| Intervention
Attitudes, Promises, and Incentives
Seeley
D. Kinne
On
many occasions, intervention has been exercised by the Lord, throughout
the past. But its fuller
and more frequent workings in the Church were interrupted by man’s
taking in hand the government of the church.
Supernatural works and miracles were crowded out, neglected,
and lost.
The
Lord has now begun the process of restoration, and a great revolution
is at hand. Transfer
of ages is upon us. Jesus
is the God of the ages. “By
whom also He made the ages.” He is about to “come forth out
of His place,” and take control of all affairs of the whole
world.
“Has
in these last days spoken to us by His
Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made
the worlds (ages).” Hebrews 1:2 (comment added)
“For,
behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants
of the earth for their iniquity.” Isaiah 26:21a
“And
the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven,
saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the
kingdoms
of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and
ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their
seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, we give
You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which are, and were, and are to
come; because You have taken to You Your great power, and have reigned.” Revelation 11:15-17
Christ
will, however, continue to use His servants in many ways, both old
and new. But the sovereign exercise of intervention
will now be seen in many great events and changes. Nothing less is adequate to the crises
now at hand.
God’s
attitude toward His servants is so loving, tender and compassionate
He can scarcely bear to hear their cries, even though their petition
may be faulty; though He has to bear long with them.
He arose and stood when Stephen was being stoned. Indeed the heart of the Lord is yearning
over His people (James 5:11).
“And
shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night to Him,
though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them
speedily.” Luke 18:7-8a
“To
the upright there arises light in the darkness: He
is
gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.” Psalm 112:4
“Behold,
we count them happy which endure. You 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.” James 5:11
So
then the question is not, how may I come under intervention; but,
can Christ find within us a sufficient power necessary for His works? So great are these things, even angels
desire to look into them, and would delight to participate. Intensely interested and exceedingly important
then is our personal attitude toward the Lord’s intervention.
Conditions
always obtain in whatever grace we may hope to receive. Though what God gives by intervention
is a sovereign grant, it is no miscellaneous dispensing without
regard to condition.
A
suitable state is taught in several Scriptures. Note especially Revelation two and three.
Overcomers receive the highest awards, the highest to be
obtained. Deep intense desire and earnestness for
the glory of God and His highest will; devotion, sacrifice, willingness
to suffer, have always marked the men of God.
“The
kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by
force.” Matthew 11:12
Many
noted men of God became thus violent and took of the kingdom’s goods,
and carried them away.
Wherever
the Lord finds this intense earnestness (a wholehearted
pressing after God and spiritual things)
He stimulates faith. Faith
grows, soul powers develop, and grace is poured out. The spirit is liberated from warped soul
conditions; the flame of faith and devotion mounts higher and higher.
He
sets in a gift of faith, gives revelation of intervention, and its
purposes and privileges. Joy
and delight fill one as he catches glimpses of God’s sovereign sway
and activities in the transition period.
Intervention in no way interferes with ordinary means of
grace, but rather deepens and intensifies them.
Intervention
is a transfer from the creature up-look to the Creator’s plane of
outlook and down-look. “Come
up with me in the mount and be there” (Revelation
4:1). It is the Lord carrying us out of the
ordinary into the extraordinary and miraculous.
“Now
to Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly, above all that
we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Ephesians 3:20
There
is a breaking through into the kingdom realm where God measures
no longer by man’s measurements, but by the superabundance of God’s
sovereign intervention, a lavish bestowal by divine measure.
By
the foolish perversions of man, this divine sovereign way of abundant
benefaction was buried beneath superstitious rubbish. But this is the time of restoration.
It
is to be abundantly restored.
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