Address—P.L. Johnson
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General Meeting, Toledo, November 1976.
Addressed by Paul Johnson.
So we're seeing hymn #303.
When Israel by divine command, the pathless desert card.
They found throughout the barren land a surely source in God Hymn #303.
When this is all about.
Give all.
The.
Way.
Of joy and soul.
Want to read first of all in Genesis chapter one.
Verse 11.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the earth yielding food, and the fruit seed yielding fruit, after his kind to seed is in itself upon the earth. And it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree building fruit, whose seed was in itself after his time. And God saw that it was good.
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Now verse 29.
And God says, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seeds, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every sea in the which is the fruit of the sea. Yielding seed to you, it shall be for me.
And Mark Gospel chapter 5.
Mark 5 and verse 38.
Can you come up to the House of the ruler of the synagogue and see if humor? And then that wept and wailed greatly.
And when he was gone in, he stepped into them. Finally you get to do in weeks. The damsel is not dead, but sleeping.
Last in the storm that when he had put them all out, he figured the father and the mother of the damsel and them that were with him, and entered in where the damsel was lying.
And he took the damsel by the hand.
And said unto her Caliper Kumar, which is being interpreted damsel, I say unto the arrives.
And straightly the damsel arose and walked, For she was of the age of 12 years, and they were astonished with a great astonishing and he charged them straightly, that no man should know it, and commanded that something should be given her to eat.
First Cedar, Chapter 2.
First Peter two and verse one.
Therefore laying aside all malice and all Guild is hypocritical and envies and evil speaking.
As we gone, they desire to send to the milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if so be your patience, that the Lord is gracious.
And Revelation Chapter 10.
And verse one.
And I saw another mighty Angel come down from heaven closed with a cloud and a rainbow with upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his team as pillars of fire. And he had in his hand a little book open, and he said his right foot upon the sea.
And his left foot on the earth.
And verse, Hernan, a lot of verse 8 And the voice which I heard from heaven, take unto me again, and said, Go, and take the little book which is open in the hand of the Angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went under the Angel, and said unto him.
Give me the little book.
And he said unto me, Take it and eat it up, and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in my mouth sweet of honey. And I took the little book out of the angels hand, and ate it up and within my mouth. Sweetie, honey.
And as soon as I'd eaten in my belly was bitter. And he said, underneath thou must confess again before many people and tongues.
Many peoples and nations, and tongues and kings.
Perhaps you notice some connection in these portions that we read in regard to the subject of eating, or we might say, the subject of food.
This is what I had for my heart to bring before all of us. That especially keeping in mind those.
Young in years and, as mentioned in the prayer, perhaps young in faith too.
So we will address our remarks peacefully and primarily to those that we term as young people and yet I'm sure that.
What the Lord would bring before us.
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Would be something for each and everyone of us to consider and would be ministry and food for our souls, but I was thinking especially of the young people we hear, it said frequently.
That young people today are facing great difficulties in this world.
And I've heard it said, and perhaps it's partially true, that they face many things that those who are older did not face when they were young. And yet it is the same world, and the principles that have been operative in this world, are operative in this world now, have been so far many years. But I have no doubt that what the pressure, you might say, of the world and the Prince of this world, who is behind it all, Satan.
It is increasing.
It seems as if the world is getting more dominant.
And is pressing in more and more on the people of God, and especially seeking to capture the young people.
And I would like to remind you first of all that when we speak of the world as it is about us in this country.
We really are Speaking of apostate Christendom, and what we're seeing on every hand now is Christendom becoming taking that road toward Apostrophe. The mystery of iniquity is already working so that there is a return to even morality, even though there is still some outward connection with Christianity. The world, as far as we're concerned, generally in this part of the world.
Is the Christianized world, so to speak, Christendom. And it is the the terrible things that are going on and the things that young people encounter in faith in this world is really the result of the giving up of the truth of God, the giving up of the word of God, giving up of the fundamentals of the faith, and a return to the ways of the heathen and heathen morality. And so it is important for young persons.
To be able to.
Stand in such an evil day.
Needs to be strengthened, and that was my thought in connection with food. So we all know that in a human way, that if we do not eat properly, if we're not taking in food regularly, we find that our bodies become weak. And so it is in a spiritual way. It is necessary that young Christians have the proper food. Not only that they have food, but they have the proper food.
