Reading
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.
And could we all stand as we've seen this hymn of praise?
Look at a passage. I'd like to read a verse in Matthew chapter.
14.
Matthew Chapter 14.
And I'd like to read parts of verses.
We will start with verse 14 of Matthew 14.
Jesus went forth.
And saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion towards them.
When it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place.
Send the multitude away.
Verse 16 But Jesus said.
Give me them to eat.
Verse 17 They say unto him, We had there but 5 loaves and two fishes. Verse 18 he said.
Bring them hit her to me.
Verse 20 they did.
All eat and were filled in verse 21 and they that had eaten were about 5000 men decide women and children could we just continue in prayer?
Our blessed God and our loving Father.
And fish to eat a multitude.
May we?
See. So save the fish, follow me, and I'll make you fishers of men.
Fishers of men, and bread for the soul of thy people. May we feed our souls, have food needful and appropriate for us to feed our souls, and be edified and strengthened.
00:05:20
But God has for man.
Is Christ.
We have latitude 5 loaves and the two fishes may refer to the Old Testament and the New.
Well, God is speaking in these last days in his Son.
And he is seeking to gather people around himself.
The emphasis is on the word of God, whatever it is, Hebrews says.
The Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword.
Piercing is a dividing ascent of soul and spirit, and of the joints and mirror, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And it makes God know.
I would just like to suggest that in a practical way, we take the last chapter of Hebrews instead of the first, going back and referring to the first or any others, because it's so important. The word of God, the word of God, and He's speaking, He's speaking to you, He's speaking to me, and we are in the last days.
And perhaps the last of the last days. But there is a divine center, and there's an expression of it.
And the chapter begins with very simple, practical things. Would it be all right to read the 13th chapter Hebrews?
Edwards, Chapter 13.
Let brotherly love continue be.
Not forgetful to entertain strangers or thereby some have entertained angels, unaware us, remember them that are in bonds, is found with them, and then which suffer adversity as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage is honorable in all the bed, undefiled the ************ and adulterers God will judge, let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have. What He has said. I will never leave thee, nor forsake me, so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear.
What man shall do unto me? Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you, the word of God, whose faith followed, considering the end of their conversation, Jesus Christ the same, yesterday and today, and forever be not carried about the diverse and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with me, which have not prompted them that have been occupied therein. We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat, which serves Tabernacle for the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the High Priest of sin.
Are burned without the cans. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp there and his reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come by him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate, forget not, for such sacrifice as God is well pleased.
Obey them and have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not grief, or that is unprofitable for use. Pray for us, but we trust we have a good conscience and all things willing to live honestly.
Beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you, the sooner now the God of peace that brought again from the dead, our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in your sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom he glory forever and ever. Amen. And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation.
Where I've written a letter on to you in few words, knowing that our brother Timothy is set at liberty. With whom is he? Come shortly, I will see you salute all them that have the rule over you and all the Saints. They have Italy. Salute you. Grace be with you all. Amen.
00:10:26
Perhaps those five loaves and the two fishes.
Referred to in Matthew 14.
Go back to the five books of Moses which begin the Bible.
And pick up the Psalms in the prophets.
The Lord spoke to those two on the way to Emmaus.
Referring to all those books of the Old Testament.
Now this book of Hebrews.
Gives us another speaking and it couldn't be more important.
God in time passed fake unto the fathers by the proudest. The first verse of this book of Hebrews God, who at sundry times, and in diverse manners, and in time fast speak unto the Fathers by the prophets, refers to the Old Testament.
We can use all the books.
When Hebrews is so interesting because it is teaching upon the Old Testament.
And it brings in figures and shadows.
The types.
How wonderful it is to be based in your upbringing and reading the Bible. You get into homes where the scriptures are read every day and always a blessed thing for that home.
You think of Timothy. He came up that way with a godly mother and grandmother. What, in the Old Testament?
Paul was learned in the the law.
Pharisee of the Pharisees have the word of God. Then was.
But we have it. Then we come to the New Testament, that wonderful book of Matthew, the first one.
