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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S FOREWORD – JOEL SORGE P R AY E R , P R A I S E A N D T H A N K S G I V I N G - E . M . B O U N D S THE SECRET OF THE SHUT DOOR – BOB SORGE BE SPIRIT FILLED - LEE CUMMINGS T H E P O W E R O F W O R S H I P - C A L E B C U LV E R T H E S E C R E T O F S AY I N G “ Y E S ” - B O B S O R G E WA L K I N G I N C O M M U N I T Y - TO N Y CA L A B R E S E L I S T E N F O R H I S VO I C E - DAV I D P E R K I N S THE SECRET OF LISTENING - BOB SORGE D A I LY R E A D I N G S - C . H . S P U R G E O N

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FOREWORD il.lu.mine /i 'loomen/ To enlighten someone spiritually or intellectually. When we were discussing what the first volume of illumine would look like, it didn’t take us long to agree upon a direction. And as I sat down to write this foreword, it wasn’t long before the words of Solomon came to mind and further punctuated the significance of our inaugural theme: God conceals the revelation of His word in the hiding place of His glory. But the honor of kings is revealed by how they thoroughly search out the deeper meaning of all that God says. Proverbs 25:2 (The Passion Translation) The collection of works you now hold in your hands revolves around one of the most mysterious and glorious privileges we have as believers: Seeking God. There is no greater gift in all of the world than to know God and be fully known by Him; and there is no relationship more worthy of ardent pursuit than the one we have with Jesus. And as if the invitation we’ve been given to enter into the very presence of God weren’t scandalous enough, He takes it even further by crowning all who seek Him with regality. There is no higher position in the royal family of heaven than the one you were given the moment you gave your life to Jesus. On the day of your salvation, you were plucked up from the ashes of sin and death, seated with Christ in heavenly places, and given full access to the Father of Lights. Even now, at this very moment, you are so close to God that if you’ll listen you can hear Him whisper your name—and yet no matter how near you draw to Him, you will never be able to discover the fullness of His beauty, kindness, love, power, mercy and glory, no matter how long and hard you search. It’s God’s glory to conceal the revelation of who He is. And it will be the crowning glory of the Bride of Christ for ever and ever as we all, with unveiled face, behold the glory of the Lord, and are transformed into His image from one degree of glory to another. As you read through volume one of illumine, my hope and prayer is that the Holy Spirit would enlighten the eyes of your understanding, and that your heart and mind would expand as you meditate on the wonder and mystery of who He is. May you be inspired, challenged, provoked and encouraged, knowing that even as you seek the Lord, He is zealously seeking you. And may you be undone as you meditate on the riches of His tendermercy and lovingkindness. Joel Sorge Creative Director & Editor, illumine 5

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P R AY E R , P R A I S E AND THANKSGIVING BY

E.M.

B OUN DS

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“Dr. A. J. Gordon describes the impression made upon

and have to do with God and His mercies. The heart is

his mind by intercourse with Joseph Rabinowitz, whom

consciously grateful to God. The soul gives expression to

Dr. Delitzsch considered the most remarkable Jewish

that heartfelt gratitude to God in words or acts.

convert since Saul of Tarsus: ‘We shall not soon forget the

radiance that would come into his face as he expounded

Gratitude is born of meditation on God’s grace and

the Messianic psalms at our morning or evening worship,

mercy. “The Lord hath done great things for us,

and how, as here and there he caught a glimpse of the

whereof we are glad.” Herein we see the value of serious

suffering or glorified Christ, he would suddenly lift his

meditation. “My meditation of him shall be sweet.” Praise

hands and his eyes to heaven in a burst of adoration,

is begotten by gratitude and a conscious obligation to

exclaiming with Thomas after he had seen the nail-prints,

God for mercies given. As we think of mercies past, the

“My Lord, and my God.”’”—D. M. McIntyre

heart is inwardly moved to gratitude.

Prayer, praise and thanksgiving all go in company. A close

“I love to think on mercies past,

relationship exists between them. Praise and thanksgiving

And future good implore;

are so near alike that it is not easy to distinguish between

And all my cares and sorrows cast

them or define them separately. The Scriptures join these

On Him whom I adore.”

three things together. Many are the causes for thanksgiving

and praise. The Psalms are filled with many songs of

Love is the child of gratitude. Love grows as gratitude is

praise and hymns of thanksgiving, all pointing back to the

felt, and then breaks out into praise and thanksgiving to

results of prayer. Thanksgiving includes gratitude. In fact

God: “I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice

thanksgiving is but the expression of an inward conscious

and my supplication.” Answered prayers cause gratitude,

gratitude to God for mercies received. Gratitude is an

and gratitude brings forth a love that declares it will not

inward emotion of the soul, involuntarily arising therein,

cease praying: “Because he hath inclined his ear unto me,

while thanksgiving is the voluntary expression of gratitude.

therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.” Gratitude

and love move to larger and increased praying.

Thanksgiving is oral, positive, active. It is the giving

out of something to God. Thanksgiving comes out into

Paul appeals to the Romans to dedicate themselves

the open. Gratitude is secret, silent, negative, passive,

wholly to God, a living sacrifice, and the constraining

not showing its being till expressed in praise and

motive is the mercies of God:

thanksgiving. Gratitude is felt in the heart. Thanksgiving

is the expression of that inward feeling.

“I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of

God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,

Thanksgiving is just what the word itself signifies—the

acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

giving of thanks to God. It is giving something to God in words which we feel at heart for blessings received.

Consideration of God’s mercies not only begets gratitude,

Gratitude arises from a contemplation of the goodness of

but induces a large consecration to God of all we have and

God. It is bred by serious meditation on what God has

are. So that prayer, thanksgiving and consecration are all

done for us. Both gratitude and thanksgiving point to,

linked together inseparably.

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Gratitude and thanksgiving always looks back at the past

When Paul wrote to the Colossians to let the word of Christ

though it may also take in the present. But prayer always

dwell in their hearts richly and to let the peace of God rule

looks to the future. Thanksgiving deals with things already

therein, he said to them, “and be ye thankful,” and adds,

received. Prayer deals with things desired, asked for and

“admonishing yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual

expected. Prayer turns to gratitude and praise when the

songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord.”

things asked for have been granted by God.

Further on, in writing to these same Christians, he joins

As prayer brings things to us which beget gratitude and

prayer and thanksgiving together: “Continue in prayer,

thanksgiving, so praise and gratitude promote prayer, and

and watch in the same with thanksgiving.”

induce more praying and better praying.

And writing to the Thessalonians, he again joins them in

Gratitude and thanksgiving forever stand opposed

union: “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything

to all murmurings at God’s dealings with us, and all

give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you.”

complainings at our lot. Gratitude and murmuring

never abide in the same heart at the same time. An

“We thank Thee, Lord of heaven and earth,

unappreciative spirit has no standing beside gratitude and

Who hast preserved us from our birth;

praise. And true prayer corrects complaining and promotes

Redeemed us oft from death and dread,

gratitude and thanksgiving. Dissatisfaction at one’s lot,

And with Thy gifts our table spread.”

and a disposition to be discontented with things which come to us in the providence of God, are foes to gratitude

Wherever there is true prayer, there thanksgiving and

and enemies to thanksgiving.

gratitude stand hard by, ready to respond to the answer when

it comes. For as prayer brings the answer, so the answer

The murmurers are ungrateful people. Appreciative men

brings forth gratitude and praise. As prayer sets God to work,

and women have neither the time nor disposition to

so answered prayer sets thanksgiving to work. Thanksgiving

stop and complain. The bane of the wilderness-journey

follows answered prayer just as day succeeds night.

of the Israelites on their way to Canaan was their

proneness to murmur and complain against God and

True prayer and gratitude lead to full consecration, and

Moses. For this, God was several times greatly grieved,

consecration leads to more praying and better praying.

and it took the strong praying of Moses to avert God’s

A consecrated life is both a prayer-life and a thanksgiving life.

wrath because of these murmurings. The absence of

gratitude left no room nor disposition for praise and

The spirit of praise was once the boast of the primitive

thanksgiving, just as it is so always. But when these same

Church. This spirit abode on the tabernacles of these early

Israelites were brought through the Red Sea dry shod,

Christians, as a cloud of glory out of which God shined

while their enemies were destroyed, there was a song of

and spoke. It filled their temples with the perfume of

praise led by Miriam, the sister of Moses. One of the

costly, flaming incense. That this spirit of praise is sadly

leading sins of these Israelites was forgetfulness of God

deficient in our present-day congregations must be evident

and His mercies, and ingratitude of soul. This brought

to every careful observer. That it is a mighty force in

forth murmurings and lack of praise, as it always does.

projecting the Gospel, and its body of vital forces, must

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be equally evident. To restore the spirit of praise to our

musical taste or talent, but by the grace of God in the

congregations should be one of the main points with every

heart. Nothing helps praise so mightily as a gracious

true pastor. The normal state of the Church is set forth in

revival of true religion in the Church. The conscious

the declaration made to God in Psalm 65: “Praise waiteth for

presence of God inspires song. The angels and the

thee, O Lord, and unto thee shall the vow be performed.”

glorified ones in heaven do not need artistic precentors

to lead them, nor do they care for paid choirs to chime

Praise is so distinctly and definitely wedded to prayer,

in with their heavenly doxologies of praise and worship.

so inseparably joined, that they cannot be divorced.

They are not dependent on singing schools to teach them

Praise is dependent on prayer for its full volume and

the notes and scale of singing. Their singing involuntarily

its sweetest melody.

breaks forth from the heart.

Singing is one method of praise, not the highest it is true,

God is immediately present in the heavenly assemblies of

but it is the ordinary and usual form. The singing service

the angels and the spirits of just men made perfect. His

in our churches has much to do with praise, for according

glorious presence creates the song, teaches the singing,

to the character of the singing will be the genuineness or

and impregnates their notes of praise. It is so on earth.

the measure of praise. The singing may be so directed as

God’s presence begets singing and thanksgiving, while the

to have in it elements which deprave and debauch prayer.

absence of God from our congregations is the death of

It may be so directed as to drive away everything like

song, or, which amounts to the same, makes the singing

thanksgiving and praise. Much of modern singing in our

lifeless, cold and formal. His conscious presence in our

churches is entirely foreign to anything like hearty,

churches would bring back the days of praise and would

sincere praise to God.

restore the full chorus of song.

The spirit of prayer and of true praise go hand in hand.

Where grace abounds, song abounds. When God is in

Both are often entirely dissipated by the flippant,

the heart, heaven is present and melody is there, and the

thoughtless, light singing in our congregations. Much

lips overflow out of the abundance of the heart. This is

of the singing lacks serious thought and is devoid of

as true in the private life of the believer as it is so in the

everything like a devotional spirit. Its lustiness and sparkle

congregations of the saints. The decay of singing, the

may not only dissipate all the essential features of worship,

dying down and out of the spirit of praise in song, means

but may substitute the flesh for the spirit.

the decline of grace in the heart and the absence of God’s presence from the people.

Giving thanks is the very life of prayer. It is its fragrance

and music, its poetry and its crown. Prayer bringing the

The main design of all singing is for God’s ear and to

desired answer breaks out into praise and thanksgiving.

attract His attention and to please Him. It is “to the

So that whatever interferes with and injures the spirit of

Lord,” for His glory, and to His honour. Certainly it is

prayer necessarily hurts and dissipates the spirit of praise.

not for the glorification of the paid choir, to exalt the

wonderful musical powers of the singers, nor is it to draw

The heart must have in it the grace of prayer to sing the

the people to the church, but it is for the glory of God

praise of God. Spiritual singing is not to be done by

and the good of the souls of the congregation. Alas!

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How far has the singing of choirs of churches of modern

are doing also. It is still further pleasing to contemplate

times departed from this idea! It is no surprise that there

the glorious hope that what God wants us to do on earth,

is no life, no power, no unction, no spirit, in much

we will be engaged in doing throughout an unending

of the Church singing heard in this day. It is sacrilege

eternity. Praise and thanksgiving will be our blessed

for any but sanctified hearts and holy lips to direct the

employment while we remain in heaven. Nor will we

singing part of the service of God’s house of prayer.

ever grow weary of this pleasing task.

Much of the singing in churches would do credit to the

opera house, and might satisfy as mere entertainments,

Joseph Addison sets before us, in verse, this pleasing

pleasing the ear, but as a part of real worship, having in it

prospect:

the spirit of praise and prayer, it is a fraud, an imposition

on spiritually minded people, and entirely unacceptable

“Through every period of my life

to God. The cry should go out afresh, “Let all the people

Thy goodness I’ll pursue;

praise the Lord,” for “it is good to sing praises unto our

God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.”

And after death, in distant worlds,

The pleasing theme renew.

The music of praise, for there is real music of soul in

praise, is too hopeful and happy to be denied. All these

“Through all eternity to Thee

are in the “giving of thanks.” In Philippians, prayer is

A grateful song I’ll raise;

called “requests.” “Let your requests be made known unto

But Oh! eternity’s too short

God,” which describes prayer as an asking for a gift, giving

To utter all Thy praise.”

prominence to the thing asked for, making it emphatic,

something to be given by God and received by us, and not

something to be done by us. And all this is closely con-

This is an excerpt from the book The Essentials of Prayer

nected with gratitude to God, “with thanksgiving, let your

by E.M. Bounds. Edward McKendree Bounds was an

requests be made known unto God.”

American author, attorney and minister who lived from

1835 to 1913. Today, he is regarded by many as one of

God does much for us in answer to prayer, but we need

the most beloved and influential teachers on prayer in

from Him many gifts, and for them we are to make

American history.

special prayer. According to our special needs, so must our praying be. We are to be special and particular and bring to the knowledge of God by prayer, supplication and thanksgiving, our particular requests, the things we need, the things we greatly desire. And with it all, accompanying all these requests, there must be thanksgiving. It is indeed a pleasing thought that what we are called upon to do on earth, to praise and give thanks, the angels in heaven and the redeemed disembodied spirits of the saints

THE SECRET OF THE SHUT DOOR BY

B OB

SOR G E

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“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have

Furthermore, Jesus gives us the key to nding this secret

shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place;

place. If you’re wondering what you must do to place

and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

yourself in the secret place, Jesus made it clear. To get

Matthew 6:6

there, all you have to do is shut your door!

Jesus Himself spoke these blessed words. All Scripture is

When you enter your room, and shut your door, you are

God-breathed, but followers of Jesus always find special

in the presence of your Father. Instantaneously! It matters

delight in giving particular attention the words Jesus

not how you feel. Regardless of your soul’s climate at that

Himself gave us. When Jesus taught on prayer, He gave

moment, you know with absolute con dence you have

primary emphasis to the secret place. In fact, the rst thing

stepped into the chamber of your Father in heaven. The

He taught concerning prayer was the primacy of the secret

secret place is your portal to the throne, the place where

place. In the verses following, He would teach us how to

you taste of heaven itself. Receive this word and you have

pray, but first He teaches where to pray.

gained one of the greatest secrets to intimacy with God.

Because when you know you are in the immediate presence

Matthew 6:6 contains a powerful secret regarding the

of your Father, your spirit and soul will often respond

where of prayer, but before I share it let me ask a question.

to that knowledge with heartfelt connectedness. The

Do you struggle frequently with feeling disconnected from

knowledge of this truth will set your spirit free to soar.

God? Do you strain to feel God’s presence when you pray?

Does He seem distant to you? Do you long to know that

When you build your life on the blessed intimacy of a

He is with you, right now, drawing near to you?

secret place relationship with God, you are building on

the rock. You’re getting your foundations in order. That’s

If your answer to any of those questions is, “Yes,” then I

not simply my opinion, that’s the explicit teaching of our

have some wonderful news for you. There is a guaranteed

Lord Jesus Christ. The principles Jesus gave in Chapters

way to get into God’s presence. There is a sure- re 100%

5-7 of Matthew’s Gospel were all given at one time, in

guaranteed way to have instant intimacy with the Father,

one great sermon. Jesus said that in this sermon He was

and Jesus Himself gave us the key. Jesus gave us this secret

laying forth the foundation stones of a disciple’s life.

in the above verse when He said, “Your Father who is in

Here’s how He expressed it:

the secret place.” Jesus is saying, “Your Father is already in

the secret place. He has gone ahead of you; He is waiting

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does

for you. The moment you get to the secret place, you are

them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on

in the immediate presence of your Father.”

the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the

winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for

Jesus affirmed this truth twice in the same chapter. He says

it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these

it the second time in Matthew 6:18, “‘So that you do not

sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish

appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the

man who built his house on the sand: and the rain

secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward

descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on

you openly.’” Jesus says it twice for emphasis, so we know this

that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

word is absolutely certain. Our Father is in the secret place!

Matthew 7:24-27

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Jesus’ message is unmistakable. He is saying, “If you will hear and do what I have taught you in this Sermon on the Mount, you will build foundations into your life that will survive the harshest storms of life.” And believe me, friend, storms will most certainly come! There are some storms that have yet to hit your life. The question is, will you have the foundation in place to survive the storms? One of the most essential elements of that foundation is to have an intact secret life with God. Those who hear this word and do it will not only enjoy intimacy with the Father on a daily basis, but they will also be equipped to sustain the greatest storms—whether they originate from hell’s fury or the world’s distractions or the floodgates of heaven’s blessings. Don’t forget the secret: shut your door.

This is an excerpt from the book Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge. Bob is “the speaker who can’t talk”—that is, his speaking strength reduced to a whisper because of a debilitating vocal injury he suffered over 20 years ago. Through the journey, God has given him an empowering message that explores God’s purposes in fiery trials. It’s not the fire that changes you but your pursuit of God in the fire that changes you. Bob has a unique way of helping us process our journey so we stay in the race and overcome. Secrets of the Secret Place is available in the Radiant Store.

BE SPIRIT FILLED IN A WORLD RUNNING ON EMPTY BY

LE E

CU M M I NG S

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“If it’s true that the Spirit of God dwells in us and that our

hiding or waiting in preparation. This was the moment of

bodies are the Holy Spirit’s temple, then shouldn’t there be a

their reveal, and now they were thrust out into the open

huge difference between the person who has the Spirit of God

for all the world to see and hear.

living inside of him or her and the person who does not?” Francis Chan

This once scared and fearful band of followers were now an unstoppable force beginning in Jerusalem and

It’s interesting to me how often in our pursuit to follow

spreading like a virus throughout the Roman civilization

Jesus we are guilty of forgetting or minimizing important

as they boldly proclaimed Jesus as the risen and exalted

elements that He seemed to place serious emphasis upon.

Messiah and true King of the world. Their message was

One of those essentials is the person of the Holy Spirit

confrontational, calling all to repent of their sins and

and His empowerment. Jesus spent a significant amount

be saved from this wicked world system. The power of

of time near the end of His ministry instructing the

the Holy Spirit had completely transformed them and

disciples about this third person of the Godhead and the

empowered them supernaturally, and the world would

necessity of His presence in fulfilling their assignment. It

never be the same. Miraculous signs and wonders, unusual

was also one of the last instructions He gave them before

unity, and unwavering devotion in the face of massive

He ascended to the right hand of God the Father and sent

persecution stains all the pages of this glorious record of

them out to carry on the mission.

the first church in action.

“You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending

PAT T ER N

the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until

One of the Bible reading habits I have developed over the

you are clothed with power from on high.”

years is to read through the Book of Acts about every other

Luke 24:48–49

month or so. I have done this since Bible college days and

PR I OR I T Y

carried it over for more than twenty years. The first time When we read the Book of Acts, we see the fulfillment

I did this intentionally, I read the entire book through in

of the coming of the Holy Spirit as Jesus promised. A

one sitting. Reading it without any break really brought

group of ragtag, uneducated Galileans were marvelously

the pages to life for me and challenged me to think

engulfed by the deluge of the Holy Spirit and formed

differently. It took me less than three hours to read all

the church, the body of Christ. They were no longer in

twenty-eight chapters, but it has taken more than twenty

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years to process what I read. I asked some very important

beginning of Radiant Church is to be unapologetic about

questions that day during spring break that have shaped

the priority we place upon the Holy Spirit’s presence

how I view myself, the church, and the state of the church

and prominence in all we do. But also we don’t want to

in this postmodern culture.

allow the Holy Spirit to be sensationalized by “superspirituals” who have a personal agenda to “use” Him for

One of the reasons I have since determined to read it

entertainment instead of “entertaining” Him and being

through so regularly is that I never want to lose that sense

willing to be used by Him as He wills.

of connection and urgency that I gained the first time I read it like this. I also do it because something holy rises

We refer to our position as “contending for the radical

up within me that I cannot describe as anything other than

middle,” and it is a very difficult position to hold to

passion to see the church that started so gloriously against

because on each side of the road of truth there is a ditch

all odds rediscover the person of the Holy Spirit who has

of error and ignorance that we could easily fall into. We

in some ways been left behind as a relic of the past.

don’t hold the position of “contending for the radical middle” because we are watering down or putting a

One of the questions I have asked myself over and over

seatbelt on the Holy Spirit, but we realize the heart and

again, having read it literally hundreds of times, is, “What

the purpose for the Holy Spirit and make sure

has happened to us?” What I mean by this is, “Why does

they aren’t hijacked.

the church look so different to us than it did in the Book of Acts?” I am cautious in asking this question because

Our heart is to be authentic in our awareness and

whenever I do, I can almost predict the answers I will receive

undiluted in our expression of the power and presence.

from different tribes. Some will say that the series of events

We want all that God wants and nothing He doesn’t.

recorded in the Book of Acts was a period of transition

We want the authentic and undiluted power and

and not meant to be the norm. Others will say that Acts is

demonstration of the Holy Spirit and have come to realize

a narrative, and you cannot draw accurate theology from

that nothing less will empower us to clearly demonstrate

reading a narrative. (Tell that to the writers of the Gospels!)

the kingdom of God as a present reality.

