WELL DONE MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SON

Publication #99.114

TODAY’S MINISTRY OF THE SONS OF GOD
I DO ALWAYS THOSE THINGS THAT PLEASE HIM
RED LIGHTS OF LIFE
IT IS BETTER TO BE ALONE WITH CHRIST THAN TO BE A KING WITHOUT HIM

"His Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" (Mat 25:21).

Have you given much thought to what it takes to be either a good and faithful servant or son? It seems that many today are overly concerned about whether they are doing enough for God. Of course, there is that faction who hardly gives it a second thought. We have heard them say, "As long as I get one foot in, or have a little cabin on the backside of glory land, I’ll be satisfied." Discounting these, there are plenty of sincere folks who are frustrated because they feel that they never do enough. They worry themselves sick over it, and there are reasons why they do. For one, they have been taught all their church-going lives that in order for God to be pleased with them, they must be busy doing good works, and the more the better. It is similar to paying premiums on a fire insurance policy.

This concept has been conveyed to every age group, gender, and social status of people in churches everywhere. It is widely taught that people must be diligent and lay countless hours of good works toward their account or they might not earn their crowns of gold when they get to heaven. Much can be said about crowns; but all we will say here is that crowns are not earned by toil — they are won by victors of war.

Some go as far as to say that a person cannot be saved unless he proves his allegiance to God by his works, and there are high numbers to prove the effectiveness of such servile teachings. However, let us be careful and not lay any charge to the people; for most are thoroughly deceived, even as it was when Eve said in her heart, "I can and will do it my way." As long as deception is foremost in one’s life, regardless if he or she is willingly ignorant or otherwise, there will be no fruit of the Spirit manifested.

The majority believe they are working for God and pleasing Him greatly by pouring their money into their church building funds. Due to natural reasoning, they are building a home for God. A generous thought, I suppose; but this is for the same God who said: "...The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: where is the house that ye build unto Me? and where is the place of My rest?" (Isa 66:1).

A few have a little more understanding, yet are still lacking. They say the building is not a home for God; but it is where He meets with them — as if He has a thing about sanctimonious buildings, and unless they go to church, they will miss Him. Others are closer to sane reasoning by maintaining that the buildings are for preaching, teaching, and having convenient places for the people to gather to learn and worship God. This is a much more legitimate cause for adding brick upon brick; but such can still be a snare by being made slaves to systematic rituals, among other things. One snare in particular is common everywhere. It happens to be those perpetual burdens of church building funds. Perhaps they think it strange that Jesus didn’t seem to have a problem ministering to people and worshiping His Father without a church. He didn’t have a home church, not even a place to lay His head.

There was a time, of course, when the presence of God was primarily known inside structures. It was first in the confines of the Holy of holies of the Tabernacle, and later on in the Temple, and during the time of the Kingdom of the Law, the kingdom from which we must repent. This place wherein God was meat, however, was for only a few priests, and for a season. Once Jesus came and presented the true Temple (Himself and each member of His royal body) to the world, the old type was forever destroyed.

Its destruction took place in 70 A.D. by the Roman General, Titus. The appearing of the Son of man in judgment leveled the temple, leaving not one stone unturned. The diagram, the symbol, the dark shadow was no longer of use in the light of what was forecasted. It could not stand once the true One descended from heaven and spoke its doom. From that day forth, the only temple to ever be built wherein God lives is the many-membered one being made in the heavens. It is where He and we have taken up residence. And neither this building nor its altar is made by the craft of men’s hands. There are no hewn stones or formed bricks with adamic mortar to hold it together. This building is a spiritual house and each rock is a lively stone. It is of God’s forming and choosing. Unknown to the hewers and bricklayers of today — God is building the house, not man. ["And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it" (Exo 20:25). Countless are the polluted altars, yet sightless people by the millions give to those manmade ministries, polluting their gifts.]

Of course, many well-meaning souls are toiling hours upon end with hopes of pleasing a stern and angry God. This is a God they have been told about, but hope to never meet. One very devoted and earnest organization has persuaded their captives that the only way they can ever presume to rule and reign in God’s Kingdom is by way of a grueling year of door to door witnessing. It was told to us by one of their elderly workers that to be granted the privilege of reigning in God’s Kingdom (in the earth), they have to witness one hundred hours every month for a full year.

