THE WORK OF GOD

Man has been created by God to become overseer of His creation. Genesis 1:26 tells us that man is made in the image and likeness of God to have dominion over all creatures and over all the earth. Similarly in Genesis 2:15, God took Adam and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and to keep it. This innate drive to work and achieve something is put into man to ultimately rule and oversee over all of God's creation. But before man can come to that stage, he has to be tested to prove his worth through working from the ground up in this life before God will give more in the life hereafter! Because if he cannot be found faithful to take responsibility with little in this life, how can he be given much more in the hereafter that is of true wealth. As disciples and servants of the Lord, we must be found doing the work of God when he comes (Matthew 24:45-47).

Most Christians would have heard of pastors/preachers telling them about doing God's will, reaching out and evangelising the lost. But what exactly does the Bible teach about doing the Work of God? The Apostle Peter in Acts 3:19-24 talks about Christ's Second Coming (from the presence of the Lord - verse 19)to establish His Kingdom as the 'restitution of all things' (verse 21). God used His prophets to announce His coming Kingdom long before the apostles did (verse 21c).

2 Peter 2:5 tells us that there were eight 'preachers of righteousness' who warned the world then of sin and punishment. Our merciful God always warned the people ahead of time before judgment came, and usually He chose a prophet to do the job. Jude 14 also warned of the Coming Christ who will execute judgment upon the earth with His righteous saints. And Acts 3:24 mentions that all the prophets from Samuel onwards preached about the Second Coming of Christ to 'restore all things'!


The gospel of the Kingdom of God was preached to Abraham (Galatians 3:8), probably by Melchizedek - Christ in the Old Testament. Abraham was told that through him all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:3) and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 18:18). These promises can only come true when God sent Jesus Christ back to earth to rule the affairs of man! Moses also foretold of the coming great Prophet (Jesus Christ) of all time (Deuteronomy 18:15) and He will preach to the entire world at His return (Acts 3:23). King David expressed this truth in many parts of the Psalms he wrote . 'Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For you shall judge the people righteously, And govern the nations on earth.' (Psalms 67:4). Similarly, in Psalm 22: 28 he wrote, 'For the kingdom is the LORD'S, and He rules over the nations.'

The four major prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel wrote about the coming Kingdom of God on earth. Isaiah 9:6-7 reads, 'For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom.' In Jeremiah 25:5, it reads, 'Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.' Ezekiel 36:24-38 refers to a time of nation building for the people of Israel and Judah which will happen after the return of Jesus Christ! The prophet Daniel recorded more in Daniel 2:44 about the coming Kingdom of God which shall reign supreme over all the earth. In Daniel 7:18 records that 'the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.' This is repeated in verse 22 of the same chapter.

Even the minor prophets of the Old Testament preached the gospel of the Kingdom of God in the Millennium. Hosea wrote, 'Afterward the children of Israel (mainly the Anglo-Saxon of America and Britain today) shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days.' (Hosea 3:5). The prophet Joel put it well in Joel 2:21-27 referring to the Millennial Kingdom when the Lord Jesus Christ reigns, 'Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, For the Lord has done marvellous things!....Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God and there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.' Quoting from Amos 9:11, the Apostle Peter in Acts 15:16-17 states, 'After this I (Jesus Christ) will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the LORD who does all these things.' Even Obadiah, one of the Bible's shortest book gives a glimpse of the Kingdom of God, 'Then Saviors (referring to the resurrected saints who will be born again as God-like beings) shall come to Mount Zion - where the fourth physical temple described in Ezekiel chapters 40-48 will be built during the millennium - to judge the mountains of Esau, And the kingdom shall be the LORD's.' (verse 21).

And so is Habakkuk 2:14, 'For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.' Zephaniah 3:14-20 gives an inspiring description of the future of Israel's twelve tribes. 'Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more.' Another minor prophet Zechariah records this, 'Thus the LORD my God will come, And all the saints with You.' (Zechariah 14:5b). 'And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be - The LORD is one, and His name one.' (14:9). The last book of the Old Testament, Malachi in chapter 4:5-6 states, 'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet (refers to Herbert Armstrong who anchored the Philadelphian Era - see Matthew 17:11), Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.' Herbert Armstrong restored many biblical truths lost throughout the centuries. All living in this generation (possibly the last of this church age) must return to the family, remembering the God Family vision the Heavenly Father establishes for His church to fulfill before the Lord Jesus Christ returns to establish His Kingdom - rule and govern by the God Family!

