LOST IN THE CHURCH:

[BEING LOST IN CHURCH]

Part Six

Idolatry in the House of God

Many have interpreted the word idol from the perspective of the Old Covenant, an era in which the main emphasis was on the physical. But now, the Lord is seeking people who will worship Him in spirit. Therefore, the most dangerous and difficult idol—not one made of iron, stone, or wood—is the one that can be carved within a person’s heart or spirit.

An IDOL can be anything that takes the place of God within a person. The first commandment the Lord gave us is to love Him above everything else. Therefore, whatever you can love more than you love God becomes an idol to you.

Furthermore, the Lord has warned us not to fear anything more than Him (Matthew 10:28), and not to place our faith, hope, or dependence on anything except Him. By this reasoning, whatever you give those places in your life becomes an idol that you have carved within your own heart.

Scripture is clear that those who worship idols will have their part in the lake of fire, which is the second death (Revelation 21:8).

In these last days, many people have become lost in Church by worshipping things that are close to the Lord, or things that have been called by His name, thinking that by doing so they are worshipping the Lord Himself!

Some of the things people have come to worship—and many of you may be surprised when I mention them—include worship services, the Church, the mother of Jesus, servants of God, angels, the Word of God, prayer, the name of a church, and so on.

But the Lord will never allow anything to take His glory!

Nevertheless, many people who worship idols in the house of God do so out of ignorance and lack of knowledge. And this is where our enemy gains his strength.

Therefore, this message is given by the great grace of God to those who are willing to love the Lord above everything else.

Worshipping the Word of God

The Word of God can become an idol if it takes the place of God Himself. And this is astonishing!

I know that by making this statement, I have probably disturbed the theology of many people. Let me repeat it, so that you understand that I am not speaking carelessly:

“The word of God can become a very dangerous idol, and it can bring death if it is worshipped or allowed to take the place of God.”

There is nothing as valuable as the Word of God. Nevertheless, everyone must understand that the “word of God” is not God Himself!

It is extremely dangerous for any person, Church, or institution to build upon the word of God instead of building upon God Himself.

Today, there are many Churches that have fallen into this kind of deception. You can recognize them by observing their people: they have a form of godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5).

The Church develops certain forms of worship that contradict the presence of God!

The Word of God vs. “the word of God”

I know that when I say “the word of God is not God,” many people become surprised, especially when they remember John 1:1, which says:

> “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”



It is absolutely true that this Scripture says the Word was God. However, it is important to understand that this passage is speaking about “the Word” and not merely “the word of God.”

There is a significant difference between these two expressions: “the Word of God” and “the word of God.”

When you say “the Word of God,” you are referring, in essence, to a Person—which is why Word begins with a capital letter. However, when you say “the word of God,” you are not necessarily referring to a person, but rather to the ordinary word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Throughout the Bible, there are places where the word “Word” is used with a capital letter. When Scripture uses it in that way, it refers to a Person—Christ!

The Bible is filled with the word of God that needs to be made alive. When a person reads it, they should seek the Spirit through whom that word was written.

Therefore, the word of God needs the Spirit behind it so that it can be transformed into the living Word of God, who is a Person.

And that is what saves, blesses, and heals.

Thus:

The word of God + the Holy Spirit = The Word of God Gábor Muzslai

Without the Holy Spirit, there is no life in anything. Therefore, do not be surprised that even the Bible can be used by witches or traditional healers in their practices.

This helps us understand the meaning of the Scripture:

> “For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
— 2 Corinthians 3:6



Essentially, without the Holy Spirit, the Bible becomes nothing more than a book of history, literature, philosophy, stories, politics, or any other ordinary book.

And many people have treated Scripture in exactly that way. They have never encountered the Living Word of God within their hearts. As a result, they have built their lives upon a “word of God” that has never become flesh within them.