Some who come from a more Pentecostal perspective would like to repeat the Book of Acts in every detail.

As a result of constantly self-evaluating and going back to our original desire to be a church that is “empowered

While I don’t believe that the answer for the church

for mission,” as we see in the Book of Acts, we have

living in the twenty-first century is to necessarily emulate

also come to some conclusions about what is and isn’t a

everything that we find in the Book of Acts (there are a

priority for us as a church and what it means to be “Spirit-

lot of things that the apostles would encourage us not

filled” in a world running on empty. Those conclusions

to repeat, because they weren’t good the first time they

are what will follow in this excerpt.

happened), I do believe the core idea of this most famous sequel is “the church empowered.” This must be our

OPEN ARMS AND OPEN HEARTS

takeaway and our return destination.

Much of the church is confused about the Holy Spirit. Arguments have raged for as long as the church has

One of the values that we have had from the very

existed about how to handle this “God in third person.”

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Part of the problem is that the Holy Spirit is not meant to

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and

be “handled” or controlled and is not necessarily predictable.

the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

He is also the most mysterious person within the Godhead.

2 Corinthians 13:14, NLT

Most of us have a context for understanding God as Father. Whether we have had a good and loving father relationship

He is with us on assignment and given to us for more

in our lives or not, we can at least draw upon examples to

than a token. He is given to empower, lead, and counsel

form an internal understanding of what it means.

us individually and the church corporately. While He is always present in the life of every believer, He is not

Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, came as

always acknowledged. That is our responsibility. We

Immanuel, God with us. The Incarnation was and is one

decide whether we will open our hearts to hear His voice

of the most mysterious and glorious events to ever take

and follow His leading or keep Him in the background.

place within human history. This and the Resurrection are the two miracles upon which the Christian faith is built.

“Spell this out in capital letters: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS

While we don’t understand the “how” of it, we do gain

A PERSON. He is not enthusiasm. He is not courage.

the “who” of it. Jesus revealed who and how God is. Even

He is not energy. He is not the personification of all

though we weren’t there to walk with Him as the first

good qualities, like Jack Frost is the personification

disciples did, we read the words of the witnesses found in

of cold weather. Actually, the Holy Spirit is not the

the Gospels, and we discover who Jesus was and what He

personification of anything. He is a Person, the same

was about. We can relate to His humanity and stand in

as you are a person, but not material substance. He has

awe of His divinity.

individuality. He is one being and not another. He has will and intelligence. He has hearing. He has knowledge

The Holy Spirit is a different matter altogether. There is

and sympathy and ability to love and see and think. He

no frame of reference for us to grasp this invisible God or

can hear, speak, desire, grieve and rejoice. He is a Person.”

comprehend His mode of operation. Jesus compared Him

A. W. Tozer

to the wind, totally unpredictable and mysterious (John 3:8). Because of this some are tempted to relegate Him

For the church to effectively engage culture and

to being a “force” instead of a person. Some Christians

demonstrate the glory of God to our generation,

acknowledge the existence of the Holy Spirit doctrinally

we desperately need a renewed sense of hunger and

yet in practice live out their faith as partial agnostics,

dependency upon the Holy Spirit. We must open up our

ignoring one-third of the Godhead.

hearts intentionally and welcome and invite the Holy Spirit to come and take the lead in our lives and churches.

The Holy Spirit is very much a person, and because He is a person, He desires relationship. He has emotions and can

Nothing can replace what God intended to lead, fill, and

either be grieved or welcomed. Consider the following verses:

empower His vehicle of kingdom extension—the church. We can fill up on the temporal things of this world, but

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you

they will not fuel us to live to our fullest potential. The

were sealed for the day of redemption.”

engine of the church was meant to burn with power

Ephesians 4:30

from the heavenly oil alone. To fill us with anything less

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would be like filling up our cars and trucks with water and

would automatically choose the former. But this isn’t what

expecting them to perform correctly.

Jesus emphasized to them, and the same goes for us today.

The head of the church is Jesus, but the leader and

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because

foreman of the church on the earth is the Holy Spirit. To

I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me,

tune Him out or leave Him on the shelf as something that

and none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” But because

is optional for us because we are “uncomfortable” with

I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

what we cannot control or see is the greatest mistake we

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is to your advantage that I

could make. Without a renewed sense of open arms to

go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to

the Holy Spirit, there is no possibility that the church can

you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”

possibly navigate the waters of a world in turmoil. We will

John 16:4–7

live no different than the world we are trying to illuminate. We will live limited by worldly intellect, principles, and

This word for helper is the Greek word parakletos and can

methods, all of which will not impress anyone. We will

be translated as “advocate, encourager, counselor, aid or

remain indistinguishable, and the flame of our lamp will

legal advisor.” Jesus said the Holy Spirit would come as

continue to dim. We cannot afford any longer

“another helper,” meaning, equal with Himself. He would

to run on empty.

come to help and assist us in walking out the purpose that God has for us. This is different from walking with

Why would we choose to live out our faith with our arms

Jesus in person (and more beneficial to us) because this

tightly folded, refusing to embrace the partner that God saw

“Helper” or paraklete would not lead from the outside in

fit to give us? Why would we close our minds and hearts off

a fixed geographical location but indwelling each of us,

to the supernatural influence of the Helper in exchange for

regardless of time, space, or age.

the logic of man? It all begins by recognizing that right now He is here and ready to lead, ready to empower, ready to

Jesus described the Holy Spirit’s presence as something

light up our lives, if we only acknowledge and pursue Him

unique to His followers. While we are living in the midst

beyond the safety zone of normal.

of this world in the present, broken age, we are now becoming the recipients of the Spirit of God, something

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this world is incapable of receiving.

Jesus prepared the disciples for the ministry thrust that was out before them. He told them that it was to their

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another

advantage that He was leaving them because now He was

Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom

going to send what He described as “another helper.” I am

the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor

sure to the disciples this sounded like crazy talk. “How in

knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and

the world could it be better than having Jesus right here

will be in you.”

with us?” I bet if you took a poll of Christians today and

John 14:16–17

asked them, “Would you rather be living during the time that Jesus ministered on the earth in person or would you rather

This is an interesting statement to ponder. We have

live now, as a believer filled with the Spirit?” the majority

something from God that the world cannot receive,

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imitate, or manipulate. We have this treasure from heaven:

religious leaders, political leaders, and demands of the

God’s supernatural indwelling, meant to divinely lead us

crowds, it is amazingly supernatural to consider all that

and assist us as we live in this world. The Holy Spirit, who

He did within three and a half short years. He was able

hovered over the face of a darkened planet filled with chaos

to do this because He remained in constant communion

and void in the very beginning, is once again creating. He

with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

is shaping our hearts to be new creations in Christ Jesus through the work of sanctification, and He is working

The disciples learned this firsthand as they were mentored

in this evil-influenced age of darkness by indwelling and

under Jesus’s ministry style and way of life. They repeated

leading the church as we demonstrate the kingdom of God

the same pattern that they saw in Jesus, receiving the

supernaturally. This is new creation work, and it is to what

Holy Spirit in power before beginning any ministry

we have been called. We do not accomplish this with the

endeavors. They had experienced what it was like to

tools of this world, because all that would be built is Babel,

minister out of their own intellect and know-how. As

which is symbolic of man’s ingenuity independent of God.

we read about the explosive growth of the church from

We build by the leading and the empowerment of the Holy

Pentecost on, it becomes extremely obvious that they had

Spirit, who is the giver of the “power of the age to come.”

left that mentality behind and traded it for a complete dependence and developed sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s

“. . . who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the

direction and leading. In almost every decision, every

Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God

persecution, in every open door and opportunity, they

and the powers of the age to come . . .”

sought for direction. As they preached, the Holy Spirit

Hebrews 6:4–5

gave them the words to say. There was not a part of the early church’s expansion or development that was

When we closely examine the ministry of Jesus, it is hard

unaffected by the Holy Spirit. Even one of the most

to escape or write off the significance of the role the Holy

uncomfortable passages of Scripture in the entire New

Spirit played. From the very beginning of His ministry

Testament, where Ananias and Sapphira conspired to lie

we see His actions were constantly led and directed by the

about their offering and were killed by God (that should

Spirit. He was anointed by the Holy Spirit, and He was led

test some of our theology right there!), is an example to us

by the Holy Spirit in all that He did.

of how the Holy Spirit was leading the way.

“. . . how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit

What about us? Have things changed so drastically that

and with power. He went about doing good and healing all

we no longer need to be led in the same way? What

who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”

has changed? Of course we are far more technologically

Acts 10:38

advanced than they were in the first century. Science has made huge breakthroughs; medicine has radically

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be

reduced disease and epidemics. We can now travel

tempted by the devil.”

anywhere in the world in less than twenty-four hours,

Matthew 4:1

and we can instantly communicate with people all over the world. Maybe we don’t need the Holy Spirit as

When you think about the adversity Jesus faced from the

“they” needed Him. Maybe we have enough information

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available through the Internet and education that the kind

invitation to a deeper fellowship with the Holy Spirit?

of supernatural direction and miraculous intervention is no

Will we attempt to know the Jesus we love and serve

longer needed. Perhaps we have outgrown the Holy Spirit.

through the lens of history and secondhand experience or tune our hearts in to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit who

Or perhaps we have been deceived into believing a lie that

Jesus said would “bear witness of Him”? He wants to lead

has also stripped us of our birthright and domesticated

us into all truth, but first we must lay aside the lie—the

the church. Think about all that the church was able

lie that we don’t need Him any longer or the lie that He is

to do in the first century without the printing press,

no longer available to us.

mass communication, freedom of speech, easy travel, democracy, or the Internet. There was no Facebook or

As a pastor I can tell you that there is no way “in this

Twitter to spread the word. They systematically overthrew

world” that I could possibly lead a growing church of

the most powerful pagan empire the world had ever seen

thousands of people without the leading of the Holy

and sparked a movement of righteousness throughout the

Spirit. Daily my time of prayer and worship is the single

earth that today claims almost one-third of the world’s

most important appointment I have. I have learned to

population. In the face of martyrdom, threat of heresy, and

listen to the promptings and the impressions I sense

constant demonic attack the church thrived as it was led

during these times, knowing that it is my Helper who

and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

is leading the way. I have had to make so many pivotal decisions over the years that have affected the entire

What could the church of Acts have done with all of the

direction of our ministry. I can honestly say that the

tools you and I have at our disposal combined with what

decisions I made out of insecurity or fear have been the

they knew of the power and the presence of the anointing?

worst decisions of my life. But when I listen and obey

Of course that will never be known because they didn’t

the voice of the God, grace always abounds, and we have

have it. But what about us? We do have it, and the

seen God show up in huge, supernatural ways. I have

potential is there for the church with its best efforts and

determined that I don’t want to lead the church anywhere

opportunities to regain and rediscover the abiding Helper

that the Holy Spirit is not directing.

who is ready to lead us into uncharted waters. I don’t believe that the leadership assignment of the Holy Being people who are finding our leadership in the person

Spirit is reserved for just those who are in the fivefold

of the Holy Spirit is not optional but mandatory. It is the

ministry offices. There are not two classes of Christians:

only way forward for anyone who desires to cut through

those whom God speaks to directly and then those who

the darkness of this age. Paul commanded the Galatians to

need a moderator. God is willing and able to speak to

continue to walk in step with the direction of the Holy Spirit.

each of us and lead us into all the truth we need at any given moment. Every Christian is indwelt by the same

“Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s

Holy Spirit and is called to live a dynamic, supernatural

leading in every part of our lives.”

life marked by God-given direction and guidance. But we

Galatians 5:25

are responsible for welcoming His counsel and developing a listening ear so that we keep in step with the work He

We have a choice to make. Will we attempt to live out

wants to accomplish in us and then through us.

our purpose in our own strength or take Jesus up on His

What we call supernatural should be natural to a believer. 24

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It shouldn’t be considered “super-normal” as if it were the

so minor to some people. I found myself as one of just a

exception. The defining mark of the children of God is

few charismatic students in the entire student body. Class

that they will be “led by the Spirit of God” (Rom. 8:14).

after class became a debate and conversation that became

The Holy Spirit will lead us in so many ways if we learn

very combative and accusatory toward me and the ideas

to trust and listen. What we can be confident of is that He

I stood for. To believe that God still spoke, still healed,

has our best interests in mind and always leads us into a

and used average people to do it was a complete offense

closer, more intimate relationship with the Father. He is

to them and their logic. I was told that it either had to be

our constant reminder that we are not alone and we have

demonic or delusion if I believed that the Holy Spirit was

not been abandoned. He reveals Jesus to us and connects

still doing “the stuff,” as John Wimber used to call it.

our hearts to the Father-heart of God that then motivates us to please and love Him and to believe with full trust

This was one of the most difficult and yet most pivotal

and assurance that God is directing our steps toward a

seasons in my life and preparation. Not only did I have

destination. He constantly reminds us that we are not

a heavy class load, but I also found myself having to

orphans. We are part of the kingdom of God and part of

deconstruct everything I had ever been taught about the

the royal family. Regardless of what label this world tries

Holy Spirit. I had to be able to explain the theological

to plaster on us to shape us or affect the trajectory of our

perspective on every paper and test and reexamine why

lives and decisions, our boldness and confidence come from

I believed what I did at the same time. I compare that

knowing that the Helper has been sent and is with us now.

season to tearing down a car, piece by piece, and then rebuilding it to completion.

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The first Bible college I attended was a traditional,

The result was that after just a year and a half, a decision

evangelical school that had a strong emphasis upon solid

was made that I would not pursue a theological degree

biblical interpretation, which included a cessationist

from this institution and we would part ways. My

view relating to the gifts and ministry of the Holy Spirit.

counselor told me that they had realized they were not

Cessationists believe that the supernatural and miraculous

going to change my views and that I obviously wasn’t

gifts and demonstrations of the Spirit have now passed and

going to change theirs. We were at a stalemate. I needed

those gifts such as tongues, prophecy, and healing have now

to “pursue my studies elsewhere” was the conclusion. I

passed. At first when I registered to go to school there, I

had put a stake in the ground and decided that the Holy

thought that this wasn’t such a big deal. After all, we agreed

Spirit’s presence and power in my life were a pursuit

on so much relating to the basics of doctrine that we should

worth fighting for. Instead of pursuing this particular

be able to move beyond this minor disagreement.

degree, I was going to live my life in pursuit of something

I came to love so many of my professors and was truly

more valuable and powerful to the ministry that God had

inspired by so many of the students and faculty and their

for me than any class I opted out of. I wanted the power

love for God and passion for missions. There were so many

of the Holy Spirit.

things I learned about grace and biblical studies that stand out to me from that time. I am truly grateful for the time I

I remember reading an article one time about what has

spent there—which, by the way, wasn’t very long.

been referred to as the “Jeffersonian Bible.” It was a Bible

I soon discovered that this “minor” disagreement wasn’t

that Thomas Jefferson, one of the Founding Fathers of

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the American Revolution, had created by going through

of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in

the New Testament and cutting out all of the verses

the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

that referred to anything miraculous or supernatural. All

1 Corinthians 2:1–5

references to healing, miracles, and the Resurrection itself were removed so that what was left was what Jefferson

The result was a thriving church full of new converts. Over

believed revealed the true, original ethic and the divine

the course of time this church began to experience several

morality taught by Jesus. He believed this was the true

significant problems. Key members were living in rabid

form of Christianity.

immorality, schisms were forming around various leaders and teachers, and there were massive excesses taking place

Unfortunately there are many today who have, to a lesser

in regard to spiritual gifts. These problems became so

degree, done a similar thing to the Scriptures. While not

dominant that Paul dedicated an entire letter to address

necessarily going to this extreme, when we dismiss the

the situations. First Corinthians not only answered the

supernatural aspects of God’s working with humanity, we

leadership’s concerns, but it has also become a template

are left with very little in the New Testament (and the Old

epistle for the church to draw from over the years for how

Testament for that matter) that is applicable for us today.

to approach the supernatural elements of the Holy Spirit

It’s almost as if we have two faiths and two worlds.

within a pagan, dysfunctional, and intellectually

Paul was the greatest church planter and missionary the

dominant culture.

world has ever known. He took the gospel that originally was limited to a Jewish context and introduced it to new

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to

frontiers in the Gentile world. He contextualized the gospel

be uninformed.”

and was responsible for the rapid advance of the gospel

1 Corinthians 12:1

throughout Asia Minor and Europe. Paul planted more churches and developed more Gentile leaders than any of

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same spirit; and

the other apostles. When Paul entered a new city or culture,

there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are

he honored his Jewish heritage by bringing the gospel to

varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers

the synagogues first. When he preached to the Greeks,

them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the

who were intellectuals and the caretakers of generations

Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the

of philosophical wisdom, Paul refused to diminish the

Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance

gospel to wisdom alone but engaged in supernatural

of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by

demonstration of the presence and validity of the kingdom

the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,

of God. He did not just appeal to their minds, but he also

to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to

brought the power of the Holy Spirit to bear.

another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come

tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit,

proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or

who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus

1 Corinthians 12:4–11

Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message

In reading these words of Paul, I can’t find anything that

were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration

remotely resembles an attitude that communicates that 26

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the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in miraculous ways is

the Holy Spirit in a world that drains us of our heavenly

a “take it or leave it” proposition. In fact, he says that he

reality day after day. The Holy Spirit is the presence of

does not want believers to be ignorant. Ignorance can come

the kingdom of God within us and the guarantee of what

as a result of not knowing or as a result of intentionally

is still to come. He brings with Him the genetic code

“ignoring” something we are uncomfortable with.

of God’s nature revealed through us in the fruit that we bear (Gal. 5:22) when our hearts are fully captivated

Some have chosen to ignore or avoid discussion and pursuit

and surrendered to Him. He also comes with power,

of the gifts because of their controversial nature or due to

completely saturating our being with His presence and

some excesses they have seen or heard over the years. Still

“dynamic” power for ministry.

others are just simply unaware that God still desires for His church to be filled with believers who are filled with His

The apostles knew their dependency upon the Holy

presence and overflowing with signs that His kingdom is

Spirit. Why is the church so quick to assume that we

come. There is fear in some that we will run people off from

can make any significant difference or live up to our call

our churches if we are too “spiritual,” and so we adjust to

without the supernatural touch from the Holy Spirit?

make it palatable. But in our pursuit of acceptance are we

How can we love the way Jesus loved without the Holy

losing something at a very high cost? Pastor Jack Hayford

Spirit’s help? How can we treat God’s gifts to us as a

writes in his book Living the Spirit-Formed Life:

salad bar, where we choose which ingredients we want and those that we don’t? We desperately need it all. What

“But God isn’t impressed by either intellectual or

would it look like if every believer in every church fully

emotional sophistry. And as for society, it’s a question of

embraced the Holy Spirit as the leader and empowerer

degree: How far will you go to please the world? We may

of our lives? What if all of those parts of Jefferson’s Bible

feel we must pamper worldly-mindedness by cooling our

that were removed were highlighted and circled in our

praise in church. But inevitably, the flesh will prompt

Bibles as the focus of our pursuit?

us to cool our message, our convictions and our lifestyle as Christians. So before you dampen your praise or

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demonstrative worship or witnessing, consider just how

I have a tendency to run my car down to where it’s almost

much “cool” you think will ultimately satisfy the world.”

beyond the empty mark. Oftentimes I wait long after the “ding” goes off and the light flashes on the dashboard

Whatever the reason, whether abuse or avoidance, Paul

before I actually stop to refuel. Most of the time I am

makes it clear that a faith that is solely constructed by an

aware of how low I have allowed the gas gauge to get,

intellectual approach and logical reasoning is not a faith

but I procrastinate anyway. A few times this has resulted

that will stand, regardless of the age we are living in.

in me being stuck on the side of the road, unable to go anywhere and in need of someone to bail me out with a

He unashamedly encourages every believer to be motivated

gas can and a smile. You would think I would learn my

by love and to strongly desire spiritual gifts—to pursue

lesson and never let it get down that low again,

them, not pacify them. We need more than just the

but unfortunately I do.

idea of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives; we need tangible aid of heaven’s helper flowing through our lives

The church has a tendency to run dangerously low on the

in supernatural ways. We must be continually filled with

Holy Spirit. I am not making a theological statement as 27

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much as an experiential statement. The world around us is constantly on the verge of an impending energy crisis. The volatility in the price of a barrel of oil skyrockets and then plunges, sending economies into free falls and creating panic in people’s hearts. Lines at gas stations extend out into the streets when a rumor of a disturbance in the overseas market hits the news wires. These energy concerns should be dwarfed by the urgency we should feel upon realizing how much we are attempting to do in our own strength. Eventually our strength will either come to nothing or become exhausted. In either case human power or ability can never replace the demonstration of heavenly power that declares the presence of the kingdom in our midst. What we see in the natural reflects a deeper spiritual reality. Our world is running on empty in more ways than one. But the church should not be in this place. Our inheritance is not lack or shortage but overflow and abundance. When there is an oil shortage in the lamp stand of the church, it is due our neglect and not God’s design. Jesus didn’t send us the Holy Spirit as a “once filled, always filled” gift. We must be continually filled, over and over again, a steady stream of heavenly energy and intimacy from the resources of heaven. We need to carefully monitor the dashboards of our lives and our churches to see where we are. As you go through the Book of Acts, one pattern prevails: the church was filled with the Holy Spirit often. To do otherwise will leave us on the side of the road holding our Bibles close but with little power or passion left to make any further progress. Our boldness will wane, and our vision will become blurry. When we come to realize as the first Christians did that the Holy Spirit is ready to move from being a trickle in our lives to becoming a mighty overflowing river from our lives, we will discover that we never have to redline it ever again. He is the Helper and Empowerer sent to fill the church with the glorious presence of Jesus.

