part 2

Table of Content
Topic:
1. Helps To Holy Living
2. Was the Devil Ever in Heaven?
3. Christ's Triumphal Reign
4. Choosing a Marriage Companion
5. Nigeria Mission History
6. Beware of Dogs
7. Contribution or Commitment?
8. “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church…” James 5:14
9. A Secret Rapture?
10. An Exegesis of Revelation 20:1-7
11. A Christless Grave
12. Are You Born Again?
13. God Values Your Soul
14. How to Get Saved
15. I am the Door
16. If I Die and Go to Hell, Who Cares?
17. I'm Glad I Settled it Last Night
18. UNCERTAINTY OF DEATH-BED CONVERSION
19. Just Forget It
20. The Burden of Christ
21. The Laborers Are Few
22. The Touch of the Master's Hand
23. What Are You Depending On?
24. Where is Your Heart?
25. Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?
















Helps To Holy Living
By: Charles E. Orr
________________________________________

For ease of navigation, this book has been further divided into sections.
To read specific essays, click on the corresponding section number.

Part One
Section One
Introduction
Working Out Your Salvation
Meditating On God and His Word
Christ's Epistle
Mind The Little Things
Devotion
Intensity

Section Two
Only One Way
The Sanctified
A Fable With A Lesson
Members One Of Another
Holy Thoughts for Quiet Hours
The Fear of Man
Lifting Up Jesus Section Three
Saying and Doing
The Church of God
Mortify
Contentment
Sonship with God
God's Law in Man's Mind and Heart
Sensibility

Section Four
The Loss of Soul-Sensitiveness
Spiritual-Mindedness
Holy Thoughts For Quiet Hours
Jesus
Salvation
Keep Heaven In View
Closing Suggestions


Part Two
Section Five
Introduction
The Opened Eye
Looking Upward
Heaven Everywhere
Shut-Ins
Mary and Martha
Finding Life
Living by Christ

Section Six
Feeding on Christ
The Soul's Craving
Holier in Life
My Heart-Garden
Home of My Soul
Love
Love to Christ
Hallowing Life

Section Seven
Familiarity
The Holy Anointing
The Mystery of Godliness
Dead With Christ
Living With Christ
Baptized Into His Death
Dying With Christ
Living to Our Ability Section Eight
The Joys of Heaven
Tune Your Harp
Faith
Living by Faith
Man's Worth
The Christian
Man's Kinship with God
God's Eternal Purpose

Section Nine
Salvation
Character
Our Book
Influence
The Cup of Cold Water
The Value of Truth
God's Fatherhood
Indebtedness

Section Ten
The Smile of God
The Troubled Heart
Poor Yet Rich
Faith and Sin
Marks of Slavery
Stigmata
Waiting on God
Conclusion


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Section One
Part One - Introduction

To get holiness people to live holy lives is an exceedingly great task. To live a strictly holy life, just like our blessed Lord, is grand and glorious, but it is difficult to get people to live that way. It can be done, but it is not being done by very many. There are many who desire to live holy, but they fail to put forth the earnest effort and live it right up to what they know they should. They want to live closer to God, but they do not do it. They do not mean to neglect, and yet they do neglect. They know they should pray more, but they do not pray more. Many of these dear people confess that they talk too much and speak impatiently, but we see little or no improvement. They fret and worry and are anxious, and know they should not be, and yet they continue on in the same life. They are not getting the heavenly joys and holy comforts out of life that they should. The purpose of this little booklet is to help just such people.

Dear saints, we do not mean to censure you or condemn you, but we tell you in plain words with a heart full of love, you must live better. You speak too sharp and harsh in your home, you speak light and idle words, you talk too much, and you pray too little. Is this not true? Well, why do you not live better? You may say that you do want to and you try, but you do not succeed. You improve some for a few days after hearing a stirring sermon and then you are back in the same way. You must try harder, be more determined, more resolute, never give up, take time to pray, guard against talking so much, and ask God to help you. To the man using tobacco you will say, "You must get so decided that you will quit it if it kills you." It is so with your impatient speeches, your fret and worry, your too much talk; you must quit these if it kills you. You need to pray more, meditate more, lift up your soul to God more, have more reverence and holy awe upon your soul, live more in godly fear, have more of the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon you, and more peace and power and glory in your soul. You can have it. It will cost you something, but you can have it if you will. We love you fervently. We want to help you. We promise you and God that by His grace we will live just what we preach to you. If there is one who after reading this little booklet, will get in earnest and walk closer to God, we shall be repaid a thousand fold for our labor. Our hearts are burdened. Too many of God's saints are living beneath their privilege.

Working Out Your Salvation

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Phil. 2:12). What are you here told to do? Work out your salvation. How are you told to do it? With fear and trembling. Are you doing it? You are burdened down with the cares of this life and are not much alarmed over it. Do you not know that it is the cares of this life that choke out the Word of God? Then just a little of the cares of this life ought to alarm you. You thought salvation was by faith and not works. But faith and works go together. There is a work for you to do to keep saved. You must have faith, but if your faith is real it will be attended with works in fear and trembling.

A little girl comes home from school with a fever. The fond mother says to the father, "I fear it is a contagion."

He replies, "I fear it is, and we must do something."

They get in earnest and call mightily on God and the little girl is well in the morning. Thank God. A few evenings later some trouble comes up in the home. The husband speaks in a harsh, cutting tone to the wife. She replies in the same manner. There is a contagion in that home, a terrible contagion. Now is the time to fear and tremble, and to call mightily to God in deep repentance and not to cease until the heavenly winds are wafted down and that contagion is swept out of the heart and out of the home and a sweet peace is shed over all. That is works in fear and trembling.

A man buys a home. He pays cash, all he has. The contract is made out and signed, and now he goes to working out the monthly payments. He moves in, takes possession and goes to work. One day the final payment is made and the warranty deed is given. A man gives all he has to Christ and gets saved. The contract is signed. He takes possession and goes to work in fear and trembling. Some day he will have it all worked out and his heavenly home is forever secured. When the "little foxes" get in, get them out at once. That is part of your work. Another part is to go about helping others all you can. Another work is to do much praying and keep the heart full of blooming flowers for the Master.

Meditating On God and His Word

To meditate on God and His Word is to calmly and quietly fix the mind upon the great fact of God and His Word until that fact has time to enter the mind and pervade it with its influence. Meditation is the quiet thinking, the applying of the mind attentively to the great truths of the Bible and the Author of it. We must meditate on God's law that we might come to know it as we should, and then to love it and then to practice it. No one can live a holy life without serious and frequent reflection of the mind upon the truths of our great salvation and the love of God. You may be able to live a good moral life; you might have an exterior life good enough to hold the confidence of man, but holy living comes from the living Word of God hidden in the heart. Holy living is not only the refraining from doing the wrong and the doing of the right, but it is the refraining from doing the wrong from an inward principle of holy hatred of the wrong inwrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, and a doing of the right in the life and holiness of God. It is more than the good deeds done by human life; it is good deeds done by the life of God in the human life. There is a vast difference. There is danger, great danger, in holiness professors attending to the outward life to the neglect of the inward life. So long as they do not do anything wrong, and so long as they do things that are right they think themselves safe. We can live good lives and, like the church at Ephesus, lose the love of God out of the soul. Right living may be only man in action; holy living is God in action. Meditation is positively necessary to the keeping of God in the life.

Meditation is the holding of Bible truths in the mind until the virtue is steeped out of them and enters the mind and heart. It means to be in the midst of a matter, to have it in your very center. You need not fear losing yourself in meditation on the law of God. The more fully you lose yourself in meditation on God the more you will be like Him. You cannot love Christ very deeply without meditation. You cannot become strong or pure or deep in God without letting the mind dwell lovingly on Him.

Dear Christian reader, do you meditate? Do you go apart each day and with the mind wholly detached from every thing of earth, fix it quietly, calmly on God and some portion of His Word? Do you become lost to every thing of earth in the loving thought of God?

"There is a blest pavilion,
A sacred inner court,
The place of God's own dwelling,
With all the world shut out.
"Oh, holy resting place!
Oh, calm and pure retreat!
Where God unveils His face,
And life is only sweet."

Do you enter into this holy place with the world shut out and there commune with God, there think of His love and the great plan of salvation until your soul is aflame with heavenly love and light and peace making it the easiest thing in the world to come out and practice the wonderful truths of salvation ? If you will meditate on the theme of salvation as you should, life will become sweet and the truths of salvation will naturally live themselves out in you. But the question is: do you meditate? Very, very few of you do. Oh, how can we help you? Will you not spend fifteen minutes twice a day to deep, profound thought of God? We beg of you to do it. Will you not do it for your soul's sake and for Jesus' sake? If you do not, there will be things get into your life that ought not to be there. There will be a little too much talk, a little restlessness and impatience, a little fret and worry, a burdening of the cares of this life, and perhaps bits of worldliness will get in and you will not know it, and you may go to some places where Jesus really would not go. But O, beloved, if you will practice meditating on God and His law day and night, there will be a holy flame enkindled in your soul and such heavenly sweetness and peace that the cares of this life, and fret and worry will no more light on you than flies on a heated furnace.

There are many preachers and thousands of people professing holiness that talk beautifully about meditation, saying what a blessed and glorious thing it is, and yet they do not practice it. My dear reader, you must do more than talk and more than read this and say it is good and true. You must meditate in all that the word means. Meditation brings God into the soul and causes you to live holy in every act of life.

Christ's Epistle

"Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ." (2 Cor. 3 :3). "All can see that you are a letter from Christ." (20th Cent.) The Christian is Christ's "Open Letter." His life is a message from Christ to the world. His daily walk is a genuine letter from the Saviour of men. The Christian life is written by the same hand that wrote the New Testament and they read just alike, word for word. If you profess to be a Christian be sure your daily life is the handwriting of Jesus. Your life in your home amid its trials and provocations should read like God's Word. It is very confusing and discouraging to others if your life and the New Testament read differently.

The purpose of a letter is to convey the thoughts and mind of the writer. The Christian is that kind of letter. Men come to know the thoughts of God by reading the Christian's life. He shows Christ's patience in his patience. His life is not his life, but Christ's life in his life. The life of a saint is a letter in which the world can read Christ's gentleness, kindness, humility, sobriety, calmness, sympathy, love, holiness, separateness from the world and hatred of sin. Do not think this standard is too high. If you will take time to pray and seek after this life with determined effort, leaning hard on Christ's helpful arm, it will surprise you what a wonderful and beautiful letter you can get to be.

Mind The Little Things

Take care of the pennies and the dimes, and you will have the dollars. A pin scratch has caused the death of folks. If you begin to think a thing is too small to be given attention, you are entering a dangerous path. Little bricks build a great house, and little sins make a great sinner. You can put more love in doing little things than in great things. There is less danger of self being in doing the little things than in doing great things. By guarding against every little evil and fault, and faithfully doing every little good thing possible, you can build up a beautiful holy life. Guard your thoughts and words. Lift up your soul to God many times a day. Keep the Lord set before your face. Spend your spare moments on your knees in a sweet little talk with Jesus.

Devotion

"She hath wrought a good work on me." (Mark 14 :61. This woman had an emotion in her soul and it swelled and longed for expression. She was charged with wastefulness. No, no it was not waste. Had she not poured out the fragrant ointment then, there would have been waste. Her soul panted for some way to express her devotion, and she took this way and her love was increased and tendered and she was qualified to be a greater blessing to the world. Had she not given expression to her love, she would have lost love and there would have been the waste. Whatever elevates us and serves to make us more capable of doing good is not waste.

She wrought this work on Jesus. "To what purpose was this deed done ?" That should not be the question. "For whose sake was it done?" That is the question that settles the matter. Everything done from the stirring of love in the heart for Jesus makes it a good work. Working a good work on Jesus Christ is the law of Christian devotion.

True devotion is that disposition of heart that moves it to perform with tender affection and burning fervor all its services to God. The bowing of the knees, the prostrating of the body on the ground, the lifting of the eyes heavenward, the wringing of the hands, and the pious sighs and groans are not full proof of a devoted heart. In all acts of true devotion there is a high esteem, a profound respect, a holy adoration for the Divine Majesty; there is an humble acknowledgment of the soul's dependence and duty; there is an intense desire to lavish the heart's love upon Jesus by doing all things for His sake.

No exercising of the soul is so ennobling, so hallowing, so consoling as the performing of humble, sincere acts of devotion. True devotion is attended by self-sacrifice. Devotion is more than sentiment. It is a principle fixed in the core of our being. We cannot always be in acts of devotion, but the principle is in the soul and it expresses itself on every fitting occasion.

"I want a principle within
Of jealous godly fear,
A sensitiveness to sin,
A pain to feel it near;
Tender as the apple of the eye,
O God, my conscience make!
Awake my soul when sin is nigh,
And keep it still awake."

Intensity

"As the hart pants after the waterbrooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." (Psa. 42:1). Here is intensity. By intensity we mean that burning passion of the soul after God. That intense desire to be holy as He is holy, and to glorify Him in all words and acts of life. "I opened my mouth and panted: for I longed for thy commandments" (Psa. 119:131). Here is intensity. Panting after the commandments of God like a thirsty animal for water. The great task of the overseers of God's church today is to keep God's people out of a careless, go-easy, indifferent life. How few thirst after God. How few thirst and hunger for the salvation of souls. Preachers may go over the country holding revivals and find entertainment and enjoyment in doing so, but even of those, how few have such a burning passion for souls that they will wrestle with God in the midnight hour or early morning hour or any convenient time for the salvation of the lost. They may think more of what gain they will make. This would be an awful crime, but it may be one of which some are guilty. There are holiness people who act very much as if no one were going to hell. Others act as if they were just as holy as they cared to be. They seem to have no thirsting for greater perfection of life. They act as if there were no improvement to be made.

The need of today is a greater passion for goodness, a more intense longing for greater Christlikeness and a greater burden for those for whom our dear Savior gave His life. "Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law." (Psa. 119:136). Here is intensity. When did you shed a tear over sinners lost? Do not these words shame you? Dear people, the house is on fire, how can ye keep on sleeping ?

Section Two
Only One Way

A tourist asked at the service station the way to a certain town. The directions were carefully given. The tourist said, "You think this is the best way, do you?"
The service man replied, "It is not only the best way, but it is the only way."
The Bible is the only way to heaven. Do you live to all it teaches every day? Read the sixth chapter of Matthew over very carefully. Stop at verses 6, 20, 22, 28, and 33.

The Sanctified

Sometimes the word "Sanctification" means that which is set apart, consecrated. In this meaning the vessels in the Temple were holy. But there is a higher sense. It means a state of perfect holiness. Christ perfects them that are sanctified.
Holiness means inward likeness to God. Holy living means that the outward life is in full harmony with the will of God. It means very much to be holy as God is holy and to live in harmony with the Divine mind. It can be done, but it is not every one who professes holiness that is doing it. We ought to live in this way for Jesus' sake. He is happiest when we are holiest. He is glorified when we do all things to His glory. In those who live holy lives is His ideal realized. We should not seek holiness that we might be happy, but because it is God's will. Doing the will of God should be our meat and drink. We cannot do God's will except we be holy, therefore seek holiness and holy living. Be careful, oh, be careful about being holy in the little things of life. If people live holy at all it is in the greater things. If they come short of living holy in the little things of everyday home life, they have missed true holy living.

A Fable With A Lesson

Have you read the story of a traveler whose horse was eaten by a wolf ? The story says that a traveler riding through a lonely district on horseback was attacked by a wolf. The traveler, somewhat heedless of the wolf, went on his way. The wolf from behind began eating on the horse without the traveler's knowledge. He ate and he ate until he had eaten into the horse. He kept on eating until finally he ate to the head and to the feet and the traveler came riding into his town on a wolf instead of a horse. All that was left of the horse was the skin. There was a wolf inside.

Some folks start out for heaven saved and sanctified. They are attracted by the cares of this life, by neglect of prayer, by impatience, by idle words, by the pleasures of the world, by worldly thoughts. To these they do not give much heed. But they eat and they eat and they feed on the spiritual life, and they do it so slowly and so subtly that the traveler is unaware that his spiritual steed is being eaten away. It will be well indeed if he discovers before he reaches his destination that he is riding on an empty profession.

Members One Of Another

"So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." (Romans 12:5). In these words we have a picture of the oneness of the people of God. They are one body. This is the body of Christ. Saints, God's holy people, constitute His body. He dwells in this body (Eph. 1:23; 2 Cor. 6:16). The apostle illustrates this by the human body (1 Cor. 12:14-24). We can learn many a lesson about the body of Christ-the Church of God-by the study of the human body. Paul here says (v. 26), "And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it." These words, perhaps, express as great depth of this oneness as any other words in this illustration. This experience is true in the real body of Christ. If one saint suffers all the other saints suffer with this suffering one. Let us examine our experience. When one member is honored all the members rejoice with the honored one. We ought not to pass over this indifferently. There is a solemn truth here. We should not say it is true in our life if it is not really true. If the feet of your body are honored with a nice pair of shoes, see how rejoicing the hands go to work to place these shoes upon the feet. It is so in the body of Christ.
Suppose you have held a prominent position in the Church. The time comes when you must surrender it to another. Do you do so rejoicingly? Man can say that he does it rejoicingly when in the heart it is not true. We ought not to be satisfied unless it is as true as heaven in our heart. Suppose you were aspiring for a position, but it is given to another. Do you rejoice in your heart? It is that way in the human body, and it is even more so in the Church of God. Suppose you are given $100.00. You rejoice. Why do you rejoice? Do you rejoice because of what use you can make of this money for your own convenience and need? You should rejoice because of what use you can make of it in honoring or glorifying Christ. This should be the sole cause of your rejoicing. Let me tell you how you can discover whether you rejoice in it for this one cause. Suppose the $100 be given to another who will use it to glorify God equally as much as you, do you rejoice just as much as if it had been given to you? If not, you are not measuring fully to 1 Cor. 12:26.

Holy Thoughts for Quiet Hours

1. Anything less than perfect dependence upon God is a denial of Him.

2. Life has a language. To live holy is to have all our words and deeds to say, "Hallowed be Thy name."

3. The rays of light that proceed from the sun are as pure as the sun. The life that flows from God must be as free from imperfections as He.

4. If the human soul would grow in moral stature and moral beauty and fruitfulness, it must keep open to the light of God and absorb that light as it falls upon it.

5. If you are not showing to the world around you that there is something better than wealth, honor, position, earthly pleasure, and the good opinions and praise of men, you are not showing forth the life of Christ.

6. He does not love us truly who does not love us well enough to tell us our faults. To love one another is to have an intense desire to see one another free from faults.

7. The man who fails to give us reproof when needed, but gives us approval instead or holds back deserving rebuke for fear of offending, is more cruel than he who withholds bread from us when we are hungry.

8. He who will listen to any words of levity, jesting, foolishness, tale-bearing, tattling, and show no disapproval makes himself a partaker of the sin.

9. It has been arranged in the plan of redemption that God and man can be so absorbed each in the other that they would think alike, will alike, feel and love and work together. This is man at his real self.

10. Man is to be loved because of what he is worth to God. We get some estimate of man's worth to Christ by the terrible woe He pronounces upon those who would injure one of those who believe in Him.

11. The nearer you live like Christ the nearer you live like you ought to live. The more you love Him, and love with Him, and love all things for Him the more you will be like Him.

12. The trouble is not that you do not know what is right; the trouble is that you do not lay hold upon God to help you to live like you know you should.

The Fear of Man

We doubt if there be any other one thing that prevents God's people living unto God as they should so much as the fear of man. It is so very subtle and cunning that many may have it and not be aware of it. There is an independence of man that is wrong and there is an independence that is most Christlike. Holy living is to live unto God though all the world might oppose. Our dearest friend on earth must not be allowed to cause us to deviate one hair's breadth from trueness to God. Here is one of the places in the Christian's life that should be closely watched and guarded. Peter swerved from the true path when he refused to eat with the Gentiles for fear of the Jews. This was after Pentecost. Paul reproved him. This took some courage on the part of Paul, but faithfulness required it.
"The fear of man bringeth a snare." (Prov. 29 :25). Many a one has fallen into this snare. Alas, how many have made compromise with man for man's favor! "Conscious dependence upon God is the spirit of independence toward all men." Perfect love casts out all fear of man. Those who can be influenced by men are not made perfect in love. It is argued by some that we should desire all men to think well of us that we might do them good. This is true, but oh, how careful we need to be that it is solely that we "might do them good." Beware lest there be something of self there. We should desire to have influence with men for Jesus' sake, but for no other purpose. If faithfulness to God causes you to lose influence with men, then it were better for them and you also that you lose it. If you have to step aside from godly living to have influence with men, you are ensnared.

The apostle said, "But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment." (1 Cor. 4 3). To suppress or modify truth by word or act is coming short of holy living. To give aid, or to abet by word or deed any spirit of levity, worldliness, or untruthfulness through man's influence is unfaithfulness to God.

Lifting Up Jesus

"Lift Him up by living as a Christian ought, Let the world in you the Saviour see."
Is this true in our life all the year through? Is it true all the day through? Is Jesus seen in all you do? When things go wrong in the home and you are tried and tempted, do you lift up Christ in these times? We sing the song heartily, but do we really and truly live it day in and day out? It is dangerous to sing such songs and then pass on and not live them. To know to do a thing and then through neglect or carelessness fail to live it is a very serious matter. Keep self out of sight and set Christ in view. Two men went to hear a preacher preach one Sunday morning. One said to the other after the preaching, "That was an eloquent discourse; he is a wonderful preacher." In the evening they went to hear another preacher. After the services one said to the other, "What a wonderful Saviour is Jesus." People sing about Jesus being lifted up in our lives; preachers preach about it, but what God wants is some people to live it. Live it, dear Christian, in all the details of everyday life. Live it in thought, word, and deed. Have the imprint of Christ's life upon every word and act. You can do it if you associate with Christ as with a loving friend, if you take time to read, pray, and meditate so as to assimilate the life of Christ into your own. Be encouraged and set to work with a determination to win.

I will lift up my Saviour
In everything I do;
I will keep self far out of sight
That Christ may be in view.

Section Three
Saying and Doing

Pilate said of Jesus, "I find no fault in Him." That was his conception of Christ. He saw before him a faultless Christ. Then he added, "Take Him and crucify Him." These two expressions stand directly one against the other. He spoke correctly about Christ, but he acted wrongly. Many are thinking and talking rightly enough about Jesus, but they do not act rightly.

The Church of God

The Church of God is the only institution on earth that is of heavenly origin. It is the only institution on the shores of time that will continue to exist in eternity. All else will pass away with the closing of time. The glory of empires, the magnificence of civilization, the grandeur of monarchies of time will have no reflection amid the glories of heaven. The splendor of earth's fortunes, the pomp and show of earth's glories, the renown of eloquence and oratory, the fame of schools of learning, the enchantments of beautiful forms and ceremonies of creeds will find no imprint, will have no representation in that land beyond the grave. Only the Church of God will shine there. It came down from heaven, and will return to heaven.

The Church of God is God's body, not only on earth, but also through all eternity. The Church is God's habitation now and forever. God will dwell in His people and His people in Him while the cycles of eternity roll on unending. The Church of God on earth is God's incarnation among men. As men read the history of the true Church they will read the biography of God. The life of the Church is His life. The world is God's creation as a Creator, the Church is His creation as a Life-Giver. It is His own life. It lives in Him and He in it. The Church is a creation in Christ. The Church is not created in Christ by a mere creative act, but by being born of God. The Church is born of God in Christ and is the offspring of God. God loves the world as His creation. He loves the Church as the life of His life.

The Church of God on earth contains heavenly elements and nothing that is not heavenly. The Church bears God's image. God views His own likeness in His Church. The Church is a mirror which reflects all the Divine perfections. The Church of God is a living thing. It lives upon the life of God. God's life flows through its veins. The life of Jesus circulates freely through His Church, as freely as the blood circulates through the human body- the church is His body. It feeds on heavenly food. It breathes the atmosphere of heaven.

