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OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2001 NUMBER 24 VOLUME 4 Cultivating the Presence of God Bringing the Bridegroom Back The
marriage proposal had been accepted. The date for the wedding had been
set. Invitations had been
mailed and there was great anticipation as the day for the wedding
ceremony drew near. A full
dress rehearsal took place the night before.
Finally, the long-awaited day had arrived.
Especially stunning was the bride in her beautiful, new dress.
Everything was in place. Family
and friends had gathered. Flowers
and candles covered the stage and the auditorium was packed.
Initially, the ceremony was delayed because one of the key players,
the bridegroom, was nowhere in sight.
At length the wedding was called off because the groom failed to
show up. He got a bad case of
“cold feet,” or maybe in this case, “frozen feet.”
The object of the bride’s affection had backed out and she was
devastated. Her would-be
companion had deserted her. Naturally,
her emotions took a nose-dive and she went into a state of mourning and
unspeakable grief. How else
could she respond? Her fiancé had abandoned her. When
the followers of John the Baptist asked Jesus why His disciples did not
fast, Jesus replied, “Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as
long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the
bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast”
(Matthew 9:15). Here
we learn that fasting is called for when the bridegroom is not present.
The Bridegroom is Jesus Himself.
Indeed, Christ was going to be literally and physically taken from
the disciples. When that
happened, Jesus said fasting and seeking God would be in order.
But is there meaning and instruction in this text for us today?
I believe there is. Throughout
church history there have been times when the Bridegroom has been more
active among His people than at other times.
Have there not been times when it seemed as if the Bridegroom has
removed Himself? Have there
not been seasons when God has judged His own by withdrawing Himself? The nation of Israel went through repeated seasons of
judgment. Ichabod’s birth
signified that the glory had departed from Israel. Samson was a unique individual and a tragic character in the
Old Testament. He was
appointed and anointed by God. Nevertheless
he paid a high price for his low living when the glory departed from him
and he became as any other man. Did not our Lord seek to regain entrance
into the church at Laodicea? If
Jesus was knocking from the outside, doesn’t this indicate the glory
(the immediate Presence of God) was missing? Vital
Christianity is when God is in the midst of His people.
“Glory in the church” (Eph. 3:21) is an apt description when
the Bridegroom is actively in charge.
When God is on the scene, the church experiences incredible power.
The sense of God generates godly fear in the saints.
Christians have a God-consciousness that makes them fearful of
offending Him. Holiness,
purity, zeal, and conversions characterize the life of the church.
Unbelievers fall on their faces under deep conviction of sin in the
assembled church and confess that God is at work among them (1 Cor.14:25).
I ask you, is this a fitting description of most churches today? Marriage
counselors, which are a modern phenomena, have full dockets.
Men who can’t rule their homes, nevertheless, pastor huge
churches. Adultery and
divorce is commonplace among church people.
In the so-called Bible belt statistics tell us church people are
more likely to split up than the unchurched.
Well-behaved children are so rare that even Christians perk up and
take notice. Hundreds of
fundamental churches go year after year with few or no conversions.
Discernment has all but disappeared.
Salvation has been reduced to “Hell insurance.”
It has little or no impact on a person’s conduct.
The world’s best-known preacher recently stated that men could be
saved without ever hearing the name of Jesus Christ.
Church rolls are swollen with tens of millions who have no credible
evidences of regeneration. Along
with their Prayer Lines churches now advertise “Sports Lines” in the Yellow
Pages so members can find the time of their ball games. Performances attract far better attendances than prayer
meetings. Church is more
about entertainment than worship. I
have even been in services where the choir leader asked the congregation
to applaud their special number! Time
magazine critiqued one “Christian rock” group with the caption
“Re-born to be Wild.” The
secular staff writer apparently thought that it was incredulous that one
of the vocalists modeled himself after Kurt Cobain, a drug addict who
committed suicide. There is
nothing so outrageous that would offend the sensibilities of religious
America. I say the most
plausible explanation for all of this is the Bridegroom has removed
Himself. Is this not a likely
interpretation for the current low state of religion in America?
The Presence of God Let
me suggest three distinct meanings or particular senses of the presence of
God. First, there is the essential
presence of God. By this, I
mean the omnipresence of God. If
it were possible to hop on a space ship and travel forty light years from
earth, you would never be out of the essential presence of God, not even
for even a moment. This is
what David meant when he wrote, “Whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed
in hell (the grave), behold, thou art there” (Psalm 138:7-8).
The immensity of God is such that He is everywhere all the time
beholding the evil and the good. Second,
there is the manifest presence of God. This is when God makes Himself known in an undeniable way.