This is an excerpt from the book Be Radiant by Lee Cummings. Lee is the founding and lead pastor of Radiant Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and also oversees the Radiant Network of Churches. Be Radiant is available in the Radiant Store.

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THE POWER OF WORSHIP BY

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“What comes into our minds when we think about God is

“In the year that King Uzziah died.”

the most important thing about us.” A.W Tozer

Why was this timestamp so important to the story? Well, King Uzziah was a good king, and in Israel, if the king

Although this quote doesn’t directly address the topic of

was good and feared God, it often meant that Israel

worship, it does indirectly highlight an incredibly beautiful

would be blessed spiritually and naturally. You only

benefit of worship: the gift of helping us have the proper

need to skim through 1+2 Kings and 1+2 Chronicles to

view of God. Most Christians agree on the what the

see that when Israel was doing well there was usually a

main and plain of Scripture teaches about who God is.

God-fearing king leading the nation, and when Israel was

But who we really believe God to be at the center of our

under judgment, there was usually an evil leader at the

being isn’t truly exposed until we face difficulty. There’s

helm. So the reason King Uzziah’s death was of note was

a massive difference between knowing facts about God

because his death had implications that rippled through

and encountering truth. Facts are indisputable pieces of

the entire kingdom. Think of it in terms of how crazy

evidence that can be learned, but Truth is a Person to be

the United Stages get during election season. The fear and

encountered. Worship is the avenue in which things we

the hysteria produced by social media and mainstream

know to be factual about God become living realities in

news outlets becomes overwhelming, and at the end

our lives, and difficulty is what tests those living realities.

of the day all of this hysteria is produced despite the fact that in our democratic republic we can elect a new

I want to share a moment in Isaiah’s ministry that I think can

president every four years. Imagine living in a monocratic

help us understand how important worship is for receiving the

government where a King rules over the nation for 50-70

truth of who God is, particularly in the midst of difficulty.

years! Israel’s well being for the entirety of Isaiah’s life was at stake! Undoubtedly Isaiah would have been feeling and

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting

processing major anxiety, turmoil, and fear related to what

on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe

was going to happen in his nation; a nation that he deeply

filled the temple.”

loved and was called to minister to. I can almost hear the

Isaiah 6:1

questions racing through his mind: “What kind of king 31

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will we have for the rest of our lives? Is Israel going to slip

How God responds in the midst of Isaiah’s situation

into moral decay? What type of world is going to be left

teaches us so much about worship: “I see the Lord seated

for my kids?” It doesn’t take too much of an imagination

on the throne” (Isaiah 6:1). God’s answer to Isaiah’s

to understand what Isaiah was going through.

problem was simply to reveal Himself. He pulled away the veil of Isaiah’s limited earthly perspective and gave him a

This was a monumental test for Isaiah, and it’s not far from

vision of who He was: An omnipotent God, seated on His

the kinds of tests we are exposed to on a regular basis.

throne, completely in control.

In the moments when it all seems to be hitting the fan in

I love the phrase “and the train of his robe filled the

our lives, who and what we worship is the most important

temple.” In those days, when a king conquered another

thing about us. What we truly worship is exposed when

king, the triumphant king would take part of the defeated

we experience difficulty. When the trials come, what do

king’s robe and sew it onto his robe to create a “train” that

we set our thoughts and emotions upon? When chaos

would show others how powerful the he was. So by saying

consumes our lives, do we meditate on the chaos or do we

the train of God’s robe filled the temple, God was showing

set our minds and affection on the Lord? This is where A.W

Isaiah that He was the King of Kings, and that He had

Tozer’s quote about the importance of needing to think

already conquered every opposing kingdom. God revealed

of God rightly is tied directly to our worship. In his crisis,

to Isaiah that he didn’t need to worry about who the next

the facts that Isaiah knew about God were not enough to

king in Israel would be, because He, the King of Kings,

sustain him. It was who he personally and intimately knew

was fully in control. The solution to Isaiah’s problem

God to be that would equip and strengthen him to lead

wasn’t found by looking deeper into his problem; it was

Israel through this pivotal moment in history.

found looking past his problem to a God who was seated on His Throne, fully in control.

Our normal reactions to chaos, trials and difficulty are wallow in self pity, lament our situations and ask questions

What if the very same thing that happened to Isaiah

based in hopelessness. “Why is this awful thing happening

happened to you? What if at this very moment you

to me? Is God even in control of what’s happening? Does

were supernaturally transported directly into the glorious

He even care? Am I going to be ok?” It’s easy to be swept

presence of God? If you were to be suddenly ushered into

up in the tumult of the moment when the pressure is

heaven, see God seated on His throne with your own

mounting in our lives and we don’t see a way of escape.

eyes, behold Jesus at the Father’s right hand, hear thunder

But God didn’t let Isaiah sulk in the doubt and unbelief.

and see lightning all around, witness millions of saints

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and angels worshipping—if you were to miraculously

anxiety, and instead of focusing on ourselves, we are able to

be caught up into the same glorious moment that Isaiah

look directly at God and sing truth about who He is. And

experienced, you might find yourself thinking about a

by singing about his goodness, glory and love, the problems

million things; but I can guarantee that you would not be

that seem insurmountable in our lives begin to diminish in

thinking about your current, temporal problems.

His presence. In their place, hope begins to fill our hearts and doubts begin to leave. It might not feel as supernatural as what

Questions like “how am I going to pay the mortgage?” or

Isaiah experienced, but it doesn’t have to be demonstrative to

“what am I going to do with this relationship that feels too

have a significant impact on our hearts and lives.

broken to repair?” start to fade away when you encounter the glory, beauty, mystery, grace, and love of God. And not only

There is something powerful and profound about gathering

is he Holy, beautiful and awesome, but you’re his child! You

together and singing directly to God, but you don’t have

are the apple of His eye. You are the crowned jewel of His

to wait until the next scheduled church service to worship

creation. If He is truly as powerful as He says He is, and if

this way. Right now, wherever you’re at, you can choose

He really loves you the way He says He does, then what do

to take your eyes off yourself and look to God. In doing

you need to be afraid of? When you enter God’s presence,

so, not only do you set your affections on the Person most

any thought that doesn’t align with the nature and character

deserving of your love, but you also are able to gain real,

of God is swallowed up and put into proper perspective.

tangible and experiential knowledge of who God is.

For Isaiah, the facts of his circumstance were that a good king was dead, Israel didn’t have a clear leader, and the future of his nation was in jeopardy. But the truth of

Caleb Culver is the Executive Pastor of Worship and Prayer

the situation was that God was seated on the throne,

Radiant Church, and plays an active role in many areas of

completely in control. And despite the fact that your trials

ministry at Radiant Church and in the Radiant Network.

and circumstances may not mirror Isaiah’s, and although

In addition to his pastoral and organizational leadership at

you may not ever be caught up in a heavenly encounter,

Radiant, he is also an accomplished songwriter, musician

you do have full access to come before the throne of grace

and composes music for films.

according to Hebrews 4:16. Worship is like a mini throne room encounter. We are able to enter into God’s presence with our stress, worry and

THE SECRET OF S AY I N G “ Y E S ” BY

B O B

S O R G E

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Chris and DeeAnn Abke were feeling overwhelmed by

purpose of stoking the embers of your personal prayer life.

a looming financial challenge. In desperation, they took

I pray that you will say “Yes!” to a daily, fervent pursuit

some time late one evening—after settling their kids into

of Jesus in the secret place. My earnest prayer is that

bed—to pray and seek the Lord’s help. As they sat together

with each devotional you will gain renewed momentum

on their living room couch, making their petitions known

and a holy fascination to pursue the greatest pearl of

to God, suddenly an audible voice began to speak, “If you

human existence—a personal, intimate, passionate, living

need help, call 9-1-1. If you need help, call 9-1-1.”

relationship with the glorious Creator of the universe.

They heard the voice say this about four or five times, and then it

One of the best kept secrets of our faith is the blessedness

stopped. Mystified, Chris and DeeAnn just looked at each other.

and joy of cultivating a secret life with God. Imagine the

sheer delight of it even now. You’re tucked away in a quiet

The voice seemed to be coming from the garage, so they

nook; the door is shut; you’re curled up in a comfortable

cautiously opened the door and flipped on the garage

position; the living word of God is laid open before you;

lights, not sure what they would find. Everything was in its

Jesus Himself stands at your side; the Holy Spirit is gently

place except for a small toy ambulance, belonging to their

washing your heart; your love is awakened as you meditate

son, that lay by itself in the center of the garage floor.

upon the gracious words of His mouth; your spirit is

ignited and your mind is renewed; you talk to Him, and

Chris picked up the ambulance, pushed a button next to

He talks to you in the language of intimate friendship.

its emergency lights, and the voice began to speak, “If you

need help, call 9-1-1.” As they wondered aloud how the toy

Ahhh, it doesn’t get any better than this!

had activated of its own accord, suddenly the Holy Spirit

seemed to nudge Chris with these words, “If you need help,

Hell will do everything in its power to misrepresent and

call 9-1-1—Psalm 91:1.” Going back to the Scriptures, the

distort the exuberant delight of this dynamic reality; this

verse had an entirely new meaning to them as they read it

present world system is strategically designed to squeeze

together: “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most

out your time and energy for the secret place; the church

High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

usually focuses its best energies on getting saints busy;

and there seem to be relatively few believers whose secret

Chris and DeeAnn understood this incident to be God’s

life with God is so vibrantly life-giving that it kindles a

way of directing their hearts to a renewed commitment to

contagious desire in others to follow their example.

that secret place relationship with Him. The inference was

that God would direct their steps related to their financial

I connect viscerally with the pain of countless believers

needs as they gave themselves to the intimacy of abiding in

who carry the conviction that the secret place is central

the presence of the Almighty.

to an overcoming life but who struggle on a regular basis

to maintain the secret place as a daily lifestyle. I know

I share my friends’ story with you because I am absolutely

what it’s like to live below what the Christian walk could

convinced the power of heaven is unlocked on earth when

be and yet feel almost powerless to change anything.

we devote ourselves to the secret place of the Most High.

I’ve watched myself return persistently to the sources

Therefore, I have written this book with the singular

which are no source. For example, when wanting to get

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revitalized from a draining day, we will look to television,

The eruption of fruitfulness from his life must have caught

as though its distractions will renew us—only to be left

even him off guard!

empty for the umpteenth time. Or, we will attend a

church service in the hope that the preacher’s walk with

Many of you reading this book have a call to

God will infuse us with fresh energy for the journey. But

neighborhoods, to cities, and also to nations. As you

deep down we know that sermons and teachings, although

devote yourself to the secret place with God, He will birth

edifying, can never replace the carrying power we nd when

something within you that will spread, in His time, to the

we sit at His feet and hear His word for ourselves.

four corners of your sphere. It’s an awesome secret: The

call of God burning in your breast will be uncontainable

We don’t need to add another condemning word to the

and unstoppable as you devote yourself to the fiery passion

berating voices we all know so well. What we need, rather, is

of intimate communion with the Lover of your soul.

for our eyes to be lifted to the glorious hope we already carry

within. My desire is that I might share some secrets—lessons

Won’t you join me in pressing forward into new

I’ve learned mostly by doing it wrong rst—to empower you

dimensions of kingdom power and glory? The face of

toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ.

Christianity is changed, generation after generation, by

those who discover the power of the secret place. I pray

When we learn to dwell in the secret place of the Most

that with the reading of every page you will join me in

High, we are positioning ourselves to discover the key

saying “Yes!” to the secret of the centuries.

to true kingdom fruitfulness. Reproductive power is

unlocked in the shadow of the Almighty! One of the

“What is this secret?” someone might ask.

best Bible examples of this truth is found in the life of Cornelius, the rst Gentile believer. Cornelius was a

The secret place is the secret!

devout Gentile who committed himself to the secret place of prayer. His piety is described in the Book of Acts as fourfold: he gave regularly to the poor; he lived a holy

This is an excerpt from the book Secrets of the Secret Place

lifestyle; he practiced fasting; and he adhered to the secret

by Bob Sorge. Bob is “the speaker who can’t talk”—that

place of prayer. It was because of those four pursuits

is, his speaking strength reduced to a whisper because of

that God lled Cornelius and his household with the

a debilitating vocal injury he suffered over 20 years ago.

Holy Spirit and made them the firstfruits of all Gentile

Through the journey, God has given him an empowering

believers. It’s as though God said, “Cornelius, because of

message that explores God’s purposes in fiery trials. It’s not

your passionate conviction for the secret place, your life is

the fire that changes you but your pursuit of God in the

the kind of example that I can reproduce in the nations.

fire that changes you. Bob has a unique way of helping us

So I’m designating you to be the first Gentile to receive

process our journey so we stay in the race and overcome.

the Holy Spirit, because I’m going to take your devotion

Secrets of the Secret Place is available in the Radiant Store.

to the secret place and export it to every nation on earth!” By making Cornelius the catalyst for the redemption of the nations, God was giving a powerful endorsement to Cornelius’s priority of cultivating a hidden life with God.

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WA L K I N G I N COMMUNITY BY

T O N Y

CA L A B RE SE

In 1990, a gentleman by the name of Christopher

The cause of death was uncertain. Some believe he either died

McCandless graduated from Emory University.

of starvation or from eating a poisoned seed plant.

Shortly after his graduation, he set out on a quest for independence. He changed his name, cut off contact

Among the few possessions of his that were recovered were

with his family, donated all his savings to charity and

his books and journal. Some of the last entries he penned

abandoned his car. Chris thought that if he set out to

in his journal seemed to suggest that his paradigms of

live in the wilderness of Alaska alone with complete

identity and happiness had changed between the time

independence from people and a pure union with nature,

he entered the wilderness and the time he passed away.

he would experience ultimate joy. After hitchhiking and

Shortly before it was too late, Christopher McCandless

journeying south, west and north, he ended up reaching

realized that an unshared happiness is not happiness.

his zenith: the wilds of Alaska.

Happiness is only real when shared with people.

He set off on his journey with ten pounds of rice, a .22

His story is a stark reminder of a universal truth: we

caliber rifle, several boxes of ammunition, a camera, some

cannot make it through life alone.

camping gear, some books and a journal. He didn’t take I think a lot of us are like Christopher in our walk with

a map or a compass.

Jesus. We do the right things: seek, pursue and set our Christopher was seeking the truest foundation of his identity,

gaze upon Jesus. But we do them the wrong way: alone.

and he believed that being completely alone in the beauty of

You see, we live in a culture that glorifies independence

the wild was the best way to find what he was looking for.

and effectively hands out badges of honor to those who

He was convinced that by escaping the world he saw around

do things alone. We see it as an accomplishment to build

him and leaving what he knew behind, that he would be able

things without anyone’s help, or to reach high and lofty

to discover a better life and a stronger sense of self.

goals without any support. This thinking has even seeped its way into the church as many people in our postmodern

Christopher lasted about four months in the Alaskan

culture claim to “love Jesus, but not the Church.” This

wilderness. His body was found by a group of moose hunters.

kind of thinking is dangerous. 40

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“After He had hung the stars in the sky, separated land and

which equated to about a two-hour walk. As they walked

sea, filled the earth with life, formed Man in His own image

and talked about the recent events surrounding the

and created the paradise of Eden, God had this to say:

resurrection, Jesus showed up in the middle of their

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man

journey and began to explain to them who He was. Yet

should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

they didn’t recognize Him until the very last part of their

Genesis 2:18

journey. They sat together for a meal, and when Jesus broke bread and gave thanks for is, verse 31 tells us that,

The only thing in all of God’s wondrous creation that

“their eyes were opened and they recognized him.”

was not good was for mankind to be alone. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the 20th century pastor and martyr rightly

This story highlights three things that I feel are significant

warned, “Let he who is not in community beware of

for all of us as we seek the Lord as individuals and as a

being alone, because it is community to which you were

community in our walks with God:

called.” If you’re going through life alone, it’s not good. Jesus draws near to our togetherness. Now to be clear, I’m not saying that solitude in life is entirely bad. You can worship God by yourself, and

In verses 14-15, these two individuals were “talking with

you should. You can read scripture by yourself, and you

each other” and when they were “discussing together”

should. You can pray in solitude, and you should. Seeking

Jesus drew near to them. Jesus joins our togetherness

the Lord in the secret place is one of the things that Jesus

because He’s magnetically drawn to it. Jesus Himself

taught us to do, so it should be a part of our everyday

declared that, “For where two or three are gathered in

lives. But equally important is also doing all these things

my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20).

within the context of community and relationships.

Remember that Jesus did ministry with His disciples, not apart from them. Even when He was directing them

Seeking the face of God is foundational for experiencing

toward on-the-job training, He sent them out two-by-

the amazing life that Jesus has made available to us.

two, never alone (Luke 10:1ff). The half brother of Jesus,

He has freely and abundantly given us grace, mercy,

James, says that when we draw near to God, He draws

acceptance, joy, purpose, love and affection, and when

near to us (James 4:8). When the church met to discuss

we passionately pursue Him alongside fellow believers,

what to do with the incredible growth of the church from

a special door in opened to us through which we can

Acts 13-14 (and all the Gentiles coming into the church),

discover the fullness of all He has for us.

the apostles, elders, and the church body met together to discuss it. Acts 15:28 says that, “It seemed good to

Throughout scripture, we see the word “walk” appear

the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you.” You can

time and time again. Many times it is used as a metaphor

worship God every day by yourself, but it’s not enough.

for how an individual lives or conducts their life. The

You can pray to God everyday by yourself, but it’s not

infinitive “to walk” also has a Hebraistic translation:

enough. You can read the bible everyday by yourself, but

“to live.” In Luke 24, on the third day when Jesus had

it’s not enough. You were designed for fellowship

risen from the dead, there were two disciples who were

and community. Something amazing happens when we

walking. They were on a seven-mile journey to Emmaus,

come into God’s presence together.

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We see at the beginning of this account that these two

people, you ensure that you will move in the direction

travelers knew of Jesus, yet didn’t recognize Him in his

God is calling you to move.

resurrected form. It says, “their eyes were kept from recognizing him” (v. 16). There is a phenomenon called

Our awe is accentuated, our adoration increased, our joy

face blindness in which people who can otherwise see

doubled when we worship and pursue Jesus together. As the

perfectly well can’t process the faces of individuals they

Swedish proverb says, a shared joy is a double joy. When

should know. Perhaps these two were face blind. It was

we seek the Lord in the context of community, the blessings

only when they were at the table breaking bread together

promised through Jesus become deeper and richer.

with the risen Lord that their eyes were opened (v. 35). Similarly for us, sometimes we can most clearly see Jesus for

“Since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let

who He truly is in the context of community. There can be

us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.”

a deeper understanding of His nature when we create space

Hebrews 10:22

to remember Him together. And when the storms and trials of life come against us, and we feel like we can’t recognize the presence of Jesus in our situations, we can find solace,

Tony Calabrese is the founding and lead pastor of Radiant

comfort and strength in those walking through the storm

Church Nashville. Before he was called to plant a church,

with us. Christ can be revealed to us in all things, through

he served on the Radiant Church lead team in Kalamazoo

all circumstances, when we come together and live out our

as the Pastor of Groups and Spiritual Formation.

lives in community. We only get to where we want to go together. Like the two disciples in this story, we are all on a journey. And no matter what direction you’re headed, you can be sure of one thing: walking with others alongside you is always better than going it alone. Proverbs 13:20 says, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” In other words, when you do life with people who are moving in the same direction you want to move in, they will help you move in that direction better and faster than you ever could alone. On the flipside, those who surround themselves with fools are worse off for it. If you surround yourself with the right

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LISTEN FOR HIS VOICE BY

DAV I D

P E RK I N S

A highlight of a normal workday for me comes when

“hand-me-ups.” As Christmas approached in seventh

one of my kids calls me from the home phone. “Home”

grade, I decided to be done with other people’s clothes.

appears on my screen and regardless of which of my kids it

I wanted my own. In a similar way, we often spiritually

may be, I love to hear their voice exclaim, “Hi, Dad!”

live off the “hand-me-ups” of others. You were meant for more than secondhand encounters.

