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[b]The Church Triumphant On Earth[/b]
[i]by brother Greg[/i]
A exhortation of god’s enduring purpose in the church
LIKE A MIGHTY ARMY
The Church is militant and triumphant on this earth! That is God’s pre-ordained purpose and plan from the foundation of the world. The words of this old hymn speak of this truth: “Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before. Like a mighty army, Moves the Church of God. Crowns and thrones may perish, Kingdoms rise and wane, But the Church of Jesus, Constant will remain.” Christ died to redeem a people to Himself and God: “That he might sanctify and cleanse it, with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Oh that we may grasp in the depths or our heart that we have been called and set apart to be a “glorious church” unto God. Praise God!
Scripture declares also that Jesus: “gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” We are those that “are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” We are a “peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” We are children of the light not of the dark! “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of god heareth not us.” We are called: “Saints, Overcomers, Redeemed, Elect, Saved, Faithful, A Peculiar People, Children of God.” Glory! All of the Divine promises are ours, we are “partakers of the divine nature.” He is “able to keep you from falling, and to present you, faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.” God has a people kept by the love of Christ. His Church will persevere against all woes that the world, flesh and the devil can bombard it with. The very gates of hell will not prevail against it.
GOD HAS ALWAYS HAD A PEOPLE!
“God Has Always Had A People! Many a foolish conquer made the mistake of thinking that because he had forced the Church of Jesus Christ out of sight, that he had stilled its voice and snuffed out its life. But God Has Always Had A People! The powerful current of a rushing river is not diminished because it is forced to flow underground. The purest water is the stream that bursts crystal clear into the sunlight after it has fought its way through solid rock. There have been charlatans who like Simon the magician, sought to barter on the open market that power which cannot be bought or sold. But God Has Always Had A People!”
“Men who could not be bought and women who were beyond purchase. Yes, God Has Always Had A People! There have been times of affluence and prosperity when the Church's message was nearly diluted into oblivion by those who sought to make it socially attractive, neatly organized and financially profitable. It has been gold plated ,draped in purple and encrusted with jewels. It has been misrepresented, ridiculed, blotted and scorned. These followers of Jesus Christ have been according to the whim of the times elevated as sacred leaders and martyred as heretics. Yet through it all, there marches on that powerful army of the meek, God's chosen people that can't be bought, flattered, murdered or stilled. On through the ages they march.”
“The Church, God's Church Triumphant, is Alive and Well! Now listen child of God. It's alive! Discouraged pastor it's His Church and it's alive! Lonely Missionary sow your seeds with confidence! It's alive my broken hearted friend! Old saint you’re not alone and forgotten, the Church is alive! Busy mother cast your cares on Jesus! It's alive young student. You're not alone in serving the Lord! Faithful father there's rest in the Lord! The Church is alive! Cynical skeptic you haven't killed God with your noisy unbelief. He's Alive! So family of God raise you hands and praise the Lord. For the Church, God's Church Triumphant is Alive and Well!”
THE OPPOSITION HAS BEEN STRONG
The French philosopher Voltaire, a skeptic who destroyed the faith of many people, boasted that within 100 years of his death, the Bible would disappear from the face of the earth. Voltaire died in 1728, but the Bible lives on. The irony of history is that 50 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society moved into his former house and used his printing presses to print thousands of Bibles. There has always been extreme opposition to the Church of God. Satan has tried to vanquish and destroy the Church of God with many evil men. But God’s purposes and plan continue amidst the trials and tribulations that the Church goes through. Charles Hodge wrote about the true Church in these words: “The Church, during the apostolic age, did not consist of isolated, independent congregations, but was one body, of which the separate churches were constituent members, each subject to all the rest, or to an authority which extended over all.” And God still has this one true Church in the midst of many professors and hypocrites, God’s true Church stands in the midst. And the world and all its forces are against the true Church of God. Holy Scripture says: “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.” Christ our Master said on earth: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” And again our Master said: “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” The Scriptures clearly show that those that are of God come to the light and they deeds are righteous. The true Church is a light and reproves the world of its wickedness and rebellion. “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”
EXULTING GOD IN SONG
Charles Wesley wrote a powerful hymn in 1745 named: “Head of Thy Church Triumphant” What a glorious hymn that exalts the true head of the Church, Jesus Christ. Surely the only reason that the Church is triumphant is because we have a triumphant leader:
Head of Thy Church triumphant, We joyfully adore Thee; Till Thou appear, Thy members here. Shall sing like those in glory. We lift our hearts and voices. With blest anticipation, And cry aloud, and give to God. The praise of our salvation. While in affliction’s furnace, And passing through the fire, Thy love we praise, which knows our days, And ever brings us nigher. We clap our hands exulting. In Thine almighty favor; The love divine which made us Thine. Shall keep us Thine for ever. Thou dost conduct Thy people. Through torrents of temptation, Nor will we fear, while Thou art near, The fire of tribulation. The world with sin and Satan. In vain our march opposes, Through Thee we shall break through them all, And sing the song of Moses. By faith we see the glory. To which Thou shalt restore us, The cross despise for that high prize. Which Thou hast set before us. And if Thou count us worthy, We each, as dying Stephen, Shall see Thee stand at God’s right hand, To take us up to Heaven.
Charles Wesley wrote another powerful hymn in 1759 named: “Let Saints On Earth In Concert Sing” What a tremendous truth that we have entered into the living Church of God that has existed through many peoples and trials. This mighty conquering army moves on never failing or giving in! Let us follow our master, His way will see us through:
Let saints on earth in concert sing. With those who work is done; For all the servants of our King. In heaven and earth are one. One family, we dwell in him, One Church, above, beneath, Though now divided by the stream, The narrow stream of death. One army of the living God, To his command we bow; Part of the host have crossed the flood, And part are crossing now. E'en now to their eternal home. There pass some spirits blest; While others to the margin come, Waiting their call to rest. Jesus, be thou our constant Guide; Then, when the word is given, Bid Jordan's narrow stream divide, And bring us safe to heaven.
SHAKE THE COUNTRY FOR TEN MILES
George Fox shares in his journals the desire of God to raise those up in the true spirit of the Church: “The Lord had said unto me that if but one man or woman were raised by His power to stand and live in the same Spirit that the prophets and apostles were in who gave forth the Scriptures, that man or woman should shake all the country in their profession for ten miles round. For people had the Scripture, but were not in the same Light, power, and Spirit which those were in who gave forth the Scripture; so they neither knew God, Christ, nor the Scriptures aright; nor had they unity one with another, being out of the power and Spirit of God. Therefore we warned all, wherever we met them, of the day of the Lord that was coming upon them.” And this is our great need is for those of that type of apostolic spirit of the true triumphant church on earth. God is building and raising His Church admist the worst of times. When all hope is lost God is still working out His eternal plans that will prevail and succeed. Let us not grow weary in well doing for in due time we will reap a harvest. May we be found “doing” the will of God and walking in Holiness when our Lord comes back. Christ tells us to be “zealous therefore and repent” for He is coming shortly and His reward is in His hand.
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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
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