Des Moines Conference: 1962
Table of Contents
Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled
Address—P. Wilson
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This is an address given by her brother Paul Wilson in the 9.
Old Testament prophecies fulfilled.
Constantly before me this evening.
This is the ordinary evening for the young victim.
Oh, we'll all be young people together tonight, I trust.
And I would like to speak tonight.
Tonight.
Of prophecy.
And don't get the wrong idea, I don't want to speak of prophecy as something.
With the future and failure of minds with that.
I would like to go back into the Old Testament a little tonight and speak a little of.
You see, there is a wondrous works of God in his book.
You know how many people have gone with Hicks and Spades?
To the old lands.
Archaeologists, they call themselves.
To dig up rocks and evidences of.
Christianity.
A man by the name of States.
We found out many things that were profitable to establish and strengthen the faith of the believer in the Word of God.
You know the antelope likes to reason against the word of God.
And anything that doesn't mind is wrong, so he says.
They find fall with everything they can think of.
If they can't find a certain king mentioned in the word of God, they say the word of God is wrong. He didn't live.
Then along comes some man uncovers a stone that tells about.
Well, they never always high their chagrin and never admitted they were wrong.
But we know there were. But we do not need the archaeologists paid to tell us anything that will prove the authority of the Word of God.
The greatest evidence to my soul.
Of the correctness of their precious book is its perfection inside of it, when I see that it was all plant.
All given by 1 spirit.
The book is one whole from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, and it's all tied together by indissoluble links.
You can take away one part without ruining ruining another.
We sometimes say that the book of Genesis is the same part of the Bible, and in the book of Genesis we have the beginnings and we have in tight and shadow, in embryo, shall we say, the truths that are later unfolded through the book. Everything except redemption and God's dwelling with men that was reserved with the book of Jack. Exodus.
Then the Old Testament goes on after telling of Christ and Tyson Shadow, when Christ is always before the mind of God, before the mind of the Spirit of God. But he tells of Christ coming back with his Saints to execute judgments, and of Christ reign on the earth.
Well, we come to the New Testament and we find that Christ came when he was rejected. He's gone back to heaven.
And the Spirit of God is down here now, gathering out of people for heaven. We do not read of that in the Old Testament.
We get that in the news where you say how then can you put it all together? If we didn't have the Book of Revelation, we'd not know how. We would not know how to correlate.
We all lose, for instance.
Look at the the oral Testament clauses looking for the sun to shine in its strength, writes the Sun.
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When it comes to rain.
The New Testament closes with the Morning Star, which appears first. Morning Star, of course.
Some other New Testament closes with an earlier look, with an earlier prospect than the oldest.
And if we didn't have the Book of Revelation, we'd not know. We would not know how to put together the things concerning the earth.
And concerning the heaven. And in the Book of Revelation we see them all put together in their order.
So the Book of God is like a hammock. It's tied together, both ends.
Now I meant we were mentioning night before last.
Some of Israel's failure. You see everything that God ever committed into the hand of man.
Failed in his hand.
You go back and you'll find it in Innocence in the Garden of Eden.
God leaves man outside of the garden with a conscience.
And he becomes utterly lawless. Corruption, violence still there.
And God cleans the air to the club.
Started over with Noah and his posters but no immediately gets drunk.
So I mentioned here an in for a long time was left telling a lot of things against the Bible to a bunch of unbelievers and every time he made a supposed point they all roared hilariously to see the ridiculous points of the oath of the Bible.
First he said, you know, there were three people, four people on earth, Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel. And Cain killed Abel. So there were three honors. And he said, and then King went out and got a wife. Now where did it get? And they all roll.
Then he says, there was a flood on earth and everything was washed up. Please.
Came out of the Ark.
And he made some wine and got drunk. Now where could he get the grapes to make the wine?
He says and then there was that man like Elijah and he cursed those children and two she bears came out and ate 42 of them. He says mine what stomachs they must have and they were all again.
And he said. And then there was a man by the name of Jonah, and he got thrown overboard.
A whale swallowed him, and he says, and you know what? A little throat they have, They couldn't swallow a man. Well, they're all.
This Christian was in the adjoining room. He pulled the sliding doors apart. He came out of his Bible in his hand with his fingers in four places.
He said. Gentlemen, I have heard.
All has been said against the Word of God here tonight.
I will let the Word of God speak for itself.
And he read the summary of Adam's life in Genesis 5.
Adam lived so many years and he begat sons and daughters.
He says there it tells you where he got his wife. She was his sister.
It says Nora came out of the Ark and the script and he read the scripture and know all planted a vineyard.
And began the real husband, he says. That's where he got the grace the word of God tells.
And he went to Second Kings.
Two and he said, and two she bears came out of the wilderness and tear 40 into children. You know, it's no difficulty for a very slight children of men. These were young relatives. They were children, little children.
It says they didn't. The Bears didn't need big stomachs to terror.
And he said, And the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow junk. It never said it was over here.
Close his book and walked out of the room. close the door.
That man got up and left without saying another word. Never came back here while that Christian lived. When the info criticizes this book, dear young Christian, remember he's ignorant.
He just doesn't know.
And the oil, there is the oil lies that the devil is propagated for the last hundreds of years. They still tell it. I had a young man come to me not long ago.
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He was quite troubled, a young Christian.
He said work. They tell me that.
The Bible is wrong because.
It doesn't tell us how Cain got away.
I hope my Bible and register and I said you see it.
Yes, but that wasn't the way they told it to me.
They'll tell you anything against the word of God, but don't believe it. If they speak not according to this word, it is because I have no life in them.
Now the streets go on a little further.
Everything failed and began to fail again in the hand of Noah, and after Noah's day they started to worship idols behind which were demons.
That was an innovation of Satan that man accepted.
Finally, Bob picked up one man, Abraham.
The choicest sample of the human race.
Called Abraham and he said, I, I want you to leave your, I believe your family, leave your home, leave everything that you've known and come out.
He is strange. Abraham obeyed, he went out, and God made a covenant with Abraham seek and he revealed himself to them as joy. Regard the one who never changed.
Who is who was who is the past?
And he had them. He separated from them, from the nations. He dwelled in their midst, and immediately they started worshipping false gods.
They had already come out of the land of Egypt until they were making a golden calf.
With the idol that the Egyptians were, they brought idolatry with them out of Egypt.
He sent prophets to them, they wouldn't listen. And last of all, he sent them to them, his son, and they said, this is the air, let's kill him. They fought him and cast him out of the vineyard and soup.
Now that's the Old Testament.
In that's abbreviated form, but it's failure, failure, failure of everything in the hand of Mass. You come to the New Testament. The Lord Jesus is here on earth, and he's rejected.
Then we go on, we come to the action. We see the Church of God formed on earth and the gospel going up. A man rejected that.
Judgments on its way. It's headed this way. It's decreased the day for the judgment of the point is set, the judges appointed, everything is ready.
Now let's go back to something else. Go back to Israel's closing days. Look at the last chapter, Second Chronicles.
Chronicles in the last step.
This last chapter of Second Chronicles brings us to the end of the Kingdom of Judah.
And the captivity of the jewels to the Babylonians.
Now we'll notice.
14th verse of Second Chronicles 36.
Moreover, all the teeth.
Of the priests, that's the highest point there in religion.
And the people transgressed very much after the abominations of the heathen.
And polluted the House of the Lord is over, which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers. Prophets rising up the times and sending, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remnant.
She's a long-suffering of God.
See the patience of God.
All through Israel's history.
When he set up the priesthood.
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It failed almost at once.
You set up with the Kingdom of Judah, with Day, with his anointing and Passover saw and in his son that they have broken up.
In Solomon's son is what David grandson broken up?
They went into idolatry first, the 10 knives and the two, and God said prophet after prophet to them and they wouldn't listen. Why did he send notes so many times? Because we had compassion on His dwelling place and upon His people.
He wanted despair, he pleaded.
Think what God and the patience of God these last 2000 years as the world had passed out his country, how is waited waited in patience for man to be saved?
He will not always wait.
Well.
Let's go to Jeremiah.
Prophet Jeremiah and the 25th chapter.
We mentioned night before last.
Jeremiah prophecy was given in the days of Josiah.
And at the close of Josiah life.
When the evil pronounced against Israel for their idolatry was coming upon us.
I would go to Jeremiah 25. We see what the Lord gives the prophet to say.
The Word, the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehovah son of Josiah king of Judah. That was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah.
Happens to Jerusalem, saying from the 13th year of Josiah, the son of Ammon, king of Judah, even under this day that is free, the three and 20th year. The word of the Lord had come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking, but she have not hearkened.
And the Lord has sent unto you by all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but he have not.
Harken are inclined here to hear, they said.
Turn me again.
Now everyone from his evil way, from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord had given you, and to your Father's forever and ever.
Going on after the other gods to serve them, to worship them, and provoke me to anger with the works of your hands. I will not, and I will do you nor her.
But you have not hearken unto me, saith the Lord, that you might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. Therefore, saith the Lord of hosts, because you have not heard my word. Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, said the Lord, and never could measure the king of Babylon my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof.
And against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing and perpetual desolation.
And this whole land should be a desolation and an astonishment. And these nations will serve the king of Babylon 70 years. And it shall come to pass, when the 70 years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon.
And that nation set the Lord for their iniquities and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.
The Lord had prophesied to the children of Israel through Jeremiah that He was going to turn them over to the Babylonians.
He was going to let them come and destroy their land, destroy the temple, take them over to Babylon as captives and they be there for 70 years.
Now that was a specific prophecy, wasn't the Lord said they're going there, You're going there for 70 years.
Now Jeremiah was permitted to stay with the few that were left in the land.
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And he pleaded with them to stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon, but many of them would not. Most of them would not. They went down to the king of Egypt and took Jeremiah with him. And that's the last we hear of Jeremiah.
But they were thorough, that is sure, as it went down to the king of Egypt, the shore would overtake them there.
Now, if you would follow several of those Old Testament prophets.
You will find that while Jeremiah stayed with a few in the land and later was carried to Egypt, violence.
Ezekiel went over, was taken captive, and he prophesied to the captive by the river keyboard.
Daniel was taken captive as a very young man, and he was taken to Babylon.
And he lived through the whole of the seven years of Israel's captivity and battle.
Now when you come to the 9th chapter of Daniel, you find that Daniel was reading this prophecy that they were only to be there 70 years.
So Daniel says I understood by books.
The time comes with the ending of that captivity in which a return Daniel praised confesses his sins and the sins of his people, preparatory for them to be restored to their land. Then Daniel was given the prophecy of the 70 weeks.
Carries them on to the coming of Christ and death, and even though he's coming again to reign.
Daniel was given understand that it was not for him to go back at the end of the 70 years.
He was to go his way and rest.
But he fully believed what God said, that when 70 years were up, the people would return.
He understood by books.
I like to think of Daniel as a student of prophecy.
We always think of Daniel as the cross, and indeed the Lord called him Daniel the Prophet. You know the There's another place for dancers.
I was talking with.
One who has had very close contact.
With infidelity in the schools of higher learning.
And I was told yes Lord, this last Lords day.
I'm a professor that insisted the Daniel didn't lawyer when scripture said he that he lived much later and wrote history and not prophecy.
But you know that can be smashed to atoms.
You can just eradicate that whole thing.
Why? Well, in the days of Egypt's greatness.
They had a Greek translation of the Old Testament.
All the Septuagint version made by 70 Hebrew stars who translated the Old Testament in the Greek.
And that was long before the day that Christ came.
And the book of Daniel is there.
The Book of Daniel is in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, and the the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament was made long before.
The Imperial, says Daniel.
Therefore the infidel can't be right and there's the evidence to prove is false is is false statement.
Now.
Seven years were to be accomplished.
There was a definite time children and children were to be in captivity and then they were to return.
Somebody might have said, well, I don't believe it.
And in Albert who 70 years riding her course and when they were up and went back. But let's see more about that turn to Isaiah now.
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Not the 42nd chapter, I think it is.
Isaiah.
A long time before that, read The First Capital of Isaac you see when he lives.
Final king.
And whose reign he lived with Hezekiah. Oh, you see, it was quite a ways back.
I said 14 two.
Isaiah 44 and the last verse.
That Seth Osiris, he is my shepherd and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying to Jerusalem.
Thou shall be built, and to the temple thy foundation shall be laid.
5th verse to the next gap. This is the word to Cyrus, the Persian king from the Lord. I am the Lord, and there is none else. There is no God beside me.
Girded thee, though thou has not known me.
They may know from the rising of the sun and from the West.
That there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.
I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create evil. I, the Lord, will do all these things.
Now why does the Lord?
They this desire he named this man. He called him by name 150 years before he was born.
We found out here that Jeremiah told over 70 years before the captivity, before they went into captivity, that they would remain in captivity 7 years.
Now we go back further, go to Isaiah and he said the Lord says Cyrus is the one that's to send them back.
Is my shepherd. He'll perform all on my list.
And now he said that Cyrus himself I am the Lord, and there is none else. You know why he said that?
Created life and create darkness. Well, the Persians.
Had a dual dual personality for a God, Allerman and Orman. You'll find variations of those words, but they have a religion of they have a God of life and the God of God.
I think our word matters there from the for the electric light bulb comes from that gulf.
Hormones.
I'm not positive, but they had a God of light and the God of darkness that was the Persian religion.
God says to Cyrus, I'm jealous and there's none else. I create life and I create darkness.
And so he corrects right at the foundation when he mentions him 150 years before he's born, the error that he would have in his Kingdom, his dual God, the dual God.
Now, he says, Jerusalem shall be built and the foundation shall be laid.
How do you believe that all took place just as Buck said it would?
Let's see turn to evidence.
Right after Second Chronicles comes out.
And right here, maybe I should make a comment for the message of the young people.
If you know, the books of the Bible were placed in their order by man.
That is most government, the Psalm. We have divine order, and that's verified in the New Testament.
Because the 2nd Psalm is named by number.
There were five books of songs when they each have their own character and their series of songs which one follows the other.
Most of it man put the books in their order in which we find.
Now, if you want the last books of the bite of the Old Testament historical, you'll find them at Ezra and Nehemiah and Esky.
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Ezra is the one book that takes the people back to Palestine.
To build a temple, Nehemiah tells that they're going back to later to build a wall.
Esther is a book of God's providential care of the Jewish people that stayed in the Persian Empire.
Those three books are the last books historic Ezra, Nehemiah and Ezra and Nehemiah taking the people back, first to build the temple, then to build the wall, but Esther Speaking of the Jews that remained in the Persian Empire.
And showing God's providential care, I also make this comment.
In the book of Esther, the name of God is not found once.
The envelope has criticized that as though it weren't true, that Made Book wasn't true.
It is a part of the divine perfection of the book. Esther never named the name of God.
That whole book doesn't mention because God is his own, the people. The sentence of Roy am I are not. My people have been written on them and God is dealing with them from heaven in a providential way, not openly acknowledged.
But in Providence, so overseas, moving the scene but from behind the sea.
Now, may I also make a comment on that?
I hope I'm not getting into these young people, but not maybe I. But I'd like to make a comment on the book of.
You know there is what we call the apostles.
It was formerly found in the Catholic Bible, the Old Joy Version.
Martin Luther put it into his German box.
We did not have it in the King James version, the Revised version, Shandy translation, or any of those we're familiar.
What is the Apostle? The Apocrypha is a group of additions to the Old Testament.
That do not belong there. They're not a part of Scripture.
And I'll give you 4 reasons why they're not.
One is they never claim to be the word of God.
And never say once dust set the law.
The next thing is the Jews were the custodians of the Old Testament. Under them were committed the oracles of God, and they never recognized one part of the Apocalypse as God's work.
The third reason that I will mention is that it was never written in Hebrew, all in Greece.
And the fourth reason I'll mention is that the Lord and the and his apostles never once quoted from the apostles.
Four reasons why we do not recognize the apartment. Now let me add this.
That the revised standard version.
This corruption of the King James Version that came out first in 1946 in the New Testament, later for the Old and the New English Bible put out now by Oxford and Cambridge and bringing all of these new translations are coming out with the Apocalypse.
Now, if you doubt my correctness on this, all you would have to do is read parts of the Apocrypha and you would recognize it. Once that it's not the word of God, it's a lot of nonsense.
1St and 2nd Maccabees are pretty good history, but that's all it is. But all that stuff that they've added to the book of Daniel about Bell and the Dragon, just so much rubbish.
Now, when we come to.
The book of Ashton I just said that the name of God isn't mentioned in it. In the Apocrypha there's a whole lot more the savage to look up, and the very first verse of the apocryphal apocryphal part of Esther gives the name of God, showing that they the thoughts who added it had no understanding of the purpose of the book.
My dear young Christian friends tonight.
My aim tonight is to establish you.
More firm than ever before in the truth of this book that is the Word of God.
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That where our faith might stand in the whole Word of God, it's perfect and complete and there's nothing can be taken from it and nothing added to it.
Well, now in the book of Ezra, now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, where do we read about him before? In the book of Isaiah, 150 years before.
That the word of the Lord might by the mouth of Jeremiah. Here's Isaiah and Jeremiah corroborated bias is.
That the word of the Lord by the mouth of that Jeremiah might be fulfilled. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus being a person.
That he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom and put it also in writing.
You'll see later if we had time to go into it, but that was important that he put it in rice.
Saying thus says ours, King of Persia, the Lord daughter, Jehovah God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me.
To build him a house, that Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? His God. Be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the House of the Lord God of Israel. He is the God which is a Jerusalem.
And whosoever remains in any place where he sold journals, let him let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, and besides the free will offerings to the House of God, that is in Jerusalem.
How perfectly this is being looked dangerous.
Bringing together.
Israel's condition, The why of Israel's dispersion.
The time of Israel's dispersion, the time for them to go back.
The according to Jeremiah and according to Isaiah, the man that should proclaim us, the man that should say start now. We go on in the book of Edges.
4th chapter.
Well, there's one thing more we should we should stop, start to look at the place before that, the third chance.
Second verse then stood up Joshua the son of Josephic and his brethren, the priests, and Rubble the son of Cialgio. Incidentally, Zerubbabel mean deliver from Babylon.
The last verse we have the property.
Nerabool is delivered from Babylon as a type of Christ.
The son of Shalgil and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel. To offer burnt offerings thereon is, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. And they set the altar on his basis, for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries, and the author burnt offerings. Their honor to the Lord even burnt offerings morning and evening, and they kept the Feast of Tabernacles.
Reverting to what Leviticus 23 gave them, the Feast of Tabernacle, the tells of the grave in gathering in the future day or they've gone back to the place in ruins, but they kept the feast of Tabernacle. The time of the year came forward and they kept, but the first thing they did was build the Oliver and offer bird offerings on there on morning and evening.
Now we go down.
10th verse of that chapter. When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set up. They set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the tons of ASAP with symbols to praise the Lord after the ordinance of David, king of Israel.
And they stand together by course, and praising and giving thanks unto the Lord, because He is good for His mercy endured forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shot when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the House of the Lord was first they set up the table, then they started delay the foundation. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers who were ancient men, they had seen the 1St house when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice, and many shouted a loud rejoice, so that the people could not discern the noise and the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people.
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For the people shouted with a loud shout and the noises heard afar off. What mixed emotions filled with people's minds when they saw this zoo temple built.
Instead of Solomon's that had been destroyed. Solomon's glory. Probably more gold in that than the United States has at Fort Knox.
Wealthy things, beautiful, magnificent, but now they go back and they do it without this and it seems so insignificant in comparison to the old men that they wet and the young men shouted for joy that the foundation of the Lords House was laid. Both thoughts. You're all right. We can't condemn your own men or the young men. Isn't so today?
We look at a people company gathered through the name of the Lord Jesus.
And our thoughts go back to the day of Pentecost and say all the church together, all all in one place, all in one mind, all with one testimony. And we see the Church of God broken and scattered today. And we see a people testimony left. Well, if we compare the two, we can shut week a week.
To see how the testimony of the Lord indeed David is been so broken in shack, and yet you see somebody brought into the truth of what it is to be gathered to the Lords name as at the beginning. And he so thankfully found it, and he saw all a new revelation to him. He could shout for joy.
The Lord has brought him into well, both attitudes are right in their place.
Well, we go on 4th chapter, When the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity built at the temple under the Lord God of Israel, they came to the rebel under the teeth of the fathers, and said in them, Let us build with you.
Oh, the enemy now wants to get in and join the world. That's always been attempt to do of the devil is to join us. If you can't fight it, join.
See, that's what they did when they.
The devil got this.
Woman in the 16th of last to go around proclaiming these be the men of the most high God. He was trying to join us and when Paul rebuked the Spirit and their hope of their the hope of their games was gone and they persecuted all the time.
So.
Forth first, then the people of the hand weakened the land, weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and trouble them in building, and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose. All the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of the Rise, king of Persia.
All opposition now.
You know that wherever anything is, according to God, you can expect the devil's opposition.
Anything when it was a case of building this temple, this temple to the God of heaven in the land that have been forsaken and in which enemies dwelt.
They couldn't tolerate the idea of a house being built to the God of heaven, and they opposed it and they they tried to join them. When they couldn't join it, they opposed it and they did everything they could to stop the work.
You lost the day and you can reach the Gulf.
If you'll preach a popular prosecutor, if it'll tell a man that you could be sure you can get to heaven when you die.
If you'll give your heart to Jesus now, you'll never find that expression in Scripture, you know?
God tells man to repent.
Except Christ, as you say, but they it's something they can do. What does God want with an unbelievers who wicked heart give your wicked heart to Jesus. No, he wants them to repent believe the gospel. But if he goes out and preaches a popular gospel that the let him go on with his amusements, let him go on with his all his affairs in the world. It can be popular. You can preach that kind of a gospel and get thousands to hear you.
But you go out and preach A crucified Christ. Rather the world rejected what the world still doesn't want, and they won't watch it. And then you go out beyond that and tell them, I found the place. There is a place where you can give up all to men.
All encumbrances that have been added to Christianity and get back to the original and keeping Christ's name and keeping His word, honoring his name, just that and you will find opposition. What the world doesn't want that, the enemy doesn't want that. And whatever is of God at the moment is the object of the devil's opposition. If it was building a temple, that was it. Today you stand true to the name of and the Jesus and the word of God, the word of his patience. Say that this world is going on the road.
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And God was calling out a people for heaven to be separated from this world and just to wait for Christ to come back. And it won't go over at all.
You don't believe me, Try it on your friends. Now in the 24th verse of work chapter, then cease the work of the Lord, a work of the House of God, which is at Jerusalem. So it seems that for the second year of the reign of the rice, I have forgotten just exactly how many years it was. But I think it was the memory surgery, right? It was about 27 years, may have been more, but it was a long time ago. Your work stopped after it was started according to the Word of God by Cyrus.
The Queen of Sirens, I'm going to have you.
This calls for another bit of explanation.
The last three prophets of the Old Testament were the three prophets that prophesied through the remnant that returned from captivity has the Zechariah Malachi are what we call post captivity problems.
The last three historical books, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther.
The last three prophetic books as I think of our Malatha. The last three books of the Old Testament.
In the second year king in the sixth month and the first day of the month came the word of the Lord by Haggai. The Providence is rubble, the son of Cialgia of Governor of Judah and the Joseph Joshua, the son of Joseph. I agree, say the state of the law.
Hope that this people say.
You notice they stopped building the House of God in Jerusalem because they were disturbed.
Doesn't say anything about this, about their being disturbed. This doesn't say anything about their opposite, the opposition of their enemies.
This people say.
The time is not come to build a time. The Lords House should be built. It simply isn't the right time.
How they reason about it, they have satisfied themselves now that it wasn't the time to do it.
So we relax, they just settle down and in those God had sent them back, allow them to go back, sent them back.
To build the temple. Now, as soon as they meet discouragement, they drop the work and they they quit. They let their hands hang down. Now, young people, you fall. We're living in the last days. We're living in the days when the devil would turn everyone of us aside, when he'll oppose every bit of faithfulness to Christ.
Now what's our attitude going to be? Are we going to say, well, these are the last days?
It doesn't seem hard. Let's get there anytime.
All right, 50 years ago, that was all right. 100 years ago, that was all right. In the Day of Pentacles, no grabbing. There is room for faithfulness right to the end.
Lord Jesus said this do in remembrance of me.
And says as often as you eat as bread and drink this cup, you to show the Lord's death to the economy. There is something to go on right to the moment that is coming. Suppose you say, well I know the Lord is coming next week. Would you give up remembering the Lord this week?
Would you give up faithfulness this week? Now notice something else. Then gain the word of the Lord by having either prophet saying there's a second message to men, Cut the skirt. Is it time for you, oh ye, to dwell in your sealed houses, and this house highways?
Now therefore thus that the Lord opposed, consider your ways. You have sown much and bring in little ye, but you have not enough events that you're not filled with wrinkly clothes you but there is none warm. And he that earns wages, earnest wages, to put it into a bag of holes. Thus set the Lord of hosts consider your ways.
00:50:07
You know, sometimes.
That's a wholesome work wrong. Consider your weight.
Not that the Spirit of God would turn us inward on ourselves. That isn't the point. But there is such a thing of discouragement. There is such a thing as violence.
In the things of the Lord, Well, it was an idleness and other things. He says you live in your sealed houses. All these years they quit building the House of the law.
