Open—R. Bauman, C. Hendricks
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Abide in you.
We have that this morning. It really struck my heart because it was emphasized so beautifully that it's Christ who becomes all in your heart and your thoughts, and that's fellowship with the Father. But then further his words abide in you. That's obedience to his precious word. And I believe that's the key to the whole thing. And I wanted to just consider a little point along that Old Testament Jeremiah.
In Jeremiah.
Chapter 35 of Jeremiah.
Verse one.
The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord.
In the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah.
Saying, Go under the House of the Rekha bites, and speak unto them.
And bring them into the House of the Lord, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.
It's rather strange thing to tell Jeremiah to do.
You know the Lord has to work in various ways. His ways are past. Find the output always wonderful.
In teaching is a very situation in Israel that demanded strong measures and strong words. Sometimes he brings a famine on to get their attention, but here he's using something very different. This was just the opposite of the Nazarite, who didn't touch the wine, who didn't touch any of the grape, any part of it, from the skin to the seed.
This said, bring them into the House of the Lord and.
Set wine before them and give them to drink.
I want to turn to see why the condition and why this was earlier in Jeremiah Chapter 2 Chapter 2.
Verse 13 of chapter 2.
For my people have committed to evils. They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and you them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water, water, typically the word of God. And they have forsaken, they have not listened to, they have not hearkened to the living waters.
Jehovah Himself, the word, the commandments that were given to them.
But rather they sought out their own ways and they couldn't hold water.
No truth. No truth at all. You know, that was brought out in Deuteronomy 30. We won't turn to these places.
But there the Lord set before them blessing or cursing. He loved to bless.
But what was the basis of their blessing?
The word of God. The word of God, that she may hear it and do it in Deuteronomy 30.
In Matthew 23 the Lord said to those who sent Moses seat the religious leaders of that day about them. Rather they say, but they do not. They did not keep, or were not obedient to the word of God. Now turn to chapter 22.
Of Jeremiah chapter 22, verse 21.
I spake unto thee and thy prosperity, But thou said, I will not hear. This has been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obey us not my voice.
Now chapter 25 and chapter 25 verse 7.
Yet you have not hearkened unto me, says the Lord.
Verse 8 Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, because you have not heard my words.
See down at the end of verse Umm.
11 The whole verse 11 This whole land shall be a desolation.
And astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon 70.
70 years, 70 years captivity. Why?
They would not hear and obey the word.
It's a solemn thing, you know. I want to go on to get to the .26, chapter 26, verse 2.
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Thus saith the Lord, stand in the court of the Lord's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah which come to worship in the Lords House. All the words that I command thee to speak unto them diminish not a word, if so be they will hearken.
But you know, they still wouldn't hearken.
They went into captivity.
Chaldeans, Nebuchadnezzar, We know the story, 70 years of it. It wouldn't hearken his word. Now you know when he brought them back in grace, a remnant that is to Jerusalem, the Holy city, Holy Land. In Nehemiah's day, when there was restoration and when he was restoring the walls so they could have a separation and could enjoy the things that God and worship again.
There was restoration in chapter three of the Gates as well as the Wall.
There are 10 gates. However, in New Jerusalem there will be 12. In the temple there was 12/10/12 is the number of administrative responsibility. But in Nehemiah's day they were coming back individually. It was an individual exercise, a remnant testimony here. 10 gates. What was the most important gate? Well, I'm not going to say this dogmatically. I do believe that cheap gate was very significant where they began.
And of course the 7th gate, the Watergate is so necessary. But I think because of their state of soul, because of they would not heed his word. I think that third gate was very important to Nehemiah state. What was it called? The old gate? The old gate, it was so important then. Typically it's so important now. I believe in essence it's Philadelphia.
Let's go on.
Revelations 38. We don't have to turn to it kept my word at first, not denied my name. The old gate.
You know, we say, and we love it, that we take no other name. We're gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and how wonderful it is by grace that is true.
But that's not enough. What about his word?
Kept my word and not denied my name.
I believe that is so important. That's what we had there in John 15 seven, it's so important.
In Psalm 138. I'm going to turn to it quickly and just read the verse in Psalm 138 verse 2.
