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For Those Seeking The Truth
& Dynamic Living Christ is Victor |
May/June 2008
Volume 21, Number 3
Living to Glorify Christ
"And let thy name be
magnified for ever, saying, The Lord of hosts is the God over
King David was filled with thanksgiving and praise to God. He was grateful to God for what He spoke concerning his future and the future of his family. Every revelation, the manifestation of God can be tested by one special mark. What is that? Is God's name magnified? Anything else is really peripheral. In our meetings the speakers are not important. Is God's name magnified? That is all. If it is the work of God, Jesus will be magnified. If Jesus is not magnified all our efforts are of no avail.
When we seek the will of God, we find great joy in God's work. All of us must know that joy. If somebody says after ten years, "Oh, I was in a wrong place," what a tragedy! It means there was no direction of God in that man's life. We should stop to ask ourselves, "Am I in God's will? Am I doing everything in His will or am I rushing about according to my own drive?" The Bible says, "Let all those that seek thee ... rejoice." A fellow in God’s will will rejoice, no matter how humble the job he does.
Our rejoicing is not because of promotion or recognition. Many are very excited when they have earthly blessings. Sometimes we sing, 'Though the fig tree does not blossom and there be no flock in the herd,… yet, I will rejoice in the Lord.' Have you really experienced that? It is very common for the young people in the Fellowship to droop when they face adversities. They find it very hard. That is the testing time. We must not be discouraged. If you have tasted the salvation of the Lord, you will want only the name of the Lord to be magnified even through the difficult circumstances. You will praise God.
Everybody faces difficulties and temptations. Some sigh, some grumble, some blame others, some blame circumstances. But when we face adversities and difficulties, we must say, "Lord, through these difficulties, I want your name to be glorified." There was never a time when we did not face difficulties. Always we had to fight spiritual battles – either it was, 'no money' for a tent or 'no money' for fees, or the death of a good fellow worker. Oh, how hard it was to lose such good helpers. God took them. Why? He wants to be magnified. He doesn't want to give His glory to a good friend. That is God's way.
We must remember God's mercies and glorify God in times of difficulties. God allows His people to pass through narrow straits, so that they may see great deliverances. Another reason is that we tend to forget God's deliverances very quickly. Many difficulties over a considerable time make us constantly depend on God.
Most of us want miracles and healing. But what must these miracles establish? They must prove that all power is given unto Jesus Christ. If people do not come to see Jesus is Lord, what is the use? Is it just for our own comfort? When God does something in your house, declare it. Let not people think it was just chance. Otherwise we have no right to ask for miracles. Where is the glory? We must be very careful.
What is the outcome of our prayer? Final result of our endeavours? "The name of the Lord was magnified." Nothing else should satisfy us. "I have been in this Fellowship so long. How much have I glorified Jesus among the brethren, among my family, in my work?" should be our question. God will mightily use the one who wants to glorify Jesus this way.
-
Reality Check
“Seek ye the LORD
while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake
his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the
LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly
pardon.” Isaiah 55: 6,7
The Problem in The Post Office
I was received into the membership of the Christian Church by the Rev. Arthur Harries, and it was he, my first pastor, who told this story to his congregation.
The post office
officials were much interested as they read the words on an envelope which had
just arrived from
"Who can that be?" asked the sorting official; but his colleagues were unable to answer his question. Then one man exclaimed, "Well, it's not the parson, anyhow," and instantly they all agreed. The local clergyman did not fit the description. One by one, the names of the other ministers were mentioned; but in spite of the fact that several of these men were nice fellows and exceedingly popular, they did not fit the description on the envelope.
The problem of delivering the letter was becoming acute, when rather abruptly a member of the staff said, "I know. Yes, I know who he is. He's old Mr. - . If any man in this town has earned the right to that title, he is the man." The listeners agreed, and one was deputed to take the letter to the man's house.
