"I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see

what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And,
the Lord answered me, and said, 'Write the vision, and make it plain upon
tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed
time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it; because
it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold his soul which is lifted up is not
upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith" (Hab 2:1-4).

Contents
Chapter 1 - The Just Shall Live by Faith
Chapter 2 - Some Examples of God's Appointments
Chapter 3 - A New Man ~ A New Creation
Chapter 4 - Our Heritage in Mt. Zion
Chapter 5 - Pursuing the More Excellent Way
Chapter 6 - God's Encounter with Men
Chapter 7 - The Furnace of Affliction

The Vision and the Appointment

George H. Warnock

CHAPTER 1 - THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH

Standing on My Watch
"I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch
to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am
reproved. And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and
make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the
vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not
lie; though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him; but the just shall
live by his faith" (Hab 2:1-4).
Let us just look at the setting of this statement. Habakkuk was a true
prophet, who carried a burden for His people. God had laid this burden
upon him, so clearly that he could 'see' it: "The burden which
Habakkuk the prophet did see" (Hab 1:1). But he carried the burden
with a lot of distress because nothing was happening in the land, to
relieve that burden. Israel's enemies were treacherous, and yet God
was silent. The prophet grew bolder. He had to know why God had not
come on the scene and changed things. So he went to his watchtower, and waited for an answer from God. And God made this clear to
him: the Vision is true, and it will come to pass, but only in God's
appointed time. In the meantime, while the Vision seems to tarry, your
responsibility is this: "though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely
come but the just shall live by his faith."
Though the Vision Tarry, Wait for it!
God's appointments for us are generally not as we anticipated,
because we just know that God is over-extending His time! He is
always too late. What are You waiting for? You must know that Your
people are in great distress now, and still You wait! If You would just
come now, You could change things. This has been the cry of God's
people in all generations.

But God does not spend time reasoning with us, because He knows
we are not capable of understanding what He is doing. Generally He
does not answer the questions we ask, but He answers the questions
we should have asked. And this is the answer He has given to all
generations of time, who have come to Him and unloaded their many
concerns as to His ways. "The just shall live by his faith." I recall
many years ago in my studies, that these words were quoted by the
apostle Paul in three of his epistles. As I meditated on the passage in
its three different settings, it became evident that in each of these
epistles, the apostle was using this clear statement of faith, and setting
it forth in a threefold dimension. So in these 3 epistles we have a
beautiful trilogy in this one statement: The Just . Shall Live . By
Faith.
To the Romans: "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith" (Rom
1:17).
The emphasis is, How to become righteous before God. And so in
Romans the apostle declares that we are accounted to be righteous
before God, not by any works of righteousness of our own, but our faith
alone is counted unto us for righteousness. When God declared to
Abraham that his seed would become as the sand on the seashore,
and as the stars of heaven, we are told that Abraham "believed in the
LORD and He counted it to him for righteousness" (Gen 15:6). That is
the simple meaning of "justification." It is a judicial word: the Judge
declares to the man who stands before him: "I declare you righteous,"
or "I declare you guilty." Abraham had yet to be tried and tested a lot
more, but because he believed in the LORD's promise, right there God
declared him to be righteous, only because of his faith in what God
said. This shows us how greatly God honours those who believe what
He has said. Abraham's faith was counted to him as righteousness,
simply because He believed God's promise to him.
To the Galatians: "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight
of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith" (Gal 3:11). Paul had
preached the same gospel to the Galatians as he had to the Romans,
but somehow there came into the Galatian Church some teachings of
Judaism that were 'bewitching' the people (see Gal 3:1). They had to
admit, O yes, we are justified by faith, but we must also keep the Law,

obey the ordinances as required by the Law, if we are to remain

righteous in the sight of God. So the emphasis Paul makes here to the
Galatians is simply this: The rule by which we are justified, is the same
rule by which we are to live before God. We are justified by faith, and
so we shall live by faith. Those old rituals of the Law are not for us.
We do not need to "observe days, and months, and seasons and
years," as many were teaching in that day. Daily we are to walk in the
Spirit, and live in the Spirit, by faith. One day in seven is not enough; it
must be every day. This is God's rule for His people. A rule? The very
word sounds like another law. And indeed it is another law, if we
understand the difference between laws that pertain to human
behaviour, and "the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:2).
Why do we not consider the Law of the Spirit of Life to be higher, much
higher, much more glorious than the Law of Moses? It can only be
because the Church of Jesus Christ who profess to be a people who
are born of the Spirit, are not manifesting in their lives the beauty of the
"fruit of the Spirit." May God shut our mouths when we boast and
argue about "justification by faith" if in this so-called state of faith we
are manifesting the "works of the flesh" instead of the "fruit of the
Spirit."
This is Paul's emphasis to the Galatians: you are to live by the same
rule by which you were justified. If we have truly found new life by the
Spirit, then he says, "let us also walk in the Spirit" (Gal 5:25). This is
the rule, and the only rule that can replace the Law of Moses. A "new
creation" in Christ Jesus is the only rule we need, and the only rule that
will produce a life that is pleasing to God. And so the apostle adds, in
his closing remarks to the Galatians: "For in Christ Jesus neither
circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature
(or, a new creation). And as many as walk according to this rule, peace
be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God" (Gal 6:16). It is the
Rule of New Creation, the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, by
which we are to live.
To the Hebrews: "Now the just shall live by faith" (Heb 10:38). In
writing to the Hebrews, the apostle must emphasize the quality and
character of true faith. We are justified by faith, and we live by faith. But
true Bible faith is also an enduring faith -- it is not just a mental assent
to the truth.

Dare I say that in many cases, this kind of faith may be less than the
faith of devils? For often there is no fear of God, while "the devils also
believe, and tremble (Jas 2:19).
On the Day of Pentecost, after Peter preached to the crowds
assembled for that great festival, great conviction gripped the people,
and they cried out: "Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter
said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:37,38).
Then on one of Paul's missionary trips he had come to Miletus,
which was close to Ephesus where he had spent much time in
the past; and he sent for the elders of the Church to come and
meet with him before he went on his way. He reminded these
elders of what he had taught them, "testifying both to the
Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith
toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21).
Bible faith is 'the faith of God,' the faith that He imparts when
that man or woman or boy or girl is convicted of their sin and
rebellion, and confesses with his mouth the Lord Jesus, and
believes in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead (see
Rom 10:9,10). And then if we truly believe from the heart, God
imparts the witness of the Spirit, the assurance that God has
received us into His family (see 1 Jn 5:6).
If we are truly born of God, the Father is faithful to correct us
along the way. He will not spare the rod. He loves us too much
to let us go our own way. The 'mother churches' are inclined
to excuse their children. But Father God is jealous over His
sons and daughters, for they are born of royal blood. When
they err in their ways, He is faithful to take notice and
chastise them, yet with much love and mercy. His desire and
purpose is to bring forth in their lives the character of the Son
of God, who is known as "the Firstborn among many
brethren."
"For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth
every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God

dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the
Father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons"
(Heb 12:6-8). Mother Church may insist, These are my sons
and daughters. But Father God may say, I am not their Father.
But we have this confidence, the Lord knoweth them that are
His.
The clear message to the Hebrews is that faith is a pure faith
from God, and that it is an enduring faith..."For when God
made promise to Abraham, because He could sweariby no
greater, He sware by Himself, saying, Surely blessing I will
bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee" (Heb 6:13,14).
He sware by Himself, because there was none greater to
swear by. He spoke "two immutable things." He gave His Word
~ and confirmed it with an Oath. Very certain, is it not? Now
let us hear the next verse:
"And so, after he (Abraham) had patiently endured, he
obtained the promise" (vs 15). The promise was as sure and
certain as God's Word and His Oath. But God subjected
Abraham to much trial and testing, and his faith was
strengthened by the trial, causing him to endure to the very
end.

The Vision and the Appointment

George H. Warnock

CHAPTER 2 - SOME EXAMPLES OF GOD'S APPOINTMENTS

Abraham, the Father of All who Believe
"we introduced Abraham as a man who had enduring faith. But we
must go back to his early experiences with God, to demonstrate how
great his faith was in the sight of God. When God told him to leave the

country of his birth, and Go, there is no indication that he questioned

God, or even asked Him where he was to go. He heard what God said,
and obeyed "and he went out, not knowing whither he went" (Heb
11:8). God was preparing a vessel who would become known as 'the
father of all those who believe' (see Rom 4:11; Gal 3:29). And so
Abraham's faith must have been great in the sight of God. But the
greatness of his faith was not determined by the mighty works he
would perform, nor by great miracles that would cause men to stand in
awe of what he had done. Rather, in God's sight his faith was
determined by his obedience to do what God said, without asking the
reason why. If people asked, Where are you going, Abraham? It
appears you are going on a journey? ~ all he could say was, I don't
know! Doesn't make sense, does it? But a walk of faith is not intended
of the Lord to make sense. It takes faith to walk in obedience before
the Lord. If you can show a miracle to confirm your faith, you will
probably be held in high esteem by the people. But if there is no
miracle to confirm what you are doing, you could be subject to a lot of
criticism for doing something that does not make sense.
However, we have to be cautious in this matter of faith. We must
emphasize that Abraham was walking in obedience to the word of God.
Many will say, I'm just going to step out by faith, and do it! There is
nothing you and I can do to generate faith, except to know His Word
and walk in obedience to His will. Certainly this implies that we hear
from God. Peter would not think of stepping out of the boat by faith,
and going to meet Jesus -- not until he heard that clear word from
Jesus Come! There can be no faith, unless we are assured that we
are walking in obedience to His will. Because "faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God" (Rom 10:17).
There is a vast amount of teaching around this matter of claiming the
promises. If God said it, is that not enough? It was more important to
Abraham to obey God, than to claim the promises. When God told him
to offer up Isaac as a burnt offering he didn't argue with God: "God
you promised me that through Isaac all nations would be blessed." He
obeyed God; he knew that if God said it, He would bring it to pass.
I know God's promises are available to faith, but let us be sure we are
asking for things in His Name. Just saying in your prayer, "I ask this in
Jesus' Name" this alone is not enough. Asking in Jesus' Name can

only be effective as we walk in obedience to His will. Then we know we

have His sanction and approval in what we are doing. I know Jesus
said, "If ye shall ask anything in My Name, I will do it" (Jn 14:14). If I go
to someone with a message from the Prime Minister of Canada, and I
say, I come to you with a message in the name of the Prime Minister -I had better be very sure that the message is consistent with what the
Prime Minister would say, if he went there himself. When Abraham sent
his trusted servant to go to Haran and find a bride for Isaac, his servant
went there in fear, and sought the Lord earnestly for guidance, that he
might find the bride for Isaac that God had ordained. He went in the
fear of God, and in the fear of his master Abraham.
And so our Lord defines the prayer of faith clearly when He says: "If ye
abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and
it shall be done unto you" (Jn 15:7).
I am not complicating the process of faith, to make it more difficult; I am
clarifying it, to make it more real and meaningful. Many of God's people
have been devastated when they stepped out on faith (or so they
thought) and then started to sink! God would spare us the
devastation that people have gone through when they latch onto a
certain promise, and then attempt to make it work "by faith." It is likely
that someone taught them to step out on God's promises, when God
may have wanted them to stay in the boat, until they heard that clear
call from the Master: "Come!" When Peter heard that clear word, that
was sufficient: he stepped out of the boat, and walked on the water by
faith. And the water was firm as the dry land, as long as he kept his
eyes on Jesus.
Faith cometh by the Word of God, we are told. That is part of the
process, yes. But first there must be a hearing ear. The complete
scripture is this: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
word of God" (Rom 10:17). Jesus proclaimed to each of the seven
churches in the Book of Revelation: "He that hath an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit saith to the churches." He didn't just say, Obey the
Scriptures. Rather, He would reprove those who would read the
scriptures, and not hear what God was saying.
I used to ponder this two-fold faculty we must have: not just an ear -we must have "an ear to hear." This hardness of hearing is an ongoing

process in the hearts of men, as they persistently turn a deaf ear to

God. He is faithful to shine forth His light to "every man that cometh
into the world" (Jn 1:9). No matter how dim that Light might seem to
be, as one comes to the Light, there will be a working of God within
him, to increase his perception to hear, and to see. And to such, the
Word becomes a clear admonition from the heart of God:
"Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts" (Heb 3:7,8).
When any man or woman or child may hear a sound from the heart of
God, this is their door of opportunity to say, like the boy Samuel of old:
"Speak Lord, for Thy servant heareth." Then faith springs up, and little
by little God prepares our hearts, and begins to teach us His way.
As we walk in His way, God always reserves a 'Day of Appointment' for
the Vision to speak. We are truly blessed when our hearts have been
prepared, to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
Abraham a Foreigner in His own Land
"By faith Abraham sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange
(foreign) country." Do we understand this statement? Abraham went
about in this land, and understood that it was the Land of Promise that
God had given him; but in all of his travels throughout the Land he
considered himself to be but a sojourner, a resident alien. He was a
foreigner, rather than a citizen of the land. Other nomadic people were
dwelling in the same land, but he would make no claim to the land for
himself. Nor would he remind the other tribes that God had given all
that land to him and to his seed. He dwelt there in the Land of Promise
for about a hundred years, but always as a foreigner. He and his son,
and grandson, would dwell "in tabernacles (in tents)." And why did He
choose this way of life? "for he looked for a City which hath
foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God" (Heb 11:9,10).
Looking for a City
Abraham had no interest in settling down and establishing a little city of
his own, like many other people did, as their families increased and
multiplied. Cain built himself a city. Nimrod became the founder of four
cities. And a man called Asshur from the same background, built two
cities. Sad to say, some men in the Church have felt to build a city at

various times in Church history. But the man Abraham, and those of his
faith and vision, have continued to look for the true and enduring City,
of which God is both Architect and Builder. In His wisdom He designs
His City of Habitation; and by His wisdom He builds it according to His
plan. The name of God's City is Zion, the Heavenly Jerusalem (see
Heb 12:22), concerning which we will have more to say in this writing.
Abraham would be the pilgrim and stranger to the very end. Even in his
old age, when he needed a sepulcher in which to bury Sarah, he
insisted in his negotiations with the sons of Heth: "I am a stranger and
a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying place with
you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight" (Gen 23:4). The sons of
Heth were very cooperative, and told Abraham to take his pick of
whatever sepulcher he wanted, at no cost. Thou art a mighty prince
among us, they said, Take your choice -- it will not cost you anything.
But Abraham insisted, I want the cave of Machpelah in Hebron -- but
set your price, I will not take it without cost. They made the deal, in the
presence of the sons of Heth; and with all these witnesses, Abraham
became the owner of a graveyard, where he buried Sarah. And later
when he died, they buried him in the same plot of ground.
I used to wonder why Abraham was so insistent on dwelling in tents as
a foreigner; and yet wanted to purchase a burial place in the land.
Then I realized he was making a statement while dwelling in the Land
of Promise, for his heirs and progeny yet to be born. He was making a
statement for their instruction in the days and centuries to come: 'I
desire no inheritance in this Land; I want to be known as a foreigner in
the land, and I want the sons of Heth to bear witness that this burial
ground in Canaan is all that I possess. He wanted it to be known by his
grandsons and granddaughters of succeeding generations, that all he
wanted was a cemetery in Canaan.
Now the reason for this was revealed to the apostle Paul. It was
because Abraham caught a glimpse of something greater, far greater
than the Land of Canaan. He had a better inheritance in mind -- he
was "looking for a City which hath foundations, whose Builder and
Maker is God." I think if Isaac had written his father's epitaph, it could
have read something like this:

Here lies Father Abraham in a graveyard of Hebron,

His life was plain, and he lived in tents,
With Isaac and Jacob the heirs of the Promise.
He lived as a Pilgrim that all might learn -His grandsons and daughters yet to be born -To fix their hopes on a Better Land.
He desired for them what he chose for himself:
A gravestone in Canaan is all he desired,
As he looked for a City with foundations strong,
Whose Builder and Maker is God.
Let us remember this, the Vision of God does not have to be fulfilled in
our life-time, to make it valid. As we walk in the Life that is Eternal, we
must also be aware that the Vision of God may be fulfilled in one of
God's eternal days.
God had promised the Land to Abraham and his seed after him; and
God was faithful to fulfill His promise. The story of the conquest of
Canaan is told in the Book of Joshua. And when Joshua's victory was
complete, God's promise to Abraham was amply fulfilled. This is what
Joshua said to the people before he passed away:
"Not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your
God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one
thing hath failed thereof" (Josh 23:14). But he also reminded them that
they must never presume that God would continue to be with them
unconditionally, if they turned away from Him. If they adopted the
practices of the heathen that they were commanded to subdue they
would suffer for it: "They shall be snares and traps unto you, and
scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off
this good land which the LORD your God hath given you" (Josh 23:13).
Let us always remember this principle in God's dealings with us. He
gives us precious promises, and He is faithful to fulfill them. But He has
greater things in mind which are far beyond the promises, and which
we are not capable of understanding as yet. How much greater?:
"Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the
power that worketh in us" (Eph 3:20). God wants us to put to one side
all these teachings of "How to Succeed" in business or in ministry, or
in ordinary daily living -- and embrace the Vision of God.

He wants us to know that these "exceeding great and precious

promises" are intended to bring us out of the old nature, and into "the
divine nature" (2 Pet 1:4).
He wants us to know that in spite of the wonderful gifts He has given to
the Church, there are yet greater things in store for those who pursue
the "high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart
of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit, for the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God" (1 Cor 2:9,10). Then
let us look for more grace to see more clearly, and to hear more clearly
the revelation of the Spirit concerning these hidden treasures in God.
Surely we defeat God's purpose for our lives if we affirm that God hath
revealed these mysteries unto us by His Spirit, and fail to give the
Spirit of God His full dominion in our lives, that we might hear and see
clearly "what the Spirit is saying to the churches."
Does God Change His Mind?
Let there be no presumption here by the people of Israel, or by those
living in our great democratic nations. He tells us clearly in many
places of the Word, that He will be with us, as long as we are with Him.
If there is obedience to God, His Word shall stand. But when there is
disobedience and rebellion, His covenant is abrogated for that nation,
or that people. "If it do evil in My sight, that it obey not My voice, then I
will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them" (Jer
18:10).
Our so-called Christian nations had better understand these principles
in God. I know God said He is a God that will not repent, because He
changes not. "I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn
back from it" (see Jer 4:28). There are many other such scriptures as
to God's Sovereign and unchanging purposes.
But the same Sovereign God who declares He will not repent, has told
us that if there is repentance by the people whom He has appointed for
judgment, then He will repent of the punishment that He declared upon
them. If we change our wicked ways, the Sovereign Lord will, by His

very nature of love and mercy and compassion, cancel the judgments
that He said would come.
Moses understood that principle of God's justice. So did Jonah, and
the other prophets. So did the king of Nineveh, who feared God greatly
when Jonah had declared the city would perish in forty days. As His
people walk in obedience, He will bless them. If they turn away from
Him he will judge them.
God threatened to destroy the nation of Israel that Moses had brought
forth out of bondage, saying to Moses: "Let Me alone, that My wrath
may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them, and I will
make of thee a great nation." But Moses refused to "let God alone!"
What a great opportunity for Moses to get rid of these rebellious
people, and come to a place of glory for himself! But Moses was a true
intercessor and mediator, and he called on God to Repent! I almost
shudder every time I read that statement -- a mortal man telling God to
repent!! He reminded God that He might get a lot of reproach from
Egypt, if they heard that He had destroyed the people who came out of
the bondage of Egypt. Are You going to give occasion to the Egyptians
to destroy the reputation of Your great Name? The Egyptians were
greatly amazed to see Your awesome works, and had great respect for
our God. Are You going to give them occasion to say -- Israel's God is
not as wonderful as we thought He was. He brought them out of Egypt,
but was not able to bring them into the Land of Promise, so He
destroyed them all in the mountains? Are You prepared to allow our
enemies to bring reproach to Your great Name?
All through scripture we learn that this is consistent with the nature and
the integrity and justice of our Mighty Sovereign God, who does not
change His mind. He will forgive His people when they repent; and He
will judge them, if they turn away from Him. Our Yahweh God declares:
"For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not
consumed." Now let us hear what this great mediator said to God: "
Turn from Thy fierce wrath, and repent! " And what happened? "And
the LORD repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people"
(see Ex 32:12-14).
The Children of Abraham Embrace his Vision

The apostle writing to the Hebrews reminds them that in succeeding

generations after Abraham's time God had fulfilled the promises He
had given to him:
"Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so
many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by
the sea shore innumerable" (Heb 11:12). In other words, the farreaching promise that God had given Abraham back in Gen 15:5,6 had
been fulfilled. And yet, in view of God's greater intention that He had in
mind, the apostle was inspired to write:
"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having
seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them,
and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth"
(Heb 11:13). These descendants of Abraham "confessed that they
were strangers and pilgrims in the earth," just as their father Abraham
had done. That indescribable vision that Abraham had, took hold of his
seed -- so they too confessed that they were "strangers and pilgrims in
the earth." Even David, the beloved Shepherd King of Israel, living in
the land of Israel as King of both Israel and Judah, declared: "I am a
stranger with Thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were" (Ps
39:12). Why would they say such things? The apostle tells us why:
"For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country"
(Heb 11:14).
And it is for the same reason that we say such things. We have been
redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and blessed with the Holy Spirit in
our lives. God has revealed to us great things about His plan, His
purpose in conforming us to the image of His Son. We have sought
to embrace His promises, and walk with Him. Even so, we cannot say
we are completely satisfied.
Now we know why that inner longing and desire to apprehend more of
God, lingers with us. God is not satisfied that we have come into that
state of union with Him, that Jesus walked in, and that is why we are
not satisfied. We are aware that our Great High Priest is interceding for
us in the heavens, and we cannot be satisfied until God is satisfied.
We cannot find our Rest in God, until God has found His Rest in us.
And that is why we say such things, and write such things.

