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The Promise of the Fathers

May 12, 2025 by Admin

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Scripture reading: Jeremiah 31:33

The promise of the fathers is the great promise that God has made. The most beautiful thing is that God made this promise to Israel, and when the church came, He made the same promise to the church. The church is Israel and Israel will be the church in time to come when God will show them His special favor.

Jeremiah 24:7, “And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.”

Jeremiah 31:33, “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Jeremiah 32:38, “And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”

Ezekiel 11:20, “That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”

Ezekiel 37:27, “My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Zechariah 8:8, “And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”

2 Corinthians 6:16, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

This indeed is the promise of the fathers, and it is abundant throughout all Scripture. God gave these promises to Israel at first, and then the Israel of God came to fulfill and inherit these promises. Many of the promises that were given to the people in the Old Testament were not understood. They did not understand how all these things would be brought to pass, and they desired and longed to understand it, but God told them it was not for them but for a people that should come.

We see the Lord giving this promise over and over and over again. Hebrews 8:10, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.” The Spirit of God through Paul was quoting this to the Hebrew brethren. Now this was part of the church; this was not part of ancient Israel. We are talking about a promise being brought from the Old Testament to the church. If we could get this one thought in our hearts, then it would be a step forward to understanding the Word of God; because all that God promised, all that God did, all that God said in the Old Testament is pointing to the New Testament, to Jesus Christ Himself, and to Jesus Christ IN the church. We find then two manifestations here: Jesus Himself and Jesus in the church. This is the promise that God gave to His people.

(Excerpt from The Book of Revelation, Volume 3, pages 120-121)

Thought for today: “And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”

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Perfection

May 10, 2025 by Admin

This message entitled “Perfection“ was given by Brother Cecil duCille in November 1970.

For more audio messages please visit Audio Messages – Foundational Teachings.

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Heaven on Earth

May 9, 2025 by Admin

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Scripture reading: 2 Peter 3:10-13

Many people say that God is going to burn up this earth and destroy this world and make a new world. Let us see what the Word of God is saying. First of all, is this world going to be destroyed? Psalm 104:5, “Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it SHOULD NOT BE REMOVED FOR EVER.” Psalm 78:69, “And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the EARTH WHICH HE HATH ESTABLISHED FOR EVER.” Isaiah 45:17, “But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an EVERLASTING SALVATION: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded WORLD WITHOUT END.” The same phrase is in Ephesians 3:21, “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, WORLD WITHOUT END. Amen.” Ecclesiastes 1:4, “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but THE EARTH ABIDETH FOR EVER.” With so many scriptures saying one thing we must believe it, if we have faith and belief in the Word of God. We must believe then that the earth is abiding forever. The earth will remain forever; it will not be destroyed.

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” What are we talking about? The word “EARTH” has three basic meanings. The natural earth or terra firma is the ground on which we stand and is called “earth” in the Bible. Worldliness is also called “earth,” and Man is called “highest” earth. Proverbs 8:26, “While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.” This verse means to say that the lowest earth would be the ground outside. Next would be the vegetable kingdom, and the next would be humanity which God called “the highest part of the dust.”

In the face of all this Word that the earth will not pass away, we can only think of two other earths that will pass away: worldliness (earthiness) and the man. The man will be changed, and there will be a new creation man. In that light, look again at this verse. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

Let us look at another scripture. In 2 Peter 3, Peter is speaking about the fire that will dissolve the earth, and he says in verses 10-13, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

This Word means that the earth, now as it exists, and the heaven, now as it exists, are not pleasing to God. What heaven? We have to consider the word “HEAVEN” again, because there are also different realms of heaven. There is the invisible realm of heaven and the heaven within the human being wherein God dwells; for wherever God dwells, it is heaven. Now, this is the heaven that God does not like and God is not pleased with, because in this heaven does not dwell righteousness only, for both righteousness and sin seem to be dwelling in the same vessel. God said that this condition must “pass away,” and there is going to be great fire on earth, and it “shall melt with fervent heat,” and it “shall pass away with a great noise.” There will be “new heavens…wherein dwelleth righteousness” only.

For further proof of this understanding, we look at the third verse in Revelation chapter 21. “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”

Where did I read this before? It seems to me that this is the great promise of God throughout the whole Bible. He says that at last it has come to pass – the Day of Atonement – “the tabernacle” – when God will tabernacle Himself within man. Verse 2 says that this is the great coming.

Let us go back to Revelation 21:2. “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

Here is the answer. This “new earth,” this “new Jerusalem” is the “bride” of Christ which He is talking about. This “bride” of Christ is this “new Jerusalem” and is “a new heaven and a new earth.”

(Excerpt from The Book of Revelation, Volume 3, pages 118-120)

Thought for today: Let us strive to become this “bride” of Christ who is this “new Jerusalem” and is “a new heaven and a new earth.”

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The Mystery of Resurrection

May 8, 2025 by Admin

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Scripture reading: John 6:39-40

Revelation 20:13 says, “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” This occurrence happens after the millennium. At the end of the 1,000 years, the Scripture speaks of the sea giving up her dead, “and death and hell” giving up her dead. “The dead” is referring to the people who are in hell at this time.

