God's Withdrawing His Presence, The Correction Of His Church

God's Withdrawing His Presence, The Correction Of His Church


By John Owen


"O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance." -- Isa. lxiii. 17. [380]


These are words that carry a great deal of dread in them; -- tremendous words, methinks, as any in the book of God. And, according as our concernment shall be found in them, they require very sad thoughts of heart. It is come now to the last; this is the last cast; if we miss in pursuing this great inquiry, we are undone for ever: "O Lord, why hast thou caused us to err from thy ways? why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy fear?" God is in this matter, whereof we have been complaining.

It is the true church of God that speaks these, words. This is plain in the acting of faith as to the great interest and privilege of adoption, in the verse foregoing, where they say, "Doubtless thou art our Father;" -- "However things are with us, doubtless thou art our Father.' " When all other evidences fail, faith will secretly maintain the soul with a persuasion of its relation unto God; as you see by the church in this place. They were "all as an unclean thing;" and their "holiness all faded away as a leaf," Isa. lxiv. 6. And yet faith maintains a sense of a relation to God; and therefore they cry, "Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: O Lord, thou art our Father, our Redeemer; thy name is from everlasting." And I am persuaded some of you have found it so, -- that faith hath maintained an interest in a relation to God, when all particular evidences have failed. So it is in our head, Jesus Christ, when he cried, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" 

When all particular evidences fail, he can still say, "My God, my God." So is it here with this miserable and distressed church and people of God; -- all is lost and gone, and yet faith cries, "Doubtless thou art our Father." And if, in the matters of this day, God would help us to maintain and not let go our interest in him as our Father, by faith, we should have a bottom and foundation to stand upon. If it be so with us as hath been confessed to God (and I fear it is worse), we shall be at a loss for our particular evidences, at one time or other; but yet it will be a great advantage, when faith can maintain its station, and we be enabled to say, " Though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel will not own us,' such vile creatures; and though our righteousnesses are as filthy rags,' and our holiness fadeth away as a leaf,' and our adversaries have trodden upon us; yet doubtless thou art our Father.' " The Lord help us to say thus when we depart, and we shall yet have a foundation of hope.

I would observe here the condition of the church at that time. It was a state of affliction and oppression; -- of oppression on the one hand, and of deep conviction of sin on the other. It is well when they go together.

First. It was a time of distress and oppression; as is declared, verse 18, "Our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary." The adversary had grievously oppressed them; but that which the church was most concerned in was, that they had trodden down the sanctuary, -- disturbed the holy assemblies, and broken up the worship of God. And it is well, brethren, if, under all oppression and distresses that may befall us, we do really find our principal concern is for the treading down God's sanctuary. Whatever else lay upon them, this was that they complained of: "Our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary."

Secondly. It was also a time of deep conviction of sin with them. As the prayer is continued unto the end of the next chapter, you may see what a deep conviction of sin was fallen upon them, in verses 6, 7, "Behold, we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and melted us down, because of our iniquities."

Well, then, suppose it be a state of great oppression, and a state of great conviction of sin, what is the course that we should take? We may turn ourselves this way and that way; but the church, you see, is come to this, -- to issue all in an inquiry after, and a sense of, God's displeasure, manifesting itself by spiritual judgments. And this, in truth, brethren, if I understand any thing of the state and condition of my own soul and yours, and of the generality of the churches of God in the world, is that which we are in particular called to, and where we are to issue all this business, -- namely, to inquire into God's displeasure, and the reason of it, manifesting itself in spiritual judgments. "O Lord, why hast thou caused us to err from thy ways? and why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy fear?"

It is but a little I shall speak to you at this time; God, I hope, will give us other seasons to pursue the same design: my present distemper, and other occasions, will not suffer me now to enlarge. However, I will lay a foundation, if God help me, by opening the words unto you:-- I. What is it to err from the ways of God? II. What is it to have our hearts hardened from the fear of God? III. What ways are there whereby God may cause us to err from his ways, and harden our hearts from his fear? IV. What may be the reasons why the Lord should deal thus severely with a poor people, after they have walked with him, it may be, many years, -- that at length they should be brought to this complaint, "Lord, why hast thou caused us to err from thy ways, and hardened our hearts from thy fear?' And then, V. What is to be done for relief in this condition? what course is to be taken?

These are the things that should be first spoken to from the text; and then we should come to the last clause: "Return for thy servants' sake," etc. I shall proceed as far as I am able:-- I. What is it to err from the ways of God?

The ways of God are either God's ways towards us, or our ways towards him, that are of his appointment. God's ways towards us, are the ways of his providence: our ways towards God, are the ways of obedience and holiness. We may err in both.

I think in that place of the Hebrews, "They have always erred in heart, and have not known my ways," God principally intends his ways towards them; they did not know the ways of his providential workings, how mightily he had wrought for them. But the ways that God hath appointed for us to walk in towards him, are those here intended. Now, we may err from thence two ways:-- 1. In the inward principle. 2. In the outward order:--

1. We may err in the inward principle. When the principle of spiritual life in our hearts decays, when we "fade as a leaf," and wither, then is this our case.

2. We err as to outward order, when we fail in the performance of duty in our walking, and in the course of our obedience and holiness that God hath called us unto. These for the most part go together; but from the text, and the whole context, I judge the first here to be principally intended; -- a failing in the principle, in our hearts, and in a lively power of walking in the ways of God, and of living unto him. So that to err from the ways of God is to have our hearts weakened, spiritually disenabled, often turned aside from the vigorous, effectual, powerful walking with God, which we are called unto.

