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General Meetings Waiting August 1973 First reading meeting.
Verse 9 verses perhaps for this afternoon reading.
Libyans 4.
9 verses.
Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and long for.
My joy and crown, so stand fast, and the Lord my dearly beloved.
I beseech you, odious and besieged Centipede, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.
And our entreaty also true Yoke fella, help those women which labored with me in the gospel.
With Clement also.
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And with other my fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life.
Rejoice in the Lord, always and again I say rejoice.
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, Let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest.
Whatsoever things are just whatsoever. Things are pure. Whatsoever things are good. A good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Those things which ye have both learned and received, and heard, and seen in me do, and the God of peace shall be with you.
You have any special thought on your heart, Brother Lundeen and taking up these verses and Lithium 4?
Yes, I believe that we have here the.
The wilderness pathway. It's really normal Christianity that's before us, isn't it? And we don't have sin mentioned in this epistle.
But we do find that there are little things that come in that may disturb the normal relationships and activities of the same, and so we find here the encouragement.
The apostle who's in prison for the Saints to go on together in those things that they can to enjoy.
The precious truth that he's brought to them, and is that with the consciousness that the Lord is at hand at all times. And if there are things that come in between the Saints, they must remember that there may be the two sides, but there's also the Lord's side.
And we have to remember that it's the Lord that's guiding us through this wilderness.
Now we have peace mentioned here.
The disciples went forth preaching peace by Jesus Christ. Well, this is what should characterize the assembly, should characterize the people of God. And we haven't mentioned in two ways here, as we will notice perhaps as we go on.
It's definitely a pestle. A pestle that is it more the.
The ministry of a shepherd and the ministry of a teacher.
Saw the Apostle in and introducing his subject and writing to these Philippian Saints. He doesn't even call himself an apostle. He's not occupying the fence with his authority as he did it, 'cause he was very necessary and important because of the state of things.
And we have hope through the epistle.
That type of ministry which encourages.
And strengthen the Saints, as you say, and connection with their wilderness journey, to go on and be happy on the Lord, rejoicing on the Lord even when things are.
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Are sad.
And difficult and.
When there's much to discourage.
And disheartened the Lord's people and when we stop to think of the situation.
Are the Apostle at this time? We see how qualified he was to give just such encouragement as you find throughout the Sebastian.
For everything was discouraging as far as his pathway was concerned.
He was facing a trial before the Roman emperor Emperor.
Having to be tried for his life.
And he had enemies on every side. And then there was a little state among the assemblies.
Not so much, I don't think, Philippi, which seems to have been in a happy state when he was writing two of them, except for one little problem.
But as to the general condition among the people of God that have been saved and gathered to Christ.
Forming the body of Christ, things were not as they were at the beginning of the testimony, when they were all together and of one mind. And the great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection.
They had all things common. There was very remarkable and happy state. But now things have waned and there had been a sad, very sad departure. In fact, the apostle says in the second chapter that that all seek peril and offer things that are Jesus Christ.
Well, that must have burdened the apostles heart to think of.
How? How selfish the Saints were whom the Lord had blessed and brought out a heathen them and then to think that there were those just near professors that were actually preaching the gospel and yet just making a pretense and seeking to add affliction to the apostles bonds.
Figure of further trial that must have been to the Apostles.
That is, they were taking advantage of his being a prisoner to make it as difficult and crying as possible.
Figure in the early church such a state of things where there would be mere professors.
Would actually get up and preach, and it wasn't with sincerity at all.
How the apostle was faced with all those trials, trials from without, and trials from within. And here he had been in prison for four years.
And at the time you received the contribution from the Saints at Philippi carried by papaditis, he'd actually been hungry. He hadn't enough.
To supply his temporal needs. And yet isn't it remarkable, beloved, the prisoner with all those trials without him within, that he can lift the hearts of the Saints right up above all the passing circumstances?
And.
Fill their hearts with joy, and delighted to follow the coming of Christ, and they change. The bodies will pass through, and we become like our blessed Lord. And here the one who is writing here to rejoice in the Lord always. And then he says again, I say unto you, Rejoice.
So it just teaches us this lesson.
That in the midst of all the circumstances of Christian life.
There never comes a time when we're deprived of the full enjoyment of communion with Christ and can be happy in our souls, although we're passing through deep waters of soul and troubles.
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Surrounding us. Yet the Spirit of God can raise us up above these trials and occupies with those things that he speaks of that.
Are lovely and of good report.
Wonderful festival. I feel myself in so much needed in these days.
