Day by day the desire for God's fulness is intensified, and we yearn to reak all
the bonds of our limitations, to move in the complete freedom of divine
perfection, equal to, and ready for every situation. The vision steadily grows
brighter, illuminated by the blessed Holy Spirit, until our hearts throb with
anticipation. Our course is set— and by
God's grace the goal shall be realized in His appointed time. "For the vision is
yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it
tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come; it will not tarry." [Habakkuk
2:3].
With the lofty peak of
MATURITY set before us, radiant glory so brilliant that it almost obscures the
circumscribed confines of the present, there is often a sense of futility
experienced. Why do anything now, why not wait until that hour has come? But
there is an "occupying" until, and we would ponder some serious thoughts on this
present need.
In the parable of the
talents (Matthew 25), or the pounds (Luke 19), without trying to identify the
talents in themselves, or qualify them as to what they might represent, there is
one fact that readily stands out, namely, those who received the talents, or
pounds, were limited in their portion. Be it one talent or five talents, it was
still a limited number, and they did not, at that time, have access to unlimited
resources. They were to use what they were given, and for their FAITHFULNESS
they were to be rewarded. "Well done, thou good and FAITHFUL servant; thou hast
been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter
thou into the joy of thy lord." [Matthew 25:23].
The words, "occupy till
I come", have long held challenge and question for many. What do they mean? The
inworking of the Spirit has long ago, for many, revealed the fact that
"whatsoever is not of faith is sin." [Romans 14:23]. Thus, whatever we do, it
must be done in faith, with that sense of His guidance and approval, that we
might have peace of mind, and inner tranquility of heart.
Also, we are tired of
"man's" efforts in himself. Isaiah spoke it very well, "They err in vision, they
stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that
there is no place clean." [Isaiah 28:7-8]. Chewed up and rehashed programs of
man, over and over again serving the same flesh, this has become too much for
us, we can follow it no longer.
We have seen the
mixture of good and evil, we have been blessed by the good, and poisoned, made
sick, diseased and impaired by the evil. When the anointing of the Holy Spirit
was flowing through the vessel, we drank deeply and were refreshed, but when the
Spirit stopped flowing, and man (flesh) continued, it only brought pain and
distress. There comes a time when, individually, this brings us to a crisis in
our own experience. What shall we do? Shall we reject the whole? Or, shall we
become critical, caught in the web of judging and condemning everything we see
that doesn't meet up to our standard? God forbid! But this does bring us to the
next step in our going on towards maturity. Now we must begin to "discern"
between good and evil, to leave that which is of the flesh, and to cleave to
that which is of the Spirit. Nor is this just the development of one faculty or
attribute, rather we see the expanding work of the Spirit, for while we learn to
CHOOSE THE GOOD, we also must learn not to condemn nor pronounce our judgment
upon that which we cannot accept. The greatest sentence we are now able to give,
denoting that we are not interested in a certain realm of flesh, is to simply
move on, as if, for us, that thing did not exist. And then, by the grace of God,
to fill up our life with that which is good.
There is much that God
allows, even uses for a time, which is filled with the chaff of the flesh, and
there comes; a time when HE would strip it away, hat we might go on to
spiritual maturity. Rather than spending time fighting the chaff, or being
busily engaged in warning others against it, methinks if we would listen to the
voice of the Holy Spirit, we would hear Him speak anew the words which Jesus
once said to Peter, "WHAT IS THAT TO THEE? FOLLOW THOU ME." There is no need to
always fight the negative, but rather to accent the positive. To cry against the
darkness only adds to the bleakness of the hour, but to seek for, and receive
the light, this brings a positive action which will also help dissipate the
darkness. "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." [Romans
12:21].
Now, while we learn to
discern and receive only that which is good, from the inflow of the Holy Spirit,
we can receive those "portions" and "fragments", even though quite "in part",
which God has given for this hour, and be strengthened and helped thereby. Then,
having received of these limited helps, we would go on to embrace the incoming
tide of divine fullness. Likewise, as it comes to our own activity, even while
we would shrink more and more from ministering out of ourselves, desiring that
the purity of the Spirit alone be imparted through us, we ought not to selfishly
withdraw into a shell and withhold from others that "portion" which we have at
this time, however limited that portion might be. Those aspects which have been
purified in us will bring blessing to others. "Let us not be weary in well
doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore
opportunity, let us do good unto all, especially unto them who are of the
household of faith." [Galatians 6:9-10].