How sad to see people under such abject enslavement and poverty of the Spirit. And they are helplessly blind to the uselessness of their labors. Therefore, when they come to your home, although invading your privacy and time with your family, don’t treat them with disdain; for they are merely trying to win a wrathful God’s favor, while hoping to insure their place in His Kingdom.

The leaders of that organization have been hardened like those of all religions. However, the people are prisoners and their relentless toil is harsh enough as it is, and we shouldn’t add to their heavy load. They are deceived, this is sure, but it is their own Pharisees, the ones who ensnared and enslaved them to their laws and works who are liable. Even at that, who are we to bring a railing accusation against them; unless, however, we are moved by the Spirit of our Lord to do so.

We could site so many ill-conceived ideas on how religious peoples presume to please God, make it to heaven, or earn their crowns; but we would not have room in this short article to cover them all. Moreover, those errors should be self-evident, and no more needs to be said about them. Therefore, we will examine our own ranks, not as Kingdom Cops, but only to hold a mirror in which we may see more clearly to aid in our journey.

After these peculiar people of the Lord’s calling are called away from the charade of religion and the servitude of man, they often find themselves in a hard place. I speak not of a natural circumstance which is common to man, but the hard place of not knowing how to serve God. This can be very disturbing for people who have all their lives known nothing but being busy doing things in their church. Now they don’t even have a building program with which to give their time and money, not to mention pews to warm on Sunday mornings. Truly, it is one thing to take a child of God out of Babylon, and yet another to take Babylon out of him, as we have come to know.

TODAY’S MINISTRY OF THE SONS OF GOD

More people every day embrace the New Testament teachings of Paul concerning the manifestation of the sons of God. They also see the true identity of Babylon, the Mother of Harlots. With this understanding they are leaving the church system, either voluntarily or by being cast out. In their new world they at times find themselves at a loss of not knowing what can be done to please God. Their former indoctrination was planted deep, and the urge to do something for God continues strongly in them. Although they are beyond the walls and outside the gates of that ancient city, there is a compelling urge to do something. But what can they do, since they are no longer in the midst of the very structure by which their many good works were performed?

It was much easier then. In the structure of the church system the preachers preached, the pastors pastored, the teachers taught, singers sang, musicians entertained, dancers danced, the testifiers testified, and if they were not among those various ones of many talents — they were a part of the obedient audience who made all those ministries possible. But after they were removed from their weekly activities, their religious maps became obscure and not so clearly seen. So what can they now do to please God? They are faced with a very real and great impasse, to say the least!

With such a weight pulling heavily upon their minds, it is not uncommon to find men and women who have a strong compulsion to preach, teach, and/or prophesy. Even if it is to a beggarly handful in home Bible study groups, it will suffice for a while.

The stage is not nearly the same in the wilderness as it was in Babylon; but something has to be done, so it is thought, else there is nothing they can do to please God and earn points. It’s the same old theme — they must be busy doing something, even though in the wilderness, there is not much left to do except to become the leader of few wandering souls. [Cain did the same when he went into the land of Nod which means wandering. He rallied the wandering, nomadic people and built a city. Nimrod, the hunter of souls then established his own Kingdom called, Babel, and later on, Noah’s descendants built the tower of Babel from man-made bricks and slime.] Furthermore, those few souls often still have Babylon pulling at their heartstrings, and they feel the need to have someone over them. They also have the urge to build something.

Please note, there are places for all the ministries our Lord calls into service; but the only person to ever be over anyone else is the Lord Jesus Christ. All others are members of the Body, of which — He is the Head. Furthermore, all things built are to be by His hand and not with man-made bricks and the schemes by which they are held together. The building-blocks are to be of God, stones/sons that are fashioned in His peculiar image.

My spirit is grieved when I hear preachers make statements about "their" church, "their" elders, "their" people, and the likes. They may not realize it but such words are glaring testimonies that "they" are lords over the people instead of Jesus Christ. It sounds as if it were not for them, the people would be lost.

What, then, must one do after they leave the kingdom of Babel wherein religious laws were saddled upon their backs? It has been drilled into the minds of so many zealous saints that they have to build a tower to heaven. They must minister, even if it is nothing more than to show up for church and hopefully witness to a lost soul ever-so-often. With this sown into soil of their minds, it is hard to stay home and do nothing. The little they might find to work at hardly seems to be enough to please God and pave their highway to heaven’s kingdom. Therefore, the questions linger: What must one do after they leave the confines of that ancient kingdom? What exactly is a legitimate ministry for a son of God in this present day? What can one do to be remembered and leave his or her mark in the world?

