Open—B. Shane, W. Dear, S. Ludvicek
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#18 in the back of the book #18.
And if it's all right, shall we light thighs on?
And it is my breath and.
I want.
Yeah.
Last night.
Right, my love and God and Father, we thank Thee for giving us the true bread from heaven. The Lord Jesus and our souls can feed on and be satisfied. We know that it's needed on a daily basis. We thank these for the encouragement of being able to be at special meetings like this. We ask Thee to continue to meet our needs. We think now of the meeting before us and as the two provide that which is needful and helpful for us. Now, we ask you the name of I, dear Son.
Shall we open our Bibles together to revelations, please?
In the first few minutes of the meeting, I'll try not to take too long here, Be real short.
Revelations one. Verse three. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things where richer written in it, for the time is at hand. Verse 19. Write the things which thou has seen, the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.
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Chapter one is the things which has seen the past. Chapters two and three are the things which are.
Chapters 4 and back.
Our future, the things which shall be hereafter.
The things which are in chapter two and three.
Are the seven little epistles to the seven churches?
Today I would like to look at one little small portion.
Out of chapter 2.
Break in at verse.
14.
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine.
Of Balaam.
We see the word doctrine in verse 14 and the word doctrine.
In Bruce in uh, verse 15. Excuse me?
So the topic there is.
What needs to be corrected? What needs to be overcome in a lifetime?
Against false doctrine, there are other passages about Balaam.
In verse 11 of Jude and in the Epistle to Peter.
One is the heir of Balaam, one is the way of Balaam. But here we have the doctrine of Balaam, and all three are different.
Let me read verse 17 please together.
He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, do them that overcometh I will give to eat of the hidden manner, and will give him a whitestone, and in a stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, save or accept.
He that receiveth it.
Like to thank my brother.
That just prayed about the bread of heaven. Thank you.
It's wonderful to hear and to know that we have the bread of heaven.
Let's move down to chapter 3 and verse 21.
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am sat down with my father in his throne.
When we look at these passages.
We see the overcomer.
That is a title of a Christian. That is something that we can obtain.
Back where I come from a long time ago, it was said that you cannot measure tree until it's cut down.
Speaking about the end of life in reference to that, now they have new modern needs and technology to measure. While it's still centered via that what we made the thought is at the end of life, we can then receive a title of an overcomer.
If there was an epitaph put in the paper about me that said Bill was an overcomer, it would be the nicest thing I could receive.
I hope you want to be an overcomer.
If we notice the passage that we read here in verse 17 of chapter 2, to him that overcometh is current. Chapters 2 and thing are the two and three are the things which are right now sitting in your seat. You have the opportunity to become an overcomer of seven different things.
But it cannot be said that you're an overcomer until you finished your life.
Once your life is over, the Lord is going to say you overcame. If you look at the chapter 3 here and verse 21, it's a past tense about our Lord and our Savior, even as I also overcame.
He overcame.
We need to know what our Lord and Savior overcame, don't we?
We have to understand what it is to finish it out all the way and to have overcame.
Now we are overcoming.
To him, that overcometh. In the future, when it's all done, turn with me and we'll come back to this, to John, Chapter 16.
And our brother prayed it in his prayer.
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John, Chapter 16.
Verse 33.
These things have I spoken unto you, that in me.
You might have peace.
In the world you shall have tribulation.
Viable goodshear for I have overcame the world.
When Jesus was tempted by Satan.
Satan was there and he said look out there at the kingdoms of the world and I'll give them to you.
And Jesus knew better.
The world systems out there have been set up by Satan, the Prince and the power of the air.
He has set up greed.
He has set up covetousness.
He has set up the way to try to make pieces, get guns and have a war, not like the peace that our Lord knows gives us.
Everything that he has set up is like the Antichrist that mimics Christ. What's wrong?
And Jesus can say I have overcame the world.
When we're done on our last day, can it be said that we overcame the world?
Here are seven different things in the world systems that are wrong that we can overcome.
One of those things is false doctrine.
The doctrine of Balaam.
We've been studying about the women of Moab and what did Balaam do? He was hired by the king.
To try and put a curse on the nation of Israel. And he couldn't do it. So he gave him false doctrine to go down and marry the women to Moab. Moab Moabites. Excuse me?