I will worship and praise Thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth, for thou hast magnified thy word.
Above all thy name you notice that thy word above all thy name.
This is what's so important.
Jesus is the word. John 11 Jesus is the Word.
And when that tooth gets into your heart.
True worship results as a result of it in a godly walk tomb.
Obedience to His words.
Thus the third date I think is so important.
Who was in charge of that third gate to restore it in Nehemiah's day? Jehoiada. It means Jehovah knows according to the word of God. That's what it is. Everything has to be in accordance with His word.
All failure, I believe, among believers and Christians stems from departing from that word.
Or sliding that word and God forbid, despising it. All failures come from that. How important is that to God, his word?
First Samuel. Just read a verse. First Samuel and chapter 15. You know Where I'm going. And verse 22.
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fatal Rams.
Obeying his word, brethren, it's not enough just to say you're gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I hear that out in Christendom often.
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Are we keeping His word? Are we in obedience to His word?
That's the real test.
Now turn to Jeremiah 6, Chapter 6, Jeremiah 6.
And verse 16.
Thus says the Lord.
Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old path. That's the third gate. Where is the good way? And walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein.
The old pass.
The old ways speak of his never changing word.
In Deuteronomy 32. We're going to read the verse there because I think it's so important.
32 of Deuteronomy verse seven part of it and 9:00.
Remember the days of old. Consider the years of many generations.
Ask thy father. He will show thee thy elders. They will tell thee.
The most High Set bounds for the people or of the people, for the Lord's portion is His people. That's why His word His commandment.
In Proverbs 22, proverbs 23.
We have removed, not the ancient landmark which the fathers have set.
And enter not in the fields of the fatherless. You know, I thought about that expression, the field of the fatherless, and I'm not sure this is the thought, but it commends itself.
I believe the fields of the fatherless that were not to enter into is those areas today in Chrysanthemum of course they had of them.
Where they know not.
God is Father.
They know not Jesus as Lord. That's that fellowship we've been hearing about.
It's wonderful, isn't it? According to his word.
You have the same truth in the New Testament. I'm just going to read two places before I get into what I want. Jude in Jude chapter verse three of Jude. Jude verse 3.
And Jude, verse three says this. Beloved, going to read part of 17. Two, it was needful for me to write unto you, that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered under the Saints. Remember ye the words which were spoken of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's the third gate. That's the old ways. That's the old path. That's what we need, His word.
And then one other place in the New Testament, Timothy in Timothy 2 Timothy.
Chapter 4.
Two Timothy, Chapter 4.
And verse 35.
I'm sorry.
Two Timothy 4.
Sorry Second Timothy 4, verse 3, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.
But after their own loss shall they heap up to themselves. Teachers have they get your ears, and they shall turn their ears from the truth, and they shall be turned under fables. But watch thou. I believe that's the truth of the third gate, the old ways. Now I want to turn to where we just began in Jeremiah, because I think that background is necessary. 35 Jeremiah, chapter 35.
The word.
Which came under Jeremiah from the Lord verse 2GO unto the House of the reqabites.
And speak unto them.
At the end, give them wine to drink.
Then I took Jeyesh Adaya, the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazi Anaya, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole House of the recobytes, and I brought them into the House of the Lord, Verse 5 And I set before the sons of the House of the Rekha bites pots full of wine and cupped. And I said unto them.
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Drink ye wine.
The strong measures for the Lord to take, He was going to teach.
This way.
It's really a wonderful message when we see it. Who are these rectified? Well, they weren't originally of Israel. I believe they were Kenites, a tribe whose origin is really not known. So they're not that important as far as Israel and Judah was concerned. Maybe they were Midianites too. We don't know by extraction, But at any rate, we just hear of a couple places of the recombites. This is the one.
And in the first chronicles, 255, the Rekha bites were numbered with the children of Judah. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the House of Reqab, and so on. So we get just a very few references of these people. They were with God's people. They were men and women of faith. It's lovely to see God now holding them up in Jerusalem. And so he tells them to give them wine and tell them to drink.
Verse 6.
What they said We will drink no wine for Jonadab, the son of Raqqab, our father.
Commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye nor your sons forever.