II. What is it to have our hearts hardened from the fear of God?


There is a twofold hardening from God's fear:-- 1. There is a total hardening; and, 2. A partial hardening:--

1. There is a total hardening, like that mentioned, Isa. vi. 10, "Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed." This was a total hardening that came upon the Jews when they rejected Christ. That is not the hardening here intended. Those that are given up to a total hardness will not thus humble themselves before God, nor plead with God. Blessed be God that he hath not given us up to a total hardening, that we should utterly and wickedly depart from his ways!

2. There is a partial hardening mentioned by the apostle, Heb. iii. 13, "Take heed, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin;' lest there come a hardness upon you that may be to your disadvantage." And it is this partial hardening that is here intended; and wherein it consists I shall speak a little afterward. It is this partial hardening that is intended in the text: "Thou hast hardened our hearts from thy fear."


III. How is God said to cause us to err from his ways, and to harden our hearts from his fear?


God is said to do it these several ways:--


1. God is said to do that (and it is not an uncommon form of speech in Scripture) whose contrary he doth not do, when it might be expected, as it were, from him. "If there be a prophet that doth prophesy so and so, I the Lord have deceived that prophet,' " Ezek. xiv. 9; that is, "I have not kept him from being deceived, but suffered him to follow the imaginations of his own heart, whereby he should be deceived." God may be said to cause us to err from his ways, and to harden our hearts from his fear merely negatively, -- in that he hath not kept us up to his ways, nor kept our hearts humble and soft in them.


2. Again; God hardens men judicially, in a way of punishment. This is a total hardening; of which we spoke before. And there are these acts of it, which, I think, are as evident in the times wherein we live as the judgments of God have been in the plague, or burning of the city, inundations, or any thing else. Spiritual judgments of God, in hardening the hearts of men judicially and penally to their destruction, are as visible to every considering person as any of God's outward judgments whatsoever. This will appear if we consider the following things, wherein it consists:--


(1.) The first thing God doth, when he hardens men's hearts penally, is, to give them up to their own lusts. It is directly expressed, Rom. i. 24, "Wherefore God gave them up to their hearts' lusts." When God leaves men, and gives them up to pursue their own lusts with delight and greediness, then he is hardening them. And this is a visible judgment of God at this day: he takes off shame, fear, all restraint and disadvantages, and gives men up to their hearts' lusts.


(2.) The second thing is, that God, in penal hardening, gives men up to Satan, to blind them, darken them, harden them; for he is "the god of this world, that blinds the eyes of men," and the great work of blinding and hardening men is committed unto him. And the principal way whereby he works at this day, is by being a lying spirit in the mouth of the false prophets, crying, "Peace, peace," when God hath not spoken a word of peace: as it was in the business of Ahab; when Satan went and catched at a commission to seduce Ahab to go up to Ramoth-gilead, he did it by being a lying spirit in the mouths of the false prophets. God is visibly at work in the world with this judgment, giving men up unto Satan, acting in the mouths of the false prophets, who cry, "Peace, peace," to all sorts of sinners, when God speaks not one word of peace.


(3.) The third way whereby God doth judicially give up men to hardness of heart is, by supplying them in his providence with opportunities to draw out their lusts. They shall have opportunity for them. It is commonly given for one of the darkest dispensations of divine providence towards men, when it orders things so that they shall have opportunities, to accomplish their lusts and go on in their ways, administered unto them.


(4.) Lastly; in pursuit of all these, God gives them over to a" reprobate mind," Rom. i.; that is, a mind that can neither judge nor approve of any thing that is good. Propose to men the most convincing things wherein their own interest and concern lies; show them that eternal ruin lies at the door; -- it is all one; they having a mind that can judge of nothing that is good. And the world is full of evidences of this work of God.

Christ the Great Teacher

New Testament Views of Christ 6: Christ the Great Teacher


By Frank G. Allen



"We know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these signs that thou does, except God be with him" (John iii. 2).


"And it came to pass, when Jesus ended these words, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes" (Matt. vii. 28, 29).


"Never man spake like this man" (John vii. 46).


On "the great day of the feast"--the feast of the tabernacles--in the second year of His ministry, Jesus was performing many miracles, and there was great commotion among the people as to whether He was the Christ. The chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to take Him. But they returned without Him. Then the chief priests and Pharisees said, "Why did you not bring him?" They simply reply, "Never man so spake." These were, doubtless, resolute men who were accustomed to obeying orders. But in this case they did not obey orders, nor even try to do it. Their excuse for not doing so was peculiar. They gave no ordinary or natural circumstances as hindering the execution of orders. They made no plea to exculpate themselves. They simply said, "No man ever spake like this man." How, then, shall we account for this? There was simply an unearthly majesty in the person, the manner and the words of Jesus, that awed them into inaction. The very fact that such men were so unnerved by the presence and words of Jesus, gives us an idea of His majesty as a teacher, and of His power over men. Thus it was that He could cleanse the temple, overturn the tables of the money-changers, drive out the whole crew who were making merchandise of the house of God, and no one resisted. When did the world produce another man whose presence alone awed bold officers of the law into disregard of duty, and the chastised multitude into non-resistance?