He gave him a false doc.
I don't wanna be specific on any type of false doctrine, I just wanna leave false doctrine in all of its forms.
If we can overcome that.
I want to look at what the beauty is of what we can receive later.
Revelations about things future, but we're in a section of things which are, and we have to come overcome it now.
In order to receive it later a positive thing. How many of these positive things do you want?
I will give.
Verse 17 To him that overcometh, I will give to eat.
Of the hidden manner.
I'd like to read one more verse in First John.
To get my fingers on a chapter 5 and verse four. For whatever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world even in even our faith in Christ.
The kingdoms of the world in overcoming the world.
The hidden manna.
Before we touch on the hidden manna.
I'd like to look at another type of manner and that's why our brother was praying about the bread of life. It's still the same manner, but it's the obvious manner. I'm gonna put that little title on it, the obvious manner.
Turn with me to Exodus 16.
Please.
We have to understand that hidden manna. If I'm gonna have a goal out there or something I wanna receive, I have to understand it of what I'm setting my goal towards. I went to college, they said there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and as you progress through college, you got closer and the light got brighter and all of a sudden you were done.
And I'm progressing forward later in years and it may be when the Lord comes in a few minutes, it may be down the line I may have to die and then be risen up and by may be raptured. And I'm looking for that upper taker and not the undertaker.
Exodus chapter 16, verse 4.
Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will bring bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather at a certain.
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Uh, you would have a different word there, a rate or an amount every day that I may tempt them or test them is what that means. And that he may prove them whether they will walk in my law or not. And it shall come to pass it on the 6th day that shall prepare it. In that which it shall bring in, it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. Here is this obvious manner that could step outside the door that was rained down.
Christ, the bread of life, was never hidden to his soul. When he was born on this earth, there was a star that they could find him. And to the Jew, they gave him a sign. They gave the Jew a sign. They said he's gonna be wrapped in swaddling clothes in a Manger. The Jews always want to sign.
And to the rest of the world there was a star, and they could find him. He's never been hidden. To any unsaved one out here, ever on the face of this earth that includes you, he's nigh unto you, right even in your own mouth. Confess with thy mouth, and thou shalt believe in your heart.
That He is your Lord and your Savior. He's never been hidden has he to any unsaved. So we're looking at the obvious man right out there called the Bread of life. Five days they gathered 1 portion by the end of the day at rotted on the 6th day to gather 2 portions ate one portion. The other portion remained without going bad for the 6th day and they ate it. Anything they didn't ate was rotten. Obvious manner called.
The bread from heaven.
Numbers, Chapter 21.
Verse 5.
And the people spoke against God and against Moses. Whether wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For is there no bread neither is there any water nor and our souls long enough for this light bread? Psalm 78, please.
S.
Psalm 78, verse 24 And it rained down man up on them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
Man did eat angels food.
He sent them meat to the full.
We're getting a lot of different titles. The bread, the light bread, the corn of heaven, the angel's food. First Corinthians, chapter 10.
Verse one Moreover, brethren, I would not have that ye should be ignorant of all of our fathers were under the cloud and all pass through the sea, and we're all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. And did all eat the same spiritual meat, the same spiritual food. Another title for the manna. We eat of the man of the spiritual food anytime we want to open it up and feed from it, don't we?
It's the obvious manner.
What is the hidden manner?
That's gonna be my goal. What's gonna be the hidden manner?
Manna means what is this? They didn't understand it.
Let's go back to Exodus 16 again. Let's see if we can find out about the hidden manner.
Exodus 16.
Verse 33.
And Moses said to Aaron, take a pot and put an Omer.
Full of manna therein and lay it up before the Lord to be kept for your generations. My mother down in the basement had doors that opened up in shelves and every year she can and made preserves and it kept for the future ahead for us to go down our need.
This manner was laid up. Lay it up before the Lord to be kept.
Take a pot and put a full complete Omer.
A full portion in that pot. Mom would fill her, wrapped the brim, take a little paraffin wax and seal the jar Jelly off and put it down there. You know who'd stick down get in the Jelly, don't you? Yep, right down in the preserves. Good old sweet stuff that Mom made. I'm looking forward to some good old sweet stuff for my heart, my savior.
