Volume 2 Issue 12 december, 2010

E-Herald of the
Coming Kingdom
“The time has come, and the
Kingdom of God is near. Change
the way you think and act, and
believe the Good News.”
Mark 1:15 GW

In This Issue:

Remembering At Christmas

Christmas Is Coming

Transformation or Stagnation?

The Future Great Restoration

The Voice of Truth

Dedicated To Spreading The Good News Of God’s Coming

Kingdom To Be Established When Jesus Returns
 Editor’s Note
Co-Editors: Wally Winner - Kent Ross

This photo is from the 1964 Ministerial Conf. in Oregon, Illinois. My wife
Cheryl is standing just in front of me and my Father. As I was looking it over,
I realized how many of these ministers and students have been my mentors
and companions through the years of ministry. They stood for the faith and
contended for it. Can you identify them all? And which were the ones that
made the faith so real for you?

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 Contents

Remembering at
Christmas Page 2 Editorial

Page 4 Page 7 Christmas is Coming

Dennis Baldwin David Hixon

Page 12 Transformation or Stagnation

Gift of the Magi Rob Bernheisel
Page 6
Page 21 Kind Words Do Not Cost Much
Scott Ross
Arlen F. Rankin

Page 22 The Voice of Truth

The Future Angela Moore
Great Restoration
Page 25 Where Is Your Umbrella?
Page 14 Dennis Baldwin
Anthony Buzzard

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REMEMBERING AT CHRISTMAS
By Dennis Baldwin

How many of you believed in Santa Claus when you were a little kid? I
mean really believed. Can you remember? You know? We all come to
where we are today by different paths. When I was a kid I really did believe
in Santa Claus. My mother told me there was and I believed my mother.
The Santa Claus thing took me a while to figure out; probably because it
is so pervasive in our society. You know, “Yes Virginia there is a Santa
Claus”? Even the weather men on TV and the newscasters get into the
spirit of the idea. You have noticed the “spotting” of Santa?

All this goes to bear upon a point that Jesus made:

Matthew 18: 1 At that time the disciples came to

Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the
kingdom of heaven?”2 And He called a child to
Himself and set him before them,3 and said, “Truly
I say to you, unless you are converted and become
like children, you will not enter the kingdom of
heaven.4 ”Whoever then humbles himself as this
child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
(NASB)

The humility thing is the primary to what Jesus was addressing but there
is another dimension. As little children we haven’t fully developed our
skeptical dimension. So in a sense some might say we were very gullible.
To a point that might technically be correct. But there is another point to
be made. It is the point of simple faith.

As parents we find it difficult to determine where to draw the line in training

our children. We want them to be open and accepting but find that they
just wind up being skeptical. So we tell them “never talk to strangers”. Not
a bad idea in today’s world. But think of what might be missed.

Have you ever noticed how a little child’s eyes wanders around looking for
someone to return their gaze and smile? If you will give them eye contact
and smile they will usually smile back. Yes even at a perfect stranger.
Their faith in people is simple.

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In some simple way you and I need to come back to that point in our life
when we were willing to simply believe something and to apply that attitude
to our faith in the God and to the Lord Jesus, as well as the Kingdom of
God.

Just how deep is your faith in God; in his son Jesus; in his coming
kingdom? Is it of the quality of which Jesus spoke?

What would be your response to this scenario in Genesis 6?

You remember. The situation brought to our attention in the Bible with
Noah.

The end of all flesh???

A flood of water???
An ark of gopher wood???
Put animals into the ark for preservation????

Now the first thing to do is to accept what God has said. Just think of all
the questions? What do you think might have been your response?

What would be your response to the scenario Exodus 2? You remember.

The situation in the Bible where God called Moses.

What would have been your response? Would you have responded as
did Moses?

Who am I?
What shall I say unto them?
They will not believe me?
I am not an eloquent man!
Use somebody else.

Moses’ problem was that he was reluctant to simply believe. What is our
problem?

What process can return us to that point of simple faith? What do we need
to do? Jesus made it simple. Conversion! Rid yourself of the skeptical muscle
nurtured in your life for years. Sheep might be gullible but they can be led.
Not driven! Isn’t that what Jesus meant by being born again?

“Unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the
kingdom of heaven. ”Whoever then humbles himself as this child.”
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 The Gifts
of the Magi
By Scott Ross

It was your typical Sunday School Christmas Program, with a little girl holding her doll, kneeling before
a cardboard manger, an awkward “Joseph” standing beside her, embarrassed that he has to pretend
to be Mary’s husband, and both surrounded by others in bathrobes, heads covered with Mom’s towels,
having come with haste to see this things that has come to pass. Then enter three more children with
nicer bathrobes and cardboard crowns on their heads, bearing gifts. The line that had been carefully
practiced was, “We are three wisemen who have seen his star in the east and have come to worship
him.” The boy with the line remembered all except the first phrase, “We are three wisemen.” The program
director, trying to prompt him in a whisper, asked, “Who are you?” One of the three brought peals of
laughter when he replied, “We’re the three wise guys!”

Who were these “wise guys” and why did they come and bring gifts? There are several things
that are often confusing. First, we do not know that there were three. People assume that because
there were three gifts. But the number of wisemen is not given in Scripture. Second, although most
nativity sets display the wisemen in the stable around the manger, the Bible tells us by the time they
arrived, Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus were in a house (Matthew 2:11). (If it had been wise women they
would have asked for directions and probably arrived on time. Plus they would have brought a casserole
for Mary and Joseph.) But, we do know these wisemen or Magi were from the east and were looking for
one born to be a king. They had seen signs in the heavens that indicated to them that a king had been
born. Their intent in traveling to see this king was to worship him. These Magi were probably wise and
holy men. Perhaps they had previous contact with Jewish exiles and may have been familiar with Daniel’s
prophecies.

When they found the child, they were overjoyed (Matthew 2:10), they worshipped him (Matthew
2:11), and they presented Jesus with gifts (Matthew 2:11). The three gitfs presented were gold, incense
(frankincense), and myrrh. All of these gifts were of value, and they probably helped to finance Mary and
Joseph’s trip to Egypt to escape Herod’s evil. But more than that, all three of these gifts speak of Jesus’
role and ministry.

Myrrh
Myrrh is mentioned in the Old Testament. When Jacob’s sons were trying to decide whether to
kill their brother or not because of their jealousy, a caravan of Ishmaelites from Gilead passed by, and
they sold their brother as a slave to these traders. Genesis 37:25 describes these traders: Their camels
were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.

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Later, when the brothers have to go down into Egypt and appear unbeknown to them, before their
brother, their father sends gifts to take with them –a little balm and a little honey, some spices and
myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds (Genesis 43:11). Exodus 30 describes the anointing oil
that Moses was to prepare, and one of the ingredients was myrrh. In the Psalms, Proverbs, and Song
of Solomon, myrrh is mentioned a number of times as a perfume used to make women more attractive.
And when Esther was to appear before the king, myrrh was part of the beauty treatment.

But the New Testament introduces a more somber and ominous use of this valuable spice.
They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). Then they
offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it (Mark 15:22,23). Perhaps this spice had a
numbing effect, perhaps it was to make the wine more palatable, but Jesus refused it.

The final reference to myrrh in the Bible is in John 19 where Nicodemus and Joseph of
Arimathea ask Pilate for the body of Jesus: Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes,
about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips
of linen. This was in accordance with the Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was
crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been
laid….They laid Jesus there. Myrrh, in accordance with Jewish burial customs, was a spice used to
prepare the body for burial. There is a beauty in the realization that this gift given to him at birth (and
probably sold by Mary and Joseph to finance their fleeing to Egypt) would come back to Jesus at this
death through the generous gift of two other men.

