The Church

God put the Church in the world and ever since, the devil has been trying to put the world in the Church. From the very beginning the devil has been trying to cause God’s plans to fail or come up short of what God was trying to organize, a plan where God and man could be partners and work together. The devil convinced man he had an easier way and his plan would work better, but he is a liar and the father of it. Moses described God this way in Deuteronomy 32:4, "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." This has been proven over and over, again and again. It was put in the fire and the fire wouldn’t burn it. It was thrown into a den of hungry lions and the lions wouldn’t eat it. It was thrown in prison and the prison couldn’t hold it. It was put in a grave and the grave couldn’t hold it. "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his [Jesus’] resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many" (Matt. 27:52, 53). GLORY! "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations" (2 Peter 2:9). All these deliveries were godly saints. The Lord said, "For I am the LORD, I change not" (Mal. 3:6).

The darkest day in the devil’s reign here on earth was when Jesus walked upon Mt. Hittin and set the Church in order. "And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils" (Mark 3:13-15).

The devil knew this was going to happen. When Jesus was a baby he got Herod to order all babies two years old and under to be killed. It is reported that several thousand little babies were killed. But God told Joseph to take Mary and the Baby to Egypt until Herod died.

Then in 325 A.D. he came up with a plan to make everything into a man-made creed so the Church would lose its identity. So God removed the Church from that part of the world and brought it to this part of the world. It was hidden for over 1,500 years, then in 1903 it came to light this side of the Dark Ages. The Church did well until 1923 when the devil showed up again with another plan to try to cover the Church over with man-made doctrines to cause the Church to lose its identity again. But thank God, Brother Tomlinson would not stand for it. Then in 1993 the devil came up with another plan to try and cause the Church to get lost in the revamping of the Church and changing everything, do away with theocracy, take it out of God’s hands and do it man’s way. Thank God for some men that wouldn’t allow the Church to be led away with man and the devil to lose its identity and become a man-made organization.

"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it

unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto

thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:13-18).

Listen to what Jesus said, "I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" The Church here on earth will finish her course right on God’s timetable. "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God" (Rev. 19:7-9). Glory to God and Christ our Lord forever!

People will, and do, ask the question, "Why doesn’t God stop the devil?" He has tried many times to destroy the Church, killed many of the prophets, the Lord’s disciples, thousands of the saints, the list goes on and on. His time has just about run out. God has plans for him. We read about it in Revelation 20:1- 3, 7-10. "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.… And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

Ever since this ship set sail there have been days without sunshine, storms that made it look like she would go down, but praise God she still sails on! Her final destination is just ahead. She may be weather-scarred but, glory to God, she is still afloat. John saw her landing on that other shore with her cargo safe and sound. "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son" (Rev. 21:1-7).

Cecil Scott

Cody, WY