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In this message we come to the last two verses of Genesis 4. We have seen that nearly every item found in the first chapters of Genesis is a seed that is developed in the following books of the Bible. Although Gen. 4:25-26 is such a brief portion of the Word, it contains a very significant seed. However, before we consider this seed, we need to cover some other matters.
The first fall of man occurred in Genesis 3, and the second fall in Genesis 4. We have seen that the way to escape from the first fall is to believe in the seed of the woman, that is, the Lord Jesus, and to take God's way of salvation. Nevertheless, as a result of this fall, Satan is within our nature. This was the main cause of the second fall. What is the way of escape from this second fall?
In order to escape from the second fall of man we must be careful of being presumptuous. What does it mean to be presumptuous? It means to do good, to worship God, and to serve God according to our human concept and not according to God's revelation. We have seen this illustrated in the case of Cain (4:3). Doing anything of ourselves, regardless of how good it is according to our own concept, is presumptuous and is one with the Devil. As fallen man with Satan in our nature, we must reject anything that originates with ourselves. We must do everything according to the way revealed by God that we may be kept from the Devil and from the furtherance of the fall.
Furthermore, if we want to escape the second fall of man, we must live for God and worship God according to His way, as Abel did (Gen. 4:2, 4; cf. Gen. 3:21; Heb. 11:4). On the negative side, we should not be presumptuous; on the positive side, we should live for God and worship Him according to His revelation and in His way. It is not only to live for God and to worship God, but to do so according to the way of God's revelation. We must remain in God's way that we may be kept from any further fall.
In Genesis 4 we find two names which are especially meaningful. The first one is Abel, which means "vanity." As a result of the fall, the human life became a vanity. Look at people today. Although they are very busy, within them there is a gap, a void. Deep within them is a sense of emptiness. Regardless of your social status, regardless how wealthy or how successful you are, when you sit alone in the quiet of the night or early morning, you know there is a gap within you. That emptiness is the vanity that I am talking about. This is exactly what the wise King Solomon meant when he said, "Vanity of vanities, all under the sun are vanity" (Eccl. 1:2-3). In order to escape the second fall of man we must realize that as fallen men without God everything we are, have, and do is empty. We are nothing but vanity.
The second name which is especially meaningful is Enosh, which means "frail, mortal man." After the fall, not only did human life become a vanity, but man also became frail and mortal. We must admit that we are frail, weak, and easily broken. How easily we fail! Man is mortal. No one can boast that he will live another week. No man knows his tomorrow. To escape the second fall of man we need to realize both the vanity of human life and the fragility of man. If we have this realization, we will have no trust in ourselves and, thus, we will not be presumptuous in departing from the way of God.
When we see that we should not be presumptuous, but should live for God and worship Him according to His way and realize the vanity of human life and the fragility of man, we will say, "O Lord, I shouldn't be presumptuous. I must live for You and worship You in Your way. Lord, my life is vanity. I am frail and mortal." When we see that our life is vanity and that we ourselves are frail, spontaneously we will call upon the name of the Lord. This is the reason that Genesis 4:26 says, "Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord." From the time of Enosh, the third generation of mankind, men began to call upon the name of the Lord, realizing their weakness, fragility, and mortality.
In Hebrew, the word for "the Lord" is Jehovah (Gen. 4:26; cf. Exo. 3:14). The title "God" is primarily used for God's relation to His creation in Genesis 1. The name Jehovah is primarily used for God in relation to man starting from Genesis 2. Jehovah is the name for God coming into an intimate relationship with man. Hence, Genesis 4:26 does not say that men began to call on the name of God, but on the name of Jehovah. Men did not call on the One who created all things, but on the One who was so near to them, on the One who was closely related to them. The name Jehovah means "I am that I am," that is, He is the One existing from eternity to eternity. He is the One who was in the past, who is in the present, and who will be in the future forever. He is the everlasting One. When men realized that they were fragile and mortal, they began to call on Jehovah, the everlasting One. This is the calling on the name of the Lord. This calling began even with the third human generation.
