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General Meetings, Toledo, November 1973. Second reading meeting.
That number.
That number, 56.
Oh Lord.
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Before we read Jesus of Thee, we never would tire the new and living food.
And satisfy our hearts desire and light, and thy blood.
186.
344.
Sure. Do we have something else?
The subject was scarcely begun. I think it was tonight.
So we read the whole chapter again.
I wonder if.
If it would be well to.
Read a part of the endings of some of the other chapters with it. What do you think, Brother Barry?
I think it would be helpful, brother, letting made those remarks about the different ways the Lord coming is brought before us.
And the end of the second chapter.
You get the Lord's coming in connection with reward and in the end of the third chapter, in connection.
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With Bob purifies the believers and of the 4th chapter is what comforts the believers. And then I think he said at the end of the fifth chapter or in the 5th chapter, it's an arousing hope.
But perhaps if we just took up the OR just read the closing parts of the first second.
3rd and 4th chapters. What do you think of that?
I think that would be helpful.
We're at our close of our meeting yesterday.
We're commenting on the 6th verse and Brother Albert Kayle is giving us some very helpful thoughts on the 6th, 7th and 8th verses, which I'd like to hear repeated.
First Thessalonians chapter one.
And verse 6.
And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost.
So that you were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia and IKEA, For from your son that the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia NECA, but also in every place your faith to Godward is spread abroad, so that we need not to speak anything.
But they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God.
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath of God.
In chapter 2.
And verse 19.
For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing?
Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.
And in the third chapter.
Verse 11.
Now God Himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you. The Lord make you to increase and abound and love one toward another and toward all men, even as we do toward you till the end. He may establish your heart unblameable in holiness before God even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints.
Chapter 4, verse 13.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, Even so them also asleep in Jesus, will God bring with him?
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.
Whether Albert Hale would you give us?
The thoughts that you brought out on the 6th, 7th and 8th verses and both of the last meeting.
Well, I have noticed and enjoyed and I hope also been searched by the order that's mentioned in those three verses. In verse six it says having received the word, having received the word in much afflictions, then in verse 7, so that he were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia and IKEA and then in verse 8.
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Or from you sounded out.
The word of the Lord there seems to me to be a significant order there. First of all the receiving of the word, and then the next step is not sounding it out, but the next step is being an example. And then the third is the sounding out of the word. I believe reference was made to the 7th chapter of Ezra, in which we find that it is said of Ezra that he prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord.
And to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. Well, here it is our privilege in such a meeting as this to hear the word of the Lord. But I believe that there should be an exercise with all of us, that having heard it, there now is our responsibility to be an example to put into practice that which we have heard. Perhaps also the same thing is found in the 11Th of Deuteronomy, where that lovely passage is given concerning.
Thou shalt lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul. That's the receiving of the word. Then it bound upon the hand, and as frontless between the eyes, immediately having been received in the heart of the soul, it begins to have its effect upon the hand and upon the eyes. That which we do, that which we seek after it's also, it seems to me.
Brought by word and by precept an example before our children in the next verse thou shall teach them, my children, Speaking of them, when thou sit us down, and when thou walkest, by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And then the next verse, thou shalt bind them upon the doorpost of thy house, and upon thy gate. That last little statement seems to suggest public testimony upon thy gates.
Well, it begins in the heart and in the soul. It proceeds through the hand, the eyes, the household, and finally the most public testimony possible to gate. So it was received, then it was effectual in their example, and lastly it was founded out through there.
Well, for us to notice too, the way it was received in much affliction, where joy of the Holy Ghost.
So that much affliction in no way hinders the joy of the Holy Ghost.
But it seems rather to promote us and.
To be the result.
So there's another asset Never fear persecution.
It will make your face shine as an Angel.
Many of God's children.
In different parts of the world are really suffering persecution.
For being in prison and banished and their employment taken from them and their families left in need.
But in this country we have.
Not faced such trials as that as yet, but the enemy is always busy to try to hinder and to prevent the work of the spirit in our souls.
So they are afflictions, bodily, or many problems coming up in our lives, maybe in our assemblies. And God allows all this for a purpose.
And if we receive them as permitted of him, For there isn't a circumstance in life that God hasn't permitted.
Brother Harry Hayes to this day so often.
Accept your circumstances from the Lord and take.
Your needs to the Lord. So if we receive everything as permitted by the hands of a loving Father, the result will be this, that there will be the joy of the Holy Ghost. Lord doesn't expect us to have an easy pathway.
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Through this scene, through much tribulation, Paul tells the young converts as he and Barnabas travel together, they should enter the Kingdom of God, that is, enter into, in a practical moral sense, all that belongs to this present time of God's grace and blessing to his people while he's gathering out a company to.
