Address—J. Brereton
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There are a number of passages I would like to turn to this afternoon, and I would like to begin by looking at the 40th Psalm for a few moments.
Tom, 40.
And verse 2.
He brought me up.
Also out of an horrible pit.
Out of the Miley clay and set my feet upon a rock.
And establish my going. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praised unto our God.
Our brethren, this is true of everyone of us here this afternoon.
That belonged to Christ.
We can say with thankful hearts, he has brought me up out of a horrible pit out of the miery clay and set my feet upon a rock.
You know, it's one thing to lift someone out of a pit.
But in order to bring someone out of a pit, it's necessary to go down into the pit.
And this is exactly what the Lord Jesus did. He came to us where we were.
He came down in all the depths to which we in which he found us.
And their beloved brethren, He picked us up and brought us up out of the horrible pit.
Out of the miry clay.
And not only has he brought us up.
By coming down where we were and picking us up and bringing us up, but he has given us an unshakable standing before God. He has set our feet upon a rock.
And established our goings. No Fear of falling back into the pit. No, beloved brethren, we stand this afternoon on Christ as a rock from which we cannot fall, where our standing is guaranteed to us.
Because it is founded upon Christ.
And then we find that he tells us that he has put a new song.
Into our mouths even pray unto our God, not he will put it in, but he has. When he brought us up out of the pit, when he put us in that standing before God, where our feet were upon a rock, He gave us a song to sing, and that song was a song of pray.
Of Thanksgiving and praise to the God who so loved us, that at the cost of the suffering and death of his own Son, would bring us up out of a horrible pit.
And yet, brethren, when we meditate upon these things, do we not wonder sometimes why it is that our hearts aren't constantly full of the new song? Why is it that we're not singing all the time?
You know, sometimes we see little children and we hear them singing and the thought has come home to my own heart and hearing my own children sing.
Why is it that my heart isn't constantly full of thought, brethren? Is it my standing? No, it can't be. That's upon a rock. Can it be the question of whether I've been brought up or not?
No Christ has done that. He has set my feet upon a rock. He has given me this new song to sing and to you, beloved brethren. In other words, He has appointed us that we should be singing praise constantly to the One who has thus established us upon the rocks.
When we turn over to the 13th of Hebrews, it speaks there. But let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.
The fruit of our lips giving thanks unto his name and yet.
We turn over to the 42nd Psalm for a moment. We find such a change in the 42nd Psalm and the fifth verse.
The question is asked, Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
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Who was it that brought us up over the horrible pit? Was it not the work of God?
Who was it? Who was it that established us upon? The rock, the work of God? Who is it that put the new song into our mouths, the work of God? Now the question comes, Why art thou cast down? Why is it, brethren, that when this is our standing, and this is what God has done? Why is it that there are times when we are cast down, when we must ask, if we're honest with ourselves, like the psalmist of old, why?
Art thou cast down?
O my soul, and why art thou disquieted?
In me, why is it that we are troubled and distressed and upset?
Beloved brethren, why the word of God says Hope thou in God?
Was it because we were counting upon someone else? Perhaps we were disappointed with some of our loved ones. Perhaps we were disappointed with some of our brethren. Perhaps someone has said something or done something that has come and upset me. Why?
God was the one who put the song into my mouth. God was the one who had, at such a cost, brought me up out of the horrible pit. All beloved brethren, we should be indeed singing that song of praise to God continually. Well, what I would like to look at this afternoon, Lord willing, is a few of the things that God has given us in His word that would encourage us to lift up our hearts, lift up our eyes. Would you turn with me first of all to the 14th chapter of Genesis?
Genesis Chapter 14.
And the 14th of Genesis, chapter 13 and the 14th verse.
And the Lord said unto Abraham, after that Lot was separated from him.
Lift up thou thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward, and eastward, and westward, for all the land which thou seest. To thee will I give us and to thy seed forever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it, and in the breadth of it.
For I will give it unto thee.
Here we find God speaking to Abraham.
And he's encouraged to lift up his eyes, and behold what God had for him. I will give it thee. And so he's told to look and look the northward and southward, and eastward and westward, and beloved brethren. The higher he looked, the greater was the expanse that he could see. What God had purposed was to be the portion of Abraham.
