Children—D. Whitaker
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Where's another one?
OK, this little girl right here.
46.
You know, children, there's meetings at this conference for the lost. That's the gospel meeting. We had a gospel meeting last night that I enjoyed very, very much.
Then there's meetings for the young people and the gospel meeting the Lord Jesus Christ and all of his beauty and his glory and perfection is presented.
To a lost soul, to lost now. In the young people's meeting we present the Lord Jesus and all of His.
Glory and beauty to the young people and in a reading meeting we present the Lord Jesus and all of His wondrous work and power to one another. And then in a prayer meeting we present ourselves to the Lord Jesus with our needs.
But in the morning meeting, we're going to do something a little bit different. We're going to present the Lord Jesus of all of his beauty and all of his glory to his Father.
I like that thought. Well, this is for the children. We want to present the Lord Jesus to the children. OK, who has another one?
Let's see, we haven't called on you yet.
40 all right.
OK, first and last #40.
Jesus loves me.
So there's no.
What I mean in 5000 with each other?
It is what else they execution. Oh my God, standards.
Are lost make.
Much love with clouds. I have to go to hell and I want to make it for the sport. This boy had a song.
Which one was it, 4747?
Someone start that.
47.
And they that feared the Lord spake often one to another. And the Lord hearkened and heard it. And a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord, And that day when I make up my jewels, my special treasure, and I will spare them as a man's spirit, his own son that serveth him.
Isn't there a version, a New Testament that says something like this? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him Of course all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who has another one Here we have a OK, this OK 41.
About family, no sterile breasts and there's pretty good to me.
Pretty.
Good.
Just take your step in love to where the way let's see him now watch him that most gracious, lovely most of the life and we need to make me worry.
Beautiful.
All right, let's pray and we're going to ask the Lord for these children here. We're going to also ask the Lord for Brother Forrest Atkins. That broke his hip last night and he's suffering. We won't afraid for him too. Let's commit ourselves to God.
Well, do we have any A plus?
Students in Well, maybe I shouldn't ask that. Do we have any good students in here? If you're a good student, raise your hand. There's Oh, good, good. OK, All right, fine. So we have some good students here.
Do any of you children ever study a different language?
Oh wow, what language do you study?
Spanish. OK, now there's a lot of children back here too. I wish they were all sitting up here in front. And I'm sorry that my back is towards you.
00:10:09
OK, then I have another question. Do we have any John? Anybody by the name of John here? Raise your hand high. If there's a John, if someone point him out to me. Oh, there's one John. OK, see, do we have any Davids?
Oh boy, we're running.
OK. Do we have any Denny's?
Do we have a Danny?
Whoa.
Neither did Danny.
Well, that's OK, we'll make it.
All right, I was just going to tell you a story about some straight A students. This is a true story, and it happened.
On the other side of the world, actually, it's just South of the city of Baghdad, about 58 miles along a river.
In Iraq, what's called Iraq, there was some students there that were given a three-year scholarship and they were very intelligent young people. They loved God. They loved God. And that's so important that at an early age they had gotten the scriptures out and they said seek the Lord while he while, while you're young, while you're young. And they did, they did while they were young well.
These young men, they were given a three-year scholarship, all expenses paid including their meals.
And it was quite an interesting time they had there.
They were given subject of science. Which one of you young people have had science in your school?
Raise your hand if you've had a science class.
OK, there's one.
Only one. There's another one. OK, all right. And literature studying what people have written. How about do we know there's a girl here that's had.
A foreign language study.
And social studies, have you ever heard that word social studies, where you study how people act and their culture, what they do? Well, these handsome young men, they were in this class and they had a job opportunity when they got out.
That they could have a very important job, but they had to complete their studies.
Correctly. And they had to do it because at the end of the three-year there was an examination coming up. And if they passed the examination, they would be able to fill this very important job position. That's a lot like these young people here today. And I'd like to think of these, these young fellows, they, they had their, their minds were set and they were dedicated. And when they went into this school, you know, there was also in this school where they were going, I must say.
