Scranton Conference: 2014
Table of Contents
James 1:1-6
Reading
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Sing #100.
Now in a song of grateful praise to our dear Lord, the voice will raise with all his Saints will join to tell our Jesus hath done all things well #100.
Our Godfather, we thank thee for a few minutes to be together, to enjoy.
Some things.
Together of thyself open thy word to learn a little bit from it. Pray the doubt.
Plus this time together.
Give me thanks for the liberty.
And the privilege.
Do this in the hearts to gather together like this.
Thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. Amen.
I would suggest, brethren, if it's the mind of the Saints.
The Epistle of James, chapter one for this reading. You don't need to continue it.
I thought there's so much practical instruction in this chapter for us. James, Chapter one, how many young people present with us very valuable teaching here.
The mind of the Brethren could we.
Take off this chapter for this reading.
James chapter one.
James, the servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes which are a scattered abroad greeting, my brethren, counted all joy when you fall into divers temptations. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that she may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally.
00:05:29
Upbraideth not, and it shall be given him, but let him let us but let him ask in faith nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let the brother of low degree rejoice, and that he is exalted, but the rich, and that he is made low.
Because as the flower of the grass.
He shall pass away, for the Son is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth. So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God.
For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth thee any man, but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust.
And enticed then, when lust hath conceived it, bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Do not err, my beloved brethren, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the Word, and not hearers, only deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he's like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass.
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful here, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Well, it certainly is a tremendous amount of practical teaching in this chapter.
Which we need.
We don't have anything about redemption in the book of James.
But you might sum it up by that verse. Show me your faith by your works.
As the Lord said, by their fruit she shall know that. And what James is emphasizing is the practical manifestation of your faith. It was written to a mixed company.
As we have here in the first first verse to the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad greeting written to believers, Jews who had believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, not only in Judah and Benjamin, but in all the tribes. So it's really has a Jewish character to it. But of course, there's much here for the for the Christian as well.
Now James was not an apostle. He was the Lord's brother, probably converted after the resurrection of Christ, and he has particularly a ministry to the Jewish people.
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This is one of the epistles that is.
Primarily for the Jewish dispersion. First Peter, second Peter, there's Hebrews and there's James. But in this epistle.
We do not have the height of Christian calling. We don't have Paul's ministry.
I believe that many of these believers were still connected with the synagogue.
But James is giving a test here as to who is real and who is not real.
By their their works.
Now we know that the book of Hebrew is was written later than James, where Paul calls upon the Jewish believers to leave that whole system of Judaism which was going to be.
Destroyed and to come on to Christian ground.
Well, in James we don't go that far, but he is insisting upon.
The faith, if it is genuine, to be manifest by the works of the individual. And so that is the theme of the book. It's very practical and in the first chapter.
He's dealing here with the trials. You might say holy trials and unholy, unholy trials.
The first part of the chapter is.
In connection with trials in the pathway of faith.
That come from the Lord.
Not connected with our sinful nature, but as you go on in the chapter, you have trials that are definitely connected with our sinful nature. You might call them unholy trials and how we should deal with them. So I think that the chapter, the book of James is very important for us to to meditate upon because it deals in the practical details of the Christian's life.
Important, as you say, to realize who James is writing to. And it's interesting that of all the epistles that are written to Jews, James is the broadest. He's not just writing to those of the dispersion, like Peter, Christians who had been dispersed throughout the known world through persecution and because of circumstances and for their faith. But as it begins here, he's writing to the 12 tribes. And it's interesting to notice in all of the four epistles that are written to Jews, which John has mentioned, it's never assumed that everyone that the writer is writing to is real.
And the Jews understood, Jewish believers understood this. And the Jews understood this because when you go back in their history, you find that on the one hand they were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea when they came up out of Egypt. But it says there went up out of Egypt a mixed multitude, and there were those who were not real. There were those who came because perhaps they saw the miracles, they saw the Providence of God in connection with His people.
