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Our Lord gave the command to His disciples : "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature," and He added the promise: "Lo, I am with you always." We may be fully assured that this command and this promise were not meant alone for the disciples, but also for us, their followers.Just before His Ascension, Christ gave His very last command, also with a promise attached to it. The command was : "Go not, preach not, — wait for the promise of the Father." And the promise was : "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you ; and ye shall be witnesses to Me, unto the utter¬most parts of the earth." This very last command and promise are also meant for us. As irrevocable as the command : "Preach the Gospel," with its accompanying promise, is this last command of all, to wait for the promise of the Father — "Ye shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost."
For ten days the disciples pled that promise with one accord, and their prayer was wonderfully answered. Alas, that the church of our day has tried to carry out the first command, "Preach the Gospel," but has too often forgotten the second, "Wait for the promise of the Father." The call comes to each believer to pray daily with one accord for this great gift of the Holy Spirit. Many Christians who pray for themselves and their own work, forget to pray for the Church of Christ. The power of the first disciples lay in the fact that they as One Body were prepared to forget themselves and to pray for the Holy Spirit over all mankind.
O Christian, whatever you may have learned from reading this little book, learn one more lesson. Daily prayer in fellowship with Gods children is indispensable, and it is a sacred duty if the Spirit is again to come in power. Let not your knowledge of the working of Gods Holy Spirit be limited to yourself alone, nor even to your Church, but in a world-embracing love of Christ, for all Gods children, and His kingdom over the whole world, pray for power.
Delight in God has a transforming power and lifts a man above the gross desire of our [formerly] fallen nature. Delight in Jehovah is not only sweet in itself, but it sweetens the whole soul, till the longings of the heart become such that the LORD can safely promise to fulfill them. Is not that a grand delight which molds our desires till they are like the desires of God?
When a believer has fallen into a low, sad state of feeling, he often tries to lift himself out of it by chastening himself with dark and doleful fears. Such is not the way to rise from the dust, but to continue in it. As well chain the eagles wing to make it mount, as doubt in order to increase our grace. It is not the law, but the gospel which saves the seeking soul at first; and it is not a legal bondage, but gospel liberty which can restore the fainting believer afterwards. Slavish fear brings not back the backslider to God, but the sweet wooings of love allure him to Jesus’ bosom. Are you this morning thirsting for the living God, and unhappy because you cannot find him to the delight of your heart? Have you lost the joy of religion, and is this your prayer, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation”? Are you conscious also that you are barren, like the dry ground; that you are not bringing forth the fruit unto God which he has a right to expect of you; that you are not so useful in the Church, or in the world, as your heart desires to be? Then here is exactly the promise which you need, “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty.” You shall receive the grace you so much require, and you shall have it to the utmost reach of your needs. Water refreshes the thirsty: you shall be refreshed; your desires shall be gratified. Water quickens sleeping vegetable life: your life shall be quickened by fresh grace. Water swells the buds and makes the fruits ripen; you shall have fructifying grace: you shall be made fruitful in the ways of God. Whatever good quality there is in divine grace, you shall enjoy it to the full. All the riches of divine grace you shall receive in plenty; you shall be as it were drenched with it: and as sometimes the meadows become flooded by the bursting rivers, and the fields are turned into pools, so shall you be—the thirsty land shall be springs of water.
There is a strange power about the very name of blood, and the sight of it is always affecting. A kind heart cannot bear to see a sparrow bleed, and unless familiarized by use, turns away with horror at the slaughter of a beast. As to the blood of men, it is a consecrated thing: it is murder to shed it in wrath, it is a dreadful crime to squander it in war. Is this solemnity occasioned by the fact that the blood is the life, and the pouring of it forth the token of death? We think so. When we rise to contemplate the blood of the Son of God, our awe is yet more increased, and we shudder as we think of the guilt of sin, and the terrible penalty which the Sin-bearer endured. Blood, always precious, is priceless when it streams from Immanuels side. The blood of Jesus seals the covenant of grace, and makes it for ever sure. Covenants of old were made by sacrifice, and the everlasting covenant was ratified in the same manner. Oh, the delight of being saved upon the sure foundation of divine engagements which cannot be dishonoured! Salvation by the works of the law is a frail and broken vessel whose shipwreck is sure; but the covenant vessel fears no storms, for the blood ensures the whole. The blood of Jesus made his testament valid. Wills are of no power unless the testators die. In this light the soldiers spear is a blessed aid to faith, since it proved our Lord to be really dead. Doubts upon that matter there can be none, and we may boldly appropriate the legacies which he has left for his people. Happy they who see their title to heavenly blessings assured to them by a dying Saviour. But has this blood no voice to us? Does it not bid us sanctify ourselves unto him by whom we have been redeemed? Does it not call us to newness of life, and incite us to entire consecration to the Lord? O that the power of the blood might be known, and felt in us this night!