And we're passing through where there's so much weakness on every side.
The fruit of the Spirit is Lovejoy, peace. That's the first mention of the fruit of the Spirit, and I was thinking that we have that here. In these verses that were read you find joy, that is love. He speaks of the His brethren, dearly beloved.
The first person then in the 2nd or the 4th verse he speaks of joy, rejoice in the Lord all the way. And again I say rejoice. And the seventh verse he brings in peace, the peace of God. Well, I think this is very blessed because as you were saying, Brother Barry, the the condition of things, the enemies were that would discourage the Saints of God. But I believe in the 4th chapter of of Philippians that we have here we have Christ our strength.
And the Spirit of God producing that Lovejoy and peace in the assembly and in the hearts of those who go on with the Lord Jesus, realizing that in ourselves we have no strength, but Christ is our strength, as the apostle says.
Later in this chapter I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. So how nice to know amidst all the difficulties and and discouragements, there is still the Spirit of God that can produce that love, that joy and that peace. I think it's a very blessed.
There was a time when Moses went out to deliver the children of Israel that.
He started in the energy of the flesh and he had to go to the wilderness for 40 years so he could be a fit vessel to the use of God for the deliverance of the people. But at the end of those 40 years, he didn't consider himself a fit vessel to be used, and he was very hesitant about going, however the lessons that Moses learned in the wilderness.
Caused him to be meek and yielding.
Although at the same time firm for the truth. Well, I believe we have something like that in Philippians. It's a wilderness epistle.
And the apostle is giving us in principle in this epistle.
Many things that he has learned experimentally in his pathway.
Up until this time now, the Apostle Paul was now in prison.
And yet he was rejoicing. And we find this, I think someone has said over 14 times mentioned rejoicing in this epistle. I've never counted them, but.
Over and over again, the apostle insists on this word rejoicing. Well, he was in prison. Everything was dark as far as circumstances but Paul?
Was not living in his circumstances, if you understand what I mean.
Paul was living above them. It's like we have in the second chapter of the Song of Solomon skipping upon the tops of the mountains. What would do this for the apostle? Well, it was because he had been in the presence of God, and he had renounced everything here as an object in this world. And as we see in the previous chapter, he was insisting on heavenly things.
Well, I lifted him above this world and what he speaks here in this chapter about the things that are good.
And so on. He doesn't mean natural things. He's Speaking of spiritual things. He's Speaking of those things which in which we practically apply Christianity down here in this wilderness, and not only ourselves in the enjoyment of these things, but lifting others up too, by example. And so the Apostle.
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When he was.
Unsaved was an insolent and overbearing man.
But notice how this chapter starts out.
It says therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
There was a time when the Apostle was occupied with himself and his righteousness, and his standing before man.
He speaks of that in a previous chapter, Human righteousness. But all that's gone now, and he's already spoken in the second chapter of the graciousness of Christ as the example for the believer. And he's setting this before the Saints.
And it's this beloved that gives peace and rest, joy and love, as our brother's been mentioning, not the things of this world, nor the circumstances which were found. And unless the Spirit of God lifts us above these circumstances, we'll never have joy or peace. The heart must have an object, and that's what we've had in the previous chapter. And so the apostle now is bringing us at the end of this.
Look to the point of our enjoyment.
These truths that he set before us in the book of Philippians to go on quietly in peace until the Lord comes for us, until we realize the fullness of the blessing that the Gospel brings to go on in peace, and the enjoyment of the truth, no matter what the circumstances may be.
Rather striking that in the end of the third chapter.
He speaks of girls that I've told you off, and now tell you weeping, that they're the enemies of the Cross of Christ.
He had been weeping over some that he had hopes would go on and be used and be a blessing, and now his heart has really broken over the sad spectacles and find that the deeds that he has this time.
Hopes for turned out to be the enemies of the Cross of Christ.
But as you say, brother, that he didn't allow these things to get him down, he didn't get under the the burner. That was really very oppressing and distressing. He rose above it. And I believe that 30 is really the victory that the Lord would give us not to get under conditions. There are conditions among us.
That are sad and deplorable and heartbreaking, but the Lord would have us to rise above them.
And what is the remedy when things get?
Distracting and disturbing.
Way is to rejoice in the Lord. We may not always be able to rejoice in our brethren. We may not be able to rejoice in the way the meetings are progressing, but we always can rejoice in the Lord.
You better. What a word that is for us. How much are we occupied with that blessed one?
In whom God the Father Himself found all His delight, How often do we get our minds onto His blessed person?
