As in my other writings, I was compelled by the Spirit of the Lord to present in this book that part of the truth, which is neither preached, nor taught, nor explained in any sufficient depth, width, breadth and height. (Eph. 3:17,18) Believers are thus kept in a deep deception and darkness by the powers of darkness and very few servants of God seem to care. The blood of millions will be soon required from the hands of those that were called to care but did not. (Ez. 3:18-21) It is a heart-breaking situation. We might truly need another Jeremiah to lament over us in these last years.
Nevertheless, I know that there are such believers that will keep pressing toward the prize of the high calling of God upon their lives. (Phil. 3:14) They will not seek only self-satisfaction and approval from men, but God’s satisfaction and approval. They will, if necessary, “cut off their hand or their foot or pluck out their eye” in order to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. Do we believe this? Do we understand this? Well, let us take one more look at the Word of God pertaining to the Kingdom of Heaven and our entry into it.
As we have already established, no believer shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven just because he believed in the Saviour and was born-again and baptized or by chance or somehow automatically. If believing, water baptism and forgiveness of sins is all that we need in our Christianity then why are there countless other passages in the Scripture expanding the true picture far beyond any such limits set by men? This “man’s version” of Salvation could have all been written on one page of the Bible! Then, for whom and for what purpose are there these hundreds of other pages with other spiritual facts and realities?
The fact, which I want you to ponder and see the reality thereof, is the Word of Our Lord saying:
“And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter into Life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into fire that never shall be quenched. Where their worm (old soul) dies not and the fire is not quenched.
And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter halt into Life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched. Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out; IT IS BETTER FOR THEE TO ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD WITH ONE EYE, THAN HAVING TWO EYES TO BE CAST INTO HELL FIRE. Where their worm dies not and the fire is not quenched.
For EVERY ONE SHALL BE SALTED WITH FIRE and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.” (Mk. 9:43-49// Mt. 18:8,9)
Wow! Has anybody ever preached and explained this Word of Our Lord in any church or fellowship? Really? I have never heard this Word preached or mentioned even once in my entire Christian life! Furthermore, the LORD is NOT addressing His Word to pagans and is not warning them – they are condemned to hell already no matter how many feet or hands they will cut off or how many eyes they will pluck out! THE LORD WARNS HIS TWELVE DISCIPLES! (Mk. 9:35) And if He warns the future twelve Apostles then He surely warns the whole Church and every Christian!
What do these harsh Words of Our Lord really mean to us today? We know that whenever the Lord speaks, it applies to all times and to every believer. It is, therefore, more than desirable to devote our undivided attention also to the above Word of Our Lord and search its true meaning. Our life and ultimate destiny depends on believing His every Word including the above One. So, let us consider the above Word of God.
Firstly, the Lord speaks quite clearly and literally about hell and the “fire that shall not be quenched”. The Lord repeats the fact that the fire shall not be quenched three times, just so none of us would miss this vitally important reality. Then the Lord repeats three times that “their worm dies not”, which proves that OUR SOUL IS IMMORTAL whether it be holy or sinful. After death, people will not cease to exist, but will consciously suffer in the flames for ever and ever without being consumed. (see also Ex. 3:1-3) Their “worm” means their old, sinful soul ruled by the old, evil life, the satanic nature, which they had lived and never denied.
Secondly, the Lord speaks symbolically about the “cutting off” of a foot or hand or “plucking out” an eye. Our hand “offends us” when what we do offends the Spirit of the Lord and His Word! Our foot offends us when we go to places or when we walk the roads where the Spirit of God would never bring us and where He is offended. Our eye offends us when it views things that offend the Spirit and His Word or when it directs the works of our offending hand or the walk of our offending foot. (ex. Ps. 119:37// Pr. 6:16-19, etc.)
To “cut off” our offending hand means to “stop its work” by which we are offending the Spirit or His Word, for example, causing physical or spiritual harm or wounds to brethren or to other people, serving the purposes of the powers of darkness rather than those of the Lord. Similarly, we may interpret the “cutting off” of an offending foot or “plucking out” our eye.
