Romans 8:16-17; “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are Children of God, and if Children, then heirs; heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him, in order that we may also be glorified with Him.” (any emphasis mine)

There are several Christian songs that have the title about our being a Child of the King. The most recent, and performed by many Southern Gospel artists including the Gaither Vocal Band, is by Cindy Walker of Mart, Texas (1917-2006). The chorus of that song is, “Oh Yes, Oh Yes, I’m a child of the King. His royal blood now flows through my veins. And I, who was wretched and poor now can sing; Praise God! Praise God! I’m a child of the King!”

The first song that is on record with this title was written by Harriet E. Buell, and music applied by John B. Sumner in 1877. This one is in several Church hymnals. There are over a dozen other songs with the line, “I’m a/the Child of the King,” and all of them give praise and glory to the Father for His absolute love for us.

In today’s radical world, claiming the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is an invitation to ridicule and persecution. Although this concept is not new, it’s becoming more pronounced daily.

Jesus was ridiculed and eventually crucified due to the actions of the “religious leaders” of His day, even though they did not realize they were fulfilling prophecy. Had they been more well-versed, they may have realized He truly was the Son of God, as was proclaimed by an unnamed Roman Soldier at the moment of Jesus’ death (Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39 and Luke 23:47).

Prophecy tells of the Messiah coming to earth without all the pomp and circumstance people would expect. Peter tells us that it was known by God before the earth was formed that He would have to provide the “spotless Lamb” to be sacrificed for our sins (1 Peter 1:19-20). Jesus’ first trip to earth was nothing like it will be when He returns to rule in the Millennium.

Isaiah 53 gives us a wealth of information as to how the Messiah would be treated, and what His reactions would be. This was about 700 years before the birth of our Savior on this earth, to a virgin (Isaiah 7:14).

He had no stately form or majesty or appearance that would stand out. He was despised and rejected by many. He took the pain and suffering we deserve, and through His wounds we are healed. He remained silent and did not resist the unfair trial, abuse and unfair death that He suffered for our sakes. He was buried in a rich man’s grave.

As a result of our Savior’s perfect sacrifice, eternal life with Him in absolute paradise is possible for every human that will ever have lived, is living now, and ever will live, all the way to the end of the Millennial reign of Jesus the Christ.

The hard part to understand is that it will be a minority of all the people, who will ever live, that will enter Heaven. This is no surprise to the Lord, as He understands human nature better than anyone. I’ve given these verses many times in the past, and it’s still a fact about this sin-filled world. Matthew 7:13-14; “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide, and the way easy, that leads to destruction [Hell], and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow, and the way is hard that leads to life, [Heaven] and those who find it are few.”

Prior to Calvary, one had to do the will of the Father and not worship other gods to receive eternal life. That does not mean they never sinned, as all of us sin and fall short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23). It means they knew their shortcomings and would confess and take responsibility for their sinful actions.

From Calvary to today, and continuing to the end of the Millennial Reign, all who have Jesus as their Savior will be saved. Acts 2:21; “And it shall come to pass, that all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” This is also in Romans 10:13.

Everyone – all – no exceptions – that refuse to accept Jesus and the gift He provided through His death, burial, resurrection and ascension back to Heaven will have chosen Hell as their eternal destiny. Revelation 20:11-15 tells of the fate of all who went against the Father, and all who rejected Jesus.

“Then I saw a great white throne, and Him who was seated on it. From His presence, earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small [one’s status does not impress God], standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it; Death and Hades [holding places prior to this judgment], and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had [or had not] done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death [eternal], the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he/she was thrown into the lake of fire.”

It should be noted, all who are at this judgment will not be in the Book of Life. They will be shown that they had opportunities while alive to avoid Hell, but through their own actions and failure to receive and accept Jesus, they chose to be there.

God does not want any to fail, as given in 2 Peter 3:9. However, He is fair and just to “allow” our freedom of choice. I praise Him daily that I was allowed to choose My Jesus, and call out to Him to be saved. My daily prayer is that all our loved ones will do the same.

By calling out, I am assured I am a “Child of the King.” My wife also has called out, and it’s comforting to know we will spend eternity with our Lord and Savior.