Neither shall you build houses, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any but all your Daisy shall dwell in tents, that she may live many days in the land where you'd be strangers.
Something beautiful about this.
You know, it's like the Nazarite who's dedicated only to the Lord.
It's like the children of Israel when they went in the wilderness too. I just want to read a verse in Numbers on this because it's reminiscent of this. Numbers chapter 20 and I'll read it rather quickly. Numbers, chapter 20.
And verse 17 I believe numbers 2017. Notice how similar.
Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country. We will not pass through the fields.
Or through the vineyards. Neither will we drink of the water of the wells. We will go by the King's Highway.
We will not turn to the right hand or to the left until we pass thy borders. They're going through as strangers and as pilgrims and as people of God, and with no seeking of any joy, the vineyards of the wine, nor any sustenance from this world. It's rather beautiful. But the other place is Hebrews 11. It same thought that we have of these Greco bytes here, Hebrews 11.
And verse 13.
Hebrews 11/13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly they seek a country. And truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned, but now they desire a better country.
That is, in heavenly, I believe we have that here in the rechabites.
The Lord knew when he suggested this to.
Jeremiah, that they would refuse. He knew that.
Why would they refuse? Well, because of the word.
Of this godly man 3 centuries before. That's astounding, isn't it?
They've been keeping this word for all that time.
But they might live well, intense as sojourners, as pilgrims in a land that they were so journalism pilgrims.
And they continue that way.
They were obedient to this man who they never met.
To his word, you know, but the presence of Nebuchadnezzar's troops, the invading troops, the presence of the Chaldeans as they were coming in, made it impossible for these record bites to continue there that way.
So they entered Jerusalem.
But still they kept this word.
Of their ancestor not to drink wine, as well as the other things. Verse 8. Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab, the son of Rekhab, our father, and all that he had charged us to drink. No wine all our days. We are wives, our sons, nor our daughters, nor to build houses for us to dwell in. Neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed, but we dwell in tents. We have obeyed and done according to all the Jonadab.
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Our father commanded us.
And then they explain, when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came, it was impossible to continue out there, so they came into Jerusalem to dwell there. Verse 11.
But as long as they were in Jerusalem, they continued obedience to that word.
I think it's marvelous what the Lord has done here. This reverence, this obedience to that great ancestors word is so outstanding.
When you take it in the light of Israel and Judah, God's chosen earthly people here, they will not hear His word.
So we'll go on here. Then. Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah verse 12. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? Says the Lord. The words of Jonah Zab the son of Rickab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed, for under this day they drink none, but they obey their father's commandments.
Notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking, but jihad could not under me. I have sent also under you all my servants the prophets, rising up early, and sending them saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them. And ye shall dwell in the land which I have given you, and to your Father's, what you have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened under me.
Because the sons of John adab, the sons of Reqab, have performed the commandment of their fathers.
Which he commanded them. But this people have not hearkened unto me.
Therefore thus says the Lord God of owes the God of Israel. Behold, I will bring upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, all the evil that I pronounced against them, Because I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard, I have called unto them, but they have not answered.
He is holding up these retro bites and their obedience.
To the word of their ancient father as a living servant.
Because of the strong contrast between those in Jerusalem and Judah at that time.
They would not obey his word. That's the highest thing. I want to turn to Isaiah 1 just for a verse on this to show you how bad it was. Isaiah chapter one.
Verse 2 Here, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knows His owner, the *** his masters crib, but Israel does not know my people, does not consider what his word His people.
Just would not obey prophet after prophet was sent.
They would not argue.
In Luke 7, it says they're like the children sitting in a marketplace. Some called under them and they said we pipe, but you won't dance. And then they said we've mourned and you will not weep. In other words, absolutely no response, no matter how the prophet spoke to them. Things that should have brought tears to their eyes and real repentance they wouldn't. Things that should have brought joy for what God would do if they obey His word, they wouldn't, and so it didn't matter.
He had warned them time and time again. Now their awful punishment it comes. But As for the House of the rechabites, it's lovely to see this. The Lord said because of their faithfulness, they should not want a man to stand before Jehovah forever. How much does he value keeping his word? How much does he value obedience to his word? Here it is.