They had been building their own house. There wasn't any opposition to that. Brandon, you won't find any opposition. If you want to go and build a $50,000 ranch home because everyone opposed, he may help you do it.
But it may disclose her state of mind if that's what we if that's where our hearts are being set.
I'm afraid today, you know, there's nothing that's so hard on the people of God is prosperity. Your old brother Popper used to say. All that enemy, the Christian.
Prosperity. We often pray for the Saints and trouble, but Greg and I'm persuaded we ought to pray for those who prosperity.
That's where the danger is, really.
When you see me prospering, you better better be praying for them.
Because prosperity turns the heart the other way.
They could give up because of discouragement, but discouragement didn't keep them from building their own sealed houses.
Somebody said I'm calling to go to Better Homes and Gardens is going to be there on us.
He wasn't talking about a night, but all the danger of getting.
In our own mind, getting our hearts out of something grand down here.
And you know, it's all going into judgment. Suppose the Lord would come next year. Suppose he'd come next month. And and I was just living for myself and spending all for myself and having and enjoying the things down here, getting lean in my soul, something that I'd be ashamed. Then when I found out that the Lord had come, I wasted all that time and that money.
I thought we would. I think. I think that it was. We'll have some things to regret.
An officer is going to be sorrow in heaven.
To find out if the Lord has come in. The days of opportunity are gone and we let things slip by. We took this courage, retired the enemy, weakened our hands, We stopped to work diligently in the Lords.
Same Saints.
They live near our meeting.
We'd have it in California and they'll move 30-40 miles out to the outskirts. You got to go farther in Los Angeles, 30-40 miles out, and they did a lovely ranch home. They said, oh, it's only 40 minutes on the freeway. We can make, we'll make it all the time just like we did.
They don't. They don't. You come home tired and worried, 40 miles of freeway traffic looks pretty hard, and 40 miles back home.
Brothers here, then out there, they know what the three ways they're like, but it's the same thing can be true anywhere.
We have to go farther out to get what we want and all how easily our hearts get distracted. Most words are better than yours, but we're constantly in danger of giving up. And then when we give up faithfulness to Christ, devotion to Him.
We move out well, there's some of the Saints closer in that need a little bit of encouragement.
We used to drop in this season. Now we don't have time. It's so hard to get to meeting now. We make it most occasionally. I remember one night taking a brother to meeting. He said he didn't feel like going. He lived over on our end of the town. I said, well you come. He was just a mild smoke from our house. I said you stopped by here and go with me. I'm on the way down. He says I have a.
I said well brother, you know the Lord is not a hard master.
Maybe it would have been better if you just stay home tonight, he said. I'll tell you why I better.
00:55:03
He says I know I have a bad headache tonight, but he says if I stay home for the headache tonight, it's going to be easier for me to stay home next week without permitting.
Well, there's some truth to that. We would like to calm ourselves. We we like to do things that.
We we, we we tend to get into ease and so the Lord says no Israel by the property says consider your last. He says what are your what are your benefited by? Said you've got your sealed houses, but I've grown on everything else.
He says you earn wages and you put it in a bag with holes.
There's a young boy here that makes some money cutting lawns if we want to take his money home and put it in the back blue holes.
No, but you want to keep it as you get. But God allowed the pastor lose the money.
We haven't any more time. I've gone back in time now, but my thought was to seek to establish the dear young folks on the truth that the Word of God is filled with examples of.
Rock not merely that which is to be fulfilled, but that which has been fulfilled. The Word of God is always prepared, exactly as God says.
And if God says it's going to happen, it's going to happen.
I remember reading one book one time on the Lord saying to the disciples, they said look at the beautiful buildings of the temple. Why he says there's not one stone there that's going to be left standing on another. The writer said if they had faith, they could have seen those tones. Some they did come down.
You think that? You think, well, at least there'd be two or three stones stuck together. The Lord said. What, one stand on another? But how did that happen? Wouldn't stone stick together? Wouldn't they be cemented together some way, or put together in grooves or something that hold them?
Letting all of that terror, that temple with Herod's temple, beautiful marble temple into 40 secures to build, embellished with gold and other things.
And when Jerusalem was destroyed by a touch of the armies of Titus, he gave explicit directions to his soldiers. Do not destroy the Temple.
That's the thing, one soldier, Joseph says through a firebrand into it temple was burned.
God, the goal with which it was embellished, was melted and ran down around the cracks of the stone.
People were so eager for the gold they literally took every stone apart from every other stone.
See if those little golden cracks.
We know and the Lord speaks. It's coming to pass and everything in the past, in the past that was prophesied came to people build exactly as it was given.
So it will forever, O Lord, thy words settled in.
Lord, we can see by differently apart of that right on the road.
The property of Ryan David.
Where God from time and life divine and glory narrowly.
Yeah.
Romans 1:1-17
Address—P. Wilson
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
He was closed tonight. The first chapter of the Epistles of the Romans.
We'll read the introduction to the epistle.
The introduction being the 1St 17 verses.
The ancient first office.
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ.
Call to be an apostle.
Separated under the Gospel of God.
Which he promised before by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures.
Concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Which was made of the seed of David according to the factors.
And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead.
By whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name.
Among whom also are ye also that called.
Who you are? Are you also the fault of Jesus Christ?
To all that being Rome, beloved of God.
Balls to be Saints.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all.
And if your faith is spoken up throughout the whole world?
For God is my witness, whom I serve.
With my spirit in the gospel of his Son.
That without ceasing, I make mention of you always in my prayer.
Making requested by any means now at length.
I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
So I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift.
The energy may be established, that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
I would not have you ignorant brethren, that oftentimes I purpose to come unto you.
What was left are hindered hitherto.
That I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
I am dead, or both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise.
So as much as in me as I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are grown off.
Where I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
Warren is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.
Is it you first and also to the Greeks?
The variant is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith.
As it is written, the just shall live by faith.
Now the next verse, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness.
And unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness.
You know.
The New Testament, as we have it, begins with the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The Lord Gospels give us.
The history of the bird and the life and the death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now if there should be someone here tonight.
Who has at anytime been tainted with the?
Quibblers argument that he would like to see the board gospels combined in one.
00:05:00
That he would like to have. He doesn't see any reason why we shouldn't have one gospel and they talk about harming, harmonizing the God.
The Gospels. I would like to say this, that it's impossible to harmonize that which was never in disagreement.
There never was any disagreement between Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
May I express that in this way?
I suppose in an audience like that we have some architects.
Are some that have done some architectural work at least?
Suppose you were asked to draw a plan for a house.
Or for any kind of ability.
Would you give me one going over the outside of that building and say there it is?
You would give me a front elevation and a side elevation in the back elevation and you give me the whole thing in different sections.
Why do you say why do we so many elevations?
Wouldn't one do?
But I don't want all the walls to look the same.
They want all the strawberry to be the same all around. Don't want the entrances all the same.
You would have to have necessity give me the four views of that House.
That building?
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John present us with four different views of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew presents the Lord Jesus.
As the Messiah, the King of Israel, who came to Israel according to the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament.
Mark presents him as the son of as a servant.
As the one who came to serve God, to do His will, the prophet spoke for God and served God.
Will present him as the Son of Man and graces his genealogy all the way back to Adam.
Matthew, presenting him as the Messiah only praises his genealogy back through David and Abraham, the beginning of the race that race Jewish people.
John presents him as the Son of God.
The one who always was.
The creator of all things.
In time veil is glory and became a man, and we read in John's gospel after telling of his deity his glory in Godhead says, And the word became flat and dwelt among us.
And King George the sixth was King of England.
Suppose the royal family had engaged A portrait painter.
They call them to come to Nottingham Palace and said we want you to present us, we want you to paint a picture of His Majesty.
And the poor great Vanderidge stand there and say, well, now, just how do you want him pictured?
Do you want him pictured as he might be in the circle or the bosom of his family?
Or do you want him as he might address Parliament?
Or the Iranian is the Admiral of the Fleet for the General of the Armies.
Suppose somebody would speak up and say, well, just forget all those differences and give us one picture.
Put it all in to give us one picture.
You know what?
Try to combine an admiral's attire and generals attire and family man and put it all in one country. You have nothing but confusion. Now Matthew, Mark and Luke present the Lord Jesus to us in those four different characters and each one in perfection.
John Branson doesn't give us some things that he saw and none of the others did because they wouldn't suit with the object of the Spirit of God.
Which what John was given to write.
Well, after the four gospels we get the axe, and the axe is generally the testimony to his resurrection and his ascension.
00:10:11
Oh, he goes up, and the cloud received him out of his second.
Out of their standards. And there you have the Church of God formed on earth, and the Spirit of God comes down.
And what a demonstration that was of the Spirit of God.
Down here, after Christ had ascended on high, he sends the Spirit of God down here.
And you talk about preaching. Would you like to hear a blue Austin picture?
When you read the second the facts and you'll read them of a man and he didn't have any microphones and they didn't have any billboards and he didn't have any television or anything else, he simply pleased.
And 3000 people got saved at 1 bridge.
I remember what Doctor Wilson said. Doctor Wolston was a preacher and all the preacher every day of his life.
And he said that in the first in the beginning of the church's history, 3000 souls got saved at one preacher. But he says now it takes 3000 sermons to get one clip.
Well, I don't know that he was too far afield.
Too far off the mark.
But all you find the gospel going out in the power of the Spirit of God in the Acts. And if you want an index to the axis, in the first step they're told that the gospel should be preached in Jerusalem, then Judea, and then Samaria, and then to the uttermost parts of the earth.
And you follow that through and you'll find that it's true in the Acts to begin in Jerusalem and then Judea and Maria, and then they go off to the gentleman, and it closes with the gospel being preached by Paul and Rome. World the problems.
God is interested in the gospel preaching.
You know he's interested in this group audience in this room tonight.
Interested in the preaching of the gospel of his Son here and everywhere else. And he's interested in everyone defeated here in this room tonight.
Doesn't by chance anybody here tonight?
What had happened?
For all a servant of Jesus Christ. Now this is the first of the epistles. It isn't the 1St in order of time. In order of time, First Thessalonians is the first, then Second Thessalonians. But I believe that while men were given to put these books together in the order in which we find them, I believe that God definitely overruled so that we have Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the Acts, and then Romans.
Or in the epistles of the Romans we get the fundamental truth of the Gospel.
Now there's some children here tonight. Let's stop right here.
What is the Gospel?
Maybe some of you could tell me that the gospel is good news.
Some people say, well, the gospel means diatitics.
I'll tell you more than that.
It's the gospel of God.
It's God's good news. Did you ever hear any better news if God has a message of good news for you?
I think you should listen. I think you should need it. I think you want to. These are not my words. I'm reading the words of the Spirit of God that he gave the Apostle Paul to write to some people in the city of Rome about the year 8060.
All the servants of Jesus Christ were among slavery, Jesus Christ. He was a rebel against Christ and one day he got converted and he was just changed all around. He was a man that aided Christ. One moment. He was a man that loved Christ. Burnett He got saved and he got saved right now.
I'm not saying that everybody passes through the same experience.
False. But Paul was an open outer enemy of Christ.
The Lord spoke to him from heaven on that Damascus Rd.
00:15:03
He acknowledged that there was one there and he was rebelling it and he looked up.
And he calls him low.
In other words, he quit his hostility.
You know, one time.
During the war between France and England.
British Admiral had conquered the French week.
The French Admiral came aboard the French Man of War.
To surrender.
When he came aboard, he recognized the Admiral in charge of the British fleet as an oral schoolman.
Now when he saw him, he put out his hand to greet him.
French commander put out his hand to greet the British admin.
The Admiral said your sword first.
Your sword first.
He had to give in. They had to capitulate. He had to lay down his arms. He had that surrender his soul, and the Admiral could meet him as a friend that he had known before.
Vowed the need of Jesus.
You know, we go on our ways, people go on day after day, year after year and never think that there's a time coming with every knee must bow to Jesus.
I said so, but decreed it.
You needn't think that you'll escape. We'll either follow me now on the day of His grace and get a blessing, or we'll bow the knee in the day of His judgment and get doomed.
Your story first.
Surrender. Well, Paul says. A long slave of Jesus Christ, He takes the place of one who is just a slave willing to serve him. He served the devil long enough.
Called to be an apostle.
That's the expression there, you know. Notice 2B is an italics, meaning that the translator is divided. It really is called an apostle or an apostle by calling.
He got it by direct call, Christ himself.
You want to listen to one that really had a call from God? Here he is. He has something to say to.
Call an apostle by God's call, and then separated unto the gospel.
Are the second verses of parentheses.
This gospel, this good news, this good news is God.
Was promised in the Old Testament.
You go back into the Old Testament, you'll read about it. Think of a verse like this in Isaiah 53 whole that everyone the search come into the waters, and he that hath no money and come by and he how?
Without money, without friends.
Call everyone, come. Isn't that the gospel message? Wasn't that in the Old Testament? It isn't until the New Testament that we understand how understand the fly of it. But it's the gospel of God now, the good news of God that's just exactly suited to the needs of poor fallen men.
Women, boys and girls.
Met your need?
Just exactly 2.
Someone has said, you know, in the name Jesus. It says Jesus just exactly suits us since.
Well, that's the gospel.
It's the Gospel of God that just exactly what we need.
Suppose you have a man out at sea.
They thrown over thrown overboard.
It's impossible. He's a good swimmer, but it's impossible for him to swim to land. The ships gone off and left him.
Law nothing before him now but to die in the sea, eventually die of either starvation of even people float on something or die.
00:20:05
Die lack of war that he can drink.
I plunge beneath the waves and die. But along comes a boat, a lifeboat, and fix him up. Isn't that what you need? Isn't that what he needs? That is just exactly suited to that man's name.
Suppose now you can take a case like this.
There's a man independent. I don't know whether you have capital punishment in Iowa or not. I think you do.
Both is a man in the state penitentiary and death row.
And he's condemned to death. He's waiting to die. He's waiting the execution for these moments to put him to death for his murder.
And I get permission to go and see him.
And I go down all with the keeper. I'm directed to the cell wherein this man is incarcerated.
And I find out who he is and I make myself known. I introduce myself to him and I have a book under my arm and it's a great big law book. And I say now, Mr. I come down here to see you today and I have a book, a copy of The Laws of the State of I.
And this is what you need.
You always obey these laws.
You'll never land here.
What do you think you'd think of?
You think I was out of my head?
And I have to be the distance.
He say, well, Mr. don't you know I've broken that those laws and that's why I'm here.
Your core health. I was better off where you came.
So what do you think would help them?
The only thing that would help that man.
If I could, there was someone could go down the aisle and find him and say Mr.
I come here to see you. I have a message for you from the governor.
Oh mean for me from the Gov Yeah, we used to go.
What is it when you read it?
He opens it and he reads it. An official pardon signed by the governor.
Now that's the only good news that would suit that man.
Apart.
Oh, you might say, well, couldn't he commute the sentence alive? And president, please still be president. But a pardon full of free signs officially by the governor of the state of Iowa is the only thing that will meet his need.
The gospel is just exactly what suits our needs.
I remember reading a story one time.
An incident that happened many years ago.
There was a man sentenced, a young man that was that we put to death for murder.
In the state of Ohio.
And the mother went to the governor and pleaded with him.
For a chance for that boy, haven't had a chance, she said. Everything had been against him, all the breaks have been bad and his mother pleaded with the governor to please do something to save her son.
He wouldn't promise her any.
So one day he went to the penitentiary.
Went into the office and he said.
I want to see this convict so and so.
He took off his own wraps, and he put on something that might look to make him look more like a clergyman, he thought.
He took a Bible under his arm and he went down the hall.
Not stop with this man's self.
And he said.
John or James, whatever his name was, he called him by name, he says. I came down to have a visit with I want to talk.
Criminal walked over in the corner of the cell and wouldn't talk.
He called him again. He says, come over. I said, John, I want to talk.
Prisoner wouldn't have anything to do.
00:25:01
Well, he said. I think it's to your own interest that you've got.
Welcome.
So finally, the governor walked away the spirit.
One of the turnpies came a little later and he said how did you get along with the governor?
The governor didn't come to see me as though, yes, he did, says he was down here to see you and talk to you.
I didn't see any governor.
He said yes, he did, He says. You mean to tell me that that man with a Bible in his hand was the governor?
Yes, yes, that was no.
Then he went into a parachute, sobbing in Greek.
He sealed his zoom. There was the one man that could return him, one man that could give him a pardon and he wouldn't talk to him.
Doing with this and he did it himself. Oh, how many people there are like that in the country to say they hear, they hear the gospel message, they read a passage like this and God is speaking directly to them and they won't heed it.
Is God going to be unjust when he puts that man in hell?
Rejects God's mercy. Prepare to touch a grave cloth.
I've heard people say I wouldn't have a thing like that, it's too cheap.
Suppose the young lady.
Becomes engaged to a young man.
And they bring her a very special large diamond ring.
She takes a look at it and she says, ah, that's cheap, I wouldn't have that.
You do not judge the value of something by what you get it for.
The value isn't what somebody paid for. And before God could send you a message of peace and pardon, His beloved Son had to come into this world and die on Calvary Cross. And you'll never know what it costs to Son of God to make that salvation, this gospel, possible to you.
Never understand it on all eternity what it really costs.
You'll never know what it costs God the Father.
Allow his son to go to that.
By the 22nd of Genesis it says after these things God did test Abraham and he said take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovers offering, burnt offering. Now God never sanctioned human sacrifice in spite of what the influence never was.
He tested Abraham. Abraham had gotten that son as a gift from God.
A special gift, a miracle was performed to give Abraham that son, and now he can't test him by saying, now I want you to offer him up for me. But you know what that's all about.
The whole thing there is so you He might express in some little measure to you and me what it cost the heart of God to give His life. That's what Genesis 2422 refers to, why it costs God.
To give his son to die on our response.
The Gospel of God, the good news of God. Now if you want to go back to the Old Testament, you'll find the 10 commandments was the writing of God.
You want the writing of God, or do you want the Gospel of God?
There are a lot of people that would like to keep the law of God yet as a means of reaching God.
But like the man in the Iowa State prison, my going there with the book of the law who the state of Iowa wouldn't help him. He's broken them.
A man that says I'm going to keep the law of God as my basis for standing before all it God.
Why he's broken up.
What does it say about the law? The 10 commandments?
He doeth them, so live by.
But every man has broken them.
The Apostle Paul thought he was a pretty good man. He was a pretty good religious man.
He was at the top of his class. What did he do?
Why? He said. When the law came along and I read the 10th Commandment, it killed me.
00:30:06
What's the 10th command? Thou shalt not cover.
That's something that takes place from the heart.
Is anybody in this room covered with anything?
I had a man one day and during the Depression tell me you didn't have They didn't have any money to buy anything, but his wife liked to go down and look around the windows to cover.
Anybody covered anything?
Thou shalt not cover.
All of them killed me.
That's one law that everyone broken, everyone that comes of age.
So it isn't the writing of God we want. What we need is the gospel of God. We've broken the law. We're hopeless, we're doomed unless God comes in and meets us with something just exactly suited to our needs. Suppose a man hanging over the precipice, and he hangs by chain with Ken Winston.
Which one of the 10 lengths has to break before he falls?
Why do you think?
How about the?
Anyone of them that breaks, let them go. And then you don't say the links broke, you say the chain broke.
A man that might keep dying a man and break the tent has broken the law.
And the law has no mercy.
People complain about God going to put a man in hell. Why they say it's all wrong.
And yet they got a lot of people locked up over here in the penitentiary and then in jail downtown, and people locked up all around the state. And who is doing it? Like poor failing men themselves, men that have maybe have done the same thing. I've locked them up.
I'll tell you something more about the people than I.
They had they had judges in the state of Iowa that turned every criminal loose that came before him, that get rid of the judge. They wouldn't put up with it.
That's what man feels about.
Now what about our holy God that hates him? And he provided the Savior and a tremendous cost to himself.
But the salvation is yours, free for the taking. Never say it's cheap and what it costs you up.
Third verse concerning his tongue, Jesus Christ our Lord.
One of our hymns says God himself, the source, the fountains, Christ, the way the waters flow.
The Gospel of God concerning his side.
It's all originated in the Lord of God, but it was not possible but for the work of Christ.
Christ came down here, God manifest in flesh. He came down and he took a human form.
Absolutely ***** and apart from sin. Men hated him and said away with him. We don't want him. Do you know why this world has have wars and troubles?
Because one came into this world one time. That was a Prince of Peace.
Put crown to thorns on his head, spit in his face, smoking on the head. Plucked the hair from his cheek, took him out, nailed into a cross. And right away we don't have we won't have it.
That's why this world has war. They, they kill the Prince of Life, they kill they, they kill the Prince of Peace.
Cast him out of this fire to be the now the fourth horse, declared to be the Son of God by the Spirit of.
With power according to the spirit of holiness. By resurrection from the dead.
Is not only the Son of God in the past eternity?
He was Son of God when he came into this world, John One tells us. He was the Son of God in a fast eternity.
Psalm 2 tells us that God saluted him when he came into this world as the Son of God, our and my son.
00:35:03
Here it tells us that he's the Son of God by according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead.
Says we'll get rid of it. God raised me. See, there's a big controversy between God and men, Men that we don't want it, we'll get rid of it. God praised me from the dead, took him back to the heavens, took him back to the glory. Now he said, I'm going to punish this world and he's going to be the judge.
And I've already set the date and the judge has been appointed. Everything is set for the judgment of this world, for what they did to correct.
You know why it hasn't fallen yet?
Is long-suffering. God is waiting this very night. This may be the last night of God's grace. He's waiting. He's waiting. He's waiting for sinners to be saved but he's not going to auto his way. One of these days is he's going to take the Christians home. The door of grace closed and judgment compliment.
God wouldn't be true.
To his own son in the work of calories crop. And he allowed this world to go on after rejecting him.
Not going all out to go on, He's going to punish it.
That's something.
Well, we go down.
Nine First, the God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit and the gospel of the Son.
And without ceasing, I may mention of you always in my prayer. It's the gospel of God concerning the assignment. Now it's the gospel of His Son.
Again, I say it's God himself the source. Christ, the way the waters flow.
God's gospel concerning his side.
Now we go down further.
15 first or fourteen. I am debtor both to the Greeks.
They were the sophisticated, educated people of the world.
I suppose Greek culture and Greek learning was at its height.
He says I am a debtor to the Greeks.
Find that he when he writes to the Corinthians, that the Greeks were seeking after wisdom.
But he says the weakness of God, the foolishness of God, is wiser than man. What was the foolishness of God that he would send the gospel message to tell you about a man who was crucified? The Greeks thought that was foolish.
And they thought that the preaching of it was foolish. But he says I am still a debtor to the Greeks to preach it, and I'm a debtor to the Barbarians. And what happens? What do you mean by barbaric? You have to understand that the Romans call everybody that wasn't a Roman and barbarian.
You remember in the end of the act.
Valley the Apostle was on a shipwreck on a ship that was wrecked. They were cast on the island of Malta.
Wow, Malta wasn't what we would call barbarous.
But they spoke of the Maltese as being bark buried. The barbers people showed us no little kind. They simply were not the Romans. Now they were.
He's dead. Or both of the great center, the Barbarians. Both to the wise and unwise. Is there anybody here tonight?
That is outside of this category.
Is anybody here tonight that isn't wise or unwise?
Is an educated or uneducated?
You've got you have these streams here.
How can you get out of that?
Get beyond the scope of Paul's gospel and the golf ball's message. I'm a debtor to preach it. So as much as envy is I'm ready to preach the gospel to you that in Roman he's never been to Rome, the metropolis, and he was glad to go there because he wanted to tell him the gloss. You know in the act you can hear fall asleep and a marvelous ritual lost in the business of the Romans. You will see him teach the gods.
00:40:07
And a marvelous teacher.
And in the epistles of the Romans you find Him on all the gospel. You have Him first. As you go on in Romans you'll find Him show how the heathen work. Nations have sunk into privacy. They gave up God and worshipped titles, and then they did praise themselves. They went lower and lower till they could go no lower. Then He takes up the heathen philosopher, and all his rhetoric and all his fine language didn't cover up the fact that He was no better than the heat, the other heathen.
Then he takes the Jews that have the law, and he shows that by breaking the law they were just honoring God.
Sums it all up in the third chapter and he says any branch of the heat of the world today, the world and.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
All and sin come short of the glory. God, do you believe that you ever read abstract enough? Did you ever read that little gospel track about the man that was on the boy that was on the board ship?
Not the man. Get the stories mixed up. Some of you know the track.
Title Joe Whitrick.
Here was a man and he said he was Goodman read the Christian, read the this third chapter. Romans turned telling what all his sins, He says I don't believe it. I have. Well, he says I understand. And so he began all over and he read the chapter over and every time it comes to one of the black lists, black sins in the list, he'd say except Joe Whitman, except Joe Whitman, except Joe Whitman and he'd go down the category, the whole category of things and thought groups.
Of arraigned man for and he'd say, except your wisdom.
And he got down to the end of the chapter. The man said stuff. I've had enough.
I'm a second.
Commerce, they have enough, you know, people like to excuse.
Some of you may have heard me tell this somewhere, but I'll never forget the incident many years ago.