Because of their lack of understanding, many people consider such individuals to be servants of God. Yet this condition has ultimately turned them into philosophers, motivational speakers, politicians, and extreme businessmen operating within the house of God.

This is extremely dangerous!

When the Lord made a whip and overturned the tables of the merchants in His Father’s house, was that not also a prophecy of what is going to take place in the house of God today?

May God bless you greatly!

#ToBeContinued...

Mwl. Ernest Nyalula
+255 616 609 885
#LostInTheChurch #CircumcisionOfTheHeart #TrueHoliness #BornAgain #GraceAndTruth #ChristJesus #Christianity #TheCross #SpiritualGrowth #GodsWord

2. Lust does not begin with destruction

“It begins as a thought, a glance, a fascination. Left unchecked, it develops into a habit, then into a compulsion, and eventually into bondage.”

Explanation:
This is a powerful warning because many people underestimate the beginning of temptation. What appears to be a harmless thought or glance can become a pattern when repeatedly entertained. The important lesson is to confront lust at its earliest stage, before it becomes a controlling habit.

https://tinyurl.com/mtpwwxmx

Education with Purpose. A Future Built on Faith.

At Mount Valor University, we're building more than a university—we're cultivating a Christ-centered community where students grow in faith, leadership, and purpose.

Our vision is to equip the next generation through:
Biblical Formation
Leadership Development
Community Partnership
Vocational Excellence
Faithful Service

Learn more: www.mountvaloruniversity.org

Become a Founding Partner: mountvaloruniversity.org/partner-in-the-founding-of-mount-valor-university

Make A Founding Gift: www.convergepay.com/hosted-payments/?ssl_txn_auth_token=Y7hKV8fGSRClkCLL0qGDwwAAAZ1y5hIX#!/payment-method

#MountValorUniversity #EducationWithPurpose #ChristianEducation #FaithBasedEducation #ChristCentered #BiblicalFormation #LeadershipDevelopment #HigherEducation #FaithAndLearning #KingdomImpact #BuildingTomorrowLeaders

“His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.” — 2 Peter 1:3–4 (CSB)

Peter reminds us that God has already provided everything we need to live a life that honors Him. Through knowing Christ, we receive His power, His promises, and the ability to grow beyond the sinful desires of this world. Spiritual growth is not accomplished through our strength alone; God supplies what we need as we trust Him and walk in obedience to His Word. His promises give us confidence that He is continually working within us, shaping us to become more like Christ.

THE MONEY’S MIND
The Economic Way of the Lord

By Omodolapo Ogunye

What if the way out of an economic wilderness is not first a financial instrument, but a Person?

We often approach economic difficulty through the language of money: capital, debt, investment, employment, markets, policy and opportunity.

But the revelation of the Body of the Word gives us another starting point.

The Body of the Word is the way of the Lord.

Revelation 1 describes the feet of the Son of God as being “like bronze glowing in a furnace.” The imagery speaks of something firm, refined and established—a way.

Isaiah 40:4 declares:

“The rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.”

The Word is therefore not merely something to believe.

The Word is a way to walk.

And this way has an economic and financial dimension.

THE MONEY IS THE WORD

Song of Solomon 5:11 gives us another dimension of the Body of the Word:

“His head is purest gold.”

Gold is a language of value, wealth and monetary significance. Yet Scripture uses gold to describe the Person of the Beloved—the Word.

This is the foundation of The Money’s Mind:

The Money is a Person.
The Money is the Word.
The Money has a Mind.

The economic question therefore becomes larger than how to acquire money.

What is the economic way of the Word?

How does the Word navigate an economy?

How does the Word respond to economic difficulty?

How does the Word create a way where there appears to be no way?

THE WAY THROUGH THE WILDERNESS

Isaiah 43:19 records the declaration:

“I am making a way in the desert.”

A desert represents an environment in which productivity appears constrained—a place where resources seem scarce, opportunities seem limited and progress becomes difficult.

There can be financial deserts.

