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• WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS
• “BY LOVE UNFEIGNED”
• THE MYSTERY OF GOD
• COMPLETE SUBMISSION TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
• “THY FAITH HATH MADE THEE WHOLE”
• THE ANGEL OF THE COMMONPLACE
• PASSOVER 2026
• CHRIST ALONE

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March 2026

 

 

 

 

WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS

BEWARE OF MEN

Matthew 10:17

Randall Walton

        These words from the lips of our blessed Savior seem to be ignored by many people.  It is a fact that Jesus never once said to “beware of the devil, or satan,” but did warn people to be wary of other people:

        “Beware of false prophets,” Matt. 7:15

        “Beware of the leaven (doctrine) of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” Matt. 16:6-12

        “Beware of the scribes,” Mark 12:38

        “Beware of covetousness,” Luke 12:15

        But not once did He say “Beware of satan.”  He warned His listeners about great deception, so great that the very elect would be deceived if possible (Matt. 24:24), but He attributed that deception to false Christs, and false prophets, not the devil.

        This does not mean that satan does not exist – he does.  He is referred to as the “prince of this world,” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), whom Jesus stated, is cast out and judged!  The demons and evil spirits are under his dominion and control and do his bidding.  Their chief work is to influence and inspire people to do that which is contrary to the word of God.  But neither they nor satan can dominate or deceive those who walk with Jesus and are covered with His precious blood.

Deception Abounds

        When Jesus warned of false prophets, He said we could know them by their fruits, or works.  He described them as coming in sheep’s clothing.  Outwardly, they appear to be genuine: they have the bearing of a true sheep – they talk the talk and use all the tried and true Christian verbiage “straight out of the Bible.”

        They are adept at spellbinding an audience.  They know all the correct jokes to hold the attention of their clientele, but “inwardly,” Jesus declared, “they are ravening wolves.”  The word ravening is descriptive of one who uses extortion to wrest money from people.  Beware of them, Jesus warned.  They are deceivers who will make you feel that you are robbing God if you don’t pull out your wallet or your checkbook and give them a hefty handout.  Beware!

        It is strange that commerce has been allowed to have such a prominent place in modern religious services, especially when Jesus stated, “Freely ye have received, freely give.”  And He also warned that a hireling does not love the sheep.  “he that is an hireling…seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth:” (John 10:12,13).

        We have witnessed meetings where the minister (?) would not preach until the deacons had counted the money to make sure a certain amount was taken in.  If that amount were lacking, the buckets were sent around again (and sometimes again, again) until the ravening wolf was satisfied.

        False prophets are on the loose today.  Not only can you know them by their fruits, or tactics, you can detect them by their message, or the leaven of the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees.  These ungodly self-proclaimed representatives of the kingdom of God are experts at distorting God’s word and making His commandments of no effect.  “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:7-9).

        We are seeing a replay of the scene that was prevalent in the days of the apostles, when emphasis is placed upon experiential happenings rather than compliance to the word and commandments of God.  We are impressed with the wholesale rejection of the words of Jesus Christ while the doctrines and traditions of men are gaining in prominence and popularity.

        Yet, the true test or standard for everyone is the WORD OF GOD, not doctrines and traditions of men; as Isaiah declared: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isa. 8:20).

        Herein lies a fundamental problem with the false prophet: he cannot tolerate the glaring light of the WORD OF GOD; it is too demanding, too straight, too revealing, “sharper than any twoedged sword, - and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).  In its place, he produces his own words which he claims to be from God.  But he prophesies lies and deceit, and pollutes the pure word of the Lord.

        The religious world is full of those who want to be the voice of God.  Not only is their own ego energized and exalted, but they also thrill over the influence that their message has with other people.  These “blind leaders of the blind” are actual enemies of the kingdom of God.  Beware of them!

        Beware of those who publicly claim to be prophets.  A true prophet does not need to advertise himself.  Beware of those who parade or exhibit their claims of divine authority and gifts of power.  Beware of those who make the accumulation of vast sums of money a part of their so-called ministry.  Beware of those who “prophesy” over you and tell you that God told them to tell you what to do.  Beware of those who are all so eager to “lay hands on you,” and pray for you, or bless you, or pronounce God’s direction on your life.  Beware of men (or women) who claim to have had divine revelation concerning you, your family, your children, your life.

        Beware of false teachers who relegate the teachings of Jesus to the past or the future, but reject them for the present.  Beware of those who exalt the flesh and embrace the world and its blatant carnality.  Beware of those who call evil good, and good evil.  They are liars and deceivers and are workers of iniquity, and want to make you as evil as themselves.

