Address—C. Kohler
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This is the address by Mr. Charles Kohler.
Taken September 19th, 1960 in St. Louis, MO.
There's our hearts. Retirement go deep and boundless their desire. We've now to please Bud Water in the fall. Whom each knee shall bow with him is all our business now, and those that are his own.
With these are Happy Lotus, cast through the world's bestest root, and waste all through its garden fair.
Where the storms of trouble sleep are all in debts upon the sleep to advance be all our care.
Oh Lord, the way, the truth, the life, henceforth let sorrow, doubt and strife drop off like autumn leaves. Henceforth is privileged by the simple and undistracted be our souls which truly cleave.
That I saw febleness reclined on that eternal love of thine on human thoughts. Forget which I like. A 10 What I would say go forth and serve thee whilst his day, nor leave our sweet retreat #250.
From various kids, our hearts retire.
Alone, deep, honey Bunny.
Desire.
At all.
Where is I, Pray laughing?
Through the world.
On our way.
Oh, it's gone.
So high.
Speed.
Oh Lord, the way.
The truth of the law.
A body.
Temple and.
Be our souls away soon.
Let.
Our people never reclaim.
Another article.
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Go for survey.
Wanted to pay?
Gnarly.
By.
Please.
So we turn to 1St Corinthians 2.
On the 9th of Earth.
But as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yeah, the deep things of God.
As we read these words.
They remind us that God who is infinite, sees things.
And plans things and brings to fruition his plans, even though we cannot see how.
Or understand just why, but God has his own reasons.
On his own way of bringing his thoughts to pass.
Could we have thought when reading of Adam and Eve in the garden, fresh from the hand of God? Lovely creatures, both of them.
Just as lovely as it could be.
I'm innocent. Pure.
Could we think that?
A little thing, a little matter of justice. A few.
Letters would spell such a difference.
As we find today, everywhere today we find.
Corruption.
And violence.
Under people and turning after the follies of this life here below, and counting the world as of greatest importance, the future means nothing to them. Could we think that such ruin would have been brought into a scene like this?
Or could we have thought or that when this ruin came in and God had?
Fully set aside his way and his thoughts and his purpose.
Under he met every condition which existed.
Could we think of such a thing?
We saw the whole race brought down into ruin through.
Adam's sin?
Under we might have said, well, the whole thing. Spoilers. No good.
Not so with God. It gave God an opportunity to step in and show how, in spite of the ruin, how he could continue his purpose and develop something so far more lovely than we had any idea.
We plant a seed or a bulb and it doesn't look to be much.
But eventually, I always see it come up above the ground. We see it form itself into perhaps a Bush.
And very shortly, a little buds and the next thing we know it's beautifully covered with flowers.
If we had not seen this phenomena before, it would be amazing to us, but we've become accustomed to it because we see it every year.
But could we think that God, instead of being frustrated in his purpose to bring about a scene with a with people that he was going to take the light in?
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And find Satan come in and ruin the whole thing. Could we think that God would be able to undo the work of the devil?
And without his purpose, and that purpose would be far grander.
Than we had any idea of.
Yet such is the case we have gone who has his own purpose, and nothing can possibly hinder his accomplishing his will.
Under as far as man is concerned with his poor puny mind, he doesn't grasp.
These things, even when he's told he can't visualize them.
I'm sure we have this word I have not seen.
No, I'll hurt.
Neither have it entered in the heart of them the things which God has prepared for them that love him.
Some of the things round about us that we see.
Are exceedingly lovely.
And the Lord Jesus took note of these things too.
You remember how in the 12Th chapter of Luke, he says consider the lilies how they grow.
They trial not. They spin not. Are they lovely? Are they pure? Are they fragrant? Yes, so much so, he says. Yet Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.
Wonderful.
Solomon represents the very heights.
Of magnificence that a man may rise to.
The wisest man of this day, the wealthiest man.
When the Queen of Sheba came.
To hear his wisdom of the sea, this man of whom she heard.
Why she had to say.
The half has not been told me.
Her heart was so.
Brought to a standstill in the presence of such magnificence. And yet here's a Lily.
In the field, a creature of a day.
Outshines everything.
That Solomon ever displayed.
Consider the lilies. How they grow. They toil not. They spill not. Yet Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.