There can be economic deserts.

There can be national economic wildernesses.

But the revelation is that a desert does not have to be the final destination.

God says, “I am making a way in the desert.”

A way in the desert becomes a way out of the desert.

This is where the economic way of the Lord becomes significant.

The Body of the Word, as the aggressive hunger of the Father, is presented as the pathway through economic environments—even environments marked by difficulty, uncertainty and apparent impossibility.

The answer is not simply to escape the economy.

It is to discover the way of God within it.

THE WAY IS ALSO A VOICE

Isaiah 30:21 provides another dimension:

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”

The economic way of the Lord is therefore not merely a path.

It is a voice.

This is crucial because economic environments require judgment.

There are multiple opportunities.

Multiple markets.

Multiple investments.

Multiple business models.

Multiple directions.

The challenge is not always finding an opportunity.

Sometimes the challenge is knowing which way to walk.

The Word becomes a lamp.

Psalm 119:105 says:

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

The economic implication is profound:

You need economic sight before you need economic movement.

And the quality of your movement depends upon what you are capable of hearing.

WHAT YOU CRAVE, YOU LEARN TO HEAR

There is a principle embedded in this revelation: craving affects hearing.

What you continually desire begins to shape what you recognise.

If your deepest hunger is merely for money, you may become increasingly sensitive to opportunities for money while remaining insensitive to the wisdom required to carry it.

But if your hunger is for the Body of the Word, your capacity to recognise the voice of the Word begins to develop.

This changes the meaning of financial intelligence.

Financial intelligence is not merely knowing how money works.

It is knowing which way to walk with money.

It is knowing what to build.

What to avoid.

What to pursue.

What to preserve.

What to multiply.

What to abandon.

And, ultimately, what voice to follow.

THE ECONOMIC WAY OF THE LORD

The Body of the Word is described as burnished bronze.

The Body of the Word is described through blazing fire.

The Body of the Word is described in economic language through gold, riches, honor and enduring wealth.

When these revelations are brought together, a larger proposition emerges:

The Body of the Word, as the aggressive hunger of the Father, is the economic and financial way of the Lord.

This way is relevant to the individual, the enterprise and the nation.

It speaks to economic environments.

It speaks to financial decisions.

It speaks to productivity.

It speaks to wealth creation.

It speaks to the movement of the Father within the economies of nations.

And it speaks particularly to those seasons when the economy looks like a desert.

The desert may be real.

The difficulty may be real.

The financial pressure may be real.

But the absence of an obvious path does not mean there is no path.

The Word is the Way.

THE MONEY’S MIND

This is why The Money’s Mind is not simply about making money.

It is about discovering the Mind behind the Money.

The Money is the Word.

The Word has a Mind.

And the Mind of the Word reveals a way of seeing, thinking, creating, stewarding and navigating economic life.

So when you encounter an economic wilderness, the first question should not simply be:

“How do I get out?”

Ask:

“What is the way of the Lord here?”

And then:

“What is the voice saying: This is the way; walk in it?”

Because a way is being made.

Even in the desert.

The Body of the Word is the economic and financial way of the Lord.

The Money is the Word.

The Money has a Mind.

And the Mind of the Word knows the way.

Omodolapo Ogunye

THE MONEY’S MIND

The Body of the Word as Finance & Economics

The Kitchen
shows.acast.com/the-kitchen

Guidelines for living.
August 18th, 2026

3 Steps to Finding a New Direction.

This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” But you said, “We will not walk in it.” Jeremiah 6:16



Jeremiah the prophet was a man who needs to be rediscovered today. The circumstances surrounding his life and world have so many parallels to life today. How so? Well, for one thing, instability had gripped the world. Jeremiah’s beloved nation was about to be chewed up by the powerful tiger of Babylon. Social structures were failing too. Families were being torn apart; truth and morality had been sacrificed in the process. The priesthood had become politicized. No wonder Jeremiah seemed out of sync with his day—an old prophet who castigated the moral and spiritual decline. No wonder he was publicly scorned and privately castigated.

