Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. But in all ages there are
those who appear to be the descendants of Diotrephes, who John describes
as loving to have the preeminence. They desire to sit in the chief
seats and take unto themselves various titles. The only title
to which the sons of God should aspire to is to be as those believers
at Antioch, and the disciples were called Christians first
in Antioch. It is not clear if this was applied
to them by outsiders or that by which they themselves desired
to be known by. Likely, it was the former. The
term Christian literally means a follower or imitator of Christ.
Being a Christian is not simply belonging to a religion which
adopts the doctrine of Christ. It is not to be defined by some
moral persuasion, political affiliation, or family ties. Rather, to be
a Christian is to renounce all reliance, effort, or ground of
hope which is not found in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We
often hear this term applied to our nation by some well-meaning
but deluded folks. No nation upon this earth is
a Christian nation. A nation could have been founded
by men who themselves were Christians, but that term cannot be applied
to the resulting governed body, any more than a man can be born
again by the power and will of the flesh. The wind bloweth where
it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst
not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth. So is every
one that is born of the Spirit. But as many as received him,
to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of
the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Paul says, For this cause I bow
my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the
whole family in heaven and earth is named. Some would try to make
a grand distinction between the Father and the Lord Jesus, as
if you could have one without the other. The name by which
the sons of God are named is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is
the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He has that name which is above
all names. He is the Alpha and the Omega,
the Beginning and the End. We marvel at the revelation of
himself to Philip when he said, Have I been so long time with
you, and yet thou hast not known me, Philip? He that hath seen
me hath seen the Father, and how sayest thou then, Show us
the Father? Yet this was no new revelation,
since Isaiah had prophesied the same thing when he wrote, For
unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government
shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the mighty God. the everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. Thus John speaks of His coming.
No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which
is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. Christ
came into the world to do the will of His Father in redeeming
that people which were given to Him in an eternal covenant.
He has been set upon the holy hill of the Lord as King and
ruler of a kingdom whose government and peace shall be without end.
Yes, beloved, he is that one of whom the whole family of God
in heaven and earth is named. Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there is none other name under heaven given
among men whereby we must be saved. Isaiah writes of a day
which appeared to him a great ways off, but now we see has
come to pass. And in that day, seven women
shall take hold of one man saying, we will eat our own bread and
wear our own apparel. Only let us be called by thy
name to take away our reproach. Is this not the desire of every
one of those quickened sons of God, as they are given ears to
hear the glorious news of Christ? They want to be married to no
other, even if it means being a doorkeeper in the house of
God, or eating crumbs which fall from His table. In that day shall
the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of
the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are
escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass that
he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem,
shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the
living in Jerusalem. Oh, he has taken away our reproach,
and there remains no condemnation for those who are called by his
name. He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh
will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white
stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth,
saving he that receiveth it. No man can know that name, except
he be given a mind to desire Jesus Christ the righteous. By
what name are you known? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.