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The situation of our day calls for us to make a definite choice. It is a choice between the rival sovereignty of Satan the Devil, "the god of this system of things," and the sovereignty of Jehovah, the Most High and Almighty God of the universe.-2 Corinthians 4:4; Psalm 83:18.

    The Way to Enjoy Peace With God

     With painful hurt to themselves, most of mankind do not desire to accept or to believe in the Almighty God's provision for his worshipers to enjoy relative peace and security even in this most lamentable state of human affairs. However, Jehovah is "the God who gives peace," and it is our blessed privilege now to enter into a peace and security that will never fail. (Romans 16:20; Philippians 4:6, 7, 9) It is a peace and security that he gives even now to his body of earthly servants, his visible organization, in fulfillment of his ever-reliable

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promises. It is a peace and security that we can enjoy only in association with his visible organization on earth.
     It would be out of line with the plain teachings of the Scriptures to believe that God does not have an organization, an organized people, that he exclusively recognizes. Jesus Christ recognized that his heavenly Father had a visible organization. Until Pentecost 33 C.E., it was the Jewish organization in covenant relationship with Jehovah God under the Law of Moses.-Luke 16:16.
     Just as the ancient nation of Israel was in a covenant relationship with Jehovah God through the mediator Moses, so the nation of spiritual Israel, "the Israel of God," has a covenant relationship through a mediator. (Galatians 6:16) It is as the apostle Paul wrote to his Christian fellow worker: "There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5) Was Moses the mediator between Jehovah God and mankind in general? No, he was the mediator between the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the nation of their fleshly descendants. Likewise, the Greater Moses, Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator between Jehovah God and all mankind. He is the Mediator between his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and the nation of spiritual Israel, which is limited to only 144,000 members.

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This spiritual nation is like a little flock of Jehovah's sheeplike ones.-Romans 9:6; Revelation 7:4.

Shepherd Over More Than the "Little Flock"

     In Psalm 23:1, King David of ancient Israel was inspired to say: "Jehovah is my Shepherd. I shall lack nothing." Jehovah, the Supreme Shepherd, has assigned Jesus Christ to be "the fine shepherd." (John 10:11) At Luke 12:32, Jesus addressed himself to those of whom he is the Fine Shepherd: "Have no fear, little flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom."
     In ancient times, there were non-Jews, such as the Nethinim and the sons of non-Israelite servants of Solomon, who were associated with the nation of Israel. (Ezra 2:43-58; 8:17-20) Similarly today, there are men and women who are wholly dedicated to God through Jesus Christ but who are not spiritual Israelites. They are, however, associated with the remnant of spiritual Israel because of dedicating themselves to Jehovah God through Jesus Christ, "who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all." (1 Timothy 2:6) Today, these far outnumber the 144,000 spiritual Israelites, who are to inherit the heavenly Kingdom.

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     Thus Jesus Christ was to be assigned, in God's due time, to be the Shepherd over a much larger flock of sheeplike ones who would come into an earthly inheritance through him. These are the ones whom he had in mind when he said: "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; those also I must bring, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd." Having in mind these "other sheep," the apostle John also wrote of Jesus: "He is a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins, yet not for ours only but also for the whole world's."-John 10:16; 1 John 2:2.
     Today, there are about 9,000 who profess to be members of the remnant of the "little flock" of spiritual sheep. On the other hand, there are millions of dedicated ones who are associated with the anointed remnant in following in the footsteps of the Fine Shepherd, Jesus Christ. They are to be found in over 200 lands around the globe. What does the pastoral care of that Fine Shepherd mean for all of them? It means the enjoyment of peace and security! If they did not have peace in their ranks, there would not be heartfelt unity and unbreakable cooperation among them. If they did not have mutual loving concern for one another as respects spiritual interests, they would not have the security that they enjoy. Thus, their desire for peace and security earth wide has begun to be satisfied even now.
 

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