God and man united in Christ is the Church. In the Church of God is the uniting of all men with God and with each other. The manifold wisdom of God, the mysteries of God, the character of God is revealed through His church. God in His beauty shines out of the Church. She is all fair; there is no spot in her. God made the sun, moon, and all the shining stars, but He does not make them His dwelling place. When He built His Church He said, "This is my rest; here I will dwell and multiply myself; here I have found such beauty and worth as to call out the fullest capacity of my love; here I find the fullest complacency of my being, here I see of the travail of my soul and I am satisfied. "

The Church of God is attended by the ministry of angels. It is the only institution on earth that angels desire to look into. They pass every other thing by, but stop at the Church to admire her beauty and to bestow their ministry. It is the only institution on earth that affords joy to the angels. It is the only institution over which they sing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." All of the conquests of the Church on earth bring joy to the angels.
The Church of God is the only institution on earth that can worship God. God, to be worshipped, must be worshipped in Spirit and truth, and nothing but the Church has the Spirit and the truth. The Church is full of heavenly instincts. God gives instinct to the bird and this instinct teaches it to do things. Heavenly instincts fill the Church, teaching it to do heavenly things. Its life is heavenly life. It lives by heavenly things, and divine things are wrought out by her activities. The Church is Holy Spirit-filled and Holy-Spirit governed. The Church is in the world, but the world is not in the Church. There is no room for the world in the Church. It is filled with divine things. The fish is in the salty ocean, but the fish is not salty. If you die in the Church you do not go out of it, if you die out of it you can never get in it. There is no sin in the Church. Her law is the law of holiness. All honor in the Church is given to the Holy Trinity. Some day the Church of God is going to be caught up to heaven and receive a faultless presentation into the immediate presence of God's glory and the joys of heaven will be full and complete and be undiminished while eternity rolls on forever.

Mortify

The word "mortify" is found in Col. 3: "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth." (Col. 3:5). The word "mortify" means to "put to death." The 20th Cent. translation reads, "Therefore destroy all that is earthly in you." It has been believed and taught that every thing earthly about us is put to death when we are sanctified as a second work of grace or a cleansing of the heart from carnality. They think that there is nothing to be put to death or to mortify after we are sanctified. These people to whom Paul was writing were dead and their life was hid with Christ in God. They were dead and yet there is something about them that needs to be put to death. This can be because man is a two-fold being. The inner man may be dead to sin and the world-sanctified-yet the outward man has passions, desires, appetites that must be controlled, that must not be allowed to break out beyond their legitimate bounds. Now we will tell you a secret. What we are now going to tell you is the secret principle of holy living. It is the thread that runs through the entire life. It is "sacrifice." Listen, no man can keep the body in perfect control who does not keep that body on the altar of daily sacrifice. If you cease to sacrifice, you cease to control. To sacrifice is to mortify. Habits of virtue cannot be acquired except at the expense of sacrifice. He who is not constantly making sacrifice is not advancing in the Christian life. Sacrifice in the little things of daily life. The secret of living holy is sacrifice in the little things. It is not in being absent from ball rooms, ball games, theatres, political gatherings, and such like worldly things. These things have but little or no temptation to people who are sanctified. It is no sacrifice for them to abstain from such evils. Where the holy need to watch is to not let love of self get in. Holy people have a self, but they must guard against an undue love of self. Keep that self on the altar of sacrifice. Guard against taking too much thought about bodily comforts. It is no sin to give the body some comfort if it is not done at the expense of another's comfort. Then you need to have a care when you are alone not to provide too greatly for the body's comforts, lest you become selfish and find it difficult to sacrifice your comforts for another's comfort.

To indulge the body in late rising, in dainty foods, in luxuries, in ease, in things pleasant to the eye-fine things, in idleness, in the avoidance of hardships, in the shrinking from bearing another's burden, and a disposition to lay your own on another is the way to become selfish. Sacrifice is the law of the Christian life. Sacrificing bodily comforts daily in the home for the comforts of others is helpful to the soul in its upward way. Where there is no sacrifice there is no holiness. Where there is no self-denying, there is no love to God. Where the body is not kept under, the soul is enslaved. The beauty of holiness never grows out of bodily indulgence, but out of bodily sacrifice. If you would live holy, destroy that which is earthly, sensual, and lustful in you.

Contentment

"Be content with such things as ye have." What is it to be contented? When we are contented we are not wishing for something we do not have. To be contented with just what you have is to not be wishing for something you do not have. Paul said, "For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content." (Phil. 4:11). If Paul could learn that lesson, we can learn it. A brother was asked what kind of weather he thought it would be for the next few days. He answered, "Just the sort of weather that suits me." The inquirer was eager to know what sort of weather suited him. He replied, "Just what ever kind suits the Lord."

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." (1 Tim. 6:6). There may be some who do not know the true meaning of these words. They do not mean that you have great gain. They mean that if you have godliness and the contentment that always attends it you have great gain. You cannot separate godliness and contentment. If you have godliness you have contentment, and you cannot have contentment without godliness. We come just as far short of true godliness as we come short of contentment. If you do not have perfect contentment, you do not possess God in the fullness. The fullness of God in the soul satisfies the soul. It leaves no void. Such a soul has perfect peace, fullness of joy, rivers of pleasures, and is happy in its lot.

To be contented you must come to know, and know it well, that nothing can happen to you which is not in harmony with the will of God. Without a thorough knowledge of this there will be discontentment. Nothing can disturb the peace of those who know in their heart that God's will is in every thing that comes to them in life. Instead of striving to be rich, strive to be contented with what you have. A contented life is yours, if you will have it. It is a grand way to live.

Then, whatsoever wind cloth blow,
My heart is glad to have it so;
And, blow it east or blow it west,
The wind that blows, that wind is best.


Sonship With God

"Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." (1 John 3:1). "Father" and "son." Blessed relationship; life of life. There is fatherhood in God, but it can be realized by the man only by being born of God. God must come into man's humanity and man must come into God's divinity that he might realize God as his Father and himself as God's son. This is made possible in Christ. God's divinity and man's humanity are united in Christ. God can come to man in Christ's divinity, and man can come to God in Christ's humanity. God's divinity can enter into our humanity and we become partakers of the divine nature. We can come to know God only in Christ. We can not see God only as we see Him in Christ. We can come to be like God only in Christ Jesus. Christ is the image of the invisible God. ( Col. 1:5 ). Christ will show us the Father in Himself. (John 14 :8, 9.) You can become like God only to the extent you see Him in Christ. Suppose you never saw your mother's father. Your mother loved, honored and revered her father. She thought he was the most exemplary man she knew. Her highest ambition was that her son be a man like her father. She knew that to have him grow up to be such a man she must show her father to her son. She imbibed the spirit of her father. His character was inwrought in her being. She taught in word all she could to her boy about his grandfather, and she showed the image of her father to the boy by living the life, and thus the boy saw his grandfather in and through his mother and was fashioned into his image. If we will listen and obey Christ's teaching, look into His holy life and imitate it, we will grow into the likeness of the Father.

God's Law in Man's Mind and Heart

"I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts." (Hebrews 8:10.) To live holy lives we must have God's Word in both mind and heart. The same hand that writes it in the heart also writes it in the mind. Studying the Bible is good, but not sufficient. We must have written in the mind by the Holy Spirit what we read in the book or it will profit us little or nothing. The Holy Spirit never writes God's law in the mind except He writes them in the heart also. When written in the heart, man obeys.

Sensibility

Sensibility includes sensitiveness, and sensitiveness is the power to receive delicate impressions. The soul can be so sensitive that it be made to feel what God feels. It can feel the presence of God everywhere. It can also feel the presence of evil. This is a wonderful safeguard of the soul. It feels the presence of evil in the vagrant thought, in the lightly spoken word, the hasty action and flees to God at once for refuge. It feels the presence of evil in those little worldly things which many say are harmless. The sensitive soul detects evil there and avoids them. It is acquainted with the voice of the Shepherd. It can distinguish between His voice and that of a stranger. The more perfect the manhood. the more perfect the sensibility. The higher we rise into the manhood of Jesus the quicker scented we become, the more easily we detect the presence of God and the presence of sin. This is necessary to all holy living. Many a soul today has lost the sensitiveness they once experienced. Evil things that they once fled away from in horror they are now embracing. It is our privilege to grow more sensitive as we grow in years of service to God. The farther we walk with Him, the closer we can walk with Him. We can keep step with Him more perfectly.

The scriptures tell us that Christ was of such quick understanding that He did not judge by the sight of His eyes or reprove by the hearing of His ears (See Isa. 11:3). In the margin it reads, "scent or smell." Christ was quick to detect an ill odor. He was sensitive to the presence of sin. The more we become like Christ the more sensitive we shall become. Christianity is a life. It is a Divine life. In that life there are senses that can sense Divine things. That life is susceptible to the impulses of the Holy Spirit. The soul can feel God, taste Him, hear Him. It is "alive unto God." The soul, in this Divine life, is not only inwardly sensible to all the movements of the Holy Spirit, but is also sensitive to the feelings of men. The sensitive soul feels, not only what is in God, but is sensible also of what is in man. It is thus that when one member in Christ's body, the Church, suffers, all the other members suffer with it. They feel what the suffering member feels. Is that day past? Not with all. The sensitive soul weeps with Christ over a lost world. It feels what Jesus feels.


Section Four
The Loss of Soul-Sensitiveness

Is it not true that in other days the bond of sympathy between members in the Church of God was stronger than it is today? Did not all the members suffer more keenly with the suffering member? When the soul is quivering with Divine life and all its faculties functioning properly, it suffers with all the suffering members of Christ's body. It does more; it suffers with Christ the sin and suffering of a wicked world. What were the sufferings of Christ while here upon earth? It was not physical, but spiritual. His soul was sorrowful because of the sins of the world. It is in this way that we are to suffer with the Savior. Instead of weeping with Christ over a sinful world, many professors of Christianity are going on in their revelry, feasting, banqueting, in their pomp and show, in their entertainments, amusements, and pleasures, in their lust and pride.

Sensuality dulls the spiritual senses. None but the pure in heart can enter the realm of soul-sensitiveness. You may study the art of public speaking, you may receive degrees and honorary titles, you may occupy prominent positions, you may discourse eloquently and enthusiastically, but if you have not transparent purity of soul you cannot feel the delicate promptings of the will of God. The sensual cannot appreciate the beauty of purity. There are delicate lines in it which they never see. They cannot enter into communion with a holy God though they may discourse like an angel about Him. We exhort you, saint of God, keep sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Keep the world out of your eye. Keep in touch with God. Feel with Him, love with Him, suffer with Him, rejoice with Him, sympathize with Him over a lost world, be susceptible to all the feelings of His great heart. Soul, remember that just a little affection for earthly things dulls the soul's senses. The god of this world blinds the eye. As the glass in the camera is sensitive to the light, so keep your soul sensitive to heavenly impressions.

Keep sensitive, O soul of mine,
To God's holy will and Word;
Grow deeper, deeper every day
In the feelings of thy Lord.

Spiritual-Mindedness

"But to be carnally minded is death: but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Rom. 8:6). We ought to tremble before these words. Can you read them and then pass on in a careless way, taking but little thought about yourself to know whether you are carnally or spiritually minded? You say that you cannot give a dictionary definition. We are not asking for Webster's definition; we want you to give yours from your own experience.

It is in the mind that thoughts are generated. The carnal mind generates carnal thoughts, while the spiritual mind generates spiritual thoughts. Carnal thoughts are thoughts about earthly things, spiritual thoughts are thoughts about heavenly things. Examine your thoughts. What are their trend? Are they mostly worldward? Do worldly thoughts crowd in on your mind even when in the secret place you kneel to pray? If they do, we say that we deeply sympathize with you, but we must tell you in the greatest kindness but seriousness that you are to blame. It ought not to be that way. You can have it better. Our thoughts can be brought into captivity. Christ, by His grace, will help us to control them. You have been allowing them to dwell on temporal things. You do not have to do it. If you have for a long time been allowing your thoughts to dwell on the things of earth and little grooves have been cut in the brain matter like the grooves on a phonograph record, it will take some effort to change their course, but fear not, it can be done and it must be done. The marginal reading of Col. 3:2 is, "Set your mind on things above, and not on things on the earth." That is a plain, comprehensive statement or command. Why do we not all do just what we are here told to do? How can we hope to get on well in the spiritual life and not do what the Bible says? Now let us not make excuses, nor treat this with indifference. There is too much at stake. Death and life are before us. For our mind to dwell on "things on the earth," it means death; but for it to dwell on "things above" it means life and peace. We can have which we will. We are the framers of our destiny.

Col. 3:3 says, "For ye are dead." That is why you set your mind on things above. People who are dead do not set their minds on things to which they are dead. How can your mind be set on earthly things and you be dead to earthly things and your life hid with Christ in God? This is a serious matter and we advise you to take it seriously. We said in our first chapter that we may appear to be some times a little severe. If it takes that to get you to thinking and considering, then it is best to be severe. What we fear is that even severity will not get you in earnest about this matter. We fear you will go on letting your mind float around on earthly things nearly all day long. You are awake from five o'clock in the morning until nine o'clock at night-sixteen hours. Have you given one solid hour out of the sixteen to deep, profound thinking on heavenly things? Now the fact is that a few moments at different times during the day is all that is needed for the proper attending to the things of this life, and to sum up this few moments they would not amount to more than an hour and the other fifteen should be spent in setting your mind on things above. Maybe you are a preacher and you spend considerable time thinking about the Word of the Lord. That is no more proof that you are spiritually minded than it is for the school boy to think much about mathematics. Each is thinking about the work he is engaged in. A spiritual mind does not spend near so much time thinking about the work of God as it does about God. We make far more effectual preachers by praying our messages down from heaven into our souls than we do by study and sermonizing. We would not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax, but we exhort you in all sincerity of heart to attend to the matter of setting your mind on things above. If you spend your days here with your mind mostly on things on earth, how can you enjoy heaven if you were to get there? There will be no earthly things there to think about.

Now do not get restless, but in a calm, composed, quiet manner set to work thinking about heavenly things. Read your Bible more and keep your thoughts on it while you read. While you are about your work think about heaven and the great truths of salvation which God has given us to guide us to heaven. Think about Christ and what it will be to meet Him face to face. Do you find it a difficult thing to do? How strange! You say you love Him with all your heart, but you find it much easier to think about the things that pertain to your every day comforts and conveniences than you do to think about Jesus. We suggest that you begin now and think more about things above. Take time every day to go into some quiet place and turn your thoughts heavenward and think soberly and seriously about the glories and the wonders of that beautiful world. It you will attend to this, not in a strained way, but calmly and peacefully, you will soon find it easy to fix your thoughts on God and things above. If you will, a joy and gladness will come into your heart that will make it seem that you have gotten saved again. You will soon get to where on the moment of awakening in the night or in the morning your thoughts will soar up to heaven. Your first thought will be on things above, and at the same time your soul will taste a sweetness that is above any sweetness of earth. A fear would come over my soul if my mind gave its first awakening thoughts to earthly things. No, no, no; let my mind dwell a while in heaven before it takes up the duties of the day. There is a brother who never allows a night to pass by, unless there be an occasional night when his slumbers are unbroken, without rising once and twice, and on his knees has an earnest heart to heart talk with God. On awakening in the morning he spends from half an hour to an hour in prayer and holy thought before taking up the duties of the day, and then often through the day takes a few moments for thinking on heavenly things. It is not difficult to get into a life like this, and it is heaven on earth. With all the earnestness of soul we exhort you Christian reader, to get into it and then go forward to walking closer to God every day so that some day you will get so close that you will never come back to earth again.

Holy Thoughts For Quiet Hours

1. You have taken a long step toward holy living when you have learned to do much and say little. Holiness is seen in what you do and not in what you say.

2. Many seek God and find Him not because they seek Him for what He has to give, rather than for what He is Himself. There are those who would like very much to live like God, but are not willing to pay the price to become like God.

3. A man may discourse very beautifully about God, and pray in public with great fervor and enthusiasm, but if he is negligent of secret prayer his religion is toward men and not toward God.

4. We have obtained the true riches only when we have obtained true poverty. We have obtained true honor only when we have come to be despised. We rise to a great height only by being beaten down. We find true comfort in affliction. When you are called a fool for Christ's sake then you have found the true knowledge. You have found true joy and happiness only when you are crucified with Christ.

5. If you want that peace which comes from God, if you want that fullness of joy that Christ gives, see that that seven-headed monster of self-love has every head beheaded.

6. If thou wouldst have thy soul to be the temple of God, see that it is kept clean of all evil, quiet from all fears, void of all earthly affection, and peaceful amid temptation.

7. A devoted man is one who lives solely to the will of God, who serves God in every thing, who sees God in every thing, who does all in the name of Jesus, and eats and drinks and does all things to God's glory.

8. If a man buys and sells with the sole thought of getting gain and bettering himself in things of this world without any regard for the one from whom he buys or sells, he has a vain religion.

9. The Christian takes interest only in those things outside of Christ which he can use for Christ. If a man engages in any business he can not serve Christ in or can not use to Christ's glory, he lives outside of Christ.

10. You are winging your flight over the narrow stream of time. Know you not that in your flight God holds your hand, then why do you get so restless and flutter so? Why do such little things trouble you?

Jesus

"Oh, the precious music of Jesus' name!
Glory to the Lamb!
Oh, sweetest name in song, the heavens shall prolong
The music of Thy name."

To the Christian soul there is no music so sweet as the music of the name of Jesus. That name catches the attention above all other names. That name is sacred to the Christian's memory. He loves to think on that name. There is an inexpressible sweetness in the thought of that name. A tender delight comes over the soul at the mention of that name. There is no circumstance in life that that name cannot sweeten. If we be in the furnace flame that name quenches the burning.

A mother sits beside a little casket in which lies a child, cold, faded, and dead like a gathered lily. How deep, desperate and blank would be her woe if it were not for the name of Jesus. As she sits looking into the face of the child she bore just three months ago, the tears come streaming from her eyes, but at the thought of Jesus there is a smile through the tears. What beautiful and bright visions come before her mind as she beholds her child with Jesus in the Paradise of God. There is a sorrow at the heart, but there is an indescribable sweetness in the sorrow as she remembers her blessed Saviour.

"Tune your harps, ye ransomed throng, and extol the Christ
Sing the name that opened Mercy's door;
Oh, 'tis music, sweetest music to sinners lost,
Sweetest to the saints forever more."

Salvation

As good old Simeon looked into the face of the Child he said, "Mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation." Who can tell what this meant to him? Who can tell what rapturous delight filled his soul? There he saw salvation in its true meaning. From this scene we look away to an innumerable company in white robes with palms in their hands standing before the throne and before the Lamb and they are singing. "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." When the sinner takes Jesus to his heart the song of "Salvation" begins. We hear him singing it all along the journey of life. He may some times be in the furnace fire, but he never loses his song. The storm may be raging but above the howling of the winds you will hear him singing "salvation." He may be misunderstood, misrepresented, despised, and forsaken by men, but on he goes singing his lovely song. He never misses a note. The adversities of life, be what they may, cannot still the song in his soul. Men may deride him, but the angels are listening. The world may sneer and scoff, but his song rolls as a sweet anthem up to the ears of the Great Eternal. One day a company of angels came to bear him away to his home beyond this world of trial, and we behold him in the midst of that great throng singing his song of salvation. That is his theme. It began here when he accepted Jesus and it will never have an end. It is the song that never grows old. The heart can find its fullest expression in but one word and that word is salvation. What does it mean to be saved? It is to be saved from an eternity in the miseries of hell to an eternity of blessedness in heaven.

"Salvation is the sweetest thing
That mortal ever found;
My soul can never cease to sing,
Such love and peace abound.
"Salvation is the theme so grand-
It thrills with joy my soul:
I'll sing it here, and sing it there
While ceaseless ages roll.

Keep Heaven In View

"The traveler does not think of his journey's end every step of the way, but he does have it in mind sufficient to not turn aside out of the way. In all your ways of life keep God in mind. Attend to this with all diligence. Let God be the end you have in view in all your actions. Let me give you a few daily rules to walk by:
First, never lie down to your night's sleep without thinking that you are not doing this for your own comfort, but that a servant of God may be refreshed and better fitted for the work God has given him to do. Second, never rise up without the thoughts, 'I arise in the name of the Lord to do all this day that will please Him most.' Third, never set about your daily work without the thought that I am doing this not as my appointed work, but as the work God has appointed and I do it out of love to Him. Fourth, never sit down at your table without thinking, 'I will now eat and drink, not to merely feed my flesh, but to nourish a servant of Christ that he may have strength for God's service.' Examine yourself in the evening to see if you have kept these things in mind. Do better tomorrow than you did today. When you get to doing all things with heaven in view and doing all things for God s sake, you are then enjoying a walk through life with God."-Sel.

Closing Suggestions

We must bring this writing to a close. We loathe to say the last word. Oh God, is there not one word more we can say that may help some one to a holier life? The writer of these lines is nearing his three score years and ten, and being frail in body has written this little booklet as though it may be his last. For two score years the ambition of his life has been to walk close with God and to help others to this blessed life. He has made some mistakes, but even these have been turned to account in helping him to turn with greater eagerness to ascend higher in the Divine life. He has attained a fuller love for all men and for things holy. He hates sin with a perfect hatred. He has attained to a deeper insight into holiness of life. He sees more clearly how the love of God and true holiness can be brought into all the details of every day life; how every thought and word and act can be stamped all over with the beauty of holiness; how that an act can be done to any creature in the tenderness of love. Before saying the last word he wishes to impress upon all the vast importance of being holy in the performance of the smallest duty of life. It may be needful to reprove or rebuke some one for stepping aside from the holy way of Christ, but do it in the tenderness of heaven's love. You must not assent to that which is evil though it be in your dearest friend. You must not smile or nod the head at any remark that is light or jesty, or contains any strife, malice, or ill-will toward another. Let everything be done in the sobriety, the gravity, the holiness, the joyfulness and the love of Christ. We shall give you a few parting counsels.

1. Be prayerful. Take time to bow in the secret place and commune heart to heart with God at least twice every day. See to it that in your prayers your soul is lifted up into the presence of God and that it receives the stamp of His holiness upon it. Guard against lukewarmness in prayer. Be fervent, touch heaven and be touched by heaven.

2. Guard against being burdened with the cares of this life. Keep your life free from fret, worry, and anxiety. Rest calmly, tranquilly in the helpfulness of an ever present heavenly Father. Guard against indifference and slothfulness in the spiritual life. Attend vigorously to all the spiritual duties. Come to your prayers with reverence and holy awe. Enter the place of public worship with reverence and a feeling of devotion. Do not engage in a conversation in the house of God that would interfere with or diminish the profoundness of that feeling of reverence in your soul. The house of God is not the place for conversing upon earthly themes. It is a place appointed for the worship of God, not only during the actual service, but before and after. The good effect produced upon the soul by the sermon can be destroyed before you quit the house by a turning of the mind to earthly things.

3. See to it every day that you are wholly detached from earthly things. Examine the heart often and closely lest there get to be some affection for things on the earth. See that your love for Christ grows warmer and your interest in heaven grows keener. See to it that you are perfectly contented with your lot in life. Be pleased with all God is doing for you, and that you are pleasing Him in all you do. Keep such a realization of God's presence that it enters into and makes holy and heavenly your thoughts, feelings, words, and deeds.

4. Allow nothing to disquiet you nor disturb your peace of soul. Give no place to restlessness or impatience. Keep heaven and eternity in full view. Live under the consciousness that God has set His love upon you and that the least fret, restlessness, anxiety, or impatience grieves Him. Lean upon Him, hard upon Him and be at rest. Keep the line of communication with heaven constantly intact.

5. Be careful to turn every temptation, trial, and trouble to good account. Have them work growth in grace in you, for that is what they have been allowed to come to you for. Trials are the things God works with to fashion more perfectly His image in you. Never chafe under a trial. Count them joy. Thank God for them.

6. Do not be half-hearted in your service to God. Be intense, be earnest, be fervent; keep consecrated to God's will. Live under the control of the Holy Spirit. Put first things first. Keep a deep and sublime devotion to God in your soul. Be saintly, be saintly, BE SAINTLY. Do not be content with being just a little better, but be your best.

7. Let your mind dwell much on heaven. It will do you good to think of death if you think of it as you should, if you look upon it as the open door to the glories of heaven.

Remember that it is sure to come. Learn to look upon it as you do a messenger you are expecting to come with glad tidings to you. Do not wait for Death in fear, but wait as you would for a loving friend. It has lost its sting. Jesus removed the sting and placed a blessing in its stead. Be busy while you are waiting. Guard against idleness even in your old days. Keep busy to the last. Let no moments go by unemployed. Do not give place to that inclination to slow down and take life easy because you are growing old. Do not entertain the thought that there is no more now for you to do but to fold your hands and wait the coming of the angels. Let us pray that in our dying hour we may magnify Christ. Always be of good cheer. Never let your heart be troubled. Live holy, live prayerfully, trust God in all things and for all things.

