit of God could disturb them – so they thought – but times are changing.  The whole social structure of humanity is being shaken, uncertainty fills the very air – change is being screamed from the skies, and even the bodies of some of the “embalmed” ministry are beginning to quake with fear.

        Let us face the facts: The professing Christian church is in a dickens of a fix.  The Pentecostal church that claims all of the apostolic power is so far removed from the biblical order and pattern that we know her to be but a shameful fraud, a counterfeit.  Often enough certain of her assemblies could be likened unto a religious pigsty, a lair of evil beasts, or the “hold of every foul bird.”

        Somewhere between the madhouse of Pentecostalism and the deathly chill of the modern church, there must be a people who still serve God in the spirit and in truth.  If the regal splendor and dignity of the atmosphere of a Roman Catholic Cathedral could be combined with the spirit of praise and worshipful singing of many full-gospel churches, and a Christian congress of the elders in Israel could take charge of the services, then I believe that a genuine revival of apostolic religion could be brought forth.  As a matter of fact, it is this writer’s opinion that there will not be a real awakening of the church until such a condition is created by the efforts of the elders who desire to see God’s order restored.

        Let every student of the Word carefully examine every paragraph and word of the fourteenth chapter of First Corinthians.  No other portion of Scripture has so much truth packed into such a small space: the conduct of the New Testament ministry and the operation of the supernatural gifts in the public assembly are herein set forth in graphic detail.  It should be the earnest prayer of every Christian that the divine order of apostolic ministry be again restored to the church.  It is understandable why the so-called “nominal Christian churches” have no desire for such a restoration: they operate under their own power and prefer their own programs.  But it is incomprehensible that the professing Pentecostal churches refuse to seek the genuine, and that they, one and all, have settled for a lesser order.

        Deliberate rejection of God’s plan and rebellion against Christ’s Spirit are the sins of the so-called “fundamental” churches.  Fanatics of the Pentecostal stripe are often extremely ignorant, and in their craving for emotional outlets, they too have settled for an intolerably inferior condition: spirit without God!  Congo music, jungle rhythm, be-bop antics, emotional excitement with a spiritualistic flavor.

        The one and only road to life everlasting requires humility, godly sincerity, and an earnest desire to obey the will of the heavenly Father.  There are no substitutes for these requisites.

        “Follow after charity,” the apostle admonishes the gifted church of Corinth (I Cor. 14:1).  “A more excellent way” is the message of the thirteenth chapter.  This, of course, is the introductory chapter to the momentous message of the mode of the operation of the powers of the supernatural in the public assembly.  The word “charity,” here, is somewhat misleading: it sounds like a dole, or a “handout” to the poor; but this term speaks of personality, according to chapter thirteen, and nothing but the Holy Spirit of Christ truly fits the description: “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.  Charity never faileth…now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (I Cor. 13:4-13).

        In Paul’s admonishment, “Follow after charity,” he laid a foundation for the success of the ministry of those who would seek to be endowed with the gifts and powers of the supernatural.  The gifts of the supernatural can be acquired by either one of two different methods.  “Violence” is the usual method employed by the self-willed.  As it is written: “The kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent take it by force” (Matt. 11:12).  This method, however, is illegal, and like all unlawful things, the thief will suffer great loss; his punishment is inevitable.  No other law of God or man is so exacting as those laws that govern things spiritual.  The only legal way to acquire right to the gifts of the Holy Spirit is to prepare one’s own heart by submission to Christ, and then He (the Holy Spirit) will present the gift when the conditions are right for its proper care and use.  Tongues of “men and of angels” can be acquired without “charity” (Christ), but woe to the individual who is satisfied to be but “sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal”!

        King Saul, the first monarch of Israel, actually prophesied by the Spirit of God when his heart was filled with a desire to murder his friend David.  Caiaphas, the high priest who sentenced Jesus to death, also prophesied by the spirit of truth (John 11:49-52).  One of the greatest enemies of God’s people was Balaam the prophet.  This character not only talked to the Lord, but he also heard from the Lord.  He also knew the power of the trance, and saw visions of things to come.  This self-willed fellow had control of deadly occult powers that meant destruction to his enemies.  So great was this man’s control of things supernatural that heaven was alerted to send an angelic being to stay the man’s hand if need be.

        Jesus declared: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name; and in thy name have cast out devils?  And in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:22,23).  This is a most solemn statement.  Those who will make these statements will be in deadly earnest.  They shall stand before the seat of eternal justice; there they will make their final and last plea for mercy.  There will be no doubt in their minds that their prophecy was genuine; they will not question the fact that they “cast out devils in His name,” yet they will be made to know that He never knew them.

        Many people think that a certain “gift” is evidence that God is with them.  Some even conclude that the Spirit of God is upon them when they feel a tingle, a jerk, or a quiver of their flesh.  “A sinful and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign,” and those who walk in their carnal ways depend upon outward signs to bolster their troubled consciences.

