TO WHOM ARE WE RELATIVE?

#99.119

(Part 2)

Kingdom Cops

Passing Heavens

Who of you are relative to the Absolute in your calling and are willing to go beyond the fringes of comfortable religion and venture into the unknown? Show me those who trade the frills and comforts of home for the perils of beasts and storms and dragons of the deep. Where are those who dare to transgress man's creeds and traditions to go beyond the boundaries of stagnant platitudes to fulfill the beckoning call of freedom, freedom that resounds with every yearning heartbeat? Ah, I know the one's of whom I ask -- the Sons of God!

Numbers are not lacking for those who may ascribe to this Kingdom walk, especially the young and zealous. For they are quick to embrace that which is different from the norm. Ha! What disheartening surprises await them. Their short-lived journey will be nothing like they could have ever imagined. Rather than rising in splendor and then descending in a glory cloud upon the earth while riding astride a white stallion and wielding a blazing sword of God's vengeance, they will find themselves cast down, humiliated, smitten, and sorely stricken. They will, when they are being defamed, be made as the filth of the world and the offscouring of all things, as the apostle so pointedly wrote (1 Cor 4:13). Not at all what they may expect, and do we not speak from experience?

Such hardships and heartrending disappointments will weed out the glory seekers, the insincere and/or the blind, and they will gravitate back to the norm of religion. They will stay in the mainstream where the gentle breeze of comfort abides. Nevertheless, those whose hearts yearn for righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit of our Lord will continue to the end. With these, age is not a factor, and there will, no doubt, be a time during their journey when they meet almost unconquerable obstacles.

KINGDOM COPS

One of the formidable foes they shall encounter will be those of their own household -- their Christian brothers and sisters, those they walked with for so many toiling miles. Their friends will become their greatest adversaries, and hearts will break and be torn from their breasts.

These men and women, those whose vision is lacking, would hinder at all cost, keeping, if possible, God's anointed from their calling. Such adversaries are often like the ones Jesus spoke of in the book of Matthew, and He did not mince words when He said:

"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in" (Mat 23:13).

Many well-meaning men and women who teach the message of the Kingdom unwittingly fall into the above scenario. Some believe they have a special calling of being watchmen on the wall. They will often be heard saying: "God said this. God said that. He told me this, and He showed me that. The Holy Spirit visited me in the night time. I saw in a vision, etc." All in all, there is nothing wrong with any of these statements; but very often they have heard from no one but their own emotions and vivid imaginations, and they don't have a clue.

A problem that arises when people say things like this -- it leaves no room for discussion. If God said it, who can question it? And if you do question it, you are telling the individual they are either delusional or a liar. Also, if he or she later realizes they have been crucifying an innocent person, it makes it very hard for them to back up and say they were mistaken. In doing so, either they, or God, was mistaken about the whole thing. Since it is not likely that God makes mistakes and say things that are not true or appropriate, it exposes the watchmen on the wall of sounding a false alarm. If that happens, their credibility is marred, and any future things that "God tells them" will be questionable. Therefore, they are at the very least unwittingly setting themselves up for an embarrassment.

These watchmen who can't tell foe from friend are sometimes found wanting, and rather than sounding the edifying trumpet of Kingdom's Call, they are blowing the depressing whistles of kingdom cops, if I may use the term. Like the legal profession of the world, they relentlessly pursue those they don't understand, perceiving them as lawbreakers. It matters not if the cops can substantiate their claims against their victims -- Like the hounds of hell, they will continue until they have destroyed the man, if God permits.

I see little difference in the legal professions of the world and the legal professions of the church, nominal and kingdom alike. From what we see across the land, it seems that it doesn't matter if those they are after are guilty or not, for they will use any means necessary to get a conviction. Notwithstanding, we are witnessing the same in the church. Who can say why we keep hearing about so many police officers and district attorneys doing whatever is necessary to crucify someone. Certainly, there are guilty people who need to be locked away and disciplined; but what about the ones they know are innocent? This is what is happening in the legal world, and the same spirit seems to be sweeping over a large number of those who teach about the Kingdom of God.