Abraham, a Far-sighted Visionary

Jesus and the apostles would speak of the seed of Abraham in a twofold manner: as those whose ancestry traced back to Abraham; but
more specifically as those who had a vital connection with Abraham, by
faith. So also we speak of the Church, as a people who profess to
believe in the Lord Jesus; yet knowing that there are many in the
Church who know not the Lord Jesus. Let me illustrate this briefly:
Jesus said to "those Jews that believed on Him, If ye continue in My
word then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and
the truth shall make you free." Some of them resented the implication
that they were in bondage, and said to Jesus: "We be Abraham's seed,
and were never in bondage ..."
Then Jesus said "I know that ye are Abraham's seed;" and after more
confrontation with them He said: "Ye are of your father the Devil." So
this is clear enough, though at first sight it may appear somewhat
contradictory. They might trace their lineage to Abraham, and Jesus did
not deny that; but His judgment was this: "Ye are of your father the
Devil" (see Jn 8:30-44).
Likewise the apostle Paul would speak of Israel this way:
"My prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." He knew that
they were lost without Christ, and he had a great burden for them.
Then he said, "Hath God cast away His people? God forbid. For I also
am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin." Then
he goes on to explain that in the time of Israel's extreme apostasy, God
always retained for Himself a true people who walked in God's ways.
Elijah thought he was alone, until God said: "I have reserved to Myself
seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of
Baal."
God calls them by the name "Israel." Jesus recognized them all as "the
seed of Abraham." He does not give Elijah, or any of his prophets, a
clear definition of those who are truly His, and those who are not. If He
did, men would be inclined to pluck the tares away from the wheat, but
God says: Do not do that, because you might pull up some of the good
wheat when you pull up the tares.

And so we speak of a Church, which is yet to be glorious and

triumphant. But we know, and God knows, that many "Church people"
know not our Lord Jesus Christ.
We recognize that there is a true Israel in the midst of the nation of
Israel. And we know there is a true Church in the midst of the Church
universal.
"The LORD sent a word unto Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel"
(Isa 9:8).
The Word goes forth to all, and they that have an ear will "hear what
the Spirit is saying." It is enough if we pay heed to what Paul said to
Timothy, with assurance, as well as with admonition:
With assurance, "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure,
having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His."
And with this admonition, "Let every one that nameth the name of
Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Tim 2:19).
"Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to
the election of grace" (Rom 11:5).
Better Things for the Sons of the Promise
God always goes beyond His promises in the hour when He fulfills
them, and God is pleased with those who have faith to believe over
and beyond the written promises of God. For how could our God find
words in our language that would adequately portray what He has in
mind for His people? Within the written promises He gave us, there are
"unsearchable riches" that no scribe could describe (see Eph 3:8).
Nevertheless God gives us His Spirit to search out the length and
breadth, the height and depth of His infinite love and grace, that no
man can understand, even when he experiences the reality of it.
Why do I not differentiate more between the Church, and Israel?
Certainly there is a great difference if we are speaking in terms of the
flesh. But when we speak after the Spirit, God has torn down that wall
between us so that in New Creation Life we are all one in Christ Jesus.
This is God's Vision for us, and it ought to be God's Vision for Israel.

Certainly that day of God's revelation to Israel will be much "better"

than what Israel had under David -- or even under Solomon. And much
better than what they are hoping for today. God has said: "I will do
better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am
the LORD" (Ezek 36:11). How much better? In many, many ways. We
will just briefly mention some of these better things from the book of
Hebrews:
The Son is a better administrator than Moses, or the angels.
Our Priest "after the order of Melchizedek" is a better High Priest than
the priesthood of Aaron.
The Levitical order is interrupted with the death of the high priest, but
our Priest after the order of Melchizedek liveth for ever.
His ministration brings us into a better hope.
He is made a surety of a better covenant;
Which is established upon better promises.
His ministry involves better sacrifices than those of the Old Covenant.
The New Covenant presents to His people "a better, and an enduring
substance."
The sons of Abraham "desire a better country."
And those who suffer with Him, look forward to a " better resurrection."
If we truly love Israel, let us present to them a Better Hope, and a
Living Messiah who now reigns on the Throne of David, with "all power
in Heaven and in Earth" (see Acts 2:29-33).
He will yet subdue all His enemies under His feet, in the Day of His
Power (see Ps 110).
A Living Hope for this Generation
We are not to become disturbed as we see this planet 'waxing old' like
a worn-out garment. Certainly it is evident that we are there right now.

In my early school days we were told that Planet Earth would probably
burn out -- maybe in a million years. Now in my lifetime there is fear for
the survival of life on this planet. We hear reports of the depletion of
fish in our oceans, of the diminishing sources of clean water, of the
pollution of our atmosphere, and the deterioration in the quality of our
food. Those in high places of our governments and our societies are
rightly fearful of the ravages of a world in the process of decay. I mean,
right now. And even as I write these words, there is much fear that yet
another nation, perhaps two will be added to the list of nations who
have Nuclear Capability. Let me assure you that our Lord Jesus is in
total control.
"But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever"
And Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth;
and the Heavens are the works of Thy hands: they shall perish; but
Thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment. And as
a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou
art the Same, and thy years shall not fail" (see Heb 1:8-12).
Now there is no suggestion here that God will put a patch on Planet
Earth so it will last another thousand years, to fit in with Millennial
Theology. The Son, when He walked this earth, had no good thing to
say about putting a patch on an old garment. He even tells us that the
new patch will make the old garment worse than it was before (see
Mark 2:21). Even many scientists are recognizing that there is no hope
for the survival of Planet Earth. Consequently they are very intent on
keeping the space program alive and well always fearful that if they
have too many disasters in space, it might be the end of their
programs. Their hope is that one day they will discover a pristine
planet something like Planet Earth used to be. I recall the excitement in
the voice of an eminent scientist who was asked to comment on the
achievement of the USA in landing a man on the Moon. In his
discourse he said something like this: Now we can be sure that the
human race will survive! He was exuberant and confident that nothing
could hinder man from exploring the Universe! Believing, no doubt as
many scientists do, that man would one day discover another planet
for men to inhabit!

As if God would give man a new planet to begin a new civilization,

when he has hopelessly failed to manage this beautiful earth that He
created for the first man, and gave him authority to rule over it all! God
has declared through one of his prophets: "Though thou exalt thyself
as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will
I bring thee down, saith the LORD" (Obadiah 4).
The old garment of Planet Earth is getting pretty thin these days. And
man in his great wisdom has enough nuclear warheads at his disposal
right now to extinguish all life on Planet Earth -- if the Son on the
Throne would let him do it. The Son who is Ruler over all may allow
man to explode some of these deadly bombs, but we can be sure that
He is in control, and He will let rebellious man go so far, and no farther.
The people who know their God are not to fear, in this hour, except to
have a very deep and loving fear of God. How could we survive such
burnings? But if we abide in Christ, and have the faith and the
commitment of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we too will come
forth out of the fire -- without even the smell of smoke on our garments.
These men were just mortal men like the rest of us. We need have no
fear of the fiery burnings that may come on Planet Earth, as long as
the Son of God is there in the furnace, walking with us in the fire, even
as He did with these faithful Hebrews!
The old garment of earth is to be drastically changed, not by the
explosive devices of men, but by God's holy Fire.
"The world that then was (before the Flood), being overflowed with
water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the
same Word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of
judgment and perdition of ungodly men" (2 Pet 3:6,7). And then for the
millennial advocates who believe that somehow God will patch up this
old garment to make it last for another thousand years -- the apostle
gives this word of admonition:
"Be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a
thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (vs 8). And what
was Peter looking for? A patched-up earth that is even now ragged and
torn, and badly in need of a brand-new wardrobe?

"Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for New Heavens

and a New Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (vs 13).
Abraham looked for it. And so did Peter. And John saw it:
"And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God
out of Heaven, prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband" (Rev
21:2).
Upon the gates of this Holy City are inscribed the "names of the twelve
tribes of the children of Israel" (Rev 21:12-14).
And upon the foundation of this Holy City are written "the names of the
twelve apostles of the Lamb" (see Rev 21:12-14).
What a marvellous union in the New Jerusalem, of the twelve tribes of
Israel with the Church of Christ, founded by the twelve apostles of
the Lamb!
Moses, the Deliverer
God does not necessarily shelter His chosen ones in a safe haven
somewhere, so the enemy will not find them. Often He will expose
them in open daylight to the eyes of their enemies, who are ignorant of
what God has in mind. So it was with Moses.
When Pharaoh feared that the people in Goshen were getting too
numerous, and could become too powerful -- he issued a decree that
all the male children born to the people of Israel in Goshen, were to be
killed, or cast into the river. But God had an Appointment with one of
those little babies in the years to come, and no murderous strategy
devised by this powerful Pharaoh could defeat what God had in mind.
You know the story, how Moses was set afloat in a leak-proof little box
made of bulrushes in the quiet backwaters of a river, among the reeds.
It looked like a dangerous sort of strategy, but I am sure that mother
Jochebed had clear guidance from the Lord. Moses' sister Miriam kept
careful watch over the ark, a short distance away from the shore. You
can be sure the family were praying that God would protect this very
special little baby. Then as Miriam looked on, Pharaoh's daughter
came to the bank of the river with her maidens, and saw this strange

looking little box, and she sent her maidens to retrieve it. As the baby
cried she had compassion on him. Miriam ran up to her, and saw her
little brother in the arms of the princess, and offered to go and bring a
nurse of the Hebrew women to look after this tiny three-month-old
baby. The princess of Egypt then unknowingly gave this little baby into
the hands of his mother to look after, and paid her wages for doing so.
So little Moses was now under the protecting hand of the dictator of
Egypt, and in due course his mother turned the young lad over to
Pharaoh's daughter, and he grew up as Pharaoh's grandson and
prince. But he was old enough to know that he was a Hebrew, and
wise enough to keep it a secret.
How many young babies Pharaoh slew to maintain his power over
Israel, we do not know. But the one baby that was chosen of God to
deliver His people from their slavery, grew up as a beloved prince in
Pharaoh's court!
No matter how clever and powerful the kings of this earth may be, they
will never be able to put our Yahweh God to shame, nor His people
who put their trust in Him.
Mother Jochebed's prayers prevailed, and in due time God put it in the
heart of this young man, to identify himself with the Hebrew people, in
their slavery: "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of
God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season" (Heb 11:25). He
wanted to deliver his brethren so badly, but he had yet to learn God's
ways. Because of a very serious error he made, in slaying a cruel
Egyptian, he found himself in disgrace with Pharaoh, and fled for his
life, and became a shepherd in the land of Midian. Gone were his
dreams of delivering his brethren the Hebrews who dwelt in Goshen,
suffering great pain and affliction at the hands of Pharaoh!
But this was still very much a part of God's Vision for him. God had
reserved in His heart an Appointment with this chosen shepherd many
years later, as he tended the sheep of his father-in-law on the plains of
Midian.
God's appointments may tarry many years, but let us take courage: He
must produce patience in His chosen ones, or they will not survive the
heat of the battle, nor the adoration of their friends. Then one very

ordinary day God spoke to Moses from a burning bush, and equipped
him with power and authority to return to Egypt, and deliver the whole
nation of Israel. And what were his weapons? He had but a staff in his
hand, but by the Word of God who had called him, that stick in his
hand became the Rod of God by which He smote Pharaoh and all his
hosts, and brought His people out of Egypt, in one single night!
Joseph, the Dreamer
The dream Joseph had as a boy seemed quite far-out, and in telling
his dream he got in wrong with all his brothers. Even his father
wondered a little about it, and reproved him for having a dream like
that! The Vision of God rarely makes sense, and God intends it to be
that way, for His ways are far beyond our ways.
I have always considered the story of Joseph as one of the most
fascinating stories in the Bible. Also one of the most touching. The
story illustrates how God brings eternal purposes into being, in the way
He leads us, in ways that are usually very ordinary and very
insignificant; but also sometimes in ways that are very traumatic, very
devastating. If we recognize this we will consider our ways very
seriously, in all that we do.
Jacob had loaded Joseph down with whatever he could carry, with
food to take to his brothers who were looking after the flocks. He just
happened to meet a man along the way that told him where his
brothers had taken the flocks. When they saw Joseph they started to
make plans to kill him. But with some opposition to that, and with the
chance of making a little money, they sold him to Ishmaelites that were
on their way to Egypt. So that way they got rid of him, and concocted a
very wicked plan that would cause their father to believe that Joseph
was torn of wild beasts. They produced positive evidence of that. Here
is Joseph's beautiful coat that his father had made for him, torn and
ragged and soaked in blood. (We wrote about all this in the book The
Family of God, so this is enough at this point.)
But we must mention Joseph, for whom God had arranged an
Appointment with Pharaoh, who was king over all the land of Egypt.
We are emphasizing the unfolding of the intricate purposes of God, in
one of His servants. From treachery, to prison house, to serious false

accusations, to dungeons -- Joseph experienced all of it. But the

Appointment with Pharaoh was in God's agenda from the beginning,
and one morning it happened. He was released from the dungeon, and
stood before Pharaoh. And when Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dreams
with wisdom and confidence, Pharaoh knew immediately that this man
was filled with the wisdom of God, and he made Joseph to be the Chief
Justice in the whole land of Egypt.
Just here, I would remind God's chosen ones, and especially the
younger ones who are zealous for God. Do not try to get some kind of
a 'plan' from God for your life, so you can start working on it! If you
work on your plan, you will very likely spoil it! Or God may spoil it for
you! You need only to know that God has a plan for your life, get to
know His voice, do His will today and every day, and commit yourself
into the hands of a loving God, and a very capable Predestinator. As
you walk in God's will, you cannot miss God's intention for your life.
And as you present yourself to Him a 'living sacrifice' -- you will learn to
walk in His ways, and come to know His voice more clearly (see Rom
12:1,2).
John the Baptist, the Forerunner
Like Isaac's mother, and Joseph's mother, and Samuel's mother -- and
many others in the Old Testament, John's mother was barren. Not only
that, but she was far past the age of child-bearing, when an angel
appeared to Zacharias, and declared that his wife Elisabeth would
have a son. The angel told him that this son would minister in the Spirit
and Power of Elijah "to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,
and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people
prepared for the Lord" (Lk 1:17).
To God's people who love Him, yet are very much aware of their barren
condition, let me say to you, Take courage. I believe this is a day when
the prophecy of Isaiah will be fulfilled:
"Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and
cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children
of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD"
(Isa 54:1).

When youthful zeal fades away, and you are aware that, try as you
may, you are not making any vital impact on nations, nor on your
neighbour next door, yet you love God and desire to bring glory to His
Name -- Take courage! God has special love for those who love Him,
and do His will, but who feel they cannot produce any real evidence
that God is pleased in what they are doing.
John the Baptist was born of such parents, and John himself waited
long years in the wilderness of Judaea. Waiting for what? For God's
timing, for God's Appointment. God had many things to set in place,
before God would say to John, Go to My people with this Word!
John's real mission was to introduce the Messiah to Israel, in the
waters of baptism; and to preach a gospel of Repentance by way of
preparing their hearts for the King who was soon to be revealed. But
the whole scenario for the introduction of his ministry in the earth, had
to be carefully overshadowed by the Sovereign God. Luke who wrote
about it saw fit to mention the rulership that prevailed in the Roman
Empire, as well as in the Temple in Jerusalem, when John came on the
scene. Tiberius was the Emperor of Rome, Pontius Pilate was
Governor of Judaea, Herod was over Galilee -- and so forth. And in the
Temple, Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. John was out
there in the desert, waiting. Then one day, at the appointed time: "the
Word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness,
and he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism
of repentance for the remission of sins" (Lk 3:2,3). He was the prophet
that Malachi said would come in the Spirit of Elijah. But when people
asked who he was, he said, "I am the Voice of one crying in the
wilderness" (Jn 1:23).
How could John ever fit into the system of Annas and Caiaphas? How
could he ever become one of their priests, even though he qualified as
one born to Zacharias? No billboards appeared on any synagogue
door announcing: Prophet John, the son of Zacharias, will be here all
this week holding a Prophetic Seminar! Come! He may have a word
from the Lord for you! But somehow the word got around, and the
people would find out where he was preaching, and they would come
to him. Certainly we are all aware that we need to hear from God. The
people no doubt stood before John a little fearful of what he might say,

but they were hungry for God; and John's voice was a call to
repentance, and very simple:
"If you have two coats, one is enough. Give the other to someone who
needs it."
"If you have more food than you need, share it with someone who is
hungry."
All Palestine was under Roman occupation, and the Roman soldiers
were there to keep the peace. They could be cruel at times, and they
would grumble about their low wages. But there was a hunger in many
of them, and they came to John for a word. And John would say:
"Do violence to no man; neither accuse any falsely, and be content
with your wages."
Even Pharisees and Sadducees would come for baptism, and to hear
what the Prophet might say. But John had a very hard word for them:
"O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to
come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: and think not to
say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father: for I say unto
you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto
Abraham" (Matt 3:7-9). After a word like that, only the hungry heart
would repent, and submit to the waters of baptism. How many of them
walked away at this point, we do not know.
But the Appointment for John, above all others, was to introduce the
One that was to come, in the waters of baptism. He waited for that;
because God had given him a sign that would be revealed when he
baptized the Son of God. It happened right there, at God's appointed
time: "And, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the
Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: and lo a
voice from Heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased" (Matt 3:16,17).
Wouldn't it be a thrilling ministry, to be a prophet? Not if you were one
of God's prophets! Many of them were tortured, and slain. And John,
the greatest of them all, was no exception. His head became a gift
from a wicked Herod on his birthday, to a dancing party-girl! All

because John was a preacher of righteousness, and not a smooth

talker. He reproved Herod for his adulterous life, and paid for his
reproof with his head.
The Lord was not accustomed to giving honour to great men. But I
think because of the apparent futility of this reed 'shaken in the wind',
the Lord was constrained to say this about John:
"For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women, there is not
a greater prophet than John the Baptist" (Lk 7:28). Bible students are
taught to classify the prophets as major and minor. It appears they
base their decision on how large a book they wrote. Isaiah was a major
because he wrote a large book of many pages. Amos wrote a small
book, so he was a minor. But Jesus classified John as the greatest of
all prophets and he didn't write any books.
Simeon, the Man who Lived to See the Messiah
We must mention a few things about Simeon and his Vision. We do not
know how old he may have been, but we assume it was early in life
that God said: Simeon, you will not die until you have seen the
Messiah! It must have been very thrilling for him to receive a promise
like that. I don't think he bragged about it, but I am sure he would tell
his friends when the subject of the coming Messiah came up. God
showed me, you know, that I am going to see Him in my lifetime. That's
all we know about it. No mention of him seeing the Messiah growing
into manhood, and ministering to people, or setting up His Messianic
rule in the earth. It was a simple mandate: Simeon, you are going to
live to see the Messiah in your lifetime! We can assume he carried this
Vision for many years, and that he was old when it happened, because
when he saw the Babe in His infancy, he asked the Lord to release him
and let him depart, because He had seen the Messiah, and his
purpose in life had been fulfilled.
The Vision of God is intended to strengthen us, give us hope, cause us
to be patient, and not to be too consumed with earthly things that will
pass away. But we must also know that the Vision will become our trial.
We get tired of waiting. Our expectations may be prolonged beyond
what we had hoped. But the Light in our pathway keeps us walking in
the right way. Surely the Vision we have from God will be strong within

us, until it is fulfilled. It need not grow dim with age if we know that "the
path of the just is as the shining Light, that shineth more and more unto
the perfect day" (Prov 4:18).
Surely He knows that a Vision from His heart to ours, might cause
pride to spring up in our hearts. But He knows how to deal with that.
The Vision tarries, and His servant who had the Vision is inclined to get
weary of waiting. But God's intention is that He might prove, and test,
and try in the fire -- those who have His Vision. And perhaps keep
them waiting so long, that they may feel inclined to forget it all. But God
waits because He wants to bring forth patience, longsuffering, and
endurance in our lives. It is good fruit that God is after. Simeon may
have grown weary of waiting, but nevertheless he stood true to his
God: "The same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation
of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto
him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had
seen the Lord's Christ" (Lk 2:25,26).
We have mentioned these things about Simeon to remind ourselves
that if it is God's Vision we cherish, then we must learn to "walk in the
Spirit," for we know not when, where, and how the Vision may come to
pass. But we can be assured that if we "walk in the Spirit" we will not
miss it.
Then one day it happened, because this man of God (whose name
Simeon, means 'hearing') "came by the Spirit into the Temple." Was he
expecting to see Messiah that day? We do not know, and perhaps he
did not know. He just knew that he must go up to the Temple, because
the Spirit was leading him there on this day.
"And when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him after
the custom of the law" -- Simeon saw Him! The One that he had looked
for these many years. He saw Him! "Then took he Him up in his arms,
and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart
in peace, according to Thy Word: For mine eyes have seen Thy
salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a
Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel" (see Lk
2:27-32).