Well, we know how wandering our minds are and how apartment we are to get taken up where things that are disturbed or happiness. Well, that's when these things get way heavily upon us just to get occupied. Well, the blessed man in the glory and the prospect he gives us at the end of this chapter.
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We shall change our we should read our body of humiliation, that it may be fashioned like unto His body of glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.
To get the person of Christ.
And the coming hope and prospect of being like him in glory surely lists us about those things that.
Distress the heart and.
Hinder our communion. So I believe that that is the way the Lord will work out things that are perplexing and saddening. The heart is more occupation with Christ.
And having the hope of glory before us.
Satan cannot accomplish or work with those that are fully in the enjoyment of the love of Christ, but if he can get us so depressed and so.
Absorbed with things that either defile or things that are very sad and distressing.
Well, then he can accomplish what he is seeking.
To bring about in the entrance to the Blessing of the Saints.
The first verse again here therefore my beloved, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for my joy and crown, So stand fast in the Lord.
My dearly blog Lenovo is noticing the fourth verse. Rejoice in the Lord. Always and again I say rejoice. Well, brethren, if we're not standing fast in the Lord, we can't rejoice in the Lord.
I believe there's a there's something to this. I believe that to stand fast in the Lord is to recognize the fact that the Lord has authority in our lives and to stand fast in this not just so much stand fast in in Christ, which is very good, but here it's stand fast in the Lord. This is He's the one who has authority. We we don't accept the authority of man. This is not the case.
Stand fast in the Lord. Perhaps even a brother might might fail, We've all failed, but the Lord never fails. And so it stand fast in the Lord, regardless of the failure of our brethren. And then we can be found rejoicing in the Lord.
I believe that's very important.
Those 2GO together because as has often been said, that obedience and happiness go together. And so when you think of Christ will every believer stands in Christ. But sometimes, you know, if we're disobedient, we can't very well say we're standing fast in the Lord. It's the lordship of Christ that our brothers expressed.
And so we cannot expect to rejoice if we're walking according to our own wills.
So here we have the two as our brothers mentioned in the 1St and the 4th verses. You have the obedience in the first verse, and then you have the joy in the fourth verse. They go together, do they not? Now he's encouraging these two sisters to this end.
In the next verse or two, the second and third verses.
They may have their thoughts each one. And you know, we may be exercising our wills sometimes without realizing it and pressing it. And that is yielding, This is it. We get yielding this in the verse a little later, but you're yielding this be known. Well, sometimes we gain a big victory by letting our yielding us be known and we'll accomplish things that.
We never would accomplish if we continue to resist.
And sometimes it's just the flesh that's resisting. We don't realize it. And so the Lord has mentioned again.
In connection with these two, it says that they be of the same mind.
In the Lord.
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So that would call for them both to seek out what the word of God would suggest.
It's the word of God after all, that decides things, isn't it? And if the service is to be right, it doesn't matter whether helping the Apostle or what they're doing. It must be according to the word of God, Otherwise it isn't of the Lord.
And the apostle says here in our entreaty also, who yoke will help those women which labored with me in the gospel. Now there are those that would jump to the thought that then a woman should be given a place to preach and minister, but you never find the Lord choosing them.
A sister.
And selecting his disciples, there were the women that attended the Lord.
Followed and in connection with his ministry from Galilee and other places.
Ministering, it says of their substance.
A very honor down, a very blessed place that these women feel. Mary Magdalene was once basically mentioned, and perhaps she was a lady because Mary of Magdala would suggest that she was a woman of title.
Well, these women followed the Lord and ministered their substance, and the Lord on one occasion sent her with a message.
For she was the first one to whom the Lord revealed himself to it.
After he rolled from the dead, and he we find that he sent this message by Mary. Go tell my brethren, I offend unto my Father, and your Father, my God, and your God.
Well, we find that she went and told exactly what the Lord told her to tell. I won't look it up, but if you read it carefully, you'll find she just delivered the message. And no, no more.
She was privileged to carry the most blessed message that has ever been communicated to any of God's children in this world, that we're united to a glorified Christ. His Father is our Father. His God is our God that ascended one. But she didn't go any farther than that. I didn't Commission her to preach in any way.
I only mentioned that as I'm sure that all here are not troubled about this matter.
But likely you'll find when you're going about among God's children, there are those that will insist that a woman should be given the same privilege as a man to go out and preach. So it's nice to be fair on these things and to see that there's nothing in Scripture to support that thought anyway.
Feed in the in the church, Paul says.