        Beware of those who promote grace at the expense of the laws of God – those who rail against God’s immutable word and its high and holy standards.  They are connivers of wickedness and lawlessness and wish to take you with them on their cruise to hell.  Beware!  We are living in an evil day when “evil men (and women) are becoming worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (II Tim. 3:13).

        And, again, we say “Beware of men.”

 

 

 

 

“BY LOVE UNFEIGNED”

Alda Scullin

        There have been many changes upon the face of the earth as the centuries have rolled by, but the nature of man has remained essentially the same.  It is for this reason we so often hear of “history repeating itself.”  The reaction of mankind to any given set of circumstances never seems to vary.  For example: again and again nations and empires have risen to great heights and became proud and felt themselves invulnerable; a great world power, and then suddenly they are cut down and become only a memory.  With many examples in the past from which to learn, one might suppose some progress would be made toward avoiding the same snares and pitfalls that have taken others, but such is not the case.  The perverse nature of man is strangely averse to profiting by the experience of others.  He prefers to think of himself as unique and develops an “it can’t happen to me” attitude.  Consequently, history continues to repeat itself.

        To the prophet Ezekiel, God described the condition of those who called themselves the people of God.  The same words perfectly describe the professors of godliness in this our day, “And they come unto thee…and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but THEY WILL NOT DO THEM: for WITH THEIR MOUTH THEY SHEW MUCH LOVE, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.  And. Lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.” (Ezek. 33:31,32).

        Today, hundreds of thousands all over the world sit and hear the Word of God.  They like the pleasant sound of it.  It thrills them to hear of the love of God, and with their mouths they still profess “much love” for Him.  But as in Ezekiel’s day, they still DO NOT.  Those who preach the love of God in the abstract are as popular as they have always been, but those who preach love through obedience are anathema.

        Law is a revolting word to the carnal man.  It seems to him to bristle with prohibitions which he resents.  Yet it is the love of God which prompted Him to acquaint us with His law, which is as a hedge for our protection from the serpent that would strike us (Eccles. 10:8).  His law is perfect, converting the soul (Psalm 19:7).  It is actually impossible to separate the love of God from the law of God.  If one loves God, he does what God commands.  If he does not love God’s law and DO it, he does not love God.  It is just that simple.  “Love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:10).  Lest anyone try to interpret this to mean love negates law, consider II John 6, “And this is love, that we walk after His commandments.”  Jesus made it even plainer in John 14:21, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.”  The only possible conclusion is that if a man says he loves God and does not DO what God commands, the same is a liar (I John 2:4).

        Anyone who attempts to separate love from law has only sentiment, the poorest substitute imaginable for real love.  When he hears of the love of God and the crucifixion of the Lord, he is moved by an emotional feeling to express his love for God and perhaps shed a few tears.  He feels an artificial tenderness toward his Redeemer; it is proven artificial when it does not prompt him to seek to please God.  His declaration of love is an emotional farce, a vain and empty show which may deceive others as well as the individual himself, but carries no weight whatsoever with God.

        There is one thing that God is looking for to be brought forth in this earth, and that is fruit (John 15).  He is not looking for people who can remove mountains or raise the dead but for people who produce the fruits of the Spirit, and the first fruit listed is love (Gal. 5:22).  Love entails devotion.  To be devoted is to give oneself up wholly to the object of devotion.  It is not difficult to ascertain the direction of a person’s love.  With the majority, “self” is the object of devotion.  We are commanded to “love not the world neither the things that are in the world,” for “if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him” (I John 2:15).  Yet most “Christians” are devoted to seeking the things that are of this world.  Why?  Because self demands comfort and convenience, and, since self is the true object of their love, it must be catered to.  If God were truly the object of their devotion, it would not be difficult to do as Jesus commanded and sell all they possess and come and follow Him, or as in Luke 14:33 to “forsake all that he hath.”

        Man’s joy is found in that which he loves and cannot be found in its opposite.  Therefore, when a man sets his love upon God, self gradually dies for lack of love.  Self will still assert itself and make demands, but the man of God is no longer able to find pleasure in serving himself.  One naturally seeks to preserve that which he loves.  If he loves God, he seeks to preserve God within.  If it is self he loves, it is self that he seeks to preserve.  When a man seeks to do the will of God, he is asserting his love for God and his denial of self.  The love of God is perfected in him by keeping God’s Word (I John 2:5), which is the cross upon which self is crucified daily until its final annihilation.

        Many today profess concern over the lukewarmness, confusion and hypocrisy among God’s people, but they have not seen or been willing to face that which is the only remedy: obedience to God’s Word; a single-track devotion!  They still try to serve God and self.  It cannot be done!  Jesus said, “Ye cannot serve two masters” (Matt. 6:24).