I just like the 1St 2 words. The book, the book. This is the book. It's the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
So it's Christ. The New Testament is Christ revealed.
Now the book goes on through the Gospels and the Acts.
And the epistles.
Comes down to this last one written by Paul we believe.
Hebrews so interesting that there is no author within the book, so much so that some people couldn't say that was Paul.
But in our chapters, there's enough indication to know that.
And yet.
The word of God tells us more definitely who wrote the book of Hebrews than any book in the Bible, right? Let's go to Peter. The Lord brings it out through Peter.
Peter found what Paul said was hard to be understood.
The last chapter of Second Peter.
Verse 14.
Second, Peter 314. Wherefore, beloved, now that's you, brethren. Here us. Seeing that we look for such things, the prophecies opened up.
We've had much of prophecy opened up amongst the gathered Saints. Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace. Peace. Peace be to the President and love with faith God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. God wants peace.
And God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the Saints.
Be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless, and account.
That the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, that is.
00:15:05
Computer was writing this had been.
4000 Years of history gone When?
We're reading it for 6000 years of history gone.
And that means that God is not hastening to judge. He's not willing that any should perish. So he has spoken to the time pastor, the Father by the prophets in the Old Testament. In the New Testament he used the apostles of prophets.
And Christ was the author of all of it. We're getting more here, even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to be understood.
I'll refer to it 3 words and.
Matthew 15 to help us here.
There in Matthew 15, I've forgotten where you can find it. The three words are here and understand the word is the teaching upon itself. Hear what God says. So much so that when he writes to the churches in Revelation 2 and three, he ends up with He's 1/2 an ear. Let him hear what the fear says to the churches. The Spirit of God uses the word of God.
And.
He has written unto you.
Peter wrote to the.
Dispersion. You might find the word Diaspora used in connection with the remnant of Israel that's brought back to the land over there. Now they're known, the dispersed. Some of them are brought back. Peter wrote to them. James wrote to them.
And Hall wrote to them.
So he was the human author.
But to get this straight.
Hebrews 4.
But tell us who the apostle was.
Hebrews 3.
Hebrews 3 tells us who the apostle was.
That brought this book to us using Paul, who was caught up to the 3rd heaven, to humanly write it, but to keep himself out of it so that we would see Jesus talking to us.
God hath in these last days spoke unto us in sun.
How important the word of God is? All of it. But this book in particular is pointed out so that in the first verse of Hebrews 3. Wherefore, Holy Brethren. And that's you. If you're one of the brethren, you're one of the Holy Brethren.
Partakers of the heavenly calling.
He called us the first hymn we sang today.
He called. He called us out of this place. Aren't you glad you're not going to stay here?
A heavenly calling?
Considered here he is the apostle.
He was the center. He's the apostle That particularly is pointed out as giving us Christ speaking from heaven. This wonderful truth which is teaching upon the Old Testament. Well, that's kind of an introduction, but isn't it kind of shocking to get what we get in the beginning of Hebrews 13?
Why would we need to be told?
Let brotherly love continue.
Way of introduction to what we've been given that this is actually the last word of God addressed to these Christian Hebrews.
The epistle James has been referred to.
As you know, it was written to the 12 tribes, so there we have a mixture.
In that first voice that God spoke to the people.
A mixture of that which is distinctly Jewish. Some of the things that I could apply only to a mixed multitude.
00:20:07
And that's God's first voice.
The Epistle.
The epistles appear as has been pointed up, were written to the.
Dispersion. But it's to the sanctified that are in Christ Jesus.
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God. So this is written as a second voice of God to the people.
To those who are truly the Lords.
Sanctified unto the sprinkling of the blood, and the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of God.
And now we come to this last epistle, the last voice of God.
In which the Christian Hebrews are addressed.
To finalize the thought of separating their minds from an earthly religion and transferring their minds, be occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ and to see.
The transition is complete at the church.
Is not an extension of Judaism the Lord Jesus Christ as head and the body here?
Is superior to every facet of Judaism.