Simeon was there in the right place, at the right time, because he was
walking in the Spirit; and therefore he could not miss God's
Appointment. God would not let him miss it! You and I will not miss any
of God's appointments if we walk in righteousness, and are living by
faith, and enduring any manner of trial or testing that God may send
our way. For He sends the trial and the test not only to prove our faith
and confidence in God, but to burn away the dross from the gold and
the silver by His refining fire.
Mary of Bethany, the Waster
We cannot pass by Mary of Bethany's Appointment with Jesus. It was
just prior to His death which would happen in another week or so.
"Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany -- and
there they made Him a supper -- Then took Mary a pound of ointment
of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His
feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the
ointment" (see Jn 12:1-3).
God's Appointments are not advertised ahead of time. Only those
whose hearts are prepared for His Appointments will understand. To
the rest, the incident may become a source of argument, a cause for
disapproval or for rejection. The disciples were indignant about this
waste! So were all the others who sat at the table. But this was
something between Jesus and Mary, and the Lord revealed that Mary
had deliberately set aside this ointment for the burial of her Lord. "Then
said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of My burying hath she kept
this" (vs 7). It was not a sudden impulse she had, to come to the house
where Jesus was, and perform a good and notable deed to her Lord.
Having sat at the feet of Jesus so many times, listening intently to what
He had to say, she understood that her Lord would suffer and die, but
that He would rise again the third day. In her sensitivity to the will of
God, she just knew that this was the appointed time to anoint Him for
burial. The people at the table were shocked at such waste.
But who was the real waster? Mary who was clearly led of the Lord in
this act of extravagance? Or the other women who went to the tomb on
Resurrection Morning, expecting to anoint the dead body of Jesus, and
He wasn't even there? Their preparations for Jesus' dead body were

wasted. (The lesson: Don't waste your money to support some worthy
cause when Jesus isn't even there.)
Mary's act was a proclamation of Jesus' victory over death, that would
become a vital part of the Gospel of the Kingdom throughout all the
world, and throughout all periods of time.
Why was Mary's act so important, I wonder? Because the ways of the
Kingdom of God are totally different from the ways of the kingdoms of
men. Men will anoint the dead. But Mary would anoint Him who was
the Resurrection and the Life, even before He died. In what Mary did
that day, she was showing forth the very essence of the Kingdom of
God, not particularly to the handful of people gathered in Bethany that
day, but to generations yet to come ~
That it is a Kingdom where love rules, and where selfish interests are
wasted on the ground.
That it is a Kingdom where men and women pour out their very lives in
devotion to their Lord, with no expectation of reward in this life.
That it is a Kingdom of Giving, rather than a Kingdom of Getting.
That it is Giving, even when there is no hope of receiving anything in
return.
That it is in Giving not only of our substance, our material things, but as
one pouring out his very life as a drink offering unto God.
It is something like what Paul said to the Philippians: "Yea, and if I be
offered (poured out as a drink offering) upon the sacrifice and service
of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all" (Phil 2:17).
Concerning this waste of costly ointment Jesus made a statement in
the presence of all who came to the dinner that day -- much to the
dismay of the guests who sat at the table. And much to the perplexity
of many Christians today who do not understand that a lost world
stands in need of the fragrance of the Lord Jesus, and not just a wellprepared sermon. The fragrance of Christ will turn the hearts of men
from the bitter ways of sin, to the love and mercy of the Lord Jesus --

confirming the word of the Gospel, with the manifest Presence of

Jesus.
Jesus openly rebuked those who had rebuked Mary -- with these
words:
"Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached
throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be
spoken of for a memorial of her" (Mark 14:9).
People in the world may not read our literature, or listen to the words of
our Gospel; but they cannot avoid breathing the fragrance of the Lord
Jesus when alabaster boxes are broken, and the fragrance of a life
poured out for Jesus, fills the whole room -- or the whole city ~ or the
whole country.
Our Lord Jesus ~ the Bondslave
I know that many of God's people are convinced that we present a
Vision for His people that is too high. God knows that; and that is why
our Lord Jesus came down to our level, and even below our level -when He took upon Himself the form of a bondslave. Our Lord Jesus is
our great Example, who came to earth as a Son revealing the glory of
the Father. And as a Son of Man, He chose to walk before God in the
obedience of a bondslave. He was manifested as the express image of
the Father in human form. When the writer to the Hebrews introduced
Him, he tells us that the Son was the ultimate expression of God's
voice in the earth. In former times God spoke through prophets, and
angels, and dreams, and many other ways. But now God "hath in
these last days spoken unto us by His Son" (Heb 1:2). The literal
Greek words are "in Son." I know this sounds awkward. But the apostle
is emphasizing this final and ultimate Word of God, was manifested in
Jesus. The Son was Himself that Word, the very Word of the Father,
made flesh and dwelling among us. And so in the form of a Son of
Man, He chose to take upon Himself the role of a bond-slave. He
would not consider Himself as a king or a ruler, doing what He thought
best. He would have an ear that was pierced, like the slave in the Old
Testament who chose to be his master's slave the rest of his life (see
Ex 21:5,6). And so Jesus is the One who fulfilled the prophecy of
David:

"Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire;

Mine ears hast Thou opened:
Burnt offering and sin offering
Hast Thou not required.
Then said I, Lo, I come:
In the volume of the book
It is written of Me,
I delight to do Thy will, O My God"
(Ps 40:6-8).
And so we hear this Bond-slave saying words like these:
"The Son can do nothing of Himself" (Jn 5:19).
"I can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment
is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father
which hath sent me" (Jn 5:30).
"The Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that
please Him" (Jn 8:29).
O how different it is these days, when apostles and prophets and
pastors can do so many wonderful things, if only they can persuade
the people to stay with them, and get under their burden!
Our Lord Jesus is truly the Pattern Son -- the Son who chose to accept
the role of a bondslave. His ear pierced, that He might hear the words
of the Father clearly, and His heart motivated by the will of the Father.
At the Last Passover He took a basin of water and a towel, and began
to wash the disciples' feet, as a lowly servant. He taught them, "He that
is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief,
as he that doth serve" (Lk 22:26). This is the role that was assumed by
the Son of God as He walked in the earth.
He is the Pattern Son, and He taught His disciples how to become
'bond-slaves': "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of (from) Me; for I
am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls"
(Matt 11:29). Surely as we find ourselves in the yoke of Jesus, it ought
to be easy to walk as Jesus walked. The father's Appointment for Him
was every day, every moment.

Yet we cannot deny that the supreme Appointment for the Son, was to
go to the Cross, in obedience to the Father's will. And this act of
obedience was so precious in God's eyes, that Christ was awarded the
highest prize that the Father could bestow upon anyone, in Heaven or
in Earth.
How did He earn this great honour? By becoming the Great Apostle,
Prophet, Teacher, Pastor, Evangelist? By none of these, although He
was all of these and more! It was because He "took upon Him the form
of a servant (bond-servant), and was made in the likeness of men: and
being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Wherefore (for this
reason) God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name
which is above every name: that at the Name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under
the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2:7-11).
The Church, the Body of Christ
O how this Church, that God ordained to be a wonder and glory in the
earth, and in the heavens -- how weak she has become, by trusting in
her strength, in her wisdom, in her riches, in her magnificence! And all
of it is supposedly in an attempt to cause the nations to bow at the feet
of Christ! But there is a Church in the midst of the Church, whose
hearts long after God, and it is with these that He has reserved a day
of Appointment. It will be a very individual Appointment with those who
are "members of His body," as well as a corporate Appointment for the
whole body.
God forbid that any one would think that his or her position in the
Church, will somehow elevate them in the favour of God. For the body
of Christ is composed of many members, and each member of that
body is carefully designed by His creative power to function in union
with all other members, and to partake equally with them in the Life
that God has breathed into that body. For no man or devil or evil
principality in the heavens will be able to hinder the mighty work that
God continues to perform in the members of His body. His purpose is
"that He might sanctify and cleanse it (the Church) with the washing of
water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious

Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should
be holy and without blemish" (Eph 5:26,27).
Let us not hope for Heaven to bring this about. The Last Adam, "the
Lord from Heaven" came to earth to do this cleansing, healing work in
His people, by the blood of His Cross, and "with the washing of water
by the Word." It is not by a sudden stroke of perfection when we enter
the courts of Heaven. Jesus Himself, chosen to be the Captain of His
people as they war against evil, came to earth as a man that God
might make the Captain of their Salvation "perfect through sufferings"
(Heb 2:10). It is by testing and trial and affliction while we walk in the
midst of a cruel world, that we learn obedience and come to the stature
of Christ.
David said that he was fearfully and wonderfully made. But he was
speaking prophetically as he described the very intricate workings of
God in the body of Christ. For this Church is to be an eternal wonder
and glory unto God throughout all ages. David went on to say, "My
substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and
curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth" (Ps 139:14,15). Paul
identifies this with our Lord Jesus. "When He ascended up on high, He
led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that He ascended,
what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the
earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above
all heavens, that He might fill all things)" (Eph 4:8-10). I believe David
was speaking prophetically about this body of Christ that was "made in
secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth." I
understand very little about that, but we have much teaching
concerning His ascension Glory, where He reigns with all power in
Heaven and in Earth. And has sent forth His Spirit into our lives,
imparting gifts to His people, and enduing them with power and
anointing to bring forth this glorious Body of Christ. Then he declares
that God's intention in setting these ministries in the body is that we
"grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ" (Eph 4:
15). What marvellous grace, and what a living hope: "that we grow up
into Christ!"
One Body . . and Members in Particular

Often there is a tendency to so exalt the truth of God's people being

"one body" that we fail to recognize the very individual life that we are
to live as a member of the family of God, or as a sheep in the flock of
God. Coming into a body relationship must not interfere with that very
personal relationship with Christ that He has ordained. A true body
relationship among God's people, should enhance and strengthen
one's personal walk with God, rather than making it to be subordinate
to a corporate body relationship. Just a few scriptures to illustrate this
truth:
"Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular" (1 Cor
12:27).
A member in particular, just as my eye, my ear, my hand, my heart, is
very distinct, and has a very special function, that benefits the whole
body.
"Of one body." For this body is only healthy and complete when each
individual member receives the care it needs from the rest of the body.
The sheep hear His voice: And He calleth His own sheep by name
(see Jn 10:3-5). This is very individual and personal. The Shepherd
knows each sheep by name, and each sheep knows his Shepherd, by
name. Very often the sheep do not act as if they know the True
Shepherd by name. How many of them have been taught and nurtured
by true pastoral ministry, and really know the Shepherd, and walk with
Him, and hear His voice when He calls their name? In too many cases
this is not even considered necessary. The sheep hear the voice of
their pastor, and they thank him for his counsel. But very often they
know not the voice of the True Shepherd in their own walk with the
Lord. Their pastor, their elder, their prophet, has become their
mediator, instead of that One Mediator who reigns at the right hand of
the Father. The sheep must individually know their Shepherd by Name,
and follow Him!
The New Covenant, a Covenant of Glory
We have mentioned some of those glorious Appointments that men of
old had with their God in Old Testament times; and often New
Testament (Covenant) believers are inclined to feel that those

visitations of God are not for us in the New Covenant. Is not the New
Covenant better than the Old? And if God's people in the Old Covenant
knew this very individual relationship with God, how much more should
we in the New Covenant? The apostles continually remind us of the
"better things" that we have in the New Covenant. And Paul goes so
far as to say that the ultimate ministration of the Old Covenant was
condemnation and death. "But if the ministration of death, written and
engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could
not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his
countenance, which glory was to be done away: How shall not the
ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?" (2 Cor 3:7,8). Then to cap
it off, he makes this very conclusive statement concerning the glory
that was manifested in the Old Testament: "For even that which was
made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that
excelleth" (vs 10).
Surely God has greater things, far greater things, for His New
Covenant people, than He did for the Old.
I am confident that God will in these last days perform such wondrous
things through His people (who seek Him and walk with Him), that they
will be known as walking signs of the Mighty God they serve. Paul
quotes from the prophet Isaiah: "Behold I and the children which God
hath given me" (Heb 2:13). The full quotation from Isaiah is this:
"Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for
signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth
in Mount Zion" (Isa 8:18). The people whom the Father gives to the
Son, are "for signs and wonders." Their very lives, and the works they
perform, will make them to become a sign and a wonder in the earth.
Let us never entertain the thought: O well, I know God said He was
going to have a glorious Church, without spot or blemish -- but it can't
happen till we get to Heaven. Jesus came from Heaven to earth to
bring this about. And the Father has given Him sons and daughters
from the earth, born of the same Spirit by which Jesus was born. And
they are predestinated "to be conformed to the image of His Son, that
He might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Rom 8:29). "Many
brethren" in the Family of God, but each son and daughter a very
distinct member of that Family each son and daughter knowing the
Voice of their Elder Brother, and following in His footsteps.

God's Appointments are in His Time

We must not fail to emphasize God's Timings. And we must know that
God's timings are always related to eternal purposes. In union with the
Father, Jesus not only did the Father's will, but He always moved in the
Father's time. It wasn't a case of -- I'm the Prophet, so I'm going to
prophesy. Or I'm the Teacher, so I'm going to travel far and wide and
teach God's people. Jesus only did these things as He moved in the
Spirit of the Father, and it was all according to God's eternal purpose
and timing. He was always in God's place, doing God's will, in God's
time. Therefore He could say to the people gathered in the Synagogue
at Nazareth, that on that very day He was fulfilling scripture.
"And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias. And
when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was
written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed
Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the
brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering
of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach
the acceptable year of the Lord. And He closed the book, and He gave
it again to the minister, and sat down."
Then as they waited, perhaps for some word of exposition, "He began
to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears" (Lk
4:17-21). This is God's way of "doing the will of God," doing what God
tells us to do, indeed. But also moving in the Spirit of Truth. And if we
move in the Spirit, it will always be in God's time. Jesus would not be
pressured by others. He would say to His brethren who urged Him to
go down to the Feast: "My time is not yet come: but your time is always
ready" (Jn 7:6).
It was especially grievous to Mary and Martha, whom He loved -- that
He refused to go and heal their brother Lazarus when his life was
ebbing away. When He got the news, "He abode two days still in the
same place where He was" (Jn 11:6). He could have gone and healed
Lazarus, or spoken the Word from a long distance, and healed him by
a spoken Word. But He moved in the mind and in the will of the Father;
and He must remain where He was till Lazarus was dead. All because
God had a purpose in mind, and the Son always walked in the way of
God's Appointment for Him.

Does it not seem strange how men have been able to turn this all
around, and ordain pastors and teachers and apostles and prophets to
be in a place of lordship, rather than in a role of servitude? Paul and
many others were apostles, but Paul said, writing to the Romans:
"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ," and the word servant here means
bondslave. Many of these great ministries today do not appear to be in
the category of bondslaves, but rather as lords over the flock. And
God's people do them a great injustice, by exalting them to a place of
reverence and esteem in the House of God, rather than as servants
ministering truth to the flock of God.

The Vision and the Appointment

George H. Warnock

CHAPTER 3 - A NEW MAN A NEW CREATION

Abraham, the Father of All who Believe
"How slow we are to comprehend that in God's design and purpose,
He would have a people in the earth walking in the same Spirit that our
Lord Jesus walked in. Not to make ourselves equal with Jesus. For we
are much less, much weaker ~ yet knowing that God's strength is
"made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor 12:9). And Jesus Himself as the
Son of God, voluntarily took the role of a slave, a bondslave who did all
that His Master wanted Him to do.
Surely the more we are filled with the Spirit, the more meek and
humble do we become, because that is the nature of the Holy Dove
that rested upon Jesus. And therefore Jesus told His disciples that
when He went away, He would send the Comforter to abide with them
in His stead. And through Him they would do the same works that He
had done, because they would be baptized with the same Spirit. And
even greater works, because He would be exalted to the Throne with
all power in Heaven and in Earth, and interceding for them before the
Father.
We are not talking about the "old Adam" in us attaining the stature that
Jesus walked in. We are talking about the old Adam being crucified
with Christ, that the Seed of the Last Adam might bring forth a New
Man from the Seed that He has implanted in the soil of our hearts.
Two Adams and Two Adamic Races
We are inclined to think this way: Jesus had a great advantage over
us, because He had no sin nature, and we do! True, but in God's
glorious plan of Redemption, we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus
(the Last Adam) by simply believing in the Man Christ Jesus as our
Sin-bearer and Substitute. And then by matchless grace, He puts His
Spirit in our hearts, who abides there as our Advocate and Intercessor
in the earth -- to show us the way by which we shall overcome the Old
Adam, that the New Adam might reign as King in our lives.
It is true that our Lord was born without the sin nature, and what
assurance this gives us! How else could He become our Redeemer?

But He was still subject to temptation as we are, and He was subject to

the trial of obedience, as we are. Even the First Adam was created
without a sin nature, and yet he fell -- not because of inherent sin, but
because of an act of disobedience.
The first Adam chose to disobey. "Adam was not deceived" is the clear
word of the apostle (1 Tim 2:14). He wasn't tricked into it, like Eve was.
He chose to disobey. It must have been because he knew Eve was the
only creature God had made that was compatible with himself. Adam
loved her, and she was very close to his heart, for she was made from
a rib that God took out from Adam's side as he slept. He deliberately
chose to go the way of disobedience, to save his marriage. How could
he live without his beloved wife who was now on death-row because of
her disobedience to God? He loved her, and chose to share the
penalty of death with her.
We mention this as a background to what we know about the Last
Adam, and how He avoided the pathway of disobedience. It was the
Father's plan and purpose to undo the tragedy of the Fall, and Jesus
came out from the bosom of the Father, to be another Adam in the
earth, born of "the seed of the woman" but conceived by the Holy
Spirit. He was therefore without sin, but He too would be subject to trial
and testing, for anything or anybody that cannot endure trial and
testing, is not worthy to be in God's Kingdom.
The test of Adam and Eve was very simple. It would involve no
hardship. But the dazzling gem of the fruit on the Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil was too much for Eve to resist.
Our Lord (the Last Adam) was subjected to a very severe trial also.
Would He be true to the covenant He declared in the prophetic Psalm:
"Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God!" Or would He fail? The trial was in
His pathway all through life. 'Son, You are to become the Lamb for the
Burnt Offering, and in so doing You will deliver My people from their
captivity to the Law of Sin and Death. But You must learn obedience in
order to annul the disobedience of Adam. I have ordained a Bride for
You, as I did for Adam. In Your obedience to Me, You must sleep in
death, a death brought about by cruel hatred and malice at the hands
of a rebellious mob. Only then will this Bride be redeemed and washed
and cleansed from all her filthiness. For Your Bride will be chosen from
the sons and daughters of Adam, redeemed by the blood of the Cross,
upon which You must die.'
Our precious Lord and Saviour made a full commitment: I will walk in
obedience, for the sake of my Bride that You have promised Me.

And so we have the story of our redemption. By one act of

disobedience of the First Adam we all fell into sin and disobedience by
natural generation. And it was by one act of obedience that the Last
Adam prevailed. Not denying of course that He learned obedience
through His life, as He walked in union with the Father. Nevertheless
His life of obedience culminated in a final act of obedience by which we
are redeemed. "For as by one man's disobedience many were made
sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous"
(Rom 5:19).
Calvary was in no sense a tragedy -- something that could have been
avoided if, if, if -- All these Ifs must be shut out of our minds, when we
realize that our Lord Jesus came as a Lamb, ordained of God to be
slain for our redemption. In the outworking of God's sovereign
purposes, this Lamb knew He was ordained to die for His people, but
"for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the
shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb
12:2). The Captain of our salvation must be made "perfect through
sufferings" (Heb 2:10). This sacrificial Lamb anticipated the Day when
a glorious Church would come forth, He being the Head: "a glorious
Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing" (Eph 5:27). He
anticipated the day when this holy Bride would be revealed, and one of
the holy angels was excited when he saw her, and said to John: "Come
hither, I will show thee the Bride, the Lamb's wife" (Rev 21:9).
We must emphasize the perfections of this Holy Bride, these
overcoming Sons, this Holy Nation, this Royal Priesthood, for they are
called by many names. We must be convinced that God's plan for us is
to become Holiness to the Lord, "A crown of glory in the hand of the
LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God" (Isa 62:3). And
many people draw back, thinking they are too unworthy, too human,
too carnal, to ever come to such a state, until they get to Heaven. Do
these people really believe that it would be easier for God to take them
to Heaven, than to work in their lives the perfections of Christ while
they walk here in the earth? God designed that the great redemptive
work by which we come forth in God's own image and likeness, would
take place right here in the earth; and the Lord from Heaven came to
earth, to become the Last Adam, our sin-bearer. And now by His
mediatorial ministry in the heavens, He will continue to faithfully
minister all those virtues and qualities that are in Him, through His Holy
Spirit, to His chosen ones in the earth.
His mandate is secure. Jesus knows what it is all about. He is the
"Mediator of a New Covenant" which is not like the old one, "written
and engraven in stones." But a New Covenant where He writes His

righteousness, His mercy, His grace, His beauty, His faithfulness, His
own nature and character on our hearts, by the Holy Spirit. And He will
continue to do so until God has procured for His Son a Holy Bride,
made ready by precious blood sprinkled on the heart, and by the
renewing grace of His Holy Spirit within us.
We are purged from sin and disobedience by the efficacy of Jesus'
blood, and our obedience to the Gospel, which the apostle Paul calls
"the obedience of faith." The regenerating power of the Holy Spirit
transforms us to become heirs of the will of the Last Adam. We hear
Him saying in prophetic voice in the Psalms: "Lo I come to do Thy will
O God." When this Will of God becomes our Will, by virtue of the new
Seed planted within us, growing within us, and coming to fruition within
us, and our minds are renewed by the same Spirit -- then we are able
to overcome even as He overcame.
God is Preparing a Resting Place for Himself
I recall reading how Augustine said something like this: "Thou hast
made us for Thyself, O LORD, and our hearts are restless until they
find their rest in Thee." I never forgot that gem of truth. But in more
recent years I came to understand there is a counterpart to that:
"God created Man that He might find His resting place in Man, and
God can never find rest, until He finds His habitation in Man."
Isaiah declares this state of restlessness in God:
"For Zion's sake will I not hold My peace,
And for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
Until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness,
And the salvation thereof as a Lamp that Burneth."
(Isa 62:1)
Now God is so eager to see His glory shining forth in His people, that
He actually sets watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem, to continually
remind Him of His own Vision until it happens!
"I have set watchmen upon thy walls,
O Jerusalem,
Which shall never hold their peace
Day nor night;
Ye that make mention of the LORD,
Keep not silence and give Him no rest,
Till He establish, and till He make

Jerusalem a Praise in the earth."

(Isa 62:6,7)
Certainly, brethren, we are often in a state of restlessness as we
consider our circumstances, our failures, our barrenness our
helplessness to deal with hopeless conditions that abound in our lives,
or in the world about us. If only God would make this deep impression
on our hearts, that God will not let us REST, in any degree of fullness,
until we cease from our own works, and until God's pleasure in our
lives becomes the all-consuming purpose for which we live.
For it is not about the Canadian Dream, or the American Dream It's
all about Him, and His Glory, and His Resting-place, and His Vision for
His people.
Never could the Mighty God discover a habitation and resting place for
Himself in the vast realms of the heavens, nor in the angelic beings He
has created, nor yet in the beautiful unspoiled, untarnished earth that
He had created. Only Man created in His image, could become a true
resting-place for the Most High God. And so when man sinned and fell
away from His Creator, God's Sabbath Rest was broken. Any tent or
temple that God ordained in the past, were but for a season, and
served only as a faint shadow of the Temple He found in our Lord
Jesus Christ when He was here. And now since His ascension, His
glorious body of which He is the Head, is designed of God to be His
own Temple, His own resting-place. Not another Temple, but a Temple
of which He is the "Chief Cornerstone" a glorious Body, of which He
is the Head.
We can't help but pause here for a moment to emphasize this
undeniable fact which should be very obvious to us all. How could
the Mighty One "who inhabiteth eternity" ever delight in any kind of
structure or temple or palace that man might build for the glory of God?
Even Solomon who built a very costly and magnificent temple in
Jerusalem, which God ordained for a season -- recognized that it was
just a place where His Name might be known in Israel, and where men
might come from other nations, who would hear about the fame of
Yahweh, Israel's mighty God. It was ordained simply to be "an house of
prayer for all people" (Isa 56:7, Lk 19:46). And when in the process of
time the people of God went their own way and despised His Name,
God raised up prophets to denounce their hypocrisy.
"The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: where is the
house that ye build unto Me? And where is the place of My rest?" (Isa
66:1). God's real quest in ordaining this magnificent structure built by

the wisdom of Solomon, was that a man of penitent heart, and

humbled before God, might have an altar upon which he might offer his
sacrifice, and a house of prayer. Only then would that man himself
become a place where his Creator might find rest.
And so He challenges His people, and all men today who would bring
sacrifice and worship into a temple they have made:
"Where is the house that ye build unto Me? and where is the place of
My rest? For all those things hath Mine hand made, and all those
things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to
him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My Word" (see
Isa 66:1,2). God can only delight and find rest in men who have been
redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, and bring glory to His great
name, with a humble and a contrite heart.
Certainly God will yet choose a remnant of the natural Israel, who are
"beloved for the fathers' sakes." But let us never forget that Gentiles,
washed in the blood of Jesus, have already been grafted into the Olive
Tree of Israel, because of Israel's failure to receive their Messiah. And
when those branches of Israel, cut off and dead, are grafted back into
their Olive Tree, they become part of the same tree that we as Gentiles
were grafted into by His grace (see Rom 11:19-25). It is in this context
that the apostle tells us: "And so all Israel shall be saved" (vs 26). "All
Israel" -- all who are in this Covenant Tree of Israel: the wild branches
from the Gentiles who abide in the Tree, and the dead branches of
Israel, whom God will graft back into their Covenant Tree, in the day
when God will turn their hearts back to Him. The wall of partition that
separated the Jew from the Gentile has been torn down -- and together
they are one new man in Christ (see Eph 2:15). Some of those dead
branches are coming into the Tree now, but only a small remnant. But
those who are "beloved for the fathers' sakes" will yet come back into
the Tree after "the fulness of the Gentiles be come in" (Rom 11:25).
In Ephesians, Paul speaks of a House, in which God tears down the
wall of partition, to create one new Man from this union of Jew and
Gentile. Whereas in Romans, Paul is speaking of a Tree, where the
wild olive branches are brought into the Covenant Tree of Israel, and
"grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and
fatness of the Olive Tree" (Rom 11:17). But whether it be called the
House of God, or the Covenant Tree -- these two warring factions, who
have been constantly at enmity with each other -- together they
discover total Peace in Christ! And they are "one New Man" because
they have been washed in the blood of Jesus!