Before Christ's first advent, the Work of God was centred on the law and preaching of the prophets about sin, righteousness and judgment (Luke 16:16). After Christ successfully overcame the temptations from Satan, He began to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God(Matthew 4:17) and so do His disciples (Acts 3:19-21; 8:12; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23 & 31). The Lord Jesus even sent out seventy unconverted men (those yet to receive the Holy Spirit) to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God (Luke 10:1 & 9). The point is that throughout the history of the prophets and later the church, the main Work of God is the preaching of the coming Kingdom of God which is imminent now as we are approaching the close of this church age! 'And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the world and then the end will come.' (Matthew 24:14). And everyone (the chosen one) is pressing in to enter the kingdom of God (Luke 16:16)!


When Christ said, 'I will build My church' (Matthew 16:18), it is for two primary purposes. One is to proclaim to the world the Gospel Message from God the Father of the coming Kingdom of God. The second area of the Work of God is to equip His chosen people (the true church) with the Word of God for the Work that lies ahead during the Millennium. As the Kingdom of God is God's Kingdom, so the gospel of Christ's is Christ's gospel. One needs to believe in Him as the Savior of the world and to believe Him in obedience for all that He had commanded His disciples to do to be saved! For salvation means to be IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Failing which, they will be cursed - undergo sufferings in the GREAT TRIBULATION! (Malachi 4:6b,c).


We must do the Work of God because night is coming (Great Tribulation) when no one can work (John 9:4). During the Great Tribulation, there will be a famine of the Word and Work of God!As disciples, we ought to fulfill His will and purpose for our lives, or else we might miss entering the kingdom of God due to disobedience. Make no mistake, to enter the kingdom of God is to obtain eternal salvation, and that is the ultimate goal of all disciples of Christ to be in eternal glory in His kingdom for all eternity! For Christ said that only those who endure to the end shall be saved!

Jesus Christ's ministries while on earth was to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God and to heal the sick and the demonised. These two aspects of His Work go hand in hand together. In Luke 9:1-2, it was recorded that Christ called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. The same is repeatedly in Luke 10:1,2 & 9 for the seventy men Christ sent out to do the Work of God. Many passages in Acts testify to similar pattern of Christ's disciples doing the Work of God, miracles and healings took place. In Acts 8:12 we read, ' But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.' The Apostle Paul in Acts 19:8 reasoning with the Jews in the synagogue concerning the things of the kingdom of God and then again in 20:25 said, 'And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.' And again in Acts 28:23 & 31, Paul preached the gospel about the kingdom of God and the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ. All these prove unequivocably that the gospel of the kingdom of God is different from the person of Jesus Christ and is a central part of the Work of God for the church to accomplish!

The church of these last days is to warn the nations of Israel and the Laodicean church (of the last era before Christ return) of their disobedience to God's truth regarding His laws and commandments. They have to repent or else perish in the Great Tribulation! This Ezekiel Warning (Ezekiel chapters 3 & 33) is urgent for the time is short. This 'short work' (Romans 9:27-29) will save many who formed part of the remnant. Tragically, many will choose to repent during the Great Tribulation by losing their physical lives in exchange for eternal life! For not willing to lose one's life now by adopting the 'give way of life' but instead opt for the 'get way of life', there is a high price to pay later. May God have mercy on all those who heed His call now before it is too late!

THE FAITH OF JESUS

Many believers I know of were often trapped in the grip of fears and worries. I myself was once a 'victim' too. Yet the Scripture in Hebrews 11:6 plainly states that: 'But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is rewarder of those who diligently seek Him'. As I begin to study the Word of God, I realise that most Christians have 'human faith' but not the 'faith of Jesus' which is essential to break out from the vicious circle of spiritual poverty.

Romans 1:17 states: 'For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written,"The just shall live by faith". This verse in Romans is saying that a Christian must move from the level of 'human faith' at the early stage of conversion to the kind of faith that Jesus had when He walked the earth. All of us have some measure of human faith, but that is not enough to see us through the Christian life if we are to become overcomers and victorious! The Apostle Paul states his position in Galatians 2:20 thus: 'I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me'. Simply put, Paul is saying that he has the same faith as the Lord Jesus Christ had, and he is living by it.