There were some very important people, young people, and they were also studying along with these poor fellows and.
This is a true story, by the way. They were thrown right in there in the midst of them. But these young men, they had a purpose, and their purpose was to get through that school without being.
Turned over to the ways of the country. Let's see, I'm not sure who.
What God they had at that time down there? But anyway, in different countries they have different gods who are in Malawi and they have a Muslim government. And I was talking to 1000 children there, amazed me and they listened very carefully and they were very thankful to hear what was said by brother Reuben others.
And at the end of the talk I thought, why? We're from a country where God is on the money and God is it's a Christian country, but you couldn't get up and preach the gospel in a school.
Because they would let you. But here's a here's a Muslim country and the man says please come talk to us more about Jesus. Please come talk to us more about the Lord Jesus. And so I told the children in my country we can't do that. Hooray for Malawi. That's what I told him in the El clapped. They thought that was fun. I did too.
00:15:02
Well, these men, here they were, they were in all these classes and when they were young, they must have read a scripture. My son, give me thine heart because they made it clear through those three years without being turned aside or tainted. Isn't that something? Well, now, could you turn with me, please to Daniel, chapter one.
Now let's see how accurate my story was.
Daniel, Chapter one.
The third year.
Of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand with part of the vessels of the House of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the House of his God. And he brought the vessels into the treasure House of his God.
And the king spake unto espionage the master of the eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel.
Oh, that's what I'm talking about. That's why I needed a Daniel here a few minutes ago. I wanted to set him down here and then I was going to let let him select three friends of his. But we have no Daniels in here today. That seems a little strange. Young children, that is.
All right, children, verse four in whom was number blemish. Oh my, how easy it is we go through this world to get blemished. Now I was sitting next to brother ton back there opening meeting and he looked over at me and he said, you know these ladies that he sees their faces. Well, actually everybody, the faces of these sisters in here were full of joy. He says I go to the prison, the women's prison, he says, and the faces are so sad.
All their faces have been blemished with sin.
Sin well look at these children to whom was no blemish, but well favored. Oh young people, we've been well favored, skillful in all wisdom. These were a plus students cunning and knowledge and understanding scientists science class they had to go through and there were then here we have they had the ability to stand in the King's palace. They would probably had classes on the how to present themselves.
And they were to learn the tongue of the Chaldeans. They, this little girl is learning Spanish. And these fellows were learning the tongue of the Chaldeans. See, it's kind of like today, isn't it?
Well, here they were. They were given everything they needed, and they were given some of the King's food.
And they were there's a lot to be said here, but we and we want to get on with a story because we want to talk about the fiery furnace part of this story. But anyway, we get back here to verse eight that says Daniel purposed in his heart doesn't say that his three friends did.
Says Daniel purposed in his heart and it just seems like he's taking the lead here. You know, we love, some of us love to follow. Now if there's a young man or there's a young woman here that's going to purpose in their heart to follow the Lord you're going to bring. Wouldn't be wonderful if you brought three or four or five with you. Well, that seems to be the case here. Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with a King's meat. I think it's back in the Levitical law. They weren't supposed to eat certain things.
Well, this young man was true to what he knew Daniel and he wouldn't. He said to this man that was over him. He said no, we'd rather not, rather not. We don't want to eat. Well. This man said I have to feed you correctly because when the king looks on you, he wants to make sure that you look in strong and sturdy and healthy. Well, he said, just let us have what we used usually eat. We don't want to eat the King's meat.
We don't want to be defiled with what he eats. We're Jewish boys. And then.
The man said, OK, but I'll have to check you out for 10 days. Oh, that's fine. So they had a little test that was a 10 day test. And you know something, they passed that test. They're passing all their tests, aren't they? Well, some of these were moral tests, some were academic tests, but they were tests nevertheless. Well.
