CROWN HIM LORD OF ALLWhen Isaiah foretold the coming into this world of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, he said, "The government shall be upon His shoulder", and, "His name shall be called...the Prince of Peace", and "of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end..." (Isaiah 9:6,7). Then in Phil.2:6-11 we read that God has highly exalted Him, and given Him the Name which is above every name, and He has decreed that at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. These, and many other scriptures assure us that the place of supreme authority belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ, and that where He rules there is peace. As believers we can vouch for this, each in our own measure, for we know the peace that came into our souls when we owned His sovereign claims and submitted to His authority. Not only so, but we know that as His government increases, so His peace increases. The disciples proved this to be true in the upper room on the night in which He was betrayed. Taking His place among them as their Lord and Master (John 13:13). He settled their strife (Luke 22:24-27), and calmed their hearts with His peace (John 14:1,27). It will also be demonstrated beyond doubt when He shall come to reign over the nations of the world in His future Millennial Kingdom, and "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isa 2:4). During this present Church Age, it is the privilege of saints gathered to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to give Him the central place of supremacy and authority, and to enjoy the unity, peace and blessing that this brings. Such a display of harmony and order amid diversity brings glory to God, as the angels learn of His wisdom from it (Eph.3:10; I Cor. 1:10). It also attracts the attention of Satan, who would spoil it if possible, coming either as a roaring lion (l Pet.5:8), or as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), or by craftily exploiting the weaknesses of the believers (2 Cor.2: 11). Whatever his tactics may be, his aim is to dethrone the Lord, and the sure and simple remedy is for us to enthrone the Lord. When this is done, all the other issues will fall into place in due time. There are three occasions of crisis in the history of Israel that illustrate this principle. The first focuses on the oath of David, and the authority on which the nation acted when they enthroned Solomon. The second focuses on the captains and rulers, and the oath of allegiance they took to guard the king at his coronation. The third reveals the heart motivation that will constrain an individual to give royal honours to the rightful person. Let us look at them more closely: 1. Solomon the King's Son Enthroned - 1 Kings 1. In those days, king David was on his deathbed, and the royal succession was in question. Adonijah, one of the king's sons, exalted himself, saying, "I will be king". He gathered a following, and they proclaimed him king. David's servants were in great distress, and 'the eyes of all Israel were upon him' (v.20), waiting for his word as to who should reign after him. He sware by the Lord, confirming his earlier oath to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon saying, "Even so will I certainly do this day", and he gave instructions for the coronation ceremony. Solomon was duly anointed and enthroned, and all the people rejoiced with great joy. How simple but effective this was. No military strategy was needed, no political intrigue, just simply putting the king's son on the throne. The usurper was exposed, his supporters dispersed, and the nation was united again in loyalty and purpose. We are acting on the highest authority in the universe when together we enthrone our Lord Jesus as our Sovereign Lord. 2. Joash the King's Son enthroned – 2 Kings 11. King Ahaziah and all his brothers had been slain, and his mother, Athaliah, who was not of the royal line of Judah, had destroyed all the king's sons and took the throne herself. They were dark days when evil seemed to have triumphed, but the king's sister had secretly taken Joash, an infant son of the king, and his nurse, and hid them in the house of the Lord for six years. When Joash reached the age of seven years, the priest called for the captains and rulers, and, having taken an oath of them, and entered into a covenant with them, he showed them the king's son. He then appointed them to their positions, and provided them with weapons to guard the royal heir, so that nothing could prevent the coronation. With all this in place, he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown on his head, and made him king. The coronation of the king ended the reign of the usurper, and again, all the people of the land rejoiced. A number of things are illustrated here. I. The opposition to the rightful Heir to the throne is real and ruthless. 2. The need for elders to become personally acquainted with the King's Son in all His sovereign right to rule. The Holy Spirit would reveal Him in scriptures such as John 1:1-18; Heb.1; Rev.1:13-18; see also Matt.28:18; Col.l:15-18. 3. That elders own their personal loyalty to our Lord Jesus, as well as a joint responsibility to resist all that would challenge or displace His authority, equipped with weapons that are not carnal (2 Cor.10:4,5). 