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People of The Living God |
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July 2026
WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS
AMERICA’S 250th ANNIVERSARY
Alfred King
Having now arrived at the two hundred and fiftieth year of America’s independence, should be grateful for the freedoms our forefathers have experienced. America has become the greatest nation in the world, experiencing freedoms and prosperity unknown in the history of nations. But it was not without cost and without mistakes. The millions who have fought and laid down their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today must never be forgotten nor taken for granted. America barely survived some of the battles she experienced in her youth as she struggled to gain her independence. After the Revolutionary War, the challenge of forming a governing Constitution that would allow freedom was another great issue facing the fledgling nation. How to offer freedom while maintaining civil order did not come easily.
America has wrestled through many conflicts brought about by the very liberties she has offered. Some of those conflicts have threatened the very fiber of this nation and brought it to the brink of splitting the nation in two. Yet, for those of us who believe that God brought America into existence by His providential hand, we are assured that His divine intervention has kept her and guided her throughout the past 250 years.
Even Benjamin Franklin realized the fragility of this new nation when he was asked what form of government America would have. His response was telling, “A republic;” then he added, “if you can keep it.” John Adams was more pointed in his cautious optimism. In referring to the newly created Constitution, he stated, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
Over the past two and a half centuries, these statements by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin have been proven over and over. There have been too many events that have proven that morality has not prevailed and that departure from civilized morality, and more importantly, Biblical principles, have brought about division and strife. One very serious departure from Biblical truth was that which brought about the Civil War. When the war ended, the peace it was to bring did not come; it remained in the hearts of many and lingers in many people’s minds today. However, God, in His mercy, held the nation together and brought her through to continue her existence.
Abraham Lincoln saw what very few see when nearing the end of a war. The populace see only the end of a war, the end of killing and destruction. They feel that things will return to normal or possibly get better. But President Lincoln saw beyond the victory to a time of reconstruction. In a letter written to William Donahue, he wrote, “If nothing else came out of this war, it tells us that the truth is seldom of great interest to those who need it most.” He continued, “Whatever we do with peace will challenge us far more than anything we did during the war.” This last statement is more true than most realize, and the path that America has taken over the past five or six decades is unveiling this challenge more than ever before.
All the lessons that should have been learned through the struggles America has endured, the lessons that should have made her stronger and more unified, have not solidified the union. In our personal lives, we grow through difficulties and adverse situations. We grow in knowledge and wisdom for sure; yet, more importantly, in character and moral stature. The same is true for a nation. Unfortunately, our nation, like men, doesn’t always learn from their mistakes. They instead continue down the same path that leads to failure and often to destruction. In spite of this path that America has often taken, God has mercifully kept His hand upon her. And in spite of her waywardness, she has, at the same time, been a beacon of light to a dark world. America has sent missionaries all over the world and has been the greatest nation in history to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. For this fact that God has kept this nation.
A real and serious question now must be asked: How long will God protect this nation? America has been on a downward spiral for at least the past fifty years, and today we face the results of that spiral. America has turned from being a moral and civilized nation to one who boastfully parades her immorality and debauchery down her city streets. She attempts to play God by changing the God-given gender of young people. And while she has sent missionaries throughout the world, at the same time, she is sending her perversions and abominations, encouraging and promoting these while there is no conviction nor incentive to change.
There are many areas in which America has forsaken her foundational moorings, too many to mention in one article. Nevertheless, the acceleration of her moral decline is staggering. Those who remember the sexual revolution of the nineteen sixties realize that it was the beginning of a different way of thinking. This was the movement that threatened the sanctity of marriage and was the catalyst for what has followed. The home, where a father and mother would, together, rear their children, began to disintegrate. Home was a place where responsibility and decency were taught, and children were nurtured, for the most part, with biblical principles of right and wrong. The sixties began a trend that has, ever since, changed the moral landscape of America.
From the breakdown of the family has come everything that we see today in our society: divorce, fornication, fatherless homes, drugs, drunkenness, homosexuality and transgenderism, teenage violence in America’s streets, and one I want to focus on in this article:abortion.
In Genesis four, we find that the two sons of Adam and Eve found themselves in a dispute. Abel offered a sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to God, while Cain’s offering was not. Anger grew into hatred and then into murder in Cain’s heart. This historical event and its application to our day is important and relevant to our topic of abortion. Listen and consider seriously God’s response to Cain. God confronted Cain and said, “…the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground” (Gen. 4:10). The “Cains” of today still hate truth and those who promote truth.