        In this most crucial hour of earth’s history God’s people must decide quickly whether they will continue to serve themselves or devote themselves WHOLLY to God.  One devoted saint expressed this consecration as giving “All for the all,” which he said consists “in one hearty renunciation of everything of which we are sensible does not lead to God” (From The Practice of the Presence of God).  Many profess with their lips to love Him, but what they do professes that they are devoted to themselves.

        Few realize that the greatest testimony before all men will not be miracles, healings, and supernatural manifestations, but the real genuine love of God among His people.

        Love has its part even in the knowledge of our own salvation.  “We know we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren” (I John 3:14).  It also sets the true disciples of Christ in a class apart from those who claim to be disciples and are not.  Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).  How do we know who loves the brethren?  “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.” (I John 5:2,3).

        This manifestation of the love of God through His people will be the force which, as a great magnet, will draw together into one the people of God who today are divided and scattered abroad.

        “Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (I John 3:18).  And approve ourselves as the ministers of God “by love unfeigned” (II Cor. 6:6).

 

 

 

 

THE MYSTERY OF GOD

Harry Miller

        For many centuries, the most glorious truths of the Gospel age have been hidden in the mute testimony of the ancient tabernacle in the wilderness.  “The words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end” (Dan. 12:9), the Spirit of the Lord told Daniel.  Now the “time of the end” has arrived, and the Master of the house has given command to “...  open the book and to loose the seals thereof” (Rev. 5:2).

        The “Book” that is being opened to the “faithful and true” is our Bible.  Many of the things that have long been a mystery are now being revealed.  This, too, is another piece of evidence that we are very near the end of time.  “In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished” (Rev. 10:7).  It is in the very end of time that God will complete a certain very important creation: THE MYSTERY OF GOD.  This “mystery” is carefully hidden in many of the secret things, and though it has for ages been kept from the prying eyes of millions, yet now, here, in the end of time, the eyes of His people are beginning to see and understand the great light.

        Old Testament shadows, types, and symbols are suddenly made to give voice to their silent testimony, and saints who love Christ Jesus rejoice in spirit with each new revelation.

        These explanations, which we now offer the saints, are not of man’s private interpretation, but are revelations of the Spirit of God that will be confirmed by all who know Him.  The interpretations we offer in our following explanations of the mysteries are not an appeal to reason, though we promise you they will not do violence to reason.  We remind the saint that each of us “…have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things,” and also, “The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth” (I John 2:20,27).

        He who has the Spirit of Christ is taught by the Spirit.  This does not abolish the ministry of teachers in the body of Christ.  “He gave some…teachers; For the perfecting of the saints” (Eph. 4:11).  This is not a contradiction of John’s statement that “ye need not that any man teach you”; the idea here is that the Spirit within the saints will reject or confirm the message of the teacher in its relationship to truth.  If the message of the teacher is false, the true saint will have an understanding, a feeling, or a resentment against the error of the speaker.  On the other hand, if the teacher speaks the truth, even though the thing may be mentally incomprehensible to the saint, yet the Spirit within the saint will give him an inward knowledge that all is well.  “Not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth,” for “we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory” (I Cor. 2:13,7).

        It is impossible for anyone to lose his way if he follows Jesus.  By this we mean that the Word teaches: “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14).  The “sons of God” are God-Spirit-led, and most certainly He will not lead them into the darkness of error.  Jesus made this positive statement, “He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

God In Us

        “The light of life” within the true Christian is the very presence of God.  Let all of the faithful accept this fact: God is now dwelling in us.  Many people look for God to dwell in His people in the ages to come, but He is now, since the day of Pentecost, in His people.  “This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest” (Heb. 8:10,11).  This has been fulfilled, “Ye are the temple of the Living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (II Cor. 6:16).

        Jesus Christ was God’s temple: “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me” (John 14:11).  Now, to us He said, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23).  Here we have the conditions upon which this sacred relationship rests: “If a man love me.

        “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (I John 4:16).  “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4).  “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit” (I John 4:13).

        Scripture bears out the fact that God now dwells in His people, but in many cases those who share their dwelling with God let Him have but a very small corner.  Our reason tells us that God should have the most important places in our dwellings; as a matter of fact, He should have access to every department of our beings and be free to use us as He sees fit.  To all saints, this is the ideal: to be divinely controlled.  But, even though we rationally desire the Lord to have the place of supreme command in our lives, we still do not surrender.

        There is a great reluctance in man to surrender his will.  The testimonies of many saints are filled with accounts of their struggles to bring their stubborn wills into subjection of the Spirit of God.  Many grievous tears of remorse have been shed by those who love Christ because of this great inward struggle that occupies so much of their valuable time.