The women keep silence in the church. You get that in and 1St Corinthians and chapter 14. But what are the most important and?
Deep place sisters have in connection with the Lord's work.
I dare say that it hadn't been for the Faithful Sisters. We wouldn't be here this afternoon.
They have helped their husbands and when we go to the dormitories we find sisters assisting the Saints. Their first one we met was a sister. They have a very needful work.
At all times, the work of God depends on the faithfulness of sisters in entertaining and opening their homes.
Remember years ago down Kentucky that the sisters were the ones who opened their homes and through their godly.
Consistent.
Hospitality. The work was blessed and prospered, without which it would have never.
Had any start at all?
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I suppose that the apostle is speaking to Epaphroditus here. Is he not, when he says true yoke fellow?
Because it might be that Epaphroditus was wondering about these sisters helping. We don't know what the problem was, but he mentions it, perhaps by way of correction. And he says, I entreat thee also true yoke fellow, that is, he has already spoken about the two sisters. Now he says, I entreat thee also true yoke fellow.
Help those women which labored with me in the gospel.
With my fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life. So there might have been a little question in the mind of Epaphroditus about the activity of these women, And the apostle clears up the matter here in this epistle.
Know that the state in the assembly was exceptional when.
And the only mention of any friction at Philippi was a disagreement between two sisters. And yet I doubt not in the second chapter.
And the first verse.
He is referring to that fact when he says, if there be therefore any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love, any fellowship of the Spirit, If any barrels of mercy fulfill ye my joy, let ye be light minded, having the same love being of 1 accord of one line.
Apostle says My cup is almost full.
Now let's this matter that is come in this disagreement, let that matter be cleared up, and then my couple run over, so to speak, the thought the apostle has there. And that is it shows that how even a disagreement among two sisters can cause.
Much have a concern that is there can arrive those roots of bitterness.
Now that you read up in the 12Th of Hebrews, whereby many are defiled, if these things are not look corrected, they can lead to much. So it's something like what we read in Song of Solomon take us to fox, the little foxes that spoil the vines, where our vines have tender grapes.
It isn't always the large things that are easy to see how wrong and how how.
How people they are, but it may be just little frictions, little disagreements when they're not just these things are not cleared up. How they can go and how others can be affected until many can be deprived by them.
So I'll never hear an old Brother Dunlop say that word. There. Take us the foxes is really catch the foxes. Get these little foxes before they spoil the vine. He cut off the tender.
Branches. And then the grapes, all with him. There's no fruit whatever. No, beloved, let's remember we're here to bear fruit for Christ, and we want to judge anything that.
Word hinder that proof that delights the heart of God the Father as he looks down upon his vineyard here below.
Nice to see that in this official. That one mind I believe is mentioned in every chapter.
You notice the first chapter and the 27th verse.
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. And whether I come and see you, or else the absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel. And then in the second chapter, the verse our brother Barry has called our attention to the second verse, chapter two and two, fulfill ye my joy that you be like minded having the same love being of 1 accord.
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Of one mind then in the third chapter and the 16th verse.
Nevertheless, whereunto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. And then in our chapter again I beseech Eudius and beseech Sintica, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. I believe this is a very important things. As our brother Lundin has said the for the wilderness journey we we won't need this when the Lord Jesus comes. We'll be there in all of perfection of His glory, but we need them now.
We need to be reminded over and over again that were gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the exhortation is to be of one mind in the Lord. Well, I believe this is a very, very important chapter, very lovely chapter in a lovely book too, in the first chapter.
Not exactly the same words, but partakers of my grace in the seventh verse, that is having the same grace.
As the apostle, I was just adding one or two to your thoughts here. And as you've mentioned in the second verse of the second chapter you have like mindedness, same love, same accord and same mind. And then in the 17th or 18th first of the second chapter you have the same.
Cause and I believe you have it all the way through.
Like dust minded in the third chapter and 15th verse. In fact, as you say, it's all the way through the the book now in our.
Fourth verse of our chapter.
The Apostle as much as takes the stand that the Saints are going to bow to what he suggested, and so he goes on with the thought of that.
Rejoicing together.
Rejoice in the Lord, always and again I say rejoice.
And then in the fifth verse.
Let your moderation, or yielding this be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Now am I right to say that this suggests that the Lord is present with us, and we can well afford to let our yieldingness know. Now if someone to think of it as the Lord's coming, it's all right, but I breathe the emphasis here is the thought that the Lord is present with those.
To walk with them through the wilderness. Here they're conscious of His presence, and so we can afford to do a lot of yielding when the Lord is present with us.