In Saint Louis, I went with my brother Theodore Fisher. So the Bell Fountains Park. It was an experiment at that time, and as a correctional institute for juvenile delinquents, we didn't. They didn't use the name.
And there was a boy sort of reformed school had no walls and had no bars and no gates, and they were all put on their honor. It was a new experiment handling juvenile. We had the privilege of going there practically every large day afternoon and talking to the boys about the Lord Jesus.
This afternoon I was speaking there and I said trying to convince these boys what sin was and they were sinning. I said, is there one boy here that would say he's never sinned?
One boy put up his hand and said I haven't.
So now that's so beautiful.
Here is a boy that's never sinned. How old are you?
13 I said. Now wait a minute, let's analyze before we check.
Don't you think you do one naughty thing every day, tell something that isn't true or steal something or maybe punch another boy and hurting or do something where he thought maybe he did do 1A day? Well, I said that 365 in a year and in the 10 years it's 3650. If you've lived three years longer than that, why it's 11,000 or more sends you.
Another boy put up his hand and he said he said 10 times a day.
That was his neighbor's opinion.
Now if sometimes we need to get our neighbors opinion, maybe the neighbor would like to say no he doesn't send his divine fellow so we will reciprocate and say he doesn't. But it's what does dog say about it? God says all his spending come short and before.
Well, the apostle Paul lays all that out in this epistle, and then he comes to show that God has a perfect way to save a man and save him fully, freely, and yet maintain his own holiness. But while he does that, he might be just while he justifies the ungodly Sinner who believes in Jesus. Oh, what a savior, what a salvation, what a gospel we have. We have a message for you tonight if you're not saved.
00:45:08
We have the gospel of God concerning His Son.
It's the good news of God that just exactly suited to you.
Met my knee, I recommend it to you. I was saying just yesterday to someone. I have met many people.
That are saying many many people that have been saved for years and I never met one person that said I'm sorry that I got saved.
Never met one.
But I'll tell you what I have heard time after time.
Sorry I didn't do it sooner.
And if you and if you're not saved, I don't know this audience, I don't know everybody, but if there is, if there are some here that aren't saved, I tell you this. If you will go before God as a guilty Sinner knowledge tonight and tell him you believe that Jesus died for you and take him as your Savior, you'll never regret it.
When you join the corners of those that say I wish I'd had done it sooner.
I believed in the show of hands. I could get quite a little evidence to that point right here.
Take my word for it, there are many here.
Some time here I would say so many years ago. I only wish I wish and save soon.
So Paul wanted to preach the gospel to those in Rome.
16 persons, For I am not ashamed of the gospel.
Are you ashamed of the Gospel?
Are you saying that let him see you? You have a track somewhere?
I'm speaking to Chris.
Are you ashamed to stand by one that's preaching the gospel?
Are you ashamed to carry a Bible somewhere? Let's people see that it's a Bible he left. Or would you rather wrap it up in newspaper first?
Now, I don't believe in finding the biggest Bible you can find. So you can advertise that you're a Christian, that that has a show you know of.
Of trying to be something. Tell them how good you are and how really out and after Christ you are. I had an uncle. What was that way? He carried the biggest violated crime on the streetcar. I believe he was Lord that he likes to brag about.
That is what I'm talking about. But aren't you ashamed to let people see you read your Bible?
Says I'm not ashamed of the gospel. And why wasn't he ashamed of the gospel? He says I know what to do.
He says I'm not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God.
Under salvation, everyone that believes.
He said, I know what it is. I know what it will do. I do too. I remember reading one time of a man that got saved. He was an ungodly man. He worked amongst amongst a lot of ungodly sinners, but he got saved and he found Christ as a Savior and he rejoiced in it and he couldn't keep himself from telling those ungodly men with whom he worked. I'm slave, I found Christ.
And some of them were ranked unbelievers, golfers, and they tried to put him to shame and make fun of him and ridicule him at every opportunity.
Some of them were blatant infidels and they would say we'd like to get into an argument with him about the violence. He says, well, as you know, I'm no match for you when it comes to an argument. I'm an uneducated man. I'm slow speech. I can't argue with you.
But he says if you want to argue with something, argue with the grace that saved me.
Is that you know what I was? You know what it did for me. Now if you want an argument, argue with what's saving. What changed me?
He says I know the gospel and I'm not ashamed of it for I know it's power and it's powerful enough to save every soul and demon tonight. If they just say I'm a Sinner now they Christ my Savior.
God is justified in forgiving every Sinner in the world, so great was the sacrifice of his staff. But he'll never save a Sinner at the expense of glory to his Son. He'll never be a party to his sons dishonor.
00:50:05
Just be sure that you know that He'll never save you and have you reject Christ. But if you accept Christ, he'll receive you and He'll save you all the way through.
You know neither worrying that he won't get you home. Remember the parable of the lost sheep? Shepherd went out to find the sheep, and he found him, and he put him on his shoulders, and where did he take it?
Part of the way home and put him down and give him a kick and say now get home the best you can.
No, he put him on his shoulders and took him all the way home.
We don't have 1/2 Savior, we don't have a three quarter Savior. We have a full Savior that will see us all the way home to glory.
You want that kind of thing, I tell you I have. The gospel is just exactly soon to you.
And it's yours and the Savior is yours tonight for the same. But you have to take. All I can do is to tell you your lost condition and that you need the gospel that God has prepared. It's such a great thought.
And tell you that if you will accept Christ as your Savior, your save for eternity all the way through.
But I can't make you do it.
Do you want Christ or do you not? Do you want to be saved?
Suppose you say yes.
Sorry to say, yes I want to.
How can I be sick? Well, I'll tell you about one lady that I know, whom I know.
She was in Kansas City. She lived in Kansas City, MO.
One night she was taken to the air of gospel preaching by one of the most.
An excitable man I ever knew.
In Kansas City.
And angels finally got up and told about the gospel in the same.
And she said, I took him as my savior right then where I was. I accepted Christ as my savior. I just lifted my heart to God right there and said I'm a Sinner and I'll take Christ. I want to say.
I know her. That happened over 40 years ago.
She's living in Los Angeles today, gone on happily as a Christian all these years. Her husband wasn't saved until he died, just before he died.
One of her sons wasn't saved until just before he died. That is cancer. I had both her sons funeral and her husbands. I know they died in Christ but all the happiness of that woman have been saved all these years.
What are tongues? What are husbands to wait until his death? I'll tell you something more about threats. He not only save you, but he'll give you an object for your heart. He'll fill your soul with rejoicing.
He's a friend, the stick of closer than brother. He's one that's that will be close to you, comfort you.
Be your counselor, your guide.
All to know, Christ as your Savior is to have much more than salvation is to have the personal rights from your heart and your heart and your soul. You go on your way rejoicing.
They thought you remarks.
The blessing of some precious.
When I tell you again.
If you don't accept Christ.
All knowledge of the way to be saved won't help you.
You must make it your own.
Send that hand. We speak of the mercy of God.
So rich and so free.
But what will it prophecy so #277?
Unless is relied on by thee.
To Miss Adam 7.
We speak of the glory to come, of the heavens so bright and so care.
Unless thou is Jesus believed, thou shalt not, Thou canst not be there. I have a wonderful message from God for you tonight if you're unsaved my friend, but if you don't take it, it isn't luck, smoke and it won't be my fault.
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277.
Luke 2:25-32
2 Kings 6:25-7
God Commendeth His Love
A Friend That Sticketh Closer Than a Brother
Address—R. Rule
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I'd like to read a verse this afternoon from the 18th chapter of Proverbs.
The 18th chapter of Proverbs, the last verse. A man that hath friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
There is a friend that sticketh closer.
Than a brother.
I received quite a surprise not too long ago.
Someone suggested to me, have you ever read Proverbs 18 verse 24 in the new translation? No, I said I never have. So I looked it up and I received a big surprise. It reads like this. A man of many friends will come to ruin.
And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Having looked it up, I began to meditate on it a little.
A man of many friends will come to ruin.
But there is a friend that sticketh closer.
Than a brother. Oh, I would just love to spend the time this afternoon.
Speaking of the worthiness and of the beauty of the friend.
That sickest closer than a brother. But there are two thoughts in this verse. The one I believe is intended to be a solemn word of exhortation, and perhaps I may say a warning to those who are young, as well as the glorious statement.
Concerning this friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
But before we go into it, I do feel that I ought to ask you if you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. It's my intention to speak on this verse in the way of warning and in the way also, as the Lord may enable, of presenting the beauty and loveliness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
But this will have no meaning and no message for your heart unless you really know the Lord Jesus Christ.
As your own personal Savior, sometimes we take it for granted that because folks come here to these meetings that they're probably redeemed children of God and know the Lord Jesus as Savior. But I want to ask you individually and in the presence of the Lord Jesus.
Will you just this very moment answer that question deep down?
In your own heart.
Do you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior? Have you confessed him as your Lord and Savior? Perhaps this burden is on my heart pretty often.
But perhaps the reason is because I was much like the boys and girls and young people who attend meetings like this and don't know the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
I'm afraid I must admit that the truth with me was that because I was brought up in a Christian home.
And have this precious book read daily in that home. I thank God for it.
I believe everything that was read from this book. I would have defended this book against anyone on the street or in the school who dared to cast a doubt upon the truth of it. And I could tell those whom I met the way of salvation. And I am afraid.
That I passed as a Christian, perhaps to my own father and mother.
And perhaps to the rest of the folks in the meeting where I grew up as a boy.
But I had never bowed before God.
As a lost Sinner and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my own Savior and confessed Him with my lips to salvation. And I want to ask you this afternoon, is that the way it is with you? My dear boys and girls, my dear young friend gathered here this afternoon. You know these things are true. You have never stood up in the presence of this.
00:05:00
And said that you didn't believe its truth. You have never turned on your father and mother and told them that it wasn't true. And yet perhaps this very moment, as we're speaking together, you know that in your own heart you have never received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. I want to tell you very, very plainly that at this very moment.
Your heart.
And mine.
Is either stained with sin in the sight of God?
Or it's whiter than snow, cleansed by the precious blood of Christ.
Are you willing to answer as to which it is with you? Which is it, my dear young friend? Stained with sin? And what does that mean? It means you're lost and on your road to a lost eternity.
Or whiter than snow, cleansed by the precious blood of Christ. And what does that mean? Redeemed and on your road to the glory? Is there any middle ground? Is there any place for a young person here?
Who believes this book to be the word of God? And you like the company of the other young people. And you went to the sing last night and you enjoyed yourself. And yet right now as we're speaking, you know that you cannot lift up your head and say, thank God my sins are gone. Thank God I know the Lord Jesus as my Savior.
Last Lord's Day after the Gospel meeting in Smith Falls.
As a man went out the door, he grasped my hand and went to say something, and then he slipped on out, didn't say a word. So after I went round with Holmes, began to speak with him and he said, is there no middle place? You spoke tonight of those who were lost and guilty, and you spoke of those who were saved and Christians on the way to heaven.
Is there no middle place? I do lots of things I know I shouldn't do, but I'm an honest man.
And if they were not an honest man, I wouldn't want to be here. Is there no middle place for someone who's not quite as bad as those you spoke of and yet not entitled to call himself a Christian on the way to heaven? What about this book? This book tells us of only two classes, my dear friend. And I had to tell that dear man. So I had to tell that dear man.
That if he had not as yet accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior.
Which he admitted to be so that he was in the sight of God, yet lost.
Guilty, condemned and all. My dear young friend, I want to tell you of the loveliness of Christ. I want to exalt the friend, to stick us closer than a brother. But I want you to ask your heart before we do so do I know him as my Savior? You know that little hymn what a friend we have in Jesus all our.
Sins and griefs to bear. That comes first. You'll never know him.
As the wondrous friend that he wants to be. Unless, first of all.
You know him as your Savior. But the first part of this verse, a man of many friends, will come to ruin. I'm sure that truth is fully borne out by the testimony of God's precious word. A man, a young man, a young lady of many friends. You like to have friends, don't you? And so do I.
And those of us who are parents, we like our children to have friends.
Perhaps we like them to have many friends, and perhaps there are times.
When we're a little unfaithful to the word of God because we're afraid it will cost our children.
Some of these friendships which.
Deep down in our hearts.
We somehow value and you, dear young friend, you dear young Christian, who know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Are you and I willing to take this book and walk in the light of its pages?
Walk according to its wisdom and instruction, and leave the results with the Lord.
Or are you, and am I going to take this precious word in one hand?
00:10:03
And put friendship in the other hands and make our decision.
According to what others may think.
I believe we have an illustration of a man who wanted to be a friend of many.
In the book of Nehemiah, we won't spend too long looking at it, but if you'll turn with me, please to the third chapter of Nehemiah.
The third chapter of Nehemiah and the fourth verse.
And next unto them repaired Mary Moth, the son of your ride to the Son of cause.
And next unto them repaired Masholam, the son of Berkeley, the son of Meshes Abele.
And next unto them repaired Zadok, the son of Bayonne. Now the name mentioned in this verse actually is a Hebrew word for friends, the man's very name, man's friend, and I believe he was a man who loved to have many friends.
And I'm afraid from what we read about him that it brought about ruin in his home. If I speak to the exercise of my own heart, for this book is A2 edged sword.
And will you accept a little word from the heart of a father?
To the young parents here this afternoon, parents of young people. Michelin loved to have many friends, and I believe he saw to it that his children had many friends too. He was busy building on the wall. May I just turn aside for a moment to give you an outline of what was here? In the book of Ezra, we find the company of God's dear people that returned to Jerusalem and they're.
The altar and the House of the Lord. We come to the book of Nehemiah, and we find this dear man comes also to Jerusalem with an exercise that a wall be built around the city. Now it's too long a subject to go into, but that wall was something which was a cause of great.
Opposition by those who were without.
They didn't want to see that wall being built, and they used every method possible to discourage Nehemiah and those who labored with him in the building of that wall of separation. And my dear young Christian friend, you're going to find the same thing. My dear parents, you are going to find the same thing if you want to walk for the.
Honor and glory of the Lord Jesus.
If you want to walk according to the truth of this precious book, you are going to find there will be the mockery and the opposition of those who are without, and mind you, some of those who were on the outside where the blood relations of those who were on the inside. But I'm afraid you would buy sometimes find that to be the case.
Sad to say, we sometimes find.
Hindrance.
Opposition from those who are the Lord, those who are fellow believers, but they don't like the wall of separation. Well, Mary Moth was Michelin brother, was one of the builders on this wall. That was a fine thing for him to do. And I love to see you, dear young people.
Gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I love to see you reading your Bible.
I love to see you faithful in attendance at the meetings and Masholem was one of the builders on the wall.
But there was something that dear Michelle neglected. Others also neglected it in this same chapter.
I am afraid he neglected the building of the wall hard by his own home.
The first man who neglected that was Elijah, if the high priest himself. We find it in the first verse.
He also neglected to build a wall in front of his own home.
And Marymoth, mentioned in the fourth verse, came over and actually built it for him.
Well, shall we turn over to the 6th chapter of Nehemiah?
00:15:02
And we'll find the havoc wrought in the household of this man Michelin, because of his neglect, because I greatly fear of his desire to be a man of many friends.
The 6th of Nehemiah and the 17th verse. Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judas sent many letters unto Tobiah.
So Bayer was one of the worst enemies mentioned by name, who dwelt outside the wall, an enemy of those who wanted to walk in separation. The 18th verse four. There were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechemia, the son of Era, and his son Johannan had taken.
The daughter of Mashallah, the son of Berkeley.
For Mashallah, a man of many friends, that's the meaning of his name.
And he neglected, I fear, the building of the wall in front of his own home. He didn't like to say no to his children.
He didn't like his children to lose their friends.
He didn't want his family to be unpopular.
He didn't want them to be scorned and laughed at.
Dear young people, let me tell you this, if your dear praying father and your dear praying mother are trying to bring you up in separation from this world.
If they're trying to walk according to the light and wisdom and truth of this book.
If they have said no to you on occasion when you wanted perhaps to slip out and taste a little of the friendship of this world.
And you didn't like it. You wondered why Father was so strict.
My mother was so narrow. My dear young Christian friend, get down on your knees and thank God for a father like that.
Thank God for a mother like that that has the courage.
To put the word of God in the claims of the Lord Jesus Christ. First in the bringing up of their children. Perhaps there are dear young people here who don't have a home and family like that. I just turn you to the Word of God and to the Lord Jesus Christ. There's light and wisdom for you in this precious book. And if you are true and faithful to the Lord Jesus.
You will find that those who do not want him, those who do not want conversation about Him, will soon shun you as a friend. If I know you to be a friend of those who despise the Lord Jesus, I know you're not thankful to Him. I know you don't speak of Him wherever you go.
Michelle learned his lesson in a sad way.
In the end of the third chapter of Nehemiah, the 30th verse.
After him repaired Hananiah, the son of Shalomiah, and Hanan, the sixth son of Zelap, another piece after him repaired Mashalam the son of Berakaya, over against his chamber. I've underlined those words in my Bible.
Over against his chamber.
Form asylum.
His daughter slipped out where he ought to have built the wall. His daughter slipped out and formed an alliance with the ungodly. And Mashallah learned his lesson too late. He built the wall at the end of a chapter, right in front of his own chamber. I believe the dear man wanted the rest of his days to walk.
According to the truth of separation.
And my dear young Christian friend, I say to you once more.
A man of many friends will come to ruin. The devil will not come along to you and me and take away just as easily as that some of these precious truths that we've been hearing about. Toward the close of the meeting this morning, our dear brother spoke of those truths which were most certainly believed and held among us. And then he said, Will we still hold them a year from now?
00:20:07
God only knows I was struck with that statement.
Will you, will I value these precious truths one year from now? God only knows. How could the devil ever take away from you and me these things which we know to be true? I believe very often He does it through the outstretched friendly hand of this world.
He maneuvers you or me into a position where we compromise that which we know to be obedience to the truth of God's Word, so that we may not offend our friends, so that we may not be thought unpopular. I've seen it again and again, but I must say I have experienced it right down in here too. So often there's that which the Word of God will put before.
And the response of our heart is, what will others think? What will even my Christian friends think about this? They don't seem to take the same stand as you or I might take. Surely we're wrong in these things. Oh, my dear young Christian friend, let me tell you this. There is a friend that stick us closer than a brother. And if you want a happy pathway.
If you want a pathway that will have the joy of the Lord day by day through the journey.
And approve the approval of the Lord at the end of the journey. Walk according to the light.
And the wisdom of this precious book, we've had it before us in two Peter one where whereby are given unto us all things that pertain unto light and godliness. You've opened this book and you have found in it that which has brought light to your force. In burdened heart. You've learned to know the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
I remember speaking to a young lady, She had only recently accepted the Lord Jesus as her Savior, and she was looking around for Christian fellowship with which she might join herself. And she began to ask me a little about it. And I said, well, now suppose I came to you and said, you know, the way to get to heaven is to try your very best to keep the 10 commandments and.
And go to church at least once a week. What would you say? Oh, she said, Mr. Hagel, I tell you that was all wrong. What I said, Do you think you could tell me the right way to heaven? Why, yes. And she began to quote a number of good ringing gospel verses. Oh, I said, good for you. You have God's word for it, and you can't be shaken from it by the words of men.
Now are you going to close your Bible? You have found God with salvation in it.
You have found the forgiveness of your sins from this book. You have found the home and glory made known to you in this book. Are you going to close it now and look around and seek to find suitable Christian fellowship and association without the light and wisdom of this book?
She hung her head. I said I'm afraid this is what you have done.
You have taken the word of God in one hand, and you are going to put in the other hand.
The opinions of your Christian friends and see which one bears.
The most weight.
Isn't that the way it is so often? We wouldn't dare. We wouldn't dare accept the opinions of men.
When it comes to the salvation of a soul, we know it must be based upon the Word of God.
But when it comes to the wisdom of God for our Christian pathway, it's found in the same book. Do you read this book? Do you read it every day? Do you read it with a prayer that it may be light and wisdom and guidance for your pathway? There was another man in Scripture. We won't take time to turn to it as well known. His name was Pilot, and I'm afraid that he too was.
Who came to ruin because of that little word, friend? You remember when he had the Lord Jesus before him, and he seemed bent upon releasing the Lord Jesus? They cried aloud, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend.
00:25:14
Caesar's friends, and there before Pilate stood the friend of sinners.
The Creator and sustainer of the ends of the earth, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Or Caesar's friends. Why, it's all very well for us nowadays to point the finger away back in history as pilot and say he ought to have known better.
But Caesar was a man of some influence. Caesar was a man whose name was mighty well known in the land.
And to be a friend of Caesar was really something to be considered and to lose Caesar's friendship was something that wasn't likely done in that day. And Pilate made his choice. And what happened? Why he gained another friend whose friendship that he gained.
The friendship of Herod and that day Pilate and Herod were made friends together. Now he has two friends.
Caesar and Harris, and they are both men of renown. You have heard their names before.
But they were men who were united against the Lord Jesus Christ and Pilate joy in hand with them.
All my dear friend, I say to you, and I feel I need it so very much, a man of many friends will come to ruin. My dear young friend, if you want to be popular in this world, if you want to be popular as a Christian, you're going to lose the approval of the Lord Jesus Christ in your life.
But I don't want to spend too much time on that. That joy of our hearts that you present to you, the friend that take us closer.
Than a brother. Oh, I must not present to you the pathway of obedience to the word of God as though it was something that was going to bring narrowness and disappointment and sorrow into your life. It will bring joy unspeakable into your life, and the approval of the Lord Jesus Christ from the pathway is over. What will this little span of life be like when we look back on it from the.
When we stand with the Lord Jesus in that day.
And our lives are reviewed. Your life is going to be reviewed. Yes, my life is going to be reviewed. And that which went on in the depth of your heart and mind brought the light in order that he may have the joy of approving that which was for himself. Does he know whether the decisions in your life are according to the light and wisdom of this book? And for his honor and glory.
And does he know if deep down there there is that desire to keep the popularity and the friendship that your soul craves, or are you willing to give him first and foremost place in your life? He knows all about the very thoughts of your heart. All. I so much enjoyed what a brother told me just recently visiting.
In Detroit, brother Harold Krause, we were driving along in the car together.
And I quoted Malachi 316.
Then 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 fear the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And he turned to me, to his brother. What does that little word hearken mean?
Well, I said I don't know. I've asked and quoted the verse and I just thought it meant the Lord just wrote down every time he heard us say anything about himself or even thought about him. All but he said the Scripture says the Lord hearkened and heard.
He didn't let this hurricane mean well. I said, I guess it means so. Listen, it isn't that good. The Lord not only hears it, but He's listening for it. All that was precious to me, my dear young Christian friend. All day-to-day the Lord was listening. What was He listening for? He was listening for anything from your heart or from your lips.
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That was.
Of himself the Lord hearkened and heard it.
He listened all day yesterday. He listened all last week. And there was written down in that book everything you said for him and every thought upon himself. And he's hearkening guests and he's going to hearken until he takes you home and he's going to write it down. Oh, what a friend, what a savior. Suppose we just turn over to.
John Solomon.
Song of Solomon chapter 5 and verse 9.
What is thy beloved more than another beloved old thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than another beloved without us so charter, my beloved is white and Ruddy, the cheapest among 10,000.
His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy and black as a Raven.
His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of water, washed with milk and fitly set. His cheeks are the better spices as sweet flowers, his lips like lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh. His hands are as gold rings set with a barrel. His belly is his bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. His legs are pillars of marble set upon sockets of fine gold.
His countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars.
His mouth is most sweet. Yeah, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved.
And this is my friend, Old Daughters of Jerusalem.
Does that speak to your heart? This is my friend.
Oh what the God, dear young people, that this were the true language.
Of the death of all our hearts, this is my.
Friend, it's quite a choice to make and your life and mind give evidence of what choice has been made. Is it really true or are there just lovely words that sometimes are put to music? Yeah, he is altogether lovely.
He is a chiefest among 10,000. We sing these words in hymns. But my dear friend, are you able to stand up for the Lord and say this?
Is my friend, he's a man of many friends will come to ruin.
If you want the friendship and the popularity of this world, you'll come to ruin. Even as a Christian, you'll come to ruin. Your life will be wasted. Wasted on the friendship and the popularity of this poor world and even some of the Christians in it. I don't say it disparagingly, but I say it with sadness. There are many in this world who know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is the one who loved and died for sinners.
They're on their way home to the glory, but they want the approval of the world in which they live. And I wanted to, and so do you. We just have to keep that in the place of death. We just have to recognize that that is part of something that God has condemned. And you and I, by God's grace.
Ought to be able to say this afternoon with joy this.
Is my friend. Isn't it remarkable they come to her?
She has been so occupied with the beauty of her beloved that they come to her and say, What is thy beloved more than another beloved? What does she do? Does she hang her head without an answer? She doesn't seem to be able to get the words out, not at all. And sometimes I speak to young folks, perhaps a boy or a girl. Can I say, Do you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior?
And you know, sometimes the answer is quite a while coming and it's a rather feeble yes. You have to bend down a little bit to hear it. They just don't seem to be able to get it out very well.
But they don't want to say no, and so perhaps they say yes. Now if someone has cool over to ask you, do you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior? Would your heart just overflow with the joy of answering? They came to her and said, What is thy beloved more than another beloved? Oh dear young Christian friend, you and I ought to find it the joy of our heart to speak well.
