Dear Brethren and Friends, The unity and enthusiasm of our people all over the world at this most recent Feast of Tabernacles celebration has been reported to be absolutely outstanding. The living Christ is obviously building within the Living Church of God a strong “base” to prepare the way for a much greater Work ahead—if we continue our unity, our dedication and our love. This year’s Feast attendance, worldwide, turned out to be more than 8,000 in total—a new record for the Living Church of God. A number of really fine “new” ministers are now coming along and a number of them gave outstanding sermons and are providing very good leadership for the Church. We are very thankful for these newer men and the dedication and service they are providing.
Over the last several years, we have had an increasing emphasis on Servant Leadership. In Matthew 20, Jesus Christ describes this kind of leadership—which I preached upon extensively both in Panama City and in Branson at the Feast sites there. After describing the “Hitlerian” type of domineering leadership so often found among the Gentile rulers, Jesus said, “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26–28). In Revelation 5:10, God’s Word describes how He has “made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” Brethren, we really do need to take this seriously and genuinely prepare to be those leaders whom Christ can use in His soon-coming Government!
In 1 Corinthians 6:1–6, God inspired the Apostle Paul to describe the importance of His people both learning and practicing the biblical form of government. Paul stated, “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?” (1 Corinthians 6:2–3). The type of hierarchical government Christ directed His servants to employ throughout both the Old and New Testaments is the exact form of government we will soon be teaching and practicing in Tomorrow’s World. Yet some of our confused brethren in other fellowships think Christ has “led” them into instituting other types of “democratic” governments into their church governance! This is pitiful and very sad indeed—as it can only lead to division and confusion and a profound lack of understanding and training in the form of government these people ought to be learning before Christ returns.
Brethren, Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). So Christ will always use the hierarchical form of government in His Kingdom and in His Church. In ancient Israel, God led Moses to “select” able men to help him (Exodus 18:21), and to “appoint judges and officers in all your gates” (Deuteronomy 16:18). God has always shown by circumstances and by the “fruits” the one He will use to lead His people.
In the New Testament, after praying all night, Jesus “called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles” (Luke 6:12–13).
Later, the Apostle Paul “chose” Silas and began to use him in the ministry. Then, still later, Paul instructed the evangelist Titus to “set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you” (Titus 1:5). Clearly, in God’s inspired word, His government was always hierarchical—government from the top down by those whom God had designated as leaders.
There is no exception to this God-ordained form of government in all the Bible! And the living Christ will never lead anyone to act contrary to His inspired word! So we should all sincerely thank God for His form of government! We should appreciate the impressive unity that it has given us for so many years. And we should all—from the greatest to the least—learn to administer our part in God’s government with love and humility, and with the approach of Servant Leadership which we have been teaching for so many years.
Even though some in other groups have mis-used the hierarchical form of government in a cruel, harsh, even “Hitlerian” way, we must learn never to “throw the baby out with the bath water.” Any form of government may be misused. However, over the long haul, God’s form of government will always prove to be the best—especially for those who are Christ-centered and using His form of government His way. And when we do things God’s way, He does give us extra help, guidance and unity. So we must truly learn to “live by every word of God” in everything we think, say and do—including Church government. It is difficult to fathom how some of our separated brethren think that they can—within a very few years—teach a form of hierarchical government which they have never learned to practice in their own church organization! So, as we learn to study and to teach and to practice God’s form of government, it is vital that we truly think through the implications of this— including the fact that we will very soon be teaching this very form of government in Christ’s soon-coming Kingdom on this earth.
Truly, Christ is coming soon as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 11:15). His government will be a real government, in which today’s Christians will serve if we overcome in this lifetime, and qualify to assist Him in ruling over actual cities. Christ, our High Priest, will be the ultimate King, and we under Him will serve Him as kings and priests.
Every kingdom has a king, territory, laws and subjects. In the Millennium, here on the earth, Christ will be the King of kings, God’s law will be the law of the land, the whole world will be His territory, and the entire population of the world will be His subjects. Christ, with the saints assisting Him, will be the supreme servant leader, giving fully of Himself to make available to every human being the full opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit, to overcome self (remember, Satan will be restrained for most of the Millennium, and society will be free of most of today’s ungodly influences), and ultimately to join the God Family forever.
This wonderful destiny is part of what we picture each year at the Feast of Tabernacles. From time to time throughout the year, we should go back and review the notes we took during the Feast from the excellent sermons given. We should meditate frequently on this, and let the reality of God’s coming government be uppermost in our minds, being sure that we constantly follow the Apostle Paul’s inspired instruction, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1–2).
As I have stated before, I strongly encourage all of you to begin to genuinely study the statutes of God as revealed in the Old Testament. Certainly, the death penalty and issues concerning the “ministration of death” (2 Corinthians 3:7, KJV) are not to be enforced by us under the New Covenant. However, since Christ indicates that the entire Bible is to be studied and followed as the “mind of God,” we should really be familiar with the principles of the statutes and judgments that the eternal God set forth in the Old Testament. These are the statutes and judgments which King David himself meditated on over and over (Psalm 119:15–16).
If we are to be kings and priests under Christ—and perhaps some of us directly under David—we had better follow David’s example in studying and meditating on the statutes and judgments of God. These statutes are found primarily in Exodus 20–24; Leviticus 16–27; Numbers 18–19, 27–30, 35– 36; Deuteronomy 12–28. As you will see, if you really study them, being mindful of the principles of mercy taught in the New Testament and Christ’s magnification of God’s laws, you will see that they give a basic foundation of the way we—as future kings and priests—should judge things with the mind of God. Therefore, since Jesus Christ tells us that man should live by “every word of God” (Luke 4:4), let us truly study this part of God’s inspired Word and use it as a foundation for the way we judge things—since it reveals the way God Himself would judge things in a carnal nation apart from people’s opportunity for spiritual conversion. Brethren, all of us should zealously respond to the Apostle Paul’s challenge, “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” (1 Corinthians 6:2). As we are the Living Church of God, we must zealously do our part to prepare ourselves for the very real responsibilities we will soon be given to assist Jesus Christ in ruling this entire world!
Dear brethren and friends, the Work of the Living Church of God must absolutely multiply in its power and impact over the next several years. With Christ’s help—and with our approach of doing things God’s way—I am sure He will give us the increased power we need to have a genuine impact on the world. For we must truly reach “all nations” with the wonderful message of a coming World Government—this government directed by God the Father and by Jesus Christ in person here on earth.
This should give real meaning to our lives. This should help us have a real goal to aim for in our thoughts and prayers all day long and help us truly “walk with God.” In that way we will be prepared to walk right over into the Kingdom of God through our constant and daily communion with Jesus Christ, our living Head and Savior.
With Christian love,
