Royce O. Kennedy
"ON EAGLES’ WINGS MINISTRIES"
“Faith’s Final Frontier” September 2012, part 5.
“A contemplation of all life sources that surround us.”
“All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. This was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. ”John 1:3, 4, 9. “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall; not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life.” John 8: 12.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. “ James 1: 17. “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God IS LIGHT, and in him there is no darkness at all.” “That ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1st Peter 2: 9b.
Judging by the scriptures featured above, it should be clear what direction this study will be going. For months now, we have been studying the aspect of death being removed from the earth, being swallowed up into victory as the scripture hath said. Although we have offered scripture for every point we offered, there is wisdom in searching even further in these undisputed truths.
The emphasis as shown in the scripture texts above is placed upon Light, and in such case, it behooves us to understand its source. In any sort of intelligent conversation about earth, all life forms, and even the universe itself, the question comes to rest upon the Source. Rivers have their source! Thunderstorms, volcanoes, earthquakes, typhoons, and hurricanes, do have their own particular source. The “black death” that wreaked havoc across Europe in the mid 14th century, killing an estimated 30 million people had its source. Folklore and fairy tales have their source; and the first thing your family doctor tries to determine in prescribing your medication, is the source of your illness. Our world is made up of two elements; namely, “cause and effect.” Sin and death are only effects—not the cause!
We are told in the creation story that darkness was upon the face of the deep; but darkness was not the cause; it was only the effect. It could not be the cause because darkness has no source; it is simply the result of the absence of light. The same holds true in the case of hunger. It has no source and is the “effect” or a result of the absence of food. If we embrace the concept of everlasting life, there has to be a source. If we espouse the doctrine of making mockery of the grave, there has to be a source for such strong convictions. In such a complex world as the one we live in, divers activities require divers sources; and more often than not, one source is not connected to another.
For instance, from a purely biblical standpoint, we are told of two laws that are separate and distinct; with each one controlling a segment of humanity. Paul, the apostle, offers this narrative: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8: 2. Here we are looking at two separate laws, with each one producing its own result. We are either bound by one or the other! The truth is obvious to all of us! We must choose which of the two laws we submit ourselves to obey. Spend a little time and ponder this: “Life in Christ Jesus is obtained through the law of the Spirit of life. It is obvious that this life can only be obtained in the realm of spirit. The single factor that threw the Jews off track when Christ came was that they knew the letter of the law [and the letter kills] but they knew nothing about the spirit of the law. Both life and death are presented in very simple terms. “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Romans 8: 6.
We are told by scientists that all life in our solar system depends entirely on the sun; and should the sun disappear life on earth would be extinct. But let us look at Peter’s view of light. He said that God is Light, and in him there is no darkness at all. This brings us back in time, before we were able to count time in years, and months, and weeks. At the very beginning God said, “Let there be light, and there was light.”
But although there was light, in so much that God divided the light from the darkness, calling one day, and the other night, there was still no sun or moon or stars. They were not created until the fourth day. So then the question becomes; “Where did the original light come from?” It came out of God himself; not only light but all things. Here is Paul’s account of the things that are, and how they came to be. “For of him, [out of him] and to him, [going back into him] are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen” Romans 11: 36. This is not only the story believers in Christ, or the redeemed on earth who are earnestly waiting for their ride up through the clouds to meet Jesus in the air. That short verse rendered by Paul sums up the entire story of creation; the destiny of mankind, and the future of earth itself.
A wise man once wrote: “The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.”Proverbs 16: 4. All of this underscores the Lordship, Ownership, and Sovereignty of God over the works of his hands. While scientists travel the world, exploring, testing, and doing research to uncover the source of multiple objects, trends, and multiple issues that impact human life, we, as the children of God make one simple turn to the bible, and alas! We find the source of all other sources, for God is the cause of all causes.
Let us understand that we did not wake up one day and suddenly had a “brain wave” in which the brilliant idea of living and not dying suddenly dawned upon us. We did not think long and hard for days to find something funny and eye-catching to write about. Also, we did not travel to consult with a guru or the Dalai Lama up in the mountains of Tibet, who willing gave us this message of life. That is why we endeavor to offer scripture texts for every vital point that we make. The general consensus is that if you don’t believe me as a person, it is hoped that you will believe what the bible said. The life message is what Jesus brought to earth, and he combined it with the gospel of the kingdom of God. As the resurrected Christ inspires us to minister after the order of Melchisedec, we do so in the power of an endless life. Hebrews 7: 16.
Jesus never ministered truths about the kingdom and everlasting life in the future tense. He boldly said that the kingdom of God IS within you! I am come that ye might have life and have it more abundantly. If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. All of these truths spoken by Jesus Christ were offered and applied to the present; yes, even in the days when he walked the dusty roads in ancient Palestine.