There is a text in the book which bears his name which needs to be emblazoned on the conscience of every parent: God expects more, something more of His children, than that which satisfies the world.

God spoke to Jeremiah, here’s what He said, “Stand at the crossroads and look; [and] ask for the old paths, [and] ask where the good way is, and walk in it” (Jeremiah 6:16). There were three parts to that advice: First, go back to the crossroads, back to the place where you took the wrong path, and look. God is saying, “Hey, you’ve been down the wrong road. You’ve learned that it didn’t bring you the peace or contentment. Now stand there—mentally speaking—take a look down the narrow road, the one that seemed to be less exciting, and realize it was here you went wrong.

Let’s stop for a moment. Is it ever too late to acknowledge that you went wrong? You may think so, but in reality, it is not. A thief on the cross, seeing his life ebb away minute by minute, came to that place; he cried out, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He went back to the crossroads and took the right path. Before you go back to the crossroads—that fork in the road where you went wrong—you must stop what you’re doing and mentally look back. Often, we think, “It’s too late for me.” Not so, friend. Coming to the end of the year is a time for reflection and to go back if you missed the right path.

Step number two in this process is this: “Ask for the old paths where the good way is.” In reality, prayer is asking. It is saying, “God, I went wrong. You know that, and now I admit it. I don’t want the future to be a rerun of the mistakes of the past. Forgive me, show me the right way to go.” Israel had missed God, and in spite of their waywardness, God promised to help them if they would only come back to Him. He said, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3). God will do the same for you as well.

Step number three in this process of finding the right direction is this: When you have found the good way, “walk in it.” This is a matter of simple obedience, of putting your feet in a straight line in the direction you know God wants you to go. And with that simple step of obedience comes a great promise. God said, “you will find rest for your soul.”

God did not force them, He invited them. Sadly, Israel rejected God’s invitation. Don’t do it, friend. Going back to the fork in the road requires courage and humility.



Resource Reading: Jeremiah 6:1-30

Ellen G. White
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. John 15:12.
What quality is this love? ... A love for the soul that would part with selfish gratifications and practice stern self-denial in order to elevate, ennoble, and sanctify those with whom we associate....God enjoins upon all His followers to bear a living testimony in unmistakable language by their conduct, their dress and conversation, in all the pursuits of life, that the power of true godliness is profitable to all in this life and in the life to come....A cheap Christian character works more harm in the world than the character of a worldling, for professed Christians mislead others by professing to represent Him whose name they assume.....God is love. Whoso dwelleth in God, dwelleth in love. All who have indeed become acquainted ... with the love and tender compassion of our heavenly Father will impart light and joy wherever they may be. Their presence and influence will be to their associates as the fragrance of sweet flowers, because they are linked to God and heaven, and the purity and exalted loveliness of heaven are communicated through them to all that are brought within their influence...You can surround your souls with an atmosphere that will be like zephyrs from the heavenly Eden..[ FLB 235.]

Let's talk about it.
What if the greatest problem in our lives isn't that we have too little time for God?

What if the problem is that 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲?

We still pray.
We still worship.
We still read our Bibles.
We still go to church.
We still serve.

But somewhere along the way, God becomes something we fit into our lives rather than the One around whom our lives are built.

And Numbers 1 gives us a picture that we should not miss.

When Israel was in the wilderness, God gave Moses specific instructions concerning the tabernacle.

The Levites were to camp around it.
And the rest of Israel was to camp according to their tribes and standards.

Why?

Because the tabernacle—the place representing God's dwelling among His people was at the center.

Israel's camp was not randomly arranged.
Their lives were literally organized around the presence of God.

The Lord said:
“𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆...” (v53)

Think about the picture.

The tabernacle was in the middle.
The Levites surrounded it.
The tribes surrounded them.

