Our Help ComethFrom the Lord
David R. Risch, Cleveland,
TN
A few weeks ago one of the first things I thought of when I
heard of Brother Smith’s death was “What a fearful day for The Church of God,”
and quickly it seemed the Spirit kind of rebuked me and this thought filled my
mind: “Not a fearful day, but an awesome day!...a day for the Church to show
herself strong with a deep faith that God doesn’t forsake His children when difficulties
arise; and so it is not a ‘fearful day,’ but an awesome day.” Faithful Church
of God members can expect God to come to their rescue! If the Church fails in
anything, don’t blame God, for He has given us a divine promise in Philippians
4:19: “But my God shall supply all your need according to
his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Hebrews
6:18 tells us it’s impossible for God to lie. You can’t make God lie. I can’t
make God lie. If we meet His conditions, our needs will be met!
Paul
said, “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in
him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2
Cor. 1:20). In Christ, all the promises of God are true; and in Him we have the
power to claim these promises for ourselves!
What
an awesome time for The Church of God to do as David said in Psalms 121:1, 2: “I
will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” David didn’t expect help to come from the physical hills or
mountains around Jerusalem. He saw their greatness, they represent strength.
I’ve personally seen mountains so high, so great, they were breathtaking. No,
David was looking for something else. Note verse 2 (where our thought for this
message comes from): “My help cometh from the LORD, which made
heaven and earth.” A God so great He formed
those mountains. He not only formed those mountains according to His will, He
is also able to move them!
I
thought of the day Christ’s feet will land on the Mount of Olives, one on each
side. Half will move to the north, half to the south, leaving a great valley
for the Battle of Armageddon. When I need help, this is the kind of God I want
to go to! The first part of verse 2 literally stuck out to me: “my
help [David’s help] cometh
from the Lord.” Yes the Overseer’s office is vacant, but there’s help
available to fill it when you go to the Lord and God will help fill it. Amen.
Amen! Can we say, “There’s help on the way!”? How many came to this Assembly
believing there’s help on the way?
Who is David reaching out to? The Creator of the heavens and
earth! The only mountains Satan made were mountains of trouble and sorrow,
filling our world with darkness, or sin that opposes God’s divine plan for man.
But our help comes from God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. And
Paul said it like this in Ephesians 1:19-23 (Think of God’s greatness, His
ability and His glory in these verses): “And what is the exceeding greatness
of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty
power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set
him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality,
and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in
this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under
his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is
his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
Paul expresses God’s gifts to Christ here so wonderfully—raised
Him from the dead, set Him at His right hand far above anything and everything,
gave Him a name above all names, put all things under His feet, and placed Him
as Head of The Church of God. And all of this is just part of our inheritance.
Christ will share what we need to fulfill His will in The Church of God!
“Brother Risch, do you really mean that?” Yes, yes, yes, for
Revelation 19:7 tells us “his wife [The Church of God] hath made
herself ready.” It’s as good as done folks, as far as God is concerned.
Nothing can stop her! And I wonder if it could not come within this generation!
Listen folks, this is an awesome time for The Church of God! And no one has the
answers but the Lord. Please don’t go to the denominational system for the
answers. Their answers won’t fit The Church of God. I’m not saying there aren’t
good people, even “other sheep” there. Please don’t go to the world for
answers. They don’t have any, period. The world will only take you away from
God’s Divine Plan. Don’t go to the Internet for answers. Don’t go to famous
theologians for answers. Why go to those outside the Church when we have
Christ, Head of the Church, available? We must believe as David, “my help
cometh from the Lord.”
I know the situation at the Solemn Assembly was different, in a
sense, but its success was when people went to the Lord for help. The people
relied on the Lord to lead them through that difficult time. And He did! That’s
why we are here today. Church, I believe He already has present and future
plans made for The Church of God. He is an Omniscient God—knowing all things,
the end from the beginning! There are no surprises before God. He is never
late. He is always on time! He’s never out of control. Think of how He keeps
this universe running!
I think you know where I’m going this morning. We need God’s
help in giving us a General Overseer. And where will we go for help? Will we
say, “My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth”?
A few weeks back the Overseers met to find God’s will for an
Interim General Overseer until the General Assembly. I feel we were doing our
part to pray for them to become of one mind. Yes, just like we were at the
Solemn Assembly! We became a partner with them even if we were not present. But
this week, this “multitude of counselors” must become as one if we are
to leave this Assembly feeling good in our soul!
I lay no claims on being an authority on
this subject. I was 14 years old when M. A. Tomlinson was installed as General
Overseer, and also, as many of you, I was there when Billy Murray, Robert
Pruitt and Stephen Smith were selected. This has only made me more sensitive to
the importance of this office and future of The Church of God.