The glorified with Christ on high.
We would not have had these wonderful epistles.
If it had not been through the sufferings of the Apostle Paul.
And some of the choices.
Things that we enjoy today have come from the pen of those who have suffered.
Much trial. Much affliction.
Remember telling you before?
That when I was preaching in the slums of Melbourne, there was a there was a special literature that came out of that section of the city that was full of joy and real happiness in those. Those poems were wonderful to read. So I made-up my mind to find the author and I haunted a long time and found.
The author of those beautiful poets.
It was a very poor house and I had to climb a very rickety, some rickety steps to get to the little door and knocked on the door and there was a weak voice said come in.
And brethren, I've mentioned this before, but what did I see?
A poor soul.
17 years on her back.
And only able to raise her hand a little bit propped up to write those poems.
And it just broke my heart to think.
Such beautiful poems could come from a sister suffering like that.
Well.
Brother Barry asked me of two or three years ago to quote one of them, which I'd like to quote. Just a few lines if you kindly wait.
Knows the bitter, weary way, the endless driving day by day, the heart that weeps, the soul that prays. He knows it all.
He knows all hearts so full of bliss that whilst on earth our joys we miss, we still can bear it. Knowing this, he knows it all.
So there was something from a poor sufferer.
That's been a great blessing to my own soul, especially now.
That would be in in keeping with that sound, he that goeth forth weeping, shall doubtless come again rejoicing. Bringing his sheaves with him, shows that that dear soul is going to have many of sheep of joy and reward in glory.
That also included the expression bearing precious seed, didn't it?
I was thinking of.
You know that little book that was mentioned yesterday that's just been republished? The land in the book gives us some lovely thoughts as to the.
The meanings of these Old Testament scriptures.
The Particularly the expressions used in connection with the Scriptures of the Psalms and so on.
In that 126th Psalm that's just been mentioned.
I believe the background is something like this that.
The man who goes out.
Weeping to sow his seed is one who has already sown A crop and it's failed. And so he's taking the very seed that he's saved for food for the year, and he's divided it up so he can still sow another crop. And the author of this book says that it was not uncommon to see.
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A Jew, as he was, sowing his seed, weeping.
Because it was his very food. Now we have a faith connected with that he shall doubtless come again, rejoicing, bearing as she's with him. And so faith really, with a sense of this in their soul, that they're sowing the very food they need themselves. Is that not the way to give the gospel out, brethren?
The very food we need ourselves.
That we're giving out to others. I believe that's in keeping with these three verses that we've just had.
So that he were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia.
Well, isn't it a wonderful thing when the.
Lies and the walk behavior of God's children.
Because all that is required for a testimony as to the truth that they hold notice, Paul says.
So that we need not to speak anything.
For they themselves sure sure of us what manner of entering in we had among you well.
That should be true of us now, and it can be true of us, but it requires a walk in loneliness and dependence and consistent self judgment of everything that.
Manifests in any way the place in us. If we're walking with heavenly things as the goal before our souls, and heaven is everything to us, and Christ is the object of our affections, the same character of testimony can it's just among us. So that is really a word for execution for our souls.
Some of it here and visited the brother in Gresham and being brother helper has his name is Albert too. He's being on his back for 40 years and he's not able to write beautiful poems like you mentioned brother, because you're so terribly crippled and it's difficult to understand what he says. But our dear brother Oscar Fraser phrase, he goes to see him two or three times every week and by experience he has learned.
To a great extent what he says or tries to say.
And the brother went to visit him shortly, a little while ago. And he said, well, brother Elvis, I'm sure you'll you'll soon receive a crown.
And he made him understand, he said. I don't want the crowd. I want to see his face. I'm not after the crown. I want to see my saviour's face, the brother said. What a rebuke to me.
He was thinking more about the crown and save his face.
And you see, the testimony went even beyond.
Their own city.
Founded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia, but also in every place your faith to Godward is spread abroad.
Well, it shows that godly testimony as there was there at that time in Thessalonica.
And traveled widely over much of the known world for those days. People could say, well, what a remarkable thing year of company of idolaters throw away their idols. And now instead of worshipping these gods with the heathen, have always believed they're worshipping the true gods. And they tell us that his son who was here and died on the cross.
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Is coming back. That was the testimony that was read out of the lives of these Thessalonians.
I suppose they thought, brother Mary, that the day of the Lord had really arrived because of the affliction through which they passed.
They they were not clear concerning the difference between the coming of Christ or the Bride and the coming of Christ with the Bride. They were wrong, evidently, in their conception of the coming with.