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝗱'𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

That was more than an arrangement of tents.
It was a picture of how God's people were meant to live.

God was not supposed to be somewhere on the edge of Israel's life.

He was not an afterthought.
He was not something they visited when they had time.

𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿.

And perhaps that is where we need to stop and look at our own lives.

Because whatever sits at the center of your life will eventually determine the direction of everything around it.

If comfort is at the center, your decisions will revolve around comfort.
If money is at the center, your life will revolve around gaining and protecting it.
If approval is at the center, your peace will depend on what people think of you.
If success is at the center, your worth will rise and fall with your achievements.

Even ministry can become the center.
Even family can become the center.
Even good things can take the place that belongs to God.

When God is no longer at the center, everything else slowly begins to take a place it was never meant to occupy.

Israel's arrangement in Numbers reminds us of something we often forget:

God was not meant to be placed somewhere within the arrangement of our lives. He is meant to be the center around which our entire lives are ordered.

But here's where the gospel becomes beautiful.

God didn't merely tell Israel to arrange their camp around His presence.

𝗛𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

And then, centuries later, something even greater happened.

John 1:14 says:
“𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝘄𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀.”

The God who dwelt among Israel in the tabernacle came near to us in Jesus.

Christ entered our wilderness.
He came into our brokenness.
He came into our disorder.

And He came not merely to become part of our lives,
but to become the center of them.

God can be in our lives without being at the center of our lives.

You can give Him an hour on Sabbath and still organize the rest of your week around yourself.
You can pray to Him and still make every major decision without Him.
You can serve Him and still build your identity around something else.
You can carry His Word and still arrange your life around your own desires.

So today, don't simply ask:
“Where is God in my life?”

Ask:
“What is my life arranged around?”

What sits at the center?
What determines my priorities?
What controls my decisions?
What gives me my sense of worth?

Because whatever is at the center will eventually shape everything around it.

Israel had a center.
And that center was the dwelling place of God.

We have Christ.

So let Him be more than a part of your life.
Let Him be the One your life revolves around.

Not in the background.
Not on the edge.
Not when you have time.

𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿.

Because when Christ is at the center,
everything else can finally find its proper place.

Daily Bible Lesson.
THE HIDDEN POWER OF SALT IN THE BIBLE: WHY GOD USED SALT SO OFTEN

Have you ever wondered why salt appears over and over again in the Bible?

It was never just a seasoning.

From Genesis to the New Testament, salt carried deep spiritual meaning. It represented purity, preservation, faithfulness, covenant, wisdom, and even judgment.

Let's explore what God was teaching through salt.

1. ELISHA USED SALT TO HEAL THE WATERS OF JERICHO

2 Kings 2:19–22

After Elijah was taken to heaven, Elisha arrived in Jericho.

The people said:

«"The city is pleasant, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive."»

God instructed Elisha:

«"Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it."»

Elisha threw the salt into the spring and declared:

«"Thus says the LORD, 'I have healed these waters; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from them.'" (2 Kings 2:21)»

Immediately the waters became pure.

Notice something important.

The miracle was not in the salt.

The salt was simply an act of obedience through which God demonstrated His power.

Spiritual meaning:

God can cleanse what sin has poisoned.

He can restore what seemed permanently ruined.

When God speaks, even bitter waters become life-giving.

2. EVERY GRAIN OFFERING HAD TO INCLUDE SALT

Leviticus 2:13

God commanded Israel:

«"Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings."»

Why?

Because salt preserves.

It resists corruption.

It symbolized that Israel's worship should never become spiritually corrupt.

Spiritual meaning:

God desires worship that remains pure, faithful, and sincere.

Our devotion should not spoil with compromise.

3. GOD ESTABLISHED A "COVENANT OF SALT"

Numbers 18:19

God told Aaron:

«"It is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD."»

Again in:

2 Chronicles 13:5

God declared that He gave David the kingdom by a covenant of salt forever.

