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People of The Living God |
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September 2026
WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS
“ONE NATION UNDER (THE JUDGMENT OF) GOD”
Randall Walton
The 11th of September, 2026, is almost here. It will be the twenty-fifth anniversary of the terrorist attack upon this nation. For those who were alive at that time, we recall the many declarations of that horrible day that “Our lives are changed forever;” “We’ll never be the same,” etc., etc. A serious tragedy seems to trigger many such evocations of remorse and resolve, most of which are temporary at their best. We humans have a way of learning to accept the unpredictability of fate without our becoming overly influenced by it.
We may not forget the unbelievable event, the tragic destruction of not only property but lives. Yet, in the many vicissitudes of life, we are prone to forget our initial reaction to the event itself: the present moment, though it is but for an instant, is more important to us than the past, for the past is gone, irretrievable, irrevocable, done, over, – past. Life must go on and does go on. The greatest impact falls upon those survivors of the victims who have daily faced the fact that their own personal lives were extremely altered and became more complex than they could have anticipated.
But bystanders, onlookers, spectators, even though they may have been overcome with sympathy and sorrow, were apt to soon forget the total despair and helplessness and sense of meted judgment of that terrible moment when the walls came down. It did not take long for most of us to resume what we were about on that fateful day, twenty-five years ago.
Much has been written about the nature of a religion which would help promote such carnage as that, but little has been said about why the Living God stood by without preventing this monstrous evil from being committed on our soil. The very sad fact is that the U.S. is no longer One Nation Under God! The evidence strongly supports the fact that this nation does not want to be under God. It desires God’s protection, blessings, grace, and liberty, but wants no part of His divine order, government, nor law. Christians and non-Christians alike have little or no use for God’s law.
Therefore, God, though He is the apex of mercy, love, and grace, is not obligated to come to the aid of a nation gone awry and spiritually berserk. For God to unconditionally extend His favor upon a rebellious people would make Him a partaker of their evil doings: it would necessitate His nullifying His own words and standards and joining the ranks of the reprobates.
Reflect for a moment upon the prayer Pastor Joe Wright was asked to give at the new session of the Kansas State Senate in 1996, just five years before 9/11. The following prayer is what the minister offered:
“Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and seek your direction and guidance. We know your Word says, “Woe to those who call evil good,” but that’s exactly what we’ve done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our
values.
We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of your Word and called it
moral pluralism.
We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building esteem.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbors’ possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom
of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it
enlightenment.
Search us O God and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some
wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of
Kansas, and who have been ordained by you, to govern this great state. Grant them your wisdom to rule and may their
decisions direct us to the center of your will.
I ask it in the name of your son, the living savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
(The Cold and Lonely Truth – Rev.
Joe Wright)
This prayer, offered thirty years ago, has been widely publicized and has received a great deal of adulation, yet we see no evidence anywhere of repentance for the gross sins mentioned in this Brother’s prayer! What benefit is the acknowledgment of sin without earnest and sincere repentance following?
The wholesale rejection of the words of Jesus by the great majority of Christian believers is absolutely staggering. Jesus deliberately ordered His disciples to go and TEACH all nations to observe (do, keep, obey) everything which He had commanded them to do (Matt. 28:19,20). He could not have made this order more simple and easy to understand. Yet, the Doctors of Divinity have invented ways and means to circumvent the instructions given by the Master!
According to His own statements, observing His commands is evidence, or proof, that a person truly LOVES HIM! Failing to do what He has commanded is evidence, or proof, that a person does NOT love Him! Read these verses from John 14:21-24 carefully. Jesus’ words here are potent with the value of obeying His commandments, words, and sayings. Fellowship with Him and the Father depends upon one’s obedience to Jesus Christ’s orders, those things He commanded His disciples to do.
No wonder we are not a “one nation under God.” As a nation, we have little regard for His Word; we have little time in our busy, carnal schedules to devote to Him and His Word; we are more concerned about the Gross National Product than the Fruit of the Spirit Product; we have more faith and confidence in medicines, drugs, and doctors than we do in God’s ability to heal and cure and deliver.
There is so much wrong in this once-Christian nation that we are made to wonder if we have followed the sinful steps of ancient Israel, who became so corrupt that God said “there was no remedy” (II Chron. 36:16). What a horrible condition!
Jesus Christ Is Lord
Paul, in his letter to the church at Philippi, stated that “every knee should bow” and “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phil. 2:9-11). The word Lord indicates one who is “supreme in authority, i.e., controller” (Matt. 28:18 [Strong’s]). While many people say that He is Lord, their actions deny their words. If He is truly Lord, truly supreme commander, whose word is absolute, authoritative, and demanding, it is time for every professing Christian to confess this truth by yielding his life in obedience to His commands. This is the only remedy for making this nation “One Nation Under God,” and procuring the blessings and favor of the Living God.