Paul Rather, Paul of the Prize. And so we have this wonderful portion in the 4th chapter explaining in remarkable language how it would be possible. Don't you think, Brother Smith that?
Their special error was not understanding, just the way that the Lord would come for his own.
When they get to the second epistle, there were misled by false teachers there, telling them that these afflictions that they were suffering, showed that they were in the day of the Lord, or in the great tribulation, and so He.
Writes that epistle to set them right as to the fact that the Christian will never go through the great tribulations.
Here they were not clear as to just the way in which the Lord would come, and after this was read in the 4th chapter gives the answer the Apostle was.
Given for them at that time, and I doubt not, the Apostle never really understood the coming of the Lord so clearly as he did at that time.
When they wrote or sent to him to inquire about this matter, then he got a special revelation from the Lord as to the manner in which the Lord would come for his own.
You see, the Lord had plainly told his disciples in the 14th chapter of John, I will come again and receive you unto myself.
And where I am, there you may be also. But the way of his coming, the howl of his coming, was not brought out at that time. That was reserved for to be given as a revelation to the Apostle Paul. So I doubt not that their thought was this. Here they were accompanied.
And turned from the turn to God, from idols waiting for his son, and that he would come right there where they were.
And those that were waiting would be taken up to glory. What about our loved ones? What about those that have died? What part would they have in this wonderful coming of the Lord? Well, of course I'm getting ahead of our subject. That is more what is taken up in the 4th chapter. Here we get.
What the The simplicity of their faith.
Had given them to enjoy and believe that the Lord was coming soon.
And that they were just waiting for him to deliver them from the coming wrath.
I'd like to call attention again to the end of the eighth verse. Before we go on, perhaps there's something here for our hearts and consciences.
It says so that we need not to speak anything.
Someone asked a brother once if his son was saved. He said. You go ask him.
I said to a young man once, are you saved? He said. Who would think I wasn't?
Now, Braden, is that the kind of an answer?
You know, sometimes.
People take the place of being a Christian and past, but they really aren't at all. And then sometimes, you know, we grow cold in our souls and we do not leave a testimony, and the Lord has to bring something in to arouse us. If you'll turn with me just a moment.
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Digression to the fifth chapter of the Song of Solomon, because I believe it's our affections.
Here in this book of Thessalonians that.
We should remember it's the affections of the believer who is found in God the Father.
With the blessed hope before him now in the 5th chapter of the Song of Solomon.
We won't read too much, but just the thought of the first bar is the 7th verse. The Watchmen that went about the city found me. They smoked me. They wounded me. The keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. I charge your daughters of Jerusalem if you find my beloved that she tell him that I'm sick of love now.
What is thy beloved more than another beloved? They ask her. Oh, thou fairest among women, What is thy beloved more than another beloved that thou does so charge us?
Then she goes on to speak of her beloved and in the end, she says.
In the 16th verse, this is my.
Beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
Now sometimes the Lord allows affliction not because we're faithful, but because we're unfaithful, and because we have gotten away from a sense of His love to us.
And sometimes someone may ask this question to us, just like the daughters of Jerusalem asked the bride, What is thy beloved more than another beloved? Oh, thou fairest among women. I remember hearing of a young man who was not saved, but he had had good bringing up.
And he met an atheist once, and the atheist put some questions to him that led to his salvation.
So you see here the Lord allows these things in our lives and we can well, ask the question.
Ourselves today.
Does someone have to call attention to the fact that we are a Christian, or is there evidence in our lives?
Is our manner of life such that we give evidence of this fact?
Now take Abraham for instance.
He He had the land. God-given him the land, but he dwelled as a Pilgrim there because it was still polluted. He was surrounded by that which did not speak of God's holiness or glory, and so he lived as a Pilgrim. He lived a simple life with simple habits, simple appetites.
A simple house, a simple dress. All these things go with the pilgrims.
And they gave evidence, did they not?
That he had something that the others about him did not have besides that when it came.
To power, he was able to deliver loss.
He was able to meet the circumstances around him because he lived in this manner, and so I just would read that into that verse again, the 8th verse, so that we need not to speak anything. There was ample evidence with these things of who they were. They belong to Christ, and they were waiting for his Son, for the Son of God from heaven.
Gave evidence in their lives that this was true.
I like to notice too that after the bride has given that glowing and beautiful description.
And the one whom she says, this is my friend. The very next verse is, whither is thy beloved gone, that we may seek him with thee?
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Wouldn't it be nice if our testimony were such that others would say we want also the one who has won and ravished your heart? Whither is he gone, that we may seek him with thee?
The New Testament counterpart is.
The disciples and the early time of the Lord's ministry. It speaks of Phillips seeking Andrew, brother bringing him to the Lord. We have found the Messiah which is called Christ, and there were others that wanted to follow.