The Buell/Sumner song starts with praise and glory about our Father, just as Jesus taught us we should do first when we pray. It tells that Jesus can honestly say He understands us, as He lived fully as a human for over 30 years on earth. Although He was still fully God, He allowed Himself to be “lower than the Angels” (Hebrews 2:7) to experience all that we do. Having done so, He has the right to claim all who will call out to Him to be saved. There is a stanza that tells about all being sinners, but are “adopted” when we become a Child of the King. No matter what our living arrangements are in Heaven, they will far exceed anything on earth.

Consider the words to this amazing song:

(1) “My Father is rich in houses and lands; He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hand. Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold, His coffers are full; He has riches untold.

(ref) I’m a child of the King; a child of the King. With Jesus my Savior, I’m a child of the King.

(2) My Father’s own Son, the Savior of men, once wandered the earth, the poorest of them. But now He is pleading, our pardon on high, That we may be His when He comes by and by.

(3) I once was an outcast, stranger on earth; a sinner by choice, an alien by birth. But I’ve been “Adopted,” my name’s written down; an heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown.

(4) A tent or a cottage, why should I care? They’re building a place for me over there. Though exiled from Home, yet still I may sing, All Glory to God; I’m a Child of the King!”

The choice is totally up to each individual – Heaven or Hell. There’s no other way that exists. No one who truly calls out will be turned away; likewise, no one will be forced to do so. Ours is a God of pure love, and it wouldn’t be love if He forced our decisions.

Choose “Life” and “Eternity” with our King of King and Lord of Lords. You will become an heir to the Father the instant you do. Jesus will be calling all true believers soon, to keep us from the coming Wrath (Revelation 3:10). We’re not guaranteed another day here; today would not be too soon to become “adopted.” Hope to see you there!

Ahavah Olin! (Love Everlasting!)

huebshman46@gmail.com

 

Luke 9:10-17: “Jesus, the Compassionate Provider”

“And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him, and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God and healed those who had need of healing. When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, ‘Send the people away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions, for we are in a deserted place here.’

“But He said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.’ For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, ‘Make these sit down in groups of fifty.’ They did so and made them all sit down. Then He took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them and gave them to set before the multitude. So, they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them” (Luke 9:10-17, NKJV).

The Lord Jesus had healed a woman with menstrual issues that had plagued her for twelve years, had raised a young girl back to life, and had commissioned the apostles to go preach, cast out demons, and heal the sick, spreading His message to other towns and territories that had probably heard about Him but had not been witnesses to His teachings or works (Luke 8:40-9:9).

The scene picks up after the apostles had returned from their missionary journey. They reported to Him what had happened. Their work had produced spiritual fruit, being a type of praise to the LORD for working through them. Now, at Jesus’ insistence, they withdrew from the crowds and rest from their labors. This work that they had undertaken at Jesus’ command prompted them to rest and reflect on what had occurred through their obedience and faith. In turn, their own faith grew and gained strength and was a means by which the Lord Jesus opened their eyes to the supernatural.

They head back to the town of Bethsaida, which was the home of Andrew, Peter, Philip, and probably Bartholomew, also known as Nathaniel (John 1:43-51). Tragically, this town and others would incur the wrath of the Lord Jesus for their unbelief amidst the powerful works of God that they witnessed yet remained indifferent and spiritually blind (Matt.11:20-24; Luke 10:13-16). In the meantime, the crowds who desired to hear more from Jesus grew, a sign of spiritual hunger and an obvious sign that they were sheep without a shepherd (Matt. 9:35-36) and in need of care (John 10:14-18, 28-30).

Jesus, who always had time for everyone who came to Him, began to teach the people the good news of the kingdom of God and healed those who were sick as well. This intimacy that is demonstrated by our LORD should encourage us to always seek Him and come to Him when we need assurance, comfort, or a need that cannot be obtained by our own attempts (Psalm 84:11; 37:23-25). No one on earth can supply our needs when the times of troubles appear. The acts of a government can only go so far in giving assistance, and they are all broke. A relative’s act of compassion is limited at best, and their resources do not last. We look for peace in the political realm and put our faith in people who have clever phrases but no real solutions. Most are part of a chorus of fools, possessing empty words and little if any action.

