Thoughts by Bro. Ernest Hawtin
[from LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES book 1]

MOON MEN
2/14166

          More and more men are engaged in bursting the bonds of gravity!  They are shooting for the moon and there seems to be no reason why they will not attain their objective. They have triumphed over the Earth’s pull of gravity, the atmosphere has been overcome, and what the astronaut will breathe, eat and wear is less and less of a problem.  In an age like this, must the saints remain Earth bound?  What are the promises of Scripture for those who are longing to fly who want to slip the ties of this World and have freedom in the Spirit?  Are there other dimensions, or just this one only?  The late Albert Einstein one time on the train was talking to a lady who was a missionary, and as this lady talked to him about spiritual things he exclaimed excitedly, “Lady, you must be in the seventh dimension!”  He very likely realized that the spiritual dimensions were the greatest of all!  Surely they are, but does not the church appear reluctant to exploit this realm?  Of course, there are more enemies here. Satan does not oppose wisdom that God gives for the benefit of natural men.  He bitterly opposes any light which God gives to the church for the saints. On such a tide are we now afloat. We must not hold back from anything the Scriptures indicate is ours, but rest in the assurance that, He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil.1:6).

          Well let us look ourselves over; have we wings, or no?  Is ascension just a dream?  Is there a possibility of soaring Heavenward?  Of leaving far behind the sordid World full of sin and evil?  Would we be so Heavenly minded we would be no earthly good?  Even in the natural, they have proved that more command may be exercised over the Earth from orbit than from here below!  Are you ready?  If it is possible to go let’s go!

          Seek those things which are above. How high?  Where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. (Col.3:1). That is beyond the present orbital attainments. How are we to attain?  We cannot make arrangements as they do for an earthly blast-off.  This is all in your mind.  Your mind is something very wonderful.  It is not limited to the confines of home or business.  In a split second you can be traversing the desert waste of Australia!  Or sojourning in the icy climes of the far North.  Set your affections, literally.  Mind the things above, not the things of Earth. For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: (Prov.23:7).

          If a man was always thinking of Hawaii and the beauty thereof, some day he would appear with a ukulele, singing the dreamy songs of that fair land. He would want to eat the food, and wear the garb and greet you with an Aloha and a lei.  Abraham’s mind was always off in a faraway land.  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder, and Maker is God. (Heb.11:10).  With his mind on that great city of God, what a change it made in his Earthly walk, if your mind is on nothing but business, you reek of that!  If it is money, the jingle of coin appears in your voice.  If it is fashion, your vocabulary consists of what’s in and, “What’s out?”  That may not be much to say but the race of style is very demanding, and to keep abreast of it is a lifetime work.  We live where our thoughts project!  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed (literally “transfigured”) by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. (Rom.12:2).

          When our mind is on the things above, we will think of true things, not untrue. (Phil.4:8).  Do not let any unscriptural term stay long in your mind or seldom pass your lips.  It would not be right for our mind to dwell on organization, popes, cardinals, superintendents, etc., being not in the vocabulary of the Spirit, but if it is apostles, and prophets, and teachers, etc., you can think about it as much as you please. I n the same manner, think of honest things, of just, pure, and lovely things, things of good report.  There is a sermon on each one of these.  This is how you think on those things which are above, as all these things belong to another World.  We adopt the habits, customs and language of that other world.  Think of the Beatles, and men, you will become more like a lady, and your hair will grow longer.  Think of the rebellious spirit that wants to be different, and you will want to grow a beard.  If you think the government is wrong, you will find yourself joining the parades of anti-this or anti-that, with no respect for authority. Think of the things above!  This is our calling.

          The high calling of God as mentioned in (Phil.3:14) is literally as in the margin the “upward calling” or the “On High” calling.  Yes!  It’s an upward pull!  Fred Smith said, “Horizontal tensions pull an individual apart — vertical tensions pull him together.”  We might add it is the same with the Body of Christ!  The mind of perfection is pictured for us in the teachings which surround the above-mentioned verse, but it must be called a moving picture.  Man’s perfection is, mechanically, something developed to operate without fault, but God’s idea of this is growth and maturity.  In the first place, Paul taught that this mind was not conscious of attainment.  You have met people, no doubt, so conscious of what they have of the Lord, so sure of themselves concerning the Word!  Their interpretations are always so right.  A cocksure infallibility is not the right attitude. The apostle was concerned with the righteousness which is of God by faith (Phil.3:9).  This faith in turn would produce in him a desire for five other things.  1. To know Him.  2. To know resurrection power.  3. To know the fellowship of His sufferings.  4. To go through the death procedure even as Christ.  5. To attain the resurrection. (Phil.3:10-11).

          We will not here consider an explanation of each of these five things which Paul desired, but his attitude toward them, which should be the mind of the perfect (Phil. 3:15). Though he did not count himself to have attained, nor was he conscious of attainments, he mentions, whereto we have already attained (Phil 3:16), which is certainly a case of the Word separating between soul and spirit, as there were some past attainments, but of which he was not to be conscious, but must keep on attaining.  The same with perfection, although he said in (verse 15), Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, he must think in this manner, Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: (Phil. 3:12).  The language of Heaven is a very versatile one.  We are something, and we are not something.  We have attained and we have not attained.  In earthly language this would not make sense.  But it is God’s language, and every time, it leaves us in the right spirit. It seems that in ministering to the saints, we point out many sides to the Truth, and, after the expounding, reasoning, and explaining is over, in five simple words, be led of the spirit!

          He had the mind of a pursuer, following after something.  A hunter is often in this mind.  He is tracking down game, and though the shades of night are falling, and he is miles from camp, still he pursues. “Perhaps it is just over yon hill.”  His mind is so taken up with pursuing, he has not thought of his own safety, it is now dark, and he is lost. “I follow after.”  No time to explain to curious people what we are hunting!  In our own hearts we know as Paul, that it is, “If I may lay hold, for that also I was laid hold of by Jesus Christ.” (Phil 3:12).  He pursued, and hunted us down when we were fugitives, and laid hold on us.  Now, together we pursue something else.  We are hunting now with a Divine Guide.  What we pursue is the “Upward Calling” and its prize.  If He could hunt us down, and catch us, surely together we shall attain that high calling, and be conformed to the image of His Son. The apostle did not reckon that he had caught up with the prize.  He would not count on doing too many things, but one thing, forgetting.  Yes, this Mind seems to have a poor memory, unless the Spirit wants to bring something to our remembrance that He has said.  The Spirit never brings up our past sins, failures, or mistakes, as long as they were satisfactorily forgiven.  We can’t go on, if we listen to the accuser calling back the past.  Forget all those things, and keep stretching out for the “things above” where Christ sits. Keep pressing on! Keep hunting, the season is still open, keep pursuing!

          You can have a lapse of memory about yesterday, and not be anxious about tomorrow, but be sure and look alive today.  The two best days for fishermen in the whole year is yesterday and tomorrow but not for the saint.  Today is his time.  How we love talking about the future, and what God will do then.  As we abide at midnight, tomorrow is only a second away.  God is working just as much in you this second as He will be next second!  The power that raised Jesus from the dead is operating in you right now!  Let us believe; let us have the right mind.