As his descendants and beloved brethren, God would speak to my heart, and to yours too, That we might do just that, you know. I remember.
Years ago, when I was a very young man, I heard a poem that had stuck with me. It sounds a little humorous perhaps, but I believe it conveys a point for us. The poem goes something to the effect that two men looked out through prison bars, the one saw mud and the other saw stars. You know, they were both looking out, but one was looking up and the other was looking down and all he could see was the mud, but the other one could look out and see the star.
So why? Because of the direction in which he was looking. That's why Abraham was encouraged to lift up his eyes and look.
And all beloved brethren, how God would have us do, that He has expressed in his precious words, laid out for us all the blessings that he has for us, Blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Might I not well ask myself, why art thou cast down? O my soul? Why is it that I find things that disquiet me when God has so richly blessed me?
And has invited me to lift up my eyes and see what God has given me.
Abraham was invited to lift up his eyes, and then he was invited to walk throughout the length of it and the breadth of it all. Beloved brethren, is that what we're doing? Are we walking throughout the length and breadth of it, or are we finding that our eyes aren't lifted very high? If you go back in the chapter to the 10th verse, it says Lock lifted up his eyes and be hailed all the plain of Jordan.
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Lift up his eyes very far. All he could see was the plain of Jordan, And it says that it was well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
You know for those of us beloved brethren here that our parents, I believe this verse should search our hearts.
Who was it that gave Lot a taste of Egypt?
It was Abraham. It was Abraham who took lock down into Egypt.
And now, when the choice comes, Luck doesn't get his eyes any higher than that which looked like what he had already been given a taste of.
And the result was that when he made his choice, his eyes didn't get any higher than the plane.
And he chose that which Abraham had already given him a taste of the land of Egypt.
That which was like Egypt and all, beloved brethren, can I say without offending anyone.
How careful we should be as parents that we might not have in our home, that we might not have before our children, that which is going to put Egypt into their hearts.
Because if we do, we should not be surprised if when they come to make their own choice.
They don't choose more of what you and I have already given them a taste for.
This is what Lost is well to lift up our eyes and to behold the plain.
Is not lifting up the eyes very high, and furthermore the Spirit of God records something else.
It says beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere.
Before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, Locke was looking at a scene.
That was already under judgment.
He was looking at it before the judgment fell, but it was already under judgment.
And beloved brethren, that's just what this whole world is. It lies under condemnation. The judgment is waiting to be executed.
Are we going to give to our children? Are we going to feed them in any way that which is all under judgment? All. May the Lord preserve us from that beloved presence. May the Lord preserve us from us, and give us to do like Abraham. Lift up our eyes to the length and the breadth of the the northward and the southward and the eastward and the westward of what the Lord was giving him. You know what's striking to notice?
That lot.
Shows the well watered claim the Lord never gave them to him.
Abraham lifted his eyes up and saw the Lord gave that to Abraham. He just had to walk through the length and breadth of it and enjoy it. And so it is, beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. Satan may hold out some attractions in this world. He may hold out the attractions of popularity, of fame, perhaps even of wealth to some. To our young people to seek to entice them away. That's as high as luck times got.
But God never gave back to Lot. Lot shows that he went in out and took it. But what was a gift from God to Abraham was what he saw when he lifted up his eyes. And there in the mountains with God, he found that every good gift was from above.
Now, would you turn with me to the 37th chapter of Isaiah for a moment?
Isaiah Chapter 37.
And the last part of verse 4.
Wherefore, lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.
Lift up thy prayer for the remnants that is left.
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And now if you turn with me to the Book of Psalms again for a moment, the 121St Psalm.
Psalm 121 and verse one.
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my health.
My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven.
And Earth.
You know, beloved brethren, God has a remnant.
And we find that the word of God would encourage us to lift up our prayer for the remnants that is left.
And so it is today. We are not able in any way to boast of numbers.
We're not able to boast in any way of great strength, great gift, nothing that we can boast in at all, just the remnants.
But all beloved brethren, are we lifting up our prayer. Lifting up our prayer to God.
For the remnants that is left, or do we find ourselves, And I say this to my own heart.
Do we find ourselves despising the day of small things? Do we find ourselves, perhaps despising that little company, that little testimony gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Or do we find ourselves brethren? Instead of lifting up our prayers for the remnant that is left, we find ourselves criticizing our brethren, criticizing them, finding fault, thinking that there are things that are wrong.
