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Construction of Notre Dame Cathedral began in 1160 and was not completed until 1260. What took a hundred years to bring to vain glory was simply reduced to shambles within hours.
As we watched the cathedral burn we were reminded of three main things.
(1) The temporal nature of life;
(2) That God doesn’t dwell in temples made by hands;
(3) That one day God Himself will burn all of man’s religious and governmental systems – atrocities that have infringed on the freedom and joy of His creation, as well as obstructed meaningful relationship with Him.
Pointedly the apostle James wrote, “What is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (4:14). In Paris eight hundred years of history were gone in a day.
Our apostle, Paul, said candidly to the Pagans that “the God Who makes the world and all that is in it, He, the Lord inherent of Heaven and Earth, is not dwelling in temples made by hands” (Acts 17:24, Concordant). Yet, many hundreds of years later men are still are desolately ignorant of this profound truth.
Then, as we contemplate the future judgment of God, we embrace the realization that divine judgment is nothing short of setting things right. There is much that is horribly and tragically wrong with the world, and yet, those of us who have been granted enlightenment to know the One true God rejoice in the day when man’s oppressive religions and governments will be brought to ashes by the glorious passion of a loving and gracious God! After all, it will be Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) that will be used as the basis of future judgment (Romans 2:16).
Divine judgment will wipe clean the slate of religious and governmental kingdoms that have been unbearably built up and in turn have laid bare the backs of the common man. The corrupt Roman Catholic Church embodied the horrid wickedness of these two intrusive systems during the Dark Ages – a vile residue which malignantly fills the world even to this day. The relentless abuse of mankind by these evil empires will rightfully meet with the fervent fire of God, clearing way for all that is right (righteousness), and good, and loving (II Peter 3:10, 12).
With the anticipation of faith we look forward to that liberating day! Meanwhile we “withstand in the evil day” (Ephesians 6: 13), patiently laboring “as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23), being “kind … tenderly compassionate, dealing graciously … according as God also, in Christ, deals graciously” with us (Ephesians 4:32, Concordant).
Clyde L. Pilkington, Jr.
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On Baptism
Or, From Infancy to Maturity in Christ
by — A.E. Knoch (1874-1965)
One of Knoch’s earliest works, this is a detailed study of baptism throughout the Scriptures. It discusses the meaning of baptism as it is associated with Israel and its rituals, the Kingdom and its prerequisites, and the Body of Christ with its baptism. This had a profound effect on E.W. Bullinger and he ran this in his periodical Things to Come in 1907 .
(#4003) 64 pages, booklet.
$4.95 (plus s&h)
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