And I like to think of the Blessed Lord when he was here, surrounding himself with what kind of people?
See that 8th chapter of Luke.
And what we find?
These 12, most of them were fishermen.
And there were certain women.
And we found one of them out of whom was cast 7 devils.
I'd say, well, what kind of a?
Other company is this.
How could the Lord have surrounded himself with that kind?
Of people. But that's his way, That's what he does.
In the words of Hannah's prayer, he lifts the poor out of the dust and the beggar out of the dunghill to set them among Princess. This is God's nobility.
Could we think that God was going to take up?
The worst of creatures down here.
And hit them for that coming glory that he was going to happen in his house up there.
That's God's way.
The very ruin that was brought into this world gives God the opportunity to show how much greater and grander his thoughts are, and His power too, and the loveliness of his grace and goodness.
And so we get to know God.
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Could we think that in order to bring about a remedy like this and a blessing that God?
Would step down from his throne and take upon him human form, and here he lay.
In this Manger and the inn, or outside of the inn, there was no room for them in the end. But in what some have turned a stable, could we think that the Lord of glory lay there in that little?
Manger. Could we think that in him, in this babe, were the issues of life and death?
We're told that he opposed or sustains that all things subsist together by him. Could we think it possible, this little babe?
In a Manger was the mighty God come down.
Let's so. So we find he was the mighty God come down to display the wonderful love of God. Could we think that God was going to love such a miserable life like ourselves?
And yet God commends his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, not when we were noble and wise and intelligent and good. No, there were no such people. And if there were such people.
Oh, dear friend, they would still be sinners, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Could we think that the Blessed Lord that came down here in order that he might at such great cause to himself?
Going to the cross to die that poor rebel sinners might be cleansed of their guilt and made fit.
To be with himself in Yonder glory, could we think that God would take a poor, guilty, wretched preacher such as you, such as me, and us, make us fit for his home up there?
Equal with the angels? No, far beyond the angels. Angels Can't Sing the songs that the Christian can sing. They can't say he died for me.
Angels perhaps never saw their maker until they saw him lying in that Manger as a little baby. What wonder?
An angel's desire to look into these things could we think.
Are that all this was connected with the coming of the Blessed Lord into this world. Yet such is the fact when He came, heaven acclaimed him.
Angel hosts came to those shepherds on the hill in Luke 2.
And declared that it was glory to God in the highest.
And yet, when they found this babe, they found him in the lowest place.
And we read of him all that he made himself of no reputation.
I just quote the Elberfeld Bible in that case is he made himself to nothing, Sunita. And so here was the mighty God come down and made himself nothing at all in order that he might be able to.
Save our souls and make us fit for those heavenly courts above.
How foolish are those who sing. I want to be an Angel.
I don't want to be an Angel. No indeed.
They have an exalted place, but they are servants and God isn't making servants.
Could we think that instead of taking poor man and bringing him into judgment because of his guilt all that it was God's purpose, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him and love God's children?
Holy and without blame before him and love.
I think God's ways are surpassing knowledge.
We can't understand a God who acts as he does. As a matter of fact, he tells us in the 64th chapter of Isaiah in connection with his very Scripture. For this is a quotation summit, he says.
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I have not seen your ear. Heard of a God beside thee, who acts for him who waits.
For him, I think that's lovely.
If the soul is brought to a point where it doesn't know what to do, and it comes before God uncast itself upon him, God asked for him. God asked for those that wait for him.
We couldn't understand that kind of thing. We'd say, Well, if we don't deserve it, of course we don't.
We'll never be able to say that we deserve any of God's mercies.
But we'll always marvel at the riches of his grace.
To think that God there would step out of all of our reasoning completely.
I would open up the way wide for us to enter into His rich blessing.
And we were just speaking about this little company in the eighth of Luke.
That surrounded him.
Under there a motley little company, if we may put it that way.
And what does he surround himself with now?
People just like that.
With no more to commend themselves than they had.
And we're often times down here.
In just a week, a little accompanies.
And we think we're few, yes, we are few.
And we feel our feebleness.
Our dependence upon him. And yet I have often thought of it like this.
In the third chapter, Malachi, when all Israel had gone astray.