00:20:00
Now we get on down here and these men got their names changed and that gives you the thought that this king wanted to kind of take over. Now let her get these names straight. Hananiah, Michelle. And what's the last one?
Go ahead, I'll take a big person on this one, Hananiah, Michelle and.
Azariah. Now we're going to get down to the names that were given them.
Shadrach. I did somebody in here have a dog by the name of Shadrach?
A Shadrach and then the other one was.
Meshach and the other one was.
Abednego, there you have it. And when these men got their names changed, these young men got their names changed. It's like the king is saying, well, you belong to me now.
I've changed your name. You know there's different ones in the Bible got their name changed.
And it means that somebody has authority over them. Well, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they got their names changed, but did that change their hearts?
Oh, no, They had purpose of heart. Now when you children, you boys get out there and you play football and there's a bunch of boys standing in front of there.
And that ball is handed off to you and you start to run.
Are you running? Is are you running? Why are you running? Why are you going? Which direction are you going? There we go. I got it out. You're going to a goal and you go as hard and as fast as you can and you use every bit of energy to get to the goal.
Now I will say this, there's lots of us here in school, lots of us young people in school. And if you're, if you don't have a goal, that is to get your education.
So you can get your job or whatever it is the Lord has for you if you don't have a goal.
You're going to get turned aside. Something's going to get you this way or someone's going to get you this, just like in football, boys.
Or your friends is going to be out there and he's going to try to get you, but you want to get around him. So that's what it's like in school. Well, these boys made it through all the school and here they are.
I kind of lost my train of thought a little bit here, but at the end of it all they were found out to be 10 times better.
Whoa, 10 times better than all of those others that they were there now the Lord helped them and gave them special wisdom.
Well, we get on now to the.
3rd chapter.
Here we have these boys. Hearts weren't changed at all. Their hearts were fixed, trusting in the Lord.
Nebuchadnezzar the King.
Made an image.
Everybody have Daniel three, they made an image whose height was 3 score cubits. You know, that's just as tall as these towers they call towers out here that we're staying in. Most of us 90 feet tall. That's how tall this tower went up in the in the plain of Durate was on a flat plain and everybody could stand back and they could say, wow, look at that tower. It's big and it's pretty and it's great.
It was covered with gold and everybody was told. I will read it here. The Nebuchadnezzar, the king, sent to gather together the Princess, the governors, the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the councillors, the sheriff's and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image. It's a false religion.
Which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Then the Princess, the governors, the captains, the judges, the treasures, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. This is a man made contraption. Now innocent idol. It's very, very important looking. And this man wanted to unite this huge Kingdom under this one religion.
Now I'd have to maybe let somebody else explain what the modern day is the equivalent to this, but it seems like to me that the God of this world is in the process of blinding the minds of those that believe not.
00:25:02
Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, the image of God, should shine unto them, they should be saved. And the devil is bringing them all down, not just bend the knee. These men had to fall down.
Fall down all the way down. It reminds me of a story man that came into my business and he was talking about being saved. God had been speaking through his heart about being saved.
And he knew that if he didn't get saved, he was on his road to hell. Terrible thought. And he was a proud man. And he thought about that. He went in his room.
And he put one knee on the floor.
And he started thinking, she said.
I want to be saved but my other knee won't hit the floor.
My other knee won't get down. He thought about that. He didn't want to completely yield his heart to Christ.
And so he realized, if I go out of this room with just one knee down and that's it, and I have it completely, I'm going to go to hell. I'm lost.
He took his hands like this, and he jammed his other knee down into the floor, and he cried. The sinner's prayer. You know what that sinner's prayer is? God be merciful to me.
Not the neighbor, not the man down the street, not the fellow classmate. God be merciful to me, the Sinner.
And he was saved and he came and he told me about it.
There's six charts on the back wall of this room.
And.
What would you think if instead of the normal announcements, someone came or I stood up here and made some announcements? Or Brother Wally or Brother Dave, who typically make the different announcements about activities. Or Brother John, perhaps tomorrow and made the announcement that if you find yourself in the middle of a softball game with the pitch coming towards you.