The Inner Conflict

        Again and again, we are told that the promises of the glory of God are “To him that overcometh.”  Who among us has not known the agony of the death struggles with the carnal “man”?  “For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  O wretched man that I am!  Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:18-24).

        This titanic struggle between the spirit and the flesh was not ended at the cross of Calvary as many now teach.  This “carnal man” with whom we all have contended must be “put to death” by the process of crucifixion.  The saint himself is the slayer of this evil nature.  It is accomplished by yielding to the will of God.  “I thank God…There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1).  Take note that the apostle states the conditions under which there is no condemnation: not a fleshly walk, but a spiritual walk.

        Oh, friends, let this truth sink into your souls: Life is a walk.  Christianity is not a static thing.  It does not consist in a position.  It is a relationship of movement, growth, development, and progress.  All life is in motion; eternal life in God is no exception.  Christ taught progression in many parables: “The seed” of the sower was expected to grow; the “branch” of the vine was expected to bear fruit, and even then, it was purged that it might “bring forth more fruit.”

        The prime object of the creation of man was to bring “…many sons unto Glory” (Heb. 2:10).  In “bringing” the sons, the Father has chosen a perfecting process which is called a WALK IN THE SPIRIT.  This “walk” that is taken with His Spirit leads through all manner of circumstances and conditions which have a character-creating effect upon the saint.  It is not by accident that many must walk through a “valley of the shadow of death;” it is in the shadows that we learn our sweetest lessons of trust.  In sorrow we are broken, and in grief and tears we learn to come as “little children” to Him who pities like a Father.  In the sharp crack of the whip, we are assured that we are sons being chastened.  “Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me,” said the Psalmist.  He learned the bittersweet satisfaction of correction.

The Divine Purpose

        The purpose of our present life here in this world is to become like the Pattern shown us on the Mount.  The “Son of man” came into His kingdom when he was transfigured on the mount; here it was that the power of the God kingdom was demonstrated.  It was at this time that the “Captain of our Salvation” reached the summit of human achievement.  The transfiguration was His graduation day, the Glory was His diploma, and men from the other world testified of His accomplishment.  Peter testified later that they “were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (II Peter 1:16).

        This was the “prize” the apostle Paul sought to obtain.  It is well to note that this man of God, from whose writings the “grace” doctrines are taken, said: “That I MAY KNOW HIM…If by any means I might attain…I follow after…that I may apprehend… and reaching forth…I press toward the mark” (Phil. 3:10-14).  Perfection of moral being is the “prize.”

        Jesus commanded every believer to be perfect: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48).  Let no man think that Christ was humiliating us by giving us an order that we could not possibly fulfill.  Perfection is not only possible, it is an end to which we all, who are finally saved, must come: “We shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump…This corruption must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (I Cor. 15:52,53).

        “But in the DAYS (a period of time) of the voice of the seventh angel (the angel who blows the “last trump”), the mystery of God should be finished” (Rev. 10:7).  Let us now consider the meaning of these words concerning “the mystery of God.”  This “mystery” is the Holy Presence within the saints: “We have this treasure in earthen vessels” (II Cor. 4:7).  “The mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is CHRIST IN YOU” (Col. 1:26,27).

The Change

        There are many Scriptures which plainly show that the Spirit of Christ within the believer has a definite work of reconstruction, a work of changing from the natural to the spiritual, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (II Cor. 3:18).  The word here translated “changed” is “metamorfoumetha” in Greek; it is exactly the same as our English word, METAMORPHOSIS.  The tadpole is changed into a frog by the process known as metamorphosis.  The caterpillar hides itself in a cocoon, and after a long time, it is suddenly changed by metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly.

        The “prize” sought by the apostle to the Gentiles was this complete transformation by the process of metamorphosis.  These words from the book of Hebrews point to the same end: “Let us go on unto perfection” (Heb. 6:1).  It is quite likely that the harvest of “just men made perfect” (Heb. 12:23) is the result of the accomplishment of saints who have individually attained to the “prize.”  But the Lord is looking for a company of saints to attain this goal in “the days of the voice of the seventh angel.”  “Shall a nation be born at once?” the prophet asks; then he answers his own question: “As soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isa. 66:8).

        “A woman clothed with the sun…she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron” (Rev. 12:1,5).  The “man child” represents the “overcomers” who do greater works than the Master did, because He is now with the Father.  “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron” (Rev. 2:26,27).  It is then it shall be said, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 11:15).

        In these present days of preparation, the Holy Spirit is urging all saints to prepare themselves for the metamorphosis.  We must willingly submit spirit, soul, and body to the process of “being conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29).  The day of the mass redemption of the bodies of the saints is very near at hand; so brethren, “Let us run…the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1).

