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"ON EAGLES’ WINGS MINISTRIES"
“UNTIL THE RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS.” JULY 2016, PART 3
As we get ready to proceed with part three of this series, it is important for me to repeat what I said in a previous chapter. If you hire a lawyer to represent you in court, he or she will demand to know the full truth: the complete story even if it is sordid and obnoxious. By acquiring all the facts of the case, the lawyer can then plot and structure an argument that promises the best chance of winning. We also said a while back that for us to minister true restitution that is also a part of true reconciliation, we must be cognizant of the nature and origin of the problem that caused the disruption in the first place. To reconcile the world back into harmony with God, we must know every intricate detail of the construction of the world. Every component of the world we live in must be considered in the proper function of each. We must first recognize that it was man that brought sin into the world, and sickness and death followed.
But to assure us that all was not lost: in fact, that none is lost in the grand scheme of things, Paul wrote: “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” 1st Corinthians 15:21, 22. At a point where all seemed to be lost and man’s future seemed to be on a downward spiral; hope is announced on the joyful wings of the gospel of redemption when the angels announced “peace and goodwill to all men.” At the sounding of this marvelous trumpet, even the hosts of heaven joined in celebration. Borrowing from Genesis: “And God saw that it was good.”
The Apostle Paul came on the scene and declared what his ministry to creation was all about. In our time, there are multitudes of ministries meandering across the globe calling all the tribes of men to come to Jesus. To assist the process of accepting Christ as Savior, we seek to put the Devil in his place by banishment or by binding him in the name of Jesus Christ. But let us see to what degree did Paul understand his ministry: that was not his alone, but a ministry that included the church as the collective body of Christ.
As if in a grand summation, Paul alluded to the church of Christ in this grandiose fashion. “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.” Ephesians 1:22, 23. The undeniable truth contained in the many scriptures that we have been sharing, is the fact that ultimately, all things shall indeed be made subject to the Almighty; (no matter how we wish to describe it) and creation in all the beauty that it originally contained will once again decorate every minute particle of its being.
The following account offered by Paul stirs my emotion within, and I ask that you ponder every part of the written word slowly and deliberately. Listen to Paul, and decide whether you can bring yourself to rise to that level of understanding with the help of the Holy Spirit. Listen: “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in a few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent (The Divine purpose) that now unto principalities and powers in heavenly places (in the spiritual realm) might be made known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ephesians 3: 1-11.
In a workshop or seminar situation, we could spend extended time going through this passage of scripture verse by verse; and I am convinced that the inspiration generated by one verse would increase as we move on to another, until the full truth emerges like a rushing mountain stream. There are so many vital truths contained herein that we find it hard to evade or put it off for another day. I must tell you that I am totally consumed by the red hot flames of inspiration that emanate from this passage that showcase the mindset and full ministry of the Apostle Paul.
Christians the world over, willingly, and even gladly, accept that Paul had gotten hold of certain truths by revelation; truths that were not known by other men is times past. (Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.) This is a classic example of how truth is disseminated by the Holy Spirit. We move from truth to truth; and to stand still and ignore the new emergence of truth is to fall behind and even lose sight of what the Divine Mind is articulating for the benefit of the Body at large. Let us take this next step in sections. The first section as outlined by Paul is to make ALL MEN SEE. To be honest, it is almost distressing to note that so many minsters of the gospel and lay people at large are still opposed to the idea of the salvation of all men. In spite of the many scriptures that allude to that fact, as expressed in the inclusiveness of the gospels. We will not at this time offer the scores of scriptures that underscore the truth of the redemption of all men.
Paul made no secret of the fact that his ministry was to make all men see the light of the gospel of Christ. But that is only the first step: for the greater task is: “To the intent (the real purpose behind the ministry) that now unto principalities and powers in heavenly places might be made known by the church, the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ephesians 3: 9-11. The beautiful part of this is that Paul made it clear that it wasn’t just his ministry and responsibility alone. He was careful to point out that the ministry to make all men see, and to teach the wonderful wisdom of God to principalities and powers in heavenly places was part of the mandate that God placed squarely in portfolio of the church. In the meantime, we notice the difficulty and the immense struggle the church is experiencing in making all men see. And if this applies to living mortals, how much more impossible it is for the church to minister to principalities and powers in the unseen realm.
As a matter of practice, any ministry that attempts to reach beyond the grave is not only frowned upon, but is totally rejected and branded with ugly names. So then, let us see where these powers and principalities come from; and where they do belong. Watch this very carefully! “For by him (Christ Jesus) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: ALL THINGS WERE CREATED BY HIM, and for him.” Colossians 1:16. Go ahead and list the Devil, Satan, demons, fallen angels, Lucifer, and anything else that as a Spirit filled believer you feel anointed to rebuke and send back to the pit. However, bear in mind what the scriptures that are mentioned above have testified to. It would seem to me that there is nothing in the visible realm and in the invisible realm that do not belong to the Creator. The earth is the Lord’s—visible and invisible, and the fullness thereof…what a thought! I am convinced that God does not spend time worrying about the devil and the fallen angels; and here is a thought worthy for us to ponder from God’s perspective: “Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” Psalm 139:12. To further display his personal credentials we read: “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.” Isaiah 45:7.