I am thinking of heaven tonight,
Of the beautiful place it must be,
Of the glories I there shall behold
When the pearly gates open to me.
Heaven, sweet heaven, home of my soul,
How blessed to be there it will be;
I'll walk streets of gold, and never grow old
When the pearly gates open to me.
My mind and heart are in heaven tonight,
From all things of the world I am free:
That mansion I see where I shall e'er be
When the pearly gates open to me.
Farewell, dear reader, a loving farewell;
On thee I pray heaven's blessings to be:
When you come to go, may you have lived so
That heaven's gates will open to thee.
-C. E. Orr


Section Five
Part Two - Introduction

The Christian is a creation in Christ. The virtue of Christ enters into and becomes a part of body, soul, and spirit, sanctifying the whole. His nature is such as binds him to the Infinite. He is given a vision of the beauty of the Lord from its reflection in his own being. He has a sense of Divine realities which loose him from the things of time and woo him to heavenly life. He moves in an infinite halo of joy and gladness. Every thought, word, and deed of his new-born life fashions him more into the likeness of God. -C. E. Orr

The Opened Eye

"Open thou mine eyes." Psa. 119:18. Who among us does not need to pray this prayer? Who among us has an eye to see all that belongs to the Christian life? Are there not yet some glorious things lying out beyond the boundary of our vision? Oh, for the open eye to see the wondrous things God has prepared for them that love Him! Out beyond our spiritual horizon there may be blessed realities awaiting us if we would but seek God earnestly for the open eye to discover them. This world has been called a vale of tears, a wilderness of woe, and man's way through it a way of trouble and sorrow, yet there is a way running through it which is a way of pleasantness, and a path which is a pathway of peace. We need the open eye to find this heavenly way. If man would but rise to the fullness of life, he would find many glorious things awaiting him there. Up in the higher realms of close companionship with God there is fullness of joy. If man would come into such intimacy with God as to read His mind and know the loving thoughts He has toward him, his joy would be complete. If man could but see all that lies in the fatherhood of God, he would never have a care. The task of this little book is to help you see more of the good things God has for you.

Looking Upward

"When they had lifted up their eyes they saw no man, save Jesus only." Matt. 17:8. What you see depends on which way you look. Looking around on life's circumstances, you will miss seeing the better things of life. Erect for your soul a spiritual observatory where you can look into the heavens and see some of its wonder. You do not need to wait until you get to heaven to behold some of its glories. Heaven will come down to you with many of its blessed realities. Soul vision of God is necessary to soul likeness to God. The beauty of the Lord is inwrought into the soul as it gazes, with steadfast eye, upon Him. The soul attaches itself to and becomes like that upon which it gazes. Those who see most of God are fullest of Him. There are some rare souls who see every thing full of Him. Every bush is aflame with His presence. They see Him in every event in life. There are no happenings so small as to disclose none of His beauty. They see His love in all the provocations and interruptions. They welcome every annoyance, grievance, and trial because they see His hand of love in everything. When the soul grasps the fact that nothing can come to us without His permission, then we have found heaven on earth.

Heaven Everywhere

"Blessed are the pure in heart. for they shall see God." Matt. 5:8. It matters not, to those who have the open eye, where they are; they see heaven anywhere. They do not live in that little world where they see the old cabin, the open cracks, the bare floors, the empty flour bin, the meatless larder, the scanty clothing, and the hard times, but they live out in a world where they see riches untold. They always have heaped about them a great store of beautiful and wonderful things. They cannot see their poverty because they are ever looking at their riches. They do not see the little old cabin because they are looking at their mansion. They do not see the faded garments because they are looking at the fine linen, so clean and white. They do not see the empty flour bin and meatless larder because their eyes are ever on the promises of God. The apostle John in Patmos was looking into heaven and not at the barren rocks. Paul was not confined to the dungeon and the stocks; he was up in the presence of God singing Him praise. It is what we see with that inner vision that gives to life its blessed fullness and sweet contentment. O ye saints, do not live around among the seen things. Go out and build a mansion for your soul in the heavenly life.

Shut-Ins

Beyond doubt the Lord has a few shut-ins. The line that bounds their view is only a little way out. They live in a little world of self-interest, of petty cares, of wearying anxieties, of vexing circumstances. They see only the seen things. They live in a small enclosure, and we have grave fears that with some the enclosure is growing smaller every day. A cataract of worldliness is growing over their eyes. There is closeness of fellowship with God, intimacy of communion, blessedness of trust, freedom from care, worry, and fret that they have never discovered. They never get up into that upper region where life stretches out in holy contemplation of God and the glorious realities that the Lord has for Christian souls. Listen at their talk. It is almost continually about the things of the little world of which they are acquainted. If they should be induced to say a word about the spiritual blessings in heavenly places, ii is very vague, unreal and incomprehensive. They can talk fluently of the happenings in the neighborhood and of their own affairs, but have no interest in conversing about the beauty of God, of joys unspeakable, of the sweetness of meditation, and the glorious freedom of the soul.

Mary and Martha

"Martha, Martha, thou art troubled about many things" Luke 10 :41, 42. It is the seeing that makes the great difference between one human life and that of an other. Martha saw the seen things, Mary the unseen, hence the difference in their lives. Martha loved the Lord Jesus, but her highest thought was that of ministering to His body's need. Mary saw that her Lord had meat to eat that Martha knew not of. Had Martha come and sat with Mary, she would not have seen what Mary saw. She would have seen the well-spread table in the dining room, and Mary saw a table spread in the heavenly kingdom. There are those who assemble for worship in the same building who see vastly different things. Some rise but a little way above the things of time and sense. They have so much of the seen things in their eyes, they cannot see the glorious things of the spiritual life. It is their privilege to see the loving purpose of God in every line of human sorrow and have to build for them greater beauty of soul. They should see the hand of God in all the details of daily life, and have the little annoyances and cares work a delicacy in their soul upon which the Holy Spirit can imprint the colors of the heavenly life, making them more heavenly.

Finding Life

"He that loses his life for my sake shall find it." Matt. 10:39. Not once for all, but the giving of life daily for Christ's sake is the daily finding of life. By losing life you find life. This is an unfailing law in both the lower and higher life. By expending muscle you find muscle, by expending life you find life. A selfish act is a self-destroying act. A self-denying act is a self-developing act. Every act done for Christ's sake identifies you with Christ. You become a part of that for which you do an act and it becomes a part of you. To do things for the world's sake is to become a part of the world. The more love for Christ you put in what you do, the more closely it unites you with Him. O Jesus, intensify our love for Thee! You can put a whole heart full of love in a very small deed, and then the deed has lost its smallness. You can put love for Christ in doing things for yourself as well as in doing things for others. In fact, with a true, sincere Christian there is no such thing as doing for yourself and doing for others. Every act, whether done for yourself or for others, is an act done for Christ. Those who love Jesus do not do one single thing in caring for themselves or others that is not done solely for His sake. This is finding life.

Living by Christ

"As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me." John 6:57. Are you able to grasp the meaning of these words ? Read them over again slowly and prayerfully. We are to live by Christ as Christ lived by the Father. This is life's standard. It is the standard Jesus set up. The life Jesus lived was not His, but the life of the Father. The words He spoke were the Father's words, the deeds He did were the deeds of the Father. To look upon His life was to look upon the life of the Father, for it was the Father that lived in Him. He lived by the Father because He lived upon the Father. In those early morning and all night prayers He was feeding on God the Father, and all through the day He lived by Him. That which He gathered from the Father in those heart-to-heart prayers He carried out and gave it to the world. In those communings with the Father He enveloped Himself with an heavenly atmosphere, and within this enclosure He kept Himself all the day. That holy awe, that sacred reverence, that spirit of worship, that heavenly unction which He gathered to His soul in those prayers He kept within Him all the day. He gathered fresh food every night and morning. Thus we are to live by Christ.


Section Six
Feeding on Christ

"He that eateth me, even he shall live by me." John 6:57. May God let the reader and the writer into the secret meaning of these words. We live by what we feed on. Herein lies the whole secret of holy living. To live by Christ is to live like Christ. It is to live by His power, His love, His holiness, His life. To thus live we must feed on Him. He is to be our daily food. There are a few rare souls today (would there were many more) who are hungering for more and more of God, and yet they are coming a little short of the fullest satisfaction. There are those who have a craving that is not fully met-a thirst that is not wholly quenched. They come short of living as Godlike as they should. They try to live nearer Christ, but they fail. They need to feed more on Christ. He is the Life-Bread of the soul. They live the most holy who assimilate most of Him. We feed on Him by bringing our soul into His presence and absorbing Him. In loving thought of Him, in meditating upon Him, in reading His Word and praying in the Spirit, we feed on Him. Every out-going of the heart in love toward Him is supping of Him. By opening its pores and letting the sunlight in, the flower feeds on sunlight. Open your soul to Jesus and let Him shine in.

The Soul's Craving

The soul's cravings will not all be fully met and satisfied while here in the body. It was created for greater freedom, for more perfect vision, for greater knowledge, and for a closer union with Christ. The veil of flesh hangs between the redeemed soul and heavenly realities of which it has a consciousness and for which it longs. The soul in love with Christ finds great delight in thinking about the mansion Jesus has gone to prepare and where it shall look into His face as it cannot here. Redeemed man does not have much to do with earthly things compared with his activities amid heavenly things. While in the body he needs to at tend to some things here, but he lives mostly in eternity. There are no cravings of the soul for the things of the lower life; its cravings are all for things above. Be sure that you distinguish between the two. It is possible to mistake the cravings of the flesh, the intellect, the sentimental for the craving of the spirit. The mind of man may hunger for an intellectual knowledge of God while the soul has no hunger for God. The soul that longs after God finds the hour of communion with God the sweetest of all the life. It has no thirstings for life's pleasures.

Holier in Life

You may be pure in heart as the crystal river of life can make you, and holy of soul as God's throne, yet there is no man living who cannot become holier in life. You can abound more and more in love; go from faith to greater faith; grow in knowledge and grace, and have the beauty of the Lord blooming out more and more in all the words and deeds of life. Though your heart is cleansed from every stain of sin, you can have the sweet, heavenly unction of the Holy Spirit resting more weightily upon your soul. This will affect your outward life, making it deeper, more hallowed and holy. The tree of the garden may be perfect and bear perfect fruit, but by rooting deeper it grows and bears larger and more developed fruit. By letting the mind take hold upon God in holy thought, we root deeper into Him and conform more unto His likeness. Every time the mind fastens upon some truth of God the spirit grows more into the image of God. Put idle thoughts, vain thoughts, far away from you and stay your mind on things above. Open the door of your heart heavenward that the light of God may shine in, imprinting in its depth the beautiful graces of Christ. Look into the face of Jesus and grow to be more like Him.

My Heart-Garden

Down in the secret depths of my heart is a wonderful garden. When I open the gate and walk in, God meets me there. We converse together of things that can never be talked about outside this secret place. It is the holy of holiest It may be amid the bustling throng, the crowded street, the chattering of thoughtless friends, or in some solitary place; when I open the gate and walk in, I find Christ waiting for me. He never disappoints me. His voice is sweetest music, and before the light of His beaming face the shadows flee away. The world with its frets and worries, its fears and anxieties, its sorrows and its cares has no place in this wonderful garden. Here life takes on a fuller meaning. I see the things that are worthless and the things worth while. Here I can see and hear things that cannot be seen or heard anywhere outside this secret place. Here the seen things are lost to view and only the unseen things appear. Here the near things are far away and the far away things are near. Here I gather golden grain from the fields of heaven which I am to carry out and scatter in the pathway of others. When I come out from this garden, earth is not like it was before. Things seem changed and I am nearer like my blessed Lord.

Home of My Soul

The home I am building for my soul today will be its home tomorrow and forever. My soul needs a little more spacious home today than that which it occupied yesterday. It longs to soar up a little higher, to go down a little deeper. The home of yesterday is too narrow for today. It seeks for a clearer vision of heaven, it longs for greater nearness to God, it would feel a little more sensibly the impulse of His will, and come nearer the gates of glory and hear more distinctly the sweet music of heaven. I must not cramp or stint this soul of mine. It must have the fullest and freest range. My soul must have perfect liberty to roam about amid the unseen heavenly things regardless of the sacrifice of the house of clay. This house of flesh must not hold it in or interrupt its flight upward. Its wings must be free to fly upward to the presence of God to hold sweet communion with Him. There are yet many new discoveries for my soul to make in the spiritual life, and it must not be hindered by the desires of the flesh. The flesh with its affections and lusts must be crucified that my soul may have fullest liberty today. What I build for my soul today will be its home throughout eternity. I must build a larger home for my soul each day.

Love

"He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." 1 John 4 :16. The fish is in its element when dwelling in the sea. Man's proper element is love. Man out of love is out of his native element. Love is the greatest thing in life. The worth of a deed is estimated, not by the deed itself, but by the amount of love there is in it. Love associates the object loved with every thing in life. Labor is the essential property of love. "And labor of love." 1 Thess. 1:3. Love is the must of life. "I must work the works of Him that sent me." The labor of love is expressed in giving or in putting forth effort to obtain something to give. Love lives to give. It must give that it might live. Love is not in the word, but in the deed. "Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:18. The tongue may talk of love, but the deed talks loudest. "God so loved the world that He gave." You love an object when you love it so that you give yourself for it. Less than this is not love. Love gives itself. We must cut the roses from the rose-bush on our lawn or it will cease giving us roses. It must give its roses that it may produce more roses. Love must give that it may keep on loving.

Love to Christ

"Whom having not seen, ye love." 1 Peter 1:8. "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." Eph. 6:24. Sincere love is love wholly free from self-interest. Sincere love to Christ is not to love Him for what He gives us, but for what He is in himself. A young lady may love a man because he saved her life, but she loves her husband because of what he is. Christ is the lovely and the lovable One. Christ, not the blessing, is to be loved. He is to be loved with or without blessings. There is great need of more intense love to Christ in the hearts of His saints. Few, indeed, that love Jesus as they should. If they loved Christ as they should, it would make a great change in their life. "Is it I?" When Christ is loved in sincerity, He is associated with every thing in life. Every thing brings thoughts of Him. Present a man, who loves his wife, with a basket of nice, ripe fruit and he will at once think of her. When you receive your monthly salary, you will think of Jesus before yourself, if you love Him more than yourself. You have greater joy in the thing received because of how much of it you can give to Christ, rather than how much you can have for yourself. Increase and abound in love.

Hallowing Life

The secret of a hallowed life is the hallowing of God in the heart. A hallowed life stands out in the world as a witness to things that belong to the heavenly life. Hold your body as a sacred thing dedicated to God for His indwelling. He will hallow His temple. Keep the body sanctified wholly, so that in your eating and drinking or in whatsoever you do all reflects honor and glory to God. A hallowed life speaks to men of things spiritual, divine, eternal. Beware, O beware, lest you profane things hallowed to God! There is a vast difference between a cultivated dignity and a life hallowed by the holy presence of God. A man's acquired dignity points men to himself and they call him magnanimous. A hallowed life points men to God and they magnify Him. The holy contemplation of God awes the soul and this holy awe is the spring of a hallowed life. Deep thoughts of God beget a reverence, a veneration of God that hallows the words and deeds of a man's life so that he speaks and acts not as other men. Go, dear child of God, often into that place of quiet communion with God, that you might take on a hallowedness by which you may hallow the world.

Section Seven
Familiarity

Familiarity with an object has a tendency to lessen interest and delight in the object. It requires but little effort to have interest in new things, but it does require effort to keep up the interest as the object grows older. It is possible to lose your love to God when very busy about the work of God. It is easier to keep up the works than it is to keep up the love. Saints at Ephesus lost love to God yet maintained the works. You can become so familiar with preaching that it becomes more of an occupation than something done in intense love to Christ. You can keep on working for souls long after you have lost heart burden for souls. It is not always those who work the hardest that love God most. One of the most subtle and dangerous things in the Christian experience is the deadening effect of familiarity. People can word a beautiful testimony for years on a past experience. Men practice the art of talking beautifully about holy things after they have lost the art of living holy. You can be very familiar with the way of truth, and yet having lost the way out of your soul. The only possible way to keep from being deadened by familiarity with spiritual things is to keep gaining greater spiritual things.

The Holy Anointing

"But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you." 1 John 2:27. This anointing is the freshening of the soul with spiritual life. It is like the morning dew upon the rose. It awakens the heart into beauty and strength. It lifts the soul up in holy awe and reverence to God. It is that which separates you from the things of the lower life. You go among men, but this holy anointing keeps you above them. The fruits of the Spirit are growing luxuriously in your life. Your heart is the garden of the Lord. There He comes to gather lilies, to scent the sweet fragrance and to eat His pleasant fruits. It is as real as anything in the lower life. The Holy Spirit anoints the soul with the life of Christ which quickens it and makes it life of its life, and gives it such sweet assurance of the abiding presence of God. It enables man to live amid heavenly things. He is not confined to the things of this material world. He lives out among the realities of the spiritual life. He talks with Christ as with a personal friend. He does all things in the thought of Him. It is the taking of the sweet heavenly essences and distilling them upon the heart until it is saturated through and through with heavenly life.

The Mystery of Godliness

"Great is the mystery of godliness." 1 Timothy 3:16. Christ was made flesh and dwelt among us. In Him we had God with us. In Him humanity and divinity were united into a oneness. In Him the human and the divine were never separated. He performed no act, thought no thought, spoke no word that necessitated the leaving out of divinity. God was in every word and deed of His life. Is this too high a life for man to live? We are to measure to the stature of the fullness of Christ. All our words are to be spoken, and our deeds done in Jesus' name. Col. 3:17. This is nothing more or less than having Christ in every word and deed. We cannot live it, but Christ will come into our humanity and live it in us. We have no excuse. Christ will do it for us. Get out of yourself and let Christ in. He will live in you to the thinking of every thought, the speaking of every word and the doing of every act. We are commanded to live godly in this present world, and that is not godly that does not have God in it. If you are failing to live godly in every word, you need to feed on Christ more. Get more of His strength in your life. Draw more heavily at the Divine breasts. Drink deep and full of the life of Christ.

Dead With Christ

"If ye be dead with Him" 2 Tim. 2:11. Think deeply on these words. Dead with Him. What does it mean ? There is no thought of death on the wooden cross, but death to all living to fleshly lusts. To be dead with Him is to be dead to all He was dead to. It cannot mean less. He lived after the Spirit and not after the flesh. He lived humanly but never fleshly. To live after the Spirit is to do all things in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is to be the energy in the speaking of every word and doing of every deed. We are not to speak and act of ourselves, but in the Spirit. Adam acted to the flesh which separated him from divine life. We can live in the flesh, do things in the flesh, and not do them for the sake of the flesh. We can do every thing for Jesus' sake. When we do things for the sake of the flesh, we are living to the flesh and this is not holy living. Do not be too hasty to conclude that you are not a Christian because you do some things almost daily that is done to the flesh. You may speak too idly, or too sharply, eat too much, indulge in the flesh in too great an ease, and yet do it carelessly and thoughtlessly and not altogether forfeit Divine life. Read the next paragraph.

Living With Christ

"If we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him." 2 Tim. 2:11. Not only when we get to heaven, but here on earth. If we do not live with Him here, we shall not live with Him in heaven. You cannot speak idly, impatiently, eat intemperately, willfully and premeditatively and be a Christian. And to do those things thoughtlessly and carelessly is to become a very weak Christian, and will finally end in the utter loss of spiritual life. Many, many saints are living too carelessly, thoughtlessly. They may pray the Lord to help that every word they speak may be seasoned with grace, but oh, how careless they are about their words when they come from prayer. They seem to give such little heed to help God answer their prayers. They will chatter along for an hour about earthly things without once thinking of God or whether their words are pleasing unto Him. They will talk about things that ought not to be spoken by those professing to be saints. They seem to enjoy talking about the unholy deeds of others. To live with Jesus is to have but few words, and them well chosen. To live with Christ is to have Him live with us. He is to be in all we do. It is not for us to live but Him to live in us. Christ liveth in me.

Baptized Into His Death

"Baptized into His death." Rom. 6:3. Many saints fail to walk in that blessed fellowship and intimate communion that their souls crave. They long to have Christ more real in their life. They yearn for a greater consciousness of His presence. They come short of their soul's cravings because they are not baptized fully into Christ's death. They live too much to the flesh. They live too much for earthly things. They have too great an admiration for earthly things, a fine home, fine furniture. fine automobile. Look closely into the life of Christ. Not once did He ever manifest an admiration of the fine things of the world. He admired God in nature, but never admired nature of itself. If He admired the works of man, it was not what man had done, but what God had helped him do. In all His sight seeing He never lost sight of God. This is a precious secret in the Christian life. See God everywhere and in everything. Admire God, adore Him, and not the thing He has created. Alas, how many think more, admire more, talk more about, seek more after the thing created than they do the Creator. Jesus saw this world and all the fine things in it under condemnation and ready for the burning, and so will you when baptized into His death.

Dying With Christ

"Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus." 2 Cor. 4:10. Do not think of Christ being dead to the extent that He had no temptation. He was tempted all through His life as any sanctified person is tempted. Read Heb. 4:15. His death was that of an everyday dying. He had temptation to resist and overcome. He had a human will which He kept in subjection to the Divine will just as Christians have to do. The same power that enabled Him to do this will enable the Christian to do likewise. This is holy living. Just as Jesus kept dead to every suggestion of the flesh, so are we to keep dead. This is bearing about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus. One brother inquires, "How can a man marry and raise a family and not live to the flesh?" Just the same as he can do any thing in the flesh and not live to the flesh. Jesus did not refuse to marry because it was sinful or fleshly. It was not His calling. Paul said, "Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he is called," and he was talking on this very subject. Marrying belongs to pure humanity as much as eating, drinking, sleeping, etc. though not as necessary to the life of the person, but is to the life of the race.
Raising a family was not the sin of Eden. God told Adam and his wife to be fruitful, to multiply and replenish the earth before their transgression. When man and woman marry simply for the gratification of the flesh, they transgress a higher law of their being. They are living on the plane of the flesh. This is true of every thing in life. To build a house, or remodel one, to buy home furniture or an automobile to the gratifying of the flesh is sowing to the flesh. There are to be fasts, by mutual consent for the soul's good in the married life, the same as abstaining from food and drink. ( 1 Cor. 7 :5 ) . Dying with Jesus means the refusing to do anything in life purely for fleshly gratification. This is holy living. This is where many a saint is coming short of the perfect life. They are too careless. Their soul is not stirred up to realization of the great importance of sowing to the Spirit. Listening to the suggestion of the flesh has caused many a one to fail to obey the Spirit. They sowed to the flesh instead of to the Spirit, and they will have to pay the penalty. They absent themselves from the prayer meeting, from the closet, fail to give of their means at the suggestion of the flesh. They are missing the joy of God.

Living to Our Ability

"He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." Matt. 19:12. God requires no one to receive that of which they are not capable. Jesus withheld some truths from His disciples because they were not able to receive them. Some are capable of receiving more than others. God does not require one man to live to the capability of another, but does require each one to live to the fullest of his own capability. Have you done this ? Are you doing it ? If you had lived to the fullest of your capability in the past, it may be that you would be more capable today. Begin now! Lose no more time! Jesus does not condemn all who do not live to the full standard of life. He does condemn all who do not live to the full light they have been given of that standard; you to yours and me to mine. The question is, are you living to your full light? The soul has wonderful capabilities. If we will only live up to our full capabilities, we will be brought into a very close life with God. We greatly fear that many are careless. They are not putting their soul out to its fullest capability. They are not reaching out with all the energy of their being for things that are before. They could be better Christians if they would.


Section Eight
The Joys of Heaven

The Lord said to his faithful servant, "Enter into the joy of thy Lord." By this Jesus means to tell us that if we be faithful servants of God, some day we shall be admitted into higher joys than we ever knew here. The little child that has been taught that Santa will bring it many pretty things on Christmas will think a great deal about these nice things, and can scarcely wait until Christmas comes. Why should we not think much about the joys of heaven ? Maybe some of us do not keep that heavenly country enough in our thoughts. The more you contemplate the joys of heaven, the lighter will be the sorrows of earth. The joy that Jesus looked forward unto helped Him to endure the cross. We can bear a great deal today if we have bright anticipations of tomorrow. What if there be a few tears here, there will be none over there, and this thought helps us to bear up a little longer. Thinking of the joys of heaven will let the light through the darkest clouds that can hang over our heads. Earthly pleasures fail to charm us as we think about the pleasures at God's right hand. Though there is no flour in the bin, nor meat in the larder, we grow happy as we think of heaven.

Tune Your Harp

David calls up his soul and tunes it to the great heart of God. Keeping in tune with heaven is the secret of holy living. We must catch daily messages from the sky that we might keep in harmony with the mind of God. We must hear the voice of God, we must feel His life playing on the tender cords of our soul, we need to be moved by the impulses of His loving heartbeats to live as holy as we should. Let there be no discordant notes in the music of your soul. You can keep tuned in with the sweet harmony of heaven in the very face of strife and sin in the world. Peter slept like a child with the chopping block only a few hours ahead; Paul kept the music of heaven in his heart while fast in the stocks; Daniel kept tuned in with the world of glory at the entrance to the lions' den; the furnace cast no fear over the life of the three Hebrews; Habakkuk rejoiced in the God of his salvation with empty fields, storehouses and stalls before him; Job kept the proper wave length in his soul amid all his adversities. Beware, oh beware, lest something of earth gets your harps out of tune. Why will mortal man allow the poor, weak things of earth disturb the music of his soul!