The shadow of the cross extended even to his birth. The gift of myrrh, a spice used for burial,
given to Jesus by the Magi foreshadowed his coming death. Jesus knew that he was born to die in
our place that we might have forgiveness and life. Myrrh was an appropriate gift for one born to die for
the sins of the world.

Incense
When we worship, we unfortunately limit our senses to primarily our eyes and ears, to seeing
and hearing. But as the early Jews worshipped God, they involved all five senses – not only seeing
and hearing, but also touch, taste, and smell. Worship for them was a total sensory experience.
Incense was a part of the worship experience. When the children of Israel brought gifts so that the
tabernacle could be built, incense was one of the gifts brought (Exodus 25:1-9). And incense became
an integral part of the worship of the Jews in the tabernacle and later in the temple (Exodus 30:1-8).
The special incense that was to be used in worship included frankincense (Exodus 30:34-36). In
Psalm 141, David likens prayer
to the incense of the evening
sacrifice. And in Revelation
8:3,4, as the seventh seal is
opened, John say incense
mingled with the prayers of the
saints.
The gift of incense or
frankincense, given by the Magi
to Jesus, was a fitting gift for one
born to be our high priest.
Because Jesus is our high
priest, we can come boldly
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before the throne of grace. For our high priest can sympathize with our weaknesses. And through him,
we find mercy and grace and help in our times of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). God does not want us to
struggle alone. He has provided in Jesus the perfect high priest to help us in our spiritual journey. The
gift of incense that the Magi brought reminds us of Jesus’ priestly ministry.

Gold
Gold is a fit gift for a king. The Magi were looking for a king (Matthew 2:2) and when the knelt
before Jesus they knew they had found him. The worshipped him and gave him gifts, including gold,
the gift fit for a king (Matthew 2:10,11).

Don’t be fooled because Jesus was born in a stable and slept in a humble manger. This child
was born to be a king. It was no mistake that the angel told Mary that this child she would have would
sit upon the throne of his father David and reign over the house of Jacob forever (Luke 1:32,33). It was
no accident that Mary ended up in Bethlehem when her child was born, for the prophet Micah had
foretold that it was there that a ruler would be born (Micah 5:2). Jesus himself knew he had been born
to be king. When Pilate asked him if he was a king, Jesus replied, “You are right in saying I am a king.
In fact, for this reason I was born” (John 18:37). Gold was a proper gift for the Magi to give to one born
to be king.

But Jesus’ life ended on a cross, not a throne. And had his death been the end of the story, it
would have been a tragic mistake. But the cross was not the final chapter, for it was followed by the
resurrection. And in fact, the final chapter has not yet
been written. But make no mistake. Jesus, born to be
king, will be king. The last question his disciples asked
before he ascended into heaven was, “Lord, are you at
this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” and
Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know the times or dates
the Father as set by his own authority” (Acts 1:6). Jesus
knew, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all
the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly
glory (Matthew 25:31). When he returns, in power and
great glory, his robe willbe inscribed, King of kings and
Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). Even so, come, Lord
Jesus! (Revelation 22:20).

Wise Men Still Seek Him

The Magi traveled far, seeking Jesus. When they
found him they rejoiced, they worshipped him, and they
presented gifts to him. They gave him myrrh, a spice
use for burial, foreshadowing his death for our sins. They
gave him incense, for he was born to be our perfect high
priest. And they gave him gold, for Jesus is destined to
be King of all kings. In these three gifts we see how Jesus
came to die for our sins, how he lives today to make
intercession for us as our high priest, and how he will
return to rule as king in God’s coming Kingdom.
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 CHRISTMAS IS COMING
By David Hixson

Christmas is coming. Already the decorations are up in the shops. The

Christmas carols are gently piped, not so that we will hear the words,
but so that we will get the message - “Spend! Spend! Spend! It’s
Christmas time again! Come over here! Open up your purses and
spend!”

A pastor I had a long time ago told me this story, “He remembered
being invited to a party held to celebrate a wedding. He arrived late
and knew no one there but the friend who had invited him, and his part
in the proceedings was little more than that of a spectator. Everybody
seemed to be in high spirits. They danced and shouted and sang and
laughed and played games, and indulged in heaps of harmless fun. They flung streamers across the
hall, they chased after balloons, they pranced about in fancy paper hats, they visited the bar for drinks,
and young and old alike were reduced to a state of childish glee.

“Then he noticed a young lady sitting in a corner alone. She seemed very happy, and smiled pleasantly
when he caught her eye, but he thought she seemed a bit neglected, and he whispered to his friend:
‘Who’s the young lady in the corner?’

“‘Don’t you know?’ he said, somewhat startled. ‘I must introduce you. That’s the bride...’”
Sounds rather improbable, doesn’t it? But he insisted that it was true and unexaggerated in a single
detail.

And here we are preparing to celebrate the coming of the King. Do we have space for him in our
celebration? or do we just like celebrating? Is our Christmas a birthday party without the guest of honor?

The Jewish people had been waiting for their King to come. In those days kings and priests were
anointed with oil to show that they were set apart for the special work God had for them to do. The
Hebrew word for “anointed” was mashiach - rendered “messiah” in English. They were waiting, not for
one more King, but for the Messiah. God had promised someone special who would come in God’s
good time to redeem his people.

In Isaiah 11 he is described as “a shoot from the stump of Jesse.” The New American Standard Bible
says, “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of
counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD— and he will delight in the fear
of the LORD.”

What will it be like when the shoot from the root of Jesse is King? The first difference will be the kind of
king who is coming. He will be so different from any other king they have ever had before. His rule will be
marked by complete fairness - he will not be playing favorites - not by appearance or status but justice
and integrity towards everyone, even to the poorest and neediest in his kingdom.

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So peace will be the mark of his kingdom. The whole creation will be transformed, brought back to what
it was meant to be. Peace between wolf and sheep, between leopard and goat, between calf and lion,
between cows and bears. “A little child will lead them... The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and
the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy
mountain” as Isaiah tells us.

Of course, we don’t yet live in that ideal world. But listen to what Paul says in Romans 8 - “The creation
waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration,
not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be
liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We
know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time”.

Paul is saying that the whole physical world has been affected by the results of the human rejection of
God, by human sin. We don’t (and can’t!) live in a Garden of Eden any more. We hear the Lord saying
to Adam in Genesis 3, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the
days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the
sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for
dust you are and to dust you will return”.

We too wait for that final restoration in which there will be perfect peace, justice and harmony. These are
the marks of the kingdom!

And as the marks of his kingdom, they are also what the King will look for when he comes!

It came as a shock when a preacher appeared in the desert of Judaea dressed in clothes of camel’s
hair with a leather belt around his waist. He began calling people to repent of their sins so that they could
prepare for the coming of the Lord. “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near!,” he told them. And people
confessed their sins and were baptized in the Jordan River.

Will we be surprised when the Messiah comes? Have we repented and been baptized? We have been
warned to be ready but are we truly ready?

I want to leave you with a story that I came across many years ago.

“For years now the Planning Committee had been at work - soon the dream would be a reality! The King
would be coming soon!

The highest quality deep-pile carpet is being laid by a team of experts. The paint on the walls is a
special new finish - and spotless. A superb sound system pipes the finest music to every room. Everything
is designed for comfort, winter and summer. Wide windows afforded splendid views of the gardens -
already a picture, thanks to the skills of the landscape gardeners…

You see, the King is coming. It seems he would be coming soon. They had to be ready! They had to
have the place fit for the King!

Just as everything was ready and the happy day about to dawn, a young boy and an old man (a boy and
his grandpa, perhaps) wandered through the grand gateway.

