“UNITED WE STAND – DIVIDED WE FALL”

 

The title of this message is borrowed from the State of Kentucky’s Motto.  It is believed that Kentucky’s first governor, Isaac Shelby, was the inspiration for the state’s choice since he was so fond of the song, “The Liberty Song,” written by John Dickinson in 1768.  The phrase can actually be traced back to a Greek slave by the name of Aesop which dates back to about 600 BC. This subject has been on this writer’s mind for several months due to the malignant tumor of confusion and discontent that has continued to grow within the Body of Christ since the early 90’s.  It has festered and the corruption has run out of it and spilled over into many lives that have been nearly destroyed because of it and many souls have been lost eternally. It can not heal until men admit their wrongs and melt under the Holy Ghost asking God for direction.  There is a great resemblance to the American Civil War of 1861 between the States in which brother fought against brother and 3 million fought and some 600,000 died.  This was the war of all wars by the United States with the greatest loss of American life of any war ever fought.  Historians have never agreed on exactly what caused the war but we know there were many causes of the war, slavery being one.  I have read a great deal about the war and I think I know why it was fought but it would serve no useful purpose here to go into a long dissertation on my personal feelings about this point.  We all know it had to be more than whether a plantation owner could own slaves or not in order to get men to arm themselves and kill each other with the Union being nearly destroyed in the process.  I also know that it happened partially because the North would not give the Southern States their rights of sovereignty and a voice to be heard under the Constitution of the United States as it was guaranteed them by this document so they drafted their own Constitution of the Southern States and established another government and demanded certain rights.  Does this in any way sound familiar to the covenant people of God who have had their rights taken away by a government that we all have loved and wished to uphold? The North and the South wanted the Union to be established and both worked initially for it to be strong as can be seen by studying the Untied States History. Things went suddenly wrong and the self serving positions of both the North and the South resulted in some of the worst battles ever fought on American soil with brother against brother.  A few days ago the Lord took me in the spirit over to the world globe in my office and He showed me that our spiritual war is involving the entire world and not just America and that it is similar to the “Civil War” in that it is involving brother against brother, sister against sister and family against family.  Our submission is to theocratic government, not every whim of man and we all know that means government under the immediate direction of God.  Where is God in all of this confusion? Man is doing this in the name of Jesus Christ and perfection of His Body the Church and brother will not meet brother on the streets of our cities and will cross the street to avoid one another? We can’t ask certain ones to visit our revivals because if we do they might be excommunicated and their license revoked.  Many have forgotten who the enemy really is and turned on one another.  The Bible tells us we will be hated by the brethren but it ought not to be.

Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. Isaiah 66:5

Jesus said,

Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. Luke 6:22-23

 

Note: Underlining is mine throughout this message for special emphasis.

 

Abraham Lincoln said, “Stand with anybody that stands right. Stand with him while he is right and part with him when he goes wrong.” The great Apostle Paul said, Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1 Cor 11:1  Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)  Phil 3:16-19

 

God’s government has not failed us but many have failed God’s government to the exclusion of some who have not deviated from the theocracy of God nor have they violated their covenant.  It doesn’t matter what name they have been scattered to if their covenant is in tact they are still Church of God and He will gather us all together into ONE for it was He who placed us in the body in the first place.  Isaiah said He will hiss at some point and the true sheep of God will come and they will gather together into the one fold of God.  Did God scatter His sheep? No! It was man who has scattered the sheep of God.  Will man bring us back together? No! It will be God who brings us back and then we will be what He wants instead of what man wants. 

 

“United We Stand – Divided We Fall”

The Church will not ever fall nor be covered over again but many will fall and be destroyed by the spiritual civil war that is raging as I write this.  We are a divided people who once clung to each other under one government, one flag, one doctrine, one Lord and ONE CHURCH.  Today the battle lines are drawn and no one dares to infringe upon the other territories and ideologies of the other less there are major conflicts.  We may justify our actions but the Commander in Chief, Jesus Christ is no doubt very sick of all of it.  I am reminded when He looked over Jerusalem and said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Luke 13:34

 

Is there any among us that doubt that Christ wants us together after reading His prayer in the 17^th Chapter of John? The unity that our Lord prayed for has been forgotten by the leadership of some organizations as pleas for that unity have been made by the laity (soldiers in the field).

 

And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:  John 17:11-22

 

What a powerful concept! Jesus knew the power His Church would have if we would stay together and bind up the membership in unity but Satan knew it also.  He devised a plan and a strategy from the beginning which is still employed by the enemy in war times, “divide and conquer”.  Denominations started to develop even while Jesus was still on earth teaching His disciples.