Even though all four of my kids’ little voices on the phone would sound similar to a stranger, it’s easy for me to

As a believer, you have been given access to something more

recognize the distinctions in each voice. I know their voices

precious than gold: a personal friendship with Jesus. Friends

really well because we do life together. Jesus said in John

talk to each other, and God’s desire for your relationship

10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and

with Him is no exception. But don’t be surprised when

they follow me.” If you’ll listen carefully, He’s still speaking

He doesn’t speak to you the way you want Him to.

and hearing His voice can be one of life’s highlights.

Years ago, God put a dream in my heart to plant a Jesus wants to speak directly to you. He cares about you,

church. Many of the church planters I had known over

and He’s mindful of every detail about your life; your

the years told me stories of how miraculously God had

job, your circumstance, your relationships. His desire

spoken to them about their callings as church planters.

is that you wouldn’t settle for hearing His voice solely

They received specific signs and words of confirmation,

through other people’s books, songs, sermons and stories.

and it sounded to me like God had taken them to the

While it’s good to engage with and be encouraged by

highest mountain tops and spoken to all of them in

other people’s journeys, you were meant for more than

grandiose fashion about their callings and assignments.

secondhand encounters. So after I had felt the longing in my heart to plant a When I was a boy, families in our church generously

church, I waited for my own personal mountain top

gave me garbage bags full of their hand-me-down clothes.

experience where God would call me by name and set

Because I was so small, I often received clothing from boys

my vision into motion! But the big “God moment” I was

that had outgrown their clothes even though they were

waiting for never came.

younger than me. After years of this, I began to call them 45

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The Lord spoke to me at an unexpected time in an unexpected way through a preacher, who at one point in his message said, “If there is a desire deep inside your heart that you just can’t shake, that’s probably the Lord!” My heart began race, and I knew God was calling me to plant a church. But He didn’t call me in the way I wanted to be called. Instead of an epic conversation with God, I received a desire that I couldn’t shake. In 1 Kings 18 Elijah called down fire from heaven, but a chapter later he heard God speak in just a whisper. Sometimes God speaks through the fire, and sometimes He speaks through a whisper. It’s important that that we remain content with God’s voice even when He doesn’t speak to us in the way we want or expect. It’s also important to remember that God often speaks direction without details. As Americans, we love to plan things out and know exactly what to expect. We have financial plan, health plans, education plans, career plans, and plans for when those plans to pan out. Yet when God calls us out, He often asks us to take steps before we can see the masterplan. We see this all throughout scripture: Jesus called His disciples to follow Him without giving them a plan. God told Abraham to leave his home and go to a place that God would show him after he stepped out in faith. God anointed David as the king of Israel years before he was able to ascend to the throne. God led the people out of Egypt to a promised land they couldn’t yet see. God usually gives us a compass, but rarely does He hand out maps. We resist this because we love to navigate life with certainties, but He wants us to lean on Him, trust Him through the process, and live by faith. “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.” Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG

David Perkins is the founding pastor of Radiant Church in Kansas City, where he lives with his wife, Renata, and their four children. He has a passion for prayer, discipling young people, investing in church leaders, and finding cool coffee shops in Kansas City.

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THE SECRET OF LISTENING BY

B OB

SORGE

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When God brought the people of Israel from Egypt, through

kingdom are predicated upon the necessity of hearing

the Red Sea, to Mount Sinai, He appeared to the nation

God. When the Lord gave me this truth, I wanted to

as a visible re on the mountain and spoke to them with a

underline every occurrence of the word “hear” in my

thundering audible voice. The experience was so awesome it

Bible. My paradigm of kingdom living was radically

totally overpowered the Israelites, who asked that Moses go

realigned because I was awakened to the fact that

instead and speak to God by himself on their behalf.

everything changes when I hear from God and act upon

that word. This is the wellspring of eternal life; this is the

The psalmist described this scene with a most unusual

fountainhead of kingdom power and authority; this is

phrase: “I answered you in the secret place of thunder”

the source of wisdom, understanding, and life direction!

(Psalm 81:7). God viewed the convocation with His people

Nothing can replace the con dence and authority that

on Mt. Sinai as a “secret place” encounter with His people.

comes from hearing God. Hearing God’s voice has

He called them aside to a deserted mountain in order to

become the singular quest of my heart, the sole pursuit

speak with them and give them His commandments.

that alone satisfies the great longings of my heart.

God has always designed that the secret place be a place

For this reason, I strongly advocate for a prayer life that is

where He answers us and speaks to us. Sometimes, He even

comprised mostly of silence. It’s a great delight to talk to

apprehends us by thundering to us with His awesome voice.

God, but it’s even more thrilling when He talks to us. I’ve

There is nothing more glorious in all of life than hearing His

discovered that He has more important things to say than I

voice! God has always longed to have the kind of intimate

do. Things don’t change when I talk to God; things change

relationship with His people wherein they hear His voice

when God talks to me. When I talk, nothing happens;

and respond accordingly. We close the door to our secret

when God talks, the universe comes into existence. So the

place so that we might shut out all distracting voices and

power of prayer is found, not in convincing God of my

tune our hearts to the one voice which we long to hear. “The

agenda, but in waiting upon Him to hear His agenda.

secret place of thunder”—what an awesome description of

the place where we come aside to be with our Lord!

I do not mean to give the impression that hearing God’s voice is my daily experience in the secret place. Far from

Something profound happened inside me the day the

it! Most days I come away with unful lled longings,

Lord showed me the single most important word in the

unrequited initiatives, unanswered prayers, unrealized

entire Bible. I was on an intense study of Jesus’ teachings, and was suddenly struck by how often Jesus talked about the necessity of hearing. For example, He cried out, “‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’” (Matthew 13:9). His words hit me like a freight train. I realized that everything in the kingdom depends upon whether or not we hear the word of God. The Holy Spirit began to extrapolate that truth for me to the breadth of the entire Bible, and

aspirations, deferred hopes, and incomplete understandings. But then along comes one of those days—you know what I mean—when heaven leans over and God speaks a word directly to the heart. He breathes upon a portion of Scripture and personalizes its meaning precisely to my felt needs. Oh what glory! That moment is worth all of the knocking and seeking of the preceding days. I will endure

suddenly I saw it: The word “hear” is the most important

months of silence if He will but speak one creative word

word in the Bible! The most important treasures in the

from His mouth to my spirit.

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My role in the secret place is to listen for anything God

until. He longs to commune with you.

might want to speak. If He doesn’t speak to me, my time

When listening, it is a common experience to be

spent in silent listening is not futile or in vain. I haven’t

bombarded with thoughts about all that must be done in

missed something or failed to connect. I’ve done my part.

our daily duties. A practical suggestion: Take a notepad

It is so important to me that I put myself in a posture

to the secret place, and write down “things to do” as they

of listening. I’m convinced there have been times I have

interrupt your listening. Then, you can put those thoughts

not clearly heard God’s word to my heart because I have

out of mind and maintain your focus where you want it,

not been listening at the time He was speaking. I realize

knowing that you’ll not forget about those details later.

I can’t tell God what to speak, or when to speak it. But I can position myself in the secret place so that, when He

Be encouraged by the fact that you’re not the only one

chooses to speak, I am found listening.

who finds listening a very challenging discipline to master.

The best attainments in God always come the hardest. Be

Scripture says,“‘Today, if you will hear His voice’” (Psalm

prepared to make the discipline of attentive listening a

95:7). So hearing the voice of God is largely a matter of

lifetime pursuit that will become easier in the doing of it.

the will. We must choose to hear Him. We make the

Let’s grow together!

choice by setting aside time to listen quietly. This hearing is a “today” thing that we do. It says “if” because hearing His voice is conditional—built upon the condition of

This is an excerpt from the book Secrets of the Secret Place

quieting our hearts to listen.

by Bob Sorge. Bob is “the speaker who can’t talk”—that

is, his speaking strength reduced to a whisper because of

All of us want God to hear our prayers. But the Lord said,

a debilitating vocal injury he suffered over 20 years ago.

“‘Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and

Through the journey, God has given him an empowering

they would not hear, so they called out and I would not

message that explores God’s purposes in fiery trials. It’s not

listen’” (Zechariah 7:13). In other words, God is saying,

the fire that changes you but your pursuit of God in the

“When I spoke, you didn’t listen to Me; therefore, when

fire that changes you. Bob has a unique way of helping us

you speak, I won’t listen to you.” The inference is that

process our journey so we stay in the race and overcome.

when we hear God’s voice, He in turn listens to our voice.

Secrets of the Secret Place is available in the Radiant Store.

Oh, how can I speak of this wondrous secret more articulately? How can I make it more plain? Hearing God is the most cherished secret of the secret place. Do not believe your adversary’s lies. He would tell you that you are unable to hear the voice of God. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus said of you, “‘My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me’” (John 10:27). You can hear the voice of God. Stop everything, come aside, listen, and wait on Him. Wait

DAI LY READINGS C . H .

SPU RG E O N

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M O R NING DA I LY BY

A N D

E V E N I NG

RE A D I NG S

C H A R L E S

H A DDO N

SPU RG E O N

"He wakeneth morning by morning. He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." Isaiah 50:4 "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; when I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches." Ps. 63:5â&#x20AC;&#x201C;6 56

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J ANUARY

MORNING

“They did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” Joshua 5:12 Israel’s weary wanderings were all over, and the promised

A part of the host will this year tarry on earth, to do service

rest was attained. No more moving tents, fiery serpents,

for their Lord. If this should fall to our lot, there is no

fierce Amalekites, and howling wildernesses: they came

reason why the New Year’s text should not still be true.

to the land which flowed with milk and honey, and they

“We who have believed do enter into rest.” The Holy

ate the old corn of the land. Perhaps this year, beloved

Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance; he gives us “glory

Christian reader, this may be thy case or mine. Joyful is

begun below.” In heaven they are secure, and so are we

the prospect, and if faith be in active exercise, it will yield

preserved in Christ Jesus; there they triumph over their

unalloyed delight. To be with Jesus in the rest which

enemies, and we have victories too. Celestial spirits enjoy

remaineth for the people of God, is a cheering hope

communion with their Lord, and this is not denied to us;

indeed, and to expect this glory so soon is a double bliss.

they rest in his love, and we have perfect peace in him:

Unbelief shudders at the Jordan which still rolls between

they hymn his praise, and it is our privilege to bless him

us and the goodly land, but let us rest assured that we

too. We will this year gather celestial fruits on earthly

have already experienced more ills than death at its worst

ground, where faith and hope have made the desert like the

can cause us. Let us banish every fearful thought, and

garden of the Lord. Man did eat angels’ food of old, and

rejoice with exceeding great joy, in the prospect that this

why not now? O for grace to feed on Jesus, and so to eat of

year we shall begin to be “forever with the Lord.”

the fruit of the land of Canaan this year!

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“We will be glad and rejoice in thee.” Song of Solomon 1:4 We will be glad and rejoice in thee. We will not open

Jerusalem. We will be glad and rejoice: two words with

the gates of the year to the dolorous notes of the sackbut,

one sense, double joy, blessedness upon blessedness. Need

but to the sweet strains of the harp of joy, and the high

there be any limit to our rejoicing in the Lord even now?

sounding cymbals of gladness. “O come, let us sing unto

Do not men of grace find their Lord to be camphire and

the Lord: let us make a joyful noise unto the rock of

spikenard, calamus and cinnamon even now, and what

our salvation.” We, the called and faithful and chosen,

better fragrance have they in heaven itself? We will be glad

we will drive away our griefs, and set up our banners of

and rejoice in Thee. That last word is the meat in the dish,

confidence in the name of God. Let others lament over

the kernel of the nut, the soul of the text. What heavens

their troubles, we who have the sweetening tree to cast

are laid up in Jesus! What rivers of infinite bliss have

into Marah’s bitter pool, with joy will magnify the Lord.

their source, aye, and every drop of their fulness in him!

Eternal Spirit, our effectual Comforter, we who are the

Since, O sweet Lord Jesus, thou art the present portion

temples in which thou dwellest, will never cease from

of thy people, favour us this year with such a sense of thy

adoring and blessing the name of Jesus. We will, we

preciousness, that from its first to its last day we may be

are resolved about it, Jesus must have the crown of our

glad and rejoice in thee. Let January open with joy in the

heart’s delight; we will not dishonour our Bridegroom

Lord, and December close with gladness in Jesus.

by mourning in his presence. We are ordained to be the minstrels of the skies, let us rehearse our everlasting anthem before we sing it in the halls of the New

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“Continue in prayer.” Colossians 4:2 It is interesting to remark how large a portion of Sacred

to pray. Dost thou want nothing? Then, I fear thou dost

Writ is occupied with the subject of prayer, either in

not know thy poverty. Hast thou no mercy to ask of

furnishing examples, enforcing precepts, or pronouncing

God? Then, may the Lord’s mercy show thee thy misery!

promises. We scarcely open the Bible before we read,

A prayerless soul is a Christless soul. Prayer is the lisping

“Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord;”

of the believing infant, the shout of the fighting believer,

and just as we are about to close the volume, the “Amen”

the requiem of the dying saint falling asleep in Jesus. It is

of an earnest supplication meets our ear. Instances are

the breath, the watchword, the comfort, the strength, the

plentiful. Here we find a wrestling Jacob—there a Daniel

honour of a Christian. If thou be a child of God, thou

who prayed three times a day—and a David who with all

wilt seek thy Father’s face, and live in thy Father’s love.

his heart called upon his God. On the mountain we see

Pray that this year thou mayst be holy, humble, zealous,

Elias; in the dungeon Paul and Silas. We have multitudes

and patient; have closer communion with Christ, and

of commands, and myriads of promises. What does this

enter oftener into the banqueting-house of his love. Pray

teach us, but the sacred importance and necessity of

that thou mayst be an example and a blessing unto others,

prayer? We may be certain that whatever God has made

and that thou mayst live more to the glory of thy Master.

prominent in his Word, he intended to be conspicuous in

The motto for this year must be, “Continue in prayer.”

our lives. If he has said much about prayer, it is because he knows we have much need of it. So deep are our necessities, that until we are in heaven we must not cease

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“Let the people renew their strength.” Isaiah 41:1 All things on earth need to be renewed. No created thing

upon him as the flowers wait upon the dew. Without

continueth by itself. “Thou renewest the face of the year,”

constant restoration we are not ready for the perpetual

was the Psalmist’s utterance. Even the trees, which wear

assaults of hell, or the stern afflictions of heaven, or

not themselves with care, nor shorten their lives with

even for the strifes within. When the whirlwind shall

labour, must drink of the rain of heaven and suck from

be loosed, woe to the tree that hath not sucked up fresh

the hidden treasures of the soil. The cedars of Lebanon,

sap, and grasped the rock with many intertwisted roots.

which God has planted, only live because day by day they

When tempests arise, woe to the mariners that have not

are full of sap fresh drawn from the earth. Neither can

strengthened their mast, nor cast their anchor, nor sought

man’s life be sustained without renewal from God. As it is

the haven. If we suffer the good to grow weaker, the evil

necessary to repair the waste of the body by the frequent

will surely gather strength and struggle desperately for the

meal, so we must repair the waste of the soul by feeding

mastery over us; and so, perhaps, a painful desolation, and

upon the Book of God, or by listening to the preached

a lamentable disgrace may follow. Let us draw near to the

Word, or by the soul-fattening table of the ordinances.

footstool of divine mercy in humble entreaty, and we shall

How depressed are our graces when means are neglected!

realize the fulfilment of the promise, “They that wait on

What poor starvelings some saints are who live without

the Lord shall renew their strength.”

the diligent use of the Word of God and secret prayer! If our piety can live without God it is not of divine creating; it is but a dream; for if God had begotten it, it would wait

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“I will give thee for a covenant of the people.” Isaiah 49:8 Jesus Christ is himself the sum and substance of the

that is yours, for he will by his justice see to it that all

covenant, and as one of its gifts. He is the property of

which is promised to you in the covenant of grace shall

every believer. Believer, canst thou estimate what thou

be most certainly secured to you. And all that he has as

hast gotten in Christ? “In him dwelleth all the fulness of

perfect man is yours. As a perfect man the Father’s delight

the Godhead bodily.” Consider that word “God” and its

was upon him. He stood accepted by the Most High. O

infinity, and then meditate upon “perfect man” and all

believer, God’s acceptance of Christ is thine acceptance;

his beauty; for all that Christ, as God and man, ever had,

for knowest thou not that the love which the Father set

or can have, is thine—out of pure free favour, passed over

on a perfect Christ, he sets on thee now? For all that

to thee to be thine entailed property forever. Our blessed

Christ did is thine. That perfect righteousness which Jesus

Jesus, as God, is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent.

wrought out, when through his stainless life he kept the

Will it not console you to know that all these great and

law and made it honourable, is thine, and is imputed to

glorious attributes are altogether yours? Has he power?

thee. Christ is in the covenant.

That power is yours to support and strengthen you, to overcome your enemies, and to preserve you even to the

“My God, I am thine—what a comfort divine!

end. Has he love? Well, there is not a drop of love in his

What a blessing to know that the Saviour is mine!

heart which is not yours; you may dive into the immense

In the heavenly Lamb thrice happy I am, And my heart it

ocean of his love, and you may say of it all, “It is mine.”

doth dance at the sound of his name.”

Hath he justice? It may seem a stern attribute, but even

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“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” Luke 3:4 The voice crying in the wilderness demanded a way for the

The crooked shall be made straight. The wavering heart

Lord, a way prepared, and a way prepared in the wilderness.

must have a straight path of decision for God and holiness

I would be attentive to the Master’s proclamation, and give

marked out for it. Double-minded men are strangers to the

him a road into my heart, cast up by gracious operations,

God of truth. My soul, take heed that thou be in all things

through the desert of my nature. The four directions in the

honest and true, as in the sight of the heart-searching God.

text must have my serious attention.

The rough places shall be made smooth. Stumbling-

Every valley must be exalted. Low and grovelling thoughts

blocks of sin must be removed, and thorns and briers

of God must be given up; doubting and despairing must

of rebellion must be uprooted. So great a visitor must

be removed; and self-seeking and carnal delights must be

not find miry ways and stony places when he comes to

forsaken. Across these deep valleys a glorious causeway of

honour his favoured ones with his company. Oh that

grace must be raised.

this evening the Lord may find in my heart a highway

made ready by his grace, that he may make a triumphal

Every mountain and hill shall be laid low. Proud creature-

progress through the utmost bounds of my soul, from the

sufficiency, and boastful self- righteousness, must be

beginning of this year even to the end of it.

levelled, to make a highway for the King of kings. Divine fellowship is never vouchsafed to haughty, highminded sinners. The Lord hath respect unto the lowly, and visits the contrite in heart, but the lofty are an abomination unto him. My soul, beseech the Holy Spirit to set thee right in this respect.

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“Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18 “Grow in grace”—not in one grace only, but in all grace.

although Christ doth satisfy, yet it is such a satisfaction,

Grow in that root-grace, faith. Believe the promises more

that the appetite is not cloyed, but whetted. If you know

firmly than you have done. Let faith increase in fullness,

the love of Jesus—as the hart panteth for the water-

constancy, simplicity. Grow also in love. Ask that your

brooks, so will you pant after deeper draughts of his love.

love may become extended, more intense, more practical,

If you do not desire to know him better, then you love

influencing every thought, word, and deed. Grow likewise

him not, for love always cries, “Nearer, nearer.” Absence

in humility. Seek to lie very low, and know more of your

from Christ is hell; but the presence of Jesus is heaven.

own nothingness. As you grow downward in humility,

Rest not then content without an increasing acquaintance

seek also to grow upward—having nearer approaches to

with Jesus. Seek to know more of him in his divine

God in prayer and more intimate fellowship with Jesus.

nature, in his human relationship, in his finished work,

May God the Holy Spirit enable you to “grow in the

in his death, in his resurrection, in his present glorious

knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.” He who grows not

intercession, and in his future royal advent. Abide hard

in the knowledge of Jesus, refuses to be blessed. To know

by the Cross, and search the mystery of his wounds. An

him is “life eternal,” and to advance in the knowledge of

increase of love to Jesus, and a more perfect apprehension

him is to increase in happiness. He who does not long

of his love to us is one of the best tests of growth in grace.

to know more of Christ, knows nothing of him yet. Whoever hath sipped this wine will thirst for more, for

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“And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.” Genesis 42:8 This morning our desires went forth for growth in our

But, alas! we knew not our royal Brother, and out of this

acquaintance with the Lord Jesus; it may be well tonight

ignorance grew a host of sins. We withheld our hearts

to consider a kindred topic, namely, our heavenly Joseph’s

from him, and allowed him no entrance to our love. We

knowledge of us. This was most blessedly perfect long

mistrusted him, and gave no credit to his words. We

before we had the slightest knowledge of him. “His eyes

rebelled against him, and paid him no loving homage.

beheld our substance, yet being imperfect, and in his book

The Sun of Righteousness shone forth, and we could

all our members were written, when as yet there was none

not see him. Heaven came down to earth, and earth

of them.” Before we had a being in the world we had a

perceived it not. Let God be praised, those days are over

being in his heart. When we were enemies to him, he

with us; yet even now it is but little that we know of Jesus

knew us, our misery, our madness, and our wickedness.

compared with what he knows of us. We have but begun

When we wept bitterly in despairing repentance, and

to study him, but he knoweth us altogether. It is a blessed

viewed him only as a judge and a ruler, he viewed us as

circumstance that the ignorance is not on his side, for

his brethren well beloved, and his bowels yearned towards

then it would be a hopeless case for us. He will not say

us. He never mistook his chosen, but always beheld them

to us, “I never knew you,” but he will confess our names

as objects of his infinite affection. “The Lord knoweth

in the day of his appearing, and meanwhile will manifest

them that are his,” is as true of the prodigals who are

himself to us as he doth not unto the world.

feeding swine as of the children who sit at the table.