And there may well be finding that we want to talk about their failures instead of beloved brethren lifting up, lifting up. Not talking down, but lifting up our prayers for the remnants that is left.
I remember a brother pointing out to us many years ago.
That as far as we know, there is only one failure of an Old Testament St. recorded in the New Testament.
And that's recorded in the book of Romans, where we find that Elijah.
We are told he made intercession against Israel, made intercession before God against Israel, and God recorded that failure in the New Testament. All beloved brethren, if we only had eyes that would see our brethren in Christ.
We would only see Christ in them. We would find ourselves more and more. And I speak for myself.
Lifting up our prayer for the remnant that is left crying to God for the little testimony.
Gathered to his name, seeking that our brethren might be encouraged to go on in the path of faith, and be preserved and kept.
All that my language might do, just that, that our language might build them up.
We find it says in the 121St Psalm that I will lift up mine eyes unto the hill. You have to get your eyes up pretty high. You're going to look up to the hill. From whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth. Where else were we expecting the help from? Oh, you know, if we get our eyes only up part way, we start looking for help from things around them.
We looked and perhaps expect that we can get the help that we need.
From our brethren, or perhaps from some other human resource, and the result is present that we then get discouraged.
But when we lift up our eyes to the hill, when we see that our help comes from the Lord.
Who made heaven and earth then? Beloved brethren, we are never disappointed. We are never disappointed. We are never frustrated. We are never disquieted, my soul. It never gets cast down. When I find myself looking to the Lord who made heaven and earth. You turn with me now to the 4th chapter of Acts for a moment.
We find there in connection with this same passage.
The 4th chapter of Acts in the 23rd verse.
And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord thou art God, which hath made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is.
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The 29th verse And now Lord, behold their threatening, and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word by stretching 4 Thine hand to heel, And that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child or servant Jesus.
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Of the 121St Psalm says, I will look up, lift up mine eyes unto the hills. From whence cometh my health? My help cometh from the Lord who made heaven and earth. Well, here we find the apostles acting on that very scripture. Here it is. They've been threatened, and what do they do? They lift up their eyes to the Lord. And with one voice they say, Thou art the one who made heaven and earth. Now who is this to threatening?
Do you remember how if we had taken the time to read that passage in the 37th chapter of Isaiah?
We have Sennacherib who is coming up against Hezekiah and he sends his threatening letters.
To Hezekiah, telling him all that he's going to do. And what is Hezekiah do? He takes the letters and he goes in and spreads it out before the Lord. And what he says to the Lord is Lord, Do you see what Sennacherib is saying to you? That's what he says it. As far as Hezekiah was concerned, it wasn't his battle, it was between Sennacherib and the Lord. And he says he asked if the Lord hears what's an acrid is saying unto the Lord. And the Lord sends a message back by Isaiah saying, indeed, I have heard.
And then he tells Hezekiah exactly what he's going to do. And so it is brethren here, at a time when these children of Israel that have now become Saints of God in Christ Jesus, that now belong to Christ, Here they are at a crisis. They have been brought before the Council. They have been threatened. They have been told not to speak of this name again. What do we do under such circumstances? They go and cry to the one who made heaven and earth. They lift up their eyes to the hills, and they find that the one who made heaven and earth could shake the building where they were.
And fill their hearts with courage and with boldness that they might speak the words that the Lord had given them to speak. All beloved brethren again, God has written these things and recorded them so that we might be encouraged, that we might lift up our hearts, that we might lift up our voices with one accord. With one accord. In the book of First Timothy, chapter 2, it says that I will that all. I'm not going to quote it right to alternative.
In one Timothy 2 and verse eight I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrong, and doubting without, raw, no enmity in the heart toward anyone. All beloved brethren, may it be still toward anyone, and without doubting, just confident of the Lord's power, that the Lord is able to lift up our hands.
Lifts up our hands to lift up as the scripture says there that we might pray without ceasing, that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting brethren. Is there a trouble difficulty here in Des Moines? What is the answer? Is the answer to, as it were, criticized one another, is the answer to in any way recriminate one another. To say, well, you know, it's brother so and so. If it wasn't for brother so and so, there would be no problem.