Looking into the end times which we are currently living in, Christ asked, 'When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?' (Luke 18:8). This implies that true faith is going to be a 'rare commodity' as the clock ticks towards the close of the church age! True faith comes from the Spirit of God - the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit - as stated in Galatians 5:22-23. This was clearly demonstrated in Christ ministry while on earth. For He accomplished everything through the power of God's Spirit in Him. In addition, God endowed Him with the GIFT of faith (1 Cor 12:1, 7-9) for Him to endure the sufferings as Savior of the world! When a Christian has true faith, he can accomplish great and mightly exploits for God just like Jesus did (John 14:12).

It is worthy to note that a person is 'justified by the faith of Jesus Christ' (Galatians 2:16 KJV). Thus not only must we believe in Jesus Christ but we must also possess the kind of faith that Jesus had in us so that we can be made righteous (justified)! Though it starts with human belief, we must grow our faith to the kind that Jesus had while on earth. Hence, we must grow from faith (human faith) to faith (the faith of Jesus) - Romans 1:17. Human faith is variable, it depends on one's emotional state of mind and or circumstances. In the current economic downturn, many are caught unprepared and on the wrong side of the economic divide. Those who have only human faith, they are likely to be unstable in emotional and spiritual wellness. But those with the faith of Jesus will be different - for it is stable and does not waver. Those who waver are unstable , double-minded (toss between human reasoning/thinking and the leading of God's Spirit) and will not receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-8).

Contrary to popular belief, true faith is invoked only for specific promises given in Scripture, and not up to the whim and fancy of any individual. Such promises can involve healing of a sickness or disease, answers to prayer, deliverance from curses or claiming some blessings either for oneself or for loved ones. Proverbs 30:5-6 reads: 'Every word of God is pure; He is a shield (shield of faith -Ephesians 6:16) to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.' Basically, what the verses implied is that God keeps His promises as stated in Scripture and He will do it provided some of the conditions are met. To doubt His Word is to imply that God is a Liar! Whenever I ask God for something I know he will answer them provided I stay obedient. However, I also know that His timing and the way He answers them may not necessarily coincide with mine. Anyhow, His ways are always the best!

Many Christians are misled into believing that 'just believe in Jesus' kind of faith is all that is needed for salvation. If that is true, the Bible should be no more than a single page of Scripture! Remember the words of our Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:21, 'Not everyone who says to Me "Lord, Lord", shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven (born again as sons of God), but he who DOES the will of MY FATHER in heaven.' Again in Romans 2:13, the Apostle Paul states: 'For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the DOERS of the law will be justified.' That is why God will only give His Spirit to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32). Jesus Christ told the rich young man to keep the commandments (law) in order for him to receive salvation (Matthew 19:17). When His disciples heard this, they wondered who then can be saved? (Matthew 19:25). But Christ answered thus: 'With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.' (Matthew 19:26). In my years as a Christians, I have heard many preachers quoting these verses but without the right explanations. What the Lord Jesus was saying is simply that man cannot keep God's law, but when Christ lives in us we can, provided we have the true living faith abiding in Him!

A Christian life is a journey of fighting many battles in a long war with the forces of darkness. Those who win eventually are overcomers to inherit the Kingdom of God. Hence, Paul admonishes Timothy to 'fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life' (1 Timothy 6:12). Similarly, Jude writes to all true believers to 'contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints' (verse 3). We must follow Christ example in obedience by keeping God's law in order to possess the faith of Christ. Only then, can we become overcomers to inherit all that the Heavenly Father has destined for us in the Kingdom of God. For only true disciples of Christ will have the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12).

The Word of God lists nine separate fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and nine separate gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 12: 7-10). Of all these, faith is the only one mentioned in both of the lists. Faith is both a fruit and a gift of the Spirit. However, only those who are specially called of God to perform some work that requires the gift of the Spirit will be so given. Faith is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). But we must learn to develop and exercise it to the level of the faith of Jesus if we are to enter the Kingdom of God to become sons of God!