Jesus was the world's great teacher, and yet He was never taught. This fact was recognized by those who knew His history. "The Jews therefore marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" Jesus explained it by saying, "My teaching is not mine, but His that sent me." This is the only satisfactory explanation that can be given. That Jesus was a man of unequaled wisdom, surpassing infinitely all the great philosophers of renown, is freely admitted by the best informed of modern skeptics. That the world has been influenced by His teaching infinitely beyond what it has been by that of any other man, is not denied. That the world regards His teaching to-day, after eighteen hundred years from the day of His death as a malefactor and His rest in a borrowed grave, as it has never regarded the teaching of another man, is also an admitted fact. How shall we account for such teaching--teaching of such accumulating power over ages and generations of men--when He Himself was untaught? The world can not answer the question except as Jesus answered it: "My teaching is not mine, but His that sent me."

Christ was the only teacher among men who never made a mistake. After nearly two thousand years, during which His teaching has been subjected to the severest scrutiny, He stands without conviction as to a single error. Its ethics, its morals, its righteousness, its philosophy, its wisdom, its accuracy, have stood the test of the most rigid investigation. How can this be accounted for on the hypothesis that Jesus was only a man? The greatest of all other men, with the advantage of the world's best facilities, and under teachers of renown, have furnished the world with teaching full of mistakes and imperfections. If Jesus were only a man, how came it that He was so infinitely superior to all other men? And if thus superior in wisdom, righteousness and purity, how belie Himself in claiming to be infinitely more than a man? It were impossible. The two things are mutually destructive. Jesus furnishes the only explanation: "My teaching is not mine, but His that sent me."

Preserved Blameless

Preserved Blameless

By A.B. Simpson

      "I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
      "Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it" (I Thess. 5:23, 24)

      It is one thing for the ship to weigh her anchor and spread her spotless canvas to the breeze, and sail away with pennons flying and hearts and hopes beating high with expectation; it is another thing to meet the howling tempest and the angry sea and to enter the distant port. The first experience many--perhaps most of us--have begun, but what shall the issues be? And what promises have we for the voyage and the haven? How will all this seem tomorrow, and tomorrow, and six months hence, when the practical tests of life shall have proved our theories and measured the real living power of our principles of life and action? We have been sanctified wholly: how shall we be preserved blameless? Thank God, there is the same provision for both, and to both the closing promise applies: "Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it." Let us look at God's provision for His consecrated people and the conditions on which these promises depend.

      I. THE PROMISE OF OUR PRESERVATION.

      We find it in the Old Testament benediction: "The Lord bless thee and keep thee"; we find it again and again in the psalms and prophets: "The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord shall preserve thy soul, he shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and even for evermore." Even to poor, vacillating Jacob He swears, "I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whithersoever thou goest, for I will not leave thee until I have done unto thee all that I have spoken to thee of." Of His vineyard He declares: "I, the Lord, do keep it. I will water it every moment; lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day." "He will keep the feet of his saints," Hannah sings in her song of triumph. And even in our halting, David declares that "the righteous, though he fall, shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand." 

For those who abide in closer fellowship, Isaiah declares, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee." This was also the Saviour' s prayer before He left the disciples: "Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." And so Peter declares that we are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." Paul tells us of the "peace of God that passeth all understanding that will keep our hearts and minds (as with a garrison) through Jesus Christ." And Jude dedicates his epistle to those "who are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Christ Jesus," and closes with a doxology to Him who is "able to keep us from stumbling and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy." The great Apostle opens his last epistle with the triumphant confession, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day," and closes with the yet bolder declaration, "The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and shall preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom." Such, then, are some of the promises of God's preserving grace.

      II. THE PROVISION MADE FOR OUR PRESERVATION.

      It is made in the atonement of Christ, "for by one offering," we are told, "he has perfected forever all them that are sanctified." The death of Christ has purchased our complete and final salvation if we are wholly yielded to Him and do not wilfully take ourselves out of His hands and renounce His grace and faithfulness.

      The intercession of Christ. "Wherefore," it is said, "he is able to save to the uttermost" or, as it is in the margin, "for evermore all them that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." It is because He ever liveth to make intercession that they are kept; because He lives we shall live also. This is the Apostle's meaning when he declares that "if, when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by his death, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." And so, in the 8th of Romans, he declares: "It is Christ who died, yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us." And then comes the shout, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"

The Coming of the Lord

The Coming of the Lord

By J.B. Stoney


I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. - Revelation 22:16-17


MY desire in these lectures has been to set forth the grace and calling of The Bride, and now I finish with the testimony which marks the church at the close, which you get in these two verses. The true heart is arrested and influenced by Christ's communication, "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." This is your prospect; "The root and the offspring of David" intimates that He is the King; and "the morning star," that the day is at hand:the morning star is the harbinger of the day. To Thyatira, which is Romanism, when corruption had begun, the promise to the overcomer is "To him will I give power over the nations." There is now a distinct change in the nature of the rewards, concluding with "I will give him the morning star." Now the morning star is not an independent manifestation, it obviously refers to the day. I admit that the morning star includes the rapture; but it is specially connected with "the day." The morning star naturally attracts you to the day, and when the morning star is vividly before you, it is not your own benefit from the rapture which engrosses you, but that the day when Christ shall reign is at hand. It is. the prelude of the day, as Peter writes, "Until the day dawn, and the daystar arise in your hearts." Anyone acquainted with natural things, or who has travelled by night, knows that the appearance of the morning star is hailed as the intimation that the day is at hand. Surely your gain will be great when the morning star appears, when Christ rises from the Father's throne. Then the rapture will take place; His own, blessed be His name, first share in His glory. But as far as I know the rapture is not spoken of but in 1 Thessalonians 4; though, as in John 14:3, the gain to us is prominent. Even in 1 Thessalonians the great subject is "the day."

