Month: August 2020

Every Christian should be looking to the Lord for something to do in the kingdom of God, and everyone ought to be asking God to honour him with a job too big for him. That’s why I pity anybody who can do everything he is trying to do, who limits himself timidly to that which he knows he can do.

What a sad thing for a Christian to say, “I’m going to serve the Lord, but I’m going to serve God strictly within the framework of my own ability to get the thing done.” If we are to accomplish what God expects of us, the improbability of our task will surely drive us to our knees with the cry, “O God, who am I?” I think it may be safely said that God is still looking for men who know their own insufficiencies so well that He can perform the miraculous through them.

A prime illustration is in the life of Moses, as recorded in Exodus chapter three. Moses asked the question, “Who am I?” in the face of a staggering call from God- a call to go back and face a hostile empire and to liberate and bring out of Egypt a whole nation of more than a million people.

Moses said, “I can’t.” God said, “Moses, I know you can’t, but go and do it!” If Moses had arisen immediately upon receiving the call, and said, “All right, when do I start?” God would have had to put him through another furnace of testing.

This is a principle so true of us all in our human experiences. Whenever I think I can stand up and say, “I am now strong enough, sufficient enough, I can do it!” then God fades out, and there comes only grief and woe and sterility and fruitlessness and, finally, eclipse.

So, we are faced with new tasks, with the need of cleansing, with the need of atonement, with the mysteries of life and death and immortality, and I say, “O God, who am I?”

And God replies, “Son, it doesn’t make too much difference who you are- I am all you need!” So, I give to you today the One Who is everything you need. Jesus Christ is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. He is our holiness forevermore, redemption full and sure-He is all we need.

In this day of glorification of human talent, we are grateful for all human abilities, but we are not envious of any of it. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

It is Scripture which says, “His watchmen are … all dumb dogs, they cannot bark … ” (Isaiah 56:10). What a terrific indictment! Of what value is a “dumb dog” when danger is near and those in peril are not warned?

Who are God’s watchmen? Every Christian leader, every Christian worker, every missionary of the cross, every pastor, evangelist, Bible teacher, heads of Bible institutes, editors of Christian papers, and all true Christians are God’s appointed watchmen. God commands that they “Cry aloud, spare not… ” (Isaiah 58:1). But who today is doing this? Who is laying the needs of this fateful hour to heart? Who is sounding the alarm in Zion and blowing the trumpet in God’s holy hill? Through the lips of Jeremiah, the Lord says, ” … the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart” (Jeremiah 12:11). This is God’s indictment upon us today!

America-A Vast Sodom and Gomorrah

America is facing the greatest crisis of her history. People must be shocked and shaken loose from their deadly lethargy. The church and the nation must be aroused to instant action!

When the church was aroused by the preaching of such men as Jonathan Edwards, Peter Cartwright, Sam Jones, and Billy Sunday mighty wrongs were righted. Because of their bold and fearless denunciations against the sins of the people, the towers of iniquity tumbled into the dust. Today we need to pray for fearless, spiritual, God appointed leaders in church and nation to clean up our cities, and hurl anathemas against the liquor traffic and a thousand other evils which threaten our very existence.

Sound An Alarm

Let us quit the “Pilate act” of trying to wash our hands of the responsibility of crying out against the sinfulness of this generation! America is being driven by the forces of Hell. These forces must be checked and challenged by the forces of righteousness. America must be shaken to a deep consciousness of its need of God by God’s watchmen crying out and lashing out against the spiritual and social iniquities of this hour!

God’s watchmen may be alarmists. They may be extreme in their stand. They may be too loud, but their message is as necessary as a burglar alarm when thieves are busy.

Brethren, let us hear and heed the Word of the Lord! He commands His watchmen to “Cry aloud … ” (Isaiah 58:1), and not be ” … dumb dogs … ” (Isaiah 56:1 0). We may say it is no concern of ours; we fool ourselves, but we do not fool God.

It is my affair, and it is your affair! We think someone ought to do something about conditions- but not me! Oh, hear the Word of the Lord! “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression … ” (Isaiah 58:1). Cry aloud, then! Warn the people of impending judgment. Call them to repentance. Be no longer on of Satan’s “dumb dogs.” Be a trumpet for God!

