NOTES ON REBUILDING THE SHEEP GATE: THE REMNANT AS REPAIRERS OF THE BREACH & RESTORERS OF THE STREETS IN WHICH TO DWELL

SCRIPTURE. “Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set up its doors; they consecrated it even to the Tower of Hammeah or the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel.” – NEHEMIAH 3:1, AMPC

QUOTATIONS

ROLLINS. “‘And once Genghis Khan ‘breached those walls,’ he did as he had promised. He killed everyone in the city, over a hundred thousand people. But he didn’t stop there. It is said he slaughtered every beast of the field, too. It was those dark acts that earned the city the name it bears today.’ The professor shuddered. ‘Shahr-e-Gholghola. The City of Screams.’” –  James Rollins, City of Screams, 2012; edited

RAWLES. “When all is said and done, Civilizations do not fall because of the barbarians at the gates. Nor does a great city fall from the death wish of bored and morally bankrupt stewards presumably sworn to its defense. Civilizations fall only because each citizen of the city comes to accept that ‘nothing can be done’ to rally and rebuild broken walls; that ground lost may never be recovered.” ― James Wesley Rawles, Expatriates, 2014; edited

BREACH. From the Hebrew word, ‘Perets’ [פֶרֶץ], meaning: “A bursting forth; a break or a breaking forth [separating into two distinct parts or sections]; a broken down wall; the act of breaking or state of being broken; a rupture; a break; a gap; the space between the severed parts of a solid body parted by violence; as a breach in a garment, or in a wall; ‘the violation of a law;’ the violation or non-fulfillment of a contract; the non-performance of a moral duty; non-performance of duty being a breach of obligation, as well as a positive transgression or violation; a separation between friends by means of enmity; difference; quarrel.” – N. WEBSTER, 1828; J. STRONG, 1895; edited

Selah.

1. FIRST THOUGHTS

America and her Church are broken and in desperate need of repair.

Yet if there be any Hope of Restoration, we must do a couple of things before we make any attempt to fix things. First and foremost, in my view we must choose which of the two most demands our immediate attention.

I propose that it must be The Church, or all our efforts shall surely be in vain.

ALEKSANDR SOLZHENITSYN said as much on the occasion of his acceptance in London on May 10, 1983, of the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion: “Over a half century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of old people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Russia: ‘Men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened.’”

Which puts us immediately in mind of an ancient song penned by the hand of King Solomon long ago, reminding us of what has happened to America in the last 50 years or so, and especially in the last five.

“Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.” – PSALM 127:1, AMPC

In the simplest of terms: America has forgotten her Builder.

As the immeasurably tragic Consequence, we have recklessly and now violently rejected nearly all of God’s ancient precepts, ordinances and lofty callings to Excellence and Virtue. Preferring instead to replace Him with a cheap Usurper, and all his Brutal Mechanics, filled with hollow promises of greatness and strength and the ‘necessary terror’ to get us there.

THE CHALLENGE. Given this set of political, cultural and spiritual conditions (that I have documented into the dust for the past several years), what would be required to ‘Redirect’ the American Enterprise back toward health and stability – if that is even possible anymore?

In the Words of the Messiah: “Workers!” But according to Him, there are precious “few” (Matt. 9:37). So, let’s investigate a bit more about what kind of folks the Lord was referring to here.

• LABORERS. From the Greek word, ‘Ergatés’ [ἐργάτης]: “A toiler; an instructor; a workman [worthy of his hire]; in reference to craftsmen; those who as teachers labor to propagate and promote Christianity among men; a perpetrator [‘one who gets things done’]; a skillful artificer or artisan.”

