Tuesday, October 08, 2019

 

For A Season or Forever? John G Ridley (1959)

For A Season or Forever?   John G Ridley  (1959)

I am sure that most of you listening to me tonight will again that unprecedented scenes have been witnessed in Melbourne in the past few weeks.  Surely never in the religious history of that great southern city or the flourishing state of Victoria or even the Commonwealth as a whole have such scenes of spiritual warmth and awakening been witnessed.

Vast multitudes  from the country districts and other states have helped to swell the widening stream of human life flowing to the feet of God's messenger and present day prophet Billy Graham.  Multitudes, multitudes have come to the valley of decision, for a season at least, the "old, old story" of the Gospel of Christ has claimed the land-lines in the homes of our nation. Some have been saved, sins forgiven, backsliders reclaimed, broken homes have been repaired, broken hearts have been bound up, broken lives have been renewed, broken hopes and vows restored while masses of indifferent men and women have been interrupted in their God-forgetful pathways and many have been forced for a season to consider Him who was crucified on the cross of shame "outside the city walls" to bring all expectant believing souls within the jasper walls of the Holy city of God at long last.

Thanks be to God for all that has happened and is happening and will happen via the Graham crusades in Australia. To God be the glory forever!

Perhaps an old Australian evangelist who is now on his way to minister to nearby men and women  in India may help listeners in a brief follow up message from John 5:33-36.

Hearken to the words of our Lord who following hard on the heels of John the Baptist in the days of His earthly ministry. 

33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.  34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.

John the Baptist was a "burning and shining light (lamp R.V.). he had arisen in the darkness of formal  religion in Judaea, "as a witness to bear witness of the Light that all men through Him 9the Light) might believe."

John preached (like Billy) as a man on fire. John blazed out the Word of God, the Warnings of God and the Wooings of God in the power and the anointing of God.

The Word of god, then as now, ame clear cut and commanding. "Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance."

Repent. Turn. Confess your sins. Seek forgiveness, pardon, cleansing, was John's testimony to the Word of God.

Then he mingled the Warnings of God with the word of repentance. 

"Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire…. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

Beneath these grim words multitudes from Jerusalem and all Judaea and the region around about the Jordan flocked ot to the feet of the prophet.  People Publicans, and soldiers hung on his words with cry "What shall we do?"  Multitudes professed to believe and were baptised in Jordan confessing their sins. But one wonders if some of them failed to grasp:

The Wooings of God.

9 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." 32 And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."  John 1.

 

He who lights the lamp, He who finds the fire, he who gives life and gives it more abundantly.

Why did I say "Some of them failed to grasp the wooing words?"

Because, months afterwards, when john was in prison, Jesus said :" He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. John 5:35 

You revelled in the lamp; you warmed your hearts at the fire of the forerunner, but it was for a season, a while. Now when the true Light is here doing the works of His Father "you will not come to Me that you might have life!"

Let us take this word to heart tonight.  Examine yourself: see if you are in the faith. See if you have passed from the bright burning and shining lamp of Billy Graham to the source of his glow and flow and fervour even to Him who is the true Light. "the Light of the World."

Examine yourself! Do this now, dear friend, and make sure work of your salvation.

Cast your burden on the Lord. Fix your faith in the Lamb of God who taketh away your sin with His own blood.  Be sure of your ground of salvation Christ and Him alone.

A professing Christian was once brought right through to Christ when she told a noble evangelist now in glory  "Well I am going to the Pack." "Well go," he said "but be sure you are born again first." That brought her to Christ.

None other Lamb,

None other Name,

None other hope in air or sky or sea.

None other hiding place from guilt and shame

None beside Thee!

 

 






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