They weren’t dressed in anything special - very ordinary, in fact! But nobody seemed to notice at first,

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because there were still one or two in overalls
putting in some finishing touches.

They walked across the lawn, looked at the shrubs

and flowers, then moved towards the steps.
It was when they started up the steps that a
shocked gasp went up from a couple of officials
checking out the final details and a shout - “No!
Stop! You can’t go in there! Get out of here! You
don’t belong here! This place is for the King and it
has to be kept fit for the King!”

The two were bundled out the gate and directed

down the road - “and don’t you ever come near
here again!”

Soon the top dignitaries began to assemble, the

trumpeters and the band arrived.

And the city folk, decked out in their best, crowded

outside and lined the road to watch the expected
arrival.

But the day wore on and nothing happened. Weeks

passed, years, decades...

From time to time folk would gather near the House

and listen to the well-rehearsed speeches, to the
excellent trumpet fanfares and the fine music, to
admire the architecture and enjoy the gardens...

Then, one night, it happened. The residents were

woken by the strident wail of a siren. Putting on
dressing gowns and slippers and looking a very
motley crowd from least to greatest, they made
their way to where the noise seemed to be coming
from the city square. What was it all about?

There right before them was the King himself!

A shocked gasp went up. One of the leading

officials spluttered, “Why didn’t you come? We
were waiting. We were rehearsing for your arrival!
“

And when the King of the whole universe comes,

will he say, “I was a stranger and you did not invite
me in... I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do
for one of the least of these, you did not do for me”
(Matt. 25.43-45)?
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 Transformation or Stagnation?
With much thanks to Dr John Ortberg
By Rob Bernheisel
Some times, for some of us, if we look in the
back of our refrigerator we may find a container of
leftovers. We open it to see what it is and if it is still
good to eat. Chances are that if it blue-green in
color it is not good and we throw it out.
Most foods go through a transformation with time.
Not all of it is bad. Cheese and wine get better with
age. Personally I think lasagna is better as a
leftover. I know some foods get better if they are
allowed to marinate.
Food does go through a transformation with time.
Some transformation is for the better while
other may be for the worse. A lot depends
on the controlling or influencing factors. A
good cook may know how to control those
factors for the better.
I would like to share with you some
thoughts on a transformation. I would venture
that everything goes through some degree
of transformation with time. We can not stop
it. However, we can influence the outcome.
People today are actually hungry for
transformation. There is an increasing
interest in religions and philosophies that
promise fulfillment. Television commercials,
magazine ads, billboards, and more offer us
a better life if we use their product.
I was going to a Church function one
night and I drove by Gold’s Gym. There were
plenty of cars there. People actually pay to
go. They expect some degree of physical
transformation.
Books that promise transformation
are best sellers. Politicians that convince
people they can transform the situation are
elected to office. Lecturers who promise
transformation can draw great crowds.
I would like to address a specific area
of transformation. It is found in a book that
promises transformation, however, I do not
think that people are experiencing the
degree of transformation that the author promises
or expects.
It is written “make every effort to add to your
faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and
to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control,
perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and
to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly
kindness, love.” It goes on to say “for if you possess
these qualities in increasing measure, they will
keep you from being ineffective and unproductive
in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if
anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted
and blind, and has forgotten that he has been
cleansed from his past sins.” (2 Peter 1:5-9)
The italics and bold are mine. I want us to
notice that the author not only expected these
qualities but expects them to be continually
increasing. For me, that would take a
transformation.
Not only does the author expect such
transformation He also promised it. “The fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control.” “We, who with unveiled
faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being
transformed into his likeness with ever-
increasing glory” (2 Cor 3:18).
A man named Jesus spoke to his
followers and expected them to not just keep
a set of religious rules but to be transformed
on the inside. Jesus did not only expect this
of them but promised to help them do this.
I think he gave and is giving them what he
referred to as the Holy Spirit and the Church
for this transformation. He also taught them
practices that would essential in this
transformation. The Sermon on the Mount
was not a clarification of rules or
commandments but about transformation
that would be seen in his followers
(disciples).
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 His followers were also very serious
about transformation. Every letter in the New
Testament speaks of transformation. His
followers experienced transformation. Notice
the change in character of the apostle Paul.
He counted his legalism and his religious
background as worthless compared to
knowing Christ. He was an angry man who
sought without concise to imprison and kill
Christians and changed to a man full of
compassion and concern.
Peter experienced transformation. He was
bold but fearful when Jesus was with him
physically. On the day of Pentecost, when
Peter was filled the Holy Spirit he became
courageous and continued that throughout the
book of Acts.
Neither man became perfect.
However, they were transformed to a point that
people who met them knew they were
different. They became and continued to grow
more like Jesus. This kind of change does not
come from just a change of beliefs or a new
set of rules.
God intended that the Holy Spirit and
the Church be radical tools of transformation.
We can see the transformation in the people
of the early church. Their love was
overwhelming and so was there generosity.
They were not concerned with self but rather
the advancement of God’s purpose.
In every situation when the focus stoped being
on God and starts being on self or just being
religious the transforming stops.
So why is the transformation not
happening?
Some transformation can happen
quickly. Many new Christians have an
abundance of the fruit of the Spirit. This was
seen in the book of Acts and hopefully you
have seen it in and around you.
Other transformation takes time. It is a
process of allowing God to work in our lives. I think
this in what Peter and Paul were both referring to in
their letters. This is the part that does not seem to
be happening as God would have it. We have a
tendency, like the Galatians and others, to move from
a life of spirituality to a life of rules.
We even have a tendency, when we do not
have transformation, to set up boundary markers to
distinguish who is in our group and who is
not. The majority of religious teachers of
Jesus day focused on the boundaries. Also,
in seeking transformation some times we run
into obstacles. We may encounter a dead
end and think there is no way to get to our
destination.
I had an experience like that while following
a GPS. I was going to a camp ground in Ohio
called Higher Ground and we were getting
very close. The GPS told us to turn into a
driveway, which I could see, ended at a
garage which was not the campground. We
were quite confused but not about to quit.
We drove around the block and found our way
in on the other side.
Why didn’t we just give up? Well, I
had been there before and I knew it existed.
We had also talked to someone by phone
that was there that morning.
The obstacles we encounter can vary.
Sin in our hearts can be the biggest obstacle.
Especially sin that is unseen by us. That is
part of the value of a body of believer whom
we love and trust. Some times they can see
what we can not. The apostle Peter was
backsliding when he stopped eating with the
gentiles and the apostle Paul pointed it out
to him. Peter repented. If he had not, it would
have hindered, even stopped the working of
the Holy Spirit in his life.
The obstacle of disbelief can also
stop us. When transformation does not seem
to be happening or is not happening fast
enough we “guard” ourselves by believing it
is not going to happen. If a church does not
believe in becoming more like Jesus it is
extremely unlikely to happen in its members.
We need to understand the nature of
spiritual growth. It can be compared to
physical growth. When we are born there is
a great joy of new life. That joy helps us to be patient
and gracious.
But growing to maturity takes time.
Sometimes growth is slow. Other times it comes in
spurts. There are stages of growth. However, the
normal is to continue growing.
So how to we grow and whose responsibility
is it? We will cover that in the second part of
Transformation or Stagnation in January.
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 The Future Great Restoration
By Anthony Buzzard