When we are careless about God, we do not call on His name. However, when we realize that we must live for Him and worship Him in His way, and when we realize that we are frail and mortal and that our life is nothing but vanity, spontaneously, from deep within us, we not only pray, but call upon the name of the Lord. Therefore, we must consider this most important seed of calling on the name of the Lord. It is a most significant matter in both the Old and New Testaments.
Firstly, we need to learn the meaning of calling on the name of the Lord. Some Christians think that calling on the Lord is the same as praying to Him. Formerly, I held the same concept. One day, however, the Lord showed me that calling on His name is different from merely praying. Yes, calling is a type of prayer, for it is a part of our prayer, but calling is not merely praying. The Hebrew word for call means to "call out to," "to cry unto," that is, to cry out. The Greek word for call means "to invoke a person," "to call a person by name." In other words, it is to call a person by naming him audibly. Although prayer may be silent, calling must be audible.
To call on the Lord also means to cry to Him and to experience spiritual breathing. "I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry" (Lam. 3:55-56). These verses indicate that calling is also crying and breathing. Crying is the best breathing. I have been told that crying is the best exercise for little babies. Whenever you cry out, you breathe spontaneously and deeply. By crying and breathing we both exhale and inhale. Inhaling always follows exhaling. By exhaling we breathe out all the negative things. Whenever you breathe out the negative things, the positive things of the Lord will fill you up. Let me take the example of losing your temper. When you are about to lose your temper, do not try to suppress it, but call, "O Lord Jesus." Then add a short prayer, "Lord Jesus, I am going to lose my temper." Do this and see whether you still lose your temper. By calling on the name of the Lord you will breathe out your temper and you will breathe in the Lord Jesus. You will exhale your temper and inhale the Lord. Do you want to be holy? The way to be holy is to call on the name of the Lord Jesus. By calling on His name all the sinful, evil, and unclean things will be breathed out, and all the positive things — the riches of the Lord — will be breathed into you.
A. B. Simpson wrote a hymn on breathing the Lord. Let us read some of the stanzas:
O Lord, breathe Thy Spirit on me,Teach me how to breathe Thee in;Help me pour into Thy bosomAll my life of self and sin.
I am breathing out my sorrow,Breathing out my sin;I am breathing, breathing, breathing,All Thy fulness in.
Breathing out my sinful nature,Thou hast borne it all for me;Breathing in Thy cleansing fulness,Finding all my life in Thee.
In 1963 I introduced this hymn to some of the saints in the United States. One day, after we had sung this hymn, a dear saint came to me and said, "I can't understand this hymn. Breathing, breathing, breathing — breathing what?" He was somewhat bothered. A few years later, after we had published our hymnal, this same saint said to me, "Brother, my favorite hymn in the hymnal is that hymn on breathing the Lord."
How do we breathe the Lord? We breathe the Lord by opening ourselves to the Lord and calling upon His name. We need to call out to Him and even cry to Him, for, as Jeremiah has told us, calling on the Lord is to cry out to Him. He did this out of the low dungeon. Whenever we are low, that is, down in a "dungeon," we have to call on the Lord by crying out to Him that we may be released from confinement and receive more of the Lord into us.
Isaiah also tells us that our calling on the Lord is our crying to Him. "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name...Sing unto the Lord...Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee" (Isa. 12:2-6). In these verses Isaiah tells us to praise, sing, cry out, and shout. All of these match the calling mentioned in verse 4. In verse 2 he says that God is our salvation and our strength. God is everything to us. We simply need to draw water out of the wells of God's salvation. How can we with joy draw water out of the wells of salvation? The way is to call on His name, to praise the Lord, to sing a hymn, and to cry out and shout. In verse 4 we find that praising and calling are put together, and in verse 6 we find that crying and shouting are put together. This proves that to call on the Lord is to cry and shout to Him. Many Christians have never shouted. If you have never shouted before the Lord, I doubt that you could have enjoyed the Lord in a rich way. Try shouting before Him. If you have never shouted about what the Lord is to you, I encourage you to try it. The more you shout, "O Lord Jesus, You are so good to me," the more you will be released from your self and be filled with the Lord. You will be in the third heaven. Thus, Isaiah, even in Old Testament times, told people to praise the Lord, call upon His name, cry out and shout.