We have seen also that if you refuse to be a part of a tribunal, you will be named as a subversive, at best as irresponsible and uncaring, and they will levy their legal hand against you as well. And believe you me, they will do it; for there are plenty of kingdom cops who have a hard time ministering a life-giving word, and they will gladly take up the cause and nail you to the cross in order to have something to write about. Once the news is spread abroad that you are seditious, you are fair game for anyone who wishes to use you for target practice.

In their fervor to prove you are wrong, scriptures will flood their minds, causing them to think it is by the anointing of Christ. They, therefore, believe they must be doing God a service, or else the scriptures would not come so easily, and it would not seem to be so right. I know this to be true, because I have been on that side of the issue. Nevertheless, in their pursuit of saving the people from your false teaching, there is little you can do or say. You are like a lamb led to slaughter.

Again, you must either be for them, or else, you are considered to be against them, and they have scriptures to back their assertions. And without a cry -- you take the lashes upon your back.

Kingdom cops can draw the letter from their religious scabbards and pose legal arguments that can't be refuted, at least legally. While defending their Lord, they can with the mastery of an artisan slice off ears to where people can no longer hear the distinct Word of God. With brutal precision, it is not uncommon to see them pounding cruel doctrines into the hands and feet of those they deem guilty of heresy, hindering the work and walk of their target. But they miss the mark just as far as did the Pharisees who despised and condemned Jesus for transgressing the law.

They forget that "...The gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Rom 11:29), and if the ones discredited were at one time God's anointed, they still are, even if perchance they have erred in some of their teachings. Take king Saul for instance -- although determined to destroy David, until the day he was killed -- he was God's anointed, and anyone who touched him had to answer. "...Touch not Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm" (Psa 105:15), is a good warning to us all, unless we are given a word to close their mouths or stop their works. Regardless of the power by which people rule in their kingdoms, it is wise to take note of such and to know whether they are indeed called of God or they are charlatans of Babylon.  Some, however, seldom do.

The kingdom cops, like the religious faction of that day, continue their vendettas as they rule in the heavens, and that rule is seen in the earth. They have spiritual powers which are manifested when their words are conveyed to the subjects of their realm. Their heaven and earth have tremendous influence in the world of religion, and as it is with every kingdom, everyone must submit to it or suffer the grave consequences.

Some of these exacters of religion either fail to realize what God is doing in His people, or are so completely blind to spiritual truth that they miss the point altogether. They can be akin to white blood cells of the human body that have lost their ability to distinguish between invaders and members of the body. In the same way leukemia turns and attacks its host, especially by replacing red cells and depriving it of oxygen, so do kingdom cops. They will take up vendettas against various people or doctrines, and the first thing you know, their teachings are always against something. Rather than oxygen bearing words of life, they flood the body so much with warrior cells that it suffers. Anyone or thing they deem as being not with them are considered dangerous to the body and are eliminated. We see this in police states where even the innocent citizens are not safe from the very cops who are called to protect them. And our western nations are no exceptions. We are seeing it more and more, and this is what is also happening in the nation called religion. Man is the same everywhere, regardless of nation, creed, or religion. How many of you have been tossed out of church by those you called friends?

Evidently, those wielding the sword of power are unaware of the seriousness of what they do. Attempting to destroy members of their own body is not only dangerous to the body, but especially to themselves.

We have seen it happen time and again -- people have relentlessly attacked God's anointed, thinking they are doing Him a service; but it is always to their own eventual demise. This is one reason we ourselves are very reluctant to attend local churches. It is not our aim to dissolve them; for we know it is impossible to be equally yoked with such ritualistic legalism that is always present, and they will attempt to force it upon us. When we refuse their chains, share a few truths, or are merely present -- their kingdoms are threatened, and swords are drawn. It is best to leave them alone unless we are sent.

It is heartbreaking to see brothers and sisters we love so dearly to fall into those things that have been such a black mark in Christendom. I believe Jesus was saying something of this when He said: "Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder" (Luke 20:18). He was speaking of Himself, of course, but it seems that we can extend it to those who are His body. When, therefore, people fall upon the rock of Christ's body, it is no wonder that they are broken; and some, those who attack with vengeance, are ground to powder when the rock falls upon them.

The onlookers may be quick to assume that those who are broken are being judged and condemned by God. Although that is a possibility, especially if they are ground to powder, I see that most of the calamities that befall the kingdom cops are more the result of living by the sword and dying by the sword. There are principles involved. One is well known by most -- sowing and reaping. And also, rather than the angry hand of God smiting everyone that messes with His elect, their own bitterness can work terrible things in their minds and bodies.