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“And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” Genesis 1:4 Light might well be good since it sprang from that fiat of

No sooner is there a good thing in the world, than

goodness, “Let there be light.” We who enjoy it should be

a division is necessary. Light and darkness have no

more grateful for it than we are, and see more of God in

communion; God has divided them, let us not confound

it and by it. Light physical is said by Solomon to be sweet,

them. Sons of light must not have fellowship with deeds,

but gospel light is infinitely more precious, for it reveals

doctrines, or deceits of darkness. The children of the day

eternal things, and ministers to our immortal natures.

must be sober, honest, and bold in their Lord’s work,

When the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual light, and opens

leaving the works of darkness to those who shall dwell in

our eyes to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus

it forever. Our Churches should by discipline divide the

Christ, we behold sin in its true colours, and ourselves in

light from the darkness, and we should by our distinct

our real position; we see the Most Holy God as he reveals

separation from the world do the same. In judgment, in

himself, the plan of mercy as he propounds it, and the

action, in hearing, in teaching, in association, we must

world to come as the Word describes it. Spiritual light has

discern between the precious and the vile, and maintain the

many beams and prismatic colours, but whether they be

great distinction which the Lord made upon the world’s

knowledge, joy, holiness, or life, all are divinely good. If

first day. O Lord Jesus, be thou our light throughout the

the light received be thus good, what must the essential

whole of this day, for thy light is the light of men.

light be, and how glorious must be the place where he reveals himself. O Lord, since light is so good, give us more of it, and more of thyself, the true light.

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“And God saw the light.” Genesis 1:4 This morning we noticed the goodness of the light, and

groaning because of inbred sin, and mourning over your

the Lord’s dividing it from the darkness, we now note

darkness, yet the Lord sees “light” in your heart, for he

the special eye which the Lord had for the light. “God

has put it there, and all the cloudiness and gloom of your

saw the light”—he looked at it with complacency, gazed

soul cannot conceal your light from his gracious eye. You

upon it with pleasure, saw that it “was good.” If the Lord

may have sunk low in despondency, and even despair; but

has given you light, dear reader, he looks on that light

if your soul has any longing towards Christ, and if you are

with peculiar interest; for not only is it dear to him as

seeking to rest in his finished work, God sees the “light.”

his own handiwork, but because it is like himself, for

He not only sees it, but he also preserves it in you. “I,

“He is light.” Pleasant it is to the believer to know that

the Lord, do keep it.” This is a precious thought to those

God’s eye is thus tenderly observant of that work of grace

who, after anxious watching and guarding of themselves,

which he has begun. He never loses sight of the treasure

feel their own powerlessness to do so. The light thus

which he has placed in our earthen vessels. Sometimes

preserved by his grace, he will one day develop into the

we cannot see the light, but God always sees the light,

splendour of noonday, and the fulness of glory. The light

and that is much better than our seeing it. Better for the

within is the dawn of the eternal day.

judge to see my innocence than for me to think I see it. It is very comfortable for me to know that I am one of God’s people—but whether I know it or not, if the Lord knows it, I am still safe. This is the foundation, “The Lord knoweth them that are his.” You may be sighing and

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“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 It is a happy way of soothing sorrow when we can

showers of mercy. The blackest gloom shall give place to

feel—“HE careth for me.” Christian! do not dishonour

the morning. He, if thou art one of his family, will bind

religion by always wearing a brow of care; come, cast your

up thy wounds, and heal thy broken heart. Doubt not his

burden upon your Lord. You are staggering beneath a

grace because of thy tribulation, but believe that he loveth

weight which your Father would not feel. What seems to

thee as much in seasons of trouble as in times of happiness.

you a crushing burden, would be to him but as the small

What a serene and quiet life might you lead if you would

dust of the balance. Nothing is so sweet as to

leave providing to the God of providence! With a little oil

in the cruse, and a handful of meal in the barrel, Elijah

“Lie passive in God’s hands, And know no will but his.”

outlived the famine, and you will do the same. If God

cares for you, why need you care too? Can you trust him

O child of suffering, be thou patient; God has not passed

for your soul, and not for your body? He has never refused

thee over in his providence. He who is the feeder of

to bear your burdens, he has never fainted under their

sparrows, will also furnish you with what you need. Sit

weight. Come, then, soul! have done with fretful care, and

not down in despair; hope on, hope ever. Take up the

leave all thy concerns in the hand of a gracious God.

arms of faith against a sea of trouble, and your opposition shall yet end your distresses. There is One who careth for you. His eye is fixed on you, his heart beats with pity for your woe, and his hand omnipotent shall yet bring you the needed help. The darkest cloud shall scatter itself in

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“Now the hand of the Lord was upon me in the evening.” Ezekiel 33:22 In the way of judgment this may be the case, and, if so,

rage, my faith is weak, my devotion is cold; all these are

be it mine to consider the reason of such a visitation,

reasons why his healing hand should be laid upon me.

and bear the rod and him that hath appointed it. I am

His hand can cool the heat of my burning brow, and stay

not the only one who is chastened in the night season;

the tumult of my palpitating heart. That glorious right

let me cheerfully submit to the affliction, and carefully

hand which moulded the world can new-create my mind;

endeavour to be profited thereby. But the hand of the

the unwearied hand which bears the earth’s huge pillars

Lord may also be felt in another manner, strengthening

up can sustain my spirit; the loving hand which incloses

the soul and lifting the spirit upward towards eternal

all the saints can cherish me; and the mighty hand which

things. O that I may in this sense feel the Lord dealing

breaketh in pieces the enemy can subdue my sins. Why

with me! A sense of the divine presence and indwelling

should I not feel that hand touching me this evening?

bears the soul towards heaven as upon the wings of eagles.

Come, my soul, address thy God with the potent plea,

At such times we are full to the brim with spiritual joy,

that Jesus’ hands were pierced for thy redemption, and

and forget the cares and sorrows of earth; the invisible

thou shalt surely feel that same hand upon thee which

is near, and the visible loses its power over us; servant-

once touched Daniel and set him upon his knees that he

body waits at the foot of the hill, and the master-spirit

might see visions of God.

worships upon the summit in the presence of the Lord. O that a hallowed season of divine communion may be vouchsafed to me this evening! The Lord knows that I need it very greatly. My graces languish, my corruptions

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“For me to live is Christ.” Philippians 1:21 The believer did not always live to Christ. He began to do

Is it not done for self- aggrandizement and for family

so when God the Holy Spirit convinced him of sin, and

advantage? Do you ask, “Is that a mean reason?” For the

when by grace he was brought to see the dying Saviour

Christian it is. He professes to live for Christ; how can

making a propitiation for his guilt. From the moment

he live for another object without committing a spiritual

of the new and celestial birth the man begins to live to

adultery? Many there are who carry out this principle in

Christ. Jesus is to believers the one pearl of great price, for

some measure; but who is there that dare say that he hath

whom we are willing to part with all that we have. He has

lived wholly for Christ as the apostle did? Yet, this alone

so completely won our love, that it beats alone for him;

is the true life of a Christian—its source, its sustenance,

to his glory we would live, and in defence of his gospel

its fashion, its end, all gathered up in one word—Christ

we would die; he is the pattern of our life, and the model

Jesus. Lord, accept me; I here present myself, praying to

after which we would sculpture our character. Paul’s

live only in thee and to thee. Let me be as the bullock

words mean more than most men think; they imply that

which stands between the plough and the altar, to work or

the aim and end of his life was Christ—nay, his life itself

to be sacrificed; and let my motto be, “Ready for either.”

was Jesus. In the words of an ancient saint, he did eat, and drink, and sleep eternal life. Jesus was his very breath, the soul of his soul, the heart of his heart, the life of his life. Can you say, as a professing Christian, that you live up to this idea? Can you honestly say that for you to live is Christ? Your business—are you doing it for Christ?

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“My sister, my spouse.” Song of Solomon 4:12 Observe the sweet titles with which the heavenly Solomon

because they were his sheep; he has gone about “to seek

with intense affection addresses his bride the church.

and to save that which was lost,” because that which was

“My sister, one near to me by ties of nature, partaker of

lost was his long before it was lost to itself or lost to him.

the same sympathies. My spouse, nearest and dearest,

The church is the exclusive portion of her Lord; none

united to me by the tenderest bands of love; my sweet

else may claim a partnership, or pretend to share her love.

companion, part of my own self. My sister, by my

Jesus, thy church delights to have it so! Let every believing

Incarnation, which makes me bone of thy bone and flesh

soul drink solace out of these wells. Soul! Christ is near to

of thy flesh; my spouse, by heavenly betrothal, in which

thee in ties of relationship; Christ is dear to thee in bonds

I have espoused thee unto myself in righteousness. My

of marriage union, and thou art dear to him; behold he

sister, whom I knew of old, and over whom I watched

grasps both of thy hands with both his own, saying, “My

from her earliest infancy; my spouse, taken from among

sister, my spouse.” Mark the two sacred holdfasts by

the daughters, embraced by arms of love, and affianced

which thy Lord gets such a double hold of thee that he

unto me forever. See how true it is that our royal

neither can nor will ever let thee go. Be not, O beloved,

Kinsman is not ashamed of us, for he dwells with manifest

slow to return the hallowed flame of his love.

delight upon this twofold relationship. We have the word “my” twice in our version; as if Christ dwelt with rapture on his possession of his Church. “His delights were with the sons of men,” because those sons of men were his own chosen ones. He, the Shepherd, sought the sheep,

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“The iniquity of the holy things.” Exodus 28:38 What a veil is lifted up by these words, and what a

wish? It may be that I may walk out and say to myself,

disclosure is made! It will be humbling and profitable

‘In what fine order is my garden kept!’ This is pride. Or,

for us to pause awhile and see this sad sight. The

it may be that my neighbours may look over the wall and

iniquities of our public worship, its hypocrisy, formality,

say, ‘How finely your garden flourishes!’ This is vanity.

lukewarmness, irreverence, wandering of heart and forget-

Or I may wish for the destruction of the weeds, because

fulness of God, what a full measure have we there! Our

I am weary of pulling them up. This is indolence.” So

work for the Lord, its emulation, selfishness, carelessness,

that even our desires after holiness may be polluted by ill

slackness, unbelief, what a mass of defilement is there!

motives. Under the greenest sods worms hide themselves;

Our private devotions, their laxity, coldness, neglect,

we need not look long to discover them. How cheering

sleepiness, and vanity, what a mountain of dead earth

is the thought, that when the High Priest bore the

is there! If we looked more carefully we should find

iniquity of the holy things he wore upon his brow the

this iniquity to be far greater than appears at first sight.

words, “Holiness to the Lord:” and even so while Jesus

Dr. Payson, writing to his brother, says, “My parish, as

bears our sin, he presents before his Father’s face not our

well as my heart, very much resembles the garden of the

unholiness, but his own holiness. O for grace to view our

sluggard; and what is worse, I find that very many of my

great High Priest by the eye of faith!

desires for the melioration of both, proceed either from pride or vanity or indolence. I look at the weeds which overspread my garden, and breathe out an earnest wish that they were eradicated. But why? What prompts the

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“Thy love is better than wine.” Song of Solomon 1:2 Nothing gives the believer so much joy as fellowship with

that our highest, purest, and most enduring joys must

Christ. He has enjoyment as others have in the common

be the fruit of the tree of life which is in the midst of the

mercies of life, he can be glad both in God’s gifts and

Paradise of God. No spring yields such sweet water as that

God’s works; but in all these separately, yea, and in all of

well of God which was digged with the soldier’s spear.

them added together, he doth not find such substantial

All earthly bliss is of the earth earthy, but the comforts

delight as in the matchless person of his Lord Jesus. He

of Christ’s presence are like himself, heavenly. We can

has wine which no vineyard on earth ever yielded; he

review our communion with Jesus, and find no regrets of

has bread which all the corn-fields of Egypt could never

emptiness therein; there are no dregs in this wine, no dead

bring forth. Where can such sweetness be found as we

flies in this ointment. The joy of the Lord is solid and

have tasted in communion with our Beloved? In our

enduring. Vanity hath not looked upon it, but discretion

esteem, the joys of earth are little better than husks for

and prudence testify that it abideth the test of years, and

swine compared with Jesus, the heavenly manna. We

is in time and in eternity worthy to be called “the only

would rather have one mouthful of Christ’s love, and a

true delight.” For nourishment, consolation, exhilaration,

sip of his fellowship, than a whole world full of carnal

and refreshment, no wine can rival the love of Jesus. Let

delights. What is the chaff to the wheat? What is the

us drink to the full this evening.

sparkling paste to the true diamond? What is a dream to the glorious reality? What is time’s mirth, in its best trim, compared to our Lord Jesus in his most despised estate? If you know anything of the inner life, you will confess

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“I will be their God.” Jeremiah 31:33 Christian! here is all thou canst require. To make thee

in it; swim an age, and thou shalt find no shore; dive

happy thou wantest something that shall satisfy thee;

throughout eternity, and thou shalt find no bottom. “I

and is not this enough? If thou canst pour this promise

will be their God.” If this do not make thine eyes sparkle,

into thy cup, wilt thou not say, with David, “My cup

and thy heart beat high with bliss, then assuredly thy

runneth over; I have more than heart can wish”? When

soul is not in a healthy state. But thou wantest more than

this is fulfilled, “I am thy God”, art thou not possessor of

present delights—thou cravest something concerning

all things? Desire is insatiable as death, but he who filleth

which thou mayest exercise hope; and what more canst

all in all can fill it. The capacity of our wishes who can

thou hope for than the fulfilment of this great promise,

measure? But the immeasurable wealth of God can more

“I will be their God”? This is the masterpiece of all the

than overflow it. I ask thee if thou art not complete when

promises; its enjoyment makes a heaven below, and will

God is thine? Dost thou want anything but God? Is not

make a heaven above. Dwell in the light of thy Lord, and

his all-sufficiency enough to satisfy thee if all else should

let thy soul be always ravished with his love. Get out the

fail? But thou wantest more than quiet satisfaction; thou

marrow and fatness which this portion yields thee. Live

desirest rapturous delight. Come, soul, here is music fit

up to thy privileges, and rejoice with unspeakable joy.

for heaven in this thy portion, for God is the Maker of Heaven. Not all the music blown from sweet instruments, or drawn from living strings, can yield such melody as this sweet promise, “I will be their God.” Here is a deep sea of bliss, a shoreless ocean of delight; come, bathe thy spirit

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“Serve the Lord with gladness.” Psalm 100:2 Delight in divine service is a token of acceptance. Those

the support of our strength; in the joy of the Lord are

who serve God with a sad countenance, because they do

we strong. It acts as the remover of difficulties. It is to

what is unpleasant to them, are not serving him at all;

our service what oil is to the wheels of a railway carriage.

they bring the form of homage, but the life is absent.

Without oil the axle soon grows hot, and accidents occur;

Our God requires no slaves to grace his throne; he is the

and if there be not a holy cheerfulness to oil our wheels,

Lord of the empire of love, and would have his servants

our spirits will be clogged with weariness. The man who is

dressed in the livery of joy. The angels of God serve him

cheerful in his service of God, proves that obedience is his

with songs, not with groans; a murmur or a sigh would

element; he can sing,

be a mutiny in their ranks. That obedience which is not

voluntary is disobedience, for the Lord looketh at the

“Make me to walk in thy commands, ’Tis a delightful road.”

heart, and if he seeth that we serve him from force, and

not because we love him, he will reject our offering.

Reader, let us put this question—do you serve the Lord with

Service coupled with cheerfulness is heart-service, and

gladness? Let us show to the people of the world, who think

therefore true. Take away joyful willingness from the

our religion to be slavery, that it is to us a delight and a joy!

Christian, and you have removed the test of his sincerity.

Let our gladness proclaim that we serve a good Master.

If a man be driven to battle, he is no patriot; but he who marches into the fray with flashing eye and beaming face, singing, “It is sweet for one’s country to die,” proves himself to be sincere in his patriotism. Cheerfulness is

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MORNING

“There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.” 2 Timothy 4:8 Doubting one! thou hast often said, “I fear I shall never

pleasant country, and all its joyous inhabitants? Know,

enter heaven.” Fear not! all the people of God shall enter

then, that if thou couldst fly across thou wouldst see

there. I love the quaint saying of a dying man, who

written upon one of its many mansions, “This remaineth

exclaimed, “I have no fear of going home; I have sent all

for such a one; preserved for him only. He shall be caught

before me; God’s finger is on the latch of my door, and

up to dwell forever with God.” Poor doubting one, see

I am ready for him to enter.” “But,” said one, “are you

the fair inheritance; it is thine. If thou believest in the

not afraid lest you should miss your inheritance?” “Nay,”

Lord Jesus, if thou hast repented of sin, if thou hast been

said he, “nay; there is one crown in heaven which the

renewed in heart, thou art one of the Lord’s people, and

angel Gabriel could not wear, it will fit no head but mine.

there is a place reserved for thee, a crown laid up for thee,

There is one throne in heaven which Paul the apostle

a harp specially provided for thee. No one else shall have

could not fill; it was made for me, and I shall have it.” O

thy portion, it is reserved in heaven for thee, and thou

Christian, what a joyous thought! thy portion is secure;

shalt have it ere long, for there shall be no vacant thrones

“there remaineth a rest.” “But cannot I forfeit it?” No,

in glory when all the chosen are gathered in.

it is entailed. If I be a child of God I shall not lose it. It is mine as securely as if I were there. Come with me, believer, and let us sit upon the top of Nebo, and view the goodly land, even Canaan. Seest thou that little river of death glistening in the sunlight, and across it dost thou see the pinnacles of the eternal city? Dost thou mark the

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“In my flesh shall I see God.” Job 19:26 Mark the subject of Job’s devout anticipation “I shall see

that of seeing him. Think not that this will be a narrow

God.” He does not say, “I shall see the saints”—though

sphere for the mind to dwell in. It is but one source of

doubtless that will be untold felicity—but, “I shall see

delight, but that source is infinite. All his attributes shall

God.” It is not—“I shall see the pearly gates, I shall

be subjects for contemplation, and as he is infinite under

behold the walls of jasper, I shall gaze upon the crowns

each aspect, there is no fear of exhaustion. His works, his

of gold,” but “I shall see God.” This is the sum and

gifts, his love to us, and his glory in all his purposes, and in

substance of heaven, this is the joyful hope of all believers.

all his actions, these shall make a theme which will be ever

It is their delight to see him now in the ordinances by

new. The patriarch looked forward to this sight of God as

faith. They love to behold him in communion and in

a personal enjoyment. “Whom mine eye shall behold, and

prayer; but there in heaven they shall have an open and

not another.” Take realizing views of heaven’s bliss; think

unclouded vision, and thus seeing “him as he is,” shall

what it will be to you. “Thine eyes shall see the King in

be made completely like him. Likeness to God—what

his beauty.” All earthly brightness fades and darkens as we

can we wish for more? And a sight of God—what can we

gaze upon it, but here is a brightness which can never dim,

desire better? Some read the passage, “Yet, I shall see God

a glory which can never fade—“I shall see God.”

in my flesh,” and find here an allusion to Christ, as the “Word made flesh,” and that glorious beholding of him which shall be the splendour of the latter days. Whether so or not it is certain that Christ shall be the object of our eternal vision; nor shall we ever want any joy beyond

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MORNING

“These have no root.” Luke 8:13 My soul, examine thyself this morning by the light of this

by grace, the good seed may germinate for a season, but it

text. Thou hast received the word with joy; thy feelings

must ultimately wither, for it cannot flourish on a rocky,

have been stirred and a lively impression has been made;

un- broken, unsanctified heart. Let me dread a godliness

but, remember, that to receive the word in the ear is

as rapid in growth and as wanting in endurance as Jonah’s

one thing, and to receive Jesus into thy very soul is quite

gourd; let me count the cost of being a follower of Jesus,

another; superficial feeling is often joined to inward

above all let me feel the energy of his Holy Spirit, and then

hardness of heart, and a lively impression of the word is

I shall possess an abiding and enduring seed in my soul. If

not always a lasting one. In the parable, the seed in one

my mind remains as obdurate as it was by nature, the sun of

case fell upon ground having a rocky bottom, covered

trial will scorch, and my hard heart will help to cast the heat

over with a thin layer of earth; when the seed began to

the more terribly upon the ill-covered seed, and my religion

take root, its downward growth was hindered by the hard

will soon die, and my despair will be terrible; therefore, O

stone and therefore it spent its strength in pushing its

heavenly Sower, plough me first, and then cast the truth

green shoot aloft as high as it could, but having no inward

into me, and let me yield thee a bounteous harvest.

moisture derived from root nourishment, it withered away. Is this my case? Have I been making a fair show in the flesh without having a corresponding inner life? Good growth takes place upwards and downwards at the same time. Am I rooted in sincere fidelity and love to Jesus? If my heart remains unsoftened and unfertilized

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EVENING

“I have prayed for thee.” Luke 22:32 How encouraging is the thought of the Redeemer’s never-

his breastplate! Even before Satan had begun to tempt,

ceasing intercession for us. When we pray, he pleads

Jesus had forestalled him and entered a plea in heaven.

for us; and when we are not praying, he is advocating

Mercy outruns malice. Mark, he does not say, “Satan

our cause, and by his supplications shielding us from

hath desired to have you.” He checks Satan even in his

unseen dangers. Notice the word of comfort addressed

very desire, and nips it in the bud. He does not say, “But

to Peter—“Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have

I have desired to pray for you.” No, but “I have prayed

you that he may sift you as wheat; but”—what? “But go

for you: I have done it already; I have gone to court and

and pray for yourself.” That would be good advice, but

entered a counterplea even before an accusation is made.”

it is not so written. Neither does he say, “But I will keep

O Jesus, what a comfort it is that thou hast pleaded our

you watchful, and so you shall be preserved.” That were a

cause against our unseen enemies; countermined their

great blessing. No, it is, “But I have prayed for thee, that

mines, and unmasked their ambushes. Here is a matter

thy faith fail not.” We little know what we owe to our

for joy, gratitude, hope, and confidence.

