Having a Spiritual Life Outside of Church Meetings — Hans R. Waldvogel

I was trying to sing the Ritmico Spiritual Waltz in Berklee the other day, and I couldn't remember but a few words, but those words were significant. They didn't know it. Oh, Miss Hannah, ain't you going out tonight?

The mockingbird am singing and the moon am shining bright. And the bandit says, put on your Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes. Well, that's what we do. Our Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes. And our Sunday-go-to-meeting face.

But you know, the thing that really counts is what we do between meetings. That's the place where we meet God. You ever found that out? That is not near as important to make a holy face in meetings. And then to look like an old hag outside of it.

Oh, no way. In between meetings, to practice the presence. Oh, that's the wonderful thing. That's where Jesus lives out. His life within us. And that's how he taught his disciples. And I'm so thankful for the simplicity.

The utter childlike simplicity of this godliness. Profitable. Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising. Thou understandest my thoughts afar off. What are your thoughts? When you get up in the morning.

When you go to breakfast table. When you go to your work. When you meet with trials and difficulties. God watches. God knows. God sees. Thou knowest my thoughts afar off. Why should God be interested in knowing my thoughts?

Shouldn't I be interested then to adjust my thoughts? Why, that's praying without teaching. Nothing else is. Oh, my Lord. Keep my mind stayed on Jesus all the time. It is a wonderful job. A very wonderful job.

Church Meetings as Preparation for Daily Spiritual Warfare

But how long does it take until we discover it? We think we're doing God a favor when we go to meetings. God's doing us a favor. He's setting us in. He's adjusting us. He's helping us. He's anointing us with fresh oil.

He puts the... He makes us able to go forth to warfare. But what would you think of a soldier who struts around during the parade and goes to pick strawberries? Yes, as long as the parade is redeemed.

How I love to proclaim it. Why, we have quite a good time. We're quite spiritual. But to be anointed. A wonderful blessing. The proof of real Christianity. When everything goes wrong. The man works. What hypocrites we are.

What white as sepulchers. Really. Put on your Sunday-going-to-meeting clothes. We met some in Germany. Some young ministers who came under conviction when they came to us. They'd been preaching all around the district there.

And they told us later how they used to live. To the church where they had to hold meetings. They'd make a joke of it. They'd say, now... Then they'd go into the church to preach. But they found out what hypocrites they were.

Jesus as the Source of Abundant Life

And yes, we're like that. Jesus is my life. If he isn't my life, then I don't possess him. Then I don't have him. If he's only mine in meeting. But no, thank God. He is my life. He came. That we might have life.

You go to the table three times a day perhaps. And in between to the ice cream parlor. To get strength. Well sure, you live while you're sitting at the table eating. But you don't stop living when you get up from the table.

That's what you're eating for. That's what we go to meetings for. To prepare for in between meetings. I think it would be a wonderful lesson if we wrote it in our hearts again. Joyful that we keep our minds set on Jesus.

After all, the Lord Jesus is our Redeemer. He has come to redeem us from the corruption that is in the world. He has his own life. Here's the new creation. And only God can create it. Before God. We're choosing.

Yielding Daily Choices to God's Work

We choose our prayer time. We choose our Bible study time. When it really ought to be God working in us to wish good pleasure. Like Jesus. Get close to Jesus. So that. Found the way. Unless we have to be the way.

Oh, it eliminates all my own plans. And all my own wishes and decisions. And desires. Should do. Moment. Says in that wonderful 139 psalm. We ought to give thanks. Because I am fearfully made. Somebody asked me how do the oranges taste in Palestine.

Well, they taste like oranges. They're a little flat to my taste. But I ate some there. And I had a wonderful blessing out of eating an orange. You know how. I searched. An orange and put it in my mouth.

Or part of it. And started to eat it. And started to chew it. And I thought now. Isn't it a wonderful thing now. I have nothing to do with the assimilation of this orange. And turning it into blood and tissue.

And strength and. God does all that. God has supplied my mouth with saliva. You ever thank God for your saliva. It's wonderful. It's a wonderful solution. It's the best hair tonic. Trying to get something under your teeth in my mouth.