Now the first point I insist on is that Christ, "The root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star," is your hope. The church has failed as the "candlestick," that is, as the recognised lightbearer among men. I know there is a great attempt in Christendom to be acknowledged as the candlestick; there are large buildings, called churches, ringing of bells, and other religious demonstrations, all to regain a lost position, and some devoted servants of Christ seek to be acknowledged -- as has been said, trafficking upon the toleration accorded by the mere professors. A distinction forfeited is never restored; but John prepares the church for Christ. The church visibly is a ruin, yet the remnant is ready for the Lord, "The Spirit and the bride say, Come." The remnant is part of the original, and is distinguished by the special grace of the original. I gather this from Scripture. Until you know and accept that the church has failed as the "candlestick," you are not occupied with the "morning star," looking for the Lord to come according to His own communication. Hence in the closing churches the kingdom is brought prominently before you. To the church in Philadelphia Christ appears with "the key of David," the rejected king. And consequently to Laodicea, when the assembly is characterised by pretension and lukewarmness, the reward to the overcomer is that he shall "sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." First you are arrested by the Lord's communication, "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." You have before you the day of Christ's glory, not merely the relief which will be vouchsafed to you at the rapture. At the rapture we shall all be caught up to "be for ever with the Lord," but subsequently we shall all stand before the judgmentseat of Christ prior to our appearing with Him. Hence we read of the servants, "That when he shall appear we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." Limiting the coming of the Lord to the rapture has tended to foster laxity in walk. The grace at the rapture is most touching, that the Lord, the moment He takes to Him His great power, descends from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God in order to liberate His own; He is thinking of them first, and hence we read in Philippians 3, "According to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."

It is very striking that as soon as Christ takes to Himself His great power to reign, the first wave of that power is to gather all His own unto Himself in bodies like unto His body of glory from Adam downward. That is the rapture. The Thessalonians were very zealous; they had "turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven"; they did not know of the rapture before this epistle was written. They had thought that their fellow-Christians who had died would not have part with them in. the kingdom. Hence the apostle tells them that the first demonstration of Christ's power will be with reference to His own. "The dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them." The morning star may indicate that great event, but you must bear in mind that the morning star refers to the day, or otherwise you will not understand the figure. The first demonstration of that day is for our great benefit; but no true heart could limit the day of Christ's glory to his own immediate benefit. "The day of Christ "is when He appears in glory, and no blessing can be consummated or anything be in its right place until Christ is in His place. That He should come is the one desire of the bride.

Next, you are looking for Him to reign. Hence in John 21 we read that John was to tarry "till I come." Now when the Revelation was given, everything was ready for the Lord to come. The Revelation was written to the seven churches. You should read it as one letter, then you will be impressed with the state of things here, but that the grand issue or denouement will be that the Lord will reign; the Lord will take to Himself His great power and reign. Hence your place with Him in His kingdom will be determined by the way you are for Him here during His rejection. It is important that you should be looking for Him to come and reign.

In Luke 19 we read, "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return, and he called his -- ten servants and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come." They were to be rewarded when he returned according to the measure in which they had gained by trading, as they had turned his gifts to good account. Note that in Thyatira, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, the rewards to the overcomer are connected with the kingdom; and the least place is given to the Laodicean. The overcomer in Thyatira receives a much higher place. "To him will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron." If the Laodicean overcomes it is said, "He shall sit with me in my throne " -- not ruling. The youngest believer will be with Christ to share with Him in His glory. I am pressing on you that your hearts should be set on Christ's coming to reign, because you are in the place where He was rejected. Hence you are not thinking exclusively of joining Him in heaven, but that He should come and reign.

In the Lord's supper you announce His death "till he come." No doubt the rapture is preliminary, but the prominent desire is with reference to Christ Himself. The tendency with us all is to be pre-occupied with our own benefit; but as your heart is true to Him you are not thinking of your own relief merely; your eye is fixed on the morning star as the harbinger of the day when Christ will have His right place here. If you look at Revelation 4 you will see that the saints are with Christ in heaven. He has not demonstrated His rule yet; but they are with Him and ready for Him; they had been caught up together to meet the Lord in the air; the rapture has taken place. No one can truly say, "Come," but the bride, because she has present affection for Him, the first love has been revived. The candlestick has been removed; but love for Him has been so revived that you want Him to come; you are not looking for a restoration of the candlestick, but that He Himself should come. Hence you read in Matthew 25, the last appearance of the kingdom of heaven, "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom," but "while the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept." There was an awakening at midnight, "Behold the bridegroom." Five were wise, and five were foolish; there were as many false as there were true. The imitators were as many as the real -- a terrible state of things! Could anything depict the character of this day more than that there should be as many foolish virgins as wise ones going forth to meet the Bridegroom without any divine power! They had the form of godliness, as Paul predicted (2 Tim. 3); but they denied the power thereof. Here doubtless John's ministry comes in.

Homesick for Heaven

Homesick for Heaven


By J. Vernon McGee


Being therefore always of good courage, and knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord (for we walk by faith, not by sight); we are of good courage, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8, AMERICAN STANDARD VERSION)


Well, where is this home, and what is this home like? We are going to stand on the fringe and peer over the wall into a vast domain; we are going to look out upon the rolling waves of a seemingly endless sea concerning this subject of heaven. We're told here that we are to be "at home with the Lord." This is one of the lovely expressions - and Scripture is filled with these lovely expressions - that speak of the eternal state of the believer, "at home with the Lord."