Let me share with you something of my own testimony regarding calling on the Lord. I was raised in the Southern Baptist Church. After I was saved, due to my seeking after the Word, I stayed for several years with a very strict Brethren assembly. Their practice was always to be silent. It is no exaggeration to say that even if a needle fell on the floor in their meetings, it would have been heard. We were trained in that way. I sat under the feet of these Brethren teachers, listening to their teachings. I thank the Lord for that. Although I loved the Lord and the Word, I did not receive the proper help of life. The only help I received was in understanding the black and white letters of the Scriptures.
One day, in August, 1931, while I was walking on the street, the Spirit spoke within me, "Look at yourself. You have so much knowledge. You know the prophecies and the types, but look at how dead you are." Immediately deep within I was conscious of a thirst and a hunger. Something within wanted to burst out. However, because of my religious background, I would not do that on the street. I restrained myself, suffering for the remainder of that afternoon, evening, and night, waiting for morning to come, when I would be able to release myself before the Lord. My home was at the foot of a small mountain. When morning came, I ran to the top of that mountain and released what was on my heart. I had no intention to shout, but something burst forth from within, saying, "O Lord Jesus." I spontaneously called on the Lord. No one taught me to call on the Lord, and I had not seen anything in the Bible regarding it. I simply did it spontaneously. Although I did not have the terms "enjoying the Lord" and "the release of the spirit," I had the reality of them both. I did exercise and release my spirit and I certainly enjoyed the Lord. Nearly every morning thereafter I went to the top of the mountain, calling on the Lord each time. By calling on the Lord I was filled with the Lord. Each morning as I descended from the top of that mountain, I was filled with joy. I was in the heavens, and the whole earth with everything in it was under my feet.
However, due to my background, I never brought this matter into the teaching. I did not teach others to practice it. Twelve years later, in 1943, I was put into prison by the Japanese army which had invaded China. One day they were persecuting me and beating me. I could do nothing. Spontaneously I called, "O Lord Jesus," and they stopped beating me. Nevertheless, due to my religious background, I still did not bring it into the daily practice. I did not realize that we could do it in our daily life.
Twenty-four years later, in 1967, the matter of calling on the Lord came forth in Los Angeles. At that time I felt the need to verify this matter by studying the Word. As a result of spending much time in the Word regarding calling on the Lord, I discovered that it was a practice of the saints in ancient times. It started thousands of years ago. Using a concordance, I found a great many references to calling on the Lord and I noted the various aspects of calling. At that time I was confirmed and strengthened not only to practice calling on the Lord, but also to teach others and to help others to call on Him. Since 1967, calling on the Lord has been one of the items in the Lord's recovery. It was discovered that it was the best way to touch the Lord. In that same year I visited the Far East and brought this to the saints. I can testify that thousands of saints were released and enriched through calling on the name of the Lord.
Do not think that calling on the Lord was invented by us. It is not a new invention. At most, it may be called a new discovery or a part of the Lord's recovery. Calling on the Lord began, as we have seen, with the third generation of the human race. Enosh, the son of Seth, was the third generation. Eve named her second son Abel, which means vanity. Then Seth, Abel's brother, called his son Enosh, which indicates that Seth realized that human life was weak, frail, and mortal. By calling his son Enosh, Seth might have told his son that he was weak and fragile. Since Enosh realized the fragility of human life, he began to call on the name of the everlasting Lord. Therefore, when we realize that we are nothing, that we are weak and frail, what should we do? We should simply call, "O Lord Jesus."
The history of calling on the Lord's name continues throughout the Bible, and we may list the names of many of those who called on His name: Abraham (Gen. 12:8), Isaac (Gen. 26:25), Moses (Deut. 4:7), Job (Job 12:4), Jabez (1 Chron. 4:10), Samson (Judg. 16:28), Samuel (1 Sam. 12:10), David (2 Sam. 22:4), Jonah (Jonah 1:6), Elijah (1 Kings 18:24), Elisha (2 Kings 5:11), Jeremiah (Lam. 3:55). Not only did the Old Testament saints call on the Lord; they even prophesied that people would call on His name (Joel 2:32; Zeph. 3:9; Zech. 13:9). Although many are familiar with Joel's prophecy regarding the Holy Spirit, not many have paid attention to the fact that receiving the outpoured Holy Spirit requires our calling on the name of the Lord. On the one hand, Joel prophesied that God would pour out His Spirit; on the other hand, he prophesied that people would call on the name of the Lord. God's outpouring needs the cooperation of our calling on Him. Joel's prophecy was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.
