12/1/13

As Evil Reigns In The End-Of-This-Age, What Should A Believer Do? Glorify The Son - A. C. Gaebelein

Written over one hundred years ago. A day with the LORD being as a thousand years, that would be approximately 2.4 hours. Not a long time using God's timetable; who "is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward" [2Peter 3:8,9]; ...and the words ring more true today than ever: The end-of-the-age call, by ACG:
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Revelation 5:11,12 'And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing'
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In Revelation 5, that great worship scene, beginning some day in Heaven and going on into future ages, we read of the Lamb to whom honor and glory are due. He alone is worthy.


And every heart who knows Him rejoicing in His love cries out, "Thou art worthy!" Yea, the sweetest song for the redeemed soul is the outburst of praise, which we find on the threshold of His own Revelation. "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen" (Rev. 1:5,6). Soon the great worship John beheld prophetically may become reality.

As long as we His people are here in this present evil age it is God's call to us to honor and glorify His Son. This surely is God the Father's expectation from His children, who are begotten of Him. This is His call to us in the last days of this rapidly closing age.

It was on the mountain of transfiguration that the Father bore witness to His Son. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"

Matt. 17:4-5 'Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him'

Peter had spoken; in fact, he was still speaking when the Father's voice was heard. "Lord, it is good for us to be here: if Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses and one for Elias". These were Peter's words. At the first glance they appear harmless. Indeed, they are generally used in spiritual application of having a good time here. But they have a far different meaning. Peter had spoken once more in the impulsiveness of the flesh. By putting the Lord of Glory alongside of Moses and Elias, he had lowered the dignity of Him. The One whom he had but recently confessed as the Christ, the Son of the living God [Matt. 16:15-16], he now put into the same position and place with Moses and Elias. He lost sight of the wonderful and glorious person of Christ. When he uttered this human suggestion the 'bright cloud' appeared and its glorious splendor covered them. Out of that cloud came the Father's voice vindicating the honor of His Son. Who is Moses? Who is Elias? Sinful men they were, men of failure and weakness. But here is another. This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him [Matt. 17:5]. And how that beloved Son is in our day dishonored!

The Father's voice is not heard in these days as it was heard on the transfiguration mountain. The heavens are silent to all the dishonor heaped upon Him, who is in the heaven of heavens. But God the Father looks to His people in whom the Holy Spirit dwells to honor and glorify His Son. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to stand as bold witnesses for Himself and to contend earnestly for the faith once and for all delivered unto the Saints. The Father expects us that we stand up for the honor of His Son. His voice to us is "Honor my Son!"

In the awful suffering on the cross, in the hours of darkness, when as the substitute of sinners He tasted death, God's holy hand rested upon that beloved One in judgment, so that He uttered that never to be forgotten cry "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" And God in His mighty power opened the grave and brought Him forth. He raised Him from the dead. He was received up in the Glory, exalted into the highest position. He is the heir of all things, the upholder of all things, all things consist and exist by Him. God has given Him the pre-eminence in all things.

We feel deeply impressed with this great call of God to us at the present time of increasing darkness and apostasy: Let each child of God act accordingly. Honor your Lord wherever you are. "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord" (2 Tim. 1:8). If you cannot publicly stand up and honor Christ, then honor Him, speak well of Him, in the home circle or wherever you are. O child of God, walk close to Him! Sit more at His feet! Cast yourself more upon Him! Let Him be your all in all! And as He is the sole object of your heart you will honor Him in this age when He is rejected.

But this will mean something else. It means separation. God's call to His people is to stand aloft from all which dishonors His Son. This means much in our days. How can we honor the Beloved One if we have fellowship with that which dishonors Him? No child of God should go on with any institution, school or church where the written Word is set aside or belittled. The second Epistle of Timothy, which has special reference to our times, is very clear on this separation. No one needs to wait for a special call from God to act and separate from the corruption of Christendom. It is all given before hand by the Holy Spirit. "From such turn away" (2 Tim. 3:5).

And those from whom God commands us to separate are persons who have the form of godliness and deny the power thereof. Again it is written: "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work" (2 Tim. 2:20,21).

As long as we His people are here in this present evil age it is God's call to us to honor and glorify His Son. This surely is God the Father's expectation from His children, who are begotten of Him. This is His call to us in the last days of this rapidly closing age. Hear the Word of the Lord! Hear His call! Be faithful to Him! Keep His Word and do not deny His Name [Note: His name is not 'Yeshua'; or any derivation thereof. It is JESUS, the name above every name [Phil. 2:9-10], given by personal visit of the angel Gabriel, sent from God [Luke 1:26-27; 30-31]! Honor and glorify Him who is our Lord whom we soon shall see face to face.

~Written in 1910 by A.C. Gaebelein

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Highly recommended, see also: "What Shall Be the End of these Things? The Final Conflict and the Coming Victory"; A.C. Gaebelein, 1933 [here]
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