As a minister of the gospel whether male or female, I challenge you to step in the midst of this matter and show the world all that belongs to God and all that belongs to the Devil. What part of creation, and what percentage of the human race can you reaffirm that is owned by the Devil? For good measure, go back and read Colossians 1: 16. And be sure to make a special note of Ezekiel 18: 4. Write these scriptures down, then later on in your down time, read them again slowly and prayerfully. Meditate on them and bind them to your bosom and from thence water and feed your soul. Become ONE with the mind of Christ that yours be no more! We in Son-ship and the Kingdom message find inspiration and utterance in preaching and teaching that creation itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Romans 8: 21.
But as we condition ourselves to step forth, much like the English—“Knights of the round Table”, let us consider the mixture and nature of the creation that we are about to set free. We are not simply going to seek and save people who somehow lost their way and their true identity. This will not be like the Prodigal Son, who did not need much persuasion to rise up and make his way back home. I believe that the ministry that the Lord has called me for; and placed upon me as my personal stewardship, is directed to the whole of creation (remember that the saints shall judge the world and angels also) so I must take into account all that the creation consists of. Let us review once more the total composition of creation itself that must be rectified and reconstituted. “For by him were all things created that are in heaven (meaning the parallel –spiritual universe that surrounds us) and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all were created by him and for him.” Colossians 1:16.
The dynamics that we are considering are so inter-connected in this one verse that all bases are covered with no room for ignoring any part of creation, visible or invisible. As stated before, we have spent thousands of years trying to save the visible portions of creation. In fact, that is too broad a term: we have been trying to save humans. This brings to mind a question I asked in a sermon in the City of Baltimore some years ago. I asked: “What would you think of me, if passing by my garden you saw me on my knees praying over my tomatoes and corn, and other vegetables? You would no doubt think that I am gone off my rockers, seeing that I am praying for my vegetables. Well, here is what the Word said: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”2nd Chronicles 7:14.
Here is the general consensus as far as I am concerned! If God will heal the land—and he said he would—it means that everything that grows on the land will be healed; and even the life stocks that feed on the grass will also be healed and produce healthy milk, and healthy meat. We don’t have to invent cures designed to be substitutes for God’s answer to prayers. First of all, we must humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways. After that, it is entirely up to God to keep his end of the bargain: and since he is the one who puts forth the proposal in the first place, there is no reason for us to assume that he will renege upon his promise. It was said of Abraham: “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able to perform.” Romans 4:21.
Now, as Sons of God who believe strongly in the restitution of all things, we are constantly sharpening our senses to be in tune with the voice of the Holy Spirit, as he expresses the will of the Father in heaven. As we listen, we believe that we are beginning to hear the sounding of the seventh trumpet. In all things Spiritual, we must see Jesus as the “Pattern Son” as our Example, and as the Forerunner behind the veil. The ultimate desire and predestinated will of God in our salvation, is for us to be conformed (made like unto) to the image of Christ.
All of the most powerful acts of redemption were done by Christ; and in many cases he simply opened the door, and as it were, broke the seals, and left the rest of the tasks for us to complete. Christ had said: “Father I have finished the work that you sent me to do.” But in fact, he used only 3 ½ years of earthly ministry to select and train a bunch of disciples. So in reality, the work had just begun. Let us be aware of three outstanding truths that cannot be denied or frustrated by man’s unbelief. Number one: All things shall be restored! Number two: God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. And number three: “I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” Isaiah 46:9b,10.
As if standing between heaven and earth the Lord heralded the clarion sound. “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” Isaiah 45:22, 23. The prophet called the nations into question regarding the veracity of God’s announced will and determination in this passage of scripture. “Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? Isaiah 40:13,14. Many preachers, teachers of the bible and believers in general who oppose the doctrine of recociliation would no doubt like to be able to counsel God and offer him advice.
But the glorious truth is that his word is already gone out of his mouth and shall not return unto him void. I like the emphasis that the Lord placed on his overall plan for creation. “I HAVE SWORN BY MYSELF! That brings to mind when the Lord declared: “As I live saith the Lord.” So he speaks and backs up his word with his life. He puts his character, his righteousness and his holiness on the line! I like the authenticity of what God said to Abraham. “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath. That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec ” Hebrews 6:13-19. And Melchisedec is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.” Hebrews 7: 15, 16. More and more in this series we are seeing that God’s plans for creation will unfold as planned.
In His Service—Royce
Please remember to express your wish to remain on my mailing list if you have not contacted me over the past 12 to 18 months. Thank you.