 

And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part. Mark 9:39-40

 

Satan gets our mind off of the things that are really important, like winning souls and causes us to focus on ourselves and how wonderful we are as an organization and how we should be the leader.  Many are more concerned with who the next overseer will be than they are in following the Lord and being obedient to His commands. The very first thing we must do to be His Church is obey His voice and follow the Word.  The entire Bible must be accepted and practiced including loving our brother whom we have seen.  Without LOVE you can call it by any name you can register but it won’t be His Church, The Church of God.  I ate banana pudding one day and the only thing wrong with it was it had never seen a banana so it was a fake. The Church is a fake; counterfeit, an imposter without LOVE as its mainstay because to have Christ as the Head it must have LOVE because God is LOVE.

 

While the dividing had already begun, Jesus gave clear instructions for them to remain ONE in Him that the world might believe. One may wonder why the world doesn’t believe us but it becomes clear as we search these scriptures and ponder them in our hearts. It is painfully clear as we watch our own families and our children drift off into some man made concoction of a denomination that has more praise and worship than the Word of God. The pain will never go away until we enter into that rest that the writer of Hebrews talks about. How many more will fall under the fire of painful darts of evil speaking and malice from those who would have us to believe they are doing God service in perfecting the Church of God.  Perfection doesn’t come by throwing people away but by preaching the infallible Word of God. Jesus asked Peter, …Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.  John 21:15-17

 

If we love Christ we must feed His sheep not destroy them in the name of perfection reducing the entire flock to a few self-proclaimed holy ones who have reached their own standard of perfection at the cost of all others. All the sheep need to be cared for and fed good wholesome sheep food and when they get hurt we must nurture them back to good spiritual health before the wolves get them.

 

Bible perfection differs much from man made perfection.  We will never see and judge each other perfect yet it is a Bible doctrine that is attainable but God, the righteous judge will declare it not man.  You will never reach perfection in my eyes and I will never reach perfection in yours.  Yet the Church, the Body of Christ will reach it and not at the exclusion of those who will not walk exactly like the leadership demands and through abuse attempts to force into a state of compliance. It must come through LOVE not intimidation and threats.

 

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Eph 5:26-32

 

How can some say they love the Church and still they want to pick and choose who can be a part of it? Some don’t want any part of the Church of God if certain ones are going to be in it. When I had first joined the Church back in 1960 I heard someone say that if certain races of people were going to attend the convention then they would just stay home.  My thought was immediately, ‘How do they expect to go to Heaven?’ Some have been thrown out while begging to be allowed to stay because they have a difference of opinion on some issues never settled by the Assembly.

 

Let us take a look at some examples of what happens through divisions caused by Satan. One such example is the “Civil War” in the United States of America which begun on April 12, 1861 and ended four years later on April 09, 1865. President Lincoln said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand… I do not expect the Union to be dissolved [broken up] – I do not expect the house to fall; but I do expect it will cease to be divided….” Isn’t it time to look at ourselves a bit more closely and see what it is that is dividing the House of God, The Church of God? In this war called the “Civil War” brother fought against brother and literally slaughtered one another much like what is happening today with the sheep of God. Lincoln went on to say in his inaugural address, “I hold that the Constitution, the Union of these states; is perpetual [never ending]. I therefore consider that in view of the Constitution and the laws, the Union is unbroken; and to the extent of my ability I shall take care, as the Constitution itself expressly enjoins upon [plainly commands] me, that the laws of the Union shall be faithfully executed [carried out] in all the states. I am loath [unwilling] to close.  We are not enemies but friends.  We must not be enemies.  Though passion [anger] may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection…”

 

President Lincoln wrote to Greely:

… I would save the Union.  I would save it in the shortest way under the Constitution.  …My paramount [chief] object is to save the Union, and not either to save or destroy slavery.  If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.”

 

Lincoln’s ultimate goal was to save the Union and to stop the decline of the separation of the North and South into two nations within one. The four long years of the “Civil War” left hardly a household untouched by its tragedy.  The once strong United States of America was now the Northern States and the Southern States engaged in tearing itself apart. It was later to come back together as the North (Blue) and the South (Grey) came back together into one strong Untied States of America with one flag instead of two and one Constitution instead of two forming the strongest nation in the world. What would have been the result had it not been for a man with a vision of the Union and a determination to keep it strong and united as ONE? Lincoln’s heart was broken as he saw a divided UNION falling apart before his eyes. My heart is also broken as I look at the remnant of the Church of God as it is scattered to the four winds of the earth and many are loosing hope of a gathering into ONE but our faith must remain in Jesus’ prayer in John 17.