To know where he's well.
So this came down asking people of their slaves. I was once very severely rebuked by asking a young person in our meeting at the.
And was saved and the person went off crying and told the father. The father said you are causing trouble in the meeting by asking people if they are saved.
Well.
This person says just imagine brother gladding thinking I was not saved, but that person is no longer in the meeting.
So there's very, very little evidence that she ever was saved.
She's left the meeting.
So that is rebuked for asking that question.
Are you?
Isn't that beautiful? There. What manner of entering in we had, Auntie you.
That is all came from.
Berea driven out of Berea by the persecution of the enemy.
No, He had been in September and then went to Berea, had been driven out of Philippi, and now he he is used as the Lord to start a work of the Lord there in that city, and the heater themselves are seen.
On a wonderful entering in this man had in this city to see the results of people that have turned to God from idols.
Important to get the order there, isn't it? For us all. And we speak especially to the young people. They didn't turn from idols to God, but they turned from God to idols.
That is, if we have the right object before our souls will have all his imitations, his idols, behind us.
Get out of the heart right with the Lord, and there's no question about.
The interior of what should be rejected if the heart is fully adjourned in the enjoyment of the Savior's love portraits is there for that.
Which only ministers to the old nature and brings no real peace and happiness to the soul.
It's nice to see who it was who's had little children. Keep yourselves from idols. Was it not John who leaned upon Jesus? Brutal. There was very little chance of an idol coming between those two.
But poor Peter, He couldn't say that, says He followed us far off.
But John leaned upon Jesus bosom, and it was John who said little children keep yourself from idols.
It wasn't. It wasn't what was said that impressed them, was it in that ninth verse, where they themselves show unto us what the manner of entering in we had unto you. It was a life that was occupied with Christ, and the power of that life demonstrated that made such an impression, not what they said.
Brother Mary, do we have idols that we need to have behind us?
That is an idol then.
Well, we see little children, beautiful little children brought in here, and we're very attracted to them. And sometimes the mother might be so taken up with that lovely child that that becomes an idol. Anything that would come between the heart and Christ and the enjoyment of him can be an idol, anything good or bad.
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My wife and I are very much impressed by that very thing in Shanghai.
When the Japanese found firing, there's one system. The missionary home made her one room. Certainly an idol. She was spending most of her time when she should have been on duty, polishing the floor on the furniture, and my wife and I were sometimes invited to go in and speak with her, and she'd set you on the chair and watch us. Who didn't scratch the liner with your feet? Got to keep quite still. She didn't say so, but you can see that expression of face.
Well, when the Japanese started firing, the first shot went right into her room, lured all the pieces, and I did. Sister had made an idol of her room, her little home, and the Lord destroyed it in the moment. So that shows that anything that which comes between my soul and the Lord can be an idol and rob me of the joys of Christ and communion with him Well.
Bob Allen did the Lord remove the idol, but he removed her too.
Which was a very sound thing. My wife and I went to see the room afterwards. It was just a complete wreck.
So the Lord can either remove the idol from you, or He can remove you from the idol.
It's a solemn thing to think about.
Well, this is really the happy ways of being separated from these idols, is what brother Gladding was saying. The Lord may take the idols away. And that's sad and solemn. And we do find those two ways that God has of drawing his heart to himself. Abraham didn't need what was required of lots.
To have a place where his heart was enjoying engaged and his interests were found to be destroyed with fire and brimstone from heaven, and leave driven out of out of the city. So there is the wooling and there is the driving.
Trying that order in the 12Th chapter of Hebrews.
Perhaps it wouldn't take up too much of our time if we looked at that.
And the.
32nd verse of Hebrews 12 He says, But ye are coming to Mount Zion under the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, when numerable company of angels, the General Assembly, and the Church of the first born, and so on.
There is the Spirit of God sitting before the soul, the heavenly scene of glory.
To lean the heart away from all that would hinder its blessing in going through this theme. But then if you read on farther down in this chapter, you get a warning. The 25th verse, see that she refused, not him that speaketh. And then in the 26th verse, whose voice then shook the earth. But now he has promised Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
Well, either the attractions of the heavenly scene of Christ in glory will wean our hearts from a ruined world, or else that's shaking that is spoken of here when God steps in and shakes the whole thing to pieces.
Brother. And may we accept the admonition, the left, the warnings of the Lord.
Here are precious holy persons, to be the object of our souls, delight to have the Lord before us, and to adjust our lives to that which is pleasing to him, rather than to have the Lord recipient like this poor woman that Brother Gladden is telling about, and having our idols destroyed, And then?
To be broken up over the sadness of what has happened.