The obscuring of the New Testament hope through inexact translation has meant that in
the minds of most churchgoers the reality of the salvation story ends with the disappearance of
Jesus from the earthly scene. Whatever remains of the drama thereafter is transacted ‘in heaven,’
and makes no impact on the earth. Nothing could be further from the biblical truth. Jesus, Peter
says, must remain absent until “the time comes for all things to be made new” (Acts 3:21,
Good News Bible). We quote the same passage more accurately translated by Dr. Weymouth:
“Heaven must retain Him, until those times of which God has spoken from the lips of His Holy
Prophets — the times of the reconstitution of all things.” The virtue of this more accurate
rendering is that it enables us to understand that it is those celebrated times, due to begin with
the Return of the Messiah, which are the central theme of prophecy. Clearly we shall have to
examine the Message of the Old Testament prophets to find out was is involved in the “times of
the Restoration” (Peter assumed that his audience knew!). In so doing we shall be following
the example of Paul who “from morning to evening explained the Kingdom of God to them from
personal testimony, and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the
Prophets” (Acts 28:23).
The events described by Peter as the Restoration of all things (Acts 3:21) are thus seen
to be much more than an indefinite judgment day, about which very little can be known. For the
Restoration is nothing less than the total content of the Old Testament prophetic Message, “to
which we do well to give heed as to a light shining in a dark place, until the Day should dawn” (1
Pet. 1:19).
It is axiomatic in the history of biblical interpretation that where men refuse to believe the
clear message of Scripture, generally because it threatens received tradition, they will create
every possible difficulty to produce the necessary “smoke-screen.” This can be illustrated by
pointing to the attempts which have been made to corrupt the simplicity of the Apostolic statement
of Acts 3:21. It will hardly appear credible to the ordinary reader that efforts were made to apply
the time of the great future Restoration to the present experience of Christians. That sound
expositors have been forced to do battle with such illegitimate treatment is proof itself of the
vital importance of a right understanding of this passage. We find the learned Dean Alford, for
example, having to contradict the attempts to render the word “until” as “during”! Such impossible
translations would effectively transpose future events to the present and thus destroy the great
future Hope. Commenting on the passage “Christ must remain in heaven until...”, Dean Alford
writes:
“Not ‘during’ as the advocates of the present spiritual sense of the passage wish to render it,
but ‘until’.... I cannot see how Restoration can be applied to the work of the Spirit during this
interim state in the hearts of men. This would be contrary to all scripture analogy. I understand
it of the glorious Restoration of all things, the Rebirth (as in Mat. 19:28, when the Apostles are
to be rulers over Israel), which, as Peter says here is the theme of all the prophets from the
beginning” (Greek Testament, Vol. II, pp. 38, 39).
It is essential that Christians begin to restate in unequivocal terms their faith in this essential
yet forgotten element of the Gospel Message. For this Message means not only salvation for
the individual, who is destined to share in the Reign of the Messiah at the time of the Restoration,
but world peace as promised in the famous prophecy of Isaiah 2: “[The Messiah] will settle
disputes among great nations. They will hammer their swords into ploughs and their spears

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into pruning knives. Nations will never again go to war, never prepare for battle again” (Isa.
2:4).
The future universal Rule of the Messiah is described on nearly every page of the Hebrew
scriptures:
“A new King will arise from among David’s descendants. The Spirit of the Lord will give Him
wisdom, and the knowledge and skill to rule His people.... At His command the people will be
punished, and evil persons will die. He will rule His people with justice and integrity. Wolves
and sheep will live together in peace.... Lions will eat straw as cattle do. Even a baby will not
be harmed if it plays near a poisonous snake. On Zion, God’s sacred hill, there will be nothing
harmful or evil. The land will be full of knowledge of the Lord as the seas are full of water” (see
Isa. 11:1-9).
Quoting again from the Good News Bible, we find a section headed “the Future King”:
“His Royal power will continue to grow; His Kingdom will always be at peace. He will rule as
King David’s successor, basing His power on right and justice” (Isa. 9:7). This sublime Hope
of a world filled with the “knowledge of the Lord” is carried forward into the New Testament.
The angel announces that one day “the Lord will make Jesus King, as His ancestor David
was... His Kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:33). The Apostles were promised rulership as
Kings in the coming New World (Mat. 19:28, see Moffatt, and the Good News Bible). The
New Testament church held as a fundamental article of faith the belief that the church was
destined to rule the world (1 Cor. 6:2, 2 Tim. 2:12, Rev. 2:26, 3:21, 5:10, 20:1-6). Indeed the
future reconstituted inhabited world was the very essence of the Apostles’ preaching (Heb.
2:5: “For God did not subject to angels the future inhabited world of which we speak”). This
Golden Age is further specifically defined as the Millennial period in Rev. 20.
It is essential to realize that every exegetical device has been employed to obscure the
plain scriptural witness to this coming Age of Restoration. The evidence of church history
points to the amazing fact that the once universal orthodox belief in the coming Kingdom of
God on earth, firmly held by the church for two and a half centuries, was ultimately banished
by professing believers who were bent on disparaging the central Hope of Apostolic
Christianity.
“There has been no age of the church,” says the Encyclopedia Britannica, “in which the
Millennium was not admitted by individual divines of the first eminence.... Millennial doctrine
was universal in the first ages”. The following statement of Dr. Whitby is arresting indeed:
“The doctrine of the Millennium, or the Reign of the Saints on earth for a thousand years, is
now rejected by all Roman Catholics and by the greatest part of Protestants, and yet it passed
among the best of Christians for 250 years for an apostolic tradition, and as such is believed
by many fathers of the second and third centuries.”
Mosheim, the noted historian, confirms that “long before this period (the third century),
an opinion had prevailed that Christ was to come and reign a thousand years among men,
before the entire and final dissolution of the world; this opinion had hitherto met with no
opposition.”