        To “win Christ” should be the sole objective of every professing Christian.  In our efforts to “win” Him, we must enlist all of our powers.  “The love of Christ constraineth us…that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them” (II Cor. 5:15).  Listen to these words from Peter’s epistle: “arm yourselves …(ye) no longer should live the rest of (your) time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God” (I Peter. 4:1,2).  Remember these words: “He that doeth the will of God abideth forever” (I John 2:17).

        “DOING THE WILL OF GOD” should become an obsession for every person who expects to be classed with the Lord’s “sheep.”  Let every professing Christian awaken and realize that a “nominal Christian (?) profession” will not carry him through the terrors that are ahead of the human race.

The End In View

        It is decreed in heaven that there be a “manifestation of the sons of God” (Rom. 8:19).  God Himself will bring about conditions that will force men to a decision, and as He has said: “They (the children) shall be the work of mine hands” (Isa. 29:23).  Listen to these words: “I will rule over you…I will bring you out from the people…I will bring you into the wilderness…there will I plead with you…I will CAUSE you to pass under the rod and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: And I will purge out from among you the rebels” (Ezek. 20:30-38).

        Judgment has begun “at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel?  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (I Pet. 4:17,18).  The word has gone forth for the mighty angel to “…measure the temple of God” (Rev. 11:1).  Those who worship in His temple must bring their manner of worship up to His standards.  The time of haphazard, promiscuous service to God is ended.  From here on out, the Lord is demanding QUALITY, not quantity.

        This is the day in which the Father is making up His jewels, and in His “book” He has a list of those who fear Him; of these He said: “They shall be mine…I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him” (Mal. 3:17).  These sons that serve Him are the choice, the cream of the crop.  They are the “precious fruit of the earth” (James 5:7) for which He has waited.  So few in number shall this company be that it is referred to as “a branch.”

        The prophet Isaiah gives us a remarkable description of the saints who have successfully run the race, “In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious (bear in mind that this is the Holy Spirit’s evaluation of these saints), and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely (here again we have terms that signify something gloriously extraordinary) for them that are escaped of Israel.  And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem” (Isa. 4:2,3).  This is the time when the Master shall look and, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied” (Isa. 53:11).

 

 

 

 

COMPLETE SUBMISSION TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

A CALL TO RADICAL DEVOTION

Rene’ Rankhorn

        THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE TO OBEY THE LEVITICAL LAW.  WE MUST OBEY JESUS, TAKE UP OUR CROSS, AND FOLLOW HIM!  Jesus' words are not just letters in a book; they are our guide and our laws that we are to obey!

A Question That Challenges Me

        I've been wrestling with something lately.  When I look at followers of other religions—Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism—I see people who devote their entire lives to their faith with unwavering dedication.  They pray multiple times a day, fast regularly, make pilgrimages, memorize sacred texts, and organize their entire lives around their beliefs.

        And then I look at my own life as a Christian, serving the living God who died for me, and I have to ask myself: Why do I struggle to spend even fifteen minutes in prayer?  Why do I let days go by without opening my Bible?

        This isn't about pointing fingers at anyone else.  This is about me looking in the mirror and asking hard questions about my own devotion.

The Challenge Of Jude

        "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." (Jude 1:3-4)

        Am I earnestly contending for my faith?  Or have I, in my own life, turned grace into a license for lukewarm living?  I claim salvation, but do I sometimes live like the world?  I speak of freedom in Christ, but am I still enslaved to my comfort, my screens, my opinions?

        These are uncomfortable questions, but I believe they're worth asking.

My Own Grief And Conviction

        It grieves me when I realize how often I fall for the lies of the enemy.  Why do I keep doing what my carnal nature desires when I know it leads to death?  I know the truth — I've heard it preached; I've read it in Scripture; I've felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit — and yet I sometimes choose comfort over obedience, convenience over consecration.

Maybe you've felt this, too.  Maybe you've also wondered: When will I truly worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth?  When will I stop fighting battles over secondary issues and focus on what matters most?

How I've Wounded Others

        One area where I know I've fallen short is in how I treat my brothers and sisters in Christ.

        "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another." (Rom. 12:10)

        I need correction—Scripture is clear about that.  Iron sharpens iron.  But have I always corrected others with brotherly love, gentleness, and humility?  Or have I sometimes been harsh, impatient, or self-righteous?

        I know I have offended people, whether I realize it or not, and it breaks my heart.  Every harsh word, every moment of impatience, every time I chose my pride over someone else's dignity — these things have consequences.

        "Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" (Matt. 18:7)

        Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)  Have I loved like that?  Not always.  But I want to.