They saw the provisions he made for them, but God brought to bear circumstances in the wilderness that brought out whether they were real or not. And that's what we have in the book of James. One of the things that the tests of the wilderness pathway do is they prove the reality of a person and the reality of our faith. And that's what James takes up in these five chapters. There's different subjects, of course, different ways it can be looked at.
But in a general way it's the tests and trials of the this life as proving the reality of the persons of the persons faith. Our first of all, are they real believers and God brought to bear circumstances in the wilderness for the children of Israel that showed, as it says with many of them. God was not well pleased and they fell under the governmental hand of God in in the wilderness. Another thing that trials do and we have this brought out in the book of James is they teach us in patience or endurance in the pathway.
00:15:02
As well, And I have no doubt we'll see that as we go on with these, with these verses. But to see that James is writing to these ones who understood these concepts that are brought out here. The other thing that's helpful to realize too is that in writing to these Jews, they were puzzled like they were in Peter when Peter wrote. They were puzzled as to why when there was faithfulness on their part.
They were suffering trials and difficulties. Now again, when you realize who he's writing to, you can understand it because under the Jewish order of things in the Old Testament, if a man was faithful to the Lord, the person was faithful to their God. Why, he made even their enemies to be at peace with them. It says he prospered them. He enlarged their coasts, as we had with Jabez prayer this this morning.
He gave them lands and cattle and large families and, and good times and so on. That was all part of the blessing under the Jewish order of things. And now there are believers, Jewish believers in Christianity who are seeking to be faithful to the Lord. And like the ones in Peter that Peter writes to, they've lost everything, been driven from their homeland. They've lost their their possessions. They're experiencing what he refers to as fiery trials. These ones here are having to endure things that perhaps many of us have never had to endure before in the past of faith.
And they're well wondering what is wrong. We've tried to be faithful to the Lord and now this. But what James and Peter and the writer to the Hebrews, no doubt the apostle Paul, what they seek to bring out is that it's a very different order of things in Christianity. And that while we may suffer trials and be deprived of many things in this life, remember there's something better ahead. There's a heavenly calling. There's a heavenly portion.
There's an end in view, and that's why in James at the end, in the 5th chapter, he brings before them the Lord's coming. That's the end of the thing. And Peter does that. Hebrews does that, always brings the end of the thing. We suffer for a little time, but there's something better at the end. So I think it's important to understand the context in which these Jewish, these writers were writing to Jewish believers.
We seem to have a mix of faith and works in the book of James that.
But someone else supplied a little expression that goes like this, that James is really relating a faith that works.
And you can take that little phrase two different directions. 1 The faith actually accomplishes something. It has a positive end. As was just mentioned, there is a result that are obvious from this kind of faith, but it's also a faith that works in that it laborers. And so there are things.
That come out positively in our lives as we display that faith in this world and so.
In fact, that's evidence in the book of James. Those works are evidence of the faith that prompted those works.
Nobody can see your faith, but they can see how you respond to things because you have faith.
So there's these, these two points of view about faith. There's a faith that works.
It's has a positive end point and it produces positive actions.
Someone has also said, and I think it's helpful in that connection, that in Pauls ministry we are not justified by works because we're justified before God in Pauls ministry, and it's not by works of righteousness and it's not by works of the law that we are justified before God.
Paul brings before us in Romans that were justified by grace, by the blood, and by faith, those three things, but that's before God. But in James we have to understand we're justified before men. And so it's our works that show, as Bruce has said, that we have faith. Tell me you have faith and you have no works to go with it. I can't see your faith, as Bruce said, but show me your works and I realize.
I'm going to know there's going to be a testimony as to your faith. Martin Luther never understood this and that's why he thought that the book of James was not inspired because he never understood the contrast between Paul's ministry and James ministry. Again, I say in in Paul's ministry, we're justified before God and it's not by works in James where justified before men and it is by works.
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The Hebrew believers, the Jews were.