The message God was sending to all men who live upon this globe is that the cry of those who are murdered will be heard in God’s ears. The lesson is: as Cain answered to God for his crime, so will all men answer for murders committed. It is estimated that between sixty-four and sixty-five million babies have been murdered in the womb since 1973. (Christian Life Resources) That averages over one million murders every year. Questions we need to ask ourselves: Is the blood of the unborn crying out to God? (It most obviously is.) Will God judge America for her crime against the unborn? How long will His mercies bear with us? How long before His judgment falls?
There is another question that is important for the church. Where is our voice? How long will the church be silent? (Not only about abortion but other abominations.) Where was the church in 1972? In the church’s defense or possible ignorance, I was in my early twenties. It never occurred to me that the abortion bill would pass. It just seemed that the topic was undebatable. The very thought of killing the unborn was, to my mind, not even a debatable issue. Surely it would not pass in the Supreme Court of the United States of America where the Constitution protected every American citizen, which, to me, included the unborn. But such is the mystery of iniquity, it is beyond reason or common sense.
Although not a Catholic, I was impressed recently when Pope Leo XIV addressed the liberal and WOKE Spanish Parliament, in which he brought up the issue of the life of the unborn. He didn’t bring Christianity into his address relative to abortion, rather he used common sense and moral responsibility. He spoke about the dignity of all human life and that it is “a goal of civilization” to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Listen to his words as recorded in “The Catholic Register” (June 8, 2026). “If life ceases to be recognized as a fundamental value, what future can our societies have? Can a community that casts into the shadows the unborn child, the elderly, the sick, those who suffer in silence or those who depend entirely on the care of others be called fully just?” He continued his argument: “The defense of human life is neither a partisan issue nor a confessional interest: it is a goal of civilization…Every human life must be recognized and safeguarded from conception to its natural end, in every circumstance of its existence.”
His words were forceful, and they addressed those who have no religion at all. At the same time, addressing all people, presenting what a civilized nation is. Being otherwise minded is barbaric. It’s difficult to argue against his presentation, for it is common sense. Whether one believes the Christians scriptures or not, there is an innate understanding among all people that murder is wrong. This is a law God planted in every human heart and a principle that all people, nations, and religions recognize. Only a reprobate would argue differently.
Cain reaped judgment from God, a judgment that was very severe, so great that he responded with these words, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.” Can we expect anything different from the same God that brought judgment upon Cain, when a nation has, for over fifty years, murdered its unborn? “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7). This applies to nations as well as to individuals. God judged Israel for her transgressions, which climaxed with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. God’s judgment on Israel was pronounced when Jesus stated, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matt. 23:38). God’s judgment fell upon Israel in 70AD when Jerusalem was destroyed. When will America reap the same judgment as that of Israel?
While we celebrate America’s two hundred and fiftieth anniversary, we must be diligent, as a moral people, to stand against all the evil that has permeated our country. To be silent will not only allow evil to continue, but more, and even more egregious evil will come. There is no end to the depths of sin. Except the Gospel reaches every home in America and is heard in the halls of Congress, America will continue to tread the path to destruction. While we sing, “Let Freedom Ring,” we must realize that true freedom is only found in Jesus Christ and His teachings. May God Bless America once again by bringing about conviction and repentance.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A DISCIPLE?
By R. Libbr
“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them, And when they saw him, they worshiped him but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke unto them saying, 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: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Matt. 28:16 to 20)
Disciple: a learner or follower of a teacher, most commonly referring to those who follow Jesus Christ, adhering to His teachings, imitating His life, and spreading His message. Becoming “little Christs” through a process of spiritual growth, obedience, and transformation. It signifies a committed believer who lives out Christ's way, moving beyond just intellectual understanding to a transformed life and active mission to help others follow Jesus as well. A disciple strives to become like Jesus, mirroring His words, actions, and character in their own life. To be examples to others. “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of Holiness by the resurrection from the dead: by whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for His name: among whom are you also the called of Jesus Christ:” (Rom. 1:4-6)
It involves a deep personal commitment, often requiring sacrifice and a turning away from worldly ways to embrace a Christ-centered life. Disciples are called to share their faith and help others become disciples, continuing Jesus's mission (the Great Commission). “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." (1 Peter 4:10)
Discipleship isn't just for leaders or spiritual elite; it's for any Christian who belongs to Christ. It's a lifelong journey of growth, guided by the Holy Spirit and the word of God, as seen in the early church's development. A true disciple is not just involved but is committed to taking up his own cross and follow Jesus Christ to the very end. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matt. 16:24)
“And He said unto them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)
What is your cross? Are you even aware of it? Have you lost sight of it? Have you put it down for something else? Ask God to help you understand what it means to take up your cross. Following Jesus is mandatory if you want to go to heaven with Him. It's not merely about enduring bad circumstances (are you carrying your cross: self, illness, financial problems, and so on) but about a deliberate choice to follow God through all things, denying your carnal nature and letting Him be central to your decisions. Self-denial, surrendering personal desires and choosing God's will over self-interest, even if it involves sacrifice or hardship, to live an others-focused, devoted life to Him, dying to self and living for Christ, embracing daily obedience and service, not just enduring random suffering, is all part of it.