3. The Royal Honour Given to Mordecai - Esther 6. The Jews were facing a far more serious crisis at this time. They were captive in a foreign land, whose king had exalted Haman to high honour. This Haman was an Agagite, an enemy of the people of God, a type of the flesh that is in each one of us. Under his influence, the king had signed into effect a diabolic plan that would destroy all the Jews in his kingdom, while unaware of the full scope of its implications. But the king had a sleepless night. At his request the records of the kingdom were read to him, and he was reminded that he owed his life to Mordecai. Conscience-smitten he asks, "What honour and dignity hath been done to him for this?" and the reply was, "There has been nothing done for him". Haman came at this moment to ask the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared for him. Instead, the king asked him. "What shall be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour?" Deceived with selfish pride, in foolish presumption Haman proceeded to prescribe for himself the royal honours that he coveted. The king said, "Do even so to Mordecai….let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken". This was the turning point. Mordecai was crowned with the crown that Haman coveted, and Haman was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. The letters of destruction were reversed, and instead of extermination, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day, and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. Does this not illustrate much with which we are familiar? Times of self-indulgent apathy, forgetful of our Saviour? Then the reminders, from reading the Scriptures, or at the Lord's Supper -"He died for me, my Lord and King". Now, with fresh gratitude we sing, "Not I but Christ be honoured, loved exalted". Did we subscribe to things that were foreign to the mind of Christ and subversive to the welfare of His people while the mind of the flesh held sway? What should we do now? Crown the Saviour! Crucify the flesh! Reverse the writing! Even now, our hearts can be tuned to heaven's song: - R.M. Goatley. TRUST AND OBEY"And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house: and many of the Corinthians hearing, believed and were baptised" (Acts 18:8). The power of a godly example is evident. Crispus' faith in the Lord was an important factor in all his family confessing Christ as Lord. This influence spread, apparently from the family to the neighbours, "for many of the Corinthians hearing, believed and were baptised". They heard, they believed, and they were baptised - this is the scriptural order. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom.10:17). The Bible knows nothing of baptising non-believers, nor of an unbaptised believer. Without exception, in the Acts, each believer was baptised upon profession of faith in Christ. If you should ask me, the answer is, "Yes, I believe in 'infant' baptism! I believe that every babe in Christ (young or old in years) should be baptised, and only such." -E. Van Ryn. Courtesy 'Counsel' THE CLOUD THAT COMETH BETWEENWith clouds He covereth the light and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh between. - Job 36:32. It is apparent from these words that in the ordinary affairs of nature, clouds are needed. The bright shining of the sun, sweet and beautiful as it is, would not be good for men or for Nature if it were not, now and again, obscured for a time. An all-wise God knows just how to temper the sunshine, and so He sends the cloud. In our experience as Christians we are often face to face with the same thing in the realm of Grace. The bright shining of His face gladdens our hearts and makes us sing for joy, and we could wish it were our one experience all the time. When we were first saved we thought that the sweetness and freshness of our joy would last forever, and there was no reason that it should not. It was not any want of faithfulness on God's part that caused it in any way to be diminished; it was our own backsliding of heart. Many times our eyes have been wet with tears that no one saw but God, as we wept over the poor and weak testimony we were bearing for so good a Lord. When we had in any way sinned against Him, He withdrew His smile and we felt that there had been a "cloud that came between". It was well that it was so. Had it been possible for us still, though away in heart from God, to enjoy the brightness of His presence, we would have failed to feel the weight of our sin, and we could have wandered still further away from Him. While all this is true, there is also at times, a cloud that comes between when we are seeking to walk with the Lord. It is needful, in the gracious carrying out of His purposes with us, for the Lord to cause His face to be withdrawn so that we may lean all the more upon Himself. We are prone to be occupied with the blessing rather than the Blesser, and it is because of His being jealous for His own glory that He causes at times, a cloud to come between us and Himself When the cloud comes how do we act? Is there that real knowledge of His ways with us that causes us to lean hard on the promises of His grace, and to draw comfort from the knowledge that He doeth all things well? These dark days of sorrow and sin are a testing time for us all. How shall we deport ourselves in them? When the