“And they came unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.” Mark 2:3.
and laid
The episode of the sick man, borne of four,
a vivid portr ayal down at the Saviour’s feet, presents of the necessity of preaching a balanced Gospel.
There he lay — paralyzed, palsied, hopeless, helpless!
relief at
Nothing to look forward to but ultimate the hand of the grim reaper!
misery to
Unable to lift himself off his rude bed; a paralytic himself and to everyone about him — the of Mark 2:3.
Their
Then one day his neighbors came unto him.r voices
and thei faces were lighted with a new glow a-ring with earnestness.
age —a Man
A Teacher had appeared in the Vill in a white and a seamless dress.
as a clear in-
His voice was vital and lifegiving,
eyes were those of vigorating mountain stream. His
nal snow-lines One who, having climbed above the eter and pinnacles
peak of earth, beholds ever the white the
bounded by of Eternity. His teachings were not was fair as the narrow confines of life. His smile dawn, and dominant as the sun.
burdens of the
Upon His shoulders He carried the world, with the apparent ease with which a mountain brooding o’er the sea carried its myriad pines.
They had seen Him heal the sick. They had witnessed His restoration of sight to the blind. They had heard the cries of joy as light and sight poured into the afflicted eyes. They had watched with utmost fascination as the leper had unbound his bandages and found that he was cleansed. They had seen the lame cast aside crutches and the very dead rise to life again.
There was no doubt of it, this man called Jesus was none other than the Messiah, the Son of the living God! They would carry their impotent neighbor unto Him forthwith, and the Master would make him whole.
Four neighbors took hold of the four corners of the bed and carried the man through the streets.
When they came to the house where the Master was teaching and healing, the crowds so clustered about the door that they were as utterly unobservant of them and of their burden as swarming bees upon a queen-inhabited bough.
Oh, how they listened to Jesus!
Listened with all their hearts, and peace filled their souls. It was as though they had entered into an infinite tranquility. Their hearts beat as one with the heart of God, their breathing like that of a sea at rest.
Glorious, Heaven-revealing, soul-searching, hopekindling words poured from His great heart into theirs, fluent as a rill that cascades silver-footed down a hill.
There was apparently no hope of loosing their thoughts or eyes from the dear Figure which stood straight and tall and fragrant as a lily in their midst.
Then it was that they bethought themselves of the roof and surmounted their difficulties. For truly when the soul sets out to seek its Maker, thronging difficulties impose themselves about the door. Taking up a square of roof, they lowered the bed down unto the presence of the Lord by the sensible expedient of four cords which they attached securely to the four corners of the bed.
What a picture of the mission of the Foursquare Gospel!
The palsied man is the world, sick miserable and helpless, as was the poor man who lay upon that pallet.
The four men with the four ropes are like the four phases of the Foursquare Gospel: Salvation, Divine Healing, The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the Second Coming of the Lord.
Behold that palsied invalid!
Inert, desolate, his voice as the thin, faint song of the wind when it wearily sighs in the grass. His eyes hollows of sickness, his dank, colorless hair clinging unto his ashen cheek like sea-weed to a clam. Despondency clothes him like a garment; dead while he liveth.
Yet no more hopeless is he than is the world bound by the chains of disease and sin.
The four ropes let the palsied man down into the presence of Christ and the four cords of the Foursquare Gospel can and will support the sick world into the presence of the Lord today.
But had any one of the four men pulled harder upon one rope than upon another, the bed upon which the sick lay would have become unbalanced and, tojhis great injury, he would have been unceremoniously spilled off.
So with the preaching of the Foursquare message. The ropes must be kept even, if we are not to spill our “man.”
For instance, some people with an unbalanced Gospel, get the light of the Second Coming of Christ and preach it to the exclusion of all else. Finally, through confining their studies and their sermons to this phase of the Gospel alone, they become sidetracked. Some have gone to such extremes as that of setting dates announcing the time of His blessed returning. As a matter of fact the Lord Himself declared concerning His second appearing:
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Matt. 24:36.