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Why? We're young. While the Lord is speaking to us, let's make the firm decision that Christ is the object from my soul. May He be everything to me, and may everything be formed in my life according to that which is for His glory.
And what would be according to his precious words?
There are two things especially characterizing the Dear Young Believers.
Says they turn to God from others to serve, to serve the living and true God and the next verse, and to wait for his Son from heaven. Well, surely those two things should characterize us. We should seek to serve God with reverence and godly fear, and to wait for his Son from heaven. What else are we waiting for? Are we waiting for?
World Betterment.
Or are we really waiting for the Lord to come? They were. They are waiting for God's Son from heaven. That was that one object and thought and desire to see the one who had saved them.
We mentioned the other yesterday.
They turned to God from idols. Well, that's.
Place is an exercise there.
To serve the living and true God, there's love manifested there and to wait His Son from heaven.
Hope. Well, we mentioned yesterday that the three great essentials of the Christian testimony.
Faith. Love. Hope.
And I was noticing yesterday concerning the unto the Church of the Thessalonians, which is in in the translation of the Scriptures into the Inca tongue, we noticed that that word in was dwelling.
So there was an intimacy, A remarkable intimacy, with these believers, even though they were so.
The saved so short a time they were dwelling.
In God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm sure you may have noticed that, brethren, to dwell means an intimacy there that's so precious.
Well, as we dwell.
In that blessed one.
The things of this world do grow strangely. Being they certainly do.
It's only as we have him, as the object of the soul's affection, that these other things fall off, beloved and of no value for the soul.
Well, I've often thought of the standing of the believer, the believer. The standing of the believer is in Christ. We are possessors of divine life. We have his life.
The object of the believer is Christ, and that's brought out in Philippians.
And the hope of the believer, you'll notice, is to be like Christ.
These are very wonderful.
Portions concerning our ongoing So these deals. Thessalonians in the midst of the afflictions they possess those three wonderful qualifications below us.
Faith and love and hope.
It's not what you're going to say, Brother Barry. Oh, I was just thinking that in addition to those two points that you mentioned that God weans or sometimes he removes the idol. But I believe that there's a third and a serious warning for every one of us here today. And that is that if these two don't take place, that there is 1/3 and that is that God will leave us.
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As the warning was to Ephraim, Ephraim have turned to idols. Leave him alone. This is the worst of all. When God would leave us, let us go on in our own self will. This is the serious and dreadful path that ends in ensure disaster for the Christian life and testimony.
Is it not lovely, too, to notice that all this weaning is always preceded by very much wooing? I I like that thought, that the desire and the pattern of the heart of God toward us is that we might be wooed continually by his faithful love.
But if our poor hearts fail to respond to that, then the weaning process becomes necessary. But even in that, how lovely to know that the weaning that is necessary and sometimes painful is not because he looks down and says, I told you not to become taken up with that. Now I'm going to have to take it away from you. We as parents might do such a thing with questionable motives, but the heart of God in weaning us, in ever laying his hand upon those things that might otherwise take up our attention.
Even our affections. He does it because he loves us so much. What we have become taken up with is that which is going to fade away, or else our ability to enjoy it will fade away. One or the other assures we're alive and the Lord looks down and says, I want you to be in the enjoyment of something that cannot fade away. I want you to be in the enjoyment of that which will continually minister to your happiness.
And so if he lays his hand upon that which we are loath to.
Let's go. It's because he loves us so much.
I think that there is a repentance in connection with the frame later. I'm thinking of the 13th, 14th chapter and verse eight, he says. Ephraim shall say What have I to do anymore with idols? It seems as if he's learned the lesson. I have heard him. I have heard him and observed him.
Such as the love of God, and even to Ephraim, having gone that far.
We wouldn't get very far, would we, if it weren't that God came in?
And then also the the response from the heart of obedience. I believe it's very important to see this. Would you turn with me to Genesis 35 just for a few verses? Because I believe the subject that we have at this point is the most helpful. Now I'd like to introduce another thought in connection with this subject of idols.
That would perhaps help some of us who are parents.
We find ourselves in circumstances sometimes where we're not able to do anything.
We're helpless as to our children, as to our circumstances, and we're cast upon God. So we'll read the first few verses of Genesis 35.
And God said unto Jacob.
Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fled us from the face of he saw thy brother.
Then Jacob said unto his household, And to all that were with him, put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments, and let us arise and go up to Bethel.
And I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange scars which were in their hands, and all their earrings which were in their ears. And Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. And they journeyed. And the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them.
And they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob ninth verse.
And God appeared unto Jacob again when he came out of Satan Aram, and blessed him.
God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob. Thy name shall not be called anymore.
