Dear
Brethren,
When
writing the last time
regarding the changes that
will be taking place just
inside the millennium, I
wrote about all of God's
true and faithful people who
will be used in some
capacity to teach the
returning Israelites the
holy and righteous laws of
God.
Later,
I heard comments from some
of the members who were
genuinely concerned about
their present lack of
ability to teach others all
that we have been learning
since we have been graced
and blessed by God to be
added as members within His
Church.
The
primary comment was, "I
understand the teachings but
I do not know how to explain
them." I remember this
same thought was discussed
in earlier years among a
small gathering of
ministers. Members do not
need to be concerned
regarding this coming
responsibility for when that
time does come we will no
longer be human, but
born-again members of the
God Family.
In
this writing, I will make
the effort to try and remove
this disturbing problem from
your minds through the use
of Scriptures, and the
writings of God's late
apostle, Mr. Herbert W.
Armstrong.
The
1st Resurrection -
God
led the apostle Paul to
write to His people about
the awesome changes that
have been promised to each
one of His loyal and
faithful people. Changes
that are not all that far in
front of us. Think
about these Scriptures as
you read them about the
coming resurrection:
"...
the body is sown in
corruption, it is RAISED in
incorruption. It is
sown in dishonor, it is
RAISED in glory. It is
sown in weakness, it is
RAISED in power. It is
sown a natural body, it is
RAISED a spiritual body.
..." (I Corinthians
15:42-44).
"Blessed
and holy is he who has part
in the first resurrection.
Over such the second death
has no power, but they shall
be priests of God and of
Christ, and shall reign with
Him a thousand years"
(Revelation 20:6).
As
I have written before, in
addition to the other
responsibilities of the
priests, they are to teach
God's laws and teachings.
The
reason we get concerned
about the lack of ability to
teach is due to the fact our
thinking is from where we
now are on the human level.
Think
about the awesome POWER AND
GLORY all of us will have as
Spirit Members of God's
Family! These
supernatural changes will
have to do with both the
mind and the body.
Consider
what Mr. Armstrong wrote
about this great change with
our minds as they will then
be:
TOMORROW ... WHAT
IT WILL BE LIKE, Page 73
"...
consider that immortality
will multiply their
aptitudes, abilities and
powers perhaps a million
times above what they
achieved as humans, by
infusing into them the power
and glory of God.
"This
is what God is going to
do!"
The
Contrast of the Human and
Spirit Mind -
Think
about this infusion of the
power and glory of God that
will take place with the
expansion of our human mind
elevating it to the height
of the God Family that will
know no boundaries and no
limits..
To
further enable us to
understand to a degree the
infinite greatness of the
Spirit Minds we will soon
have, consider the minds God
has given us as human
beings.
The
Human Mind -
Science
has found that the human
mind has the capability of
holding all that is written
in all the books in the
world's largest library.
To fill the mind's
capability one would have to
learn something new every
second for the next
3,000,000 years. It
has been estimated that the
average human being uses
about 5 percent of that
capability.
It
staggers the imagination
just to try and understand
the capability of the human
mind let alone trying to
comprehend the Spirit Minds
God will bless us with when
He infuses us with the
greatness of His POWER AND
GLORY that will be imparted
to us from His Divinity.
In
addition to further show our
individuality, it has also
been found that upon slicing
into very thin slices of the
human brain there are no two
alike. God has in His
infinite greatness created
within all of His living
creation, angels, human
beings, and all living
things, the special
uniqueness of mind and body.
No two angels, human beings
(even twins) or creatures are
exactly alike in design.
As
great as the capability of
the human mind, we should
realize there will be
absolutely no limit to the
mind power God will then
give us and what can be
achieved in knowledge and
the wisdom with it
throughout eternity.
What
would be the purpose of God
giving us eternal life
without the minds to match
it?
God
will grace us with minds
that will have no limits
placed on them! We will
then be in the Spirit
likeness of God, and
like God, we will continue
to live and learn throughout
eternity. And all we learn will
be used for the glory of our
Father and Jesus Christ.
Varying
Levels in Government
Structure -
I
realize that what Mr.
Armstrong wrote here about
the expansion of the human
mind was regarding the chief
leaders God has used in this
human life and will also use
them in the coming new world
in very high levels of His
Government.
However
the same infusion of the
greatness of the human mind
will be given to all who are
born-again in God's Kingdom.
At
the same time I believe we
all realize there are the
varying levels of
intelligence and capability
that equip the leadership of
nations; even though it is
rare to ever see one use it
in a godly manner.
This
can clearly be seen when we
think of the created angels
of God. When God created the
angelic world He created
cherubim and other high
ranking angels to serve in
His Government with the
other angels to serve under
them in varying roles
(Revelation 4).
Those
on the lower levels are to
assist those above them to
help make possible the
function and smooth running
of God's Government even as
it is suppose to be within
God's Church today.
Angels
are positioned where they
are because God created some
greater than He did with
others in order to serve Him
in varying positions of
great responsibility. This
can be seen with the
creation of Lucifer (Ezekiel
28:12-15). He was the
greatest of God's creation
and served Him for many
years in the very top level
of the Government of God!
We
Can Improve Ourselves -
Unlike
the created angels, we as
His people have been given
God's Spirit in this life
with the potential of rising
above our natural heredity.
And if we do, we will be
given a greater
responsibility in His coming
world; if we endure and
apply ourselves; and will
also serve God in whatever
capacity He chooses to place
us for the smooth and
efficient operation in
God's Government.