Now this fifth chapter of 2 Corinthians is one of the highlights of the Word of God. It is of paramount importance to the careful student of the Bible. There are many different subjects presented here which are arresting, intriguing, and impressive.

The interesting thing is that for some of them no conclusion is reached. A problem is stated but not adequately answered - or perhaps not answered to our satisfaction. For instance, the apostle Paul writes, "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (2 Corinthians 5:1). Does he mean there is a temporary body given to us when we leave this earth, before we receive our new body? There are many expositors who take that position.


Then we are told about the judgment seat of Christ. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10). There has always been a question about how much of our Christian life is going to be exposed at this judgment. I have always felt that it will be put on the screen like a motion picture and that no detail will be left out. But this concept could be entirely wrong.

Then in 2 Corinthians 5:17 we learn that if we are in Christ, we are a new creation: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." How much is involved in that?

Then God opens up the great subject of reconciliation:

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18, 19)

I do not think anyone has been able to probe the depths of that great theme.

Finally, we are told that we are ambassadors:

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

What is involved in being an ambassador for Christ? We know some things, but there are other things we apparently do not know.

Heaven - Where is It?

Now for this message we are going to restrict ourselves to one of these suggestive subjects - that is, it will not be adequate nor will it be all-comprehensive, only suggestive.

We are told here, as we are told elsewhere in the Word of God, that there is a heaven out in space. This is a revelation found in the New Testament.

Heaven is not the hope of the Old Testament. As far as I can tell from the Old Testament, God never told anyone that He was going to remove them from this earth to a place out yonder that we call heaven. He did say that our earth would become the Kingdom of Heaven, and I understand this to be the full and adequate meaning of that expression.

"The Kingdom of Heaven" is a progressive term, I grant that, but its final fruition will be the establishment of God's kingdom on this earth, and that means this earth will become heaven or a portion of God's heaven. Now that was the hope of the Old Testament, but it's not the hope of the New Testament.

The first mention of God taking a group of people from this earth out into space is when our Lord introduced the subject in the Upper Room. This One who had been the carpenter of Nazareth down here, said to His own,

... I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:2, 3)

And Paul, banking on that statement, wrote that to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord.

Now what about this place? Paul confirmed its existence, but the only description I can find of it is in the twenty-first chapter of the Book of Revelation. Therefore, we will have to go there to get the description of this wonderful place where we are to be at home.

We should note that our knowledge of it brings courage and comfort to the heart, and I am sure that one of the reasons so many of God's people have become discouraged along life's pathway is because they've lost sight of the place where they are going. If you've read John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress (which, by the way, was Bunyan's masterful expression of his own experience) you will find that this man Christian, though he went down into the Slough of Despond or went down into Doubting Prison, always could come out and face the future and move upward on the pilgrim pathway because, as he says, "I am on the way to the Celestial City."

Many of God's children are so wrapped up in this world today, like a kitty in a ball of yarn, that they have lost sight of the fact that we are pilgrims and strangers down here. They do not realize that to look forward to the Celestial City brings courage and comfort to the heart in our day.

Now we want to turn to chapter 21 of the Book of Revelation. And as we do, we want to see the description that is given here. We find that there are two features we want to develop at this time:

First is the topography of heaven. And second is the typography of heaven. These are the two themes: the topography of heaven and the typography of heaven.

Now when we speak of the topography of heaven, we mean that it is a place, a material place, if you please. I do not know why the notion has arisen that the difference between that which is spiritual and that which is carnal is that the carnal is material, something which you can see, and that the spiritual is something you can't see and has no physical qualities whatsoever. That is not true. Actually, some of the most carnal things in this world are things you can't see. Hate and covetousness are works of the flesh, but they are just as much in the unseen realm as love and unselfishness, which are the fruit of the Spirit.

On the other hand, a thing does not have to be out yonder in space with no tangible substance in order to be spiritual, my beloved. Heaven is a good example of this because it is a place with three dimensions: it has height, it has width, it has depth - all of these things. Yet it is in the realm of the spirit.

Notice the description of heaven that is given. And may I say again - I continually repeat it - that the interpretations I am giving you are only suggestions. Yet I trust if you have become discouraged, or perhaps you have not yet begun the pilgrim pathway to this city, that you will be encouraged by what is given here.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (Revelation 21:1)

This tells us that there will come into existence a new heaven and a new earth. God is trading in this model on a new one, one that will be absolutely, of course, free of sin. And the only change that is called to our attention is the fact that there will be no sea. What a great change that will be!

Now we in Los Angeles are thankful for the ocean. If you do not see why, then take a trip 200 miles to the east or go to Chicago, and you'll see why the ocean is such a valuable asset here on the West Coast.

But can you conceive of this earth without any ocean, that which occupies three-fourths of the globe's surface? If now we had all that space, what a tremendous population could be put here - and will be put here in the eternal ages. Not only that, just think of the parking space we're going to have when we get rid of the ocean! "No more sea" is the one radical change we are told about. Then God moves on and tells about something else that will be new.

Up to this point heaven has been mentioned many times in Scripture, but never described. Our Lord said He was going to prepare a place for us in it; Paul wrote about being homesick for it and wanting to go there; and now it comes into view for the first time. I think it's already in existence, but I don't think we're going to see it until eternity begins; that is, until we have the new heaven and a new earth.