I agree with that, brother. I believe that's right, brother.
The Lord is at hand. He's right near.
This little difference we think of it as something inconsequential, very small.
Maybe a little difference of thought or words or action, but if we think of it as really being a breach of the spirit.
It's a serious thing, isn't it?
It's not maintaining the unity of the Spirit, is it? No, But we allow these things to come in. But it looks as though the apostle is assuming here at this point in the book that they're going to do what he says as they as you have always obeyed, he says in the second chapter. I believe he assumes this of them, doesn't he? That they will obey.
Call attention to.
After Speaking of Clement also.
And with other my fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life.
He doesn't give all the names of those for his fellow laborers, their Philippi, but he can't say their names are in the book of life. Perhaps the Philippian sailor was one of those, so that is even more important and more blessed. It isn't it than to have our names written down here.
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To know that they're written up there. And this isn't just the same thought where we get the Church of the first born, which are written in heaven. That's the title, as it were, for every child of God.
But these are names written. There are those who were fellow laborers who served the Lord when the Apostle was among them. And rather than how happy it is to think that any little service in your local gathering that you seek to do for the Lord is recorded above you may may not be.
Written up down here, No one may know anything about it in this.
Life. But there's a record of it up there. Connected with the name are those who served, and in this case, in a local way.
When the Apostle was there among them, he doesn't just do all his service for the Lord himself.
And he accepted the help and the assistance of others, and we can encourage them.
To think that their names are up there in connection where their laborers. Someday it will be all revealed up there.
Regarding the authority of the Lord in the midst as gathered to His precious name years ago.
A beloved brother. An older brother. I'm sure most of us know him here. Morris Smith, MW Smith.
I remember I was just just saved, just gathered to the Lord's name and was rejoicing in it.
And he noticed this and he said, Now I see you're quite happy, aren't you?
And I said, yes, but he said, you, perhaps in your previous life you've been happy to do what you please. I said, That's right, he said, Well, you're gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, and you can't have your own way here. And I thought that was very good instruction. I thought about it many times since. And if we each one realize that more in our souls, I'm sure there would be less difficulty.
Has to know that the it's the Lord's authority. He has authority in the assembly. And I I can't have my own way. This is not not the right spirit. And so I was thinking of it in connection with some of these verses that have been read.
The first thing the apostle said when he met the Lord was, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
And that's what should characterize the life of every Christian, should it not, whether they're gathered to the Lord's name or not, because some may not have seen yet that precious truth, but.
What will thou have me to do?
It's we're not our own. We're bought with a price.
And we're not to be the servants any longer of sin. And for doing our own wills that certainly sin, isn't it?
Essence is seeing is sin and lawlessness is the correct translation that you have in first John four or first John 3.
That is there. It's, it's a very quality translation and well, we might turn to it since the subject has come before us first John and the third chapter and the.
The fourth verse, whoso committeth sin, transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law.
Said that, there are two doctrine errors in the King James translation and this is one of them. The other is in Galatians 5 where it says walk in the spirit and.
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Walk in the spiritual. I have to look at it.
Relations.
The 5th chapter cannot for the 17th verse, for the place lusted against the spirit and the spirit against the place, and these are contrary to 1 to the other, so that she cannot how it should read that she should not do the things that she would.
Taking that first as it is there and make it appear that if you walk in the spirit, you're in a state of soul where you can't sin, whereas the fact is that.
That.
Walking in the spirit? Well, then.
You are able to resist the activity of the place so that you need not sin.
Are in this form verse first John 3 whosoever commits sin, I'll read that is lawless.
For sin is lawlessness.
The strange thing that the translators.
Translated this word a number of times, I believe 14 times and only once gave this meaning that sin is the transgression of the law.
Well, that has led to a very widespread false doctrine.
That sin.
Have.
That sin is a willful transgression of a known law. Well, that isn't true at all. Sin is lost whenever I say I will and insist on having my own way, though I may not have committed any outstanding Senator. That's the very essence and root of sin itself.
That's why it's in came in when he took the fruit. She acted in self will in disobedience to the word of God, and that has been the root of sin from that day on through the whole sad history of the human race.
Dave Pentecost brought a tremendous change. It is not for man because the spirit came down and that was the power of a new life.
The principle of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the principle of sin and death, as we have in Romans. But it wasn't until the Spirit of God came down that there was the power.
To carry out that which the new life desire.
Is that so?
Well, I didn't intend to switch you off, Brother Londine. From what you were bringing out about, the Lord is at hand.