WRESTLING WITH GOD
Alfred King
In Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul instructs the church at Ephesus and, through his letter to them, admonishes all believers to engage in spiritual warfare against “principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Every serious Christian believer is familiar with this battle into which we have been called to fight. What we might not understand or recognize, however, is that we will often find ourselves wrestling with God, maybe even unaware of it. This is an area where one’s faith is tried and where many give up and turn away from the faith.
Events That May Cause One To Wrestle With God
Most of us have found ourselves in situations we do not understand. We don’t understand why a loving God would allow tragedies that destroy property, people’s homes, livelihoods, or family members and friends. We often refer to these natural disasters as “nature’s fury” or “nature’s wrath.” The untimely death of a child, a spouse, or a young adult is hard to understand, especially when one is striving to honor and serve God with his life. Ultimately, and in most cases, we begin to question God. Why would God allow this to happen? Why did He let this happen to my home, to my family, and to me? These are areas where believers wrestle with God. The struggle is not with the principalities and powers of darkness but with the One who holds the powers of nature and controls the heavens that He created.
In times like these, we wrestle with God. Faith is tested. Feelings overrule knowledge or wisdom. Emotions control the conversation and the atmosphere. These are real experiences; real tragedies that bring real pain, real grief, and serious questions.
As we read through Scripture, we find that most of the men of faith faced adversities they did not understand; situations they could not reconcile in their own minds; tragedies they could not explain, nor could they see God’s love or His promises honored. It appeared as though God had forsaken and failed them.
A prime example, and one most commonly referred to in these times, is Job. Job did not understand why he lost everything in one day. It was not merely his riches, his cattle, his servants (servants that were murdered), nor even the affliction that took hold of him in his body that caused the greatest pain; his greatest agony was the loss of his ten children and watching his wife overcome with such grief that she admonished Job to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9).
Joseph is another case of a man who wrestled with God. Joseph had been given two dreams revealing to him that one day he would become a ruler. The events that followed these dreams seem to contradict everything the dreams promised. He was hated by his eleven brothers, and that was partially because of his dreams.
When an occasion arose in which his brothers found opportunity to squelch the dreams and squash any prospects of their fulfillment, they sold him to some Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt and sold him as a slave to a man named Potiphar.
Yet, in his distress, God was with him, and Joseph prospered in Potiphar’s house. He became Potiphar’s most trusted servant. However, Joseph’s success was short-lived. Potiphar’s wife began to lust after Joseph and pressured him to have a relationship with her. Her lust became obsessive and a daily problem for Joseph as he attended to the duties of the household.
One day when Potiphar was gone and the house empty, she took hold of Joseph’s clothing, trying to pull him to her. Joseph drew away but, in the process, he lost his outer garment, which she clutched in her hands.
It is amazing how evil works. Joseph’s denial and rejection of her transformed her lust into rage and opportunity. She cried out and accused Joseph of trying to rape her. Joseph, being falsely accused, was sent to prison, where he remained for several years. The Psalmist wrote concerning Joseph, stating that “the word of the Lord tried him” (Psalm 105:17-19).
Note that it was the word of the Lord that tried him, not the devil. Joseph wrestled with the dream. He wrestled with God’s promise. He wrestled with the impossibility of the promise. He wrestled with the word of God. He wrestled with God.
In addressing the idea of wrestling with God, we need to look to one who did physically wrestle with God. It is found in Genesis 32:24-30. In this chapter, we find Jacob wrestling all night with a man who, as he wrestles, he discovers this is an angel and not merely a man. (Some hold this to be an angel while others believe it to be God. Jacob states at the end of this chapter, “I have seen God face to face…”). As morning came, the angel told Jacob to release his grip on him. However, Jacob refused unless the angel blessed him.
To appreciate this event, we must go back over some events in Jacob’s life. He was a twin and was born second. As he came out of the womb, he took hold of his brother’s heel. Because of this, he was named Jacob. Jacob means to deceive, to defraud, supplant. Supplant is defined: “to steal or replace another either through force or trickery.” (Google AI)
All through Jacob’s life, we find him living up to his name. In Genesis 25, Jacob tricked his brother Esau into selling his birthright when Esau was extremely tired and hungry. Esau was weak and physically and mentally exhausted, making him very vulnerable at the time. The opportunist Jacob took advantage of Esau and caused Esau to give up his birthright for a bowl of pottage.