And God thought is that you might be built up in your spiritual constitution in such a way that you can pass through this scene. For the little while that remains to us for the glory of God, we have had two addresses already to.
Young people and no doubt God has spoken in those addresses.
And I trust that it has. The word has stirred up the heart.
Of many of the young people who desire to wholly follow the Lord, as we were reminded of one of all He did, and then to be in separation from this present evil world, I have no doubt but what the desire of those who have given the attractive would be.
This would be true that there would be an exercise. Well my thought is to pick up that the fact they're seeking to to follow the Lord holy.
And to bring before us the fact that we need to be properly fed, that we need food in order that our spiritual constitution might be strong, so that we can follow the Lord. For we are in an enemy land, and we are in a scene that is departed from God and under Satan's power. And you know that everything about us is contrary to what we find in this practice book.
The thought of food is a primary thought with God. That is, it's a fault that illusionated with God is he read in Genesis 1.
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There's some things that we find in Scripture that God takes up and uses that he did not necessarily initiate.
As we had brought before us, the one who built the first city was a murderous team.
In my favorite cities is not are not the primary thought of God. Now God takes it up and he's going to have a city.
But the thought of a city really begins with man. But food is a primary thought of God. God originated. The thought of food is the read in Genesis chapter one, and I'd like to go through these portions that we read briefly touching upon them. You'll turn back to Genesis 1.
And pray through them the thoughts of food.
As being God.
Resource for his people.
I'm going to take up the salt of food in three ways.
Food is that which sustains that life that we have from God, our spiritual life.
Spiritual food, of course we're talking about.
And then food for growth.
Food that enables us to grow in a spherical way.
And then food.
That would provide us drinks for the testimony which we farm apart.
In Genesis One we have the primary thought of God in regard to man, that he would provide food for him. Of course we know that here it's Speaking of food in a material way, but I want to apply it in the thought of spiritual food and notice the principle of food that is brought out.
In verses 10, verses 11 and 12 of chapter one.
Think about the herb yielding food.
And the fruit tree yielding fruit.
As was brought out in our readings, the Father of Light is in the seed. Here it's the thought of life. So God would food that comes from God is that which produces life.
And again, we're quickly, I will remind you, we're speaking about spiritual food.
And when we I'd like to say this before I go on, When I think about food, we're thinking of that which we take into our beings. Just as we eat physical food, we assimilate it, we take it in. I'm sleeping now in regard to those things that we assimilate that will affect us spiritually and morally.
And So what God would provide would be that which produces life.
Language is error that which is not according to God.
Anything that is contrary to the mind of God, anything that is in error, brings in death.
Only that which is true.
That which is truth itself brings in life.
And I think that's an important principle. Sometimes we are inclined to feel that while certain things have become in contact with or we associate with or that we read.
But it only has a little bit of error in it. It has some things in it that's good. But there are there are some things that are that are in error that are wrong. Well, that's not the principle of life. Error is the principle of death.
You remember one time when Elijah comes to Gilgal and there was a dirt in the land and he said that they were to set on the great pots and trees potted.
For those sons of the prophet, there was one who went out and gathered a wild gore, and he traded them into that park, and as they began to eat, 1 cried out. There is death in the pot.
What? Everything in that pot was not wrong, but when those wild doors were brought in, it brought in death. And so the principle that food from God is that it has life in it, and another is that it yields fruit after this time.
It produces fruit.
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According to the principle that God intended in the food that He did. In other words, it's it's orderly. I'm reminded of something the contrary to this that might help us to understand what is intended by bearing fruit after his time.
That is in 1913 when we read about that mustard seed that was thrown into the ground.
And though it was the smallest of seeds, it became a great tree. It grew out of all proportions. You might say it did not really yield after its proper time. It grew up to be a great tree, which was never intended to be, and became a haven for the.
Birds of the air, the truth of the evil from Satan himself. Well, the principle of food is what I had before me here in Genesis 1, which was given to man, that has the principle of life in it and order in it, It yields fruit after their time. Now turn over to mark.
By much gospel that personally read, I want to apply that to the the beginning.
Of life for the believer and, as I say, especially applying to young believers.