Faith

"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Gal. 3:26. Faith is that which brings the soul in contact with God in Christ, and Christ is formed in man.

Faith in Christ identifies man with God. Heart-faith works by love. By faith we love the unseen Christ. Faith is the faculty of spiritual touch. Faith is that energy by which the soul is attached in a vital union with God. It is by faith that the unseen is realized. It is by faith that the soul is brought in touch with the Infinite. Faith receives into itself that which is in Christ and mingles His life with its own. Faith brings virtue out of Him into our body or soul. It is just according to what faith has been exercised for. Faith is more than a chain that binds us to God; it unites God to us so that we are one. Faith fills the soul with God, and the soul filled with God finds every thing full of Him. Every event, every circumstance is a bush aflame with His glory. Faith associates God with every moment of time and every event of life. Faith puts the world with its vanities and vexations under our feet. Faith regards every foe as conquered. It refuses to look on circumstances. It will not be drawn aside from looking into the face of God.

Living by Faith

"The just shall live by faith." Gal. 3:11. The sinner lives by sight; the saint lives by faith. This puts them into two different spheres of life. One lives in the world of seen things, while the other lives in the unseen world. One sees only the circumstances of every day life, while the other sees the hand of Providence in all circumstances. It makes a vast difference. By faith man lives above all earthly circumstances. He is not affected by "hard times." He lives up where all times are good times. The most abject poverty has no influence over his life. If he has no place to lay his head, he has a place to lay his heart and he is perfectly contented. Mountains of gold have no more influence over his life than the kingdoms of the world had over Jesus. He makes no more obeisance to the world at its offers of riches, honor, and pleasure than Jesus made to the devil at his offers of all the glory of the kingdoms of earth. Those who live by faith do not look around on material things. They live amid eternal things. They understand that they are to use every thing that comes to them in life to help them on in the spiritual life. Those living by faith live under the influence of the unseen and not the seen.

Man's Worth

"What is man, that thou art mindful of him?" Heb. 2:6. Man is of infinite worth. Not only is he of infinite worth to God, but he is of infinite worth to himself. When a man loses himself, he has lost all. When he finds himself, he finds all. Christ was not only the Son of God, but also the Son of man. He was born of the Holy Spirit and of woman. God finds Himself (we say it with profound reverence) when He finds man, and man finds himself when he finds God. The father finds himself in the child, and the child finds himself in the father. God has children in His loins, and in those that are born of Him He sees of the travail of His soul and is satisfied-He finds His completeness. There is something in God that yearns for man, and something in man that yearns for God. When they find one the other, they have found their fullness of joy, their fullness of fellowship, their fullness of glory. The greatest gift to man is God, and the greatest gift to God is man. You can give God no greater gift than the giving of yourself. God gave Himself to man that He might receive the gift of man to Himself. The cross of Christ is the measurement of man's worth to God. Man being crucified with Christ is the measure of God's worth to him.

The Christian

"The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." Acts 11:26. The Christian is man in his completeness. He is not something more than man, neither is he something less, but man in his perfect manhood. "Ye are complete in Him." The Christian is not an addition to man's manhood, but he is the true type of manhood. To not be a Christian is to be something less than man. Such are below the standard. They are rejected. When man measures to the stature of the fullness of Christ, he also measures to the fullness of himself. He who does not measure to the fullness of Christ has not risen to the fullness of manhood. When we say, "Be a man," it means in the full sense, "Be a Christian." There is no difference between the laws of Christ written in the Gospel and those written in the heart and mind of man. The one answers to the other. Do you ever check up? When the Christian transgresses the law of the Gospel, he transgresses the law of his being. The life of a Christian is not the outflowing of the laws of the Gospel, but the outflowing of the laws of his own being, and since these are identically the same, the Christian life is an outward expression of Gospel law. Holy living is Gospel living.

Man's Kinship With God

"I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters." 2 Cor. 6:18. It is the kinship of father and son. It is God coming into humanity and the taking of humanity up into Himself. He stamps Himself with humanity and stamps humanity with Himself. Look at humanity in Christ and you will see what humanity ought to be. Look at Christ in humanity and you will see what Christ is. This may be a hard saying, but it is what man is in Christ. Christ is the Revealer of man, and saved man is the revealer of Christ. The Christian is the revealer of Christ not only on special or extraordinary occasions, but also in the smallest detail of life. Whether he speaks or acts, he does all in the name (life, character) of Christ. Look on the footprints Christ made through this world and you will see the pathway for the redeemed. Look on the pathway of the redeemed and you will see the footprints of the Savior. The redeemed "walk even as He walked." Jesus was filled with divinity and humanity, and man in Christ is fulfilled with humanity and divinity. Jesus was the fullness of man, and man in Him is the fullness of God. God and man are so united in Christ as to work together, walk together, suffer and rejoice together. This is holiness.

God's Eternal Purpose

"According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Eph. 3:11. From the dawn of eternity God had a purpose in mind, and that purpose was to have a being that He could love to the fullest capacity of His love and with whom He could have perfect fellowship and most intimate communion. You, dear reader, are that being. This purpose was wrought out through Christ. That God might have His purpose realized He must bring man up to a perfect likeness of Himself. God loved man in his sins, but did not love him for what he then was, but for what he could become in Christ Jesus. The likeness of God was in Christ. The great task of God is the bringing of man up to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. To do this Christ Himself must be formed in man. Man becomes the likeness of God in Christ. God looks on the man in Christ and sees the fullest realization of His purpose. Christ Jesus came to save man. This is what salvation is--fellowship, likeness, communion with God. Salvation is in being like God. This is accomplished by Christ coming into the life of man and taking that life up into His own and making them one life. Christ and saved man are not two, they are one. This is the new creation.


Section Nine
Salvation

"Mine eyes have seen thy salvation." Luke 2:30. Jesus is God's salvation for man-Jesus and none other. Salvation is more than saving man from all that is unlike Christ; it is also imparting to him all that is like Christ. It is Christ's and man's nature inwrought one in the other, making them of like nature. It is the transforming of man into the likeness of God. It is man attaining his true manhood. Salvation is manhood regained. Look at Christ and you will see what you ought to be and can be. Jesus became the Savior of men by giving Himself for men. Men are saved by giving themselves to the Savior. A saved man is one to whom the Savior has been given and one who has given himself to the Savior. They are of like nature. They have perfect fellowship, blessed communion, and share everything in common. Each has what the other has. That which the man has belongs to Christ, and that which Christ has belongs to the man. Christ sups with the man and the man with Christ. Wherever you find the saved man you will also find Jesus there. They think, they speak they act together. They are one life. Christ is the life of the man, and the man's life is lived in by Christ. This is holy living-this is salvation.

Character

"The express image of His person." Heb. 1:3. We do not have the word "character" in the King James' Version of the Bible, but had we got a direct rendering of the above text, it would have been "character" instead of "image." Christ was in the express character of the Father. Man can not serve two masters, but the fact is, he is serving one of two. There is none good but One; neither is there any that doeth good. All good that man does is done by the power of God. There is a spirit that works in the children of disobedience to the doing of wrong. Man is not free to do what he wills. He may will to do good and find he is not able to do it. He may sometimes will to do evil and find himself hindered. The only freedom man has is the power to choose which power shall work in him-the power of Christ, or the power of Satan. If man will yield his life to Christ, He will come in, dethroning the power of sin, and be the power in man to the doing of good. Character is not what we are by reason of what we do, but what we are by reason of what power is working in us. We do not build a Christian character by our own doing, but by accepting Christ and letting Him work in and through us to His own pleasure.

Our Book

"And the books were opened." Rev. 20:12. God gives a book to every one. You have yours and I have mine. It is the book of possibilities. In our text we are told that we are going to be judged out of the books according to our works We are all writing a book. We are writing in our own book. I cannot write in yours, nor you in mine. You are responsible for what is in your book. We are tracing out our own record every moment on the book of our possibilities. What we think, what we say, and what we do are all being recorded. If you do nothing, then that is what is recorded. It is not just according to what we have done, but according to what we might have done. There will be no false entries in your book. The record is self recording. Every deed records itself. Every idle moment records itself. If you do not want an idle moment or an idle word recorded against you, do not spend it, do not speak it. Our record is being written in our own hearts. What we think, say, and do become a part of us. All is being registered indelibly in our character. Every thought, word, and deed makes us better or worse. You are what you are because of what you have been thinking, saying, and doing. Each one is a child of his own doings.

Influence

"Be thou an example." 1 Tim. 4:12. The book of our life is not the making of our own character and destiny only, but it is also helping to make that of another. It is a serious thing to live. There is a wondrous power in personal influence. Your life is helping to mold some other life, and often the one that is dearest to you. What we are goes to help make another what they are. What we are engraves itself upon the life of our friend or brother. The conduct of the parents is being written in the lives of the children. We are contributing to the world's good or bad. A bad man is a dangerous man. We have no right to live as we please. Our children, our friend, our neighbor has a right to demand a good life of us for their own sake. The boy has a right to say, "Father, for my sake I demand you to live a pure life." It will be a bitter thing to start a child wrong in life by some unholy conduct. It is not an easy thing to heal the wound our wrong conduct has made in the life of another. We may, by repentance and begging forgiveness, heal the wound, but it will be hard to remove the scar. A deed can be forgiven, but it cannot be changed. It is in your power now under grace to make your future record clean and pure. Will you do it?

The Cup of Cold Water

Read Matt. 10 :42; Mark 9:41. Nothing is too small to do out of purest fervent love for Christ. Love is keeneyed and will find many little things to do for Jesus in the busiest days of life. Every act of our life leads to God or from God. The least act done in love will be rewarded. Even saints, many of them, do not realize this fact as they should. They do not stop to think that their acts, one by one, day after day are making an eternal destiny for them. Every act goes toward building that house not made with hands eternal in the heavens. Your soul, dear saint, is going to inhabit forever the home you are building out of the little acts of everyday life. The more love we put into the small deed, the greater will be the reward. We must have a care, however, not to do these deeds for reward's sake, but for love's sake. Little sacrifices of the flesh for Christ's sake makes the act beautiful in His sight. Doing things for humanity's sake is commendable, but doing them for Christ's sake is infinitely more so. Many of us need greater love for Christ; love that will move us to please the Lord in all we think and say and do throughout the whole of the day; love that will cause us to eat and drink to His glory.

The Value of Truth

"Buy the truth, and sell it not." Prov. 23:23. It costs something to gain possession of truth, but it is well worth all it costs. It is the most valuable treasure of which man can gain possession. What is truth? It is the way to true happiness, the way to perfect manhood, the way to Christ and heaven. It is the "pearl of great price." What does it cost? It costs all that a man has. It costs him the world, all earthly possessions, earthly ties, and his own life. When truth is gained it brings to us all that was given for it. It gives a new world, it gives earthly ties purified and made dearer, it gives earthly possessions sanctified, and life now and forever. "Sell it not." Truth is a precious treasure, and where treasures are thieves will come. These thieves will come in their most deceptive and cunning devices. They will come as an angel of light. They will come as if sent from heaven. Many a man who gave all he had to purchase truth has bartered it away for a trifle. For a bit of worldliness, for some fleshly gratification, truth has been lost in a few moments of time. It has been sacrificed for gold. Men have exchanged truth for a false thing called "New Truth," which they have gone courting all their days.

God's Fatherhood

He lives holiest who can say, "My Father" with the deepest heart realization. It is positively impossible to live wholly free from care, anxiety, fret, trouble, and fear without a conception of God's Fatherhood, and soul- consciousness that He is your Father. Except the Spirit is lisping in your heart, "Abbe Father," you will not live as a child of God should. Listen now, you cannot feel in your heart the great, loving, fatherly care of God and have Him real as life to your soul without deep and holy contemplation of Him. This brings us to where we have been before. We tell you with the strongest emphasis that without meditation, feeding on Christ and assimilating His power and life and love, you will fail again and again to live as your heart tells you that you should. You have tried to be more patient in your home, but you have failed again and again. You have tried to not speak so idly. Cease your trying and go to meditating on the loving fatherhood of God, feed on His life, His love, His joy, assimilate His grace, and ere you are aware the impatient speech, the idle word has taken wing and flown away. The peace of God will keep your heart. It is not so much by trying as by feeding. Get stronger inward life.

Indebtedness

"Owe no man anything, but to love one another." Rom. 13:8. These words are simple, plain, and understandable. Why try to make them mean anything more or less than what they plainly say? These words do not forbid borrowing. Jesus encouraged borrowing. You do not owe a borrowed thing until the date agreed upon for its return. Return it, if it be a penny, a book, or $100.00, on or before the date agreed upon for its return. If you do not, you transgress God's Word. One says, "I am unable." If the man borrowed from will willingly extend the time, then you do not owe it until the date of the new agreement. If the man wants it, you are to pay it. Your being unable does not pay the bill. He is as unable to do without as you are to pay it. It is not holy living. Far better to do without than to borrow and not be able to return. Thousands have misstepped because they were not willing to do without. They were reaching out for a little more of some earthly thing. Better be satisfied with the little cabin clear of debt than a fine home under mortgage. It is more Christlike. It will be better for your soul. Oh, the souls that have been dwarfed because man was not contented with the scarcity of earthly things. Look on Christ.



Section Ten
The Smile of God

"Who will show us any good?" Psa. 4:6. The world is asking this question of the saint. The saint finds the answer in the words of the remainder of the text. "Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us." The smile of God is the chief good. Nothing in all this world is good except it has God's good pleasure upon it. Let that alone, dear soul, upon which God will not smile. It is heaven upon earth to stand continually in the smile of God. That is the essential good. Pluck no rose that does not have the radiance of light from the countenance of God upon it. It will prick you if you do. Nothing will take God's place in man's life. Men have tried to manufacture artificial sunlight, but they have not yet succeeded in inventing something that will melt the snows of winter, paint the flowers with beautiful colors, mantle the fields with coverings of green, and shoot life through all nature. It is only God that can bring light, peace, and health to the soul. The pleasures and riches of the world will never do it. You may have the applause of the world, its riches, and its pleasures if you wish them, but let me stand in the light of God's countenance. God's smile will bring a bright spot into life's darkest hours.

The Troubled Heart

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." John 14:1. Faith is the remedy for heart trouble. See John 14:27. By faith the heart lives up in the mountain region above the fear and trouble line. When faith is strong and feeds freely upon Christ, then the heart is full of life and vivacity. When faith is weak the heart languisheth for want of nourishment. Faith that works by love to God will wing the soul up "beyond the reach of trouble, ever joyful in the Lord." If you are having fears, troubles, anxieties, worries, and frettings, you need to mount up into a clearer and healthier atmosphere. Your faith is too slothful and languid. The heart action is not good and strong. The breathing after Christ is not deep and full enough. The soul does not lay at its full length on Christ that its absorption may be perfect. There is not sufficient pressure of the heart upon Christ. Real, true heart- faith is no lazy something. It is ever up and ardent. Faith works and it works with greatest diligence. Beware of indolence. Many times effort is required. As the new-born babe receives nourishment from the mother's breast, so the soul by faith receives nourishment from the fullness of God.

Poor Yet Rich

"I know thy works, and thy tribulation, and poverty, but thou art rich." Rev. 2:9. Faith makes rich in the midst of poverty. "Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith?" James 2:5. The Christian lives by faith and not by sight. If he lived by sight, he would see his poverty, but since he lives by faith he sees only his riches. Those who live by sight look out upon circumstances and are troubled. Those living by faith look up to God and are happy. Their riches far exceed the riches of the world. What are their riches? They are those things that lie in the fatherhood of God. There is love, comfort, consolation, care, protection, supplying of all need for soul and body; all these and more are in the fatherhood of God and constitute the Christian's riches. He sees these things and lives by them. Faith makes those riches so real to the saint that he does not feel his poverty. He feels his riches. He does not go through this world dejected and crest-fallen under the feeling of poverty, but he goes through the world feeling his riches and proves it by his free, joyous, contented, happy life. By faith, the Christian sees every thing bringing good to him, and it is impossible to discourage him.

Faith and Sin

"Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Rom. 14:23. This is one of Paul's hard sayings. It goes deep into the meaning of life. While these words were spoken with reference to the eating of meat it contains a principle which covers the whole of the Christian life. This is an excellent direction in the way of holy living. It means that if you engage in anything in life that cannot be done with implicit faith and confidence in God, it is sin. In the building and furnishing of a home, the buying of any property, the clothing of the body, the feeding of the body, the conversations, the recreations, amusements, entertainments, social gatherings, if there be not innocent, child-like, heart-felt faith in God, you are trespassing on forbidden ground. There must be detachment from earthly things that there may be attachment to God. You must be dead with Christ to live with Him. The will must be wholly surrendered to God. There is no wishing for this or that. There are no choosings of what we shall do or what we shall have. The Lord is always set before the face. Do not do one thing except you can see the light on His countenance while you are doing it. If there be a self-seeking, self-love, self-desire, self-will, the heart famishes.

Marks of Slavery

"I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Gal. 6:17. "I bear the marks of Jesus branded on my body." 20th Cent. Paul was Christ's bond-servant. There are two theories as to what were these "marks." One is that they were the scars on his body left from the gashes made by the whippings and stonings. The other is that they were his living for Christ. We accept this latter view. Scars on the body are no certain evidence of belonging to Christ, while we as saints are to give unmistakable evidence in our life that we are the bond-servant of Jesus-His exclusive property. This means that we are to live solely in His interest. As we go about among men, it is plain to be seen by all that we belong to Christ. We are epistles of Christ, slaves of Christ. We take interest in ourselves not for ourselves, but only as the Lord's possession. This is holy living. When the Lord gives us something that is good for the body-which He is daily doing-we thank Him not just for our body's sake, but that we have the privilege of caring for this body for His dear sake. You may need to think here a moment and pray. The bond that makes the saint the slave of Christ is the bond of love. This is man's truest freedom. Christ makes us free by making us His bond-servant in love.

"Stigmata"

The word "marks" in Gal. 6:17 is from "stigmata," and means the brand which the slave bore on his body which showed that he was the property of a certain slaveowner. It was usually the initial letters of the owner's name or his name in full. You read the name of the owner on the body of the slave. What lies in this metaphor is this, that the Christian as belonging to Christ has the name of God written upon him. "I will write upon him the name of my God." Rev. 3:12. You can read Christ in the life of a saint. The name he bears in this life is "Christ." That is his brand-his stigmata. The saint glories in bearing this stigmata. The very passion of his life is to see that nothing obliterates this brand. He is thoroughly decided that the world, nor sin, nor the devil, nor the years of time will be able to have these marks overgrown. They must stand out clear and distinct so that all may read. For him to live is Christ. Christ is to be seen in every word and deed. The intensity, the passion, the fixed resolution of the true saint is to bear these marks in life and in death, so that Jesus shall be magnified in the body while living and when dying. Phil. 1:20.

Waiting on God

"My soul, wait thou only upon God." Psa. 62:5. There is no soul exercise so strengthening. It is what will develop wings. See Isa. 40:31. It enables the saint to live in the mountain heights. He lives in the upper realm where the sun shines. While the storm and tempest are raging below, the wings of his soul are beating the air where the sunlight gleams. You may judge such a one, but he is too high to be reached by man's judgment. Nothing you can do to him that will trouble him. He will love you and do you good, however much you may mistreat him. You can not turn him aside from loyalty to God. He is up where he is in tune with the Infinite. He is up where no earthly thing intercepts the messages from heaven to his soul. No earthly circumstances or condition can break the harmony he has with God. He sails on an unruffled sea. Waves of glory roll around him like a sea of light. While among men he is above men. While in the furnace he walks with God and there no obnoxious odor of the earthly circumstance gets on his garments. He is surrounded with a pure and heavenly atmosphere. The great secret of a holy and happy life while living in the world is to live above it. "My soul, wait thou only upon God." Put the emphasis on "only."

Conclusion

We have come to say the parting word. Oh, Jesus, what shall it be! Will there be those who read this booklet, pronounce it good, yet will allow the trifling things of earth to hinder them from living to its teachings? After all that has been said, will they still be careless, indifferent, and live at too great a distance from God? Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O saint; put on thy beautiful garments, O child of heaven; that there be nothing dull, stupid, morose, morbid, slothful in your soul, but all be full of life and vigor from God and aflame with His glory. We charge you in the sight of God and the Lord Jesus, allow nothing in your life that is thoughtless or indifferent toward heavenly things. Do not allow your prayers to be dull and lifeless. Call mightily on God to send an angel with a live coal from off the altar and touch your soul that you might flame up into the strength, holiness, and beauty of the Lord. Pray, pray more, pray in the Spirit. Beware of that listless prayer! We do not mean loud praying, but that prayer that presses the soul hard against God and receives His imprint. Surround yourself with the presence of God and allow nothing of the world to surprise you or woo you out of it. We commit you to God.

Do not think the standard held up in this booklet too high. If you give as earnest attention and put forth as great an effort to live to this standard as you do for things in the secular life, you will be successful. Ought we need feel a deep sense of shame for taking more thought, time, and making greater effort to gain earthly things than we do heavenly things, and then think to excuse ourselves by saying the standard is too high?

Take time, dear saint, we beseech you by the mercies of God, take time to feed your soul on heavenly food.

Was the Devil Ever in Heaven?
By: Ostis B. Wilson
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Isaiah 14:12

In Isaiah 14:12 it speaks of Lucifer falling from heaven, etc., and makes mention of his being "cut down to the ground" who DIDST weaken the nations.

To begin in the middle of a thought always does violence to the thought and causes one to miss the proper meaning. The thought here of which this 12th verse is only a part begins with the 4th verse of this chapter and continues through the 23rd verse. This puts the 12th verse down in the middle of the thought.

The 4th verse says, "That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, . . ." This makes it clear that the remarks made here refer to the king of Babylon and to no other. The thoughts concerning the proverb against the king of Babylon are continuous from this 4th verse through the 23rd verse. I request anyone who does not agree with this interpretation of this Scripture to show where the line of thought changes and the remarks are directed to another person other than the king of Babylon. The 4th verse introduces the proverb against the king of Babylon and continues through the succeeding verses to tell of his violent acts in the earth against other nations and peoples for which the judgments of God are pronounced upon him and in the 22nd verse he mentions judgments against Babylon which show clearly that that subject is still under consideration.

Now, let us take a direct look at this 12th verse which mentions Lucifer who is said to have fallen from heaven as being cut down to the ground who DIDST weaken the nations. This, then, was some judgment upon him for something he had done before this came to pass. Could it then refer to the devil? Could he have weakened the nations while he was still in heaven and then later been cast out of heaven for having weakened the nations? Could he have done any evil work in the earth while he was still a pure angel in heaven? Of course not!

But, on the other hand, the king of Babylon did do these things and became so exalted in his heart that he said he had done all these things with his own hand. The Babylonish Kingdom was the first universal kingdom that history records, and her king subdued and weakened and brought under subjection all other nations. Hence the reference to him who DIDST weaken the nations.

The 4th chapter of Daniel, verses 12 and 13, will throw much light on this 14th chapter of Isaiah. In verses 10 to 16 is given a vision that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had. Let us read it: "Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; the beast of the field had shade under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; He cried aloud, and said thus, 'Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit; let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth: Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.' "

In the 19th verse Daniel begins to interpret his vision to him and refers to the tree, etc., and in the 22nd verse he says, "It is thou, O king, that art grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth."

This corresponds exactly with the 13th verse of the 14th chapter of Isaiah, which reads: "For thou has said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God," etc. Nebuchadnezzar was proud in heart and said the same thing in different words in the 30th verse of the 4th chapter of Daniel after he had subjected all the kingdoms of the world to himself. Listen to him: "The king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of MY power, and for the honour of MY majesty."

In Daniel 4:25 Daniel proclaims unto the king what is the decree of the most high concerning him. "That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will."

In Daniel 4:31-33 we find that this judgment actually came on Nebuchadnezzar and just how serious it was because that in his heart he was lifted up with pride and exalted himself in his heart even unto heaven to the exclusion of the God of heaven and did not acknowledge Him but said he had done all this with HIS OWN HAND, etc. Thus he fell from heaven (the exalted position he held and attributed this unto himself in his heart) and was cut down to the earth and humiliated beyond any other man that we have any record of.