Let us respond to the last question: What difference does it make if we leave a mark or not? Why would we want to be known today or remembered tomorrow? Such aspirations generally come from the desire to be worshiped to some degree or another, especially if the person has an inferiority complex. This is one reason, I am persuaded, that some men and women will do anything to be called pastor or teacher. They don’t feel so inferior when they are looked up to and revered as someone greater than those who are being pastored and taught. And there will always be a faction of people who will submit themselves to these demagogues; but it is hard for me to believe they have had a true revelation of Sonship when this happens. If they have had one, they can’t remain under any man’s regime for very long. It will grate too severely upon the Spirit of the Son to continue under such bondage. Once they are free, to chain them again to the cell-walls of religion, regardless of how small and non-denominational they may be, is an impossibility.

What then, must a Son of God do to have a ministry? Are they not supposed to be reconciling the world to God? If they don’t have a ministry, how are they going to get the job done? First, for some strange reason, too many are hung up on having a ministry or looking up to those who have a ministry. They assume that nothing can be done except through ministries. It is as if God’s hands would be tied if there were no ministries. From where did such a notion come? Certainly, there are many callings of God upon people’s lives, and such services are called ministries; but it is apparent that ministries have become a point of worship these days with many. That is, ministries and ministers are often sought after more than God Himself. Sad, but true.

The fact is, the desire to be known, to be recognized as someone special, flows like a river through almost everyone. It runs deep in the souls of some, and for others the waters are more shallow. Some are overwhelmed by it, while it touches others ever so mildly. Regardless of its depth, let me ask again: Other than God choosing it to be so, and for reasons known by Him, what difference does it make whether we are known by anyone at all? Why are we so concerned about pleasing people? Did people deliver us from the power of darkness and translate us into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son? I don’t think so: "Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son"

(Col 1:13 NASB). And do we live by every complimentary word that proceeds from the mouths of men? Not by any means: "Man shall...live...by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Mat 4:4).

And if we should die today, who would remember us tomorrow? A handful, surely. Our family and loved ones, they would hold us dear in their hearts until they followed us to the grave. For most, however, after a year or so, our names would very seldom pass through the minds of the others who had known and perhaps respected us for so many years. Some would even forget our names. After our own generation passed on, then the memories of us and our exploits would pass altogether with them. And unless we happen to be recorded in the archives of history, our names would never be breathed by the lips of men again, forever.

Therefore, in the scope of the big picture — what difference does it make whether we become men and women who are admired or not? With these thoughts before us, why would we care whether we left an impression upon someone’s mind, especially when we understand that very few could not care less about you and me; for they are too concerned about impressing us or themselves to care otherwise.

Do we suppose it pleases our Father when we work at gaining people’s admiration? Do we think He is proud of us when we impress people with our talents, and endear their hearts by our personalities? It’s very doubtful. I don’t think we ever hear Him saying, "Well done, My good and faithful son." The fact is, I would be very surprised to find that He is pleased with such human overtures. There is, of course, nothing wrong with possessing God-given talents and attractive personalities. Such qualities in people’s lives are portions of who they are, and not to be despised; but talents and personalities should never be used as tools to manipulate others.

We have no record that Jesus, our prime example, went about trying to win friends and influence people. His security was not in people, but in something higher, much higher. It was in His Father and also in knowing who He was. It mattered not what the world thought of Him, He remained the same. If the sea of religion roared and foamed out its anger, He rested in His Father and slept in the back of life’s ship. When there was a need to move on, and while the storm continued its fury — He was not daunted. If He did not still the waves for the sake of others, He walked over the boisterous billows of condemnation.

Jesus never went to the leaders of religion hoping to gain their favor and calm the storm against Him. It was not His intention to get His foot in the door to their hallowed halls so He could be endorsed and set up with a ministry. Compromise was not in Him, and neither did He use His charisma to draw crowds of thousands to be recognized as "God’s man of the hour." He didn’t have to. He knew He was more than that — He was the very Day, the Daystar, the Sun, the Light coming into the world that would light every man (John 1:9).

Moreover, our Lord did not join clubs in order to get acquainted with the city fathers, the right business men, judges, legislators, and other people of influence, to insure His livelihood and social status. Such carnal tactics had no part with the life and Kingdom wherein He dwelled. His livelihood was rooted and grounded in His Father.