So what we have to say here this afternoon applies to those who are the Lord. You have life.
We know that those who have.
Not believed on the Lord Jesus product, or spoken of as in a thieves and through as being dead, in trespasses and in sin.
And I'd be alive physically, but they're dead in trespasses and sins. We're speaking to those this afternoon who have life. You have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you have life. You're born again. You have the Spirit of God.
The spirit of life within Well, that's the thought in connection with Mark Six, with this damsel.
And as we take this up.
We don't want to limit our view here to those.
Who are of the sex of this girl here? We're not just talking about girls or little girls. We want to apply this to each and every one of us who have received life from God. We've been brought into life out of death.
Just like this damsel in verse 43 The Lord.
Commanded at the end of the verse that something should be given her to. Oh how important, when one has been brought to the Lord that something be given them to eat.
That life needs to be sustained and built up, God thought is that the the spiritual constitution of the believer should be built up with food. Something was commanding. It was commanded to give her something to eat.
And I would say, dear young believer, that this is one of the most important principles at the very beginning of your Christian experience that you.
Have something for your soul to feed upon from God in order that you might be built up in order that you might be strengthened.
To go through this world for the glory of God.
Just recently.
In speaking.
Is that some of the large people?
To whom I was saying something was said about young persons being confused and having a lot of difficulties and things of that nature, and I'm sure that it's true and I wonder sometimes if it's not because there is a neglect of truth.
That is the proper food. I wonder if it is not because.
We're feeding on the wrong things and we're not getting the food that will build us up.
And will strengthen us, the Lord saw. Here is the food that we should be given to. This one would be the proper type of food that would sustain her.
We know that we're on the way to the glory, but we're not there yet and we need to be sustained in this wilderness.
Until we need the proper food.
Just for a moment, I'd like to turn back the two portions in the Old Testament that brings before us something as to proper and improper food. I'm not going into detail upon it. Turn back to Deuteronomy chapter 14 and I would suggest that this might be a portion of medication.
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On the part of young persons in connection with the thought of food.
In Deuteronomy 14.
The Lord says, Here ye are the children of the Lord your God.
It's the relationship to him.
Now he says to them in verse 3.
Thou shalt not eat any abominable things.
These are the beasts which you shall eat. And then we have several of them lifted, The off seat, the goats, the hearts, the roebucks and solid ears. As I say, it wasn't my fault to go into detail in this chapter, as interesting as it might be to trace out what these animals would speak of in connection with the person of the Lord Jesus, because I believe the power here is this in Deuteronomy 14.
We have here the proper food that belongs to the Lord people.
Those who are sons before God for his pleasure.
The instances here in Deuteronomy is not so much upon that which we shouldn't be, as it emphasized, mostly that which we are to eat, that which is clean. And I have no doubt that these animals all speak of the person of the Lord Jesus in various aspects.
We can think of what the Oxford referred to in the Keys and the Goats, and we know that these are used physically in the Old Testament of the Lord Jesus Christ and his his walk, his ways, his sufferings, his death.
This is the proper food for the believer. This is the food that we're to be occupied with, the person of the Lord Jesus Christ found in this precious book.
And I would say that when we read the word of God, and I prefer to call this the Word of God rather than the Bible, it is the Bible And I I don't want to make it a person offender for a word.
And I like to refer to it as the word of God, because then it reminds us.
That when we're reading it, we're not just leaving a book.
But we are actually hearing the voice of God. And not only that, but it is that which brings before us the person of the Lord Jesus Christ from cover to cover.
We want to see the Lord Jesus.
And we want to see how that everything in the Word of God is connected with him and his glory in some way, for I believe it is.
I don't say that everything is typical of him, but it is all associated with himself and his glory.
And this is our proper food, not to take it up in an intellectual way, but to take it up as that which will feed our souls upon the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and all of his interest.
Because, you know, if we're really occupied with the Lord Jesus.
We will find that his interests are our interests.
And it's in this precious book that we learn what his interests are. We'll now turn back to Leviticus Chapter 11.
And in Leviticus 11, we have a sort of a negative approach to food. And Deuteronomy 14, it's more of a positive side of what we ought to eat.