In Genesis 27, Jacob deceives his Father, Isaac, and causes him to give the honorable and desired blessing, officially and legally for the elder son, to him. When Esau, who had gone to kill a deer and cook the meat for his father, returned, he found that Isaac had already given the blessing to Jacob. This angered Esau so greatly, that he determined to kill Jacob. Jacob fled for his life.
Some may wonder why God honored Jacob when he did so many evil things. The birthright and the blessing in this case were greater than those of other families because they contained the promises given to Abraham. Jacob desired the promised blessing to be his, and Esau did not value them nor appreciate them. Esau was materially minded, whereas Jacob’s heart was for the heavenly promises. God honors those who value the blessings and promises of God and are willing to sacrifice the material for the spiritual.
Jacob, in time, reaped what he sowed in his encounter with Laban, his father-in-law. Jacob worked seven years for Laban’s daughter, Rachel, only to find that after the marriage, he was given Leah, Laban’s older daughter. He had to work another seven years for Rachel. After being deceived and wronged himself for fourteen years, he devised a plan to obtain some wealth from Laban. After becoming prosperous by conniving with Laban, he determined to return to Canaan. It was on his way home that he wrestled with the angel.
We return now to the scene where Jacob wrestles with the angel. It will be good to read this account from Genesis 32:24-30 in order to bring out some important and pertinent points.
“And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”
In this account, Jacob is wrestling with God. He is afraid to meet his brother Esau. He does not know what will happen to him and his family because he has word from Esau that Esau is coming to meet him with 400 men. It doesn’t sound good for Jacob.
The angel causes Jacob’s thigh to come out of joint. When one’s thigh is out of joint, he is very limited in his ability to fight. Yet, Jacob still refused to release the angel. Jacob agrees to let the angel go if the angel will bless him. At this point, the angel asks, “What is thy name?” Why does the angel ask this? Of what importance is Jacob’s name in this situation? Jacob replies, “Jacob”. Remember what this name meant. It was who Jacob was. It was what he was. It was a word that described his character, his personality. But now the angel changes his name from Jacob, the supplanter, the opportunist, to Israel: “for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed”. Jacob was changed by the power of God, and he was never the same. This is why we must, at times, wrestle with God. It changes us in character and personality and transforms our identity. We no longer identify with the world, for now, we have wrestled with God and we identify with the heavenly.
There Are Many In Scripture Who Have Wrestled With God.
Noah: Noah spent years (some say 120) building the ark. Do you think that he never got weary? Do you think he ever wondered if he heard God correctly? Do you think that the words of those who mocked and ridiculed him did not cause him to question what he heard from God? It had never rained before this time. What are rains, winds, and storms? The whole world is going to be flooded and destroyed? I’m certain he did question God at times and wrestled with the task he was given.
Moses: Moses had been raised in Egypt and knew the difficulties he would face. Reflecting back over his futile effort forty years earlier, he saw himself as a failure, and to even think about setting the Israelites free was ludicrous. It was impossible. After making all the excuses he could before God, he finally agreed to go. He was there only a short time when Pharaoh increased the workload on the Israelites. The people met Moses and complained to him that he had made their bondage worse and they were still unable to leave Egypt. Moses then complained to God, asking God why He had sent him (Ex. 5:22-23). Moses was wrestling with God over the call he had been given. In the end, God showed Himself faithful. Moses became one of the most honorable men of the Old Testament, and his testimony still is read today. He is respected and held in high regard by all those who know Jesus Christ.
David: David was also a man who wrestled with God. God sent Samuel to anoint David to be king over Israel. Everything started out well. He slew Goliath and found himself in favor with King Saul. He was brought into the king’s court and honored, even given the king’s daughter to be his wife. It wasn’t long, however, that King Saul turned against him. Saul’s jealousy of David produced anger and hatred, causing Saul to pursue David for several years in order to kill him. God spared David, but David had to question and wonder about the anointing he had received.
Under the New Covenant, every born-again believer has an anointing. It is the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which we have received of God (I John 2:27). Yet, how often do we question that anointing? How frequently do we question whether we are truly “kings and priests” unto God? How often do we wrestle with God over promises and inheritances that Scripture teaches us is ours?
John the Baptist: John had baptized Jesus and saw the Holy Spirit come down upon Him as a dove and heard God’s voice speaking and saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Yet now he is in prison and is questioning those things he had seen and heard. He sends his disciples to Jesus and asks, “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” Adversities can cause even the strongest to question. John wrestled with God.
Thomas: Thomas is often referred to as “doubting Thomas.” But was he any different than all of us? Doubt is a curse we all experience and not a pleasant one. Jesus and the disciples had faced some serious threats in Jerusalem, and now Jesus determines to go again to the evil city. As the disciples are discussing this, Thomas says, “let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16).