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See the surprise we ought to be able to tell of the wonders of His love toward us, of that which He has done. Sometimes I think of Mephibosheth having dwelt so long in the barren place called Lodi Bar. I don't think he liked it very well down there, but I believe he lived there for fear of David. He thought surely the day would come when David would find out where he lived, and that.
Be an end to his liberty, and possibly even his life. And the day did come. David found out where Mephibosheth lived. David brought him up into his presence. And David began to make known to Mephibosheth the purposes of love that were in his heart, that kindness that was in his heart toward that poor, frightened, lame man.
And I sometimes gone over the story like this.
I said to myself, Suppose after all the kindness that David has shown to Mephibosheth?
He has made him heir of all false possessions. He has given him the warm invitation four times, repeated to sit down at the King's table, and he spread their continually. He has given him 36 servants to take care of him, and made known the love of his heart toward him now.
Suppose you meet Mephibosheth on the streets of Jerusalem a couple of days later.
And you're surprised you say Mephibosheth? What are you doing in Jerusalem? Last I heard of you, you were dialing Lodi Bar. Aren't you afraid King David might find you? Have you met him yet? Would he just bow his head timidly and say yes, you've met David? And what did he say to you? Well.
He told me it was all right to stay in Jerusalem. Do you think that's the way he'd talk? Oh, no. My friend Mephibosheth would say, David, you just wait here half an hour, a mile, begin to tell you what I think of David. And he'd tell of David exceeding kindness and his rich provisions. And when they come to this ravish heart and say, What is thy beloved more than another beloved? It speaks to me.
Has anyone ever come to you and noticed that you were a Christian?
Do you talk like one? Do you act like one? Do you dress like one?
That last remark, especially for the dear sisters, for it is a day, my dear young Christian sisters, in which you can even dress to please the Lord. I don't think there ever was a day when it's more especially your privilege to act and speak and dress for the glory of the Lord Jesus.
There again, perhaps.
The question of whose friend you want to be comes into the picture.
Oh, May God grant that the beauty and loveliness and claims of our Lord Jesus Christ, the friend, the sickest, closer than a brother, may be more real in each of our lives for his glory. She begins by saying he is the chiefest among him. Thousands. Isn't that lovely? She places him right at the top of the list.
But I don't believe that was quite enough.
Jesus among 10,000, He is at the top of the whole list. But as she goes on with the description of his beauty that had won her heart, she ends by saying yeah, he is altogether lovely. The 10,000 is completely forgotten. He's not at the top of the list now there is no list. He's just all together lovely. And you, dear young.
I stand here and say before you feebly as I may be able to do so, of this testimony is true.
Yeah, he is.
Altogether lovely, I've heard it said over and over again.
From the lips of those who have grown old in the service of our Lord Jesus, and some of them have gone home, that it's a happy pathway to walk in the company of the Lord Jesus Christ. I've heard it said, and so have you, that you will never find anyone in all your experience that walks the journey in the company of the Lord Jesus Christ and regretted the experience at the end of the pathway.
00:40:25
Never find that I look around among you, dear young people. Some of you I know and some of you I don't. But I know this, that the happiest ones among you.
Those that are walking with the Lord Jesus Christ, not all Christians are happy. You're entitled to be. You're entitled to be. There is that in the person of Christ that will fill your heart with joy and happiness. And I love the language that's expressed here. Yeah, he is all together lovely. This is my beloved and this is my friend, dear young Christian.
Known among your acquaintances that this is your friend. The psalmist says, I am an acquaintance of all them that love thee. I am a friend of all them that love thee, and of them that keep thy precept. Do you seek out as your friends those who love the Lord Jesus, those who want to speak of the Lord Jesus and want to walk according to the light and wisdom?
Precious book that he has given.
As I listened to the conversation between the meetings, I do find that it rejoices my heart, that which is of Christ.
And I just pass this on to you, dear young people, that your enjoyment of the Lord Jesus is going to have its effect upon others. Look at the first verse of the next chapter. I think we always ought to read these two chapters together, whether inviting love of God or thou fairest among women.
Whether is thy beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee? Isn't that precious? Her heart was so fully occupied with the loveliness and the beauty of Christ, that the language of those to whom she makes this wondrous description is Whether is thy beloved God that we.
May seek him with thee. We ought to have our eyes upon the Lord Jesus.
We ought to be looking off unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. But you know we are influenced. We are affected by those around us. Are you influencing? Are you affecting other young Christians in a way that will encourage them to walk in the joy of the Lord and in the fear of the Lord? Is that your testimony among the young Christians present here?
At these meetings, is that your testimony in the assembly of which you form a part, dear young believers?
Are you one of the young people in the Des Moines Assembly? Is your presence in that assembly an encouragement to the others?
To have their eyes fixed upon the friend, the thickest, closer than a brother.
That little assembly from which you come and from which I come.
Is your testimony, is my testimony that which would encourage anyone else to follow the Lord Jesus, to be taken up with His loveliness and His beauty to His honor and glory and to the blessing of those around you? You are having an effect in the assembly where you are. Your presence is having an effect.
Either for blessings or otherwise.
Upon the other dear young people, I say it with certainty concerning the days of my own youth in the Assembly of Ottawa.
That one of the most powerful influences in my life as a young boy there was the testimony of those who were fellow young people with me. Most of them were at that time a bit older than I was.
And I thank God to this day.
For the memory.
Of those whom I believe were occupied with the Lord Jesus and walking with Him. Now, in spite of all the ministry that we hear in these meetings, in spite of the truths that are being brought out in these meetings by those who have been reading their Bibles for many years, I believe, dear young people, that you and I need to be grounded in these.
00:45:24
Truth, but I say this to the depth of your heart, from the depth of mind. We do need the 1St and loveliness of Christ ministered to our heart, that you and I might be more taken up with the beauty of the friend that stickers closer than a brother. Just let me turn in clothing to a verse in John.
The 15th chapter of John.
And the 15th verse henceforth I call you not servants.
For the servant knows not what is Lord doeth. But I have called you.
Friends for all things that I have heard of my father.
I have made known unto you even this exceedingly sweet.
The Lord Jesus looking at you and looking at me and saying I have called you friends. He speaks of Abraham in the book of Isaiah. I believe. Abraham, my friend, isn't that wonderful? Does the Lord Jesus actually look at you this afternoon and find it his joy?
To call you his friend, that's the joy to the heart of the Lord Jesus. And how has He made known to us?
This which we find I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my father.
I have made known unto you. Sometimes you know when real bosom friend get together.
How they can talk, why they just unburden their hearts to one another and they tell one another things that they just wouldn't tell to anyone else simply because there's a real bomb there. You know that friend, It's a trusted friend. And why do you just open your heart and tell your friend all these things? Because he is your friend. Because she is your friend. And when I read this precious book.
And find that which God has told me.
And then I realized why he has told me. My heart is bowed in worship.
Sometimes I look at it this way. Suppose I came home from the office.
I stopped at the grocery store and I bought a few things. I set them on the kitchen table and then I went in and greeted my wife.
And.
Sat down and I began to tell her about the various people I hadn't met at the office through the day.
Some of the problems I had encountered, possibly some of the plans as to what I might think of doing in the future in connection with my work. And after listening with not much interest for five or 10 minutes, she interrupts me and says, by the way, did you bring home the groceries? Well, yes, I did. They're on the kitchen table. Well, that's all that interests me. As long as you provide a home and the food for the table, I'm really not concerned about.
The office, who you meet, your problems there, or what you intend to do. As long as you bring home the groceries and keep the house free of debt, that's what really interests me. Wouldn't I be disappointed?
I thank God that that's not the way our marriage relationship exists, far from it through the Lord's goodness. But you know, I'm afraid sometimes we're very guilty of that attitude with the Lord. I have called you friends. And what has He done? All things that I have received of my Father I have made known unto you. May I ask you this, Why did the Lord Jesus tell me?
All about that which he intends to do after he's taken me home to the glory. Why didn't he close the book there, as far as I was concerned?
Should I interest myself in connection with that which concerns?
The Lord glory His future purposes in connection with this earth and his beloved chosen people on the earth. Or when the dear brethren begin to unfold those things, do I shrug my shoulders and say that's too deep for me? As long as I know my sins are forgiven and I'm on my way to heaven, that's enough for me. I never can follow them when they begin to talk about the remnant and.
00:50:06
Israel and their future blessing and so on. Don't we talk that way sometimes, dear young Christian friends?
He's chosen you not only to be numbered among his redeemed ones, but he's chosen you as his friend. And when he begins to tell you all that's in his heart, surely if that friendship, that relationship, that nearness is what it ought to be, your heart and mind will delight to take in, as best as we're able, all that concerns the interests of the.
Friends that stick us closer.
Then a brother.
The Lamb of God
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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I'd like to turn this afternoon to John's Gospel chapter one.
John's Gospel chapter one, verse 29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and sayeth, Behold the Lamb of God.
Which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said.
After me cometh a man which is preferred before me or he was before me.
And I know him not, but that he should be made manifest to Israel.
Therefore am I come baptizing with water and John Bear records saying.
Saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him.
The same as he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost, and I saw and bear record.
That this is the Son of God. Again the next day after John stood and two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God.
And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned and saw them following, and said unto them.
What say ye, They said unto him, a rabbi, which is to say, Being interpreted, Master, where dwelleth thou, He saith unto them, Come and see.
They came and saw where he dwelt and abode with him that day, or it was about the 10th hour, one of the two which heard John speak, and followed him with Andrew Simon Peters brother. He first find that his own brother Simon, and said unto him, We have found the Messiah.
Which is being interpreted to Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jonah. Thou shalt be called sea fast. Which is by interpretation a stone. The day following, Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and find us Phillips, and saith unto him.
Follow me now. Philip was of the Seder, the city of Andrew and Peter.
Philip findeth Nathaniel and sat unto him. We have found him upon Moses in the law, and the prophets did right Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph, and Nathaniel 7 to him, and there any good thing come out of Nazareth.
Philip said unto him, Come and see Jesus on Nathaniel coming to him, and sath of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile. Nathaniel 7 to him Whence nor saw me. Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee.
When thou as under the fig tree, I saw thee, Nathaniel answered and said unto him.
Rabbi, thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him.
Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree. Believe a style. Thou shalt see greater things than these.
And he said unto him, Self unto him, Verily I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open.
And the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
The third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
Both Jesus was called and His disciples to the marriage. Well, my thought in reading this, dear young people, was not so much to take it up and that which is primarily the thought of the Spirit of God in connection with it, but rather in its practical, practical application to ourselves, and especially to those who are young. I believe the passage brings before us.
All through that wondrous work of Christ upon the cross there is going to be blessed.
To that nation of Israel when they're brought into the millennial blessing here upon earth. That no doubt is the marriage in Cana of Galilee. But one was thinking of it rather in connection with ourselves and in a practical way. There are these three days in our lives as believers. There is a time when we first of all.
Come to know the Lord Jesus as our own precious Savior.
00:05:04
And then there is the day of following him, of living here in this world for him.
And then there is the third day, the bright and glorious hope before us that there is going to be something more wonderful than even that which will be seen upon the millennial earth, because there is going to be a marriage in heaven. There's going to be a glorious time.
When the bride of Christ is presented there and all her beauty, and we part of it through God's sovereign grace.
Well, we know that the chapter carries us right back in the beginning into eternity.
It brings before us that one a moment could be said in the beginning with the word.
Yeah, and the Word was with God and the Word was gone. It occupies us with the person.
All this Blessed one who came down to this world in manhood. And I would like to speak to you this afternoon about him.
It's not just some subject that is only for these few days that we are together.
But dear young people, we have to do with God and with God's beloved Son.
We have to do with the one who is the eternal Son of God and when you're going to school, you're learning those things that are necessary in connection with getting along in this life and learning your daily, daily bread, providing things honest in the sight of all men, but all their something far more important than that. Your life and mine is for eternity.
Every moment of time is hasting us on to the time when all is going to be made manifest and only what is of Christ in your life and mind is going to abide. All the rest is going to pass away.
And so I'd like to speak first of all to any who may be gathered here.
Who are still unsaved, still without Christ had a lovely word. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. All has your has your attention been turned to that blessed One who died there on Calvary's cross?
And to stop and settle the question of sin, can you say settle the question of my sins?
Can you say he died for me? Is he your own precious and personal Savior? What a wonderful time it was when John the Baptist, who had been sent beforehand to announce that Blessed One who saw him.
And spoke of him. Behold, the Lamb of God. There had been the lamb provided back in Egypt, and that lamb whose blood was shed, sheltered them from the judgment of God in the land of Egypt. But all, dear young person, have you looked to the Lord Jesus?
And seen him as your Savior. Have you received Him by faith? If so, the first day has come in your life. But if not, the first day has not come. You're still dead in trespasses and sins.
You're still before God in all your guilt, and yet dead, I say. And when you stand before that great white throne in judgment, how awful to stand there in the presence of the One who wants to bless you, whose hands are uplifted now and love willing to save you.
And see that hand uplifted to say, depart from me. Oh, May God grant that there will not be one who has come here to these meetings, who will go away unsaved, without Christ, still going on, dare I say, in trespasses and sins.
But all this afternoon I would point you to him, as John the Baptist pointed to the Savior and said, Behold the Lamb of God all look to him, All in all simplicity and in all your deep need, just look away from yourself and see Him there as the one who died for you upon Calvary's cross, who wants to save you.
The one who will finally remove from this world.
Every trace of sentiments results, but he can take away your sins this very moment.
Yes, He can remove your sins and fit you for thy glorious theme.
Know how we were saved. Rejoice as we look back to that first day, that beginning.
In our lives, like Israel of all, this day shall be unto you the beginning of month. It shall be the first month of the year. To you know, I entreat you again, look to Him. Please see Him as your Savior. And for those of us who have received him, surely we can never thank Him enough.
00:10:10
For the wondrous love and grace that picked us up and saved us, but gave us what we were seeking of this morning, That like precious faith, all have you received Him. Well then we find here in the verses that follow from the 30th to the 34th, you notice how often you find those two words.
I and me.
I and me. It rather impresses me in reading those verses because I think after were first saved, we all go through a period when it's I and me. We go through a period when we are occupied a great deal with ourselves, we're occupied a great deal.
What we do know and what we didn't know as John speaks here and just you know, John had looked upon Jesus as the Lamb of God.
But there was that occupation with self, and it may be that there are some dear young people here this afternoon. And you do know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. What you say I'm having an awful struggle with old self. It's just so miserable. I thought after I was saved to be gone.
And I find that still have the same old self within and it hasn't improved at all. And all the time, even in these meetings, you find yourself saying I me, I me.
And perhaps it's relative to the Lord Jesus. John says twice here. And I knew him not that is.
He was occupied with himself rather than how much he was. He knew of the Lord, and how much he was devoted to him. But how beautiful it is in this 35th verse. Again the next day after John stood and two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith.
Behold the Lamb of God.
Oh, this wasn't looking to him in this case for salvation. This isn't looking to him as the One.
Who came to take away the sin of the world, but this is looking to him now.
As the one who can and does satisfy the longing of the heart. And let me say to anyone here.
Who is occupied with yourself? Any young believer who seems to be having such a terrible conflict with that old I and me?
Isn't it blessed to know that you're entitled to look away from yourself altogether and turn to the Lord Jesus and find in him the one who is able to fully absorb every thought, the One in whom we stand perfect and complete? Oh, you say that? What about that old iron knee? Will it improve then?
No.
Perhaps this is sad news, but it will never improve, the great apostle Paul said. I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. The old man will never improve. But the good news is that God doesn't see the believer in that way. He sees us in Christ.
And so tells us that we're holy and without blame before him.
In love and let me say to you, dear young person this afternoon, who's having this terrible conflict described in the 7th chapter of Romans.
Yourself, how does that chapter end? Why he struggles all through the chapters until he comes to the end, and he breaks down and says, all wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
And in the next verse he says, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And then the next chapter opens by saying there is now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.
Nor the old nature is not improved, and it never will improve, but how good to do what God has done with it. God has put it in the place of death, and you and I can put it in the place of death, and we can turn from miserable wretched self to be occupied for the Lord Jesus.
Find in him the one who saw completely and fully absorbed our thoughts and our attention, that, as it were, we lose sight of self hasn't improved like the pile of rotten numbers. You don't expect it to improve, but you just put it aside and say, well, it's rotten, it's no use. I'm not going to try and use it.
00:15:15
And that's what God has done. He's put the pile of rotten lumber aside, but he's given us a new life for partakers of the divine nature. And didn't you enjoy sitting in the meeting this morning, being occupied with the place into which grace has brought us?
And the exceeding great and precious promises that are given to us all. But you say, I thought the old nature was going to get better again. I say it never will, it never will. But true happiness, true progress of soul is by occupation, not with self.
With the Lord Jesus Christ, all may your thoughts be turned to Him.
And you can sit there in that chair with the most miserable old nature inside of you and still be happy. Yes, you can. My old nature is just as bad or worse than yours. But I know what God has done with it, and I give thanks that He sees me in Christ. And it's a joy to sit in the meetings.
And to be done with the eye and the me, and to be occupied with the Lord Jesus the one.
Who is now our life, our objects, our strength, our example are All in all. Behold the Lamb of God, that precious one. How are you looking to Jesus, your young person, as you go on through life? Is it the habit of your life?
To look to him moment by moment when you get up in the morning, when you meet problems during the day.
When you go to bed at night, is it the habit of your life to turn to that Blessed One?
To be occupied with Him, I would point Him to you in this second day, so to speak. You know Him as your Savior. To behold Him not altogether lovely ones, Behold.
Behold the Lamb of God.
And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Here were two disciples 2 That had been following John up to this time. Know how many there are who are following men as leaders?
Occupied with themselves, the leaders are occupied with themselves. And how much we see in Christianity how that which occupies with man instead of with the Lord Jesus. But here when John looked away from himself and said, Behold the Lamb of God.
By those two men that had been following him, they no longer were his disciples. They became followers of Jesus. They became followers of him. And isn't it a lovely thing to speak and act in such a way that those who hear us would be turned to the Lord Jesus?
Your young person, when others are in your company, are they occupied with the Lord Jesus?
Are they and are they turned to him? It ought to be so here was John the Baptist. He didn't turn to these men and say you ought to follow Jesus. His heart was so overflowing. That's a result of him making this remark. Was that the two disciples?
Heard him speak and they followed Jesus. I remember a remark of dear Mr. Darby which I read and he said, our testimony to the world is our joy in the Lord.
It's not so much what we say, but do others take knowledge of us like they did of the early disciples, that they had been with Jesus in the early assemblies in First Corinthians 14? It tells us that a person coming in.
Even alone, unbelievers would fall in his face and report that God is in you of a truth. Oh how lovely it is. And he's so occupied with him about others that hear us speak, they would follow Jesus. We can have 10,000 sermons but you know it's.
Life shows that we're occupied and are satisfied with the Lord Jesus. I believe others will want to follow him too, and I believe in the meetings where we live. The ministry may be beautiful and precious, but dear young people, what we need his heart that are absorbed with the Lord Jesus.
Young lives that are truly following Him and there will be blessings. Others will be attracted to Him. And so here they left John and they followed Jesus and he didn't mind one bit. He didn't say one word of reproach to them. I believe in his heart He rejoiced.
00:20:14
Because he had been pointing to him, and he was glad that they should turn from him.
And us act in such a way that people don't become followers of us, but that they would follow him.
And if somebody should leave us, when I hear of a group and someone leaves them to go where they're gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, why, if they valued and loved that precious name, wouldn't they rejoice that some left them and follow Jesus? Oh, he is the one who is able to satisfy the hearts longings, so they turn.
And they left John and they followed Jesus always in this next verse. Beautiful to.
Then Jesus turned and saw them following.
I love those words. Jesus turned and saw them following. Jesus stood still once at the cry of a blind man, and that was wonderful. And that blind man had his eyes opened. A dear young person, if you have one little bit of desire to follow the Lord Jesus, he's going to turn and see that desire.
Yes, that blessed Savior in all his glory.
He turned around to see those two people who perhaps thought they were utterly unnoticed, but the Lord Jesus turned around and saw them following. Dear young people hit the Lord Jesus turned what they find, what he see us following.
What do you see us falling or what do you see us drifting? Drifting. Which would it be?
As in Hebrews chapter 13, they watch your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you. And it's our earnest desire now that we would see to that desire to follow him. But I say again.
Lord, Jesus sees it. He sees it all. You say, but I'm such a failure. He sees the desire, however feeble it may be. He sees that Jesus turned and saw him following.
And serve unto them. But they came all the Lord Jesus.
Or to visibly walk in the door of this room and start at the front row and go to the back and ask each one of us this question. What?
Thank you. What would our answer be? What would our answer be? Well, he's recording our answer. He recorded the answer of these two young men. They said, Master, where dwelleth thou? The Lord Jesus is recording your answer to a young person. What are you seeking? What did you come to these meetings for? What are you going to school for?
What are you doing your job for?
Oh, you say, well, I go to school to get an education, but why the education? You want to honor the Lord in the walk of life that you choose? Is that your desire?
Well, it ought to be our desire to your young people. We ought to desire when we get a job, we ought to desire to have an occupation in which we can honor the Lord Jesus. And so he said, What seek ye, They said.
Huh. Master, where dwelleth thou? In other words, they said, Lord Jesus, we want your company. That's what they said, Lord Jesus, we want thy company. Is that the answer of your heart?
Dear young person, you couldn't have anything more wonderful in life. I don't know of anything grander. And to walk through life in the company of the Lord Jesus, to have him not only as your Savior, all you know that perhaps, but what you and I know.
About walking through this world in his company Master, where dwellest thou? They wanted to be where he is. Is that your hearts desire Well is that your hearts desire? The Lord knows it and more than that he values it because he died to have our company. His request in that 17th chapter of John which we often call the Lord's Prayer is.
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Father, I will.
But they also whom thou has given me, be with me where I am.
That they may behold my glory which thou has given me. But I'll love it to me before the foundation of the world. He wants your company, you want His.
It says about enough. It was a very evil day in which he lives. Perhaps you say, well, it's difficult these days. Everything's so concrete. So it was an Enoch day.
So much forward in the time of North.
God put only fair one and person the only have I found righteous and the wrong 8 souls in the eyes to say all that. The number is so few where I live for only 8 souls in the ark. But Enoch walked with God and when did he begin to walk with God? I'll say this to young parents was after his first child was born. That's when after the first child was born he began to walk with God.
And denote is nothing.
The cast is so much upon the Lord as a responsibility in these days of seeking to bring up a little family for the Lord Jesus. May I encourage you to your young parents here. Be faithful, Don, You may find the whole term against you. You may find.
That you get opposition, sometimes misunderstanding even from believers all. But never mind your children. Souls are worth more than this whole world. Also to bring them up for the Lord Jesus. They could bring them up for Him. Master where?
Wall of God and what did he say?
Come and say, come and say, isn't that lovely? He didn't say on such and such a street and such and such a number, and all that would have been sort of unmeaningful to their souls. But you have to come and see.
That's the same as the Sinner all tastes and says that the Lord is good, all taste and seeds that the Lord is good and here for a believer come and see. And then that 4th chapter of Revelation when John.
What happened? Or the Lord wants to show him something of the joys of heaven. What does he say? Come up, hit her. Come up, hit her. Oh, how wonderful. Yeah. She brings them right up there so that he could see something. All that's wrong up there singing the praises of the Savior around that throne.
You're a young person. I can't tell you the blessedness of following the Lord Jesus, but I can say come and see. I can say that's what the Lord Jesus said. Come and see here young person. You can normally not by walking in it. As another has said, there are joy in the path of faith only known to those who walk in it. You must walk in the past to prove the blessedness of it.
The enemy will tell you it's a hard fact. The enemy will put all kinds of obstacles.
But there's a blessing in walking in it. Come and see. What did they do? They came at once. They came at once. You know, we're we're great ones to delay. We're great ones to put off. We have to be warned not to delay insolvent. And when the Lord, when the Lord told Abraham to offer up his son, why?
Rolls early in the morning and went out to take his son. I wonder why he did it the very next day and early in the morning. While delay in the things of God is always dangerous, surely as we delay we find reasons why we shouldn't take the step of faith. But if God gives us light for the past, let us step forward.
And count upon him, count upon him. And so when the Lord said, Come.
And see, it says they came and saw. They came and saw where he dwelt. And then what was the result? They abode with him that day, or it was about the 10th hour.
Today it was nearing his family and dear young people. The time is short, the Lords coming is near. It may be a difficult day, and it is. I recognize and every other Christian recognizes that we are living in difficult days, that it's becoming harder.
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And especially for you, dear young people, it's becoming harder to follow Christ devotedly.
But if it's the end of the day, so much for more reasons why we should dwell with Jesus, so much the more reason. If it was near the end of the day, then let's spend the rest of the day with them. They said we've only got such a little time, let's spend the rest of the day in His company. And so they did. They abode with him that day.
Yes, they stayed in his company for you and I stayed in his company. Oh, you say. I really enjoy coming to a meeting like this for three days.
But we can have his company 365 days in the year he wants our 365 days in the year when Paul was leaving emphasis why they came out to the seashore and they sorrowed because they would see his face no more. But he had said I commend you to God and to the word of his grace as though I should say I'm going away.