I was thinking about the Barry of the.
These lessons learned by the disciples as they begin their ministry in the 4th chapter of Luke. We won't turn to it, but you'll remember that Peters wifes mother was sick of a great fever.
And here Peter was called to go out and serve the Lord, and he simply turns, and Jesus is standing there, and they besought him for her. And she rose up and ministered to them.
Well, I believe Peter needed that lesson at the beginning of his service for Christ, that if if we do those things that he wants us to do, he will take care of our circumstances.
Peter learned at the very beginning that the Lord was at hand and that he simply needed to turn and ask him for what he needed. And that's actually what we learned from Hebrews in the 4th chapters at Nah, that we go to the throne of grace not to beg for help, but we go there because the Lord has already provided the help, and we go there to obtain that.
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Seasonable Grace.
That we need and we should go in faith believing when we go to the throne of grace.
Now, as you said, that if we're right in the Spirit, we're walking in the Spirit, we'll be more apt to know the mind of God when we pray, will we not?
That word be careful for nothing doesn't mean that we are to be terrorists about.
Our Home Affairs.
For our business affairs.
And the thought is, I believe that we're to be carefree.
Not burdened and weighed down with the.
Cares and affairs of life, allowing these things to become such a weight that they hinder are going on and the enjoyment of the Lord's things. Perhaps we gotta learn a lesson. I believe it's in the 55th Psalm.
Yeah, the 55th Psalm on the 22nd verse.
Cast thy burden upon the Lord.
Say that the Lord will take the burden away.
Or does it say, And he shall sustain thee, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved?
Instead of the Lord taking the burden away, He gives us grace and strength to bear the burden that He has put upon us. He may see that it's best that we should carry that burden.
So we go again.
And tell him all about our trials and sorrows and troubles. And then we get to what is promised here.
The peace of God which passes all understanding, keeping your minds and hearts through Christ Jesus.
Thinking about all speakers here and says be careful or anxious for nothing.
That is, have that, as you say, burdened with these things we can. We're not to be anxious, but to cast it off upon him, or thinking what Peter says in his epistle. Nice to see in first Peter 5 and verse.
Six Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
Casting all your care upon him for he care for you. Well, I just thought about being careful or anxious. Well, here we're told in Peter we can if we are we can cast it all upon him. It says for he careth for you. Why I think this is very, very comforting verse because we do get under things I know I do. And.
Though I'm told to be anxious for nothing, yet I find that I have anxiety and I have cares. Well then I turn over to Peter and I see that if I do, I can cast them all on him, for he cares for me. He has a concern for me. So it's nice too to see the early part of that, isn't it? Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God and that He may exalt you into time. We wait for another day.
In Luke the 20.
23rd chapter No.
The 21St chapter.
The Lord is setting before them the events that will take place at the end time that will bring perplexity upon the nations.
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And times that will be difficult. And then he says to his disciples.
In the 34th verse of Luke 21 And take heed to yourselves, lest at anytime your hearts be overcharged with Serpentine and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unaware.
For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Well.
We all have cares, but we don't need to be overcharged with them.
For the simple reason that we're not able to take care of them anyway.
Now in Jeremiah 10 there's a verse I think that's very helpful.
Jeremiah 10, the last of the chapter.
Verse 23.
Oh Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Now fit that with Psalm 27 in the first verse.
The Lord is my light.
And my salvation, that is, he's the one that saves me through this world.
He saves me for heaven too. But in the Psalms, particularly here the the path, the wilderness path that we have in our chapter today the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?
And the sound ends with Wait, I say on the Lord.
Well, that's in keeping with what we have in our chapters, if not because.
This results in that piece.
That God himself has that keeps the heart in mind through Christ Jesus.
If we wait on the Lord, we're in the enjoyment of that peace.
That.
We mentioned in the seventh verse the peace of God.
Which surpasses understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. And so Christ is brought into it, isn't he?
Perhaps all the young people might not be clear about this. The difference between.
Peace with God and the peace of God. If we look at Romans 5, we will get the first mansions.
Romans 5 and the first verse therefore being justified by faith.
We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now that's the peace that a Sinner receives when he accepts Christ as his Savior. For the verse before us tells us that He was delivered for our for our offenses, and raised again for our justification. Then faith comes in and accepts the one who was delivered up on the cross.
And God has raised triumph from the dead, and now we have peace with the very God before whom we once were. How guilty and condemned for all of sinned, as you get in the third chapter, and come short of the glory of God.