Some personal mana, some hidden manna. We started to get a little drift of this.
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Hidden manner.
Hebrews 9.
Hebrews 9, verse 4.
Which had the golden sensor and the ark of the covenant overlaid around about it with gold. In which was the now we found out it's a golden pot that had mana and Aaron's rod, the button and tables of the covenant. In the holiest of holiest there was only the veil that was kept everybody out except for the high priest.
The nation of Israel could not see the manna in the golden pot in the ark inside the holiest of holies.
It was not visible to them. We now have hidden manna.
We now have hidden manna.
There it was, way back in Exodus 16, putting that pot never to be spoiled, to be kept.
For a future day to the one that overcometh.
Beware of false doctrine.
So you can have some of the hidden manner, every one of these seven things, some of them have double portions like this one. For one thing, they start out with one-on-one, it depends on the severity of it and they all change.
And now we see there in the arc inside the holiest of holiest, the golden pot with the manna being kept.
There in Revelations 2 and 17, when we read it, I will give thee.
To eat of the hidden manna, it's going to be one full portion given to you personally.
If you're an overcomer.
I have a goal now to.
Personally achieve to receive some hidden manner by my Lord and my Savior.
Hidden manner that I can't see right now, but it's gonna be there and I can sit at his feet and he can feed me of the hidden manner. What's the answer? Maybe to the hidden manna is hidden, I don't really know.
Let me read you a portion and it may be.
The Gospel of John, the very last chapter.
The very last verse.
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which is this if they should be written.
I would suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.
My Lord, in his humility on this earth.
Did so many perfect things.
That the world couldn't contain all the books written about it.
And if I sit at his feet and he tells me all that he did for me?
I'm gonna appreciate.
And whom will be taught? Martha and Mary did two different things.
Let's work for the hidden manna so we can sit at his feet and he can tell me and give me that one full portion. You can receive it, your personal portion if you're an overcomer and just sit there and let him tell us all about it.
And thrill my soul inside.
Of what my Lord and my Savior had done that I don't even know about. Far more than I can conceive.
Kind of wrap up and close.
Back to Revelations 2 and 17. Let me get back there.
And also.
A whitestone and a snooze, and a stone, a new name written in it, which no man knoweth, save or accept. He that receiveth it A whitestone is his appreciation.
For a special guest.
He calls us lilies Solomon and all this glory couldn't even be raid like 1 Lily of the field. That's how priceful we are to him and special guests. And he says come over here, here's your special stone very private. You ain't going to see it. You ain't going to see it. Only the receiver is going to see it. It's from him to be personally to him that overcometh. Beware of false doctrine.
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Get that precious stone.
New name on it. Only the happy recipient knows it now.
Only that person knows it.
Whether it's I will change thy name too, I don't know.
But I'll be ready to receive it if I overcome.
Very, very individual joys that one personally has for becoming an overcomer. He has a very special delight in each and every one of us.
And it has to be because we were triumphant over the world now.
Over the world now.
In order to receive it, there's a secret communication of love between Christ and the Overcomer.
A joy that can be shared.
With someone else? No. It's a joy with me personally and my savior, the same way with you.
There's reserved up there for me, preserved and kept.
The hidden manna is our appreciation.
Of Christ and his amelioration.
And the Whitestone of his his appreciation of us as an overcomer.
So I'm sitting at his feet, getting the man and appreciating Christ in his humiliation.
And over here, I'm receiving a Whitestone with his appreciation of me becoming an overcomer to each and everyone here today. May we look personally at the overcomer, seven of them in the little book.
Chapters 2 and three of Revelations, a beautiful title once were passed. He overcame even also as our Lord and Savior overcame the world.
Our brother has been bringing before us about the manna and how it's a picture, a type of Christ, and we often sing that little hymn. Nothing but Christ is on. We tread nothing but Christ, God's living bread, with staff in hand and feet well shod, nothing but Christ, the Christ of God.
So the Bible's all about.
It's about him.
HIM.
That's what this little book is about, that I hold in my hand.
It's an HIM book and we sing this hymn book. We sing songs about Jesus and we rejoice to sing about the Lord. And when we turn to Scripture, we find that.