        The Pentecostal movement, which is now sweeping the civilized nations of the earth like a prairie fire, is the most spirit-conscious of all of the professing Christian movements of this hour.  This misinformed and misdirected religious steamroller, boiling over with human zeal, is devastating “the field” that is ripe with harvest.

 

 

 

 

THE SAINTS

Curtis Dickinson

        To modern ears the term saint refers to someone who has died and “gone to heaven,” or to someone with unworldly perfection.  One may hear a person say, “I’m a Christian, but I’m no saint.”  Giving certain famous people the title of Saint, such as Saint Augustine, Saint Andrew, etc, enhances this false conception.  In some Bibles, the word is used as a special title, as: “The Gospel according to Saint Matthew” or “Saint Luke” etc.

        The word does have special significance, but not in the way it is commonly used in the world.  The apostle Paul applied the term to ALL Christians, and addressed most of his letters to the churches to “the saints.”  The word is from the Greek hagios, from which we also derive the word “holy.”  It is used in regard to things and places, as well as people, and applies to all that is set apart or separated for God’s use.  Hagios is the root of the word hagiosmos, which is usually translated “sanctified.”

        If you are part of the ekklesia, the “called out assembly” that we call the church, then you are among the sanctified and you are a saint.  We can learn what this means from some of the examples in the Old Testament, where certain things were sanctified and made holy.  The Tabernacle, the priests, the Ark of the Covenant, the shew bread, and all the vessels of the Tabernacle and the Temple were sanctified and made “holy to the Lord.”  All these things were set apart for a purpose different from the ordinary.  They were for special use in God’s service.

        When instructions for the priesthood were given, it is written, “They shall be holy to their God” (Lev. 21:6).  They had a special function and were to be different from other men.  It was said of the tithe of produce that it was “holy to the Lord” (Lev. 27:30-32) because its purpose and use were different from the rest of the produce.  The nation of Israel was called “a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6) because they had a special place in the purpose of God.

        You get the idea.  Christians must be hagios, holy ones, saints, because Christians are different and have a special purpose.

        The first thing that sets a Christian apart is in one’s relationship to God through Christ.  Scriptures attest that we are sanctified (made saints) by the blood of Christ (Heb. 10:29; 13:12).  This refers to Christ’s death.  “All we who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death” (Rom. 6:3).  From that point on, Paul writes, we are “alive unto God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11).

        To be a saint is to be in Christ.  Paul uses the phrase in Christ Jesus 48 times, in Christ 34 times, and in the Lord 50 times.  Being in Christ is not the same as attending a worship service.  It is not merely being with the group, or a “member” of a certain denomination.  It means living in Christ, so that Christ is the center and focus of life.  Marvin R. Vincent says that when Paul spoke of the Christian being in Christ, he meant that the Christian lives in Christ as a bird in the air, a fish in the water, or the roots of a tree in the soil.  It means that all that is done is in relation to Him, not just on Sunday, but every day.  If one is a saint he is a servant of Christ everywhere, all the time, under all circumstances.

        The Christian has a different relationship with the world.  He is set apart to serve God.  The apostle Paul often called himself a slave of God.  He had been purchased by the death of Jesus, and had only one ambition, to be His faithful slave.  He had been a highly educated Pharisee, with a promising future as a great leader among the Jews, but when he became a Christian, he counted all his former privileges and attainments as filthy garbage and readily gave them up in order to follow Christ (Phil. 3:8).

        The aim of many a modern person is to gratify his or her own selfish desires, to see how much gusto one can get out of life.  The aim of Jesus was to serve God and to please Him, even to renouncing Himself and His own life in the process.  So He announced that if any would follow Him, that is, be a Christian, he is to deny self and take up his own cross – whatever self-renunciation is necessary – and follow Him.  The modern church downplays all this in order to appeal to the worldly-minded.  Churches vie with each other to see who can offer the program that is most attractive to those who love the world and what it offers.

        A saint is one set apart for a special purpose.  We are told to flee foolish and hurtful lust in order to “follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness” (I Tim. 6:11).  We are separated from unrighteousness in order to present ourselves “unto God, as alive from the dead,” in order to become instruments of righteousness unto God” (Rom. 6:13).

        Being set apart as a saint means a change in one’s attitude, conduct, language, disposition, and entire lifestyle.  This includes sexual behavior and our attitude toward it.  Paul wrote, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (I Thess. 4:3).  Paul is writing of proper sexual behavior, and tells the saints that they were not to have “lustful passion,” for God “has not called us for the purpose of impurity but for sanctification” (I Thess. 4:5,7).  This clearly puts homosexuality in opposition to the saint’s behavior and demonstrates what it means to be set apart as different.  Church leaders who compromise this issue and seek to make homosexuality acceptable to their churches are denying the very essence of sanctification, “without which no man shall see the Lord”(Heb. 12:14).