But now the peace we get here, the peace of God, is the Saints peace. It isn't the question of our getting peace about our sins being borne by our substitute on the cross, but it's the result of presenting everything.
In prayer.
Supplication with Thanksgiving.
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Supplication is earnest in treating. I believe it's the same word you get in connection with the Lord in Gethsemane when he says that he prayed more earnestly. And then it was as Luke tells us that his sweat was as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
That earnest entreaty.
That we find there.
We can go in prayer, but if it's something that weighs very heavily on our hearts, we can also.
Bring it before the Lord with supplication, and then they should always be a spirit of Thanksgiving.
Knowing how many times the Lord has come in in His mercy and knowing that he makes no mistakes.
And that we can fully trust in His love and grace.
Well then, it doesn't say as a result.
Of coming in this way that we get the immediate answer to our prayers.
But we get something that is God sees is more important than the answer we so truly long to see fulfilled, And that is the peace of God and that pass of all understanding. We can't know how God is going to work things out. Mr. Darby says that sometimes we're looking for the answer in the front door.
And the answer comes in the back door. God has his own way in his own time.
And answering the supplications and prayers that are offered to him. But while waiting for God's time and wait, we can enjoy that peace in our souls, a peace that comes right down from heaven into our poor, troubled hearts. And the tendency, as I'm sure we all know, is to let the troubles come between us.
And our blessed Lord.
Instead of the peace of God between US and the one who loves us.
And I've laid the word there is the peace of God, which passes all understanding shall guarantee Garrison. You know what a Garrison is? Yes. The protect support from the attacks of the enemy, so that the enemy isn't able to.
To invade.
I read an account one time of one of the Scotch barons that deceived the capital of arrival of his and he waited, and waited and waited before he would starve the his rival out of his castle. But they seemed no evidence of his ever surrendering and one day on the side of the.
Castle. He saw a long string of fish.
And then he knew of the reason. They had access cave down to the sea, and they were bringing the wealth of the sea, and they could they could endure the seed forever. There was no giving in at all. Well, the enemy is besieging God's children, seeking to to dishearten them and discourage them in every way possible.
But this peace of God.
Garrison. It keeps the enemy out from finding any entrance whatever to the left, and to rob us of the joy and peace that our soul should should be in the enjoyment of.
Must have an object.
Around here I have no.
For the hedge about it.
Mine must have an object.
And the heart. Otherwise it will be taking up with something that isn't good.
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And so if Christ is the object.
As we have here, it's by Christ Jesus, isn't it?
We find that that's the way that we're guaranteed Garrison and reserved, of course.
The mind is brought in because when we read Scripture, it passes through the mind naturally, the only way we receive it, really. And then it finds its launchment in the heart, by faith, through the conscience, no doubt, but at the mind.
Is the means by which we receive the truth, and the mind can be taken up with the thousand other things.
But we don't have peace that way, do we?
But the mind being taken up with those things that are mentioned a little later.
Things that are.
Pure, lovely.
Good report, virtue, praise. Think on these things.
How important that word is for us. Think on these things.
Whatsoever things are true, honest, just.
Pure, lovely, good report to be any virtue, any praise. Think on these things.
There is a verse in the Proverbs. I'm not just sure of the chapters near the end.
It reads as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. That is, our very character is formed by the things that we're daily occupied with, and if we're always occupied with evil and things that are wrong, even though there may be causes why we have these things brought to our attention.
But if we lower our minds to dwell on that, we can become morbid and useless Christians, So the sooner we dismiss.
These unhappy things and get them out of our thoughts, the better force and even in connection with our president who may have failed grievously and sadly.
And made some sad mistakes.
The more we are occupied with those things that have been happened, things that we can thank God for by the better force, so we know that every child of God has Christ in his heart.
And is there a brother Dunlop used to say, if he looked deep enough, we're going to find Christ there? And that's where we should be looking to see something of Christ in our brethren. And he'll be occupied with that.
Now this of course has nothing to do with assembly discipline, where matters have to be taken up in a righteous way. And sometimes, even though it is distressing, I may be even depriving.
Matters have to be taken up for the Lord's glory, but as soon as we can have these things.
Dismissed and out of our minds and get our thoughts again engaged with those things that are lovely and a good report, the happier and the better poorest.
Go ahead brother.
I was just thinking, is this part of the wisdom that's from above, isn't it? I think the James, I'm thinking of James, the festival in that connection is what you said for the very in Game 3.
I think there's a good expectation here. Connection in connection with with purity and peace.
In James, the third chapter, it says.
