Open—D. Gorgas, R. Mackewich
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And.
That has been before my soul is especially.
Found in verse five no more to view than I Chosen few in selfish strength divided for drinking peace the living grace, the dreams of hearts united. Lord hates that day. Cloudless rain that prospects bright, unfailing when God shall shine.
Light decline in glory never fading 169.
Lord, we can see.
Where I shall survive in my life?
Change the world of the creation of the Christian heaven and the nation.
Chapter of Judges.
The 6th chapter of Judges.
Beginning in verse one.
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.
And the Lord delivered them.
Into the hand of Midian seven years.
In the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel.
And because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains.
And caves and strongholds.
And so it was when Israel had sown.
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That the Midianites came up.
And the Amalekites and the children of the East.
Even they came up against him, and they encamped against them and destroyed.
The increase of the Earth.
Till thou come unto Gaza.
And left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox, nor *** for they came up with their cattle in their tents.
And they came as grasshoppers for Multitude.
For both they and their camels were without number.
And they entered into the land to destroy it.
And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites.
And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.
And it came to pass when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites.
That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, and which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel.
I brought you up from Egypt and brought you forth out of the House of ******* and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand.
Of all that oppressed you.
And drove them out from before you, and gave you their land. And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God.
Fear not the gods of the Emirates, in whose land you dwell.
But ye have not obeyed my voice. I'd like to pause there for a moment.
I believe Midian speaks of strife.
Why were they delivered into the hands of Midian? They did evil in the sight of the Lord.
When strife comes in, beloved brethren.
We want to examine ourselves and see what the Lord is dealing with.
Strife is not helpful.
I think some people thrive on strife, but they like it. But I think most of us understand that it's not good.
And when Michigan prevailed against them.
Because of that, many of the children of Israel made them dens, which are in the mountains and caves and strongholds. You know, that's one thing that one way that people react to it.
If there is strife.
Well, I'm getting out of here. I'm going to find myself a little place, a little cave, somewhere where I can hide, a little stronghold. That's not God's way. We'll see that presently.
But we can understand it.
But I think perhaps we've seen some of that as strife as.
Consumed the people of God.
We've seen people retreating into caves and mountains and strongholds.
Let me get off by myself but don't want anymore of that.
We read in verse four that they encamped against them and destroyed the increase of the earth.
There is no food for the people of God when there is strife.
There's no food.
It's not a helpful environment.
Well, the increases consumed, the energy is consumed.
Perhaps I'll make a somewhat of a confession that years ago when I was.
Very active.
In the matter of.
What's been called the Shrewsbury Matter in New Jersey.
We talked about it at every meal.
New developments, things that we heard about.
Finally, one of my children said at the table, could we do anything besides, could we talk about anything besides Shrewsbury?
What a rebuke that was.
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All the energy, the spiritual energy was being put out in our home.
Taking a stand, yes, against something that was wrong, we believed.
But what was there for the family? Was there anything?
Was there any increase? It was destroyed.
There was number sustenance, Verse four says, for Israel neither sheep, nor ox, nor ***.
We're into verse five says they entered into the land to destroy it.
Strife comes to destroy, so it's not of God, is it?
No, I know it's necessary to take a stand and to stand firm on things principles of the word of God, and it's necessary to to not.
Give in to evil. I understand that very very clearly, but.
There isn't any.
Sustenance left.
There's no progress.
And what is sown is quickly consumed.
Verse six says Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites.
Anytime in my experience that there's been strife among the people of God.
It has ended up.
That the people of God were impoverished.
They were impoverished.
Why? Well, they God delivered them into the hand of Midian because of their evil that they did.
And I believe, beloved brethren, when there is that.
That occurs among us.
Let's not delight in it.
Let's not roll up our sleeves for the battle, but let's humble ourselves and say, Lord, what is it that has been?
What have we done that thou has permitted us to fall into the hands of the Midianites?
And that's here what happened in verse six it says the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.
He ever gotten down with your brethren and said Lord.
We've been impoverished by what has consumed us.
Legitimate standing for truth sometimes.