A Departure from Apostolic Teaching

The evidence before us points to the astonishing fact that a radical shift in thinking has
taken place. Such a transformation is only explicable if we are prepared, with Paul and the
other Apostles, to reckon seriously with the reality of the forces of opposition to the Christian
Message. These enemies of the Truth have, however, appeared in the guise of Christian
teachers. This will come as no surprise to those who have examined the New Testament
warnings of this subject:
“The time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will follow their own
desires, and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they
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are itching to hear. They will turn away from listening to the Truth and give their attention to
legends” (2 Tim. 4:3,4).
These were Paul’s solemn words to his disciple Timothy. He had earlier given a very
similar warning to the elders at Ephesus:
“I know that after I leave, fierce wolves will come among you, and will not spare the flock. The
time will come when some men from your own group will tell lies to lead the believers away
after them” (Acts 20:29,30).
The introduction of error by professing Christians was equally foreseen by Peter:
“False prophets appeared in the past among the people, and in the same way false teachers
will appear among you. They will bring in destructive, untrue doctrines, and will deny the Master
who redeemed them, and so they will bring upon themselves sudden destruction. Even so,
many will follow their immoral ways; and because of what they do, others will speak evil of the
way of Truth” (2 Pet. 2:1-2).
It is important to note that false doctrine is not confined to teachings leading to immoral
conduct. The distortion of the belief in the resurrection and its place in the Christian message
was seen as equally pernicious by Paul:
“Keep away from profane and foolish discussions, which only drive people further away from
God. Such teaching is like an open sore that eats away the flesh. Two men who have taught
such things are Hymenaeus and Philetus. They have left the way of truth and are upsetting the
faith of some believers by saying that our resurrection has already taken place” (2 Tim. 16-
18).
The disappearance of the great Hope of a future Reign of Christ on earth can be traced
to a thoroughly dishonest treatment of the well-known passage in the Revelation given to John
(Rev. 20). Since this section of scripture proclaims in unmistakable terms the future Reign of
God to which the entire Bible looks forward, and since such a doctrine was no longer palatable
to Platonically minded church fathers, a way had to be found by which lip service would be
paid to the Christian scriptures while their plain meaning was denied. The evidence speaks
for itself, and we quote a very remarkable statement by the well-known contemporary scholar,
John Hick:
“What Augustine was to stigmatise as the “ridiculous fancies” of Millenarianism, an initial
selective resurrection inaugurating the 1000 years earthly rule of Christ and His Saints, followed
by a second general resurrection and judgment, gradually faded from the Christian
imagination during the third, fourth and fifth centuries. Augustine exerted his immense authority
against the Millenarianists, arguing not that the expectations expressed in the Revelation to
John were mistaken, but that the passage in question does not mean what it says.... It is
interesting to watch him at work reinterpreting scriptural passages, whose plain meaning he
rejects. In this case he offers a Bultmann-like demythologization of the “first resurrection”
consisting in the rising to faith of those souls who believe in Jesus and are baptized in His
Name. The thousand years Reign of the Saints thus becomes the earthly life of the redeemed
in the church during the present age.... According to Augustine the second and general
resurrection, unlike the first was to be a literal bodily event” (Death and Eternal Life, p. 197,
emphasis added).
It will be clear to the reader that we are dealing here with a blatant refusal to believe plain
statements. The comments on Rev. 20 found in the celebrated Commentary on the Bible by
Peake are a striking witness to the suppression of biblical information:
“Christ is described as reigning with the martyrs for a thousand years. The interpretation of
this statement has caused endless controversy... The view which was originally held, and which
is strongly advocated in Daniel, maintained that the Kingdom of God which was to be
established on earth would be everlasting (Dan. 2:44, 7:27). Since the time of Augustine,
however, an effort has been made to allegorize the statements of Revelation and apply them
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to the history of the church. The binding of Satan refers to the binding of the strong man by
the stronger foretold by Christ.... The thousand years is not to be construed literally, but
represents the whole history of the church from the incarnation to the final conflict. The reign
of the Saints is a prophecy of the domination of the world by the church.... The first resurrection
is metaphorical, and simply refers to the spiritual resurrection of the believer in Christ. But
exegesis of this kind is dishonest trifling. To put such an interpretation on the “first resurrection”
is simply playing with terms. If we explain away the obvious meaning of words, then, as
Alford says, ‘There is an end of all significance in language and Scripture is wiped out as a
definite testimony to anything’” (emphasis mine).
It is essential to understand that the very widely held “amillennial” views of Augustine
are based upon “dishonest trifling”, the “rejection of the plain meaning” of words. Moreover,
the enormous influence exercised by Augustine has been responsible for the very commonly
held notion that the Kingdom of God is to be equated with the church. This teaching results in
the rejection of the Kingdom of God as the great future Hope for our world. It is remarkable
that we are so unwilling to expose error, especially of this magnitude. Is it right that we should
treat with indifference the statement of C.E.B. Cranfield (Commentary on Mark, p.67) that
“it should be plain that the identification of the Kingdom of God with the Church made by
Augustine, which has become deeply rooted in Christian thinking, is not true to the teaching
of Jesus”? (emphasis mine) It should be sufficiently clear that what is not true to the teaching
of Jesus is a lie and must be labeled as such.
It is the great fascination of error that it appears in garb of sophistication and is
associated with “great” names in theology. Surely it should not be difficult to discern that
falsification of the Word of God, in a matter as fundamental as the Kingdom of God, cannot
proceed from the servants of the Truth. Yet “even Satan can disguise himself to look like an
angel of light! So it is no great thing if his servants disguise themselves to look like servants
of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:14,15). These are “hard sayings” for 20th century man; but they
are nevertheless a vital part of the Apostolic witness and wisdom.
Despite the prevailing rejection of the Christian Hope (surely a fair indication of the
extent of the apostasy foreseen by Paul), there have been occasional revivals of the biblical
vision, invariably at the risk of attack from so-called orthodoxy. An interesting example is the
Baptists’ Confession of Faith, presented by them to Charles II in March, 1660. Announcing
that they were resolved to suffer persecution to the loss of goods, or life itself, rather than
abandon their belief, they wrote:
“We believe that the same Lord Jesus, who showed Himself alive after His Passion, by
many infallible proofs (Acts 1:3), who was taken up from His disciples and carried up into
heaven (Luke 24:51) shall so come in like manner as He was seen to go into heaven (Acts
1:9,10,11). ‘And when Christ who is our life shall appear we shall also appear with Him in
glory’ (Col. 3:4). For then shall He be King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev. 19:16); ‘for the
Kingdom is His and He is the governor among the nations’ (Ps. 22:28), and King over all the
earth (Zech. 14:9), and we shall reign with Him on earth (Rev. 5:10). The Kingdoms of this
world (which men so mightily strive after here to enjoy) shall become the Kingdom of our
Lord and His Christ (Rev. 11:15). ‘For all is yours (ye that overcome this world), for ye are
Christ’s and Christ is God’s’ (1Cor. 3:22, 23).’For unto the saints shall be given the Kingdom,
and the greatness of the Kingdom under (mark that!) the whole heaven’ (Dan. 7:27). Though
alas now many men be scarce content that the saints should have so much as a being
among them; but when Christ shall appear, then shall be their day, then shall be given them
power ever the nations, to rule them with a rod of iron (Rev. 2:26,27). Then shall they receive
a crown of life which no man shall take away from them not will they be by any means overturned

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from it, for the oppressor shall be broken in pieces (Ps. 72:4), and his vain rejoicings turned
into mourning and bitter lamentations, as it is written (Job 20:5-7).”
There can be no question that such is the simple Message of hope offered by the
Scriptures. The almost universal rejection by Catholics and Protestants of the coming Golden
Age of the Rule of Christ and the Saints is one of the great “mysteries” of popular theology,
for it amounts to a rejection of the theme which Peter says is the burden of all the Old
Testament prophets. When we consider that Christ’s Mission was to confirm the promises
made to the Fathers (Rom. 15:8), we may begin to perceive the extent to which orthodox
belief has discarded a vital element of the Christian Message. It remains an unarguable
fact of church history that the once orthodox belief in the coming Kingdom of Christ on earth,
held for two and a half centuries has ever since been regarded as most unorthodox. It is
therefore essential that the individual searcher for truth return to the New Testament records
in pursuit of that original orthodoxy, now viewed with apathy or branded as heresy.