Now will you notice what he says,

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:2)

The Desires of Your Heart

Devotional Hours with the Bible, Volume 3: Chapter 12 - The Desires of Your Heart

By J.R. Miller


Psalm 37:4


"Delight yourself in the LORD--and He will give you the desires of your heart!"


The young people who have read "The Arabian Nights" will remember the strange story of 'Aladdin', who possessed a magic lamp--which commanded the services of certain genie. By rubbing the lamp, Aladdin got whatever he wished--and grew rich and great. But that is only an impossible story of fantasy.

Yet in this Psalm, we have a promise which seems to tell us of a way in which we can get anything we wish. "Delight yourself in the LORD--and He will give you the desires of your heart!" It is not by rubbing a magic lamp, however, that we can get what we desire. True religion is not magic. Yet some people seem almost to think that it is. Simon Magus thought so, and tried to buy the secret. A man who has lived a wicked life, never giving God a thought, when thinking that he is about to die--is greatly alarmed, sends for a minister, thinking that thus he can have heaven opened for his soul. It is not in this way--that a desire for heavenly blessedness can be gratified.

What is it to delight ourselves in the Lord? It means to love God--to love to be with Him, to love to please Him, to love His ways, to love His service.

We know what it is to delight ourselves in a friend. You love your friend so much that when you are with him, you are perfectly happy. You have no wish ungratified; you need nothing else to complete your contentment; your soul finds its home in him.

This is the ideal in marriage--that the two who wed shall delight in each other. They should meet each other's desires and yearnings. They should be one in interest, in purpose, in the aims of life.


Yesterday I had a letter from the Pacific Coast, from one I have never seen--but whom I have sought to help. She is considering the question of marriage and she writes of the young man: "I love him very dearly and yet I hesitate to give my life into his keeping. He is noble and kind and worthy--but in some respects he is far from being the man I have always had in mind in thinking of marriage. There is something lacking. There is a need in my life which is not met in his--the perfect union in consecration to God." There may be true love there--but there is not yet full, undisturbed delight in the friend. There is not complete accord, there is not perfect confidence, there is not absolute trust. All these elements are essential in delight in a friend.

To delight in God, also implies the qualities of love, trust, confidence, accord of will. There is a cluster of counsels in this Psalm which belong together:


"Trust in the Lord."
"Delight yourself also in the Lord."
"Commit your way unto the Lord."
"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him."


"Trust in the Lord." You cannot delight yourself in God--if you do not trust Him. Trust implies confidence. John leaned upon his Master's bosom that dark night of the betrayal. The distress of the disciples was terrible. They could not understand. It looked as if all their hopes were in ruin. Yet see John leaning on Jesus' bosom--calm, quiet, unafraid. You remember, too, what Jesus said to His disciples that night, as He comforted them: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me." They could not understand, and He could not explain the mystery of their sorrow, so that they could understand. Then He asked them to trust in the darkness, just to believe that nothing was going wrong. We must trust God--if we would delight in Him. If there is not absolute trust, there cannot be delight.

"Delight yourself also in the Lord." Delight means joy, and if there is the slightest fear, there will be pain, a feeling of insecurity, a dread of something going wrong, or that something will go wrong. Trust in the Lord is necessary, to delight in Him.

"Commit your way unto the Lord." There will come hours of uncertainty in every life, Hours when we shall not know what to do, which way to take, where to find help. Then it is, that we should learn that Christ is not only our Savior from sin--but the Lord also who orders all our ways. There seem to be a great many people who can trust God for the salvation of their souls--but who have not learned to trust Him with the choosing of their ways, the direction of their affairs, the care of their lives. They fret and worry continually. We have not learned the full meaning of trust--until we have formed the habit of committing all our way unto the Lord. The reason for worrying, which is so common a habit, even among Christians, is that people do not roll their way upon God. If they only knew this blessed secret--they would not worry any more. Only think what it would mean to worrying people, if they understood this and instead of being anxious about every little thing--would take it to the Lord in prayer and let the peace of God keep their hearts and their thoughts in holy quiet.

Instead of trying to manage our own affairs, let us begin to commit them to God. Then there will be no blunders made. We will not any longer spoil the web--by ignoring the pattern and weaving our own way. If we learn to commit our way unto the Lord, down to the minutest matters--it will help us to delight in the Lord. It will add immeasurably to our feeling of safety--to believe that God is taking care of us!

Another of the words of trust grouped here in this old Psalm is, "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him." One of the marginal renderings is, "Be silent to the Lord." Never answer the Lord in the way of protesting against His guidance, or questioning His providence. Never ask in the day of cross-bearing or pain or trial, "Why?" Some of us are not silent to God--when He leads us in ways that are rough and steep. The words mean full and complete submission to the will of God. Silence to God is taught by our Lord Himself. It is woven into the daily prayer He gave us. "May Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." How is God's will done in heaven? Silently, songfully, sweetly. As in heaven, so on earth.

These are suggestions of the meaning of the words, "Delight yourself in the Lord." It means trusting in the Lord. It means committing our way unto Him. It means resting in Him, being silent to Him. It means having our home in God.

What God Thinks of Us

What God Thinks of Us

J. R. Miller, 1909

One of the most important questions we can ask ourselves, is what God thinks of us.

One has pointed out that in every man, there are four different men:

the man whom the neighbors see,

the man whom one's family sees,

the man whom the person himself sees,

and the man whom God sees.