It's a conscious, ongoing decision to follow Christ in every situation, choosing His path over your own. You let go of the old self and rise to a new life in Christ, focusing on love and service to others.
Following Jesus: willingness to endure hardships, opposition or suffering for His sake, just as He bore His cross, knowing what He would suffer. Jesus is calling us to live like Him - focused on others and a God-honoring life. We do this by fully devoting ourselves to God, staying in the Word of God, listening to what He says, and loving others. It's a call to a complete surrender of self for His sake and the kingdom, not just daily troubles. It's about dying to one's own ambitions, using self-control to leave behind old ways, habits and self-centered life to find true life in Christ, accepting the suffering that comes with identifying with His rejection and path.
Absolute surrender. We must decide if we will serve God or ourselves. “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourself this day whom you will serve.” “But as for me and my household we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
Ask yourselves. Why am I here? Why am I going to church? Why am I reading the Bible? Why am I seeking God? Why am I striving to follow Jesus? Are my answers true? Am I really doing what God shows me to do? Am I at peace with others? Do I truly trust and lean on God? How do I truly feel? Am I putting God first in my life? Or am I hanging on to “stuff” that takes my attention off of Jesus? Why? Where are you focusing? Is it money, pleasures, fairness, getting ahead of others, or is it about Jesus? If not, why not? These are hard questions that need our attention and honesty. We will one day answer to God for what we do, desire, hate, love, follow after, accept etc. and why.
“Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5) This means to actively demolish negative, proud, or false thoughts that oppose God's knowledge, bringing all ideas into obedience to Christ in Divine spiritual warfare. It is about taking control of your mind, rejecting ungodly reasoning, and renewing your thoughts with God's word to overcome worldly or deceptive thinking, resisting the lies of Satan.
If someone offered you a million dollars, would you grab it? Or would you ask, What's the catch? What do I have to do? Is it free? But what Jesus offers is so much more valuable. The conditions are clearly spelled out, and the reward is unconditional love and eternal life with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ!
Jesus gives us ultimate power over all things not of God. Take hold of it! Claim it as a Child of God! It is yours! Focus on Jesus. Desire Him above all else. Fully surrender all of yourself to His will. You will not go wrong if you do. Jesus must come first. He must be the main thing and the only thing in your life. All else is death.
THE PLAIN WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE APOSTLES
Randall Walton
Elsewhere in this paper we state that we accept no doctrines or traditions of men, but take the whole Bible and have our doctrines and interpretation of prophecy upon the PLAIN words of Jesus Christ and the apostles.
Herein lies one of the most profound building blocks of understanding truth, which exists, and which is ignored or disregarded by nearly every Bible teacher and student worldwide. The good Book is the handiwork of Almighty God who, in His omniscience and divine wisdom, put together a multifaceted jewel which is both simple and complex, for it is a combination of both plain, easy-to-understand statements, and symbolic or figurative language.
The plain, easy-to-understand statements require no interpretation, nor other manipulation, in order for us to comprehend the message. Plain means plain, - evident, obvious, not complicated, clearly understood. Much of the Bible was written in plain, simple language, which requires no speculation or guessing as to its meaning: it means what it says and says what it means!
However, symbolic or figurative speech cannot be taken literally: it can only be understood by the author who devised the system of the symbols used, and by others who have been given an understanding of the symbols by the author. Anyone who attempts to interpret the symbols by human logic or reason is clearly making a fool of himself. And a great deal of the Scriptures are written in symbolic speech!
Other terms used to describe symbols are: figures, types, parables, allegories, metaphors, shadows, and poetry. All of these must be interpreted (or explained in plain language) in order for anyone to grasp their meaning.
But, you may ask, why would the mighty God, the Master of Truth, speak to people in a manner they could not really understand except by special revelation? Is this a proper way to teach truth?
The disciples of Jesus asked Him that very question: “Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” The implication here is that Jesus purposely, deliberately spoke to the multitudes in parables so they could not know what He was talking about! Why? “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Matt. 13:10-16).