Most of the time the singing is unto the Lord.
The theme of the song is Christ.
And I believe the essence of Christianity can be summed up in 3 words. Christ is.
All.
You have support, put it that way, in Colossians 3.
Christ is all. That's Christianity.
Well, what comes before me?
Is this little word him? HIM, and I see it back in second.
Samuel.
Chapter 22. Turning to the Old Testament.
I'm sorry, First Samuel, chapter 22.
First Samuel, chapter 22.
And here we have David.
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Outside the city.
He's in a cave.
It's been rejected by the ruling power Saul. A man after the flesh, a man of the world doesn't appreciate David. You know, David was a man after God's own heart. David was one who had faith in God. His trust was in the Lord, and he made it known.
On many occasions.
And so, on the other hand, he trusted in himself. And it tells us in the Proverbs that he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool. A fool, However, it goes on to tell us in Proverbs that whoso puts his trust in the Lord shall be safe. Well, here in this little portion in First Samuel chapter 22, I'd just like to read the first part of this chapter.
And it says David therefore departed thence, and escaped to The Cave of Dullum. And when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither.
To The Cave.
Is that what it says?
It says they went down further to him. In other words, David became the object of their heart. It was David.
That they had on their mind.
Now it goes on to say in verse two, and everyone that was in distress and everyone that was in debt and everyone that was discontented gathered themselves onto.
The Cave.
It says, gathered themselves unto him.
Again, David becomes the object of those who were not satisfied.
Under.
You know, Saul was an oppressive person.
And he was more concerned about his own interests than he was about the interests of his people.
He was a man of the world seeking to advance himself. That was his object.
And we find that he did not satisfy the needs of the people, and they had great needs.
It tells us here there were those that were in distress.
In debt?
And discontented, or, as the margin says, bitter of soul.
Distress.
That this contentment.
That sounds like the world around us.
You know this book that we hold in our hands this afternoon? It is the most up to date book.
On this planet, In this world.
What a privilege is ours to pick up this book and know that even though it was written many, many hundreds of years ago, it's just as relevant today as it ever was.
And we can read it with confidence.
And it tells us about how things are in the world at the present time.
You know, sometimes we go to school and we pick up a book.
And maybe it's a science book.
And when we look.
In the first pages to see what the copyright is and if it's 1985 or 1999, we say, well, I don't think I.
We'll be all together satisfied with this book because there's been so many advances in the field of science. I would like to have a book that's more up to date. And if we pick up a book and we see the copyright is 2012, we say, well, I think I'll take this book. It's an up to date book. But I just thought of this in connection with the word of God. You know, God moved men to write this book.
00:35:18
By the power of His Holy Spirit. And they wrote down what God told them to write, and there's been no revision of what has been written ever since.
It's true there's been translations of the Word of God, and there's been changes in translations and sometimes improvements.
1St The meaning of the word of God is he gave it.
To his.
Holy man.
Has never changed. Well.
The stress, debt, discontentment, how much distress we have in the world.
We hear often somebody say, well, what seems to be stressing you out?
And we can see it in faces. People are stressed out.
You know.
The stress in the Word of God. It, uh, comes up as anxiety, as trouble, as being under pressure.
But the wonderful thing is the answer to distress.
Is.
Christ David is a picture of Christ, and I believe that when these ones went in their need to David it tells us.
In verse.
Well, in first.
Three it says, And David went thence to Miss Moab, and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me. And he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold. So we see that David made arrangements for his father and mother while he was in this place. In verse five in the prophet Jad.
Said unto David, Abide not in the whole Depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed.
And came into the forest of arithmetic. So here we find the profit dad, who I believe was a true prophet of God. He now comes to the hold. He comes to this place where the true king, the anointed king, who was David was.
Hiding and then later on we have, uh, mention of the priest coming there too. So we have the prophet and the priest of God and the king altogether. But what I was thinking was actually in verse two, it says that David became a captain over them. These ones that were in need, he became a captain over them. Well, you know, it's wonderful to realize that Christ is the captain.
Of our salvation. And you know we think of what He has done for you and for me in giving Himself at the Cross of Calvary.
He came into this world to pay a debt that he didn't owe.
In order.