The Danger Of Selective Love

        I confess that I've sometimes judged people because they were different.  Maybe they had tattoos, or dressed differently, or came from a different background.  I've made assumptions about people's hearts based on outward appearances.

But Jesus Died To Save Everyone!

        "The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.  But wisdom is justified of her children." (Matt. 11:19)

        Jesus ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners.  He touched lepers.  He spoke to Samaritans.  He welcomed the outcasts that religious people rejected.

        I want to be more like Jesus in this.  I want to be a bridge-builder, not a gatekeeper.  I want to be a servant, not a judge.  I want to welcome all who would come to Him.

A Warning I Can't Ignore

        "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matt. 7:23)

        This verse haunts me.  Not "I knew you once."  Not "You fell away."  But "I never knew you."

        This drives me to examine my own heart and life to see if I am truly in the faith.  Knowing about Jesus is not the same as knowing Jesus.  Going to church is not the same as being the church.  Saying "Lord, Lord" is not the same as doing the will of the Father.

What Will It Take For Me To Wake Up?

        I have to ask myself: What is it going to take for God to get through to me?  How will I be ready to endure tribulation if I can't even handle minor inconveniences now?  If I fall apart when my plans are disrupted or when someone criticizes me, how will I stand firm when real trials come?

The Bride Who Forgets Her Bridegroom

        When I fell in love and got married, I constantly wanted to do whatever I could to please my spouse and make him happy.  I thought about him throughout the day.  I made sacrifices.  I served joyfully.

        I remember so many times trying to please my former spouse.  I kept everything clean.  Food was on the table when he got home.  I even got up at 4 AM and had his coffee and lunch ready so all he had to do was put on his clothes and boots and head out the door.  I did these things because I loved him and wanted to serve him.

        I am part of the Bride of Christ!  So why don't I do those things for Jesus Christ with the same devotion?

        Why do I wallow in self-pity instead of praising Him?  Why do I give in to anxiety instead of trusting Him?  Why do I indulge my pride instead of humbling myself?

        I want to have the mind of Christ!  I want to wake up thinking about Him, spend my day serving Him, and fall asleep meditating on His Word.  I want to be so in love with Jesus that pleasing Him is my greatest joy and obeying Him is my highest priority.

My Comfortable Idolatry

        The truth is, I've been spoiled.  I get caught up in instant gratification, endless distractions, material comfort, and entertainment.  I've wanted the world's approval, the world's success, the world's lifestyle — just with a Christian label.

        I can binge-watch television for hours, but struggle to find thirty minutes to pray.  I scroll social media endlessly, but call fifteen minutes of Bible reading "a good quiet time."  I spend money on myself without thinking twice, but I hesitate to give sacrificially to Kingdom work.

        I need to be enthralled with Jesus Christ!  I need to be focused on loving Him and pleasing Him above everything else!

The Choice Before Me—And Perhaps Before You

        The question is not whether God is faithful—He always is.  The question is whether I will be faithful to Him.

        Will I take up my cross daily and follow Him, or will I continue to follow Him only when it's convenient?

        Will I obey His commands, or will I explain them away to justify my comfortable life?

        Will I love others as He loved me, or will I continue to wound and judge?

        Will I pursue holiness, or will I continue to blend in with the world?

        Will I be a doer of the Word, or just a hearer who deceives myself?

        Perhaps these questions challenge you.  Perhaps you've also felt the conviction that there's more to following Christ than what you've been living.  Perhaps you've also longed for a deeper, more passionate devotion to the One who gave everything for us.

The Time Is Short. The Hour Is Late. The Bridegroom Is Coming.

        "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." (Rom. 13:11-12)

        I'm choosing to shake off my slumber, cast off my compromise, and run with passion and devotion after the One who gave everything for me.

        Will you join me?  May we be found faithful when He returns.

 

 

 

 

“THY FAITH HATH MADE THEE WHOLE”

Eda Sanderson

        “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (I Cor. 13:13).  Charity (love) is so important that God considers it the most important commandment (see Mark 12:30-31).  However, let us not forget faith and hope.  They are both important in our lives, also.  Why is faith so important?  Hebrews 11:6 tells us why: “But without faith it is impossible to please him (God).”  Hebrews 11 is full of examples of how faith worked in the lives of the great people of the Old Testament.  Read it and be encouraged.  They were able to do mighty things because of faith working in their lives.  And it didn’t just happen in the Old Testament time.  There are many places in the New Testament where faith is mentioned.  It was through their faith that Jesus was able to perform many miracles in people’s lives.