For instance, people by nature love and eat the words that flow from their own mouths, regardless of whether they are words of life or words of death. It they didn't love them, they wouldn't be spoken. And the effect of their words cannot be avoided: "A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof" (Prov 18:20-21).

If it is the Spirit of Life that generates those words, the speaker will live. If the words are designed to destroy and kill, coming from the spirit of death, the speaker must be the first partaker of those words, and his belly is filled with death. Whatsoever one plants into the minds of others, whether well or ill, will be eaten by them first, and those spirit-filled words -- of life or death -- will always affect the mind and body.

Therefore, let us all be quick to gender words of love, of compassion, of understanding, of life, and let us live thereby. But let us be slow, very slow, and extremely cautious before we draw forth the deadly potions from the brewing pots of man's religious mind. For we do not want to fall upon the rock and be broken, not in the sense we are speaking, nor to fall headlong and burst asunder in the midst, and all our bowels to gush out, metaphorically speaking, of course.

Do you know Judas did not want to betray his Lord. But there was something in his thinking that betrayed himself, and in turn it worked as a necessary betrayal to Jesus. And so it is so often with the cops. They do not start out to betray. They are not bent on destroying anyone. Their motive is to change those they deem as wrong, and if that doesn't work, they will protect the innocent by weeding out those with the impure word and spirit.

There are all levels of cops in the kingdom, from the honorable, yet lacking understanding, whose reasons are always for the good of the body, to those who are after blood regardless of guilt or innocence. Even so, let not a brother crucify a brother. Such should not be heard of in this great body of the Lord Jesus Christ. And let not a brother require a brother to live by their precepts and revelations, or devilations, which ever may be the case.

This is the Kingdom of God which is full of grace. But you wanted a kingdom ruled by man. You wanted a kingdom with rules, regulations, laws by which to live -- eat not, touch not, taste not, which you thought would please God. Oh foolish Galatians. How you have fallen from the grace of God that delivered you from such dark chains and blinders. The law was given to you because you could not, or rather, would not hear God. Since one person could not by nature tolerate any fat, I imposed the no fat law upon all My people, not the whole world, but upon My people alone. Under grace, however, it is by the Spirit of Life one knows whether he can eat fat, drink wine, or work on the Sabbath.

"Ha!" you say, "What about, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery,' is that something one person can do while another can't, depending on whether the Spirit gives them liberty or not?" Such questions are carnal and foolish. If you are walking in the Spirit, if you have Christ's love in you at all -- it will be impossible for you to commit adultery. Reconcilers of the world came to lay down their lives that others might live. They don't take another man's wife or his life. It is not in their nature to do so. They would die themselves before doing so. That is living by the grace of God rather than the law.

Therefore, brethren of mine, relax and loosen the reigns of the law. Remove its bit from the people's jaws, and saddles from their backs. Don't condemn them for not walking in your steps or plowing your fields. And please, don't resurrect old, dead doctrines from which we were once delivered. The faith doctrine, et al, are better off buried. More often than not faith turned out to be presumption. Therefore, when it is imposed again, death is the fruit of that word.

SIN NO MORE

Let me paraphrase what I hear Jesus telling the impotent man at the pool after He had healed him: "Go and sin no more, lest a worse thing comes upon thee. You've spent 40 years depriving your body of proper nutrition, as well as overeating junk foods, and exercise has not been a part of your life. You have sinned against your own body. Don't continue missing the mark in your eating and living habits, or your problem will not only return, but will worsen; for your body is getting old and can no longer tolerate the abuse it did when younger. There are laws of physics by which every physical body must live or die. When those principles are violated, the natural process of ill health ensues. Being the Lord and creator of heaven and earth, I can negate every malady with which those violated principles have smitten your temporal body. For that matter, today I have done so by healing you. And now, if you desire to continue in this newfound life of being well, I advise you to apply to your body the good physical laws I have instituted. Understand them, and above all else, use them, and in so doing you will be in good health by them. If you don't you will die by them."