God takes the most eminent and choicest of His servants for the choicest and most eminent afflictions. They who have received most grace from God are able to bear most afflictions from God. Affliction does not hit the saint by chance, but by direction. God does not draw His bow at a venture. Every one of His arrows goes upon a special errand and touches no breast but his against whom it is sent. It is not only the grace, but the glory of a believer when we can stand and take affliction quietly. --Joseph Caryl
There is nothing hidden from the Lord’s sight. His eyes keep watch over the nations. We might ask the question, what are His eyes looking for? He is looking for freewill offering. His eyes are searching our hearts and He is eager to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully His. Not only are His eyes upon us, but His word is coming to us. And this word is a sharp two-edged sword. It is the sword of His mouth.
As this proceeding word breaks in upon us, it is revealing the true thoughts and intentions of our hearts. Are our hearts dull and are our ears heavy? Our response to this word will demonstrate whether our hearts are fully His. Jesus spoke to the disciples saying, ‘Freely you have received, freely give’. What will we do when His eyes fall upon us and His word penetrates our heart? If our heart is fully His, then we will ask like the psalmist, ‘What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?’. Immediately, a desire to give as He has given will spring up within us. Our hearts will be filled with the desire to give freewill offerings. And this has always been the response of those whose hearts are fully His.
The Lord spoke to Moses, and indeed to David, saying, ‘From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering’. In the great Messianic psalm where the Father spoke to the Son, ‘The Lord said to my Lord’, the psalmist foretold that ‘Your people will give freewill offerings in the day of Your power’. A heart for freewill offering demonstrates our response to His eyes which are upon us.
In the assembly of Their council, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit dialogue and communicate together. The Scriptures refer to this dialogue as the ‘counsel’ of the Lord. And from this counsel of Elohim the will of God is set forth. Even so, the Lord’s will is not revealed until the word of the covenant proceeds. It is according to the covenant that He proclaims His name. According to the Eternal Covenant, He makes His testimony known. We can be included in His name and in His covenant if we receive His testimony. This testimony is true.
The book of Hebrews refers to two unchangeable things – the Lord Himself and His word. In the declaration of His testimony, the Lord could swear by no-one greater than Himself. So He swore by Himself and by His name. This is the word of the oath. He said, ‘Behold, I have sworn by
My great name’. We recall the words of the psalmist, ‘You have magnified
Your word according to all Your name’. This is the proceeding word that will not return to the Lord empty or void.
We may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true. We know that it is the Lord who calls us by our name. Therefore, we need to hear the counsel of the Lord and His purposes. He is giving us the treasures of darkness; the hidden riches of secret places. The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind. This is the word of the oath which appoints a Son made perfect forever. And it is the word which appoints the Son as Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. This is the same word by which the testimony of the Lord is proclaimed to us.
The book of Revelation begins with the vision of Jesus Christ as our great High Priest. He is clothed in priestly garments, walking in the middle of the seven golden lampstands, the seven churches. He is described as the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth, and the One who redeemed us by His precious blood. Like the nation of Israel in former times, He has redeemed us to be a kingdom of priests. The apostle John declared, ‘He has made us kings and priests to His God and Father’. This is our dual inheritance as sons of God. However, in this present time, our priesthood takes priority. We are a kingdom of priests. Concerning the nation of Israel, the Lord said, ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself ... you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation’. The apostle Peter quoted these passages concerning the church, ‘You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people’. And further to this, he said we are ‘being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God’. It is very important to realise that our kingship is fully revealed in our slavehood. When we first come to the Lord, we present ourselves to be a slave of righteousness. With this foundation in place, He is able to give us a robe of righteousness and ordain us as a priest in His house. This is the benefit of slavehood, resulting in our sanctification as a priest in His kingdom.
When the Scripture speaks of the seven Spirits of God, it is using the number seven to symbolise fullness. It signifies the fullness of the Spirit of the Father, the Spirit of the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When the church is fully restored, it is likened to seven lamps of fire burning ‘before the throne’. This could equally be translated ‘in the face’ of the throne. A lampstand church, manifesting the seven Spirits of God, is not revealing itself. It is revealing the One who sits on the throne. This is our Lord Jesus Christ. When He is lifted up before the eyes of all, every person beholds the hope of eternal sonship. This is ‘the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ’. The apostle Paul spoke of this when He said, ‘Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you’. Without this light of zoe life, we are lost and without hope in this world. We are dead in trespasses and sins. But when the light of the knowledge of the glory of God shines in our hearts, we are illuminated about the hope of sonship. The eyes of our heart are enlightened so that we know the hope of His calling. Paul said, ‘You were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord’. And He continued, ‘Walk as children of Light’. An effective church will be shining the light of the glory which is in the face of Jesus Christ into the world. A lampstand church is shining the light of revelation to the nations, thus bringing a multitude which no man can number into the body of Christ in the time of the end.