And when even the priests of the Lord would need a terrific purging in the very first few verses of that third chapter, then we come down to the 16th chapter verse of that chapter, and we find there's never a few, just a little handful, they that fear the Lord.
I left, loved his name, thought upon these things. They came together.
Little accompanies feeling their weakness.
But God writing a book about them. I think that's wonderful. God wrote a book.
He heartenedly heard what they were saying, and he saw what they were doing, and he sat down, and he wrote a book.
And then adds to it, And they shall be mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I make up my treasure or my jewels.
Treasure, I understand, is the right word there. So when God makes up his traitor, that which he counts worth something, it takes his fuel that come together in days of detention on that piece of fun, these things, and think upon his name.
And he says they shall be mine In that day when I make up my treasure, do you think that the Lord does not feel the same way?
When just a little company here and a little company there and some other little company have turned their backs upon everything that boasts of man.
Just to be with himself, just to have himself before us, Just to go on in grateful remembrance of His love and of His kindness. Don't you think that the Blessed Lord rejoices to see this? Oh, I'm sure He does.
And then there's a scripture in the second chapter of Hebrews. We need in time to it. We know the words most of us here do very well.
But there, he says.
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Behold I.
And the children God have given me.
Now I apprehend that what is meant there is this.
He will have come and taken his own up to meet him on the cloud.
They won't be just a little handful here and a little handful over there. No, there'll be a tremendous host.
Secondly, little realize for all the redeemed are going to be in that company.
A tremendous company. And when the Blessed Lord looks at these.
What does he find? Evidence of weakness.
Evidences of sorrow, discouragement. No, no. Because when the Lord comes, there's going to be a remarkable change take place.
A wonderful change.
And John tells us in his epistle, first the person in the third chapter, beloved, Now are we the children of God. It does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Like him, yes, like him.
Upon whom all the glory rests now from whose confidence the glory of God shines forth.
Who is crowned with many crowns?
The object that is adored of all the heavenly hosts.
And he's going to see everyone of God's children like himself.
What a wonderful change that's going to be.
When we are changed into his likeness.
And we need not wonder at it, because he exercises the power by which he is able to do all things unto himself.
Read that in the third chapter, Philippians and we shall be changed. This body of humiliation shall give place to a body of glory.
And so the Blessed Lord, when he looks upon all his redeemed ones, a glorious company, every heart manifest in the outshining of its confidence all rejoicing.
With the Lord.
And filled with his beauty, it'll be a wonderful scene and there will be a myriad of those are that's around the Blessed Lord.
And that proved to the whole universe, especially the Angel host, the triumph of God's grace and his goodness, and the blessed result of the finished work of Christ. So in Isaiah 53 we read He shall seal the travel of his soul, of the fruit of the travel of his soul, and shall be satisfied.
When he looks upon that company up there, redeemed and in his own blessed likeness.
No wonder he's happy. No wonder he's satisfied This he has accomplished through the work of the cross. Could we think, as we look at that cross with its shame and its indignity, with its sorrow and anguish, with the darkness there, who we think it was going to end up in the glory like this?
Yet that's God's purpose.
The work of Satan has been undone. His power has been broken.
All these have been redeemed out from the company of those who were lost in darkness, and God has been manifested to them. There they are with the very nature of God. There they are in the very glory of Christ.
Like himself. And he can say, I behold I and the children.
God has given me, and then he's going to bring them into the Father's house. This is a radiant company, a glorious company. You realize you and I are going to be part of that company. You realize that we are going to be by himself, brought into the Father's house and presented there.
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Radiant in his own glory.
All his communists put upon us.
All his shared with us.
Except, of course, his deity. I don't mean that I'm referring now to him as a man.
And could we think that this is the destiny that God has purposed, predestined in eternity to be conformed to the image of his Son?
It's not just that we've been predestined, but we've been predestined for a purpose.
It's not just something that we've been chosen, but we've been chosen for a purpose, and the purpose must be born in mind. And in every case, we find that Christ is to have the honor in place and be surrounded with a company that's just as glorious and just as wonderful in their appearance as their Lord.
And so that is what Christians are looking forward to, not just simply the forgiveness of our sins. Those sins have been forgiven and forgotten.
But here is something that will never be forgotten. Here is something that will be realized and enjoyed through our tenders.