Some of these good people have even gone so far afield as to dispose of their possessions and go forth at a given hour expecting the Lord to come for them.
Now, children of the Lord who do things of this nature must surely be good earnest people at heart. Anyone who is able to go forth with a cleansed heart knowing that should the Lord appear at that moment he is ready and longing to greet Him, must be good. But they are off balance and out of form.
Likewise, some who have the light upon the subject of Divine Healing preach that one subject to the exclusion of all else, and go in for healing missions without the attendant preaching of heart preparation through acceptation of Christ the Saviour.
They fail to observe the Scripture, ‘““Lay hands suddenly on no man,” and pray for the sick without teaching the way of faith through repentance and obedience. The result is that the one prayed for goes away saying:
“So and so prayed for me, and I was not healed.”
Or more often he is apt to say:
“So and so, the healer, gave me a treatment but there is nothing in it. I didn’t think it would do me any good and it didn’t! Still it cost nothing and I thought I might as well try it.”’
This is what we term “spilling the man off’’ and usually does more harm than good. He came without the slightest knowledge of the Scriptures upon the subject of the Great Physician. He rested his hopes for healing not upon the Word or upon faith in Christ, but in the one who prayed for and ministered unto him, and therefore was not healed. God will not give His glory to another.
Then, too, there are those’ who have the light upon the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Once they have this glorious message poured into their hearts and minds they are apt to preach it to the exclusion of the Evangelistic and Missionary themes. Like Peter, James and John, they desire to abide upon the mountain and never come down. The result is an increased feasting upon the ecstatic and the fleshly manifestations. A meeting has lost its charm for them unless there is a great abundance of spiritual emotion.
“How was the meeting last night?” we ask.
“Oh glorious!’ comes the answer.
“So-and-so just danced with joy; So-and-so had a message in the Spirit; So-and-so had a vision.”
“Splendid! But how many were at the altar seeking salvation?”
“Oh, it wasn’t that kind of a meeting, Sister, but we had a glorious time!’
Of course they did and the service of edification of the saints is not only glorious but vitally necessary.
But let us keep a balanced Gospel, else by pulling too hard on the one cord we shall tip to the side of fanaticism.
Thank God there is a balanced Gospel, a Foursquare Gospel, which bears the suffering world into the healing arms of the Great Physician! And it is possible to keep those cords even and successfully convey the needy thereby unto Him, who is still the Great I Am.
What must have been the sick man’s feeling when he gazed up through the midst of struggling tears which strove for an outlet and beheld that smiling incarnation of loveliness, Jesus the Christ!
It must have seemed that the spell of a deathless dream was upon him!
The eyes of the Master were smiling down, melting like the stars in June.
See Him!
Hope floods his poor heart, the hand of the Lord is stretching out to clasp his own lifeless one. It is held in a strong, warm grasp.
New life is tingling along his awakening senses.
He trembles as a leaf that blows upon a mountain.
He lifts his weary head a mite, his eyes riveted upon that wondrous down bending, smiling face.
He is as a flower after a drought that drinks in the steady falling rain.
All his thoughts run into tears, like sunshine int rain.
He is alive again!
He is filled with life!
He is standing upon his feet shouting, laughing, crying, praising the Lord, embracing his fellows. Christ has made him whole!
What a glorious, powerful, complete Gospel the Lord hath given us!
It is a gospel for body, soul and spirit, and prepares the heart for the coming of the Lord. May we then be ever yielded unto His blessed Spirit, and with all obedience and humbleness of mind rightly divide the Word of Truth, that about us once more the weak may be made strong, and the disconsolate be filled with joy.
In order to bear the world to Christ we, as rministering neighbors, need the four ropes.
We need a Foursquare Gospel — a Gospel. filled with the Holy Ghost.
This is absolutely the message of the hour. This is the dispensation of the Holy Ghost. This is the Lord’s great call to His Church to arise, shake her garments from the dust and get back to God’s fulness. And He honors that message with His power and presence.
