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Update on the work of God
June 21, 2009 By: bill Goff
Dear Brethren, As we enter the 2009 summer season here in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern, I feel it is time to give an update on what has been transpiring amongst the members of the church of God that we have had the pleasure to “associate with” and “work with” from around the world.
Its been quite fascinating to watch our Creator continue to unite many of His brethren together through His spirit as we approach the end of this age. Yes, His “one” and the “same” spirit appears to be bringing some of the “diversities of operations”, the “different administrations”, and some of the “scattered members” who possess the many different gifts of God, together in unity. And this is a good thing for everyone because “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12:7.” This “unity” amongst the brethren seems to be linked to the continent of Africa, E. Africa in particular, where God has us focusing our attention at this time. And not too surprising, considering that He tells us that the “last will be first” and “the first last”. After all, what people are among the last in this world, than the people of Africa? They are definitely the most downtrodden.
The work that we are involved in is no small thing. It started approximately 2,000 years ago on that day of Pentecost. Yes, it started back when the spirit of God came in as a “rushing might wind” and “filled all the house where the brethren (the disciples) were sitting.” Just prior to that our Lord and Savior told His disciples to be “witnesses unto Him both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Now the disciples within His church today, are fulfilling the last part of that command brethren. They are reaching out to the “uttermost” part of the earth, and in more ways than one. The word “uttermost” has a very important meaning. With reference to place, it means “The extreme, “most remote”. With reference to time it means the “last”, generally that which concludes anything. Now what is being concluded here brethren is the building of the church of God.
The church age is coming to a close
There is a lot of confusion and division amongst the brethren in the church of God as we approach the end of the church age, but let us not become overwhelmed by any confusion brethren, let us not forget that there is simplicity in Christ, not confusion 2 Cor.11:3. Yes the church has division within it and yes, the church is being divided as we near the end of its age, but it’s only being divided in two, yes two. Nothing new or out of the ordinary here brethren, the number two and the body often go hand-in-hand. We have two eyes, two ears, to legs and two ways to walk, uprightly or in transgression. Two trees set before us, the tree of life and the tree of death. Two paths that one can follow, the narrow one that leads to life or the broad one that leads to death. There are blessings for obedience or curses for disobedience. When Christ returns to this earth all nations shall be gathered before Him and He shall separate them into two groups as described quite plainly by the parable of the sheep & goats of Mat. 25:31- 46. But let’s continue to focus on the church, the called out ones, the first fruits which are being divided into two groups now. Yes brethren, the church is being divided right down the middle, and each and every member has been individually choosing which side he is on.
Church is Spiritual
Let us remember, the church of God is a spiritual organization, and to better comprehend the spiritual we have to look at the physical. When it comes to the plan that our Father has for mankind (the humans that He created in His own image back in Eden) He gives us the agricultural growing seasons for us to observe so we can better understand His plan and our calling. Now as we approach the end of this age and the end of the church age, we can easily see that the two divisions within the church of God have to do with maturity and growth, or lack there of. And just as some physical crops grow and mature if they have been properly cared for and given rain in due season, or fail if they are not properly cared for and do not receive the rain, so follow the spiritual, (us.) Some members of the church of God are growing in grace and knowledge and are maturing quite well, and some are not. Some are found lacking and may never reach that state of maturity or completion. Now this is a very important subject brethren, because it concerns our eternal lives in the Kingdom of God, or lack there of.
Mature ones arriving, immature ones departing
In the book of Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 10, Paul, the Apostle who is often misunderstood, makes a very important statement concerning us, you and me (and all the rest of the members of the church of God.) Make no mistake about this verse brethren; Paul is speaking of the members of the church here in this verse. Let us read it please:
1Cor.13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
Those four words “that-which-is-perfect” comes from only one Greek word TELEIOS meaning = complete, fully grown in mental and moral character. This is the current condition of the church of God brethren, some have grown on to maturity, and some have not. This mental and moral “Maturity” or lack there of, is spoken of in the book of Hebrews concerning those who ought to be teachers now, but instead need to be taught again, and are in need of milk when they ought to be partaking of strong meat. “But strong meat belongeth only to them that are of full age” same word “perfect” Heb. 5:14.