But the Lord will be with you. The Lord will be with you.
They abode with him that day, for it was about the 10th hour.
And then we find here.
One of the two which heard John speak and followed him with Andrew Simon Peters brother.
And so Andrew, he goes out and he finds his brother and says we have found the Messiah, which is being interpreted to Christ.
Well, we first of all find them desiring the company of the Lord, but it tells us in John 12 and verse 26.
If any man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am there shall also my servant be. And here Andrew goes out, and he finds his brothers. And so there's a quiet little testimony for you and I to do for the Lord Jesus.
Or perhaps you might say that I I don't think I have any gift and I don't know very much. If I get talking to people, I can't answer their questions.
So it's best for me just to keep quiet. Well, you know, the most powerful testimonies that were given in the scriptures were given by young believers and they just knew of a little bit, but they knew a little bit about a great person. Yes, here was Andrew and he didn't know a great deal about the Lord Jesus.
But he could say we have found him.
And he is the Christ. Yes, we have found him. And that's the that's the greatest testimony that we can give. We have found him. Or I could stand here and perhaps talk for an hour and it would just be I'm on the publicity of words. But all if this afternoon you see Jesus and it's all worthwhile.
It's all worthwhile and so when Andrew went out and found his brothers, he told him we have found him.
And he brought him to Jesus, people would say, brought him to church. No, he brought him to Jesus. He brought him to Jesus. And that's what we desire to and each one of us have a little testimony, a little work that we can do for the Lord Jesus. And I don't think it requires any special gift.
In this particular portion because.
As far as I can see about Andrew, that seemed to particularly characterize his life, that he was more of a personal worker, if we could speak in that way. He was the one who found the little lad that had the five barley loaves and two small fishes, and he was the one who brought that little lad to the Lord Jesus.
He was the one to whom who went with the Phillips and told the Lord Jesus about those Gentiles.
We wanted to see him. It's nice to see your little account of a man who was not particularly occupied, shall I say, in some great public ways, but was doing a quiet little work for the Lord.
You're a young person, you can do that.
The first thing that Andrew did was to find his brother.
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Not out. That's why we often are reminded that our testimony begins at home. He first found his own brother, and he brought his brother to Jesus. And then we know how many Peter was used to bring to the Lord Jesus.
Why Peter stood up in the Day of Pentecost and preached and there were 3000. But how did Peter get saved? Well, he just got saved because Andrew brought him to Jesus and saw there's a little a little service, sisters, brothers, each one can do a little bit.
Can I believe too that this is all going to be manifested in heaven? There are different crowns spoken of in the scriptures.
And one of them is recorded in First Thessalonians chapter 2. It says, what is our hope or joy, our crown of rejoicings? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ that is coming? Is there? Is it all that there is going to be a crown of rejoicing?
There are different crowns spoken of crown of glory, the crown of righteousness, but what is this crown of rejoicing? All is going to be a special rejoicing in heaven if perhaps you were the one that spoke a little word that God was pleased to use in blessing to someone else.
Oh, not that. Not that you may even know about it. Not that you were the only one. Because it says either thought. And he that refills will rejoice together.
Well, let us be encouraged just to speak a little word for him, and there'll be a crown of rejoicing. And some people say, well, we know one another in heaven, Paul said to the Thessalonians, I'm going to know you and I'm going to know too, and that you were blessed through the testimony that God was pleased to render there in Thessalonica.
And so let us be encouraged. Want to be a grand thing out there in glory to meet the people.
We said a little word to them about the Lord, That person that we spoke to on the train or on the bus at neighbors, not tradesmen that came to the door, want to be wonderful to meet him up there in heaven. And the Lord could say you were the one whom I used to speak a little word to that man. The crown of rejoicing. The crown of rejoicing.
All medicine and encouragement to each person, even the youngest here.
And so he brought him to Jesus.
And only 43rd verse The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee and find a Phillip, and sat unto him. Follow me.
Follow me. Well, we know from reading later on in AT that Phillip was an evangelist in the 8th chapter he preached in Samaria and he is the only one in the book of the Act who is spoken of as an evangelist.
The only one and I was thinking of this second part here in connection with.
Our particular service that we have for the Lord. Or perhaps I should have spoken just for a minute about the end of this 42nd verse.
It says and when Jesus beheld and he said as our Simon the son of Jonah, where thou shalt be called Sepas, which is by interpretation a stone. I just wanted to make a few comments about that verse before going on. And that is what the Lord said here to Simon when he was brought to him. He tells him that his name was going to be changed and he would be called a song.
We learn from the 16th chapter of Matthew that this refers to what the Lord spoke of about building His church. The Lord said in the 16th chapter of Matthew, he said.
Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood have not revealed it unto thee, but my father, which is in heaven, and I say unto thee, that's our Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.
And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, I believe, as little intonation here.
In connection with the truth of the church brought before us and what the Lord said to Simon on this occasion, and I just wanted to add this remark, and that is that is a lovely thing when souls are saved, that they're brought to no more of the truth of God. How often it is when people are saved.
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At their left to flounder around, go here and there.
And attend this place, in that place, becoming more and more confused and discouraged, until often they think, oh, there's so many places, how can one know where one should go and what is the truth?
Well, isn't this lovely that the Lord when he, when Simon was brought to him, he calls him a stone and they each believer is a stone in that spiritual building that God is building.
People often look at a building of stone and they say that's a church. But in the scripture the church is a spiritual building and in first Peter two it says ye also as living stones are built up as spiritual house and holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices.
Acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
And what a great, immense amount of trouble a young believer can be spared.
A little bit of the truth is brought before him when he first says, when He first saved, that which would not only be for the salvation of his soul, not only for the blessed fact of having Christ as his object, but that he should know that there is such a thing.
As the truth of the church and that we can be gathered not as members of a man made organization, but gathered as members of the body of Christ, and that all believers are living stones in a building.
When that Samaritan picked up the wounded man, by the way, why, it tells us that he brought him to an end where he was cared for. Yes, in the end he was taken care of. And it's a lovely thing for those who are bathed in Christ to be brought to God's assembly, where the truth of God is ministered and where they're encouraged to follow on.
In that past that God has marked out for them.
This is a day when people like it all their own ways and we hear the common expressions go to the Church of your choice, but it's not the Church of our choice. It says Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. It was the Church of his choice. And what a lovely thing to be gathered as members of his body around himself.
What a blessing.
For a young person, and I would say to you have been brought up in the truth, you have been brought into the meetings from your early childhood. If you are saved, you don't have to go around and try all the other places. How thankful you should be for the lovely privilege of being brought up, where the truth of God is given out, and where you can enjoy the sweet privilege of being gathered.
Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we know how that Peter has our mark was the one.
Till whom this truth was first communicated, and he found out that he was a stone. Wouldn't it be a grand thing if everyone when he was first saved, found out that he didn't have to join the church, That he was already made part of it, united to Christ ahead and to every other believer on earth by the operation of the Spirit of God, and that he was a living stone in God's building and when we take our place.
At the large table, and what a privilege it is. It's not to become a member of something, but it's because we're already members of his body. We're already that we give expression to it in the breaking of bread. You respond to the Lord Jesus request and your heart stirred by that.
Request of his, this due in remembrance of me, and not only not only to remember him, but to remember him in the place where he would have his own, in the place where he would have his own. And so Peter found out this wonderful truth right at the very beginning of his life, his believing life. Well, now again, to go back to what the Lord said to Philip, follow me.
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Philip was the best player of the city of Andrew and Peter.
I thought of this in connection with Philips as being a call to some particular service. I remarked a few moments ago that we all have a testimony to the Lord to bear.
Each one of us, brother or sisters, we can constantly and as opportunity is given to us, speak to our friends and neighbors and others about the Lord Jesus. But in Phillips case I believe it was a call to some particular service.
And I believe, dear young people, this is important. I believe that there are many young people whose lives are lost as far as usefulness is concerned because they never exercise as to whether the Lord has some particular work for them to do.
I believe, I say again, let me repeat it, that there are many whose usefulness is lost because it never been exercised as to what the Lord would have them to do. There is a special place for you to fill it says in Mark.
The Son of Man is a man taking a journey into a far country.
Who gave authority unto his servants, and to every man. His work and command commanded the quarter to watch. Another verse says, God has that in the body as it has pleased him. Your young person, God has a place for you to fill. He has a service for you to do.
That no one else on earth can fulfill in exactly the same way.
God man does you with others, but he has something that he would have us to do. Remember the word to archive us say to our chippers. Take heed to the ministry which saw us received in the Lord. That's all fulfilled. Are you and I exercise it to that you're young people. It isn't just an earn a living. It isn't just to sit down at the Lord's table and break bread and figure that that.
The extent of your whole Christian experience, it's a wonderful privilege to be saved. It's a brand thing to to go on to the Lord and to be shouted to his precious name. All you say, I do speak a word here and there for the Lord. But let me ask you again, have you ever looked up and said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
Have me to do. He may have a special place.
That you haven't yet discovered that He wants you to fulfill. I don't know what it may be, and certainly I can't tell you because if you only did what I said, I would be serving me. But the Lord Jesus said to Phillip, follow me. And Phillip became an evangelist. Phillip became an evangelist. I don't think he expected it at this time, but he did.
And again, I quote that verse in John 12.
That a man serve me, let him follow me. And where I am, there shall also my servant be, You know, like this when you're doing a job and there's somebody standing near and that person is willing to help you. And that's the person that is a helper, isn't it? They're standing right near and just waiting for you to ask them what you would like them to do.
Well, it's not hard to appoint to that person a little service that you want them to do.
And dear young people will never discover what the Lord wants you to do unless you follow Him.
She won't be close enough to hear his call. He won't be close enough to hear him say, I'd like you to do that little service there for me, that little service. And I say again, it's a service that only you can fulfill according to the mind of God.
All had an important thing. And as I look into the faces of you, dear young people, the Lord merely this year, a little longer, he may leave us here. Oh, don't just think about getting a job. Don't just think of that home where you hope to settle down sometime, but look up to the Lord and ask him, Lord, what will thou have me to do?
Perhaps you're afraid the Lord might answer like he did about Saul of crisis. You know what the Lord said when Saul asked that question?
He said I will show him how great things he must suffer for my namesake. I will show him how great things he must suffer for my namesake. But at the end of the journey, was he an unhappy man?
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No, he should be forcing a ripple with a chain on his hands that I think myself happy. Can you get? Yeah. There's happiness in following Christ. There's a place for you, dear young person. Jesus.
For me, another thing I'd like to point out here is that when Phillip started out and went and found Nathaniel and he wanted to bring him to Jesus, Nathaniel said can there any good thing come out of Nazis? In other words, you may find a little opposition in the service when you try to serve the Lord.
All you say to be lovely if everybody just listen to what I said, but they won't listen to me well. And Philip started, it wasn't so encouraging either. He said can you any good things come out of madness? Nathaniel said. Philip said come and say, come and say I was not lovely. He didn't weary because there were obstacles. I don't expect that if you want to follow the Lord, it's going to be easy.
It's going to be opposition, there's going to be trials, people are going to be unwilling to listen sometimes to let us not be weary and well doing.
But in due season we shall reap if we faint. Now Saudi or Philip afterwards became such a useful servant of God. It wasn't all easy and it won't be for you, but it's a blessed Master to serve a blessed Master. And dear Philip had the joy here first of all, appearing this man say to the Lord Jesus.
Mark, the Son of God, Lord the King of Israel.
On the third day brings us to the first part of the second chapter and the third day there was a marriage in Cain of Galilee. Those are remarks just know those primarily refers to the time on earth when Israel will be brought into blessings by and was thinking of it rather and it's more or less effect as to what is before us and that is.
The marriage of the Lamb in heaven we need as we had this morning.
A vision before our souls Have you and I got a vision of the coming glory?
All we're going to be there. Every believer is going to be there. There's something very remarkable.
About marriage of the lamb, there is the bride.
Presented there in all her duties. But there's some remarkable words there, it says.
To her was granted, but she should be arrayed in fine linen.
Clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of Saint. Would it be that at such a time as that there will be a display of that which has been practically for in our lives for Christ? Yes, there will.
I like to put it this way to make it very simple, those and a young man is going to be married and so the wedding day has been such when it comes, the young lady that he's going to marry says, oh, it doesn't matter what I wear on the wedding day. He doesn't love me for my clothes.
Far away in the old house dress. It'll do. She's not thinking about my clothes. It's me he loves. What do you think? That would be a very becoming fraud. It's true. It's absolutely true. That's what he wasn't thinking about. Her clothes. He loves her. Why do you think she goes to the trouble of putting on special bridal clothes? I believe just one thing.
She wants his approval. She wants to appear beautiful in his sight.
Dear young person, there's going to be a display someday. We're going to be there because he loved it, because he gave himself for us, because his blood is washed, his life. But we have the privilege of doing things in our lives that will meet with his approval in that day.
All the vision of coming glory before our souls is precious and also a precious fact that there could be in our lives those things that would need His approval and cause Him to say well done, well done. Oh, May God grant that our hearts may be stirred up the deeper love and affection for this blessed One. He's done so much for us.
Have we looked to Him and found Him as our Savior? Are we looking to Him daily?
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Dwelling in his company in his presence, seeking to be a little testimony here for him going on in the past, but he's marked out for us. The third day is coming soon, dear young people, the day when they're going to see him face to face. May God grant that we may live this present in view of that glorious future. May God grant to Christ may be increasingly.
Be All in all of each one of our hearts until that day.
A Time of Famine and a Time of Plenty
Gospel—P. Wilson
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
So we turn to 2nd Kings.
Second Kings chapter 6 and verse 25.
And there was a great famine in Samaria, and behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for four score pieces of silver, and the 4th part of a cab of Doves dung for five pieces of silver. And the 32nd verse. But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him.
And the king sent a man from before him.
But air the messenger came to him. He said to the elders, See how the son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head. Look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door is not the sound of his masters feet behind him. And while he yet talked with with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him.
And he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord.
Why should I wait for the Lord any longer? Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord, Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria. Then a Lord, on whose hand the king leaned, answered the man of God and said.
Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?
And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
And there were four leprous men at the entering end of the gate, and they said one to another.
Twice that we here until we die. If we say we will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city and we will die there. And if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore, come and let us fall into the host of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die.
And they rose up in the twilight to go into the camp of the Syrians, and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria.
Behold, there was number man there, for the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of Chariots and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great horse. And they said, one to another, Lo, the king of Israel is hired against us, the kings of the Hittite and the kings of the Egyptians to come upon us. Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their *****.
Even the camp as it was and fled for their life.
And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and it eat and drink, and carried them silver and gold and ramen, and went and hit it, and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried fence also, and went and hit it.
Then they said one to another, We do not. Well, this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace. If we carry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us. Now therefore come, that we may go and tell the King's household. So they came and called under the border of the city, and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no man there.
Neither voice of man.
But horses tide and *** is tied, and the tents as they were.
And he called the porters, and they told it to the King's house within. And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry. Therefore they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come into the city, we shall catch them alive and get them get into the city. And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the.
But remain which are left in the city. Behold, there is all the multitude of Israel that are left in it.
Behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed. And let us stand and see. They took therefore 2 Chariot horses. And the king sent after the host of the Syrians, and said, Go and see. And they went unto them, after them unto Jordan. And lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had castaway in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king, and.
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People went out and spoiled the tents of the Egyptians, though a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. And the king appointed the Lord, on whose hand he leaned, to have the charge of the gate, And the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died, as a man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.
And it came to pass, as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying.
Two measures of barley for a shekel, and the measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria. And that Lord answered the man of God, and said, Now behold, if the Lord should open, should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shall not eat thereof.
And so it fell out unto him, for the people trod upon him in the gate.
And he died. Turned to Acts chapter 13.
Acts chapter 13 and verse 38.
Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all it believes are justified from all things, from which she could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets.
Behold you despisers, and wonder and perish.
For I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
On this portion, friends, that we have read in Second Kings chapters six and seven, we can see a time of terrible famine, and yet we can see how God and His wondrous goodness provided plenty for those who would receive it. And surely it's a picture of the time in which we live. The Scripture tells us there would be a famine, not for bread or for water, but for hearing of the words of the Lord.
But oh, how good it is that God in His grace is proclaiming also a time of plenty.
He is telling tonight a blessing so wonderful that.
Those who have not received them say something something like this doubting man did.
Can such a thing be? All dear friends, we want to tell you that it can be.
And that there are many in this room tonight who have tasted of this grace and goodness of God.
Who have tasted as a plenty that God has provided. Who are tonight enjoying the full and the free pardon.
That has been purchased for us through the work of Christ on Calvary Cross. But all it may be that there are some who are still famishing in this poor world of sin still going on without Christ, still trying to satisfy yourself with those things of this world that can never satisfy it says here.
There was a great famine in Samaria.
And how could we account for the way people go after the things of this world?
Things that never satisfy, that have never satisfied anyone yet and never will, and yet they go after them with all their might and they spend all their money and time after those things that never can satisfy the heart. Or is there anyone here just like that? Is there someone who is perhaps dropped into this meeting? Or perhaps is there one of the children of the Saints and you're trying?
Satisfy your soul in this poor famishing world and you're going after the two things that were offered for sale here. It's it's almost shocking to read of what they were offering and ***** head and Doves dung. But you know, when you go around through this world and see the kind of things that people have to entertain their souls.
While you feel that it's just like it says here, an ass's head speaks of the nonsense and foolishness.
That people feed upon today, and they will pay tremendous prices for it. The more foolish and silly it is, the bigger life it gives, the higher the price they'll pay for it. But it doesn't satisfy. Why are they going after it? There's a famine in the land.
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There's a famine in their souls too now. Famine. They don't know Christ. They don't know the one who can satisfy. They have never been brought face to face with that blessed, precious Savior. They have never become acquainted with Him. They're like it says there in the 13th of Acts. They're despisers of this free grace of God. All my friends, you dear boys and girls and young people.
Is that what you're going after?
Is that what you are spending your time on when you pass the news magazines and when you see the entertainments this world has to offer? Are you willing to put your hand in your pocket and pay money for this empty foolishness that can never satisfy and doves dung all the horrible things that people read and look at and listen to today?
All your friends, surely this that we have brought before us here.
Is just a little miniature picture of the great famine that exists right here in the United States of America.
There is plenty of food, there is plenty of good jobs and nice homes to live in. But what are people feeding on? Oh, they're feeding on those things that can't satisfy. And as it says in the 55th chapter of Isaiah, wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which satisfy us? Not far can diligently unto me.
Here and your soul shall live, or your friend, you don't need to be starving.
You don't need to be going on in that way. I didn't read what followed because it just shows a picture of absolute lack of natural affection altogether. And isn't that another thing that we see in the world today without natural affection, as it tells us in Timothy? And that's what characterizes these last days.
The men going so pleasure mad after entertainment that they forget about their children and their families.
And everything goes to pieces. And that's what we see brought before us. And then what was the next thing? Why the king blamed God for it. He blamed God. He says, I'll find this servant of God. And he said I won't let his head stay on him. And isn't that what the world does? They go on after their folly and foolishness. And then when trouble comes, they blame God. They blame God and when they meet.
Servant who seeks to tell them that God is speaking to them through the trouble.
They want to push the servant away. They don't want to listen. They say, well, if God is a God of love, why does he allow all these things to happen? But why did this thing come upon Samaria? This evil is from the Lord. God allowed it because those people had forsaken him.
And dear friend, if you have turned your back upon Christ, you can never find what satisfies apart from Him, and you'll just go farther and farther along that pleasure mad pathway that goes on and finally leads to the lake of fire, to the awful judgment of God.
I plead with you to be arrested in your downward course, and if God has brought some trouble into your life.
If God has spoken loudly to you, don't turn and blame God, my friend.
One of the hardest things for the person to do is to condemn himself. You know, it took all those 40 chapters in Job before Job turned the finger on himself and said I repent and abhor myself.
Abhor myself. Oh, it takes an awful lot sometimes.
To bring us down. But if we are going to get the blessing, we must be brought down. I was thinking today of that palsied man. He was so helpless that he couldn't even come to the Lord Jesus. So four of his friends undertook to pick him up on a bed and bring him, and when they went to bring him to the Lord Jesus.
Why there was such a crowd there that they couldn't get in?
And so they tore a hole in the roof and they left the man down.
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Down, down, Yes, down. I suppose when he saw them carrying that hole in the roof and making the place for him to come down, perhaps he didn't realize that it was going to end in such a blessing for him. And you know, when a Sinner finds himself let down, down, down, he doesn't like it very well. But it's a good thing when you go down to the feet of Jesus, my friend.
That's the place of blessing. None of us like this process of being brought down. Naman didn't like it. Nam didn't like it when the prophet said that God dip in Jordan, that muddy river seven times. But when he did it says then went he down and what was the result? Oh, I think I can see his happy face when he came out of the water.
With these lovely words in his lips, now I know.
Now I know, and dear friend, you will never know until you are brought down to the feet of Jesus. And we were saved here. Can remember how our friends let us down down too. And we didn't like it. They told us we were lost sinners and they stood around us like those four men. And what were they doing with the poor man? And we're letting him down. Is that the way you feel when Christians stand around you and talk to you that they're just trying to bring?
Down just trying to make out that you are such a wicked bad Sinner. People sometimes tell us that when we talk to them, friends, the place of blessing when we're brought down to the feet of Jesus and that's the place of blessing when the poor, when the poor Republicans said God be merciful to me, the Sinner, he went down to his house justified.
Justified and May God grant that if there is someone who has come in here tonight justifying yourself, saying I'm a good person, I've always done the best I can, I've always tried to live a good life, May God grant that you will be brought down. You may not enjoy the process, but all friend, when you get down to the feet of Jesus, you'll rejoice.
The first work of God in the soul is not always a pleasant thing.
It's not a pleasant thing to find yourself lost in the presence of the Savior.
But all the blessing that follows it says there is joy in the presence of the angels of God.
Over 1 Sinner that repenteth doesn't say over one Sinner that gets saved. Why doesn't it say one Sinner gets saved? Or because when there's repentance, it's followed by salvation. But when God has brought the Sinner to the blaze of repentance, they're sure to be blessing for them.
But it's a process that none of us like. But we thank God for it. Afterwards, we rejoice in His goodness and bringing us down.
Well, things got worse and worse scenario was in an awful condition and Alicia sat in his house. Why didn't he do something about it? Why didn't he go out and try and relieve conditions? All the Christians not here to try and relieve conditions in this world.
He's here to preach glad tidings, to tell the Savior, to tell what He's able to do for those who will come to Him. We have the best news that was ever told forth in this world. Oh dear Christian, what a wonderful privilege is ours. If we had our pockets full of gold, we wouldn't have such a wonderful privilege as we have if someone wants to give us.
Pockets full of gold until you can give everybody on the streets of Des Moines a gold piece.
He wouldn't have as wonderful a privilege as to be able to go and tell them as a Savior's love and what he has done of his matchless, full and free grace. Elisha sat in his house. So the king sent a messenger, and the messenger came to put the servant of God to death. He was going to take off Alicia's head.
And Alicia said, hold the door, hold the door.
I still got some good news to tell. I still got some good news to tell. And you know, if the devil had his way, he'd stop the gospel going forth in this world altogether. But God's holding the door. He's holding the door. Yes, dear friends, holding back the powers of darkness. And it's only his goodness and his grace that has caused this gospel meeting to be held here tonight.
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But once again.
If I hear of the Savior's love once again, you might hear of this gracious offer from God himself and how willing He is to save you and to bless you. Sometimes people say, oh, you Christians, you know good in the earth. You're not trying to make things better and you're not any use down here. But did you ever stop to think that the Christians are the salt of the earth?
When the Lord comes and gives the shout and calls his own home, this world is going to be in a far worse condition than it is now. Yes, it's going to be far worse. Judgment is going to come, such as this world has never known before. It says there should be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.
That God holding the door and so he held the door and it says here in the 33rd verse.
And while you have talked with him, behold, the messenger came down unto him. He said, Behold, as evil as the of the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?
Do you recognize that the troubles that are standing this world are allowed of God? Yes, God's hand is in them. In that last Great War that came upon the world, God's hand was in it. In that trouble. It's coming to your life. God's hand is in it, in that bereavement that has come as you stood.
Over the lifeless body of a loved one, the tears have flowed down in your face.
By God's hand was in that God's hand was in it. And why should you wait any longer, dear friend? Why should you wait any longer? Why not come to Christ now? Why not stop blaming God and blame yourself? Say I am a Sinner. The little song says, Why do you wait for Sinner? Why do you carry so long?
The Savior is waiting to give you a place in his sanctified strong. Why wait any longer? And so Elijah opens his mouth and announces good tidings in that family city. Listen to what he says. Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord, Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for the shekel and.
A barley for a shekel in the Gate of Samaria looked like an impossibility.
How could it be? No one could understand how it could be. And you know, when we announced the glad tidings of God saving grace, the first thought in the sinners heart is, oh that can't be. It can't be that I don't have to do anything. Surely I must do something. I must try at least do my best.
Know, dear friend, there's nothing for you to do. The doing was all done.
At Calvary's cross the Savior said it is finished, and if the barley and the fine flour was sold in Samaria, I have better news still for you. It's not being sold tonight. The gift of God is eternal life. Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sin.