All brethren, I don't have to look any further in my own heart to find part of the problem. I don't have to look any further than right here. And I find that the Word of God says not to criticize, but to pray, to lift up holy hands without wrong and without doubting, without reasoning, the way Mr. Darby translates it, not calling in question whether God is able or just having confidence in him.
Now I would like to turn over to the 12Th chapter of Hebrews for a moment.
The 12Th chapter of Hebrews.
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And the eleven verse.
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous nevertheless afterward it yields us the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet. Bless that which is lame, be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed.
We find here that what is being spoken of is chastening.
We're told in the sixth verse for whom the Lord loveth.
He chased them, and scourges every sun that he receiveth, and so we find that his chastening hand upon us from time to time.
Is not an evidence of his wrath, but of his love. He deals with us in love. I have told my own children many times that if I find them fighting with one of the children on the street, I said I called you in and punished you. But I don't call the neighborhood child in and punish him. And it's the very fact that you're the one who's called and is punished. Is the evidence of the relationship that exists between you and me, that I'm your father.
And so the Spirit of God would show us here that He deals with us as His children.
And he also it shows us that the chasing never at the time seems joyous but rather grievous. But it yield us the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby. You'll notice it doesn't even say to them that understand why? Because there are times when we don't understand why we don't always understand. Sometimes there are some things we're going to have to wait for the judgment seat of Christ.
But what we are assured of is that where there's an exercise before God concerning the chastening, there will be the peaceable fruits of righteousness.
But the problem is, beloved Brethren at least, speaking for one's own heart that when the chastening comes, there is a danger of us being cast down, of finding the trial so grievous that instead of seeing the Father's hand in it, we're cast down. And here the Spirit of God comes and says.
Lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees lift up the hands, Brethren, is the Lord speaking to us as a company gathered through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If He is indeed speaking to us, as many of us believe that he is, or our hearts to be cast down because of it, or why are we not to see that in the Lord's hand being upon us, that it is evidence of his love, of his care, of his compassion for His people? And instead of being cast down, all word to God, that we would be exercised thereby and lift up the hands that hang down?
And the people need seek to encourage one another, beloved brethren, to go on in spite of what the Lord has had to allow, but to recognize that his purpose will be worked out in it He will have his way, and the blessing comes from being exercised thereby. All I think of this expression lifts up.
The hands that hang down present Are our hands hanging down? Do we find ourselves saying at times, what's the use of going on? There seems to be so much failure. There seems to be so many problems and difficulties in trial. What's the use, All beloved brethren, There is indeed a youth. There is indeed that which God would have us go on with. That would be for his glory, gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Seeking to keep his word and not deny his name to go on.
According to his word, as he revealed it to us what we're going to have to lift up our hands.
We're going to have to be encourage ourselves in the Lord, not in circumstances.
But in the war. And so he says, lift up the hands of hang down and the feeble knees.
And then he says, and make straight paths for your feet, all beloved brethren. Again, the Spirit of God would remind us that there is a path for faith, and we're called upon to make straight paths for our feet. Bless that which is lame. Be turned out of the way, beloved brethren, are we a help?
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The you and I seek by God's grace to be a help.
I helped. The only way we can be is by, first of all making straight paths. For our feet, for our feet, for my feet. For me to be before God. That I might see the path that he would have me to walk in and to have an exercise. That my white walk might not in any way stumble one that is lame. All of the encouragement, as I say, is given to us again.
Not cast down, not give up, Not just let our hands hang. You know, I sometimes.
And sometimes think of it in connection with some of our activities if we have a.
Brethren gathered to the Lord's name. There always seems to be those. And I'm sure it's the same in every gathering. Those who are always there and always seems to be the whole. I'm not sure it's the same in every gathering. Those who are always there and doing so much of the work. And then there are some of the rest of us that we sometimes seem to hang, stand around with our hands hanging down. Well, President, the Lord would have us to occupy till it becomes to lift up our hands and to go on. Is there that for our hands to do.
Indeed there is. Would you turn with me now to the 4th chapter of John's Gospel for a moment?
The 4th chapter of John's Gospel.
And the 35th verse.
Say not ye there are yet four months, and then cometh harvest. Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look on the field, For they are white, all ready to harvest, And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal brethren, here's another reason to lift up our eyes. The fields are white, all ready to harvest. Can you actually say, there doesn't seem to be anything for me to do?