But the whole strife of it wears out the people of God, drives many of them into caves and and dens and strongholds.
They retreat.
Oh, may we have the grace to get down and say, Lord, what is being said to us in this?
So they cried to the Lord, and what does the Lord do?
Came to pass when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites.
That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel. This is one of the scriptures I believe that helps us to understand that a prophet does not always talk about the future.
The Prophet is really one who speaks for someone else.
A spokesperson.
This was God's spokesperson that came.
With God's answer to them is what as to what was wrong. Do we like it Sometimes we don't we reject prophetic ministry. I believe that's why in.
First Thessalonians. It tells us in the 5th chapter. Despise not prophesying. We have a tendency to despise prophesying when God speaks directly to us. We don't like it.
Don't say things like that. Do it. Say edifying things, but we need it. We need to have a direct word from God. Now what does this prophet say? He doesn't say anything about the future at all. It struck me the first time I ever read that with thinking about it a little bit. He says thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I'm going to deliver you from the Midianites. Is that what it says?
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Not a word of it.
He says I brought you up out of Egypt.
I brought you forth out of the House of *******.
I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all that oppressed you and drove them out before you. It's all past tense, isn't it? This prophet does not speak future. He speaks in the past, but he speaks for God.
And sometimes the Lord reminds us that He has done marvelous things for us.
Marvelous things. Wonderful things.
Think of what he's done for us, brought us out of darkness.
Deliberatives from the world.
Out of a House of *******. We were in ******* and the Lord delivered us.
I gave you their land. Look at what God has given us. So much He has given us.
Do we appreciate it?
Or do we tread it under foot?
And then verse 10 says, And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God, fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.
God had solemnly warned them about the gods.
Of the Amorites in whose land they dwell. Stop and think about that, beloved, a little bit.
There's a lot of gods out there that people.
Among the people with whom we dwell.
Are we buying into their worship?
I'm not talking about little statues now or anything. I'm talking about.
Success.
Music money.
These are all gods of the people with whom we dwell.
They're not the gods that were on the other side of the river.
There are gods that our current generation makes a lot of, and God had warned us about that, he says. Don't serve them, don't fear them.
And I believe the Lord has been saying to us so many times.
Ye have not obeyed my voice.
Exit profit.
Well, wait a minute, don't go home. Profit. You didn't say anything to encourage us.
Did he?
He said what the Lord told him to say, and he left.
Verse 11.
And there came an Angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak, which was an Oprah, which that pertained unto joash the ABS, right?
And his son Gideon.
Threshed weed by the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. Oh what an encouragement this man is.
Gideon.
I love to think about him.
He says I'm going to get something for my soul.
And I'm going to hide it from the Midianites. They're not going to get it. And so he.
Is threshing weed.
But where?
By the wine press, I believe that speaks of self judgment in this particular case. I believe it speaks of judgment in general, but self judgment here.
Do you want something for your soul in spite of all that is going on?
And all the discouraging things that have happened among the people of God. Have you said I'm going to get something and I'm going to to hide it? Strife isn't going to take it from me. I want my portion of Christmas.
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And here's an Angel of the Lord.
It came.
And what did he do? He just sat there watching him.
Perhaps there's a young person here who has made it and I just encourages me. I I love to, to find a young person and talk with them and young man or lady that says I want something for my soul.
And they make an effort to get it. They thresh the wheat.
And there's the self judgment that goes along with that. And here's did you ever stop and think that there's a spectator, a divine spectator?
Later on, I think we'll see proof that that was the actual.
Presence.
Pre Incarnate presence of the Lord.
The Angel of Jehovah sometimes is many times is the actual presence of the Lord.
And he's sitting there.
He doesn't know who's watching him.
I sometimes mention this but I can say it now because she's not here but I was in the Dr. some years ago, quite a few years ago.
And I was sitting out on the porch of Sister Matilda Garcia's house.
About 7:00 in the morning with my Bible readings enjoying the fresh air.
And coming down the street was Matilda's youngest sister. She's now married to John Hay down in Philadelphia.
Glenside.
Rosa, Maria.
Bible under her arm.
Head covering.
