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Text Sermons : Classic Christian Writings : Christ In His People By Lois J. Stucky

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Not long ago I talked with someone on the telephone and was left with the blessed impression that his spirit was wonderfully Christlike. There was a meekness and gentleness, a purity, a sweetness, a warm openness. For days my heart was gladdened by passing thoughts of how dear Jesus is because someone’s life had so graciously manifested Him. I felt I knew more than ever before the spirit that was in our Lord that caused many of the needy multitudes who heard Him to be drawn to Him--a Heavenly aura, even while at times His strong, fearless preaching against sin repelled others, as is the case of the brother with whom I spoke.

Many of us from time to time catch a fresh glimpse of Jesus. Our hearts aspire anew to be more like the lovely Being that He is. We want Jesus to be seen in us. We want to be more "real" in our Christian life, more faithful to God, more gladly and promptly obedient, more willing for sacrifice. We pray to be more worthy to bear His name. Do we know what we ask? We read of the Christ-life in God’s Word. But though we know and use the language, we are not satisfied with the measure in which we possess it and live it out.

To be sure, we are grateful for all God is working in our lives. We are more than thankful that sin no longer reigns in us as it once did, at least in most areas. But when we seriously examine our hearts, we may find things, perhaps almost hidden away in cracks and crevices. An ugly varmint word may startle us by darting out in an unguarded moment, or an obnoxious weed of bitterness may spring up from roots that remain under the surface. Unkind words or moods or selfish or sensual behavior betray a heart need.

Thank God for the "fountain filled with Blood"--the soul-cleansing Blood of the dear Lamb of God. "Sin stains are lost in its life-giving flow." Might we quickly avail ourselves of this precious provision of God, so costly to Himself and His Son, so freely available to us. God help us never to take lightly the sin that would crucify our Saviour afresh and put Him to shame. And more, God help us by faith to take our place with Christ on the cross, where the old man is crucified with Him. The glory side is that we are then raised with Him to walk in newness of life. What does this mean in our day to day walk, our hour to hour living? It means a continual crucifixion, a yielding up of our own wills, our own preferences and desires, for Jesus’ sake. That results in deliverance from our self-centered life that the Christ-centered life might be in us. It means joy and peace and love--in short, victory!

Living in Christ and Christ living in me! The blessed reality of this Christ-life is not something we can initiate or imitate. It is a supernatural life made possible as we have the Holy Spirit abiding in us in rich and full measure. He is the One who bears the Heavenly life in us and causes it to flow out from us. It is the Holy Spirit who gives reality to our Christian profession. It is by the Spirit that we mortify the flesh that Christ might be manifested.

I remember that for a time I prayed that Jesus would be my "magnificent obsession"--an expression I had heard somewhere which seemed to sum up what I wanted Jesus to be in my life. Gradually the Lord brought me to see I needed more of the Holy Spirit’s fullness in my life to make Jesus become all to me. God’s provisions for us through the Lord Jesus and through the Holy Spirit are so excellent and complete. If only we apprehend and appropriate them more fully!

It is our prayer that the articles in this issue of Herald of His Coming will encourage us all to pursue the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and to learn to drink daily of those Heavenly springs of living water that we may be constantly full. Then our hearts will be satisfied, and our lives will manifest more of Christ, and God will be glorified. It is through the Spirit that we are equipped to do the work and to fulfill the ministry God has appointed us to do, as Dr. Torrey tells in his article.

No Time To Dally

Here at Herald of His Coming we sense something of the urgent importance of being empowered by the Holy Spirit to effectively do the work entrusted to us. Time could be so short before the night comes when no man can work! There is no time for dallying or for experimenting in mere human ingenuity. There is a God-sized job to do. It must be done by His enabling if it is to be finished. The fields are ripe unto harvest now! Destructive forces threaten to ruin the harvest if it is not gathered in.

At this writing some farmers in this area of Kansas are battling for their crops. Hot, rainless days of summer caused the milo plants to be stressed and weakened the stalks. Later heavy winds and rains coming at the same time blew the stalks to the ground. The heads of grain on the damp ground began to sprout, resulting in less grain and inferior quality. Combining the harvest was difficult and disappointing. Just as unexpected forces may wreck a beautiful, promising field of grain ripened for harvest, so can a spiritual harvest be devastated by the enemy Satan and his cohorts who go about doing destructive work. They must be beaten back by God through prayer. The harvest must be gathered in!

On the one hand we may be tempted to be so overwhelmed by the size and difficulty of the task before us that we have no heart to do much of anything. On the other hand if we are zealous souls, we are likely to get so busy with details and deadlines that we press ahead without due reliance on the Holy Spirit for the divine enabling that can come only through waiting on Him. Here at Herald of His Coming, our temptation is more the second of the two. Let that tell you how to pray for us!

Abounding Opportunities.

Reading letters from the Herald mailbox stirs our hearts with concern and zeal. All over the world God is moving upon His faithful children to put their hand to the harvest. The whole Christian world knows it is a late hour!

Some who write us need more tools for the work God has given them, and they write for literature to extend their outreach. Some confess they are fighting discouragement with the immensity of the task or the loneliness of the field. They write to say that the Herald messages each month nourish their spirit and strengthen their faith to continue on. A few can send financial help, wanting to help pass on to others the messages that have proven helpful to them.

One reader who finds the Herald helpful writes about being sent to a remote area of his country to serve: "I am a Health Worker in a church clinic. The place I am working is with one small tribe...They were a forgotten people and still today are at some places. The soul of these people really needs the Word of God. From Monday to Saturday I work in the clinic, and am giving free preaching service to local churches on Sunday. Sometimes I assist the missionaries in translating the preaching. We have one goal according to "WHO" -- "Health for all by AD2000." For this we are all doing our best in teaching, giving vaccinations, etc. Since we are all church workers, we also have been preaching in addition to the Health Education. I feel happy with what I am doing when I read, "A church for every people and the Gospel for every person by the year AD2000." Prayer for these people is very much needed since there are a lot of beliefs which we must fight courageously by the help of God..."

Do we not sense the gracious, zealous heart of the Lord of the Harvest, as we see Him inspire workers like these in a sector of the field that is virgin soil, never worked before? Everywhere there are souls to be gathered in! Each one of us is needed to give his or her help. We invite you to join with us at Herald of His Coming if the Lord enables you to do more in this critical harvest time.

It is Jesus Himself who tells us that the fields must be reaped now, and He also says, "He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together" (John 4:36). God will gladly give increase to our labors. To Him goes the glory!





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