Figurative language, then, is used to both reveal and obscure the truth. It will reveal truth to the obedient and the lover of truth, but will hide the truth from the disobedient and unbeliever. Symbols will be light to the honest of heart, but darkness to the rebel. Precious truths are buried in the depths of parables, metaphors, signs, and symbols which can only be discovered by the revelation of the Holy Spirit to the person who embraces Truth as a way of life. But woe be to the trifler and the seeker of entertainment and speculation.
Let every preacher, Bible teacher, missionary, student, and average Christian beware of symbols and parables. Let them especially beware of the Book of symbols and signs, the Book of Revelation. Let them earnestly, seriously consider the first verse of the first chapter, then proceed with caution and much trepidation, for the Master Himself has warned that this is a BOOK OF SIGNS. Those who carelessly and foolishly plunge right into it and then proclaim that they fully understand it all are either fools or deceivers who are bent on misleading a gullible following.
Let this truth sink down deep into your hearts and spirits: the Book of Revelation cannot be taken literally. God Himself said the message is signified. What person is stupid enough to contradict the words of the Author of this holy writ?
A Firm Foundation
For these reasons we reject any doctrine or interpretation of symbols that do not agree with the PLAIN statements of Jesus Christ and the apostles. Any teaching which cannot be substantiated in the PLAIN words of Jesus and the apostles is spurious, founded only upon the vain and empty imaginings of carnal men.
These are the reasons, then, we reject the teaching of a future era called the millennium:
1. Jesus didn’t teach it;
2. None of the apostles taught it;
3. It is determined only by using a literal interpretation of Revelation 20, which is both unreasonable and dangerous.
It is unreasonable because a literal interpretation contradicts and nullifies the PLAIN
statements of Jesus and the apostles. Not once did they even slightly suggest a future 1000-year period when Jesus would reign upon this earth. No, not once! Surely, if such a utopia were ever to be, at least one of them would have mentioned it. But it cannot be found in any of the sacred writings.
It is dangerous because it negates the words of Jesus regarding Himself and implies that He was mistaken. For example, He, Jesus, declared in His last message to His disciples just prior to His ascension to the right hand of the Father, that: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18). The word power is from the Greek word “exousia”, which means authority, not merely power. Authority includes the right to order, command, enforce and judge (Read also: John 5:22,26,27).
The millennial myth implies that Jesus will not assume all authority until the millennium begins. If that be the case, then Jesus was in error.
But that is not the case: Jesus was not in error. He spoke the absolute truth! He has already been given ALL authority both in heaven and earth. He further informed John that He possesses the keys of hell and of death (Rev. 1:18). What more do we need to convince us that a literal rendering of Revelation 20 is false, misleading, in contradiction to the plain teachings of Jesus and the apostles, and denigrates both the majesty and royalty of Jesus and the present kingdom of the living God.
The result of the millennial teaching is that the church is a mere caricature of that which is portrayed in the Book of Acts. It exists as a powerless, impotent mockery of the true, pristine, Holy Ghost-filled company of believers which turned the world upside down with its message concerning the Messenger of God. Rather than proclaiming the existing kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ, it looks for the “coming king” to come and be seated on a man-made earthly throne as if He will only reign when He occupies such an inferior state of authority.
Yes, He reigns now! He is the great and mighty King of glory who rules without the benefit of police or secret agents. He has issued forth His laws and precepts, but forces no one to comply. Every person must decide for himself whether to obey His laws or live by his own desires and wants. Though He has all authority in heaven and earth, He never resorts to tyranny or the power of force to compel men to do His bidding; His is a kingdom of unbounded love for His creation. Those who do not recognize and honor His love do so at the expense of their own destruction.
The fact that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven and that He does not use force in His dealings with mankind gives many people the impression that He does not reign at the present time. But that is not true. “rule thou in the midst of thine enemies,” David said (Psalm 110:2). He does rule and He does have many enemies, but the abundance of enemies does not detract from His rule.
Bro. Peter, under the anointing and inspiration of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, announced that “God hath made that same Jesus…both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). Pay attention to that word “Lord.” Strong’s dictionary says it means “supreme in authority.”
These are some of the “Plain words of Jesus Christ and the apostles”, and here it is we stand. We cannot, we will not accept the traditions of men nor their interpretation of prophetic utterances which do not agree with the plain words of Jesus Christ and the apostles. And, my friends, neither should you!