But in Deuteronomy 11, or rather Leviticus 11, we have a negative side deeply. We do have that which we can eat, but the implicit seems to be upon that which is to be avoided.
The Lord said unto Moses, and to Aaron.
Even the way it's introduced is a little different.
It's in connection here with Moses and Aaron, and they were to speak to the children of Israel.
And he says what they are to eat in verses 2:00 and 3:00.
Then he says in verse 4.
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Nevertheless we shall do not eat of them, that to the cut of them that divide the hoof is the camel, and so forth, and the verses that follow he speaks about the animals that are to be avoided. And there are two things connected with these unclean boots.
Two things that mark them as being unclean and unsuitable food.
If they did not part the hook, or if they did not see the cut, that is, they had to do both parts, the hook and to the Truck 9 to the Mini this afternoon. This is not a new fault, but I emphasize it because I think it's important.
That whatever we take in.
And, you know, perhaps we take in more than we realize.
What is Roundabout? We come into contact with the writings of this world and it's periodical.
In its newspapers.
And things of that nature. I'm not recommending you eating of them.
We know that these things are found among the Lord's people, and we know that we come into contact and we see them from time to time, and perhaps there are those who read these things regularly.
Well, I think this principle that we have here would apply to these things. The parting of the hook would refer to separation.
The taking in of these things, does it result in your being more separate from the world?
In your thoughts and in your ways and in your desires are there's the assimilating of these things round about these things that influence us moral and spiritually does it quicken our interest in world is in.
That's the thought, I believe, of the parting of the hook.
If it does not lead to separation from the world, we can take improper food and then the chewing of the cup, well, no doubt that has reference to the meditating upon the word of God. That is, it's not reading the word of God just as a book and intellectually, but it's meditating and taking in that which we read from God.
These two elements and I would like to apply this thought to in regards.
To writings that are round about it. Our brother yesterday spoke of courageous people.
The story of Book. And he said the Princess could hardly keep up with the demand. And that's true.
And that's true in regards to so-called Christian books.
They find that there is a great mass of Christian literature so-called.
And.
This is a test we can bring to that. Does the reading of those books produce in us a true separation from the world? Does it part the hook, and does it really lead us into meditation?
Of the word of God in such a way that our souls are fed. I find that many of these books that I have looked at just in a passing way that they're more entertaining than resulting in causing one to be more separate from the world and producing real meditation that will bring one into a a greater apprehension of the mind of God. Many are read just for entertainment.
Well, now I'm not going all the way through this capture. I recommend it to young Christians to read and to find out for yourself what these things speak out.
But I would like to refer to the 50 that are brought before us in verse 9.
Because there are these failure of all that are in the water, whatsoever hath sins and stairs.
And verse 10 and all that have not sinned in scales in the seas and the rivers of all that move in the water, there could be avoided sins and fear again. I'm sure this is not new, as perhaps it's been taken up in the presence of many in this room before.
So I know that the.
That which enables her want to go against the current.
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The fins involving the movement of the fish through the water rather than being carried along with the current it is.
Was one to go contrary to the term? Well, you know, the current in this world.
And the fashion of this world does change. I know when I say fashion, I'm not talking about this dress.
Although that's involved, but the fashion of this world seems it's eventually going to pass away.
And it does change. And the current, you might say that that operate in this world vary from time to time. And I was thinking of this especially in regard to young people today, perhaps the current.
That are strongly swirling about it. The young people today were not so much prevalent in days past.
That are really morally degrading.
Parents that run counter to even the basic principles of God dealings with man in this world. I'm referring, for instance, to Mary.
The home I'm referring to the very distinction of the section in the beginning. He made them male and female, their parents all around that are seeking to destroy these very elementary principles of God, established of God many years ago and thrill.
Are valid in Christianity.
Well.
The thing would enable young believers, if they're getting the proper food from God from this precious book. And the food is provided here. As Jeremiah said, thy word was found and I did eat it in the word. And if you're feeling on the word of God.
And in the spirit of submission to the Spirit of God, and being part of God from this world, from this precious book.
The proof of God would give you sins, as it were, to go contrary to these curves.
Rather than being swept along with them.
And I do believe that there are many young people that are being more affected by these currents and perhaps they themselves realize.