trial is over, shall our God be glorified by the patient way we have stood through it? "The cloud that comes between" makes the brightness all the sweeter, and when it is passed we can sing afresh, for we find that He is still the same, and His changeless love is still ours. Are we being discouraged because of the way? Then let us remember that the dark cloud could not come unless He allowed it, and it is His way of proving whether we will be true to Him in the dark as well as in the light. What we ought to be most careful about is that the cloud is not a direct result of any sin of our own. The fast sweeping tide of the influence of this world can only be withstood in the strength of communion with God. - Selected. THE CHRISTIAN AND POLITICSThere is much diversity of opinion among those who profess the name of Christian on this matter. Some contend that the Christian should take part in politics, others that he should not There are many on both sides for whom we have a good deal of respect. But in seeking a satisfactory answer to a question such as this, we need to go beyond the arguments and practices of men, and seek our counsel from the Lord alone. We would therefore turn to Him and His Word for help in the matter. A politician is one who takes an active interest in the government of his city or country, and the world at large. He claims and exercises the civil privileges conferred upon him as a citizen of this world, to create or influence the conduct of rulers. He loins in praising those in authority when they govern according to his political creed, and condemns them when they do otherwise. A Christian is a person who has been born of the Spirit of God (John 3:5), separated from the world by the cross of Christ (Gal.6:14), and called to be partaker of a heavenly calling (Heb.3:1). On earth, he is a stranger and a pilgrim (I Pet.2: 11), not of the world as Christ was not of the world (John 17:16). While we are on the earth we are told to shine as lights in the world (Phil.2:15 R.V.) and not to be unequally yoked to unbelievers (2 Cor 6: 14). Now the question asked is - Ought a Christian (not a mere professing one), a man according to the above description, to engage in political affairs? Has he been called by God to do so? Is he, in so doing, acting according to his calling, and the example left him by our Lord Jesus Christ, in obedience to the commandments of God? The earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ is a pattern for the Christian. He left us an example that we "should follow His steps" (l Pet.2:21). All that He did, and all that He omitted to do was pleasing to His God, for He said, "I always do those things that please Him" (John 8:29). Was the Lord Jesus Christ a politician? Did He take an active part in the government of His country? Did He exercise His civil rights as a citizen, or seek to influence the people against the government then in power? He lived in a time when the government was anything but what it ought to have been. His nation was oppressed by the tyrannical power of Rome. An Edomite was on the throne in David's city. The poor were crushed, and the righteous suffered wrongfully. Yet He took no political action to have it otherwise. The Lord Jesus Christ was not a politician. Once He was asked to become a judge, and to arbitrate between two brethren concerning a contested inheritance, but He refused, and in His answer He turned the occasion to good account by warning His disciples against covetousness, and the unsaved against neglecting to consider the world beyond the grave, and to be prepared for eternity. If the Christian follows His example, He will do likewise. At another time He was told of an outrage committed by Pilate, who had mingled the blood of certain Galileans with their sacrifices (Luke 13:1). Here was a case of sacrilege; a trampling on the religion of His countrymen by a Pagan tyrant, just such a case as would rouse a politician to immediate action. Did the Lord Jesus Christ denounce the outrage? Did He applaud His countrymen as martyrs? Did He stir up the people to redress? No! Concerning the political aspect of the case He was entirely silent, but from it, He pointed the solemn moral to the conscience of His hearers, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). When others came to Him, asking if they should pay tribute to Caesar, He refused to enter into the question of Caesar's political rights, and simply said, "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and to God the things which are God's" (Matt.22:21). The example of the Lord Jesus Christ was in all things perfect, yet He was not a politician. He left His people nothing to copy concerning politics, save His entire abstinence from them. This being so, I conclude that a Christian, one who is united to Christ in heaven, by His cross separated from the world, and who follows His example, cannot be a politician either. He says, "I have given you an example" (John 13:15). it is enough for the disciple that he be as his Master (Matt.10:25). In the Lord's commandment to His people, the duty of subjection to the powers that be (Rom 13:1) is plainly enforced, and this duty remains the same, no matter what political party may be in power. The Christian is commanded to "obey" those in authority, whoever they may be, and in obeying the ruler, he