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PASTOR'S REPORT, April 23, 1979
Page 4
until the mission to which God called him was completed! And as far as
I know, God has not let ANY servant of His, whom He had called for some
special service, die before his mission was completed! God hasn't changed.
But even if God had changed, and I should die--as I'm sure my son and some
others have eagerly hoped--WHO would head the Church? I'll tell you who!
J E S u S
C H R I S T ! He isn't going to die right away. Do you have
some one in mind you'd like to see take that job? FORGET IT! Get your
mind off of human mundane thoughts! Put JESUS CHRIST back into your
thinking! Remember HE is ALIVE, and HEADING THIS CHURCH! Whether I, or
some one else, is to be the human leader of this Church one, two, five
or even ten years from now--THAT IS FOR JESUS CHRIST to decide--N O T
Y O U !
But let's carry on. Maybe God changed a little later? GOD
appointed Joshua to lead Israel across Jordan into the promised land.
THERE WAS NO NUMBER 2 MAN!
Later God raised up judges, or heroes, to deliver Israel from
being a vassal state--yet NO NUMBER 2 in charge!
Then we come to the Prophets Eli and Samuel. NO NUMBER 2! The
people wanted a HUMAN king instead of God. They had Saul--but no second
in command. David attended to Saul, played the harp for him--but he was
not second IN COMMAND! Next GOD put David on the throne--but NONE SECOND
IN AUTHORITY. Two of David's sons tried to "take over" just as I had a
son who did--but they lost their lives.
There was no second in command under Solomon, nor under Rehoboam.
Thereafter both Israel and Judah became captive nations.
There was no second in command under Jesus when He was on earth.
A disputed point by some is that after Jesus' resurrection and ascension,
all twelve apostles were equal. I have PROVED Peter was in charge--and
there was no second in command. Paul was in charge over Gentiles.
NOTICE! On the day of Pentecost, Peter spoke with AUTHORITY
(Acts 2:14-39). But even before that Peter was leader (Acts 1:15). Peter
was leader (Acts 3:4 and on). In Acts 4:8 Peter was the leader. Peter
was in authority. In Acts 5:3 Peter was IN CHARGE! In Acts 5:15 it
was PETER'S SHADOW that healed the sick. In Acts 5:29 PETER was the
spokesman of the apostles saying we should OBEY GOD, rather than human
government. Much of chapter 6 and all of the very long chapter 7 is
filled with the story of Stephen. In Acts 8:20 Peter- rebuked the first
pope. In Acts 9:32 Peter was the leader in a healing. In Acts 9:38
Peter raised Darcus from the dead. In Acts 10 it was PETER whom Christ
chose of all the apostles to first carry salvation to the Gentiles. In
Acts 11 it was PETER who explained to the other apostles how God had
opened salvation to Gentiles.
In Acts 12, when the Roman ruler and king, Herod, saw it would please
the Jews to put an apostle in prison, he knew PETER was the leader, and
so put him in prison. Beginning Acts 13 the history turns primarily to
the Gentiles and the Apostle Paul is shown to be the leader. But in Acts
15 , As I have explained in detail before, at the meeting of apostles
and evangelists in Jerusalem, it was PETER who settled the question,
which James merely affirmed and made official, because he was pastor of
the local, but headquarters church at Jerusalem.