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Broken Foundations

Do not call anyone on earth ather,for you have one Father, and He is in heaven. (Matthew 23:9 NIV)

Perhaps one of the things which you and I and the Lord people everywhere need to recognize more than anything else at an end time is the fact of our heavenliness. There is going to be a testing of everything which bears the Lord name by the law of the beginning governing the end. In the beginning they were a heavenly people, with everything for them in heaven, in Christ, and being drawn from Christ in heaven. All their government, direction, resource came from Him and was in Him as in heaven. The Lord comes back again and again to test things by that beginning, and in the end the test is going to be applied very stringently. We are going to see the outward form of things, which is earthly, man-made, man-constituted, an imitation or a representation of spiritual things, breaking down, shaking at its very foundations. All the organizations of our work are going to be shattered. In the nations all that framework will be broken up. That which alone will be left will be the people themselves, and they will probably be scattered. Then the test will be as to how much of this is Christ here. If there has been dependence upon orders, churches, systems, even meetings and conferences, the many things which in themselves are looked to as the means of support of the Christian life, when they are gone, broken, the question will be, How much of Christ is here? What is the measure of Christ, the heavenly Christ?/p>

You see how that was the crisis for the disciples. They had three years with Him, but there was an outward detachment, an outward dependence, a physical, sentient association. In those days they could say some very bold things, they could make great confessions and professions, they could declare themselves as to Him, Who He was, what they thought of Him, what they believed concerning Him, what they would do for Him. Then He was taken from them, and what was left? No Christ, no Life, nothing to live for, everything gone! When the life of senses ceased, the outward order came to an end, they had nothing left, they were in despair, and their faith was shattered. There is much of that today. We do not know how much there is until the break comes, until we are no longer able to do anything for the Lord, until we are no longer able even to pray and read the Word of God, and carry on the usual devotional exercises, until we are no longer able to meet with the Lord people. Multitudes of the Lord people are coming there now.

Pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. § Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” § Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him.

Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  § Let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. § My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He himself is the propitiation for our sins.

1 Tim. 2:8;  John 4:23,24;  Isa. 58:9;  Mark 11:25;  Heb. 11:6;  James 1:6,7;  Ps. 66:18;  1 John 2:1,2

My heart pants, my strength fails me.

Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. § He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me… When I am weak, then I am strong.

When [Peter] saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” §  If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. § He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. § The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. § [Be] strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power.

Ps. 38:10;  Ps. 61:1,2;  2 Cor. 12:9,10;  Matt. 14:30,31;  Prov. 24:10;  Isa. 40:29; Deut. 33:27;  Col. 1:11

Free, To Serve

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" (2 Tim. 2:4).

God has a unique plan concerning each one of us. The secret of realizing our personal calling is not to look at others, but simply to walk in close fellowship with the Father. "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him" (Ps. 62:5).

"No one Christian has a right to stop on his way for another; he must go forward himself in individual faithfulness. The effort to drag others along with us is in reality but a device of Satan to keep ourselves back. Note Jehovah's word to Jeremiah, Let them return unto thee; but return not thou to them' (Jer. 15:19). Are any desirous of going forward, let them not stop to carry along with them the men of Ephraim.' Far better is it to go on with but a few to follow, than to get numbers with us who are only halfhearted."

"You may say, Show me a pattern man.' We all like to copy; but there is no gain in copying. You have to learn the Lord for yourself. All you learn for yourself will remain, and nothing else. Every one has his own history."

"It is plain enough that every believer is called of God to something definite. The real difficulty is to ascertain the specialty, and this I do not think can be discovered but in nearness to the Lord, and when you are interested in His interests. We first learn that He is interested in us, and then we gradually become interested in His interests. It is then you apprehend your mission in life." -J.B.S.

"And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully" (2 Tim. 2:5).

The Sanctifying Life - Man’s Nature and Destiny (5)

This Life