Those who are wholehearted for Christ desire to be in His company. They instinctively direct their
steps to the place where He is known to be. Is there such a spot on earth? Yes, "Where two or
three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20). No one
who is truly conscious of the greatness and excellency of His Person, and of the blessedness of
communion with Him, would willingly be absent from that favored place. A neglected Lord’s
table, and a neglected prayer meeting, testify to the Laodicean state _to the lukewarmness_of
the heart toward Him. We read that in the early days of the assembly "they continued steadfastly
in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42).
How sad that there should be such a lack of continuing steadfastly_of persevering now!
The Lord says to the Father, "In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee" (Heb. 2:12).
Can we suppose that He fails to notice whether or not we are there to join in the song He leads?
In the coming day of review before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10), how shall we take
the disclosure that self-indulgence, a little unfavorable weather, or a tiff with a brother or sister
in Christ, has outweighed with us all the mighty motives for a loving response to His wish, "This
do in remembrance of Me"?
It is deeply humbling to think that any who have tasted the Lord’s love can take advantage of not
having to work on the Lord’s day to spend its morning hours in bed, and that others can excuse
their absence from its meetings on the grounds of visiting, or receiving visits from friends.
Priceless opportunities of gratifying the heart of the Lord, and of showing our attachment to Him
in the scene of His rejection are thus wasted and lost.
It is mere mockery to repeat, "Come, Lord Jesus," and use glowing expressions of desire to be
with Him in glory, if, by our absence from His assembly, we betray our indifference to His
presence here.
Beloved, it is high time to awake out of sleep (Rom. 13:11; Eph. 5:14). May we take to heart the
solemn and impressive exhortation of the word, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another:and so much the more, as ye see
the day approaching" (Heb. 10:25).
It was easy in the freshness of "first love" to come early to the place where He manifests Himself
in such a peculiarly blessed way. Excuses were not made. Has He become less precious? The
moments we may thus spend together with Him on the earth which is stained with His blood are
swiftly passing away. Let us not willingly lose one of them.
It is touching to remember that no thought of all the sufferings that awaited Him, of Himself
presently becoming the true passover, "sacrificed for us," delayed the Lord’s appearing at His last
paschal feast. "When the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him" (Luke
22:14). Oh, for a holy eagerness to be where, to faith, He is!
BALANCE OF THE SANCTUARY
Job 31:6 "LET ME BE WEIGHED IN AN EVEN BALANCE."
Thou shalt make pomegranates . . . round about the hem thereof (Exod. 28:33).
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance (Gal. 6:22,23).
Dan.5:27 "THOU ART WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES, AND"?
… and bells of gold between them round about (Exodus 28:33).
Be not . . . ashamed of the testimony of our Lord . . . but be thou partaker of the afflictions of
the gospel (2 Tim. 1:8).
The pomegranates, typifying spiritual fruit, and the golden bells, speaking of testimony, were to
be placed alternately around the hem of the high priest’s robe. How important is the balance that
is implied in this. Some of us may abound in the fruit of the Spirit, but yet bear a mute testimony
to others. Others of us may be very outspoken witnesses for Christ, and yet find our words put
to nought because of our failure to manifest spiritual fruit in our lives.