The old Christian marvelled that the post office staff should think him worthy of such a compliment; but when he opened the letter, he discovered that their choice had been sound. The letter had been written to him by a Japanese student whom he had entertained months earlier.
The young man
had been studying in
Surely this would be the case in other lands. Everybody would know the man of God, and if he addressed the letter in that fashion, it would reach its destination. It did; and in so doing, paid tribute to one whose consecrated service had charmed a Community. One wonders what would happen if such a letter were addressed to the man of God - in my town. Would the postal officials think of me?
Paul wrote in Philippians 1: 20, 21, “…that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Paul's reference to the magnifying glass is most interesting, and its connection with "the man of God" is obvious.
A magnifying glass does not actually increase the size of anything: it only seems to do this. Actually the object at which a man may be looking is exactly the same size, but the glass brings it into bold relief, and the watcher is able to see it more clearly. It is not possible to make Christ more wonderful, for “He is the Altogether Lovely One, and the chiefest among ten thousand.” Yet, if by God's grace we can become magnifying glasses - in perfect alignment with the Master and men - they will be able to see Him more clearly when they look at Him through us. All the details of His superb glory may be brought into delightful relief if we are what we ought to be.
Most probably,
The fact that the letter addressed to the man of God reached its destination, suggests that the honoured Christian had been a magnifying glass. He had so magnified his Lord that even the people in the post office had been able to see Him.
They had also read his everyday actions, and had recognized in them the presence of the Lord. The old man had been a living epistle of righteousness.
And ever since
my old pastor told that story, I have wistfully longed to reach that standard
of holiness. It is the Christian’s
-Selected
The Effectual Prayer of a Church
“Peter therefore was kept in. prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him”. (Acts 12 : 5 )
Why was Peter in prison? Herod wanted to kill him. Herod killed James. This pleased the Jews very much. He wanted to please the Jews more by killing Peter. The Jews were always carrying evil reports about the Herodian family to Caesar. So Herod wanted to please the Jews. The Jews felt their religion was in jeopardy because of the disciples of Jesus.
Herod stretched
forth his hand to vex the church. His end was near. When a man's end is near,
he becomes more active than usual against the
Peter was not troubled about his condition. The next day was the day of his death, but he was sleeping soundly. Peter wanted to follow Jesus. Jesus told him that he could not follow Him then, but a time would come when he would be able to follow Him even to death. Peter's desire was now being fulfilled. That night, in his mind, he must have willingly died. His faith had grown so strong. Those who continue in the Word, will find their heart's deepest desires fulfilled. God is greater than our desires. In fulfilling our desires He will far exceed them. Peter had desired this death-daring faith.
Prayer was being made in the church without ceasing. We wonder at the acts of the apostles. But we must know that they took place because the church was praying. The church was one. There was not one person with another mind among them. If there was one man there with a contrary mind, he would have been as a wire that is earthed which discharged the circuit. They will be earth-wires. This was a live church and it was praying for the impossible for Peter in the Roman prison.
Peter was chained to two soldiers on either hand. There were other soldiers on guard and a final gate outside. The prayer of the church will release those in prison. Many are bound by evil spirits and evil desires and vanity. No one can release them. Some families are bound, they cannot understand the gospel. Father, mother and children are all in darkness. Every kind of sin will be there and they will be in great misery. How to release them? The church has to pray for them.
There are two chains that bind people - sins of commission and sins of omission. Some are released from one chain, but still bound by the other. Who will save them? The church can save them. Where faithful men gather and where Christ is, that is the church.
Prayer was being made without ceasing. This was a real church. An angel came and the chains on either side snapped. There may be big churches which cannot break chains. They are not churches.
Peter was asked to put on his sandals. A man who is freed, puts on the sandals of the gospel of peace. Peter crossed the first ward and the second ward. After conversion we have still two wards to cross. We have to be planted together with Him in the likeness of His death and then we have to rise into the newness of the resurrection life. When the church is praying these deliverances will be experienced.
