Waiting on God (With Lessons From A. B. Simpson's Testimony) — Hans R. Waldvogel

I was glad for the things our sister from Canada said, because I went through that stage. I know how it is to be tortured by a prayer meeting. It's something like happened to me when I was a boy and worked in a shop.

Every time we had a picnic, church picnic, I would have picnicitis the next day. I was tortured. I thought I had rheumatism. But it was nothing in the world but stretched muscles. And one day I talked to a fellow that was working with me and he said, you see how badly you need exercise.

That's your whole trouble. My muscles were not accustomed to working. And when you're tortured in the presence of God and in the silence, it shows how greatly you need to practice the presence of God.

It is very, very, very strange to me that everybody talks about God and nobody pays attention to him. The Bible says that God is, and God says be still. Be still, be still. I'm reminded of another sister from Canada who came to our meetings and she says, goodness, are these meetings dead?

Our preachers are on their feet all the time. In other words, there's always something going. Well, you might as well put a jack-in-the-box on the platform. Preachers on his feet all the time. Oh, if preachers would only get out of the way and let God.

I think the great victory of this work, we spoke of it last night in connection with our work in Germany. What rivers of blessing are flowing. We have over there now quite a number of assemblies that are blossoming holy ghost assemblies.

You would be surprised if you got into those meetings and recognized the wonderful presence of God, and the wonderful things God's been doing for souls. And what has been the reason for it? Well, it's been the fact that we have tried to abide at the fountain of living waters.

Before I came to Brooklyn, I worked with a minister in Chicago. And he used to say to me, let's keep the pot boiling. Let's keep the pot boiling. What he meant was let's keep ministers jumping up and down.

He would have one evangelist. The whirlwind from Texas. And when the whirlwind from Texas got through entertaining the people for two or three weeks, then he got the cyclone from the sands of California.

And when the cyclone got blown out by then, he got a bass drum from Alabama or something. And the result was that the people were paralyzed. They had nothing to do but to sit there and be tickled behind the ears.

And give a collection, of course. Now, let's take a love offering. This man, you know, he's, of course, living by faith. But, you know, you can't run a train to California by faith. You've got to have a real ticket, so let's take a love offering.

Now, come on, we'll stand while we sing Blessed Quietness. And pass the hat. Well, excuse me. But it's funny, just to say. But when God had made us to find him, and come out of the labyrinth and out of the thorn bushes and out of the awful desert experience into the sanctuary of the most high God, and we looked upon his face.

We came to Brooklyn. Somebody said, what are you going to do in Brooklyn? That's a hopeless place. Absolutely hopeless. And when I came here, one of the leading brethren met me. And he said, I'm sorry you came here.

There's nothing to do in here. That was the how do you do. Heavy on the how do you do. That was heavy on the how do you do, folks. That's the greeting I received. Well, I said, all I'm going to do in Brooklyn is seek the Lord.

I said, I don't care whether people come or whether they don't come. Brother Miller came from the lighthouse one night. And he said, you know what I saw down the lighthouse? All these German people, the whole row of them.

And it was the Amanda. And so they said to me, now you go and get the bag. You go and visit them and bring the bag. I said, I'll do nothing of the sort. God bring in the people. God brought them in. But it was wonderful how he brought them in from the very beginning.

Thank God there were a few souls who knew the Lord. Sister Schweiger was there. And two or three others that really knew the Lord. The meeting opened. God came to that place and I was satisfied. I knew that the people didn't understand what was going on.

But a few. But I knew what was going on. I knew that God had taken charge of the place. And it was very wonderful to me. It was a hard thing to teach people why they looked around. Sister Mariken was a good example.

One night, and she looked at me and she said, my, what goodness. I thought they had an evangelist. Here he sits with his eyes closed. He does nothing. And then she looked to the right and somebody did nothing.

They had their eyes closed. To the left, they had their eyes closed. Nothing was going on. Everybody was still. She called for a song. Number 37. I said, thank you, sister. We'll wait just a while. While Jesus is walking through the aisles and blessing the people.

We'll sing that song a little bit later. She had been accustomed to that. So people still kept their eyes closed. And she thought, well, might as well close my eyes too. And so she closed her eyes. And then God got a chance.

She told us later how her heart began burning within her. It began burning. She'd never felt that sensation before. I said, well, you don't have to tell anybody what that is. People that are hungry for God, they'll quickly know why Jesus has come.