We know from the Epistle to the Galatians that to bring that Judaism back into the assembly is enough dudlock and adulteration of the truth. So here God is speaking lastly to the Hebrews to move their thoughts from the earthly religion to that heavenly company that have been joined to the Lord by the Holy Spirit. And so we pass through.
The Epistle to see that the Lord Jesus Christ is superior to every aspect of that earthly religion. Superior to angels, superior to Moses, superior to Aaron.
Superior to Melchizedek and on and on the Lord Jesus Christ that in everything he might have the first place.
And then we come to the chapter in which.
The Spirit of God has directed us to take up and we have at the very end after proving the superiority of Christianity.
The admonition based on the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ above everything else, that is, that we have an altar, the Lord Jesus Christ, the one we worship.
At which altar those who serve the Tabernacle have no right to eat, The end of Judaism, The beginning of worship in the Spirit and in truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And if there is to be introduced those elements of Judaism, they have absolutely no place.
Because at that altar worshipping of the Lord Jesus Christ who became the center.
Has no place in Christianity. And so finally and then end of our chapter that was read, we have at the heart should be established in grace and not meat. Meets in that category, referring to all the sacrifices and sensual exercises embodied in Judaism. So the last word of God to these Hebrews is let us go forth unto Him.
Without the camp he was He was crucified outside of that system, and his crucifixion was the end of it all. Now we go forth unto Him, where the heart established in grace, and not in physical things that embodied in the whole system of Judaism.
I think there are seven reasons in the next versus number. Verse #2, Verse two has to do with hospitality. Verse three has to do with compassion. Verse four has to do with purity. Verse five has to do with contentment. Verse six has to do with confidence.
Verse seven has to do with obedience. Verse eight has to do with our example, the Lord Jesus. And the basis for all of that, for every one of us in this room, is that brotherly love continues. What, may I say it this way to each of us here, whether young or old. What good is it for me to talk about compassion and purity and love, as in vital and important as those things are, if that essential root of brotherly love?
00:25:16
Concern and love for one another, which is what Christ wants in our hearts. That's what he desires for us. If that's lacking, how will I? How will I go on and talk about and make much of these other things? I'm not beginning at the right place. If there's no brotherly love there, these following things are going to be difficult to be worked out in my life. And so for the beloved young people too, if you're going to go forward and enjoy the blessings that God has for you, and all of these things are important in your lives.
Let it start with brotherly love. Let you let it be.
That that is seen practically in your life. And beloved brethren for all of us, Let it be seen practically in our lives that there's love for the brethren as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. What an example that ought to be in our lives. And then these wonderful things that come before us will be practically worked out as they ought to be in our lives.
This book doesn't indicate A practical application of that which God has wrought in our hearts. Every child of God here is a recipient of divine love.
And if that's not for an exercise, we can get very careless. We can get, we can forget. And so it's it's interesting that it begins. Let brotherly love continue. We can't say that about divine love. Divine love will never, never cease. It will always be the same because it comes from the heart of God himself. And I'll tell you the exercise for us, isn't it? Let it continue. Sometimes it doesn't. And there's where our failures are. That's why we're not always happy. We're not always on the mountain top, if you will.
We let brotherly love fade away. We see their faults, We see their things that come into their lives. We accuse. Well, I believe it's nice to remember that God's love has come to us without let or hindrance.
Is divine love and divine love and brotherly love flows out from a divine love, doesn't it, when there's a comment?
Important to go back and see what has been previously said. And so if we go back into the 12Th chapter of Ways, we guess words like this in in verse 15, looking diligently, lest any man fail, of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled. And so perhaps when we get something like that, then we go on into this chapter and it says now let brotherly love continue.
We have a verification to the family about what we're talking about, it says there in the third chapter.
And it's been a verse number.
Hereby we know.
That we have passed from death and alike. Thank you. We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. That's the verification of it, brethren. And if you want to test your faith, just read that verse because that's the character of the family. But sometimes we get out of the character of the family and that's why we need to have that thought of walking with the Lord Jesus and communion day by day. And that's why in the first chapter it says Fatima sins.