 

Now man can never bring the Church together and stop the needless slaughter of the saints but God can and will.  We need only surrender our will for His and come at the foot of the cross and ask for the guidance that He will freely give to all who ask.  Someone has said, “Who will compromise?” The answer to that is no one but we must be willing to come to the TRUTH! We must not come to the truth as I see it or as you see it but come to it without malice, without insisting on following man but rather to follow the Lord and obey His Word.  You ask some of the soldiers on another side, “What do you believe?” They readily reply, “I believe God’s Word.” Ask the other side, “What do you believe?” They reply likewise but why can we not walk together if we all believe the Word? It can only be because someone wants a following of their own instead of submitting one to another in the fear of God.  Men have lost their fear of God and the Bible declares that fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

 

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.   Prov 1:7

 

A MALIGNANT TUMOR HAS INFECTED THE BODY

A malignant tumor has continued to grow within the body to the extent that many brothers and sisters are divided into factions as they have attempted to excise the tumor from the body without much regard for the members affected by the cancerous tumor. It has divided and separated us into weak and dysfunctional parts much like the North and South and caused great loss of power in our fight against the true enemy, Satan.  He has once again employed his strategy of war “Divide and Conquer” but He hasn’t conquered The Church of God and neither will He but many WILL FALL as a result.  Many have fallen and will never get up.  No doubt some have lost their souls already due to the disregard of this power struggle and vying for the leadership role of General Overseer.  How many souls will it take to wake up His true Church?

 

Our message must not be one of isolationism but one of coming together in UNITY! Listen to the words of a dying man, “I have seen, and I have heard this, I have seen this. Don’t let this pass from you. I have seen this for a fact. The Church is of God is going to split. It’s not what I thought. Not the way I thought. It’s not an individual. The Church is going to split because of corruption, overall corruption. Guard your soul, and keep a sweet spirit, because what you will see left will not be the Church. What is left will not be the Church. Guard your soul, watch and be very careful, keep a sweet spirit. When it comes back together that will be the Church. That will be the Church. Don’t doubt it. I have seen it with my own eyes. The angel of the Lord has spoken boldly.”

(Last words of Bishop Henry O. Callis as they were told to his son, Roger Callis)

 

God is rising up an army of believers that will not fail and She is now and will be in the future “The Church of God” of the Bible.  She will have LOVE and UNITY as the primary marks of identity.  Her people will be a people under covenant who will not break ranks but will keep in step with the Bible and treasure the doctrine once delivered to the saints.  They will not see the Church through some man’s vision but their own. The Bible tells us what will happen without a vision. The Church has had the severe troubles because the people do not know the Word which is our marching orders but have trusted man to tell them what they are to do.

 

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Prov 29:18

 

God’s true sheep have stood on the hillsides about long enough while blatting for a shepherd that will care for them and feed them sheep food.  The abuse and slaughter has gone on long enough and the oil needs to be poured into the wounds and the wounds bound up in order for healing to take place.  There are thousands all over this world who have not bowed their knee nor violated their covenant relationship with God.  Who will hear their blatting? Who will rescue them? Who will stand in the gap and give their lives for the sheep? The hireling will not do it! The self-serving will not do it! When the money is gone and the powerful positions are gone they will be also.  Isaiah said it best as to how all of this will come to pass.  It is time to have His government rather than that of man and His government will allow for us all to have our differences and yet surrender to His will at His feet not some dictator who rules with a rod of iron.  His government is a right government that has submission not cowards who bow at intimidation and brow beating people into submission. It is a “Royal Priesthood” with humiliating LOVE one to another that is forgiving and kind, not puffed up with pride and arrogance at the expense of others. It can not be stopped by any man made machine of war or anything else.

 

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Psalms 45:6-7

I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever. V-17 Psalms 45:17

 

O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us

 

O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again. Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.  Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.  That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me. Psalms 60:1-5

And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:  Isaiah 5:26

 