“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm … ” (Joel 2: 1) “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children … Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep …let them say, Spare my people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach … Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto His people … I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: But I will remove far off from you the northern army … And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten … And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh … And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered … ” (Joel2: 15-32).

Who will blow the trumpet? And when the trumpet sounds, who will answer it?

The doctrine of the Lord’s return is a valuable means of motivation in relation to Christian living. Some people say that this doctrine is unimportant and not at all practical. Since it deals with the future, it is held by those who oppose it that no practical good comes by teaching it. Some even go so far as to say that those who do teach and preach it are mere visionaries and up in the air, theologically unsettled, and stargazers. It is contended that we should teach doctrines that have to do with the present realities and refrain from worrying about things that are still in the future. What about this line of argument? Is it sensible or is it based on mere prejudice and unbelief?

We observe also that many today would deny the possibility of the soon coming again of our Lord. Even in spite of the fulfilment of prophetic signs, there are many who, as our Lord prophesied in Matthew 24:48, are saying, ” … My Lord delayeth his coming.” Similarly, there are scoffers saying, ” … Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Peter 3:4). On the contrary, the Scriptures teach the imminent (soon to occur) return of the Lord, and we observe also that the notion that the Lord delays His coming is harmful. In the parable of Luke 12:35-48, concerning the returning lord and the waiting servants, that notion led to beating of fellow servants and to evil excesses and careless living. This can be one of the terrible dangers of so called Post-millennialism. Put the coming of Christ away off and you will have a worldly and factious church.

Many professing churches of today, instead of seeking to win souls along Scriptural lines and seeking through the preaching of the Word to edify the believers, have become apathetic and are nothing more than religious clubs. Feasting, sporting, dancing, fairs, banquets, entertainment, and all types of flesh gratifying things are now the order of the day. On the contrary, the honest belief in the imminent and premillennial coming of Jesus leads to sanctification of life, separation from the evils of the age, as well as to earnest, urgent evangelism and faithful preaching of the Word of God. When we take the Bible in hand and open its pages and carefully study its teachings, we readily come to the conclusion that any contention against the imminent premillennial return of Christ is founded on prejudice and unbelief, and has no scriptural foundation at all.

The Bible most assuredly has a great deal to say about this doctrine. It is interwoven in the very fabric of Scripture and referred to directly and indirectly some three hundred times in the New Testament, and about one thousand two hundred times in the entire Bible. It is a vital part of Bible doctrine, promise, exhortation, duty, virtue, and practical Christian living. It is so thoroughly interwoven in the fabric of Scripture that if it is rejected the Scriptures themselves will be mutilated and made practically useless. If we accept the Scriptures at all, then we must, by the force of commonsense and honesty, accept the doctrine of the Second Coming of the Lord as authentic, imminent and important. This fact of the Lord’s second coming will have a very practical effect on your whole way of life and our attitudes.

Let us observe a few aspects of the practical nature of believing and teaching the Second Coming message:

1. The truth of the Lord’s soon return will cause the believer to be alert regarding behaviour, service, and consistent witnessing for Christ. We are exhorted to so abide in Him as to be rewarded rather than rebuked at Jesus’ coming. 1 John 2:28, ” … abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.”

2. This truth has a powerful appeal to holiness and purity of life. Titus 2:12-13, “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”

3. The doctrine of the Lord’s return is bound up with the appeal to watchfulness and Christian behaviour. Matthew 24:42, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”

4. This message is associated with teaching about our love of God and patient waiting for Christ. (Read 2 Thessalonians 3:5 and James5:8.)

5. In view of the soon coming of Christ, we are exhorted to abound in love to one another and indeed all people. 1 Thessalonians 3:12, “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men … “

6. The doctrine of our Lord’s return is bound up with exhortation concerning our Christian walk or manner of life. We are to press onward and upward with Heaven in focus while we look for our soon-coming Lord. Philippians 3:20, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Read Philippians 3: 12-21.)