That the debt you and I we owed might be paid. He paid it at the cross. He gave his life. He could not have given more. He shed his own life's blood now.
If He in love with goes to such an extent, how could we question that He is for us and that He will provide for us? He truly is the captain of our salvation. When we go with Him, we know He goes with us and we're going to find that He gives deliverance from distress. It tells us over in, I think, Matthew 14 about the disciples.
And how that they were out in the ship.
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And uh.
I believe it tells us there they were tossed with the waves in another gospel that speaks about how they were toiling in rowing speaks of distress and being in a very difficult situation. But you know the Lord Jesus came to them and when they went into the ship we find it all becomes calm.
No more.
Toiling. No more struggling, no more distress.
And all becomes calm. Now I believe that peace is not necessarily the absence of trouble, but I'll tell you one thing, It is the absence of the absence of fear.
And you and I, we can be in this troubled world.
Enjoying the peace of God.
Knowing that He loves us, He cares for us, and He's going to take us all the way home to glory and we can trust Him. Knowing that perfect love casts out fear.
If you know Somebody Loves You.
Intensely.
If you know somebody is all for you.
Can you trust that kind of person?
Well.
You might say to yourself, I know that person loves me, but you don't seem to have the ability to help me. But you know the Lord Jesus, he has all power. He could say all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth, alright.
You know, the Lord speaks to how he's gonna.
Govern this world and it's gonna be upon his shoulder. His shoulder.
Well, so he holds the world on his shoulder. Well, what about the other shoulder? Could we say he holds heaven? The fact is, he holds the universe.
And he is in control. Of course, we know the shepherd holds the sheep on his shoulders, but a place of strength and power, and the Lord Jesus Christ loves you perfectly and is fully able to do anything for you, that's going to be for your good.
That's what he has in mind. He has your best interests at heart.
Well.
Distress debt.
You know, we live in a world of debt. We think of the national debt. It's appalling trillions of dollars. Well, what's the big problem? Well, debt results, doesn't it? From simply.
Spending more than we take in.
It's not hard to figure out.
Well, why would we do something like that?
Well, could it be perhaps pride? We look at somebody else that has something more and we think, well, why couldn't we have that? Shouldn't we be entitled to this or that? You know, the thought has been expressed that we ought to be living the American dream.
But where do you find that in Scripture?
I believe that.
In Scripture.
The word is.
To be content with such things as you have, for he has said I will never leave thee, nor for safety. I think Mr. Darby has it. Be content with your present circumstances.
Well, how can this be? Because some of us have less than others.
And some have more than others, and so on and so forth.
If we could just and I speak to my own heart, get focused on great David's greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ, He could satisfy our hearts.
He could change our desires. You know. The word in Psalm 37 is delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Don't you want to be happy? Don't you want to have your heart filled up? Well, God has made us in such a way that there's nothing in this world that's going to do it. I don't care how many boats, airplanes, mansions, cars.
00:45:13
Thank you cards won't fill your heart, but the Lord Jesus, He satisfies the longing.
So, and he feels a hungry heart or soul with goodness.
So again.
And the answer to debt? Could it be?
That, uh.
Our eyes are off of.
To satisfy not only the Savior, but to satisfy.
And it tells us in First Timothy, having food and raiment. Let us be there with content. It's quite a word, but there's happiness.
Now.
Discontentment or bitterness of soul.
Lots of bitterness, lots of anger in the world, in politics, in the religious world.
And.
We know it's a result of man's self will. Sin is at the root of the problem.
I think a bitter waters at narrow it tells us the waters we're bitter.
But there was an answer to the problem. The remedy was to throw the tree into the waters and then the waters become sweet. How can we get this bitterness sweetened?
It's the cross of Christ. You know, at the cross of Christ we see the old man crucified put away.
That's the root of problem, somebody said.
Worse than what I do is what I am.
Well, the cost of Christ takes care of what I am as a wretched depraved Sinner.
The old man's put away. It takes care of my sins.
The blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin. It's not an ongoing, ongoing process either. You know, some have the idea that that once every time you sin, the blood of Christ is going to cleanse your sin.
It's like it's an ongoing process. I don't believe so. That verse there simply tells us about the value or the efficacy of the blood of Christ. It cleanses all sin. That's what it can do.