Calling on the name of the Lord was also practiced by the New Testament saints. It began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:21). On the day of Pentecost God poured out His Spirit, and the early saints received the Spirit by calling on the name of the Lord. Their calling was a response to God's pouring out of His Spirit. Stephen also called on the Lord's name. While he was being stoned to death, he was calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 7:59). He died calling on the Lord's name. If the Lord delays His coming and we die, I hope that we die calling on His name.
All the New Testament believers practiced the matter of calling on the Lord (Acts 9:14; 22:16; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Tim. 2:22). When Paul was Saul of Tarsus he received authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on the name of the Lord (Acts 9:14). This indicates that all the early saints were Jesus callers. Their calling on the name of the Lord was a sign, a mark, that they were Christians. Thus, Saul of Tarsus felt that it would be easy to identify the Christians in Damascus by the fact that they called on the Lord's name. They not only prayed to the Lord, but called on Him. There are many true Christians who pray to the Lord daily, yet their neighbors, friends, and classmates do not know that they are Christians. We may describe them as silent Christians. However, if they become Christians who call on the name of the Lord, their calling will mark them out as Christians. It was this way with the early Christians.
Do you know what happened to Saul when he was on the way to Damascus with the intention of binding all that call on the Lord's name? He was captured by the Lord and was blinded. The Lord sent a little disciple named Ananias to visit Saul and to speak a word from the Lord to him. Listen to what Ananias said: "And now, why do you delay? Rise up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name" (Acts 22:16). According to the grammar of the English language, the word "calling" modifies the verb "wash." What sin did Saul need to wash away? The sin of binding those who called on the name of Jesus. He did this at Jerusalem and intended to do it at Damascus. All the Christians knew that he was such an evil one. In their eyes, Saul sinned by persecuting the saints and by binding the callers of Jesus. Thus, the best way for him to wash away his sins was to call on the name of Jesus. By doing this it would be made clear to all the believers that he was truly converted. He who once bound those who called on the name now called on the Lord's name.
Some Christians misinterpret Acts 22:16, thinking that "wash away your sins" modifies "be baptized." According to grammar, that cannot be the meaning. There are two things mentioned in this verse — "be baptized" and "wash away your sins" — and the Greek word kai, translated "and" in English, connects them. Thus, to be baptized is one thing and to wash away your sins is another. Saul was baptized and washed away his sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Saul of Tarsus, who had persecuted so many who called on the name of the Lord, was captured by the Lord. Then Ananias, who had been sent by the Lord, told Saul to be baptized and to wash away his sins by calling on the name of the Lord. If Saul had only been baptized, many of the believers would have doubted that he had actually been converted. They might have said, "Ananias, you should not have baptized such a silent believer." However, when Ananias was about to baptize Saul, he seemed to tell him, "Brother, wash away your sins by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus. Brother Saul, you have bound many Christians. You are evil in the eyes of the saints. You have tried to bind all the Jesus callers. Now the best way in their eyes for you to wash away your sins is to call, `O Lord Jesus.'" Once Saul called on the name of the Lord, all the Christians could see that the persecutor had become one of their brothers. His calling on the Lord was the proof that he had been converted.
Paul himself stressed the matter of calling when he wrote the book of Romans. He said, "For there is no difference between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord of all is rich to all who call upon Him. For, Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:12-13). In Romans 10:12 Paul said that the Lord is rich unto all who call on Him, and in verse 13 he quoted the prophecy of Joel which says that whoever calls on the Lord's name will be saved. Paul also spoke of calling on the Lord in 1 Corinthians when he wrote the words, "with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, theirs and ours" (1 Cor. 1:2). Furthermore, in 2 Timothy he told Timothy to pursue spiritual things with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Tim. 2:22). By all of these verses we can see that in the first century the Christians practiced the matter of calling on the name of the Lord very much. Therefore, throughout the Old Testament as well as in the early days of the Christian age, the saints called on the Lord's name. How regrettable that it has been neglected by most Christians for a long time. I believe that today the Lord wants to recover this matter and to have us practice it that we also may enjoy the riches of His life.