And all of a sudden everyone else on the field disappears, including those that are seated on the side.
Or if you were to find your cabin empty in the morning.
With the things left behind from those that were there. And you were to say, oh, I overslept. And you came over to the eating area and you found that it was also emptying. You came over to the meeting area, found it was empty. Went up to the ball fields, found them empty. Or perhaps you were sitting in a meeting.
And.
You were to find yourself.
Completely alone, look around you and find that there are bibles on the seats, perhaps many of them having fallen where they are if they were held out in front, fall into the floor.
Keys, wallets, everyone of the things that we have that are all going to be left behind.
What if the announcement was made that you were free to?
Take the keys of whatever vehicle you could find and you could drive that vehicle away because it was number longer going to be of any use to its owner.
You could take and you've got permission to take what money is in my wallet because I won't need it anymore because the event that is going to happen, and I don't know when it's going to happen, but it might happen tonight the brother Dave reminded us that perhaps seems that people have been saying for years, and they have that this event is going to happen. They've been saying it for about 2000 years that the Lord Jesus is coming back because that's a promise that he made.
The thing is this.
Your flew jets and things like that around. But he was a proud man, but he knew that he that pride had to go and he got both those knees on the floor and repentance. Well, this king here, he wanted everybody go further than that. He wanted to bow down all the way with her face right on the ground, fall down.
Well.
00:30:01
So what time a man calls out, he says, when you hear the sound of the music?
All kinds of music. Flutes, harps, sack butts, sultry dulcimer.
You know, today you could probably add a few more guitars and so on and so on. Whatever you fall down.
And you worship the golden image with which the king has set up. And, you know, let me ask you a question. What happens if what was supposed to happen to these men if they didn't fall down and worship what was going to happen? Let's see here. Oh, we got a lot of hands going up this time. How about this boy right here?
That's exactly right.
Oh, now there's a decision. These men, up to this point, have had their hearts and minds fixed, resting in God. What about this Now What about this?
Do you think they could have turned to the book of Isaiah?
And they could have found there when thou passes through the fire.
I'll be with thee.
My clothes shall not be burned. Yeah, there's a burst that says that.
Hmm. They had the Old Testament there and they were reading it. Much of it.
And this was a fearful time and this, oh, they might have got to that verse that says.
If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
And whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.
Oh.
It took time to gather all those people together from all these provinces, and there was time for these men to get off in the presence of God, get the word of God out and study it. Now. Is God going to take us through this? This is serious, This is our life.
What is going to happen to us? Oh, and one would encourage the other. I can't just say.
Oh, perfect peace are those that have the essay. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed upon thee. They had the word of God, and they could open it up together. I could imagine them sitting there thinking about this. Yeah, I've seen that image. It's big and everybody's falling down to it. Now. Children, I've only got 15 minutes, but I'd like to take an hour and 15 minutes to tell you I can't.
But I'd like to take time to tell you that this world, the God of this world, wants you to bow down.
That's right.
And you know something, it's not asking you to give up any of the things that you've been taught on your mother's knee.
This world is not this man. Didn't this king didn't ask these men to give up what they had learned from the Bible?
Just said one thing and it was simple, very easy to do, and you'd save yourself so much trouble if you did it. All you had to do was fall down before that image.
Bow yourself before that image. That means you're pledging allegiance.
To that new God that this evil king had set up.
Oh my, what a time of trial that must have been.
Shall we or shall we not? That's the question that they had on their hearts that day.
Well, they said, we're not careful to answer thee. Oh, they came out with such a that's a beautiful, beautiful thing. You know, I think about this. If the king would have asked them to be careful when they drove their Chariots down the streets of Babylon that they not go too fast, you know, I think these men would have said, well, yes, that's right. That's what the king would have us do, and we're going to do that.
The king would have had him do this or that. They would have done it. But when it came to.