• COMMENTARY. “‘Gospel ministers;’ whose calling is a laborious one; whose business is ‘to labour in the Word and Doctrine; to be constant in prayer; to give up themselves to meditation and reading; to study to show themselves workmen;’ to preach the word in season, and out of season; and diligently discharge the several duties of their office, to the glory of Christ, and the good of souls: but such painful and laborious ministers, who are willing to spend, and be spent for Christ and immortal souls, ‘have been but few’ in all ages; generally speaking, there are more Loiterers than Labourers.” JOHN GILL, ‘Exposition on the Old and New Testament,’ 9 vols., 1746-1763; edited

• DK. Please keep closely in mind that when Jesus spoke these words some 2,000 years ago, the Laborers were few, but not nearly so sparse as today. Why? Because the Great Falling Away had not yet taken place as in America in our own time. Therefore, the ones who will stand and instruct in the Truth – i.e., The Remnant – are few indeed! “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord God, ‘when I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but [a famine] for hearing the words of the Lord’” (Amos 8:11).

Beloved: We are there!

THE HARSH REALITY. Here are the shocking data to support my observation. According to a survey by DR. GEORGE BARNA, Director of Research Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University just released on May 10, 2022, the American Church has grown almost entirely blind and deaf and mute in recent years.

And here’s why.

“People have many expectations of pastors of Christian churches. One of those expectations is that pastors possess a philosophy of life that largely reflects Biblical Principles, a perspective commonly called ‘a Biblical Worldview.’ But a new nationwide survey among a representative sample of America’s Christian Pastors shows that a large majority of those pastors do not possess a Biblical Worldview. In fact, just slightly more than a third (37%) have Biblical Worldview and the majority—62%—possess a hybrid worldview known as ‘Syncretism.’”

Now then, there are at least TWO WAYS to interpret these data. The Gentler View is that two thirds of American pastors are teaching mostly Truth but innocently mixing it with Error. The Harsher View, the one that I take as a 30-year veteran of teaching comparative worldview systems, is this:

As of May 10, 2022 – Two thirds of American Pastors are teaching heresy!

THE CONSEQUENCE. If ever we needed a definitive, bone deep explanation of why the American Church is in such a mess theologically, and why she has gone whole cloth into the despicable Trump Nationalist Camp, it is found right here.

Right. Here.

This is precisely why I have so aggressively thrown down the gauntlet at the feet of the American Pastor: To state it bluntly: The majority of our pastors are killing the Faith of tens upon millions of American churchgoers today! I can simply say it in no other way.

1. THE REMNANT CHURCH

Thus, the terrible importance of God’s Remnant to the life of both Church and State. Drawing from the entire framework of the Western Common Law Tradition and derivative theological formulations of our Founders and Mssrs. Locke, Toqueville, Solzhenitsyn and many, many others, we understand the immense power of an HISTORIC MAXIM:

‘As does the Church in a Society, so does that Society.’

ON GOD’S REMNANT.  The Remnant Church is something that many Christians don’t think about, because most professing Christians erroneously trust that ‘their belief alone in Jesus’ makes them part of the True Church of God, whether or not they are ‘truly walking with’ [i.e., ‘confessing’] the Lord.

This, the dark fruit of the Hyper Grace Theologies and the Once Saved Always Saved doctrine, requiring nothing at all from the believer after one’s confessional prayer. Nothing. Well, except perhaps for tithing. Selah.

No! This is not what Jesus taught at all. Throughout His Word, God has declared that He would keep a people for Himself, ‘a True People’ who would obey Him and not wander from His Truth.’ No matter the cost, they would remain loyal, even unto death.    

“And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing].” – REVELATION 12:11, AMPC

From this last statement then, our WORKING DEFINITION of God’s Remnant Church is: “Leftovers or remainders, especially a people who survive a major disaster.’ A Remnant of people is therefore what is left of a community following a Catastrophe (e.g., Noah’s family after the flood, Gen. 6:5-8:22; Lot’s family after the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen. 19). Sociologically the Remnant could be described variously as refugees, a community subgroup, or a sect.” – JAMES ORR, “Remnant,” ‘International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,’ 1915; edited

Put most simply, they are the ones who: ‘Never abandon Christ nor Canon’ – no matter the cost!

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REMNANT CHURCH. Beloved, for no fewer than two days I searched high and low for a doctrinally sound list of the Characteristics of the Last Days Remnant Church. I found dozens, but they were all tainted by coming from questionable religious sects, Apostolic Reformation teachers, and other esoteric systems of thought that I could not in conscience repeat here.

