Chapter 345—While We Wait
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye
yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord.
Luke 12:35, 36
.
Now is the time to prepare for the coming of our Lord. Readiness to
meet Him cannot be attained in a moment’s time. Preparatory to that solemn
scene there must be vigilant waiting and watching, combined with earnest
work. So God’s children glorify Him. Amid the busy scenes of life their
voices will be heard speaking words of encouragement, faith, and hope. All
they have and are is consecrated to the Master’s service....
Christ tells us when the day of His kingdom shall be ushered in. He
does not say that all the world will be converted, but that “this gospel of the
kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations;
and then shall the end come” (
Matthew 24:14
). By giving the gospel to the
world, it is in our power to hasten the coming of the day of God. Had the
church of Christ done her appointed work as the Lord ordained, the whole
world would before this have been warned, and the Lord Jesus would have
come to the earth in power and great glory.
Living power must attend the message of Christ’s second appearing. We
must not rest until we see many souls converted to the blessed hope of the
Lord’s return. In the days of the apostles the message that they bore wrought
a real work, turning souls from idols to serve the living God. The work to
be done today is just as real, and the truth is just as much truth; only we
are to give the message with as much more earnestness as the coming of
the Lord is nearer. The message for this time is positive, simple, and of
the deepest importance. We must act like men and women who believe it.
Waiting, watching, working, praying, warning the world—this is our work.
I have been deeply impressed by scenes that have recently passed before
me in the night season. There seemed to be a great movement—a work of
revival—going forward in many places. Our people were moving into line,
responding to God’s call. My brethren, the Lord is speaking to us. Shall we
not heed His call? Shall we not trim our lamps, and act like men who look
for their Lord to come?
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