Am I A Soldier of the Cross
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” Eph. 6:11-17
I recently came across an article by one of the ministers in our movement lamenting the fact that in the last forty to fifty years the congregations of those Christians who knew their identity had drastically dropped in attendance and some had completely folded for lack of attendance.
It is a fact that in the 1920’s and up to the 1950’s there were large groups, and congregations throughout the U.S., U.K., Canada and other Israel nations which taught and proclaimed the Identity and Kingdom message.
So, what has happened to those groups and our people? Well, of course, a lot of those Christian-Israelites have passed on and this naturally reduced the numbers, but what about new people, younger Israelites, for instance. Where are they? The groups that I am familiar with are by and large older folk and very few young people are visible.
We still have some very powerful preachers in the Israel countries who are weekly, if not daily, proclaiming the message of the Kingdom, so we really can’t lay the blame there. I mean, all the modern avenues are being used, radio, shortwave radio, television, internet, etc. Newsletters, pamphlets and magazines are being mailed on a regular basis. What then, are we to look elsewhere to get the message across? Perhaps so!
Shall we first look at ourselves? Are each of us doing enough to spread the word? Are we using every opportunity to talk about God’s Kingdom and explain Israel identity? If not, are we doing God a disservice by not fulfilling our obligation to Him? Jesus said, “Go out into all parts of the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation” Mark 16:15 (Ferrar Fenton). Likewise in Luke 9:60, He said “But go thou and preach the Kingdom of God”. (AKJ). His words couldn’t be clearer.
We must ask ourselves, “what are we doing to fulfill the mission God gave to each and every one of us? Are we as actively engaged in doing all we can, or are we passively sitting around, waiting for someone else to do what we can and should be doing ourselves?” St. Paul said in 2Tim 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith”. So, if he was in the fight, then that must mean there was a conflict going on or some sort of a war. Let’s not delude ourselves, there is a war going on right now. Not just a war between good and evil, which is certainly the case, but a war of survival. Not a war of survival, as to the fittest, but a war of survival for the overcomer, the remnant people of God, the Lost Tribes of Israel, the Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, Scandinavian, Germanic and kindred peoples!
In any war there is an army, one that consists of generals, colonels, captains, lieutenants, sergeants, corporals and privates. The lowest rank is that of “Private” and privates are the most numerous in any and all armies. So, if you or I do not rate as an officer, then privates we must of necessity be, yet fight we must. The motto has always been “For King and Country”. Well, my King and yours is Jesus Christ and my country and yours is the “Kingdom of God”. As in all armies some of the soldiers are on the front line, others in transportation and supplies and still others in logistics. Each one is independent of the other, but all are most vital to the others. The same goes for the Army of Believers, the Army of God. Some of us have been given the ability to preach, some have the gift to teach, others again are born servers and yet others are avid listeners and discerners. (Rom. 12:6 – 1Cor. 12:4). So, you see that we can all participate and take an active part in the battle of survival, as long as we use the gifts and abilities that God has bestowed upon us. Let’s make a commitment to ourselves, “let’s not sit back and do nothing, or be bashful, but in whatever we do, to be assertive, forceful, and strong!
In closing let me finish by again quoting St. Paul’s words in Eph. 6:10, 11, 14 and 17. “Finally, brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Stand therefore, having your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. And take the Helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God”.
Brothers and Sisters, are you, are we, am I, a true Soldier of the Cross? Let‘s just hope that we also can say, like the Apostle Paul. “I have fought the good fight”.