One may dig a well and say now this well will supply 5 houses. It's indicating the value or efficacy of the well.
It's not that it's actually doing that, but it's telling the value. And so the blood of Christ, it cleanses us from all sin. So the cross of Christ.
It's an answer, Somebody said the death of Christ is what puts me away, the blood of Christ is what puts my sins away, and the cross of Christ is what puts the world away. Paul could speak about being crucified to the world.
And that's why I glorified in glory in the cross. Well, I just want to turn over.
In closed, I'm gonna get opportunity somebody else here, uh, Hebrews.
OK, so here are these ones that gather together unto him.
And I understand this cave was up on some limestone cliffs between Bethlehem and the Dead Sea.
And apparently there was some sort of a shelf that one would climb up on that overhang a gorge. And this was on the Cliff. And so it was somewhat difficult to get to this cave, to access this cave. And then there was a big rock, apparently, and this is what I've read and somebody correct me if I'm off on this, but I understand there's a big rock adjacent to the opening. One would have to actually jump into the.
The Cave, uh.
00:50:00
It was easily defended from the enemy, but the point here is that it seemed to be a rather difficult place to access.
But that didn't make a difference to those that wanted David. They went and they gathered themselves onto David. Now Hebrews chapter 13 we have another hymn, and this HIM is right in the middle of the verse.
And I find it interesting.
That uh, we have 3 thirteens. We have Hebrews 13.
We have verse 13.
And there's 13 words in the verse.
Now.
People like to think of 13 as being an unfortunate, unlucky number.
I don't see that in the Word of God.
I like these thirteens.
So if there's 13 words, let's read the 13 and the middle word would be him.
Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp.
Bearing his reproach.
Those souls in need, they went to David.
Outside the city, outside the palace, they went to David and they associated with him. Now today, I believe it's our privilege to be gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And the camp, I believe, refers to a system that man has developed, a religious system.
That appeals to his flesh.
It's that which appeals to his nature.
And.
It isn't that which has a heavenly aspect to it. It's connected with Earth.
But you and I, as believers today have the privilege to go forth without the camp man's ordered system and to go onto.
Him HIN you know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is God's.
Man, he's the Son of God, and God would have all men to honor his Son.
How God does appreciate any favor that's shown to His Son?
End. I believe that in a world where he is still rejected.
Still cast out, he's not appreciated.
We can find him and may we keep our focus on him. I don't think that cave was a particularly nice place to live. I've been in some caves and they're not very nice, but these ones were gathered. To David, the circumstances didn't matter. And you and I, I believe, if we could be gathered.
We are gathered, I believe.
To the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, keep our focus on Him.
How?
It would help us in the circumstances that are difficult, because he will.
I believe undertake for his church, and we can trust Him. And so the word is, let us. It's not a command, it's a word of grace that the apostle I believe gives.
To these ones, let us go forth. It's a privilege.
And.
Go forth therefore unto him without the camp.
Bearing his reproach.
Jonathan was one. We don't find him in the hold. We don't find him in The Cave. In fact, he was a dear friend of David. He loved him as his own soul.
00:55:09
But there was a parting of the ways. I think it was hard on David.
To find Jonathan, leave him and go back to the court.
And David finds himself alone, and he goes, we know, to the Philistines, and then he goes to.
The case, we don't have time to go into all that detail, but if you wanna find out some of the feelings that David had.
You can read in Psalm 142, he speaks there about how no man cared for my soul. He's looking for a refuge. Uh, some.
I believe 30.
Four and uh.
Was another sum.
That expresses some of his feelings. And then there was, uh, I believe another Psalm.
Psalm 57.
But Jonathan did not, I don't think, want to.
Take that outside place. It was too difficult. He didn't really want the reproach, perhaps.
Connected with identifying with David in an outside place.
And, uh, we feel for Jonathan. We know that his end, uh, is not particularly happy, but, uh.
Here we have reproach connected with going outside the camp onto Jesus. But it is worth it.
Apostle Peter could say, happy are ye if you be reproached for the name of Christ. It's a privilege that we have and there's a brother back in our home assembly.
And sometimes closest to meeting.
With words to this effect, what better place could we possibly have been?
In than where we were this morning in the presence.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What a privilege.