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Jacob but Israel shall be thy name. And he called his name Israel. God said unto him, Mine God Almighty, be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall be of thee king, should come out of thy loins. And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac to thee, I will give it. Do thy seed. After thee will I give the land. God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place.
Talked with him, even a pillar of stone, and he poured a drink, offering thereon, and he poured oil there on Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him. Bethel, now the point I'd like to bring out here.
Is this?
That we find Jacob obeying the word of God. That's the first point.
We learned that.
In Philippians that.
The apostles said certain things before the Saints.
And he says, if you do these things, the God of peace shall be with you.
That's obedience to the word, but we notice also here that he pours out a drink offering.
Now this is really a picture of the soul overwhelmed with joy and what God has done for him in his life. We find Jacob had idols in his house, other things too, and he couldn't get rid of them. He was helpless, absolutely helpless. He doesn't seem to have control of his house.
But when God said to him arise and go to Bethel, he knew very well that he couldn't take his idols to Bethel. It wouldn't fit. And so in that simplicity of faith he says to his household.
It says here let us arise and go up to Bethel. I know in the second verse put away the strange gods that are among you and be clean and change your garments.
Well, they did. So now God came in, and he did for Jacob what Jacob could not do for himself.
I believe this is always the case, brethren. If there is to be permanent blessing, it will have to be God coming in. But there is that side of it. There must be the obedience of faith, and it will result.
In joy, as we have in this chapter, it will result in joy in our household if we walk in the path of faith and obedience.
As God opens the way for us, He will order our circumstances.
Because he never disappoints faith, and we too will have that privilege of pouring out a drink offering. That's an offering that's put on top of the sacrifice to indicate joy. And remember, when that drink offering is poured out, there's always the equal amounts of oil with it. That's the spirit of God prompting it, of course, in that nature.
Brethren, we must learn a lesson in the 13th chapter of Genesis as well in connection with this matter we find in the.
13th of Genesis.
And the tenth verse, it says unlocks lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
Even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou cometh unto Zoar, we find the find that the time has come when Abraham and Locke were going to part.
And Locke had a choice to make, and he chose that which was like unto Egypt.
Well, the question arises, who was it that had given Lot a taste of Egypt? And if we go back to the previous chapter, the 12Th chapter of Genesis, we find brethren that it was Abraham, that it was Abraham who had taken lock down into Egypt. And now Abraham has come back, he has been restored. But now Lot is faced with a choice.
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And what has been given a taste of Egypt, he has had, as it were, an idol set before him.
Something that appeals to him, but it was done by Abraham, and Lot found that which was like what he had been given a taste of. And he made his choice, and he went down to Sodom, because it was like unto Egypt.
And brethren, for those of us here, I say this to my own heart more than anyone that have families, young families particularly.
How careful we have to be that we don't allow that in our homes. We've just heard a word about our household. But to allow that in our homes, that is going to set before our children that which is going to cause them when the time comes for them to make their choice, to follow that which is going to lead them into paths of disobedience, to have things in our own brethren that sets the world before our children.
That put things before them, just like Abraham did with Lot, Lot. When the choice, the time came from to make his choice, what a sad, sad choice made and beloved brother, I said to my own heart as they say more than anyone. But how can we be surprised if our children choose Sodom, choose the world, choose the idols if we have been responsible as parents?
Putting that before them, which results in the idle being there, it results in their hearts being given a taste and an appetite for the very idle, which we then as parents, deplore for them when they make their choice.
I was thinking of the three things in connection with the children of Israel and.
Connection is what? The forest. There are three things that should characterize them. That'll be sheltered by the blood of the lamb. Then there was a feast upon the lamb, roast with fire. And the third thing was they'll put leaven out of their houses. Out of their houses? Not out of themselves, that's an impossibility, but out of their houses. My brother was speaking about the evils which can creep in the homes.
And houses.
And so they were told to put lemon from the first day, it says.
In the 15th, 1St even the first day, you should put away 11 out of your houses, or whosoever eateth leavened bread, from the first day of the 7th day, that someone should be cut off from Israel.
Well, we know the various things that are coming in, the homes and houses which are defiling to the children.
Many places we have been, we have seen this great monster, the children watching it with eager eyes. Well, it has a withering effect upon their soul and upon their parents too, and can do nothing else. Some people claim that this monster is educational. Well, I believe it educates children for health. That's the only education they get from us. It's withering to the soul. I think this is very important.
For each one of us, myself included, to keep 11 out of our houses, Is 11 a picture of evil in Scripture? Yes.
The nation is what our brother.
Prayers and the Speaking of what she was in the well watered plains of Jordan. Of course it was God that had provided well watered plains of Jordan.