So as alternative, I have condensed a reasonable set of Biblically defensible descriptors of what the True Church must be willing to actually do in the days ahead.

1. They must become more entrenched in the Word of God the more the World [and the Apostate Church] opposes them. The more resistance they face, The Remnant Church will become more resolute in their Faith. They will remain true, no matter what, again, even unto death. Selah. – cf. Rom. 10:17; Jam. 1:12

• They will become the vilified in society. The Remnant Church moves from being merely unpopular to the point of being verbally attacked, hated, then marginalized, persecuted more and more intensely by even our lifelong friends and loved ones. Later, possibly imprisoned and even tortured and killed. – cf. Jn. 15:18; 2 Tim. 3:12; Rev. 2:10-11

• They will preach Countercultural Biblical messages. The Remnant Pastors will preach ‘the Full Gospel of Christ,’ which always has vast implications related to not only boiler plate issues such as abortion and the sanctity of marriage, but as significantly, severe remonstrances against false doctrines and teachers that proliferate the Church in the Last Days. – cf. 2 Tim. 4:1-4; Matt. 6:24, 24:11

• They will experience a greater presence and power of God than other believers. The first century Church was a hated minority, yet the great power and presence of God that accompanied its ministry was manifest on the basis of their ‘Fidelity to Christ and Canon.’ Thus, they were able to hear God’s Voice to be led of His Spirit in wisdom and courage. – cf. Acts 1:8; Jn. 14:23; Mk. 16:17

• These alone shall be ‘caught up’ to be with Christ at His Coming! While the vast majority of American Christians for example believe they are going to be included in the Rapture of the True Church, they will be, quite literally, “left behind.” And vastly worse, having once tasted of the Spirit of God and His Truth before abandoning Him for another messiah, they shall not be given a second chance for salvation in the Great Tribulation. – cf. Matt. 25:10; 1 Thess. 4:17; 1 Jn. 5:3; Rev. 3:10

THE GREATEST TRAGEDY. I suppose we have all dared to wonder from time to tremulous time who might be condemned to hear the following Words from our King.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me[you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].’” – MATTHEW 7:21-23, AMP

The disobedient servant, that is precisely who.

The Scriptures clearly teach that in the very Last Days there will be a massive, worldwide ‘Falling Away from the Faith’ (cf. Matt. 24:10; 2 Thess. 2:3). I have argued passionately and repeatedly that this is taking place in America even as I write these words.

More specifically, I flatly proclaim that all those so-called quote ‘Christians’ who are blending the Canon with the Ethnic Nationalism of Donald Trump will not make the cut. This based on my firm conviction that ‘Christian Nationalism’ is not only an Oxymoron, but more gravely, a “doctrine of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1).

I am hated and vilified and threatened with death for saying such things for over five years running now, but I cannot depart from it. Though people presume I am doing this from a motive of revenge or my own hatreds of those who have done me harm, they are wrong.

ON CHRISTIAN HATRED. But I will tell you all plainly what I do hate: I loathe and detest the savaging of the Truths of Jesus Christ, all the while doing it in the name of Jesus Christ or for love of country. And you say, “But God never hates.”

Well now, my friends, contend with the following, best you can.

“These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren.” – PROVERBS 6:16-19, AMPC

I just heard a magnificent teaching online yesterday about the “Perfect Love of God,” living side by side with the “Perfect Hate of God,” because God is perfectly holy. If God perfectly loves such things as kindness and humility, the speaker argued, then He must by definition of His Holy Character also as perfectly hate cruelty and arrogance.

Can you hear this, beloved? Do you ever hear this taught in your sanctuaries today? No, you do not. It is not convenient to church attendance nor paying church bills, to be frank.

THE POINT. This True Doctrine utterly devastates and annihilates the pernicious Lie rampant in American churches today that God loves you no matter what, approves of you no matter what, never ever denies you no matter what, and will invite you into His personal company no matter what you do or say or think or desire. And at The End lovingly usher you into His Eternal Kingdom.