Let us look at “the sea” in the natural. When a person is lost at sea, his body is devoured by sharks and different sea animals, his bones are washed away and melted, and over the years he becomes part of “the sea.” Every atom that was in his body has become part of something else. Now we are writing about the power of resurrection. This power is of such magnitude that it recreates that which was. It does not recreate the substance from another substance or from any new substance, but it takes back the substance from wherever it is and brings it back to be the individual, to be the person. Notice this very carefully because this is in itself a great mystery. IT IS THE MYSTERY OF RESURRECTION.

We read in Job 19:25-27 what Job brought forth from the Holy Spirit. “For I KNOW that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.” This verse pinpoints the time of the resurrection – “at the latter day.” Job continues, “And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in MY FLESH shall I see God: (there is a colon in the sentence because Job is going to explain how such a thing will happen) Whom I shall see for myself, and MINE EYES shall behold, and not another.” Job was saying that he was not going to get new eyes; he was not going to get new flesh. Job will be in the same flesh with the same eyes “though my reins be consumed within me.”

The most glorious preaching of resurrection can be found somewhere else in the Bible. Jesus preached the resurrection in John 6:39 and 40. “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I SHOULD LOSE NOTHING, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will RAISE HIM UP at the last day.” Verse 44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will RAISE HIM UP at the last day.” Verse 54, “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will RAISE HIM UP at the last day.” This Word of the Lord is very explicit. It is almost impossible to misunderstand, yet some people do.

Let us look at John 11. It is a marvelous thing that the apostle John himself should be the one to be writing this and impressing it so much. John tells us that Jesus Christ was in a certain place when the news came to Him that His dear friend, Lazarus, had died. Jesus “abode two days still in the same place where he was.” He stayed until it was the fourth day. In verses 25 and 26, He made a marvelous remark. “Jesus said unto her, I AM THE RESURRECTION, AND THE LIFE: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” Jesus is saying here that if He is “the resurrection, and the life,” then those who have Him have their resurrection within themselves. If you have Jesus in you, you have “the resurrection” in you.

(Excerpt from The Book of Revelation, Volume 3, pages 114-115)

Thought for today: Those who have JESUS have their resurrection within themselves.

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A Blocker to Love

May 7, 2025 by Admin

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Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 13

Can you imagine the following scenario? Somebody went to the store and lifted the store. You know, what we call shoplifting. When he went home, though, his heart smote him and he repented of what he did. He decided to go back into the store and drop back the thing he had stolen. He didn’t tell anybody. But he came to church, and because the gift of God is without repentance, when he came to the congregation, and especially having just repented, the Spirit of God moved upon him and he gave a word. But while he was pilfering, you were around the aisle in the store, and you saw him. “I won’t hear anything from that man,” you said. And you came in the church and told your best friend. But it so happened that your best friend had a best friend, and your best friend told her best friend and her best friend had another best friend and the best friend… until the whole congregation had been told. So when the man got up and the Spirit of God spoke through him, everybody dropped the curtain, refused to hear him. Who lost? You lost, because you listened to the voice of slander.

That is why Paul called the voice of slander diabolos, devils. It is just like the demons that go from one place to another carrying evil. You are ordained of God to carry good tidings. You are not ordained to carry negatives. If the brother stole something and you saw him, go to God and pray to God and say, “Lord, help that brother.” And you take him to one side and say, “You know, I saw you when you stole that thing and pushed it in your pocket.” Then the brother would be able to say, “I am sorry, but I repented and took it back.” But if you never said anything to him and went and scattered it, then you destroyed the work of God by the power of hate! If that brother had been your natural brother, you would not have told anyone.

Hate is a blocker to love. If you find out that you cannot love God’s people as you ought to, it is because you have allowed their wrong deeds to affect you and you hold it in your heart. Can you understand that? Love thinketh no evil. How could love think no evil when there is evil? You say, “But I saw the evil.” Love thinketh no evil. Love rejoiceth not in iniquity (I Corinthians 13:5-6). That is, the person gets hit because he was wrong and you said, “He had it coming to him.” That is not love. He had it coming to him, but you are sorry for him. If it were your child, you would think of him differently. Why do you think that your children do so many wrong things? God is trying to teach you how to deal with children who are rude and do wrong things. God is trying to teach you how to deal with the people of God. You love them just the same. They do a lot of wrong things but you love them just the same and you conquer them by love.

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.” (I Corinthians 13:1-2) Don’t you see how God separates the gifts from love? “I have great gifts. I can preach. I can teach. I can do this.” You are nothing. God help you. God help us.

I just want to tell you that love lifts us up out of the darkness into the light. Just begin to love and God will lift you up.

There was a man, Brother Smith, who wrote the last verse of the song, “The Love of God.”

Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth (all the grass you see around) a quill and every man a scribe by trade.
To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry,
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.”

That is not an idle dream. Those are the last words he wrote and died. They found them in his prison cell. Do you know what happened to him? He was a rich man; he had a lot of money and he began to talk about the love of God. His children committed him to the asylum because they wanted his riches, but he loved them just the same. He loved them just the same. Praise be to God. Let us be the children of love.

There is love that we are supposed to have for one another. The scripture translates it as bowels of compassion, that you have a feeling for the person. You feel it way down in your heart. God is talking about love. You can’t be mad with the people you love. If you have love, you don’t get mad with the people. You will get sad when you see them doing wrong things, but you won’t get mad with them. May God help us to be the children of love.

(Excerpt from The Omega Message, July 2005, pg. 47-49)

Thought for today: The love lifts us up out of the darkness into the light. Just begin to love and God will lift you up.

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