Why do we need to call on the name of the Lord? Men need to call on the name of the Lord in order to be saved (Rom. 10:13). Suppose a particular person hears the gospel and begins to believe in the Lord. You can help him to be saved by having him pray to the Lord in a very quiet way, and I have seen many persons saved in this manner. However, if you would not only help him to pray, but also to call upon the name of the Lord, his experience of salvation would be much stronger. The first way, the way of praying quietly, does help people to be saved, but not so richly. The second way, the way of calling loudly, helps people to be saved in a richer and more thorough way. Thus, we need to encourage people to open themselves and to call on the name of the Lord Jesus.
Another reason for calling on the Lord is to be rescued from distress (Psa. 18:6; 118:5), from trouble (Psa. 50:15; 86:7; 81:7), and from sorrow and pain (Psa. 116:3-4). People who have argued about calling on the Lord found themselves calling on Him when they were subject to a certain trouble or illness. When our lives are free from trouble, we will argue about calling on the Lord. However, when trouble comes, there will be no need for anyone to tell you to call on Him. You will call spontaneously. Calling on the Lord rescues us and delivers us. We need to call on the Lord when in distress and trouble. Furthermore, Psalm 116:3-4 tells us that calling on the name of the Lord rescues us from many negative things such as pain, sorrow, death, and hell. If you want to be delivered from such things, you need to call on the Lord.
Psalm 86:5 says that the Lord is good, ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon Him. The way for us to participate in the Lord's plenteous mercy is to call upon Him. The more we call upon Him, the more we enjoy His mercy.
Psalm 116 also tells us that we may partake of the Lord's salvation by calling on Him. "I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord" (v. 13). In this one psalm calling on the Lord is mentioned four times (vv. 2, 4, 13, 17). The calling here is for the purpose of partaking of the Lord's salvation. As we have seen earlier, the way to draw water out of the wells of salvation is to call upon the name of the Lord (Isa. 12:2-4).
Another reason for calling on the Lord is to receive the Spirit (Acts 2:17, 21). The best and easiest way to be filled with the Holy Spirit is to call on the name of the Lord Jesus. The Spirit has already been poured out. We simply need to receive Him by calling on the Lord. We can do it anytime. If you call on the name of the Lord several times, you will be filled with the Spirit.
Isaiah 55:1 says, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." What is the way to eat and drink the Lord? Isaiah gives us the way in verse 6 of the same chapter: "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near." Thus, the way to drink the spiritual water and to eat the spiritual food for our satisfaction is to seek the Lord and to call upon His name.
Romans 10:12 says that the Lord of all is rich to all who call upon Him. The Lord is rich and rich to all who call upon Him. The way to enjoy the riches of the Lord is to call upon Him. The Lord is not only rich, but also nigh and available as mentioned in verse 8 of the same chapter because He is the life-giving Spirit. As the Spirit, He is omnipresent. At any time and in any place we may call on His name. When we call on Him, He comes to us as the Spirit, and we enjoy His riches. When you call on Jesus, the Spirit comes.
First Corinthians is a book on the enjoyment of Christ. In chapter twelve Paul tells us how to enjoy Him. The way to enjoy the Lord is to call on His name (12:3; 1:2). Whenever we say, "Lord Jesus," we drink of Him, the life-giving Spirit (v. 13). In 15:45 we are told that the Lord is now the life-giving Spirit. Whenever we call, "Lord Jesus," He comes as the Spirit. If I call a person's name, and if he is real, living, and present, then that person will come to me. The Lord Jesus is real, living, and present. He is always available. Whenever we call on Him, He comes. Even during the Old Testament times Moses said of the Lord, "For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is whenever we call upon him" (Deut. 4:7, Heb.). Whenever we call upon His name, He is nigh (Psa. 145:18). Do you want to enjoy the Lord's presence with all His riches? The best way to experience His presence with all His riches is to call on His name. Call on Him while you are driving on the freeway or while you are at work. Anywhere and anytime you call, the Lord is nigh and rich to you.
