August 7^th, 1996 “Holiness, Faith and Love” Whitson Paul

Psalm 48:1-2

"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.'

This was the great longing of king David who loved the Lord. He wanted to see a holy Jerusalem. This is the longing of a true child of God born of the Spirit. Such people will labour to see the House of God or the holy Jerusalem built. Those who have lost this travail in soul are spiritually dying.

David wanted God to be praised in the city of God, in the mountain of His holiness. His desire reveals a zeal for God's holiness. It was the city of the great King.

I had to go through the length and breadth of Delhi recently, not for sight seeing but because our meetings were arranged in different places. I saw a big circular building. I asked what it was. They said that it was the Supreme Court. It was the time of preparation for the Independence Day. Delhi has a royalty about it. But the kin₉dom of God has far greater royalty. Are you seeing the kingdom of God and is the Lord Jesus the King of your life?

John 20 Look at Thomas, the disciple of the Lord. He got stuck in his faith. He said, “except I see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into his riven side I wilt not believe.” John 20:25. He could believe in a human Jesus. He sympathized with Him when He was crucified. Now the resurrected Jesus was there. People said that He had risen again. But Thomas could not believe in the majesty and the resurrection glory of Jesus. He could accept Jesus as a friend. He could not accept Him as King in his life. We need to accept the Lord as king and labour for Him as for a king. When I see people without any burden for God's kingdom, it grieves me very much. We are here to build the kingdom of the great King.

Ps. 48:12 “Walk about Zion and go round about her; tell the towers thereof.” Towers were the most important structures on the walls of a city. In the old times cities were surrounded with walls. In the corners and near the gate there were towers. There were people specially trained to keep the towers. They were to be watching all the time.

I happened to stay in Delhi in a compound where there was a watchman. It was a round-the-clock watch. That is what God wants in His house. Here we want to pray 7 times a day. We need to be watchful in the tower of God

Secondly, V.13 "Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following." What are these bulwarks? They are holiness, faith and love. People want to bypass these things. Some think they are experts in preaching and giving counsels. That is not going to give strength to the kingdom of God. Reinforced concrete is used to strengthen buildings. So many materials go in the right ratio to make the concrete. So too we need to be very, very careful about holiness, faith and love which make for our united strength.

Thirdly, in the city of the great king the palaces are very important. I was happy to see the beautiful houses in Delhi - houses where ministers live. Here palaces symbolize perfect, faultless testimony. Do people see you balanced in your temperament? Do you speak right things? Are you humble servants in the house of God? We require a lot of help in our campus. We have an International ministry here. We work sometimes day and night. To keep this house of God as a house of prayer is very big work.

John Wycliffe was one of those who studied the Word of God carefully. He was a Reader of Divinity at the university of Oxford. He could understand correctly the doctrines of God's Word. He could see the uselessness of lifeless tradition. He was particular about the new life in Jesus. He believed that the gospel should be preached and people should understand the righteousness of God. He prayed that the light of God should be kindled throughout Europe. He was the morning star of the Reformation. Do you have convictions that will glorify God? God expects each one of you to build His kingdom and establish His righteousness.