The difficulty is that so many who speak upon this subject, preach a negative rather than a positive message. No sooner do they announce the subject and get launched in the theme, than they begin to say;
“Now, it must be remembered that one does not receive the Holy Ghost today as did the believers in the Bible days. Just come forward and kneel at the altar a moment.
“Now, do you desire the Holy Ghost?”
“Yes! Oh yes!’
“Now quietly and without any emotion or feeling, do you receive the Holy Ghost by faith?”
“Y-y-yes, at least I am trying to.”
“Well then you may rise and thank God for it. Now you have received the Holy Ghost, and that’s all there is to it.”
“Have I been filled with the Spirit now?”
“Yes, only you don’t know it. Just go on now and from day to day, it will sort of grow upon you.”
But oh, it does not work that way! Brother and Sister, let us cast aside our modern twentieth century method! Let us discard it and scrap it as useless, as a tried and proven failure, and let us get back to the mighty Baptism of Bible days.
In a certain parable, the Lord has told us about a man whose friend came to him at night, asking food to appease his hunger. Going to his cupboard, the man discovered his shelves to be bare.
Often have I pictured him coming back and apologizing to his friends thus:
“Friend, in your journey you have come to me for food and succor; but I have nothing to set before you.”
ae oft in fancy have I heard that hungry one reply:
“But what shall I do? To whom else shall I turn but to thee? You are God’s child. You are supposed to have the food and the sustenance to give me. If you fail, then whither shall I turn?”
“T tell you I have nothing to set before you. But wait, I have a friend who has enough and to spare. I will go to him, borrow three loaves and return quickly. Tarry here for me.”
Away he flew down the moonlit highway, ne’er stopping until he came to the portal of the house of plenty. There he knocked and knocked at the door until he received the loaves he sought.
What is the meaning of this parable?
The meaning is this. We are the Church of Jesus Christ. Hungry, starving, needy, the World is knocking at our door.
“O Church, Iam an hungered. I long for something that will satisfy. I am sinful; Iam sick; [am needy. Have you aught with which to satisfy my hungry heart?) Can you offer me one ray of hope? I am bound with sins and habits and appetites which have no power to break. Has the Church power to break these chains and set me free?”
“Tyst a moment, World, and I will see.”
Away we haste to look upon our shelves of faith supply, and how often, alas! we are like ‘Old Mother Hubbard who went to the cupboard, to get her poor dog a bone. When she got there the cupboard was bare, and so the poor dog had none.” Returning, we are obliged to say:
“T am very sorry, but you see we do not believe in old-fashioned altar calls any more, or in people getting down and erying and praying through until they find oie THE HO.Luy SPIRIT that born again experience. However, if you will just sign this card, shake hands with the pastor and join this church, we will do the best we can for you and give you a real church home.” “But Iam so hungry!” cries the World. “I long for the old time power that can miraculously change the life.
“And I am sick! Tell me, Church, have you any Divine Healing upon your cupboard shelves? In my sickness I have become addicted to narcotics and opiates. I feel as though the great coils of a serpent are winding about me and crushing my life away! Is there any hope for me, O Church? Have you faith to believe that the Lord can deliver me instantly from this habit?”
“No — weare sorry for you, but we do not believe such poweris for today. We have some very nice institutions for such as you, however. Perhaps if you will go there they could strap you down for a few weeks, and if you live through the ordeal of treatment, you will be better until the next temptation comes; and if you have a strong will power you may hold out forever.”
“But in my Bible I read of a Lord who casts out unclean spirits and heals those who are grievously tormented.’
“Ah, yes; but you don’t understand, my man. Those things took place in the Apostolic Day. Things have changed now, you know, and God’s cupboard shelves are bare and stripped of all things miraculous. I fear there is no divine healing or deliverance such as you mention, left.”
“Then tell me, Church, have you the baptism of the Holy Ghost to offer? I have heard about it. It must be wonderful. I saw someone once whose face shone, whose voice was vibrant. He seemed filled with the glory of God. Could you give me any information as to how I could receive the Pentecostal fulness?”
