A Renewed Vision Of Christ

With Peter, James and John the Lord Jesus retreated to a high mountain apart. They were to be granted a vision of Him which would be indelibly impressed on their minds. Yet while He prayed they slept, to be wakened by the brilliant glory of their transfigured Master (Luke 9:28-32). "When they were fully awake, they saw His glory". They heard "such a voice... from the excellent glory", saying to Him, "Thou art My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (2 Pet. 1:17).

May we begin the New Year with a fresh appreciation of Christ! For us there will be no physical glimpse of His glory as enjoyed by the three apostles. As we dwell quietly on what is said of Him in the written Word the Spirit of God will reveal Christ to us, causing our heart to burn within us as we appreciate His unique glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father.

A RENEWED VISION OF THE LAMPSTAND ALL OF GOLD

The prophet Zechariah, a young man, was awakened by the angel who talked with him.

"What seest thou?", the angel enquired, and the prophet replied, "I have seen, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with its bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon". The lampstand signified divine testimony

in Zechariah's day, and the vision impressed the truth that maintenance of testimony is "not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of Hosts" (Zech. 4:1-6). The illustration of the golden lampstand is again taken up by the Holy Spirit in Revelation chapters 1 to 3 to represent divine testimony, in this context the testimony of churches of God in the present age of grace. The lampstand all of gold symbolizes for our dispensation the local unit of divine testimony. A clear spiritual vision of the golden lampstand's continuing importance to the Lord Jesus in 1985 will greatly help us. For it's generally fashionable today to belittle the scriptural truth of disciples being called together into churches of God, golden lampstands linked together in worldwide unity. The popular trend is towards broader affiliations with agreement to differ on principles of gathering and similar doctrinal issues. A Spirit4aught appreciation of the "lampstand all of gold" provides a firm scriptural basis for Christian association in worship and witness.

A RENEWED VISION OF HIS GLORIOUS APPEARING

"And this, knowing the season, that now it is high time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is far spent, and the day is at hand" (Rom. 13:11-12).

Salvation from the presence of sin at the return of the Lord Jesus to the air for His Church is now nearer to us than when we first believed. That glorious day is at hand, a message spelled out by the apostles to first century disciples and renewed to our hearts in the power of the Holy Spirit in 1985! To Habakkuk the Lord's word came:

"The vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay" (Hab. 2:3).

This word to Habakkuk is applied by the Holy Spirit to the promise of the Lord's return for His own:

"For ye have need of patience, that, having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise. For yet a very little while, He that cometh shall come, and shall not tarry (Heb. 10:36,37).

May that vision pervade all our Christian experience throughout 1985 or until Jesus comes!

unknown | Jan 1985
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