Buy of Me Gold
“And unto the Angel of the church of the Laodicean’s write: These things saith the AMEN, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the Creation of GOD; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked; I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”
” As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent.”
” Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Rev. 3:14-22.
This counsel to the Laodiceans is a fearful one. They are described as lukewarm; wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. And, to make matters worse, they do not know it. They think they are rich, and need nothing. They feel perfectly satisfied with life, and with themselves. Have you ever felt like that? Well, I do know that I have, at times. I thought I was doing very well, spiritually, physically, etc. It was all a deception.
I love God and His testimonies because when He lets you know, in no uncertain terms, that you are poor, wretched, miserable, blind and naked”He immediately offers riches, fire, food, eyesalve, and clothing…everything necessary for a really good life.
Being and knowing that you are cold, naked, hungry, and poor is really a blessing in disguise. As Jesus said in His famous sermon, ” Blessed are the poor in spirit;… Blessed are they that mourn;… Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness…”
There is a wonderful passage in Gospel Workers for those of us who feel and know our spiritual helplessness, and yet wish to do and be a blessing in God’s work.
” THE OUTLOOK – We are nearing the close of this earth’s history. We have before us a great work,–the closing work of giving the last warning message to a sinful world. There are men who will be taken from the plow, from the vineyard, from various other branches of work, and sent forth by the Lord to give this message to the world.
” The world is out of joint. As we look at the picture, the outlook seems discouraging. But Christ greets with hopeful assurance the very men and women who cause us discouragement. In them He sees qualifications that will enable them to take a place in His vineyard. If they will constantly by learners, through His providence He will make them men and women fitted to do a work that is not beyond their capabilities; through the impartation of the Holy Spirit, He will give them power of utterance.
” Many of the barren, unworked fields must be entered by beginners. The brightness of the Saviour’s view of the world will inspire confidence in many workers, who, if they begin in humility and put their hearts into the work, will be found to be the right men for the time and place. Christ sees all the misery and despair of the world, the sight of which would bow down some of our workers of large capabilities with a weight of discouragement so great that they would not know how even to begin the work of leading men and women to the first round of the ladder. Their precise methods are of little value. They would stand above the lower rounds of the ladder, saying, ” come up where we are.” But the poor souls do not know where to put their feet.
“Christ’s heart is cheered by the sight of those who are poor in every sense of the term; cheered by His view of the ill-used ones who are meek; cheered by the seemingly unsatisfied hungering after righteousness, by the inability of many to begin. He welcomes, as it were, the very condition of things that would discourage many ministers. He corrects our erring piety, giving the burden of the work for the poor and needy in the rough places of the earth, to men and women who have hearts that can feel for the ignorant and for those that are out of the way.
“The Lord teaches these workers how to meet those whom He wishes them to help. They will be encouraged as they see doors opening for them to enter places where they can do medical missionary work. Having little self-confidence, they give God all the glory. Their hands may be rough and unskilled, but their hearts are susceptible to pity; they are filled with an earnest desire to do something to relieve the woe so abundant; and Christ is present to help them. He works through those who discern mercy in misery, gain in the loss of all things. When the light of the world passes by, privileges appear in all hardships, order in confusion, the success and wisdom of God in that which has seemed to be a failure.
” My brethren and sisters, in your ministry, come close to the people. Uplift those who are cast down. Treat of calamities as disguised blessings, of woes as mercies. Work in a way that will cause hope to spring up in the place of despair.”
(There is much more, please read Gospel Workers, p. 36-39)
Tell me the old, old story, of unseen things above, of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love; Tell me the story simply, as to a little child, for I am weak a weary, and helpless and defiled. Tell me the story softly, with earnest tones and grave. Remember I’m the sinner whom Jesus came to save; tell me the story always, if you would really be, in any time of trouble, a comforter to me. Tell me the same old story, when you have cause to fear, that this worlds empty glory is costing me too dear; Yes, and when that world’s glory is dawning on my soul, tell me the old, old story: Christ Jesus makes thee whole.
Sometimes when I am really down, and almost in despair because of the hardness of my heart, and the tenacity of my sins and weaknesses,–a ray of light will gleam through the darkness when words like these flash into my mind: “Despair of nothing, hope for everything.” Out of the deepest darkness, the brightest light will shine.” Both Whitefield and the Wesleys were prepared for their work by long and sharp personal convictions of their own lost condition. And they did a strong and good work for God, and won many souls from error to truth.
As we look at the world now, we see that it is nearly given over to worldliness”business and pleasure occupy the people from morning to night. Business, pleasure,–and/or ill health are the order of the day. And it was exactly the same when our Lord Jesus walked the earth. What can break the iron grip that these forces have upon the world’s people? Nothing, of course, but the softening influences of the Holy Spirit of God. Only the power of God can loosen the hold that these powers have upon the whole people.
And we need this softening, subduing, refining, and enlivening power in our lives. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands unto God in unison and plead for His rain to fall upon our thirsty lives. We need to buy of Him gold tried in the fire… AMEN.