I am still amazed to see how subtle this unrelenting drive is for recognition. That thing called, ME, wants to be placated, respected, and revered. If veneration can be obtained by rubbing shoulders with the right people, it will do so. If preaching the word of God will do it, then it will preach the word of God. Subtle and crafty is this dark thing that masquerades as light.

If it is not the subtle craft of self-aggrandizement and personal gain, we may fall into the deception we mentioned earlier — thinking we must be doing something, or else we will never please God and enter the Kingdom of God. First, remember if you will, we are human beings, not human doings, and this can be extended into that which we are in Christ. It is who we BE rather than what we DO that makes us a SON OF GOD.

Regardless, whether you are doing many things or you are sitting idle, if you are born of God, and you are of mature age — you are a son. You may not be good and faithful, but you are a son, nevertheless.

This brings us back to the question — what does it take to be a good and faithful servant, or son of God? What must we do to hear our Father resound with: "...Thou art My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Mark 1:11). Do we fill our days with many good and faithful works? Or can we sit back, do nothing, and abide our time, while waiting for God to set up His Kingdom and move in our lives? I wish there were quick and ready answers that would fit everyone; but as far as I know, there are none.

For you see, one person may be called to do many things, while someone else may not be required to do anything at all. One may be moved by the Spirit to carry the good news of Jesus to the nations, while the next person’s mission may be in his or her own home. Therefore, which of the two is good and faithful? The one on the front lines of action, or the one behind the scenes that is known by no one? They both can be good and faithful, that is, if they both are doing what was in the mind of Christ’s Spirit to do. Neither is viewed greater than the other.

It would be the same as with a father who sends one son to work in the family business; but he wants the second son to stay home and attend to the affairs of the family. Or he may simply desire his companionship for an afternoon at the fishing hole. At the end of the day, after everyone saw the first son being busy about his father’s business, but saw nothing of the second son — which son would be called good and faithful? In the eyes of the people, it might be the one who was doing things; yet with the father, there would be no difference. They both are good and faithful; for they both were doing exactly what their father desired of them.

On the other hand, if the one who the father wanted to go fishing with got itchy feet and felt he had to be out and about like his brother, and he worked from sunup to sundown, he would not have done good works, nor would he be considered faithful. That which determines if one is good and faithful is his obedience, and this is not by his duty to the law but out of love. The one who willingly abides when the father desires it, or is more than pleased to go when he is told to go, is the one who is good and faithful. It is not how much a person does that pleases God, it is a loving heart and yearning obedience to His every wish.

I DO ALWAYS THOSE THINGS THAT PLEASE HIM

"Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father hath taught Me, I speak these things. And He that sent Me is with Me: the Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him" (John 8:28-29).

Can we say the same? Is it our testimony that we do nothing of ourselves, but only as our Father has taught us? It is unlikely we have always moved in a pleasing way to Him, yet I believe it is becoming more common every day, especially as love becomes the heartbeat of our souls and understanding dawns upon our minds. When we see that it is not so much what we do, but by what source it is being done, this is what makes the difference.

The source of Jesus’ motivation was due to the union He had with His Father, and among other things, it made Him discreet with the sacred things of the Kingdom, especially when it came to dealing with the Pharisees. He would not cast His pearls before swine (Mat 7:6). Whether He spoke or kept silent, He pleased His Father. He knew His Father’s mind, and likewise the mind of the people. Therefore, He knew when to speak and when not to speak.

Although His words were pregnant with eternal life, He did not always speak. He knew when it was time to keep silent (rf. Eccl 3:7). On one occasion He said, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now" (John 16:12). He was not like what we may have been in times past, when we thought we had to tell everyone we met everything we knew (which more often than not was very little).

The unlearned of today cannot grasp such a thing. Whether it is in the proper season or not, they will quickly condemn you if you are not witnessing to everyone and at all times. They will site various verses, such as, "...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). And "...Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that My house may be filled" (Luke 14:23). However, if the Lord has not spoken those words to you, if they do not burn like coals of fire in your heart, they are nothing more than the letter that kills, and you will not be pleasing to your Father. Notwithstanding, if you hear Him speaking to you, if that word is quickened to you, then by all means — go. You will be pleasing your Father. Or if you have been thought it by Him in times past, and you understand when and to whom you are to go, and you know the season has arrived, go with all assurance and victory in your hands. This will also be pleasing to your Father. Whatever His will is, whether to go, to stay, to speak, or keep silent, when it is done or not done, it is pleasing to Him.