Away back in about B.C. 397, an ancient prophet wrote: “But unto you that fear my name shall the SUN of righteousness arise with healing in his wings [in his rays] and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” Malachi 4: 2.Notice how the emphasis is placed upon light. Christ is portrayed here, not as the Son of righteousness, but the SUN; and the proper translation does not use the word “wings” rather, it uses the word “rays” instead, and that is more applicable to the sun.
Long before you or I came on the scene, an ancient prophet picked up his prophetic trumpet and sounded a message that was loud and clear; that has resonated all the way down to our time; and his message was about light and shining. He exclaimed: “Arise, shine [Jesus said later on, “Let your light so shine before men”] for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. [Like the rising sun] For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” Isaiah 60: 1-3.
Notice all the words that I have highlighted! They all have one thing in common; they bespeak of light, and rightly so, for God dwells in light that no man can approach. However, as we shall see he has made us “light beings” and light in the world and a lighted city on a hill. So far, we have established that all things begin in God; are held together by him, and all things will go back into him, and God shall be all, and in all. I call that the grand finale! As we proceed, let us keep foremost in our minds that in God there is no darkness at all. When he said, “Let there be light” the only place or source that light could have come from, is out of himself. As we said earlier, the sun and moon were not created until the fourth day, but long before that, there was light because there was God.
Let us look at another profound truth: “In him we live and move, and have our being. What does it mean on a personal basis? Remember that we are discussing “source.” We are also discussing the message of defying death and making a mockery of the grave; and for these bold concepts, there must be a source. But more than that, there must be a reliable source founded upon the truth of scripture. That is why I have compiled the many scripture texts shown above, even at the very beginning of this study. Now we are putting the pieces together, the result of which will paint a candid and concise picture of who we really are from God’s own perspective. What Paul alluded to in Mar’s hill on his visit Athens, Greece, was simply that since the people lived and moved in God, he was not far away after all. In fact the apostle is suggesting [in not so many words] that they could reach out and touch him, or as I like to say, “Look in a mirror and you will see him looking back at you.” How come? And why? Because he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit!
Back in London, as saints knelt around the altar, we used to sing: “Reach out and touch the Lord as he goes by. You’ll find he’s not too busy to hear your heart’s cry. He’s passing by this moment your needs to supply; reach out and touch the Lord as he passes by.” But when I learned better I understood that we are joined together as ONE and he permanently resides within me. He equated his disciples as a city that is set on a hill that cannot be hidden; and he exhorted them to make their light shine before men, and Hebrews determined that we should show forth the praises of him who brought us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Jesus was not bashful when speaking of himself as being the Light of the world; but he also opened the door for his disciples to also become the light that he himself is. Listen to his words!
“I am the light of the world: [but he did not stop there] he that followeth me [meaning you, you, you, and you] shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the LIGHT of LIFE.” John 8: 12. How about this for truth? How about this for substance?
How about this for being all that Jesus is? My Friend, this is not a BIG Jesus, and a little you! Jesus is never skimpy or slouchy in bringing us on even par with himself. He said: “I go to my Father and your Father! I go to my God, and your God!” Those of you who are familiar with my method of teaching will quickly observe that I look keenly and closely at every word and every verse in their rightful place and context of the lesson. It quite simple and is usually the case, that we read a verse or passage and quickly move on, without pondering the meaning of words, or absorbing the essence of the text. Let us look again on what Jesus said to his disciples and the people who followed him to hear him teach. He said that if a man follows him, he shall have the LIGHT of LIFE. Following in this case, means more than walking the dusty roads with the Master. It means being a disciple, and a disciple is one who is a “learner;” learning to be like the master or his lord.
In essence Jesus is saying he that follows in my footsteps and learns to become as I am, he shall possess the Light of Life. What you possess is yours to take home and enjoy at your discretion. What are all of these truths amounting to? In many of the house and hotel fellowships that I attended in recent years, quite frequently we were reminded by speaker after speaker, that “as Jesus IS, so are we in this world.” The messenger like the mail man has brought this truth all the way to our front door, and if we listen carefully, we will hear someone knocking.
What was Jesus’ skill and master plan to fill the earth with his gospel, spending only 3 ½ years with twelve prominent disciples, and multiplying that number to 120 on the day of Pentecost? Jesus knew very well that empty words spoken daily from empty hearts would not extend his work beyond Jerusalem, and would not last perhaps for more than a few months. His ultimate intention was to reproduce himself in others; and that is why he spoke of a corn of wheat falling into the ground and dying, thus producing fruit, or in plainer English, reproducing itself in the form of a blade of grass that shoots forth after three days.
