"Christ Is Victor" May/June 2000

Christ Is Victor

May/June 2000 Vol. 13, No. 3

"Obedience to the Word of God is the Key to Life"

1 Samuel 26:9-11

Here is the story of Saul seeking the life of David. The spirit of jealousy came into Saul. He was once filled with the Spirit of God but now has become the victim of an evil spirit.

"And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day." 1 Samuel 10:9. Saul came by God’s blessings very easily. The need of Israel was so great so God gave him that blessing. For sometime he retained that blessing. Whenever a special need arose the Spirit of the Lord descended upon him. 1 Samuel 11:5,6. The Spirit of God was descending on Saul and he was walking in the presence of the Lord. As days went on, God’s guidance became redundant to him. Sometimes God’s guidance becomes a common thing to us. We must be very careful. For sometime God guided Saul.

"But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him." 1 Samuel 16:14. There came a time when the Spirit of God could not stay in him. (1 Samuel 16:13,14) God’s Spirit came upon David and an evil spirit came upon Saul. Saul was a leader and a king. His leadership became very dangerous. (1 Samuel 13:14) God’s Word must not become cheap to us. What we know as the Word of God we must obey. We must not twist the Word of God. (1 Samuel 15:15,22,24) Saul was trying to evade his responsibilities. He said, "But the people did it." Being a leader there, he was dodging his responsibility before God when he said the people had done it. He could have said, "I was foolish in allowing it". When we go into higher levels of God’s revelation and service we must be very careful. It was all right when we were far away from Him we did many mistakes. But now if you are offending the Spirit of God it is serious. You must not offend God’s Spirit. (Ephesians 4:30) "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." When we are born again the Spirit of God is given to us. He will guide us into all truth. Then things will become very easy. As days go on we begin to disobey God. We feel we know it all.

Saul was being respected and the people were looking towards him but Saul stopped looking to God. Now he was chasing David. The Spirit of God was in David. Once David came to a place where Saul was sleeping. It was an open place. He was sleeping with his army. Bible says a deep sleep from the Lord, came upon him. Abishai went with David. There was a spear near Saul. Abishai said to David, "Give me permission. I will stab him to death." David was frightened. The very thought was wrong and it never occurred to him. The difference between Abishai and David was this, that David had the Spirit of God. If we have the Spirit of God we will repent for every thought we have outside God’s will.

Then David said, "Who can be innocent who raises his hands against God’s anointed?" Even when Saul was not in God’s will, David said that God would punish him. Perhaps he would be engaged in war on a battlefield and there die. David’s statement was a prophetic statement. David had faith that if Saul should be punished, God would do it, but he should not do it. It would be presumption on his part. He sought to be innocent before God. So he took hold of Abishai, having him pulled away with the spear and bolster, he went away. From a distance he began to shout and call. Saul got up and said, "Is it not the voice of my son David?"

Saul said, "I have sinned." Several times Saul said, "I have sinned", but he never repented. It is easy to say, "I am a sinner", but where is your repentance? Why was he not able to repent? Because there was an evil spirit in him. Sometimes we preach but some are not able to repent. Why? There is an evil spirit in them. There may be an evil spirit in the house or in the group in which the person is. This evil spirit will not allow the man to repent. At that time the only way is to stay with a man of God and see that the evil spirit leaves.

There are people who were used in revival work, but they became proud and began to disobey God. When we disobey God the devil has a chance. If you want to take part in revival work you must be very watchful. It is just such people the devil wants to catch and their children. Unless one is really watchful there is danger. Those that are working for God must be very careful. Yes, you may get answers to prayer very quickly. But if you are not careful and only taking advantage of others’ prayer life and not growing in prayer yourself, the devil will strike you. I have seen this in many cases. I know one who was careless, and his first son almost became an invalid. An evil spirit guided Saul and he went on seeking David to kill him until he and his sons died. The devil wants to destroy us and our families.

-Late Mr. N. Daniel

"Remarkable Providence"

God never gave me what I wanted. He always gave me more. As a proof, I will tell you the following anecdote:-

When I married, I was a working man, and consequently, I had not much money to spare. In about three months after my marriage, I fell ill, and my illness continued for more than nine months.

At that period, I was in great distress. I owed a sum of money, and had no means to pay it. It must be paid on a certain day, or I must go to jail. I had no food for myself nor my wife; and, in this distress, I went up to my room, and took my Bible. I got down on my knees, and opened it, laid my fingers on several of the promises, and claimed them as mine. I said: "Lord, this is Thine own word of promise: I claim Thy promises." I endeavoured to lay hold of them by faith. I wrestled with God for some time in this way. I got up off my knees, and walked about some time. I then went to bed, and took my Bible, and opened it on these words: "Call upon me in the time of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." I said: "It is enough, Lord."