        Does this mean that a saint is one who lives perfectly and never commits a sin?  The answer is no, as we shall see.  I am aware that certain denominations have a doctrine that sanctification is a “second work of grace,” something that happens to the Christian some time after the initial conversion and forgiveness of sins.  Many believe that after that time a person will live above sin.

        That is not the case.  Becoming a Christian and being set apart (sanctified) are one and the same thing.  Paul said that those in the Corinthian church were sanctified (I Cor. 1:2; 6:12), but, as anyone who has read the I Corinthian letter knows, that church was plagued with sin.  Paul called upon them to repent, which they did (II Cor. 7:8-11).

        Being a saint does not mean one is perfect.  The apostle Paul, near the end of his career, wrote that he had not attained perfection, but that he pressed on toward the goal (Phil. 3:8,9).  He was writing to saints when he said, “Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (II Cor. 7:1).  In writing to Christians, John said, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:8,9).

        Some think that if a person can overcome his faults and live as a true Christian, he will be loved and respected by everyone.  On the contrary, being set apart to serve God invites the world’s hostility, just as Jesus told the apostles: “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18,19).  As William Barclay pointed out, “The world acutely dislikes people whose lives are a condemnation of it.  It is, in fact, dangerous to be good.”  This is becoming more evident as society increasingly objects to the absolute moral standards presented by Christ, and as those who promote a New World Order insist on everyone endorsing a “one religion fits all” concept.

        This is the challenge of Jesus that we have the faith and the courage to be different.  It is called the “narrow way” and may sometimes be difficult as well as dangerous, but unless one is willing to run that risk, he cannot be one of God’s saints.

        All this might seem to some to be a negative mindset because it repudiates so much that the world considers necessary to pleasure and success.  But the opposite is true.  To be sanctified is to be separated from the anxiety, frustration, false hopes, and emptiness of the world and to be blessed with the peace, comfort, joy, love and true hope in Christ.

        The greatest difference that sanctification makes is in one’s destiny.  In Christ ,we are set apart for a certain glorious destiny.  While all around us people are striving for that which will soon perish and are trying to find happiness in a life that will ultimately end in the final consummation of all things, the saints are enjoying the fellowship with God and His son Jesus, and joyfully looking forward to receiving “the inheritance among all them that are sanctified” (Acts 20:32), an inheritance which includes life forever with the Father and the Son.

        I hope you can sing with me:

                Lord, I hope to be in that number,

                When the saints go marching in.

 

 

 

 

WARNING – GOD AT WORK

Randall Walton

        “Behold the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof” (Isa. 24:1).  The Lord?  God?  The Creator of this earth?  He does all these things?  Absolutely!  After all, it is His earth: He made it and its inhabitants (Psalm 24:1).

        He created this earth for a purpose, and He has a perfect right to do whatever He deems to be proper and just in regard to it.  Before the world was created, He had a plan for His creation – a divine purpose for mankind which He formulated prior to His magnificent work of creativity.

        The creation was not done haphazardly; it was not an accident nor the result of a “big bang.”  God purposely, deliberately made the world with a definite objective in view.  He fully understood all of the possibilities and probabilities of this divine venture and made full provision for the successful fulfillment of His desire and plan.

        Scripture records many references of the happenings in the courts of heaven before the “foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4; II Tim. 1:9; I Peter 1:20; I Cor. 2:7).

        This, of course, substantiates the claim that God had a most definite purpose for the creation of this earth before He ordered its establishment.  At the very center of His plan was the production of a class of beings which would be temporarily inferior to His already created angels, but would be eligible to receive and enjoy the exalted state of immortality and incorruptibility, that perfect and glorious state which only He, Himself, possesses.

        Before He created mankind and gave him the awesome power of choice, He was aware that before His plan would be finished, there would be billions of human beings treading His earth, many of whom would not be interested in having a part in the divine plan.  In view of the fact that immortality was the “end in view,” it was necessary that certain standards, or laws, would be issued so as to differentiate between those who desired to be a part of The Plan and those who did not.

        Since immortality is one of the facets of divine nature, or the nature and character of God, it is only reasonable that God’s standards/laws be compatible with His nature.  His standards/laws would be a reflection of Himself, based upon love, goodness, righteousness, justice, purity, equity.  They would set forth the conditions of eligibility for the acquiring of the divine nature, immortality.

        That God’s promises, blessings, and protection are conditional is no secret.  This thread runs uninterruptedly from Genesis through Revelation.  “IF MY PEOPLE,” (II Chron. 7:14) do certain things, then God will answer from heaven.  IF they do not do what God ordered them to do, He will not respond to their desires nor needs.

