1 - Christian and Missionary Alliance
1 - Christian and Missionary Alliance
1 - Christian and Missionary Alliance
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\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.