In the 13th verse, who is a wise man? And in June, with knowledge among you, let him show out of a good conversation his work and deepness of the wisdom.
But if if he has better emptying, and strike in your hearts glory not, and lie not against the truth, or this wisdom descendeth not from above.
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But his earthly sensual endeavor, for we're ending in strife, is there is, there is confusion and every evil work. But then I was thinking of this, the wisdom that is from above. It says the wisdom that is from above is first pure. Stand fast in the Lord.
The wisdom that's above is pure, that's that which should characterize us ourselves. In standing fast in the Lord, it's first pure. That's that's being wise. That's the wisdom from above. If if I'm not standing fast in the Lord, I surely can't be of help to my brethren. I'll be a hindrance to them. But then I was thinking to the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable.
And peaceable. And then it says gentle and easy to be treated.
Full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and not without hypocrisy. Oh, I think these are very searching versus scriptures, very searching words. And then it says the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. That is if I'm if I have that desire to go on with the Lord in a peaceable way, then there'll be good fruit that is bound to be good fruit.
Some time ago in our one of our readings the went through the book of James and we were just.
We were just thinking, pondering this thought that if there are two of us, two brothers, and it's our sincere desire to please the Lord in the first thing, why, there would never be a difficulty. There wouldn't be any difficulty. There'd be no problem. Because my desire first is to be pure before the Lord, judging myself before the Lord and standing fast in heaven. And His is the same.
And so there's no problem, there's no difficulty.
Wonderful truth. Read that verse, that 18 verse.
In the new translation for us, William, please.
Fruit of righteousness and peace.
Very striking. I believe the meaning there.
But the fruit of righteousness in peace is sown for them maintenance lovely verse. Root of righteousness in peace, sown for them that make peace the lesson we need I was going to refer to.
Proverbs again, Brother Barry, you call her attention to it the 24th chapter.
And my brother just mentioned wisdom.
Now with that knowledge before us and wisdom.
There's such a thing as understanding too, but that's the.
Understanding, you see is the application of these two.
Result, the combining of knowledge and wisdom. And in James were told how we get wisdom.
On our knees we get knowledge by reading. Now notice this 24th chapter of Proverbs.
In the third verse.
It's just another angle of the truth that it might be helpful through Wisdom is an house, build it and by understanding it is established.
Now I believe here, applying it spiritually, it's this house, each individual believer.
Through wisdom is in house builded, and by understanding it is established, and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
A wise man is strong.
Yeah, a man of knowledge.
Increase a strength. I believe the application here is to the beehive.
I understand that a cell has six sides and then one side to cover. That would make 7, wouldn't it? And each little cell is filled. The bee is busy at all times. He's occupied with filling those cells with something very sweet that's stored up.
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Now the winter will come when he'll need it.
And so I believe the encouragement here is for the believer to star up those cells.
With something sweet and the only place you get it is from the word of God. I can remember things that I read when I was very young that I had forgotten.
And many things. In Genesis, for instance, that came back to me years later, that the Spirit of God would apply when the time came. Well, that's what makes for strength in our spiritual life. If we apply ourselves to the scriptures, the reading of the word, not simply to be able to gain a lot of knowledge, but because it's sweet, because it's something we need, we store it up.
And the time will come when the Spirit of God will apply it. And that's what gives for strength in the spiritual life is to have those scriptures stored up and then the wisdom.
By getting on our knees and asking God to give us the understanding of them. Now Proverbs also tells us that understanding is the wellspring.
Of life.
We might just call attention to this.
That in the first thought about peace, in the seventh verse, the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. But in the ninth verse, after having brought before us off, we should be occupied with.
Those things that are lovely good report there be any virtue, any praise.
To think on these things, then he says those things which he have both loved and received, and heard and seen and redo. And the God of peace shall be with you. First you have the peace of God keeping you, and now you have the God of peace with you. That is, in other words, you have the companionship.
Of the one who is the very source of peace.
To the soul in connection with your wilderness journey.
Astronaut with obedience, isn't it?
And the pause, those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do. And what will it be? Apostle had brought before the Philippians. His architecture was up there in the glory, Christ in glory. That's the object he had before us before him. And now, if that object is before us, we'll not only have the peace of God keeping us, but we'll have.
Is all the peace with us?
If Christ is truly the object in glory.
Is building our parks with that gladness and delight.
When we looked upward within the veil, our life is there. Our names are written in the lands on the floor.
That made us eat him and air.
All those glories which by right belong to him.
Whose margin is in heaven? The eternal song.
214.
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Oh.
It's my rising.
Law.