And what is the what is the issue there that we confess our sins? And one of those sins is when I have an evil thought in my heart.
And I have to put this in brackets. It's very easy to have it because that's kind of a heart that I have. I have a nature that has all of those attributes of the flesh, and we get the list of them. In the 5th chapter of Galatians, the works of the flesh are manifest. Which are these With all There's another work, and that's the work of the Spirit of God. And what is it? That's the work of the Spirit of God. Hereby we know, or it says that in verse 14 we know, that we have passed from death and the light because we love the brethren.
He that loveth not his brother Abiath and death we get John speaking in absolutes here. There's some things that we get are absolute. And it's good that you and I know how absolute we are in Christ when we have that love flowing out. And that's natural for every believer. A brother said to me just recently, he says, you know, brother, I love you. I said you can't help it. You know he can't help it because he's got a new nature that's it's the carriage of that love. But you know, still we need the admonition to let the brother in love continue because there's so many snares that the enemy would want to put in our way.
00:30:15
And one of them is the accuser of the brethren. And you know what the accuser of the brethren says to you in your ear when you first saved? You're not saved. You're not saved. You ask any new believer after he gets saved. And I've asked a lot of my say, well, you've had it pretty tough the last few days, haven't you? And he said, how did you know? I said, well, when I got saved, the first thing that happened was Satan wanted to tell me that God didn't love me, that I was a hypocrite, and all of the big long lists that Satan would use against the people of God.
The accuser of the president is still around, but one day is going to be put away for good.
To his accusers in the 7th of acts it comes down to the end and says.
Ye have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
Then they took up some of the stone. Now the law was given by the disposition of angels. The Old Testament came in that power. So there are 12Th chapter takes that up. But the emphasis I think we ought to get here is who is saying these things to you? Who is saying these things to me back in the 12Th chapter?
Verse.
25 That he refused, not him, that speaketh. Then he goes back and picks up what Stephen was saying, more or less.
For if they escape not, who refused him that spake on earth.
Much more shall not be escaped if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.
The law is given by the dispositions to a people here on the earth for an earthly test.
But that broke down completely because.
They didn't do what the law said.
But God bore with them, and Lenny sent praise to them.
So that this verse says.
If they refuse, if they escape, not who refuse him, that's fake on Earth.
Much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven. Now this is Christ, and particularly it's Christ in Paul's ministry for the Apostle, the 11 of them.
Got their Gospels and their teaching from Christ on earth.
And that was the beginning.
But Paul was caught after the third ever.
And he got his ministry not from the apostle, he got it from Christ in heaven. So what he's referring to here is him that speaketh from heaven is Pauls ministry.
And in particular, it's this epistle where Christ is put as the apostle.
So we can think Now these things are said to us not by angels, but by the Lord.
Let's go ahead and read here in 26, whose voice then shook the earth. Well, that was demonstrated.
But now he has promising yet once more I shaken off the earth only, but also heaven.
He's referring to another shaky and that's coming, that's getting closer. And it's not water this time, it's fire, he goes ahead and tells us.
And this word yet once more signifies the removing of those things that are shaken. I heard they had a big earthquake in Bolivia yesterday. I guess we ought to pray for a brother down there. I haven't heard anymore, but God shakes the earth once in a while. Let's just feel it.
As of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain, wherefore we receiving a Kingdom.
Now this is crazy cable which cannot be moved.
This is the stone cut out of the mountain without half. It comes and shuts down the four great gentile power and Christ Millennial Kingdom will come along. We must be getting close to this. It's a great thing to rejoice in the fact that Jesus is God's King.
00:35:16
He's the Messiah.
He is determined to put him upon his holy hill of Zion, who is over there now.
Do they have peace? I think it's so interesting to notice what's happened around Jerusalem and the multitude of the ethnic groups that are there that don't agree and can't agree and can't settle out anything because York is the only one that can and he'll bring in that Kingdom. We receiving a Kingdom which cannot be removed. Let us have grace, dear Brett. He brings us right down to the very beginning of everything.