Now, offences are like sins whereby we may offend or grieve not only the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30) but also brethren and other people. Offences also draw “woes” to the man through whom the offence comes (Mt. 16:23; 18:6,7) and they may have horrible consequences (see again pages 130-133).
We should now return to the subject of our war, battles and violence. One mystery in the Bible is usually solved by another mystery in the Bible and so it is in this case.
In addition to Mk. 9:43-49, let us consider another Word spoken by Our Lord where He says:
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the VIOLENT (NON-PEACEFUL, NON-LAZY, NON-COMPLACENT) TAKE IT BY FORCE.” (Mt. 11:12)
This Word applied first to Our Lord Who brought the Kingdom to the earth in Himself, preached it and suffered VIOLENCE because of it. It also applied to John the Baptist who started to preach it (Mt. 3:1,2) and to those who believed and were baptized by him. They all suffered VIOLENCE, as well. It equally applied to all the believers who also believed and were baptized later on by others and were called to the Kingdom being made kings and priests by the Lord unto God, His and Our Father. (Rev. 1:6) We may say that every one that truly seeks the Kingdom (Mt. 6:33) suffers violence in some way or another.
The Lord also said: “The Law and the Prophets were until John (the Baptist); since that time the Kingdom of God is preached, and EVERY MAN PRESSES INTO IT (IS FORCEFULLY ENTERING IN).” (Lk. 16:16)
The above Word of Our Lord was equally not preached and truthfully explained in any church. It represents a real stumbling block since a belief exists that all born-again believers are automatically going to the Kingdom, hence, there is no need for any violence on their part! But how could pagans ever get to the Kingdom by violence remains equally unimaginable and totally unexplained. Satan made also this Word “taboo” as many other verses of the Scripture, so preachers are bypassing them with no hesitation.
Let us also remember the Word of God from the very beginning of mankind where He declared the WAR between Himself and His seed, and Satan and his seed. (Gen. 3:15) You might find it desirable to review some portions of Chapter 2 of this book.
Let us now add to the above portions of the Scripture the Word sent to the Church in Ephesus. The Spirit of God through Paul tells us here about our wrestling and war against the powers of evil and darkness. (Eph. 6:12-17) Furthermore, add to this the Word to Timothy, who represents all the former Gentiles, how he is advised to endure hardness and be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. (2Tim. 2:3)
Finally, let us go to the Old Testament and realize the spiritual picture of king David and his son Solomon.
David typifies those that love and serve the Lord and do not hesitate to battle against His enemies. He is after the heart of the Lord and ready to fulfil all His Will. (Acts 13:22) Because king David was engaged in many wars for the Lord and shed much blood, he was not allowed to build the House or Temple of God, but his son Solomon was called to build It. (1Chr. 22:7-10) Solomon in his glory, possessions and wisdom (but not in other features) typifies the Lord, Who is coming to establish His Kingdom.
Now, Solomon’s father, king David, prepared all the material necessary to build the House of God – gold, silver, brass, iron, timber and stone. (1Chr. 22:14 – each such material has a spiritual meaning, but we will not go into it here).
We, the Remnant, are like unto king David, engaged in spiritual wars for the Lord, battling and preparing the spiritual material (different souls) for the building of the House of God and we also shed much blood. (see pages 126,160,161) We do not war just for our own sake, but also for the sake of all our brethren who also desire in their heart to be a living member of the true House of God and to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
When we now consider all of the above together, the true and grand picture emerges more clearly than seeing each Word separately.
The Lord leaves us in no doubt that WE ARE IN A WAR, battling and wrestling with powers of evil. That our task is to wrestle and destroy the kingdom of evil and darkness first in our own soul. Otherwise, the Kingdom which is within us, (Lk. 17:21) cannot be enforced from our spirit into our soul. Then we should also help our brethren to wrestle and destroy the same kingdom of evil and darkness in their souls. Then we must battle and win over the influences of men and those religious organizations, which serve these powers. They all stand in our way! Some believers may have already discovered this fact, many others have not.
