04.09.2013 Views

1 - Christian and Missionary Alliance

1 - Christian and Missionary Alliance

1 - Christian and Missionary Alliance

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

\vho often moves in niystcrluus ways<br />

His wunders to perform. Ihe man who<br />

is raised up hy Gild is also prepared hy<br />

Him in ways past finding out.<br />

In the palace Moseh became<br />

"lcarncd in I the wisdi~m of the<br />

Egyptians" (Acts 7:22). It was giwn<br />

him to hecome acquainted with the<br />

heart of the system irom which he was<br />

to sct his pcople free. Hut formal<br />

training does not <strong>and</strong> cannot producc<br />

the prophet. For Moses the desert was<br />

hr more illuminating than the palace.<br />

In the back of the descrt Moses found<br />

God, <strong>and</strong> he found himself when he<br />

lound Ciod. He dihco\~ervd leprosy in<br />

his own bosom. He who lancied<br />

himself free from taint <strong>and</strong> imputed<br />

Ilul corruption to others now stood<br />

hirnself unclcan hcforc i d . Man<br />

never finds hiinxlt until he tinds God.<br />

(Sce .lob 4250.)<br />

A t the burning hush Moses<br />

turned aside. Men must turn aside<br />

from their own activities. their own<br />

ideas <strong>and</strong> concepts, their own plans<br />

<strong>and</strong> their own ways il they are to hear<br />

the voice of God.<br />

Ah with .lacob <strong>and</strong> Eliiah. Moses<br />

fouud the 1;rrger vision alter he had<br />

taken flight. .I;icoh flcd from his<br />

brother Esau. Elilah fled from the<br />

wicked Oucen .lezehel. <strong>and</strong> Moses fled<br />

from the fim of Pharaoh. There is<br />

always a reason when mcn run away.<br />

<strong>and</strong> so often wc run away from circumstances<br />

<strong>and</strong> situations of our own<br />

creation.<br />

Moses failed in the earl) days<br />

because he acted in the strength of his<br />

own resources. He was mo\,ing in his<br />

own wisdom <strong>and</strong> strength. serving<br />

under his own initiativc. It would seem<br />

;~lso that his eflorts were prcmature. It<br />

is not enough ta beworkingat the right<br />

place: we must also he working at the<br />

right time.<br />

Moses needed to wait not only for<br />

God's time. but also lor divine equipment<br />

for the task ahead of him. "Tarry<br />

until" comes as an imperative <strong>and</strong> a<br />

divine principle. God brought Moses<br />

to the desert in order that he might<br />

learn His ways. In Psalm 103:7 we are<br />

told that God "made known his ways<br />

unto Moses," <strong>and</strong> this knowledge was<br />

obtained in the silences. He had to wait<br />

for the vision. "Though (the vision)<br />

tarry. wait for it" (Habakkuk 2:3).<br />

The divine preparation is bound up<br />

with the vision of theflamcoffire. Fire<br />

is always the symhol of the presence 01'<br />

thc l.ord. God will keep us in thedesert<br />

until we. too, learn that lor the success<br />

ol any task we must move in the<br />

conscious possession ofthe presence of<br />

the i.ord.<br />

Moses' first effort was the child of<br />

impulse rather than the work ol the<br />

Spirit. Beforc the vision ot the llameol<br />

lire hc fled from thc ficc ol Pharaoh.<br />

but alter the manifes(;ition ot thc tlanx<br />

offire we read:"Heforsook Egypt, not<br />

rearing the wrath of the king: lor he<br />

cndurcd, as sccinp him who is invisi-<br />

hle."<br />

There is a parallel between the mis-<br />

sion of Moses <strong>and</strong> the mission of the<br />

church. Moses was sent to men in<br />

bondage. We. too, arc sent to men in<br />

hondage. Ihc 1.urd appeared to Moses<br />

in the tl;ime of fire. Concerning the<br />

disciples on the day ol Pmtccost we<br />

read: "And therc appeared unto them<br />

cloven tongues like as of firc." To<br />

Moscs God said. "I will send thee . . .<br />

certainly I will he with thee." Tc) the<br />

disciples Jesus said. "Go ye therefore.<br />

<strong>and</strong> teach all nations . . . <strong>and</strong>. lo. I am<br />

with you alway, cven unto the end of<br />

the world."<br />

This is the message of the llame of<br />

fire. It was the message for Moses'<br />

time. It is the message tor ourtimc. It is<br />

the message for all time.<br />

"He shall hapti72 you with the Holy<br />

Ghost <strong>and</strong> with fire." Vital, victorious<br />

C'hristianity is <strong>Christian</strong>ity on lire.<br />

Apart from the flame offire we lose the<br />

passion. In the presence of the flame of<br />

fire men find their commission. This<br />

was true of Moses. of Isaiah, of the<br />

early disciples <strong>and</strong> ofall God's children<br />

down theyears. Victory hcgins with the<br />

vision of the flame of lire.<br />

We<br />

must<br />

move<br />

in<br />

the<br />

conscious<br />

possession<br />

of<br />

the<br />

presence<br />

of<br />

God.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!