Great and grace and the Kingdom that's going to go on forever and ever.
Whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and God with fear. You know you can do that.
Because it's in the book.
Serves God, not yourself. Not exactly.
Creatures, although serving God, except they must with reverence and godly fear, takes in everything. Then he gives one more warning. Our God is a consuming fire. He goes back and refers to the judgment.
That comes from God now, he says.
Let brother love continue. It's there. It couldn't continue. Let it continue. In spite of everything. Oh, brethren is said to us because we need it. Then he takes up. I'm so glad to hear what Doug gave us on those verses. You want to give it to us again, Doug? I've forgotten those things.
Right.
Much more, but I just enjoyed, as when I was sitting here, that verse two in general has the thought of hospitality. Verse three has the thought of compassion. Verse four at the thought of security. Verse 5 the thought of content. Verse 6 the thought of confidence. Verse 7 the thought of obedience, and verse 8 the enjoyment of the example, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was perfect in all of those things, and it seems like those are things that we certainly.
Need very much today to apply in every.
One of our lives, wherever we are, young or old, for those who are elderly, these things, those who are young, those who are middle-aged, each of us need to apply these things in our lives.
In you means that it is there to begin with, and I found it helpful, brethren, to realize that there's two words in the original that are used when it's Speaking of love. Here it is phileo love.
The other word is agape love, which has been referred to in First John chapter 3, but they're very closely associated. The Leo love is the love of mutual appreciation, and that ought to be always there, brethren. Sometimes it gets stopped up like was mentioned, and we need the exhortation to let it flow and off times in the scripture you'll find the two put right together.
Let me refer to one in First Thessalonians 4 that speaks of the both in one verse. I found it kind of helpful to see that they're put together.
First, Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 9 as touching brotherly love. That's what we're speaking about. The fileo love you need not that I write unto you semi colon or colon.
For ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. There's the agape love, so they're put right together. And sometimes I hear the complaint.
In that assembly, there's no love.
If that's the case, the person who complaints is the first one guilty because.
Agape love is love that loves when there's nothing lovable, and so the two things go together. There should be that outflow, that mutual appreciation one of another at all times. But if there isn't that, Peter says in his epistle.
00:40:02
Amongst other things, to your faith, add brotherly love. And to brotherly love, add love. The two things go together, and I think it's so helpful to see you and I have a nature that is capable of loving the most unlovely person. That's the nature you have if you're born of God, but how important it is, brethren, to seek to.
Find ways to let that flow and as it's been mentioned in the verses that follow.
Very practical channels in which we can.
Show our love one to another, brother. There needs to be that. That's what's characteristic of Christianity. The Lord Jesus said By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples. If you have love one to another, he says this is my command. He doesn't say this is a suggestion.
This is my command that you love one another.
As I have loved you. And I love that brethren, because the Old Testament commanded them to love their neighbor as themselves. In other words, in the Old Testament love, the reference point was myself. How much do I love myself? I love my neighbor in that same measure. But in the New Testament, the reference point is completely changed.
It's no longer myself in the picture at all. What is the reference point? The Lord Jesus Christ, as I have loved you. How much did He love us, brethren? He loved us all the way to Calvary, brothers, all the way through that cross right into death.
And even death could not quench that love. That's the love, brethren, that now ought to flow, ought to be evident in our lives. And it has been a serious challenge and and something that's made me search my heart rather than that in John's writings 7 times over we have the definite command to love one another. Isn't that amazing?
It's there, but we're commanded to. Why? Because I think it's just has been said. It's too easy to let the flow of love get stopped up.
That verse last night, I believe John 13, the first verse. I'll just read it now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of this world. And to the Father having loved his own, which were in the world, I understand it's really truly having loved his own which were in the world. He loved them through everything.
I like that. I think that's beautiful, to think that God's love will never be deterred by our failures.
But we need to be reminded of this. That's why we have the verse before us, to let it continue.
