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THE KING'S BUSINESS
Los A ngeles fo r us to go u p th ro u g h th e ro o f y o n d e r? It is v e ry painful, a n d a little irritating , to continually h av e to d e n y these m en o f straw set up to kno ck us dow n. 1 b e liev e it will b e a n ev en t th a t w ill sh ak e so ciety to its d ep th s. I b e liev e it w ill b e th e m o st trem en d o u s e v e n t th a t ev e r cam e on this ea rth . It is secret in th e sense th a t th e L o rd does n o t a p p e a r in g lo ry on th e earth , w e m e e t th e L o rd aw ay from th e ea rth , th e expression is “ in th e a ir,” a n d any one w ho know s th e G re ek know s th a t in th e G reek, it is, a s w e m ight say in English, w e shall m e e t th e L o rd in space. T h e C hurch is th e h e av en ly b o d y . W e a re n o t v e ry h e av en ly in o u r actions, I am a fraid , b u t w e a re p a rta k e rs of th e h eav en ly calling, o u r “in h e ritan c e in c o rru p t ible an d u n d e ñ le d is rese rv ed in h e av en fo r us w ho a re k e p t b y th e p ow e r o f G o d re a d y to b e rev e a led a t th e last tim e .” W e a re “pilgrim s a n d stran g e rs,” P e te r says, “in this w o rld .” D r. B rookes u sed to say: “T h e difference b e tw e en a pilgrim an d a tram p is, a tram p is n o t going anyw here in particu lar, a n d th e p il grim is going tow a rd som e holy sh rine.” A n d w e a re going tow a rd th a t m eeting w ith th e L o rd in th e air, th a t is th e en d o f th e p ilgrim p a thw ay o f th e C hu rch o f Jesus Christ. Som e d a y H is shou t will sound, an d th e voice of th e archangel an d th e trum p of G o d w ill w ak e th e sleeping saints th a t will rise first an d th en b e ch ang ed in a m om en t, in th e tw inkling o f a n eye (if w e a re living th e n ), a n d w ithou t seeing d e a th will to g e th e r w ith th em b e cau g h t u p in th e cloud s to m e e t th e L o rd in th e air, aw ay from th e e a rth and , so says th e A po stle, “Shall y e ev e r b e w ith th e L o rd .” I n e ed n o t p o in t ou t to you who a re stu d en ts o f Scripture, th a t this form s w h a t is called in th e New T e s
tam e n t “T h e B lessed H o p e ” o f th e Church. O f course, th e New T e sta m en t S crip tu res also rev e a l th e fact th a t m any m ay die. It w as d istin c t ly said o f P eter, th a t w h en h e was old h e shou ld stre tch fo rth his h an d s an d th ey w ou ld le ad him “W h e re th o u w o u ld st n o t.” T h is H e sp ak e signifying b y w h a t d e a th he should die. T h e an sw er is h e re in F irst Thes- alon ian s th e first ch ap ter. “F o r th ey them selves show o f us w h a t m an n e r o f en tering in w e h a d u n to you, a n d how y e tu rn e d to G o d (th a t is ou r conv ersion ) from ido ls to serve th e living an d th e tru e G o d (a n d th a t is th e business o f th e C h ristian ) an d w ait fo r “d e a th ? ” No, " to w ait fo r H is S on from heaven , w hom H e raised from th e d e ad , ev en Jesus, which d e liv e red us from th e w ra th to come. ’ Conversion, service, waiting. See fo r a m om en t how it is in T itu s w h ere w e h av e th e th re e p a rts o f a ripe C h ristian experience b ro u g h t tog e th e r, T itu s 2 :1 1 , “F o r th e g race o f G o d th a t b rin g e th sa l v a tio n h a th a p p e a re d to all m e n .” (R em em b e r th a t g race b ring s sa lv a tion w ith it. G ra c e d o e s n o t hang salv ation up in th e skies to b e a t ta in ed th ro u g h d e a th ; g race b ring s salvation. W h en th e g o o d S am a ri tan cam e to th e m an dow n on th e Je richo ro ad , h e m in istered to him w h ere he w as a n d as h e was, an d th en to o k c a re o f h im .) T h e g race o f G o d b ring s salvation. (T h a n k G o d fo r th a t) . It is a p re sen t a n d imm ed ia te salvation . T h e g race o f G o d th a t b rin g e th salv ation h a th a p - . p e a re d to all m en, teach ing us th a t deny ing ungod liness a n d w o rld ly lusts, w e shou ld live soberly, righteously, an d g o d ly in this p re s e n t w o rld— g race b rings salvation, a n d th e n g race (n o t law ) teach es th e sav ed one how to live soberly, righteously an d go d ly in this p re s en t age, “L ook ing fo r th a t blessed
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