There is a balance
which needs to be wrought in the lives of God's "SONS IN PREPARATION" today. We
must not neglect the present because we see a greater work coming in the future,
which will be pure, and which I will much more redound to God's glory. Nor yet
would we become too involved in the "now" so that we are not steadily being
processed and prepared for the future. We live today in the light of tomorrow,
and yet we do not wait until tomorrow to begin to live. "The life which I NOW
LIVE in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God..." [Galatians 2:20].
There are many kinds of
situations in which God's called out ones find themselves today, and we cannot
compare experience with experience, "For we dare not make ourselves of the
number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves; but they
measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves,
are not wise." [2 Cor. 10:12]. We would seek at all
times to keep our eyes on
Christ, to follow Him, and yield to each inworking of the Spirit, that we might
be found unto praise, honour, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
We do recognize,
however, that God does place HIS OWN in some very strange and peculiar
circumstances. Therefore each of us can only walk in the light which God has
shed upon our own pathway, and to seek for His will in whatever state we might
find ourselves at the present time. Obviously those who are yet within the
activities of the institutional religious systems of the day are going to have
different forms of work and ministry from those without the camp. The issue at
hand is not so much of where the sphere of our activity is, but whether or not
we are seeking to be led wholly by the Holy Spirit in all that we
do. Also, in those moments
when we have no clear leading from the Lord, do we seek to continue on in our
own strength, or do we wait upon the Lord until His directives are clear? The
criterion for all our works is still found to be that of our Lord: "I can of
mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I
seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." [John
5:30]. Again, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me." [John 4:34].
We are admonished by
the scriptures, "Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.
—And what
—soever ye do, do heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing
that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve
the Lord." [Colossians 3:17,23]. Now, it is easy, from such passages as these,
to take up the cry of "to the work, to the work". But we are not so much
interested in the amount, quantity of the activity, but of the kind, the quality
of that which is done, namely, that which is done to please God. "Who art thou
that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth.
Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand."[Romans 14:4].
Thus we see that GOD ALONE can lead each individual in the path that he should
go, and we are to seek to be found acceptable unto HIM.
Perhaps, however, a
little more clarification could be given. While we would seek above all else to
be LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, and to only minister out of that portion which He has
given us, and not so stretch ourselves beyond ourselves, and end up giving forth
flesh, when we have exhausted our spiritual "in part" measures, yet, even so, we
find that there are times when it seems as if we are not doing anything, or that
we have no opportunity to say or do a thing. Then we come to a very interesting
part of service, namely, THE MINISTRY OF JUST BEING. Paul declared that he
"laboured more abundantly than they all" by the grace of God which was with him,
but he also stated that "BY THE GRACE OF GOD I AM WHAT I AM." [1 Corinthians
15:10]. Something challenging is included here. While our activity should be
wrought by # the grace of God, and to His praise, it is also His grace f which
enables our STATE OF BEING, to be what we are in Him, and in JUST BEING we also
are able to serve the Lord. It may be that this is a deeper dimension of service
than all the surface, outwardly manifested works, but where we are in a home,
not to say, not to preach and exhort, not to do this or that, but simply TO BE,
while His Spirit within us emanates forth, filling the atmosphere with His
presence and life.
Primarily the "sun"
just IS, and then by virture of its inherent nature, it will give forth heat and
light, etc. but first of all it just IS. We have tried so hard to do great
things, to make names for ourselves, without first BECOMING—
until all our nature is HIS, our life is HIS, and all that we are in ourselves
is HIM. This is the new creation wherein it is no more I, but CHRIST LIVETH IN
ME.
Since in our very
vision of coming into divine fulness we see the necessity of our becoming a
vessel in whom He truly dwells in blessed reality, this, in itself doubtlessly
explains why God takes such definite pains to prepare us, and why He is ready to
sacrifice so much in order to increase our measure of Christ. This is why He
will take a busy and useful servant away from the field of labour, and shut that
one up to Himself. We question, why? We deem it a loss, a tragedy, and think
that the church, and the work of the Lord suffers. Ah, but GOD KNOWS WHAT HE IS
DOING. It is more important to Him to bring a vessel to perfection, to provide a
place where He can dwell in utter fulness, than perhaps the doing of a lot of
things for Him. Thus, again, the ministry of "doing" gives way to the higher
ministry of "BECOMING, AND BEING." This is a strange hour in which we live, and
the world's system seems to grip even the thinking of people in regards to
spiritual matters. With assembly-lines and increased volume being the order of
the day, we have sacrificed quality more and more for our quantity. But "every
man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare-it, because it
shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work OF WHAT SORT
IT IS." [1 Corinthians 3: 13].