He said. Bruce and Maria, where have you been?
Oh, some of us were out on the beach just getting a little bit of the word of God together and praying.
Now, since 7:00 in the morning, she's finished then.
And I thought to myself, how precious.
That a young person would be, and she was I think 16 at the time, that a young person would want to get something from the Lord and would be willing to go out on.
The beach in Cabrera.
And get something from her Lord.
Nobody else was watching, but I know there was one there who was watching.
Remember the Angel of the Lord sat there watching what Gideon was doing now verse 12 And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, almighty man of valor. What?
What had he done? What exploit had he done? Had he done anything great at this point?
Just threshing a little weed and getting something and hiding it from the Midianites.
And the Angel of the Lord says to him.
Jehovah is with thee a mighty man of valor. What an encouragement that must have been to him.
But you know, he comes back and he says, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us.
He takes his place with the people of God.
Collective responsibility there. He's willing to take his place and say.
I'm part of this. I'm part of this condition that the Lord is dealing with.
You see, the Angel had said to him, Jehovah's with thee, thou mighty man of valor.
You with you individually.
And he says, if he be with us, why then is all this befallen us?
Do you ever wonder why certain things have happened among the people of God as it distressed your soul?
You'll go running into some stronghold or den or or mountain.
But good like do like Gideon and go get a little wheat for your soul, something of Christ for your soul in a place of self judgment.
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Where are all his miracles? What happened? What is? I mean, I'm in the little assembly where there's nobody there that seems to care and there's no gift, and all the gift seems to be gone somewhere else.
Where is the Lord? Is he with us? Is he really with us?
Verse 14 says.
The Lord looked upon him and said.
Go in this thy might. That was his might, that was his strength, the acknowledgement of what God was dealing with.
And rising above it.
He's an overcomer, isn't he?
I think that's so precious to see this young man as an overcomer, not going, not overcome by the situation. Somebody remarked to me one time that Christians ought to be like the dandelion.
Any of us that had to mow our lawns know that the minute you mow your lawn, the first thing that pops up are dandelions. Isn't it rising above everything else? No matter how short you cut your your lawn, there comes the dandelion up higher.
That's the way Christians ought to be, rising above the circumstances.
Brother remark one time. I'm pretty good under the circumstances. I'm sorry to hear that, brother. You're under the circumstances, you ought to be above the circumstances.
Go in this thy mind.
And thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Do you want to be used of the Lord, dear brother and sister?
To deliver the people of God from strife.
And from the bad consequences of it.
Well, here's an example. The Lord says, go in this thy might.
In that humility of spirit, that bowing under the hand of God.
Verse 15 Oh my Lord.
Wherewith shall I save Israel?
Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
This wasn't a choice.
Product of a noble family here.
He realized that.
There wasn't anything to glory in.
And the Lord says in verse 16, surely I will.
Be with thee. What an encouragement that is. And that's what the Lord says to you, my beloved brother and sister, this afternoon.
Will you be willing instead of running to the caves and strongholds and and making?
Refuge for yourself somewhere. Will you be willing to have the courage to go and thrust some wheat in the winepress?
And hide it from the Midianites.
Lord says I'll be with you, I'll be with you. What a promise to have the Lord's encouragement in that way.
Thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
That's what God is looking for.
Someone like Gideon who's willing.
To do that.
Well, as the occasion goes on, you get the evidence that it was the Lord himself.
And it does empower him.
Something my purpose to go any further, but I just want to encourage each one here this afternoon.
Don't be overcome.
By the situation around us.
I was gathered in 1954.
I'm sure it was a surprise that Frank Vanderhart, because he was in the army with me and and can't think of Virginia and I remember Charles Krauss seeing me at The Who was also there. He saw me at the Ottawa Conference, he said. You're the last person I ever expected to see gathered.
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But in those years since then, almost 4049 years, 50 next year.
I've seen a lot of trouble among the people of God. I wasn't gathered 2 years when?
We had a problem with the Dutchman over.
In Holland that made trouble and I almost threw things over. It wasn't for my father-in-law and Mr. Kohler.
I think I would have.
And there have been a lot of other things like that where strife has come up and consumed the people of God.