Praise God that we have been delivered from refusing to eat the extracted vitamins from our food. There was a day when we thought it was all right to eat food to stay healthy if we could stick it with a fork and cut it with a knife; but we thought it was not exercising faith if the same food came in a bottle and we washed it down with water. What's the difference? Food is food whether it comes in a processed can of peas, or a processed bottle of pills. The only difference is in the way it is consumed. We should never, however, let those elemental things of banquet tables and/or pills to become our religion. And neither should the lack of them be our religion of salvation. To that which we give ourselves to obey, we become its servants unto life or death. Paul wrote: "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (Rom 6:16).

Friends, don't you think it is time to get real? Let us be a people who have understanding, who can rightly divide the grace of God from the law. Let us live by that grace and quit putting so much stock in our natural bodies. Isn't it time to clean out the Holy places, rather than spending so much time whitewashing the walls of the outer court? Or as Jesus stated a bit more to the point: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness" (Mat 23:27).

I personally doubt that God is nearly as concerned about our bodies as we are. Yet I am persuaded that He is not opposed to us being of good health -- in spirit, mind, and body. For that matter, I believe it is better to have health when it is in our hands to possess it. John seems to have felt the same way: "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" (3 John 1:2).

This was John's wish -- not an ironclad spiritual principle we can hold God hostage to. And note also, he did not specify what would bring the good health he was wishing for. For that matter, it could have been a of bottle Geritol, if it had been around in those days. For Solomon, Paul and Timothy it was a little wine (Prov 31:6, 1 Tim 5:23).

Although there certainly is merit in what we ⁽¹⁾suffer in the flesh, I don't think we have to add to it by refusing good nutrition, thinking it will displease God. There is plenty that will hit our frail frames naturally, so we don't need to go out of our way to add to it. Age itself will take its toll whether we like it or not, and to deprive a dying body of a little sustenance is not my way of trusting God. Whether I take vitamins or not, this carcass will continue its decay, that is, unless the life of my new man swallows it up. And if I refuse medication, in what way am I helping to trigger the life of that new man to jump into action? Can we bring life forth by exercising, or not exercising, the flesh? Absolutely not! What we do or don't do to these bodies of earth has little bearing, if any, on ushering us into glorification.

In times past, I tried afflicting my body by fasting (it was easier when I was younger), hoping to please God in some way or another; but it never worked. I found that He was not after my body. He was after my being, the who I am. There was an occasion or two that my fasting, however, was not a hindrance to my walk, and it drew me ever so close to my Lord. It was when I was so sorely afflicted in my soul that there was nothing in me that desired to eat. Natural food had lost its savor and was the farthest thing from my mind. The thought of food was almost repulsive. My drive and only interest was to be delivered from the anguish of my soul.

Let us not think we can win God's favor by afflicting ourselves, or that He will pin a medal of honor upon our chests if we fast a day, three days, a week, or forty days. The grace of God is sufficient today, and walking in it will do wonders. Such, of course, is not so pleasant to the carnal man. It is not so easy for him to walk in grace; thus comes the laws and mandates to do things his way or the letter's way.

I do not hear anyone asking for my advice; but if you did ask, I would say this: Rather than the using the lash of the law, and driving dogmatism into people's minds, give them liberty. Release them that they may have life. Death has been around long enough. We've had our fill, and it makes the belly ache. Let every kingdom cop retire his badge and burn his night stick. Let the oppressors of truth melt their weapons of war and beat them into plowshares and pruning-hooks. For what it's worth, that would be my advice if I were asked. And when taken and applied, as penned by Isaiah -- "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (Isa 11:9).

If men and women continue policing God's anointed, and don't cease from corralling His saints into confining fences of religious precepts, I fear they will be much surprised when their heavenly rule passes away. For such will be far removed from the Absolute Kingdom of God. Those heavens will not stand when God's Titus of this day besieges them about. Try as they may, they will not escape. Regardless of whether one's heaven is a part of modern Christendom, or it is called by the name of Sonship, if it is not relative to the Kingdom that cannot be moved -- it will pass away.

PASSING HEAVENS

The church as a whole has been remiss by injecting the people with a mythical heaven. They have been made to believe that there is only one heaven, and that heaven is said to be secured by high walls with Saint Peter guarding the front gate. What a fabricated portrayal. If only one heaven exists, then where do we suppose they will be flying off to after heaven passes away? They would be left without a place to go.