7. Paul exhorts Timothy in 1 Timothy 6: 11-14, in view of the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, to “Fight the good fight of faith … ” (verse 12).

8. Similarly, in 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Paul uses this doctrine as a challenge to fidelity in pastoral and preaching service.

9. This great truth is used in Hebrews 10 as an exhortation to steadfastness, and this includes a solemn appeal concerning corporate worship and encouragement. We might here also recall 1 Corinthians 11 :26 and Paul’s reference to keeping the Lord’s Supper to remember our Lord’s death until He comes again.

10. If we need assurance and encouragement in this sad and grief-stricken world, what an encouragement is had in remembering the future hope. For the Scriptures use this messages as a word of encouragement and comfort to the bereaved. (Read 1 Thessalonians 4: 18; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; and Luke 21 :28.)

11. There is hardly any more practical and pertinent appeal than the one that says, ” … be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44). The truth of the Second Coming is one of the most powerful motivating truths for the preparation of our personal life, and gives a most solemn warning to those who are outside of Christ.

Much more could be stated about the practical value of the great truth of the Lord’s soon return. From what the Scriptures teach about this doctrine, we cannot deny its prominence or its importance. Take away this truth and you do despite to the Gospel and greatly imperil the lives of men and women. Let us who still believe the Scripture teach this blessed doctrine in all faithfulness and earnestness.

Nothing recovers evangelical fervour or rekindles a passion of holy zeal or gives a yearning for practical sanctification as much as a realization of the great fact that Jesus will come again to receive those who are ready unto Himself, and that He may come at any moment.

There are many true believers who are not enjoying the fulness of the Spirit as they should. They need a crisis, a step of surrender and faith, a yielding to the control of the Holy Spirit who dwells within.

There is one great crisis taught in Scripture, the crisis at regeneration, passing from death to life, from darkness to light. The normal life for a Christian is to go on in the power of the Spirit, abiding in Christ, and growing in grace. But what of the Christian who is not doing this, who is defeated and dissatisfied, who perhaps has not had a clear-cut experience of conversion? He needs a crisis! Not a second work of grace, but getting back to what he had, or entering into the realization of what salvation means.

Let us not limit God in his working and let us not fail to be ready for new and great outpourings of the Holy Spirit in the closing days of this age. For the days are upon us when nothing will avail to break through the overwhelming power of the enemy except supernatural power beyond what most Christians have known anything about.

There is a great and mighty power awaiting any Christian who will truly believe the Word of God. For no part of the word of God is void of mighty power.

Here is a missionary who has had miracles of answered prayer and marvels of God’s grace at home and abroad. The great flood-tide of new power came into this missionary’s life through accepting our Lord’s prayer promise in John 14:12-14,”… He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do … whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do … Here is another missionary whose testimony for Christ is beginning to shake a whole continent; his transformation came, and his whole being was shaken with joy and power when he realized the meaning of the words that “… Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates” (2 Corinthians 13:5). This young missionary’s hunger for God was stirred by Hudson Taylor’s testimony of the transformation of his own life through learning the meaning offaith; then it was that Hudson Taylor entered into the meaning of John 4:14,”… whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst … “”

We might go on and tell of the miracles that followed when some Word of God was believed. I am thinking of miracles wrought through Christians who believed one or another of these mighty words: ” … Have faith in God” (Mark 11 :22); “… My grace is sufficient for thee …” (2 Corinthians 12:9); “… yield yourselves unto God … ” (Romans 6: 13); “For to me to live is Christ … ” (Philippians 1:21 ); ” … God is faithful…” (1 Corinthians 10: 13).

All the most mighty promises of supernatural power are conditional upon that which is simplest in the Christian life – believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is to those who believe that the rivers of living water are promised (John 7:37-39). It is those who believe on Him who shall do greater works than those Christ did in the days of His flesh (John 14:12). Faith is the key that unlocks the reservoirs of power laid up for us in Christ, which the blessed Holy Spirit is eager to make available in our lives (Mark 11:22; John 16:14-15). Whatever the mystery of His working, ours is to yield and to believe. This is all we can do (Romans 6:13).