The community knows us only in a general way, superficially. What people think of us we sometimes call 'reputation'—what we are reputed to be. It is a composite made up of all that people know about us, gathered from our conduct, our acts, our dispositions, our words, the impressions of ourselves we give to others. A man becomes known, for example, as honest, because he pays his debts, never defrauds another, never fails in any financial obligation. Men learn to know that he can be depended upon. They say his word is as good as his oath, his simplest promise as good as his bond. Or, he gets the reputation of not paying his debts, of not meeting his obligations, of not being dependable in financial ways. One man through years of life becomes known as generous, kind, liberal, faithful in his friendships, obliging, self-denying, charitable. Another wins the reputation of being stingy, mean, grasping, miserly.

Thus the knowledge the community has of a man is only superficial. It is evident that the world's opinion about people is not infallible, is not complete, is not final. A person may be better than his reputation; his external manner may do him injustice. Some men, by reason of their shyness, their awkwardness, or some limitation in power of expression, fail to appear at their true value. The world knows only a man's outward life, and there may be good things in him which it does not know.

Then some people, on the other hand, are not as good as their reputation. Their photograph flatters them. What they pretend to be—exceeds the reality. They practice tricks which give a glamour to their lives, so that they pass in public for more than they are. They wear veils, which hide defects and faults in them, and thus they seem better than they are. Hence we cannot accept the judgment of thecommunity, regarding anyone as absolutely true, fair, and final.

There is another photograph—what our intimate friends and family think of us. They know us better than the people of the community do. They understand us better. They see us with love's eyes, without prejudice. They know the good things in us, which only close association could bring to light. They saw us in some times of sore testing, when we showed ourselves true and faithful under difficulty or at great cost.

A woman who had been married a little more than a year wrote to a friend, "I thought I knew my husband perfectly before I married him—but I did not—I did not half know him. He had faults of which I never dreamed—-I thought he was perfect—but he was not. Then the year has also shown in him constant new revealings of beautiful and noble qualities, of which I had no conception. I knew he was good—but I did not know the thousandth part of the goodness I am now discovering in him."

Those who know us intimately find the worst in us, of course—but they also find the best. Friends ought to learn to be very patient with each other. We may not always expect our mere neighbors to look upon our faults graciously, with tolerance—but we have a right to expect our close friends to deal leniently with us. "Love is patient," says Paul, "and is kind." Especially in the sacred life of the home—should love be patient and not judge harshly.

In an English religious paper which has a department for questions and answers, this appeared:

"I live with a brother and a sister, both of full age. But we do not lead the happy life we should live. My sister has got into the habit of thinking that pretenses, subterfuges, prevarications, are not lies in God's sight, and that fidelities in common things are of little account. I get so impatient with her. Yet I do not know but my impatience with her is as bad in God's sight—as the faults I see in her. Should I just be quiet when I see it all, and leave it to God? How, then, can we have sisterly communion with this barrier between us?"

Surely this is not the best that the grace of God and the love of Christ can do or ought to do with Christian lives in the sacredness of the home. To be Christians, ought to bring us so close together that we shall never judge each other any more. Instead of one sister seeing great blots and flaws in the other—all should have that inexhaustible love which sees its own imperfections—but sees only thegood things in the other. In the closeness of the home relationships, it is easy to discover faults and criticize each other. It is easy to overlook the good and the beautiful, when defects are so manifest. But the very essence of love—is to cover up mistakes and shortcomings in others, and to see everything in the light of patience and forbearance.

Even in ordinary relations with others, a loving nature should always look for the good—and overlook the blemishes. An emperor had an ugly scar on one cheek—and the artist who painted his picture so posed the emperor that the scar was not seen. So should we treat our friend, or even our neighbor. But especially at home, which is to be love's garden, should the flaws be veiled—and the lovely thingsbe brought out in full light.

Whatever the world's judgment upon men may be, is it not time that the friends of Christ should cease to deal unfairly, unjustly, unrighteously with each other? Yet the judgment of even the truest, closest friends is not final.

There is a third tribunal—our own conscience. There is the man WE ourselves see. Paul could say, "I know nothing against myself." That was a great thing for him to say. Many of us do know things against ourselves, things that others do not know. We are conscious of faults, which even our nearest friends do not see in us. When others are praising us for something we have done—we know that it is over-praise they are giving us. We are not as good as those who love us think we are. Few of us would like to see our thoughts written out on a white page, to be read of all men. We are aware of evil in ourselves that others, even those who know most of us, do not suspect.

On the other hand, when people blame us, say evil things of us, charge us with doing wrong—it is a comfort for us to know in our own hearts, that the things they say are not true. It gives peace to our spirits to be able to say we know nothing against ourselves.

But there is another man in us—the man GOD sees. And this is most important of all. We do not know all the secret things of our own hearts. There is an Eye that sees deeper than ours! We may claim to be without fault—but we must know what God has to say. Paul says, "I know nothing against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he who judges me is the Lord." Even conscience may err. Paul knew this by terrible experience. It is before God—that we are really living our life. It is pleasant to have people commend us, when we have tried to do our duty. It gives us great joy to have the approval of our own hearts. But if we do not have the commendation of the Master, human praise and self-approval amount to nothing. "What does God think of you?" is always the final question.

Someone may say that since God is so holy, and sees into the depths of our being, and perceives every blemish—it is impossible for us to win his commendation. But as holy as he is—God is also merciful, gracious and compassionate. He accepts our service not for itself—but for what it means in the way of desire and intention.