A lot did not choose Sodom, but Sodom was worried. A lot went that is in the plains. And I think do think we need to be careful and we need to warn ourselves and our households that some of these things which we choose, which look like they're an advantage to us, that they don't draw us away into the place where evil is.
Because it speaks in Genesis there that when lot chose.
You know, the well watered plains of Jordan speaks of the men of Sodom being wicked exceedingly.
The evil was there, and Lord made himself a candidate for going down into Sodom and there to find himself a righteous man. But.
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Trouble with the evil which is present.
Chapter closes with Jesus before us, doesn't it?
It says.
To wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus are delivered from the coming wrath. So we have then the.
Resting upon the person of Christ in the end of this chapter, but it's his own personal name.
It's the one who was down here as man that's before us is now in the glory.
In connection with what has been said, there's sort of a negative attitude that a Christian might take two like that. Like, is it her? He got down beneath the two burdens, and he looked for rest and he found it. But the end was sorrowful, wasn't it?
That taking sort of a negative act, not going after the items, as it were, but just trying to seek rest in this scene where there is no rest for the Christian and he allows himself to be covered up with burdens of one sort and another.
That hinder the advancement that he should be making? Is that not true?
In order to that it says to serve the living.
And cruel gods the the gods of the heathen were really.
Instruments of Satan to degrade those who worship them. We have little idea how degrading idolatry was in those days.
It's not only.
Allowed the worst class of immorality, but gave those who followed thee followed these ways to think that was something, possibly a game to them.
Oh, now the gods that the Thessalonians had turned to does not like the God of Bill when they cried. The old bail hearers. There's no answer at all. There was a God they actually saw fulfilling his word, answering their prayers, and coming in fabulous and wonderful ways. But he was also the true God.
The God of holiness.
They had known nothing about.
In all their lives, in connection with false gods, to know a true God, a God who is infinitely holy, whose very natures of foreign to evil God was something entirely unknown. So it marks out of people in a very positive and distinct way. And we should remember that beloved in connection with.
All our affairs, that God is a holy God, and that he will allow nothing that is contrary to his nature. So after the Apostle John has given us that wonderful.
Understanding of the ones that was from the beginning and how we we can have fellowship with those who were with him down here.
That she might have fellowship without, He says. Then the next word is, and this is the word that we have heard of him, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
All the beloved John had heard the Lord Jesus actually see those very words that he has handed down in his epistle to us that God is light, and light exposes everything that is of the nature of darkness.
And will not permit it to exist where His Holiness is manifested. So we need to remember in going on that we have to do.
Where the God who is infinite in His Holiness.
Does that not become more and more prominent in scripture as the days become darker and darker? I think of June, the last epistle, where a very, very dark picture is presented. But the provision to the believer is building up yourselves on your most holy faith. That is a wonderful provision, and it's striking that it should be spoken of not only as faith or holy faith, but most.
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Holy faith.
Wonderful privilege, in a day when public opinion has fallen so low, to be able to be together in this manner by the grace of God, to read His precious holy word and realize that it is our privilege and a very challenge in the day in which we live to be built up in our most holy faith.
Today, at this juncture in our meeting, give a warning voice against these new translations that are coming in.
And even creeping into our meetings like the this new International Bible and the way that the truth is cheapened and well such expressions are set of addressing the deity as thou as you will familiarity that is very unbecoming and often introducing thoughts that dishonor.
The person of the Lord Jesus, brethren, be careful of these new translations.
Get them out of your house and have no fellowship with this at all, because I believe that the enemy at this time is definitely at work seeking to corrupt the word of God. I'll never forget Shortly before our dear brother Potter was taken home, he called a number of the Lord's servants together and I was privileged as a young man to be with us and he pointed this out. He says, Brother, don't give up the King James translation.
He says. I believe that that was a work of God. He says there's never been anything like it. He said. Mr. Darbys translation is a wonderful help to correct some mistakes that are in the King James translation. There are.
Interpolations. And there are mistakes because in that time they didn't have all the manuscripts they had later.
But we can correct those, and I believe that the Spirit of God, in a very positive, definite way, since God has given us that translation, has been working. So that translation of God's word. May I pass that on, brethren? I believe our brother had the mind of the Lord and solemnly warning, and I know it occasionally as I go about.
I hear some praying and using the word you instead of thou, showing that they in some way have been rubbing shoulders.
Well, some who are aligned with new translations to come in among them and to have its effect on in connection with the things of the Lord. And another thing, Brother Barry, some of these writers, they speak of the Lord as our elder brother, which is a terrible thought. He calls us his brethren, but we cannot address him as our elder brother.
He's our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We have a real problem concerning Spanish, the Spanish translation. There's only one society.
