Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - May/84

Contributor - Gretha de Waard

Title - Hold Fast

Topic - Women

Let us hold on to the hope that we profess without the slightest hesitation ... for He is utterly dependable and let us think of one another and how we can encourage each other to love and good works. (Heb. 10.23-24)

We must 'hold fast' by:

1. Using the Bible as our standard of measurement.

2. Developing constant communication with God to determine His will for us.

3. Studying our Christian heritage and roots.

I remember that my mother-in-law gave us an old family Bible years ago. There was a bookmark in it on which she had written: "A day without the Bible is a day without God." And that is so true. Psalm 42:1 - 3 says: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, 0 God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night . . . "

I thought about these verses. There is much crying in the Psalms. The Psalmist identifies with his people, with the human condition. A malaise has gripped our people during the last twenty years, and it seems to be getting worse. The church exists to minister to the malaise but I say it sadly, we evangelicals have become part of the sickness. Instead of becoming physicians to the national soul, we have become contributors to the social deterioration. I weep because too few Christians see anything to weep over, so busy are we doing our own thing. We talk a great deal about God, but we seem to want to spend so little time with Him. We believe in God, with the top of our heads, but we live as though He did not exist.

We see it also in our own churches. The morning attendance is not too bad but the evening service leaves much to be desired and mission weekends, well , that is asking too much of us. To come together on a Saturday night for fellowship and to listen to a missionary speaker, and on Sunday morning and Sunday evening again. That is a lot to ask of us, Lord. We would rather do our own thing.

2. Developing constant communication with God to determine His will for us. And I think about prayer. What happened to the prayer meetings in our churches? Mr. Samuel Chadwick, one of God's great men of past years, taught that Satan's greatest aim is to destroy our prayer lives. Satan is not afraid of prayerless study, prayerless work, or prayerless religion.. . but he will tremble when we pray. if Mr. Chadwick was correct (and hundreds of other great men of God have said similar things) then we have real problems. If there is any part of our church life that seems to be in trouble, it is the prayer meeting. In fact, in an increasing number of churches, for all practical purposes, there is no such meeting. There is no lack of books on prayer, and most pastors preach on prayer once in a while. if there is any doctrine to which we pay only lip service, it has to be the doctrine of prayer. The lack and neglect of such prayer meetings are, I believe, two of the greatest mistakes in our Bible-believing churches, and such deception by Satan represents a far greater enemy than liberalism or the cults.

In fact, a clear study of II Corinthians 10:4 - 7 would show us that prayer is the principle means through which we are to stand against the enemy in whatever way he might attack us. We seem to be blind to the nature of spiritual warfare, and feel that as long as we have a full Sunday School and good numbers on Sunday morning, then we are okay. Could it be, as in Revelations 3: 1, that we have a name that we are live but are in fact dead? Could it be true, as one man said, that if the Holy Spirit left us, there would be very few changes made? Everything would go on as usual. We should be willing to do almost anything to keep from such a deadly state. I feel it is almost too late in some places where spiritual schizophrenia has set in at such a deep level. This will be changed only by radical deep-rooted repentance.

Surely the prayer meeting and our personal prayer lives must be a vital part in anything lasting and real that takes place. Let us bring the prayer meeting back into its rightful place in the life of the church, and let us put Christ back into His rightful place as Lord of our lives. The battle will be uphill all the way, for as Hallysby says in his great book on prayer, "Prayer is work". However the results will be enormous and eternal.

3. Studying our Christian heritage and roots.

Ephesians 3:14 - 19. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith: that you being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know that love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God

The roots of a tree need to go deep into the ground in order for the tree to stay alive, to stay strong. It is the roots that carry the water which is so precious, so necessary for life. Our roots need to go deep - deep into God's word. Our roots need to carry our prayers to the well of life. Therefore be strong in the ground made firm by our forefathers and let your roots draw from the river of love, which He never lets run dry

Many women have accepted a position in their local Guild or in the Classical Union: let it not a chore but a challenge; not a busy-ness but a blessing; not a call to duty but a consequence of devotion. For we have not chosen Him, He has chosen us. Therefore let your roots go deep into Him, who is the source of all power. For then we can all say: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

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