Christ's Triumphal Reign
By: Herbert M. Riggle
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Christ's Reign Foretold by the Prophets

Christ's Reign Fulfilled Under the Gospel

Christ is Now King

Christ on David's Throne

Christ Now Reigns

His Throne Established Forever

He Now Reigns Over All Nations

His Universal Reign

The Great Redemptive Reign

Christ Triumphed Over Satan

The Conflict with Paganism

The Beast and His Image Destroyed

The Glorious Triumph



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Christ's Reign Foretold by the Prophets

The writings of the Old Testament seers are thickly sprinkled with sparkling prophecies relative to the blessings and privileges of the Christian dispensation. In many of the Psalms, David foretold how the Messiah would reign over Mount Zion forever. The term Zion generally signified the New Testament church. The evangelistic prophet Isaiah thus expressed it: "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment" (Isaiah 32:1). In the old dispensation, Jehovah was recognized by the children of Israel, and also by the nations about them, as the national God of the Jewish people, the ruler of the Israelitish nation alone. But it was foreseen that with the ushering in of the new dispensation, "He shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth" (Zechariah 9:10). "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: and in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one" (Zechariah 14:9).


Christ's Reign Fulfilled Under the Gospel

"Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:14-15). The time foretold by the prophets when the God of heaven would set up his everlasting kingdom and when the Messiah would begin his reign, Christ declared to be "FULFILLED." The kingdom of God was then "at hand." That the gospel dispensation is the age in which Christ's kingdom and reign would be fully established, is proved beyond question by Jesus' own words, as recorded in Luke 17:20-21, "And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Other translations render this last clause, "the reign of God is within you." Paul makes this clear in Romans 14:17: "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy, in the Holy Ghost." That all this is a present reality, is made clear by reference to Colossians 1:13, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and HATH translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." And again, "I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 1:9). These texts are decisive. Christ now has a kingdom, and a kingdom supposes a king.


Christ is Now King

Millennial teachers assert that Christ is not now a king. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? but that he will be in an age following the present dispensation. To admit that Christ is now king would be utterly fatal to their position. Mark well this fact. Reader, be assured that Christ is king throughout the present dispensation. He was not made king by some legislative act, but he was born a king. When the wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, they inquired, "Where is he that is born king of the Jews?" When Jesus stood before Pilate he said: "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I horn, and for this cause came I into the world" (John 18:36-37). Here Christ acknowledged that he had a kingdom. He terms it "my kingdom." Pilate at once asked, "Art thou a king then?" Jesus answered, "Thou sayest that I am a king." This is equivalent to: "It is true that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world." He came to set up and maintain a spiritual government, and this government was established in and by the truth. All who love the truth will hear his voice and attend to the spiritual doctrine he preaches. Nathaniel, who was an Israelite indeed, and free from guile, addressed Jesus thus: "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel" (John 1:49); and Christ did not reprove him for thus addressing him. At the time of Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, "the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; saying, Blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest" (Luke 19:37-38). And "much people that were come to the feast . . . went forth to meet him, and cried; Hosanna: Blessed is the king of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written; Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold thy King cometh sitting on an ass's colt" (John 12:l2-15). From these texts we learn two things: First, that Christ, even during his personal ministry, had a kingdom; second, that he was then reigning as king and was acknowledged as such by the multitude of his disciples. They were not mistaken in this, for the inspired writer informs us that "all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a co1t the foal of an ass" (Matthew 21:4, 5). Thus it is an established fact that Christ is king. And if he is king he must have a kingdom, for a king presupposes a kingdom. The evangelistic prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of the Messiah and his office and work as follows: "For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us" (Isaiah 33:22). From this it is seen that Jesus was to be king at the very time that he came to save his people. In that day the apostle said, "Behold now is the day of salvation." Therefore Christ was, and is now, king. In Revelation 17:14, it is written, "He is Lord of lords, and King of kings." Again, in 1 Timothy 6:14-15: "Our Lord Jesus Christ . . . who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords." From the foregoing scriptures it will be seen that even during the days of his incarnation, Christ was king and had a kingdom. But at the time of his ascension into heaven, when he took his seat upon the throne at the right hand of his Father, this was true in a greater and more comprehensive sense. First, by means of his own death, which made an atonement for sin, Christ procured the almighty energy of the Holy Spirit in our favor, thus rendering useless and ineffectual all the operations of him who had the power or influence to bring death and sin into the world; that is, the devil. By Christ's triumphant resurrection from the grave, he broke the bars of death asunder; he destroyed the victory of the grave, and extracted the sting of death itself: he purchased for us, full salvation from all sin. Just forty days after the resurrection, Christ ascended into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of the Father. Thus he was "by the right hand of God exalted" (Acts 2:33). "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus. Him bath God exalted 'with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior" (Acts 5:30-31). He is now "Prince of life," the "Prince of peace." A "prince is a sovereign; the chief and independent ruler of a nation or state. Thus, when we speak of the princes of Europe, we include emperors and kings."--Webster. In Revelation 1:5, Christ is said to he "the prince of the kings of the earth." But why multiply texts of Scripture? All these scriptures positively teach that Jesus Christ, in this dispensation, is King and Sovereign of his church, yea, King over all heaven and earth. It is now that "we see Jesus . . . crowned with glory and honor" (Hebrews 2:9). "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name." "Which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to he the head over all things to the church" (Ephesians 1: 20-22). This is decisive. Christ is now king, the ruling head, supreme over all, the sovereign of both heaven and earth. "Our Lord . . . is the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Timothy 6:15). Not merely is he king in name, but in fact. In the Revelation Christ's kingdom is brought to view under the symbol of a white horse and its rider, "I saw; and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him and he went forth conquering, and to conquer" (Revelation 6:2). The uniform testimony of all the foregoing texts proves conclusively that not in a future age, but when God raised Christ from the dead, he set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named; and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church. What could be clearer? We have the first thing essential to the establishment and existence of a kingdom--Christ, as a sovereign and king, the ruling head of the church, his kingdom. "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, 0 God, is forever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom" (Hebrews 1:8).


Christ on David's Throne

In order to sustain their position, those who hold to the millennial theory, claim that Christ is not now sitting on the throne of David in this dispensation, and that therefore there must be another age, a period of a thousand years, in which Christ will sit upon the throne of David. Some of them go so far as to say that the throne of David will be reestablished in Jerusalem, and that Christ will there reign over literal Israel, when as a nation they will again be restored to their former glory. To the natural mind this is a very beautiful theory, and appeals to the uninformed; but those who make a careful investigation of the truth of the Bible will clearly see that such theories are but the mere speculations of human minds, and in reality are not "founded on Holy writ. In the first place, the literal throne of David never he reestablished. "Throne" can mean only sovereign power and dignity. Therefore, as David was exalted to this place of power and government in Israel, so the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the seed of David, would be raised up and exalted to a state and place of sovereign power, a king to rule in righteousness. This is all that can be meant by Christ's sitting upon the throne of David. If it can be shown that Christ now, during the present dispensation, fills this place; that Christ now occupies the very place and position that the prophets foretold, then the millennial contention will be refuted. Open your Bible to 2 Samuel 7:12-16: "And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever . . . And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever." As before observed, if we find clear evidence that in this dispensation Christ sits upon David's throne, then why look for another age in which will be accomplished what is now being fulfilled in this present age? Note the above prophecy. It was God's promise to David. Primarily, it reached its fulfillment in Solomon, who sat upon David's throne; but in it is contained a clear reference to the government of the spiritual kingdom--the kingdom of the Messiah. "I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." "Thy house and thy kingdom shall be established forever." This refers to Christ and the spiritual kingdom he came to establish. The "house" in this prophecy refers to both the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem and to the church which Christ established; for this is declared to be "the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." Solomon's temple was a type of the New Testament church. The real burden of the entire prophecy reaches its glorious fulfillment in Christ. Now, let the reader observe that at the very time this kingdom and throne of David was to be established forever, it was said of David himself, "Thou shalt sleep with thy fathers." So instead of Christ's sitting on David's throne after the resurrection, as millennial teachers declare, this text proves that it would take place while David was still sleeping with his fathers. How beautifully this harmonizes with the New Testament declaration of Peter as recorded in Acts 2:29-30, "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, lie would raise up Christ to sit on his throne." Here we have the application of God's promise to David. It referred to Christ and reached its fulfillment at the time of Christ's resurrection from the dead. David himself refers to this promise in Psalm 132:11, "The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne." It is clear that the prophet was here speaking directly of Christ, when he said, "Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne." For this purpose Christ came into the world. Paul speaks, "Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:3-4).


Christ Now Reigns

Instead of pointing to a future age for the fulfillment of these prophecies, the apostles clearly understood that they were to be fulfilled in this dispensation; and certainly we are safe in accepting the apostles' interpretation rather than the fancied theories of men at this present time. The fulfillment of this scripture as mentioned in the second chapter of Acts, clearly evinces the fact that in this dispensation Christ would sit upon David's throne. We turn to Isaiah 9:5-7, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." This is an illustrative prophecy of the incarnation of Christ, with an enumeration of those characteristics in which he stands most nearly related to mankind as their Savior, and by which his infinite majesty and godhead are shown. He is called Wonderful; wonderful in his conception, birth, preaching, miracles, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension; wonderful in his person, and wonderful in his working. He is the Counselor that expounds the law, shows its origin, nature, and claims. He ever appears in the presence of God for men. He is the mighty God--"God manifest in the flesh"; the everlasting Father--the origin of all things, the cause of existence, the Father of the spirits of all flesh; the Prince of Peace. The government rests on his shoulder, and upon his throne in his kingdom, he executes judgment and justice; and the increase of his government and peace shall continue forever. To it there will be no end. But when should all this be fulfilled? At the beginning of the Christian dispensation or at the beginning of a supposed millennial age? The answer is positive and clear. It was when a "child" was "born" unto us, when a "son" was "given." From this it is obvious that the reign of Jesus Christ on the throne of David, began in the days of his incarnation. And this is settled beyond question by the angel's announcement to Mary, as recorded in Luke 1:31-33, "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God, and behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall he no end." Now do we have presented in this prophecy, two dispensations? Not by any means. The birth of Christ, his name, his throne, and reign, are a11 connected and must be in the same dispensation; that is, in the present one. This text refers to him as the everlasting head and sovereign of his church. His government and kingdom shall be eternal. Revolutions may destroy the kingdoms of the earth, but the powers of hell and death shall never he able to destroy or to injure the kingdom of Christ. His is the only dominion that shall never have an end. Here we have the glory, extent, and perpetuity of the evangelical kingdom. All these scriptures clearly locate Christ's kingdom and reign as beginning at his first advent. It was when he was born into the world as a son that he became a king and established his kingdom. And this is identical with his sitting on the throne of David. The Jews well understood that Christ claimed to he the king of Israel, for while hanging on the cross in the throes of death, the scribes and elders said, "He saved others, himself he can not save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him" (Matthew 27:42). All these texts confirm the fact that Christ began his reign on the throne of David, even during the days of his incarnation. Being born a king, and clothed with all the authority of heaven, he began to deliver and to execute the laws of his spiritual kingdom. His authority was supreme. The people were compelled to say, "Never man spake like this man," and that "he spake as one having authority, and not as the scribes." But in a much greater and more comprehensive sense are these prophecies fulfilled since Christ has risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sent forth the Holy Spirit as his personal representative on earth, to execute his law and to point out the way of salvation. This is clearly brought out by reference to Acts 2:29-36, "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; he, seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he bath shed forth this which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: hut he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." It would seem that this language is so clear that none could misunderstand it. Peter was preaching to the Jews, and assured them that the promise of God to David, sworn to, and confirmed by an oath, declared "that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne," that this Jesus "hath God raised up," yea, "let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God bath made this Jesus whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ." He is the supreme governor of all things, and all persons, Jews and Gentiles, angels and men.


His Throne Established Forever

David said that Christ would be put to death. He also foresaw that if Christ were not resurrected, he would not sit upon his throne forever. Therefore it was necessary that he be resurrected in order to continue upon that throne. The prophet "seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell neither did his flesh see corruption." Had his flesh seen corruption, then the prophecy that Christ would sit upon David's throne henceforth, even forever, would have been nullified; but as his body did not see corruption, he continued to reign upon the throne of David. You see, the apostle here quotes the language of David in Psalm 132:11, and he presents the same to us as being fulfilled at that time, which gives us positive proof that this dispensation is the one in which Christ would reign upon David's throne. We now turn to Acts 15:13-17, "And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 'that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things." The visiting the Gentiles and the seeking a people out of them for his name, you will observe, was building the tabernacle of David; and the throne of David was in the tabernacle of David. We then have Christ sitting upon David's throne in this dispensation, because it is in this dispensation that the Gentiles are chosen as the people for his name. "That the residue of men might seek the Lord, and the Gentiles upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord." Thus we find in the Old Testament declarations of this prophecy and also in the explicit language in which the New Testament citation of its fulfillment is expressed, the clearest evidence that could be desired by any one, that Christ now sits upon David's throne. I will call the reader's attention to another fact. A careful reading of many of the prophecies of the Old Testament shows that "David" is frequently a title for Christ. This being true, it follows that if Christ sits upon his own throne, it must be David's throne. Since throne means sovereign power and dignity, Christ being by the right hand of God exalted, "when he raised him from the dead" clothed with "all power in heaven and in earth," and his sitting down at God's own right hand in the heavens," "crowned with glory and honor," "far above all principality and power, and every name that is named, both in heaven and on earth," he surely exercises greater and more universal sovereign power than David ever exercised during his earthly reign over literal Israel.


He Now Reigns Over All Nations

The distinctions between nations disappeared at the cross. Since that time, literal Israel is no more the chosen people of God. While the law and its blessings were to one nation, the gospel is good tidings of great joy to all nations in all the world. Paul positively declares, in speaking with direct reference to Jews and Gentiles, that "there is no difference." God is no respecter of persons, "but in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." The Jews as a nation are no longer more favored than the Gentiles. They have the same privileges of the gospel. Salvation is not a national affair, but an individual matter. Every man and woman on earth must be responsible themselves for their eternal destiny. So if the Jews will believe on Christ and accept him, individually, the veil will be taken from their hearts, and they will be "grafted in again" just the same as the Gentiles. Thousands of them in the beginning of the Christian era did accept Christ, and the rest were blinded because of their unbelief. The Gentiles, as fast as they have accepted Christ and believed on his name, have been saved as well as the Jews. It will continue thus until the end of time. Both Jews and Gentiles are placed on the same plane; both must come into Christ's kingdom by the door of repentance and faith; both must accept Christ individually, and all those who will not do this, either Jew or Gentile, will be lost. Now, all who do accept Christ, both among the Jews and Gentiles, constitute the New Testament church, or kingdom. Paul says that these children of Christ are the seed of Abraham, and heirs according to promise; "for if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed." This is the "true Israel of God." Let me emphasize this fact: the true Israel of God in the Christian dispensation, the real and only seed of Abraham, is the spiritual seed, the children of promise, those who are saved out of all nations through the blood of Jesus. This is the New Testament church. And since Christ is "head over all things to the church," its governor, lawmaker, and "the king of saints," we see clearly how the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled during the Christian era, in that Christ now sits on the throne of David, and reigns "the Prince of Peace."


His Universal Reign

Thus far we have considered the subject of Christ's reign chiefly from the standpoint of his spiritual work on earth, either in the hearts of his people or in his church as a visible organic movement. But there is another distinct phase of Christ's reign that it will be well to here consider. This is the universal phase. As before observed, Christ is now universal king, Lord of heaven and earth, "King of kings and Lord of lords," "authorities and powers being made subject unto him." Daniel informs us that "the Most High ruleth in the kingdoms of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will." In the present dispensation this authority and rule among the nations of earth s committed to Christ. He is "the Prince of the kings of the earth" (Revelation 1:5). In this sense the universe is recognized as his kingdom.


The Great Redemptive Reign

"As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even to the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall he destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall he subdued unto him then shall the Son also himself b~ subject unto him; that God may be all and in all" (1 Corinthians 15:22-28). In the above scripture, the following truths are clearly expressed: First, There will be a universal resurrection of the dead; "for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." Second, This resurrection will take place at the time of Christ's coming. "They that are Christ's at his coming." It would appear from this text that the righteous dead will be raised possibly a few moments before the wicked. It is thought this idea relative to the resurrection of the just is expressed in another text which states that they shall be resurrected "from among the dead" (Greek). Whether this be correct or not is not definitely stated. One thing, from Jesus' own language in John 5:28-29, we are sure that the final resurrection will he universal, including both "they that have done good" and "they that have done evil," and both will"come forth in the same hour" "at the last trump." Third, With the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead, comes the end. "Then the end;" that is, the end of time, the end of probation, the end of opportunity to obtain salvation, the end of this world. Fourth, With the resurrection of the dead, the last enemy-death--shall be destroyed. Fifth, Christ must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet. From this we learn that Christ reigns while his enemies are being subjected, and not after their subjection. The last one to be destroyed is death, and the destruction of this last enemy will be accomplished by the general resurrection on the last day; for with the resurrection of the dead, death itself will be destroyed. This unmistakably proves that Christ's reign is this side of the resurrection, and not following it, as millennial teachers assert. This establishes the time of the great redemptive reign. Next, our minds naturally seek to know what is the nature of Christ's reign, spoken of in 1 Corinthians. A careful study of the subject shows that there are many interesting truths connected with this reign, and one of them is brought out in the language of this head; namely, Christ's redemptive reign.


Christ Triumphed Over Satan

For four thousand years, sin and death held sway over the entire human family. Satan robbed man of the "first dominion"; robbed him of his God-given privilege and right to have dominion over himself, the earth, and all it contains--the right to live upon the plane of God's own holiness and to enjoy felicity with him; As a result of the fall, sin, death, misery, darkness, and woe, yea all the suffering, sorrow, heartaches, and wickedness that have prevailed in all nations among all people down through the ages, were entailed upon the human family. Satan, as a usurper, became the "prince of this world," "the prince of the power of the air." He held all mankind under his iron hand; hence death reigned from Adam to Christ--spiritual death, which is the result of sin. Sin held dominion, and the law was too weak to deliver. At that time all were slaves under bondage; but in fulfillment of the many prophecies which pointed forward to a better day, a day of salvation and deliverance, when the power of sin and hell would be broken and a "King" would "reign in righteousness"--and the "Lord shall be King over all the earth"-Christ came "preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled; the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:14-15). Being born a king, beset up his everlasting kingdom of righteousness, grace, and truth, in direct opposition to the kingdom of darkness, and the result was that hundreds and thousands of souls were delivered through the exercise of his almighty power. God "anointed Jesus of Nazareth, who went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed of the devil." Christ loosed the woman whom Satan had bound eighteen years from the bond of her infirmity. Not only did he minister deliverance to thousands of those upon whom bodily or physical infirmities had been imposed by Satan, but many who were possessed of demons, who were actually under the control of the devil, were gloriously delivered. Devils crying with loud voices came out of many that were possessed of them. To the penitent sinner Christ ministered salvation, saying, "Thy sins which are many are all forgiven thee." He ordained and sent forth twelve apostles, and again seventy others also, with instruction to preach, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." "And he gave them power against unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of diseases." The seventy returned saying, "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name." And he said unto them, "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven" (Luke 10:17-18). While Satan is enthroned in the human heart, he holds the reins, and rules the man. This accounts for all the unrest, discord, anarchy, jealousy, envy, murder, and, in fact, all the wickedness that abounds in the individual life, the home life, the community, the state, the nation, and the world. The law was given to restrain wickedness until Christ should come. Satan must be cast out; not out of heaven nor out of the world, as some assert, but out of the human heart. Jesus illustrated his own mission thus: "But if I, with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed, keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace; but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils." The strong man who keeps the palace refers to the devil, who rules in the human heart. The stronger than he, who casts him out, is Christ. From this we see that Christ came to earth on a special mission and that during his incarnation, or at the time of his earthly ministry, he set up his kingdom, and began his reign of righteousness in direct opposition to the kingdom of Satan, sin, and darkness. The result was that Satan's kingdom began to tremble and fall. Jesus compared it to lightning failing from heaven; that is, as a flash of lightning falls from heaven, so he saw Satan fall and his kingdom vanish. Then to his disciples, with all authority, he says: "Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you" (Luke 10:19). This was the beginning of Christ's great redemptive reign. Its object was to restore to man the very thing that Satan and sin had robbed him of in the beginning. But in order to complete this great work and make possible the salvation of a ruined world, it was necessary for Christ to go down into death and the grave, and then be resurrected triumphantly, breaking the bars of death asunder, which was really the great work of the atonement. Since then Christ has been vested or clothed with all power in heaven and in earth: power to fully save, sanctify, and redeem mankind from the last effects of the fall. By going into death himself, Christ "destroyed him who had the power of death, that is the devil" (Hebrews 2:14). Thus, man's redemption was sealed, and a multitude of captives were led forth to victory. The prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in that the prison doors were opened to them that were bound. Thus, as expressed in Christ's own language, was "the prince of this world cast out." Satan's power was broken and Christ was raised up "a Prince and a Savior." In other words, Satan was dethroned from the high place that he had usurped and held for so many thousands of years, and the everlasting kingdom of God in Jesus Christ triumphed. It would appear from the record of the temptation in the wilderness, that Satan foresaw this, and therefore made a desperate attempt to thwart and hinder the real work and mission of Christ. He took Jesus up into a high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them and said, "All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me." Some have said that there was nothing to this; that Satan was only pretending; but I believe a careful investigation of the facts will reveal a depth of meaning here that it is well to consider. This was a temptation to Christ, and a strong temptation at that. If Satan had been merely pretending, there certainly would not have been any temptation connected with this offer. My understanding of it is this: Satan being the prince of this world, and holding that position so long, well knew that the time was approaching when his power, authority, and kingdom would be broken to pieces by the power and authority and kingdom of Christ. He also knew that in order for Christ to accomplish his great work, he must suffer the ignominy of his own nation, be rejected by the rulers, and die the tragic death of the lowest criminal, the death of the cross. Now comes his tempting offer. It was virtually this: "I will simply give, or hand over to you, all that you came to accomplish, and will save you the suffering and death through which you must pass; but I require one thing, fall down and worship me." This was a temptation, and had Christ yielded, Satan would have conquered, the whole plan of redemption would have been spoiled and the world forever lost. Thank God, Christ conquered. He says, "I have overcome that wicked one," therefore the salvation of the world was secured. After his glorious resurrection from the dead, Christ ascended into heaven, "crowned with glory and honor," and took his seat at the right hand of God, upon a mediatorial throne, there to intercede for the salvation of men, and through the Holy Spirit, to execute the great salvation-work for which he had died upon the cross. Having ascended into heaven, he shed forth the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, when the Christian church as a separate, distinct institution, the visible organic form of the kingdom of Christ on earth; was established and became a mighty working-force in the world. Thus, the first great enemies destroyed-subdued--in the redemptive reign of Christ, which began even during his earthly ministry, were sin, spiritual death, and Satan himself, the prince of darkness. Christ, having been thus vested with all power in heaven and in earth, made his church on earth "a royal priesthood"--a priesthood of kings (1 Peter 2:9). By washing "us from our sins in his own blood," he "hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father" (Revelation 1:5-6). The entire host of the primitive church raised up to the high plane of holiness, through the abundant grace of God and the gift of righteousness, were enabled to "reign in life by one, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17).