THE NEW CREATURE
Harry Miller
“Ye must be born again” (John 3:7). These words were spoken by Jesus to a “master of Israel,” a “ruler of the Jews,” who came to Him by night. It was a statement which was most perplexing to this material-minded “man of the Pharisees.”
“How,” he inquired, “can a man be born again when he is old?” But Jesus told him to “marvel not,” for the birth of which He spoke was not a physical one – it was a thing of the Spirit.
It seems that the Judaistic Sects of the Apostolic times were just as blind to the fact of spiritual experiences as are multitudes of professing Christians today. The Jews of those days considered the priesthood, ritualism, and the synagogue to be the very essence of their religion, just as members of many of the so-called Christian Sects today believe that trust, obedience, and devotion to the clergy, and to the ritualistic practice of their modern Churches, will secure for them their rightful places in heaven.
Over and over, Christ taught that every man should have an EXPERIENCE with God. “Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things”? This was the question Christ put to this man, and it plainly implied that he (the Pharisee) should have been fully informed of the fact that a normal man, without a divine experience, can never see or enter the kingdom of God.
To be “born again” was not a new experience introduced by the advent of Christ. John the Baptist was “filled with the Holy Ghost” (Luke 1:15) from birth. His father, Zacharias, “was filled with the Holy Ghost” (Luke 1:67); and so also was his mother, Elizabeth, “filled with the Holy Ghost” (Luke 1:41). But this filling of the Holy Spirit was not confined to the apostolic times.
In the book of Samuel we read of the experiences that were to come to Saul, the first king in Israel: “And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be TURNED INTO ANOTHER MAN” (I Sam. 10:6). And as we continue to read, we find that he did experience all of these things, just as they were prophesied, and “God gave him another heart” (verse 9). Here was a new birth if there ever was one.
To be given another heart and to be turned into another man certainly results in quite a different state of being. One could say that such an individual is a “new creature.” This is just exactly the state of a genuine Christian: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Cor. 5:17).
So vivid is this experience of change, from the fallen condition of being to the new creature state, that it is spoken of as passing from death unto life: “We know that we have passed from death unto life” (I John 3:14). But there are multitudes of professing Christians who have no knowledge of ever having had an EXPERIENCE with their Creator. The tragedy is that most people who call themselves Christians today are willing to settle for mere belief in Christian philosophy rather than exercise that faith in the Living God, which would result in the revelation of His Presence.
“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will MANIFEST myself to him” (John 14:21). Here is a statement of fact: he that will apply himself to two things (the commands and the love of Christ) will be shown the Saviour. It’s as simple as that!
The first manifestation of Christ is something far more than an experience; it involves a complete change of being as well as a change of allegiance. “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath TRANSLATED us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Col. 1:13).
The “power of darkness” under which the carnal man is enslaved is part of this “present evil world.” Here it is that men are moved as puppets by “the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2). “All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world"”(I John 2:16). John further stated, “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness” (I John 5:19).
“The kingdom of God” is the divine emancipator that frees the slave of carnality. He who practices kingdom living is automatically loosed from the bondage of this world’s dominion.
The world, as it is used here, in the original Greek language, refers to the arrangement, rather than to the physical earth. This is plainly understood if one will compare the usage of this term in the New Testament.
“The prince of this world” (the darkness or force of evil) is Satan. He it is who has attempted by force to possess all creatures. Ruthless personal accomplishment and acquisition are his philosophies and drives. The whole governmental structure of his kingdom rests upon the idea of trade, or merchandising. For a price, the souls of men have been purchased (Rev. 18:13). Like the ignorant natives of many lands who traded gold nuggets for glass beads, many men have sold their heritage to the devil for shoddy possessions, or even for cheap thrills.
But the world (this present evil arrangement) has been victoriously used in the plan of God as a place, or sphere, where godly character may be developed. The world has become a utility for the perfecting of saints: “They are not of the world (Jesus said of His saints), even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldst take them OUT OF THE WORLD” (John 17:14,15).
Here the prayer of the Saviour definitely implies that He wanted His followers to continue in the world, but not be a part of it: “I pray…that thou shouldst keep them from the evil” (John 17:15). While in the midst of this present evil world He gave His angels the task of caring for the saints: Of the angels said He… “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Heb. 1:14)
Another object of having the saints remain in the world was that their lives, and their peculiar way of living, might be a witness, or testimony, to the superior Christian way of life. In His prayer to His Father, Jesus said, “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world” (John 17:18).
The hazards of saints living in the world are not detrimental to the Divine purposes. God uses both death and hell to His advantage. The evil world (present Kosmos) acts as a sifter or separator of the sheep and the goats. The triflers and impostors are the “tares” that corrupt “the field.” However, God has set before men a “strait Gate” and a “narrow Way” which eliminates all except the genuinely sincere Christians.