Much of what we might
have thought to be so precious, gold, silver, and precious stones, will be
discovered to be only of the flesh- as wood, hay and stubble. This is not to
cause any present self-condemnation, nor to be pointing the finger in any
direction, but for our own admonition, that we might seek to move more and more
in the complete control of the Holy Spirit, and to learn to wait when He waits,
and to move when He moves. In Ezekiel's vision of the twelve manifestations of
the glory of the Lord, we read that "Withersoever the Spirit was to go, they
went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against
them: for the Spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. When those went,
these went and when those stood, these stood..." [Ezekiel 1:20-21]. This is
one of the deep lessons of the Spirit which is being taught to the called out,
God's elect, in this hour. To go when He goes, to stand when He stands. When He
imparts a portion to give, they give that portion, but they do not try to expand
their portion into double the amount, and thus end up giving one portion of the
Spirit, and one portion out of self.
Surely we can "hold our
peace", and daily rejoice in .our God, so long as we remain within the sphere of
that which HE has given us. We have received "the earnest of our inheritance".
[Ephesians 1:14]. It is a pledge that we shall receive much more, and God
dealeth bountifully with us. But we need not try to pretend that our "in part"
measure is fulness, nor do we have to claim to be what we are not. We simply
point to Christ, and see in HIM all that we are BECOMING. As far as man is
concerned, "we see not yet all things put under him. BUT WE SEE JESUS..."
[Hebrews 2:8-9].
"Looking unto Jesus the
author and the finisher of our faith..." [Hebrews 12:2], we now "press toward
the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." [Phil.
3:14]. We are fully assured that HE who hath begun in us a work which is good
shall also bring it to a successful conclusion.
The calling is high,
and the price corresponds, for it demands ALL, but we are to come into oneness
with Christ, and "it is in Him that all the fulness of Deity continues to live
embodied, and through union with Him you too are filled with it." [Colossians
2:9-10, Williams]. What all this implies, perhaps now, we cannot fully
comprehend, but whatever GOD means by it, that is what we desire to experience
in full reality. Yet, even while we are still IN THE TRANSITION, passing from
the old into the new, with the "in part" to eventually be swallowed
up into that "divine
fulness", even now, we say, there can be a VICTORY IN OUR OCCUPYING.
Surely our God is able
to help us live each day in victory. There is no victory in self-striving, but
as we cease from our own labours, we do enter into rest. The Spirit once spoke a
precious word into our own heart in regards to a certain situation, saying,
"Don't expect more out of it than what God puts into it." And as we moved into
the circumstance, realizing that whatever was done had to be BY GOD, and we did
not fight the situation, nor resist the circumstance, but began to learn to
rest in the Lord, we also began to see HIS HAND in so many little ways wherein
heretofore we have never discerned Him. The natural mind, with all the sentiment
and temperament and sympathy of our human nature, wants to see great things
happen, we want to save the world at once, to heal everybody that is suffering,
to liberally supply all the needs of those in want. Ah, surely our Heavenly
Father knoweth of all these needs, and HE is directing the affairs and courses
of men. As we learn to move with Him, receiving each measure which HE gives,
thankful for it, and rejoicing in His grace, we will cease to struggle against
the situations, and to allow God to have His own way therein. He is well able to
add measure to measure until, in His own appointed time, the work is complete.
But if man strives to complete it in himself, he will only build up a work of
flesh which ultimately will have to be torn down again.
Paul waxes eloquent on
this theme, when he wrote to the Romans, "Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or sword ? As it is written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day
long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, IN ALL THESE THINGS WE
ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS through Him that loved us." [Romans 8:35-37]. Glory be
to God! We are well acquainted with the pressures, each day seems to have its
full quota, and that, I'm sure, no one will deny. But it is to be IN ALL THESE
THINGS, right now, while we are occupying and waiting for the vision to be
brought to completion, that we are to be MORE THAN CONQUERORS, by the very
sufficiency of the grace and love of God.