I am amazed how many Christians these days are seeking to become

involved with Jewish customs and traditions, in the hope of reaching
Israel for Christ. A few years ago there was a tremendous interest by
Christian people, in a spotless "red heifer" they discovered, a perfect
specimen for Israel's sacrifices. Do God's people not understand that
the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross has done away with the sacrifices
of the Old Testament?
"For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer
sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how
much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God?" (Heb 9:13,14). The Word tells us
clearly, that if there is any efficacy or purpose in those former
sacrifices, "Would they not have ceased to be offered? because that
the worshippers once purged should have no more conscience of sins"
(Heb 10:2). There is no other sacrifice, nor ever can be -- because the
sacrifice He offered was once for all "when He offered up Himself"
(Heb 7:27). His sacrifice was totally acceptable to God, and totally
sufficient. And for those having received the "knowledge of the truth,
there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins" (Heb 10:26).
I am confident God will yet raise up a true Testimony of Jesus to carry
this Gospel of the Kingdom to the land of Israel, as well as to the four
corners of the earth. And I do not mean a message only, or a teaching
from the Bible only, but a living Word that will go forth: "not with
enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and
of power" (1 Cor 2:4).
A New Sabbath for God's New Man
We have talked about God's Habitation in Man; and in this context we
must talk about God's Sabbath Rest, for these concepts are very much
the same. When God had finished the old creation, which culminated
in a Man in His image, He ordained the seventh day as a Sabbath. But
His rest was not for long. The man He had made in His image sinned,
and God's "rest" was disturbed, and once again God went to work. He
worked many centuries in the hearts of men, waiting for the time when
the woman's Seed would bruise the head of the Serpent (see Gen
3:15). The Seed was none other than our Lord Jesus, who would
bruise the Serpent's head, and in Him the Father found true Rest. In
this Man, after so long a time, God had once again enjoyed a Sabbath
Rest, and this Man was Himself the true Temple of God, as He walked
in the earth. When Jesus had driven the money-changers out of the
Temple, some of the Jews came to Him and asked for a sign to

demonstrate why He had taken that very severe action, and Who gave
Him that authority? Jesus said to them, "Destroy this Temple, and in
three days I will raise it up" (Jn 2:19). It was a blinding truth, and it
became a stumbling block to their rebellious hearts. What a ridiculous
thing to say that He would raise up a Temple from the rubble in three
days -- a temple that took 46 years to build!
"But He spake of the Temple of His body" (vs 21). He was the true
Temple where God Most High had taken up His habitation. God had
found perfect rest in His Son. And as the Father ministered in and
through this Man, it was God drawing closer and closer to the offspring
of Adam's fallen race: not only to bring them back to God, but to
prepare them "for an Habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph 2:22).
He assures us that we too may become a part of this House, this
Habitation, as we come into oneness with the Son. We do not become
another Temple, but we become a part of Him -- a further enlargement
of the Temple that He is.
There is no record of men keeping the Sabbath until the giving of the
Law at Sinai. Even in Egyptian bondage, the people of Israel continued
to worship the gods of the heathen (see Ezek 20:7-13). Yet God
continued to work among them for His Name's sake. Then He gave
Israel His holy laws at Sinai, including the Sabbath laws. These laws
were compulsory, and if broken, there were very severe punishments.
But His people never experienced a real Sabbath Rest, because of
their consistent rebellion against God.
Then Jesus came to earth, to carry on the work of the Father, saying,
"My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (Jn 5:17). He would even do
the Father's work on the Sabbath day, because to the Lord Jesus,
every day was a Sabbath, as He rested in the Father, and the Father
rested in Him. Of course He got into real trouble with the Scribes and
Pharisees over this, for they did not know that in doing the Father's will
He was really walking in Sabbath Rest every day. All through His
ministry in the earth Jesus continued working, to bring God and Man
into this new Sabbath Rest of the New Creation order.
The Bible speaks much of God's Rest. The land of Canaan was
spoken of as a Land of Rest where His people would partake of rest
and of fruitfulness and of victory over their enemies (see Josh 1:1315). But even though they took the Land of Canaan and dwelt in it,
they really did not discover the Rest that God had in mind for them.
"For if Jesus had given them rest, then would He not afterward have
spoken of another day" ( Heb 4:8). (Note: the context of this passage

refers to "Joshua" but the KJV uses "Jesus." The names Jesus and
Joshua are virtually the same in the Greek). By a revelation of the
Spirit, the apostle Paul discovered this other Day of Rest that David
spoke about, and which the children of Israel had not discovered. They
had great victories, and took the land God had promised. But Paul
reminds us that if Joshua had really brought them into the Rest that
God had in mind, then God would not have spoken of still another Day.
But He did speak of another day, in the psalms of David. And what Day
is that?
"Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart" (Ps 95:7,8).
Some may feel that today ought not to be so specific. Tomorrow should
be good enough. We often hear the expression, Tomorrow is another
day, but God limits our day of opportunity to "TODAY, if ye will hear His
voice."
Why not Tomorrow?
Let me illustrate the fatal decision Israel made when they waited for
tomorrow. After their long journey through the wilderness they came to
the doorstep of Canaan. Then they sent 12 men to spy out the Land of
Canaan that God had promised them. Most of them came back with an
evil report (Num 14:37). None of the 12 spies could deny it was a good
land, but 10 of them said, We can't take it! The inhabitants of the Land
are too powerful! But two of them (Caleb and Joshua) tried to persuade
them to obey God and go in. Caleb said "Let us go up at once and
possess it; for we are well able to overcome it" (Num 13:30). All Israel
missed their Day of opportunity, because they voted in favour of the
majority, the ten spies who came back from Canaan with an evil report.
They had heard a clear word from Caleb and Joshua, but they refused
to walk in obedience to the Word of God. They did not "mix the word
with faith, in them that heard it" (see Heb 4:2). God would teach us that
when a living Word comes forth from the heart of God, faith is available
right there, to walk in obedience, and do what God says, if we mix the
Word with faith. But the decision of the majority prevailed, and that
whole generation failed to enter into the Canaan Sabbath Rest. I think
it is fair to say, that in Bible days, the decision of the majority was very
often, perhaps usually, wrong.
Now all this happened TODAY! But the next day they realized their
mistake, formed a make-shift army, and went against the enemy.
Moses told them not to go, but they went anyway. The result was total
disaster. They were routed and put to flight by the men of Canaan. It
was no longer TODAY. TODAY had slipped by in their unbelief; and

Tomorrow was too late. God said this band of men went forth and
attacked the enemy, not in faith but in presumption! (see Num 14:44).
Note that God calls it presumption when we attempt to do something
without having clear direction from the Lord!
What is this Rest that Remains for God's people?
It is important to recognize that the apostle uses these references to
the Sabbath Rest to give us great hope, as well as much caution.
Great hope, because it is still TODAY. We still read these words and
hear the good news of Rest and Delight in God, in this world of chaos.
Much caution, because this Word comes to us TODAY, with no
assurance that we will be able to hear it TOMORROW. "TODAY if ye
will hear His voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as
in the day of temptation in the wilderness." Of that generation, God
spoke these solemn words: "Unto whom I sware in My wrath that they
should not enter into My rest" (see Ps 95:7-11).
"Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they
to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
again, He limiteth (defines, ordains) a certain day, saying in David,
TODAY, after so long a time; as it is said, TODAY if ye will hear His
voice, harden not your hearts" (Heb 4:6,7).
Let us be assured what God means by the Rest that remains for the
people of God. He has appointed still another day for His people,
because it is a mutual rest! God must find Rest for Himself; and if we
do not discover our rest in God, He cannot discover His rest in us!
Then how long will Today continue? This, we do not know. And
therefore God's Word to all of us is very solemn, and very clear: "Take
heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in
departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is
called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of
sin" (Heb 3:12,13).
And how was Israel supposed to keep their Sabbath days unto the
Lord?
"Not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor
speaking thine own words" but walking in His ways, doing His
pleasure, and speaking His words (see Isa 58:13). This verse confirms
very well the Sabbath that we are talking about. Whatever the will of

God might be in your walk with the Lord Jesus, do it as unto Him at all
times, for the true Sabbath is "Today." God calls it "My Sabbath"
because He finds true Rest and Delight and Joy in His people, when
they cease their endless works, and find their Rest in Him.
"There remaineth therefore a rest (Gr 'Sabbatismos') for the people of
God." It's something like we would say: I walk in the blessing of
baptism (Gr 'Baptismos'), because I was baptized in water, and into
Christ. Our baptism into Christ is a once-for-all work of grace, but we
abide in that work of grace day by day. And likewise I cease from my
own works daily, and find rest (a Sabbatismos) in the finished work of
the Cross.
Labouring to Enter into His Rest
This may sound frustrating. But the labour must be in the Spirit. The
word means to be diligent in our walk with God, that we might have
intimate communion with Him -- hearing His voice, and abiding in Him,
and He in us. I know we all fall short of this abiding union with Him. But
we must know that He is our Mediator in the heavens, interceding for
us that we do not fall short of His desire for us. He will not fail in His
advocacy on our behalf, until we find our total Delight in God, and He
finds His total Delight in us.
When the apostle tells us to give diligence to enter in, he emphasizes
that it is through a living Word, activated by His Spirit otherwise the
frustration of our own labours will defeat us. When God speaks, that
Word is "quick (alive), and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of
the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of
the heart" (Heb 4:12).
Instead of saying, the Word is not working that way, and lamenting
over it, let us seek the Lord very earnestly for the manifest Presence of
Christ in our midst, and then it will happen the way God said! When we
have come to perfect Love, He will come and abide in us in Rest and
Joy and Delight, and we will hear God singing for joy in our midst,
fulfilling the prophecy of Zephaniah:
"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty;
He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy;
He will rest in His love,
He will joy over thee with singing."
(Zeph 3:17)

May we all anticipate the Day when God will have found such Rest in
us, that He will rejoice over us with singing!
Now in all that we have said about The Sabbath Rest of the Lord being
TODAY, we must keep in mind Paul's exhortation to the Romans. We
are not to judge any man who, in his walk with God chooses to keep a
certain day as special unto the Lord. This is all part of our liberty in the
Spirit, to keep all days the same, or to observe one day above another.
Nor are they to judge our liberty, if we observe all days the same as
we do it unto the Lord, and enjoy God's Sabbath Rest every day (see
Rom 14:5-6).

The Vision and the Appointment

George H. Warnock

CHAPTER 4 - OUR HERITAGE IN MOUNT ZION

"But ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the City of the living God,
the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to
the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in
Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men
made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant, and to
the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel"
(Heb 12:22-24). We must speak a little of each of these areas of our
heritage in Zion.
Ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the City of the Living God,
the Heavenly Jerusalem
After the defeat of Saul's army at the hands of the Philistines, David
inquired of the Lord if he should return to Judah, and the Lord told him
to go, and settle at Hebron. Then the men of Judah anointed David as
King over Judah. After seven years the elders of Israel anointed him as
King over Israel. So all Israel and Judah served under King David; and
it was after this that David returned to Jerusalem.
The Jebusites were in control of Zion and mocked and challenged
David, from their stronghold on the mountain. But his men ascended
the hill in a gutter, and caught the enemy by surprise, and took the
stronghold. This became David's stronghold, and he called it the City of
David.
So here we have an illustration of how our Lord Jesus through His
death, overcame principalities and powers in high places, triumphing
over them in His Cross. And those high places of the enemy became
subject to our Lord, who made an open show of them when He
suffered and died on the Cross. And now, clothed upon with the whole
armour of God, we are assured of victory because of the triumph of the
Lord Jesus. Yet the apostle would remind us that "we see not yet all
things put under Him" (Heb 2:8). Then he adds, "But we see Jesus" (vs
9), and that is sufficient for now. Our Lord defeated them by His
triumphant death, but the execution of their sentence awaits the timing

of God, when the victory of the Cross will be openly manifested in the
earth and in the heavens.
And so those high places of the Enemy, are subject to Christ and to
His people, even in the midst of continuing rebellion by those defeated
powers. But as we are clothed with "the whole armour of God" we have
the assurance that "in the evil day" we will be conquerors through Him.
The apostle goes a step further, that "having done all," or having fought
the good fight of faith to the very end, we "stand"-- we remain victors
on the field of battle.
We know this is God's desire for us, as well as His provision. But too
often we live in defeat because of "the devices" of the Evil One. All his
devices proceed from areas of darkness, such as hate, anger, malice,
deceit, lies, treachery -- all these negative things from the shades of
darkness. If we walk close to God, and keep our armour bright and
shining with Light, there is nothing that can defeat us. We are not only
able to overcome, but we are "more than conquerors through Him that
loved us" (Rom 8:37).
Gross darkness has invaded the earth in unspeakable measures, and
there is not enough Light in the Church to suppress the darkness. But
we have this assurance, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let
us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the
Armour of Light" (Rom 13:12). There is no density of Darkness in the
camp of the Enemy that can extinguish the Light of God in His people
who "walk in the Light."
We wait, O Lord, for the creative voice to come forth in the midst of
Your people who dwell so often in the shadows: "Arise, Shine; for thy
light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee" (Isa 60:1).
We fail miserably if we try to "shine." We know God said it! But
because we read it, and know about it, we can't make it happen. When
God said "Let there be Light," it was after the Spirit of God had moved
upon the face of the waters. Then God spoke, and Light sprang forth
out of the darkness. Once again we anticipate the day when the
prophetic voice from the lips of Isaiah will find its fulfilment in a people
who "wait for Him," and by His creative Word He will once again bring
forth Light out of the darkness. The Word of God is true, and pure, and
holy. It is "sharper than any two-edged sword" (Heb 4:12). But let us be

sure we understand, that it is only powerful and sharp when it is

spoken forth from the heart of God. Paul said, "For our gospel came
not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much assurance" (1 Thess 1:5).
Mount Zion, the Mount of Light
A Light is shining on the Mount
It shines from Zion's holy hill;
Dark has been the Shades of Night
And hearts of men are sick and torn,
And sleep has turned to dreams of pain.
But now they feel the warmth of Dawn,
Arise! and Shine! the Night is gone!
The Day Star rises in the East,
The Sun of Righteousness appears
With healing in His shining wings.
Arise! and Shine! and dream no more,
For 'tis the breaking of the Dawn!
There has been too much expectation of a premature rapture into
Heaven, to get away from earth's troubles and problems. God loves
the world too much to strip the earth of the righteous ones. He will
have a warring righteous people for that hour. He will have a people
clothed upon with "the whole armour of God"-- for what Day? -- for that
evil Day. What a selfish hope some have, to fly away from it all, and
leave Planet Earth in the hands of the Devil! God has prepared
sufficient armour for us to overcome any evil plot that Satan has
against God's people. "Wherefore," the apostle tells us, "take unto you
the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil
day, and having done all, to stand" (Eph 6:13). When the overcomers
have fought this last great Battle against the forces of evil, they will
stand victorious on the field of battle.
We have come to Zion, the City of Light
"The Mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken,
And called the earth from the rising of the sun
Unto the going down thereof.
Out of Zion, the Perfection of Beauty,
God hath shined.
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence:

A fire shall devour before Him,

And it shall be very tempestuous
'Round about Him.
He shall call to the heavens from above,
And to the earth, that He may judge His people.
Gather My saints together unto Me;
Those that have made a covenant with Me
By sacrifice.
And the heavens shall declare His righteousness:
For God is Judge Himself. Selah,"
(Psalm 50:1-6)
A devouring fire! Very tempestuous round about Him! Let us not be
confused with this seeming mixture of Light and Darkness, of
Judgment and Mercy in the Day of the LORD. For that Day is both
wondrous and fearful, both "great and very terrible" (Joel 2:11). It is
God's Day! Never is it called God's Night! But it is on this Day that
there will be great confrontation between the forces of "good and evil."
Our Lord Jesus has "overcome the world," and He has shown us the
way whereby we may become "more than conquerors through Him that
loved us."
Zion, the City of God's Habitation
David's first attempt to bring back the Ark of God to Israel, failed in a
great tragedy. The Ark was on a cart and when the oxen stumbled one
of the men reached out his hand to steady the Ark, and God smote him
dead. David was greatly troubled about this. After all, the man was
helping to keep the Ark from falling on the ground! David considered
the matter very seriously, and stopped the whole process. He must
seek God for understanding about this matter. It was clear enough in
the records of the Law: the priests of the LORD were ordained to carry
the Ark on their shoulders, not to draw it along on a cart that was pulled
by oxen. God is very concerned that His people worship Him in Spirit
and in Truth. But somehow men have devised their own methods, and
it seems to work, so why not? When God's Presence returns to His
Church once again, I fear there will be many such tragedies when men
arrange the order of Church worship, as seems good to them, and God
doesnt seem to be there. He should be there, in every gathering of His
people in His Name. That's another Name for Zion!

"And the name of the City from that day shall be, the LORD is there"
(Ezek 48:35). If the LORD is not there we are not walking in the Light
of the City!
As David earnestly sought the Lord, God showed him His way. The Ark
must be carried on the shoulders of the priests. And it was to be
brought to the City of David, and placed in a Tent (the Tent of David) on
Mount Zion. David was a King, not a Priest! But he had a priestly heart
and God granted him priestly prerogatives many times. And this was
one of the most significant of all: the place of David's throne, was to be
the place of God's Habitation. David delighted in spending his time
before the Ark, in the Tabernacle of David! His songs were prophetic of
the Day when God would have a "Royal Priesthood" -- a Priesthood of
Kings, and a Kingdom of Priests! Such a dwelling-place was mutual
between David and his God. God had chosen Zion for His dwelling
place -- and David longed to dwell with God in Zion:
"In Salem also is His tabernacle,
And His dwelling place in Zion" (Ps 76:2).
"For the LORD hath chosen Zion;
He hath desired it for His habitation.
This is My rest for ever:
Here will I dwell; for I have desired. it"
(Ps 132:13,14)
O that the LORD would reduce us to one desire, even as it was with
David!
"One thing have I desired of the LORD,
That will I seek after;
That I may dwell in the House of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to enquire in His Temple."
(Ps 27:4)
The old Tabernacle that Moses built was on Mount Gibeon, and it was
still functioning along with true priestly ministry. But David was
confident that he was to pitch a Tent on Mount Zion for the Ark. It was
known as the Tent of David, and God's Presence was there. David was

not of the priestly tribe; yet he had access into the presence of God,
who dwelt there between the cherubim.
Be assured, beloved, God Himself desires no other House, no other
Temple, than a 'Tent.' And when the true Temple walked the streets of
Jerusalem, God dwelt in that Man in all His fulness. When the
unbelievers asked for a "sign" from Heaven, Jesus told them clearly:
"Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
"But He spake of the Temple of His body" (see Jn 2:19,21).
God had found Rest and Delight in a Man, who was (to all outward
appearances) just a humble Tent, where sinful restless men might
come and find Rest. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among
us" (Jn 1:14). The word "dwelt" in this verse is from a Greek word
meaning "Tent," and literally it could read: "And the Word was made
flesh and tented in our midst. " It's the same Greek word that is used
for God's ultimate home in Man, in Rev 21:3:
"Behold, the Tabernacle (tent) of God is with men,
And He will dwell (tent) with them,
And they shall be His people,
And God Himself shall be with them,
And be their God"
(Rev 21:3).
John saw no "temple" in the Holy City, because "the Lord God Almighty
and the Lamb are the Temple of it" (Rev 21:22).
Let us not deceive ourselves in this matter. There are not two, or three,
or more -- temples. Jesus is that Temple who dwelt among us. In His
teaching, followed by the teaching of the apostles, He reveals the great
mystery of the Church which, if we understand it correctly, is not
another Temple, but the same Temple that was "made flesh and dwelt
among us." But now in His glorification He becomes the "Head of the
Church," and we are His body. We are not two bodies, but one; not two
temples but one.
"Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God
dwelleth in you?" (1 Cor 3:16).