This present evil world offers men the “wide gate” and the “broad way” (Matt. 7:13). It is this popular way of life that has all the attractions of evil that appeal to the man of the flesh. Jesus made this positive statement concerning man’s devotions: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other: or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24).
The apostle Paul put it this way: “What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Beliel? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For 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. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (II Cor. 6:14-18).
A saint is actually an alien in a hostile world: he certainly is never a part of the earthly-minded. “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you” (I John 3:13); and again, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also” (John 15:19,20). And read this: “The time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2).
We can now understand these words of Jesus to His own: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Christ, by His methods and works, overcame all of the snares of the world. Our peace is only in Him. He who attempts to have dealings with the world will suffer tribulation.
The Christian’s only intercourse with the world is as the servant of Christ. He who attempts to court the favor of earthlings is only playing with fire. Sanctification is a doctrine of both the Old and the New Testaments. God’s people are called to be SEPARATE from the world. This applies to all phases of their lives.
Abraham was told to COME OUT of his father’s house and country: “Get thee out of thy country” (Gen. 12:1). “Abraham…was called to go out” (Heb. 11:8). Of Israel, it was spoken by the Spirit, “The people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the natives” (Num. 23:9). Moses said, “Israel then shall dwell in safety alone” (Deut. 33:28).
A study of the court of the tabernacle and of the court of the temple of Solomon teaches us that there is a life of separation between the saint and the sinner. The believer and the unbeliever live in two vastly different spheres of existence. They are as different as day and night.
In the prayer of Jesus, He asked the Father for a special work of separation for His saints: “SANCTIFY (separate from the world unto God) them through thy truth” (John 17:17). Those for whom He prayed were the Father’s gift to His Son: “The men which thou gavest Me out of the world” (John 17:6).
A genuine saint is God’s gift to His Son. “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price” (I Cor. 6:19,20). He who believes is the property of the Great King. By our transgressions, we forfeited our rights to the family of God, but the Lord Jesus paid the price of our redemption, and so we now are divine property. This Scripture alone should dispel the idea that a Christian can conduct his life as he pleases.
For the saint, freedom means to be free from the tyranny of condemnation, guilt, and sin. But he certainly is not free to direct his own life and do as he pleases. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord” (Psalm 37:23). The apostle Peter stated that the way of life for the saint is one of complete devotion to Christ: “He no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lust of men, but to the will of God” (I Peter 4:2). But in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he said that since Christ died for all, “that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (II Cor. 5:15). Take note of the fact that he is speaking of a saint’s WAY OF LIFE. Here, the self-life ends – the Christian CANNOT serve God and mammon: It just can’t be done; it is impossible “to serve two masters.”
One of the greatest fallacies of so-called “nominal Christianity” is that it assumes that the only demand heaven makes upon the believer is for him to accept Christ as his personal Saviour. This novel idea claims that NO WORK is required of any believer regarding his soul’s salvation. Duty, obligation, and law are all relegated to the ash can. This makes a very palatable form of religion for the carnal-minded, and the proof of it is that millions have gladly accepted its teachings.
He who will faithfully study the plain words of Christ, as they are presented in the four gospels, will surely come to the conclusion that the Christian faith demands all of the believer’s life.
The sort of life commonly considered by professing Christendom to be normal actually has no part in the divine plan. Consider the full import of the following verses of Scripture: “And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:23-26). The summary of these words is as follows:
1. He who attempts to “save his life” will lose it. He may gain something in the
world, but finally he will be a “castaway” of whom the Master will be ashamed. (Such a person chooses the “wide gate” and the “broad way.”)
2. He who wills to “lose his life,” shall save it. He is qualified for salvation by
denying self, taking up a daily cross, and following the Saviour. (This is the person who has chosen the “strait gate” and the “narrow way.”)
The life of self-denial has no appeal for the man of the world. Such sacrifice to the earthly-minded are extremes of foolishness. Taking up the daily cross (applying the commands of the Lord to the soul) is considered, by mere church members, to be an activity practiced by extremists and fanatics. But to actually FOLLOW CHRIST (complete obedience to ALL of His commands) is considered by our generation an absolute impossibility.
The Christian religion consists of something more than a profession of faith. To follow Christ is to pursue a way of life so new and so revolutionary that only the chosen few ever find it. The masses of professing Christians allow themselves to become snared, engulfed, and imprisoned by the excesses of what are considered normal occupations.