No. Matter. What.

I will attempt to put this to rabid heresy to bed one last time with the Words of our King from His towering Olivet Discourse: “Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold. ‘But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved.’” – MATTHEW 24:12-13, AMP

Don’t know about y’all, but it sure seems clear to me.

1. THE TEACHING

SCRIPTURE. “Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set up its doors; they consecrated it even to the Tower of Hammeah or the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel.” – NEHEMIAH 3:1, AMPC

Before diving into the depths of this powerful passage, let’s first establish an important CONTEXT for the Grand Story being studied. LUIS RIVERA of the Mighty Oaks Foundation penned a superb essay setting the stage nicely for what will follow in our study.

“The Book of Nehemiah begins with Nehemiah serving Artaxerxes I, King of Persia, as his cupbearer. In the middle of the 4th century, B.C. Nehemiah learned the Jews that had returned from the Babylonian exile were living in the city of Jerusalem ‘with walls that were broken [or breached].’ After learning of his people in need, Nehemiah did two things. He prayed with fasting, and he trusted God …

When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he toured the City Walls to assess the damage. He faced tremendous opposition as he made plans and directed the people in rebuilding the city walls. He was mocked and threatened as he persisted. ‘Nehemiah had opposition from legitimate enemies and opposition from the people he was leading.” – “Rebuilding Your Walls With Wisdom,” Mar. 11, 2020; edited

KEY TERMS. With all this in mind then, we take up The Story where Nehemiah’s men (and some women) are hard at work rebuilding the wall while at the same time ‘bearing their swords’ to protect against the villainous figures of Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem.

Brick and mortar in one hand, sharpened, seasoned swords in the other. So did they off to work, beloved.

• ROSE UP. First and foremost, note that “the High Priest, Eliashib” led his fellow priests to do this, in the Hebrew, ‘Qum’ [קוּם]: “To arise, ‘stand up;’ listen to the Lord [and then to work as instructed]; also, to bring to silence all opposition; to fulfill one’s duty or obligation; to be victorious; to keep one’s word.”

• BUILT. Here the word from the Hebrew is, ‘Banah’ [בָּנָה]: “‘To make repair;’ to fashion; rebuild [that which is breached or broken down]; to build a house or a temple [to God, in this context]; also, to obtain (or produce) children [imp., disciples]; to restore from a condition of disrepair; to right or aright [that which was formerly in disarray].”

• CONSECRATED. Taken from the term, ‘Qadash’ [קָדַשׁ]: “‘To be set apart’ [for a holy work]; to be hallowed in order to come into contact with sacred things that are tabooed from any abuse; to prepare oneself for war as a warrior unto the Lord; To remain pure; to dedicate or proclaim; to withdraw from anything unholy or profane; ‘to sanctify.’”

COMMENTARY. “‘The Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem.’ – The work was divided, so that everyone might know what he had to do, and mind it, ‘with a desire to excel;’ yet without contention, or separate interests. No strife appears among them, but which should do most for the public good. Every Israelite should lend a hand toward the building up of Jerusalem. Let not nobles think any thing below them, by which they may advance the good of their country. Even some females helped forward the work …

‘The Walls of Jerusalem, in heaps of rubbish, represent the desperate state of the world [and Church], while the number and malice of those who hindered the building, give some faint idea of the enemies we have to contend with, while executing the work of God.” – MATTHEW HENRY, ‘Exposition of the Old and New Testaments,’ 6 vols., 1708-1710; edited

IN SUM. From all this, we deduce that: (1) We must have a full mind and heart for the work, unto excellence; (2) Understand our own particular role, mission or task assigned by the Lord’s Spirit; (3) Set aside all ‘worldly’ bickering and concerns for the Unity of the labor force; and (4) Be at the ready to resist and fend off enemies of the work, whether demonic or human.