Let us return unto the Lord in singleness of heart and no self-serving motivation to be the Church of God which He purchased with His own blood.  How can we leave anyone behind? How can we pick and choose who should be in the Church so long as they haven’t broken their covenant and they are blood bought through Jesus’ shed blood? No man owns His Church and no man can be the head of it but Jesus.  Souls are falling all around us as the battles go on all in the name of Christ but Jesus is standing somewhere in the shadows as He was over Jerusalem.  We hear a song sometimes entitled, “We Must Take America Back” well we must take The Church of God back and not allow the enemy, Satan, to hold Her people hostage any longer but entreat them to unite under ONE HOLY NATION and pledge their allegiance to our Church Flag of 1933, and to the doctrine for which it stands – ONE GOD, ONE FAITH, ONE MIND, and ONE CHURCH for all under the covenant to God. There is no compromise in this and no one has to feel betrayed, defeated or violated in any way. This is what God wants, should we want anything less? The North and South had suffered many cold winters and had weathered many storms in the early colonies with unity and purpose but soon it was swept away by two distinct ideologies

as to how things should be even though they had wanted to be ONE nation under God. The comparisons here are scary as we look at the similarities between a national government and the theocracy trodden down by man.  Pure theocracy hinges upon the law given by God and the rule by God under His direction (not man) and theocracy can not work without willing submission to the perfect will of God by God’s people.

 

“No child left behind” (God’s child) should be our motto as we move back to the unified effort of The Church of God and embrace our brothers and sisters in the Lord. The Church will then step forward on the promises of God to fulfill the great commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel. The denominations can not do this because they don’t preach the TRUTH because not only do they not preach it – they don’t know it. They can never perfect the Church through preaching a weakened message of cheap grace rather than deliverance from SIN.

 

Christ and only He will ever bring about UNITY and He is the only one that can save this UNION (His Church)! If I could save it and bring people back together I would no matter the cost but neither I nor any other man can do it. President Lincoln did not single handed save the UNION but the principles for which he stood did. Godly principles and adherence to every word that the Bible says will restore the sheep that have drifted to the four winds on this earth today. The Holy Ghost cried out back many years ago for the Church to repent and then He cried for a governmental structure change and many fully ignored these warnings and the pleading of the Holy Ghost. Our history would read different if these things would have been done but it is never too late with God. The Holy Ghost will dispel darkness and His marvelous light will shine through if we will get ourselves out of the way. Oh, for a Holy Ghost service again where the ministers and members alike melt under the power of God and forgiveness and repentance takes place for the good of the HOLY NATION of God. We must once again embrace our brothers and sisters again in “PURE LOVE” that is undefiled by personal agendas and dreams of being someone to be looked up to. The Confederate and Union soldiers once again stood side by side and sat down to a meal together again after that great conflict.  Oh, if I could live to see this happen again where brothers will be able to visit one another in revival without reprisal or fear of being dealt with and their license taken. Let’s invite the Lord back into the buildings again because you can be sure He left due to this kind of treatment of the people of God.         

 

The Covenant Members must come together into ONE in order to please God.  Independence is better than failure but it is never God’s plan no matter how we dress it up.  Oil and water can be stirred all day but when the stirring stops they separate.  We do not need separation but UNITY!

We are all in the Kingdom of God through Christ blood but we need to be in The Church of God by covenant, under one flag with unity of purpose in order to carry out the commission as God’s HOLY NATION world-wide in scope. You can not be out of what Christ put you in if you have not broken your covenant.

 

But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 1 Cor 12:18

…And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2:47b

…What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Matt 19:6b

 

Now we know that the reference here applies to marriage and Isaiah compares the Church membership with marriage and so does the Apostle Paul so I would not want to mess with something God puts together, even a member placed into the body.  Since no scripture can be found in the New Testament referencing the minister placing someone into the Church it must be understood that the covenant with God does this instead of the minister.  The Church has the biblical right to break fellowship but it would seem this same Jesus who puts them in must actually remove them from the body, or the church would have to take Christ’s place in this action.

 

You are still a covenant member if you have not broken your covenant although you may have been scattered.  There is ONE FOLD and in due time we will all come back together just as the Holy Ghost has said from around the world.  In fact many are already coming and I hear the sound of more and more.  Some don’t even know why their feet are moving but just like the animals to the ark they are coming and I feel the Spirit of God as I write this.  It is this same spirit that will bring it to pass.  Man can not do it. Organizations can not do it but the Holy Ghost can and He will!

 

Will you stand or FALL? It is up to you.  Somebody help me hold this flag! Will somebody help us hold this flag! Will somebody help The Church of God hold this flag higher and higher until we all flow together again as in the beginning? Will it be you or will you continue to wait for the masses to come and the “GREAT HARVEST” until you are overtaken by the individual GREAT FALL? How many have fallen (spiritually) – how many more must fall before we can have ONE NATION and unity among the brethren?

 

UNITED WE STAND – DIVIDED NO! -- LEST WE FALL

 

Message by John Wilkins