With each of the preceding accounts, it would be negligent of me not to mention our Lord Himself. Jesus, the last night of His time on earth, went to the Garden of Gethsemane to seek His Father. He took three of His disciples close to where He Himself prayed and told them to pray with Him. The agony that was already upon Him, as He told them to pray, was so great that He felt His life could actually slip away from Him. The grief of what He was to face was beyond human strength to bear. Consider His own words in Matthew 26:38, “Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”
As He went further into the Garden, He knelt and prayed some of the most agonizing words ever spoken: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt. 26:29). Jesus was wrestling with His Father’s will. He clearly expresses that His (Jesus’) will was to escape the cross. Yet, because of His love for the Father and for all mankind, He denied Himself and surrendered His will in place of the Father’s. Jesus knew that God would raise Him up and that His life was given for the salvation of all who would believe in Him. His death purchased eternal life for all who would receive Him and believe in Him.
So, every Christian today will find there are times when God’s word will try us. We may question our salvation. We may question what God’s will actually is. We will face difficult and challenging events that cause extreme grief and sorrow. We may lose a child, a spouse, a brother or sister, or find ourselves facing debilitating pain or suffering of various sorts. But as Horatio G. Spafford wrote in his famous song:, “It Is Well With My Soul”
“Let this blessed assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.”
TWO KINGDOMS
James Sanderson
The Bible reveals that there are two kingdoms at work in the earth today, each of which seeks to influence the hearts of men. One is from above, and the other is from below. One stands for righteousness while the other stands for unrighteousness. As humans that inhabit this present physical world, we did not choose our parents, nor our ethnicity, nor our country of origin, but each of us will claim allegiance to one of these two kingdoms before he passes from this life, either by default or by conscious choice. One is the kingdom of God, and the other is the kingdom of Satan. As we shall see, each of these two kingdoms is the antithesis of the other.
From the beginning of His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ came proclaiming the present kingdom of God and its availability to man. “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). With the advent of Christ, the kingdom of God was now within the reach of man. Throughout His Judean ministry, He faithfully declared the gospel of the Kingdom of God. “I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities, also, for therefore am I sent” (Luke 4:43). The backdrop for everything that Christ taught was the kingdom of God. The Apostle Paul, also spent his life teaching and “preaching the kingdom of God” (Acts 28:30-31). The glorious news of the gospel is that men can become citizens of God's kingdom.
How does one become a kingdom citizen? Being baptized, going to church, reading the Bible, or participating in religious exercises, although beneficial, will not make anyone a kingdom citizen. The Word of God is quite clear as to how one can enter God's kingdom. One evening, at nightfall, a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, named Nicodemus, came to Christ to inquire of Him. “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). In verse 5, Jesus clarified this statement by explaining what it means to be born again, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” In other words, one must experience a spiritual transformation of the heart in order to find entrance into the kingdom of God. “And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:2-3). Being converted and being transformed convey a similar meaning. Both words stress the importance of a spiritual change in one's life. The word convert emphasizes a change in the direction or purpose of one's life while the word transform emphasizes a moral renewal of the inner man (i.e. the heart of man).
In His Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus Christ made this startling statement, “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20). As startling as this declaration would have been to those who had gathered on that Galilean hillside some two thousand years ago, Christ was merely emphasizing the same truth about entrance into the kingdom of God that He had laid out before Nicodemus. The scribes and the Pharisees were the religious leaders of that day. Although they had devoted their lives to the study and dissemination of the Jewish faith, they had never experienced a heart-changing encounter with the living God. They had never been born again, a requisite for entrance into the kingdom of God. Their lives did not display the righteousness becoming of those who would be citizens of Christ's kingdom. The Apostle Paul explained it this way, “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Rom 10:3). Their religion was only skin deep. They had not been converted or transformed inwardly.
Just as Christ came to call men into the kingdom of God, Satan and his cohorts labor tirelessly through deception and temptation, by appealing to man's carnal instincts in order to draw him into their sphere of activity and, thus, into Satan's kingdom. Satan's kingdom is a kingdom of spiritual darkness and is often called the kingdom of darkness. According to the Word of God, it is, also a kingdom fraught with division, strife, confusion, and chaos. It is a house divided against itself. “And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand; And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?” (Matt. 12:25-26). In contrast, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17).
The material kingdoms of this world are within the domain of the kingdom of darkness. In fact, Christ calls Satan “the prince of this world” (John 14: 30), while the Apostle Paul labels him as “the god of this world” who “hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (II Cor. 4:4). The Apostle John also declared, “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness” (I John 5:19). Berry's Interlinear translates, “...the whole world lies in the wicked [one].” The kingdoms of this world are a reflection of the division, strife, confusion, and chaos that permeate Satan's kingdom. The Father in heaven sent Jesus Christ to die on the Cross that men might find deliverance from the kingdom of darkness and be translated “into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Col. 1:13).