And so the apostle admonishes us, that "speaking the truth in love,
(we) may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even
Christ" (Eph 4:15).
"In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an Holy
Temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an
Habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph 2:21,22).
Ye are come . . . unto an Innumerable Company of Angels
We are thankful for this realm of heavenly beings, all of whom are
involved greatly in the unfolding of God's eternal purpose. Some
people have seen angels. Some have seen their special angel, which
we refer to as their "guardian angel" in the course of one's life. In some
respects they have certain characteristics and mannerisms like the one
they are designated to accompany and assist through life. I mention
this because when the saints were praying in Jerusalem for the release
of Peter, and couldn't believe what Rhoda said -- that Peter was there
at the door knocking -- they said, It can't be Peter -- it must be his
angel (see Act 12:13-16). Why would they say that, unless they
understood that one's particular angel had certain features about them,
like the one they were assigned to, as helper and protector.
I recall the story of a friend, who said he saw an angel on the platform
in a certain meeting, and the angel looked like himself. This puzzled
him a lot, till I mentioned this incident in the early Church, how the
people said: It can't be Peter at the door, it must be his angel.
Another man I know said something similar. He was a pilot and was
flying a small airplane, and suffered a serious crash out on a farm in
Saskatchewan. His face and head were badly mangled; but he
managed to get out of the plane, and walk a few steps. And then he
collapsed. A man happened along, talked to him with words of comfort,
and offered to help him. He lifted him up, and the two of them walked
together perhaps a quarter mile to a farmhouse. Along the way the
man would have him stop for a rest, and perhaps sit on a rock, and
converse a little. He said his attitudes and mannerisms reminded him
of himself -- but thought no more about it. It was springtime, and there
was fresh snow on the ground. The two of them walked to the farm
house, and one of them knocked on the door -- and the man

disappeared. A lady in the house came to the door, and was startled to
see such a gruesome looking man soaked in blood, and called for
help. When her husband came home from work, he followed the
footprints back to the plane and examined it. He said there was only
one set of footprints in the fresh snow, and that the tracks formed a
direct line, until he got close to the plane. Then the footprints were
staggered. It was there that my friend stumbled about, and collapsed.
When the father went to visit him in the hospital, he told me he couldn't
even recognize his son, he was so horribly lacerated from the crash.
He eventually recovered, and as far as I know, gradually returned to
normal.
We should mention the role of angels as they relate to young children.
One time some women brought their children to Jesus for a blessing.
The disciples felt they did the right thing by sending them away. But
Jesus saw what they were doing and said to them in so many words,
Don't send them away! the Kingdom of Heaven is comprised of little
children such as these. Then He said, "Verily I say unto you,
whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child shall in
no wise enter therein" (Lk 18:17). And in another place, "Take heed
that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in
Heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is
in Heaven" (Matt 18:10). Many children have come to know the Lord
Jesus when they were very young even at 3 years of age. It is not by
a lot of knowledge that one is found worthy before God, rather it is by a
simple child-like faith and love for the Lord Jesus.
God is not pleased to let men see angels too frequently, because we
may give them undue adoration. Let us understand that our role in
God's plan is for a destiny above that of the angels. Peter reminds us
that the angels themselves desire to know more about our great
salvation. They are not partakers of our redemption, and as angelic
beings their knowledge of God's plan of redemption is limited, and they
want to know more. The apostle Peter tells us that they "desire to look
into" the things pertaining to the Gospel of Christ (see 1 Pet 1:12).
Let us Beware of Fallen Angels
They, too, may appear to men; and we must keep our focus on the
Lord Jesus, lest we be led astray by an Angel of Darkness. They may

not appear to be angels of darkness; for the apostle Paul tells us that
"Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light" (2 Cor 11:14).
God have mercy on us all, in this hour of great deception, and give
much grace to His people to follow the Lord Jesus, and make Him to
be Lord in their lives. I hear reports of Christians calling upon their
angels, and commanding them to send them money, or supply certain
things they want; and this has to be a very great form of deception.
The apostle warns us about things of that nature: "Let no man beguile
you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels,
intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by
his fleshly mind" (Col 2:18). I am confident that those whose hearts are
totally given over to the Lord Jesus, will not be deceived. We need to
exercise a lot of caution these days, for it is an hour of great deception.
I have never seen an angel, but because of what the Word says about
them, I firmly believe they have been ordained of God to help us along
the way, in the journey of life. "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent
forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Heb 1:14).
Why Does God need Angels?
Or why does He need us? Is He not powerful enough to do what He
wants to do, without the help of angels or of men? Certainly He is; but
the Almighty God chose to bring forth a creation that would not only
bring Him pleasure and delight, but it would also bring glory and praise
and honour to His great Name. God is always greatly magnified and
glorified in the extension of His Kingdom. He uses us, as well as
angels -- not because He would be helpless without us, but His glory is
enhanced by all of His creatures, who abide in their appointed role.
And so the Book of Psalms closes with a call to all created beings to
give glory to their Creator.
"Praise ye Him, all His angels: praise ye Him, all His hosts" (Ps 148:2).
Then he enlists all other created beings to join with the celestial hosts,
to fulfill their appointed destiny, which is to bring honour and glory to
their Creator.

"Praise ye Him, sun and moon: praise Him, all ye stars of light. Praise
Him ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the
heavens" (Ps 148:3,4).
We may wonder, How can all these created things really praise their
Creator, for many of them do not have much knowledge, and many of
them are inanimate creations that have no intelligence at all? Then we
understand that those creatures who have intelligence can only truly
praise God by abiding in that place and in that destiny that God had
chosen for them. Most animals have an instinct of divinely imparted
wisdom, which we cannot even comprehend, and which they
themselves may not understand. Like the ant, they gather their food in
summer, and store it away. Or the honey bee -- we marvel at the
intricate wisdom they have to produce honey for themselves, and for
men.
And what about those lifeless creations -- sun, and moon, and stars
which have no intelligence at all. They too, move in the power of His
wisdom and knowledge. Whether we be men or angels, we are
responsible to walk in obedience to His will and Word. But they, having
no inherent wisdom or knowledge or understanding, are nevertheless
upheld by the same Word of God that He has made meaningful to us,
as intelligent beings.
"For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:
And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist (or, subsist)"
(Col 1:16,17).
It is not true that God made all created things out of nothing. He made
all things out from His own inherent power, and glory, and knowledge,
and wisdom; and it is "through faith" that we are able to understand
these things (Heb 11:3).
"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His
eternal power and Godhead; so that they (all mankind) are without
excuse" (Rom 1:20).

Ye are come . . . to the General Assembly and Church of the

Firstborn which are written in Heaven
We do not seek to see or make contact with those in the faith who
have gone on to the City, but we are aware that we are part of the
Church Triumphant of many generations gone by. And we should be
encouraged by "so great a cloud of witnesses," as we seek to uphold
the Testimony of Jesus in our generation, clothed upon with the whole
armour of God, and fighting the good fight of faith. The assemblies of
God's people generally have a Register of Members, to keep in contact
one with the other. But the Register of Zion is the only register that has
eternal significance. Ungodly rulers in the church have frequently
blotted out the names from their registers, of those who resisted the
apostasy of the leaders. The church may continue on as before,
comforting those who hold membership there, with a false hope.
Saying in so many words, Our church was founded by Jesus, and if
you leave us you are no longer on the true foundation. Ignorance such
as this has prevailed all through the centuries, and it is all based on the
fallacy that because the Church started out right, you must stay in the
church or lose your soul.
How easily men can forget that when the holy Dove is grieved with the
apostasy of His people, He will withdraw His Presence, and many of
God's people will withdraw from the assembly when they know the
Spirit of God has departed. God is faithful to give opportunity to the
leaders, and the people, to repent, and if this does not happen, the
judgments of God will follow.
May we find much assurance in knowing that Jesus is our Lord and
Saviour, and that our salvation is totally in Him, and not in any church
system. And that no dictator in an apostate church can blot our name
out of the Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain for our redemption
(see Rev 3:5; 17:8).
Ye are Come . . . to God the Judge of All
The apostle is talking about the glory of Zion, the City of the Living
God. It may not appear to many like a City of Love and Grace, if we
are standing before God the Judge. But it ought to be the cry of our
hearts, that our God whom we love, and whose Son died for our

redemption, should be our Judge as well as our Saviour. I know Jesus

said: "He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me,
hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is
passed from death unto life" (Jn 5:24). He has delivered us from wrath
and condemnation; but one day "we shall all stand before the
Judgment Seat of Christ" (Rom 14:10; 1 Cor 3:12-15). This is a
judgment of our works, "of what sort it is," and we are rewarded for the
quality of our works. Quality, the apostle implied, not Quantity -- for that
Day is a Day of Fire, and our works go through the Fire, rather than
being weighed in balances. Would it not be better if God would judge
us now in this life for our failures and shortcomings as Christians,
rather than have Him judge us on that great Day when we stand before
the Judgment Seat of Christ? Or better still, if we go so far as to ask
Him to judge us, as David did. He is not asking for God's wrath, but
that God would search him out and try him. "Examine me, O Lord, and
prove me; try my reins and my heart" (Ps 26:2). For if He judges us
now by our own consent and desire, is not this much better than
waiting for that Day?
This is all relevant to the institution of the Lord's Supper, where we are
admonished to judge ourselves so as not to partake of the table
unworthily. Many Christians have been known to pass by the
"communion" service, because they realize they are not worthy. It is
true the apostle said if we partake of the communion unworthily, we
shall be "guilty of the body and blood of the Lord" (1 Cor 11:27). But his
admonition to us is not to refrain from the table, but rather to repent of
any wrong doing, and take the communion in fellowship with the
believers. "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread,
and drink of that cup" (vs 28). This is God's provision, and His
commandment.
I believe there ought to be healing for spirit, soul, and body -- in the
communion. But it is only as our hearts are exposed to Him, and we
know the cleansing of the blood of Jesus, and the dominion of the
Spirit of God in our lives, that the communion becomes to us a
partaking of the virtues of the blood of Jesus, and of His broken body.
It is only then that we truly "eat of His flesh, and drink of His blood"
(see Jn 6:53).

Ye are come to God the Judge of all. And the Father "hath committed
all judgment unto the Son" (Jn 5:22). If we truly love the Lord Jesus,
we welcome God's judgments, for His judgments are ministrations of
righteousness.
Ye are Come . . . to the spirits of Just Men made Perfect
This does not mean, while living in this body of flesh, that we should
seek to communicate with those who have gone on. But in the working
of God in our lives now we become a part of the blood-washed and
spirit-perfected people of God who have gone on. They are now on the
other side of the veil, we are on this side. To what extent they may
have knowledge concerning their brethren who live in the earth, we do
not know. But God sees us as joined unto them. They are overcomers
in Zion, and we on earth still must endure sufferings and afflictions, till
we have overcome as they overcame: 'by the blood of the Lamb, and
by the word of our testimony, and loving not our lives unto the death'
(see Rev 12:11). I like to think of them as that "great cloud of
witnesses" that Paul speaks about (Heb 12:1). Often I will think of the
trials and tribulation of people like Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Jeremiah,
Ezekiel, John the Baptist, the Apostles, and I know there are many
others. But as we consider the great trials that they endured to become
citizens of Zion, we are encouraged to press on toward the goal with
new hope and strength and faith. In our land we know little about the
trials and persecutions our brothers and sisters are enduring in other
nations. And when we hear about these people going through
tribulation, it ought to give us great courage as we see those dark
clouds of trouble on the horizon, ready to pour out God's wrath on our
nation, and all nations who have forgotten our God. All judgment is in
the hands of the Son, and no judgments can fall on the earth until the
Lamb sees fit to open yet another seal.
I know we do not like to consider troubles of this kind coming our way,
but they are inevitable, if the hearts of His people do not turn back to
Him. No amount of social and political reform will solve our problems.
Only a people walking in the Light of Jesus, and crying out to God for
His intervention in our midst, will spare us from the cup of His wrath
being poured out on our nation, and all other nations that have
forsaken the true and living God the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ye are Come . . . to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant

We are part of a "royal priesthood" (see 1 Pet 2:9). Christ "hath made
us kings and priests unto God and His Father" (Rev 1:6). There are
different ministries in the Church, designed of God to edify one
another. But being a priest is the ministry of all the people. God has not
designated certain priests in the Church, who have some kind of
priestly preeminence over other believers. Each ministry should be
recognized as a priestly ministry, having access into God's presence,
and a priestly heart to minister to fellow believers in the body of Christ.
But it is not enough to know this truth. We must emphasize that in
order to function with power and grace as a priest in the house of God,
we must have priestly qualities of grace and mercy to minister healing
to those who are weak and oppressed. We must walk with God, and
know God's ways, and be one "who can have compassion on the
ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also
is compassed with infirmity" (Heb 5:2).
If we are true believers in Christ, we must know that we have but one
Mediator before the throne. "For there is one God, and one Mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim 2:5). No priest or
bishop or cardinal or pope can assume this role. No apostle, or
prophet, or pastor, or teacher, or elder, or deacon can assume this role.
And yet it is very often very evident that some of these ministries have
in fact usurped the authority of this One Mediator in the heavens, the
Man Christ Jesus. This is our heritage as believers in Christ, that we
have access into the very presence of God, through One Mediator.
"We have come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant" (see Heb
12:24).
Our God knew no man of Adam's fallen race could keep any covenant
He made with them; and that's why He made a New Covenant for His
people. God raised up the apostles to declare this New Covenant, and
they explained it all in great detail. Paul tells us: "And the
commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it
slew me" (Rom 7:10,11). He goes on to explain that the Law was good,
but it was weak, and had no power to restrain sin from its deadly
workings -- and in fact, even caused sin to "become exceeding sinful"
(Rom 7:13). Paul would emphasize that the New Covenant is so much

better, because it was written, not on a stone chiseled out of Mount

Sinai; nor with ink on a piece of paper, "but with the Spirit of the living
God -- in fleshy tables of the heart" (2 Cor 3:3). We call the second part
of our Bible The New Testament because it tells us all about this New
Covenant. But God's full intention is to write that New Covenant in our
hearts and minds, and if this does not happen, then God's purpose in
preserving the scriptures for us, has not been fulfilled in our lives. It is
not enough, to have a New Testament written in ink; it must be written
"with the Spirit of the Living God" in our hearts and minds, or it will
profit nothing. The Law in the Old Covenant could not help us, but in
the fulness of time God brought into being a New Covenant, which He
would write on our hearts and minds.
"I will put My laws into their mind,
And write them in their hearts:
And I will be to them a God,
And they shall be to Me a people."
(Heb 8:10).
How can a Law like that fail? It is said that Newton discovered the Law
of Gravity, as he saw an apple fall from the tree. With that scientific
mind of his, he wondered: "Why did the apple not go up, instead of
down?" That Law was there from the foundation of the world, but
Newton defined it, as a Law of Gravity: a larger body (the earth) just
automatically draws a lesser body (like an apple) down to the earth. So
when God writes a Law in my mind, and in my heart, I am drawn to
love Him and serve Him, because of Law, a higher Law, a more
powerful Law: "The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:2).
Why do men do such degrading, despicable things that we read about
in our newspapers daily? Because of the Law of Sin that has the
ascendancy in their lives, and pulls them into a vortex of corruption, in
unspeakable dimensions.
Ye are come . . . to the Blood of Sprinkling, that speaketh Better
Things than that of Abel
God had said to Cain: "What hast thou done? The voice of thy
brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground" (Gen 4:10). O the
righteous blood that has cried out to God, because of the blood of the
innocent that has been shed in the earth!

But the apostle reminds us that the "Blood of Jesus" speaks of better
things than the blood of Abel. If Abel's blood would cry out to God, and
God heard it, surely the Blood of Jesus has better, greater things to
speak to us!
It speaks! "This is My body, which is broken for you" (1 Cor 11:24).
It speaks! "This cup is the New Testament in My blood" (vs 25).
It speaks! "Being now justified by His blood" (Rom 5:9).
It speaks! "We have redemption through His blood" (Eph 1:7).
It speaks! "Peace through the blood of His cross" (Col 1:20).
The apostle mentions how the Old Covenant would sanctify the people
by "the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of an heifer." Then He
points to the Sacrifice of Christ, and cries out: "How much more shall
the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself
without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve
the living God?" (Heb 9:13,14). The blood of Christ in the New
Covenant cleanses our conscience from dead works because the Spirit
of God was there when Jesus shed His blood, and was overshadowing
His sacrifice. And this same Spirit now abides in our hearts to speak
into our hearts the cleansing of the blood of that Sacrifice.
How wonderful to know that it was "through the eternal Spirit" that
Jesus offered up Himself as the Sacrifice. The Spirit of God who saw it
all, and arranged that Sacrifice for us now abides within us! He is the
Eternal Spirit, and He gives us a clear witness of what happened on
that awesome day. When the Roman soldier took his spear and thrust
it into the side of Jesus, there flowed forth a stream of "blood and
water" (Jn 19:34). John saw it happen, and wrote about it, and we
know his record is true.
Blood and Water and Spirit
Now this is John's witness: "That which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and
truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" (1
Jn 1:3). And Paul's witness: Christ gave Himself for the Church, "that
He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the
Word" (Eph 5:26). Paul said in another place, "having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure

water" (Heb 10:22). The blood is sprinkled on our hearts, by faith; then
our baptism in water, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, is our witness to
others that we believe in the blood of Jesus. Then the Spirit of God
becomes a clear witness within us.
"This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by
water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth
witness, because the Spirit is truth" (1 Jn 5:6). We are born anew, as a
child of God. We are saved by the blood of Jesus, but we bear witness
to that as we take His Name in the waters of baptism. From then on we
are committed to do whatever He would have us do, in that same
Name: "in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the
Father by Him" (Col 3:17).
Now we have a High Priest in the heavens, whose ministry is to bring
His people into a perfect cleansing of heart, mind, soul, and spirit. And
so we are exhorted, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb 10:22). Our conscience
needs that holy cleansing, where God "writes" a new and powerful Law
of the Spirit in our minds and hearts, and the old conscience is washed
away by the blood of Jesus!
Lord Jesus, Thou great Mediator of the New Covenant, continue to
write Thy holy Law upon our hearts and minds with Coals of Fire from
off the Altar, that we sin no more, and that we may shine forth in this
world of sin and darkness with the very Light of Jesus.

The Vision and the Appointment

George H. Warnock

CHAPTER 5 - PURSUING THE MORE EXCELLENT WAY

We are very much aware how helpless we are to present the Truth
concerning the Love of God in such clarity and purity that God's people

will be challenged to pursue this More Excellent Way. How can we

possibly describe the depths of God's Love in words that we learned in
school? We are limited to 26 letters of the English Alphabet, and no
matter how well we can frame words together, from those 26 letters -we know they are totally inadequate to impart the Truth into the lives of
others. Paul knew this sense of inadequacy, and knew that the only
way he could communicate the Truth of God to others was not by
words of eloquence going forth by the wisdom of man, but by speaking
forth "words -- which the Holy Ghost teacheth" from the heart of God (1
Cor:2:13).
But we believe, and therefore we must speak, and may God give grace
to speak from His own heart.
"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery (a divine secret), even
the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our
glory: which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known
it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. But as it is written,
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart
of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (1 Cor 2:7-10).
There seems to be very little vision in the Church for "the More
Excellent Way" that the apostle Paul held out to the Church at Corinth.
Is it because we have a measure of the love of God within us, and we
rejoice in that -- and then set it aside for the pursuit of gifts, and
blessings, and mighty works of faith and power? We do not recognize
that God's desire is to take us further, and higher, and deeper into
realms of Love that we know little about as yet. He gives us spiritual
gifts, to edify us and build us up in Christ; and these are very important
in our walk with God. But He wants us to anticipate the day when we
will walk in the More Excellent Way of Perfect Love.
The Spirit gave clear guidance to Abraham's trusted servant, and the
camels were loaded down with very precious gifts for Isaac's bride.
She must have treasured these very highly. But to Rebekah, they were
as nothing compared to her hope of being married to Isaac, and
becoming one with him. And when she saw him in the field, she left her
gifts behind with the servant and the camels, and ran to meet him. She

veiled herself in reverence, and then became his bride, and saw him
face to face. No doubt she appreciated all those gifts, but we hear no
more about them after she had seen her Isaac. In perfect love, we see
our Lord "face to face." "Now abideth faith, hope, Love, these three;
but the greatest of these is Love" (1 Cor 13:13).
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he wrote two whole chapters
talking about gifts and ministries, and how important these were to the
Church. Then sandwiched in between these, he wrote this beautiful
chapter about the preeminence of the Love of God above any of the
gifts of the Spirit. He gave us this very clear admonition: "And yet show
I unto you a more excellent way" (1 Cor 12:31), followed by this wise
counsel: "Follow after charity (love), and desire spiritual gifts" (1 Cor
14:1). He made it very clear that our ultimate pursuit is to walk in The
More Excellent Way, with the help of spiritual gifts.
The best Highway you can find, in which to minister the truth of God, is
the More Excellent Highway of Love. It is a highway that far excels the
pathways of knowledge, and faith, and miracle working power, and
prophetic utterances, and so forth.
The Lord calls us Back to First Love
We had better consider very seriously how important Love really is in
the sight of God. The Lord dictated a letter to John for the Church at
Ephesus. This Church had many good qualities and a good reputation.
They had survived well, for they had received good apostolic teaching
and doctrine, under the apostle Paul, and others. "I know thy works,
and thy labour" Jesus said. So they must have been diligent in working
for God. In all of this they exercised patience in times of trial. They
would not tolerate any evil workers in their midst. They had keen
discernment to recognize the false apostle, who no doubt had visited
their fellowship in Ephesus, and ministered to them, but they discerned
a wrong spirit, and found them to be liars, and rejected them. Then the
Lord emphasized how the saints at Ephesus had carried heavy
burdens, and endured it all with patience, and fainted not.
We would be inclined to give the Church at Ephesus a 95% mark. But
in spite of all their good works, and their stalwart stand for truth, and
the wonderful teaching they had received -- the Lord was not about to

put His stamp of approval on this very active, very energetic, very welldisciplined Church. And why not? Because of this one area in which
they had failed, and of which they were not aware: " Thou hast left thy
first love." And it was for this very tragic reason that Jesus warned
them that if they did not repent, He would "remove their lampstand."
He would take away the little light they had, if they refused to repent.
The Church at Ephesus would cease to be the Light that it was when it
started. This would mean they would no longer be a vital witness in
Ephesus, of the living Christ (see Rev 2:1-7).
We can only wonder how many thousands of churches there are
throughout the land, that no longer send forth the Light of Jesus to the
people in their community. The Lampstand has been removed and they
know it not. The money is still coming in for their many good works.
One excellent teacher after another may visit their Church, and teach
the people. Prophetic utterances are quite common. The crowds have
increased in number, and they are planning to build a bigger
tabernacle. But the Light of God is no longer there, and somehow they
have become accustomed to the darkness.
In view of what Jesus and the apostles said about Love, why do we not
give this matter of following after Love our highest priority -- in our
lives, or in our gatherings, or in our Vision? We can only conclude that
the reason is -- we do not see the beauty, the glory, the power and the
excellence of this virtue as we should. It is because we do not know
God well enough, for God is Love. If we knew Him better, we would
certainly love Him and His people more than we do. If we do not fear
God, and really know Him intimately, how can we honestly, and in any
great measure, love His people who were made in His image?
Generally we care less about Love prevailing in our hearts, or in our
assemblies, as long as we have gifted evangelists, and pastors, and
teachers, and apostles and prophets coming our way with powerful
messages for the people. I am certainly not criticizing any group of
people in the Church, as if I have arrived. I am but one member of the
body of Christ, like the others -- each of us with a distinct calling. But I
do recognize the great need we have for those winds of Heaven to
blow upon us, and His holy Presence to come into our midst, and
reveal Himself to us in our weakness and helplessness. We cannot
have more Love through the exercise of any kind of Law. But certainly

we ought to recognize how poverty stricken we really are, to make any

real impact on the world about us. We need to be consumed with the
Love of Jesus, and earnestly looking to Him for this mighty baptism of
Fire, which alone can kindle the Flame of Love in our hearts, for God,
and for the world about us.
But we have this confidence, that our great Mediator in the heavens,
will continue to intercede for us, that the very Love of Jesus may be
formed within His people. How bankrupt we really are in spiritual worth!
I want to declare bankruptcy for myself, with the hope that the Lord of
the Church might come to us, and put that hunger and desire in His
people, to seek Him earnestly for the true riches. How can we read
First Corinthians Thirteen, and fail to see how needy we really are! Let
us go through it once more.
The Virtues of the Love of God
We may speak with fluency the languages of men or of angels, but
without Love -- it is but a "tinkling cymbal."
We might be prophets of the highest order, displaying great
knowledge, and unraveling great mysteries, but without Love, we are
nothing.
We might come to a place of great faith, faith of such dimensions that
we might speak to a mountain and cast it into one of our lakes. But we
are nothing, without Love.
We might have great riches, and give it all to the poor. Surely that
would be a sign of great love. But in God's mind He may see it as a
selfish thing, as the benefactor looks for popularity with the people, and
yet may have no real love.
Love is long-suffering, and kind;
Does not envy what another person has, or is;
Love does not lift himself up in pride,
Does not get puffed up with thoughts of greatness, because of his gifts
or eloquence, or power.
Love does not engage in foolish, unseemly actions.
Love is not self-seeking, but cares for others, as for himself.

