Some beautiful encouraging words by E.W.BULIINGER!! ONLY FROM HIS WORD.. There, and there alone can we get to know Him. There alone shall we learn the fullness of the Spirits prayer for us in Eph. 1:7; and the blessed practical outcome of it in Col. 1:9,10. No man has this knowledge of God intuitively. No minister can even help in imparting it, except in and by the ministry of that Word. His own thoughts are valueless. Only so far as he enables us to understand that Word can he be of any assistance to us. He may be mistaken by himself, and very easily be a hindrance instead of a help. God has revealed Himself in His written Word, the Scriptures of truth; and in the Living Word, His Son, Jesus Christ. And it is by the Communicated Word revealed in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that we begin thus to get to know Him, whom to know is Life Eternal. This is the one great reason why the written Word is given to us. It is not given merely as a book of general information, or of refernece; but it is given to make known the invisible God. Why do we read it? Why do we open it at all? What is, or ought to be, our object in reading it? Do we read a portion that someone else has selected for us? Do we read that portion because we have promised someone we would do so? Or do we open it, and sit down before it with the one dominant object to find out God; to discover His mind; to get to know His will. Those who are not thus engaged make their own god out of their own thoughts and imaginations. They have to fall back on what they think their god likes! Thousands make their gods with their hands, out of wood, or stone, or bread. Thousands more make him out of their own heads. But, being ignorant of Gods Word, they are alike ignorant of the God Who has there revealed Himself. See the power of this truth as it is applied to what is called Public Worship or Divine Service. How many will still worship the unknown God; and serve themselves; and do what is pleasing in their own eyes, studying only their own tastes! Ignorant of that great rubrick, John 4:24, God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him MUST worship Him in spirit and in truth (i.e., truly in spirit), they talk of the kind of service they prefer, and say, I dont like that at all; or, I do like that so much; as though places of worhsip, so-called, were opened merely for persons to go in and do what pleases themselves, forgetful of that word MUST, which dominates the whole sphere of what we call worship. Worship must be only with the spirit. We cannot worhsip God--who is a Spirit--with our eyes, by looking on at what is being done. We cannot worship God with our noses, by smelling incense, whether ceremonially or otherwise used. We cannot worship God with our ears, by listening to music, however well it may be rendered. No! worship cannot be with any of our senses; or by all of them put together. It must be spiritual, and not sensual. The worshippers must be spiritual worshippers, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. (John 4:23). How many of such worshippers frequent our churches and chapels? How many are still worshipping the unknown God (Acts 17:23)? Is it possible that, if the true God were known--the great, the High and Holy God, who dwelleth not in temples made with hands; the God who inhabiteth eternity; the God in whose sight the very heavens are not clean, and who chargeth His angels with folly--is it possible, we ask, that nay who know Him could imagine, for one moment, that, He seeks or could be pleased with, or accept, or regard a congregation turning the Bible into a book of the words, and listening, for example, to a girl singing a solo, getting as high a note as she can, and holding it out as long as she can! Is THAT what The Great and Infinite God is seeking? Is that the occupation of the hearth with Himself which He says He MUST have? No indeed! and the greater the ignorance of God, the deeper and more degraded will become the accompaniments of what is called Public Worship. Consider further, the effect of this great truth on our daily life. What rest and peace it brings. Look at its influence on our prayers. What is prayer for? Why are we told so often to pray? Why? Because prayer is intended to humble us by putting us into the place of helplessness and dependence. Prayer is meant to put us with our faces in the dust before the Mighty God. Instead of that, what do we find? We turn that place which is meant to humble us and keep us in the low place, into a Throne, from which we dictate to God what He shall do in our affairs, how He shall help to carry out our plans, what He shall do among the governments and political affairs of the world. That is the outcome of the pride of the old man within us. So that we, who cannot manage our own affairs, do not hesitate to take on ourselves the management of the universe, and move the hand that moves the world. A true knowledge of God would lead to a very different condition of things. Our prayers would be frequent indeed, but we should be so filled with a sense of Gods wisdom, and power, and goodness, that we should cease to pray as though we has more compassion than He had; as though we were more concerned about sins and sinners than He is; as though we were more interested in His work than He is. We should be definite indeed, as well we may be in many things where from His Word, we know what to ask. But we should be equally definite in leaving all our cares with Him. We should cease to take the responsibilities of life upon ourselves. We should say, Lord, what Thou wilt! Do not heed my requests it Thou seest they are not good. Do not do or give this or that because I ask it or think it good. Withhold it, if Thou, who seest the end from the beginning, seest it will not be for my good. I am so foolish and ignorant before Thee: and Thou art so wonderful, so wise, and so good: Goodness and mercy itself; and Thy love is so infinite that Thou canst do only what is right, and wisest, and best. Thy will is love itself. Oh that I may be filled with such a knowledge of Thy will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that I may enjoy the perfect rest which that knowledge will give. In proportion as we have this knowledge of God and of His will, shall we thus pray without ceasing; and in this manner make known our requests unto Him.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 00:38:54 +0000
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