By calling on the name of the Lord we can stir up ourselves. Isaiah 64:7 says, "And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee." When we feel that we are down or low, we can lift and stir ourselves up by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus.
Now we need to consider how we should call on the Lord. Firstly, we must call on Him out of a pure heart (2 Tim. 2:22). Our heart, which is the source, must be pure, seeking nothing but the Lord Himself. Secondly, we must call with a pure lip (Zeph. 3:9, Heb.). We need to watch our speech, for nothing contaminates our lips more than loose talk. If our lips are impure due to loose talk, it will be difficult for us to call on the Lord. Along with a pure heart and pure lips, we need to have an open mouth (Psa. 81:10 cf. v. 7). We need to open our mouth wide to call on the Lord. Furthermore, we need to call on the Lord corporately. Second Timothy 2:22 says, "Flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." We need to come together for the purpose of calling on the name of the Lord. Psalm 88:9 says, "Lord, I have called daily upon thee." Hence, we should call daily upon His name. This matter of calling on the name of the Lord is not a doctrine. It is very practical. We need to practice it daily and hourly. We should never stop breathing. We all know what happens when breathing ceases. Furthermore, Psalm 116:2 says, "Therefore will I call upon him as long as I live." As long as we live we should call on the name of the Lord. I hope that many more of the Lord's people, especially the new ones, will begin this practice of calling on the Lord. If you do it, you will see that it is the best way to enjoy the Lord's riches.
Ever since the matter of calling on the name of the Lord has become an item in the Lord's recovery, some people have checked with me, "Is not the Lord within us? Why do you need to say that the Lord is near you when you call?" I have a question to address to those who think that we do not need to call on the Lord since He is already within us. Do you not have breath within you? Since the breath is already within you, why do you still need to breathe? The logic of this question is the same as that pertaining to calling on the Lord when He is already within us. Although it may sound logical to say that we need not call on Him since He already indwells us, it is not practical. No one would practice this with respect to breathing. No one would say that since the breath is in us we no longer need to breathe. We must keep breathing in order to exist. Likewise, the Lord is in us, but we still need to call on Him and breathe Him in the more.
Others have asked, "Why do you call so loudly? Is our God deaf? Can't He hear our silent prayer?" They argue that since the Lord is not deaf, we need not to pray loudly by calling on Him. However, look at how the Lord prayed as described in Hebrews 5:7. "Who in the days of his flesh, having offered up petitions and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him who was able to save Him out of death, and having been heard because of His piety." The "strong crying" in this verse surely is not a silent prayer. If you complain about those who call on the Lord loudly, you need to ask the Lord Jesus why He prayed with strong crying. Since God the Father is not deaf, why did the Lord pray in that way? Moreover, at least twice in the Gospel of John the Lord Jesus said that He was not alone, that the Father was always with Him (16:32; 8:29). Since the Father was continually with Him, why did He need to cry out strongly in prayer to the Father?
Furthermore, several times in the Psalms we are told to make a joyful noise to the Lord (Psa. 66:1; 81:1; 95:1, 2; 98:4, 6; 100:1). Notice that it does not say a joyful voice, but a joyful noise. We all know the difference between a voice and a noise. We need to make a joyful noise to the Lord, for the Lord likes to hear such a noise.
Nevertheless, the real issue is not whether or not God hears us. The point is that we need to exercise our spirit, releasing what is in our spirit and on our heart, that the Lord as the life-giving Spirit may get into us. It is not a matter of being heard, but of enjoying the Lord and participating in all His riches. My burden and intention in this message are simply to give an account of the Bible regarding the matter of calling on the Lord. If you consider what the Bible says about calling on the Lord, you will be convinced that calling on His name is not a recent invention. It is a recovery of one of the holy things in the Bible. As we have seen from Genesis 4:26, calling on the name of the Lord began thousands of years ago, even from the third generation of mankind.