Jesus was a pleasure to His Father. It was just good to have Him around, and it didn’t matter if He was healing the sick or raising the dead, whether He was working or whether he was sitting on a hillside watching the grass grow, He was always pleasing, for He was about His Father’s business. Or rather, He was simply about His Father (Luke 2:49, Grk).

The translators supplied the word, business, which implies work. There is no great problem when we leave the word in this verse, for good works is a wonderful thing in the eyes of God. However, we need to know that we can be the pleasure of our Father whether we are working or whether we are sitting idle. We can sit still in the Spirit just as easy as we can work in the Spirit, and each one is the good and acceptable and perfect will of our Father (Rom 12:2). It is also written: "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone...that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior" (1 Tim 2:1-3, NIV).

We can live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness as we work hard in the Spirit of our Lord; but we can also do the same by living for a season in the solitude of Adullam’s caves. Therefore, my dear friends, let us not worry that we cannot be hitting the evangelistic trails, or there is no sickle in our hands to reap a bountiful harvest. Let us be content with where we are and with what we are doing or not doing. As long as we know it is by the Spirit of our Lord that we live and have our being, let us be at peace. Rest while we can, for there will be a day, and I believe soon, that there will be more to do than we can handle alone.

Notwithstanding, I fear that those who have been toiling these many years trying to develop their ministries will be left behind when the Sons of God are manifested. For you see, the forming, the chiseling, the molding and shaping of the body of Christ is taking place behind the veil, in the pavilions of the Holy of holies. Those who lust for the glory of a ministry are about their own business, and at best, are in the outer court. Therein, no work of the Spirit can be expected that would bring them into maturity as sons of God.

Therefore, with at least a fragment of understanding, let me ask — as long as we are pleasing to our Father in doing or not doing, why should we fret? What difference does it make whether we are taking the Gospel of the Kingdom into the jungles of South America, speaking to hundreds or thousands across the nation, ministering to small home groups, or we are sitting home alone? Why should any of that matter to us when we know we are in the will of God, and He could change our walk instantly if He so desired. Truly, it should not matter one way or the other. If our hearts’ desire is that of the Lord’s, our song will be, "Any place on earth will do as long as I am with You." If not, then no matter where our feet shall tread, the pot of glory’s gold will always be just beyond our reach as we race toward the end of the ever-fleeing rainbow.

RED LIGHTS OF LIFE

When we are submerged in Christ, He in us, and we are altogether One with our Father, it should make no difference where we are or what we are doing; for the Kingdom’s delight is already held in our arms. As an example, consider driving through town with one, lowly traffic light setting in your path. You are clipping along at the legal speed of 35 miles per hour and up ahead looms the light that has just turned to its ominous amber-orange, announcing that your journey is going to be temporarily delayed. Of course, if the car in front of you would speed up only slightly, you both could make it through the intersection before the fateful red light got you. But to your dismay, he slows down just enough for his car to barely slip through, but you are caught cold, and you have to come to a screeching halt. What is your reaction? Fueled anger, frustration, or perfect peace?

Let the Spirit of our Lord speak, asking: "If you are one with me, the Prince of Peace, what difference does it make which side of the red light you are on? Am I less with you behind the light than on the other side? Is my peace greater when your car is moving at 35 miles per hour than it is sitting at an intersection? Are there not twenty-four hours in each day, which is ample time for every man to accomplish what he must, and still rest his tired body at the end of the day? What is it with red lights, anyway? Are they something that torments you while sitting in front of them? Do they poke and prod and mock you while robbing you of your precious time of sailing down two blocks farther than where your car sits idling with perfect contentment? Is it really true that any place on earth will do as long as you are with Me? One last question — Why would you be happier and more at peace by reaching your destination two minutes earlier than you would by sitting with Me at the red light?"

Such a simple object lesson, but so strikingly harsh. It is a wake-up call if we will listen. Our journey though life, whether with a ministry or without one, can be compared to the red light. What difference does it make whether we are sailing along with Christ and ministering His Gospel, or we are sitting at home with Him? If our true desire is to be one with Him — the prize of the High calling of God — it should make no difference at all. I can tell you this, if it is His will for you to minister — you will be thoroughly miserable until you do, and He will provide the means whereby to minister.