Why it's the Lord. She recognized it right away. And she went down to Imagine Avenue. Jesus is there. I tell you, nothing satisfies but Jesus. Jesus is the way. Why do we try to find another way? Jesus is the way.

Nothing for me to do. Jesus is the way. Oh, but until this heart of mine is silenced to know God. That's the great job God has with his people. He says, be still. There's a man from whose life has flowed great blessing.

Dr. A .B. Simpson. Thanks with the greatest of the great in the kingdom of heaven. But he wasn't always like that. He was one time a very popular preacher. But he got so sick. Had a nervous breakdown.

The doctor advised him to quit preaching. He couldn't make it anymore. He was too nervous. And in this tract he was told that God was in his heart waiting to manifest himself to him personally. If he would only get still enough to hear his voice.

So Dr. Simpson said, well, I'll try that. I'm a nervous wreck anyway. He went into his room, locked the door. He said he attempted to get still. But no sooner had he gotten still when a regular pandemonium of noise was present.

He didn't know they were there, you know, until he tried to get still. When he tried to get still there were a thousand and one thoughts that clamored for attention. Did you ever reflect where do these thoughts come from?

Where do they come from when you have a lot of pesky flies around you? There must be a pile of manure someplace. Excuse the expression. It's a stick. Where do these thoughts come from? They don't come from the Lord.

But they come from someplace where the carcass is. There will be vultures gather. Well, it's a fact. But Dr. Simpson recognized it and he still tried to get still. So he hung on to his chair, kneeling there.

And then he says when these thoughts kind of abated then all kinds of needs clamored for attention. Got to pray for this and that and the other. And now you've got to get up and write a sermon for next Sunday.

Oh, there was such a busy lot of things that pressed for attention. And presently the Lord said get still, get still, get still. Strange. Isn't it strange that we insist on abiding in the outer court?

Where we hear the crack of the whip of the slave driver and the mooing of the oxen and the doves and the changers of money. We've got to hear that all the time or we're tortured. Get into the holiest of all and there isn't a sound and there isn't a sight.

There isn't a light there. Only God is there. Alone with Jesus. Oh, what would happen if I got alone with Jesus? But what will happen if I don't get alone with Jesus? Why, I miss him. I'm going to miss him when he comes.

I tell you, I'm going to miss him when he comes. He says to the Father, Father, I will. That they whom thou has given me be with me where I am. I in them and thou in me. That they may be made perfect in one.

And that the world may know that thou has loved me. And that thou has loved them as thou has loved me. What a mystery. I, Jesus, are you in me now? Not if I'm not alone with thee. Not if I let all kinds of idols roam around in my heart.

To be alone with Jesus doesn't mean to be alone in a room. But it means to be alone with him. It means to have no attention to anybody but him. To have my heart so cleansed of every thought and every affection.

Every affinity. Every attitude. That Christ is all and in all. We talk about it. We sing about it. But very seldom do you find a person that presses through. But Dr. Simpson did. He said he got still.

And it took a long, long time. But he made up his mind that he was going to get still. And finally he says all these noises and all these voices ceased to be heard. He heard them no more. And then he said a still small voice made itself heard in the depth of his spirit.

He recognized immediately that it was the voice of the bridegroom, Jesus. It had been speaking all the time. But he never gave it a chance. He had never heard it before for the sounds of other voices.

That's what the matter was most critical. He said the change that came over his life was phenomenal. Jesus became. He somehow entered into that sacred, sacred holy place of the Lord. And he made the exchange.

He said Jesus Christ became his all and in all. Read a good tract. Read the tract called Himself. How did he have sought holiness? And he thought God would give him a basket full of holiness so he could walk off with it and then draw from it.

But he found out that when Jesus revealed himself to him, he didn't give him anything. Nothing. He said, I'm going to be your holiness now. You will have to depend on me for every word and every step you take.

And I will supply you with all the holiness you need. He says, I'm your righteousness. I'm your holiness. Any of it except what you need for every moment. He explained it like this. He said, I have a large account in the bank of heaven.

Millions upon millions. Ten dollars a day. Go to Jesus every day and draw what I need. Oh, how it keeps me united to him. Without me you can do nothing. Jesus binds you to himself. Or think of planning or doing anything for God yourself.

