Sepiethber 1931
T h e K i n g ’ s ’ B ü s i n - e 'S s '
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But the effect upon others is perhaps even greater, as they behold the fruit of the Spirit—-love, joy, peace, long- suffering, gentleness* goodness/ faithfulness, meekness, and self-control—abounding in the lives of God’s people. It falls to my lot to travel a great deal, and as I go from place to place, my attention is often called to some conspicuous example of a suffering saint. The greatest sufferer I ever knew was also the most joyful person I have ever met. Out from her bedroom, where she was prostrated for twenty years in blindness and constant pain, there-flowed rivers of living water of blessing to the utter most part of the earth. So it is with many others whom I have been privileged to meet, and who are enduring con stant suffering in a ministry obviously appointed of God. There is always evident the abundant fruitage of their suffering in the building up of the body of Christ, which is the church of God. Let us then not shrink from whatever suffering may be appointed unto us; “for if is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for VERY T R U E C H R IS T IA N wants more love. How does the Lord make us to increase and abound in this love? One way may be by putting alongside of us some body who very much calls for the exercise of love. You see, it is quite easy if somebody wants to do us a good turn, to be kind to such a one, but it is another matter to have one right alongside who tries you very much, and if you are going to get along at all, it has to be by the exercise of love. I am inclined to think that this is one way in which the Lord increases oür love. We pray to Him, “Lord, fill me with Thy love,’” and perhaps we have an idea that there will be a warm, benevolent feeling floating down toward us, of love toward everybody. Well, praise the Lord when we have that ! But ah, you have got to work it out in the daily life ! The Spirit of God shows us the beauty of love, we rejoice in it, but it has to be worked out like algebraic problems. And it is so important to see that before the Lord can entrust us with a lot of people, He has got to see how we can love a few. One reason why there are not more converts gathered in is that we fail right here. Thé Lord puts alongside of’ us perhaps a babe, a babe in Christ, a vexatious sort of person, one who walks along the natural plane, carnal, self-willed, self-opinionated, self-conceited. That babe is in Christ. What are we going to do? We can learn to love that person. I am sure you will agree with me that it is absolutely essential in these matters of relationship with individuals that we win through on the side of love. It is a tremendoüs fight sometimes. Let us not be de feated here. ' You remember what it says in the book of Proverbs: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” We want to take a city—we would like to see New York with many converts gathered in. The Word of God says to rule yo.ur spirit is a greater thing than to take a city.
the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3: 17, 18).. “But the Gpd of;all grace, _whq hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, siablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Pet. 5:6-11). T he M ystery S olved The mystery we have been considering will one day be solved. For-the present,. God seems to forget His own people; “for he.maketh his-sun’to rise -on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:45); but it will not always be so. The time is coming when those, who refuse to worship God, “upon him shall be no rain” (Zech. 14:17).
Keep looking up and “be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of- the Lord draweth nigh” (Jas. 5 :7, 8). LOVEWORKED OUT ft DAILY LIFE . . . B y D . E. HOSTE
If you are longing to.go out to Africa or India, how about your spirit—do you rule it ? It says a man who does not rule his spirit is like a city with all the walls down. The passions go in and out of him just as they like. We must not be surprised, if we are earnestly seeking after love, if He permits us to be tried in some fierce way that cuts to the quick, by somebody that goes against the grain. And the trial keeps on. It is not just as a storm Soon over, but going on and on. I believe that :the Lord is looking at us all the time, and if we fight through by faith in Christ, although it is a sore conflict, then we are “made partakers, of the love of Christ” more fully. We are made partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end. That is a great principle. It applies right through the Christian life in many different ways’ It applies to salvation at the outset and goes on to the end. Then the Lord says, “Yes, this dear child of mine, through My. grace, has won through; he has loved that babe in Christ, that carnal one that I put alongside him, and so I can entrust him with much more.” If you fail to love one, you will certainly fail to love others. It is so easy to say, “People are so trying! I should get along so nicely, and grow in grace so much more, if only So-and-so were not rubbing up against me.” But So-and-so is the greatest means of grace you can have. It means suffering. Let us remember, friends, that the taking of cities to come depends- on these things. It means being delivered unto death, but our future useful ness depends upon it. I speak especially to the young among us, because God has great desire to use you for the blessing of the nations, it may be by your active ministry, or it may be by your prayers, or by your faith. Cannot you see that if you are not loving those beside you, you cannot love and pray for others? Other love than this is not true love..It is wood, hay, and stubble, a kind of love that will-not last —C hina ’ s M illions .
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