Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of commercials for Zion's 4. The kingdoms of this world are
the property of the sovereign God of the universe who has formed
them for his own purpose and sets over them wicked men. Nebuchadnezzar
was just such a wicked king who was enamored of his own power
and thought he actually had the ability to do as he pleased.
He was shown his error in a grass field, where he was made to eat
grass like an ox, as the Lord brought him to understand that
all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he
doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among
the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or
say unto him, What doest thou? Before coming to this revelation,
however, Nebuchadnezzar decided to build a monument to his own
glory in the plain of Dura. It was fashioned of fine gold
and was approximately 90 feet tall, so that it was on display
for all eyes to behold. Having built this fine image,
he thought it proper to compel men to bow down before it. Most
Babylonians did so without so much as a second thought. Babylon
is a type and shadow in the scripture of the religion of men. The golden
image is a type of the religious error which men by nature embrace,
since they have an affection for it even as men have a natural
affection for gold. All of man's religions have one
thing in common, which is a reverence for the free will of men, and
subsequently an exaltation of the supposed worth, immortality,
and invincibility of men in one degree or another. Just as Nebuchadnezzar
was angry at those who would not worship his image, so the
worshipers of man's free will and intrinsic worth will grow
vehemently irate when those who will not bow down before this
monstrosity of error speak out against it. and seek by the grace
of God to lay the axe to the root of man's pride. This was
the very reason that the Jews hated the message of Christ.
He told them in no uncertain terms that they could not receive
or believe His words. He gave them nothing in which
they could glory or perpetuate their preeminence in the sight
of men. The natural man cannot endure sound teaching, and hates
any message which robs him of a place to glory. Yet today there
is a golden image of even greater proportions than the one which
Nebuchadnezzar built, greater the numbers of those who bow
down before it worldwide, as the sounds of many instruments
play the siren songs that appeal to their flesh. The metal from
which it is fashioned is fool's gold, and its message is that
which plainly denies the very words of Christ and makes the
salvation of sinners to be dependent on their own free will decision
or choice. One only has to listen to the
religious hucksters of the day for a short time until they are
heard emasculating the power of God to save his own. By telling
men that God has to wait for them to let him save them, and
that they can thwart his purpose by not believing, This is a great
deception, really an outright lie, which is as a mighty broom
sweeping many to their destruction, as they bow down on the plain
of Dura and worship this golden image, which is so pleasant to
look upon, thinking themselves to be the followers of Christ.
The Lord's hand is not shortened, nor is His power to bring salvation
to as many as the Father has given Him in any wise diminished,
nor is His purpose to give them the kingdom in any sense thwarted.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that
cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. If one is interested
in building great congregations of people or preaching a message
that will appeal to the masses, then he cannot preach the same
message that Christ did. The fiery furnace of disapproval
will be heated seven times hotter by those that worship this image
and despise those who worship none but Christ. Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego would not bow to this image, and manifested the
likeness of the quickened sons of God, in that they will worship
none but the true Christ. The Lord said, For false Christs
and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders,
to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. They are like
the quickened sons of God, in that they have no regard to the
cost of following Christ. Peter said, Lord, to whom shall
we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And they departed
from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted
worthy to suffer shame for his name. And they are like the quickened
sons of God in that Jesus Christ alone is the basis of all of
their hope. There was a fourth man walking in the fire with
the three Hebrew men, and upon him were all of their hopes cast.
They had no idea beforehand if God would deliver them from this
furnace, but they had no other upon whom they would call, even
as Job testified, though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.
The only hope of Christ's people is Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
What is your hope? If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at forthepoor at windstream.net.