Such was the case when the Glow of God invaded the Tabernacle and
the Temple. God was on the
scene and everyone knew it! Like Moses, they were on Holy Ground, gripped with the fear
of the Lord. Duncan Campbell
defined revival as an awareness of the presence of God. Many of us have been privileged to be in services when
God so overshadowed the meeting that everyone knew God was there.
I recall hearing the testimony of a professing atheist who had sat
in on a protracted meeting when God had stepped down in revival.
His words were, “I will never again be able to deny the reality
of God after tonight.” Third,
there is the cultivated presence of God.
There are measures men can take to woo the Bridegroom.
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”
Drawing near to God is the surefire way to acquire God’s presence
in our midst. In the old
days, people would talk about God being feelingly near.
No doubt they were referring to those seasons when God was nigh
because His people were drawing nigh to Him.
In light of the spiritual climate in our day, we must pursue this
third sense of God’s cultivated presence.
The
Lord Jesus was active among the seven churches mentioned in Revelation. Christ referred to His manifest presence among His people
when He stated, “who walketh in the midst of the seven golden
candlesticks.” There is no
doubt what He meant by candlesticks because He plainly declared,
“the seven candlesticks . . . are the seven churches.”
It is precisely this, the engaging presence of Christ, which
distinguishes a true church from other organizations.
Once the supernatural influence of Christ is taken away, all you
have is dead religion. Remember
how the Ephesian church left their first love and Christ threatened to
vacate the premises if they failed to repent.
So it is clear the Bridegroom can remove Himself from a local
church. His manifest presence
is conditioned and maintained by obedience.
So if the Bridegroom is absent, what can be done to bring Him back?
Cultivating the Presence of God How do we cultivate the presence of God? I believe the answer is found in James. God said, "Draw near to me and I will draw near to you." God always responds to us whenever we approach Him on His terms. A lot of people are sitting around waiting for the Lord to move while the Lord is waiting for us to make the first move toward Him. Think about it friend; God said He would draw near to you if you would only draw near to Him! So the primary work of the church in times of declension is drawing nigh or seeking God. Contrary to popular thinking, seeking God is not a one-time event that ends with salvation. Initially, God seeks us and finds us. We then spend the rest of our lives pursuing Him. I grew up on a farm where every spring we would cultivate our crops. Plowing up the weeds, placing more dirt around the roots, and applying fertilizer were the things we did to promote a better harvest. When people lose touch with God, James gives practical ways to cultivate His presence (4:7-10). Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord.
There
can be no point of meeting between a proud heart and a holy God.
Since God is repelled by pride, it is our responsibility to humble
ourselves in the sight of the Lord. Those who know God will be humble. They who know themselves cannot be proud. Just as pride is the mother of sin, so humility is the mother of grace. The prophets called on God’s covenant people to humble themselves. When Israel was in a repenting mode, they would pull out the sackcloth and ashes and get low before God. On occasion they would convene solemn assemblies for the purpose of corporate repentance. But
how do we humble ourselves before God today?
David said he humbled his soul with fasting. Denying his body food was a calculated strategy to starve
pride out of his soul. His
hunger for God exceeded his hunger for food.
Fasting allows one to concentrate intensely on seeking God. Earthly necessities are put on hold for a season so eternal
realities can be given their rightful place.
Jesus said His disciples would fast when He was taken away. Only
desperate people will deny themselves.
The self-righteous will not humble their souls.
Neither will the self-satisfied or self-indulgent employ this
discipline. But deep
spiritual hunger can cause people to become so desperate that they humble
their souls by fasting. I
know of churches that have called on their people to fast from food,
television, and computers for the express purpose of diligently seeking
God. Pastors have at times
led their congregations into seasons of contrition and brokenness before
God. These
congregations were in dead earnest about the condition of their souls.
They longed to have Jesus back in their midst. They realized that no price is too high to pay for a divine
visitation. Cleanse
your hands ye sinners. We
wash our hands when they are dirty. When
our lives are contaminated with external sin, God says it’s time to take
a bath in the blood of Jesus. Outward
actions, wrong associations, patterns of disobedience, and sins of
commission and omission call for prompt confession and forsaking.
Because sin is an affront to God’s character and an attack on His
holiness, it must be put away. If
we are to draw nigh to God, we must disassociate ourselves from all known
sin. Purify
your hearts ye double minded. A soiled soul causes confused thinking and divided
allegiance. Purification of
heart refers to the inner, unseen things of a man’s soul.
Attitudes, motives, and thoughts must be brought in line.
Man may look on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.
Unclean people can have no commerce with God.
Communion with God is dependent on conformity to God, and no man
can have fellowship with His Creator without the cleansing that the blood
of Christ brings. That which
is in the dark must be brought to the light.
