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"Begin at My
sanctuary," (Ezekiel 9:5) says the Holy One to all that seek revival
and renewal. "Begin at My sanctuary" is the first lesson in the School of God
concerning the theme of revival. The Church and the world are sleeping.
Where shall we blow the trumpet? The answer is always the same: "Begin
at My sanctuary!" "Blow the trumpet in Zion" (Joel 2:15).
"Judgment must begin at the house of God … and if the righteous
scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (I
Peter 4:17-18).
This sanctuary lesson is a hard one for the Church to learn, as so many of the leaders have given a new rendering of II Chronicles 7:14, "If the people of the devil, who are called by his name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek God's face and turn from their wicked ways, then we will have a glorious revival!" God's revival challenge is still: "If MY people …" The if of revival rests upon the obedience of the saints.
"And I will sanctify My great name which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes" (Ezekiel 36:23). When will God do these great and mighty things in revival? When He is sanctified in the saints! "Begin at My sanctuary!"
There has always been the godly remnant which has kept the spirit of purity and power in the Church throughout the ages. "Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah" (Isaiah 1:9). In the "midnight" epistles of the risen Lord to the seven Churches, we see this little band of overcomers standing true for God amidst the compromise and abominations around them (Rev. 2-3).
It has been men and women like Tersteegen, Hans Hauge, Thomas Boston, F.B. Meyer, J.N. Darby, Phoebe Palmer and Catherine Booth, in their "watchtowers," with deep spiritual perception, that has helped to keep the Church burning bright and pure for God (Hab. 2:1). Oh, for a host of men and women to sigh and groan over these things that grieve the heart of our blessed Lord and hinder the preparations of the Bride for His coming (Eph. 5:27)!
Are you among the number who are weeping and are broken down before God because of the spiritual adultery and coldness of the saints? Says William Bramwell in his diary, "I have seen nearly 20 believers set at liberty. I believe I should have seen many more, but I can't yet find one pleading man. There are many good people, but I have found no wrestlers with God."
How comforting to know that the very same eye of God that saw the secret sins of His people also saw the secret groanings of His separated ones! How few there are who have the sign-marks in their foreheads, because of their holy concern for the deplorable condition of Zion! If "the effectual fervent prayer" of one righteous man availed much with God, how much more the united prayers of your entire church (James 5:16)!
"If one sigh of a true Christian," says an old divine, "wafts the bark to the desired haven or stirreth Zion's ship," how much more a gale of sighs, breathed by hundreds of believers! If one trumpet sounds so loud in the ears of God, how much more the concert of all the silver trumpets in Zion sounding together! Where so many hands are lifted up, how many blessings may they not pull down from heaven!"
Oh, that all Christians may be candidates for the sign-mark of holy, agonizing intercession in this critical hour of the Church's history!
"Begin at My sanctuary" (Ezekiel 9:6).
This is copyrighted material from James Stewart's book Come O Breath, available from Revival Literature, PO Box 6068, Asheville, NC 28816.
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