You know, perhaps the Wreck of Bites, and I think they are lost. A man's history now. But man's history is always shortcoming. It's a puny thing in the least what there are rectified. God said so. And I believe descendants of the Rekha Bites will stand in the Millennium, and they will then drink wine. They'll have full joy then the real joy, How precious. That is true joy because they were obedient.
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That's what we're looking for, isn't it? A fullness of joy. And that's the thought of Revelation 3, is that not?
Where it says you've kept my word and not denied my name.
I want to just mention I'm not going to take any more time.
But we have record bites now today.
In character, just as we can have Nazarites in character today, I think it's lovely. We don't make a vow like a Nazarite, but we can have the character. You could have the character. I don't want to get into that aspect, but I believe there's Rekha bites who not only keep his word and are gathered to his name, but they're so obedient.
Not as a matter of law, as a matter of love, you know, as I travel around, I find these.
Recombines. I call them Recombites.
There's some there in Houston, in New Orleans and over there in Sydney, Australia, and in Loulay, Portugal and up in Munich, Germany. I call them recommend.
You know, it's not hard to be a Christian in this land. Aren't we all you here?
Say you're a Christian. It's not hard. You could take that position.
It's not hard to be a brother either, or a sister.
In an assembly, when it's a large assembly, you know if you don't really feel quite like it.
Well, you let the rest take over.
But that's not what a record bite is, you know? It's something else. And I see these going on.
Where they realize the importance of, not just.
Being gathered to his name, but keeping his word. Over in Mansfield, England there's reqabites, and over in Exeter there's rekobites. Isle of Wight, I call them rekobites. I went to pool last year. It was a day after an all day meeting at Billericay, England.
And when there's two brothers at Poole, two brothers, I hear there's one interest that I don't know if he's gathered two brothers. And when this one brother who I'm staying with drove me and my wife or my wife and I to the meeting.
There's a new place for them and I got out of the car and I looked and it said reckon Fight Hall. And I said, oh how wonderful. They didn't put that name there, God put that name there, but God put them there.
You know one brother who brought me, We went in and sat down. It was prayer and reading meetings the night after this all day meeting at Billericay.
The other brother, we found out.
Drove all night to get to Billericay. Was there all day with his family, wife and children.
And drove all night, not purposely all night.
To get back that day. The next day his car broke down right outside of where he was coming and no one opened and it took him until 5:00 to get it running again and he got home about 5:15. At 6:00 he went to work, had to work overtime. He worked, and came right from work to the Rockabye hall.
I thought about this. He knew. He didn't know we were going to be there. He knew that there can't be a prayer meeting if there's one brother, and he knew one brother would be there.
You got to think about that schedule I'm describing. He walked, smiles, rejoicing, and he prayed beautifully. I call him a recovite. I call him a rekha bite. He keeps God's word not as a matter of commandment. He just loves to know this is the will of God.
Brethren, he held up the rechabites. God knew they would not drink their wine.
He says that Jeremiah take him into the House of God, put pots of wine before him, give him the cups and say drink wine.
We will not drink wine.
We have obeyed the word of our father and you know, God said then through Jeremiah. Look at the legend bites. They're a living sermon.
And I just love to look at the record bikes throughout this whole world living sermon brethren. Pray for them.
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And it really humiliates me. I love the large meeting. I know because I got so many brethren. I love the conferences, but there are those that keep going on obedient to his word, not denying his name.
Revelation 3/8.
I believe that's what we had before us in in John 15 seven.
James, Chapter 5.
This was read.
Referred to in our readings.
Verse 16 Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that she may be healed.
The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Elias.
Was a man subject to like passions as we are?
And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain.
And it rained not on the earth.
By the space of three years and six months, and he prayed again in the heaven gave rain.
And the earth brought forth her fruit. It was pointed out that in the Old Testament turned back to first Kings. 17 Please. In the Old Testament, Elijah comes on the scene.
Just no word about him prior to this.
And what you read?
First Kings 17 one and Elijah the Tishbite, the first mention of this prophet.
Who was of the inhabitants of Gilead said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand, there shall not be due nor reign these years. But according to my word, now we don't read that of his prayer. It says in James that he prayed earnestly that it might not rain.
