Hartland Winter Convocation 2019: That, Knowing the Time

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Hartland Institute of Health and Education

Phil Mills

The Government of God

Anciently, to harvest wheat, the farmer would cut the stalks of grain, then beat the ends of the sheet stalks.

This would leave a pile of grain and husks.

The valuable grain must then be removed from the worthless husk, and stalks remain remnants.

Throughout history, his followers have been beaten, persecuted, and seemingly abused.

He is preparing them for a rich harvest of grain.

But threshing isn't the end of the harvest process.

There's an interesting prophecy in the book of Amos.

For surely I will command and will sift the house of Israel among all nations as grain is sifted in a sieve, yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.

After threshing, Worthless chaff is mixed with valuable wheat.

How did farmers rid the precious grain of chaff in Bible times?

They would throw the grain and chaff into the air, exposing them both to wind.

The lighter chaff would blow away while the heavier wheat would remain.

God used this sifting to illustrate his method of separating his people from those who are not his people.

What are the winds that God uses to sift his people?

Just as a farmer exposes the wheat and chaff to wind, God exposes church members to cunningly promoted false doctrine, to heresy.

This separates his true people from false professors.

Our core beliefs unite us with others who share the same beliefs.

But doctrine not only unites, it also separates.

The Bible doctrine of the Sabbath unites Sabbath keepers, but it also separates them from those who do not keep the Sabbath.

From the days of the early church, God has used the winds of heresy to sift the chaff out of the wheat of his church, and he will do this to the close of probation.

God will arouse his people, we're told, 5T707, if other means fail, heresies will come in among them which will sift them, separating the chaff from the wheat.

Well, God has provided his people with 2 powerful protections from the winds of false doctrine.

The first protection from the winds of false doctrine is the Word of God properly studied.

For all scripture is given for true doctrine.

The source of heresy is twisting the Word of God.

Instead of thank you very much, instead of going to the Bible to find what God says, People go to the Bible to find support for what they believe, to find permission for the sins they love.

Take all of the scripture with a desire to know God's will and surrender to do whatever He says.

And then we prayerfully, diligently study, comparing scripture with scripture, dividing rightly the word of truth.

But there's a second protection from the sifting winds.

God's government, Isaiah tells us, Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice.

Each will be like a, read it with me, a hiding place from the wind.

Because God's Word and God's government are such excellent protections, Satan has launched a full-scale attack against both.

This evening we want to study God's government.

The government or kingdom of God was a prime concern of Jesus.

It was the focus of his prayers, and he taught his disciples to pray, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

When God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven, God's kingdom has come.

For God's kingdom is doing God's will as expressed by His Word, as it is written, Forever, O Lord, your word is settled in heaven.

The government of God also plays a prominent part in the Great Controversy theme because there was 1 who rebelled against God's Word and government in heaven.

We must know the underlying principles of God's government to build a solid foundation for understanding God's plan in matters that are part of the end-time test and are even now racking the church in controversy.

God is not only the creator of the animate or inanimate universe, He is also the creator of government.

Colossians 116, for by Him All things were created, read it with me, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.

He is not only the creator of government, but he is the sovereign of all government.

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities." Why?

For there is no authority except from God, and The authorities that exist are appointed by God.

Satan himself is forced to grudgingly acknowledge this.

The principles of God's government were told, the only principles that will endure from everlasting to everlasting are to be followed by those who are seeking for entrance into the kingdom of heaven." This is not a side issue or a take it or leave it at our pleasure.

We are studying tonight a topic of tremendously great importance.

The principles of God's government is a salvation issue.

Respect for the eternal principles of God's government differentiates the servants of God from the servants of the world." Notice the quotation continues, the line of demarcation between those who serve God and those who serve Him not is to be kept clear and distinct.

The principles of God's government are codified in the 10 Commandments.

God begins the second table of the 10 Commandments detailing how we are to relate to our first authority, our parents.

The child is to obey his parents in the Lord.

The child is to recognize and acknowledge his parents have been given God-given authority.

Does being under the authority of the parent diminish the child's value?

No, in God's eyes, the child has equal value with the parent.

Perhaps the child has even greater value.

Does being the authority over the child increase the value of the parent?

No, it just increases the responsibility of the parent and also the accountability of the parent.

God was the father of Adam and Adam was to honor God as his head.

Eve came out of Adam who was in a limited sense her father and Eve was to honor Adam's leadership in the home.

But this commandment is far-reaching and goes beyond the parent.

Whether we are children or parents, we are to honor those in authority by deference, respect, and obedience in the Lord.

In Ephesians 5 and 6, Paul uses this commandment as the basis for how we are to relate to all human authority.

Though Satan cannot create, he can corrupt and pervert, and he attempts to defile all of God's creation, including government.

His success in leading people to reject authority in government is 1 of the defining sins of the last days.

Understanding God's government is not optional for those living at the end of time, for we are told that in order to endure the trial before them they must understand the will of God as revealed in his word.

They can honor Him only as they have a right conception of His character, government, and purposes, and 4, act in accordance with them.

This statement exposes Satan's end-time game plan.

He is attempting to keep us from understanding the will of God by spreading misinformation about God in 3 critical areas.

God is love and central to his character, government, and purposes is love.

The character of God answers the question of who God is.

The government of God answers the question of how God works and understanding his purposes answers the question of why does God do what he does.

In this sinful world, civil heads of state do not provide a good model for God's plan of government.

For example, earthly rulers derive their power, honor, and wealth from the citizens.

In the heavenly model, the opposite is true.

The citizens derive their power, honor, and wealth from the King, the ruler.

In sinful civil governments, the citizens protect the head, but in God's government, the head protects the citizens.

The covering cherubs are not protecting God from potential assassins.

They are veiling his glory so that he is more accessible to the beings he created.

Homes provide a better model, for it is from the parents that the children receive their legacy, their genetics, their honor, and their wealth, and it is the parents who protect the child.

Godly homes and churches are to follow this heavenly model.

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The Government of God

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