Consider the parable of the man who prepared a great supper. The men whom he invited made excuses for not coming: “The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come” (Luke 14:18-20). All of these were things considered normal to this life, but because these men failed to lay aside the normal and obey the voice that invited them, they were rejected. These same normal activities will become snares to multitudes in the day that “the Son of man is revealed”: “They did eat, they drank,” and “they bought, they sold, they planted and they builded,” but the flood and the fire shall take them away (Luke 17:27,28).
Again we read of the parable of a certain king who made a feast and sent invitations for people to come to his feast, “But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise” (Matt. 22:5). Both farming and merchandising are accepted as perfectly normal occupations, but these people who did not “FORSAKE ALL” in order to follow Christ were rejected by the Master.
One more verse of Scripture should be considered in connection with normal activities that can become evil. Here are the words of warning from the lips of the Saviour: “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares” (Luke 21:34). Surfeiting (loose living) and drunkenness are not evils that trap the soul of the unsuspecting Christian. It is a simple matter for a saint to live victoriously above these baser sins. But the “CARES of this life” can become so involved that the obligations to family, relatives or friends can be used by the enemy to defeat the work of God in the life of a potential saint.
The mad scramble to make a dollar go farther and last longer is almost a full time occupation for the greater part of the “enlightened” human race. Slavery to the world’s financial system keeps heart, soul, and body fully occupied.
Man’s way of life has become a senseless race to try to attain, accumulate, and secure enough wealth to free him from slavery. But this is illusory, a vain imagination. There is no rest for the weary in possession of things, or wealth.
Consider the rich young ruler who wanted eternal life, but he was unable to pay the price (“suffer the loss of all things”). “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Matt. 19:23,24).
But, take note of the words of the disciples and the question they asked: “Who then can be saved?” (verse 25).
There should be little doubt in the heart of a saint that any involvement in the world’s business, economic, or financial affairs is an act of placing one’s soul in a very vulnerable position. A bee seeking honey dare not step into the web of the spider, neither dare a moth play about the open flame. Since so many seemingly “normal” activities can be so filled with hazards to one’s soul, we too, might ask, who then can be saved?
REST
By Rene’ Rankhorn
Do you ever feel tired? Not just physically tired, but bone tired — tired in your mind, your heart, your spirit? The kind of tired that a good night's sleep just doesn't seem to fix? I sure do.
Life has a way of wearing us down if we let it. One worry piles on top of another. One hard day bleeds into the next. Before you know it, you're carrying a weight that feels impossible to set down. The bills, the relationships, the health struggles, the uncertainty about the future - the cares of this world can quietly creep in and consume us if we aren't careful. And the exhausting part is that so much of it feels like our responsibility to fix. So we grip tighter. We plan more. We lie awake at night running through scenarios, trying to control every outcome, as if somehow we can hold it all together through sheer willpower.
I know that feeling all too well. Maybe you do too.
But here's what I keep coming back to - Jesus didn't leave us without an answer. He didn't look at our weariness and say, "Try harder." He didn't say, "Figure it out." He said something far more beautiful than that. He said, “come.”
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." — Matthew 11:28–30
Rest. Not just sleep, but soul-deep rest. The kind that only He can give.
That word - rest - is something our culture doesn't talk about much. We wear our busyness like a badge of honor. We feel guilty when we slow down. We think that if we aren't constantly striving, constantly doing, we must be falling behind somehow. But God's Word says something different. It says that rest is not weakness. It is wisdom.
Because here's the truth we so often forget: we were never built to carry it all.
The Bible is achingly honest about human limitation. In Psalm 73:26, the psalmist writes, "My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Did you catch that? My flesh faileth. My heart faileth. These aren't signs of spiritual failure - they are signs that we are human. We have limits. We have breaking points. We get tired, overwhelmed, and depleted. And God already knew that about us when He created us. That's not a design flaw. That's an invitation.
It's an invitation to stop pretending we can do it all and to start trusting the One who actually can. Because, while our strength runs out, His never does. While our wisdom is limited, His is boundless. While our hands can only hold so much, His are holding the entire universe together - and He is still thinking about you.
That's why Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote these words: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)
Cast. All. Every single worry. Every fear you've been quietly carrying for months. Every outcome you've been white-knuckling your way through. Every burden you picked up that was never meant for your shoulders. You can release it - not because it doesn't matter, but because it matters deeply to the One who is more than able to handle it.
He cares for you. Not just for the big crises of your life, but for the small daily anxieties too. The appointment you're dreading. The conversation you don't know how to have. The future you can't see clearly. He cares. And He is asking you to trust Him with it.