And I think we need all to take, stop and say, how far have I, how far have I been affected, how much have I been affected by these currents that are about us today?
My ideas about marriage. My ideas about the home. My ideas about, well, even dress that belongs.
Men dress that belongs to the women. How much are my ideas affected by what is current in the world? What is found in the writings of men, roundabouts, and what is even perhaps alluded to is maybe not formally thought in a lot of Christian literature, so-called Christian literature. How much am I affected by this? Or do I derive my thoughts from this book? If you derive them from this book you will be able to go against all of these terms.
And the sales? We know that which you might say, insulate the faith from the element roundabout. And if we are feeding upon the Lord Jesus, the proper food that we have in Deuteronomy 14 and we are being built up constitutionally.
By meditating on this precious book and learning from God through it will have not only the sins to go against the current, but we will be insulated against these these influences. The very atmosphere that's all about it. The atmosphere that's all about it. Well, this is.
In Leviticus 11 we have that which is to be avoided, that is, that which does not lead us against the current of this world.
That which does not insulate us against the environment round about. If it's that kind of food, leave it alone.
It's an abomination.
But here to be occupied with the food that God provides, which will give us the fins and the state. Now turn over the first Peter, Chapter 2.
This perhaps is not such a clear cut distinction from what we've been thinking about, somewhat connected with it the fault of growth through the truth.
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In verse two, we leave here as newborn babes.
Desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.
Well, often this is used in connection with young believers as spoken of as being bathed in Christ.
And I wouldn't quarrel with that all together, but I do think that the proper meaning here is not to be so limited.
You may be young in years and yet have been a believer for a number of years.
You've had life for a number of years, as there many in the room here who have been believers for many years. But this is a verse for each and every one of us.
That we're to be always in this sense, as newborn be, that is, as a newborn babe, as a desire for milk. So we are to have a desire for the word of God. We'd have an appetite for the word of God.
And we're not to lose that appetite.
Even one who has been going on with the Lord for years and has been reading the word of God and meditating on the word of God fifty 60-70 years.
Could be as a newborn baby desiring.
The center amount of the Word. And here again, the thought of the milk of the Word doesn't mean the simple elementary truth that we first come into as we are brought to the Lord.
But the reason the thought of milk is brought in here is that it's that which nourishes and that which causes growth. Just as in a newborn baby, it not only desire for that milk, but that milk produces growth. And so it is in the believer all the throughout the whole of his lifetime.
There should be that desire for the word of God, and there should be growth as a result, always growing. We never come to a point when we cease to grow in the things of God in a spiritual way and moral ways, so we would always have a desire. So I would ask.
And again, especially those who are young, do you have a desire for the word of God? And I suppose there would be many have to say, honestly, not really.
Well, you know, there are things that can dull our desire for the word of God.
When I was first convulsed to the Lord and knew the Lord is my Savior.
Not having been raised in a Christian family and not having been not being familiar with the Bible fact, I didn't have a Bible.
My sister gave me a Bible as a gift.
I had already bought one, but she wanted to give me something as a gift and she wrote in the front of the Bible. Words like this, this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.
And that impressed me at the time and I think that it is a true principle.
That is, that is going on in a in a worldly way, in a simple way, we will find that it will keep us from this book will not have the desire to leave. We'll find that we will, we will neglect this precious book.
Will not desire to be leaving its pages and having God speak to us?
So when he says, as newborn babes desire the central milk of the word, may we be exercised not to have our our desired God, our senses God, by going on with that which is positively ungodly.
So that our desire is, is the age is taken off the desire to read the word of God. But may there be growth.
You know, the important thing with, I would say the young people is not so much.
As to how much ability you might have to stand up in a public way if God gives a fine, and perhaps.
Pray or do things in a public way.
The great thing is that there should be growth, a continual growth from year to year. Can you say that there has been growth this year over last year?
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And we believe the thought of growth is found right here in the first Peter 2 when he says to whom Coming as unto a living stone. In other words, I believe that the growth would mean that we draw closer to the Lord.
And at the same time, farther from the world. That's the direction of growth, hates in the direction of being closer to the Lord and father from the world. I've enjoyed a little incident in the life of Samuel when he was a boy. You remember his mother, Hannah?
Leave him to the.
