Summer 1996
Spiritual Expectancy
Wade E Taylor

"To the angel in the church in Sardis write
these things saith He that hath the Seven
Spirits of God and the seven stars. I know
thy works that thou hast a name that thou
livest and art dead" Rev 3:1.

There are those in the body of Christ who, like those in the Church in Sardis, are saved and contend for right doctrine and outward conformity; but they have not allowed these things to come within and affect their personal lives and spirituality.

It is vitally important that objective truth, which is the letter of the Word, become a personal reality within our life experience. We are to be changed by the Word, our lives being made conformable to His life.

A Bible Teacher once taught on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. He was doctrinally correct in every detail concerning the Baptism. However, he had not personally received this experience, and therefore could not convey its experiential aspect. As a result, no one was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Later, a Pastor spoke on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. He was sadly lacking in ability and gave a poor presentation. However, his life had been greatly affected by the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and his desire was to impart this experience to others. As a result, many received.

Dr Charles Price had a profound ability to present spiritual truth in ways that few have matched. This gift of being able to give expression to spiritual reality in written form was enviable. He said that he would often go to the home of an elderly lady who could neither read or write, and sit at her feet to learn of her. She maintained a deep personal relationship with the Lord and as a result, He had revealed many deep truths to her. However, she was unable to communicate these. Yet Charles Price was humble enough to learn from her, and then through his profound gift of expression, share these truths with others.

No matter how limited we are, or what our abilities may be, the Lord can and will make Himself personally known to us.

"The secret of the Lord is with them that
fear him" Psalm 25:14.

This word "fear" does not mean our being afraid, but rather conveys the thought of a deep reverence, or respect that results from an intimate love relationship with the Lord, in which He reveals His secrets.

Many years ago, a minister came to the school and presented a message with a very anointed challenge of commitment, and made plain the cost of accepting this. At the end of the service, he asked if there were those who would make this commitment. No one moved, so he made the offer again, and none moved. Suddenly the glory of the Lord came upon the service, and many jumped to their feet and began to come forward. Then a powerful prophetic word came in which it was said, "You are too late."

They had responded to an external quickening of His presence, rather than to an inward conviction of heart to unconditionally submit their all to Him.

The day will come in which "every knee will bow and every tongue confess," but there is little reward for this, as this ability is given; there is no cost involved. It is when we feel the least spiritual that we are able to make the deepest commitment.

Those who promise the Lord many things in the intensity of an emotional altar service seldom keep their commitment. But those who make their commitment in the pressures of life experience and heart decision will stand by that commitment, and the Lord will respond and reward them with the understanding of His ways, in ways that few experience.

Hattie Hammond once told the following true story, which I have never forgotten. A particular lady was challenged by a message, and had gone to the altar afterward, asking the Lord for an understanding of His love. She waited some time, expecting a big "glob" of love to fall upon her, causing her to feel good. Nothing seemingly happened, so she felt she was not spiritual, and went home.

But she had asked the Lord for a revelation of His love, and the Lord heard this request. Our problem is that often the answer does not come in the way we expect, and as a result, we do not rightly interpret the circumstances in which we become involved.

She arrived home to find that her mother-in-law had come, not for a visit, but to live. The next morning, this mother-in-law came out of her room and noticed a woman cleaning the house, and asked who she was. She responded, "I come each week to clean this house."

Immediately, the mother-in-law said, "you are fired, let my son's lazy wife clean her own house. My son works hard for his money." The wife overheard this and soon was in her bedroom crying, pleading with the Lord to get this woman out of her house.

Instead, the Lord responded, "Go and tell her that you love her, and that you are glad she is here." The wife protested and said she could never do that, as she hated her. The Lord said, "Do you remember that you asked Me for an understanding of My love? This is the only way that you will ever understand."

She finally came from her room and managed to get a meal ready. When they sat down together at the table, her mother-in-law said, "my son deserves better food than this, is this the best you can do?" The wife retreated to her room, and begged the Lord to get this woman out of her house.