Submitting themselves to this false God? No Sir.
Resolution in their minds and hearts.
Now this made this king furious, Yes.
But you know something, he says. I know I'm a regular guy. I'm going to give them another chance, you know. It says the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel, they said. Really, they said. Give you another chance, fellows. One more chance here. We might have misunderstood your intentions, but we want you to bow down. And the consequences are that fiery furnace over there. Well, we're not careful to answer thee. And you know something you have, you children, you young people.
00:35:16
All of us.
There's one thing we need to be careful. Not careful. I like that expression. It looks at it through the back door. Not careful.
No, a mind is fixed, the heart is stayed trusting in the Lord. And they said, no, we're not careful, we know what we're going to do.
Well, this made they didn't bow, and this made that man very.
Furious. And you know something, if you don't go the way of the devil, he's going to be angry with you.
And so he was, he said, you turn that furnace up seven times hotter than it's ever been heated before. It's supposed to be red hot, but you make it white hot. And I can see that furnace, the fire belching out of that thing. We can look over there. What a fearful sight. Put yourself in their shoes. Terrible. Except their heart was trusting in God.
You know something? There's a verse in the Psalms that says the word of the Lord.
Pure words tried in a furnace of earth, purified 7 times. Oh yes.
Well.
They were bound in their clothes, everything on them that they had in their daily life, nothing had changed. They were wrapped up. They were bound up with these ropes, I take it, and.
These three, these mighty men and his army came and they picked up these three young men. I'm sure Daniel was praying somewhere. I don't know where he was, but these three men were right there and they were picked up and they were.
Run and cast into that burning fiery furnace.
And the men that threw them in there, what happened to them? Was anybody remember? Oh, look at this, OK, This boy here, they died. What were you going to say?
They burned, yeah.
That's really a story in it. Well, they burned, but then everybody's watching this and they look in there. What do they see? Didn't the king say something like this? He said to us, he says to the men. He said, didn't we cast three men into the fire?
That's right, O King. But they said, I see four in there, and the 4th is like the Son of God. Oh, when thou walk us through the fire, I'll be with thee, and I won't touch thee. And you know when those men were called out of that fire.
You think if they'd had clothes on that God wasn't happy with that? Those clothes would have been burned up in that fire.
I think so, but no, God was happy with everything they had on because they came out with everything that they had on.
The fire passed, didn't touch him, couldn't even smell it on him.
No, no. And so these men, they could have stepped out and they could have said, well you see this is what happens when you follow God. No, they were just quiet. And this man by the way, they might have read that verse as let another man praise thee and not thine own lips.
Well, the king, Oh my, the king will really impress that king. And it was used for a tremendous testimony and a tremendous blessing in his Kingdom. Well, there's so much that could be said.
This one that walked with them in the fire. And you know, this world has a lot of tests and a lot of trials. And I guarantee you're going to go through some of them. And if you've got any years behind, you've already gone through them. You'll find that the Lord Jesus will go through them with you and go through them with you. Oh, that's beautiful.
Well.
I could say a lot could be said. These men, they didn't want to set any wicked thing before their eyes. There was that idol there, but they said no. And this music that they had, you know, there's all kinds of music in this world, young people. It has all kinds of music. Today. It just seems like it's running this modern culture in which we're in. The music is motivating it and running it. And that music takes these poor people down, down, down. And tell their faces are so sad. We see them every day.
Hearts are broken and homes are broken. God is left out of their life. Christ means nothing to them.
00:40:06
I want to tell you a story.
This man's name is Bill. I've talked about him about it maybe a couple of years ago.
Bill Spears is his name. He's kind of the opposite of these three, these poor young men. Bill Spears lived in Scotland and he had a very heavy Scottish accent.
About 25 years ago.
Well, maybe 35 years ago, he moved to the United States from Scotland.
And he came into the business that Brother Brimlow had.
And I listened to his story, he said, oh, I see you fellas are Christians here.