The Conflict with Paganism

At the time of the introduction of Christianity, a system of false religion was almost universal, and the world was held fast under its iron rule. It was paganism under the Roman government. Rome was the fourth universal kingdom that ruled the earth, and held supreme power when Christ appeared to set up the everlasting kingdom of God. Rome's religion was then purely heathen. As soon as the apostles went everywhere throughout the Roman kingdom preaching the gospel and planting Christian churches, Christianity incurred the hatred and opposition of this pagan system and its adherents. Thus a great conflict between pure primitive Christianity and the pagan systems of religion took place. This is brought to view in the book of symbols (Revelation). "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and beheld a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third par: of the stars of heavens and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was horn. And she brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three-score days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was east out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death" (Revelation 12:1-11). The kingdom of God on earth was represented by the church of God, and it soon came into conflict with all the vile powers of heathenism enthroned in the Roman Empire. But the kingdom Christ established was destined to overthrow all the kingdoms of pagan darkness and to stand forever. It was that stone (Daniel 2: 31-35) which smote the iron kingdoms of paganism under the Roman power and broke them to pieces. In the above passage from Revelation, we have a woman clothed with the sun, which represents the early church, and who is opposed by the great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns. This great dragon, which is easily identified by its heads and horns, symbolizes the Roman Empire under its pagan form. We notice that the church is set forth in a double symbol--a woman and her son-in order to show two phases of her existence during the great apostasy. The phase represented by the man-child who was caught up unto God, and to his throne" is that phase of the church which was cut off from the earth through martyrdom and persecution; while the phase represented by the woman who "fled into the wilderness" is that phase of the church which continued on earth, but was hidden in the great apostasy. Next appears a great warfare between Michael--Christ--and his angels, and the dragon. This represents the early conflict of Christianity with paganism. The result is given in the following language: "And the great dragon was cast out." Christianity triumphed over heathenism. "And I beard a loud voice saying in heaven, now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ, for the accuser of our brethren is cast down . . . and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death." Here we have the glorious triumph of Christianity during its primitive period, over the great systems of heathenism. That this triumph did take place, all who are acquainted with the pages of history know. While the pagans fought with sword and faggot and beasts of the earth, slaughtering thousands of the people of God, the Christians went forth to battle with no other weapon than the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. And thank God, "they overcame." Those early Christians were consecrated, for "they loved not their lives unto the death." They gladly went to the chopping-block, to the amphitheater, to the stake; but they went testifying--that the blood of Jesus saves. And it is a historical fact that often with the literal slaughter of a few Christians, great numbers of heathen would be convicted and convinced of the truth, and turned to Christ. Then the time came when a decree went forth from the Emperor himself, that all the heathen temples should be destroyed, and Christianity became the universal religion of the Empire. Thus in the progress of Christ's reign, one after another of his great enemies were defeated. This began to fulfill the Psalmist's prediction, "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Thousands and millions in those primitive times were saved from sin, raised up to the real plane of holiness, and reigned in life through the abundant grace of God.


The Beast and His Image Destroyed

The next great antagonistic power to combat Christ's true kingdom is brought to view in Revelation 13:l-10, also in Revelation 17. This was the papacy--a false and corrupt form of Christianity. But finally, after a long conflict which covered a period of twelve hundred and sixty years, in which thousands of saints were martyred, and the woman--apostate church--was "drunken with the blood of saints, and with the martyrs of Jesus," the Lamb overcame this power, and she was made "desolate and naked." This, of course, refers to the fall of popedom under the great work of the Protestant reformers. After this arises another power under the symbol of a two-horned beast (see Revelation l3:11-18). This is Protestantism, or the period of sectarianism and division. In a strict sense, the apostate condition of the church covers the whole period of the reign of popery, and also Protestantism, for the Protestant sects are none other than the harlot daughters of the great mother-denomination, Rome (see Revelation 17:5). And all these are included in the great "MYSTERY BABYLON." But in Revelation 18 is foretold the time of a great reformation in the onward progress of the kingdom of God and Christ's redemptive reign, in which the downfall of this antagonistic babel of confusion is declared, and God's people are called out of her. Here' we have the separation of the pure church from the whole realm and maze of apostasy, which is now being accomplished in the "evening light" age of the church. This pure redeemed church is brought to view in Revelation 15:2-3, "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints."


The Glorious Triumph

Notice that this mighty host of redeemed saints have the "victory over the beast and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name." Thank God, here we have the triumph of God's saints over false religions--the victory which is being enjoyed now in this blessed evening time. It will be further observed that this triumph gives honor to Christ and glory to his name, as the great "King of saints." This triumph of Christ's kingdom over the enemies of the church is further brought to view in Revelation 19:1-8. Next, we see the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gather together to make war against Christ and his mighty host (see Revelation 19:19). These are gathered together by unclean spirits of devils. It is a gathering of the remnants of all the false religions of earth (Revelation 16:l3-14). It is the final conflict before the revelation of Jesus Christ from heaven, called "the battle of that great day of God almighty." All this maze of false religion is seen under the figure or symbol of "Gog and Magog." These will compass "the camp of the saints about, the beloved city," which represents the pure church in this evening time. The preparation for this great and final conflict is now going on, and already there is a confederation of the different false religions of earth against the pure church of God. But He who has never lost a battle, who is sitting at the right hand of God, until every enemy is made his footstool ("for he must reign until he hath put all enemies under his feet"), shall triumph in this conflict also. For when these false religions are gathered together to strike one awful blow fire will descend from heaven and devour them (see Revelation 20 9). This to my mind represents the coming of Jesus Christ "in flaming fire" in his second advent. The devil, as well as the advocates and adherents of every false religion of earth will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). At this same time the universal resurrection of the dead will take place, which will destroy the last enemy--death. When the last enemy shall be thus destroyed, this particular phase of Christ's reign will have accomplished its purpose and will cease, for he will reign until every enemy is destroyed, which implies that when the last enemy-death--is destroyed, the redemptive reign will end. But the redemptive reign of Christ has a two-fold purpose. Not only is it intended to destroy all the enemies and antagonistic powers of the church and kingdom, but to restore what was lost through the fall. Christ reigns upon a mediatorial throne for the salvation of a lost world. While the world lasts, Jesus as the Messiah and mediator must reign. His kingdom of grace and salvation and his reign during this dispensation is for the redemption of mankind. He is the world's advocate and Savior. In Acts 3:20-21 we read that "he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you, whom the heaven must receive until the time of restitution of all things which God bath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Christ's kingdom was established to restore to man the very thing he lost through the fall. The heavens will contain Christ until the last trump is sounded; then Christ will leave the mediatorial throne and take the judgment-seat, when the world will be left without an advocate, without a Savior, without further opportunities of redemption. The numberless dead will all come forth, and the multitudes will be summoned before the great tribunal and stand in judgment before the great white throne. At this time "every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess to the glory of God the Father." Satan, the prince of darkness, with his myriads of demons, together with all the host of apostates and rebels who closed their probationary state in rebellion against Christ's throne, will fall before Him and acknowledge him the "King of kings and Lord of lords." This will be the final great triumph. Then with an awful command, he will say to them on the left hand, "Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting punishment," and they shall be "punished with an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power." Then Christ will receive the innumerable company of redeemed saints who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. These "shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air," and after this meeting, he will present them to his Father as the harvest, the fruit, the success and accomplishment of his death and resurrection--and great redemptive reign. This is the "restitution of all things." What God lost in the fall through Satan and sin, Christ now restores as a result of his great work and mission. What a day of triumph! What an hour of rejoicing! From the hour Christ was anointed by the Holy Spirit during his baptism in the Jordan and began preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, until the judgment scene is closed, the wicked punished, and the righteous rewarded, all things have been committed to the Son. The Father committed the work of redemption and even the work of final judgment to his Son Jesus Christ but when this particular work which has been committed to the Son is accomplished, Christ's reign, or this particular phase of it, ceases, and he delivers back "the kingdom to God, even the Father." The Son himself will be subject to the Father who will reign "all in all" as from all eternity




























































































































Choosing a Marriage Companion
- A Soul Issue-
By: Bro. Michael W. Smith
________________________________________

Choosing a marriage companion is the most important decision one will ever make, second only to the decision to serve the Lord. While many consider marriage a ‘heart’ issue, it is more importantly a ‘soul’ issue. Many a person’s eternal destiny has been set due to the choice of the one with whom they decide to spend their life. Marriage is the closest of all human relationships, and it behooves all to approach this decision with prayer and much consideration.

The desire for marriage and companionship is God-given. “It is not good that the man should be alone…Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Gen 2:18,24) Marriage is a wonderful institution, ordained of God. Living is richer and fuller with someone to share the joys and sorrows of life. The grass is a little greener and the storm a little less intense with a companion by your side.

Marriage has also proven to be the downfall of many a person and brought much heartache and grief when the union was outside of the will of God. It is much better to live single than to rush into marriage out of a misplaced sense of desperation or carnal desire. Many a person would like to turn the clock back, but that is not possible with marriage. Contrary to the practice and teaching of the world, marriage is a lifetime commitment. Once the vows are said, the couple is sealed as husband and wife before God until the union is dissolved by death alone. “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress… (Romans 7:2-3: reference I Cor. 7:39) Hence, it is imperative that the decision of whom to marry is approached with caution and wisdom.

Some things in the scripture are spelled out and are just a matter of obedience on our part. There are other things in which God gives mankind some direction but also leeway due to personal preference and desire. Marriage is one such issue. While God has a plan for each of our lives, God will never force someone to marry or not marry. He has given us some freedom of choice in this area.

Choosing the ‘right’ person to marry can be confusing and a time of uncertainty often ensues. There is no exact science or formula to follow to find that ‘perfect’ soul mate. There is no assurance, in any case, that the person one marries will bring marital bliss. But there are Biblical guidelines, sound principles, and some basic prerequisites that must be followed for a marriage to be in the order of the Lord and to set the foundation for a successful, godly home.

Before an individual even considers marriage, he or she should be saved with a good solid experience with the Lord. If there is spiritual instability, so will there be instability in the choice of whom to marry. Most likely, a wrong decision will be made and the result may not only be a life but an eternity of trouble. It is paramount that an individual focus first on his or her own spirituality and be living very close to the Lord.

It is important that marriage is entered into for the right reasons – God’s will, desire for companionship, and love. The wrong reasons include the following: everyone else is getting married; there may not be another chance; to escape dad and mom, on the rebound – trying to fill an emotional vacuum; financial security; lust; or marrying due to pressure from parents and peers.

Marriage should be approached with feelings, opinions, and desires being fully submitted to the will of God. The Holy Spirit will lead and direct in choosing the one with whom to spend life. If God is left out of the decision, the choice will be wrong. Sometimes it would seem easier if the Lord would speak out of the sky saying, “This is the one for you.” This is not usually the case. We are led by the Word and by the Spirit. There should be a real sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. If there is a sense that the Lord is not pleased with the potential union, it should be stopped until the Lord gives clarity in the decision. Too many times people make up their minds and allow their affections to go out to someone, then ask God to bless the union. By that time, it is hard to really know God’s will because the feelings and emotions are so strong. It is best to seek God first. When there is clearness before God, then is the time to move forward with the potential husband or wife.

The most important relationship is our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If He is the most important aspect of our life, then every decision should center around Him. Marriage is as much a spiritual union as it is a physical or civil union. A spouse generally has the largest influence and impact on their husband or wife. It is for this reason the scripture teaches that marriage should be in the faith. This is an absolute. If someone is not saved, they should not even be considered or thought twice about in the context of dating or marriage. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers… (II Cor. 6:14) While this scripture deals explicitly with idolaters, it would also apply to that closest of all human relationships. How can someone profess ultimate love for God and yet enter into a union with an unbeliever whose values and beliefs are different? The Old Testament also was very clear in instructing the children of Israel not to marry men or women of other nations. Solomon, a man of much wisdom, violated this commandment, and in his old age his heart was turned away from God because of his wives. It is a trick of the enemy to think that one can keep his or her integrity with God and marry outside of the Faith.

Similarly, just because someone is saved does not make him or her suitable marriage material. It is so important that the fundamental doctrines and faith in Christ are the same. Many people have married ‘saved’ men or women of other groups, movements, and faiths. There is then a pull to worship at times with the group of the spouse. There may be doctrinal differences and standards of holiness that are not observed. This can create friction and division in the home. There must be a union of spirit and faith in a marriage not only for the married couple but also for the successful raising of the children. When these are absent, the long-term tendency, unintentional though it may be, is for a couple to veer toward the more liberal, compromising lifestyle. This applies as well to people fellowshipping in the same congregation or group. Just because an individual attends the same church is no guarantee that he or she is spiritually stable. A common faith and spiritual stability is essential to the unity of the home and well being of the soul.

It is important before pursuing a relationship, that the other party has a good track record of spiritual growth and integrity. Someone who has recently been saved is not a good person to begin courting. A lengthy period of stability is important, for many start out for God, but many fall by the way side. How tragic it is when two people marry and then one falls quickly away back into sin.

Even after the spiritual criterion has been met, there are also many other things to consider. One should never marry with the assumption that the spouse will change or be different after marriage. There will be growth, change, maturity, and areas in which to improve in every marriage. But there is no assurance that the change will always be in the direction one wants or desires. So, if the potential companion can’t be accepted as he or she is currently, he or she probably isn’t the appropriate companion. What irritates before marriage will most likely be compounded after marriage in daily living. Hence, it is not fair to marry an individual, expecting him or her to change who he or she is as a person. It is also important to practically understand that nobody is perfect and without faults. There is no Bro. or Sis. Perfect out there in the sense of being without weakness or shortcomings.

Some people are more compatible than others. Compatibility has to do with the ease of companionship, communication, interests, lifestyle, ambitions, and goals. Some people are drawn together because of differences and some because of similarities. There is no right or wrong here. But there needs to be a strong sense of compatibility that goes beyond the surface. Honest, open communication on most subjects is vital before marriage to give insight into each other. Gaps may be revealed that would hinder a successful marriage. This is one reason it is important to get to know someone before entering into any kind of a committed relationship.

Before marriage, there must be a strong element of trust and faith in each other. If there are questions and issues of trust, the union will be weak from the onset. There should be a high level of respect, acceptance and admiration for the potential spouse. If not, it is either not the right person or the right time for marriage.

When a man considers marrying a woman, he must ask himself if he is willing and able to love her as Christ loves the church and if he will put her welfare and interest above his own. A woman must also be willing and ready to submit to her husband in everything. If there is not a willingness to observe these biblical principles, that individual is not ready for marriage. If the intended spouse does not believe in the Biblical family structure as stated above, it would not be in the order of the Lord to marry that individual. A women needs to consider the ability and willingness of the man to provide for her. The man needs to consider his intended’s willingness and ability to be a keeper at home as the scripture teaches.

While there are exceptions to the rule, people are many times like their parents. So it is wisdom to look at the parents and family of the potential spouse. A lot can be learned by this kind of observation. How does the family get along? What is the relationship between the parents? How does my intended get along with his/her parents and siblings? If the intended is short-tempered and sharp with the family, he/she will probably be that way with his or her companion after marriage.

We are all, to some extent, products of our raising. Hence one needs to be at peace with the raising and background of the potential spouse. It is also important to consider that the spouse will not only be a husband or wife, the spouse will be the mother or father of the children if the Lord permits children to be born into the family.

There is wisdom in seeking advice and council from others. A good place to start is with one’s own parents and spiritual leaders. It is wise, before entering into any commitment, to talk to those who know the one in whom you are interested. They may be able to give sound advice and some perspective to the situation. It is good to go to the person’s pastor and talk to him. There may be issues that would be revealed that might make a difference on whether the relationship is pursued.

Godly council should not be taken lightly or discounted. This is another reason it is important to give consideration to all of these things before allowing one’s affections to go out. Very few people take contrary advice once their heart is set. It is much wiser to evaluate first, giving the soul and mind preference over the heart. Once the heart is given, the soul and mind usually get outvoted. It is best for the heart, soul, and mind to be in one accord. No individual has the ability to match make and bring about successful, godly marriages. People need to be very careful about trying to bring two individuals together. No one should be married because of the pressure to do so. No one can know better than oneself, in honesty before God, the one whom is best to marry.

A relationship based on physical attraction alone is doomed for failure. A pretty or handsome face can lose its glamour real quickly when there is not grace in time of stress. Marriage should not be based on the physical nor should it be in spite of the physical. While outward beauty is vain and fades, there should still be an attraction. Part of a healthy marriage relationship is the intimacy that belongs to marriage alone. If there is not an attraction and draw, there will be problems in that marriage.

While a godly marriage in the will of God is most importantly a ‘soul’ issue, it is also an issue of the heart. For the soul in marriage cannot be satisfied without the strong love of the heart. True love is a requirement for a good, strong marriage. Love is that which brings kindness, gentleness, happiness and joy. It is love that enables one to sacrifice and give when it hurts. It is love that draws and binds together in the hard times as well as the good. Love comes from the heart and words can’t always explain the whys or wherefores.

Choosing a marriage companion is not always easy, but it should be committed to God in knowing that God has a plan for all of us. Single people, young and old alike, should be careful not to rush into a relationship, but rather, wait on the Lord. Marriage has the possibility of security, fulfillment, and love, but it also has potential to wound and destroy.

Marriage is a wonderful institution that God created for the betterment of humankind. It proves to be a wonderful blessing and union when it is in the will of God. Marriage should be entered into with much prayer and consideration – for it is an issue of the soul.


(2/06/2008)





Nigeria
________________________________________
Country Facts Mission History Culture Gospel Work Scenery
________________________________________
Index
Article Title Author Date

Nigeria Mission Overview
Bro. Michael Smith Jan. 2005

Picture: Children with Bro. Etuk
April 1963
Who Will Heed the 'Macedonian Call'?
Bro. Lawrence Pruitt Dec. 1963

Report of Bro. David Madden's Trip
Bro. Lawrence Pruitt May 1964
Picture: Bro. Madden w/ Bro. Etuk
1964
Report of Bro. David Madden's Death
Bro. Lawrence Pruitt June 1964
Bro. David Madden's Obituary
June 1964
An Inspiring Experience
Bro. Ostis Wilson June 1964

More Missionaries to Labor in Nigeria
Bro. Lawrence Pruitt May 1964
Bro. & Sis. Wilson Scheduled to Leave
Bro. Lawrence Pruitt July 1964
Wilson's Journey to Nigeria
Bro. Lawrence Pruitt Sept 1964
Wilson's Ship Docked at Port Harcourt
Bro. Lawrence Pruitt Sept 1964
Picture: Bro. & Sis. Wilson w/ Bro. Etuk
1964
Wilson Missionary Report
Bro. Lawrence Pruitt Oct. 1964

Report of Sis. Opal Wilson's Death
Bro. Lawrence Pruitt Nov. 1964
Sis. Opal Wilson's Obituary
Nov. 1964
Letter of Appreciation
Bro. Ostis Wilson Nov. 1964
In Loving Memory
Bro. Ira Stover Nov. 1964
Testimony
Bro. Ostis Wilson Nov. 1964

Carver's Leave for Nigeria
Bro. Lawrence Pruitt Oct. 1965
Picture: Carvers

Letter from the Field
Bro. C. C. Carver Nov. 1965
Missionary Report Update
Bro. Lawrence Pruitt Nov. 1965
Report on Nigeria Trip
Sis. May Carver Feb. 1966

Appeal for a Missionary
Bro. J. U. Etuk Dec. 1970
Pastor B. U. Etuk Departs This Life
Bro. Nse B. Umanah May 1971
Picture: Native Ministers
June 1971

Bro. Tom Melot Flies to Nigeria
Bro. Lawrence Pruitt Jan. 1975
Letters from the Field
various Feb. 1975
Picture: Bro. Melot w/ Bro. Titus Enu
1975
Melot Missionary Report
Bro. Tom Melot Mar. 1975
Picture: Bro. Melot w/ Nigerian Cong.
1975
Letter from Nigeria
Bro. Nse Umanah Mar. 1975

Bro. Jefferson Pierro Visits Nigeria
Bro. Titus Enu Feb. 1980
Eckenwiler Mission Report
Bro. R. Eckenwiler Feb. 1981
Mission Report
Bro. Titus Enu Mar. 1984
Bro. D. Pierro's Mission Report
Bro. David Pierro Sept. 1984

Smith Family Plans Trip to West Africa
Bro. Wayne Murphey Oct. 2000
Bro. Michael Smith's Mission Report
Bro. Michael Smith Feb. 2001

Smith Missionary Report
Bro. Michael Smith Feb. 2002
Letter from the Field
Bro. Anietie Essien Feb. 2002

2004 Nigerian Mission Update
Bro. Michael Smith Jan. 2005














Beware of Dogs
By: Bro. Michael Smith
________________________________________

Whenever I see a sign that reads "Beware of Dog" posted on someone's house, I approach with much caution or don't approach at all. Usually, these signs are not posted to warn of a friendly, loving animal. They are posted to warn off people and to let them know the dog may be vicious.

This warning is not just something of modern day but dates back to ancient Rome where dogs were often chained to a post at the entrance of a home. The owner would have a similar sign posted.

Many people have been maimed and severely injured by vicious dogs. It is imprudent to ignore these signs that warn us. It is much more imprudent to ignore the scripture when it warns Christians in Philippians 3:2 to "Beware of Dogs..."

The Jews called the Gentiles and pagans dogs. Muslims called Jews dogs. This term denoted someone who was troublesome, problematic, and of an apostate faith. The essence of the scripture is found in Isaiah 56:10-11: "His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter."

It is the job of a guard dog to warn of approaching danger and to sound the alarm by barking. The prophet Isaiah compares false prophets to dumb and greedy dogs. They are not interested in the welfare of the people but rather, in their own cause. False prophets, as dumb dogs, do not give a clear, distinctive message of the full gospel. Souls go astray and are led into darkness by false prophets who fail to give the whole truth.

We must beware of the false prophets who fill the ranks of religious society today. Many books and radio stations are labeled 'Christian,' and people flock to hear and read what they have to communicate. Dear children of God, BEWARE. Every time we turn the radio on or go to the book store, we ought to see the sign that says "Beware of Dogs."

The danger is that the false prophets will appear friendly, learned, and attractive. Many times a large percent of what they say is true. The danger lies in the fact that they aren't giving the whole truth. Just a 1% error could be enough to endanger our soul. Too many are drawn in by the 'good' part, and before they realize it, they are believing a lie. It is sad that so many esteem the false prophets of this world higher than the faithful, humble ministry of God. We must lift up the standard of truth and beware of the destructiveness and deceptiveness of false prophets. Beware of Dogs.

--Bro. Michael Smith

11/12/2007





Copyright © 2005 - Church of God. All Rights Reserved
Contribution or Commitment?

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A pig and a chicken were walking down the road when they saw a church sign advertising a breakfast to benefit the poor. While discussing how they could help, the chicken had an idea.

She turned to the pig and said: "I know, you and I should donate a ham and egg breakfast." After some thought, the pig replied: "For you an egg is just a contribution, but for me a ham is a total commitment."

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"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1

The Lord is interested and calling for more than just a contribution. People generally make contributions of their abundance when it is convenient. Serving God is not about convenience. It is about sacrifice that comes only by commitment and dedication to God.

Have you been contributing to the work of God with your time and money, or have you fully consecrated yourself with a total commitment to God and His cause?


October 31, 2006


























“Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church…” James 5:14

A born-again experience in no way gives promise of complete health and strength. Because of our humanity, all of us are prone to sickness and weakness. Not only are there times that we get physically sick, there are times in life that we have spiritual needs and weaknesses. Our ultimate help and source of strength is found in Christ Jesus. But we are also instructed that there are times when we need reinforcement from our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The scripture says that the one that is sick should call for the elders of the church. This does not mean that every time someone has a need, they should call an elder. Some people are so dependent on the elders that they fail to look to God for themselves. But this does not negate the fact that there are times when, in weakness, our physical, emotional, and spiritual resources are drained and we need help. Rather than to struggle on alone, God has placed members in the body to be mutually supportive. It is not a sign of spiritual weakness to call for help, rather it is wise and expedient. Many people have lost their battle of faith when they have tried to fight without the help of saints. It takes humility to ask someone for help. Never be too proud to acknowledge a need and seek advice, council, and an agreement in prayer. There is power found in the humility and acknowledgement of a need.

Consider the story of Moses when the children of Israel were in battle. “And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hands, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.” Exodus 17:11-12

Moses was human as we all are. He got weary of holding up his hands. We too can be in this place after extended battles. Moses allowed his brethren to come and help him in the battle that they might be victorious. With all of Moses’ good intentions, the battle would have been lost if he wouldn’t have accepted help.

Sometimes people get in a battle and criticize and blame the elders because they weren’t there with them. The scripture in James places the responsibility on the one that is in need to call. If someone isn’t there for you, don’t accuse them for not caring or supporting you if you haven’t called them.

Let us all acknowledge that we do need the brethren, and there are going to be times that we need to call. Let us not resist the help of others, but humble our hearts that we might have victory in time of our weakness.