You know you can't. Not to live. I don't have. Holiness of God. Spiritual you can make yourself. Or you can jump straight up and down. Or you can preach something. All would he and stubble before the Lord.

I suggested to someone who wanted a name for his. I said, if you want a name, that's nobody very different. From all the religious. But Dr. Simpson tells. How that formerly when he preached two sermons a week, he was knocked out.

Now, sometimes he had to preach ten, twenty times a week. Get knocked out. He didn't get nervous. Sermon was given to him at the right. Jesus that supplied him with all that he will sanctify. Then meet for the thing held true of divine healing.

He thought now. Now Jesus is my healer. Now it's going to make me strong. He had to depend upon Jesus. Sleep, except to Jesus for the night. Less than that. Because it doesn't talk. Jesus Christ will teach you marvelous lessons.

When he becomes the way. Excellency of the knowledge of Christ. Jesus. My cannot teach you. Cannot teach me. To somebody. The other day in Germany. And I didn't know it from Adam. Two years ago. Brother Walpole was in Berlin.

I had been there only a few days. Only for a few meetings. Of Jesus Christ. I never knew anything about that. But since that time. He's been the fountain of life for me. He's been living out his own life within me.

There was somebody that got hold. But my father is in heaven. And you'll find out something that you don't find out. In the Christian life magazine. Or any magazine. You've got to find it from the heart of Jesus.

I'm not saying anything against the magazine. I needed some wrapping paper the other day. And I was so glad that magazine was lying on the tree. It's a wonderful magazine I'm sure. The love stories are marvelous.

How they stir hearts of young people. Lay themselves upon the altar. Or into the icebox. Or someplace. Oh if you look into the heart of Jesus. If you get along with him. You'll find him. Jesus. But they're not like himself.

Himself is the way. Himself speaks to me. Himself comes to me. Himself reveals. It cannot be. Until I make that exchange. Until I get still. Until I get alone. I reveal myself to you. He said I haven't been able to make you.

I could have told them. To have no trouble. When nobody praises me. Is to have a blessed home in the Lord. Or how does it go. I got to brush up on it. Well I tell you. Where some theologian. Comes to Wheaton.

To get off to another big shop in Sweden. In the same city. Because that other man. Is also a Pentecostal minister. And he won't get under his tooth. To the convention. Don't go to the other place first.

Because if you put your nose into his church. He won't accept you anymore. He'll write about you in his paper. He'll run. The other big shot came here one day. I'm coming to get a doctor degree. But from another university.

He said you know Bob Jones. I said yes I know Bob Jones. Bob Jones college. You know it would be a wonderful blessing. If for two weeks we do. You'd say what's your name. And he'd say we're a legion. Falling in the tombs.

And beating yourself. You'd get still. You'd find God. Waiting to come to me. Waiting to come to my heart. Waiting. To reveal his son to me. And oh to get still. I understand my sister well. It was to me.

But today it's heaven. Oh how very wonderful. I'd like to say another thing to our sister. And all of us. This is not a new way at all. I think it was new. When God began to off the track. I thought I was getting into some fanaticism.

And then I discovered the little book by Madame Guyon. Which created a great religious war. A short and easy method of prayer. Oh I said why she had that. I discovered church taken. And I found out that he had found it.

St. Francis of Assisi. I found the early church lived. St. Augustine. In his city of God. Why I found out that that's the only way. It is when Jesus Christ becomes enthroned. In our hearts and minds. When we come into our meetings.

We find out what he. It was a. You know. No essence of God. It just. Came upon me. It held me. Everybody recognized it. But he should have been the very. Oh God. Until. Again remind us of. Well. I said.

I'm Masa. I don't know. The Bible. Why. Why. Why. Why. Why. Why. Why. Why. Why. Why. And feeding their souls on the husks that they find round about in this earth, that I have not been able to feed them with manna that are from the secret place of the Most High, but those who love Me, who are behind Me, and it is they whom I will introduce into the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven.

I have been speaking to them by My Spirit, I have caused them to be written in the Word, the truth, and the life, and that no man cometh unto the Father but by Me. And lo, they run around and they seek other ways instead of coming to Me, instead of taking My yoke upon themselves, instead of being bound together with Me, and allowing Me to be their way, and manifesting My life within them.

In quaint ways, but I've been trying to gain your attention to this one grand thing. If you want to lose the way, you must have Me.