Better to buy, and I've enjoyed it, that when we go home to heaven, that faith and hope are going to cease, that love will abide. And so the flow of this love among the Lord's people certainly gives us to breathe the very atmosphere of heaven. And I often think of the Lord looking down on us and giving us what it's going to be like to be in heaven.
But he's asking us this morning, what is it like on earth? Should it be any different than what it's going to be there? Let it abide.
At the early history of Brethren I was just reading a little history back in the early 1800s that the public testimony to the Brethren from others was one that of of a great understanding and great knowledge of the word of God, great ability to.
Be expositors of the word of God. And that's wonderful. And there certainly was love connected with that.
But in the end of the age, we've been reminded through various comments that have been said and through prayers, we're just on the on the border of being called into the presence of the Lord Jesus. Any any moment, literally we could be called into the presence of our Lord Jesus and perhaps we have to hang our heads. But we also have to say that what characterized the brethren publicly in those early days certainly doesn't necessarily characterize today in terms of great knowledge and.
00:45:25
Wisdom and great gift and great ability. But great love often characterizes, and whether it's the beginning of the working of the spirit of God, or whether it's in the very end, there ought to be no change in the love. That character Isis, as a people gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, ought to characterize his collectively, and it also characterizes individually.
I'd like to say too, that, brethren, the Lord help us.
To not focus on what we are because that will not propagate the flow of love. It's focusing on, as we've had mentioned here in these meetings already, the glorious person of God's beloved Son. That's what's going to make a bright testimony sometimes. I've said we ought not to try to be a testimony. We ought to be.
Occupied with God's glorious man.
The Lord Jesus Christ. Then we will be a testimony, a proper testimony, but not occupied with what we are. It's true we can look at things like you mentioned Doug and I don't think that's wrong. But we need to be careful not to be introverted and looking at ourselves, because that will stop up the flow of love faster than anything else, perhaps.
I had an old brother.
Young never cry to love God more than you do. Just be occupied with His love for you because.
Love begets love. Turn to God, Focus on him, on Craig. That's where this epistles focus very much.
Versus that we've been referring to here, as her brother Doug has already mentioned, but in verse 8, the practical application of that which God has imparted to us or given us the liberty and even the power to exercise in these verses, it ends this little section ends with those that precious verse Jesus Christ.
As you're saying, brother, it's the person of Christ, isn't it? If if I'm occupied with that blessed man, then there's going to be an outflow. There's going to be a flowing out. Not because I'm trying to gender up something, that's not it, but it's just occupation with the person of Christ, and it flows out. And so these these things that brought me have been brought before us in these verses 7 through 7 here. And the end there is Jesus Christ, because he's always the same. We're not the same.
Change, but he changes not so he's the same yesterday. When was that?
When you got saved, wasn't it yesterday and today, right now, Not tomorrow, right now, today. But it's going to go on forever, isn't it? So I think it's so beautiful to put those verses together and to see the focus is on the person of Christ because he's always the same. And how. What an expectation this is to my own heart.
To think that I'm not that way and I need these expectations. I need to be reminded over and over again.
Verse.
Five as a promise on these points.
The last part of it.
I will never leave thee nor forsake now. This is the one who is the same.
And the first time that that promise is given, I think, is Genesis 26. Let's look back and see if we can find it, because it means a lot when we see who.
The Lord said that to the first time.
It's a person that some of us are quite a bit like him.
00:50:01
Genesis 26.
Somewhere here?
We find that promise.
Thank you.
First verse? Which verse?
2624.
2624.
Abraham appeared unto him the same night, and said.
4.
Somebody else reads it. I don't see it.
The Lord is here. I've had the same night that I am the God of Abraham, thy father.
Fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee and multiply thy seed my for my servant Abraham sake.
Jacob 28th chapter, is it not in verse 15, I believe. Perhaps that's the verse you're referring to.
I'll read the Genesis 28.
Verse 15.
And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places where there's outgoers, and I will bring thee again.