There was still the iron gate to cross. “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Romans 6:22). We cross over into the holy life. There is holiness there.
“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Colossians 1:9). We have to join the saints in glory. If we are praying great things will happen.
-Late Mr. N. Daniel
A Master Fisher of Men
Mr. J. Bosinger of Conoor who died in 1906, 85 years of age, and who came to India in 1847, as the first Industrial Brother of the Basel Mission, having spent more than sixty years in India without a furlough, told me much about Mr. Hebich whom he knew intimately for more than a decade, having sometimes accompanied him on his mission tours. In answer to my question concerning the stability of Hebich's converts he replied:
“The majority of them proved themselves true Christians, many of them having also become great soul-winners. Mr. Hebich knew how to sound the deepest depths of men's hearts. He would give no peace nor rest, until they had made a full surrender to Jesus.
“His method with men often seemed harsh, but then he would say, 'I must first kill them with the hammer of the law, before I can comfort them with the Gospel.' Let me relate to you an instance of his way of dealing with men:
“One day we were out taking a walk, and we came to an engineer's bungalow. 'Come,' said Mr. Hebich, 'let us call and see this man.' I reluctantly entered the house of the gentleman, for I was a stranger to him. As soon as Mr. Hebich saw him, he said, ‘I have called to tell you that you ought to be ashamed of yourself, for disgracing your God and your country by your sinful life.’
“The gentleman replied, 'That is none of your business!'
“Mr. Hebich then shouted in a loud, almost angry voice, so great was his zeal: 'That is my business. As a faithful minister of Jesus Christ, I must denounce all sin and unrighteousness. I have now called to demand of you, in the name of our Righteous Judge, that you repent of your sins.'
“This denunciation made the engineer very angry. ‘Leave my house, Mr. Hebich!’ he shouted, ‘I did not ask you to call, and will not listen to your violent tirades in my own house!’
“‘No, never,’ the old man replied, ‘I will not leave you, until you confess your sins and beg God's pardon on your knees for leading such a disgraceful life. You are a bad man, and ought to be ashamed of yourself. Get down on your knees and confess, or you will go to hell, to the devils whom you serve. I will not leave you, until you hear my message!'’
“Then the man jumped up in a rage and said sarcastically: 'If you don't leave, then I will!' Ordering his boy to have his horse saddled, he left us without another word, and soon we saw him riding away at a furious gallop. Then we left the house.
“I felt annoyed at Mr. Hebich’s abruptness and remarked to him: ‘Now you have spoilt all by your hard words. It is not necessary to break down the door, if you would enter a house.’
The old man only smiled and said, ‘I have fastened a hook in him that he will not get away from.’
“He was right. Before he called to see such men, he would always spend much time in prayer for them. Only when he had the assurance of victory in prayer, the witness of the Spirit, would he call to see them, but then he came as a victor.
“Three days after this stormy visit to the engineer’s bungalow, the gentleman wrote Mr. Hebich a chit: ‘Dear Mr. Hebich, for God’s sake come to see me at once! I have not slept a wink since you were here. I am all undone. I can find no peace nor rest. My conscience condemns me. I am in hell. What must I do to be saved?’
“Then Mr. Hebich brought Jesus to the man and the man to Jesus. Soon the engineer saw Jesus on the cross, and could believe that the bleeding Saviour had with His own precious blood also washed his sins away.
“This engineer, in after years, proved by his pure, consistent, humble life that he had truly repented of his sins, and that he had become indeed a true disciple of Jesus.”
-Selected
This
newsletter is produced six times per year by the Laymen’s Evangelical
Fellowship International. It is printed and distributed in the
This Fellowship is an inter-denominational missionary and
prayer group working for revival in churches and amongst students in several
countries. We invite every layperson to become God’s ally in changing his
or her corner of the world. We train people in evangelistic work and to be self-supporting
missionaries.
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