But I want to tell you this from my heart.
The Lord wants to use you to deliver the people of God from Midian.
But it's going to take the energy and strength and exercise to thresh the weed.
In the winepress.
And to have a sense.
Before the Lord.
Of humbling ourselves, It is in spiritual pride that is going to do anything.
He grieves me to see any budding of it.
If we are a testimony at all, beloved brethren, it is a testimony.
To what man?
Does.
With the blessings that God has given him, and that is to spoil them.
And it's a testimony to God's faithfulness in maintaining whatever there is for him.
May the Lord give us grace to humble ourselves and to be useful.
168.
Well.
I will be there.
For somebody and was the.
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Whispering.
I.
When you open to Hebrews 12.
Strife is a very.
Solemn thing.
I think of you.
Look around.
See the empty chairs?
You see the result that it can do.
And it's a painful thing to be involved in it.
Brother was speaking about the difficulties with.
Choose Mary.
We went back to Morganville.
Had a lot of strife with regards to it.
Two assemblies gathered to the Lord's name, pitted against each other.
Sad situation, isn't it?
Like to look at a verse in Hebrews 12?
Verse 14.
Where we read this portion, I wonder if we've ever asked ourselves.
Am I the reason?
My local assembly.
Because of the empty chairs.
Am I the reason?
That the young people don't come anymore.
Have I driven them away?
So often we hear.
There's no shepherds among us.
I guess there is.
But I want to look at this aspect.
Because Christianity is a practical thing, brethren.
I asked the brother this afternoon.
If you could tell me what abstract means?
That word is thrown out. John's ministry is abstract truth.
What is abstract truth mean?
He made this comment to me which was rather striking and he says, you know, brother Rich, I said, would you ask 90% of the people here? They wouldn't be able to tell you.
What is abstract truth mean?
But we're not dealing with abstract truth, brethren. We're dealing with souls that have feelings, that have goals, that have desires.
Young people here.
Looking for a girlfriend Looking for a boyfriend is looking for a friend putting the hands on hey I'm here somebody, somebody's I'm here somebody speak to me.
What's on my heart?
Just a little portion here. Hebrews 12/14.
Follow peace.
With all men.
Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
Looking diligently.
Lest any man fail the grace of God.
Blessed, any writ of bitterness springing up trouble you.
And thereby many.
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Be defiled.
The ultimate meeting is a very solemn meeting.
Because we profess that we're going to allow the Spirit of God to take whomsoever He will and feed us.
Sometimes we like to take it out on the messenger, the.
Not the message.
I had it in my heart to speak on a certain subject that's very precious to me. It's Matthew 1820.
There's seven divine principles in that chapter.
I was torn throughout the week if that's what I should speak on.
Because I don't know if it's my exercise, because that's what I want to speak on, or just something the Lord is putting on my heart.
Little Brother spoke about strife.
There was peace in my soul.
As to what I wanted to speak about.
Number of years ago.
I had the privilege of being at this conference.
And I challenged some young people.
And I mentioned a certain age.
And after that meeting?
Brother came up to me as you're sitting down eating with my wife.
And he felt that I had ascended the young people.
And that's where this root of bitterness starts up. Is that word offend or I'm offended?
I'm offended and so this little root of bitterness gets hold.
And it's a terrible thing to offend one of the Lord's people. Terrible thing to offend.
Even more so if we do it willingly.
But the intent of this little talk this morning?
Is to apologize.
To those young people.
You may have all the spiritual intelligence.
But if you don't have the grace.
And it's a hard thing to stand up here and say brother.
I offended some young people.
I don't know if I did or not. They didn't come up to me personally, but they talked to this brother who was a shepherd to them.
And he felt.
They were offended because they spoke to him. Isn't it wonderful young people that there are those in your local assembly that you can actually go up to and talk to you?
And pour out your burdens to them.
You can do that to the Lord. He's longing, He's waiting. He wants us to pour out our souls to Him.
But in this case.
I was here once before.
And I didn't have a chance. I felt that the Lord was holding me back.
But every time I looked at that brother, he looked at me.