I hope a lot of bread in the fields are white, the fields are white. The harvest fields are all around us. You know, we can be like lots lift up our eyes and see the plain of Jordan and as it were, say to ourselves, there's the place for me. You know, I can make a lot of money down there in the plan of Georgia, you know, like if I get down there closer to Sodom, I can make a name for myself. I can end up sitting in the gate of Sodom.
Well, the Lord says, lift up your eyes, but don't look at the plane of Jordan. Don't look at that, which is like Egypt, he says. Lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white.
All ready to harvest. There are harvest fields all around us. The neighbor next door is part of the harvest field. I remember a brother saying years ago, brother that many of us knew well, and the comment he made to some of us when I was just a young man. He put it this way. He had been a missionary in China.
And he said, don't talk about coming to China to preach the gospel to the Chinese in China until you've gone down the street and preached the gospel to the Chinese laundryman. Around the corner, there's where the fields are white, They're all ready to harvest. And Brevan, are we lifting up our eyes or are we doing? I trust I don't offend anyone. I don't mean to buy this. But one dear old brother that I love dearly, he said to me one time, He said, you know, he said some of us seem to just sit around our fireside singing Rescue the Parachute.
Well, I tell you, it struck home to my heart just like a hammer. It struck home to my heart sitting around our fireside singing Rescue the perishing. And here brethren the Lord saying, lift up your eyes, the fields are white, white, all ready to harvest. But then he goes on to add something, and he says, and he that reap us receiveth wages all beloved brethren, there's a reward. The Lord holds it out as an incentive, not as a motive.
The motive is love for Christ, but as an incentive he holds it out to us here, and he says he that Reapeth.
Receiveth wages. What did Locke get for his soldier? And in the plain of Sodom?
And the plain of Jordan, beloved brethren, He lost it all. He lost it all. Everything that he had. He ended up with the clothes on his back and nothing else. All the rest was gone. He even lost his wife. He even lost his wife. He had looked at it, and he hadn't realized he wasn't in the secret of God, that that whole thing that he had set his heart on was under a sentence of judgment.
But these wages, all beloved brethren, these wages are the wages that we put in bags without. All these are the wages.
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That our pay.
And never lost, beloved brethren, may we encourage by hearing the Lord Jesus say to your heart and mind, lift up your eyes.
Lift them up. Not cast them down. Not be discouraged, because perhaps not many are saved. Would you turn with me for a moment? I'd like to just take a moment to look at a second Timothy Chapter 3.
I have been struck with this portion in two Timothy 3:00 and 4:00.
You notice it says in two Timothy chapter 3.
And verse 13.
Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse.
Deceiving and being deceived.
But he says, continue thou in the things which thou hast heard, heard, learned, and has been assured of.
And then if you notice he says in the 16th verse, all scripture is given by inspiration of God.
And it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
That the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good work, I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead that is appearing in his Kingdom.
Preach the word. Preach the word. You know what it struck home to my own heart. And meditating on this he says Evil man and seducer shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
In other words, he says, brethren, things are going to get worse. Do you think they're bad now? They're going to get worse?
If the Lord leaves us here, it's not going to improve, it's going to get worse, but what are we to do?
Preach the Word. All scripture is given by inspiration of God. Preach the Word. You go down to the next chapter.
And it says, the third verse, the 4th chapter, and the third verse. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things endure affliction.
Do the work of an evangelist. In other words, the spirit of God says they're not going to listen. The time will come when they won't endure sound doctrine. They're going to heap to themselves, teachers having itching ears. It's going to get worse and worse and worse. So give up.
No, it was at that very time that he says to Timothy do the work of an evangelist. Is it true that there are not many saved? That's true, brother. But what are we to do do the work of an evangelist?
You go down to the street corner here in the city of Des Moines and there aren't many that stand around. There aren't many that listen.
So what does the heart say? The heart says give up, give up. There aren't many. But what does the Spirit of God say? Do the work of an evangelist. Preach the Word. Some won't listen. So what do we do? Preach the Word. Some are going to go on deceiving and being deceived. Preach the Word we find. He even says. We notice that they will turn away their ears from the truth. They're going to turn away. What did we do?