And by him all the belief are justified from all things.
From which she could not be justified by the law of Moses. So I say I've got better news than what was given to the people of Samaria. Long ago they were going to buy this food at a very low price. But tonight salvation is free. Salvation is free, but it was paid for by a mother. Salvation falls at highest cost. But who paid it?
Jesus paid it off. He paid it off.
Dear friend, you can't buy salvation. You can't work for salvation. The price is too high for you and I to pay. Our works are only filthy rags, as our brother brought before us last night. The best that we can do is only filthy rags. In God's presence, people will say, well, what more can you do than your best friend? God doesn't want your best.
The best that you can do will not suit God, but Christ has done it.
Christ has done it. The very finest that you and I could do is only rejected by God. But tonight God offers you salvation. And upon that cross of Calvary, the Lord Jesus paid the price of sin. And I love to think of this, that it was God Himself that placed my sins upon the head of the Lord Jesus.
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Sometimes we hear the expression, Confess your sins and come to God.
Hello dear friend, you couldn't remember all your sins, nor could I. And if God only forgave the sins that I could remember.
I know I'd be lost forever because not one sin can enter into heaven.
The confession of sin is for believers, but what the Sinner needs to do is to come to God.
And acknowledge that he has nothing good to bring. Nothing good to bring.
Because it says without faith it is impossible to please God.
Another verse says they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
And if you began to confess your sins, why, you'd have to start from the very beginning until everything you'd ever done.
Because all of an unsaved man does is unclean, filthy rags in God's presence, says in Proverbs. The plowing of the wicked is sin. A man has never done anything to please God until he has been cleansed in the precious blood of Christ. Until his sins have been washed away. There is no good work in his whole life that God can accept. And so.
What God wants you to do.
Is to just come and say I have nothing, nothing, I'm just a poor, lost, guilty Sinner. But I believe that Christ has done it all and listen to these words. All that believes are justified from all things. Isn't that lovely? All you say is that's too good to be true. That can't be that easy. There must be something to do.
And that's what this Lord, on whose hand the King lean thought too.
He says this campaign, why have God opened the windows of heaven? Might such a thing be why? How often when we tell the simplicity of salvation, the devil whispers in the ears of the Sinner? Oh, that can't be. You have to do something.
You have to do something, and we who are saved remember how hard it was for us to come to the point where we realized that there was nothing to do and nothing to pay. Jesus did all in his own blessed way. Dear friend, there's nothing to do. I say you and I are sinners. And if we did try to do it, we would only present to God that which he calls dead works.
And filthy rags.
So while the door was being held, and while this man was plotting to take the life of Elijah, Elijah was announcing God's good tidings to the city of Samaria. And while this world is closing its ears against the gospel, while this world is more and more becoming indifferent to the wondrous message of the Savior's love.
God still is stretching out His hand in love and grace and offering salvation.
Sinners are still being saved and all what joy there'd be in the heart of God, in your heart, in our hearts with someone tonight would just come. That's all he's left for you and I to do is just to come.
Well, this Lord, on whose hand the king leans, he said, behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven.
Might this thing be, this man was an agnostic. He didn't contradict it. He probably flattered himself and said, well, I, I didn't say it wasn't true, but I just can't see how it can be true. That's all he said. If God opened the windows of heaven, might it be that was all. And you say, well, I don't disbelieve it, but I just don't understand how it can possibly be.
You're an agnostic, perhaps? Well, you're in the same class.
As a Christ rejecter because there are different kinds of unbelievers.
They're agnostics, they're infidels, they're atheists, they're neglectors, but they're all in the same class. They're unbelievers. And the first class who are cast into the lake of fire, the fearful and the next one to the unbelieving, The fearful are the ones who'd like to believe that they're afraid they might be laughed at. And the next class are the ones who just won't believe.
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Perhaps they're living outwardly clean, live, but they just won't believe.
The message seems too good to be true, and that's what this Lord on whose hand the King lean said might this thing be. And listen to these Psalm words. Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. And he did see it. He saw the plenty, he saw the people rejoicing, he saw the food being offered, and he was trodden down under.
And so that's why I read those verses in Acts 13. It says beware.
Bless that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets, Behold you despisers, and wonder, and perish.
But I work a work in your days. I work which ye shall in no wise believe, O man, declare it unto you. And dearest Sinner, if you die in your sins, you're going to see the bliss that you have met. You're going to see it when that man down and down in hell on the 16th of Luke was suffering. He saw Lazarus in his blessing, and he knew it was never going to be his.
What an awful thing it will be for you, my friend. Always say it with deep sorrow in my heart. What an awful thing to think that there may be people in this room who will see the bliss of heaven and see that there's no chance of them ever getting there. Oh, how dreadfully strong. You boys and girls, you Christian, you children of Christian parents, to see your father and your mother and your loved ones.
An eternal glory with Jesus that all that they told you was true.
All that they told you about that precious Savior in the home above was true, and to see it with your eyes and do yourself shut out. The Lord said many will come from the east and from the West and from the north and from the South until sit down in the Kingdom of God. But the children would be cast into outer darkness. There's weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, never another opportunity.
How you'd give anything?
To have the opportunity, well, this man isn't presented as a wicked man. He was a respected man in the court. He was one so respected and so trusted that the king leaned on his arm. And you may be sure that the king wouldn't lean on the arm of anybody that he couldn't trust. Those kings were afraid of anybody that wasn't trustworthy wouldn't have them near them.
Lest their lives would be taken. This was a trustworthy man.
This was a respected man, honored man, one that everybody in the city would speak well of, I expect.
But he was a doubter, he was an unbeliever, he was an agnostic.
And the world is full of agnosticism today, you young people going to college.
That's what you need more than anything else today. People will say, well, I don't say it's not true, but I don't know. It doesn't seem right to me. It doesn't seem it can be true. Oh dear friend, remember your agnosticism. I'll land you in hell if you reject Christ. That's where it will land you. You may be respected and liked by your friends. You may be one everybody looks up to and says you're a fine fellow.
So was this Lord in Samaria. But he was warned. He was warned by friend. And God never brings judgment without warning. He never brings judgment without warning. And there was a warning given to this man.
All the scene changes here and we see poor leprous man.
4 leprous men, men who were outcast from society.
Men who couldn't even live in the city because no one wanted those defiled men around. They'd have to put their hand up and say unclean, unclean, unclean. And when we read about four, it makes you think of the four points of the compass, N SE and West. And wherever we go now, that's what we find, dear friends.
Man is defiled by sin, but it's a good thing when you know it. These men knew they were sinners.
These men knew that they were outside. These men knew that they had no rights in that city at all. And so they were outside. And one said to the other twice that we hear until we die. Notice where they were. They were right at the gate, dear friend, the gospel meaning just like the gate. Remember the cult that was tied outside the gate?
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There it was, right by the gate, and it was tie A dear friend. Is that where you are tonight? You're right at the gate.
But your tithe and your sins and your tithe there, and you need the Lord to set you free.
Here were these four leprosy men on the outside of the gate, and one said to the other, Quiet that we hear until we die. What do you have to do to be lost? Nothing. You're lost already. You're lost already. You don't have to do something to be lost. You are lost.
But the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. These four lepers, men on the outside of the gate. One looked at the other and said, well, why should we sit here? We should do something. We should do something, dear friend, is something for you to do too. And that is to receive of the plenty that God is provided. That's what these men did. They didn't manufacture something.
They didn't do something of their own efforts to get all this plenty. They just received as a plenty that God had provided for them and as many as received him to them gave the power to become the Son of God, even to them that believe on his name. They only had a few suggestions and they said if we go into the city, we'll die there, there's a famine there.
And let's go to the Syrians.
And if we die, we'll die.
Scenes, you know, by going to the Syrians that they were putting themselves into the hands of the enemy. It seemed the most least thing to do, to go and turn themselves over to the to the Syrians. And you know, that's what they, it always seems the enemy says, oh, it's a foolish thing. This is all nonsense and it's foolishness.
But the foolishness of God is wiser than men. The devil tells us that God is against you, but the Gospel tells you that God is for you. If God before us, who can be against us? God had gone before He had rooted the enemy. He'd put them to flight, and he had provided plenty and all. Dear friend, the devil's whispering in your ear right now.
If you come to Christ, you'll have to give up so much. You'll have a hard life. Those are against you. You can't have a happy life if you're a Christian. Oh, he's a he's a liar. He's hiding the true facts from you because.
Although God must be a judge, a Lord, God must punish sin. We can tell you that there is one who has come before, has defeated the power of the enemy, has put him to flight, and now he's offering you plenty.
He's come before, I say, before the day of judgment. Jesus came in grace.
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that looked for Him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation, before the day of judgment. I say, He came in grace. These Syrians were gathered to take the city of Samaria. And now hear these men go out, and they find the Syrians are gone. Who was it that went before?
God went before, God, put them to flight, and God provided plenty.
For these four lecterous men, God provided plenty for them.
So it says in the fifth verse, they rose up in the twilight and the twilight, friends, the twilight, the day of grace is just about a disclause. You watch the sun go down and then the twilight comes and all it's getting near the end of the day of grace. It's just like the twilight of the day of grace, but it's not too late. Dinner, it's not too late.
Behold, now is the accepted time.
Behold, now is a day of salvation. So they went out in the twilight.
Went to the camp of the Syrians, and it says in the sixth verse the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of Chariots and the noise of horses, even the noise of a great host. Yes, the Lord had gone before. It was his victory. The victory is the Lord. And oh, how good to be able to proclaim that victory that was won at Calvary's cross.
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Says in First Corinthians 15.
Thanks be unto God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So when they got there, says the sixth verse, seventh verse rather wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their ***** even the campus. It wasn't fled for their life. And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent and.
Drink and carried fence, silver and gold and raiment, and went and hit it. Yes. They weren't anything they wanted. It was there for them. The Lord had gone before.
Silver, gold, Raymond, everything for four lectrous men. Hold your friend. If you're willing to look up and say God, I'm nothing but a leprous center. I'm nothing but a leprous Sinner. Oh, I want to tell you there's plenty for you too. There's gold, which figures to us in the Scripture, divine righteousness.
Their silver, which tells of redemption accomplished at Calvary. And there's Raymond, because God bids you to put on the best world of heaven. Oh, what happy men these were once despised Leopard, but now they were better off than all those who seemed so privileged in the city of Samaria.
Oh dear friend, that's what the Savior does for the one who turns to Him.
That's what he does. All the enemy is whispering to you right now. It's no use.
It's no use, but all I want to tell you that if you come or you say that these men went doubting.
And I like the way a little hymn puts it. Come as thou art in all life, and come with thy hardened heart. Come with thy cares, my doubts, my fears, All grace he will impart. Oh, you said I've got such a doubting heart. But if you come to him, you won't have a doting heart any longer, because he'll give you the very faith to believe.
You must come to him. You can't manufacture the face. You say I've got a hard heart, so come to him just as you are. He'll soften your heart.
He'll put love in your heart. Oh, he'll show you what he has for you. Dear Sinner shall only come, just as I am, without one plea. But that thy blood was shed for me. So these men came just the way they were. Lepers, doting hearts. But they came. They didn't have doting hearts after this. Everything was there for them.
But there's a sort of a sad note about it here. They said we'll hide it. We won't tell anybody. We won't tell anybody. This is somebody like that here. These are a boy or a girl or a young person here.
And in your heart you've received Christ. You know he's your Savior, but you've never confessed them with your left. You've never gone to one person and said all the Lord Jesus is my Savior. He's washed away my sins. He died for me. Oh dear friends, dear young person, this is a day of good time. Can you hold your peace? Can you keep it in?
Can you hold its Plaid tidings to yourself?
Tells about the Butler in Genesis, he said. I remember my fault this day.
And he spoke up for Joseph, Joseph Arimathea. He was a secret disciple.
But he came out boldly and identified himself with the Lord Jesus and all. May God grant if you've never confessed the Lord as your Savior.
If you have put your trust in him, why not confess him tonight? Why not 'cause that joy?
In heaven and that joy in your own heart and among others, when you confess.
A precious savior. So these people, so this is, this is good, but we mustn't keep it in. So they went and they came to the gate of the city and then shouted up and called the quarter of the city and they said there's plenty out here. Oh, there's plenty.
The Syrians of all fled and you can just go and have anything you want. It's all there for you. All the king said that that can't be. This is only a trick. This is just a trick that they're up to. Doesn't that sound like the way the world talks? When you talk about the good tidings, the message, Oh, they think it's just some trick or something. It's it can't be. You can't really have joy and peace like this.
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Your friends you can.
Well, the king said we've only got a few horses in the city. Let's send five. Let's send five and at least look into this thing, see if it's true. Let's go and see. Let us stand and see then when the time came from the goal, why they only sent two horses. But one thing. Good. They did go, didn't they? They did go.
They didn't even send five horses, they only sent 2.
But they came. The lepers came with doubts and everything.
Was proven to be good. Everything was proven to be far better than they ever expected. And so these people went out to investigate. Just two two chariot horses and a chariot to see. Oh dear friend, will you come to come and see?
Little song says I came to Jesus as I was weary and warned and sad. I found in him a resting place, and he has made me glad. Or it may be that you say, well, it's no use for me to speak because people wouldn't listen to me. People wouldn't listen. Well, at first the king here didn't listen.
But at last he yielded, and they took these chariot horses.
And they went out to save. Oh, may I encourage myself and each Christian here.
Let us carry the glad tidings. Let us carry the glad tidings. Good President, the day of good tidings.
We can't hold our peace. This news is too good to keep them. And even if people do say, oh, I don't believe it, religions just a campaign. It's just a trick. It's to get your money. Remember that if they come to Christ, if they truly come to him, then they'll realize that there's a reality. We're not preaching religion.
It's Christ we present to you tonight. It's Christ through this man.
Has preached unto you the forgiveness of sin. And by him all the believes are justified from all things, from the which he could not be justified by the law of Moses, where you say there's a time and season for all these things. But it's sort of interesting to me here that they woke up the King's household to tell this good news.
So did the Philippine jailer. When he got saved in the middle of the night, he woke up his household, says Paul.
Come on in, please tell my household it's good news. All your friends let us be ready instant in season and out of season to tell the glad tidings. Night time, daytime, whenever it is, it's always in season. This good news so wonderful to hold in. Well, they went out and what did they find?
Well, they found the same thing the leopard had found, and the further they went, the better it was.
The further they went, the better it was. They the lepers had just gone into a couple of tents and got gold and silver and garments.
But when they went out with the chariot horses, why they kept on going?
And the further they went, the place was screwed with all the good things they wanted.
And that's the way it is, dear friend. Some of us were saved many years ago, but we've been going on and the Lord been screwing the pathway with good things. I think we can serve this three days as we have traveled along. Perhaps we only took two chariot horses. We were sort of doubters, you know. We didn't think the Lord was as good as He really is. But when we took the two chariot horses and went along.
We found that the path was screwed with good things.
The Lord had gone before, oh how good he is. Fear Sinner, I can't tell you how good he is, but I can say common state, common state. Will you say let us go and see? Let us go and see. That's what they said. Let us go and see. Hold your Sinner shall only come to Jesus.
He'll fill your heart with rejoice and you'll save your soul. He'll wash away your sins, but He's an all the way home Savior.
He's all the way home, saviors. And so they went all the way to Jordan. To Jordan. Well, it makes you think of the end of the journey, doesn't it? The end of the journey. Just at the time he crossed the Jordan, amended the land. And isn't that so? The Lord is the same all the way, young or old, no matter how far you are along the journey.
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As a savior for you, He's ready, He's willing, he's able to blast, and He wants to do it for you tonight.
Oh, how lovely those words. Let me quote them again. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, but through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.
Your boys and girls, your friends here tonight. God has good news for you, the best news that was ever told. You can have your sins forgive them. You can be justified from all things, from the which he could not be justified by the law of Moses. Are you going to be among the second class? Behold, you despisers, and wonder and perish. What about this Lord? On whose hand?
Did he see all these things? Yes, he did. The king appointed him to have charge of the gate.
And there he was, standing at the gate. He watched all these people go out and bring back their arms full of plenty. He saw all people receiving all these good things, but he didn't partake of it. He didn't need of it. What happened to him? It was trodden down with the gates, Trodden down at the gate. All, dear Sinner, how terrible.
Right at the gate a trodden down, and I say again.
The gospel meeting seems to me like the gate. You're right at the gate tonight the Savior is standing there. He's telling you of plenty. He's not offering to sell you salvation, even if it was a great bargain. It would be wonderful if we could receive salvation and pay a small amount for it. But it's better than that. It's free. It's free, dear friend.
Salvation falls at highest cost.
He offers free to all, are you going to be one who will go out and partake of all this goodness and grace of God? You're going to swing your hearts door open to the Savior tonight. Are you going to say, Oh Lamb of God, I come? Are you going to just sit in that seat and hear all these good things?
Know about all that God has provided for you in grace and be found still at the gate.
Still without Christ, when Jesus comes or friend, don't go on without the failure. Don't reject him. Don't go on one moment longer. God offers you salvation right now. Why wants to just yield? Come as you are. I say again, your heart may be hard, you may have may have many fears and doubts.
It all just come and take your place, the feet of the Savior, and say in the words that little Him, just as I am.
Without one place, but that thy blood was shed for me, that thou bids me come to thee. All Lamb of God I come.
Assurance
Address—W. Smith
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1/2 before him.
For.
Different expressions.
That are found in the word.
And they are related.
And one believes that we can find encouragement for ourselves in looking at them.
The subject is large, we can't go into much detail.
But I trust that your God's help will be able to find something.
For our souls, and especially, one thinks of the young people, those who have not been on the path possibly as long as some of the rest of us.
And who need that assurance that God gives us?
In his own precious word of our place in Christ.
And what it turned with me first.
Through the 1St chapter.
The First Thessalonians.
Then will read the whole chapter.
Oh, so Venus Antimorthius under the Church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father.
And in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father.
And the Lord Jesus Christ.
We give thanks to God always for you all, making invention of you and our prayers.
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love.
And patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.
Knowing brother and beloved, your election of God for our gospel came not unto you in Word only.
But also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.
As you know what manner of men, we were among you for your sake.
And He 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 the beliefs in Macedonia and a chaos.
Or from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia, but also in every place your faith had gone with it spread abroad, so that we need not to speak anything. For 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 to come.
The expression which I wish to bring.
To our attention this afternoon is a word assurance.
Now the Apostle Paul has spent a very short time.
In Thessalonians.
Just a very short time he was there.
While he was there.
Bitter persecution against him and against the believers was raised by the enemies of the Lord, so that the apostle was forced to flee for his life.
But he left behind him a little company of believers.
And now the apostle is writing to them to encourage them to go on in the faith.
And apparently they were going on.
In a nice way.
Because we find the apostle can make mention of them to God in his prayers.
And give thanks to God for them.
Now you know what's nice, dear young people?
When we see one here, one there, we contemplate the young people in our own little meetings.
And we can thank God for the faith that is in them.
Oh, how precious it is to see young people.
Those who were newly saved, those who were young in years, going on well, so that we can thank God on their behalf.
Well, that was a case where the Thessalonians.
The apostle could thank God for them.
And he remembered without ceasing.
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Their work of faith.
Their labor of love.
And patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
All what a commendation that is.
And our attention has often been called to the contrast between what we have here.
And what we have in the second chapter of the Revelation.
Where the church at Ephesus had left its first love.
And we find.
There that in writing to that church, the apostle by inspiration.
The speaks of their work.
And their labor.
And their patience.
All is a difference.
Yes, there are words.
It was labored and there was patience, but the spring behind it was gone.
These in Thessalonica.
All they were in the freshness of the first love.
And there was the energy behind these things.
And when it came to writing to Ephesus, the spring was gone.
And the thing had become pretty much a dead work. Not so with these young Christians.
And may it be so with us.
That that which we do, we do it for the Lord with a desire to please Him.
With His glory before us.
I know, he tells them. He said our gospel came to you.
Not in Word only.
But it came to them in power.
The apostle could speak to them the gospel.
And the power of God through the Holy Spirit was behind it. The word was given to them in power, the apostle who had seen the Lord from glory.
The one that was spoken to him on the way to Damascus.
The one whom all known men as strong as a Lord. Look what thou have me to do.
Oh, we find him now coming and preaching the gospel.
And the power of the Holy Spirit was with him.
Yeah, and in much assurance the apostle Paul had been face to face with the Lord Jesus.
He knew him as a man in the glory. He knew him.
Who has spoken to him, saying I am Jesus of Nazareth, but now he was the Lord in the glory?
All knew where I bespoke.
And the word which you gave out had no uncertain sound. It came to the Thessalonians. Thessalonians.
With much assurance.
And how nice it is when we hear the word of God spoken that way.
Organ as that which comes from God himself, the word of God proclaims.
And we know it's true. The Word of God is true. It's inspired.
And that which we find in it is that which comes God breathes to us.
Oh, we can rest our whole eternity upon the Scriptures.
And you and I who have believed have rested the salvation of our souls upon the authority of the Word of God.
Oh, how precious it is when the gospel goes out in much assurance.
Well, that's the way it came to the Thessalonians. Thessalonians.
And they saw in the apostle that it was real with him.
Oh, is it real with you and me?
And when we speak to our friends, when we speak to those in school with us.
Or in the office, or to our neighbor.
Do we speak the gospel in much assurance to them?
Or do they see that as something with us, that it doesn't have much reality?
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The Apostle Paul.
Had been at Thessalonica.
In persecution.
Oh, the gospel was real to him.
He valued it, and he proclaimed it as that which was of value to him.
And they saw that.
So he says he became.
Followers of us and of the Lord, all they saw in the apostle how real it was, and they said this man has something that we want.
Do your companions find that you have something that they desire, something that's real to you, and they want the same thing for themselves?
Though they received the word from the apostle in like manner in much assurance.
That came to them. They were assured that that was the apostle spoke.
Was the truth that it was a word of God?
And they found themselves in affliction. They found themselves persecuted.
But something along with it.
You know, persecution isn't easy to take.
But Oh well, there is the persecution, the affliction for the sake of Christ.
Oh, what joy there is with it to think.
That we could suffer.
For the name of Christ.
In the early days of the Church's history, there were those who were joined, but they were counted worthy to suffer for his name.
Yeah, they rejoined.
Do we shun persecution?
Or if we do, think of the joy we're going to lose.
The joy that comes with the suffering for the name of Christ.
But it was real with them, and they had the joy in the Holy Ghost.
You know this world has its joys.
And they don't laugh.
But the joy in the Holy Ghost that the Thessalonians enjoyed.
Was that which lasts and lasts for all eternity.
And there are those who, when the Lord comes, he's going to say to them, Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
Well, the Thessalonians.
We're joining in the midst of their persecution.
And now the apostle says, why your examples to all those?
In Macedonia and IKEA.
Why? He says it isn't even necessary for me to preach the gospel anymore. The testimony that comes out from you.
Is a real testimony to the gospel of the grace of God.
In every place your faith that Godward is spread abroad, so that we need not to speak anything.
But here were these who once were poor heathen.
Idol worshippers.
And now they found something better.
They had turned the guns from idols to serve the living and true God.
Oh, what a change that was.
Turned to God from idols and served the living and true God and to wait.
For his Son from heaven, what a prospect they had. Now will you turn with me to Hebrews 10?
Verse 12.
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sin.
Forever sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made as footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever them that are sanctified, whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us. For after that He had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts.
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And in their minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Now we're remission of these is there is no more offering for sin.
Having therefore present boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which gets consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh.
Having a high priest over the House of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He is faithful to promise.
Notice I changed the wording in the last verse that we read, and that's the way it should read.
Well, now here we have a little progress from what we had before.
We find here the Lord Jesus spoken of in contrast with the services that went on amongst the people of Israel in time fast.
They had had their sacrifices, their offering, they had their priests which offered the sacrifices, and these sacrifices were being offered continually.
Once a year on the Day of Atonement.
The blood of the sacrifice was carried into the holiest of all and sprinkled on the mercy seat and on the ground before the mercy seat.
But as this same epistle tells us, these sacrifices could never and never take away sins.
Those sins were brought up before their consciences continually.
Year by year, remembrance was made of their sins.
But all the one who is the subject of the gospel.
Which has come to us in much assurance.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
Has offered a sacrifice himself.
The over the sacrifice.
You know.
In the days of the Tabernacle.
There were no sheets there. There were no chairs in the Tabernacle. The work of the priest was never done.
With the Lord Jesus.
When it came the one whom we remembered this morning in his death.
Did not sacrifice what he offered and.
There was one sacrifice.
And now he is seated forever.
At the right hand of God.
The sacrifice completed, the work of redemption done. Nothing more that needs to be done for your salvation or mine.
How precious that is.
But there's nothing more that needs to be done.
As far as our salvation is concerned, the work is complete.
And we rest upon them.
The Lord Jesus.
The woman also fully glorified God after the question of sin.
Has taken his seat.
At the right hand of government, he took that seat as an act of his own divine right to sit down at the right hand of God. Think of it.
Thus your Savior and mine, He is seated at the right hand of God, because He had the right to sit down there.
But to know the work.
That he accomplished a Calvary has yet to have its completion.
As far as this world is concerned.
And thank God for everyone who has bowed.