Into this land. For I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. Now that's still to be fulfilled in his fullest. God has that people in view. And if Jacob couldn't drive the Lord away and make him give up, neither can we. So he tells us that promise in our chapter. I will never leave thee, nor for safety. It means a lot when you see.
Who that was said to the first time, and that's still a promise that we complain.
There's something very lovely.
We leaving for safe If two folks are walking down the street, companions, friends enjoying fellowship together, it may be possible that one of them will get tired of the of the companionship of the other and will leave. That's one thing we can just sometimes decide. We just don't want to be around someone and so we leave them. But if I forsake somebody, I'm walking down the street with them and I see a huge angry dog, for instance.
Artists, that looks like he's going to do damage. If I forsake my friend, I run away because danger is coming. Well, it's beautiful, isn't it? The Lord will never tire of our company and the Lord will never leave us when we have a problem. And brother, in the practical aspect of that is brotherly love continues. We're going to treat our brethren that way. We're not going to tire up them and say I don't want to walk with this company anymore. I don't want to walk with you anymore. I'm just tired. I just don't enjoy this. No, that's not the heart of Christ. Let brotherly love continue.
And our brother and I, each one of us, we have times in our life of real stress and problems, and we need our brother not to forsake us then and love won't forsake. Love is going to say I'm going to find some way to seek to come in and be a help and an encouragement in this time when there's a need that my brother has. So the Lord Jesus will never leave us or forsake us in a brotherly love continues. We won't do this, and we will, in some measure at least, not leave or forsake our brethren either.
Because when we get on into the verses that follow, let us go forth therefore unto him.
Without the.
Bearing his reproach.
Or in our experience as brethren, in our own hearts, we have found this so easy to give up. And it was what the Lord charged Ephesus with in Revelation 2, showing his feelings. I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first life. Doesn't say that they lost it, they just left.
And it's a.
00:55:01
These are cardinal things. We're coming to the witness that God has in the world today, at the last days.
Are you and I going to stay with the Lord in the outside place and bear His Republic and enjoy his company, or are we going to drift away?
Five, the particular exhortation is about covetousness. We're living in a world of tremendous materialism, and the American Dream is to have everything you want, and that'll satisfy you. But that is not the remedy.
Isn't that wonderful, brother, That the remedy of being our lives? Because conversation really means.
Manner of life being without covetousness, always wanting something more and something more. The whole American.
Way of life seems to be based on that system of approach and thinking. What is it? It's to be content. Oh, contentment is a beautiful thing when it's there. Content with what you have right now. Yes, that's what it says. Why? Because he has said I will never leave you nor forsake you. And when we have him with this, there is not need to satisfy the heart of things.
This world, in fact, brethren, I think those of us who have had the privilege of traveling to third world countries and seeing some of our brethren that are poor in this world in general, I can say that they're much more happy than Americans are. Why? Happiness does not consist in having a bunch of things. Happiness is the enjoyment of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. With us. We have hearts.
That are made-up in such a fashion that they cannot be satisfied with anything in this world. They are made-up in such a way that they can only be satisfied with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and He's always with us.
We need to, really.
Really come down sometimes I've heard people say. I just feel the Lord has forsaken me. I don't feel that He's with me. Brethren, it's not a matter of feelings, it's a matter of what he says. You're going to believe your feelings. They're pretty topsy, Jersey, and you're going to be upside down sometimes. Believe what God says in His word, he says.
I will never leave you nor forsake you. Face your life on what God says. It never changes. He will always be there, even when you feel like he isn't. He's right there for you. Oh, it's a tremendous to for young people to get a hold of these things because we are in a difficult world. And in the next verse it says we may boldly say.
Oh, I love that the confidence of that the Lord is my helper. I will not fear what man shall do.
This is apart from our chapter, but according to what you've been saying, Brother Bob, years ago, Brother Alicon came to the Chicago conference. That was the first time I ever met him and he was asked to speak to the young people. Now I made these. Others may have heard this too. He was asked to speak to the young people at Chicago conference.
So he is first he gave out to him and he prayed, and now he said before I say anything.
