11. What promise of comfort did Jesus give to His disciples that extends right to the close of time? Matthew 28:20.
NOTE: ‘Those who work for God will meet with discouragement, but the promise is always theirs: “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20. God will give a most wonderful experience to those who will say: “I believe Thy promise; I will not fail nor become discouraged.”’ The Colporteur Evangelist, page 85.
12. We have been promised the Holy Spirit’s blessing with us in these last times, but on what condition? Zechariah 10:1.
NOTE: ‘God desires to refresh His people by the gift of the Holy Spirit, baptising them anew in His love. There is no need for a dearth of the Holy Spirit in the church. After Christ’s ascension, the Holy Spirit came upon the waiting, praying, believing disciples with a fulness and power that reached every heart. In the future the earth is to be lightened with the glory of God. A divine influence is to go forth to the world from those who are sanctified through the truth. The earth is to be encircled with an atmosphere of grace. The Holy Spirit is to work on human hearts, taking the things of God and showing them unto men. It is true that in the time of the end, when God’s work in the earth is closing, the earnest efforts put forth by consecrated believers under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, are to be accompanied by special tokens of divine favour. Under the figure of the early and the latter rain, that falls in Eastern lands at seed-time and harvest, the Hebrew prophets foretold the bestowal of spiritual grace in extraordinary measure upon God’s church. The out-pouring of the Spirit in the days of the apostles was the beginning of the early, or former rain, and glorious was the result. But the latter rain will be more abundant. What is the promise to those living in these days? “Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope; even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee.” “Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to everyone grass in the field.”’ Christian Service, page 250
LESSON INSIGHT: The heavenly gate closes! What if it were during tonight! One day it will happen, for every other prophecy has been fulfilled. What would you wake up to? On that day there will be no Holy Spirit for those who have denied Him. There will be no still small voice anymore. There will be no forgiveness. As the Holy Spirit has been rejected, so will you be rejected. The Comforter will have left you. And Jesus will not be with you, and the Father will not be with you for, if you reject one, you have rejected all for, in a way we do not understand, they are One. There will just be you and Satan and as he continues to hate the image of God, he will mock and taunt you in your distress. We are coming up to the most serious time in the history of the earth. What decision will you make?
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT: The blessings and gifts and power of the Holy Spirit have never been recalled. They are ready for us to today, but they are only given to those who are working for the Master in His last work in the world. God asks us to deepen our working relationship with Him by asking for the help we need, and then rejoicing in the gifts He gives us to further His work in the world. As the Gospel work draws to a close in the world, our Saviour will give even further stronger evidences of His power to us, and we shall see His convicting power at work. As we see this power touching hearts and renewing them for the glory of God, there will be a wondrous rejoicing.
This will be the confirmation to us that the Truth we have known and loved was indeed of God, in spite of the scoffing of the sceptics. And we shall be refreshed. It will be as our Mount of Transfiguration before the experience of Gethsemane. All our sins will be blotted out of the books, but we shall be searching our hearts in anguish, as Jacob did, seeking the blessing of knowing that all is well with us. We, like Job, shall have to stand as a living witness our Saviour’s ability to transform sinners, but in the face of the full fury of the devil’s onslaughts.
Then our night of trial will be over. The end of all things is at hand. In the east we shall see a small black cloud half the size of a man’s hand, and the cry will go up. ‘Lo, this is our God! We have waited for Him. And He will save us! We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.’ The Great Controversy will soon be finished, and the Lord will come, bringing deliverance to His loyal and faithful people. The Spirit has pricked our consciences and wooed us, and won our hearts; the Spirit has filled our lives with His fruits; the Spirit has been our Comforter; the Spirit has given us the gifts of God so that the work of the Gospel could be accomplished; the Spirit has strengthened us to stand. And it is the Spirit who has pointed us to our Lord and Saviour and now He is coming! All praise for the work of the God, the Holy Spirit, who has withstood the evils of the one who considers himself to be the Vicar of Christ in the world. ‘By their fruits shall ye know them.’