I remember Mr. Armstrong
once saying about a certain
evangelist in God's Church
that because of his
closeness to God in prayer
he had risen above his
natural heredity. This
can also be true with us if
we apply ourselves as Jesus
Christ makes very clear.
This
is what we are suppose to be
learning and practicing as
Mr. Armstrong made clear in
the MYSTERY OF THE AGES and
also in his other writings.
Do
Not Worry About Your Use in
Tomorrow's World -
Regardless
whether one has little
education, little talent,
a widow, or whatever, there
will be no need to be
concerned about this
wonderful blessing Jesus
Christ will give us at His
coming to make possible our
aiding Him in teaching the
survivors of Israel, and a
little later, the Gentile
world.
God
will take care of our
limitations that we now have
in our present life through
His POWER AND GLORY He will
infuse within each one of us
at His coming when He will
change us from the mortals
we now are to immortal
beings.
Additional
Knowledge -
There
is also no need to worry
about not knowing anymore
than we now know about God's
teachings. This is not
meant to say we can rest on
our laurels and not
diligently apply ourselves
as much as we can in
our studying and learning
for we must daily study our
Bibles and continue to add
to what we already know as
well as refresh ourselves in
what we do already know to
show ourselves approved to
God (II Timothy 3:14-17).
Though
none of us will be perfect
in all knowledge there is a
need to begin to bring to a
state of perfection as much
as we can of all that we
have learned in this life.
Jesus Christ will top it off
by beginning to further
teach us almost right away
so we will be fully equipped
for the work that will be
before us.
Almost
immediately after
Armageddon, we find the
following Scripture will
come to pass:
Now
this is the blessing with
which Moses the man of God
blessed the children of
Israel before his death.
And he said: "The LORD
came from Sinai, and dawned
on them from Seir; He shone
forth from Mount Paran, and
He came with 10,000s of
saints; from His right hand
came a FIERY LAW for them.
Yes, He loves the people;
all His saints are in Your
hand; EVERYONE RECEIVES YOUR
WORDS." (Deuteronomy
33:1-3).
This
coming time could be thought
of like an outdoor class
room setting similar to the
time when Jesus Christ
taught His disciples the
basic fundamentals of His
laws while sitting on the
mountainside (Matthew
5:1-2).
God
will add to all that we have
learned ourselves from the
true teachers of God in this
human life with the
knowledge He will then give
us. This will then equip us
to be able to teach human
beings.
In
addition to the knowledge we
are now learning will not be
enough of itself for we have
to be involved in whatever
work God sees fit to yet use
us in doing. What we
did in the past while Mr.
Armstrong was alive is
commendable, but we cannot
stop there.
And
as I have already indicated,
what we do with this calling
we now have, will determine
the level of office which
Jesus Christ will give us at
that time as shown in the
teachings of the Bible
((Matthew 25:14-30; Luke
19:12-27). This will
be exactly as Jesus has told
us:
"For
the Son of Man will come in
the glory of His Father with
His angles, AND THEN He will
reward EACH according to His
works" (Matthew 16:27).
We
have to be learning and
involved with our minds,
hearts, attitudes and
efforts, keeping our
relationship alive with God
through prayer, Bible study
and occasional fastings
(pages 70-72).
Very
Real Responsibilities -
Then
will come to pass other
Scriptures that bear on our
new responsibilities:
"Behold,
the LORD comes with 10,000s
of saints, to execute
judgment on all, to convict
all who are ungodly among
them of all their ungodly
deeds which they have
committed in an ungodly way,
and of all the harsh things
which ungodly sinners have
spoken against them"
(Jude 14-15).
They
will be convicted due to the
teachings and understanding
of God's holy and righteous
laws that will be taught by
God's Family Members.
Please
do not be overly concerned
about the teaching position
God will then give to you.
With His blessing bestowed
upon all of us at that time
He will then have equipped
us with all that will be
needed to help all of those
poor bedraggled Israelites
returning from the terrible
years of hard and harsh
slavery. Most will be
of an attitude whereby they
will be receptive and hang
on to every word they will
hear from us,
Considering
what Mr. Armstrong wrote
about the patriarchs who
were used by God in this
human life and the top level
positions in which they will
occupy when Christ returns,
the very same things apply
to all of us even though we
will assist them on lower
levels of responsibility.
Notice
what he wrote about them and
think of ourselves at the
same time for in this
calling we are following
those same principles,
though not always as
perfectly as we should.
TOMORROW
... WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE,
Pages 70-72
"First
is right attitude.
That is essential. God
looks on the heart - the
spirit - the attitude.
That is where He looked in
choosing David to be king
over Israel (I Samuel
16:6-7). That is where
He looks in you, and in me.
These men were trained in
submission to God and those
over them in authority.
They were trained in
teamwork - in harmoniously
working together.
"Secondly,
they were trained in
knowledge of the true
values. After that
they were trained in
handling people, in wise
management of people, of
wealth - without letting it
go to their heads. ... [then
he touched on the 7 Laws of
Success, I will mention only
the 6th and 7th]
"6th
These men endured ... They
endured through thick and
then - they endured to the
end. They endured by
faith in God.
"7th
And along with these traits,
these men relied on the
guidance and the help of
God. They walked with
God. They talked to
God. They listened to
God - whether He spoke
verbally and in person, or
through the Scriptures.
They sought wisdom from God
They relied on God for
guidance, for protection,
for every need. They
submitted to, and obeyed
God."
You
and I must try very hard to
do the same as did they.
What
a wonderful blessing our
coming responsibilities will
be - for us, and for them.
Concluding
Comment -
Next
time I will plan on picking
up with the statutes and
judgments of God.
Our
love and prayers for each of
you,
Don
Billingsley
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