Oh, I think God's ways are just wonderful.
Well then, we think again of another thing.
And that is God, Blessed Lord, has given us assurances, not simply that we're going to be with himself.
And like himself, wonderful as as this is, but also that for faithfulness in our service down here in our walking ways, it's going to be a reward, he's going to be able to say.
But it's a fruit of His grace, no doubt.
Well done, good and faithful servant, Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. What a wonderful thing that will be.
Are you and I seeking our utmost to soul meet with his approval, now that in that coming day he will show that approval in his loving greeting to each one of us, saying well done.
Good and faithful servant, you and I will look at our pathways, and we say, well, I made a miserable batch of it.
I would that I could have made a better job.
Honda, we deprecate our poor efforts down here, but it's wonderful to him that we're making any effort at all. There are those around us, everywhere who have no interest in the things of Christ, and if there's any evidence otherwise, it's fruit of the grace of our God that works in US. So if in anything, you and I are well pleasing to him here.
As a result of his own grace, of his own operation in our soul, could we have realized that when?
When sin abounded, grace did much more abound, but not only that, but that God was going to give to us His Holy Spirit, in order that we might do those things which are pleasing to Him, and then reward us as if we thought them up, and purpose them of our own accord.
God's ways are simply wonderful.
Under the snow, understanding the goodness and grace of the God who is called as to his eternal glory, He is the God of all grace, and his callers to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus. And though we may pass on through this sin, and we may have trials and difficulties, yet after that we have suffered a while, his strengthens unsettled and establishes us.
It's in order that we might learn his ways and walk in his path, and then give up for his sake. And then there's the Crown. Don't let us forget this. Be the Crown, where there's a faithful service will be the Crown, and he bids us.
To hold things fast that no man take off crown. What are we going to have crowns? Yes, there will be crowns, given some say. Oh, I'm not interested in crowns. Well, I am.
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I'm very much interested in it. Not that I have something that I can boast about, but just think of the love of the Blessed Lord when he gives the crown and states his approval. We've pleased him. We've done what he has desired of us.
And having served him, and served him, as he says, well, in spite of all our stumblings, would it be worth something to you, something to me, to have him pass his commendation on us, or to mean a great deal to me? As to the crowns, I'd like to have as much as I can to lay at his feet.
That he is so worthy it'll be such a joy, just as attributing him all the grace and all the goodness and all the love. Yes, under lay at his feet every crown of that he might give.
I think these things are worthwhile, and we must not just pass them by as though they meant nothing to us. They mean a great deal. They will in that coming day, if we're well pleasing to him to have his approval, we'll remember that all through eternity. There'll be lots of things that we'll forget, and he'll want us to forget the things connected with this earth life. But there will be some things that we'll never forget.
And one of those will be when our blessed Lord.
Rita and approves of our pathway here, though we felt we stumbled and failed in so many ways yet to have his approval. I think that would be well worth having.
All we need to just encourage ourselves a little bit down here with the thought of coming glory. Less occupation with our difficulties, less occupation with people round about us, though we're to be concerned for them to love them.
Yet on the other hand, more occupied with what is well pleasing to the Lord.
Well, these are some of the things that come before, one in connection with this verse I have not seen.
Your ear hurt, neither vented into the heart of land of things. Which God.
Hath prepared for them that love Him, and now that we might know them. God has revealed these things to us by His Spirit. Why would God reveal these things to us if He didn't want us to know them? Why would He make us to know these things if they were unimportant? They're not unimportant. They're very important.
And so we find it here that God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit.
For the Spirit searches all things, ye the deep things of God.
What does that mean? Does that mean that the Spirit of God doesn't know the mind of God and that he has to search this book? Why The Spirit of God wrote this book? He knows every word in it. If he searches this book, why does he? I'll tell you. He wants you to know. He wants me to know what this book says, and he uses your eyes and my eyes to search the book.
And that's very important.
Little lesson that I learned a good many years ago when I went out to help somebody who was preaching the gospel on the street. I supposed understood he was when I took a handful of tracks down with me to give out and so to help this little work for the man seemed to be open for the truth, to my dismay.
He spoke about closing the saloon on the corner, and they closed up three other salons before it. And here is a small copy standing around listening. But they knew all about the evils of drink. They knew all about the evils of the saloon.
