Facing Time and Eternity
By The Editor.
SINCE God is allowing me still to edit “A Message from God” for January 1932, I recognize in fullest measure my human weakness, and my utter dependence upon God. The editing of this Magazine for forty-seven years is over now. I was young when, at the request of a publisher, and with the advice of Mr. Kelly, I began this work. I am old now. Still I can say with the Psalmist “I will go in the strength of the Lord.”... “O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth... now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, forsake me not.”... “Thou that hast showed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again”... Yes my soul “wait thou only upon God.” Look up and say, “In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust.” (Psa. 71:17, 18, 20,17O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. 18Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have showed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. (Psalm 71:17‑18)
20Thou, which hast showed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. (Psalm 71:20) and vs. 1.)
We face time, and we face eternity. We face time to give God’s messages to men and women — we face eternity to worship and adore the marvelous love that gave us opportunities to work for Him, and blessed us in our work.
We have walked with the Master in His Harvest Fields. We have heard him say, “The fields are white to the har vest. Go work today.”... We are glad beyond measure at the opportunity still given us of seeking to bring sinners to the Saviour. We are thankful still to speak of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in these days of daring unbelief and soul-suicide. We read of sin and its effects — yes, its judgment also, through all the ages. We see much of the old world in ruins because of the sin of man. The shores of the Sea of Galilee are strewn with the ruins of the cities that Were prosperous when the Saviour’s blessed feet walked this earth.
Tyre and Sidon lie in ruins; Babylon, Nineveh, and the Cities of the Plain, what of them now? The sign-mark of the judgment of God is on them all. The story of man’s sin is told all over a desolated earth.
Today we see with our own eyes the same sins as in ages past and the same penalties for sin falling upon the earth. Man, the devil’s slave, will never learn — can never learn of himself what he is, and Who God is.
Man’s broken relationship to God can never be repaired by man.
In vain the legends of the past are woven into the superstitions of the present — in vain man seeks to repeat all the old idolatries, with hundred of added religions — and thus find peace for his broken life.
Peace can never be found on earth apart from the love of God to man known and realized — apart from faith in the Son of God, Who by His death upon the Cross and the Atoning work finished there (this to be made known by the power of the Holy Spirit acting upon human hearts); turns darkness into light and death into life. When a man finds Christ he wants no more. He is satisfied. He can say, “I have Christ, what want I more?” and “Thou, O Lord, art all I need.” When this comes to the life the crown of peace is placed upon the brow, and the songs of heaven resound from hearts on earth. Never is it to be found apart from God in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. The poet says of peace:
“Who sought it else,
Sought mellow grapes beneath the icy pole―
Sought blooming roses on the cheek of death —
Sought substance in a world of fleeting shades.”
Pollock.
Two visions are vouchsafed to every Christian, a vision of time — a vision of eternity.
In old days the servants of Jehovah thundered out the warnings and the judgments that were coming on man because of sin. They were men who saw visions — visions of time — visions of eternity. They knew man, and they knew God. The Spirit of God gave them power to deal with realities. Everything in connection with man and his God was woven into their lives — their souls burned with Holy fire — the Baptism of the Holy Ghost was theirs. They spoke inspired by God — and what they said was God’s eternal truth — they lived for God; many of them died for God.
To us today who love the Lord Jesus, since these great voices are no longer speaking, is given the opportunity of bearing witness to the marvelous fact that “God in these last days is speaking to the world by His Son.” Read Heb. 1St chapter.
We want our eyes to be opened by the Spirit of God to see what God is doing by the Holy Spirit in this world today.
It must be ours to “tell the Truth as it is in Jesus.” We must stand by the cross and say: “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” We must speak from the Cross, on resurrection ground, of His life on earth — of His death, His resurrection, His ascension into heaven. Yes, of His coming again to take His redeemed ones home to heaven. (1 Thess. 4)
We must tell sinners how He saves and whom He saves. We must bring men and women individually to the cross; we Must press on them this truth: “He died the Just for the unjust to bring us to God.” We must never leave them until they can say, looking at all His death and sacrifice means for them, “He loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Can you say that?
We must point to the glory where He is, who was made sin for us upon the Cross — “without sin in the presence of God for us.” The Cross and the glory. Sin judged and put away for the believer.