However, if your desire is to be noticed, to be admired, to be looked up to as someone special, to be in the forefront of everything that is going on — you will also be miserable abiding alone. The misery, however, will not be due to the grieving of Christ’s Spirit, but from your own discontentment of not being able to do what you want.

With this as a testimony, how could anyone please God? While He desires to have some personal time with us, yet we are out doing our own exploits, it is unlikely we would hear Him saying — "Well done, My good and faithful son."

It is not on the other side of the world’s red traffic lights where the Kingdom of God is found. Righteousness, peace, and joy are found wherever we might be. Whether here or there, as long as we are doing His will, that is where our Lord is to be found. Can we be content with that, even if is staying home, alone, with no one but Him? Tough question for the insecure, those seeking popularity, and they who may have the "preacher’s itch" — but it is relevant and worthy of consideration.

While we are considering, let us note a striking contrast. "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain...ALONE" (John 6:15). Rather than Jesus seeking a ministry (a kingdom), He sought His Father, and not in the crowds of meetings, but in a mountain A-L-O-N-E.

Jesus was never in a rush to preach. If anything He was a reluctant preacher. He never sought His own, and rather than setting Himself up as a leader, He took up the role of a servant, making Himself of no reputation (Phil 2:7). Contrary to what would seem to be the best thing to do, He always did the will of His Father. Even when people were seemingly in dire need of healing, He only acted when He heard His Father speak, saw Him first do it, or it was something He had been taught: "I can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge..." (John 5:30). "...and I speak ...those things which I have heard of Him" (John 8:26). "I speak that which I have seen with my Father..." (John 8:38). "I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father hath taught Me..." (John 8:28).

Moreover, when Jesus was alone in the mountain He was never truly alone; for He that had sent Him was always with Him. He said, "the Father hath not left Me alone..." and the reason He was never alone was because He always did that which pleased His Father. He pleased Him when He was doing nothing, and He pleased Him when He was busy teaching; for everything He did was the will of His Father.

Some believe they have to be preaching for the anointing that abides in them to be present. But I can tell you today, Jesus did not have to feed the thousands, heal the sick, or raise the dead for the anointing of His Father to be present. It was always present. From the solitude of the mountain to the feeding of thousands, He had with Him the anointing of His Father.

We have heard so often that we as Christians should step out in faith, and God will meet the needs. I doubt that Jesus ever stepped out in what many call faith, expecting the needs to be met; for He was not a presumptuous Son, but a Son of obedience.

Sadly, we see certain ones rising in their own carnal might and their flesh glistening with the oil of pride. They claim the name of Jesus as their authority; but He is far from them. He will not endorse their bricklaying efforts of building their own kingdoms. Rather than repenting from such revolts and turning to the Kingdom of God, which is at hand, they continue to draw attention to their own personalities and religious abilities. In their hour of glory it is assumed that without them the job won’t get done. I fear they have never known the Lord they claim to serve.

People steeped in such self-styled ministries remind me of an admonition our Lord gave to those of similar motivation:

"Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity" (Mat 7:21-23).

Brethren, the Lord does not need, nor want, men’s enterprises in His Kingdom. Furthermore, if the stones would cry out in high praise and worship to Jesus, due to men not doing so, I doubt that He would be at a loss if every ministry we know, good and bad alike, suddenly dried and withered away. I for one, know beyond a shadow of doubt, if The Pathfinder ceased to be this very moment — Jesus would not be held back or hindered for a second. His Kingdom will continue on with or without me. It is not that He needs me to minister His word, He wants me to do it, at least for today. For reasons known by Him alone, He chose this unlikely vessel to share a small fraction of the abounding riches He holds in store. Not only that, the only way I will continue sowing these few seeds is if I continue to please Him — and that is my heart’s desire, to please Him. His pleasure is my pleasure. The fact is, if He is not pleased with me, it matters not what I am doing or not doing, there will be no pleasure in my heart either. Only when He rises up with joy in me can I know joy.

Therefore, my friend, let us be sure to know — IT IS FAR BETTER TO BE ALONE WITH CHRIST THAN TO BE A KING WITHOUT HIM. When this is the heartbeat of our souls, we will hear Him say — WELL DONE MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED!

Elwin R. Roach
 

Spanish Version

Directory with notes