From which we can get a good translation of the word of God. And it's in London, England. We've had to turn down the translation from the British and Foreign Bible Society. I'm Speaking of Spanish now.
And also the American Bible Society. I knew Dr. N who was the head of that society for years and was a saved man, but then a modernist got in there and so nothing could be very satisfactorily done with him, but.
And you can't trust the Canadian Bible Society either. Present in the Spanish language, there's only one.
Place.
I don't like the name of it. It's called the Trinitarian Bible Society.
01:20:05
But it's been functioning for the last 80 years or more, and that's the only society where we can get a real translation of the word of God. That's faithful now. That's something, isn't it? There's just one society where we can get the word of God translated faithfully into the Spanish tongue.
I think in that connection it's well for us to remember that the Word of God does say that what was communicated to us from God was communicated not in the wisdom or the words that man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches. In other words, it was not merely the thoughts that were entrusted to these men, and they expressed the thoughts in their own words. No.
The very.
Words were given by the inspiration of the Spirit of God, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches. And I believe the most dangerous of all are those.
So-called Bibles, which are an attempt to be man's interpretation of what God was talking about, they're not honestly called translations really at all.
A man came into the store in Montreal just a little while ago and he said somebody gave me a a translation or he. I don't know how to use that word or not. But he said and I found it interesting. But he said that I thought I'd come into the store to see if you sold Bibles because I'd like to see what the Bible says.
So they told him, Lillian Brown told him, that we certainly do have the King James, that it was rather interesting that that man was really a searcher and.
It was the Spirit of God that was teaching him. He wanted to find out what the the truth was.
Noticed in reading Mr. Darby's ministry that practically always uses the King James translation, although he had a translation of his own which was very correct but he didn't use it unless there was there was a word that didn't express the right thought where then he called attention to that and then go on with that translation. Whereas you find that some other learned teachers of those days.
Who were a great Greek scholars like he was, almost entirely their own translations.
Since to me it indicated humility and.
Caution to us too. I know what Brother Porter said at that time. He said. If you read only Mr. Darbys translations, he says you will become a critical reader.
That is, you all want to look at this word. Is that exactly the Greek meaning? And so on. And you can become so critical in your.
Reading of the word that you you'll lose the real power and blessing of the Spirit of God.
Heather I remember a very interesting case of a certain minister made a present of a wonderful dictionary to an old sister.
And she loved these Saint James version and he said, this will throw a lot of light on the word for you. And I'll be back in a week or two to ask you how you got along. Well, he went back to see her and he says, how do you get along with this?
Dictionary. Oh, she said. Sir, my Bible throws a lot of light on your dictionary.
Holy men of God, very beloved, wrote as they were born along by the Spirit of God.
There are jobs and Pickles there.
That are inspired also. It's a wonderful book, but Holy men of God wrote as they were born along by the spirit of God. I think we have good instructions in the 17th of Acts in connection with this.
That we should be more like the Bereans.
Says of the Bereans, these were more noble than those in Bethel and Naika, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and search the scriptures daily to see whether those things were so.
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Well, it's not important today to search the scriptures. They need to see whether the things that we hear us are in there.
I thought, Brother London, you might give us.
To understand what is meant by.
Delivered to deliver us from the wrath to come, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Or should read the Deliverer, shouldn't it? Here's a place where another translation is helpful, The Deliverer from the coming Wrath.
We don't have exactly the.
The Lord's coming here, as we do in the 4th chapter, Do we? This is the thought of His coming in vengeance judgment. That's the wrath to come.
But the believer will be delivered from this and will be at home long before. In fact, we will be saved out of that time of tribulation and sorrow that will come over the habitable earth, and then the wrath to come follows even that. So we're delivered and we're at home.
And we'll be on high to view this, I remember years ago.
When I was quite young.
Uh, just a boy. I was had the privilege of going to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, and it's a mile deep, I understand.
And I had a little cabin on the on the top and.
During the night there was a storm below.
And I could watch the lightnings and the storm in its progress below.
When I woke up in the morning, the ground was covered with snow all around me. But the storm had gone on below all through the night, and I thought of this as a picture of the believer in his safety at the time when this verse which it refers to the wrath to come, will be at home, will be when the father's house.
Will have bodies of glory, and we will be like those in the 4th of Revelation.
On the throne and all of the thunders and the lightnings and the quaking is going on, There won't be a stir. There won't be a murmur, because we'll be with the one who's over it all, the judge himself.
But the time now is the time, brethren, when we should be concerned about our loved ones, about those who will be left behind, because we can expect the Lord. We wait for him, and we can expect Him at any moment.
Could we sing #168?
The mind is far threatened, The day at a time no sign to be looked for. The stars in the sky rejoice. Then you say that your Lords own command reject.