Saviour’s prayers. When we reach the hill-tops of heaven, and look back upon all the way whereby the Lord our God hath led us, how we shall praise him who, before the eternal throne, undid the mischief which Satan was doing upon earth. How shall we thank him because he never held his peace, but day and night pointed to the wounds upon his hands, and carried our names upon

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MORNING

“Ye are Christ’s.” 1 Corinthians 3:23 “Ye are Christ’s.” You are his by donation, for the Father

cannot loiter.” When the siren song of pleasure would

gave you to the Son; his by his bloody purchase, for he

tempt you from the path of right, reply, “Thy music

counted down the price for your redemption; his by

cannot charm me; I am Christ’s.” When the cause of God

dedication, for you have consecrated yourself to him; his

invites thee, give thy goods and thyself away, for thou art

by relation, for you are named by his name, and made one

Christ’s. Never belie thy profession. Be thou ever one of

of his brethren and joint-heirs. Labour practically to show

those whose manners are Christian, whose speech is like

the world that you are the servant, the friend, the bride

the Nazarene, whose conduct and conversation are so

of Jesus. When tempted to sin, reply, “I cannot do this

redolent of heaven, that all who see you may know that

great wickedness, for I am Christ’s.” Immortal principles

you are the Saviour’s, recognizing in you his features of

forbid the friend of Christ to sin. When wealth is before

love and his countenance of holiness. “I am a Roman!”

you to be won by sin, say that you are Christ’s, and touch

was of old a reason for integrity; far more, then, let it be

it not. Are you exposed to difficulties and dangers? Stand

your argument for holiness, “I am Christ’s!”

fast in the evil day, remembering that you are Christ’s. Are you placed where others are sitting down idly, doing nothing? Rise to the work with all your powers; and when the sweat stands upon your brow, and you are tempted to loiter, cry, “No, I cannot stop, for I am Christ’s. If I were not purchased by blood, I might be like Issachar, crouching between two burdens; but I am Christ’s, and

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EVENING

“I have yet to speak on God’s behalf.” Job 36:2 We ought not to court publicity for our virtue, or

words, yet say with Peter and John, “Silver and gold have

notoriety for our zeal; but, at the same time, it is a sin to

I none; but such as I have give I thee.” By Sychar’s well

be always seeking to hide that which God has bestowed

talk to the Samaritan woman, if thou canst not on the

upon us for the good of others. A Christian is not to be a

mountain preach a sermon; utter the praises of Jesus in

village in a valley, but “a city set upon a hill;” he is not to

the house, if not in the temple; in the field, if not upon

be a candle under a bushel, but a candle in a candlestick,

the exchange; in the midst of thine own household, if

giving light to all. Retirement may be lovely in its season,

thou canst not in the midst of the great family of man.

and to hide one’s self is doubtless modest, but the hiding

From the hidden springs within let sweetly flowing

of Christ in us can never be justified, and the keeping

rivulets of testimony flow forth, giving drink to every

back of truth which is precious to ourselves is a sin against

passer-by. Hide not thy talent; trade with it; and thou

others and an offence against God. If you are of a nervous

shalt bring in good interest to thy Lord and Master. To

tempera- ment and of retiring disposition, take care that

speak for God will be refreshing to ourselves, cheering to

you do not too much indulge this trembling propensity,

saints, useful to sinners, and honouring to the Saviour.

lest you should be useless to the church. Seek in the name

Dumb children are an affliction to their parents. Lord,

of him who was not ashamed of you to do some little

unloose all thy children’s tongue.

violence to your feelings, and tell to others what Christ has told to you. If thou canst not speak with trumpet tongue, use the still small voice. If the pulpit must not be thy tribune, if the press may not carry on its wings thy

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MORNING

“Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber” 1 Kings 22:48 Solomon’s ships had returned in safety, but Jehoshaphat’s

hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken

vessels never reached the land of gold. Providence

thy works.” This was a fatherly chastisement, which

prospers one, and frustrates the desires of another, in the

appears to have been blest to him; for in the verse which

same business and at the same spot, yet the Great Ruler

succeeds our morning’s text we find him refusing to allow

is as good and wise at one time as another. May we have

his servants to sail in the same vessels with those of the

grace today, in the remembrance of this text, to bless the

wicked king. Would to God that Jehoshaphat’s experience

Lord for ships broken at Eziongeber, as well as for vessels

might be a warning to the rest of the Lord’s people, to

freighted with temporal blessings; let us not envy the

avoid being unequally yoked together with unbelievers! A

more successful, nor murmur at our losses as though we

life of misery is usually the lot of those who are united in

were singularly and specially tried. Like Jehoshaphat, we

marriage, or in any other way of their own choosing, with

may be precious in the Lord’s sight, although our schemes

the men of the world. O for such love to Jesus that, like

end in disappointment.

him, we may be holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate

from sinners; for if it be not so with us, we may expect to

The secret cause of Jehoshaphat’s loss is well worthy of

hear it often said, “The Lord hath broken thy works.”

notice, for it is the root of very much of the suffering of the Lord’s people; it was his alliance with a sinful family, his fellowship with sinners. In 2 Ch. 20:37, we are told that the Lord sent a prophet to declare, “Because thou

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EVENING

“The iron did swim.” 2 Kings 6:6 The axe-head seemed hopelessly lost, and as it was

sorrowful case of depravity to deal with. He had taught,

borrowed, the honour of the prophetic band was likely

reproved, warned, invited, and interceded, but all in vain.

to be imperilled, and so the name of their God to be

Old Adam was too strong for young Melancthon, the

compromised. Contrary to all expectation, the iron was

stubborn spirit would not relent. Then came an agony of

made to mount from the depth of the stream and to

prayer, and before long a blessed answer was sent from

swim; for things impossible with man are possible with

heaven. The hard heart was broken, the iron did swim.

God. I knew a man in Christ but a few years ago who

was called to undertake a work far exceeding his strength.

Beloved reader, what is thy desperate case? What heavy

It appeared so difficult as to involve absurdity in the

matter hast thou in hand this evening? Bring it hither. The

bare idea of attempting it. Yet he was called thereto,

God of the prophets lives, and lives to help his saints. He

and his faith rose with the occasion; God honoured his

will not suffer thee to lack any good thing. Believe thou

faith, unlooked-for aid was sent, and the iron did swim.

in the Lord of hosts! Approach him pleading the name of

Another of the Lord’s family was in grievous financial

Jesus, and the iron shall swim; thou too shalt see the finger

straits, he was able to meet all claims, and much more

of God working marvels for his people. According to thy

if he could have realized a certain portion of his estate,

faith be it unto thee, and yet again the iron shall swim.

but he was overtaken with a sudden pressure; he sought for friends in vain, but faith led him to the unfailing Helper, and lo, the trouble was averted, his footsteps were enlarged, and the iron did swim. A third had a

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MORNING

“Mighty to save.” Isaiah 63:1 By the words “to save” we understand the whole of the

the first germ of life in the dead soul, prolongs the divine

great work of salvation, from the first holy desire onward

existence, and strengthens it until it bursts asunder every

to complete sanctification. The words are multum in

bond of sin, and the soul leaps from earth, perfected in

parro: in-deed, here is all mercy in one word. Christ is

glory. Believer, here is encouragement. Art thou praying for

not only “mighty to save” those who repent, but he is

some beloved one? Oh, give not up thy prayers, for Christ

able to make men repent. He will carry those to heaven

is “mighty to save.” You are powerless to reclaim the rebel,

who believe; but he is, moreover, mighty to give men new

but your Lord is Almighty. Lay hold on that mighty arm,

hearts and to work faith in them. He is mighty to make

and rouse it to put forth its strength. Does your own case

the man who hates holiness love it, and to constrain the

trouble you? Fear not, for his strength is sufficient for you.

despiser of his name to bend the knee before him. Nay,

Whether to begin with others, or to carry on the work in

this is not all the meaning, for the divine power is equally

you, Jesus is “mighty to save;” the best proof of which lies

seen in the after-work. The life of a believer is a series of

in the fact that he has saved you. What a thousand mercies

miracles wrought by “the Mighty God.” The bush burns,

that you have not found him mighty to destroy!

but is not consumed. He is mighty to keep his people holy after he has made them so, and to preserve them in his fear and love until he consummates their spiritual existence in heaven. Christ’s might doth not lie in making a believer and then leaving him to shift for himself; but he who begins the good work carries it on; he who imparts

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EVENING

“Beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” Matthew 14:30 Sinking times are praying times with the Lord’s servants.

wing they would be all the better. Verbiage is to devotion

Peter neglected prayer at starting upon his venturous

as chaff to the wheat. Precious things lie in small compass,

journey, but when he began to sink his danger made him

and all that is real prayer in many a long address might

a suppliant, and his cry though late was not too late. In

have been uttered in a petition as short as that of Peter.

our hours of bodily pain and mental anguish, we find

ourselves as naturally driven to prayer as the wreck is

Our extremities are the Lord’s opportunities. Immediately

driven upon the shore by the waves. The fox hies to its

a keen sense of danger forces an anxious cry from us the

hole for protection; the bird flies to the wood for shelter;

ear of Jesus hears, and with him ear and heart go together,

and even so the tried believer hastens to the mercy seat

and the hand does not long linger. At the last moment

for safety. Heaven’s great harbour of refuge is All-prayer;

we appeal to our Master, but his swift hand makes up

thousands of weather-beaten vessels have found a haven

for our delays by instant and effectual action. Are we

there, and the moment a storm comes on, it is wise for us

nearly engulfed by the boisterous waters of affliction? Let

to make for it with all sail.

us then lift up our souls unto our Saviour, and we may

rest assured that he will not suffer us to perish. When we

Short prayers are long enough. There were but three

can do nothing Jesus can do all things; let us enlist his

words in the petition which Peter gasped out, but they

powerful aid upon our side, and all will be well.

were sufficient for his purpose. Not length but strength is desirable. A sense of need is a mighty teacher of brevity. If our prayers had less of the tail feathers of pride and more

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MORNING

“Do as thou hast said.” 2 Samuel 7:25 God’s promises were never meant to be thrown aside as

replies, “Be it unto thee even as thou wilt.” When a

waste paper; he intended that they should be used. God’s

Christian grasps a promise, if he does not take it to God,

gold is not miser’s money, but is minted to be traded

he dishonours him; but when he hastens to the throne

with. Nothing pleases our Lord better than to see his

of grace, and cries, “Lord, I have nothing to recommend

promises put in circulation; he loves to see his children

me but this, ‘Thou hast said it;’” then his desire shall

bring them up to him, and say, “Lord, do as thou hast

be granted. Our heavenly Banker delights to cash his

said.” We glorify God when we plead his promises. Do

own notes. Never let the promise rust. Draw the sword

you think that God will be any the poorer for giving you

of promise out of its scabbard, and use it with holy

the riches he has promised? Do you dream that he will

violence. Think not that God will be troubled by your

be any the less holy for giving holiness to you? Do you

importunately reminding him of his promises. He loves

imagine he will be any the less pure for washing you from

to hear the loud outcries of needy souls. It is his delight to

your sins? He has said “Come now, and let us reason

bestow favours. He is more ready to hear than you are to

together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet,

ask. The sun is not weary of shining, nor the fountain of

they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like

flowing. It is God’s nature to keep his promises; therefore

crimson, they shall be as wool.” Faith lays hold upon

go at once to the throne with “Do as thou hast said.”

the promise of pardon, and it does not delay, saying, “This is a precious promise, I wonder if it be true?” but it goes straight to the throne with it, and pleads, “Lord, here is the promise, ‘Do as thou hast said.’” Our Lord

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EVENING

“But I give myself unto prayer.” Psalm 109:4 Lying tongues were busy against the reputation of David,

together, but rolls off this way and that. How great an evil

but he did not defend himself; he moved the case into a

this is! It injures us, and what is worse, it insults our God.

higher court, and pleaded before the great King himself.

What should we think of a petitioner, if, while having

Prayer is the safest method of replying to words of hatred.

an audience with a prince, he should be playing with a

The Psalmist prayed in no cold-hearted manner, he gave

feather or catching a fly?

himself to the exercise—threw his whole soul and heart

into it—straining every sinew and muscle, as Jacob did

Continuance and perseverance are intended in the

when wrestling with the angel. Thus, and thus only,

expression of our text. David did not cry once, and then

shall any of us speed at the throne of grace. As a shadow

relapse into silence; his holy clamour was continued till it

has no power because there is no substance in it, even

brought down the blessing. Prayer must not be our chance

so that supplication, in which a man’s proper self is not

work, but our daily business, our habit and vocation. As

thoroughly present in agonizing earnestness and vehement

artists give themselves to their models, and poets to their

desire, is utterly ineffectual, for it lacks that which would

classical pursuits, so must we addict ourselves to prayer.

give it force. “Fervent prayer,” says an old divine, “like

We must be immersed in prayer as in our element, and

a cannon planted at the gates of heaven, makes them

so pray without ceasing. Lord, teach us so to pray that we

fly open.” The common fault with the most of us is our

may be more and more prevalent in supplication.

readiness to yield to distractions. Our thoughts go roving hither and thither, and we make little progress towards our desired end. Like quicksilver our mind will not hold

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MORNING

“I will help thee, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 41:14 This morning let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each one

O my soul, is not this enough? Dost thou need more

of us: “I will help thee.” “It is but a small thing for me,

strength than the omnipotence of the United Trinity? Dost

thy God, to help thee. Consider what I have done already.

thou want more wisdom than exists in the Father, more

What! not help thee? Why, I bought thee with my blood.

love than displays itself in the Son, or more power than is

What! not help thee? I have died for thee; and if I have

manifest in the influences of the Spirit? Bring hither thine

done the greater, will I not do the less? Help thee! It is the

empty pitcher! Surely this well will fill it. Haste, gather

least thing I will ever do for thee; I have done more, and

up thy wants, and bring them here—thine emptiness, thy

will do more. Before the world began I chose thee. I made

woes, thy needs. Behold, this river of God is full for thy

the covenant for thee. I laid aside my glory and became

supply; what canst thou desire beside? Go forth, my soul,

a man for thee; I gave up my life for thee; and if I did all

in this thy might. The Eternal God is thine helper!

this, I will surely help thee now. In helping thee, I am

giving thee what I have bought for thee already. If thou

“Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismay’d! I, I am

hadst need of a thousand times as much help, I would

thy God, and will still give thee aid.”

give it thee; thou requirest little compared with what I am ready to give. ‘Tis much for thee to need, but it is nothing for me to bestow. ‘Help thee?’ Fear not! If there were an ant at the door of thy granary asking for help, it would not ruin thee to give him a handful of thy wheat; and thou art nothing but a tiny insect at the door of my all-sufficiency. ‘I will help thee.’”

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EVENING

“The Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself.” Daniel 9:26

Blessed be his name, there was no cause of death in

It is not enough, however, to admire the spectacle of the

him. Neither original nor actual sin had defiled him,

innocent bleeding for the guilty, we must make sure of

and therefore death had no claim upon him. No man

our interest therein. The special object of the Messiah’s

could have taken his life from him justly, for he had

death was the salvation of his church; have we a part and

done no man wrong, and no man could even have

a lot among those for whom he gave his life a ransom?

lain him by force unless he had been pleased to yield

Did the Lord Jesus stand as our representative? Are we

himself to die. But lo, one sins and another suffers.

healed by his stripes? It will be a terrible thing indeed if

Justice was offended by us, but found its satisfaction in

we should come short of a portion in his sacrifice; it were

him. Rivers of tears, mountains of offerings, seas of the

better for us that we had never been born. Solemn as the

blood of bullocks, and hills of frankincense, could not

question is, it is a joyful circumstance that it is one which

have availed for the removal of sin; but Jesus was cut off

may be answered clearly and without mistake. To all

for us, and the cause of wrath was cut off at once, for

who believe on him the Lord Jesus is a present Saviour,

sin was put away forever. Herein is wisdom, whereby

and upon them all the blood of reconciliation has been

substitution, the sure and speedy way of atonement,

sprinkled. Let all who trust in the merit of Messiah’s

was devised! Herein is condescension, which brought

death be joyful at every remembrance of him, and let their

Messiah, the Prince, to wear a crown of thorns, and die

holy gratitude lead them to the fullest

upon the cross! Herein is love, which led the Redeemer

consecration to his cause.

to lay down his life for his enemies!

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“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion.” Revelation 14:1 The apostle John was privileged to look within the gates

Christ is to be in heaven, and to be in heaven is to be with

of heaven, and in describing what he saw, he begins by

Christ. That prisoner of the Lord very sweetly writes in

saying, “I looked, and, lo, a Lamb!” This teaches us that

one of his glowing letters—“O my Lord Jesus Christ, if I

the chief object of contemplation in the heavenly state

could be in heaven without thee, it would be a hell; and if

is “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the

I could be in hell, and have thee still, it would be a heaven

world.” Nothing else attracted the apostle’s attention

to me, for thou art all the heaven I want.” It is true, is it

so much as the person of that Divine Being, who hath

not, Christian? Does not thy soul say so?

redeemed us by his blood. He is the theme of the songs

of all glorified spirits and holy angels. Christian, here is

“Not all the harps above Can make a heavenly place, If

joy for thee; thou hast looked, and thou hast seen the

God his residence remove, Or but conceal his face.”

Lamb. Through thy tears thine eyes have seen the Lamb

of God taking away thy sins. Rejoice, then. In a little

All thou needest to make thee blessed, supremely

while, when thine eyes shall have been wiped from tears,

blessed, is “to be with Christ.”

thou wilt see the same Lamb exalted on his throne. It is the joy of thy heart to hold daily fellowship with Jesus; thou shalt have the same joy to a higher degree in heaven; thou shalt enjoy the constant vision of his presence; thou shalt dwell with him forever. “I looked, and, lo, a Lamb!” Why, that Lamb is heaven itself; for as good Rutherford says, “Heaven and Christ are the same thing;” to be with

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“And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house.” 2 Samuel 11:2 At that hour David saw Bathsheba. We are never out of

and falling at once into temptation, let me take warning,

the reach of temptation. Both at home and abroad we

and set holy watchfulness to guard the door.

are liable to meet with allurements to evil; the morning

opens with peril, and the shades of evening find us still

Is it possible that the king had mounted his housetop for

in jeopardy. They are well kept whom God keeps, but

retirement and devotion? If so, what a caution is given

woe unto those who go forth into the world, or even

us to count no place, however secret, a sanctuary from

dare to walk their own house unarmed. Those who think

sin! While our hearts are so like a tinder-box, and sparks

themselves secure are more exposed to danger than any

so plentiful, we had need use all diligence in all places

others. The armour-bearer of Sin is Self-confidence.

to prevent a blaze. Satan can climb housetops, and enter

closets, and even if we could shut out that foul fiend,

David should have been engaged in fighting the Lord’s

our own corruptions are enough to work our ruin unless

battles, instead of which he tarried at Jerusalem, and gave

grace prevent. Reader, beware of evening temptations.

himself up to luxurious repose, for he arose from his bed

Be not secure. The sun is down but sin is up. We need a

at eventide. Idleness and luxury are the devil’s jackals,

watchman for the night as well as a guardian for the day.

and find him abundant prey. In stagnant waters noxious

O blessed Spirit, keep us from all evil this night. Amen.

creatures swarm, and neglected soil soon yields a dense tangle of weeds and briars. Oh for the constraining love of Jesus to keep us active and useful! When I see the King of Israel sluggishly leaving his couch at the close of the day,

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“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” Hebrews 4:9 How different will be the state of the believer in heaven

“remaineth.” Here, my best joys bear “mortal” on their

from what it is here! Here he is born to toil and suffer

brow; my fair flowers fade; my dainty cups are drained

weariness, but in the land of the immortal, fatigue is

to dregs; my sweetest birds fall before Death’s arrows;

never known. Anxious to serve his Master, he finds his

my most pleasant days are shadowed into nights; and the

strength unequal to his zeal: his constant cry is, “Help

flood-tides of my bliss subside into ebbs of sorrow; but

me to serve thee, O my God.” If he be thoroughly active,

there, everything is immortal; the harp abides unrusted,

he will have much labour; not too much for his will, but

the crown unwithered, the eye undimmed, the voice

more than enough for his power, so that he will cry out,

unfaltering, the heart unwavering, and the immortal

“I am not wearied of the labour, but I am wearied in it.”

being is wholly absorbed in infinite delight. Happy day!