Does not get angry and provoked, when someone challenges him.
Love thinks no evil. He is careful not to pass judgment on a situation
that he may know little about; or on someone when he hears an evil
report, which may be but an idle tale.
Love rejoices in words of truth, rather than listening to tale-bearers or
jokes, or comedy.
Love will carry the load, no matter how heavy it may seem to be, as
long as we are assured we are in the yoke of Christ. Then we discover,
in union with Christ, that His yoke is easy, and His burden light.
Love is not gullible, but has an ear for truth, and believes all things that
are spoken forth in truth.
Love is full of hope, in times of trial and testing, and waits patiently for
the Lord to deliver us out of trouble.
Love endures all things, knowing that 'all things work together for good
to them that love God;' and knowing that the trial of his faith worketh
patience, which is precious in the sight of God.
Then the apostle puts Love on the scales, along with faith, and
prophecy, and tongues, and miracles -- all these wonderful gifts of the
Spirit. And how do any of these gifts measure up with Love? They all
fall far short, when placed on the scales of Heaven.
Love Never Fails. All else may fail, but Love never fails! Prophecies will
fail! Tongues will cease! Knowledge will pass away! Healings will fail!
Miracles may be rare in the Church! But Love, the Love of God in His
people and for His people, and for the world -- will outlast them all!
And yet men will continue to exalt miracles, works of power, tongues,
and prophecy, and put LOVE on the back burner. We hope it's there
when we need it, but somehow we survive quite well without too much
of it.
Apprehending the Same Love that was in Jesus
I know we have all read these things many times, for it is there in the
Word of God. And 1 Corinthians 13 is the favourite chapter in the Bible
for many of us. But it seems that we just read it and let it slip by,
because we know we will only scratch the surface of it anyway, as long
as we walk on Planet Earth.

God wants us to know that Love is the most powerful force on earth or
in Heaven, and that it is part of the New Covenant that our Mediator in
the heavens is mediating on our behalf. As we read these things and
meditate upon them, may we no longer read it as something
impossible for attainment, but something God has provided for His
people, when gift and ministry and powerful manifestations have
accomplished their purpose and fade away. Let us read about the Love
of God often, and meditate upon it, until it becomes a clear Vision of
what God has designed for His people. And as we do, let us be
assured that it is not by any degree of carnal striving that we will come
into the realm of God's holy Love.
Do we doubt that God really has Perfect Love in mind for His people?
Then let us turn to John 17:26, the last verse of this awesome prayer
of Jesus, just before His passion, and His glorification:
"I have declared unto them Thy Name, and will declare it: that the Love
wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
The same Love that the Father bestowed upon Jesus, to be bestowed
upon us? That's how Jesus prayed! And that's all part of the New
Covenant. And our Lord Jesus is the glorified Mediator of that
Covenant, having received His mandate from the Father, to minister
the glory of the New Covenant to His people in the earth.
Please let us understand that there is no manner of good intentions we
can form, to make the New Covenant work. But the resources of the
New Covenant are infused into our lives, as our Mediator presents us
before the Father, and prays: 'Father, let the desire of Thy heart for Thy
people be declared in the earth with such anointing and grace and
power, that they will walk in the same Love that I walked in, when I was
with them in the earth.'
It was really true when He said to His disciples, "It is expedient for you
that I go away" (Jn 16:7). It was to our advantage that our Lord did not
remain here on the earth, as His disciples had hoped. Here on earth
His ministry was confined to those areas that He was able to visit, as a
Man walking in human form.

But now in Glory He is universalized by reason of the fact that He can

minister from the heart and mind of the Father, to His people wherever
they may be scattered on the face of the earth. For He "ascended up
far above all heavens, that He might fill all things" (Eph 4:10).
For we Know in Part, and Prophesy in Part
This should disarm any of us who think we know a lot. If we truly
recognized that our knowledge is very limited, and falls short of real
clarity and mature understanding, we would be less likely to argue
about deep mysteries, thinking we have greater knowledge than our
brother. Even if we do, it is still just in part, just in small measure.
"And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing
yet as he ought to know" (1 Cor 8:2). When we know it all, or perhaps
are talking to someone else who knows it all -- may we find grace to
put our hands over our mouths. Especially when we read a statement
like this from the great apostle Paul!
We know nothing yet, as we ought to know. "But if any man love God,
the same is known of Him" (vs 3). He is not really saying that we need
more knowledge. He is saying rather, that what we know falls short of
the picture as it really is. We need a greater understanding and clarity
of the knowledge we now have. But until we come to the fulness of
Love, our knowledge of spiritual things will remain very, very minimal.
God has designed it that way, or pride would destroy us.
Let's just take a quick look at the wisdom and knowledge of men in this
age. They have actually manufactured instruments of destruction so
awesome, that they could now obliterate all life on Planet Earth, and
perhaps would do so if God would let them! What a tremendous
scientific achievement! And now they fear that some rogue nation
might ignite the spark that would bring about a nuclear holocaust of
this sort, on this planet. But if God lets it happen in measure, we can
be assured that there will be a people in the earth, immune to it all, as
they abide in the Love of Jesus!
But in what way does Love give us knowledge that "we ought to
know?" We will only discover that, as we come more and more into
those realms of God's abounding Love. The Lord wants us to eat more

and more of the Tree of Life, rather than of the Tree of Knowledge. If
the man who loves God, is known of Him, it is evident, is it not, that to
be known of Him must be a higher attainment, than to come to more
knowledge.
With our natural mind not yet fully renewed by His Spirit, and with
spiritual gifts that only function in part, we must acknowledge that
many mysteries will remain beyond our understanding until "that which
is perfect is come." And let us not think we must wait for Heaven to
come to that. Jesus came down to earth to manifest Perfect Love in
this world of sin and pain and misery, for this is where it is needed. And
when He went away He made provision by His indwelling Spirit, for His
people to walk as He walked when He was here. Perfect Love already
fills the courts of Heaven! It's right here in this sin-sick, sin-weary
Earth, that God will have for Himself a people, endued with the same
Love that was in Jesus. Heaven is full of it now, and doesn't need any
more. But Planet Earth is in great need of the same Love that was in
Jesus, and that is why Jesus went back to the Father. It was not in
God's plan that He would stay here very long. Just long enough to
accomplish Redemption for His people, and nurture them in His ways;
and then become the Seed that would "fall into the ground and die."
And then in His resurrection and ascension glory, and His great
mediatorial work in the heavens, to bring forth a people in the earth like
Jesus!
"I am the Vine . . . Ye are the Branches"
There is a fulness yet to come, when the beautiful blossoms of Faith
and Hope fade away to make way for the fruit of God's Love. Now
Jesus is that True Vine, is He not? And we are the branches, are we
not? Then does it seem incredible to us, that the very fruit of Jesus
would unfold on the Branches of this Good Vine? The Vine that the
Good Gardener planted in His Garden?
"I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Husbandman . . ."
"I am the Vine, ye are the Branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in
him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do
nothing" (Jn 15: 1,5).

Dare we believe that our Father is the Good Gardener? Dare we

believe that Jesus is the True Vine? Then, dare we believe that we are
the Branches on the True Vine? and that as we abide in Him and He in
us, we will bring forth Much fruit, Good Fruit, Perfect Fruit? I must
believe it. And it is easier to believe it when we know it will happen
because we are abiding in Him and He in us, and that without Him
(apart from Him) we can do nothing.
Surely, the Fruit must be The same Love that was in Jesus. The same
Joy. The same Peace. The same Longsuffering. The same Gentleness.
The same Goodness. The same Faith. The same Meekness. The
same Temperance (Discipline). The same "Fruit of the Spirit" that Paul
talks about in Galatians 5:22,23. Let me assure you, beloved, that if we
abide in the Vine, and He in us, it would be impossible for us to bring
forth any fruit that does not compare in quality to the beautiful life of
Jesus. He went to Heaven to become our Mediator and Intercessor,
that He might perpetuate in the earth, Good Fruit like Himself (see Jn
12:24).
Away with the thought that God is going to manifest His sons with
dictatorial power, who with sheer power and might will dethrone kings
and rule in their stead! God's Kingdom is a Kingdom of Love and Truth.
And when Pilate demanded of Jesus, "Art Thou a King?" the Lord
seemed to hesitate a bit, because He knew what Pilate's concept of a
kingdom was all about. But His answer was clear: "Thou sayest that I
am a King. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the
world, that I should bear witness unto the Truth" (Jn 18:37). With that
clear statement of Jesus, Pilate was convinced that Jesus had no
aspirations of taking over the Kingdom of Caesar.
From Faith, and Hope, to Love
In 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle likens Faith and Hope to the attributes
of children. He reminds us that as little children grow older, they "put
away childish things." He was not in any way belittling the necessity of
those things that are highly esteemed by a child. Rather he was
emphasizing that as one grows to maturity, the things that were
uppermost in a child's mind, give way to greater things, more important
pursuits, as adults. He is clearly telling us that these gifts and
ministries that we esteem so highly, are put away when we come to

maturity, "unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ" (Eph 4:13).
Jesus spoke of three phases of growth: "First the blade, then the ear,
after that the full corn in the ear" (Mark 4:28). No farmer despises the
blade, or the ear. He rejoices to see it, and hopes for the rain and
sunshine to bring forth "the full corn in the ear." In the same way Paul
speaks of three phases of maturity in God's people: "And now abideth
faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity
(Love)" (1 Cor 13:13).
A gardener has no problem with that process. Rather he recognizes he
will have a crop failure if the corn in the ear does not come to fulness.
But when it is you and I pursuing a walk with the Lord, with the hope of
coming to full maturity in Christ, most Christians have a real problem.
Knowing, as We are Known
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I
know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known" (1 Cor
13: 12). Evidently this is a "face to face" relationship of Love, which is
higher than any degree of knowledge we might attain to. For
knowledge puffs up, but love builds up (see 1 Cor 8:1). A couple of
ounces of popcorn may produce a quart when it is puffed up. But it will
not weigh any more. So the little knowledge we have seems great
when it explodes, and the man who displays what he knows might
himself become puffed up with pride -- and explode.
Now what does it really mean, to be known of Him? When God says "I
know you" He is speaking of His pleasure and delight and His loving
watchcare over you, just as He denies He found anything praiseworthy
in the hypocrite on Judgment Day, and says, "I never knew you!" (Matt
7:23). He said of Abraham, the man He loved, "For I know him"; (Gen
18:19). And of Israel, " You only have I known of all the families of the
earth" (Amos 3:2). It is an attribute in God that brings about a loving
relationship with the one He knows.
And so to be known of Him is something to be desired -- far more than
having a lot of knowledge about Him.

How then, do we come into such a loving relationship with the God
who redeemed us? We love Him more, and He loves us more. It's not
just a case of, I feel I love God. Feelings like that can change quite
easily. How can I be assured that I really do love God? This is the
answer I felt the Lord gave me one time when I was trying to check out
how much I loved Him. I found very often that my feelings would
deceive me. Then I read these words:
"He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that
loveth Me" (Jn 14:21). Let this encourage us all. Just do what He tells
you to do. Walk in obedience before Him. We are not talking about the
commandments of Moses, but the commandments of Jesus.
If we love God, we are known of Him. When He knows us, He
searches us out in a way that reveals our sins and failures, and brings
us to repentance. God searched out the heart of David, and knew
David with an intimacy that was very deep and far reaching.
"O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me" (Ps 139:1). I will
not quote the rest of it, but I will put the substance of it in my own
words:
God was there when David sat down to rest and meditate, and when
he awakened from sleep, and rose up to go about his work.
He was there as David pondered what he would do next. And even
before the thought was in David's heart, he knew that God knew all
about it. This may have caused some fear in David, but it also gave
him a lot of comfort in knowing that God was really concerned about
him, and wanted him to walk in the right way.
He was there when David would travel about, and would follow David's
tracks. He would put a circle around him, as a protective hedge.
God would even go before him and lay His hand upon him. Sometimes
it was a corrective hand, which David discovered was a loving hand.
David knew that God knew more about him, than David knew about
himself.

No matter what he did, or where he went, God was acquainted with all
his ways. Such knowledge of him by the Most High God, caused David
to love Him all the more, and he would ask God to search him out still
further.
"Search me, O God, and know my heart:
Try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting."
(Ps 139:23,24)
David was very much aware of God's searching eyes on his life.
Certainly God knows all about us, but we do not know our own hearts,
until He searches us out. And He is faithful to do that, as we seek to
walk in His ways, and come to know Him better, and love Him more.
Only as God searches our hearts do we "know as we are known."
The deception of choosing our own way and making a name for
ourselves in life is revealed to us, because true love for Him brings the
hidden things of darkness to light, and we see Him "face to face."
O that we might love God, and be known of Him! For this is how our
God is preparing us to be a habitation for Himself:
"If a man love Me, he will keep My words:
And my Father will love him,
And We will come unto him,
And make our abode with him."
(Jn 14:23)
The Ultimate Intention of Gift and Ministry
We know that God has done a great work, even in this past century, in
the realm of Gift and Ministry. And we are very much aware of the
necessity of these gifts for the edifying of the body of Christ. But as we
have sought to point out, it was never God's intention that we should
somehow come to the conclusion that these gifts are God's total
answer for the ministration of the Gospel of the Kingdom in the earth.
God's intention is rather this, that by the functioning of these gifts in the
body of Christ, His people will pursue the objective of Perfect Love in

the body, even as we teach, or prophesy, or exhort, or lay foundations

of truth in the Church. The ultimate desire of God is clearly stated here
in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, as it was in his letter to the
Corinthians.
God gave these ministries to the Church for our edification and
strengthening and encouragement Till
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, unto a Perfect Man." Notice, it says "TILL we all come."
I digress here for a moment to make a few comments on this word
"perfect." Many are quick to point out that the word means coming to a
state of maturity in Christ; and this is true. It is a state of full growth in
stature, if we speak of humans. Or ripeness, like wheat in the field, or
like apples in an orchard -- if we speak of a farm, or an orchard. In
other words: coming to that place of completion. The seed was
planted, and the plant was watered, and after the sunshine and rain
and the tender care of the gardener, there is the perfection of the fruit
on the vine, or of the grain in the kernel. The gardener looks for the
highest standard of maturity in harvest time. If it is wheat, he buys the
best seed, because He wants the best harvest. Likewise if it's apples:
the orchard keeper has done his best to do the right kind of grafting,
and pruning, and fertilizing, and watering, because He wants the very
best fruit.
So I have no objection when people make the remark: "Perfection
simply means, coming to maturity." But I do object, when they assume
or teach that maturity means like my godly father, or mother, or some
godly minister that we know in the Church.
Now in this passage I quoted from Ephesians, it is very clearly defined
what the apostle means by a "perfect man," a mature man in Christ.
Let me complete the verse I quoted above: "unto a Perfect Man, unto
the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph 4:13). We
cannot read too far into the Gospels without knowing that the Son of
God was holy and undefiled, the One of whom the Father testified on
more than one occasion: "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well
pleased." This is "the measure of the stature" that God has planned for

His "many brethren." And why should it be so difficult to believe this, if

indeed we believe that He Himself was the "corn of wheat" that was
planted in the earth? Why, then, is it difficult to believe that God's
intention is that this Man would be "the Firstborn among many
brethren:" many brethren after the kind and the nature of the Seed that
was planted? He loved His Son so much, that He desired to have
many, many other sons like Him. Therefore his predestined plan for
Christ's younger brothers was that they would "be conformed to the
image of His Son" (see Rom 8:29).
God stated His intention as simply as I have quoted. But the cost of
God's process in bringing forth these brothers of Christ, was awesome
in the sufferings of the Elder Brother that redeemed them. For it was
His own "precious blood" that became the price that He paid to redeem
us, and to conform us to His own image and likeness. It was blood so
holy and pure, that by the "sprinkling of the blood" of Jesus on those
sinful brothers and sisters, they become as righteous as He is
righteous, as holy as he is holy. That's how pure and holy His blood
was, and that's how pure and holy we become, when we are cleansed
by the blood of Jesus, and "with the washing of water by the Word"
(Eph 5:26).
We are not boasting we have arrived. Nor will there be any boasting
when we have arrived. Boasting is entirely excluded, except as we
boast in our Elder Brother that redeemed us. Our boasting is only in
the Lord Jesus, who sends His Word and Spirit into our hearts and
minds -- His Spirit that is mingled with the pure and holy blood of
Jesus.
Gift and Ministry -- Swallowed up in Love
May we all be faithful to minister out from the heart of God, with
whatever gift or ministry God has given us -- "TILL" we come to the
More Excellent Way. I must emphasize that ministry has adequately
fulfilled its purpose, when we have "all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a Perfect Man, unto the
measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph 4:13).
Now if it is true that Gift and Ministry have an appointed end for their
season of ministration, let us not glory in powerful ministries, nor seek

such a ministry for ourselves. When the apostle admonishes us to

"desire spiritual gifts" it is in this context: "Follow After Love." For the
gifts are of a temporary nature, whereas Love is eternal. We desire
spiritual gifts for our present need, yet we are to understand that these
gifts and ministries will one day be swallowed up in Love, if we truly
follow in the path of God's intention.
When Moses and Elijah had fulfilled their ministry, not only in their
generation, but up there on the Mount of Transfiguration, suddenly they
fade out of sight, as they are enveloped by the Cloud of Glory, and the
disciples of Christ see them no more. Henceforth the command from
Heaven is very clear and sufficient and conclusive:
"This is My beloved Son -- Hear ye Him" (Matt 17:5).
So it will be with the apostolic and prophetic order. There is still much
ministration of Gift and Ministry to take place till the Body of Christ is
"fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth,
according to the effectual working in the measure of every part." But
when the body of Christ comes to this state of completion, this glorious
body has life in itself, and will continue to 'edify itself in Love' (see Eph
4:16). Each member will always be very distinct in itself, yet not in any
way deformed as it is now: with one very long ear, or one large eye, or
one leg much longer than the other. And all this is because we do not
have such a working of Love in the body, that each member has loving
care, one for the other. Somewhere in the transition from apostolic and
prophetic ministry -- to the stature of Christ in His people, there must
come a fading away of special ministries in the Cloud of God's Glory,
that all God's disciples will see and hear Jesus only!
The highest form of a ministry in Love will come out of this. I am not
denying there is some of this now in the earth -- especially in countries
where the Church is subject to much persecution. I read of
ministrations of Love today that are equal to anything we read about in
the story of the martyrs. But I fear in the Church here in the West, and
in many other affluent nations, we see a predominance of powerful and
eloquent ministries, with very little expression of true Love in the body
of Christ.
The Manifestation of the Sons of God

The Lord Jesus was revealed in the earth as the Son of God, shining
forth the Light of God, out from the heart of the Father. Whenever the
Voice spoke from Heaven relative to the Lord Jesus, it was about the
Beloved Son. Not about a Messianic Ministry. Not about a very gifted
Man of God manifesting the gifts of the Spirit. Not about a powerful and
mighty King. It was a ministration of the Love and Mercy of the Son of
God, who walked in total union with a compassionate Father, and
manifested the glory of the Father.
God will yet manifest other sons in the earth, as the Mediator of the
New Covenant ministers from His throne in the heavens. A groaning
creation waits for that! For "the earnest expectation of the creature
waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God" (Rom 8:19). Surely
this has nothing to do with great and powerful men and women of God,
going through the earth with dictatorial powers, to bring all things into
subjection to themselves. What will they be like, then? And what will
they do? As we read about the Life of Jesus, and His great
manifestation in the earth, we have discovered that He had no agenda
but one; and that was, "Lo I come to do Thy will O God." The Love of
the Father as manifested in Jesus will be the pattern of His "many
brethren." Jesus prayed that it would be that way. "I have declared unto
them Thy Name, and will declare it: that the Love wherewith Thou hast
loved Me may be in them, and I in them" (Jn 17:26). They will minister
like the Lamb, and suffer like the Lamb, and overcome like the Lamb.
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of
their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death" (Rev
12:11).
From Faith -- Seven Steps Upward to Love
We must have God's love in every step we climb on the Stairway of
Faith. But too often we are inclined to climb a step or two, and think we
are at the top. We settle for Iron, when God wants to give us Silver. We
settle for Brass, when God wants to give us Gold (Isa 60:17). But as it
is with the teachings of Jesus, and of His servant Paul -- so now we
turn to Peter for more confirmation. He reminds us of God's "exceeding
great and precious promises." Then he is quick to remind us that the
very ultimate of His promises is "that by these ye might be partakers of
the Divine Nature" (see 2 Pet 1:3,4). Faith is the sure foundation, but

God wants us to climb the seven steps upward and higher, to realms of
Love.
These steps are in ascending order, as he talks about the qualities of
grace that God desires to bring forth in His people who are born anew,
and built upon the solid rock of faith.
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith " God wants
His people to go beyond faith, and come to Perfect Love. But that is on
the last and seventh step upward. We need Love on every step we
climb, but there is an ultimate quality of Love that God would bring us
into. So let us begin climbing. Add to your faith -Virtue. True faith will bring a change in lives. The word "virtue" is
understandable enough as it is. Virtue follows immediately after faith.
One is changed from a degrading lifestyle to thoughts of God, and
praiseworthy actions. From worldly things to heavenly. From material
things to spiritual. He loves the Lord, and wants to know Him better. He
wants to live pleasing to God. He wants to live a virtuous life before
God.
Knowledge. We need the 'knowledge of God' to give us direction in
God's ways. To give us hope, and vision. We learn of God's ways, as
we seek to walk with Him. We may learn a lot from godly teachers, but
a true teacher, will encourage one who is new in the faith, to read the
Word, and get to know Truth for himself, as he allows the Word of Truth
to penetrate his heart and mind. A young Muslim boy in Africa, recently
converted to Christ, wrote me: "Please write and tell me all you know
about God!" I did my best to answer his letter. Certainly the desire to
get more knowledge about God is good, and it is all part of the process
of coming to maturity in Christ. Gifts may come quickly and easily. But
climbing the Ladder of Faith takes time, and diligence.
Temperance (or Discipline). Often the word is translated 'self-control.'
But surely it must be a working of God in our heart, that causes us to
learn obedience to His Word, and work discipline in our lives, as we
yield ourselves to Him. We choose to live a disciplined life, as we obey
God and do His will. Old habits ought to be laid aside, as we develop
new habits and learn with God's help how to discipline our lives as
followers of Jesus.