obeys God. The only exception to this rule would be, if the government should command what God forbids, or prohibit what God commands. Then God's commandments must always have the first claim (Acts 4:19). In such a case insubjection to rulers would not be selfwill, it would be obedience to God. But while the believer's place and duty as a subject are emphasized again and again (I Pet.2:13,14), there is no commandment given as to the behavior of a Christian ruler, nothing to guide the Christian as a politician. To those who believe in the sufficiency of Holy Scripture to guide them in fulfilling all their earthly relationships, the silence of Scripture on this will be significant. The absence of any instruction for the conduct of the Christian as a politician simply means that God does not want him to occupy such a position. If he will go into politics, he must grope his way without a ray of divine light to lead him. He must launch his bark on the stormy sea of politics without a heavenly chart or compass to guide him. Alas! how many have found out to their cost that the arena of politics is not the sphere in which the heaven-born man is called to move. Yet he may be a real, true helper of his country and its rulers by intercession (l Tim.2:l-3). The Throne of Grace, not the political arena is the place of real influence. - Abridged, John Ritchie. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" - James 5:16. AN EXAMPLEHere is something that each one of us has been in the past, is now in the present, and will always be. We cannot help being an example. But the question is: what am I an example of? If I am not an example of godliness, I am an example of ungodliness. If I am not an example of humility, I am an example of pride. There are two who are always ready to use me as an example - God and Satan. By which am I being used? If God cannot use me as an example of faithfulness, Satan is only too glad to use me as an example of unfaithfulness. It is a pleasure to the Lord to record the actions of His faithful ones. He tells us to take them "for an example of suffering affliction, and patience" (Jas.5:10). How Satan delights to use the failures of the men of God who lived thousands of years ago, as an excuse for present failure! Example is a far greater power for good or evil than preaching. Christ has left us an example that we should follow His steps (l Pet.2:21). I must therefore seek to follow Him, and be "an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (l Tim.4:12). - Believer's Treasury. THE LORD'S COMING IMMINENTThe Lord's coming for His Church, which is His body, is not only Personal and Titular, but it is Imminent. To faith that was always so, and is still so, and we can always say, "For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed" (Rom.13:11). The Church of this dispensation is that unique thing which our Lord Jesus Christ is building (Matt.16:18), and preserving (Eph.5:24-32). It began historically at Pentecost, although it is a timeless thing which found its origin in the eternal purpose of God (Eph. 1:4). Although timeless in purpose, it is begotten in time, and is the great parenthesis between the fall and restoration of God's earthly people Israel. The Imminence of His coming is surely emphasized in Phil.3:20. The word translated "look" here, is in the present tense, and the meaning given for it in Bloomfield's Lexicon is, "To thrust forward the head and neck, as in anxious expectation of something believed to be immediate". The R.V. translates the word as "wait". Its simple meaning is that He may come at any moment. Let the hope-destroying error that "The Great Tribulation" must come between, be embraced, then the waiting not only ceases to become a necessity, but becomes impracticable. Hope is destroyed, and the power of I John.3:3 ceases. Almost His last message from the throne is, "Surely I come quickly". The waiting heart responds with "Amen, come, Lord Jesus" (Rev.22:20, R.V.). It is very plain and clear that His apostles interpreted His coming as an event that was the very antithesis of death (this is evident in John 21:23), and also imminent. It is very helpful to observe how the Lord's promise in John 14 dovetails into Paul's revelation, from the same Lord in I Thess.4: 16-18. The Lord - John 14. "I come again" The Apostle - I Thess.4. "The Lord Himself shall descend" It is also noticeable that when our Lord speaks of His coming as the "Son of Man" He uses the third person, as in Matt.24:39, "So shall the coming of the Son of Man be", also in Luke 18:8, "When the Son of Man cometh shall He find faith on the earth?" But in John 14 He speaks of His coming in the first person, "1 come again". May His Spirit so quicken this truth in our hearts, that we may indeed be waiting for Himself, and for Himself at any moment, and thus it will become a potent factor in our lives. - Believer's Magazine. HE'LL COME AND TARRY NOTO child of God there is for thee, A hope that shines amid the gloom, When in this world His hands had made, No room was found for Jesus then; Exalted now to heaven's throne, The Saviour there of sinful men; O child of God, thy lot may be Oft mixed with trial, grief and pain; Then joy unmingled will be thine, Earth's tears and trials all forgot; - T.W.D. Muir. Please address Wholesome Words correspondence to: R.M. Goatley, |