GIFT A SIGN OF PROSPERITY IN THE ASSEMBLY

GIFT A SIGN OF PROSPERITY IN THE ASSEMBLY

I know no greater evidence of the prosperity of an assembly, than that the Lord should raise up gifted men from among them, to minister to them and feed them. I do not undervalue any gifted one whom He may send to them for help - the more the better - but as far as I know, where there is real prosperity every gift necessary is given.

Every new position requires a new kind of grace. The Lord has power for every position. As Mr. W. used to say, We have to learn life, not merely habits.

I divide the practical part of Ephesians into seven sections. The first (chapter 4: 1 - 16), the church. Second (verses 16 - 24), the new man. Third (chapter 4: 24 to 5: 21), in relation to one another. Fourth, husbands and wives. Fifth, parents and children. Sixth, servants. Seventh (chapter 6: 10, etc.), the enemy.... has a lonely life, speaking after the manner of men, but what may appear very dreary to human eyes is but an opportunity for the Lord to make known His worth. Oh, how little we enter into the resource to our hearts in His company!

We are going through the offerings at our readings. How much there is in Scripture that one has not learned, and though one may have heard the interpretation of the passage very often, yet it has not started into life in one’s soul! It is only what you are ready for that you really appropriate - like a mason building; he may have plenty of stones, but it is the one that he gets in that adds to the building, and this is real edification to us.

Three great facts or events have occurred, and our faithfulness is proved as we are affected by them. The first, that Christ has come, has died for our sins, and has risen. The second, that He has gone to heaven. The third, that the Holy Spirit has come down to be with us, and in us. The fourth is our prospect, that He is coming again. The second and third test our faithfulness.

Many do not go beyond Christ’s resurrection; they do not extend to His ascension. They do not know Christ in glory. They are occupied with Christ in relation to their own side. He was at my side and glorified God there both in His walk here and in His death; but He is now at His own side, and it is there I intelligently realise the vastness of my life, for He is my life. His death and resurrection translates the believer from his own side to Christ’s side, so that “as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4: 17); and as we are at full rest about ourselves, we are occupied with Him who set us free.

Man fell when he gave up faith, and when he is redeemed and accepted in Christ, every step and every blessing is by faith. When we are in heaven we shall be in unhindered blessing; we shall then understand wherefore we are apprehended.