Immortality Road

I knew a young man some 50 years ago. He was lost. He was drafted into the Army and became a medical lab tech. He arrived at a MASH hospital in Viet Nam in Sept. 1967. He could perform 20 different lab tests, but he only cross-matched blood for the patients, 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week. That is how bloody it was; it never stopped. He started using marijuana to ease the stress and became an everyday, all day, user.

But God used the horrifying fruit of war to plant in his heart a yearning for answers. Why were we here? Why all the death and waste of young men’s lives? For they bled and died before him, and he could not stop the carnage. Where is God in all this? What is happening?

He wanted the truth! But first, survival was the key, and by God’s mercy he survived two rocket attacks and was pulled out of an undertow a day before he was to go home.

He made it back home, enrolled in college, studied literature and religions, and continued to lead a depraved, drug-fueled lifestyle—all the while still searching for the truth! You talk about mercy—God patiently waiting for him to awake unto righteousness.

It was then that the epiphany came: The old self had to die. That was his sign. Whoever told him this truth would have his heart.

He went on a three year search for a religion or philosophy that would show him how the old self can die and leave the body alive. He visited the temples of the Eastern religion; they did not know how to get rid of the old self. He searched and searched, growing more cynical each day.

And he had just about given up when the answer came in April 1971. It was a little house-church with 15 people present. And the preacher with his infectious smile and confidence began to teach Romans 6, as if he already knew what the young man’s sign was.

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

The young man stopped the preacher. The silence pounded in his ears. “Is this talking about the death of the old self?”

“That is exactly what it’s talking about, the death of our old sinful nature,” the joyful preacher said. He continued reading, “For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now…” But the young man could not hear the words, for they were just sounds now, faintly flowing down a long hollow tube, bypassing his ears. He had heard enough for one day, for he had found his sign…

That young man was me. It took me a month or so to come to grips with the shock I was in. But when I finally surrendered to the Savior according to that first message in Romans 6, the drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, cursing, infidelities, and all the other sins fell completely away. It was an amazing conversion, as my wife Linda and I became missionaries. And I thank God every day for His mercy on me.

What the joyful preacher shared with me that day was repentance that starts at the cross and is the first apostles’ doctrine. To be like the early apostles, we must do what they did. And “they continued stedfastly” in the doctrine of Christ, and they made it their own (Acts 2: 42; Hebrews 6: 1-2).

[Since you made it to the end of my testimony, I encourage you to order my book, The Apostles’ Doctrine, the seven teachings of Christ. Christ took money off of the table; so have I. The book is free with free shipping. The hireling pastors ask for gifts from you. Christ’s Spirit gives a gift to you. You need it. Just ask for it by name using my email: wayneman5@hotmail.com HalleluYah! Praise Yah! ]

Kenneth Wayne Hancock

His Love Is Greater than Falsehoods about Him

And yet, despite the false teachings about our King and Savior, His love still touches hearts. The story of Him giving up His earthly life as a ransom for us all reaches down deep into the core of our existence. When we glimpse that inscrutable, boundless love—the greatest love the world has ever heard of—it still pierces harden hearts and leaves an indelible imprint. Today, at this very moment while you read these words, Christ’s story is touching thousands in spite of all the false concepts and traditions about Him.

After all, He is Love Incarnate and is come down from above, filled to overflowing with abundant mercy upon all who opens their heart to Him. No matter the dastardly sin nor the craven crime, He will touch all who come to Him sincerely. Even as He prayed for His mocking torturers, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.” That’s our King; that is who He is.

His love calls many, but He chooses but a few to fulfill the spiritual life cycle and be His elect; they are chosen to grow to full maturity during these latter days. When you read the gospels, you will hear Christ speaking to those destined to be “conformed to the image” of the Son of God. Christ does not dumb the message down. It is open to all; “whosoever will may come.” That’s the God we serve.

But He now commands us to learn of Him. Learn the true path, the uncharted narrow path that the eagle of Rome has not seen. The time has come to put away childish things—things that will stunt our spiritual growth, things that will prevent us from becoming like Peter, John and Paul, things that will block us from becoming fit to inherit the earth upon His return to this sad, corrupt globe.

