Milo

October 19th

The unheeded secret

My kingdom is not of this world. John 18:36.

The great enemy to the Lord Jesus Christ in the present day is the conception of practical work that has not come from the New Testament, but from the systems of the world in which endless energy and activities are insisted upon, but no private life with God. The emphasis is put on the wrong thing. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation; … for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you,” a hidden, obscure thing. An active Christian worker too often lives in the shop window. It is the innermost of the innermost that reveals the power of the life.
We have to get rid of the plague of the spirit of the religious age in which we live. In Our Lord’s life there was none of the press and rush of tremendous activity that we regard so highly, and the disciple is to be as his Master. The central thing about the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship to Himself, not public usefulness to men. It is not its practical activities that are the strength of this Bible Training College, its whole strength lies in the fact that here you are put into soak before God. You have no idea of where God is going to engineer your circumstances, no knowledge of what strain is going to be put on you either at home or abroad, and if you waste your time in over-active energies instead of getting into soak on the great fundamental truths of God’s Redemption, you will snap when the strain comes; but if this time of soaking before God is being spent in getting rooted and grounded in God on the un-practical line, you will remain true to Him whatever happens.

October 19

“The ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them.” (Num. 10:33.)

GOD does give us impressions, but not that we should act on them as impressions. If the impression be from God, He will Himself give sufficient evidence to establish it beyond the possibility of a doubt.
How beautiful is the story of Jeremiah, of the impression that came to him respecting the purchase of the field of Anathoth. But Jeremiah did not act upon this impression until after the following day, when his uncle’s son came to him and brought him external evidence by making a proposal for the purchase. Then Jeremiah said: “I knew this was the word of the Lord.”
He waited until God seconded the impression by a providence, and then he acted in full view of the open facts, which could bring conviction unto others as well as to himself. God wants us to act according to His mind. We are not to ignore the Shepherd’s personal voice but, like Paul and his companions at Troas, we are to listen to all the voices that speak and “gather” from all the circumstances, as they did, the full mind of the Lord.—Dr. Simpson.
“Where God’s finger points, there God’s hand will make the way.”
Do not say in thine heart what thou wilt or wilt not do, but wait upon God until He makes known His way. So long as that way is hidden it is clear that there is no need of action, and that He accounts Himself responsible for all the results of keeping thee where thou art.—Selected.
“For God through ways we have not known, Will lead His own.”

19 OCTOBER (PREACHED 1770)

Making allowances

‘… As they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.’ Luke 9:33
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: John 21:15–25

A want of experience makes us very apt to mistake and misapply the cordials the Lord gives us by the way. Peter did not say, ‘Now we have seen his glory, let us take courage and be willing to do and suffer for him, for he is worthy. Let us improve the remembrance of this to make us more earnest in pleading with our friends or obstinate countrymen to believe on him.’ Friends, neighbours, services and sufferings, were all forgot, and he only thought of building tabernacles and having his present comforts continued. There is much selfishness in our hearts, often when they seem best disposed. St Paul was better taught—he had been caught up into the third heaven, yet though he had an earnest desire to depart and be with Christ, he was willing to wait for his happiness, for the sake of being useful to his church.
We may observe our Lord’s gracious compassion to the weakness of his people. He accepted Peter’s willing mind according to his light, and though what he said showed ignorance, rashness and selfishness had too much place in him, we do not find he rebuked him upon this occasion. He knows our frame, he remembers we are but dust. He does not teach us all at once, but with patience and tenderness, as we are able to bear it. We should learn of him. If we advise (as we ought to do) young believers of what is amiss in their first joy, let us do it with candour and gentleness and make allowances for those mistakes which can only be corrected by experience. Fruit is not ripened as soon as it is formed, but it is not to be thrown away because it is yet green. If good in its kind, allow it time and it will come to maturity.

FOR MEDITATION: Methinks the Apostle strongly intimates the deep depravity of our nature, when he says, Ye have need of patience … We are selfish, ungrateful creatures, and if the Lord crosses us in one thing, we are prone to forget our many calls for thankfulness.… Notwithstanding all we know, and the fine things we can say to others upon the subject, we are liable to toss like a wild bull in a net, or to sink into despondency.
John Newton to John Ryland, 30 August 1790

SERMON SERIES: ON THE TRANSFIGURATION, NO. 7 [4/5], LUKE 9:33

October 18th

The key to the missionary devotion

For His name’s sake they went forth. 3 John 7.

Our Lord has told us how love to Him is to manifest itself. “Lovest thou Me?” “Feed My sheep”—identify yourself with My interests in other people, not, identify Me with your interests in other people. 1 Corinthians 13:4–8 gives the character of this love, it is the love of God expressing itself. The test of my love for Jesus is the practical one, all the rest is sentimental jargon.
Loyalty to Jesus Christ is the supernatural work of Redemption wrought in me by the Holy Ghost Who sheds abroad the love of God in my heart, and that love works efficaciously through me in contact with everyone I meet. I remain loyal to His name although every commonsense fact gives the lie to Him, and declares that He has no more power than a morning mist.
The key to missionary devotion means being attached to nothing and no one saving Our Lord Himself, not being detached from things externally. Our Lord was amazingly in and out among ordinary things; His detachment was on the inside towards God. External detachment is often an indication of a secret vital attachment to the things we keep away from externally. The loyalty of a missionary is to keep his soul concentratedly open to the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. The men and women Our Lord sends out on His enterprises are the ordinary human stuff, plus dominating devotion to Himself wrought by the Holy Ghost.

October 18

“Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs;… they shall afflict them four hundred years;… and afterward they shall come out with great substance.” (Gen. 15:12–14.)

AN assured part of God’s pledged blessing to us is delay and suffering. A delay in Abram’s own lifetime that seemed to put God’s pledge beyond fulfillment was followed by seemingly unendurable delay of Abram’s descendants. But it was only a delay: they “came out with great substance.” The pledge was redeemed.
God is going to test me with delays; and with the delays will come suffering, but through it all stands God’s pledge: His new covenant with me in Christ, and His inviolable promise of every lesser blessing that I need. The delay and the suffering are part of the promised blessing; let me praise Him for them today; and let me wait on the Lord and be of good courage and He will strengthen my heart.
—C. G. Trumbull.

Unanswered yet the prayer your lips have pleaded
In agony of heart these many years?
Does faith begin to fail? Is hope departing?
And think you all in vain those falling tears?
Say not the Father hath not heard your prayer;
You shall have your desire sometime, somewhere.

Unanswered yet? Nay do not say ungranted;
Perhaps your work is not yet wholly done.
The work began when first your prayer was uttered,
And God will finish what He has begun.
If you will keep the incense burning there,
His glory you shall see sometime, somewhere.

Unanswered yet? Faith cannot be unanswered,
Her feet are firmly planted on the Rock;
Amid the wildest storms she stands undaunted,
Nor quails before the loudest thunder shock.
She knows Omnipotence has heard her prayer,
And cries, “It shall be done”—sometime, somewhere.
—Miss Ophelia G. Browning.