So the word of the gospel has bowed the needle to the Lord Jesus, but the time is coming when every knee is going to bow to him.
He is there seated at the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies those who rejected him, till they be made as footstools.
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God is going to cleanse this whole scene of sin.
By the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus.
On that basis.
And the Lord Jesus, the one whom this world rejected, is going to have universal dominion.
But all for you and me. How precious that we enter into the good of it now.
We enter into the enjoyment of it.
For by one offering yet perfected forever them that are sanctified.
God has a people set apart in this world for himself.
And the perfect.
And standing before God, not a sin, not a sin remaining.
And why?
All the writer of this epistle refers to the Old Testament to show that it was nothing new as far as God was concerned.
It was not you. God has spoken. Time passed that he was going to create and the people.
Of Israel.
A clean heart.
Yeah, she was going to get take away the heart of stone from them, give them a heart of flesh.
And he was going to write his word not in tables of stone.
But in the fleshy tables of the heart.
And that is what the Lord Jesus spoke of to Nicodemus in the third chapter of John's Gospel.
He must be born again.
And so God has given us in that new life He has given us.
Nature suited to himself, suited to his presence.
Our precious that we can lay hold of that.
And he says there sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Oh, what a contrast were the days of old.
Well, I remember no more you annoyed your fellow believers have that assurance that not one sin will ever be brought up against us in the presence of God.
No they won't. This God that justifies.
Who was he that condemned?
Oh God is a word issue that challenge.
Who can condemn when I justify?
Their strength and iniquities will I remember.
No more.
Now then, in the days of old, the children of Israel were shut out.
From the holiest of all. They are shut out by that thick veil.
But dear fellow believer, you and I have the privilege.
To enter into the holiest of all.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest of all.
How?
By the blood of Jesus.
How precious it is that we have the blood of Jesus.
As the ground upon which we can enter into the presence of God.
Because it's the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, that cleanses you and me and has cleansed us from all sins.
By a new and living way.
Which you get consecrated for us through the veil.
That is to say, his place.
The veil that type.
Of the flesh of the Lord Jesus.
When the Lord Jesus died upon Calvary's cross, that veil was rent from the top to the bottom.
So that the way into the holiest of all was opened up. So that you and I.
Could go into the very presence of God and so that God by grace now in all the love of his heart can come out in blessing to you and me. And we haven't hype reached over the House of God.
Yeah, that same one.
Who cleansed us from our sins is our high priest.
So in the 22nd verse it says, let us draw nearer with a true heart.
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In full assurance of faith.
You and I lay hold of what we've been speaking.
That our streams and iniquities will be remembered no more.
That the way into the presence of God has been opened up.
Through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Have you laid hold of it by faith?
Oh, now, the apostle says.
Let us draw near with a true heart, then full assurance of faith.
What more do we want to bring us into the presence of God?
Into the presence that God looked for.
Over worship for Thanksgiving, for what He has done for us.
Yes, that's what we go there for.
And we had a blessed time here this morning.
Yeah, to give worship.
Thanksgiving and praise to the One who has wrought that perfect work.
Or a heartless sprinkled from an evil conscience, our bodies washed with pure water.
Nothing to disturb our being in the presence of God.
Not a thing.
We have the assurance, the full assurance, that there is nothing.
That can come up against us.
So then.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope.
Without wavering.
Oh, let's hold facts. We know that we're going to be in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We're going to be in the glory with him. We have a hope before us.
All this old fact, the compassion of the hope without wavering.
Why should we waver when the work was all his, and the work completed to the glory of God?
He is faithful that promise, the one who has made the promises.
Upon which we rest this faithful, and He will perform those promises.
Now turn with me to the.
To Colossians.
2nd chapter.
Or I would that you knew what great conflict I have for you.
And for them it Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.
That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love, and of all the all riches of the full assurance of understanding through the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, in which I hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the Spirit, joining and beholding your order in the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walking in him, rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith as He had been taught, abounding therein with Thanksgiving.
Beware that any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit.
After the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
And ye are complete in him which is the head of all principality and power. We have been speaking.
In our meetings in the last two days.
Something.
Seeking to learn things in this world, Understanding well, you know the word of God is wisdom. We find the wisdom of God revealed in the scriptures.
Oh, how precious it is to be filled with the wisdom of God. And how can we know it?
Except through acquaintance with the scripture, through reading and meditation.
Upon the scriptures these at Colosseum.
For those.
Who were well grounded in the truth.
And yet there was a danger.
Of getting off.
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End of what today we might call higher learning.
But the apostle wanted to go on.
But they might enjoy that which God himself has for them.
And so he has he has them in his prayers.
And he says he had great conflict for them. He was striving with God in prayer.
For these dear people at colossians that laodicea and.
That their hearts might be comforted.
Being knit together in love.
Oh, is not the first thing. How is it?
That you and I as Christians get along in this world, or is it not when we are in fellowship one with another, and the bonds of love between the people of God are in evidence?
Hearts being knit together in love.
Oh, when you see a Christian going on, well, you see the love of God flowing out of his heart.
To those who are like wine children of God.
But oh, when you see one who is cold or indifferent.
To the people of God, you begin to wonder about the state of his soul.
And how is it with you and me?
Does the love of God show fill her heart that it overflows?
To children of God and we find the affections flowing out.
For one another.
Because, you know, we're all members of that one body if one member suffers all supper with it.
There is that bond of affection implanted in the heart by God Himself.
And how precious it is when we see that love and exercise.
We see the evidence of it.
We don't see the coldness, the indifference to one another.
Well, the apostle wanted these at Colossians to have their hearts nipped together in love. Oh, they're going to be knit together. They have to get close together and fellowship one with another.
Oh, may we not be found walking in a park from our fellow Christians. You know they say that when a chicken is sick they will go off by itself and you can tell pretty quick if a chicken is sick if it's going on.
By itself, Christians are like that. You see a Christian going off by himself.
There is something wrong?
So the apostle wants these at Colossians to have their hearts knit together in love.
And unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding.
Only one of them.
That they could understand the intelligent in the things of God.
In all the riches.
Of the full assurance, Oh, think of the superlative that the apostle uses there.
When a Manger.
All the full assurance of understanding.
We have to own how little we understand of the things of God.
We have to admit it and owner with shame, but oh the riches of it are precious. To think that God is not limited.
By what you and I are.
But God according to his own.
Of infinite being pours out upon us all the wisdom, the understanding.
That is in his heart in this, he says, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God.
And what is that?
All that God and His love for you and me sent His own beloved Son down here in this world.
To gather out.
A people that they might be united to Christ.
As his body, yes, that was in the plan of God.
Within this council, before the world began, that the Lord Jesus would come down here.
And die in order that he might have a people down here, but united to him above.
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The people for himself.
That which could not be spoken of in the Old Testament because Christ had not died.
That God and His love could not manifest.
His heart of love.
To those who run to the block, but now that the Lord Jesus has come revealing.
The Father.
In all His grace and love. Now the mystery cut is revealed and.
The apostle wants you and me to enter into all the riches of the full assurance of understanding concerning them, to think that Christ the Son of God.
Would pick up four centers, cleanse them.
Bring them to himself and make them his body.
Do we enter into it?
The way value.
That would be apostle wants for these that Colossians, and through them you and me. Well, in this mystery of God are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Do we seek knowledge down here in this world?
Oh, in this great work of God I hit all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
What more do we want?
Are we occupied with learning down here?
Were the things of this scene.
All these things don't minister Christ to the heart.
No, they don't.
They but turn it away.
And so the apostle is warning these here.
Is I'm telling you this because there is danger that higher education is going to draw you away?
This I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
There was that danger. They hadn't gone away yet. But there is a danger, and there is a danger today. If there was never any danger before, there is now of being drawn away by what this world calls its wisdom. And all it does is to glorify man, not the Lord Jesus Christ.
They were going on in an orderly fashion there and he commends them for us.
He says I'm with you in the spirit.
He beheld their order and the steadfastness of their faith in Christ always that don't give it up, don't give that up.
They need to hold that fast now, he said. As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk thee in him. That's a word for you and me, for our conscience. How have we received Christ Jesus the Lord?
Ordered by simple faith in Him, we laid hold upon the Word of God.
And we received the truth as to the Lord Jesus by faith.
By grace are you saved through faith and not not of yourselves with the gift of God.
They received Christ Jesus the Lord by faith. Now he says, so walk ye in him.
Walk by faith.
Oh, how many times we have to own that? We don't walk by faith. We make our own plans. We have our own schemes. We use our own wisdom.
Oh, the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are to be found.
In the Lord Jesus.
Him, as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walkie in him.
Rooted and built up in him.
How can we be rooted and built up in him?
This precious word is that which gives us everything we need to establish us.
To guide us in our pathway down here.
We have been Speaking of how the Apostle Peter.
00:40:00
Wanted those to whom he was writing to be established in the present faith.
Now the Apostle Paul is saying the same thing, to be rooted.
And built up in him.
Established in the faith as he had been taught, abounding therein with Thanksgiving.
Oh how precious It is one weekend, you know. Enjoy the word of God with Thanksgiving.
That he has been so pleased to reveal his mind to us through the scriptures.
Bewarelest any men spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit.
Or if you're going to add anything to Christ, if you're going to seek to lay hold of the things of God through higher education.
Through man's wisdom.
Is going to spoil it.
It will spoil it.
Very wireless and immense spoiled use of philosophy and vain deceit.
Oh, don't be carried away by those things which men say. The traditions of men, the rudiments of the world, all these things are not after Christ.
These things which the world has, the rudiments of the world, those things which are only half formed down here.
Men have their theories and their hypothesis.
All these things are not God's wisdom. They're not the truth of God.
All beware.
These are not after Christ.
Now he says, For in him that is, in Christ dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
And ye are complete in hymns.
Which is ahead of all principality and power.
Dear young lady, dear young man, you who were Christians, you are complete in him in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwelled bodily.
What a word that is.
What can you add to us? What can poor puny man add to us?
You are complete in him, don't add anything to it.
Oil on this toilet you'll only take away from it and Rob Price of his glory.
Oh, may you be found satisfied with that which God in his grace.
Has given to you the blessed truth that you and I are complete in Him. Can you fathom the depth of it?
When you add anything to the wisdom of God and so providing for you and me for that day when we're going to be in the glory with Him to be to the reflection of his glory.
Oh bewareless, any man spoil you through philosophy and blame the sea.
Now in Hebrews 6.
Verse 10 God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which you have showed toward His name.
In that you have ministered to the Saints and new ministers, and we desire that everyone of you do show the same diligence of the full assurance of hope.
Unto the end that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Now the 19th verse. Which Pope?
We have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within the veil.
Whether the forerunner is forested, Even Jesus made in high priest forever.
After the order of Melchizedek.
There we find full assurance again.
We have seen the much assurance in the gospel we have seen.
Full assurance of faith.
And full assurance of understanding. And now we have full assurance of hope.
These that the apostle was writing primarily to.
We're in danger.
They were about to lose that earthly place.
Where the Jews had been their hopes on the city of Jerusalem.
And he is turning their hearts away from that which is earthly to that which is heavenly.
00:45:05
You and I are a heavenly people. We are not earthly.
That which was earthly has been done away, but we are a heavenly people.
And they too were going through persecution. They were going through trial.
But he tells them God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love.
Which have showed toward his name.
And it's just as true of you and me today as it was then. God will not forget.
You know what you go through for the name of Christ.
God is not unrighteous to forget it and he is going to reward and that Dane.
Even a cup of cold water given in his name. Even a cup of cold water given the name of the disciple.
You want to have a disciples reward.
Oh, think of the details to which God goes to remember your work and labor of love.
So these were found ministering to the Saints. They were continuing in it. They weren't giving it up because they were persecuted.
They were, they had their hearts knit together and loved for one another. They were ministering to the Saints. Now, he says, we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end. Oh dear young men and dear young woman, this is not the time to settle down in this world.
It isn't the time to give up.
It's the time to use diligence.
Let us therefore labor to enter into that rest which lies ahead of us.
Oh, he said. We desired everyone of you to show the same diligence.
We have a hope before us and he wants us to use that diligence.
That we may be fully assured of that in our own souls.
There is that hope that you and I have been enjoying.
Is that real to your soul?
So you'll go on with all the diligence?
That there may be that abundant entrance that you may enjoy even today.
Oh.
Of the Lord's coming.
Oh, don't be slothful.
Don't settle down.
The followers of them who through faith and patience, inherit the promises.
In the 11 Chapter of this episode, we read of those who died in faith.
They kept their face to the very day of their death. They counted that God was faithful.
And that he would perform his promises.
God will perform His promises.
Oh, let's go on in their example.
And have our faith anchored upon Him who is our hope.
And so the 19th verse says which Pope we have is an anchor of the soul.
For sure and steadfast in which entereth into that within the veil.
Our hope is in the glory the Lord Jesus had gone there.
He is within the veil and the glory, and that's where our anchor has been taken.
And his firm in the glory.
Oh, what a precious hope we have.
The forerunner has gone to Jesus. The forerunner is now in the glory as He assures that you and I are going to be there with Him. He's going to have us in His presence.
Yeah, he is there for you and me and all. What a hope we have and it gives us a full assurance to know that he is there now. And the one who said if I go away I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.
So he is there now.
And not only is he there to take us on Hind, but he is there.
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For the present, as our High Priest, the one who undertake.
For his people on the way to take us to the wilderness pathway in order to preserve us along the way. The one who has been down here, he knows all the pitfalls, all the dangers of the pathway, and he's going to sustain us in that pathway. And as we saw in the Epistle of Peter.
How that he's made every provision for us.
So that if we do these things, we need never fall.
How precious that is.
Only we go on with the assurance. All along our pathway. We have the assurance that the Lord Jesus died for us. We have the assurance through faith that we can enter into the presence of God without a sin upon us, perfect, without fear. He has given us the assurance of that understanding.
So that we may enter into the mind of God and have wisdom for our pathways.
And he has given us the assurance of hope so that we may look on to that coming day.
When you have it with him.
2 Peter 1:11
Reading
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A lot of the the truth to Lord to whom Peter was writing that he was not following cunningly devised fables was the configuration.
He actually seen the Lord in his glory. Venus face shining as the sun is gone, bright as the light.
Between two men of renowned of Old Testament times.
That were in company there with the Lord.
Oh, great encouragement to the faith of the Saints at that time, and it's a great encouragement to us and all that the one whose words we have been listening to the words of Simon Peter, that he was one who actually saw the Lord.
There in his glory.
So it wasn't just something he was spinning out of his head. Some fables.
That he was circulating, but it was something he had actually seen himself.
When I tell him with the prophetic word, didn't it? That was the point when men had something or pretend you add something to the truth of God. We always find out that it doesn't fit in with what has already been revealed in clashes with it. But here was something new that has been brought out the place that the church has.
Has God forgotten the promises in connection with the Kingdom and all they're all going to be fulfilled.
And there was no crash, All set in perfectly. Just as the morning star rises before the break of day. So he is showing how that the truth that was brought out in Christianity did not flash with that which had been given about the Kingdom. All was going to be fulfilled and the transfiguration scene was a little miniature.
Shall I say a preview?
How God which will take place after when the church has been taken away and the Kingdom of somebody, and after the tribulation?
A fable may be a beautiful story cunningly devised, may have a moral attached to it, but there's no power to make it with it.
Well here it says we made no use of power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world is full of continued life table but there's no power connected with them.
Power is connected to faith in our Lord healing Christ.
There's a brother asking me just before this meeting it.
If we would enlarge a little on the subject, not out of mind to what we're talking about.
And that was in connection with the remarks made about the all giving us the mystery, as that was complete the word of God.
And your question was about the Book of Revelation.
Rather, things without faith.
Well, if an answer to that question, I would say that the Book of Revelation gives us the revelation of coming judgment coming on the earth and the setting up of the Kingdom of Christ, power and glory. But Revelation, the Book of Revelation.
Brings in no new subjects.
Of inspiration, that is.
You will not get any any new.
Counsel or purpose of God?
As found in the Book of Revelation that you will not find already brought out an instruction given upon in other parts of the world.
So that while the Book of Revelation.
Gives us much prophecy that.
Is connected with the Old Testament.
Problem is in connection with the Kingdom of Christ and his reign. Yes, the very fact that a new dispensation has come in since the Lord Jesus has been rejected and has gone back to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit here into the sea.
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Now the Spirit of God.
I was informing the church to be the bride of Christ so that when He takes His Kingdom, He will have a pride and negotiation with Him in His glory. Well, that's the subject except the insight that you will not find as a prophecy in the Old Testament.
And that that.
The bringing in of this dispensation.
Has developed certain conditions in the world that has definitely affected the prophetic picture. So that you do find developments in connection with prophecy in the Book of Revelation that you will not find, say, and Daniel or Isaiah or Ezekiel because of this.
Presentation and it and what it has introduced into the world.
What we call Christendom.
So that there is that about it. But again we say that when the the the mystery of the Church was revealed to the apostle Paul, there was no further revelation as to God's purposes and plans that was yet to be brought.
Out in the inspired words. And for that reason we say that when Paul brought out the mystery, the word of God was complete. There will never be another subject.
That God has to bring into His word. All complete now.
Mark was saying that.
As we we often are told that the small words of God.
Concerning our blessed Lords, each place he's the center of all the countries of God.
And we find in the very beginning of Genesis, we'll find a title of Christ in the church at the very beginning, Adam and Eve are made and.
Man and wife.
I would make first, then his wife would take him from his side a picture of the fact that through the shared blood of Jesus Christ that goes from the state of conference call to the shed blood Synagogue from their guilt and made the bride of our blessed Lord.
Well then you find that and not beginning of Genesis, but after a God makes not of indeed he speaks these words.
It's called Salamandri, his father and mother, and the Clevelander his wife, and they choose to be one flesh. Well then you have Paul and brother. Speaking of it the the shirt being revealed to Paul.
That they had wonderful purpose of this Christ and the Church and the apostles, followed by the Spirit of God uses those very same words that were spoken by God in the beginning of Genesis.
And connect with a lot of these the opposed to form of entry to the Spirit of God used the same same word, and the pleasance of the church. Christian the church, and the 5th chapter of Ephesians. For this cause shall a manly be fallen mother, and cleave unto his wife, and they seem to be one flesh. This is a big mystery.
What I speak concerning Christ and the Church and then.
Comes after some revelation about speaking about.
And in the book of the operation from chapter 4 to chapter 19, you have God dealing with this world and bring out the details of what we have in Daniel and Ezekiel and Zechariah. We have Ezekiel, brother, the God dealing with this world and with Israel before he brings him into blessings. And then now that's all over. What do you find? Then you find the.
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The 19th chapter of Revelation, the blessed Lord and his bride Gratua Murray ceremony and then the the Lamb and his wife comes back and that 19th chapter and the Lord takes the Kingdom and reigns and power and glory.
I think it's a remarkable thing, as in the the very beginning of Genesis and at the very end of our revelation you have.
Christ in the bride and tribes and jealousy, and Christ in the Brighton reality coming back in the glory and the last of Revelation the 19th Doctor, and then from then his array of strikes, and then Netherlands, and then the eternal fish afterwards.
Brother Lakshmi was you referred to the 4th chapter of Revelation was on now isn't it true that at the end of the third that's the last of the and then the opening of the 4th chapter is come up here. So everything as far as the prophetic use himself is being compensated. Yes, they they.
The kids did not see.
And revelation until the 19th chapter, from the end of the third at the beginning of the 4th sculpture, the Lord seeks them best to John come up, Heather and John caught up. And then he gets the revelation of God dealing with the earth and Israel and this world in judgment and the blessing.
And then the 19 doctors, you see the bride again, but the same chapter they had the chapter 3 and they under 19 chapter as God's dream for the earth.
And judgment, getting ready for the coming of the blessed Lord to take the Kingdom and raise.
Be nice when that drew enlarge a little on the transfiguration. That's definitely the subject before it's here to do the the powerful says on the end of the sixth verse. But were eyewitnesses of His Majesty, for he received from God's Father honor and glory.
When there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory. This is my beloved son.
In whom I am well pleased.
Our brother Harold said that we got a miniature picture of the Kingdom, so I'll just enlarge a little on his basement.
But in the glory with Christ there were two men, as with Moses.
And there was a lie life. Well, we know that Moses died and the Lord buried, but Elijah went to heaven without God.
So there are those two platters that will be with Christ in his glory, those that have died in Christ who will respond first to the shout when he comes in the air, and then there are those that are alive and remain.
You'll be caught up, caught up together, and meet the Lord in the air.
So we see the picture of a heavenly company with Christ, the center and the those who have died.
Raised and glorified, surely a comforting word to those who have been bereaved to their loved ones to think that they'll be black wolves in that same glory with their blessed Lord and those who are alive when the Lord comes and we may be old.
Come because he might come today, but they will all be there.
In that right glory, with that blessed One, and then below on the mountains.
There were Peter, James and John who were looking up at these glorified ones.
Oh, there, like the earthless thing will be blessed, and will be looking up, and can see the glory, where the heavenly things will be displayed in company with Christ himself. I suppose this was given to it as an encouragement because the Jewish believers might think that God has forgotten about these things.
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But the little one has been brought before us on the Mount of Transfiguration makes all these things sure.
God hasn't forgotten the promises that were made to Israel and the Kingdom is going to be brought in.
I was also thinking too, in connection with the expression, We have not followed cunningly devised fables. I mean, they known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the truth of God always exalts Christ. It says in John 16.
He shall glorify me. You'll always notice with false doctrine that there's joy for man. You'll always notice with man's fables and ideas that there's something that gives honor to man in the whole system that's established.
But what God is seeking to bring you for us is the glory of His beloved Son. And we can be sure that the truth of God, when it gives glory to Him, we can be sure that it's false if it gives some glory to man. I was thinking of it in connection with what our brother mentioned this morning about the partial rapture. Well, we can apply that test to that doctrine.
It's the only the.
Christians go off at the Lord's coming. Then I've got to call myself a devoted Christian to be sure I'm going. And it's not quite a bit of credit to myself, but I'm one of the devoted Christians that are sure I'm going to go out well as a cunningly devised fable. It's something that's robbing Christ and his glory. He's going to bring me there because his precious blood alone.
Paid my title and place to be there.
And you will find you at the configuration.
Just what brother Hale is been telling us how God is exotic his beloved Son, in order Peter says here, For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came crossed a voice to him from the excellent glory. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
I'm sure we're all familiar with the story of the Transfiguration.
And how Peter shouldn't whistle off what to say. So he said the wrong thing. He said it's good for us to be here. That was true enough, that was right. Or it surely is to the wonderful, and it's blessed to be in a theme like that. But then he said, let us make here 3 tabernacles, one for the eighth and one for Moses and one for mine that is.
Going to put his blessed Lord and Master on a dead level with who honored servants from the Old Testament. And that's when they heard that voice from the excellent glory, or the Father could bear no flight upon his blessed Son. So he says, this is my beloved Son and that word in whom I am well pleased, or in whom I found.
All my life.
Your faith God follow it. Look down in this poor world sin and see one that every actress every.
Every word was for His glory that He could take full and absolute and perfect delight in. So we find that immediately a bright cloud overshadows them, and Moses and Elias disappear. And he tells us in that connection they were on their faces as well they might be.
Because the blessed Lord Jesus had received a slight from what Peter said, and they were on their faces. Good beloved, when we have in any way flight of thy blessed One to be on our face, the proper place to be, then this fell, that Jesus came and touched them.
All that lovely Hut of love, and devoted to his own. And that is fair that they saw no land wave. Jesus only.
For our heart every other one must have played away, and we must have no other person, no other object but that blessed One who fills the delight of a Father's heart. You know, in the Gospel it not only says, In whom I found all my delight, but now the Lord says, the Father's voice says, Hear him.
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Isn't that beautiful? The one that has fully satisfied my heart?
Surely uncertainly satisfied your heart now you listen to him, you hear what he has to say, you go on in the enjoyment of his words and his love. Well, Peter never forgot that vision then, some 3540 years before, and I'm sure as time went on he understood more about it. He did it that time.
No, it's nice and.
Consideration of this model Transfiguration and I seen out in the movie it tells us and they feared as they entered the cloud that was a place for them there place for the church and the clouds, so to speak. And looking down on the scene. Well, I thought all that he never forgot it.
Well, you know that the Lord spoke to Moses face to face out of the cloud, but for those three to see Moses and Elias go into the cloud.
Was something they had never heard of before, and to to disappear into the Shekinah that was the cloud. The presence of Jehovah himself meant the annihilation and destruction.
For no one could be in God's presence, and until the work of redemption was complete, at least they couldn't know the truth of being in God's presence. But now that redemptions work was accomplished, the very glory that man saw absolutely came shortened in his sins.
Now the believer has access into that very glory and will spend eternity.
And the very glory where Christ Himself is, the light and joy fills the whole thing with his presence and joy and glory.
What was the subject that was occupying most of my life? While they're talking with the Lord, you better tell her.
Father of singular disease that he should accomplish in Jerusalem.
Speaking of laws and reliance and being a type of those that will be raised from the dead and those are my heart will be with the Lord in glory. The subject before all those that are only redeemed is going to be the Lord to see that he has accomplished the Jerusalem.
God praise me, love and worthy belong as plainly hath redeemed us of your side. That blood out of every kid rhythm something people are missing.