Service of the Lord as He is given to her according to her desire and prayer.
And he served there under the priesthood of Eli. And it is said in, I think about the third chapter of First Samuel that if he went up year by year, she brought him a little coat.
But he was said year by year she brought him a coat.
Because, you see, every year he grew, because that the child Samuel grew on and as he grew, the coat that he had the year before would not fit for the next year.
In other words, there was there was growth. Every year he was making positive style, Samuel grew on and increased in favor with God and with men.
And that's the thought of growth.
Do you think, can you say that she has made progress in the last year that you feel that there has been growth so that you might save the garments, the waves and have it and outlook and spirit that you had last year, you can look back and say, well there were things I didn't understand then.
And now I know better. There were things I didn't appreciate, but now I do. And perhaps if the Lord leads us here another year, you might be able to say next year that there's been growth too, that you've made progress.
Before the eye of God. And perhaps it's come out too, so that even others might take notice of it. So God would have us to grow. And it's by the Word of God. It's what it says here that you may grow thereby. And it's only the Word of God that will give us truth.
We might be very knowledgeable.
In many things, as far as this world is concerned.
And as our brother, Mission Two says, we know that.
We have to have a certain amount of knowledge of the things in this life that are not necessarily connected with God.
Might be connected with our livelihood.
My profession, I work, whatever it is.
And no doubt, Justin, being in this world, we come into contact of enough with it to know what's going on roundabout.
But none of these things will give us spiritual growth.
And as young people immersed themselves in this study, in this, in their livelihood.
In these various pursuits that might be an R all right in themselves, but to immerse oneself in them will hinder their spiritual growth, But oh God would have us to be in the world leading meditating.
Would be killing the Curse in order that there might be the growth. Now turn over to Revelation.
Chapter 10 and I want to point out perhaps what maybe we haven't noticed before in connection with food.
He's spoken of food as sustaining life and building us up constitutionally.
And food that produces growth, the word of God.
But here we have one eating in verse 10.
I would treat the food he eats.
In view of what we have in verse 11.
Thou must prophecy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and king.
In other words.
He ate in view of bearing testimony.
Bearing testimony for the Lord. Now, I'm not going into the interpretation properly of this chapter. I know it has reference to the processes concerning Israel, and perhaps had it leaked on to the next chapter where we have the two witnesses. But I would like to apply it to those of us today in connection with the testimony of the Lord today.
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There will be a testimony when we're taken out of the world.
There will be a testimony, and it's called the testimony of Jesus too.
Will be in regard to the coming Kingdom and the restoration of Israel.
It will not be. The testimony that we bear today is brought before us in First Timothy 2 That God would have all men to be saved and come under the knowledge of the truth, because the Lord Jesus has given himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. That is, this is the time in which this testimony is going out.
The testimony of God today is in regard to the person and work of His beloved Son. And as we've been reminded in our leaders that not only the cross, the suffering from the cross, but it's resurrection. And I would add something to that, not only resurrection, but it's attention.
He has ascended up into the presence of God, not only resurrected, but ascended, and upon his ascension on high he sent down the Holy Church.
And yet farmed here in this world is true.
His assembly, he said. I will build my assembly so that we can read in First Timothy three of the House of God, the Church of the Living God, the Pillar, and Support of the Truth.
Killer has reference to testimony to finding the Old Testament. On more than one occasion, a pillar was erected as a witness.
So the assembly is connected with the testimony of the Lord. The testimony of the Lord is not only the person and work of Christ, but the fact that he's gone on high and He has established here on earth His assembly.
And that assembly.
Is composed cause of believers, but it's composed of a heavenly company.
And I think that one of the reasons we have.
Resurrection in First Corinthians 15.
It's the show that's a platform of the assembly, as it were. Is resurrection A heavenly company? No. Here on earth, bearing testimony and witness to the Lord Jesus, there are heavenly companies. They're really seen morally as those who have come out of heaven.
And they're going up into heaven to be with the Lord Jesus.
The Lord says there and out of the world, even as I am not of the world.
And then he says, even if my father sent me Even so send I you into the world, morally they're not of the world.
Just as you are. And a sense you might say, the assembly of the church is like the Lord Jesus that just comes down out of heaven.