The work of an evangelist.
Preach the word, Brethren, God has given us every encouragement possible to go on. In the 4th chapter of John, where we were reading, He says he that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal, all beloved President, may we be encouraged to lift up our eyes, to get our eyes off the well watered plains of Jordan, and get them on those fields that are white onto Harvard.
Because there is where the wages are to be earned. That's where the wages are to be earned that are going to lack.
Now, if you would turn with me to the 17th chapter of Matthew for a moment.
17th chapter of Matthew.
And the fifth verse.
While he that is Peter, yet spake, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.
Hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and worked sore, afraid.
And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise and be not afraid.
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And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man.
Save Jesus only, all beloved President. What a sight for the lifted up eyes.
You know we can have our eyes down and we miss.
That lovely view of Jesus, we find here that these disciples, they were afraid when the cloud overshadowed them.
And you know, beloved brethren, that can happen too. It can be the cloud that brings before us the Father's voice. But sometimes when the clouds come, we're afraid of them. We're afraid of them. Instead of seeing that it's the Father that's in that cloud, that he's the one who's brought the cloud and what he wants to bring before our hearts, even in that cloud.
Is the Excellency of the person of his beloved son, but we find here.
That when they lifted up their eyes.
They heard the voice of Jesus say be not afraid and rise be not afraid.
And beloved brethren.
It's like a voice, at least to one's own heart. It's as if the Lord says, do you see the clouds? Do you see the clouds overshadowing you? Well, he says arise, be not afraid. And when we do, we find that we see Jesus. Only our eyes are off. The circumstances, our eyes are off what is around us and we see Jesus.
Do you remember where the Lord put the rainbow?
When the after the Lord has destroyed the earth with a flood, then it tells us that afterwards he set the rainbow in the cloud. All I love to meditate on that. It's as if the Lord said you see that cloud, that cloud, what you think is going to be the source of another flood, he says. I'm putting my bowl right up there in that cloud where you can look at the cloud and when you look at the cloud, instead of seeing the cloud, you're going to see my bowl and see my promise that I'm going to.
Never again.
Destroy the earth with a flood.
He put in the very thing that would speak of what might be the source of another flood.
He put his bowl there so we can see that he's going to keep his promise.
Beloved brethren, all that we might lift up our eyes when the troubles come and the difficulties come to see the Lord Jesus saying, arise, be not afraid, Why art thou cast down on my soul? Hope thou in God, lift up our eyes and what will we see? We won't see the trials rather than we won't see the problems, we won't see the failures, We won't see anything else.
But Jesus, if we lift up our eyes.
All brethren, when we meet with one another, when we meet with one another, do we talk about the results?
Of lifting up our eyes? Or do we talk about the results of having our eyes too low?
I remember a brother that many of us know very well, saying to me some time ago how a dear.
Elderly brother used to rebuke him unintentionally, but rebuke him because he'd be walking down the street and he'd meet his old brother. And his old brother would say to him, what have you heard from heaven today? And he would have to acknowledge that he hadn't really been talking very much to heaven that day, and he hadn't heard very much from heaven that day. Our brother, may we get our eyes up and we're going to teach you now would you turn with me? Our time is just about gone to the 24th chapter of Genesis for a moment.
The 24th chapter of Genesis.
And the 63rd verse.
And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the event time, and he lifted up his eyes and saw.
And behold, the camels were coming.
And Rebecca lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the campus.
Beloved brethren, we are just about at that point in time.
When we're going to light off our camera.
We're getting to the end of the journey. The long walk across the wilderness is just about over.
And all we find Rebecca lifting up her eyes.
But you know what is so lovely to see is that before she lifted up her eye, Isaac lifted up his. We find Isaac had gone out to meet her.
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He had gone out to meditate in the field at the event, and he lifted up his eye and saw and behold.
The camels were coming. Yes, there was a company coming across the desert. The camels were coming.
But for Rebecca, when she lifted up her eyes.
She just had one man before 5.
And when she saw Isaac, she lighted up the camp.
Would you turn with me to the 21St chapter of Luke for a moment?
The 21St chapter of Luke.
And the 28th verse.
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your head for your redemption. Draw not.
In this portion, what we have particularly before us in the 21St chapter of Luke is the coming of the Son of Man. We have that which speaks of the Lord coming to Israel to set up His Kingdom and to judge the world.