Now what led him to that prayer?
If you read the previous chapter.
It says in verse 30 of chapter 16 and 1St Kings, Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. And it came to pass as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel, the daughter of Ethel, king of the Zidonians. And when and served Baal and worshipped him. And he reared up an altar for Baal in the House of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
And Ahab made a Grove, and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.
And then in the midst of this general apostasy.
Of the nation, the 10 tribes in particular for Elijah and Elijah were sent to the 10 tribes, not to Judah. They were prophets of the 10 tribes.
And if you'd have been in Israel in that day, you would have said.
Bail Reigns.
There was number apparent worship outwardly of the true God.
And so Elijah appears and says to Ahab verse one again of chapter 17. As the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand. As Jehovah the God of Israel liveth before whom I stand there shall not be do nor reign these years, but according to my word. Now in order to understand why Elijah prayed this prayer, it says in James he prayed.
And that it rained not for 3 1/2 years.
Imagine a prayer like that that would bring the people of God who had so far departed from the true God.
That there was visibly no sign of the worship of the true God left.
And it was so bad that Elijah said that he was alone. He was the only one left.
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God had to tell him that there were 7000 that had not bowed the need to bail.
But they were so hidden.
They didn't come out.
In a bright witness for the true God, hardly known. And they don't. They're not seen standing with Elijah.
When he presented this message to Ahab.
But back in Deuteronomy Chapter 11, we have the key.
To Why Elijah so pray in Deuteronomy 11.
Verse 16 Take heed to yourselves that your heart be not deceived.
And you turn aside and serve other gods, and worship them. And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up to heaven that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit, unless ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you.
Elijah prayed according to the mind of God.
He looked around. He saw the departure that had come in.
And he knew the scripture that we've just read in Deuteronomy.
That when the people of God would be set in their wills to depart from the Lord.
And to make for themselves other gods, that God said, I will withhold the rain.
And Elijah prayed in fellowship with that scripture.
That, you might say, that awful prayer.
Lord.
Withhold the dew and the rain.
Think of the untold sorrow and the hardship.
The difficulties, the trial that would follow.
No rain.
Or 3 1/2 years. How would they survive?
Would this discipline, this judgment from the Lord which Elijah prayed for, would it produce the results that he so earnestly desired would be produced?
We're not told about his prayer, his praying earnestly, James tells us.
But he did that with great conviction, an exercise before the Lord.
He prays that the Lord will withhold the dew and the rain.
In order to bring them back to himself.
That was Elijah's desire.
You know, we, we like to say when we're through with a conference like this.
Well, we had a happy time.
I remember when I was at work.
One of.
By inspectors and I were talking to one another and.
I had often spoke to her about the Lord and she said, well, I was at a meeting last night and we got happy.
And I said, you got happy. And she said, yes, we got happy. Haven't you ever been happy? And I said, yes, I've been happy and I'm happy in the Lord, but not the kind of happiness that you're talking about. She was talking about a religious, emotional.
Exhilaration that is experienced in many groups in Christendom they call that happiness and I said to her.
What did you learn in that meeting?
That was profitable from the word of God.
Were you edified? What did you take away from that meeting?
That was of profit to your soul. What instruction did you receive from the Spirit of God, of the precious truth of God?
And she said nothing. I just got happy.
The point I'm making in reciting this is that.
That isn't the important thing.
Is that we just have happy meetings.
The important thing is that we get in the presence of the Lord.
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As has been so stressed before us in these meetings.
That we lay aside.
Everything that will hinder that fellowship.
Lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and run with patience the race that is set before us.
Elijah prayed one of the most dreadful prayers recorded in all of scripture.
But it was according to the word of God, because the people of God needed the discipline.
And I believe that that might be the answer to.
Why do we have such problems?
Why does it come into our families and into our assemblies?
Into our personal lives. Why is there such departure?
Such lack of going on for him.
Why is there such a dead weight in our meetings And long, as our brother was saying this afternoon, long periods of silence.
Almost to the point of being painful.
When the heart should come into his presence with overflowing and joy. And I'm not talking about the.
Charismatic type, which I was referring to a moment ago.