We had persons on the walls.
And yes, he said, well, church, did you go to? And we tried to explain to him a little bit about the position we're in and just a sentence or two. Oh, he says, do you fellas use the JND Bible?
I said well we have the J&D by how do you know about that? Well, he said I used to know some Christians up in northern Scotland. He said they would, they used the J&D Bible, he says, and they would go down the beaches.
Scotland, he says they were called Plymouth Brethren and he said they would go down to the beaches and they would preach the gospel on the beaches. You know, I was a wee lad, he said I would go down and listen to them, he says. And this man pulled out a stopwatch big watch and he was preaching about that watch.
He says see the Tina's watching. There was a dials on it. You know, the big hand and the little hand. They were right there. They weren't moving, but there they were.
And then he says that look at this, and he opened that watch, that Scottish preacher opened that watch up and he says, look, there was nothing inside. It was empty.
He says I remember what he preached about that day. I said that's interesting. Well I said what about you? And he gave me some. I forget how he answered that question this 25 years ago, but I didn't get a clear answer out of him. I would have loved to have heard him say I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, He's my savior. Well, as the time goes on, I watched this man Bill Spears get older and older and his hair got whiter.
And wider. And we'd visit with him over the years. He'd come in once every other year or so, and we'd try to tell him about the Lord. And you know something he would start talking about faith without works is dead. And he felt that he had the works. He wanted to do the works part of them. And faith. Oh yeah. But he wanted to do the works. I didn't sense that he was a saved soul.
If you think back about maybe four or five, six months ago, a Sunday school paper came out and Bill Spears was featured in that Sunday school paper, a man that had heard the gospel.
And never took up with it. His mommy prayed for him. And he said, my mother and father prayed for me, prayed for me. They're dead and gone now. Well, now, four or five days ago, he came in again. I was surprised to see him. His hair's all white. And he told me not too long ago, he said, you know, this last year has been the most miserable year of my life. Oh, I said, Bill, have you bowed your knees to Christ?
Well, he said. You know, we've talked about this before, Dave, he said.
We have our different ways of looking at it. I said no, Bill, you have to bow your knees to the Lord Jesus. You have to tell him I'm a poor, lost and guilty Sinner. You have to remember what your mother and father. He went to his Southern Sunday school up there. He went to and when he was a little boy he went to a Sunday school similar to this and he heard the Gospel. But he never has yet to this very day, to this very moment, as far as I know, he has not bowed his knees.
And he brought me a little year end present. I said well you know, But he said you don't get into this year end thing. And I said no, no, I really don't.
Bill But I said, I'll take it in the spirit of kindness from you and some little cookies. I said, Oh, but Bill, I put my arm around him. He was kind of stiff. He didn't want to talk about it, but I said you need to bow your knees to the Lord Jesus like the brother was preaching last night. Oh, that was refreshing to my soul.
I said have you made? Have you ever made with your lips? Have you ever said Lord Jesus, I am a poor lost, guilty Sinner, I need to be saved. Answer your mothers and fathers prayers. Have you ever gone on your knees and said Lord Jesus save my soul. And Bill, he couldn't give me a clear answer. And he's very old, nose is red and he's just so old. I feel so sad for him because I'm afraid.
00:45:13
Born and raised in a Christian home, heard the gospel preaching when he was a little boy and can explain to me the illustrations that he heard 55 years ago on the beaches of Scotland when faithful men of God preached the gospel. And he's still saying no. And if he doesn't get saved, he's on his road to hell. I hate to say that. Pray for Bill Spears.
Well, Natura says. Not the condition of anybody in this room this morning.
The Lord Jesus is standing. He's standing. He's saying come. And you know what the word come means? That means somebody's looking for you know that.
Lord Jesus, that word come is used. Doesn't that what means someone says come, that means someone wants you to want you to go to them?
Looking for you The Lord Jesus is looking for you today. He wants you to be saved.
Well, May God bless these words. Shall we pray?