Now - and I want to be real with you here - this is so much easier said than done. Letting go of control is one of the hardest things a human being can do. We like to see the whole road before we take the first step. We like to have a plan, a backup plan, and a backup for the backup plan. Surrendering all of that to God - really surrendering it, not just saying the words but actually loosening our grip - that takes practice. It takes humility. It takes choosing, sometimes moment by moment, to trust Him more than we trust ourselves.
But the more we practice it, the more we discover something wonderful: He was already there. He was already working. He was already carrying what we were exhausting ourselves trying to manage on our own.
The Psalms are full of this wisdom. Over and over again, David and the other writers return to this same simple, powerful instruction: "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way." (Psalm 37:7 KJV)
Rest. Wait. Don't fret. Three things that run completely counter to the way our anxious hearts naturally operate - and yet three things that unlock a peace the world simply cannot offer.
Maybe today you are running on empty. Maybe the weight you are carrying has been quietly stealing your joy, your sleep, your peace. Maybe, like me, you've found yourself so worn out that even your prayers feel like a struggle.
That's okay. He meets us there.
He doesn't require you to have it all together before you come to Him. He doesn't ask for polished prayers or perfect faith. He just asks you to come. To bring your tired, worn-out, worried self and lay it all at His feet. And when you do, He promises to give you something no amount of striving or controlling ever could:
Rest. Real rest. Rest for your soul.
So today, be still. Take a breath. Open your hands and release what you've been clutching so tightly. Trust the God who holds the stars in place to hold your life, too.
You don't have to have it all together. You just have to come to Him.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28)
THIS IS ONLY A TEST
Randall Walton
Most of us are acquainted with the whistles, beeps, or guttural sounds which emanate from radio or television sets periodically and are preceded by an announcer who informs us that, “This is only a test.” In case of a national emergency, this would be a warning for the public to seek a secure shelter somewhere. But the test was a necessary measure to make sure that the system was working and was reliable.
Christians are given periodic tests also which serve to measure their spiritual state and reliability. Interestingly, the word test is not found in the KJV, but a close synonym appears many times: temptation.
However, temptation is a poor translation because it gives the wrong impression of the trials and tests that come to every child of God for the purpose of self-evaluation and discipline of the soul. God allows trials and tests to come our way so that we may know our own strengths and weaknesses and will be better able to cope with the weaknesses. (He already knows us intimately.)
The word temptation means to attempt to persuade or entice a person to do something that is morally or spiritually wrong. It is a blatant attraction toward evil and may even involve a suggestion or invitation to participate in wrongdoing. Thus, the Scripture which states that Jesus “was tempted in all points like as we are” (Heb. 4:15) would be more correctly stated “tested in all points as we are,” for “God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man” (James 1:13).
The difference between temptation and testing is that the former is meant to hurt and destroy, while the latter has constructive motives. In the field of education, for example, a season of instruction is followed by a period of testing or examination so that both the instructor and the student may properly evaluate the progress (or the lack of) of the student. The purpose of the testing is constructive and beneficial. It will pinpoint any areas in which the student needs more help.
The Trial of Your Faith
Using the above information, we can gain much from Peter’s admonition in I Peter 1:6,7: “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold TESTS: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”
The trial or testing of your faith is therefore a blessing and is more valuable than highly refined gold, for through these testings you are able to see the areas of weakness in your faith – and correct them.
This is not to say that such tests, or trials, are pleasant or exciting: to the contrary. Peter affirms that “the fiery trial is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you” (I Peter 4:12,13). And he advises us not to think it strange, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” The Lord allows the blessings of trials to come our way because it is through them that we gain higher ground.
It is possible, then, for us to rejoice and be happy in the Lord in the very center of fiery trials, because we know that through the fire we are deepening our relationship with Him. Each test that we pass makes us a little stronger to meet the challenge of future and greater tests.
It is necessary that our faith in God be tried and proved. Too many people are prone to take their salvation for granted, as if an experience or conviction that took place 40 years ago (more or less) is sufficient for today. A Christian’s walk with God must be continually nourished, strengthened, edified, built up, or atrophy begins to set in; the end result of that is death – spiritual demise which descends without a clap of thunder or forewarning.
God, in His love and mercy, sends tests and trials to keep His people in proper condition, helping them to realize they can’t make it without Him, causing them to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, and urging them to renew their vows to ever love, serve, and obey their Creator and Lord.
Need more tests? More are on the way, because God is faithful and wants us to have a joyful journey through this life!