Ah! Christian, the hot day of weariness lasts not forever;

happy! when mortality shall be swallowed up of life, and

the sun is nearing the horizon; it shall rise again with a

the Eternal Sabbath shall begin.

brighter day than thou hast ever seen upon a land where they serve God day and night, and yet rest from their labours. Here, rest is but partial, there, it is perfect. Here, the Christian is always unsettled; he feels that he has not yet attained. There, all are at rest; they have attained the summit of the mountain; they have ascended to the bosom of their God. Higher they cannot go. Ah, toilworn labourer, only think when thou shalt rest forever! Canst thou conceive it? It is a rest eternal; a rest that

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.â&#x20AC;? Luke 24:27 The two disciples on the road to Emmaus had a most

this mine of diamonds, to gather pearls from this heavenly

profitable journey. Their companion and teacher was the

sea. When Jesus himself sought to enrich others, he wrought

best of tutors; the interpreter one of a thousand, in whom

in the quarry of Holy Scripture.

are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The

Lord Jesus condescended to become a preacher of the

The favoured pair were led to consider the best of

gospel, and he was not ashamed to exercise his calling

subjects, for Jesus spake of Jesus, and expounded the

before an audience of two persons, neither does he now

things concerning himself. Here the diamond cut the

refuse to become the teacher of even one. Let us court the

diamond, and what could be more admirable? The Master

company of so excellent an Instructor, for till he is made

of the House unlocked his own doors, conducted the

unto us wisdom we shall never be wise unto salvation.

guests to his table, and placed his own dainties upon it.

He who hid the treasure in the field himself guided the

This unrivalled tutor used as his class-book the best of

searchers to it. Our Lord would naturally discourse upon

books. Although able to reveal fresh truth, he preferred to

the sweetest of topics, and he could find none sweeter

expound the old. He knew by his omniscience what was the

than his own person and work: with an eye to these we

most instructive way of teaching, and by turning at once to

should always search the Word. O for grace to study the

Moses and the prophets, he showed us that the surest road

Bible with Jesus as both our teacher and our lesson!

to wisdom is not speculation, reasoning, or reading human books, but meditation upon the Word of God. The readiest way to be spiritually rich in heavenly knowledge is to dig in

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“I sought him, but I found him not.” Song of Solomon 3:1 Tell me where you lost the company of Christ, and I will

are so comforting, and whose company is so dear to you!

tell you the most likely place to find him. Have you lost

How is it that you did not watch him every moment for

Christ in the closet by restraining prayer? Then it is there

fear of losing sight of him? Yet, since you have let him

you must seek and find him. Did you lose Christ by sin?

go, what a mercy that you are seeking him, even though

You will find Christ in no other way but by the giving up

you mournfully groan, “O that I knew where I might find

of the sin, and seeking by the Holy Spirit to mortify the

him!” Go on seeking, for it is dangerous to be without

member in which the lust doth dwell. Did you lose Christ

thy Lord. Without Christ you are like a sheep without its

by neglecting the Scriptures? You must find Christ in the

shepherd; like a tree without water at its roots; like a sere

Scriptures. It is a true proverb, “Look for a thing where you

leaf in the tempest—not bound to the tree of life. With

dropped it, it is there.” So look for Christ where you lost

thine whole heart seek him, and he will be found of thee:

him, for he has not gone away. But it is hard work to go

only give thyself thoroughly up to the search, and verily,

back for Christ. Bunyan tells us, the pilgrim found the piece

thou shalt yet discover him to thy joy and gladness.

of the road back to the Arbour of Ease, where he lost his roll, the hardest he had ever travelled. Twenty miles onward is easier than to go one mile back for the lost evidence.

Take care, then, when you find your Master, to cling close to him. But how is it you have lost him? One would have thought you would never have parted with such a precious friend, whose presence is so sweet, whose words

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“Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures.” Luke 24:45 He whom we viewed last evening as opening Scripture,

penetrate. Such was our case a little time ago; we who

we here perceive opening the understanding. In the first

now see were once utterly blind; truth was to us as beauty

work he has many fellow-labourers, but in the second he

in the dark, a thing unnoticed and neglected. Had it not

stands alone; many can bring the Scriptures to the mind,

been for the love of Jesus we should have remained to

but the Lord alone can prepare the mind to receive the

this moment in utter ignorance, for without his gracious

Scriptures. Our Lord Jesus differs from all other teachers;

opening of our understanding, we could no more have

they reach the ear, but he instructs the heart; they deal

attained to spiritual knowledge than an infant can climb

with the outward letter, but he imparts an inward taste

the Pyramids, or an ostrich fly up to the stars. Jesus’

for the truth, by which we perceive its savour and spirit.

College is the only one in which God’s truth can be really

The most unlearned of men become ripe scholars in the

learned; other schools may teach us what is to be believed,

school of grace when the Lord Jesus by his Holy Spirit

but Christ’s alone can show us how to believe it. Let us

unfolds the mysteries of the kingdom to them, and

sit at the feet of Jesus, and by earnest prayer call in his

grants the divine anointing by which they are enabled to

blessed aid that our dull wits may grow brighter, and our

behold the invisible. Happy are we if we have had our

feeble understandings may receive heavenly things.

understandings cleared and strengthened by the Master! How many men of profound learning are ignorant of eternal things! They know the killing letter of revelation, but its killing spirit they cannot discern; they have a veil upon their hearts which the eyes of carnal reason cannot

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“Abel was a keeper of sheep.” Genesis 4:2 As a shepherd Abel sanctified his work to the glory of

blood speaketh. “The Lord said unto Cain, ‘The voice of

God, and offered a sacrifice of blood upon his altar, and

thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.’” The

the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering. This early

blood of Jesus hath a mighty tongue, and the import of its

type of our Lord is exceedingly clear and distinct. Like the

prevailing cry is not vengeance but mercy. It is precious

first streak of light which tinges the east at sunrise, it does

beyond all preciousness to stand at the altar of our good

not reveal everything, but it clearly manifests the great

Shepherd! to see him bleeding there as the slaughtered

fact that the sun is coming. As we see Abel, a shepherd

priest, and then to hear his blood speaking peace to all

and yet a priest, offering a sacrifice of sweet smell unto

his flock, peace in our conscience, peace between Jew and

God, we discern our Lord, who brings before his Father

Gentile, peace between man and his offended Maker,

a sacrifice to which Jehovah ever hath respect. Abel was

peace all down the ages of eternity for blood-washed men.

hated by his brother—hated without a cause; and even

Abel is the first shepherd in order of time, but our hearts

so was the Saviour: the natural and carnal man hated the

shall ever place Jesus first in order of excellence. Thou great

accepted man in whom the Spirit of grace was found, and

Keeper of the sheep, we the people of thy pasture bless

rested not until his blood had been shed. Abel fell, and

thee with our whole hearts when we see thee slain for us.

sprinkled his altar and sacrifice with his own blood, and therein sets forth the Lord Jesus slain by the enmity of man while serving as a priest before the Lord. “The good Shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep.” Let us weep over him as we view him slain by the hatred of mankind, staining the horns of his altar with his own blood. Abel’s

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“Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.” Psalm 119:37 There are divers kinds of vanity. The cap and bells of the

quicken me? Can I think of the reward that awaiteth the

fool, the mirth of the world, the dance, the lyre, and the

righteous, and yet be cold? Will not death quicken me?

cup of the dissolute, all these men know to be vanities;

Can I think of dying, and standing before my God, and

they wear upon their forefront their proper name and

yet be slothful in my Master’s service? Will not Christ’s

title. Far more treacherous are those equally vain things,

love constrain me? Can I think of his dear wounds, can I

the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. A

sit at the foot of his cross, and not be stirred with fervency

man may follow vanity as truly in the counting-house

and zeal? It seems so! No mere consideration can quicken

as in the theatre. If he be spending his life in amassing

us to zeal, but God Himself must do it, hence the cry,

wealth, he passes his days in a vain show. Unless we

“Quicken thou me.” The Psalmist breathes out his whole

follow Christ, and make our God the great object of life,

soul in vehement pleadings: his body and his soul unite in

we only differ in appearance from the most frivolous. It is

prayer. “Turn away mine eyes,” says the body: “Quicken

clear that there is much need of the first prayerof our text.

thou me,” cries the soul. This is a fit prayer for every day.

O Lord, hear it in my case this night.

“Quicken thou me in thy way.” The Psalmist confesses that he is dull, heavy, lumpy, all but dead. Perhaps, dear reader, you feel the same. We are so sluggish that the best motives cannot quicken us, apart from the Lord himself. What! will not hell quicken me? Shall I think of sinners perishing, and yet not be awakened? Will not heaven

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“And so all Israel shall be saved.” Romans 11:26 When Moses sang at the Red Sea, it was his joy to know

believe in Jesus, shall safely cross the dividing sea. We are

that all Israel were safe. Not a drop of spray fell from

not all safely landed yet:

that solid wall until the last of God’s Israel had safely

planted his foot on the other side the flood. That done,

“Part of the host have crossed the flood,

immediately the floods dissolved into their proper place

And part are crossing now.”

again, but not till then. Part of that song was, “Thou

in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast

The vanguard of the army has already reached the shore.

redeemed.” In the last time, when the elect shall sing the

We are marching through the depths; we are at this day

song of Moses, the servant of God, and of the Lamb, it

following hard after our Leader into the heart of the sea.

shall be the boast of Jesus, “Of all whom thou hast given

Let us be of good cheer: the rear-guard shall soon be where

me, I have lost none.” In heaven there shall not be a

the vanguard already is; the last of the chosen ones shall

vacant throne.

soon have crossed the sea, and then shall be heard the

song of triumph, when all are secure. But oh! if one were

“For all the chosen race

absent—oh! if one of his chosen family should be cast

Shall meet around the throne,

away—it would make an everlasting discord in the song of

Shall bless the conduct of his grace,

the redeemed, and cut the strings of the harps of paradise,

And make his glories known.”

so that music could never be extorted from them.

As many as God hath chosen, as many as Christ hath redeemed, as many as the Spirit hath called, as many as

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“He was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst?” Judges 15:18 Samson was thirsty and ready to die. The difficulty was

with thirst, and he betook himself to prayer. God has

totally different from any which the hero had met before.

many ways of humbling his people. Dear child of God,

Merely to get thirst assuaged is nothing like so great a

if after great mercy you are laid very low, your case is not

matter as to be delivered from a thousand Philistines!

an unusual one. When David had mounted the throne

but when the thirst was upon him, Samson felt that

of Israel, he said, “I am this day weak, though anointed

little present difficulty more weighty than the great past

king.” You must expect to feel weakest when you are

difficulty out of which he had so specially been delivered.

enjoying your greatest triumph. If God has wrought for

It is very usual for God’s people, when they have enjoyed

you great deliverances in the past, your present difficulty

a great deliverance, to find a little trouble too much for

is only like Samson’s thirst, and the Lord will not let

them. Samson slays a thousand Philistines, and piles

you faint, nor suffer the daughter of the uncircumcised

them up in heaps, and then faints for a little water! Jacob

to triumph over you. The road of sorrow is the road to

wrestles with God at Peniel, and overcomes Omnipotence

heaven, but there are wells of refreshing water all along the

itself, and then goes “halting on his thigh!” Strange that

route. So, tried brother, cheer your heart with Samson’s

there must be a shrinking of the sinew whenever we

words, and rest assured that God will deliver you ere long.

win the day. As if the Lord must teach us our littleness, our nothingness, in order to keep us within bounds. Samson boasted right loudly when he said, “I have slain a thousand men.” His boastful throat soon grew hoarse

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“Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?” Ezekiel 15:2 These words are for the humbling of God’s people; they

grace which hath made thee to differ? Great believer, thou

are called God’s vine, but what are they by nature more

wouldst have been a great sinner if God had not made thee

than others? They, by God’s goodness, have become

to differ. O thou who art valiant for truth, thou wouldst

fruitful, having been planted in a good soil; the Lord hath

have been as valiant for error if grace had not laid hold

trained them upon the walls of the sanctuary, and they

upon thee. Therefore, be not proud, though thou hast a

bring forth fruit to his glory; but what are they without

large estate—a wide domain of grace, thou hadst not once

their God? What are they without the continual influence

a single thing to call thine own except thy sin and misery.

of the Spirit, begetting fruitfulness in them? O believer,

Oh! strange infatuation, that thou, who hast borrowed

learn to reject pride, seeing that thou hast no ground for

everything, shouldst think of exalting thyself; a poor

it. Whatever thou art, thou hast nothing to make thee

dependent pensioner upon the bounty of thy Saviour, one

proud. The more thou hast, the more thou art in debt

who hath a life which dies without fresh streams of life

to God; and thou shouldst not be proud of that which

from Jesus, and yet proud! Fie on thee, O silly heart!

renders thee a debtor. Consider thine origin; look back to what thou wast. Consider what thou wouldst have been but for divine grace. Look upon thyself as thou art now. Doth not thy conscience reproach thee? Do not thy thousand wanderings stand before thee, and tell thee that thou art unworthy to be called his son? And if he hath made thee anything, art thou not taught thereby that it is

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“Doth Job fear God for nought?” Job 1:9 This was the wicked question of Satan concerning that

Christian who is the subject of it must learn to rejoice

upright man of old, but there are many in the present day

in tribulations, because as his tribulations abound, so

concerning whom it might be asked with justice, for they

his consolations abound by Christ Jesus. Rest assured,

love God after a fashion because he prospers them; but

if you are a child of God, you will be no stranger to

if things went ill with them, they would give up all their

the rod. Sooner or later every bar of gold must pass

boasted faith in God. If they can clearly see that since the

through the fire. Fear not, but rather rejoice that such

time of their supposed conversion the world has gone

fruitful times are in store for you, for in them you will

prosperously with them, then they will love God in their

be weaned from earth and made meet for heaven; you

poor carnal way; but if they endure adversity, they rebel

will be delivered from clinging to the present, and made

against the Lord. Their love is the love of the table, not

to long for those eternal things which are so soon to

of the host; a love to the cupboard, not to the master of

be revealed to you. When you feel that as regards the

the house. As for the true Christian, he expects to have

present you do serve God for nought, you will then

his reward in the next life, and to endure hardness in

rejoice in the infinite reward of the future.

this. The promise of the old covenant was prosperity, but the promise of the new covenant is adversity. Remember Christ’s words—“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit”—What? “He purgeth it, that it may bring forth fruit.” If you bring forth fruit, you will have to endure affliction. “Alas!” you say, “that is a terrible prospect.” But this affliction works out such precious results, that the

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“I have exalted one chosen out of the people.” Psalm 89:19 Why was Christ chosen out of the people? Speak, my

them all, for he has felt all. Remember this, Christian,

heart, for heart-thoughts are best. Was it not that he

and let it comfort thee. However difficult and painful thy

might be able to be our brother, in the blest tie of kindred

road, it is marked by the footsteps of thy Saviour; and even

blood? Oh, what relationship there is between Christ and

when thou reachest the dark valley of the shadow of death,

the believer! The believer can say, “I have a Brother in

and the deep waters of the swelling Jordan, thou wilt find

heaven; I may be poor, but I have a Brother who is rich,

his footprints there. In all places whithersoever we go, he

and is a King, and will he suffer me to want while he is

has been our forerunner; each burden we have to carry, has

on his throne? Oh, no! He loves me; he is my Brother.”

once been laid on the shoulders of Immanuel.

Believer, wear this blessed thought, like a necklace of

diamonds, around the neck of thy memory; put it, as a

“His way was much rougher and darker than mine Did

golden ring, on the finger of recollection, and use it as the

Christ, my Lord, suffer, and shall I repine?”

King’s own seal, stamping the petitions of thy faith with

confidence of success. He is a brother born for adversity,

Take courage! Royal feet have left a blood-red track upon

treat him as such.

the road, and consecrated the thorny path forever.

Christ was also chosen out of the people that he might know our wants and sympathize with us. “He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin.” In all our sorrows we have his sympathy. Temptation, pain, disappointment, weakness, weariness, poverty—he knows

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“We will remember thy love more than wine.” Song of Solomon 1:4 Jesus will not let his people forget his love. If all the love

over that sacrifice, and long for the hour whereof in the

they have enjoyed should be forgotten, he will visit them

volume of the book it was written of thee, “Lo, I come.”

with fresh love. “Do you forget my cross?” says he, “I will

We remember thy love, O Jesus as it was manifest to us

cause you to remember it; for at my table I will manifest

in thy holy life, from the manger of Bethlehem to the

myself anew to you. Do you forget what I did for you in

garden of Gethsemane. We track thee from the cradle to

the council-chamber of eternity? I will remind you of it,

the grave—for every word and deed of thine was love—

for you shall need a counsellor, and shall find me ready at

and we rejoice in thy love, which death did not exhaust;

your call.” Mothers do not let their children forget them.

thy love which shone resplendent in thy resurrection.

If the boy has gone to Australia, and does not write home,

We remember that burning fire of love which will never

his mother writes—“Has John forgotten his mother?”

let thee hold thy peace until thy chosen ones be all safely

Then there comes back a sweet epistle, which proves that

housed, until Zion be glorified, and Jerusalem settled on

the gentle reminder was not in vain. So is it with Jesus,

her everlasting foundations of light and love in heaven.

he says to us, “Remember me,” and our response is, “We will remember thy love.” We will remember thy love and its matchless history. It is ancient as the glory which thou hadst with the Father before the world was. We remember, O Jesus, thine eternal love when thou didst become our Surety, and espouse us as thy betrothed. We remember the love which suggested the sacrifice of thyself, the love which, until the fulness of time, mused

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“Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler.” Psalm 91:3

God delivers his people from the snare of the fowler

in an evil hour, come into the net, yet God will bring

in two senses. From, and out of. First, he delivers

him out of it! O backslider, be cast down, but do not

them from the snare—does not let them enter it; and

despair. Wanderer though thou hast been, hear what thy

secondly, if they should be caught therein, he delivers

Redeemer saith—“Return, O backsliding children; I will

them out of it. The first promise is the most precious to

have mercy upon you.” But you say you cannot return,

some; the second is the best to others.

for you are a captive. Then listen to the promise—“Surely

he shall deliver thee out of the snare of the fowler.” Thou

“He shall deliver thee from the snare.” How? Trouble is

shalt yet be brought out of all evil into which thou hast

often the means whereby God delivers us. God knows

fallen, and though thou shalt never cease to repent of thy

that our backsliding will soon end in our destruction,

ways, yet he that hath loved thee will not cast thee away;

and he in mercy sends the rod. We say, “Lord, why

he will receive thee, and give thee joy and gladness, that

is this?” not knowing that our trouble has been the

the bones which he has broken may rejoice. No bird of

means of delivering us from far greater evil. Many have

paradise shall die in the fowler’s net.

been thus saved from ruin by their sorrows and their crosses; these have frightened the birds from the net. At other times, God keeps his people from the snare of the fowler by giving them great spiritual strength, so that when they are tempted to do evil they say, “How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” But what a blessed thing it is that if the believer shall,

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“Martha was cumbered about much serving.” Luke 10:40 Her fault was not that she served: the condition of a

to sustain his hands. The more spiritual the exercise, the

servant well becomes every Christian. “I serve,” should

sooner we tire in it. The choicest fruits are the hardest to

be the motto of all the princes of the royal family of

rear: the most heavenly graces are the most difficult to

heaven. Nor was it her fault that she had “much serving.”

cultivate. Beloved, while we do not neglect external things,

We cannot do too much. Let us do all that we possibly

which are good enough in themselves, we ought also to see

can; let head, and heart, and hands, be engaged in the

to it that we enjoy living, personal fellowship with Jesus.