Satan's kingdom is a temporal kingdom, whose days are numbered. That kingdom, along with all the kingdoms of this world, is doomed to “everlasting destruction” at the coming of Christ (2 Thess. 1:9). On the other hand, the kingdom of God is a heavenly kingdom, not of this world (John 18:36) and destined to endure for eternity (2 Peter 1:11).
There is a day that is fast approaching in which every political, social, and economic system of this world will pass away. This world is not our permanent dwelling place. As born-again, kingdom citizens, our complete and unswerving allegiance is to Christ and His kingdom. In fact Jesus Christ issued this directive, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33a). The furtherance of God's kingdom must become our highest priority in life.
The ruler of every kingdom has an agenda. Christ our King is no exception. His agenda, clearly spelled out in the Bible, now becomes our agenda. Conforming to that agenda must become the all-consuming purpose of our lives in the same way that the Father's agenda was to Christ. “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34). “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done” (Matt. 6:10a).
LIMITING GOD
Rene’ Rankhorn
Are You Limiting God?
There's a phrase that stopped me in my tracks when I first really sat with it: limiting God. It sounds almost impossible when you say it out loud. How could we - finite, dust-and-breath human beings - ever limit the God who spoke the universe into existence? The God who parted the Red Sea, raised the dead, and holds every star in place by the word of His power? And yet, the Bible tells us plainly that we can. And if we're honest with ourselves, most of us do it more than we realize.
Limiting God means allowing our human doubt, our fear, and our unbelief to close the door on what He wants to do in our lives. It doesn't change who He is - His power is never diminished - but it can absolutely affect what we experience of Him. The children of Israel learned this the hard way, and their story is recorded as a warning for the rest of us: "Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel." (Psalm 78:41 KJV)
They had seen His miracles firsthand. They had walked through a parted sea on dry ground. They had eaten bread that fell from heaven. They had drunk water from a rock in the desert. And still - still - they doubted. Still they complained. Still they turned back to fear and unbelief rather than trust. And in doing so, they limited what the Holy One of Israel could do among them.
That's a sobering thought. But before we shake our heads at the Israelites, it's worth asking: Am I doing the same thing?
Limiting God Through Doubt and Fear
One of the most common ways we limit God is by deciding - often without even realizing it - that our problem is simply too big for Him to handle. We look at our circumstances: the diagnosis, the broken relationship, the financial crisis, the prodigal child, the door that has been closed so long we've almost forgotten what it looked like open. And instead of bringing those things to God with expectant faith, we quietly conclude that this one is different. This one is too far gone. This one is beyond even Him.
But friend, nothing is beyond Him. "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?" (Jer. 32:27 KJV) "For with God nothing shall be impossible." (Luke 1:37 KJV)
Fear and doubt are not signs of weakness - they are signs of being human. Even the disciples were afraid in the middle of the storm, even with Jesus right there in the boat. But Jesus didn't rebuke the storm first. He turned to them and said, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" (Matt. 8:26 KJV). He was pointing them - and He is pointing us - back to trust.
Doubt
says: I don't see how He can fix this.
Faith says: I don't have to see how.
He does.
Limiting God With Our Words
There is real power in what we say. The Bible is not quiet on this subject. When we speak defeat over our own lives - "This will never change," "It's hopeless," "I'll never get better," "Things like that don't happen for people like me" - we are agreeing with the enemy rather than with God. We are building walls with our own mouths. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." (Prov. 18:21 KJV) "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." (Mark 11:23 KJV)
Now, this isn't about pretending things aren't hard. God knows the truth of our situation better than we do, and He doesn't ask us to be fake about our pain. But there is a difference between being honest with God about our struggle and declaring defeat as if He has no say in the matter.
What are you speaking over your life? Over your family? Over your future? Because our words matter - not just to us, but in the spiritual realm. Let's make sure what we're saying lines up with what He says, not with what fear tells us.
Limiting God By Staying Stuck in the Past
This one is subtle, but it might be the most common way we limit Him of all. We get used to the way God has worked before, and without meaning to, we start expecting Him to always operate within those same boundaries. We box Him in with our own history and our own understanding. And when He wants to do something new - something we haven't seen before - we miss it, because we weren't looking for it.