Patience. This is another word that we use lightly, as if it is just an

unnecessary impediment in our desire to work for God. It's boring! but I
guess I must wait it out! It causes me a lot of grief, but hopefully this
nasty situation will improve! Scriptural patience does require
faithfulness to "wait upon God" but it has a very positive meaning. It's
not just waiting it out. We must do His will daily as we wait for a more
meaningful expression in our lives of the will of God. We must remain
at the job we don't like, and do our work faithfully, and stay at it until
God gives us the green light to do something else. If we are in a
disagreeable situation that we cannot change, let us hope in God, and
learn to take suffering as a strengthening and purifying of our faith.
Then we will come to the place where we recognize patience as a
virtue in God's sight. For God would strengthen the faith we have, as
He purges from our life things that are not pleasing in His sight.
Godliness. God's faithfulness to you in times of trial, will cause you to
become more aware of God in your life. You think of Him, meditate
more upon Him, seek to please Him more. You become less conscious
about your plans, and more desirous of coming to know Him better,
Today. For Today, as we spoke about earlier, is the only day you have,
to do His will and to abide in His rest. As he helps us to do that, our
thoughts are more heavenly, more Godward, than when we began to
walk in this new way. I encourage you not to follow those sayings that
give the advice: "Don't get too heavenly minded." For you will never be
of any earthly good until your heart and mind are elevated to know God
better, and to follow after Him more closely, and become acquainted
with the realities of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Brotherly Kindness. As you climb this ladder, and become more and
more godly and heavenly minded -- you have more concern for your
brethren in the earth, and you want to help them where you can, and
treat them as one of your brothers in the Family of God. There is a
kinship with them that you do not find in the world about you -- and
often may go beyond the kinship you have with natural relatives. You
learn to enjoy true and meaningful fellowship with brethren of like heart
and mind. And you do what you can to help them in their times of
distress or anguish. You learn brotherly kindness even toward brothers
who are unkind to you. But be patient --

Love. But be patient, because there is another realm that is still higher
than the "love of the brethren." It is this realm of Love. I call it a realm,
for there are vast areas in this old planet where sin abounds, and the
hearts of men are full of hate and malice. And God is preparing sons
and daughters who will go to them in their hate and malice, and bring
to them the Love of Jesus. But you and I will never do it effectually until
the same love that is in Jesus, dwells in our hearts. Don't stop
anywhere on this ladder! You can climb it, if your eyes are fixed on
God, who is at the top of the ladder (as Jacob discovered)! You can
come into the Love of Jesus, if your heart longs for that. Because our
Lord longs after you, and draws you. So it is not in your own strength
but in His, that you will find you can "do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth you" (see Phil 4:13). Even now He is in the heavens
praying for you and for me, and revealing the glory of the Father to us
in such a way "that the Love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in
them, and I in them" (Jn 17:26). Don't you think that God will answer
the prayers of our Lord Jesus, who is enthroned at His right hand in the
heavens, interceding for us?
We will not spend more time at the Faith Ladder, except to mention two
things that the apostle Peter emphasized: one very positive, and one
very negative. And I quote from his words:
(1) "For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye
shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ."
(2) "But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off,
and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins" (see 2 Pet
1:5-9).
So if our thought is: I've got Faith, and that's enough for me. Forget
those far-out things the apostle Peter says we are "blind, and cannot
see afar off, and have forgotten that we have been purged from our old
sins." Blind, or short-sighted, and one is not much better than the other.
No wonder our Lord is seen standing at the door of the Church at
Laodicea, and telling them He loves them, but wants them to anoint
their eyes with eyesalve that they might see. For with all their riches,
and pomp, and affluence -- our Lord with those Seven Eyes, sees
through it all, and declares them to be blind, or short-sighted.

But we are not to despair when we realize we are blind. Rather let us
come to Him, and buy that healing ointment for our blindness, or for
our short-sighted vision.
And how do we buy this healing ointment in our extreme poverty? We
just bring what we have to Him: our filthy rags, our blindness, our faulty
vision, our worthless paper money. And then He will give us in
exchange: "Gold tried in the fire" that will make us rich with the true
riches; and "white raiment" that we might be clothed upon with His
righteousness; and "eyesalve" that we might see! (see Rev 3:18).
Jesus said of the Pharisees who insisted they could see: "If ye were
blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your
sin remaineth" (Jn 9:41).
Each step we take up the Faith Ladder brings us closer and closer to
Perfect Love. And each step we take will provide added grace for the
next step we must take, as we pursue The More Excellent Way. God
wants to take us higher, and we are blessed as we stand at the foot of
the Mount, and have that urge and desire to scale its upmost heights,
and to grow up into the stature of Christ.
The higher we climb, so does our Vision become more clear. Nor is this
a selfish desire, for the closer we walk with the Lord Jesus, the more
will we partake of His image and likeness. Only then do we lose our
selfish desires, and experience the mercy and compassion and
patience and longsuffering of our Lord Jesus.
The Love of Christ which Passeth Knowledge
"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and
grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is
the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the Love
of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the
fulness of God" (Eph 3:17-19).
When we grow into the stature of Christ, we are beyond the realms of
knowledge. In the lower realm of gifts and ministries, we know very
little, we see very little; "We know nothing yet as we ought to know."
But there is another realm God would bring us into "which passeth

Knowledge." This is the Love Realm, which is both broader and longer,
and deeper and higher. We spoke a little about the ascending aspects
of Love. But here in the passage we quoted, Paul takes us much
further into the Breadth and Length and Depth and Height of God's
Love. Now this is a realm that "passeth knowledge," so how could we
possibly explain it? But we can talk about it because we know it is
there for us to apprehend, in the highest heights and lowest depths of
God. And though we cannot understand it, the apostle tells us that we
are able to apprehend it, to lay hold upon it. The word in our version is
comprehend, but it has the meaning to apprehend, or to lay hold upon
it. It is a state that is beyond description by mortal tongue, yet a realm
that God wants us to pursue until we are "filled with all the fulness of
God."
The best we can do is to relate a few things from the Life of Jesus, that
will illustrate how our Lord walked in those vast expanses of the Love
of God.
We read how Jesus had compassion on the multitudes who had
followed Him for three days, without having any food. The Love and
compassion of Jesus was sufficient for any situation. A young lad with
5 loaves and 2 fishes surrendered them into His hands. Jesus broke
the loaves and fishes in His hands, and blessed them, and gave them
to the disciples, and the disciples went through the crowds and gave
every one in the crowd enough to satisfy their hunger. There were
5,000 men, besides women and children. But His love and compassion
had no bounds, and every need was met. And they gathered up 12
baskets of bread and fish that were left over! Nobody could possibly
understand such a thing.
On another occasion as He crossed over the sea with His disciples, a
great storm arose, and the disciples feared they would go under. This
Man, full of Love and Truth, slept in peace, while the storm raged
around Him. None of the storms in life can disturb the peace of one
that knows the breadth and length of God's Love. When the disciples in
great fear awakened Him, He simply spoke to the winds and waves,
"Peace be still!" And there was a great calm.
Another time He stepped out of the boat, as they landed at Gadara. Off
in the distance there was a terrorist, that kept the inhabitants of Gadara

in a state of constant fear. No chains could bind him. As soon as they

thought they had conquered the man and had him bound with chains,
he would break the chains and continue terrorizing the Gadarenes.
But one day Jesus traveled by boat to Gadara, and when He stepped
off the boat this oppressed man saw Him, while he was a long distance
away. And he ran to Jesus, and fell at His feet, and worshipped Him! A
legion of devils had possessed the man, but the Love of God was
stronger than them all, and God's Love compelled this terrorist to run
toward Jesus and fall at His feet in worship!
We hear much of terrorism in this day and hour. But no terrorist, then
or now, can continue in their acts of terrorism, when the Love of God
comes on the scene, and replaces hate and malice and terror with the
love and compassion of Jesus!
Another time, toward the end of His ministry, this Man of Love received
a very urgent message from the beloved family who lived in Bethany.
There was no time to spare. Come quickly, they said, Your good friend
Lazarus is at the point of death. But One who is baptized with the Love
of God is also full of wisdom and knowledge. He saw no need to panic,
not even when death was threatening one of His beloved friends. Nor
will one who is baptized in God's Love move away from God's will, to
help the one he loves. On this occasion God would demonstrate to the
loving sisters, Mary and Martha, the preeminence of the Love of God,
even over death. He waited for God's time. And God's time was too
late! By the time He got to Bethany, Lazarus had been dead and buried
four days. His sisters who loved their brother, could not control their
grief. Nor did they know that this Man who was the very expression of
God's Love, had no fear of the power of death. Nor would God's
purposes be defeated because of death. "Jesus wept" as He went to
the tomb, for He loved Mary and Martha, and He was touched with
their grief, and wept with them. He knew what He was doing, for He
was walking in the breadth and length, and in this situation -- in the
depth and height of God's Love. He just spoke three words, "Lazarus,
come forth" and King Death released his prey into the hands of the
Prince of Life.

O Lord, hasten the day when Thy great intercessory prayers for Thy
people will come to pass, that we may live and move and minister in
the same Love that was in Jesus!
The Gospel According to Paul
I am not denying we need to hear the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ.
But we must know that the true Gospel is far-out -- in breadth and
length, in depth and in height. It reaches far into the heavens, and far
into the deep. How does Paul describe the Gospel that He preached?
His mandate was in a threefold dimension:
(1) To preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ.
(2) To make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which
from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God.
(3) God's intention being that "now unto the principalities and powers in
heavenly places might be known by (through) the Church the manifold
wisdom of God" (see Eph 3:8-10).
Now this is just a brief summary of the simple Gospel of Christ
according to the apostle Paul. This "glorious Church" is destined to be
a wonderful display of the many-sided aspects of God's wisdom, not to
men on the earth only, but to the unseen celestial hosts above. And
why does God want the glorious Church to be known in heavenly
places? Because the manifold wisdom of God is all intertwined with the
wisdom of the Cross, that cruel instrument of torture on which Jesus
died, and by which He overcame not only your sin and mine, but
"having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them
openly, triumphing over them in it" (Col 2:15). Evil principalities in the
heavenlies are terrified when the true Gospel penetrates their realms,
because they know it was the Cross on which Jesus died, by which
they were defeated.
And some think they can go to nations with a simple gospel, polluted
with drama and musical entertainment, and turn their hearts to Christ.
How blind can blindness get? The apostle Paul shook nations,
because he not only preached this glorious Gospel of the Cross, which
is the greatest expression of God's Love ever made known to men or
to angels -- but he lived with it, and died for it! And he testified: "God

forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Gal 6:14).
The Victory of the Cross
The Cross was, as one hymn portrays it, the emblem of suffering and
shame. This is true. But it is also the greatest display of the Love of
God that this earth has ever known. Jesus walked in the earth
manifesting in all His mighty works, the love and compassion of the
God who was manifest in Him. And when He died on the Cross, this
display of the Love of God is known as the greatest expression of the
Love of God ever revealed to men.
This Truth is now being assailed by some teachers, who would tell us
that Jesus was defeated on the Cross, but triumphed later in His
resurrection. His resurrection was certainly the solid proof to heavenly
and earthly powers, that He had conquered over sin and death. But it
was there on the Cross that He manifested His victory in a public
display to both heavenly and earthly powers: "That through death He
might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil" (Heb.
2:14). This was all part of the hidden wisdom of God, "which none of
the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not
have crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Cor 2:7,8).
It was also there that He revealed His judgment against the apostasy
of temple worship. For at the same moment that He died, the veil of the
temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom. And God Most High
who had ordained the temple as a place of worship, and the altar as a
place of sacrifice for the humble and contrite heart, had now given His
Son as the Supreme Sacrifice for sin, putting an end to temple ritual
and sacrifice, and offerings of bulls and goats, for ever. Never again
would He give honour and respect and blessing to those who would
approach Him with sacrifices of goats and lambs and pigeons and
bullocks! His was the Supreme Sacrifice, the one that Abraham had
mentioned when Isaac questioned him saying, "Behold the fire and the
wood: but where is the lamb?" And Abraham answered, "My son, God
will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering" (Gen 22:7,8). Of
course, God did provide a sacrifice for that occasion on Mount Moriah.
When God saw the obedience of Abraham, with the knife in his hand,
to offer up Isaac, the Angel of the Lord spoke from Heaven: "Lay not

thine hand upon the lad -- now I know that thou fearest God" (Gen
22:12). Then Abraham looked around, and saw "a ram caught in a
thicket by his horns" (vs 13). His horns of power resulted in his death.
For God in His foreknowledge had ordained this ram as Abraham's
burnt offering in the stead of Isaac his son.
We can't help but recognize that our Lord, the Supreme Burnt Offering
was also "caught in a thicket," because of His horns of power. The real
reason for priests and pharisees to condemn Jesus, was the power He
manifested, which they saw as a threat to their priestly and political
kingdom, which Jesus condemned. They knew Jesus had this
awesome power and authority, and the resurrection of Lazarus was the
final straw. There was a growing fear that if they did not do something
about it, they would lose it all to the powers of Rome. So they called a
council to deal with the situation.
"What do we?" they said, "For this man doeth many miracles. If we let
him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall
come and take away both our place and nation" (Jn 11:47,48).
And so our Lord was "caught in a thicket by His horns" -- in a thicket of
religious animosity and hatred. And it was because the Son of God
refused to use His power to bolster an apostate priesthood. But God
had ordained this thicket for the true Sacrifice, that would annul the
Law of Sin and Death. Even Caiaphas the High Priest who agreed to
the death penalty for Jesus, did so by God's appointment. God put in
the mouth of this apostate high priest a true prophetic word,
concerning the death of Christ.
"And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the High Priest that same
year, said unto them, ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is
expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the
whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself, but being
High Priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that
nation; and not for that nation only, but that also he should gather
together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad" (Jn
11:49-52). God in His infinite wisdom, sovereignly overshadowed the
Supreme Sacrifice of the Lamb on Mount Calvary, as surely as He had
overshadowed the sacrifice of the Ram on Mount Moriah.

What an affront it would be to God Most High who gave His only Son
as the Sacrificial Lamb, to even suggest that He may yet in some
millennial temple, ordain a repetition of the old sacrifices that could
never take away sin! When God rent that veil asunder in the old
Temple, He was clearly telling the people: The Glory has departed!
Look behind the veil that is rent, and see for yourselves -- the Glory
has departed!
But that Glory rested in full measure on another Temple, the one that
Jesus spoke of when He said "Destroy this Temple, and in three days I
will raise it up" (Jn 2:19).
The Hidden Wisdom . . . Revealed in the New Covenant
In this writing our desire is to emphasize God's Vision for Himself, and
for His people. Often we are accused of spiritualizing the Old
Testament, when we present a picture of something far higher than the
letter of the Word seems to say. If God's people would simply receive
the New Testament, as equally inspired as the Old, and accept the fact
that God raised up apostles and prophets in the New Testament -- as
equally inspired as the old -- they would understand that the Old
Testament was written for a people who had a very limited
understanding of spiritual things. The prophets spoke many things that
could only be understood after Christ came -- by the spirit of wisdom
and revelation. Following the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His
ascension to the Throne of Glory, He sent forth His Spirit to abide upon
His people, and in them. It was "the promise of the Father," that the
Lord Jesus commanded His disciples to wait for, as they returned to
Jerusalem after His ascension. And by His Spirit abiding within, He has
revealed through His apostles and prophets the mystery that was kept
hidden from former generations.
According to Peter, we understand that the prophets themselves were
puzzled about the things they wrote, and earnestly sought God as to
what period of time their prophecies would come to pass. In answer to
their prayers God gave them this very limited revelation of the glorious
gospel they wrote about:
"Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they
did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that

have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down
from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into" (1 Pet 1:12).
Are we spiritualizing the Word of God? Not at all; the apostles and
prophets of the New Testament have already done that for us. The
prophets had a very limited understanding of what they were writing
about, and now in the New Testament God has imparted the spirit of
wisdom and revelation to give clarity and understanding of the many
types and shadows of the Old Testament.
When we understand this, the Old Testament writings become New
Testament truth to those who are taught of God. Even the angels of
God try to peer into these things that concern the Gospel of Christ,
because their understanding is limited also, and they "desire to look
into these things."
Surely we must believe that the scribes who wrote the New Testament,
were writing from the heart and mind of God. And that many of the
mysteries hidden in the Old Testament, were revealed by the apostles
and prophets of the New. Paul quotes from what Isaiah said in Chapter
64:4 -- unfolding what the prophet said, with a still further revelation of
the Spirit:
"But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for
them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit:
for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (1 Cor
2:9,10).
How greatly we need the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of Him!" (Eph 1:17,18).

The Vision and the Appointment

George H. Warnock

CHAPTER 6 - GOD'S ENCOUNTER WITH MEN

Of all God's Appointments with men, certainly there is a Day, which

must be near at hand, which is more than an Appointment it is rather
an Encounter of the mighty God, with men of all nations. We speak of
the Day of the LORD, which is both Great and Terrible.
We speak of the Day when God rises up in confrontation with the
forces of Evil, which will also be a Day of Encounter with God's people.
We speak of a time when God will say "It is Enough," and will rise up to
purge His Church from her iniquity, and to consume the tares that are
mingled with the wheat, as well as the chaff of the threshing floor.
It is a day when He will consume the "man of sin" out of His Temple,
the Church, with His holy fire from heaven (see 2 Thess 2:8).
It is described by Isaiah the prophet as "the day of vengeance of our
God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in
Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning,
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be
called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might
be glorified" (Isa 61:2,3).
It is perhaps difficult for us to understand how the Day of the LORD
could be both a mighty working of God in His people, as well as a time
of His awesome judgments. For it is a Day of both Darkness and of
Light,
"Arise, Shine; for thy Light is come, and the Glory of the LORD is risen
upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross
darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and His
Glory shall be seen upon thee" (Isa 60:1,2).
I believe that God is preparing a people once again, and causing them
to seek His face earnestly, for this great Encounter with the Most High
God. Surely He is jealous over His people, and will come to us, and
stand before us with those seven eyes, like flames of fire, to search us
out, and to consume the chaff in our lives, that we might be a praise
and glory unto God in the earth.
A Clear Voice in Times of Apostasy

We can be assured of this: God is always faithful to raise up a Clear

Voice in times of Apostasy. God will send forth a clear warning to His
people in times such as these, when darkness has settled in the
Church, and the true heart longs for the Light. And those who are
humble and contrite before Him, will have the assurance that God has
spoken a clear word. I know at this time there is a lot of confusion, and
many of God's people are as 'sheep not having a shepherd.' There will
be a contest between the true and the false, but God will expose the
false in His time, and vindicate the truth. The true sheep will hear the
voice of the Good Shepherd, and will not give heed to the voice of the
hireling.
The Day of the LORD, as we read about it in the Old Testament and
New, emphasizes God's judgments. Peter tells us that God's
judgments begin at His House (see 1 Pet 4:17). It is time that we
recognize that He is Jealous over His people, and will not tolerate the
sin, and the idolatry, and the pride that characterizes much of the
Church of this hour. He speaks words such as these to His people:
"Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud:
For the LORD hath spoken.
Give glory to the LORD your God,
Before He cause darkness,
And before your feet stumble
Upon the dark mountains,
And, while ye look for Light,
He turn it into the shadow of Death,
And make it gross darkness."
(Jer 13:15,16)
This is a very awesome warning. It was fulfilled in Jeremiah's time, and
I believe it will be fulfilled again in this generation. God is faithful to
raise up weeping prophets like Jeremiah, who warn God's people of
coming disasters, and who cry out -"But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep
In secret places for your pride;
And mine eye shall weep sore,
And run down with tears,
Because the LORD's flock

Is carried away captive."

(Jer 13:17)
God is certainly a very good and gracious God. We have known much
of His goodness, but we do not care to hear of His severity. Paul wrote
these solemn words to the Church at Rome: "Behold therefore the
goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward
thee, goodness, if thou continue in His goodness: otherwise thou also
shalt be cut off" (Rom 11:22). The Church has known much of God's
blessing, seasons of revival, and times of great repentance before
God. And we know there is still a people in the land, as in the days of
Elijah, when God reminded the prophet that He had "seven thousand
men" who were true to Him, and had not bowed the knee to Baal. But
deep and horrible apostasy has invaded many of the churches, and the
Spirit of God whom God sent in the stead of Jesus, to lead His people
into all truth has been driven away by ambitious leaders in the
Church.
God is Jealous over His Church, and we expect that there will be a
great encounter of God with His people who profess to believe in Him,
as He seeks to turn their hearts back to Himself. But it appears it may
take a lot of trouble in the land, before this will happen. It does not
seem to take long before a once vibrant Church, forsakes their first
love, and God removes their Lampstand. Then, if there is no
repentance, what was once the House of God becomes a social
system, and the Spirit of God has been driven away.
No doubt we are all familiar with the story of Jacob, how he fled from
the wrath of his brother Esau, and camped out in the darkness of the
night under the starry skies. As he slept, he had a vision of angels
"ascending and descending" on a great ladder reaching down from
Heaven. He saw God at the top of the ladder, and heard him confirm
the promise He had made with Abraham. When Jacob arose in the
morning he said: "Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not -this is none other but the House of God, and this is the Gate of
Heaven." And so he called the place Bethel, which means the House of
God (see Gen 28:11-19). Jacob set up a stone as a memorial of this
great visitation.