In short: Be ready to fight for Truth! – Against “those who lie down by every altar on clothes taken in pledge, and drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their God” – AMOS 2:8

JOSEPH ELLICOTT COMMENTS: “Rapacity and cruelty follow on pride, selfishness, and lust. With this verse compare the provisions of the Mosaic law (Exodus 22:25). Render, ‘And upon garments received in pledge they stretch themselves,’ and for ‘condemned’ adopt the marginal translation ‘mulcted’ [stolen from a rightful owner]. The money that had been wrung from those who could not pay, or, who have been sold into slavery, is spent in rioting and feasting … ‘In the house of their god’. — ‘They drank the wine of the amerced’ [or victimized]. Where? ‘In the house of their God.’ What hardheartedness to the wilfully forgotten poor is compensated by a little church-going!”

Deception. Brutality. Hypocrisy. Blasphemy. – The very stuff of the Apostates of the Last Days.

1. LAST THOUGHTS

Now we are ready to get down in the weeds as it were, with the real work of becoming God’s “Repairers of the Breach and Restorers of the Streets in Which to Dwell.” It is the CHIEF CALLING of the Remnant Church, beloved, and we ought be greatly honored to be ‘chosen’ for such a work.

And here’s why, in the timeless Words of the Messiah in His Parable of the Wedding Feast.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come [save for those later invited randomly, good and bad] … But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” – MATTHEW 22:2-14, NKJV

BECOMING REPAIRERS OF THE BREACH. “And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of [buildings that have laid waste for] many generations; and you shall be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.” – ISAIAH 58:12, AMPC

From this Prophetic Instruction, we derive THREE SACRED CHARGES to the Last Days Church.

1. THE OLD FOUNDATIONS. As before in teaching on Nehemiah 3:1, our first duty to both God and man is always to remember to ‘Raise up’ (or otherwise Exalt) ‘The Old Foundations’ on which everything depends. Rendered in the Hebrew, ‘Mowacadah’ [מוֹסָדָה]: “Lit., the foundation or substructure; the load-bearing part of a building; also used to describe a rod of punishment or standard.” NOAH WEBSTER (1828) writes: “The basis or ground work, or anything on which something stands, and by which it is supported; ‘as with a cornerstone.’”

• THE BREACH. As with my introductory definition – From the Hebrew word, ‘Perets’ [פֶרֶץ], meaning: “A bursting forth; a break or a breaking forth [separating into two distinct parts or sections]; a broken down wall; the act of breaking or state of being broken; a rupture; a break; a gap; the space between the severed parts of a solid body parted by violence; as a breach in a garment, or in a wall; the violation of a law; the violation or non-fulfillment of a contract; the non-performance of a moral duty; non-performance of duty being a breach of obligation, as well as a positive transgression or violation; a separation between friends by means of enmity; difference; quarrel.”

• THE STREETS. Finally, taken from the Hebrew term, ‘Nathiyb’ [נָתִיב]: “From a base word meaning ‘to tramp or track a well beaten path;’ a certain way that a traveler will take to reach an important destination;  ‘a raised up pathway’ by which or on which to navigate; strongly implies taking a moral direction or making moral choices in relation to a place of light or darkness (as with the path of an adulteress versus the path of wisdom).” The idea here is that ‘The Right Path’ leads to what the Hebrew calls, ‘an habitation or abode,’ a sanctuary if you will, a place of security where one can sit and dwell and remain.”

COMMENTARY. “Sin has spread its desolations far and wide. Scarce the Foundations of Righteousness remain in the earth. Where they do remain, they are often covered over with ruined fragments, and are surrounded by frightful wastes. The world is full of the ruins which sin has caused … ‘It is for the Church of God to rebuild these wastes,’ and to cause the beauties of cultivated fields, and the glories of cities rebuilt, to revisit the desolate earth; in other words, to extend the blessings of that Religion which will yet clothe the earth with moral loveliness, as though sin had not spread its gloomy and revolting monuments over the world …

‘The repairer of the breach’ – ‘The repairer of the broken mound.’ The phrase properly means, ‘the Fortifier of the breach;’ i.e., the one who shall build up the breach that is made in a wall of a city, either by the lapse of time, or by a siege.