As a witness in testimony for God and then to be taken up into heaven when it's witness is finished.
Well, I think the thought here is at least what I want to sympathize in connection with this chapter 10 is that in the assimilating of the Word of God, the evening of the word of God taking it in.
The proof of it, learning what God's testimony is, the true character of that testimony.
And the circumstances in which that testimony is found in this world so that we can be effective witnesses.
Sometimes a year or so ago, a young brother.
Gave me a book and asked me to review it.
And to give my father to this book, it was written by a man who is not gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when I picked a book from him, I said well before I read the book.
Because I've read many books in days past before I was gathered by those who are called fundamentalists in the camp.
And I know that they have a lot that is poop and they write things that are true. So I said I anticipate in reading this book that I'll find many things that are true and correct.
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I said I want to ask you without without even reading the book.
I said When you read this book.
Did it have the effect of strengthening you in the place that you occupy outside the camp gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Always says no, there's nothing like that in there.
I said, If you read this book and book like this and had no other teaching, would you understand what the true testimony of the Lord is outside the camp, what the true character of the assembly is, and its order?
And what belongs to it and the confusion that man has brought in, He said. No, I don't think I will.
So do you see? He was not getting food from those rising. That would strengthen him in regard to the testimony of the Lord, because the testimony of the Lord is beyond it, includes would not minimize it, the so-called fundamentals of the faith.
One might hold the virgin birth of Christ, the Deity of Christ. The truth of the Bible is the word of God, the coming of the Lord, and the so-called fundamentals, and still not be in the true character of the testimony of the Lord.
Which brings out, as we find in the scripture, the assembly.
Not only the body of Christ with the House of God, and God has never given that Father.
God has not abandoned his part of the assembly.
Not only is it found in the Word of God, but in his goodness and grace he had this truth revived.
I believe represented by the church in Philadelphia in Revelation 3, it has been revived and restored so that there is a testimony to the fact that the Lord Jesus has His assembly here and the character of that assembly.
What it is I set forth in the word and the circumstances in which it is found as being.
You might save separate entirely from this world, a heavenly company and a company that is associated with himself as a risen and living head well.
Here we see the John Patrick book in order that he might be an effective testimony. No doubt this is taken in figure from a similar thing that we have in the Property Details Chapter 3, which I'm not going to turn to, but I commended you to read. There he was told to eat.
Then he is so the gold and feet that he had to eat first.
And I would say to young people among us that perhaps.
We might sometimes have ideas.
As to.
How things ought to be among us. Perhaps we have ideas sometimes that things need to be altered and changed in such a way that that it would be more in keeping or correspond more to what others do. Roundabouts.
What I would ask you to get those things from the word of God? Or do you get them from association?
And from the writings of those that are not gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
I believe that there could be an exercise that we would feed upon that which will sustain us in the testimony.
Our brother Barry was saying yesterday that if the Lord do not come, there are many here who will not be around but a few years, and those who are younger here whom God would look to to carry on the testimony and.
God would desire that that testimony be carried on according to the precious truth found in the Word, and which has been revived and restored to His beloved people in these last and closing days.
The food is found in the word, but I would just like to say in clothing refer to.
A portion in Matthew Chapter 24.
I'm not going to go in detail, but this would be something I think to exercise even those who are older.
Saint Matthew, Chapter 24.
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Verse 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord has made ruler over his household to give them meat in DC?
The food, as it were, we've been thinking about, is found in the Word of God. Thy word was found, and I did eat it.
And on the other hand we see true that there is.
The thought of the food being provided.
By faithful and wise service.
Being provided, I'm sure that God would have those who are older than our gatherings to be exercised, that they might be able to provide the food.
In this season, for those younger ones in the meeting that need to be through, the Lord commanded that something be given her to eat.
And here we read about those who provided in due season.
And so I would also leave you with this thought that young people we want to be exercised through as to where we get that food.
Because if we get the food in the wrong places, we have to be getting the wrong type of food. Food that will not cause us to grow in separation from the world and in appreciation of the person of Christ. Food that will not build us up constitutionally in order to go against the current of this world and be insulated from its influence.
Food that will not establish us in the testimony.
They want to get it from the right sources as well as those, as I say, to be exercised, that they might provide it for the dear young people.