APR Desire.
In spite of the reproach connected with it to go forth unto Jesus.
Without the camp.
Her brother quoted from First John 4.
Verse 18.
It's in the middle of the verse. Perfect love casteth out fear when you get down to rubber meets the road. Christianity, one of the things that the enemy of our souls does more than anything else is to seek to get us to be afraid. Because if we can be afraid, startled, somebody says Boo, you jump. Well, if he can get us to be afraid, we might jump in the wrong direction.
And when you face things in life, whether it's the loss of a job or an illness, the specter of death appears on the horizon. You can become afraid. There's very real reason to be afraid. Things that are dangerous, things that are harmful.
Parents afraid of what might happen as they see their children maybe making wrong choices, fear can come in and take the peace away.
That perfect love casteth out fear.
There was a man who was speaking at his mother's funeral, and he told a story. He said that his mother taught him what love was and what it meant not to be afraid. They lived in California, and when he was a little boy he and his mother were alone at home, and an earthquake came. And so the mother moved the little boy and herself into a doorway, and the little boy was frightened, and he crawled up in her arms and lay in her arms. And he looked up into her face, and the mother was smiling.
And the little boy said, Mommy, how come you're not afraid?
And she smiled and said, I rejoice in my God, who can shake the world.
Fear was gone. I rejoice in my God who can shake the world.
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She wasn't thinking about dangers and circumstances and what was. She was thinking about him as our brother was bringing out him. Her focus was on that and why He knows all about me and my little boy sitting in the doorway here. I'm rejoicing in the God, my God, that can shake the world.
But fear comes. Fear comes in. It creeps in, can creep in, in the night, in a long night, sitting by a hospital bed or wherever. Doesn't matter how old you are. Maybe something's happened and you're just a small boy or a small girl and you're afraid of the dark or whatever. Fear, fear comes in and it can take away our enjoyment and our peace.
When illness comes and the specter of death comes, whether it's for yourself or for someone you love, fear comes creeping in. And the enemy in his whispers to bring doubts and always to seek to get us to doubt the goodness of God and get our eyes off of Him, him, him, him. Onto the circumstances that's round. And we look at them and there's something to be afraid of. How many times has somebody referred to the picture?
In the scene of Peter, who walks upon the water, and he's on top of the water as long as his eyes are upon him.
But when he looks away to the circumstance, his heart gets filled with fear and he begins to sink.
But we also see there where he read, cries out and he reaches out. The quicker we do that, the better. So if somebody says Boo, most people jump. I mean, you're going to be startled by things in life. Things will happen where suddenly you're frightened, suddenly you're scared, suddenly the adrenaline is rushing. But I believe with all my heart, because of what this book says, no true believer needs to remain afraid very long.
There have been nights where my heart began to be filled with fear because of circumstances or difficulties, and I quoted this verse 1000 times and fell asleep. Perfect love casteth out fear. Perfect love casteth out fear.
The God who loves me, he says his banner over me is love. He shed his love abroad in my heart. I'm surrounded with his holy angels. His love is around me. It's beneath me, it's over me, it's all around me. You and I can look in the word of God and we can think of those verses. We are bathed in it. No one has ever loved us like Jesus. There's that song.
Says no one ever cared for me like Jesus. When you start looking at that, when you start quoting these things to yourself, every one of us has an inner conversation going on. We talk to ourselves all the time. What do you say to yourself? Well, the enemy is always coming around with those things, trying to get us to have a conversation that goes down. I tell my wife that these are rabbit trails down to the River of Funk and he would have us go there.
And everyone of us, he knows how to push our buttons. There are things some are afraid of that somebody else never even thought of being afraid of. But it's like a jukebox. He knows how to push the button. And we start down that thing, we rehearse these things, this inter conversation. You can stop it. Hit the stop button, hit the pause button and interject into that inner conversation these words from this book. And it will change things. I call it catching yourself. It's catching yourself going in a direction, in your thoughts in some way.
That's negative, harmful, fear, fearful or whatever. You catch it and you go, no, I don't want to go that way. Perfect love casts without fear or whatever verse applies to that and can interrupt that and you begin to focus on that and then the fear goes, it ebbs. You can simply look up to your Father and say, fill me with your peace. Put it in my mind, in my heart, in my body. Take the stress away. Take the fear away.