In the ancient world, salt was valuable and enduring.

A covenant sealed with salt symbolized permanence, loyalty, and faithfulness.

Spiritual meaning:

God does not abandon His promises.

What He establishes, He is faithful to keep.

4. JESUS CALLED BELIEVERS "THE SALT OF THE EARTH"

Matthew 5:13

Jesus said:

«"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?"»

Salt preserves food from decay.

Likewise, believers are called to preserve truth in a corrupt world.

We are meant to influence the world—not be influenced by it.

Spiritual meaning:

Christians should slow the spread of moral decay by living holy lives, speaking truth, and reflecting Christ's character.

5. JESUS SAID TO HAVE SALT IN YOURSELVES

Mark 9:50

Jesus taught:

«"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness... Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another."»

This points to inward spiritual character.

Spiritual meaning:

God desires hearts marked by wisdom, humility, holiness, and peace.

6. PAUL COMPARED OUR WORDS TO SALT

Colossians 4:6

Paul wrote:

«"Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt."»

Our words should preserve life, bring wisdom, and point people toward Christ.

Instead of spreading bitterness, believers should speak words that heal, encourage, and build others up.

7. SALT WAS ALSO A SIGN OF JUDGMENT

The Bible also uses salt to represent desolation when people reject God.

After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah:

Genesis 19:26

Lot's wife looked back in disobedience and became a pillar of salt.

Her story stands as a warning against longing for the sinful life God has called us to leave behind.

Later, Scripture describes lands under God's judgment as barren and covered with salt.

Deuteronomy 29:23

Judges 9:45

These passages show that the same symbol could represent either blessing or judgment, depending on humanity's response to God.

WHAT DOES SALT REPRESENT IN THE BIBLE?

Salt symbolizes:

• Purity

• Preservation

• Faithfulness

• God's everlasting covenant

• Holiness

• Wisdom

• Gracious speech

• Healing through God's power

• A warning against corruption and disobedience

THE GREATEST LESSON

Salt itself has no supernatural power.

The Bible never teaches that salt possesses mystical or magical abilities.

Whenever God used salt, it was because He chose it as a symbol or as part of an act of obedience.

The power was always God's—not the salt.

Today, God still heals bitter lives.

He restores broken families.

He renews weary hearts.

He preserves those who remain faithful to Him.

The same God who healed the waters of Jericho is still able to transform what seems impossible.

Conflict and Courage
Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God. Psalm 68:31.
Throughout his ministry Isaiah bore a plain testimony concerning God's purpose for the heathen. Other prophets had made mention of the divine plan, but their language was not always understood. To Isaiah it was given to make very plain to Judah the truth that among the Israel of God were to be numbered many who were not descendants of Abraham after the flesh. This teaching was not in harmony with the theology of his age, yet he fearlessly proclaimed the messages given him of God and brought hope to many a longing heart reaching out after the spiritual blessings promised to the seed of Abraham....

Often the Israelites seemed unable or unwilling to understand God's purpose for the heathen. Yet it was this very purpose that had made them a separate people and had established them as an independent nation among the nations of the earth. Abraham, their father, to whom the covenant promise was first given, had been called to go forth from his kindred, to the regions beyond, that he might be a light bearer to the heathen. Although the promise to him included a posterity as numerous as the sand by the sea, yet it was for no selfish purpose that he was to become the founder of a great nation.... “I will bless thee,” Jehovah declared, “and make thy name great; ... in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” ...

No distinction on account of nationality, race, or caste, is recognized by God.... Christ came to demolish every wall of partition, to throw open every compartment of the temple courts, that every soul may have free access to God. His love is so broad, so deep, so full, that it penetrates everywhere. It lifts out of Satan's influence those who have been deluded by his deceptions, and places them within reach of the throne of God, the throne encircled by the rainbow of promise. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free.26Ibid., 367-370.