That’s our goal brethren, to become fully mature in mental and moral character, to develop that Holy Righteous Character of our Father, to have changed hearts, and changed natures Mat. 5:48, 19:21, Jn. 17:23 Well, how are we doing, are we complete yet? Have we, as members of the church of God, the body of Christ, reached that point of full growth in mental and moral character as the church age comes to a close? We better have brethren because those in God’s church who continue to take their calling lightly, and have not continued to grow, and have not reached maturity but are only in part, “shall be done away” another four words that come from only one Greek word KATARGEO meaning = to be entirely idle (useless.)
Brethren, we’re firstfruits, first fruits are planted first, mature first, and are harvested first. But as every farmer knows, not every crop ripens to maturity, not every crop reaches its full potential. And when it comes to the called of God, the church, when it comes to our potential, we’re talking perfection here. We’re talking about wheat here, a crop planted by God the Father Himself, and He’s looking for good trees that are producing plenty of good fruit. And remember, our Father’s been seeking fruit on His trees repeatedly for a long time now, and He has no intention of keeping any of them that are unproductive Lk. 13:7-9. If the tree (You and I) are not producing good fruit now, if the tree is still not mature and productive now, then the tree is in grave danger. (The last dunging will be quite a sobering one for the remnant of God’s church Rv. 12:17.)
Proper Ingredients
If you remember, one of the ingredients in the “wave loaves” (the wave loaf picture the church which will be presented for acceptance on the last day, the day of Pentecost) includes “Fine Flour” and fine flour is made from the cream of the crop, from the best of the kernels at the top of the wheat stem. Those particular kernels grew from the seed that fell on the good ground and received the proper nurturing and the proper rains. (And please let us realize that sermons and pulpits can be a good thing - God does give us ministry to edify and encourage and perfect Eph 4:11 – 13. But the main nurturing and teaching comes from God Himself, He is the one we have to put our trust in, not any man. He is the one we have to stay in tune with, He is our true teacher Eph. 4:21.) To make fine flour the kernels had to go through a process, they had to be grinded and sifted over and over (Seven times to be precise) until all the lumps and all the imperfections were removed. (We’re talking perfection here.) All that perfecting in the wave loafs took place before they were baked. Don’t believe the lies of those false ministers who tell you that perfection doesn’t come until after our change, they are deceived and being deceived. If you don’t get the lumps and imperfections out now, if you don’t get the sin out now, you may not be changed!
Brethren, we need to remember how the physical Temple was built, because it pictures the building of the spiritual Temple, which is the church of God (us) to a tee! And the stones (us) used for the physical temple were cut, grinded and made ready BEFORE they were erected into that Temple. “And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone (us) made ready “before” it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building 1Kgs. 6:7”.
Yes brethren, The house of God, the church of God that Jesus began to build nearly 2,000 years ago is nearing its completion, and soon to be erected on the other side Dan. 2:44 (Up on the Sea of Glass) Are you going to be there? Have you taken the proper time to be involved with your High Calling? Are you a true disciple of Jesus Christ? “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” Lk.14:26, 27, 33. (Please Reference our article titled: “The End From The Beginning”.) http://voiceinthewildernesschurchofgod.org/The%20End%20From%20The%20Beginning.pdf
Calm Before The Storm
Brethren, we are living at the point in time that Jesus previously inquired about, when He asked whether or not He would find “faith” “belief” on this earth at His second coming Lk 18:8. We are living at the point in time when the slumbering and sleeping 10 Virgins of Mat 25 are about to be jolted awake by the midnight cry announcing “The Bridegroom Cometh; go ye out to meet Him”. We are living at the point in time when the assembling of ourselves together and the exhorting of one another is of utmost importance, because we see the day approaching, and soon, some of the members of the church of God will be standing on the sea of glass, and some will not.