I knew deliverance would come, and I praised God with my whole heart.

Whilst in this frame of mind I heard a knock at the door. I went and opened it, and a man handed me a letter. I turned to look at the letter; and when I looked up again, the man was gone. The letter contained the sum I wanted, and five shillings over. It is now eighteen years ago: and I never knew who sent it: God only knows. Thus God delivered me out of all my distress. To Him be all the praise!

I would also like to narrate another similar incidence that took place in one of my friends' life.

He had been out of employment for a considerable time, and was, in consequence, so circumstanced as only to be enabled to keep himself from dying of hunger; in fact, he was left with but eight pence half penny in the world. Nor had he one friend, but the Friend that "sticketh closer than a brother".

He went to chapel, thanking God for that which was past, and trusting Him for that which was to come, and heard Dr. Newton preach a sermon in aid of a missionary society that was under perplexing circumstances. Sensibly feeling the solemn appeal which the Rev. Doctor made to the liberality of the audience on behalf of the society, he at once gave the whole of his eight pence half penny. But he still trusted in Him who delivered the Israelites out of the hands of Pharaoh.

He rose next morning penniless. But very soon after terminating the duties of his closet, a message came to him, saying that he was to commence work that morning. He has been in constant employment ever since; and God, in His infinite goodness and mercy, has raised him to a state of respectability. Truly the words of the Lord were verified in this man: "Them that honour me I will honour."

- Selected

Reality Check

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom"

Proverb 9:10

"Much Time Should Be Given to Prayer"

The great masters and teachers in Christian doctrine have always found in prayer their highest source of illumination. Not to go beyond the limits of the English Church, it is recorded of Bishop Andrews that he spent five hours daily on his knees. The greatest practical resolves that have enriched and beautified human life in Christian times have been arrived at in prayer. -- Canon Liddon

WHILE many private prayers, in the nature of things, must be short; while public prayers, as a rule, ought to be short and condensed; while there is ample room for and value put on ejaculatory prayer -- yet in our private communions with God time is a feature essential to its value. Much time spent with God is the secret of all successful praying. Prayer which is felt as a mighty force is the mediate or immediate product of much time spent with God. Our short prayers owe their point and efficiency to the long ones that have preceded them. The short prevailing prayer cannot be prayed by one who has not prevailed with God in a mightier struggle of long continuance. Jacob's victory of faith could not have been gained without that all-night wrestling. God's acquaintance is not made by pop calls. God does not bestow his gifts on the casual or hasty comers and goers. Much with God alone is the secret of knowing him and of influence with him. He yields to the persistency of a faith that knows him. He bestows his richest gifts upon those who declare their desire for and appreciation of those gifts by the constancy as well as earnestness of their importunity. Christ, who in this as well as other things is our Example, spent many whole nights in prayer. His custom was to pray much. He had his habitual place to pray. Many long seasons of praying make up his history and character. Paul prayed day and night. It took time from very important interests for Daniel to pray three times a day. David's morning, noon, and night praying were doubtless on many occasions very protracted. While we have no specific account of the time these Bible saints spent in prayer, yet the indications are that they consumed much time in prayer, and on some occasions long seasons of praying was their custom.

We would not have any think that the value of their prayers is to be measured by the clock, but our purpose is to impress on our minds the necessity of being much alone with God; and that if this feature has not been produced by our faith, then our faith is of a feeble and surface type.

The men who have most fully illustrated Christ in their character, and have most powerfully affected the world for him, have been men who spent so much time with God as to make it a notable feature of their lives. Charles Simeon devoted the hours from four till eight in the morning to God. Mr. Wesley spent two hours daily in prayer. He began at four in the morning. Of him, one who knew him well wrote: "He thought prayer to be more his business than anything else, and I have seen him come out of his closet with a serenity of face next to shining." John Fletcher stained the walls of his room by the breath of his prayers. Sometimes he would pray all night; always, frequently, and with great earnestness. His whole life was a life of prayer. "I would not rise from my seat," he said, "without lifting my heart to God." His greeting to a friend was always: "Do I meet you praying?" Luther said: "If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer." He had a motto: "He that has prayed well has studied well."