--Bro. Michael Smith




A Secret Rapture?
The scene is a Boeing 747 over the Atlantic Ocean. Most passengers are sleeping. Suddenly, some of the passengers start to vanish. One by one, the remaining passengers cry out in fear as they realize their fellow-passengers are missing. Parents are frantic, as all the children have disappeared.
Though this sounds like science fiction, it is actually a scene from the first volume of the “Left Behind” series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. These highly popular books are based on the premillennial theory that prior to a seven year “great tribulation” period, there will be a secret rapture, or “catching away” of the Christians.
Amazingly enough, millennialists come up with this seven year period by declaring that the seventieth week in Daniel’s prophetic vision (Dan. 9:27) did not follow the continuum of the other sixty-nine weeks. Because the Jews rejected the Messiah, they believe in a “parenthesis” or “gap” theory, wherein the kingdom does not come until some future age yet to come.
John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), of the Plymouth Brethren sect, developed a theory of futurist premillennialism, which he called dispensationalism, after the division of history into dispensations or eras. The last of these dispensations was presumed to be a kingdom set up on earth during a thousand year reign. C. Scofield popularized this theory through his Scofield Reference Bible, which came complete with notes on millennial thought.
Darby, and others, held that Christ’s second coming would happen in two stages–a secret rapture, then the second coming of Christ in glory after a seven-year tribulation.
They cite I Thess. 4:16-18; 5:1-2 for their secret rapture theory. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”
The fact that the scripture states that Jesus will come as a thief in the night is not referring to a silent or secret coming, but means rather the unexpectedness of His coming (Matt. 24:44). II Pet. 3:10 says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” There is no mistaking here that the last day is intended. It comes as a thief in the night–obviously not meaning silently here, but unexpectedly. It is referring to the same day that Paul was speaking of in I Thess. 4. Furthermore, how could one call this a silent coming when it says that the Lord Himself will descend from heaven and it is accompanied with A SHOUT, A VOICE of the archangel, and A TRUMP!
Neither do we see in these scriptures a vanishing of the Christians. It states that they will be caught up in the air. This is in the same visible sense in which Jesus was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight. In this same visible manner, the angel foretold Jesus would return (Acts 1:9-11).
Let us consider the context of Paul’s writings here. The Thessalonians seemed to have had some confusion as to what would become of those who had already died in the faith (vs. 13). Paul is writing to give them clarity concerning their hope of resurrection at Christ’s second coming. He is addressing the subject to bring comfort to the saints. Therefore, the rising of the wicked is not mentioned in this context. This does not mean that there will first be a resurrection of the righteous and at a future time a resurrection of the wicked.
Some believing in a secret rapture refer to it as a “first resurrection.” The term is misapplied in the context of a supposed secret rapture. The biblical term “first resurrection” refers to a spiritual rising from a dead state of sin (Eph. 2:1; I Tim. 5:6) to newness of life in Christ Jesus. Every true child of God experienced this in real Bible salvation, when Jesus “delivered us from the power of darkness, and…translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” Col. 1:13. The apostle John aptly describes this spiritual resurrection thus: “…He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life”–a resurrection!
The events in I Thess. 4 are in no wise meaning a secret rapture of Christians which precedes further events on the earth, but rather the end of all things on earth, for the coming spoken of here ushers in the global resurrection of the just and the unjust in the same hour (Jn. 5:28-29), where all will be called to the final Judgment and the earth and all the elements will be burned with fervent heat (II Pet. 3:10). This trump of God is one and the same with the last trump of I Cor. 15:51-54, wherein all bodies will be changed “in the twinkling of an eye” to incorruptible, immortal bodies. Some erroneously refer to a secret rapture taking place in the twinkling of an eye, but the scripture is referring to the change of the body for the resurrected dead and for those still living at the second coming of Christ. I Thess. 4, I Cor. 15 and Jn. 5:28-29 are all speaking of the events on the last day. “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice [same voice as I Thess. 4], And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” Jn. 5:28-29. There is no second chance!
This teaching also comes into scrutiny, as it puts a rather definitive time-line on the second coming of Christ (in effect, it would really be a third coming, according to their eschatological teachings), by saying He will come directly after a seven year period of tribulation, and then set up a kingdom on earth for 1000 years.
How grievous that such an unbiblical teaching has become so widely accepted in more recent times. Just as the Jews of old had misconceptions of the coming Messiah, much of the professing world today, as we are standing on the brink of the second coming of Christ, are holding to popular misconceptions. The entire system of millennial teaching is based upon one misinterpreted scripture after another. Beware, dear souls, and be not tossed about with these winds of false doctrine.
— Sis. Susan Mutch
Filed in: Articles • Wednesday, November 19th, 2008



An Exegesis of Revelation 20:1-7
“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.” Rev. 20:1-7.
We will consider three points regarding Rev. 20:1-7.v 1. What is the dragon that was bound?
2. What is the reign with Christ and where does it take place?
3. What is the first resurrection?
All the events in this portion of scripture happen prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ and the end of the world. Furthermore, much of what the apostle John was shown here in symbols, he had already personally witnessed and partaken of in his own lifetime.
The book of Revelation is a highly symbolical book. To literalize it would be to wrest it to the destruction of souls.
“The Dragon.” This dragon is first introduced in Rev. 12. In fact, chapter 12 is expressing the same events as we find here in the chapter under consideration. The woman clothed with the sun in Rev. 12:1 is the church of God. She is said to have brought forth a man child in verse 5, which are the new converts to Christianity. The dragon is a satanic, opposing power (hence is “called the Devil and Satan, verse 9) seeking to destroy these Christians. In the time of the early morning church, paganism, symbolized as that ancient dragon, had been deceiving the nations with its false form of religion. Jesus and his angels (Greek for angel is simply “messengers” which here refers to His ministry), “fought” this dragon by preaching the truth and delivering the people from the darkness of false beliefs. Paganism lost its hold on the people. As expressed in Rev. 20:1, the ministry bound its influence by the chain of the Word of God.
The premillennial house of sand collapses when we understand the symbols. It is not Satan himself that is bound here, but the dragon, that satanic, persecuting power. (If it were Satan himself, then are we to believe the devil looks like a literal red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads, as described in Rev. 12:3?) VvThe church laid hold on the dragon “and bound it for 1000 years.” Truth overcame error in the hearts of the people. In the context of symbolical understanding, this is not a literal 1000 year period, but signifies a long period of time. More on that later.
“They…reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Rev. 20:4. Nowhere in this chapter does it mention a reign on earth. Note also, the ones said to be reigning with Christ are “souls of them that were beheaded! (Do millennialists expect to see beheaded saints on the earth in an age to come?!)
Let us hear the truth. The church is in heaven and in earth (Eph. 3:15). John is now seeing into paradise, that land of rest for departed saints, and is shown those who have been martyred for their faith. Not only had the persecuting dragon martyred the faithful, but in later centuries the devil devised other forms of false religion that opposed the true church–the beast (Papalism) and his image (Protestantism). False religion took the “limelight” during these dark ages of this “thousand years” period, hindering many from finding true salvation, and often martyring those who would not worship their beastly systems or receive its “mark.” History bears this out.
The First Resurrection. “The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.” With so much false religion on the scene for centuries, many souls were hindered from finding true salvation, hence remained “dead in trespasses and sins.” As time progressed, more light and understanding came, making it possible for more souls to experience this spiritual resurrection, which is to be born again; raised out of a dead state of sin, to newness of life in Christ Jesus. When one has experienced this resurrection, they are “blessed and holy” and become “priests of God.” Only those who take part in this first resurrection will be able to stand at the final Judgment Day of God, when both the good and evil of all ages will be called forth from the graves, to either the resurrection of life or the resurrection of damnation. Oh souls, “Ye must be born again!” For those who have been delivered from all sin, “the second death [the final Judgment, Rev. 20:14] hath no power.”
“A resurrection, I confess,
Has taken place within my breast.
I’ve been awakened from the dead,
And now I live with Christ instead.”
Rev. 20:7. Before closing, let us answer the question, “So what does it mean that when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison?” It is letting us know that the dragon would again make an appearance before the end of time. This has already taken place! That is why we are seeing a revival of paganism in a “newer” form–the New Age movement; a revival of eastern religions, including Islam, Hinduism, etc.; occultism; witchcraft, etc. Verse 3 tells us it is only for “a little season.” After this short season–the final Judgment Day.
By Susan Mutch
Filed in: Articles • Monday, November 17th, 2008



A Christless Grave
Author Unknown
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I got on a streetcar in Buffalo, N. Y., and when the conductor came for my fare, I gave him a leaflet entitled, "Where Hell Is." As I handed it to him, he laughed and said, "You always give me one of those religious papers; I suppose you think I am a very wicked fellow, but I am about as good as they make them." I held up my Bible and asked, "Do you see this Book? It tells me that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. (Jer. 17:9). That means your heart and mine. It does not sound very pleasant, does it?"
Oh, well," he said, "there is plenty of time for me to think about these things; I am still young."

"Yes," I said, "but if you go into any graveyard, you will see graves of all sizes. "A little girl once asked her mother how old one must be before he dies. The wise mother gave her child a long piece of string and told her to go into the graveyard and measure the graves, and every time she measured to tie a knot. Soon the girl returned with the string full of knots. 'Look, Mother, the graves are all sizes." 'Yes, dear, that is when people die-at all times and ages.' "

Again the young man laughed and said, "There is plenty of time for me. "Remember, the time is short; and you need not go to a Christless grave. Jesus died for you," I said as I left the car.

The next morning I traveled by the same car, but a new conductor was there, who told me that the man I had spoken to the day before had missed his footing, was run over by a car, and so seriously injured that he died in a few hours. I felt very sad, thinking that he had indeed found a Christless grave. I went to his home, and as I looked upon that young man's dead face, I could not help thinking what an awful warning it was to anyone who thinks there is plenty of time.

I tell you, the time is short. (Ps. 89:47). "After this the judgment." (Heb. 9:27). God, in His love and mercy, had given this young man time, but oh, how short the time was! God gave the last message. This may be God's last message to you, my reader! Remember, "Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (II Cor. 6:2). Do you think that "doing the best you can" will save you? Listen: "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool." (Prov. 28:26). Again, "He that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief." (Prov. 28:14). "He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." (Prov. 29:1). Oh, do come to the Saviour now! Tomorrow may be too late!

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Printed By: Faith Publishing House, P.O. Box 518, Guthrie, OK 73044




Are You Born Again?
Author: Fred Pruitt
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I do not know of any words that Jesus spoke which we have on record in the Bible that are of more importance, or that should be considered more seriously by the sinner or unsaved person than these words: "Ye must be born again." (John 3:7). Many men and women have read the Bible over and over, and yet have never been born again. Many young men and women take courses in the many Bible schools in the land and come out with diplomas and take up pastoral work or evangelistic work and pass themselves off on the people as Doctors of Divinity who have never been born again. In this way Satan is deceiving the multitudes. Some of these D.D.'s who need to be born again teach the people that Jesus meant literal water when He said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3:5. Water is often used in the Bible as a symbol of Christ, and if we put the right meaning on this Scripture it would keep us clear from many other errors in our conclusions and understanding of the Sacred Word.

In the fourth chapter of John, Jesus made it plain to the woman at the well that He is the water of life that will quench the thirst of the soul. Read verses 10 and 14. Christ in us is symbolized as "living water." We read in John 7:37-39, ". . . If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly [innermost being] shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified)." In Colossians 1:27 we read what Paul said of the Holy-Spirit-baptized Colossians: "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." In Revelation 22:17 we read again, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Christ is the water of life to every thirsty soul He is the Lord "our righteousness." (Jer. 23:6.) In Matthew 5:6 we read, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." "And the Word [Christ] was made flesh, and dwelt among us,.." John 1:14.

Peter, referring to the eight souls that were saved by water, said in I Peter 3:20-21, "The like figure [You notice he puts literal water as a figure and not the real thing that saved them.] whereunto baptism [water] doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God)." The water merely answers to our good conscience of Christ being resurrected in our souls because we have been born of the Spirit, as Peter further says, "by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." The water did not save the eight souls in Noah's time, but it was the ark that saved them. So it is today that when we are in Christ, we are in the Ark of safety and He saves us from all the surrounding sin and evil in the world. The literal water was a figure of the salvation of the eight souls in the ark of safety, and the literal water of baptism (immersion) is a figure of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. 6:4-6.) In other words, in water baptism we go down into the watery grave as Jesus went into an earthly grave. We are buried with Christ, dead to the world of sin, and resurrected to new life in Christ. We symbolize this change that has taken place by water baptism as we come forth from the watery grave to walk in newness of life, even in His life. Speaking of this new life, Paul said in Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

There is a vast difference between having the faith of the Son of God and only having faith that God exists. One could have a head faith in God, and yet be lost and headed for destruction; but if he has the faith of the Son of God, he will be saved and ready for heaven. Faith of the Son of God is a part of God in the soul, or an earnest of the Spirit, (Eph. 1:14), which preserves us unto His coming and causes us to put on an immortal body to live with God the Father, and Jesus Christ His Son, forever. (1 Cor. 15:51-52.) It is not an uncommon thing for us to hear people say, "I trust in God," or "I have faith in God," or "I believe in God." It is one thing to talk of trust, faith, and belief in God, but it is another thing to have trust, faith, and the belief of God in the soul. Many people will say, "I believe God will save me and that He has power to save me," but they do not have the faith of God in the soul that He saves now.

Some people seem to think that obtaining salvation is like buying groceries where they can hunt for bargains. You can buy the truth and salvation-not with money-but you cannot find any bargains, for all must pay the same full price to obtain genuine salvation. The Devil has plenty of substitutes and bargains on display, but the genuine can only be purchased by the willing, obedient, self-denying route. Jesus makes it plain to us in Matthew 13:45-46. He tells us about a merchant man seeking for goodly pearls. When he had found one pearl of great price (which is Christ) he went and sold all that he had and bought the Pearl of great price. To really be "born again," means a selling out of self and giving up to God. It means that the majority of people will not do this, but they look for bargains in the many man-made religions and pay a small price to be deceived and lost, having only a profession of faith in God. Just to say we believe God is not sufficient, for James says, "The devils believe and tremble." (James 2:19.)

God wants people to get the faith of God in their heart. We read in Romans 10:9-10, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Literal water salvation is certainly a cheap substitute for the genuine salvation of God, which comes to man through His blood sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. We must have something from heaven in our souls by faith from the Son of God in order to have the genuine Pearl of great price. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. (Heb. 12:2.) Brother, sister, if you have been deceived into receiving one of Satan's many substitutes, please throw it all away and seek God for the genuine. If you have made no profession, do not look among the many man-made churches and be fooled with a substitute, but seek God and pay a full price and get genuine salvation that saves from all sin in this life and brings peace, quietness, and assurance in your soul forever.

Jesus said, "Ye must be born again."

You do not need to know very much about the Bible nor its teachings to get genuine salvation. You need to know that you are a sinner and lost on the road to destruction and that Jesus is the Saviour of all who believe on Him. You need to know that you should repent of sinning against God. You should ask God to have mercy upon you and to forgive you of all your trespasses and sins, and should keep seeking, giving up, surrendering, and humbling yourself before Him until you know that your soul has been born again, born from above, and that you really have the faith of God in your soul that He saves you now from all sin, and that peace, quietness, and assurance is in your soul. (Isa. 32:17.) When you have the Spirit of truth in your soul, He will lead and guide you into all truth. (John 16:13.) And as you are obedient, you will be eating His flesh and drinking His blood, for Jesus said, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." (John 6:53.) Yes, dear sinner friend, "Ye must be born again." Dear professor, you must have the faith of God in your soul or you will be grievously disappointed in the great judgment day.





God Values Your Soul
Author: Fred Pruitt
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If a man should gain the whole world and lose his soul, what would it profit him? This is a question that every man, woman, boy, and girl should ask themselves. When we consider and understand that our life here is only a short span of years at the most, we should make preparations to live on with God after this earthly life is over.

In reading God's sacred Word, we find that there is only one way by which any soul can obtain eternal life with God, and that is through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. The apostle Peter says in Acts 4:12, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." God values your soul very highly and through the giving of His Son to be reviled, defamed, cursed, and put to shame and contempt, slaughtered in crucifixion, He has paid an immense price for your soul.

It is written of Jesus by the prophet Isaiah, in the fifty-third chapter, "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely, he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities [not for His iniquities]: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." The immense suffering and humiliation that the Saviour underwent was not for any wrong that He had done, for He "did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth."

God, our Father, saw us in sin, lost and without any hope, and the penalty attached to sin was death and destruction, misery, damnation, and eternal burning. It is written, "For God so loved the world [sinners], that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever [that means you, me, or anybody else] believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

We usually measure the value of a thing by what we are willing to pay for it, so we see that God placed an immense value on our souls, for He was willing that His only Son should suffer the awful outrage of wicked and sinful men and be exposed to the ghastly treatment and bear the reality and severe pains of one being crucified, the just, suffering for the guilty. The penalty of our sins was eternal death. In order for us to be granted eternal life, the debt of our sins had to be met, had to be paid. It took the blood of an innocent man to pay that debt. Jesus was the only innocent man to be found, for all others had sinned and come short of the glory of God.

John wept when he saw us all in sin and no one was found to open the book and loose the seals thereof. Surely, it was a serious thing and something that should cause great weeping. John was soon comforted, for an elder said, "Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." (Read Revelation 5.)

When Jesus Christ, the Son of God, suffered, bled, and died upon the cross, He opened the Book of Life to every soul; and all who will believe can be freed from sin and death and have eternal life. The precious, innocent blood of the Lamb of God is the immense price that God, who loved you, has paid for your soul; and that blood, if believed in and received as an atonement for sin will make the "vilest sinner clean" and innocent. When the precious Son of God was dying upon the cross, the Father looked down upon the scene from heaven and saw the innocent blood of His dear Son flowing freely. Finally, the anguish, pain and suffering ceased, and it was finished. The Father was satisfied with the sacrifice that He had made for our sins, and the death sentence is canceled to all who will believe and receive His blood as an atonement for their sins.

If sinners will become sorry and repent, ask forgiveness for sins committed, and accept the blood sacrifice which Jesus offered for their sins, they will be covered by the blood of the Lamb; they will have made peace with God through the sacrifice made by the Lord Jesus Christ.

If souls could realize the extreme suffering and abuse that Jesus, an innocent Man, underwent to purchase their salvation, they would have to be hard-hearted indeed to reject such a Saviour and turn from their only hope of eternal life.

To give you some idea of what it means to be crucified, I shall quote from Farrar's Life of Christ: "It was unanimously considered the most horrible form of death. Among the Romans, the degradation was also a part of the infliction, and the punishment . . . was only used in the case of the vilest criminals. The one to be crucified was stripped naked of all his clothes, and then followed the most awful moment of all. He was laid down upon the implement of torture. His arms were stretched along the cross-beams, and at the center of the open palms the point of a huge iron nail was placed, which, by the blow of a mallet, was driven home into the wood. Then through either foot separately, or possibly through both feet together, as they were placed one over the other, another huge nail tore its way through the quivering flesh. Whether the sufferer was also bound to the cross we do not know; but, to prevent the hands and feet being torn away by the weight of the body, which could not 'rest upon nothing but four great wounds,' there was, about the center of the cross, a wooden projection strong enough to support, at least a human body, which soon became a weight of agony. Then the 'accursed tree' with its living human burden was slowly heaved up and the end fixed firmly in a hole in the ground.

"The feet were but a little raised above the earth. The victim was in full reach of every hand that might choose to strike. A death by crucifixion seems to include all that pain and death can have of the horrible and ghastly-dizziness, cramping, thirst, starvation, sleeplessness, traumatic fever, tetanus, publicity of shame, long continuance of torment, horror of anticipation, mortification of untended wounds, all intensified just up to the point at which they can be endured at all, but all stopping just short of the point which would give to the sufferer the relief of unconsciousness. The unnatural position made every movement painful; the lacerated veins and crushed tendons throbbed with incessant anguish; the wounds, inflamed by exposure, gradually gangrened; the arteries, especially of the head and stomach, became swollen and oppressed with surcharged blood; and, while each variety of misery went on gradually increasing, there was added to them the intolerable pang of a burning and a raging thirst. Such was the death to which Christ was doomed."

My dear sinner friend, this is a description of the humiliation and intense suffering that Jesus went through because He loved your soul and wanted you to be free from sin and have eternal life. Jesus is a friend of the sinner. What more could you ask a friend to do to prove that he loved you? God valued your soul so highly that He gave His Son as a price for your soul, and Jesus loved you so much that He willingly suffered for your redemption. God is not sending souls to hell, but has made a way for you to escape that awful place, and now, He begs you to plead guilty of sin and ask forgiveness and accept the Blood as an atonement, and have peace with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Choose life, for eternal life is in His Blood.


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Printed By: Faith Publishing House, P.O. Box 518, Guthrie, OK 73044




How to Get Saved
Author: Fred Pruitt
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How to get saved or how to be found of the Lord is a question confronting many souls. The truth is, the Lord is looking and longing for every sinner to come to Him for rest. He wishes to comfort souls in this life with the hope of eternal life.

Sinners are those who transgress against God by doing that which they know He forbids. Rebelling against Christ by doing evil and rejecting Him as Savior means being lost eternally unless they find the Savior in this life. He is the only hope for man and the doorway to heaven. According to the Bible, He is the way, the truth, and life. (John 14:6)

That the great tender heart of God is longing for all who will come to Him and find rest, (Matt. 11:28), is expressed in many places throughout the Bible, which is God's Word to man.

Paul declares that "Christ Jesus came to save sinners." (I Tim. 1:15). Perhaps the best word picture we have in the Bible of God's yearning love for the lost is found in Luke 15. In this chapter, Jesus gives a parable of leaving ninety-nine sheep and going after the one that is lost until He finds it. When He does, He lays it on His shoulder, rejoicing, and calls His neighbors to celebrate with Him, for the sheep (man) that was lost is found. He speaks of the great rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents.

He also tells of a woman who had ten pieces of silver and lost one. He describes how she lit a candle, swept the house, and looked diligently until she found it. Then she called her neighbors and friends to rejoice with her, for she found the piece that was lost. And the Lord repeats: "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." God does not force or compel people to serve Him. He wants willing service. We have the privilege of choosing to love and serve Him or choosing to live on in sin.

This is shown very clearly in the parable of the prodigal who decided to leave his father (God). The father gave him his inheritance and the son gathered it together and went into a far country (where God did not dwell) and wasted it in foolish living.

Yes, dear friend, if you choose to, you may waste all the strength, talents, and time God gives you in unwise living, destroying your own soul. But you need not be lost, for you have the power to choose again when you see the folly of your choice.

When you fully come to yourself, you can (as the prodigal) make the decision to arise and go to your Father. You will find His warm love has not abated in all these years. He will be looking for you, will see you afar off, and come running with outstretched arms to receive you. Who could wish for greater love, for more tender care?

Though the son deliberately left his Father and had been living selfishly for many years, the Father loved him greatly and was willing to forgive and forget all past insults.

We see that the Father's love did not cease there. When the young man repented and humbly said, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son," the Father said to his servant, "Bring forth the best robe and put it on him [a robe of righteousness], put a ring on his hand [a seal of acceptance] and shoes on his feet; And bring forth the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat and be merry [symbolizing the great rejoicing of the angels in heaven over the lost that was found; over the dead sinner who has been resurrected to life eternal], For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

By this parable we readily see the tender love that God has for those who are in sin. He has provided Christ as a Lamb who was sacrificed for our sins, and all who look to Him can be made alive in God, can have the past all blotted out, and can have a warm welcome under the sheltering wing of our Father in heaven.

A sinner must know and do a number of things to find favor with God.

1. First of all, you must become aware of your lost condition.

2. Then you need to know what caused this separation from God.

The way to obtain this knowledge is to go to the Word of God, the Bible, and let God talk to you through His Word. Turn to Isaiah 59:1-2 and you will find the cause of your troubles: "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save [Christ, is strong to save all who will come]; neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear [He readily hears a sincere cry]: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear."

3. When you admit and acknowledge this to be true, then comes another question: What must I do? Isaiah 55:7 tells us: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts [your thoughts that are evil]: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

By this Scripture we easily see that if we will forsake our ways of sin and return to the Lord He will forgive and pardon. Repentance toward God and faith in Christ is the only remedy for the removal of the sins that separate us from God, for we read in Isaiah 53:6, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him [Christ] the iniquity of us all."

In the latter part of the 8th verse we read: "For the transgression of my people was he [Christ] stricken." This Scripture and connecting ones are what the Ethiopian was reading when Philip ran and joined himself to the chariot at the command of the Lord. (Acts 8:32). Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture, and preached to him Jesus. The Ethiopian believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, so he was saved, and after obeying the Word in baptism he went on his way rejoicing.

Dear sinner friend, you can have the same relief. If you believe within your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, your Savior, you can go on your way rejoicing in a Redeemer's love. The way of the transgressor is hard, and the end of such a life is eternal misery. Why not turn to the Savior and live! Do not die in your sins when God has planned and given you a way to escape. His great, tender, compassionate love is reaching out after you. Respond to Him today!




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Printed By: Faith Publishing House, P.O. Box 518, Guthrie, OK 73044





I am the Door
Author: Unknown
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"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved." (John 10:9).

"Any man" includes the reader of this tract and excludes none. Christ alone is God's door of hope for any sinner on earth, The man of few sins, or of many sins-drunkards, blasphemers, swearers, the scums, dregs and refuse of society are here embraced in this rich offer of mercy. Salvation for any man is here wrapped up in 15 words.

