God’s Purpose for His Church
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“In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salva-
tion have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a
covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the
desolate heritages; that thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to
them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the
ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not
hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for He
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that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water
shall He guide them. And I will make all My mountains a way, and
My highways shall be exalted....
“Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into
singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted His people, and
will have mercy upon His afflicted. But Zion said, The Lord hath
forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her
sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her
womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have
graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually
before Me.”
Isaiah 49:8-16
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The church is God’s fortress, His city of refuge, which He holds in
a revolted world. Any betrayal of the church is treachery to Him who
has bought mankind with the blood of His only-begotten Son. From
the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church on earth. In
every age the Lord has had His watchmen, who have borne a faithful
testimony to the generation in which they lived. These sentinels gave
the message of warning; and when they were called to lay off their
armor, others took up the work. God brought these witnesses into
covenant relation with Himself, uniting the church on earth with the
church in heaven. He has sent forth His angels to minister to His
church, and the gates of hell have not been able to prevail against His
people.
Through centuries of persecution, conflict, and darkness, God has
sustained His church. Not one cloud has fallen upon it that He has
not prepared for; not one opposing force has risen to counterwork
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His work, that He has not foreseen. All has taken place as He pre-
dicted. He has not left His church forsaken, but has traced in prophetic
declarations what would occur, and that which His Spirit inspired the
prophets to foretell has been brought about. All His purposes will be
fulfilled. His law is linked with His throne, and no power of evil can