Master’s service. It was no fault of hers that she was busy

See to it that sitting at the Saviour’s feet is not neglected,

preparing a feast for the Master. Happy Martha, to have

even though it be under the specious pretext of doing him

an opportunity of entertaining so blessed a guest; and

service. The first thing for our soul’s health, the first thing

happy, too, to have the spirit to throw her whole soul so

for his glory, and the first thing for our own usefulness, is

heartily into the engagement. Her fault was that she grew

to keep ourselves in perpetual communion with the Lord

“cumbered with much serving,” so that she forgot him,

Jesus, and to see that the vital spirituality of our religion is

and only remembered the service. She allowed service to

maintained over and above everything else in the world.

override communion, and so presented one duty stained with the blood of another. We ought to be Martha and Mary in one: we should do much service, and have much communion at the same time. For this we need great grace. It is easier to serve than to commune. Joshua never grew weary in fighting with the Amalekites; but Moses, on the top of the mountain in prayer, needed two helpers

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“I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us.” Isaiah 63:7 And canst thou not do this? Are there no mercies which

not what thy God has done for thee; turn over the book

thou hast experienced? What, though thou art gloomy

of thy remembrance, and consider the days of old. Canst

now, canst thou forget that blessed hour when Jesus

thou not remember the hill Mizar? Did the Lord never

met thee, and said, “Come unto me”? Canst thou not

meet with thee at Her- mon? Hast thou never climbed

remember that rapturous moment when he snapped

the Delectable Mountains? Hast thou never been helped

thy fetters, dashed thy chains to the earth, and said, “I

in time of need? Nay, I know thou hast. Go back, then, a

came to break thy bonds and set thee free”? Or if the

little way to the choice mercies of yesterday, and though

love of thine espousals be forgotten, there must surely

all may be dark now, light up the lamps of the past,

be some precious milestone along the road of life not

they shall glitter through the darkness, and thou shalt

quite grown over with moss, on which thou canst read

trust in the Lord till the day break and the shadows flee

a happy memorial of his mercy towards thee? What,

away. “Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy

didst thou never have a sickness like that which thou art

lovingkindnesses, for they have been ever of old.”

suffering now, and did he not restore thee? Wert thou never poor before, and did he not supply thy wants? Wast thou never in straits before, and did he not deliver thee? Arise, go to the river of thine experience, and pull up a few bulrushes, and plait them into an ark, wherein thine infant—faith—may float safely on the stream. Forget

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“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” Romans 3:31 When the believer is adopted into the Lord’s family, his

“that ye love one another.” Are you told to distribute to

relationship to old Adam and the law ceases at once; but

the poor? Do it, not because charity is a burden which you

then he is under a new rule, and a new covenant. Believer,

dare not shirk, but because Jesus teaches, “Give to him

you are God’s child; it is your first duty to obey your

that asketh of thee.” Does the Word say, “Love God with

heavenly Father. A servile spirit you have nothing to do

all your heart”? Look at the commandment and reply,

with: you are not a slave, but a child; and now, inasmuch

“Ah! commandment, Christ hath fulfilled thee already—I

as you are a beloved child, you are bound to obey your

have no need, therefore, to fulfil thee for my salvation,

Father’s faintest wish, the least intimation of his will.

but I rejoice to yield obedience to thee because God is

Does he bid you fulfil a sacred ordinance? It is at your

my Father now and he has a claim upon me, which I

peril that you neglect it, for you will be disobeying your

would not dispute.” May the Holy Ghost make your heart

Father. Does he command you to seek the image of Jesus?

obedient to the constraining power of Christ’s love, that

Is it not your joy to do so? Does Jesus tell you, “Be ye

your prayer may be, “Make me to go in the path of thy

perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect”?

commandments; for therein do I delight.” Grace is the

Then not because the law commands, but because your

mother and nurse of holiness, and not the apologist of sin.

Saviour enjoins, you will labour to be perfect in holiness. Does he bid his saints love one another? Do it, not because the law says, “Love thy neighbour,” but because Jesus says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments;” and this is the commandment that he has given unto you,

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“Your heavenly Father.” Matthew 6:26 God’s people are doubly his children, they are his

the tender hand of him who wields it. Father!—Here

offspring by creation, and they are his sons by adoption in

is honour and love. How great is a Father’s love to his

Christ. Hence they are privileged to call him, “Our Father

children! That which friendship cannot do, and mere

which art in heaven.” Father! Oh, what precious word is

benevolence will not attempt, a father’s heart and hand

that. Here is authority: “If I be a Father, where is mine

must do for his sons. They are his offspring, he must

honour?” If ye be sons, where is your obedience? Here

bless them; they are his children, he must show himself

is affection mingled with authority; an authority which

strong in their defence. If an earthly father watches over

does not provoke rebellion; an obedience demanded

his children with unceasing love and care, how much

which is most cheerfully rendered—which would not be

more does our heavenly Father? Abba, Father! He who

withheld even if it might. The obedience which God’s

can say this, hath uttered better music than cherubim or

children yield to him must be loving obedience. Do not

seraphim can reach. There is heaven in the depth of that

go about the service of God as slaves to their taskmaster’s

word—Father! There is all I can ask; all my necessities can

toil, but run in the way of his commands because it is

demand; all my wishes can desire. I have all in all to all

your Father’s way. Yield your bodies as instruments of

eternity when I can say, “Father.”

righteousness, because righteousness is your Father’s will, and his will should be the will of his child. Father!— Here is a kingly attribute so sweetly veiled in love, that the King’s crown is forgotten in the King’s face, and his sceptre becomes, not a rod of iron, but a silver sceptre of mercy—the sceptre indeed seems to be forgotten in

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“All they that heard it wondered at those things.” Luke 2:18 We must not cease to wonder at the great marvels

presence of the mighty God in the gift of his dear Son,

of our God. It would be very difficult to draw a line

you will put off your shoes from off your feet, because

between holy wonder and real worship; for when the

the place whereon you stand is holy ground. You will

soul is overwhelmed with the majesty of God’s glory,

be moved at the same time to glorious hope. If Jesus has

though it may not express itself in song, or even utter

done such marvellous things on your behalf, you will feel

its voice with bowed head in humble prayer, yet it

that heaven itself is not too great for your expectation.

silently adores. Our incarnate God is to be worshipped

Who can be astonished at anything, when he has once

as “the Wonderful.” That God should consider his fallen

been astonished at the manger and the cross? What is

creature, man, and instead of sweeping him away with

there wonderful left after one has seen the Saviour? Dear

the besom of destruction, should himself undertake to

reader, it may be that from the quietness and solitariness

be man’s Redeemer, and to pay his ransom price, is,

of your life, you are scarcely able to imitate the shepherds

indeed marvellous! But to each believer redemption is

of Bethlehem, who told what they had seen and heard,

most marvellous as he views it in relation to himself. It

but you can, at least, fill up the circle of the worshippers

is a miracle of grace indeed, that Jesus should forsake the

before the throne, by wondering at what God has done.

thrones and royalties above, to suffer ignominiously below for you. Let your soul lose itself in wonder, for wonder is in this way a very practical emotion. Holy wonder will lead you to grateful worship and heartfelt thanksgiving. It will cause within you godly watchfulness; you will be afraid to sin against such a love as this. Feeling the

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“And of his fulness have all we received.” John 1:16 These words tell us that there is a fulness in Christ. There

to sanctify, of grace to preserve, and of grace to perfect.

is a fulness of essential Deity, for “in him dwelleth all

There is a fulness at all times; a fulness of comfort in

the fulness of the Godhead.” There is a fulness of perfect

affliction; a fulness of guidance in prosperity. A fulness

manhood, for in him, bodily, that Godhead was revealed.

of every divine attribute, of wisdom, of power, of love;

There is a fulness of atoning efficacy in his blood, for “the

a fulness which it were impossible to survey, much less

blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin.”

to explore. “It pleased the Father that in him should

There is a fulness of justifying righteousness in his life, for

all fulness dwell.” Oh, what a fulness must this be of

“there is therefore now no condemnation to them that

which all receive! Fulness, indeed, must there be when

are in Christ Jesus.” There is a fulness of divine prevalence

the stream is always flowing, and yet the well springs up

in his plea, for “He is able to save to the uttermost them

as free, as rich, as full as ever. Come, believer, and get

that come unto God by him; seeing he ever liveth to make

all thy need supplied; ask largely, and thou shalt receive

intercession for them.” There is a fulness of victory in

largely, for this “fulness” is inexhaustible, and is treasured

his death, for through death he destroyed him that had

up where all the needy may reach it, even in Jesus,

the power of death, that is the devil. There is a fulness of

Immanuel—God with us.

efficacy in his resurrection from the dead, for by it “we are begotten again unto a lively hope.” There is a fulness of triumph in his ascension, for “when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and received gifts for men.” There is a fulness of blessings of every sort and shape; a fulness of grace to pardon, of grace to regenerate, of grace

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“But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19 There was an exercise, on the part of this blessed woman,

toucheth the brook with her wing, but as the fish which

of three powers of her being: her memory—she kept all

penetrates the lowest wave. Abide with your Lord: let

these things; her affections—she kept them in her heart;

him not be to you as a wayfaring man, that tarrieth for

her intellect—she pondered them; so that memory,

a night, but constrain him, saying, “Abide with us, for

affection, and understanding, were all exercised about

the day is far spent.” Hold him, and do not let him go.

the things which she had heard. Beloved, remember

The word “ponder,” means to weigh. Make ready the

what you have heard of your Lord Jesus, and what he has

balances of judgment. Oh, but where are the scales that

done for you; make your heart the golden pot of manna

can weigh the Lord Christ? “He taketh up the isles as a

to preserve the memorial of the heavenly bread whereon

very little thing:”—who shall take him up? “He weigheth

you have fed in days gone by. Let your memory treasure

the mountains in scales”—in what scales shall we weigh

up everything about Christ which you have either felt,

him? Be it so, if your understanding cannot comprehend,

or known, or believed, and then let your fond affections

let your affections apprehend; and if your spirit cannot

hold him fast for evermore. Love the person of your

compass the Lord Jesus in the grasp of understanding, let

Lord! Bring forth the alabaster box of your heart, even

it embrace him in the arms of affection.

though it be broken, and let all the precious ointment of your affection come streaming on his pierced feet. Let your intellect be exercised concerning the Lord Jesus. Meditate upon what you read: stop not at the surface; dive into the depths. Be not as the swallow which

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“Perfect in Christ Jesus.” Colossians 1:28 Do you not feel in your own soul that perfection is not

“With my Saviour’s garments on,

in you? Does not every day teach you that? Every tear

Holy as the Holy One.”

which trickles from your eye, weeps “imperfection;”

every harsh word which proceeds from your lip, mutters

Then shall we know, and taste, and feel the happiness

“imperfection.” You have too frequently had a view of

of this vast but short sentence, “Complete in Christ.”

your own heart to dream for a moment of any perfection

Not till then shall we fully comprehend the heights and

in yourself. But amidst this sad consciousness of

depths of the salvation of Jesus. Doth not thy heart leap

imperfection, here is comfort for you—you are “perfect

for joy at the thought of it? Black as thou art, thou shalt

in Christ Jesus.” In God’s sight, you are “complete in

be white one day; filthy as thou art, thou shalt be clean.

him;” even now you are “accepted in the Beloved.” But

Oh, it is a marvellous salvation this! Christ takes a worm

there is a second perfection, yet to be realized, which is

and transforms it into an angel; Christ takes a black and

sure to all the seed. Is it not delightful to look forward to

deformed thing and makes it clean and matchless in his

the time when every stain of sin shall be removed from

glory, peerless in his beauty, and fit to be the companion

the believer, and he shall be presented faultless before the

of seraphs. O my soul, stand and admire this blessed

throne, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing? The

truth of perfection in Christ.

Church of Christ then will be so pure, that not even the eye of Omniscience will see a spot or blemish in her; so holy and so glorious, that Hart did not go beyond the truth when he said—

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“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” Luke 2:20 What was the subject of their praise? They praised God

said it would be? Jesus said he would give you rest—have

for what they had heard—for the good tidings of great

you not enjoyed the sweetest peace in him? He said you

joy that a Saviour was born unto them. Let us copy them;

should have joy, and comfort, and life through believing in

let us also raise a song of thanksgiving that we have heard

him—have you not received all these? Are not his ways ways

of Jesus and his salvation. They also praised God for

of pleasantness, and his paths paths of peace? Surely you can

what they had seen. There is the sweetest music—what

say with the queen of Sheba, “The half has not been told

we have experienced, what we have felt within, what we

me.” I have found Christ more sweet than his servants ever

have made our own—“the things which we have made

said he was. I looked upon his likeness as they painted it,

touching the King.” It is not enough to hear about Jesus:

but it was a mere daub compared with himself; for the King

mere hearing may tune the harp, but the fingers of living

in his beauty outshines all imaginable loveliness. Surely

faith must create the music. If you have seen Jesus with

what we have “seen” keeps pace with, nay, far exceeds, what

the God- giving sight of faith, suffer no cobwebs to

we have “heard.” Let us, then, glorify and praise God for a

linger among the harp strings, but loud to the praise of

Saviour so precious, and so satisfying.

sovereign grace, awake your psaltery and harp. One point for which they praised God was the agreement between what they had heard and what they had seen. Observe the last sentence—“As it was told unto them.” Have you not found the gospel to be in yourselves just what the Bible

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“The things which are not seen.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 In our Christian pilgrimage it is well, for the most part,

stream, and thou shalt soon have forded it. Time,

to be looking forward. Forward lies the crown, and

how short—eternity, how long! Death, how brief—

onward is the goal. Whether it be for hope, for joy, for

immortality, how endless! Methinks I even now eat of

consolation, or for the inspiring of our love, the future

Eshcol’s clusters, and sip of the well which is within the

must, after all, be the grand object of the eye of faith.

gate. The road is so, so short! I shall soon be there.

Looking into the future we see sin cast out, the body of

sin and death destroyed, the soul made perfect, and fit

to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light.

“When the world my heart is rending

Looking further yet, the believer’s enlightened eye can

With its heaviest storm of care,

see death’s river passed, the gloomy stream forded, and

My glad thoughts to heaven ascending,

the hills of light attained on which standeth the celestial

Find a refuge from despair.

city; he seeth himself enter within the pearly gates, hailed

Faith’s bright vision shall sustain me

as more than conqueror, crowned by the hand of Christ,

Till life’s pilgrimage is past;

embraced in the arms of Jesus, glorified with him, and

Fears may vex and troubles pain me,

made to sit together with him on his throne, even as he

I shall reach my home at last.”

has overcome and has sat down with the Father on his throne. The thought of this future may well relieve the darkness of the past and the gloom of the present. The joys of heaven will surely compensate for the sorrows of earth. Hush, hush, my doubts! death is but a narrow

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“The dove came in to him in the evening.” Genesis 8:11 Blessed be the Lord for another day of mercy, even

of truth, enter into that which is within the veil, and

though I am now weary with its toils. Unto the preserver

reach to my Beloved in very deed. To Jesus must I come:

of men lift I my song of gratitude. The dove found no rest

short of the nearest and dearest intercourse with him my

out of the ark, and therefore returned to it; and my soul

panting spirit cannot stay. Blessed Lord Jesus, be with

has learned yet more fully than ever, this day, that there

me, reveal thyself, and abide with me all night, so that

is no satisfaction to be found in earthly things—God

when I awake I may be still with thee. I note that the dove

alone can give rest to my spirit. As to my business, my

brought in her mouth an olive branch plucked off, the

possessions, my family, my attainments, these are all well

memorial of the past day, and a prophecy of the future.

enough in their way, but they cannot fulfil the desires of

Have I no pleasing record to bring home? No pledge and

my immortal nature. “Return unto thy rest, O my soul,

earnest of lovingkindness yet to come? Yes, my Lord, I

for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.” It was at

present thee my grateful acknowledgments for tender

the still hour, when the gates of the day were closing,

mercies which have been new every morning and fresh

that with weary wing the dove came back to the master:

every evening; and now, I pray thee, put forth thy hand

O Lord, enable me this evening thus to return to Jesus.

and take thy dove into thy bosom.

She could not endure to spend a night hovering over the restless waste, nor can I bear to be even for another hour away from Jesus, the rest of my heart, the home of my spirit. She did not merely alight upon the roof of the ark, she “came in to him;” even so would my longing spirit look into the secret of the Lord, pierce to the interior

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“When thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, then thou shalt bestir thyself.” 2 Samuel 5:24 The members of Christ’s Church should be very prayerful,

wont. Now, at such joyous periods when you hear the

always seeking the unction of the Holy One to rest upon

“sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees,” is the

their hearts, that the kingdom of Christ may come, and

time to bestir yourself; now is the time to get rid of any

that his “will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven;”

evil habit, while God the Spirit helpeth your infirmities.

but there are times when God seems especially to favour

Spread your sail; but remember what you

Zion, such seasons ought to be to them like “the sound of

sometimes sing—

a going in the tops of the mulberry trees.” We ought then

to be doubly prayerful, doubly earnest, wrestling more at

“I can only spread the sail;

the throne than we have been wont to do. Action should

Thou! Thou! must breathe the auspicious gale.”

then be prompt and vigorous. The tide is flowing—now

let us pull manfully for the shore. O for Pentecostal

Only be sure you have the sail up. Do not miss the gale for

outpourings and Pentecostal labours. Christian, in

want of preparation for it. Seek help of God, that you may

yourself there are times “when thou hearest the sound

be more earnest in duty when made more strong in faith;

of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees.” You have a

that you may be more constant in prayer when you have

peculiar power in prayer; the Spirit of God gives you joy

more liberty at the throne; that you may be more holy in

and gladness; the Scripture is open to you; the promises

your conversation whilst you live more closely with Christ.

are applied; you walk in the light of God’s countenance; you have peculiar freedom and liberty in devotion, and more closeness of communion with Christ than was your

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“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance.” Ephesians 1:11 When Jesus gave himself for us, he gave us all the

in him. Thus Jesus is magnified—for all is in him and

rights and privileges which went with himself; so that

by him; thus the inheritance is made certain to us—for

now, although as eternal God, he has essential rights

it is obtained in him; thus each blessing is the sweeter,

to which no creature may venture to pretend, yet as

and even heaven itself the brighter, because it is Jesus our

Jesus, the Mediator, the federal head of the covenant of

Beloved “in whom” we have obtained all. Where is the

grace, he has no heritage apart from us. All the glorious

man who shall estimate our divine portion? Weigh the

consequences of his obedience unto death are the joint

riches of Christ in scales, and his treasure in balances, and

riches of all who are in him, and on whose behalf he

then think to count the treasures which belong to the

accomplished the divine will. See, he enters into glory,

saints. Reach the bottom of Christ’s sea of joy, and then

but not for himself alone, for it is written, “Whither the

hope to understand the bliss which God hath prepared

Forerunner is for us entered.” Heb. 6:20. Does he stand

for them that love him. Overleap the boundaries of

in the presence of God?—“He appears in the presence

Christ’s possessions, and then dream of a limit to the fair

of God for us.” Heb. 9:24. Consider this, believer. You

inheritance of the elect. “All things are yours, for ye are

have no right to heaven in yourself: your right lies in

Christ’s and Christ is God’s.”

Christ. If you are pardoned, it is through his blood; if you are justified, it is through his righteousness; if you are sanctified, it is because he is made of God unto you sanctification; if you shall be kept from falling, it will be because you are preserved in Christ Jesus; and if you are perfected at the last, it will be because you are complete

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“The Lord our Righteousness.” Jeremiah 23:6 It will always give a Christian the greatest calm, quiet,

own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which

ease, and peace, to think of the perfect righteousness of

is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is

Christ. How often are the saints of God downcast and

of God by faith.” You will not find on this side heaven a

sad! I do not think they ought to be. I do not think they

holier people than those who receive into their hearts the

would if they could always see their perfection in Christ.

doctrine of Christ’s righteousness. When the believer says,

There are some who are always talking about corruption,

“I live on Christ alone; I rest on him solely for salvation;

and the depravity of the heart, and the innate evil of the

and I believe that, however unworthy, I am still saved in

soul. This is quite true, but why not go a little further,

Jesus;” then there rises up as a motive of gratitude this

and remember that we are “perfect in Christ Jesus.” It

thought—“Shall I not live to Christ? Shall I not love him

is no wonder that those who are dwelling upon their

and serve him, seeing that I am saved by his merits?” “The

own corruption should wear such downcast looks; but

love of Christ constraineth us,” “that they which live

surely if we call to mind that “Christ is made unto us

should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him

righteousness,” we shall be of good cheer. What though

which died for them.” If saved by imputed righteousness,

distresses afflict me, though Satan assault me, though

we shall greatly value imparted righteousness.

there may be many things to be experienced before I get to heaven, those are done for me in the covenant of divine grace; there is nothing wanting in my Lord, Christ hath done it all. On the cross he said, “It is finished!” and if it be finished, then am I complete in him, and can rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, “Not having mine

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“Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.” 2 Samuel 18:23 Running is not everything, there is much in the way

may remember to my profit in my daily cares and needs.

which we select: a swift foot over hill and down dale will

It will be my wisest course to go at once to my God, and

not keep pace with a slower traveller upon level ground.

not to wander in a roundabout manner to this friend

How is it with my spiritual journey, am I labouring up

and that. He knows my wants and can relieve them,

the hill of my own works and down into the ravines of

to whom should I repair but to himself by the direct

my own humiliations and resolutions, or do I run by

appeal of prayer, and the plain argument of the promise.

the plain way of “Believe and live”? How blessed is it

“Straightforward makes the best runner.” I will not parlay

to wait upon the Lord by faith! The soul runs without

with the servants, but hasten to their master.

weariness, and walks without fainting, in the way of

believing. Christ Jesus is the way of life, and he is a plain

In reading this passage, it strikes me that if men vie with

way, a pleasant way, a way suitable for the tottering

each other in common matters, and one outruns the

feet and feeble knees of trembling sinners: am I found

other, I ought to be in solemn earnestness so to run that

in this way, or am I hunting after another track such as

I may obtain. Lord, help me to gird up the loins of my

priestcraft or metaphysics may promise me? I read of the

mind, and may I press forward towards the mark for the

way of holiness, that the wayfaring man, though a fool,

prize of my high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

shall not err therein: have I been delivered from proud reason and been brought as a little child to rest in Jesus’ love and blood? If so, by God’s grace I shall outrun the strongest runner who chooses any other path. This truth I

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RAD I ANT CI T Y MED I A RAD I ANT.CH UR CH