Or the ones that were addressed by James were passing through some severe persecutions.
For their faith in Christ, and as our brother said, they were.
At a loss to know why the Kingdom was not established and the Messiah had been crucified and they were suffering for the name of Christ for their testimony. But you know in verse two it says my brethren counted all joy when you fall into divers temptation.
Or trials.
It almost looks like a paradox joy when we fall into divers trials.
Now, it was perhaps primarily persecution with the Jewish believers, but we all have these temptations. We all have these trials in our lives one way or the other. And this is what you may say, holy trials. It's not because of the old nature that comes in later in the chapter, but.
There's some very valuable teaching here in connection with trials that come into our lives, and we all have them.
Do we manifest cheerful spirit when trials come into our lives, or do we complain and.
And.
Resist the the trial instead of.
Learning what the Lord has for us.
In the trial, are we in a proper state of soul, in other words, and it results from faith.
Looking beyond the trial to see the purpose of the Lord in the trial. How often we just see the trial and we want to be delivered from the pressure of the trial instead of understanding or seeking to know God's mind in the trial. As we've often been reminded, there's a needs be on God's part. I'm sorry, a purpose of love on God's part, but there's a needs be on our part.
For the trials that we experienced we're all in the school of God, we never graduate so the apostle says here well he wasn't an apostle James says here counted all joy when ye fall or be fall various temptations this could be in many areas of our lives financial.
Business problems.
Et cetera. But he says the Lord is trying you for a purpose of blessing.
We took up this chapter recently on the banks of the Red Sea with our Egyptian brethren who have been through circumstances and trials in the last four years and still face circumstances that we perhaps here know nothing about. We're not afraid this morning of someone busting down the doors and shooting us or carting us away because we're having a Bible meeting. We can evangelize freely. We can have the Bible in our home. We can carry it with us.
When we go out on the street. But they've been through some real trials and circumstances. And when we took this up, we pointed out that while it's true, we can count it all joy when we pass through difficulties and trials, knowing that the Lord has a purpose of blessing in it. Yet, brethren, we want to be careful in taking up that line of things that we don't give the impression that we ever become indifferent or callous to trials.
The trials that James brings before us were to are to increase our faith, to teach us to endure, to teach us to wake God's time, to break down our own wills and to teach us to rely on his will, and so on. There are lessons to be learned through every trial and circumstance that God allows in our in our life, and if we just grit our teeth and become callous and indifferent to those circumstances, we're never going to learn.
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What God has for us and we're never going to get the ultimate blessing that he had that he intends for us in the in this life. And it's interesting at the end of this book, he says, I think it was read to us perhaps this morning or in the prayer meeting last night that in the end of this book, he says is any afflicted prey. Don't be indifferent to it. Are you afflicted? Are you going through some trial? Pray it casts us down. It puts us independence on the Lord. And then he says, is any Mary sing songs.
Songs And you know, I think you see a very beautiful balance with Paul and Silas in the prison in Philippi. Now scripture doesn't tell us what time of day they were thrown into the prison, but I suggest it was probably long before midnight or at least sometime before midnight. And I suspect that they felt pretty bad. Their backs were bleeding. They were probably wondering well, I got a message to vision to come over here and help someone and what good am I now? My our backs are bleeding. Our feet are fast in the stocks.
They felt what they had just been through. They didn't immediately sing it was until midnight. I often wonder if they didn't all of a sudden remember the verse in the 919th Psalm that says at midnight I will arise and sing songs unto thee because of thy righteous judgments. All of a sudden they realize that what God had allowed, as hard as it was, was right. That there was a purpose in it and a purpose of blessing. And of course, we know the story, and there certainly was.
But I say that, you know, we may not always rejoice right away. I've gone through a lot of circumstances and I've been down. I've felt pretty bad. I've shed a lot of tears. I've been wrung in my soul. It took sometimes a long time to come to the point where I could sing. But Paul said sorrowful, that's one thing, yet always rejoicing. The two things go hand in hand in the Christian life. So the trials here that these Saints were feeling.