The Israelites did this constantly. They kept looking back at Egypt, back at what they had known, instead of pressing forward into what God was doing. And God addressed this very thing through the prophet Isaiah: "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." (Isa. 43:18-19 KJV)
A way in the wilderness. Rivers in the desert. God is not limited to the methods He has used before. He is not confined to our expectations or our theological boxes. He is the same God - but He is also endlessly creative, and He may be moving in your life in a way you haven't recognized yet because you were only looking for the way He moved last time. Don't miss the new thing because you're still waiting for the old thing.
How to Stop Limiting God
So what do we do? How do we begin to remove the limitations we've placed on Him - often without even knowing it? It starts with surrender. It starts with humility. It starts with coming to Him and saying, Lord, I confess that I have doubted You. I have spoken defeat. I have put You in a box of my own making. Forgive me. I trust You. "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Prov. 3:5–6 KJV)
It continues with feeding our faith. Faith comes by hearing - and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). The more time we spend in His presence, in His Word, the more our faith grows and our fear shrinks. We begin to see our circumstances through His eyes instead of our own limited perspective. And it carries on with watchful expectation. Begin to look for what He is doing. Ask Him to open your eyes to the new thing He is springing forth. He is always at work - even when we can't see it, even when we can't feel it, even when every outward circumstance says nothing is changing. "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." (Eph. 3:20 KJV) Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. That is who He is. That is what He is capable of. And He is simply waiting for us to stop limiting Him and start trusting Him fully.
He Is Bigger Than Your Biggest Problem
Friend, whatever you are facing today - whatever has made you quietly conclude that this situation is beyond God's reach - I want to encourage you with everything in me: it is not. He is not limited by your doubt. He is not threatened by your fear. He is not stumped by your circumstances. He is the God of the impossible, the God of new things, the God who makes rivers in the desert and ways where there seem to be none. Stop limiting Him. Open your hands, open your heart, and let Him work. He is so much bigger than you think. "Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee." (Jer. 32:17 KJV)
(Editor’s Note) Some of the scriptures used in the following article are
“free translations” by the author.
THE MEASURE OF A TREASURE
Clarence Jordan
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth consume, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also” (Matt. 6:19-21).
“But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33).
Why is a new mail-order catalog so fascinating to millions of people? Is it the pictures? Or the new fashions and gadgets? Partly, but the book would be dull indeed were it not for the prices. By carefully studying it, one can get a good idea of the relative value of the things advertised. And this greatly aids one in making a wise, efficient use of his money.
All of life is something of a mail-order catalog, and a wise man is he who studies it and knows the relative value of things. He has learned to take the measure of a treasure. He can value values. He knows what belongs first in life.
But a man wise in one area might be a fool in another. He might know the worth of stocks and bonds and not know the value of his own soul.
It is not strange that “worship” is a contraction of “worth-ship.” For religion has always been a key factor in aiding one to properly evaluate all of life. Jesus was particularly careful to give His disciples detailed instructions along this line. He said, “Don't all of you value for yourselves material values, which worms and rust ultimately consume and which thieves break into and steal. But you value for yourselves spiritual values, which neither worms nor rust consume and which thieves do not break into and steal. For what you value is what you shall be.”
There are two measuring rods with which a treasure may be measured. One is the rod of the world, or the material mind. Its readings are in “rings and things” – dollars and cents, power, prestige, clothes, houses, lands, pleasure – and misery, though this is usually a big figure written in tiny letters. This gauge is constructed on the principle that a man's life consists in the abundance of his possessions. With this stick the world generally measures “success.” Countless thousands of young people “choose a vocation” on the basis of its readings. For men of business and finance, it is Aaron's rod. For all men, rich and poor alike, who do not have the mind of Christ, its glittering figures have an unusual attraction.
And here is a great mystery: Why has the Western world, and America in particular, which measures most of its values on this materialistic scale, been attracted to the religion of Jesus Christ inasmuch as Jesus ruthlessly condemns materialism? What trick of the mind has made it possible for us and Him to dwell together in apparent unity?
Certainly, He has given to us another rod – the mind of the Spirit. It is the length and breadth and height of Christ's own life. By it – rather, by Him – the Christian measures all things.
When the two rods are placed side by side, behold, they are exact opposites. The first on one is the last on the other, and the last on one is the first on the other. On the material gauge, things like love and humility and unselfishness and honesty appear as trifles, while a big salary and a slick automobile get a high rating. On the spiritual gauge, this is reversed. Which reading is correct? That's for you to decide.
If you decide to follow Jesus, you will value spiritual values. You will set your mind on the things which are above, where Christ is. You will have in you the mind which was in Christ Jesus. And this mind will be able to discern clearly that material things, be they ever so attractive, are but worm food, rust, and objects of thievery, when viewed in the light of eternity. You will see that a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth.
But must we choose between these two? Can't we get our scale of values first from one and then the other? Isn't there some good in both of them? Let Jesus answer.