‘The restorer of paths to dwell in’ – ‘The restorer of paths to be frequented by inhabitants.’ The Septuagint renders it, ‘And thou shalt cause thy paths to rest in the midst of thee … Thou shalt build walls so high that no enemy can enter them.’ So Grotius renders it, ‘Turning thy paths to rest;’ that is, thou shalt leave no way of access to robbers.” – ALBERT BARNES, ‘Notes on the Whole Bible,’ 1834; edited 

HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE? Permit me to once again borrow from an honored Churchman, REV. ROB SHENCK, to address this vital question in this Last Hour of American and human history. 

This excerpt from a gripping essay published in his Blog on September 14, 2021, in a piece entitled: “What American Evangelicals Must Do To Reclaim Our Moral Integrity And Spiritual Credibility?”

“Internally, American Evangelicals (and I mean, ‘White’ American Evangelicals) are divided, disoriented, and demoralized … While we may agree on basic tenets of Faith [sic], we ‘American Evangelicals are socially and politically ruptured.’

It’s oxymoronic, but we have ‘Republican Believers’ and ‘Democrat Believers’ meeting in ‘Red Congregations’ and ‘Blue Congregations.’ But, of course, statistically, White American Evangelicals overwhelmingly vote for the GOP. Their core social sensibilities and preferred public policy positions reflect the Republican Party Platform and Fox News agenda almost word-for-word. It is well-known that older, White American Evangelicals were one of the most significant segments of the U.S. population to support the presidency of Donald Trump and continue to do so despite Mr. Trump’s loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election … 

‘For White American Evangelicals, the way back to theological soundness, moral credibility, and spiritual integrity will be long and painful. The journey begins with facing ourselves for who we are, not what we imagine ourselves to be’ … 

Spiritual rebirth requires ‘Confession’–naming our transgressions–and turning away from the harm we’ve done to ourselves and others. But because this time, the offense we’ve committed has been as a community, ‘this needs to be collective repentance,’ like Nehemiah’s when he prayed, ‘   I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned. We have behaved corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that You gave Your servant Moses’ (Nehemiah 1:6c). Although Nehemiah himself did not commit these sins, he may have been a willing ‘compliant,’ and, we might imagine, ‘silent participant’ in the benefits accrued from those corporate sins.”

DK. Rob Schenk has said it all beloved, in a way that I’ve never seen written before. The American Church plainly must ‘Collectively Repent’ for its blasphemous, grievous and unprecedented sin of throwing aside Christ and Canon for a malicious Usurper, Donald Trump.

And yet do I take it one broad step further than Mr. Shenck when I warn most severely that such grave Church Recalcitrance may well plunge itself and other “Compliants” into the Flames of Hell, and take the entire Nation with it!

I mean every single word, beloved, down to the tiniest of jot and tittle. I therefore close with the Scripture with which Mr. Schenck began.

“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty ‘and continues in it,’ and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. – JAMES 1:23-25, NKJV

THREE ROADS BACK. So do I end with the addition of Three Last Scriptures that carry the weight of The Remnant’s LAST GREAT COMMISSION in midst of what theologian CARL F.H. HENRY once called, ‘The Twilight of a Great Civilization’ (1983). Each presented in the Amplified Bible Classic Edition (AMPC).

• 2 TIMOTHY 4:2. “Herald and preach the Word! Keep your sense of urgency [stand by, be at hand and ready], whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable. [Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome, you as preacher of the Word are to show people in what way their lives are wrong.] And convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and urging and encouraging them, being unflagging and inexhaustible in patience and teaching.”

• ZECHARIAH 4:10. “Who [with reason] despises the day of small things? For these seven shall rejoice when they see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. [These seven] are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

• MARK 1:3. “[As] A voice of one crying in the wilderness [shouting in the desert], ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make His beaten tracks straight (level and passable)!’”

He is coming I tell you, with Fire in His mouth and Reward to the faithful in His hands, to render to everyone His Righteous Judgments. And soon, beloved, very soon. So yes: Make His Road straight and Rebuild His Walls firm and tall, and it shall abound to you unto Eternity!

Ever your servant, DK

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