That's just fleshly exhilaration. And we're not talking about that, but we're talking about the Word, the Spirit of God leading us and leading us out to adore him, to worship and praise him.
One sister said to some brothers at the end of a meeting that was like the one just described, and as she went by them, she said, You brothers make good sisters.
What did she mean?
The brothers are the mouthpiece of the assembly. They're the ones that ought to give the praise and the expression of it. Sisters do it silently.
But they weren't doing that and nowadays we have the pulpits being filled by women.
Nowadays we have the churches characterized by women with uncovered heads.
Women out of their place of subjection. Why?
Because we have failed as brethren, as men.
In our responsibility before the Lord.
Sometimes we'll find that an assembly gets.
Taken over by.
The younger Brethren.
And the word of God tells us very clearly that the younger are to be subject to the elder, and yeah, all of you be subject 1 to another.
There's something wrong there.
Something wrong in a family if you go in and the wife is the ruler.
Or the children are the ones that set the the order of things. Something wrong there, that's not God's order.
Something wrong in a country when the citizens rebel against God-given authority and.
Take things into their own hands.
Something wrong when the order that God has laid down in His Word.
Is being violated and not followed. And that's the way it was in Israel in these days. Everything was wrong.
And God had been displaced.
And the Spirit of God was grieved.
And so he led Elijah to pray this prayer.
Well, beloved.
The important thing is not.
A good feeling that we might have when we go away from such meetings as these.
But has he spoken to my soul?
As he's spoken to of my soul, that in such a way that it's going to have an effect in my life.
A change in my life. A change in your life.
So that there is a commitment to the Lord to follow him with purpose of heart.
There's never been a day when this was more needed.
Her brother was talking about the old paths the good way.
But they said we won't walk therein.
Well, maybe the masses are saying that, but that's no reason for you to say it. That's no reason for me to say it. Let us encourage ourselves, strengthen ourselves, and that they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and a book of remembrance was written for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name. We need to encourage one another in the truth and standing for the truth of God, not the opinions of men. Everything is wrong out there in the religious world. It's all upside down. It's not according to the pattern.
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That has been told us in the word of God, we have to get back to Scripture.
Wives have to get back to being subject to their husbands. Husbands have to be get back to being exercising their authority over their wives in love. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church. Children obey your parents. This is right.
This is God's word.
And until we get back to the foundation truths of Scripture.
We won't.
We won't be in the fit state of soul for the Lord to really bless. If the foundations be destroyed, what shall the righteous do?
The foundation of the family, if I undermine that in any way.
If I'm doing God's service, This was stated this afternoon in the Reading meeting.
I really love my young brethren. I would do everything in my power to encourage them.
To walk in subjection to their parents first of all.
And then in subjection to their older brethren, and to go on in.
In the subjection 1 to another, yeah, all of you be subject 1 to another, for we all need one another.
Truth of the one body.
But there is an order in Scripture. Obey your leaders, for they watch over your souls as those that shall give account.
There's an order in Scripture, and there is submission and subjection to godly authority, But those who are in the place of authority must be exercised before God to exercise it independence on the one to whom they are subject.
As the Church is subject unto Christ.
So let the wise be to their husbands in everything.
As the Church is subject to Christ, that verse ought to be always.
Thought of whenever an assembly is about to take an action, its action must be done as being subject to Christ.
When a church, when a local assembly takes the position, we have acted and everyone must bow, regardless of whether the action is of God or not, or directed by the Spirit of God or not. That's not the church being subject to Christ.
What if an assembly acts wrongly? We are to be subject. We are to submit.
Why, as a father exercise my authority over my children, wrongly, I have to answer to Christ, who is my head.
For that. But that doesn't entitle my child to disobey me.
Subjection to godly authority is the order for everyone of us.
And everyone of us is under another The order is God.
Is the head of Christ, who is the head of man? Who is the head of the woman?
And when we depart from that order.
We depart from that state that the Lord can bless.
So we need to be called back to the word of God.
Elijah prayed a prayer that meant untold hardship for the people of God whom he loved. And then he prayed again, and the Lord gave reign and brought in blessing. Well, that whole story is beautiful to read. Just these few thoughts. May the Lord bless his word.