Standing on the Sea of Glass
Brethren, do you know who will be standing there on that sea of glass and who will not? Many “ministers” will tell you that it will be the members in their particular incorporated group that will be standing there. Don’t believe that nonsense brethren, (And if your still trapped in one of those hierarchical groups playing church, get out before it’s too late) Let’s stop here for a moment and answer that important question which is of utmost importance to each and every member of the church of God concerning who will be standing there on the sea of glass at Christ’s return, and who will not. Brethren, please, take a moment here and set down your “golf clubs”, find the “pause” button on your TV, VCR, IPOD, CELL PHONE, BLACKBERY, TWITTERBURY or whatever else you are fiddling with. This is a very important matter to consider. This concerns “Crowns” brethren, (Our crowns) or lack there of. This concerns our calling, and whether or not we will individually fulfill it. And this is no gray area, we need not speculate here in any way, shape or form concerning who will be standing there and who will not. We need only to take a quick trip up to that sea of glass and have a look for ourselves and see exactly who will be standing there. (And It has nothing to do with incorporated groups.)
And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God Rev. 15:2.
Brethren, those six words “Them that had gotten the victory” come from only one Greek word NIKAO = conquer, overcomer. That’s who’s going to be standing there brethren, those who overcome.
Our calling brethren, our high calling includes a fantastic “All Inclusive” Wedding Banquet on that Sea of glass. The only catch involved is that in order to be there, one has to overcome; one has to be a conqueror, a soldier who fought that good fight. But don’t let that hinder you in any way, because we have been given the needed help to accomplish that goal of overcoming. The question is whether or not that is our goal? Maybe for some, their goal is to perfect their swing with those golf clubs or some other mundane care that they may cherish over seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Or maybe they don’t understand 2Tm. 2:4.
Are we ready for that day brethren? Are we ready to meet our Lord and Savior in the clouds? Are we amongst the wise virgins that have their vessels filled with the precious oil of the word of God? Or will we be found lacking of the precious oil that will be needed to keep our lamps burning when that midnight cry goes out? Mt. 25:8.
Brethren, the Pharisees and the Sadducees are alive and well today, and still full of pride and vain glory. And just as they were not ready at Christ’ first coming, they will not be ready at His second coming. The Pharisees were quite in tune with the physical, and loved to lord over the brethren. They were also top-notch meteorologists; they could predict the weather with just a quick glance at the sky. But they had no clue concerning the signs of the time in which they were living. Do we brethren? Mt.16:3
Do we comprehend the signs of the time in which we are living?
Are we preoccupied with the cares of this world to realize that the mighty storm that the church of God has been anticipating for millennia is rapidly approaching. Many in the COG have been hearing this warning to be ready for a long time, but some will not wake up until it’s too late. Some will not focus on their calling and repent of their inappropriate sinful ways until the dragon proceeds to make war with them after he realizes that he cannot harm the true disciples of Jesus Christ? Rv.12:15-17.
Brethren, this is not a time to be frightened or upset, or skittish or to bury our head in the sand. (And this is not doom & gloom) This is a time to be hopeful and thankful as we anticipate the return of our Lord and Savior who will soon be returning at The Father’s command to take full charge of this earth with His saints at His side Rv.17:14 . The majority of this world is suffering horrendously brethren. We need our Lord and Savior to return to this earth to end all of the world’s suffering. This brings our focus back on those brethren of ours over there in E. Africa who are in need of our help.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, If ye have love one to another.
Our Lord and Savior made that statement on the last night that He was with His disciples. He gave us a new command, a command to love one another as He loved us. Later the Apostle John, the Apostle of love, asked this important question: “Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” 1 Jn. 3:17. If that’s a bit too Greek in the KJ for us to comprehend, maybe we better read that verse in the NIV: “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be present in him?”
Brethren, what a fantastic opportunity we have here, to be able to help our fellow brethren that are in need. But not everyone feels this way. When we first began trying to spread the word out that there are fellow members of the household of faith who are in desperate need of our help, many of the “leaders” of the churches of God that we contacted refused to consider our plea, and refused to notify the brethren of the request for help. Some of those “leaders” are apparently of the same mind as Diotrephes, the one who would not accept the true brethren back then in apostolic times. He even refused to receive the Apostle John 3 Jn.1:9-10. And just like Diotrephes loved to have the preeminence back then, so do many of the “leaders” today. But they cannot have it brethren, because there is one who already hold that position of preeminence in the church of God, and He is the one and only true head of our body, Jesus The Christ Himself Col. 1:18.