When Christ returns to earth, little children of God will not be admitted into Christ’s inner circle where He will assign His manifested sons and daughters their duties for the rulership of the planet.

If we want to be one of these 100 fold over comers, it is time to put away the childish desires for oneself. It is time to seek Him and His purpose and plan and not material things that will all waste away. It is time to lay hold of the plow that will turn this world over, instituting His righteous government in its stead. It is time to quit playing church and begin to repent of the errors in our worship. For He is the only hope for the survival of mankind. Our destiny is to be used by Him to save the world. He is seeking a people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. When He returns, will He find us doing that?       Kenneth Wayne Hancock

Humble origins

They are born of humble origins and inauspicious beginnings; they start as any other sinful human being.  The vast majority will not come from the powerful elite class, for “not many mighty, not many noble are called” (1).  God is rather choosing out the weak of this world, ones who have little power or influence.  He does this so that when He reveals Himself in these chosen ones, they’ll know it is Him and not them doing the greater works.

Called to Transcend

They will have been called by their heavenly Father to transcend merely dwelling on temporary earthly delights for themselves.

During their initial selfish sashay upon earth, they will eventually see that enough is enough.  For how many women must one man bed until he finally realizes that sex without the heavenly component of love is senseless, fruitless, and meaningless.  And how many men must one woman lay with before she sees the futility of her physical submission.

Awaking Out of the Mud

The future offspring of God will awake one day and try to wash up from the mud-caked sin that smears their inner spirit.  They will hear the LORD cry, “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes” (2).  They will at once want to change, to clean up, to attire themselves in clothes not meant to attract another’s attention, but just to modestly cover the shame of their nakedness.

They will want to change, but they will not know how exactly.  They will try to change themselves for themselves, but they will see that doing things for your self is just that same sly selfishness dolled up for another run.

They will finally see that they can’t change themselves–for themselves.  They’ll see that as long as their old self is still there, it will selfishly devote its life for self-aggrandizement.  That is all the old nature can do.

Don’t “Become a Better You”!

The world is full of people trying to become better.  They are encouraged by feel-good false teachers to do so.  But the sons and daughters of God will see through this.  They’ll realize that the “You” in Become a Better You! has got to go.  The “You” must willingly surrender its sovereignty over its body.  The “You” must not be re-directed or “made better.”  God commands that the old “You” repent, by dying on the cross with Christ.

It’s a tough sentence–this self-imposed crucifixion.  But the future sons and daughters of the Creator will become desperate enough to just believe what the scriptures of truth say.  They will surrender their old selfish existence up to God.  They will abdicate themselves as sovereign of their own life.  They will present their bodies back to God to allow His Spirit reign in them.

Life Out of Death

True life out of death.  Since God’s Spirit will not dwell in unclean temples (bodies), our old selfish heart must go.  And the only way to get rid of it is on the cross.  Through belief in His resurrection, the Spirit enters our hearts after we are immersed in His death (3).

At first hearing this, many will draw back.  This is why the Master said, “Few there be to find this way of truth.”  For “many are called, but few are chosen” (4).

After the surrender, the Spirit grows up in a person.  Lessons are learned; small battles with the adversary are fought and won; “senses are exercised to discern both good and evil.”  Fiery trials of their belief in Him come and go, lending their purifying qualities to the gold-like faith they are walking in.

Their knowledge increases about His government (kingdom), and they continue growing “up into Him” until eventually “Christ be formed in you” (5).

The manifested sons of God are destined to emerge in these latter days.  It is the crowning event of our age.  The casting call is going out.  The sons and daughters of God will be the stars of the show, and God will choose all unknowns for these roles.  The question still is, Are we one of them?           Kenneth Wayne Hancock

1. I Cor. 1: 26
2. Isa. 1:16
3. Rom. 6: 1-6; I Cor. 1: 18
4. Matt. 20: 16
5. Gal. 4: 19