The Messiah as World Ruler

In examining the theme of Old Testament prophecy promised as the “restoration of all
things”, we shall establish the fact that the prophecy of a Messiah who comes to die for the
sins of the people is only part of the story. Though we may have accepted the suffering
Messiah, we have blurred the vision of the “glory that shall follow,” and in particular we have
overlooked the promised times of universal Reconstitution, the Apokatastasis (Acts 3:21),
to be inaugurated by the return of Messiah, “whom heaven must retain” until those glorious
times. The resurrection of Jesus is the necessary prelude to His Coming again, the
vindication of His Messianic office. Paul puts the point forcefully to the men of Athens in a
brief summary of his message: “God has fixed a day in which he will judge [i.e. administer,
cp Ps. 96:13] the whole world by means of a man he has chosen. He has given proof of this
to everyone by raising that man from death.” (Acts 17:31) This is reminiscent of the passage
in Hebrews, quoted earlier: “God has not placed the angels as rulers over the New World —
the world of which we speak” (Heb. 2:5); “Don’t you know that the Saints shall rule the world”
(1 Cor. 6:2), “but the unrighteous shall not inherit the Reign of God” (1 Cor. 6:9). That New
World is none other than the Age of Restoration, which the Christ is to inaugurate when he
reappears in the glory of His Kingdom. The saints will join Him in supervising a new society
on earth.
It will be instructive to note that Paul’s references to the future judgment of the world
are simply paraphrases of well-known passages from the Old Testament describing the
Messianic Kingdom: “The Lord reigns; the world also shall be established that it shall not
be moved. He comes to judge the earth... He shall judge the world with righteousness and
the people with His truth.” (Psalm 96:10, 13) Similarly in Psalm 22:27, 28: “All the ends of
the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship
before You. For the Kingdom is the Lord’s, and He is governor among the nations.” The
Message of the coming Reign is conveyed to us more vividly when read from a modern
translation: “The trees in the woods will shout for joy when the Lord comes to rule the earth.
He will rule the peoples of the world with justice and fairness” (Ps. 96:12, 13, GNB). The
proper use of the word ‘rule’ for ‘judge’ rescues these passages from obscurity. For though
it is clear that ‘judgment’ would fall upon the men of Athens if they did not accept Jesus as
Messiah, it is equally clear that the passage from which Paul quotes, exuberant as it is with
the glorious prospect of the arrival of the Messiah, as King, refers to the establishment
worldwide of the continuous, successful government of Christ.
Let us now summarize the mission of Jesus as described for us by the New Testament
writers. As soon as John the Baptist had been silenced by Herod, Jesus began to herald
the advent of the Kingdom of God, the dawning of the promised “Day of the Lord.” Jesus
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states that the days of His own ministry are the days of the proclamation of the Good News of
the Kingdom of God (Luke 16:16). We should note carefully that Jesus’ preaching of the
Kingdom is distinct from the actual coming of the Kingdom which will not occur until His coming
again in power. Several crucial passages will put this beyond doubt; for the coming of the
Kingdom is synonymous with the coming of Christ in glory: the Kingdom is near, about to
arrive, at the time of the signs heralding Christ’s return. Luke reports that just as we recognize
the arrival of the summer season by the appearance of leaves on the trees, so we are to be
assured of the imminent arrival of the Reign of God by the cataclysmic events which precede
it (Luke 21:31). Moreover, the Passover will no more be celebrated by Jesus until the Kingdom
of God comes (Luke 22:28), that is, until it is again celebrated in the Kingdom (Luke 22:16);
and it is in the Kingdom that the Apostles will administer the affairs of Israel (Luke 22:29,30);
at that future time the disciples are to celebrate with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom
(Luke 13:28,29). These passages provide indisputable proof that the Reign of God was
inseparable in Luke’s mind from the future manifestation of the Messiah in glory.
The relationship between the present preaching of the Kingdom and its future coming is
well described by Alan Richardson (Introduction to New Testament Theology, p. 85):
“Even now in the days of His preaching, men could accept or reject God’s Reign; they could as
it were anticipate for their own personal existence the Day of the Lord; they could in an
eschatological sense even now pass through judgment and find salvation. But the fact that the
great decision could be taken by those who heard Jesus proclaiming the drawing nigh of
God’s Reign must not mislead us into supposing that the Reign of God had already arrived
in any other sense than that the preaching is an eschatological anticipation of it... We must
not allow the Hebraic manner of speaking of a future event in the past tense to mislead us into
an interpretation of certain texts which would be at variance with the whole New Testament
eschatological program. ‘The Kingdom of God has come upon you’ must mean in its context
that the exorcisms wrought by Jesus are the signs of the coming victory of the Kingdom of God
over the counter Kingdom of Satan” (emphasis added).
The importance of this statement cannot be overemphasized, for the warnings it contains
have not been heeded. We have been misled into believing that the Kingdom of God is a
present reign only, and its reality as the glorious Reign of the coming Age, the time of the
Restoration, has been forgotten. Amillennialism is the name given to the misleading system
which thinks of the Kingdom primarily as beginning at the cross and ongoing since that time.
Postmillennialism instills the same false idea. It proposes that the human race will successfully
produce peace on earth, apart from the future intervention of the Messiah at his Second Coming.

The Hope of the Kingdom of God on Earth

In view of the exhilarating prospect of the coming Reign of God, Jesus established a new
covenant between God and the New Israel, composed of Jews and Gentiles. He invites His
followers to form a new priestly Kingdom in association with Himself as Messiah. He thought
of Himself as the new Moses leading a new chosen people into the Promised Land of the Age
to Come. It is the Old Testament song transposed into a new and more brilliant key. As chosen
Messiah, Jesus gathered around Him the Community of the Reign of God, the fellowship of
the Messianic Rule. This little flock to whom it was the Father’s pleasure to give the Royal
office (Luke 12:32) were thus to become co-rulers in the coming Messianic government: “I
appoint you to a Kingdom even as my Father appointed me, and you shall sit on thrones ruling
the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:29, 30).
To enter the Kingdom of God is not therefore merely to become a passive subject; it
means to receive a share in God’s Kingship, to be one of those appointed to reign in a
government destined to fulfill the age-old utopian dreams of mankind. Paul likewise teaches
that the saints shall reign in the Life of the Age to Come (Rom. 5:17). He reminds the Corinthians
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that their goal is to rule the world (1 Cor. 6:2). He encourages the young evangelist Timothy
with the prospect of rulership with Christ (2 Tim. 2:12). In the Book of Revelation John defines
the future function of the church: “They shall rule on the earth” (Rev. 5:10). Their true status
as priestly kings will not be publicly manifested until the great day of the Return of Christ to
establish His Millennial Reign (Rev. 20). That reign is to supersede the Kingdoms of this
world (Rev. 11:15), which in their final form represent a monstrous counterfeit of God’s
Kingdom, the means by which the arch-deceiver, Satan, deludes the world into obeying him
(Rev. 12:9). But Satan is to be deposed and banished (Rev. 20:3), so that the Kingdom of
God may introduce the times of Universal Restoration of the Sons of God in their glorious
capacity as co-rulers with Messiah (Rom. 8:19, 22; Dan. 7:14, 1, 22, 29). “If we suffer with
Him we shall be glorified with Him” (Rom 8:17). Jesus and the faithful will take over the reins
of world government in God’s due time.
There could be no more breath-taking prospect for the church than this. The task of
preparing for this awesome responsibility in the New Age demands of the Christian an earnest
devotion to the matter of making His calling and election to royal office sure (2 Pet. 1:11). A
major part of this is the Christian’s responsibility to be “salt and light” to a dark world. By this
means others will be attracted to the Gospel of the Kingdom. Christianity centers round “the
things of the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” — such is Luke’s definition
embracing the faith (Acts 8:12). Thus it is that the book of Acts ends with Paul “explaining the
Kingdom of God from morning to evening from personal testimony, and trying to convince
them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets. For two whole years Paul
remained in his private lodging, welcoming anyone who came to visit him; he preached the
Gospel of the Kingdom of God and taught them about the Lord Jesus Christ...” (see Moffatt,
Acts 28:23,30,31).
Paul thus ends where Jesus Himself began, “preaching the Good News of the Reign of
God,” and calling upon men to repent and believe the Good News (Mark 1:14, 15). The
reader must judge whether men and women of the late twentieth century are conversant with
this Message of Good News. Are not many strangers to this major theme of the Christian
Gospel? Upon baptism, as responsible adults, and faith in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
Christ, we can become members of the Messianic Community, the New Israel of God (Gal.
6:16). Through a life of trial and testing, lived in faith in the Risen Christ as Savior, we await
His Coming again and our appointment to positions of authority, responsibility and service
in the Universal Reign of the New Age, those eagerly expected times of the Restoration of all
things (Acts 3:21).
“Now, at the very outset, we express our firm belief that the Reign of Christ will be beyond all
that has been ever witnessed, or seen, or known. To assert, as some are now asserting, that
the present is the millennial dispensation [amillennialism], and that we are to have no other,
is one of those wild, heady unscriptural declarations.... That Christ shall reign to an extent
hitherto unknown is so clearly revealed in the Word of Truth that, to our mind, nothing but
the most obstinate unbelief or inveterate prejudice can deny it.” (J.C. Philpot, M.A., on “The
Future Extent of Christ’s Mediatorial Reign,” emphasis added).