That's why the saliva went to work. And dissolved the sugar. The whole process was done by God himself. Scientists will say nature. Nature nothing. It's God that does it. God that takes care of your skin.

And your freckles. Of the hair on your head. Of every part of your body. Functions so marvelously. That I'm not surprised that David says. I thank you Lord. Because I'm fearfully amazed. Is it right to think about those things.

God's Marvelous Creation of Body and Soul

Why tell you it's wrong. Not to think about them. And if the body is so marvelous. No human mind can comprehend the marvel of it. When you think of the brain. As wonderful as the Rockefeller institution.

Every one of those billions. And they all function together in a most marvelous way. You look. You say you see something. You don't see it at all. There is a million thoughts of God. That take the light rays.

And put them through the lens of your eye. That lens alone. Is a perfect marvel of God's creation. My just to think of those things. Just to contemplate these things. Make your heart leap within you. And if the body is so marvelously constituted.

What shall we say of the soul. This soul of mine. I Mount High O soul of mine. Rise up and soar away. This soul that takes in the whole universe. Takes in heaven and eternity. This wonderful creation.

That no one can fathom. You've got it. I have it. God gave it to us. God keeps it going. God every moment keeps it aligned. To God. Shall we say of this outpouring. Of the spirit of God. Moment by moment.

Praying Without Ceasing as Divine Life

Shall I not pay attention to him. Shall I not pray without ceasing. It isn't something I can choose. Or drop at will. In the name of life. Divine life. If I don't pray without ceasing. I cut myself off from this life.

Giving strength. And as I said on my trip. Every step of the way. In the plane. And on the earth. And in the ground. And every place. I was surrounded by that marvel. How wonderful it was. And two weeks ago.

When I was so sick. That I really thought of dying. One night. I looked at my watch. And I said. Somebody is praying for me at home. And with that thought of faith. Came a marvelous Jesus. Beloved. Praying without ceasing.

And if I confine that to meeting. Of living water. Keeping this lesson before us. For thirty years. It will be thirty years this month. That our meeting started. On Paschen Avenue. For thirty years. The Holy Ghost has.

Incessantly. Our attention. In many different ways. And now I know. Something is going on. In some minds. I'll tell you something. Some of you think. You've done very ill. And you. But God has done very very well.

You know that there are many people. In this assembly. Who pray without ceasing. It's the same. God's doing it for them. When your heart is all. When you wake up at night. Instinctively. You think of Jesus.

Trusting Christ Rather Than Trusting in Faith

The fire of God. Is to appreciate. What I wish today. I had appreciated. I wish I had known. The great wonders. That God does not want us. To depreciate. What he has done. He wants us to have great. Faith in ourselves.

Faith in our faith. But Jesus does not want us. To have faith in our faith. But he wants us to have faith in him. And that's why he says. Let not your heart be troubled. Right now. At this moment. That's the time to have faith.

Because Christ is there. Oh ye of little faith. Jesus is here. Hallelujah. Like the two little. Because. The deck was. And when the boat went up. On this side. They sat down. And slid down the other side.

And then the boat. Went up by itself. And then they turn around. And slide down. And they were. Frolicking and having a good time. Until one of the despair. Olden. We're dying. That this boat. To distrust ourselves.

But we have. A thousand bones. And that's the time. To be spiritual. And that's the time. Not to let your heart. Be troubled. That's the time. To put your confidence. In him. I've learned to say this.

When. Everything seems. To go wrong. Jesus. This is the time. I trust. Wonderful experience. And you'll find. That he's never failed. He'll never come back. And say. Well I wasn't able. For that. Situation.

Agreement in Prayer and Mutual Support

Oh let us learn. Our lessons. We might as well. Learn them not. We might. As well. We have a sister. In this assembly. Who. Didn't eat. Wisdom. By the shovel full. But she has learned. One lesson. Aunt Rose told her.

One day. You know her. To agree. Is touching. Anything. It shall be done. For me. Since then. She comes with. Every little thing. To Aunt Rose. And says. Come on. Let's agree. We might as well. Take advantage of it.

Why not. Father. In meetings.