        Mark 5:25-34 tells of the woman with an issue of blood who came to Jesus for healing.  She believed that if she could just touch the hem of His garment, she’d be healed.  When He heard her story, He said, “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”  Matthew 9:22 says, “And the woman was made whole from that hour.”

        In Matthew 9:27-30, two blind men cried out to Jesus for healing.  Jesus questioned them, “Believe ye that I am able to do this?  They said unto him, Yea, Lord.  Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.  And their eyes were opened.”

        Matthew 15:22-28 tells of the woman of Canaan who came to Jesus for deliverance for her daughter from a vexing devil.  Jesus didn’t even acknowledge that she was speaking to Him.  This didn’t stop her, because she was so desperate for help.  She persisted, and “Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O Woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt.  And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”

        At another time, Jesus was sitting and eating at a Pharisee’s house when a woman (the Scripture says she was a sinner) came to wash and anoint Jesus’ feet.  The Pharisee assumed that Jesus didn’t know what the woman was, but Jesus knew.  He knew that she needed healing, not in her body, but in her soul.  He told the woman, “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace” (Matt. 7:50).

        In Matthew 8:8-13, a centurion, a Roman, the hated oppressors of the Jews, came to Jesus asking Him to heal his servant.  Notice the strength of his faith.  He told Jesus, “but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.”  What was his reward for his faith?  “And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.”  Then the Scriptures say “And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.”

        The power of faith did not operate only during Jesus’ ministry.  Jesus told His disciples that they would do the works He had done.  This was demonstrated in the early church.  There was a lame man in Lystra: “The same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet.  And he leaped and walked” (Acts 14:9-10).  Many people were healed when Peter’s shadow passed over them.  Why?  Because they had faith that he could heal them.

        Just what is this faith that the people in olden times had?  Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary says that faith is a “belief and trust in and loyalty to God; firm belief in something for which there is no proof; complete confidence.”  Those people believed that Jesus could heal them; they had complete confidence in Him and His abilities.  That is faith.

        How can we have that same faith?  Hebrews 11:6 says, “for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”  This scripture gives us the key to having faith – BELIEVE.  Believing is not just saying, “Oh, yes, I believe.”  It is a belief in the heart so strong that there is no room for doubt.  How many times does someone say, “Yes, I believe He can, but I don’t know if He will”?  Is that true faith?  No, there is a seed of doubt, so faith cannot operate.  True faith is believing without any doubt in the heart.  “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord” (James 1:6-7).

        So, what must one believe?  First of all, that God is.  That He exists; that He is all-powerful; that He cares, and that He wants to answer.  Second, one must believe that God wants to grant the petition because the person seeks Him diligently.  Webster’s says the word “diligently” is an adverb of diligence, which means, “characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic application and effort.”  The reward for diligence is answered prayer.

        Did you notice how powerful faith is?  It can bring healing for the body, cast out demons, and even save souls.  In this evil day, God’s people need strong faith because the forces of evil are on the increase.  They see that their time is short, so they are attacking God’s people, His work, as never before – physically, mentally, and spiritually.  Who do you think is behind all this outcry against discriminating or offending other religions and beliefs?  Satan, of course.  “Freedom of religion” now protects Hindus, Muslims, and other non-Christian beliefs more than it does Christians, the ones our forefathers meant it to protect.

        Tennessee Ernie Ford had a record out years ago, on which he said that if a person doesn’t know if he has faith, act as if he does until it comes.  So, friends, believe, seek God diligently, and ask in faith, believing.  With true faith, you can “move mountains” (Matt. 21:21,22), “resist the devil and he shall flee” (James 4:7), and stand strong in the Lord.

 

 

 

 

THE ANGEL OF THE COMMONPLACE

A.W. Tozer

        The story of Zacharias and the angel (Luke 1:8-11) suggests that people in these strange days are seeing things badly out of focus.  It takes a real effort of the mind to wrestle loose from the false philosophies that hold the masses of mankind in their grasp.

        Thinking only of America for the moment, it may be said with complete accuracy that the masses of our population think the same about almost everything.  Our boasted right to disagree is a joke to the one who can see past the end of his own nose.

        Except for the numerically unimportant rebels among us, we Americans all react alike toward our social stimuli.  We are as carefully conditioned as were the people of Germany under Hitler or the Russians under Stalin.  The difference is that our conditioning is accomplished, not by force, but by advertising and other media of mass education.  The press, the radio and the various dramatic forms, among which the movie is the most potent, have brainwashed the average American as successfully as was ever done by the totalitarian propaganda machines.  Of course, there are no threats, no concentration camps and no secret police, but the job is done nevertheless.  And the proof of its effectiveness is found in the very fact that those so washed are not aware of what has happened to them, and will greet any such notion with loud guffaws.  But whether the victim laughs or weeps he is a victim still.