Website: www.restorationfellowship.org
E-mail: anthonybuzzard@mindspring.com

December eHerald - Page 20

 Kind Words Do Not Cost Much
By Arlen F. Rankin

The following paragraph appeared under the above title in the pages of The Herald of the Coming
Kingdom, vol. 1, no. 17, September 1, 1868. The tongue of man has always been a challenge to keep
under control and is the first manifestation of fleshly nature (Jas. 2:2-18). The wisdom of these words is
self-evident and experience will bear out the truth of them. Kind words do not cost much but bring in rich
dividends.
“They never blister the tongue nor lips. And we have never heard of any mental trouble arising from this
matter. Though they do not cost much, yet, 1. They help one’s own good nature. Soft words soften our own
soul. Angry words are fuel to the flame of wrath, and make it blaze more fiercely. 2. Kind words make other
people good natured. Cold words freeze people, and hot words scorch them, and bitter words make them
bitter, and wrathful words make them wrathful. There is such a rush of all other kinds of words in our day, that
it seems desirable to give kind words a change among them. There are vain words, and idle words, and
profane words, and boisterous words, and warlike words. Kind words also produce their own image on
men’s souls. And a beautiful image it is. They smooth and quiet, and comfort the hearer. They shame him
out of his sour, morose, unkind feelings. We have not yet begun to use kind words in such abundance as
they ought to be used.”
Consider the following passages of Scripture:
“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver”—Prov. 25:11.
“There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel”—Prov. 20:15.
“A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous [harsh] words stir up anger”—Prov. 15:3.
“The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of judgment”—Psa. 37:30.
“The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increases learning….The heart
of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips. Pleasant words are as an honeycomb,
sweet to the soul, and health to the bones”—Prov. 16:21-24.
“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer
every man”—Col. 4:6.
“But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ”—Eph.
4:15.
“Whoso offers praise glorifies me: and to him that orders his conversation aright will I show the salvation
of God”—Psa. 50:23.
“By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned”—Matt. 12:37.
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my
strength, and my redeemer”—Psa. 19:14.
“Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips”—Psa. 141:3.
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 The Voice of Truth
By Angela Moore

For those of you who wear contacts, you’ll know what I’m talking about when I
mention the small little dots that can build up on your lenses, called calcium deposits.
A few little specks is no big deal, but after awhile, I can tell my vision is getting
blurry, and it’s time to change my lenses and get a new pair. It happens slowly
over time, so you don’t really realize at first that you have any specks developing,
until its too late and your eye hurts and your vision is blurred.
So, too, is the sin of criticism and judgment that creeps into our lives. We can
find ourselves becoming very critical of other people, seeing their faults; commenting
on their shortfalls; noticing their weaknesses and picking at whatever we see that
we don’t like or agree with. We judge, we gossip, we look down on them, and
pride creeps into our hearts. Our criticisms become more frequent, even harsh at
times, and we think to ourselves, “I wouldn’t have said that,” or “I can’t believe he
would do that!” while tearing them down, whether to their face or behind their
backs. We are judging.
The Scripture passage that comes to mind is Matthew 7:1-5, “Do not judge lest
you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard
of measure, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck that is in
your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can
you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye, and behold, the
log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and
then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
It is so very easy to see someone else’s faults, before we recognize our own.
We are quick to spot exactly where they need to improve, yet be blinded to our
own sins and infractions. We justify ours. We know why we said or did what we
did. We know the backstory of our actions, yet how seldom we give that same
benefit to someone else. Perhaps we do not give them the grace and compassion
that they deserve, since we do not know what they went through that day, or what
happened at home before they arrived at work. Why are we so hard on others
and go so soft and easy on our own selves? The passage above says, we should
first remove the log out of our own eyes before we try to attempt to fix the other
person! We should be cleaning house, putting away our bad habits and sins. Yet
instead, it’s easier to focus on cleaning up the other person first. We are so quick
to spot their mistakes, diligently point them out to them, and supposedly, in the love
of Christ, tell them how wrong they’ve been. Many have made a life-time career of
this and are quite proficient of making it sound godly and spiritual, while all they
are doing is criticizing and judging others and thinking more highly of themselves
than they ought. It’s sad to say, but Christians are quite good at judging others
and have that reputation around the world. We’re supposed to have the reputation
of a group of people who LOVE each other, but instead, we devour and eat our

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own. This does not attract others to want to be a part of us, as the Body of Christ.
It’s the biggest turn-off that we could possibly imagine. Many leave the church and
even the ministry, because they have been devoured one too many times by wolves
in sheep clothing.
The very next verse, Matthew 7:6 says, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do
not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn
and tear you to pieces.”
I always thought that was an odd time for Jesus to say that. I never really thought
that Scripture fit with the “judging others” topic, and it definitely didn’t fit with the next
verses. What did it have to do with anything? But, now I realize why he said what
he did there. You see, when you are being the “judged-ee” (i.e. the person criticized,
the person judged, the person thrown under the bus) Jesus is telling us that we do
not have to listen to every little criticism and judgment that comes our way. If we are
doing our best, with a pure heart completely devoted to him; forgiven by him; and
thus found by him to be holy, blameless and pure, then when people come into our
lives to destroy or hurt us with their critical words and judgmental attitudes and
actions, then we don’t need to feel obliged to take it and believe it. We don’t have to
continually give them our pearls, or our best, and have them just trample it and then
turn and tear us to pieces. Jesus is giving us healthy boundaries here to establish
into our lives, to keep others from wounding us so deeply. For when we listen to
those harsh voices, Jesus knows that we could end up so wounded, we in turn,
become ineffective for him, which happens way too often in the Church. He still
wants us to give our best, but to be more careful to whom we give it.
Jesus tells us, in so many words, “Don’t worry about their approval. They are swine.
Focus on obtaining my approval and obeying my words. Don’t listen to them. Listen
to me.”
Jesus tells his disciples later, in Matthew 10:14-15, “Whoever does not receive
you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust
of your feet. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable, for the land of Sodom and
Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.” We all know what happened to
Sodom and Gomorrah! Whew! So, when people do not receive us and listen to us
as we speak the words of Jesus; when they begin to criticize, demean and persecute
us because of him; then we are to shake off the dust. In today’s words, he might
have said, “Be a duck, and let the water just roll off your back!” Don’t let that dust or
criticism stick to you! Don’t let those words eat at you, and destroy what I have
intended for you to do! Just let it go. Don’t let those words become a part of who
you are. Don’t give others the power to bring you down and discourage you from
being who God meant for you to be and how HE sees you!
Even well-meaning Christians, are not always speaking in the Spirit to us and the
words of God. Just as Jesus told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan,” sometimes a
follower of Jesus Christ gets it wrong. They think they are being led to say something
to you, and they attempt to say it in a loving manner, when it is in direct opposition to
what our Lord Messiah is communicating with you. In those instances, you are
under no obligation to listen to it or let it bother you.