It is easier to live for the eye of God—than for the eye of man. David, when the Lord gave him the choice of three penalties after he had sinned in numbering the people—seven years of famine, three months flight before his enemies in war, or three days pestilence; answered, "Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man."

Men are cruel. They judge often harshly. They know only part of the truth concerning us. They are not patient with our infirmities. But we are safe in the hands of God. He knows the worst in us, and our deeds—but he also knows the best.

Christ has been tempted in all points as we are, and has suffered, being tempted; he understands, therefore, the power of temptation and can pity us in our weakness and faintness. He knows when our repentance is true, and when we really love him—though we have so grievously sinned. Peter, when the question was put to him after his fall, "Peter, do you love me?" could make his appeal to his Master's infinite knowledge: "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." We may safely make our plea before God himself, rather than before man.

We may trust our lives, therefore, to God's judgment, even if they are full of defects and flaws. He knows all, and will bring to light all the hidden things.

Many of the most beautiful ministries of love, are hidden. We scarcely know that we are of any use in the world. We sometimes think that when the King comes–that he will have no reward for us–that we have done so little for him. We do not begin to know how many lovely things we have done. We have wrought humbly, quietly, obscurely. We sometimes think our efforts have failed—we do not see theharvest—but some day all these hidden things will be brought to light—our dreams of good which have missed fulfillment, the things we wanted to do—and were not able to accomplish, the kindnesses shown to people almost unconsciously. Not one of these things is lost! The Master will say to this and that lowly one, in the great day of revealing, "I was hungry—and you fed me."

Paul assures us of praise from God. "Then shall each man have his praise from God." Think of having God praise you, "Come, you who are blessed of my Father. You have been faithful."

There are some faithful Christians who do not often get a word of praise from human lips for what they do. They hardly ever hear a sentence of commendation. Nobody ever brings them a rose. Nobody tells them they are doing good in the world. In their own lowly way, they make countless lives better and happier, their burdens lighter, and yet they rarely ever hear a "Thank you." It will be very sweet, in the day of revealing, for these plain, humble ones who give out their lives in love, and scarcely know they are doing anything for Christ—it will be very sweet, when, before all the universe, the secret things they have done shall be brought out and they shall receive their praise from God!

I Counted...And I Count

By Samuel Logan Brengle


The Apostle Paul, in his young and fiery manhood, was on the way to Damascus, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples,' when Jesus met him and won his heart; and from that day Paul counted all things loss for Christ. He made an unconditional surrender, and found such loveliness and grace in Jesus that he lost his heart to Him, and from that day consecrated and devoted his whole life to the Master. Long years afterwards he wrote, 'What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.'

Youth is the time for the steps that shape all future life. The man who does not make such a consecration in youth is not likely to make it at all. Age is prudent, cautious, and oftentimes timid and fearful. Youth is generous and hopeful, courageous, daring, unentangled, willing to take risks, and unafraid.

Youth is not held back by prudence and caution. Youth sees visions and is prepared to make sacrifices to realize the vision -- to transform it into something substantial that can be touched, handled, and used.

But by and by age approaches, with its cares and infirmities and weariness and insomnia, its deferred hopes and unfulfilled ambitions, its large knowledge of the complex and massed and seemingly invincible forces of evil, and with age comes the temptation to slow down, to compromise, to question the wisdom of having burned all the bridges behind, to draw back, or to hold back part of the price.'

No doubt Paul was so tempted; but it is also certain that he met the temptation squarely and in the open, for he declared to the Philippians and to the ages: 'I counted..... and I count.' He counted the cost in the past, and he continued to count as he began. 'I counted..... and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse (margin R.V.) that I may win Christ and be found in Him.' He obeyed the word of Jesus, ' Remember Lot's wife.' He had put his hand to the plow, and he never looked back.

It was here that wise King Solomon failed. In his youth he had visions; he was humble, he sought the Lord and walked in His way, he obtained promises and was prospered; but in his age he went astray, his consecration failed, the vision was dimmed, the glory departed, and great and sad was his fall.

It was at this point that Ananias and Sapphira failed. They had given themselves to the Lord, but later they conspired to hold back 'part of the price,' and perished in their hypocritical falsehood. It was a withdrawal of this kind on the part of Demas that so hurt the heart of Paul when he wrote: 'Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.'

It is only a consecration like Paul's -- Unconditional, complete, and sustained to the end -- that will satisfy a man's own soul, meet the infinite claims of Jesus, and answer the awful needs of a world weltering in pride and lust and covetousness and sin.

1. Men sink to what is low, mean, and devilish, but they can never themselves be satisfied with such things. A man may be gratified with that which is base, but he can be satisfied only by the highest. 'Thou, O God, hast made us for Thyself, and we are restless till we rest in Thee.' (St. Augustine.)

William Booth as a boy might have sold himself to sinful pleasures and enjoyed them to the full, but he would not have been satisfied. He might have engaged in business and become a money-getter; he might have built up a fortune and rolled in wealth, but he would not have been satisfied. He might have entered the navy or army and become a great military leader and hero, or he might have plunged into politics and risen to the premiership and guided the destinies of the British Empire, but he would not have been so satisfied as he was in following Jesus to save the lost and 'turn them to a pardoning God.' He, too, counted all things loss for Christ, and continued so to count them to the end of his long and laborious life. It was only by such complete and sustained consecration that he could be satisfied with himself. A man's own soul demands this; his soul will not be trifled with nor put off with paltry excuses when he sits alone with his conscience, as some day he surely must.