But the Lord again said to her, "Tell her you love her, and that you are glad she is here." Along with this, the Lord began to speak to her about His love, how He loved us when we also were unlovable. Soon she began to realize that love was more than a warm gooey feeling that makes us feel good. She bawled some more, then melted as the revelation of the love of God began to settle within her being.

Finally, she was able to truly tell her mother-in-law that she was glad she was in her home. A few hours later she noticed her mother-in-law coming down the stairs with her suitcase. She said she needed to visit and bless some other members of the family.

Perhaps she may visit you. Hopefully, you will be able to rightly respond to her.

Often we do not understand the implications of our prayers. However, the Lord does, and He knows how to make an arrangement in which our answer will not only come, but we will be changed in the process. We may rightly understand the letter of the Word, but unless it has been personalized in our experience, it is not ours. The facts of the Lord are one thing. His ways are another.

To each of the seven Churches in Revelation, the first thing the Lord said was, "I know your works." It is not the works we perform that are important to the Lord, but rather what the works have done to us.

"For many are called, but few are chosen" Matt 22:14.

This is true because few are willing to persevere in allowing the personalization of the Word in their life experience, as this wife had done. Many times we find ourselves in a situation in which we are tempted to say, "I do not need to put up with this, as I have my rights." We do have our rights, but these may leave us short of that which the Lord intends. He is looking for something far greater, the way in which the problems we face have changed us into His image and likeness.

In ancient Israel, those who had been sold into bondage were released in the year of Jubilee. However, if a slave had a benevolent master with whom they desired to stay, their ear was pierced, which identified them as a "love slave."

When Adam and Eve partook of the tree of knowledge, they gained their freedom to choose for themselves by partaking of the forbidden fruit. Later, an animal was slain, and they were covered with its skin. This was the first shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sin. But they had eaten something which was still within them. This was the right to their own lives, apart from any submission to God.

Therefore Jesus said,

"IF any man will come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose
it: and whosoever will lose his life for My
sake shall find it" Matt 16:24-25.

We gained the right to our own lives through our forefathers. Jesus will not take this right from us, but we can give up our right to freedom and become a love-slave to Him. Thus, the cross is optional, "IF."

Jesus said to the Church at Sardis, "You have a name that you live, but you are dead." They were saved and doctrinally correct, but they had not been changed. The Lord is looking for those who will allow the Word to be applied to their life experience, and change them.

Years ago, when I owned a television business, a particular TV set needed repairs but the repairman refused to go to that particular house, so I went. I still remember their name, as it was Benjamin Franklin. I had to drive through an open field to get to the house. When I arrived, the stench was so bad and the flies so numerous that I could hardly stay within the house long enough to fix the set.

Later, the set needed repairs again, so I returned. When I arrived, the wife was all excited. She said she had visited some friends who took her to a gospel meeting and she had been saved and healed. She had a back deformity, and had never been able to touch her hair. Now she could move her arms freely and was truly excited. But the intense stench was still within the house.

I invited her and her husband to Church and offered to take them. When we entered the Church, this repulsive stench arrived with them. Later, the pastor told me they were not welcome, because they upset the members.

Some time later, I again visited their home and was amazed to see a pastor from a large modernistic church sitting at their table, eating with them. This was almost impossible, as there seemingly were millions of flies in the house, along with the horrible stench. But he was there, eating their food. Later, he sent women from his church to help clean the house, and teach her about cleanliness.

The Full Gospel Church, who was critical of this modernistic Church had missed a choice opportunity to demonstrate the love of God.

"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that
not many wise men after the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble, are called: But God
hath chosen the foolish things of the world
to confound the wise; and God hath chosen
the weak things of the world to confound
the things which are mighty; And base things
of the world, and things which are despised,
hath God chosen, yea, and things which are
not, to bring to nought things that are:
That no flesh should glory IN HIS
PRESENCE" I Cor 1:26-29.

It is important that we rightly discern the time of His visitation. God is a seeking God who desires to make Himself known. He chooses means whereby He is able to test the sincerity of our words, and of our heart. If there is a problem within us, He knows how to expose and deal with it, if we will rightly respond.

The Lord will make Himself known to those who will take up their cross and die to their own ways, and sense of comfort and satisfaction.