We must understand that our destination, which is the Kingdom of Heaven, will not fall into our lap by chance or out of nowhere. That we must use VIOLENCE to get there, to defeat the powers of darkness! YOU CANNOT DEAL PEACEFULLY WITH THE POWERS OF HELL, WHICH STAND IN OUR WAY TO THE KINGDOM AND OPPOSE OUR ENTRY! We must be prepared to “cut off” our foot or hand or “pluck out” our eye, if necessary. (Mk. 9:43-49) Why all this?
WELL, I HAVE NEVER HEARD ABOUT A WAR WHERE THERE WAS NO VIOLENCE AND people were never wounded, even their limbs cut off, maimed, halted, blinded. They were glad that they remained living. They came as victors and were heralded. After the Second World War, there was a parade of troops before the British King and Queen in London. The troops were greatly applauded. But when the war amputees were paraded in their wheelchairs, the King and Queen stood up and bowed their heads to honour them and express their thankfulness!
It is then quite clear that THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, WHICH IS WITHIN US IS UNDER VIOLENCE! It is thus also clear that WE HAVE TO BECOME VIOLENT IN TAKING, APPROPRIATING THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN BY FORCE! We must become VIOLENT with any power, any thing, any person standing in our way, VIOLENT even with our old sinful and evil nature! We must possess a FIGHTING SPIRIT and not a lazy one. There are great powers, which stand in our way and we must overcome them all! (ex. Rev. 12:11) This is the Will of Our Father and of Our Lord Jesus Christ for us – the Bride. Jesus-Man had to overcome them all as well giving us thereby an example how to follow Him!
These spiritual powers listed below [except c)] have also been against Jesus Christ and thus they are also against us and we may divide them into four groups as follows:
a) Principalities and powers of evil and darkness in the air and in high places, their temptations and works of evil. (Lk. 10:17-19// Col. 2:15// Eph. 6:12// 1Jn. 3:8, etc.)
b) The world with its temptations and lusts. (Jn. 16:33// 1Jn. 2:14-16; 5:4, etc.)
c) Our “old man”, which is our flesh and self-will. (Jn. 5: 19,30; 8:28,29; 15:5 // Rom. 8:13// 2Cor. 7:1// Eph. 4:22// Col. 3:5, etc.)
d) Principalities and powers within the Church and Israel; Old and New Testament Pharisees and Scribes, many ministers in all kinds of positions and in all kinds of religious organizations, denominations, sects and fellowships, and other believers who have the same heart and power to keep you away from the Kingdom of Heaven. (Mt. 23:13) They are enemies of Christ and His Cross, they were never subjected to Him and to His Spirit! (Phil. 3:18,19)
The above spiritual facts may truly be a shocking news for many believers. But it is better to be shocked and start rowing than to continue sleeping or dreaming in your boat, which is drifting toward murderous waterfalls.
If it is truly hard for you to believe the above or even imagine it, then you should remember your conversion or even baptism. Did you start and go through it all without any problem? Was it all “smooth sailing” with no effort of your own or no opposition? Opposition from your friends or parents or teachers or others or from within your own soul? Was there no resistance in your own mind and heart? And if it was not all smooth at the starting line of your Salvation, how much less “smooth” it must be to come to the finish line? Ask any marathon runner.
Now, all the above may be very true, but WE BY OUR OWN STRENGTH CANNOT DO ANY OF IT! TRUE? SO, WHAT DO WE DO?
I see our impotence to even remember and sort out all these facts we read above, never mind trying to implement them in our lives. Even in this, we must see our weakness, impotence, disability, impossibility to do anything without the help and Power of Our Lord Jesus Christ. And until we truly SEE our utter weakness and inability, the Lord cannot use us for any meaningful ministry toward Himself and toward His Church, which is, His Body.
Let us, therefore, turn to what I believe is the only answer that there is for all of us, the only hopethat there is for all of us, the only power that we all need to succeed absolutely, totally and with finality. It is exclusively…
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To be continued next week in chapter 5 – part 3
brother Hanola
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