Sometimes it takes a thorn in the flesh to bring us to this experience. Paul wrote, “ THERE WAS GIVEN TO ME a thorn in the flesh.” He glorified in infirmity, but he did not glorify infirmity. He calls it “ a messenger of Satan.” We read elsewhere o f a crippled woman “whom Satan hath bound.” Paul says “ Satan hindered us.” He does not say he was “ Providentially detained.” In the world we shall have tribulation but while we glory in it, let’s not glorify the tribulation. Here lies also an antidote to self-pity. If any body could pity himself, Paul might have. But he glories in infirmities THAT THE POWER OF CHRIST MAY REST UPON HIM. He turns stum bling-blocks into stepping-stones, burdens to bless ings, minus to plus. He doesn’t grumble, he glories! This is neither rebellion, Stoicism nor resignation, but triumphant acceptance. This, then, is the supreme Christian experi ence. General Booth died with this precious verse, “My grace is sufficient for thee” in view. Bunyan faced it and had trouble making it personal but it says “ FOR THEE” and he came to believe it. Spur geon suggested the folly of a fish wondering wheth er the ocean would be big enough, a mouse worried lest the granaries of Egypt might fail, a man on a mountain afraid there would not be enough air, and declared these things no more foolish than a Chris tian’s doubting this precious verse. Prebendary Webb-Peploe, at the funeral of his child, faced the same text and raised his head to see on the wall a motto his mother had given him . . . and again the same words! The words “MY,” “ IS” and “ THEE” were in special colors. “How dare ask God to make His grace sufficient,” He wrote, “when He says it IS !” He stepped out on it and became one of the great Keswick preachers. May I add a personal word? I found myself facing old age and a new day in preaching. I won dered how I would get along, not strong in body and with such an old-fashioned message. Then I remembered Paul’s word from God: “My strength is made perfect in weakness.” And again, “When I am weak, then am I strong.” I found myself pray ing, “Lord, I’ve got the weakness and you’ve got the strength.” We made a deal and when a man teams up with omnipotence, he is invincible and immortal until his work is done. There will al ways be enough of all I need to do all God wants me to do as long as He wants me to do it. I have not been to Third Heaven nor can I boast o f amaz ing deliverances, but I have found God’s grace in Christ by the Holy Spirit sufficient for every need o f body, mind and spirit. I have nothing, yet I possess all things. Paul, Cephas, Apollos, the world, life, death, things present and to come, all are mine for I am Christ’s and Christ is God’s. That is the Christian’s supreme experience! m
THE FEAST of TRUMPETS T ru th abou t the
S e c o n d C om in g
by Lehman Strauss
“And, the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work there in: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD” (Leviticus 23:23-25). A cursory reading of these three verses re veals but a meager explanation, if any, of the Feasts of Trumpets. At once the student of the Bible is led to a diligent search of the Scrip tures, for it is right here where he must compare Scripture with Scripture. The Bible undoubtedly is silent in explaining some things that God has said, but we do not believe that this is one o f those instances. Where the Bible is silent, the teacher is wise to remain silent; but here we feel justified in making several observations, and then proceeding to an interpretation and an application of the text.
11
JANUARY, 1969
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