Religion, as defined by the world, does not help. Apart from the saving work of Jesus Christ, all our efforts to gain spiritual insight or redemption is nothing more than an exercise in works-based futility. All religion, save from Christ, tells someone that they earn favor with their deity by their own efforts before anything can happen. Only the Lord Jesus Christ comes to us and takes us as we are, reaching out to us and allowing Him to transform us, redeem us, and open our eyes to His will and direction as well as supply our needs (Phil. 4:19). Only Jesus can give us true and authentic freedom and life (Luke 11:14; John 8:32, 36; Romans 7:25; 8:2, 21; Gal. 5:1).

As the crowd around the LORD grew and congregated, the apostles saw a problem. These people were not just spiritually hungry, but there was a need to fill physical hunger as well. Concern over this situation is expressed in verse 12. They suggest to the LORD that the people leave to go to the nearby villages and towns to purchase food from the local vendors and farmers. Jesus in return tells them to provide food for the crowd, and the meager meal of bread and small fish they did have would not suffice, or so it seemed. Why did Jesus ask them, then?

Think for a moment. These men a while ago had done mighty works in the name of the LORD in healing the sick, casting out demons, and preaching the Gospel to people all throughout the regions. Surely, they believed that the situation they were facing at that moment could be solved, but not in their own power or strength. The apostles were just getting a notion of what Jesus would provide them with and expect them to demonstrate when the time came to carry on the work of Jesus after He went back to heaven. Right now, though, they were still thinking of solving these problems in their own strength. Their faith still needed to mature, and they also needed to know that they were in the presence of the very God who would provide them with such power.

The Lord Jesus asks the apostles to organize the crowd into groups of fifty, which would be far easier to handle than would a big uncoordinated group. The Scriptures tell us that five thousand men were there. No doubt their wives and children made up the crowd as well, so the total number was a few thousand more. As the apostles began going around and asking everyone to get into the smaller numbers, the fathers and husbands there would gather their families and have them all together, which shows that common sense played a part in what was about to occur. After the organizing was completed, there were probably a thousand groups of fifty.

Jesus took the loaves and fish and gave thanks to God for the provision. He supernaturally began creating fish and bread and gave the abundance to the apostles for distribution. No doubt other men in the crowd assisted with this task, giving the food to their families and others. If they were hungry, the LORD created the food to satisfy their need. These people were eyewitnesses to a genuine compassionate act of the Sovereign God for their benefit and to show that He was the One Who cares for the welfare of His creation, if they would simply trust and ask Him for what they need and not doubt that it would come to pass. After everyone was full, there were enough leftovers for the apostles to enjoy as well. They certainly deserved it.

While there were people who saw this act as one of compassion and a means to strengthen their faith, a lot more saw what had happened as a free meal ticket and hung around the next day to see if Jesus would do it again. They would then take Him by force to make Him their king. Consider their point of view. He would provide an endless supply of food, be able to heal rebel Jewish soldiers of all wounds and bring them to life if they were killed in battle against the Romans, and rid the land of Caesar and his paganism. The new king, Jesus, would then establish a renovated Israel with Him as the Davidic Messiah, conqueror of their enemies and ruler for all time (John 6:22-40).

Their vision was shattered when the Lord explained to them that He was the Bread of Life, more concerned with their souls than with the establishment of an earthly dynasty. They ended up abandoning Him, showing that they loved their stomachs more than their eternal destinies, which would be a common reaction to many who encountered Jesus.

The same attitude is present in today’s “name it and claim it,” or “prosperity” teachings that false teachers proclaim to the greedy and gullible crowds who see Jesus as a “sugar daddy” instead of the Almighty Lord and Savior worthy of worship, praise, and reverence. I have written about the abomination of the “prosperity gospel” in past articles, so I will not repeat myself, and I have not changed my mind on the subject.

I end this study with a question that you really need to consider. Who is Jesus to you? A miracle maker? A performer of signs and wonders? A meal ticket? A good man? A figure in history? A great teacher? Or do you bow before Him in awe, reverence, and humbleness and declare Him Lord and Savior? You had better have that figured out and settled before you take your last breath (2 Cor. 6:2).

donaldwhitchard@gmail.com

www.donaldwhitchard.com