I could tell there was a wall there.
The wall had started up because I had told them I would.
I didn't say exactly when I would, but I would pray about it and look to the Lord.
Again, I believe it's a principle of faith. Brethren, if we make a mistake, God brings us back to that very place where he made the mistake.
So I'm going to take this opportunity to apologize to the dear brother who has a.
To young people.
We love you.
Rather than Richard and Love You, where young people get together every year, the Lord is blessed.
But search your own heart. Search my heart. Is there a root of bitterness?
It's real, brother. Gargas and I were on the wrong side.
Work together.
Work together.
Either I'm wrong, you're wrong, or we're both wrong.
There was a man who came into the presence of God and he was told to take his shoes off.
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Stood on holy ground.
Years later, another man finds himself in the presence of God.
He's told to take a shoe box.
Why do we take our shoes off rather?
So the Lord can wash your feet.
The Lord has to wash our feet first.
Before a week in Washington brethren's feet.
And it's made of feet washing experience for me to hear this talk about strife.
And selfish strife divided.
But I have two exercises of a brother. One is the truth of gathering.
Seven Divine Principles of Matthew, 1820.
And the other exercise I have is the empty chairs.
I do not want you young people, older one, to become an empty chair.
Why isn't Carl here? Well, he was offended because some brother made some comment to him about how he came to the meeting one night and he didn't have proper clothes on.
Young person said to me recently, what's wrong with the concept of just coming as you are to the Lord?
Have you ever?
Had the grace to.
Tell somebody.
Brother, I'm wrong.
Sitting against the Lord I sitting against you, I'm sitting against my brother.
David got into a big difficulty, didn't he? But his heart was broken because he says, what about the sheep? What have they done? What have they done?
Brother Mr. Lord Terry's there's another Bible reading on 3rd John.
And some of the dear young people in private conversation.
With me and shared their feelings.
And they do feel that there are geographies among us, brother.
That's a serious thing, isn't it?
The very ones that we're trying to help, the very ones that we're trying to be a blessing to tell us that they see things that we don't see, that there is a spirit of the atrophies among us, the spirit of the Nicolaitans is crept in among us.
So there's empty chairs.
There's empty chairs. Are you going to be an empty chair? I trust my.
So again to the young people, 19 and.
Younger that were here.
You must be about 2324 now.
I am sorry if I.
Circled you out.
I could justify and say I was just trying to exercise your heart because you're going to be, if the Lord Terry's the pillar of the assembly, you look at your local assembly, how many older brethren there are, and if the Lord tarries 1 by 1, they're going. Who's going to fill up the rank? But I exercise about anything in the local assembly. You let all the older brethren do all the work.
Is there an exercise in your part? And giving out a hand is an exercise in your part and standing up and reading the scriptures.
I was encouraged.
And Brother Smith stood up and read the scriptures read in such a.
Hard to explain how how I feel about it, but there's such a there's almost if John himself was standing there.
And the grace and the love flowing from his heart as he read those chapters.
Are you going to be empty chair?
Are you gonna be empty chair?
There's a young sister here that often when I take the gospel meeting, I mentioned her name and she bears with me. She knows I love her.
But she doesn't get offended over it. She doesn't get offended over it.
Why do we get offended?
Why do we get offended?
If I look at John Kaiser, I seek Christ and my brother John.
He sees Christ in me. Why do I get offended?
If somebody says something I'll to me, it has to go to the Lord first, doesn't it?
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Follow peace with all men, and holiness with which no man shall see the Lord looking diligently.
Lest any man fail of the grace of God.
Stop and thought about the grace of God in your life.
Rather commented about how in the sense brought up in a Christian home, brought up and brought into the assembly the grace of God. Think of it here, and I sit in this room with this book in the highest, if I can say this in a manner that you won't take it in the wrong sense, but I believe in the most highest ecclesiastical position anybody can be in.
Privilege of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, being at His table, showing forth His death. There are many who are exercised all their life as to the right place. They go from this place, to this place, to this place, searching the Spirit of God, guiding, showing them, directing them, and they finally come to the place where the Lord is in the midst of His own, gathered to His precious name.
