THE KING’S BUSINESS
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bearing can we glorify the Father. Work and fruit bearing are by no means synonymous, j Some of our work is simply the energy of the flesh, the working off of a surplus nervous energy, or the dissipation of a limited supply of it. What is fruit bearing? We shall know very clearly when some day we stand alone before Him with whom we have to do and render our account. Will it be the number of patients treated or pupils taught or meetings led or hours spent in interviews? God keeps but one kind of statistics, He only writes names in the book of life. It is not the output of our work but the fruit age of that output that counts at all with Him. A short time ago a mis sionary said to me, “I have never worked so hard as I have this last year and have never seen so few re sults. It is because I have prayed so little.” Oh, if we could but come to believe today that it is the bearing of eternal fruit, and not the burning of nervous energy, that God wants, we would see that intercession must have its God-appointed place in our lives.. Jesus taught us, and revealed to us through His own life, that fruit bearing depends upon prayer. “I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide, that whatso ever ye shall ask of the Father in my name He may give it you.” Are you bearing fruit? Are you praying? Intercession a Working Force The next thing I will mention links up naturally and closely with this truth of fruit bearing, i. e., interces sion is a working force. It is more than a working force, it is the great est working force in the spiritual world. What is prayer? It is com munion and fellowship with our heav enly Father, and I would not take
work there. I give you my word for it—my unchanging word—I pledge my own name as security, that in response to a prayer these prom ises will be fulfilled.” God would have us have, “unhindered use of His omnipotent power.” As heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, He would have us “possess our posses sions.” Are we doing it? Have you unclaimed deposits in the treasure- house of.God? They are waiting for you, but they can be drawn in but one way—through believing interces sion. The unlimited promises of God unveil to us the limitless power of God. I verily believe if we do not now permit them to constrain us to a life of intercession, they will some day condemn us as we stand before the judgment seat of God “to account for the things done in the body.” The Purpose of Our Lives The fourth stratum in this bedrock foundation upon which our life of intercession is to be built up is the outstanding purpose of our lives as Christians, as missionaries. What is it? To teach school? To heal the sick? To keep accounts? To mold a home? To preach the Gospel? None of these things as an end in itself, but all only as a means to one end in every life. What then is the purpose of your life and mine in China? Jesus Christ tells us, “Ye did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you that ye should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name He may give it you.” Jesus Christ said very little to His disciples about work, but He said much about fruit bearing. Upon that He put tremen dous emphasis, even to making true discipleship dependent upon it. In fact He said only through much fruit
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