They know all about this kind of thing.
Under they didn't show much interest, they just stood there.
And I felt so grieved over it.
That though I had never spoken in public, I turned to John 3 and I read the 1St 20 verses.
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Unless I was reading that crowd about Doubled. They knew all about the salons. They knew all about the evil. Everyone knew what was in the book. And people do want to know what was in what is in the book, and we want to know it too. We want to be occupied with what God has written. He opens our eyes and he gets to read these things and understand them. That's what the Spirit of God searches. He uses your eyes and mine. I'll take again another thing.
When the Lord was here, how many errands of mercy?
We find him on.
Our many gracious things for the poor and the needy. He hasn't stopped. He often uses your feet to carry you to a place where you can also help some poor troubled soul.
He may use your hands to minister to someone's need.
He does these things and he uses his people. They are his instruments down here now to promote his interests.
Under when we're with himself in the glory.
And he acknowledges what has been done for him.
Well, it will be just wonderful.
I think that while that this is one of the things that we've given very little thought to, we ought to give a good more thought to in what way can we bring glory to this blessed man who did so much for us?
If our hearts desire to do this, and we wait upon Him apart, he will use us, and when he uses us.
He will also reward us for it, but I think that's lovely. I think we should be concerned about these things.
And perhaps we are to some extent, but we probably need to be every once in a while reminded.
Of what it means to him.
And then when we come to the last chapter, that is the 19th chapter of Revelation, I shouldn't have said the last chapter, but the 19th chapter we find the Blessed Lord pictures again as the Lamb.
In Revelation, he's pictured that way. He's the Lamb. In the first chapter, he's the Lamb as it had been slain. That comes in and takes the book. It's a book of judgment, but now in the 19th chapters, the Lamb that has a marriage.
And it tells us his wife has made herself ready, and under her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, pure and white.
For the fine linen is the righteousness of the Saints, that is, all the things which his people have done down here, in which they have served him, and which he can own and confess before the holy angels. It's all going to be displayed in this glorious moment when the Lamb's wife, who has made herself ready, is there with her Lord.
Me companion then for Jesus from him, for him made glory of God's grace forever.
There in US displayed ought to be a wonderful day when we are with our Blessed Lord, and when all the things that have been written are fully realized and accomplished. Well, that's what we have before us.
Unless what the Lord would remind us of to encourage our hearts to go on with himself.
He says. I have not seen, dear, has not heard, neither has it entered in the heart of man the things that God has prepared for them, that love him.
But God has given us a foretaste. Now He revealed these things to us by His Spirit. If now we see as through a glass darkly, then we shall see face to face. We'll realize fully what it all means.
And we shall know as also we are known.
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Precious promises the Word of God gives us.
Or to show us.
How the gain that faith is stored. We've just taken him at his word and we've just put ourselves at his feet like Mary of old.
And our hearts have been filled as housewives, and again and again.
As Mary came to his blessed feet in the day when Elasius was dead, and then afterward.
With a alabaster box appointment.
This is a figure for us too. We're to bring our alabaster boxes appointment to his feet.
And he alone deserves.
The blessedness and the fragrance of all these things, which is accomplished through his own death and by his blessed Holy Spirit.
And as we've often thought of Mary, Appreciate whacked his feet with her hair, carrying away more fragrance than she ever had in her life before.
Just because she had poured it all out upon him, did so with us, could we understand that when we worship and praise Him, it beautifies our whole nature, our whole ways down here?
Wonderful are all His ways of grace, all his ways of loveliness, you and I. We've walked in his fear. We serve him.
And we become like him. We gaze up in the glory and we see.
The glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And as we're occupied with him, we become more like him.
We see Jesus, they tell us in Hebrew. God tell us in Hebrews, we see Jesus.
Yes, we do see him.
Our hearts are lifted up.
We see no man anymore, save Jesus only what an encouragement to us.
But very shortly we're going to see him face to face.
Very shortly, we're going to know what it is to be clasped to its own bosom.
And receive that blessed one, and to thank him with all our heart for all his goodness to us and.
May we thank him with our walk in our ways down here.
May we thank Him with our loving service to him who loved us and served us so wonderfully.
Even with his dreadful, sad and death upon the cross.
Let us pray.