Sad to say, those of us who've been brought up in it.
Seem to think there's someplace else.
Are not content to be simply where the Lord has placed His name.
Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them. But are you looking diligently? Lest any man fail in the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up, trouble you thereby? Many did you file.
That's the sad thing, brother.
You may get into a situation where you feel it's time to run into a hole and hide.
And you may take five or six with you.
And you'll be exercised about coming back to the Lord's table, coming back to the Lord, and you'll come back.
But the five or six that left with you, they don't come back. They don't come back.
Oh, let's not offend, brother. Let's not have a root of bitterness springing up.
Because that's when the devastation comes in. It springs up.
And then many and you file discouraged downcast.
There are many here who have problems. Indeed, there's a lot of economic stress, physical stress, emotional stress.
The Assembly, brethren, should not be a place of stress.
There's two Oasis in this world, the family in the Assembly.
The family comes through the assembly.
Searching thing, isn't it not to allow things into the home?
Not to allow things into the home.
But how about in the assembly? Oh, you're getting a little bit too legal now. You're getting a little bit carried away, says Follow. Peace with all men and holiness. That which you allow into your home, that which you allow and bring into the assembly, is it characterized with peace and holiness?
Is it going to be a place where the brethren can say it was good for us to be here?
Now there's 7 letters, the seven assemblies in Revelation. Each one of those assemblies had a state of soul.
The assembly here in Des Moines has a state of soul. The assembly in Richmond has a state of soul.
They all would like to be Philadelphian in character and spirit, but sometimes I feel we're so laid to see and we don't even realize our own state of soul. Little Brother has to stand up and talk about strife.
Strife in my heart, no strife in my meaning. Yes, there is. We need to be real. We need to be honest. Why? Because if we go back up in verse 13, make straight paths for your feet, unless that which is lame be turned out of the way. But let her read it be healed.
Last year I stayed away from this conference.
Because I didn't want to confront the brother.
I couldn't stand looking in his face as he looked at me and I got the message. When, when, when?
I didn't feel personally the necessity of it. I had spoken with others. But here's the point. The brother had an exercise.
00:55:04
Let's do not stomp out our brothers exercises. It's good that there are many of us don't have any exercise about anything.
But he had an exercise and a love for young people.
And their young people, there are many here who have that same concern for you. So you.
There are shepherds amongst the people of God.
They'll find you. The Lord will send them.
But how about you, young brother, in the local assembly where you're from, are you seeking to be a shepherd to the young people? Are you seeking to be one who takes a godly concern and exercise about their concerns, their exercises?
Young person constant says, I want to go to school and be this you bring the scriptures before them. Oh, that's a terrific job. You'll have great opportunity to make a lot of money. But Scripture says be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. You have to be unequally yoked together with this individual.
Is that what the Lord wants?
You need to remember one thing rather than young people, God has already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Satan is a God and Prince of this world. He has all of the gold wealth, all of the riches at his disposable, and he gives to whoever he will. Don't confuse what Satan gives and what God has already given you.
He has given you all things that pertain to life and godliness.
O Pindell, us, Lord, that our love to thy name is so cold.
So cold.
Brother made a comment that struck home too, sometimes.
The truth is given out clear as ice.
Just as cold.
Just as cold.
The love of Christ constrains his brother.
The rest assured, if there is a relative bitterness in your heart that will spring up, it will manifest itself. And it says here many be the defiled.
And then it's at our loss.
I'm going to challenge each one of us in our hearts this room this afternoon, in their hearts.
We've had the sad occasion at times of having discipline in the local assembly.
And when the letter is read and the brother stands up and the letter is read, and this dear young brother, this dear young sister, or this family, this couple has to be put away from the Lord's table.
It's a very sad thing to me.
When there's not a single tier shut.
With not a single heart has been touched with regards to the loss.
The Lord is going to experience here, as it were, this table, the large table were gathered around.
And he sees these empty chairs and there's not a single response in our heart that these dear ones have left. They're gone. Gone.
Have we become so cold and flare as ice that our hearts have become hardened?
Hearts have become hardened.
