Preparation of Heart
At these
gatherings we must ever remember that two forces are at work. A battle unseen
by human eyes is being waged. The army of the Lord is on the ground,
seeking to save souls. Satan and his host are also at work, trying in every
possible way to deceive and destroy. The Lord bids us: “Put on the whole armor of
God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle
not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in
high places.” Ephesians 6:11, 12. Day by day the battle goes on. If our eyes
could be opened to see the good and evil agencies at work,
there would be
no trifling, no vanity, no jesting or joking. If all would put on the whole armor
of God and fight manfully the battles of the Lord, victories would be gained
that would cause the kingdom of darkness to tremble.
None of us
should go to the camp meeting depending on the ministers or the Bible
workers to make the meeting a blessing to us. God does not want His people to
hang their weight on the minister. He does not want them to be weakened by
depending on human beings for help. They are not to lean,
like helpless
children, upon someone else as a prop. As a steward of the grace of God, every
church member should feel personal responsibility to have life and root in
himself. Each one should feel that in a measure the success of the meeting
depends upon him. Do not say: “I am not responsible. I shall
have nothing to
do in this meeting.” If you feel thus, you are giving Satan opportunity to
work through you. He will crowd your mind with his thoughts, giving you
something to do in his lines. Instead of gathering with Christ, you will scatter
abroad.The success of the meeting depends on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. For the
outpouring of the Spirit every lover of the cause of truth should pray. And as far
as lies in our power, we are to remove every hindrance to His
working. The
Spirit can never be poured out while variance and bitterness toward one
another are cherished by the members of the church. Envy, jealousy, evil
surmising, and evilspeaking are of Satan, and they effectually bar the way
against the Holy Spirit’s working. Nothing else in this world is so dear to God
as His church. Nothing is guarded by Him with such jealous care. Nothing so
offends God as an act that injures the influence of those who are doing His
service. He will call to account all who aid Satan in his work of criticizing and
discouraging. Those who are
destitute of sympathy, tenderness, and love cannot do Christ’s work.
Before the prophecy can be fulfilled, The weak shall be “as David,” and the
house of David “as the angel of the Lord” (Zechariah 12:8),
the children of
God must put away every thought of suspicion in regard to their brethren.
Heart must beat in unison with heart. Christian benevolence and brotherly
love must be far more abundantly shown. The words are ringing in my ears:
“Draw together, draw together.” The solemn, sacred truth for this time is to unify
the people of God. The desire for pre-eminence must die. One subject of
emulation must swallow up all others—who will most nearly resemble Christ
in character? who will most entirely hide self in Jesus? “Herein is My
Father glorified,” Christ says, “that ye bear much fruit.” John 15:8. If
there was ever a place where the believers should bear much fruit, it is at
our camp meetings. At these meetings our acts, our words, our spirit, are
marked, and our influence is as far-reaching as eternity. Transformation
of character is to be the testimony to the world of the
indwelling love
of Christ. The Lord expects His people to show that the redeeming power
of grace can work upon the faulty character and cause it to develop in
symmetry and abundant fruitfulness. But in order for us to fulfill God’s
purpose, there is a preparatory work to be done. The Lord bids us empty our
hearts of the selfishness which is the root of alienation. He longs to pour
upon us His Holy Spirit in rich measure, and He
bids us clear the way by self-renunciation. When self is
surrendered to
God, our eyes will be opened to see the stumbling stones which our
un-Christlikeness has placed in the way of others. All these God bids us remove. He
says: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye
may be healed.” James 5:16. Then we may have the assurance that David had
when, after confession of his sin, he prayed: “Restore unto me the joy of
Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit. Then will I teach
transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.”mPsalm 51:12, 13.
When the grace
of God reigns within, the soul will be surrounded with an atmosphere of
faith and courage and Christlike love, an atmosphere invigorating to
the spiritual life of all who inhale it. Then we can go to the camp meeting not
merely to receive, but to impart. Everyone who is a partaker
of Christ’s
pardoning love, everyone who has been enlightened by the Spirit of God and
converted to the truth, will feel that for these precious blessings he owes a debt
to every soul with whom he comes in contact. Those who are humble in heart
the Lord will use to reach souls whom the ordained ministers cannot approach.
They will be moved to speak words which reveal the saving grace of Christ.
And in blessing others they will themselves be blessed.God gives us opportunity
to impart grace, that He may refill us with increased grace. Hope and faith
will strengthen as the agent for God works with the talents and facilities that
God has provided. He will have a divine agency to work with him.
Social Plugin