"I am the door," says Christ. He does not say, "I am a door," as if there could be another. There is no other door to salvation. Just look at the titles on many of the doors. There is one having written across it in bold letters: Works. Not one has ever found salvation through it. Crowds are flocking in that direction. But the voice of the apostle warns us: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us." (Titus 3 :5).

On another door is the word Church, and it seems to attract immense numbers. Its cry is: "No salvation outside our church;" yet Peter declares of Jesus: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12). Ah! that name of Salvation-the name of Jesus Christ whereby we must be saved. No, your church is not the door-Christ is; and when you get in Him you are in His BODY the true CHURCH or family of God and can there abide and bear the fruit of the Spirit. "By me if any man enter in"-Christ is everything, to the exclusion of all else.

"By ME"-not by feelings, prayers, or doing the best you can. "Any man" is good news for the despairing sinner. Christ, the Door, offers salvation from sin to the greatest sinner on earth. "Enter in"-the door is open, enter in freely and fully. "Shall be saved" is said of all who enter by Christ. What a glorious declaration for all who will enter in through God's one and only Door, Christ.

"Shall be lost" is the sure result for all who enter by any door besides the right one, which is Christ. Sinner, let Christ save you and join the ransomed host-nothing else will do. Keep away from and enter not into those doors which cannot save you.

"God commandeth all men everywhere to repent." (Acts 17:30).

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

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Printed By: Faith Publishing House, P.O. Box 518, Guthrie, OK 73044






If I Die and Go to Hell, Who Cares?
Author: Arhie Souder
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This is a vital question I want every reader to ask yourself with carefulness. In Psalm 142:4, David seemed to be asking himself this question, and said no man cared for his soul. It seems he felt that way, but let us see if hew as not mistaken about it. Now, first let us notice this question: "If I die and go to hell, who cares?" We know that it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment. So, this being a sure appointment that we shall all meet God, the question is this: If I die and go to hell, who cares?

Almost every day we read about people who seem to think that no man cares for them, thus they commit suicide, taking their own lives, commit crimes, etc., seemingly thinking that no one cares for them and their soul. Let us see what the Word of God says about it.

First, let us go back to the beginning when God made the first man and woman. We find that God made man out of the dust and breathed the breath of life in him and he became a living soul, which will never die. The body will go back to dust, but the spirit (soul) will return to God, who gave it, and will live on and on in eternity in heaven or hell.

1. GOD CARES:

God so loved the world (people) that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish (or go to hell), but have everlasting life (in heaven). John 3:16.

Dear reader, did you ever stop to think this text over? God so loves you that He gave His only Son for you that you might not go to hell. Keep in mind the important question, as we let the Bible answer it for you.

2. JESUS CARES:

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavenly laden and I will give you rest." In Matthew 18:11, "For the Son of Man is come to save that which is lost."

Dear one, the Son of God came down from heaven to save you from being lost and going to hell, and He gave His life's blood in the most cruel manner, the death of the cross, for you and me and every living soul. Have you ever given this serious thought, as you should?"

3. HEAVEN CARES:

"I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth." Heaven cares for your soul! Think of all the loved ones and the faithful who have gone to heaven back through the ages. When just one sinner repents they rejoice over it. Heaven is interested in your soul. Dear sinner friend, had you though on this before now?

4. THE ANGELS CARE:

Yes, the angels care and are concerned-about you! "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Luke 15:10. Remember, how the angels of God came down and sang the song to the shepherds to announce the birth of our Savior? They care if you die and to hell. Surely, your souls is more valuable than you might have thought, isn't it?

5. THE SPIRIT CARES:

In Revelation 22:17, we are told that the Spirit says, "Come." Yes, the Spirit of God cares for you, and, oh, how faithful the Spirit is to strive with man. No doubt you can recall many times when the Spirit pleaded with you. Perhaps, at some revival meeting or in the wee hours of the night, you were awakened and the Spirit pleaded with you to give your heart to God, and you turned Him down, and again he would come back many times to plead with you. Dear reader, take heed how you deal with the Spirit and be thankful that He will come back from time to time. Maybe He will be talking to you while you read this tract. If so, do not turn Him away, for he may never come again. God said, "My Spirit will not always strive with man." Yes, the Spirit cares for your soul.

6. THE BRIDE CARES:

"And the Spirit and the BRIDE say, Come." The Bride cares. Revelation 21:9 and Hebrews 12:22 explain who the bride is. It is the church of God, which includes all saved people. So we can say that all the saved people in the world care. If you are lost, you probably have never stopped to think how much the Christian people care.

The first thing that a new convert does, and the first thought is-How can I get some poor lost soul to seek the Lord and get free pardon of their sins and escape that awful place of torment? Just think of the millions of Christians who have gone on before. over 55 million Christians gave their lives and were put to death in the most horrible manner during the dark ages, just to bring the light and knowledge of salvation down to us today, and they all had a care for your soul.

Dear sinner friend, maybe you have loved ones who have prayed earnestly for you for years. maybe they have gone on to heaven, but their prayers are still living on and the Lord has been good to you to spare your life because of someone's prayers that you might not be lost. Many people give money that they need for the purpose of getting the gospel to lost souls. Some give their very lives in going to heathen lands far from home. And great efforts are put forth in many ways because people love your soul and do not want you to be lost. Surely, after all this, you ought to be the one most concerned, for it is your souls we are talking about. How about it, friend, have you ever given this matter the thought that you should? If not, why not? Start right here and begin to consider this as the most important subject of all your life now.

7. PEOPLE IN HELL CARE:

Friend, you may have the thought that there is no hell. Some people are teaching this today, but let us see what the Bible says about it. Jesus said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away." According to the teaching of the Bible, Jesus, during His ministry, taught much more about hell than he did about heaven. Just as sure as you are here, friend, there is a hell, and hell is real and heaven is real. you are going to one of the two places. It is up to you to choose your destiny.

Let us read Luke 16, beginning with verse 19. Jesus said, "There WAS"-this is not a parable-"a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."

Friend, this is a picture of the regions of hell. yes, the rich man had all he desired in this life. poor Lazarus did not have much in this life, but now he is in heaven, but look at the man who fared sumptuously and lost his soul. And, say, friend, that rich man is still there today crying for water, but sad as it is, he can never get out of this place forever and forever. Think of it.

Now let us go on with this picture in verse 25, "But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence." Yes, the rich man could remember all things that he did and had and all the people he knew back here in this life, all the times the Lord gave him a chance to repent and all the luxury he enjoyed here. He could remember it all, but it was too late. What an awful picture this is. Now the most important part of this picture is the 27th verse, "Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, let they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." Now, friend, did you ever stop to think that the people who are in hell do not want you there? See how this rich man was pleading for his five brethren who were still here in this world, and didn't want them to come to such a place. You may have some friend or relatives who have been lost. They may be pleading with Father Abraham for you not to come there. yes, friend, if you go there, you will be an intruder. Sad to say, but millions are plunging into this awful place every year, month, week, day and hour. Surely this ought to be enough to wake you up and cause you to begin at once to escape this place.

Now let us review this question, If I die and go to hell, who cares?

Answer #1-John 3;16. God cares.

Answer #2-Matthew 18:11. Jesus cares.

Answer #3-Luke 15:7. All the people in heaven care.

Answer #4-Luke 15:10. All the angels in heaven care.

Answer #5-Revelation 22:17. The Spirit of God or Holy Ghost cares.

Answer #6-Revelation 22:17. The Bride, or all the saved people care.

Answer #7-The people who are in hell care.

Now, friend, the most important question of all is: DO YOU CARE?

No doubt, you will say, why, surely I care. But, sinner friend, how much do you care? If you care as you should, you will not let the sun go down or rise again until you make your preparation to meet the Lord in peace. Jesus said, "If you die in your sins, where I am you cannot come." you have no promise of tomorrow. We see people die at all ages, young and old, so you should humble your heart to God and repent of yours sins and accept Christ as your Savior and let Him come into your heart and He will speak peace to your soul. Then you will be the happiest in all your life and will be ready to meet Jesus in peace and will escape the awful torments of hell. "Be ye also ready, for in such an hour that you think not, the Son of Man cometh."

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Printed By: Faith Publishing House, P.O. Box 518, Guthrie, OK 73044



I'm Glad I Settled it Last Night
Author: H. M. Riggle
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In a certain coal mining town a revival was being held. One night a miner came to the altar seeking Christ. He had a hard struggle striving to enter "in at the strait gate." Finally, after more than an hour of seeking, the minister dismissed the congregation. He himself remained with the seeker. After a long time he suggested that they go home, and urged the seeker to keep on praying and come back to the altar the next night. But the penitent man would not be put off. He said, "I want this settled tonight." Together they prayed until long after midnight, and finally the repentant sinner found the Saviour and was happily converted. Oh, how he shouted the high praises of God and rejoiced in his pardoning grace!

The next morning he bade his family good-bye as usual, took his dinner pail, and hurried to the mines to engage in his work. About 4:30 p. m. the roof caved in, and several tons of slate and rock fell. It caught this miner. His fellow workmen rushed to him and found his body under the mass, but his head and shoulders were protruding. As they knelt around him with their digging lamps, there was a smile on his face. Just as he expired he whispered, "Oh, I am so glad I settled it last night."

A minister was conducting a revival in East Liverpool, OH. One night a young man standing near the door wept while the invitation was being extended. While the minister and others urged him to surrender then and not wait another moment, he trembled from head to foot, but finally replied, "I know I ought to be saved tonight, but I am an operator at the railway station, and my duty will soon call me there. I will promise you, however, that I will come back and get saved tomorrow night." They warned him of the danger of delay, but he kept saying, "I will get saved tomorrow night."

He left the services shortly and was not seen again until about 30 minutes later. The minister was on his way home, and as he neared the railway depot he noticed a group of men running together excitedly, as though something had happened. He hurried to the spot and saw a young man lying upon the ground with both his legs cut off close to the trunk of his body. He had accidentally fallen under some shifting freight cars. The life blood was gushing from his body. The minister looked into the pale, upturned face of the dying man, and he was horror-stricken to see that it was the same young man who had, not more than 30 minutes before, stood in the meeting trembling under conviction and said, "Not tonight, but I will return and get saved tomorrow night." He was now dying. The death damp was already gathering upon his brow, and the scenes of earth and time were forever fading from his view. As the minister knelt beside the poor dying boy as he was breathing his last, he distinctly heard him whisper, "Oh, if I had only yielded tonight." Too late forever! Oh, how sad! He let the last opportunity pass. To the Holy Spirit he said for the last time, "Go thy way." He went, and the young man died in despair.

Reader, how is it with your soul today? If you are not saved, you had better decide now. Like a muffled drum, your heart is now beating a death march to the grave. The end will come, and beyond the tomb there is no hope and no power that can save you.

UNCERTAINTY OF DEATH-BED CONVERSION

In April, 1909, when we moved to Oakland, PA to take charge of the work, as we were unpacking our goods, a man came rushing into the house saying that one of our neighbor women was dying and that we should come quickly. With Bro. John R. Allen, I hurried to the bedside of the woman. From all appearances she was dying. We fell promptly upon our knees and prayed mightily to God to spare her life until she would have the opportunity to be saved. Finally she quieted down and asked us to pray for her salvation. We gave her all the instruction we could, and she joined with us in earnest prayer. After some time she claimed conversion, and when we sang some hymns she seemed to rejoice in the belief that her sins were forgiven. The woman lived. Our church house was less than a block from her home, and to our surprise, when she recovered, she never attended any of our services. Several months later, during our winter revival meeting, she came forward and was gloriously converted. Then I asked her why she never attended meetings before. I asked her regarding her claiming to be saved when she was so near death. She replied, "I knew nothing of it. All I knew was what my friends afterwards told me. On account of my suffering, my mind was somewhat delirious and I really was not conscious of what took place when you were there." I thought, "Oh, what a slender chance dying people have of being saved." Had that poor woman died, no doubt most of those who were present would have thought that she was saved and that she died in hope. The fact is, she would have been lost.

On another occasion my wife and I were conducting a revival at Stoneboro, PA. We learned of a young man about eight miles distant who was in a very low condition and who was expected to die any time. We visited him. When we inquired as to his spiritual condition, he told us that he had lived in sin until his sickness, but now claimed conversion. We had prayer with him, and he joined both in prayer and in song, and apparently gave good evidence of his acceptance with the Lord.

After we closed the meeting and returned home, I received a long-distance message to come and preach his funeral. I arrived at the churchyard just as the procession drove in. When his father alighted from the carriage, I walked over to him and asked how his son died. I desired to know so I might have some comforting word for the sorrowing friends. With tears streaming down his face, the brokenhearted father related the awful death of his son. He said that George gathered them all around the bed and bade them farewell, asking each member of the family to meet him in heaven. From all appearance, he died. After several moments, while the friends were weeping, all at once he opened his eyes and said, "I have come back to tell you that I am lost. I have gone into death itself to discover that hell is my eternal doom. I am going to tell you the reason. When I had health and strength I had no desire to serve God. When I realized that I was sure to die and could not recover, I tried to get saved because I was afraid to meet God. I am lost. Hell is my doom." Before his sickness he was a heavy beer drinker, and now he asked his relatives please to get him a glass of beer. He said, "I want one more glass of beer before I land in hell." Some neighbors furnished the beer, and he drank it and passed into eternity.

This was one of the saddest funerals at which I ever officiated. It helped to confirm what I believe: There are very few who put off salvation until their dying hour who really find a satisfactory experience. It is unreasonable to think that people can sow the seeds of wickedness all through life, spurn the mercies of God by refusing to be saved, and then expect to reap a "golden harvest" when they have sown nothing but tares. Reader, "Today, if you can hear His voice harden not your heart."

Remember the words of the apostle Paul: "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

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Printed By: Faith Publishing House, P.O. Box 518, Guthrie, OK 73044







Just Forget It
Quoted By: Ostis Wilson

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If you’ve not been treated right,
Just forget it.
Don’t get ready for a fight,
But forget it.

Life’s too short to hold a grudge,
'Twill your happiness besmudge,
Anyway, you’re not the judge,
So forget it.

If you've been misunderstood,
Just forget it.
Say, "I did the best I could."
Then forget it.

If you can't have your own way,
Don't be small enough to say,
"Well, I guess I just won't play."
But forget it.

If somebody slanders you,
Just forget it.
Say, "I'm glad it isn't true."
Then forget it.

Even if you lose a friend,
And the breach you cannot mend
It will pay you in the end,
To just forget it.

-author unknown




The Burden of Christ
By: Bro. Michael Smith
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Jesus came bringing a message of deliverance to sinners in need of a Saviour. He was often reproved and rebuked by the Pharisees for his interaction with and love for others. Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). Jesus was moved at the plight of people bound by the power of the devil and was moved with compassion at the needs of humanity. At the expense of his own comfort, he ministered to the hurting and the wounded.

There are times that congregations and saved people become too self-focused. Spiritual maintenance is very important and necessary in congregations, but let us always remember the primary message and burden of Christ. The Church needs to have a greater burden and love for lost souls that brings about an active missionary effort in reaching out to the sinner. When sinners come to the worship service of the saints, they should find the warm love of God emanating from our midst.

When people lose the primary message of Christ – a message of hope and love – the result is often bickering and devouring one another. It is much easier to be critical of other saved people. If you ever begin to get bogged down with the cares and worries of ‘church problems,’ remember our reason for being – to spread the simple message of salvation. This will help bring about a spiritual balance in our vision of the Church and it's function. We can avoid many pitfalls and traps that the enemy has laid if we will get involved and occupied with our Father’s business.

May our burden ever be the burden of Christ.

-Bro. Michael Smith










The Laborers Are Few
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There are times that ministers and gospel workers can become discouraged or disheartened in doing the work of God.

At these times, there is a need for reconsecration and a reviving of vision. The Lord wants to help us during these periods of life that we might overcome discouraging feelings and circumstances.

The devil is working hard to hinder those who are giving their lives for the gospel. The harvest is great and there are already too few laborers in the vineyard. Let us not let down or give up, but
let all do as Paul exhorted and "Be not weary in well doing..."

There is a need for more laborers in the field. It is not the place of a man or a group of ministers to dictate your gift or where you are to work for God. The responsibility is yours to listen to the voice of the Spirit and to respond to the call.

God is looking for people to work for Him, but He is also selective. There is a need for QUALIFIED laborers who are living a life above reproach.

Recently I listened to a message, 'The Laborers are Few,' that my grandfather, Bro. Willie C. Murphey, preached in 1968 at Pacoima, CA. It proved to be a real blessing and challenge to me.

If you are a minister or gospel worker, or if you interested in the work of God, I encourage you to listen to this message (linked below).

--Bro. Michael Smith

The Laborers are Few - Bro. Willie Murphey 1968









The Touch of the Master's Hand
By: Myra Brooks Welch

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'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start bidding for me?
A dollar, a dollar - now who'll make it two -
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?

"Three dollars once, three dollars twice,
Going for three". . . but no!
From the room far back a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet,
As sweet as an angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said: "What am I bidden for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow;
"A thousand dollars - and who'll make it two?
Two thousand - and who'll make it three?
Three thousand once, three thousand twice
And going - and gone," said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand -
What changed its worth?" The man replied:
"The touch of the masters hand."
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and torn with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd.
Much like the old violin.

A 'mess of pottage,' a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on,
He's going once, and going twice -
He's going - and almost gone!
But the MASTER comes, and the foolish crowd,
Never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul, and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the MASTER'S hand.




What Are You Depending On?

________________________________________



When we depend upon organizations,
we get what organizations can do.





When we depend upon education,
we get what education can do.




When we depend upon man,
we get what man can do.




But when we depend upon prayer,
we get what God can do!




(Written by A.C. Dixon - Streams in the Desert 2 : Sept 17




Where is Your Heart?
Message preached in Sapulpa, OK in September, 2005.
By: Bro. James Bell
________________________________________

I believe we have no clue where our heart is. We say we love the Lord; but our actions and words show our heart is not with the Lord at all. Where is your heart? Matt 6:21 Where your treasure is there will your heart be also.

To have heart it is like this: when you get a job, your employer wants you to have your whole heart in it. The opposite of this is a mechanical act although you feel it a drudgery. The scripture says, what ever you do, do it heartily (wholeheartedly, energy, zeal, and friendliness) as unto the Lord. Having heart is investing yourself into it by putting your will and your mind in it.

We are living in a heartless age. People just don’t care. People are so amused that they have quit thinking and envisioning important aspects of their life. Jesus came to turn the hearts of the fathers toward their children. Luke 1:17 You may be estranged from someone who should have your heart. Many have lost the love and the energy for their families. Homes and marriages are lacking heart. We are suffering as a society today because of our lack of “heart”. We are in perilous times. Men are without natural affection for their wives and children. People are walking out of their homes, leaving children with “butcher knives” through their little hearts. Children are hardened because of heartless parents.

Where is your heart? What is it like? Are you always thinking about who you are, what can you do to impress, or what do you look like? Prov. 28:26 says, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool”. Your own ideas and desires are not the best guide. You may not feel there is anything wrong with what you are doing. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” Simply because you don’t feel it is wrong doesn’t mean that it isn’t.

We must ask God to reveal his ways to us. His ways are above our ways. You can deceive yourself. You can lose something true because your heart is desperately wicked. Where is the seed of your thoughts, affections, and emotions? Are you fantasizing beauty that you don’t have? Are you making yourself somebody you’re really not? What we think we are and who we are can be a big gap in difference. Ask the Lord to help you find your heart. Who are you trying to please? Is your heart on “Me, My and Mine”?

A wild and rebellious heart is not turned to serving others. Have you been tamed by the dealings of God? Have you surrendered your restless heart? Have you hid yourself from your own flesh because you don’t care? Don’t hide yourself from your own family. We are sometimes so big in our own eyes and have such an inflated ego, that we don’t know how to turn our hearts toward others.

When God shines his light of truth in us, let us yield to him. Prov 23:26, “My son, give me thine heart and let thine eyes observe my ways” God is crying out, “stop trying to hide your heart from me”. “Stop, look at me, and let me show you what you need to know about yourself”. The only way we’re going to see ourselves, is by giving all our heart to God to allow Him to control and examine it; then we will begin to prosper and understand. He knows everything anyway.

Consistency in our walk will be determined by our honesty. If you are up and down, you have been hiding your whole heart from God. Our success lies in opening up totally to God and surrendering completely to whatever means he uses to teach us. What kind of trials and hardships has he allowed to break up your hardened ground? We must learn to be glad for the “goats” that God sends our way to teach us some things.

Luke 6:19, The rich man faired sumptuously everyday. He was smug and invested a lot in his pomp and show. His heart was wretched and he didn’t even know it.

Mark 7:6, “These people honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me”. He told them their traditions were vain. Where is your energy and your concern? It seems that we can barely get to church, barely sing, barely lead out in prayer. Yet, we are so proud and lifted up thinking, “we have the truth”. What do we really have down in our heart?

A surrendered heart is vivacious, real, healthy, has a life giving force, free flowing, moving, new, fresh, constantly changing getting rid of the old and taking on the form of Christ. Has your soul been awakened? I want to live and fellowship with people that have real life and heart, don’t you?

Psalms 19:7 - 12. “The statues of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes”. We want God to enlightened us personally. People are tired of left over revelations because they don’t want something chewed up and passed down. Sometimes those are a dead testimony with no real joy and peace. We don’t want our lives founded on something old and digested by someone else. We don’t want second hand understanding. Our souls want to be awakened to understand God’s truth for ourselves and have that personal relationship that gives one heart and happiness. Let us be stirred to find our heart.

“Who can understand his errors? Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me” Your heart can trick you with false assumptions that will back you into a pocket of individualism. Come out of your own small world that causes you to look around defensively and run for your life out of those haunts of independent, self gratified religion. Come out with your hands up. They are prisons of isolation. What you think you are doing for God may be a castle of pride that paralyzes you from serving others and seeing the real intentions of God’s heart.

When one is first born again we have life and vitality. No one wants to be stillborn but alive and transformed by his love and alive unto God, however, not just changed to be like somebody else.

“The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes” There maybe wickedness in high religious places and sinful but influential leaders standing in the way up stream; but don’t follow man. False doctrine will contaminate your heart. Worrying about what people say will stifle your emotions and heart felt zeal for God. Don’t drink muddy waters presuming that it’s OK. The psalmist said, “Let not error have dominion over me”. We must come straight and clean with him to be able to make good learners or disciples.

Finding your heart will make you true and humble. Brethren, awaken yourselves and find out where your heart is. God will give you what you want. Ask him to reveal your own heart to you. You can ask for self-gratifying things and God will give you the desires of your heart. Psalms 106:15 “God gave them their request but sent leanness to their souls”. We won’t make it to heaven getting our own way. Isaiah 29:8 He promised emptiness to those who fought against mount Zion. Be willing to find your heart and let him transform you. He promised in, Ezek 36:26, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statues and ye shall keep my judgments and do them.” Praise the Lord!



Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?
By: Bro. Michael Smith
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If your heart is heavy, if your conscience is laden with guilt, if you are bound by the addictions of sin, if you have been wounded in your emotions and bruised by the troubles of life, if you are broken in your spirit, if you are disappointed in yourself and don’t know what to do or where to turn, know that there is an answer in Jesus Christ. Jesus came to minister to the needs of hurting people.

When Jesus began His ministry, he read from the prophet Isaiah, saying “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he that sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18).

There is a divine spiritual and emotional healing that that can come by no other save Jesus Christ. None of us are worthy of spiritual healing. However, Jesus loved us so much He died that through Him we might find not only deliverance from sin, but also spiritual and emotional healing.

We read in John 5:1-9 of a sick man who had lain at the pool of Bethesda for years, waiting to be healed. As Jesus passed by, He asked the man “Wilt thou be made whole?” The man began to explain all of the reasons that he wasn’t whole and well. A ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ would have been sufficient to answer Jesus’ question. Jesus told the man to ‘Rise, take up thy bed, and walk’ and immediately the man was made whole.

Jesus is asking still today, ‘Wilt thou be made whole?’ Many times people still today begin to explain why the hurt is still there, or why sin still has control. We need not justify or excuse that which has caused us to suffer and hurt in our spirit. What matters is that the Lord is interested in our problem and He desires to bring healing to that which is broken. He yearns to reach out and deliver the captive. You may have sought for help from many other sources and been disappointed, but Christ will not disappoint. He understands the depth of hurting that people can experience and He is willing and ready to minister.

If you have a need in your spirit, provision has been made for your healing. Jesus is asking ‘Do you want me to heal you?’ Christ will not force His healing upon you. He is waiting for you to respond ‘Yes Lord.’

If your heart is touched, and you desire this wonderful, purging healing from Jesus Christ, simply pray, and ask Jesus to come in and make you whole. The Lord will pour out grace and bring healing to your soul and spirit.

--Bro. Michael Smith