But that which is morally suited to the attitude of his people in his coming then.
Would become us now, brethren, to lift up our heads for the day of our redemption draw nigh.
And you know, when we find that Rebecca lifted up her eye, she saw Isaac. All beloved brethren, may we cultivate the habit of having our eyes lifted up, not only waiting, but watching.
For our blessed Lord to come. But you know Satan would have us occupied with so many other things.
Will have a soul bowed down with the cares of this life, so occupied with the things that are in this world that are under the sentence of judgment.
That we don't get our eyes up, We don't lift up our heads. Friend, I speak for myself. We don't have our heads lifted up. Well, the Lord says I'm coming. I'm coming quickly.
I remember I mentioned to some already. Perhaps. Perhaps it bears repeating.
You know, brethren, there are many, many signs that are given us in the word of God.
For the Lord's coming to this world in judgment.
There are many things that are given us in this word.
That are in view of his coming to set up his Kingdom.
We often talk about, for instance, the nation of Israel.
And the nation of Israel, and the establishment of it again in the land of Palestine.
Is that which is connected with his coming in judgment to judge the world.
We find that there is a united Europe that is gradually drawing closer and closer together.
This again is connected with his appearing and that which is going to take place before his appearing.
But there is nothing that we have to look for that in any way would precede his coming forth.
I remember years ago when I first used to start driving up north to where our family has a cottage.
The Cottages of A Little Place called You'll Pardon A Personal Story.
A little place called Portage Lake. And you know Portage Lake doesn't appear on any map.
But about 16 miles past Portage Lake is the big town of Parry Sound.
And I used to often drive up there late at night and longing to see my family. Well, I hadn't seen for days. And I used to drive up there. And as I drove along the highway, I would come to a sign and the sign would say 85 miles to Parry Sound. And I used to say to myself, yes, it's 85 miles to Parry Sound, but I'm getting off before that. I'm getting off 16 miles before that. Then I come to another side, 55 miles to Parry Town. And again, I say to myself, it was like a little encouragement to my own heart. I'm getting tough 16 miles before that.
All beloved brethren, this is how God would have us to look.
And even what he has recorded in his word in connection with the Lords appearing all these times that we talked about, and there are many, are connected with his appearing. And he would have my heart say yes, but I'm getting off before that, I'm getting off before that, the Lords coming before me before that. And if all these things are developing all around us for an event that is to take place after we're gone.
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All beloved president, Is not the day of our redemption growing nigh? Are we not to lift up our heads?
All that we might walk away from this meeting this afternoon, brethren, just rejoicing that we have been brought up, not lifted up, but brought up. Out of the miry plain, out of the miry clay. The Lord came down to where we were to bring us up out of the miry plain. He has given us a standing that is unshakable on the rock. He's given us a new song to sing. Beloved brethren, may we lift up our prayers.
Lift up our prayer for the remnant of his left. May we lift up our hands that hang down on the feeble knees.
May we lift up our eyes and look throughout the length and breadth of all the blessings that the Lord has brought us into.
May we lift up our eyes and look on the field?
That are white already to harvest.
And beloved brethren, may we lift up our heads.
For the day of our redemption draws. 9 And then, having lifted up all those things, then we might indeed say to ourselves, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? Might we ask God for my soul?
Our blessed God and our Father, we look up to thee this afternoon, and we thank thee for the precious encouragement of Thy word.
That would give us to go on in a dark day, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearance of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, our God and Father. We ask thee that thou would indeed give us to lift up our heads, that we might behold that day of our redemption drawing nigh. We would ask thee that we might see that, like Rebecca of old, we are just about to alight off our camels.
That the wilderness journey is just about over. That Isaac is our Isaac is just about ready to come out to meet us and our God and Father. We ask thee that while we wait, we might lift up our prayer for the remnant of His left, and we might indeed lift up our hands and hang down in the feeble knees and make straight paths for our feet. That we might not be like lot of old who lifted up his eyes and got no further than the plains of York.
Our God and Father, these things we ask of Thee, that we might indeed go on singing that new song which thou hast put into our mouth, even praise unto our God. But we ask it our God and Father, that it might be so with us by grace supplied from Thyself.
And we ask it in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ and.