“T am sorry, but our shelves are bare of this also. In fact, we do not believe that it is for today.”
“Oh, Iam so hungry! I cannot go away unfilled — unfed! Must I go back and fill my being with the husks the swine do eat, and feed upon the pleasures of the earth? Must I be content with a mere profession when I do long for real possession?”’
“Just a moment, World. Justa moment. You have caught us unprepared, but we have a Friend called Jesus Christ, Who is the same yesterday, today and forever, and we are assured that in His storehouse there is plenty. Tarry here a moment until we go and ask Him for a full supply.” ,
Come, Church! Come! Let us join hands and speed down the road and never stop until we beat with importunate hands upon the portals of the Almighty.
Rap! Rap! Rap!
“Awake, O Friend, most high and glorious!”
Instantly the window of Heaven is opened and the voice of the Master is heard.
“T am awake, my child. Behold, I neither slumber nor sleep. What can I do for you down there, importunate one? What is it you seek in these wee small hours of the morning?”
“O Saviour dear! A friend of mine in His journey is come, and I have nothing to set before him. The World, sick, sinful, heavy laden, stands on my threshold with outstretched hands, and my cupboard of faith is bare. Modernism will not fill him. Higher criticism is but chaff that will not assuage his appetite. Coldness and formality can never bring him a satisfying portion. I have nothing — nothing — nothing!
“Friend! Friend, I pray Thee, arise and give me that of which I stand in need! Please send unto me three loaves, and I shall take them down to my pulpit and there dispense them to the hungry. Salvation, Divine Healing, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit; the possession of a Triune God for a triune man are the loaves I need. I realize that neither psychology nor reform will satisfy the hunger of a seeking heart.
“Arise! Arise, and from Thy fulness, from out Thy bounteous store give me, O Lord, that which I need!’
Hark!
Hear His step moving along the upper corridor. His sandaled feet are coming down the stepping stones of the starry heavens. The cupboard door of His promises swings open, the bolt is shot back and the door of intercession is flung wide.
There, framed in the glow of eternal light, stands the King of the Ages, His outstretched arms o’erflowing with the Bread of Life.
With joy we read, ‘‘He gave him as many as he had need of.”
Oh, I am so glad that there is no shortage in God’s pantry!
“Thank you, Friend! Thank you! Thank you! I will go back now and give unto the World that of which he stands in need.”’
THE HOLY SPIRIT ot
See him running home. See him cutting the loaves and calling out with gusto:
“Come, hungry man! Come right in! Sit down and fill your hungry heart to overflowing. You want Salvation? Here isa-plenty. You desire to be healed? Here is the loaf. Reach forth your hand and take it. You long for the baptism of the Holy Ghost? Here are your three loaves; eat to your heart’s content!”
Come Brother! Come Sister! Let us arise and go hand in hand unto the Saviour ere another hour shall strike with silver chimes the fading of the day. The World in its journey has come to us, and we have naught to set before it. Let us arise and beat upon the portals of the Omnipotent until He has filled us, thrilled us, permeated us with His Spirit, heaped our arms with loaves, and sent us back capable of meeting the diversified needs of our present day.
Lord Jesus, breathe upon us now! Sweep from our hearts all that would hinder Thy Holy Spirit from having right-of-way! Wash us afresh with Thy Precious Blood! Behold, we place ourselves anew upon Thine Holy Altar! Bind us to the horns thereof with strong cords of love! Descend upon us in flames of fire from out the heavenly altars! Baptize us now with power!
Lord, we give to Thee, no matter what the cost, complete right-of-way in our lives. We do not seek the popular way, nor are we cutting corners. We are not seeking that which will help us to stand high in the opinions of the high priests of the synagogue. We are crying unto you for such old-fashioned, dynamic, Holy Ghost power as will bring men and women unto Thee.
Come, Lord, fill our cup to overflowing! Grant, we pray Thee, that such a wave of hunger shall come o’er this congregation that none of us shall rest ere we have tarried until we have been endued with power from on high, and been sent speeding back to meet the world with the requisite for all its needs!