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 Of course, there will be times, when we do need a gentle, correction spoken in
love to us, to help steer us if we are getting off the path and walking into sin. It may
be hard to hear these words, and accept them, but they may be necessary if we
are to walk in complete obedience to our Lord. You will know this is the Spirit of
God speaking through this person, if it does not conflict with Scripture and it is true.
After prayer and reflection, you will be able to confront your sin and be encouraged
and grateful for that correction. Its never easy to receive criticism, but if said in a
loving manner, a wise person will receive that counsel and make changes to their
heart and life choices. “What constitutes a man or woman after God’s own heart, is
not perfection, but the ability to repent once sin is pointed out. Pride sucks the
breath of repentance out of us so that we do not deal squarely with our sin.” Dave
McDowell.
If you are a person who is quick to judge, quick to criticize, quick to see the fault
in someone else, stop before you use your words, and pray about what you are
about to do. Look inside your heart, and make sure your heart’s motivation is pure.
Many times, the motivation behind the criticism is not so righteous as it may first
appear, and rather than desiring to encourage and build another up, the person is
merely taking delight in tearing that person down; or perhaps has the sin of pride in
their own hearts, or jealousy, envy or malice towards them. We need to ask
ourselves, “Am I jealous of that person?” When we are jealous of someone, we
usually want to build ourselves up to feel better, by tearing them down. The remedy
is if we are a little slower with our intent to speak words of criticism or correction, we
can pause to consider why we are about to correct someone. Perhaps we can
then find that log in our own eyes before its too late. When we see our own sin, and
are humbled by the amount of forgiveness God grants to us, then we are more apt
to dish out grace, rather than harsh judgment. When we are humble, we are more
quick to forgive and overlook their trespass. However, when we are full of pride, we
tend to be hard hearted and harsh, ready to say words that discourage. We should
desire instead, a humble heart, for then we are more apt to be more understanding
and compassionate, ready to breathe the word that will build up that person,
encourage them when they are down, and speak life, not death, into their day.
Words are powerful and even the typewritten ones can wound. Let us all be
careful and a little more guarded to speak with grace and love. Be slow to judge.
Pull the log of “critical vision” out of your line of sight and put it far, far away from
you and others. Words of discouragement can come easily and quickly like darts
of the evil one, taking its aim and hitting its mark to wound and scar; but to speak
words of encouragement to others, in the name of Christ, we can breathe life back
into a weary and wounded soul. Let us Christians, be known by our words of love
and encouragement, not criticism and judgment.
And to the poor weary souls who have gotten tread upon, beaten up, put down,
pressed down and stomped upon this past week, remember to listen to the voice of
our great Shepherd, and train our ears to hear his calling. His voice is kind, gentle,
quick to forgive, and healing. It is balm to our scars. It is truth. It is love. It is
Jesus.

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 WHERE IS YOUR UMBRELLA?
By Dennis Baldwin

On a cold day like today (November 28, 2010) it is

particularly pleasant to remember those long walks taken during
the summer months.
Beginning usually around eight o’clock, dawning our
walking shoes and clothes, Rachel and I would strike out on
our daily evening health and well being walk. It was not
uncommon to meet other people walking who like ourselves
realized all the values associated with a healthy daily walk.
Often we would warm up by a brisk walk down Fulton
Lane over to the farm and then up Kesler Road, and I do mean
up. Then down South Fork, pick up Kesler again at the bottom
of the hill and then back to our house at 1137 Kesler Rd. It can
be enjoyed in all the seasons of the year by those who are
braver and hardier.
I recall one walk in particular. The summer of 2010 was
especially dry. One summer evening it appeared (we hoped
and prayed) it might come a shower before we ended out walk
so I took a small umbrella along just in case. One doesn’t want
to take a chance of melting in the summer rain does one?
As we came down to the bottom of South Fork a neighbor and his wife were sitting out on their front
porch enjoying the cool of the day. “Hello”, I said. “If you’re going to pray for rain you probably should carry an
umbrella shouldn’t you?” “Yes, a good idea”, was the reply. We went on our way home thinking of what a
simple but good testimony that was. No we didn’t get that much needed rain that day or even the next.
The next day we took our evening walk. The weather didn’t appear to be threatening so I didn’t carry
an umbrella that day. The neighbor on South Fork and his wife were again sitting on their front porch enjoying
the beautiful evening. “Hello, I said”. “Hello,” he said, “where’s your umbrella?” My testimony was cancelled
wasn’t it? What had happened to my confidence that the Lord would hear our prayers and give a refreshing
summer rain that day?
Is that the way of our faith: vibrant and fresh one day and barely negligible the next? I recall the last
phrase of a song we sang at youth camp “He does the things others cannot do…He specializes in thing
thought impossible.”
During this season of the year we are reminded again of the miracle of the birth in Bethlehem. But do
you ever think about the miracle that preceded the birth of our dear savior?
Do you remember the story in Luke 1:5-16? Zacharias was a priest whose wife was Elizabeth. They
were old people. Even though they had prayed long and hard for a child to nurture, Elizabeth was barren.
While in the temple carrying out his duties, Zachariah was visited by an angel of the Lord. The angel reminded
Zacharias that God had truly hear their prayers and would surely give them a child, a special child. As the
story progresses, Elizabeth became pregnant and at six months Gabriel, the angel of the Lord visited her
relative Mary with news also of her pregnancy and forthcoming birth of a son. The message of Gabriel was
punctuated with this statement. “FOR WITH GOD NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE”.
Remember! “God specializes in things thought impossible”. YOUR PRAYER IS HEARD was the
message to Zacharias. How reassuring it must have been to Zacharias. He and his wife Elizabeth had been
without a child all those many years. How reassuring to know that God had heard their prayers. May I dare
make a simple statement?

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 Shouldn’t it be enough to know that God has heard our prayer? Just to know that he has heard it. Just
to know that he is aware of our desire.
I Peter 3: 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers:
(KJV)
Isn’t that enough? Knowing that the creator of the universe is listening to our prayerI John 5: 14 This
is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.15 And
if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked
from Him. (NASB)
Do we ask it according to his will? Do we dare to leave it up to his discretion? Will we let him make
the call.
World cups..super bowls..world series are won and lost on the basis of allowing the coach to make
the call. Punt or go for the first down…bunt or swing away…attempt a goal now or wait til the last minute?
Who do we let make the call? We let the one who we have allowed to be in control. He knows the best. He
can make the call. THIS IS THE CONFIDENCE WE HAVE BEFORE HIM.
Zacharias and Elizabeth had, during their marriage, asked God to allow them to have a child. But
they had put it in his hands. They would let him make the call. Even in their old age they continued to pray.
Perhaps somehow believing that all things are possible with God.
The thing we need do is to believe that all things are possible. Who knows what God will do? But
knowing that with God all things are possible we must still let him make the call.
When Jesus was going to the cross—God made the call.
When Stephen was being stoned to death—God made the call.
When David was facing Goliath—God made the call.
When Shadrach, Meschech, and Abednego were cast into the burning
fiery furnace—God made the call.
When Zacharias and Elizabeth continued to pray for a child in their old
age—God made the call.
When Rachel and I prayed for a child in our early marriage—God made the
call.
What call has God made in your life?
The important thing is that we believe all things are possible with God.
The angel of the Lord asked Abraham, in Genesis 18:14 ”Is anything
too difficult for the LORD?”
IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD? He specializes in things
thought impossible…He does the things others cannot do. Is there
something difficult in your life that you need? Ask God. He specializes in
things though impossible. But he might not do it. So what? Didn’t you
allow him to make the call? Do you get it? Is it sinking in? After all these
years I am beginning to get it. The song asks: Got any rivers you think are
un-crossable? Got any mountains you can’t tunnel thru? What about you?
Jeremiah 32: 17 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: (KJV)
We need to accept Paul’s contribution to this possibility thinking:
Ephesians 3: 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly
beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within
us,21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations
forever and ever. Amen. (NASB)

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