“The body's lamp is the eye. If your eye be single, your whole body shall be illuminated, but if your eye be evil, your whole body shall be darkened. Now if the light in you becomes darkness, how great is that darkness!”
Your sense of values is to the soul what the eye is to the body. It enables you to see things in their proper perspective. It enables you to get your bearings and a sense of direction. But the eye must be single, that is, in focus. If both eyes are fastened on a single objective, then you are “illuminated;” you are not confused. But if your eye is evil (the Evil Eye was supposed to be able to see in all directions at once), that is, if it is out of focus from attempting to look at more than one object at a time, your “light” will be darkness; you will see nothing clearly.
So Jesus is saying that to try to regulate your life by both standards of measurement is like a man who tries to look at two things at once and sees neither. You will be utterly confused. You must focus your life upon one way or the other. You must choose whether you are going to look upon things through the eyes of Christ or the eyes of the world.
Jesus expresses the same thought again in different words. He says, “Nobody can be a slave to two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be loyal to the one and disloyal to the other. You can't be a slave to God and Mammon.” Notice that He doesn't say that you shouldn't serve two masters, but that you can't. This isn't advice – it's law, as inexorable as the law of gravity. It's like stating that you can't follow a road that forks. It is based on the assumption that the mind of God and the mind of the secular world are in direct contradiction to each other. They give two conflicting standards of measurement. Loyalty must be given to one or the other; it cannot be given to both.
It won't work, either, to hire out to Mammon and give a tenth of your wages to God. Not even if you raise His cut to a fifth, or a half.
Nor do you have to deal in big figures to be Mammon's slave. All you need is a materialistic set of values. But don't think that getting out of silks into blue denim automatically makes you God's slave. He wants you to change your loyalty, then your clothes. Once you have become His slave, clothes and jewelry and furs and furniture and all such have a way of adjusting themselves. (As an illustration of how Christianity broke up a thriving jewelry business, read Acts 19:23-41.)
Because Jesus' disciples cannot be slaves to Mammon, and because it is the Master's responsibility to care for His slaves, the Lord continues, “Therefore I say to you, don't worry about your living, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; nor about your body, what you shall put on. Isn't your life more valuable than food and your body than clothing? Look there at the birds in the sky. They don't plant or harvest or store up in barns, and your spiritual Father nurses them. Aren't all of you more valuable than they? Now who among you, by worrying over it, can make himself one inch taller? And why worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow. They don't scrub and sew, but I'm telling you that not even Solomon in all his finery was clad like one of them. Now if God so dresses up the wild flowers which are blooming one day and thrown into the fire the next, will he not do much more for you, O you who trust too little? So stop worrying and raising the question, 'What will we eat?' and 'What will we drink?' and 'What will we wear?' for all these are the things that pagans go in for. Your spiritual Father knows that you need all these things. But you make the kingdom and its righteousness your chief concern, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, don't worry over tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry over itself. One day's evil is sufficient.”
Now, let's get one thing straight. This isn't a pious, mushy, pat on the back, telling men not to worry any more, that if they'll let go and let God, He'll fix everything up for them slick as a whistle. A true friend of the burdened, oppressed, laboring people, as Jesus was, wouldn't feed them “pie in the sky in the sweet bye and bye.” He knew how bread came, for He Himself had sweated for it.
And He would want it crystal clear that these words were not addressed to disciples of Mammon. It is a grave injustice to lead Mammonites to believe that they were. These people should be frankly told to look to their own master for sustenance, for Mammon also makes certain agreements with those who seek first his kingdom. His outfit is run on the principle of profit and, as long as a slave is profitable, he will be cared for. But Mammon makes no promises to the aged, the sick, the widows, the orphans, the ignorant, in short, the profitless. So by all means Mammon's disciples should make every possible provision while they are healthful and profitable, for the days will come when they will be discarded. They will be fools indeed to take no thought for the morrow, to store up nothing in barns. They will need life insurance and annuities, social security, investments, savings accounts, and anything else to help them to answer the questions, “What will we eat, and what will we drink and what will we wear?” Jesus freely granted that the pagans (disciples of Mammon) sought after all these things. It was an absolute necessity with them. Their system demanded it.
It is perfectly obvious that Jesus could have addressed His remarks only to those who “make the kingdom and its righteousness their chief concern.” He told His disciples – kingdom citizens – to look at the birds in the sky and to consider the lilies of the fields. They were nourished and cared for because they were in the environment and plan and purpose which the Father intended for them. And they must stay within that plan if they are to claim the Father's care. Suppose they had the power of free will, as man does, and the bird chose to live under water and the lily decided to live on concrete? Would the Father feed and clothe them? He might wish to, but He could not. He would be thwarted in His purposes by their wills. He can care for men only on His terms.