I remember sharing this truth one Sunday at a Baptist Church, and in greetings and embracing after the service was over, the pastor shook my hand, smiled and said: “Thank you little Jesus!” Actually, he was being critical and perhaps insulting, even though one cannot insult the truth. This form of reproduction is framed by Paul in this account: “And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.” Hebrews 2: 13. Every believer in Christ is counted as being born to him, and as such must produce his nature. Peter tells us that we are made partakers f his divine nature; and his nature is Light and Life. That is the very essence of his Being.
As we explain from time to time, Jesus Christ became the first born among a family of many brothers, thus became the “Pattern Son.” We are then exhorted to conform to his image; but nothing in his image and his nature relates to death. The scripture said that death had no power over him, because his flesh could not see corruption. But if the scripture is correct in saying, “As Jesus IS so are we in THIS WORLD” 1st John 4: 17; it seems to suggest that all his attributes should now be embodied within us. If Paul spoke of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” we must conclude the Light and the Life that was in Christ, is now in us. We do not have to invent it! This is not day-dreaming!
Let us not forget this word: “In him was life; [the life that this series is all about] and the life was the light of men.{but there is more] That was the true Light, which lights every man that cometh into the world.” John 1: 4, 9. If we are to be honest and true to what we just read, it would seem that every living soul came into this world with a generous supply of God’s Light and Life. Real hot heat described as “white light” emits the greatest heat, which in turn represents the purest form of life; and that is what God has endowed us with. But if you can remember, on those old steam engine trains, someone had to keep stoking the fire by continuously adding coal to the furnace. The engine ran on that intense heat that had to be maintained. Could it be that we have ceased to stoke the fire and our heat has gone out?
In the Church as we know it, we select people with talent, personality, the gift of gab, and quickly ordain them to the ministry. They go forth serving the interest of the local church, and for many, when it comes around to convention time, Assemblies that gave the most to Head Quarters during the year, and bring in the most at the convention, receive the highest mark and the highest form of recognition. For 3 ½ years Jesus taught his little band of jolly men what discipleship means. He pointed to the coming of the Holy Ghost, knowing that real transformation would begin on the early morning of the 10th day in the upper room. This day would be the day when “being born from above” would kick in, and the rest is history. Thank you Jesus!
His purpose among his disciples and among us today, is to replicate himself in us. So if we follow him, we possess the light of life. He outlined this truth this way: “As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live forever.” John 6: 57, 58. This is the gospel in its fullest form! It is not about becoming a “do-gooder” living right, dying and going to heaven. No! No! It is much more than that!
Christ desires to have a people upon this earth who have partaken of his flesh and of his blood, and as a result are passed from death unto life. They know that they have the light of life! When told that his mother, father, and brethren were outside wanting to see him, he promptly waved his hand toward his disciples and announced that they were his mother and father and brethren. Now, if we live and move and have our being in God, and in him there is no darkness, and indeed no death, doesn’t it stand to reason that each and every day throughout out mortal life we are being saturated in his life? If we abide in him and he in us, and if he dwells in us as Jesus had promised in John 14: 23, are we now basking in an active stream of Divine life? Go ahead and shout for joy!
It is no wonder that after walking with God for three hundred and sixty five years, Enoch simply could not turn around and die. Good Lord! I feel a shout coming on! I feel like angels standing by my shoulder are saying Amen! My friend, I cannot preach and teach anything else. Paul once said, “Woe is me if I preach not the gospel, and I am saying, “Woe is me if I preach anything else!” Lord, I bless your name!
If indeed, we live and move, and have our being in him; and he is life and light; it stands to reason that we are living in a constant stream of Divine life, that transforms the cells of our bodies from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord. Isn’t this the river of water of life that John saw and wrote about in Revelation 22? A preacher friend of mine, preaching his Sunday morning sermon remarked that on the mount of transfiguration, Jesus appeared in bright raiment; but the truth is that he was always that bright; only, the eyes of the disciples and others were blinded, and they saw him as he really is when for a moment the curtains and the veil were removed.
Listen to Paul’s declaration: “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day.” 1st Thessalonians 5: 5. The light referred to means more than an enlightened mind or a quickened understanding. It means that our God who is a consuming fire dwells within us, and we are actually full of his light. That light works to eradicate death as we grow into his image and his light becomes more intense over time. We must be like the fireman on the steam engine whose job is to keep piling on coals to keep the fire burning at the very highest intensity to maintain the speed of the train.
It has become necessary for me to attach this reminder to every newsletter: Please make note that your monetary gifts must be made payable to: Royce Kennedy—Not to the ministry, otherwise I will have to return it and have you reissue it. Thanks for your continued support, love, and words of encouragement. Be Blessed!
Royce O. Kennedy