James wasn't telling them to just grit their teeth and get through it, but he said remember, there's a purpose, there's lessons to be learned, and if you can see that and the end of the thing, then you can rejoice even in the trial.
Few weeks ago I had the privilege of being in the city of Philippi in Greece.
And there is an area there that.
The archaeologists have said was the actual prison of the Apostle Paul. Looking at it, it looked very small. Perhaps it was not, but it brought.
Quite a sense of.
Appreciation as gave me a new sense of appreciation as.
On the scene I reread Acts chapter 16.
And then an hour or so later, we're able to travel about a kilometer north of the ruins and we were by a Riverside and.
Although we don't know the exact location there, it had to be in the vicinity of where the Apostle Paul met Lydia.
And also on that same trip, we were able to view the city of Minneapolis.
Where the Apostle Paul first set foot in Europe and what what a blessing that was to have the Apostle Paul set foot in Europe and from there he went up to Philippi. We then had an opportunity to pass through part of the Sonica.
And then ended our trip in Berea and we thought of those that were more noble.
Than those in Thessalonica and that they searched the Scriptures daily and it was quite an experience to just retrace the path of the Apostle Paul just in those few places. But I couldn't help again, as you pointed out there under those circumstances and they were confining circumstances in that prison that at midnight there was a song of praise.
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So remember what we've said about James, it's not so much the work of God for us, that's Pauls ministry. It's the work of God in US. And so we find here as we go on, he's allowing these trials to work in us. It's God that works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. That's one of the reasons for trials to bring us to the point where, as I said earlier, we set aside our own will and we submit to the will of God.
But it also teaches us to endurance or patience fact seven times in this book, you'll find the word patience often translated endurance. It's really the the thought in the in the book of James. It's to endure and the path of faith is a path of endurance. We're to run with endurance. The race that is set before us. It's not the Sprint. The Christian life is the marathon. The marathon runner, unlike the sprinter, has to learn to endure and go laugh after laugh.
And mile after mile, I was in Europe this summer when the Tour de France was on. And those bikers, they have to learn that it's a race of endure, of endurance. And not only are they on flat ground sometimes, but they go through the mountains, they go up and down, they go through all kinds of of weather. And it's mile after mile, day after day after day. And that's the that's the Christian pathway. And I believe, brethren, that the way our faith grows.
And our faith should grow. But the way our faith grows is to put it in operation. You know, the disciples came to the Lord on an occasion and they said, Lord, increase our faith. But the Lord really answered the disciples to show them that the way our faith grows is to put it in operation. I suggest it's not really an intelligent prayer for a believer to pray and ask the Lord to increase our faith. It's to take that grain of mustard seed.
And to put it in operation, you might have a grain of mustard seed, which the Lord likened faith to. And if you just hold it in your hand, you're never going to get anything out of it. But if you have the faith to go and plant it and to water it and to fertilize it in the proper way, it's going to spring up and you're going to get something very wonderful. And the Lord said to the disciples, basically, put your faith in operation and you'll be able to move mountains. And brethren, why is it that so often we don't see the answers to prayer?
And to faith that we ought to in our lives, we don't put it in operation.
Used to read as a young person and I still do, but as a young person, I used to read the stories of men and women of faith from past eras and men and women of faith in the era in which we find ourselves. Used to marvel, shake my head and say, wow, be tremendous to to see answers to prayer and experiences of faith like that. But you read and examine their lives more closely. You find they were willing to put their faith in operation. They were willing to prove.
Their God to prove their Lord and where they disappointed not for one moment. Now God doesn't always give great deliverance and so on. We read the 11Th chapter of Hebrews. There was great deliverances and then it says and others and they didn't accept deliverance. They had trials of cruel mocking. They were scourge, they were killed, they were sawn asunder. And so you say, did they all did they have less faith? These all died in faith. God had a better purpose for them, but nevertheless.