Remember? "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away." (Mat 24:35). Was that the heaven containing the clouds of the sky, or do you think He was speaking of everything beyond in the far reaches of outer space? And for the earth, could He have really been referring to the planet we call Earth? None of the above. Jesus was clearly referring to the authority of the Jews and the visible expression of that kingdom passing away at the horrific advent of Rome's Titus upon Jerusalem. If it was the heaven to which the nominal churches refer, they would have no heaven wherein to lay their heads or to frolic in the flower-laden meadows.

Are we getting the picture? Can we see that heaven is not a physical place nor a land where holy bliss and divine perfection is always to be had. It was just the opposite in those fateful days just prior to the slaughter of the Jews in A.D. 70. There was no holy bliss in that kingdom, and perfection in Christ was unheard of. That heaven and earth had come to a full cup of corruption, and they had to pass away.

Jesus was speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem in the 24^th chapter of Matthew; for He made a point of saying something specific to that generation. He said that that particular generation would not pass until all He prophesied came to pass. Although He was not referring to an event 2,000 years later, we can see clearly that the church's heaven and earth of today will likewise pass away; for are they not relative to that which is temporal? The answer is -- absolutely! They will indeed pass away. This will be without fail. Only if they are relative to the Absolute, will they remain. But they are relative to that which is affected by every wind and ripple of the sea, and rest assured, there will be one last thing that will permanently affect them -- the Absolute Rock of Christ.

Their heaven and earth shall pass away, while Christ's heavenly rule and Kingdom in the earth, will never be moved. It is man's kingdom, those heavens and elements, which will be dissolved. Those things that enslave people and bring them into the servitude of man, that is what will go.

Although Mystery Babylon seemingly sits as an immoveable queen upon the foundation of a ravenous beast, which carries the infamous women and devours all her opponents, she shall fall from that heavenly place. Her dominion will crumble. And all those that make up the kingdom of the beast "...shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful." (Rev 17:14). And please note, these with Him are chosen and faithful, not frozen and hateful. Nevertheless, it continues with, "And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled" (Rev 17:16-17).

What a contrast between that which is relative to the moveable (the back of the beast), and that which is relative to the immovable, (the Rock, the Sure Foundation of the Lamb). The letter of legalism and her kingdom shall pass away. The proud roar of the pharisaical dragon will be silenced; but the humble bleat of the Lamb shall abide forever. To the flesh of carnal minded men, however, as long as it abides, that soft voice will be as the Lion, rending and devouring their flesh.

Praise God, that which is sealed by the Spirit and Word of God will not be moved, not in times of storm or perilous calamities. We see this unmovable facet of God sewn everywhere in the Bible. One such place is in the book of Daniel:

"And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed" (Dan 7:14).

Upon the waves of the sea -- upon the clamoring disquiet of the people and nations -- is where this King makes His path to walk and rule. Rather than being pulled down into the abyss, He slices through and stands upon the turmoil. He commands those elemental things of the world with a simple word -- peace, be still -- and they obey. And all those who will cry out to Him, "Lord bid me to come on the water," and they hear His word, come, they too will walk upon the waters of the sea. All the kingdoms of this world, will be subject to the Lord and His anointed. Even now, some are making such strides and walking with peace in the midst of the storms in their lives. They, like their Lord of whom they are relative, are not concerned with how fierce the wind blows; for that is not their element, and they know their calling. They will walk to the sea's end.

We may often have puzzled at the significance of Jesus calming the wind and sea, and also walking upon it during the storm; but it is now becoming clear. If he had not done so, it would have been a testimony that there are two elements He could not conquer, the wind and the sea, that is, the spirit of the world and nations of the world. You see, He demonstrated victory over death when He rose from His baptism in the river of death, the Jordan. He conquered the wild beasts in the wilderness. He cast out demons and healed the sick throughout the land, symbolizing the church. He delivered the demoniac in the Gadarenes -- out of "hell", if you please. He was transfigured upon Mount Hermon, which signifies the Kingdom of God that Adam's sin had smitten with the stroke of death. And the only thing lacking to conquer in His travels was the wind and sea, the Sea of Galilee (the Circuit of the Gentiles) -- and He with the ease of the Lamb but the sureness of the Lion rendered it harmless. And you too, my friends, can do the same when your eyes are opened to who you are in Him -- the Absolute!