Be
afflicted, and mourn, and weep.
A heart that has strayed from God must face the seriousness of its
condition and take appropriate measures.
Ecclesiastes says, “Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the
sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.”
Manton said, “Holy tears are the sponge of sin; a hard heart must
be soaked, and a filthy heart must be washed.”
Godly sorrow, which works repentance that does not need to be
repented of, precedes the joy that can only be found in the presence of
Christ. God
punishes pride, but He rewards humility.
Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift
you up. The redeemed
heart rejoices when God draws near: “In thy presence there is fullness
of joy.” This lifting of spirit is the result of lowering ourselves in
God’s sight. The
first step in regaining that which has been lost is discovering and
admitting you’ve lost it. The
absence of God-consciousness is always a call to draw near to God.
This is true both individually and corporately.
One day the Bridegroom will come back literally and physically.
In the mean time we can, and must, cultivate His felt presence in
our midst by drawing near to Him. When
we draw near to Him, He promises to draw near to us.
Harold
Vaughan |
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America
in Crisis: What Should We Do? 1.
Repent and get thoroughly right with God. Singing God Bless America while Muslim clerics, priests,
rabbis, and evangelicals lead us in prayer will not turn the situation
around. There must be a clear
call to repentance and holiness (separation from sin and error).
2.
Cry to God for mercy. God
would have spared Sodom and Gomorrah if only ten righteous people had been
found. Moses appealed to
God’s mercy and turned His fierce anger from Israel. 3.
Pray for our President. See 1
Timothy 2:1-2. 4.
Flee the wrath to come. The
greatest threat to national security is not the worldwide terrorist cells.
Our greatest threat is God. “The
wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God.”
Our nation has forgotten God.
When a handful of rogue terrorist can shut the nation down, it
should be clear God has lifted His hand of protection from us.
The awful tragedy, untold suffering, agonizing grief, and sorrow
that came in the wake of the collapse of the twin towers are
inconsequential compared to Hell. 5.
Evangelize aggressively. We
now have an unprecedented platform from which to speak of eternal things. People are willing to converse about spiritual things.
Our nation has been brought face to face with death on a widespread
scale. Some will believe when
we preach Christ. 6.
Look up because our redemption draweth nigh! |
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| 2002
Prayer Advances! We are moving
the location of the January Men’s Advance to Rock Alum Springs in
Goshen, Virginia. This
facility is fantastic! Everything
is new. The food is great. It is easily accessible.
Evangelist Steve Pettit and Pastor Mike Aylestock are wonderful
Bible preachers. In addition
to this, God will draw nigh to us as we draw nigh to Him! Brother Keith
Daniel from South Africa will be with us at the Prayer Advance South in
Toccoa, Georgia. The rooms we
will be using have all been renovated and the Assembly Grounds are
fantastic. Think about it:
Lake Louise, soul-stirring preaching, fellowship with other God-hungry
men, and concentrated prayer early in the New Year.
What an opportunity! Family Worship
will be addressed in each of the Men’s Advances next year.
The Family Altar would alter many a family.
This session will offer practical and helpful ideas for
establishing and maintaining this lost discipline. |
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| A
Home for Christ Life Ministries? The ministry
has expanded to the place where we have from one to five or six people
working in our basement offices on any given day.
In order to preserve family life, we need to relocate the ministry
offices to a neutral place.
Several options
are open to fulfill this need.
The most convenient and economical choice is our neighbor’s
house. He
has offered to sell it to us as soon as he gets an appraisal.
With some alterations, it could serve as an excellent headquarters
for C.L.M. My guess is the
house could be purchased for around $130,000.
This is the largest project we have ever faced.
We are thankful
for the churches and individuals who support this ministry on a monthly
basis. These
folks undergird the ministry financially so we can carry on.
Others send occasional and year-end gifts for the work.
Over the years the Lord has supplied every need. We don’t do
high-pressure appeals.
But we feel this is a legitimate project at this point for our
ministry.
Many have said, “Let us know when you have a need.”
Your prayers and support are deeply appreciated.
All gifts are tax deductible and should be made payable to Christ
Life Ministries. |
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| Family
Camp? Would you like
to go on a vacation with your family where you could have a fantastic
time? Does
sitting under anointed preaching twice a day appeal to you?
Would you like to be together in a setting where you would not be
visually and audibly assaulted?
Our nation has
a heritage of “Camp Meetings” where Christian people would gather for
spiritual nourishment and refreshment.
Christ Life Ministries is studying the feasibility of hosting a
Family Camp during the week of July 4 next summer.
If you are interested in participating in such an endeavor, please
drop us an e-mail right away.
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EDITOR
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