The environment which God intends for all men is the kingdom. It is the summation of all His plans and purposes. It is the framework of His will. Men in it are like birds in the sky and lilies of the field – they are living in harmony with God's design. And being of more value than either, they have a perfectly natural right to expect more from the Father's bounty. Then why should they worry? If the Father knows their needs, as He obviously does, and has promised to meet them, why not trust Him completely?
But how does God “add all these things” to kingdom citizens? Does He rain them from the skies or provide them miraculously merely “in answer to prayer”? Certainly not. That isn't the way He does it for the birds and lilies. They are nourished from the system to which they have committed themselves. The needs of kingdom citizens are supplied through the kingdom. It is God's distributing agency.
Let's be more specific and turn to an actual illustration. In the Book of Acts we are told that the Holy Spirit came upon 120 people on the day of Pentecost. This powerful, indwelling Spirit brought them, and three thousand more shortly thereafter, into the kingdom, into the love relationship with God and their brethren. One result of this tremendous inward change was a radically different attitude toward possessions. Luke was so amazed at it that he described it twice (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35). He said, “Now the heart and soul of the multitude of believers was one, and not a one of them claimed any of his possessions for himself, but all things were shared by them. And with great power the apostles were exhibiting the evidence of the Lord Jesus' resurrection, and everybody was greatly delighted. For there wasn't among them anyone in need. Those who were owners of lands and houses sold them and brought the proceeds of the sale and turned them over to the apostles.” The narrative continues by citing what must have been two typical responses. Barnabas, entering wholeheartedly into the fellowship, sold a field and turned in all the proceeds. He later became a pillar in the church. Ananias and Sapphira, in an effort to serve God and Mammon, had a sale and brought part of the money. It was the worst and last thing they ever did. Their funeral was held the same day.
How did it happen that there wasn't a needy person among these people? Had more food, clothing, and shelter been miraculously created? No, but a new way of life had been adopted. Need, not greed, became the principle by which they lived. By partaking of the spirit of Jesus, they became new citizens of the kingdom of God. Sharing completely with one another in love and unity, and making distribution according to the new standard of measurement, they took the assets which God had already given them and cared for those in need.
This is a vivid illustration of the Christian principle of love, of concern for the needs of others, of stewardship of the possessions God lends to us. Men through all ages since Jesus lived on earth, and through differing economic systems, have been Christians. The man who makes Mammon his god drives out love and refuses to live by the principles of the kingdom.
When God first made man, He made provision for all his needs. This has been true ever since. God has already “added all these things.” There is enough in the world today to meet all men's needs. The problem is not in supply but in distribution, not with God but with man. Poverty and riches are the result of man's rebellion against the will of God. When His kingdom comes, when His will is done on earth, both poverty and riches will go!
THE VINE
Harry Miller
This vine has many branches; from the beginning of time the Lord has owned it. From its creation He has cared for it and has been delighted with its fruit.
Godly men such as Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and many others were “branches.” Some brought forth more fruit than others, but without exception, all bore fruit for the Glory of God.
In all ages God has dealt with men, ever looking for fruit. The children of Israel, the descendants of Father Jacob, were made branches of a wonderful tree. Then many of these branches were “broken off” because of unbelief. These were “natural branches,” and we are now admonished not to be “high-minded” but “fear” for “thou standest by faith.”
“For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee. Behold the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, IF thou CONTINUE in His goodness: otherwise THOU ALSO SHALT BE CUT OFF” (Rom. 11:17-22).
“My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He TAKETH AWAY” (John 15:1,2).
Salvation is conditional; there is a possibility of being “taken away” from the “way that leads to life everlasting.”
Preachers of our day have overstressed the “love of God” message. To many people, the Lord is a very extravagant, sentimental Being.
Their God winks at sin. Law and disobedience, we are told, were “done away in Christ.” Multitudes of Christians cannot conceive of a God who would “cut off” one of the professors of his religion. But the Scriptures are very plain about the “goodness and the severity” of the Lord.
The Lord told Moses that “Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book.” In the last book of the Bible, we find this matter of the blotting out referred to again. “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will NOT BLOT his name out of the book of life” (Rev. 3:5). If names cannot and are not blotted out of the book of life, then these passages are without meaning.
Many pacify their consciences by babbling unscriptural phrases, such as: “once saved, always saved,” or “once a child of God, always a child of God.” They ask, “If we are born again how can we be unborn?” They forget that the “new birth” is not like the first birth. The new birth is spiritual; the new life is spiritual; it is retained by faith and obedience.