Rather one time said to me, let him go, they want to go, let him go.
It's not the Shepherd's heart, brother.
The Lord doesn't let him go.
He died for each one of us in this room, for those who have put his faith and trust Him or your sins in His own body on the tree.
Oh, he says, lovest thou me more than these?
He looked at Peter. Peter went out and wept bitterly. I'm going to challenge each one of our hearts this afternoon.
Let's melt the ice. Have you ever in your lifetime got into the presence of God? Presence of the Lord?
Left that early?
Reread about Esau. He did that, but for the wrong reason.
For the wrong reason. But have you ever gotten to that point? Lord just warned my heart. Warm my heart.
How can I go up and throw my arms and shake hands with Brother Gorgas?
01:00:01
Well, it's the love of Christ. It's the love of Christ.
And then sometimes it's a conflict, it's a battle. But when you start striving for truth and lose sight of.
The reality of the people.
We end up with empty chairs.
So again, as I say, that which I really had on my heart was the truth of gathering.
Fact that there is only one place.
Yet this was brought to my attention.
Rather offended it's harder to be one than a strong city.
Contentions are as a bar of a castle.
If somebody offended you today.
Have you offended somebody without realizing it?
All have the grace go to that brother and say brother, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I said what I did.
Dear Brother Short, he's a gracious, dear, loving brother.
Rather made a comment, you know about his life.
Every reason a world to get offended. Every reason in the world.
But that's not a style. That's gracious, brothers, I know.
What is your style to get upset as soon as somebody says something to you? All we need to get close to the Lord. Rather remember the stories of Amalek, how he picked off those that are in the the behind. But in closing, I want to share one other aspect with regards to Gideon.
He wanted something for the Lord, for himself, and he got it and hid it, but before it could be a blessing to the people of God.
Put it in our terms today he had a kicked father's TV out of his house.
He had to get rid of the idol that was in his father's house.
If you're going to be a blessing to the people of God and you still live at home, you have to get rid of that thing that's a hindrance to your testimony because you're associated with that house. You're associated with what goes on in that house. So Gideon had to do it. He did it at night, but he did it and it spoke to his father's conscience.
Well, Bells really bail. Let him deal with it.
Sometimes, dear young people, you can be a help to your fathers because we do get cumbered with jobs. We do get covered. After all, you got six kids, you got to feed them. You got cars that breakdown, you got a house, you got all kinds of responsibilities.
You can be a help to your father. You can be a help to your mother.
Let's get rid of that thing in our home that's causing problems.
Why is it that brother so and so doesn't feel free to come to our house? Let's get rid of that thing.
Do we really need it? Is it really following after peace? Is it really that which is going to promote holiness?
There's a dear brother who always to me, it touches my heart. He says what I say to you. I say to myself, first search my own home, things in my own home, in your home.
Why? What's? What's the end product?
There's two girls and a boy sitting over there. That's the end product.
Four €3 and a boy. Now they see now that looks like four and two. Our children, these young girls here.
They're going to leave home. Lord's going to provide a home for them and they're going to reflect on what they had at their home and what the husband or the husband had at his home. You have two homes coming together and to be one, not again mine or yours, but ours, us.
So I just close with this.
Lest any writ of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled. And again, I don't want to labor the point, but it is real. I wouldn't be up here if it wasn't. I am sorry again.
Christian Rd. is going to be full of potholes. It's going to be full of speed bumps.
But if you get offended your young people and brother and over every little thing that comes across your pathway, you're not going to last very long in the path of faith.
It's a path of faith.
Ruben, Uruguay always has a nice motive. Herman always says swallow you pride, brother. So.
Swallow your pride. Go on with the Lord.
Let's not 'cause the vision, brethren. Let's not 'cause strife. Let's that which is lame be turned out of the way.
01:05:08
And Paul says, because I tell you the truth.
I mean, I'll become your enemy.
Oh, let's not take it out on the messenger, but on the one who sends it.
296.
Love divine, all praise.
God.
John, Chapter 4.
First John 316.
Hereby perceive we the love.
Because he laid down his life for us.
And we ought to.
Lay down our lives for the brethren.