How important is this selection of the General Overseer? It’s
important enough that none of us can make the appointment! (I’m not trying to
be arrogant, and not trying to belittle anyone). I thought of how the Holy
Ghost came to the aid of the Early Church, as recorded in the book of Acts,
over circumcision. The devil was trying to divide The Church of God but some in
The Church of God touched the throne of God and James proclaimed, “For it
seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden
than these necessary things” (Acts 15:28). But notice: the Holy Ghost had
to be pleased first. Their decision had to first please the third Person of
the Godhead. How can one please the Holy Ghost? By and through opening our
heart to God for His will. The government of The Church of God is theocracy—or
God ruled. We’re under the immediate direction of God. Folks, Holy Ghost filled
people should be able to discern the Spirit! I believe that’s what happened at
the Solemn Assembly.
You may say, “But Brother Risch, I think ‘so an so’ is the
perfect one” and no doubt you are honest in your thinking. But listen to what
Isaiah said in Chapter 55: 8, 9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts.”
If there is any Scripture that will help keep our ego in check
it’s this Scripture: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts.” One could
say, “But Lord, I know this man; he is honest, has a good personality, good
preacher,” and on and on. But God is saying “My thoughts are so much higher
than yours. You see him as he is today, and rightly so, but I already see him
in the tomorrows. I know if he is the one who can complete the work required in
this office.” It’s one thing to be a good Pastor, or Overseer, or General
worker, and another to actually fill the General Overseer’s office. Not
belittling anyone, we need God’s man. We need God to give us direction. And I
believe He will!
Who of us could compare with God’s knowledge for “as the
heavens [not heaven] are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
I thought of how high the heavens seem to be from the earth on a
clear day or when looking down from that airplane from thousands of feet. Then
think of Paul who said he knew a man caught up to the third heaven. I’ve got a
big imagination, but when I compare my thoughts with One whose thoughts are
three heavens higher, it seems sensible to take advice from the Lord when He
said “heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool” (Isa. 66:1).
This is why we must trust in the Lord and follow theocracy—for He already
knows the person we need to fill this Office, and I believe He will reveal him
to the Church!
We use this Scripture so much in evangelistic services: “Ask,
and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you” (Matt. 7:7). But it is also the way to get other answers
from the Lord. Verse 8 promises this: “For every one that asketh receiveth;
and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” If
The Church of God will follow these instructions of Jesus the answer will come!
Let me say something about the power of prayer. Not since the
Solemn Assembly have I heard so many encouraging others to pray—setting times
of prayer, times to fast. And God heard our prayers and blessed the Overseers
with a great meeting. I feel in my heart God heard prayers like James wrote
about in Chapter 5, verse 16: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous
man availeth much.” The dictionary tells this about these two words: Effectual
is “to produce a designed effect.” Fervent means “to produce heat
and heat produces energy.”
What does this kind of praying produce? It can bring powerful
results. Why? Because they get the attention of heaven. I believe some
righteous people have been praying this kind of prayer these past several
weeks. How many of you believe God will answer your prayer?
Going back to James 5:17, 18: “Elias was a man subject to
like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it
rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he
prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”
If historians are correct, it is said when James died they found
his knees calloused like a camel’s knees from hours of prayer. But James
preferred to write about Elijah, calling him a man with like passions as other
men. Yet when it came to prayer he was not ordinary, for he actually believed
God would answer his prayers.
Paraphrasing from the 17th and 18th chapters of 1 Kings, Elijah
prayed that there would be no dew or rain for 3 ½ years. And it didn’t rain. He
prayed that the widow woman’s meal and oil would not fail, and it didn’t. The
widow woman’s son died and Elijah prayed and life returned to his body. Elijah
prayed and fire came down from heaven, burnt the sacrifice and wood, even the
12 stones around the altar, and the dust, and licked up 12 barrels of water
around the altar! Elijah’s faith was so great that God would answer his prayer
for it to rain that he sent his servant immediately to look from the mountain
top for signs of rain. When the servant returned saying “There is nothing,”
Elijah said “Go again” seven times, and on the seventh time the servant
returned saying “There’s a little cloud the size of a man’s hand.” One
hand-sized cloud (in a clear sky) and Elijah knew his prayer was answered.
“Servant, go tell Ahab to get off this mountain while he can!” Folks, that’s
believing God will answer your prayers!
Remember what was said of Elijah? He was a man with like
passions as we are. After all the miracles he did through Almighty God, he
became discouraged and wanted to die. But God wasn’t through with him. He and
God had a meeting. (Read chapters 19 thru 22 of 1 Kings; also chapters 1 and 2
of 2 Kings).
Elijah anointed Elisha and they came to the Jordan River. Elijah
smote the water with his cloak and they crossed on dry ground. Soon he was
taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire and a whirlwind.
Listen Church of God, the Church has
faced many trying times since A. D 28 but this is not the time to be discouraged.
Now is the time to believe God will answer our prayers just as He did for
Elijah! I trust we have many Elijah's here today tho believe God will answer
their prayer! Let us rise to the task of believing there’s victory in Jesus!
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