When we got the news that my wife was facing.
Cancer. The verse the Lord gave us the next day from dear brother Norm Hebert in an e-mail. Nobody knew anything about it. Bold letters right at the top.
Being not afraid, only believe.
What an encouragement that was. I was shaking, trembling in fear.
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Before that.
So when I those that news came, those words came into my heart. I had peace from then on because the one who loves me and who loves my wife and told us be not afraid, only believe. You know that story of Jairus is an interesting story. When he came to the Lord Jesus to talk about this child that was ill, that's when he was interrupted by the woman who touched the hem of his garment. This man is.
Inviting the Lord Jesus to come and hurry to his house to heal his child who's at the point of death. And he's interrupted. I wonder went through what went through his mind. He's going along and there's a press and a crowd comes around and Jesus turns and says, who touched me? And he talks to this woman and there's a conversation that takes place and there's time that takes place. Maybe he thought, come, come along. My, my child is dying. But I think more likely he watched.
And he saw a woman healed in front of him. And if he looked and saw and pay attention, surely he must have been encouraged that he just saw in front of him something take place that he desired for his own child. And perhaps fear melted away at that moment. Well, when the news comes and now this is what happens in life, this is exactly what happens and how we can become filled with fear. News comes, some message comes, something from your boss, from your school, from somewhere. News comes.
The servant from the synagogue comes and says don't bother the master anymore, your child has died.
The Lord just turns to him, doesn't say, no, no, I'm gonna heal your son, don't worry about it. And there's no conversation. He just turns to him and says be not afraid, only believe in one gospel. It says I will raise her up.
Be not afraid, only believe, faith, trust, resting in Him.
There are times where nothing can make sense out of what's going on. You don't understand it. Your circumstances are maybe dark. You don't even understand what's going on. You don't even know enough details to explain it to anybody else. And yes, fear has come in.
But you can turn to this one him, turn to him. There have been times in my life where tears running down my face, all I knew to do was say, I don't get this. But Lord Jesus, I choose you. I choose you. It's dark, it's raining, there's a storm, the waves are high. I can't see. I choose you, I choose you. Sometimes we think faith is a kind of a feeling.
Well, we can have a feeling from it, but faith is a choice to trust the one we know is over everything.
To trust that God who can shake the world, you and I have that. And when we trust Him and know that He loves us, He proved it on the cross. We can quote these verses to our own heart and change the inner conversation and say over and over again, perfect love casteth out fear, fear.
Be gone and it will depart and melt away. And when you're in the enjoyment of the love that he has for us, what can you be afraid of? You know, I had a similar circumstance to the little boy I told you the story about. I was with my mother alone as a child, about five years of age, and a tornado came through our farmstead in Iowa, and it was dark at night and the wind was howling. It sounded like a freight train right outside our house. A tornado went right close to the buildings and took some of the buildings on the farm.
My father was gone someplace.
And I was afraid, and I looked in my mother's face.
And I remember talking to her about it and she said, I, she said to me, she's I was afraid when I was a little girl too, about the storm until I read in the scriptures that the Lord.
He's the writer on the storm. There's an old song that says that, but he's the real writer on the storm. He's in control of the storms. And she said as a little girl, when I found out that the Lord Jesus the Creator is in charge of the storm, I wasn't afraid anymore. Well, you don't need to be afraid when the one who loves you above anything else.
Is in charge of the things that are going on around and he will take us through.
A God who can shake the world died for us, shed His blood for us, pursued us, chased us with His love, and saved us.
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Nothing saved him in all our ways, giving the theme for ceaseless praise, our whole resource along the road, nothing but Christ, the Christ of God. 24 in the appendix.
And everything was for him.
Taking the frost wherever we love, showing the Lord, and once we come out.
Our God and Father, thou hast heard this little prayer that we have just sung together. We trusted the sincere and earnest desire of each of our souls to have nothing but Christ before us. And now we thank Thee for this time. Over Thy word. We ask Thy blessing, and as we continue on with these meetings, we pray that Christ might be ministered to us in the power of the Spirit. We ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and for His glory. Amen. Amen.
Yes.