        One ominous sign of our warped concepts is our false attitude toward the ordinary.  There has grown up around us an idea that the commonplace is old-fashioned and strictly for the birds.  Hardly anything is permitted to be just what it is; everything these days must be “processed.”  On some levels of society, for instance, the sight of a mother nursing her baby would evoke exclamations of wonder if not downright disapproval.  Have not the manufacturers invented better baby food than mother’s milk?  And anyway, such food has not been “processed,” nor is it produced in a union shop.  And how can Mrs. America be glamorous when engaged in such a lowly and commonplace occupation?

        The mania after glamor and the contempt of the ordinary are signs and portents in American society.  Even religion has gone glamorous.  In case you do not know what glamor is, I might explain that it is a compound of sex, paint, padding and artificial lights.  It came to America by way of the honky-tonk and the movie lot, got accepted by the world first and then strutted into the Church, vain, self-admiring and contemptuous.  Down on their knees went the carnal saintlings and kissed this new Jezebel with breathless ardor.  Instead of the Spirit of God in our midst we now have the spirit of glamor, as artificial as painted death and as hollow as the skull which is its symbol.

        That we now have to deal with a new spirit in religion is not a mere figure of speech.  The new Christianity has clearly introduced new concepts which face us brazenly wherever we turn within the confines of evangelical Christianity.  The plain virtues, so dear to the heart of prophet and apostle and the substance of the solemn and fiery sermons of our forebears, have been sent into retirement with the fireman’s horse and the blacksmith’s bellows.  The new Christian no longer wants to be good or saintly or virtuous.  He wants to be happy and free, to have “peace of mind,” and above all he wants to enjoy the thrills of religion without any of its perils.  He brings to the New Testament a paganized concept of the Christian way and makes the Scriptures say what he wants them to say.  And this he does, oddly enough, while at the same time protesting that he is in true lineal descent from the apostles and a true son of the Reformation.  His spiritual models are not holy men but ball players, plug-uglies from the prize ring and sentimental but unregenerate stars of anything but heavenly firmament.

        And many of the elect ladies of the new Christianity of our time are becoming harder and harder to distinguish from the soiled ladies who used to tramp the streets at twilight, not to win souls but to draw customers.  These disciples of glamor would be suspected of being Christians only because they chatter about Jesus at cocktail parties and drop in on a “prayer meeting” occasionally when they have a day off between divorces.

        True Christianity is built on the Bible, and the Bible is the enemy of all pretense.  Simplicity, sincerity and humility are still golden virtues in the kingdom of God.  The angel appeared to Zacharias when he was going about his regular prosaic business “in order of his course.”  There was nothing glamorous about the old saint’s task.  There was no fanfare, no drama; just a good old man doing what he had been taught and asking for no publicity.  The busy people outside paid no attention to him; but God noticed him and an angel came down to speak to him.  In this dizzy era is it too much to hope that a few Christians will still believe in the angel of the commonplace?

        Let’s turn off the colored lights for a while and see what happens.  Maybe our eyes will get used to the light of God.  And who knows?  Maybe someone will again see an angel.

                                                                        The Alliance Weekly

 

 

 

 

PASSOVER 2026

        People of the Living God will observe the Passover beginning on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at sundown and will keep it through Wednesday evening, April 8th.

        People of the Living God has observed the Passover for over 70 years, and it has always been a special blessing to us.  Each year, the Lord blesses our gatherings and the Passover meal.  It has always been a good time for fellowship and speaking about the goodness, grace, and love of God.  It is specifically a time to give thanks for our salvation, which was made possible through the offering of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb.  It is through the shedding of His precious blood that we have passed from death unto life.  Such love deserves our worship and praise.

        We also observe the Communion, or Lord’s Supper, after we have finished the Passover meal, much like it was on the last night Jesus was with His disciples in the upper room.  We pray that all those who keep the Passover will receive a great blessing this year as we honor Jesus and remember His death till He comes.  What a wonderful Savior!

 

 

 

 

CHRIST ALONE

Selected

        The world, I thought, belonged to me –

        Goods, gold, and people, land and sea –

        Where'er I walked beneath God's sky,

        In those old days, my word was “I.”

        Years passed; there flashed my pathway near

        The fragment of a vision dear;

        My former word no more sufficed,

        And what I said was – “I and Christ.”

        But, O, the more I looked on Him

        His glory grew, while mine grew dim;

        I shrank so small, He towered so high,

        All I dared say was – “Christ and I.”

        Years more the vision held its place

        and looked me steadily in the face;

        I speak now in a humbler tone,

        And what I say is – “Christ alone.”