Plea For Help Is Uniting The Brethren
This plea for help from our brethren there in E. Africa has been bringing out the true colors of many of the members of the church of God. It has shown the Agape love (Or lack there of) of the brethren.
When we finally did begin to get the word out that there were fellow members of the house hold of faith who were in dire need of help, one man quickly responded by inquiring about what the beliefs were of our organization. He very plainly stated that if our beliefs or doctrines were different from his, then he would not help. Unfortunately he doesn’t qualify to fit the role of a “Good Samaritan” a qualification needed for entrance into the Kingdom of God.
Another man, one retired and lacking in physical wealth himself who even finds himself living out of the back of his pickup truck from time to time, not only rushed down to the post office to send out some assistance, but also came out of retirement and took on a very laborious job (that almost did him in) in order to raise funds to assist his fellow brethren who were in need of help. It mattered not to him at that time what the beliefs were of those in need, anymore than it mattered to the Good Samaritan when he saw that half dead stranger there in the street.
Then there was an entire church group who also concerned themselves not in what the beliefs were or doctrines followed by those brethren of theirs who were in such dire need, but only concerned themselves with how quick and how well they could assist.
Now please don’t misunderstand here, I am not saying that doctrine is not important, on the contrary, doctrine is very important. True doctrine is the teachings of Jesus Himself, the very thing we are to be growing in. But true doctrine teaches love, the outgoing concern for others, a rarity in this world, and sometimes a rarity amongst the brethren Phil. 2:20-21. But without love, without outgoing concern for others (especially our brethren Gal.6:10) how can we have any understanding? 1 Cor. 13:1-13.
Another man (apparently out of our fold) who was a recipient of our call for help responded by saying this: If those in need are members of the church of God, then why don’t you ask the church of God for help? After all (he went on to say) it is not Christian to ask strangers for help. (Another man lacking in “Good Samaritan” qualities.)
Then there are these two brethren (who live where the sun rarely shines) who began responding in rapid succession by sending funds for food, funds for school fees, Bibles, books, study aids and more. (Use extreme caution when in their presence, because God’s powerful spirit is flowing out of these two people in such abundance that you may begin to glow.)
And now there is another small group (Where the sun often shines) that possess large hearts and are anxious to assist those in need.
The true church of God is being united brethren, and its being united by a very powerful force. A force that no man made incorporated group can stop (no matter how pious or unique they claim to be). God has led us to assist the brethren in E. Africa, but this same scenario is transpiring all over the Globe with God people.
And let us glorify our Heavenly Father brethren, because it is Him that deserves all the glory. When our Lord returns and gathers His flock together, there will be no doubt in His mind that the answer to the question He posed nearly 2,000 years ago concerning faith, will be YES. There is no doubt about this because there is salt on this earth today brethren, salt that has not lost it savor. And there are lights shining atop lamp stands. There are those who are answering the Fathers call and becoming perfect, just as we have been commanded to do. The wheat seeds planted by the Father that began growing 2,000 years ago are now coming to full maturity, reaching their full potential. Yes, the church age is coming to a close and soon to be exhibiting those powerful gifts bestowed upon the members of the body, by God Himself.
God’s work is moving forward. Many people in E. Africa are very receptive for the true Word of God that is being preached to them, and we are receiving many calls for more literature and more visits. Let us pray that we all move on to perfection, and that we walk this earth doing all things that are pleasing in our Father’s sight.
If you would like to pitch in and help our brethren in E. Africa, please send that help to:
Kenya Hands of Hope 120 Stage Rd Tuckerton, N.J. 08087 USA
609-489-1565
E-mail: goffb50@aol.com
Goffb50 (at sign) aol.com
Website: http://voiceinthewildernesschurchofgod.org/
Voiceinthewildernesschurchofgod.org
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