That would be the thing which were occupied, redeemed, the law, eternity.
Very beautiful coming in at the end of this chapter where we have the practical exhortations about adding to or having these things in our faith. Because Moses was the one who was unable to enter the land because of his his failure. And Elias too is the one who was relieved of his service. And Elisha was the one that took it up because he thought he was the only one. And yet.
Two represented to us in this glory, and so how it encourages our hearts to the low. There was the untracefulness on the part of these two dear ones. We see Moses here in the land. He's on the mountain. What brought him in? Well, it was great, only great. So we're exhorted to faithfulness. But thank God, in spite of the fact that we failed, grace is going to bring us in.
As our brother remarked, they weren't talking about their faithful service. They have been unfaithful.
But they were Speaking of his deceased. But he would accomplish at Jerusalem.
But they saw the importance of that deceased because that was what gives them the place to be there.
Now this.
Last part is at 1St 16, but were eyewitnesses of his message the remarks that he's made that this is a three figure of the coming glory of the millennial age, is that right? That's right, mother-in-law. Now as far as knowing much about the millennial age, we don't know very much because contractors.
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Like no, excuse me?
We can live and reign with Christ 1000 years as one scripture. And of course the prophets. Hell about the earth being filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, the waters conquered the sea, and about the all nations coming up to worship at Jerusalem. Many prophecies like that and the very nature of the wild animals.
Been trained for a little child to leave them there are many problems here that give us.
Thoughts as to what a marvelous and wonderful time that this earth will enjoy. But of course, the subject the Apostle Peter is bringing before the thanks to whom he is writing is that they are to have a heavenly fortune when the Kingdom is set up in power and glory.
You see, that was whole different from what they had.
Been taught in connection with their promises of the Old Testament, it was always the Kingdom here on earth and the failure were to have.
How's the Messiah come and deliver them and and they would be blessed in the land and all nations would be subject to them all that they knew. But they're bringing in of the heavenly side of things that there was to be a heavenly people who were to share the glories of this coming Kingdom, you see, was an entirely new subject.
And Peter is writing to the.
Julie.
Christians, he was the apostle of the circumcision or the Jews, and so it was quite in keeping with his apostleship to instruct those who have been brought up under a teaching, you see, that only gave him earthly promises and blessings.
The set before them, the higher and the more wonderful and glorious blessings of a people that were to be gathered out and to have.
A heavenly portion with Christ when the Kingdom was set up here on the earth. And this was all given to encourage them, because instead of Christ.
Reigning and taking a Kingdom, he had been rejected and crucified and cast out.
And he had gone back to heaven, and instead of having a Kingdom down here, they were having persecutions and sufferings and trials in this world. So he's comforting their hearts to show them this coming Kingdom that was before them, and as though they were suffering now, that they were to share the glories of the king himself.
In that thing where he has gone and where he is no longer seen by this world.
No, just another question, Brother Barry, you know that trust in the.
1St chapter of Revelation but it brings in what's unto him that love that and that wants to sell our things in his own blood, and hath neither. Now the correct greeting is a Kingdom of Christian Yeah, a Kingdom of prescience connection with the same thing, is it?
I think Boa, the Lords appearing from Behold, they come up with loud and every eye foresee Him, they also adhere to Him and so on. That's the appearing. But the little portion that you speak of there, beginning with the fifth verse.
It's sort of a little.
The only word I can think of is interrupting, but that is the word.
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It's a sort of a parenthesis that comes in. You see their their.
John is addressing the seven churches, beginning with the Foster and he speaks about.
Brace being under you and he from him with his which was, and with his to come that God himself, and from the 7th fierce guitar before the throat, there's the Holy Spirit.
And from Jesus Christ.
There is the Lord Jesus, three persons in the Godhead that are before us, who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Well, here is something that John brings in that was filling his own soul with unspeakable delight. He brought him that blessed ones. On bull's breath he leaned.
After supper, before the Lord went to the cross, He just explained unto him who loved rather who loved him.
And Worcester from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests from the God and his Father to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. It's just the outburst of a heart that is just filled with delight as the person of the blessed Son of God was brought into.
This.
Revelation that he has communicating to the thing.
Well, that's nice though, about being a Kingdom of priests. Well, that's what we are now, and that's what we will be in glory.
19th verse that we have also a more sure word of prophecy. I believe the new translation is the prophetic word made sure.
And so that instead of all these blessed things that we have been speaking about, weakening the prophetic word quiet only makes it more clear, or it shows us the two parts to it that have not been made known in the Old Testament. For, as our brother remarked, the Jewish believers.
We're looking for the earthly thing and now he shows them that they're going to have part in the heavenly, but there's going to be the earthly too. And so all that was proper side is now made clearer and sure to us and the two parts have been revealed. I believe there's something of that thought in the 14th chapter of John, the Lord Jesus says.
In my father's house there are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you.
That is, they were following the Lord expecting that they would be brought into the earthly thing. Why the Lord said, I have something better for you than what you anticipated. You are looking for the earthly thing. But in my father's house there many mansions and I'm going to come and bring you there. And so we have the development of that here. I believe in this portion.
And we do well that we take heed, that is to the Old Testament prophecy.
Some people say, oh, we should be occupied with prophecy. That's not helpful. That's that's not.
For us to be taken up with.
Well, we do have to be careful.
To be just occupied with prophecy to the explosion of other truths could be supplemental to the soul.
I have known some prophecy became a sort of a hobby to them. That's all they talked about, all they were interested in. But there's a verse in the.
In Revelation.
The 19th chapter in the 10th verse was very helpful.
In the matter of considering prophecy.
How long fell at the feet of the Angel to worship him? And he said, See thou doest not. I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren.
And have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God for the testimony of Jesus.
As the spirit of prophet.
I will never promise me in any way leads to indifference to the claims of Christ or to occupation without less than one or giving him the first place in your life and ways it will be harmed. But if the consideration of prophecy.
00:35:24
Is only drawing you closer to Christ.
And thinking of his coming glorious and.
What is due to that? Lesson 1, it will be a very helpful and it's a very important subject because those who neglect prophecy altogether, they get the ideas of the world, they think, well, The thing is to do is to try to improve the world, make it a better place.
Live things are going to go on, and we better we better fix things up down here. Well, that's neglect the problem. They could lead to that. But if we're intelligent in prophecy, we'll clearly see that we're living in a doomed sea and a judgment is about to fall from this guilty world.
And to get the prophetic picture of how soon this world is to be judged.
And it's going to.
The judgment will bring in the glorious Kingdom of Christ and give us to see our place and our portion with that one that's coming to reign, while then prophecy is very helpful and very needful.
I believe it's very important what say brother Barry. And I just had a little word of warning because.
Prophecy has become a very popular thing in Christendom and people listen to all kinds of talks on prophecy through the radio. And people that don't understand the truth of the Church and don't know the heavenly calling of the church will never be clear on prophecy. It will always be mixed up. It will never be made sure as we have here unless we see distinctly those two hearts.
The heavenly and the earthly and the Achilles said how prophecy has been abused and christened them. And there's hardly a false culture, Even those who know the truth of the gospel but not the truth of the Church that haven't got it all mixed up.
Brethren, we should be careful about listening to talks on prophecy outside of those who know what it is to be members of the body of Christ, waiting for God's Son from heaven, the Scripture that we all enjoy and sure.
Philippians 2 What if we're going to also entirely exalted him and given him a name, which is about every name that is the name of Jesus, every nation follow things in heaven, things on earth, and things under the earth?
Is that not the theme of the prophetic word that the exhortation of Christ?
Where every knee is going to bow to him in all creation is subject to him.
Well, if we look at the prophetic word with that in view, but a different aspect it takes from trying to figure out what's going to happen down here in this world as a matter of dry doc.
Because it can become drier to take it from that standpoint.
Trying to say that.
Occupation was prophecy makes the head work to keep up with it, but lead the voice in the heart with an instant separated from the testimony of Jesus.
And that's what has been referred to in 19th Revelation. Well, in the new translation it turns it around. But we would work just as well one way or the other. The Spirit of Prophecy is the testimony of Jesus.
So that should be the spirit of prophecy, the glories of our blessed Lord and Savior.
Does not mean something like this. What? The prophets are saved in the Old Testament by the Spirit. It's the Spirit of Jesus speaking.
And their prophets in the Old Testament so it relieves the Lord all the way through scripture.
I think it's the one that is God speaking to Job, the Lord Jesus Christ all the way through, and they've been reading the words were not drawn more to Christ. Well, it's not profitable reading. I remember many years ago, Mr. Parker.
00:40:16
Preparing to compose it. That young boy that was hidden in the temple.
For joy. Joy, yes. And I think Brother Father's remark was something, something like this, that it's a proper time. He was brought up and Christ will be brought into his Lord. He will come into his glory.
Now the way this verse.
That the subject before of this 19 verse. Wherever you do well, if you say he does what we were commenting on the prophecies of the Old Testament as unto a light shining in the dark place that is prophecy. All through the dark history of the Old Testament, time was lighting up the way towards the Kingdom.
One of the the things that there was that in such an awful, terrible state of the world was in.
That there was that light shining like a shining arm and showing that God had a purpose before him and he was going to have a Kingdom someday.
So he fell, shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arrives in your heart now.
We're we're considering the New Testament subject.
And the day of the Lord Jesus Christ, when we say the day to her, it's just another way of saying the Morning star.
Well, we better turn to the last chapter of Revelation.
See Definitely Fool The Morning Star.
Really is.
In the 16th verse of Revelation 22, I, Jesus, have set my Angel to testify unto you these things in the church. I am the group and the offspring of David. That's what he is to Israel and the bright and the morning star. Well, as soon as.
As he says on the bright and morning stars immediately in the next verse, and the Spirit and the bride, they come. Now there is the church.
The Spirit of God energizing the church.
Invites her bridegroom to return 3rd and the bride may come.
So the coming of the Lord of the Morning Star as the coming of the Lord in the air for His people, and that precedes His coming in glory as seen in the Transfiguration.
To set up his Kingdom here on Earth.
Rather interesting is that?
I'm sure many here have seen this long ago that there are some younger.
Believers coming along have noticed that if you turn to the last chapter of the Old Testament.
At Malachi.
Four and the second verse. Auntie, yo that hear my name shall the thumb. SUN Fun, the Son of Righteousness arrives with healing in his wings, and he shall go forth and grow up as the calves of the soul.
Our last chapter in the in the Old Testament.
Give us the Lord's coming as the sunrise. Well as the this world has been experiencing a long dark night, when the blessed Lord was here among men, you know, he said I am the light of the world.
And the last men love darkness rather than light, and so when they crucified the Lord of Glory, it was just as long as the sunset.
Unless this world in its awful darkness and guilt. But it's not going to last forever.
00:45:08
That same one that was nailed to the straw is coming back, and when he comes to this poor world again, it will be the introduction of a new, wonderful, glorious day. That's the Millennium.
But when we when we turn to the last chapter.
New Testament and we just read instead of the Lord coming as the Son of righteousness, He speaks of His coming as the bright and morning storm. When does the morning star arrive? Before the sunrise. Oh how lovely the picture is. How perfect the picture is.
So that before the Lord comes and sets up his Kingdom here on earth, he's going to come in the air.
And take all his redeemed from battle this thing to be with himself.
And his glory above. So you see how beautifully Peter leads the farm from the prophecies of the Old Testament.
Till the brightened Morning Star, perhaps some brother would give us some thoughts on the Day star rising in our hearts. Jesus has a special.
Carrying.
Not the enjoyment of the Lord Jesus Christ is coming that we can have as a present hope. So in the end of Hebrews 9 it's under them that look for him surely appear the second time without sin of salvation.
The Thessalonians, they were converted and they were waiting for the sun from heaven. So how pleasant it is to have that, the hope of the Lord coming as a precious reality in our hearts.
How about keep up?
As we have that focus momentarily the Lord might come and what effective will have on our pathways as we go through this world. This is a thought there, but I don't mean the scripture. Exactly what the first thought of the Lord's coming was lost for many, many years after the executive win, but one time after the apostles went off the scene.
And was not recovered until somewhere around.
Yeah, there's a.
1780 or something like that, but the tongue will be better.
I'd rather thought it's around 1828 or 30. It seems that from what I can get, when the Lord restore the truth of the church, but at the same time he restores the hope of the church.
The truth of the church was lost completely and it was recovered through godly man searching the word and when they saw what the church really is.
And if the body is right, there is no organization down here that man has made, but it formed by the Spirit of God composed of all believers the world over. Then the things that the the hope of the church was restored to so at the midnight cry went out and was heralded all over the world.
Behold, the bridegroom cometh Now Is that your thought, brother? Brother Ayrton? Yes, that is.
Yeah, I think so. Well, I was wondering about this.
You about the daystar lies in your heart was not that in a sense, bringing them out of the old Joyce anticipation of the Sun of Righteousness to the New Hope of Christ coming through the church?
I'll never forget a remark that you made the first time I ever visited you in your home in Oak Park many years ago.
You said to me that the days are rising in our hearts was the hope of the Lord coming held in our affections. I was enjoying that and never forgot it. That's it is the hope of the Lord coming, held in our affection, not in our head Him but they saw rising in your intellect getting hold of.
00:50:00
The doctrine of the premillennial coming of Christ. But it's it's something Christmas.
Something you enjoy is a very desire and willing to be that Blessed One awakened bridal affection to see his face and the meeting in the air.
See two, how the distinct are robbed when we have the thought that the Church must go through the tribulation, because we couldn't be expecting the Lord to come this afternoon. If we have to go through the tribulation, there are a great many events must take place then before He came. But if we see prophecy in its true bearing and perspective, what will be the result of this? What our brothers remark, it will be a present hope our hearts will be.
As we think that perhaps before the meeting is over, the Lord Jesus will come.
So we can see how the prophecy presented in this proper way will always bring that present hope before the soul. What The Hobbit in their hearts, not in their heads really.
I There is an example of the difference of having a truth in the head and having it in the heart. When you when you read about the wise men that came up to Jerusalem saying, where is he that is born king of the Jews?
So they went to here and he called in the scribes, and they said he should be born in Bethlehem.
Well, they they work. They work, correct? They have the they have the word and they knew the Scriptures. There's no question about it. But who were the ones that went to Bethany and then fall of a young child?
There in in the deafening, it wasn't Cold cried. They knew all about it. They didn't go to see him, but those whose hearts were really touched, and who longed to see that one whose star had appeared.
They go there. Oh holla. Wonderful experience we have.
There, and their hearts are just filled with joy and delight.
Rejoice with exceeding joy, held on heaven's territory. Forward to God. Forest God's plan.
And the poor circumstances, so to speak. They found this young child in Denver. Their worship.
They worship him. That blue eyes, though, he had no earthly semblance there being a king.
God was glorified in that as it was. Well if you have some thoughts about the third chapter you wanted to touch on our time is running out. Well, I had just thought brother Ericsson last. It was only a very few verses and maybe that might lead on something here, but perhaps before we.
Get into those courses.
Might tell us something.
On that, plenty of birth knowing this First, there's no prophecy of the scriptures of.
Interpretation.
It's important to be clear on that because they are those that say, well, there's just a certain class of churches that that can give you instruction on the Scripture. You must go to them. It's a private and there's no private interpretation, so no individual child of God.
Can ever try to understand the Bible for himself?
Well, it's the city that the translation isn't better.
Say the correct translation is this. Knowing this first that no prophecy of the scripture is a.
Really, I think it's disconnected. Is this you got it there?
The scope of no prophecy of Scripture is had from its own particular interpretation.
Yes, it's part of a connected hole. That's right.
It can't be isolated from the rest of scripture because all the scriptures, the context in which we find the verb, or any scripture that's being looked at.
And all these poor systems around us, they build their 4th doctrine on disconnected forces of scripture, separated from the scripture the whole and separate from the context. And they build a whole lot of gospel as you make pay, building a great big house on a very small foundation and the builder of whole system on a few verses.
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Disconnected entirely.
But one understands the scripture and one finds out that.
The meaning of the giving is wrong altogether because if it doesn't fit in, our brother was saying sometimes ago that the whole scripture fits them together.
And so you can't take one scripture and build a whole system, or you must. We must compare with other scriptures, comparing scriptures with scripture and spiritual things with spiritual.
So about the brother friendship, a certain doctrine from a verse he says here's what said and this is the doctrine and he gets it out Well immediately we think, well, no, how does that fit in with work? But none of scriptures have come before our minds and they just don't think well then that can't be the meaning of a dozen corresponds or does it be with other scriptures as a doctor that disagrees with.
Other forces of God's word that cannot be like.
Because the Word of God is in perfect harmony, every verses in harmony without other versions.
Well, the devil tried that on the Lord, didn't he? At the in the temptations?
Quoting scripture out of its connection and not quoting all of it. Well, the Lords answered to him, was he? And he is written again that he couldn't be based simply on one trip.
That's very important. It is written again.
I heard a conversation on time between an exital and a believer that has been a bit of a help and I used it before. The believer was speaking to this instant I'm about to make to the Lord and was being mocked in return the instrumental set. But few believers have a different opinion. Many ways you all get your beliefs out of the same book.
And the Christian said almost we don't get our opinions out of that book that you mean.
Don't get your beliefs of the Bible knowing that we don't.
That I don't understand you. I thought all you so-called Christmas doctor crease and the least of the Bible.
No, we certainly don't do any such thing. We said explain yourself, I don't understand you, he said. We leave it in the Bible and take the whole book. He said anyone that takes their beliefs out of the Bible is critical wrong.
It seems to me to be a helpful part.
Another father used to so often say when some question was asked. Read on.
That is going to stop at last verse. Read the whole connection.
I think it is well to remember that in our private reading, isn't it? Sometimes we come to a verse and perhaps we don't understand. Well, let's read on and read what what it says around us and maybe we'll get the answer. We don't. Oh, we have to go through commentary to find the answer. The answer is right in the scripture. If the commentary has the answer, where did he get it? The one that wrote the commentary he got from the Word, didn't he? And we won't have to do any forcing either. If it's the truth, it will all fit.
Simply and easily, because sometimes compared it to a jigsaw puzzle. You know, I can remember as a child trying to put it together and trying to force a piece into the wrong place. My mother said it doesn't sit there and I was trying to push it in. She said you won't have to push it if it goes in the right. If you have it in the right place, well, and so are the scripture. You find people forcing furniture and they're forcing it into the wrong place.
If it's the truth of God, it will fit in with the whole picture, and the whole picture is the glory.
Of a blessed one must be brought before us. That was the one whom Peter saw eyewitnesses of His Majesty. Well, I enlightened the whole prophetic word to him, having his eye upon Christ.
Well, the 21St verse gives us a very definite word how the word of God has been communicated to man. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God, fake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
And if they didn't, they didn't end their own thoughts at all. In fact, in the first successful of Peter, you might turn to it first, Peter.
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The.
10th Verse. First Chapter. Tenth Verse.
He says, Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, Who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you?
Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them, did signify, when it testified before hands of Christ, and the glory that could follow.
And to whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost, and down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into.
So you see, the Prophet didn't even understand their own prophecies.
And after they had written them, they searched diligently to find cause of the Spirit of Christ had communicated to them.
As I heard a brother say one time when when David read the 22nd Psalm reads they pierced my hands and my feet, while David says my hands and feet have never been pierced and yet I write as though they had been. Well, it must be someone else the Spirit of Christ is writing about or in that way you see.
He finds out the meaning of his own prophecy.
But I just mentioned that to show how definitely these men were inspired in their writings were not by the will of man.
3rd doctor, he was coughing at these things and that's that's all around us today.
Scoffers last name is from Scorpers walking up their own looks to say where is the promise of his coming. I remember when I was a boy.
That the coming of the Lord was.
******* awkward in the old country that time.
And.
Unsafe people say, oh, we have heard those things all our lifetime. That's a nose story. And we heard that we were boys and we hadn't come yet and things were just the way they always wear. That's the way they thought when I was a boy, and that's the way they're still talking.
Sorry, called some brother.
And an antidote made death lecture remarkers rather an unbeliever. Well, he says the very the very thing that you're saying close to me in the Bible is true, but to the tolerance.
I've had that.
I asked if I thought about the Lord's coming says he's dead. I mentioned this, but the Lord coming. She says well that means dead so far when I she said they've been talking for the staff for years and it didn't happen, but Peter Paul talked about that and I sent the very fact that she would say those things prove to me that we're living the last day and God told me if I want to know that they commitment.
Just let me purchase my office and said well, Peter is not qualified. That didn't happen. I just know that's the last day. But he told me how they going to talk in the last day.
But you notice these coffers are walking after their own lust. That's the reason they don't want to believe them things. The Lord's coming, the will is at work.
Because it wasn't. The scriptures weren't written by the will of mine. The will of mine objects to the thought of the Lord coming and the judgment that attends His His coming to this world and doesn't want that His will wants to go on.
And enjoy his carnal love.
On the fifth verse is this. They willingly are ignorant that they're willingly ignorant. They do not want to know the truth.
Knows again the will is at work, doesn't it? A lot of man's unbelief is just wasteful thinking, isn't it? He wants to think himself out of hell.
Besides, there isn't a hell. I think that settles it.
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These men knew what the word of God said that they know that the word of God tells of the coming Goodman on the center and the awful eternity of the Christ rejecter the note that the Bible says that. Well, they read that in their conscience tell them that that's an awful thing.
They said that, but they want their sins, they want to go on in their sinful life because they enjoy sin. It's just the old nature and so.
To drown these thoughts and to ease their conscience and make life more easier, they try to get rid of that fruit. And I think that's the foundation of all these, these evolution theories and these evil doctrines.
And the bottom is going to send you the foundation of it all is that they desire to get rid of it. All of the cause they fear not coming lossy Kennedy that the word of God tells about.
Arerelavon Darlington, president, have some other credit giving the life of Darwin. He started out first to be a lawyer and he made a failure in the school until his father or he'd make a preacher out of him. So he fell into a theological college.
And he was cutting for a preacher. Well, he doesn't want to believe the Bible.
So all this evolutionary doctrine.
That he well, a book he wrote up on the On the Faces was really the efforts of Darwin to ease his conscience because he had the fear of what he saw in the word of God.
And you were very on. He died of miserable, unhappy death. His conscience tormented him all the time. He was frightened to think of even publishing that book. The way he found himself surrounded by the great infidels of the world. He was frightened over that.
Well, that was why he came out with that because he wanted to get he wanted in some way to get rid of the Washington was warning him and and telling him.
Awaited him if he went on in his unbelief and rejection of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, man likes that theory because it exhausted, you know.
Let's start it to his credit, that he sprung up and was once a form of a monkey, and now is such an intelligent creature, and he believes himself to be back to his credit. But if he was once in the image and likeness of God, and fell from it, that to his discredit it to his shame.
And dear young people much wise taught in the college because man doesn't like to accept anything that puts them to shame and condemns him, but he does like that which exalts him. And also another thing, monkeys are not responsible to God, they're not a triune being. And so if man is descended from a monkey, he's not responsible to God either.
He's no more responsible than a monkey. He might as well act like one. And that's why the world is going the way it is. Because.
Believe the fact that man has a part to his being that no animal has none, has a part that is responsible to God. And so I say this to you young people because maybe what they say sounds very plausible, but it's a good thing to see what's at the bottom of it. It's the two things. It's the exhortation of man and the denial of his responsibility to God.
And Satan is behind that.
How simple the truth is, God, how blessed it makes us, shows us how we fell from the place that we were once in. The image and likeness of God and God and His grace has lifted us to a higher place, more blessed than that which man had before the fall.
To be exhausted, to be an association with God, the old Son, and so on. Instead of wanting to deny the immortality of the soul, we rejoice in the fact this afternoon that we're going to live for all eternity.
In the presence of that Blessed One was lifted us from the dunghill, set us among Princess.
There are those that will admit.
The existence of a God.
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But they say they'll announce God is too good to judge. God won't judge us.
Willing the ignorance of the fact that God has already cut the world once.
What's the human race away? Separate souls in a flood of water?
And God is going to judge this world again, this time by fire.
Man is responsible to God, and he's going to have the answer to God.
Both for his infidelity and for his willing ignorance of the ways of God that's revealed to us in the Scripture and in the prophetic words prove that no one actually falls into such a disease in a.
Honest search for truth.
Timothy Timothy Thistle asked through their own months. Now they hate to themselves features having hidden years. This is that they're really thinking for the truth of spelling of terror, but actually because they wanted to live according to the dictation of their own fallen nature. When they accept these things and Mike Pro it was a 14th verse, wherefore of the lovin, seeing that he looked for such things.
The diligence that he may be found of him.
Play.
And then also in the 12Th word, looking for and hastening unto the coming, or the 11 For seeing them, that all these things shall be dissolved, What manner of person ought to be in all holy conversation and goddess?
We think of the awful judgments that are coming on this poor, guilty world, what manner persons are going to be.
And they lack characterized our conversation between the meeting and during this time we're together holy conversation and godliness hastening having not day of when Christ is to be exhausted.
A man as the satisfied forever with all his wisdom, right is to have his place, given his his glory.
And honored where he's been dishonored, but growing great. The last verse of the chapter, a loving verse in our reading with but growing great. And in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior of Jesus Christ.
To him the glory, both now and ever. Amen.