We far too often think
of being victors over just certain things, and wish we could even be victors and
yet be removed from the thing, but GOD IS DOING AREAL WORK OF PROCESSING HIS
OWN, and He gives us just a "measure", not enough to get out, but enough so that
in our own little sphere, if we stay within the place where He has placed us, we
are able to be MORE THAN CONQUERORS in that thing. To move within the circle of
God's dealing with us, remaining pin-pointed to what He would focus His
attention on, we find that He also gives us a measure which is equal to the
need, and more so, it is enough to enable us to more than gain the victory over
that thing, not somehow, but triumphantly.
Nevertheless, we will
find it most frustrating if we try to take that "portion" of faith and inflow of
His life, and spread it around to cover all the needs that our eye falls upon,
thus spending and dissipating the energy which God gave us to conquer a certain
thing. Trying to fight many things at once will burn up that portion, and we end
up defeated even by that one little thing which God meant for us to overcome.
Oh, to learn to move with God, led by the Spirit for each day, and not to expect
more out of it than what God puts into it for any given situation.
If a parent gave his
child enough money to go and buy a new shirt, but he tried to buy a whole new
outfit, shirt, pants, socks, etc., one of two things would be sure to happen;
either he would sacrifice quality for quantity and buy several cheap items which
would not wear as well, or else he would find that he does not have enough
supply to meet the cost of the whole outfit. But if he secures only the new
shirt, for which he was provided, he will have ample for the need, and perhaps
even some to spare. The illustration might be simple and crude, but it does
establish a point. Moving in union with the will of God, He will provide all
that we need for each situation as the time comes, and we can be more than
conquerors in it.
But I wonder, who ever
tried to pin on mankind the responsibility in the first place that we are to
save the whole world? That we are to be able to answer every man's question?
That we must always appear as one in whom all the resources are available for
every need? It is time that we become honest with ourselves, before the world,
and certainly before God. We are what we are by the grace of God, and we shall
be all that He has apprehended for us to become, when He completes His work in
us. But there is no need to condemn ourselves for not having enough love to love
everybody, until first that SPIRIT OF LOVE is given us from above. Not that we
would seek to justify ourselves for our limitations either, but we are presently
living in the realm of the "in part." IN CHRIST ALL FULNESS DWELLS, and He will
also freely give us of that fulness, not that we might squander it on all the
desires of the flesh, or to satisfy the temperament and sentiment of the soulish
realm, but "as thy days, so shall thy strength be." [Deuteronomy 33:25]. "For
sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." [Matthew 6:34]. Yes, for those who
will seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, all these things
shall be added unto him. Thus, "of His fulness have all we received, grace for
grace." [John 1:16]. Grace for grace, measure for measure, according to the
need, and as HE purposeth to work out His purpose, so He gives, thus we receive,
and moving in harmony with His Holy Spirit, thus we become more than conquerors
in this present hour.
It requires much
inworking of the grace of God, there are so many standards of men, traditional
condemnations which are heaped upon us, so that God often has to strip us
completely of everything wherein we once trusted, that
HE ALONE might become our
life, and our sufficiency. Then, as He begins to measure out to us these
blessings, portion by portion, and as we learn to utilize them in conformity to
HIS WILL, He increases the portions, and we are changed from glory to glory.
"He who is faithful in
a very little (thing), is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest and
unjust in a very little (thing) , is dishonest and unjust also in much.
Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the (case of) the unrighteous mammon—
the deceitful riches, money, possessions
—who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not proved
faithful in that which belongs to another (whether God or man), who will give
you that which is your own (that is, the true riches)?" [Luke 16:10-12,
Amplified].
Praise the Lord! He is
loaning us some measures, and "in part" though they may be, as we seek for HIS
guidance and perfect will in all things, even now, in our occupying, we can
maintain victory, and emerge out of each situation more than conquerors. Then,
in the ages to come, filled with His fulness, possessing those riches that will
be our own, we shall continue to live in a way that is pleasing unto our Lord.
OCCUPYING IN VICTORY
"Occupy until I come",
'Twas this I heard Him say,
As on my knees I sought His will,
His leading for my day.
'Tis not the works of greatest score
Which He desired to see,
But faithfulness in every
part,
While He perfected me.
He gave a measure for each
need,
Enough to overcome,
And if we wisely used it thus,
It was a perfect sum.
But if we scattered far and
wide
The portion in our hand,
We found it spent and falling
short,
In nakedness we stand.
We know in part, and prophesy
A fragmentary way,
And yet we find that He is
there
Sufficient for our day.
Until He comes to swallow up
The "in part" in the "whole",
Praise God, we now may occupy
With vict'ry in our soul.
Whate'er we do, whate'er we
be,
Through Christ it is in
victory!
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