I want to tell you young people from the US and Canada that your brethren in Oaxaca are praying for you, that your prosperity doesn't take you away from the Lord. I'll never forget that comment as long as I live, because that was his first comment. Marvelous to think of that. All living in mud huts down there and they're enjoying the Lord. But he said, your prosperity is going to take you away from the Lord.
Interesting.
For at first, but I was just thinking about entertainment is it's a wonderful way to get to know our brethren.
Sometimes treat our brethren like boss because we store things in the basement tomorrow, beach toys or gardening tools. And we said, I know what's in that box. You really get to know the brethren that we can love them and we can take up with them the way they are. But in this it goes on then to say remember them that are in bonds and we're living in a day when we want to escape suffering at all costs and we're living in ease of every kind and just to avoid suffering. And it's good to remember those that are in bonds and those that suffer.
01:00:31
You were not ashamed of Paul because he suffered for the truth. And we feel that the pathway of truth is going to mark on a pathway that is not connected with suffering. And we're going to get into trouble and many of our troubles as believers, if we try to escape a pathway of suffering, to show fellowship with those that have suffered for the truth, to stand with them to those that have suffered in the body too, Perhaps you can't understand directly why will really foster brotherly love and understanding.
And then we see what is in the world today is there's a giving up of marriage. It's everywhere, all over the world, especially the Western world. People don't bother to get married anymore. And what you have is on bridal blocks. It's the desire for law, but not in the way that God is intended. And it's a wonderful thing.
When you see what's going on, young couples getting married and having children and raising families in the world, even in the Christian world, is a despised thing, they say, how can you raise children in a world like this? But just to go on for God and the way that God has established from the very beginning without a need, you see that the world's giving up that. And so now we have great unsatisfied desires and lusts in the world because they want that law, but it's not in the way that God is intended.
And so God has given a channel, even in the natural sense, for the fulfillment of the desire of these things. But I believe we have a pattern for these things here, that we might enjoy these things in the very last days of the Church here on earth.
Fatality that sometimes we think will, that involves preparing a meal for those that would we would invite into our house. So I'd like to suggest that it doesn't necessarily involve a meal. And sometimes we're robbed of fellowship because we have that thought in our minds. And I believe that hospitality is an invitation to come into the house to enjoy fellowship together.
And some of the sweetest times that I've enjoyed is for an old sister that wants to prepare but she can't. But she wants a visit, and you go in there and you can hardly get away for the happy time that you enjoy together. And so I believe, if we can be relieved of this, that we'll find that a meal is easier to get afterward when our hearts are filled with heavenly things where the Lord Jesus Christ.
I just wanted to interject that as we speak of hospitality, I wonder if this is speaking about Abraham. He seemed to understand who his guests were when they came to visit him in the 18th chapter of Genesis, but this says some unaware.
At this point, I feel there's an apology called for.
Due to a blunder of mine, I missed the last five minutes of this Reading meeting.
Which I felt wasn't a very nice ministry and wish I had not missed it, but I did.
I did, however, take a few notes.
And I'll try and give briefly the gist of what was brought forth.
And we're speaking on Hebrews 13 four.
Which is kind of a delicate subject for a public meeting, but I really appreciated the way.
They spoke of it.
It was wholesome and yet firm and kind.
They compared the intimate relationship of marriage with fire and water.
Both are very useful in their proper place.
The fire We heat our homes.
And there's many other useful purposes.
Water, likewise water is used to generate electricity in many cases.
And it's nice to have in our faucets.
But when those two elements that out of control.
All right, about to act outside of their proper bones.
01:05:02
Destruction comes in.
I compare that with the intimate relationship of marriage.
When there is transgression in this matter.
The Shall I tell you the bad reputation?
The.
Sticks with the person.
To some extent, all their lives.
That's very sad.
I think that is about the gist of what was said, but I can't begin to.
Give the feeling in which it was said.
It was very helpful and.
Awesome. And I feel that so very needful thing in this being which we live.
I trust that we'll make up a little bit for what we missed.