“In peace let me resign my breath
And Thy Salvation see —
My sins deserve eternal death
But Jesus died for me.”
Selected.
So must we work this year if God leaves us on earth. God is gathering His own out of this world. The Holy Spirit is doing His blessed work everywhere.
When Jesus went to the glory, after He had died upon the Cross, He sent down the Comforter on the Day of Pentecost. This was God the Holy Ghost. He was sent to do a three-fold work.
To reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. Read John 16:7-147Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. 14He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. (John 16:7‑14). For nearly twenty centuries His marvelous work has been going on; in every land, amid all races of mankind. He has been guiding men and women into all Truth. He has glorified the ascended Saviour. He has spoken of Hind. He has opened hearts to receive Him, Who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Every soul that has been saved since Jesus died has been saved through the Testimony of the Holy Ghost to the Lord Jesus Christ — “speaking of Him”— “glorifying Him,” “The Holy Ghost should lead our prayers and our praises—we are never told to pray to the Holy Ghost, but under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
We recall the coming of the Holy Ghost on the pay of Pentecost (Acts 2); the mighty testimony given by men and women who were filled with the Holy Ghost that day. We recall Peter’s sermon, when by the power of the same Holy Spirit three thousand souls were saved. The wonderful prayer meeting recorded (Acts 4:3131And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:31)), “where the place was shaken where they were assembled together”— this was the work of the Holy Spirit by which they were all filled.
The lie against the Holy Ghost, which is the Spirit of Truth, led to the death in judgment of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5).
Stephen, before the. Sanhedrim, full of the Holy Ghost, with his face shining as the face of an angel, gave his witness against the sin of the nation that had crucified the Lord Jesus — finishing his address with these inspired words of Holy Ghost direction and power: “Ye stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers’ persecuted? and they have slain them which sheaved before of the coming of the Just One, of whom ye have been now the betrayers and Murderers. Who have received the law by the disposition of angels and have not kept it.” (Acts 7:51-5451Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. 54When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. (Acts 7:51‑54).)
These words led to his death at the hands of man — but full of the Holy Ghost he looked steadfastly up into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said: “Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.”
They stoned him for his faithfulness. He was led by the Spirit’s power into heaven, saying as he went: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
But I must stop. I have simply brought these things to your notice to show you what a mighty power there is for God in the world today — the power of the Holy Ghost. His unceasing work goes on by day and by night, in all lands. It is carried on by millions of men and women endued with this Power from on high, and so are able to testify to the great fact that Jesus of Nazareth — the Son of Man — the Son of God — is now at the right hand of God.
The fact of His being there proved the Truth incontestably that the One who died upon the Cross is now in the glory of God.
He was the Jehovah of the Old Testament and the Jesus of the New Testament. His name Jehovah— Jesus, is made known to believers today by the power of the Presence of the Holy Ghost on earth.
Have you ever known the working of this mighty power in your own hearts and lives?
We pray God, and may the Holy Spirit guide our prayers, that throughout this year our pen and the pens of those who write for “A Message from God” may be guided by the Holy Ghost.
The days are solemn, but God is on earth in the Person of the Holy Ghost. The Son of God, by Whom God is speaking to the world today through the Holy Ghost, has gone back to heaven, having finished the work God gave Him to do. He, the Ascended Jesus, has sent down the Holy Ghost to do the work we read of in the 16th of John. That work is being done every minute, of every hour, of every day. The witness of the presence of the Holy Ghost on earth is seen in the mighty change conversion — real conversion — brings to hearts and lives.
Men of God should pray in the Holy Ghost today — men of God may be full of the Holy Ghost now. Men may be led by the Holy Ghost today. Heaven is opened now for many, as it was to Stephen, to see Jesus on the right hand of God.
You and I are facing time and eternity. May the heavenly visions be for us, and may the power of the Holy Ghost rest upon our lives.
Do pray for me that I may have strength and wisdom for this work, and for the work “In His Harvest Fields.” Now in closing may our souls respond to the words of Watts’ beautiful hymn! and in these days of declension and coldness, may our hearts be kept on fire with love and wholeheartedness to our beloved Lord, as the vision of His “wondrous cross” comes before us, and His glory is made known to us by the Holy Spirit.