Archbishop Leighton was so much alone with God that he seemed to be in a perpetual meditation. "Prayer and praise were his business and his pleasure," says his biographer. Bishop Ken was so much with God that his soul was said to be God-enamored. He was with God before the clock struck three every morning. Bishop Asbury said: "I propose to rise at four o'clock as often as I can and spend two hours in prayer and meditation." Samuel Rutherford, the fragrance of whose piety is still rich, rose at three in the morning to meet God in prayer. Joseph Alleine arose at four o'clock for his business of praying till eight. If he heard other tradesmen plying their business before he was up, he would exclaim: "O how this shames me! Doth not my Master deserve more than theirs?" He who has learned this trade well draws at will, on sight, and with acceptance of heaven's unfailing bank.

One of the holiest and among the most gifted of Scotch preachers says: "I ought to spend the best hours in communion with God. It is my noblest and most fruitful employment, and is not to be thrust into a corner. The morning hours, from six to eight, are the most uninterrupted and should be thus employed. After tea is my best hour, and that should be solemnly dedicated to God. I ought not to give up the good old habit of prayer before going to bed; but guard must be kept against sleep. When I awake in the night, I ought to rise and pray. A little time after breakfast might be given to intercession." This was the praying plan of Robert McCheyne. The memorable Methodist band in their praying shame us. "From four to five in the morning, private prayer; from five to six in the evening, private prayer."

John Welch, the holy and wonderful Scotch preacher, thought the day ill spent if he did not spend eight or ten hours in prayer. He kept a plaid that he might wrap himself when he arose to pray at night. His wife would complain when she found him lying on the ground weeping. He would reply: "O woman, I have the souls of three thousand to answer for, and I know not how it is with many of them!"

-Excerpted from "Power Through Prayer" by E.M. Bounds

"An Architect Speaks"

My family was a nominal Christian family. Our Christianity consisted only of being registered church members.

In our day to day life, God did not exist. On Sundays my parents went to church but I never saw them praying or reading the Bible. In the church and at school I heard about the things of God and learnt the Ten Commandments. But I had only a vague idea of what a true Christian is and I could not resist the sins of youth. My life had two faces. On Sunday morning I would listen to the sermons and sing the hymns. Despite being a singer in the choir, on Sunday evening I would go to the movies and fill my heart with many unclean pictures and thoughts. My imagination got corrupted to such an extend that I planned and thought of doing crimes of the same order as the worst criminals did and of which I read in the newspapers.

The uncleanness and also the sin of masturbation made me realize my great inner need so that I began to go to solitary places to seek God and to weep about my condition. But I did not yet know about true repentance or conversion.

With all my sin and guilt I entered married life. Even on our honeymoon trip, adultery was in my heart. But God in His great lovingkindness saw my misery and heard my cries and showed mercy toward me.

My wife and I were invited to the retreats addressed by Joshua Daniel. The intense and the clear preaching of the Word of God helped me to acknowledge my sin deeply and to repent truly. With tears I confessed before God all my sins and uncleanness and before men those sins which I needed to put right with them. Thus I began to set my heart and conscience right. I returned stolen things to their rightful owners, paid money back to an insurance company because I had deceived them and asked my teachers to pardon me for having cheated them at class tests. I asked my parents, brothers, sisters and my wife to pardon me for my sins such as disobedience, lovelessness, etc.

Soon after that, as I was reading the Word of God, the Lord assured me that He had forgiven my sins through Isaiah 54:4, "Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more."

I had brought shame to the Lord by my shameful and hypocritical life in my youth and He had forgiven that shame. Peace and joy, and a hitherto unknown consistency in reading the Bible came into my life.

The servant of God prayed for my sickness too and I was healed of a long-standing stomach ailment.

Soon my wife, who was led to repentance at the same time, and I began to pray together. We experience the power and reality of prayer by receiving God’s help and deliverances in many crisis situations. God’s Word gave us answers to questions in our marriage and the upbringing of our children. The literature of the Fellowship was very helpful in building our spiritual life. In my responsible position as a civil engineer, I learnt to take conflicts and problems to God in prayer and experienced God’s help in dealing with colleagues, business people and customers.

The desire grew in our hearts to pass on this saving message to others. At first we served the Lord in our free time and at weekends. Through Exodus third chapter, where God appeared to Moses at the burning bush, we saw God’s call to serve Him full-time for the salvation of souls. God confirmed His call for full-time ministry through Jeremiah 15:19-21, "Therefore thus saith the LORD, if thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD…"

- Hans Hoos