The Hope for Israel

I wrote one time that what we are witnessing so clearly today is the conflict between the Kingdom of God and the Satanic kingdom. On one hand, we have the mighty Kingdom of God, invisible even to most Christians, moving silently through the affairs of the world to its sure purpose. On the other hand, we have the counterfeit kingdom, the Satanic kingdom. By contrast, it is visible for all to see who wish to see, and world events demonstrate it is moving openly toward its intended goal of world domination.

In days long past now, the faith of Christians was very keen and the Hope of Jesus Christ returning was predominantly in the hearts and minds of the vast majority of Israelites. The Holy Bible was in homes everywhere and was a well-read and studied treasure.

I recall reading an article from our archives that was published in 1894. A few words really caught my eyes and they were along the following lines, slightly abridged by me; “The Bible and the true Faith, being of such importance to our peace, prosperity and happiness, has been assailed by the prince of evil.”

Of course, the devil cannot do this alone; he employs men and women, including some very well-meaning people who really believe in what they are teaching. Whatever, Satan has achieved much of his purpose through the introduction of unscriptural doctrine, or through misrepresenting what the Scriptures say. I’m sure all readers will certainly identify with this as we witness the effects in the majority of our churches, where we are fed feel-good messages with very little substance.

It should be a little different in our movement because with the lifting of the blindness comes a great desire to know more about God’s Plan for His Creation. I suppose this is why Satan is paying very special attention to this seed of truth (movement), which has the potential to mushroom into a great unveiling and prepare the way for the most exciting plank in God’s Plan.

Friends, I think it is vital that we bear in mind the great responsibility God placed upon us when we become awakened Israelites. Perhaps most vital of all is not to fall prey to doctrine not taught by the founding fathers of our faith or substantiated by the Bible. We have to discern between God’s Truth and doctrine promoted by Satan to propagate the “falling away” prophesied by the Apostle Paul. I like the way a Canadian evangelist worded it, “If it is new, it is not likely correct.” I suppose each of us should reflect upon doctrine being aggressively pursued by pastors in this movement and determine if that doctrine stands the test of time.

Paul told us to “Study to shew thyself approved by God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Jesus Himself gave us two pieces of wisdom that should serve as a beacon in our lives. In Matthew 24:25 He said, “Behold I have told you before,” meaning, I think, that if we care to study, His Plan will unfold like the pages of a book and all doctrine not from God will fall away. In Luke 21:8 He cautions us, “Take heed that ye not be deceived.” You know, we are busy people today and the world is rushing by so quickly that it is difficult to spend sufficient time with Scriptural matters. So, what most of us seem to do is to substitute personal study with listening to a favourite pastor(s) or reading articles in magazines such as this. Still, just as one might resist that chocolate covered cherry while on a diet, we must bear in mind that no matter how sugar coated the message or no matter how persuasive the teacher, we must place this thought in our minds, “It sounds great but now I must study it for myself, completely detached from what I have just heard or read.”

Remember, if it is new [that is, from the time of our founding fathers], it is not likely correct.