But in process of time, Bethel became a place of idolatry, and the

people of Israel would go to Bethel to worship the golden calves that
king Jeroboam had set up, to replace the true God of Israel. This is just
one example of the apostasy that sets in, when people forsake the
God who revealed His glory at a certain time and place and then,
when God is no longer there, they make it to be a place of idolatry.
The New Testament equivalent is the Church, for Bethel means the
House of God. And now all over Christendom there are places of
worship called "the Church," because the true God was once there.
The holy Dove of the Spirit of God has long since been grieved, and
has flown away. But they still call it "the Church" and people go there to
worship they know not what. The Spirit of Truth has been expelled from
their gatherings, and replaced with innovative things of one sort or
another, to make the place attractive: all kinds of musical instruments,
pipe organs, beautiful pulpits and altars, and vestments for the pastor
or bishop and the choir, and a short but eloquent sermon. And a true
child of God may visit the place, looking for Jesus, and say something
like Mary said to the angels at the tomb: "They have taken away my
Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him" (Jn 20:13).
The same with Shiloh, where the Tabernacle had remained for many
years after they had come out of Egypt. The priesthood had become
corrupt, and Eli the high priest seemed helpless to do anything about it.
They had ample warnings from God, as to what would happen, but to
no avail. And God sent the Philistines to devastate Shiloh, and slay the
priests that served their own selfish interests, rather than the people of
God.
Now where was God in all this apostasy? God had a chosen vessel
right there in the Tabernacle a young lad by the name of Samuel.
Hanna had asked for him, and she called him Samuel, because God
had heard her prayer. And young Samuel grew up there in the
Tabernacle, with a clear word from the heart of God. So clear, that God
"did let none of his words fall to the ground" (1 Sam 3:19).
So it was with God's true prophets all through scripture. They suffered
much for the truth, but God was always faithful to bring a clear word to
the people, in times of apostasy.

One time Jeremiah stood in the gate of the Temple, and cried out
against the people who had gathered there to worship God:
"Trust ye not in lying words, saying,
The Temple of the LORD,
The Temple of the LORD,
The Temple of the
LORD, are these" -- the buildings, and the altars, and the sacrifices,
and the vestments, and many other things that God had ordained for
Temple worship, but were now given over to idolatry. And the God who
ordained the Temple and the ordinances, was nowhere to be seen or
heard (see Jer 7:1-4).
Listen, people of God! You do not have to stay in a place of worship
because it was founded by some great man or woman in the Church of
former times, or some present day apostle or prophet whom God has
used, when the Spirit of God moved freely in their midst -- and now it is
given over to comedy and drama and musical entertainment and
idolatry. And you know that the Spirit of God is grieved, and the Holy
Dove no longer rests upon the people, but has flown away in sadness
of heart. When His freedom to move in your midst as a Wind from
Heaven, and as a Fire that purges and cleanses His House from all
defilement -- is no longer there. (However, we would not want to bring
any person under condemnation for staying in such a Church if they
are assured that God placed them there to be a Witness and a Light in
their midst.)
The Church, God's Standard of Righteousness
Christians are grieved when governments approve immorality, and
especially when they pass laws to legalize what the Bible condemns.
But where is that powerful Testimony of Jesus in our churches that will
cause God's holy fear to take hold of the workers of iniquity and put
them to shame, and bring them to repentance?
It is the responsibility of the Church to declare God's righteousness in
the earth. When Jesus was here, He was God's righteous Voice in the
earth. And when He returned to the Father, He made provision for that

Voice to continue in the earth, by sending His Spirit to abide in His

people. Jesus said:
"When He is come He will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness,
and of judgment" (Jn 16:8). The Holy Spirit is faithful to do that; but do
we not realize that we are the Temple of His Spirit, in which He lives,
and speaks, and performs His righteous judgments in the earth? That's
what the body of Christ is all about a people walking in the same
Anointing that Jesus walked in, and manifesting the glory and power
and righteousness of King Jesus, who now reigns with all power in
Heaven and in earth.
God will yet have such a people, and they will become a living reproof
of the sins of men, and will declare God's righteousness and
judgments with power and anointing. In doing so, they too will suffer as
Jesus and His apostles suffered, because this world hates the Lord
Jesus, and continues to rebel against Him. And if we are on His side,
the world will hate us, as it hated Him. "Know ye not that the friendship
of the world is enmity with God?" (Jas 4:4). We must always be aware
that our warfare is 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" (Eph 6:12). And we
must know that our armour is spiritual armour, and totally sufficient to
cause us to overcome any enemy that comes against us (see Eph
6:10-18).
The followers of the Lord Jesus are assured of victory, and they rejoice
in the Lamb who is revealed in the Day of the Lord as Conqueror over
all the earth. "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and
the song of the Lamb, saying,
Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty;
Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.
Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord,
And glorify Thy Name?
For Thou only art holy,
For all nations shall come
And worship before Thee;
For Thy judgments are made manifest."
(Rev 15:3,4)

We hear and read of the suffering Church in many places in the earth,
as they war against the Dragon. But the thought seems to be: That's
over there, it will not happen to us. Let there be no self-confidence in
any of us who know a little about the Word of God, and the evil hearts
of men. There will be much persecution even in our land, when the
Name of Christ is proclaimed with power and anointing by His faithful
servants.

The Vision and the Appointment

George H. Warnock

CHAPTER 7 - THE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION

"Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the
patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is
very pitiful, and of tender mercy" (Jas 5:11).
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that
perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and
honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet 1:7).
It seems quite evident that the test and trial that God laid upon His
servant Job, is finding a new fulfilment in many of God's people today.
Job loved God, knew God very intimately, and was very sensitive to
His ways. He was a godly and an upright man. God literally boasted in
the righteousness of His servant Job, even before Satan. And it was

this that drew Satan into the picture. God knew his boast in Job would
do this, but in His own sovereign way, He was going to demonstrate
the faithfulness of His servant in the midst of trial, and eventually come
to him, and restore his health, and give him much more blessing than
he had known before. But over and beyond all that, Job would know
his God in a dimension of His power and wisdom such as he had never
known before his afflictions. I know very often we bring sickness and
disease upon ourselves because of our ignorance, or unbelief, or some
kind of failure on our part. But I believe many are suffering the
'afflictions of Job' for no other reason, than that God is refining them,
as gold and silver, in a fire that He Himself has kindled. And it is for
such people that I would write these final words of encouragement.
God is looking for gold in your life and mine, and He will very often
allow afflictions for that very purpose. For many centuries this precious
metal has retained its reputation as something that men can rely upon
at any time at all times. Wars may come and go. The economy of
nations might collapse, and their currency might become worthless
but the advice has always been: never fail to invest in gold, for it will
always survive an economic collapse and bounce back.
But what men do not want to believe, is that gold is a perishable
commodity. Even though it is considered to be imperishable in the
world about us in God's eyes the finest gold that man has ever
produced is corruptible and will avail nothing in the fiery trials that will
come upon the earth.
"Their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day
of the wrath of the LORD" (Ezek 7:19). But when our God rises up to
"shake the heavens and the earth" He will have a people walking close
to Him, who are heirs of His Kingdom a "Kingdom which cannot be
shaken." They are a people who have been tried by fire, and from
whose lives God has burnt away the dross that He might have a
people that are truly a praise and glory to His name.
Earth-quakes and Heaven-quakes
I believe men of God who have understanding of the times are aware
that God has already begun a shaking in the earth, which will
eventually bring about a collapse of the social and financial systems of

the world. Jesus told us that "men's hearts will fail them for fear" as
they see what is coming in the world. But we who know Him and love
Him are admonished very clearly to harbour no fear in our hearts
concerning that Day except the "fear of the Lord." Haggai prophesied
this word:
"Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the
earth, and the sea, and the dry land" (Hag 2:6). The apostle Paul
expounded on this by saying: "And this word, yet once more, signifieth
the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are
made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain" (Heb
12:27). What then will remain after the shaking of the heavens and of
the earth? Nothing other than the Kingdom of God! And to the heirs of
the Kingdom he speaks words of consolation, and of sobriety:
"Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved (or,
shaken), let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably
with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire" (Heb
12:28,29). After all the shakings in the heavens and in the earth the
hurricanes, the tsunamis, and the violent storms after the earthquakes and the heaven-quakes, there remains a Kingdom that is sure
and steadfast, and passes not away. And we are now members of that
Kingdom, if King Jesus is Lord of our lives.
The Psalmist gives us a preview of all this devastation that will take
place in the Day of the LORD. Man's day comes quickly to an end.
None of the peace plans of men will be effective. For when men reject
"the Prince of Peace" there is no other option but war. "Wars" come
from the lusts in the hearts of men, as James tells us. "From whence
come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of
your lusts that war in your members?" (Jas 4:1). God alone will
eradicate wars from the earth. It will not come about by negotiations at
the peace table.
"Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations He hath
made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth;
He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the
chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted
among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth" (Ps 46:8-10).

We are not to fear those calamities, nor wonder how His people will
survive. The Lamb on the Throne has overcome the world, and He will
have an overcoming people in the Day of His power. The Israelites
who walked across the bottom of the Red Sea in the face of their
enemies, and landed on the other side, delivered from the wrath of
Pharaoh needed no explanation as to how God might supply their
needs in the wilderness that lay before them. They were free from the
wrath of Pharaoh, and that was sufficient for that day, and they sang a
victory song of deliverance from their enemies.
Then the disbelieving ones in their midst woke up the next day with
fear in their hearts. What are we doing here? And how can God furnish
a table in this wilderness? God was not about to tell them how. All this
would unfold in its time. They were taken out of the darkness and the
idolatry of the land of Egypt, and delivered from the Pharaoh who had
oppressed them; and this was God's assurance to them that He would
finish that good work that He had started, and bring them into the Land
of Promise. How would they survive without the economy of Egypt? Is
it not enough for us to know that when God brings about these
desolations in the earth, His people will be arrayed with the Armour of
Light, and will be "more than conquerors" through Christ who loves
them? For He "hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath
translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son" (Col 1:13). And this
Kingdom is a "Kingdom which cannot be shaken." "Be of good cheer,"
Jesus told the disciples, "I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33). Is this
not sufficient for us to "war a good warfare" with the whole armour of
God that He has given us? It is enough that we simply walk in the Spirit
and follow the Cloud of Glory that resides over His Tabernacle by day
as a Pillar of Cloud, and by night as a Pillar of Fire. His Presence with
us is the only protection we need, as we walk our way through the
wilderness journeys of life. The walk of faith is totally contrary to the
ways of men, who walk according to "the course of this world." And
God is preparing a people of faith, who will hear His voice, and do His
will. A people who will walk so close to Him that they fret not about
tomorrow. They remember what Jesus said: "Therefore take no
thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or,
Wherewithal shall we be clothed? But seek ye first the Kingdom of
God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you" (Matt 6:31,33). He will have a people walking so close by His side

and who love Him so much, that they are ready to leave tomorrow in
His hands. They know their God far more intimately than the sparrow
knows its Creator; and they know that if God cares for the sparrow,
how much more shall He care for His beloved people whom He has
redeemed?
The Triumph of Job's Faith
Of course we desire to be the people that Jesus spoke about. But let
us be confident of this: If we profess to believe in our God, He will not
hesitate to try our faith to the utmost limit: not to destroy our faith, but
to remove every presumptuous thought we might have, that our faith
might truly be "the faith of God" in our hearts, by which we live. And the
utmost limit is nothing less than what we have heard so often, about
the refiner's fire. When the refiner of gold and silver can see his image
in the molten metal, he knows the refining process has been
completed; and he will remove the precious metal from the fire. And
then the gold in us causes us to know that the "fiery trials" of the way
were not intended to destroy the gold, but the dross that contaminates
the gold. Then we understand a little more of what the apostle said:
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that
perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and
honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet 1:7).
We do not understand how precious "the trial of our faith" is in the sight
of God, and we need to meditate on what James calls "the end of the
Lord" in Job's trial of faith. James refers to Job as a man who was "an
example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them
happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have
seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender
mercy" (Jas 5:10,11). Job's patience has become a byword today, and
men speak of one who has 'the patience of Job' referring to someone
who keeps trying and trying to do something, and can't make it work.
But true scriptural patience has nothing to do with that.
Patience is a higher quality of 'faith' faith that has been tried in the
fire, purged of all selfish and presumptuous thoughts. It is overcoming
faith that has been tested and tried, and emerges as pure gold without
the dross. Here is the man Job, righteous and godly in all his ways
and for no fault of his own he finds himself stripped of family and

friends and all the wealth and glory he once enjoyed. He was a great
man of God, full of wisdom and charity. But in Job's Triumph of
Patience, God revealed Himself to this chosen vessel in a dimension of
Himself that Job, in spite of his unblemished life, had not known
before. Satan was put to open shame, and Job was humbled and then
raised to heights of the revelation of the true God such as he had
never known before. And the God whom he loved was vindicated and
glorified in and through it all.
The men who came to comfort their friend Job with their knowledge
and wisdom were likewise put to shame. The comfort they sought to
give Job contained a lot of wisdom and knowledge, but it was irrelevant
to Job's situation, and therefore they also were subject to God's
rebuke, when the Lord "turned the captivity of Job." Many today are
taking sides with Job's comforters, by saying that Job brought these
troubles on himself through fear. In doing so they are inviting the same
kind of rebuke that God poured out on Job's comforters, when He said:
"My wrath is kindled against thee for ye have not spoken of Me the
thing that is right, as my servant Job hath" (Job 42:7). God chastised
them for their folly. God's own testimony to Satan is clear: that Job "still
holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst Me against him, to
destroy him without cause" (Job 2:3).
It was not Job's sin that prompted Satan to accuse him in the face of
God. It was rather his righteousness that Satan didn't like, and he
charged Job with opportunism. Why would Job not serve God, Satan
said, You have made him very rich, and put a hedge about him, and
protected him, so I can't touch him. What consolation this ought to be
to us in the journey of life, to know that God has chosen us, taken us
out of the kingdom of darkness, and translated us into His Kingdom of
Love, and Truth and Righteousness and then hedged us about with
goodness and mercy against the wrath of the Evil One! And we may
rest assured, that if perchance we find ourselves in situations where
we cannot see the hedge of protection about us, and we feel the
onslaughts of the Enemy we know that it was God who removed the
hedge for a season, to try our faith, and to prove us. Yet all the while
He assures us that Satan may cause pain and trouble, but cannot go
beyond the limits that God has determined. We may find ourselves
walking with Christian the Pilgrim along the narrow way, as he journeys

toward the Celestial City. Suddenly we hear the ravenous beasts on

either side of us, and roaring at us, and we are startled. Fear grips our
hearts! We are about to be overcome and torn in pieces! It is said that
the thunderous roar of the lion will freeze the prey for a moment or two,
giving the lion a chance to spring on the frightened animal. We must
not allow our faith to falter, nor allow any sin in our lives to damage our
faith, nor hinder us in our walk along the narrow way. We have learned
to keep our eyes focused on the Light of the City of God. And then
sometimes it seems that our pathway itself is flooded with the Light,
and we press on our way with hope and courage. We love God
intensely, and yet fear Him just as intensely. So we do not dare to see
how close we can come to those angry beasts, without being torn in
pieces. Then we discover they are chained, and can only come so far
toward our pathway. We know we must stay in the narrow way, always
"looking unto Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of our faith." We know
we must walk circumspectly. We fear not these Satanic beasts, but
with the holy fear of God upon our hearts and lives, we continue on our
way, with His Word as "a Lamp unto our feet, and a Light unto our
pathway."
I think few of God's people have come to the place where they can say
with the apostle Paul: "we glory in tribulations also." And the reason
may be that we have feared the fiery trial, not knowing that "tribulation
worketh patience" (Rom 5:3). Besides, we live in a comfortable society,
and have taken advantage of the situation to live the good life. But I
must affirm that when God brings us into this total union with Christ
that we long for, we will know what the afflictions of Christ are all about.
Right now there is a lot of hatred against God and His Christ in our
land, but it is still somewhat subdued. We can be sure that when God
raises up a standard of righteousness in His people, there will come
about a confrontation with the forces of evil such as we have not
known. Satan hates righteousness, and when there is a holy standard
raised up against him, persecution will follow. It was because Job
walked in righteousness that Satan sought an occasion to afflict him.
God's Glory will return to His Church, for many of His people are crying
out for it. And the heart of God cries out for it, for His Church is
intended to be His own "habitation in the Spirit," and the Light of God
"in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation)" See Phil
2:15). The Son of God "loved righteousness and hated iniquity." And

when God's people "love righteousness and hate iniquity" as Jesus

did, we too will be hated as Jesus was hated. Is God not powerful
enough to save His people from persecution? Certainly He is, and
sometimes He does. But very often He will allow the wrath of men and
of Satan to come against us to purge us and to try us as gold and
silver are tried in the fire.
God reminds us: "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have
chosen thee in the Furnace of Affliction" (Isa 48:10). Joseph knew the
furnace of affliction. So did Moses, and David, and the prophets. So
did our Lord Jesus. So did the early disciples in the Church. And so
does the Church in many nations today, where there is a true
Testimony of Jesus shining forth from His people. The Lord will often
allow "the Accuser of the Brethren" to stoke the fiery trials of His
chosen one, until He has produced the untarnished gold He is looking
for. And then Satan is put to shame, as he was put to shame when
Jesus was crucified by wicked men. Satan and his evil principalities
and powers did not recognize that when they crucified Jesus in the
wisdom of God, they themselves were brought to naught. Had they
known it, "they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory" (1 Cor 2:8).
O mystery of all mysteries! That no matter how evil men may rage
against truth and righteousness, and persecute those who walk in
Truth, they are actually doing this to their own shame and destruction!
And may God have mercy on them!
We may not know too much about the evil devices of the Accuser, but
we must give him no honour by thinking he has been given freedom to
do as he will in the lives of God's people. God has a hedge about us.
Satan knows it, but very often we do not know it. He is actually outside
the hedge looking in, and trying to torment us with his roaring threats of
hate and anger. It is imperative that we be clothed upon "with the
whole armour of God," which Satan cannot penetrate. Paul speaks of
having "fought with wild beasts at Ephesus" as he warred against the
beastly hate and bitterness of evil men. David confronted many evil
beasts in his time of great trial, when he saw himself as a 'worm,' and
he was taunted by the evil slander of the workers of iniquity. He saw
himself compassed about with "strong bulls of Bashan." He was
confronted by the "ravening and a roaring lion." Evil "dogs" compassed
him about, and the "power of the dog" threatened him, and "the lion's

mouth" opened wide to devour him, and he was caught in "the horns of
the unicorns" (see Ps 22). We know all these attacks on David were
prophetic, and were fulfilled in a far greater measure of reality in our
Lord Jesus, as He was apprehended by the beasts of religion, and
delivered into the hands of a powerful Roman Empire for crucifixion.
I recall reading in the journals of George Fox, how in his visions and
dreams he would find himself at war with wild beasts full of hate and
anger. He was young in the Lord and did not understand that God was
preparing him for the day when he would "war a good warfare" against
these wild beasts in the hearts of men. But God gave him clear
understanding of what weapons he would use against them, and never
would he resort to carnal weapons. God had taught him that only as he
was clothed upon with "the whole armour of God" would he overcome,
and he would wield no sword against them, but "the Sword of the
Spirit, which is the Word of God." God will train us in the art of spiritual
warfare, as we take His yoke upon us, and learn of Him.
O the trial of faith that the saints of God have gone through, and
always they overcame as they walked in obedience before God. Their
victory over the Accuser of the Brethren is clearly stated: "And they
overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death" (Rev 12:11).
They walked in the faith of God enduring the fiery trial to the very
end. It is no wonder that the apostle tells us that the "trial of our faith is
more precious than of gold that perisheth." The gold that men seek
after will perish, as "the fashion of this world passeth away" (1 Cor
7:31).
But Lord give us the grace now, while we have opportunity, to lay up
treasures in Heaven, "where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and
where thieves do not break through and steal: for where your treasure
is, there will your heart be also" (Matt 6:20,21).
Job's Appointment with a Whirlwind
When God determined the end to Job's trials, He came on the scene
and spoke to Job "out of the whirlwind." He did not accuse His servant;
but He asked him about 82 hard questions that left Job totally
speechless. O for that glorious Day!

When God will speak "yet once more" from Heaven and put an end
to the strife among men
When God shall speak from Heaven, and bring desolation to all these
weapons of war in the world and in the Church
When the King on the throne shall have put down all rebellion and
opposition to His righteous Government in the heavens, and will have
a 'willing people in the Day of His power' (see Ps 110:3).
Be assured, He has already been exalted as King on the throne of
Glory, for God says "Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion,"
and He cries out to all people of all nations, "Kiss the Son, lest He be
angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a
little" (see Ps 2:6,12). "Sit Thou at My right hand" the Father said, "Until
I make Thine enemies Thy footstool" (Ps 110:1).
The heathen rage against Him, even as they did in the early days of
the Church. And they will continue to do so until the appointed time,
when He shall encounter His enemies in battle, and kings and rulers
and armies of men shall cry out to the mountains and rocks: "Fall on
us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and
from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come; and
who shall be able to stand?" (Rev 6:16,17).
God will continue to prepare His people, through much grace as well
as much suffering, until He has a holy band of overcomers, who will
overcome the Accuser of the brethren: "by the blood of the Lamb, and
by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the
death" (Rev 12:11).
The 'hearsay' knowledge that we have as God's people, must give way
to words out of "the whirlwind," humbling us to ashes, that out from our
burnt-offering unto God, we too might know our God as we never knew
Him before. It was from the whirlwind that God spoke to His servant
Job who, having been humbled to ashes, was constrained to say:
"I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye
seeth Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes"
(Job 42:5,6). Repent of what? Of himself, you might say, of his

ignorance of God's ways. He was a righteous man. But he was

humbled in the dust and ashes of repentance, when God asked him a
host of questions that Job knew he could not answer. Nor did he try.
He realized he knew so little of God, and His ways. He saw himself as
totally unworthy to defend himself in the Light of the glory of God that
was revealed from Heaven. He would leave the fragment of knowledge
he had, in dust and ashes, that he might embrace the God that he had
always served but now saw Him as he had never seen Him before.
As it was with Isaiah, when he saw the glory of God, he cried out: "I am
unclean!" As it was with Saul of Tarsus, the Light of God blinded this
zealous Pharisee for a season. But the Light that blinded his eyes,
gave him new vision into heavenly realities a Light that would never
be extinguished as he walked among men, nor when he had "finished
the course" and gone to be with his Lord. It was the Light that shone
out of the darkness in the beginning, and which "hath shined in our
hearts, to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor 4:6).
O Lord, we pray, activate and fulfill in this generation, what your
servant Isaiah said concerning the Day of great Darkness:
"Arise, shine; for thy Light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen
upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross
darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and His
glory shall be seen upon thee" (Isa 60:1,2)