        The state of immortality is a quality difficult for our finite minds to comprehend.  It is impossible for us to properly evaluate such a lofty state of being, for it is to be like God Himself!  Such an exalted state is priceless, beyond man’s ability to acquire in and of himself.  Yet God desires to share this glory with His created beings, and has made all the necessary provisions to see that this is fulfilled.

The Many Versus The Few

        “Strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:13,14).  The few are those who have caught a vision of the plan and purpose of God, and have laid down their own plans, ambitions, and desires in order to qualify for the “end in view.”  They have “counted the cost and suffered the loss of all things” (Phil. 3:7,8) so that they may be accounted worthy to be partakers of that “high and heavenly calling.”

        The many are those who are the enemies of God and God’s standards/laws.  It is they who have defiled the earth (Isa. 24:5) with their abominations and pride.  “They have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.”  It is because of the many that the Almighty is obliged to “make the earth empty, make it waste, turn it upside down, and scatter abroad the inhabitants thereof.”

        God’s eternal plan and purpose will be brought to pass, for He has declared it so.  Woe to those who oppose or reject God’s foreordained plan and purpose.

        In the hustle and bustle of life, the ongoing task of providing for one’s necessities and desires, it is easy to forget that God is sovereign and He has committed Himself and His resources for the perfecting of His grand and glorious project.  He who “promised eternal life (immortality) before the world began” (Titus 1:2) will do whatever is necessary to bring His plan to completion.

        Consider, for example, the price God paid when He, the heavenly Father, sent His perfect Son to this planet to die the horrendous and unthinkable death of a common criminal.  Why, why would the sovereign of the universe go to such an extreme measure to provide a messiah/savior to a sin-sick world?  Why would He insist that Jesus Christ suffer such physical torture and disgrace at the hands of such despicable and inhumane characters as the Pharisees and the Roman soldiers?

        Why?  Because this was the only means possible to provide a solution for the reprobate condition of men.  There was no other way!  Had Jesus not surrendered His life for the ransom of the unsaved, God’s plan and purpose would have been scrapped and the whole world would have been annihilated.  But “God so loved the world” that He gave Jesus (John 3:16).

        This whole atrocity was a demonstration of how far the Father would go to guarantee that His promise of immortality would not fail; it was a surety, a bond, an assurance that God’s will will be accomplished irrespective of every effort of demons and rebellious men to stop it.  And because there are those in the ranks of humanity who oppose God’s work and scoff at His plans and promises, He “makes the earth empty, and makes it waste, and turns it upside down, and scatters abroad its inhabitants.”

        Do not think that God is oblivious to all the shenanigans of man, or that He is not aware of man’s rejection of His blessed Son and His teachings; or that so many people accept Jesus as a scapegoat but will not have Him as their King or Lord.  It is true that many people desire all the benefits of salvation, but they believe that it is totally free, that there are no restraints, no laws, no restrictions, no demands, no standards to be met.  It is almost as if they think they do God a great service by professing to be Christians!

God Is At Work

        Everyone who is a true Christian is subjected to God’s process of re-creation: “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Heb. 12:6).  This is God’s means of rehabilitation, of preparing His “sons” for the acquiring of the promise.  The writer of Hebrews states it thus: “that we might be partakers of his holiness” (Heb. 12:10).  Notice that he said every son: there are no exceptions, nor favorites, in the eyes of heaven.  Every son needs this correction, discipline, and scourging.  There is no other way for His holiness to be entered into except by the work of God by means of the Holy Spirit correcting, revealing, rebuking, and judging whatever may stand in the way.  Perhaps this is why the Hebrews writer declared that “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31).

        The world’s population consists of billions who are unbelievers – atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, etc.  Even in the ranks of Christianity, there are the mere professors and a minority of true believers.  God has faithfully provided a daily and nightly testimony of His eternal power and Godhead, but “though one rose from the dead, yet they will not believe” (Luke 16:31).

        Yes, God is working to bring forth His finished product, a family of sons who will have endured the fires of adversity and hardship, and will have emerged as gold and silver “tried in the fire,” and prepared to put on immortality and incorruptibility even as the Blessed Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

        Be aware: God is at work!

 

 

 

 

CHANGED

Demelza G.

Last night as I lay sleep

Lost inside a slumber deep,

Came a voice that bid me wake

“Tis your soul I wish to take.”

I lay there for quite a time

Wonderin' maybe had I lost my mind.

When the voice came again,

Said, “leave behind this life of sin.

Now sleep in peace till the mornin' sun,

Then go and make sure my will be done.

For with me you shall have eternity;

My path shall guide and set you free.”

In comfort I slept that night

And woke with wonder in the morning's light;

Looking forward to the day,

For I knew I'd found a brand new way.

Now I walk with Jesus by my side

Living life with grateful pride.

I ask you now to walk with me,

to stand by God and all His glory.