The apostle John wrote, "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev 11:15).

DELEGATED POWER

When Jesus quieted the storm and stilled the waves of ⁽²⁾Galilee, and walked upon them, He was showing in a figure how He had been given dominion over all the kingdoms of the world. It mattered not whether He took the reigns of control at that time or not -- He had dominion and power, and He knew it would never pass away. He spoke of this in Matthew: "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All ⁽³⁾power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth" (Mat 28:18). However, in another place we read where someone else had all power: "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders" (2 Th 2:9). Although a different word is used for ⁽⁴⁾power, we can see they both speak of power, but the power given to Jesus is different in that it is one of delegated authority.

Nevertheless, when one sees the King who has conquered the kingdoms of the world, and they heed His bidding call, they too can take up that same influencing authority that will subdue and change the nations. They will rule over he who comes with "all" power and signs and lying wonders. They can walk upon the unstable water of the world's kingdoms. The threatening wind and waves will have no power over them; for you see, the power of the sly wonder-worker comes in the form of signs, and not delegated authority of true mastery.

When reality breaks forth, we shall be like our Lord, for we shall see Him as He is, as the everlasting King whose kingdom and dominion are absolute, immoveable, and shall never pass away. That is what we shall walk upon while treading through the waves of man's uncertain kingdom -- the sure foundation of Christ!

Where is your Lord who has reigned for 2,000 years, the One whose dominion has weathered the storms of the ages and endured the insurgencies of war and fire? Where is your Lord today while you fearfully sail through assailing accusations, your family's tragedies, job disputes, perils, and circumstances of life? I can tell you, Brethren, if you don't know -- He is walking upon them; for He has been given power over them all. And you too have the power when you gaze past the swells of distress and into the eyes of Jesus. When you look to Him you will walk upon the tempest with the greatest of ease. It matters not how fierce the winds blow or how high the waves roll -- when you rise up with all power, it makes no difference whether there is calm or storm. It will all be the same. Light and darkness will be the same to you. He walks upon the Circuit of the Gentiles with no fret or worry of being moved, and when you know He is your Relative, so will you.

OF THE INCREASE OF HIS GOVERNMENT AND PEACE THERE SHALL BE NO END

"Of the INCREASE of His ⁽⁵⁾government and peace THERE SHALL BE NO END, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this" (Isa 9:7).

"Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces" (Dan 2:34). As it was in the allegory of the stone being thrown into a body of water, where every creature and particle therein was affected, likewise with the Stone cut from the Mountain of God that strikes the feet of the image. The entire image, the whole of the kingdom of man, is affected by the Absolute. It is affected by being destroyed, forever!

From the golden head to the feet of iron and clay, the whole body becomes like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carries away every particle, that no place was found for them: and the Stone that smote the image became a Great Mountain, and filled the whole earth...The dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure (Dan 2:35, 45). And this too, brethren, we can be assured will be our portion. There is a day when we do not walk through life's hardships without being affected; but by the stone in our hand -- we smite that image and destroy it forever!

It is not uncommon for people to look upon the Kingdom of God as being a glorified world of natural things; such as, golden streets, silver, jewels, mansions, gourmet foods, etc. However, we must remember: "...The kingdom of God IS NOT meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Rom 14:17). All those natural things are the elements that can be seen, which Paul said were temporal. They will all pass away, and whosoever is relative to those things will pass away with them. On the other hand, those things which shall never pass away are righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. They are absolute, and whosoever is relative to these is also absolute. For that matter, righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost are the very things that cause men's heavens and earths to flee. It is impossible for men of flesh to stand in the presence of such glory. They will either be changed, fade away, or consumed totally; but either way, their heavens and earths must go.

Continued...

Elwin R. Roach

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1. "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin" (1 Pet 4:1).
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2. Galilee, meaning, Circuit of the Gentiles

3. power: "exousia...(in the sense of ability); privilege, i.e. (subj.) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (obj.) mastery (concr. magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence" (Strong's Exh. Conc.)

4. dunamis, doo'-nam-is...force (lit. or fig.); spec. miraculous power (usually by impl. a miracle itself)

5. government: misrah...empire, from sarah, a prime root; to prevail