Why is it that so often we don't see remarkable things in our lives the way perhaps God intends? I say again, it's because we don't put our faith in operation. And when we put our faith in operation and God, until our faith is tested and God proves himself, what's going to happen? Why our faith is going to grow. And if you've put your faith in operation for 20 years, you've got more faith today than you did 20 years ago, not because you prayed for more faith.
But because you've walked the practical Christian life of faith, which is what James is bringing out.
Especially verse 35.
And of course, recently we've heard of a number of Christians.
Whose lives have been taken and.
You just stop and wonder how God allows this. But I think if we read the 35th verse of Hebrews 11, we'll have a better understanding of that says women receive their dead, raised to life again and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection.
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Yes, there is a better resurrection.
And I think that this can give.
Those that are passing through these deep trials, comfort.
God may not deliver. We think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They realized that God could deliver, but they also realized that they might not be delivered. And they had the same amount of confidence in both situations and how encouraging it is to see that.
I think we should be exercised to to know why the Lord has allowed these circumstances in our lives. We are know. We know the verses in Hebrews.
Chapter 12.
There where the apostle says.
No chastening for the present. Verse 11 seemeth to be joyous, but grievous nevertheless. Afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Notice unto them which are exercised thereby. As our brother Jim said, we don't want to be stoical and laugh it off and say, Well, this happens to everyone.
We just have to live with it and.
Try to get through it as best we can. No, we should be exercised. Why? The Lord has allowed these circumstances. He has a purpose of love in it.
That comes out here understanding.
Why God has allowed these things? We don't get a perfect.
A perfect resolution of everything but.
We are. We learn dependence upon the Lord, and we learn His heart, and we learn submission to His will. All of these things come through exercise. We've often been reminded. Take your circumstances from the Lord and your difficulties to the Lord. Let's not allow the circumstances to come between US and the Lord. That's what happened to Peter when he looked upon the waves.
Boisterous.
And angry there he got his eyes on the waves, and instead of on the Lord, he allowed those circumstances to come between him and the Lord, and he began to sink. How often that is the case with us. What Jim says is very true. Our faith should grow. But isn't it strange that when a new trial comes in, our lives, though we've had deliverance again and again?
We manifest the same spirit of unbelief.
Where unbelieving believers?
I think we have to acknowledge.
You say it's good to be exercised as to why these trials are allowed in our lives and we when we have the trials, we may not know what to do, we know may not know where to turn. And so we get in verse five. If any of you lack wisdom, let a mask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. Sometimes we use this verse just for just general wisdom, for general purposes.
But I believe in the context here, this is asking for wisdom as to how we are going to respond to the trial that we're experiencing. There's so many different types of trials that we go through and we may not know how to act in different trials, but it's a good to be exercised as to why the Lord has allowed this in our lives and also how we are to respond to the trial that's been allowed.
I think that's very important because so often when we see a trial in another in the life of another child of God, we tend to quickly jump, jump to some conclusion as to why God has allowed that trial in that persons life. But I believe the lessons are learned in our own lives when we look within and ask why the trials were allowed in our lives and to realize too that trials as John and Tim have said.
00:40:16
Are allowed for different reasons. So often our conclusion is especially in looking at others, Oh there it must be the government of God, or there's some secret sin in that persons life, or that's the chastening hand of God upon that person. Well, God often does allow trials in his chastening, but there are many other reasons why God allows trials in our lives. One is as we've been saying, so that we'll learn to trust him more.
So that we'll know his heart. Sometimes it's be cut to prepare us, maybe so we can be a help to another who goes through a similar circumstance. He brings that out in the book of Corinthians. We can comfort others with the same comfort wherewith we are comforted of God. And sometimes, brethren, it's simply so there will be more fruit in our lives and glory brought to God into the Lord. Jesus has often been mentioned, but I'll repeat it.
That in the 9th chapter of John they brought a blind man to the Lord Jesus, and the conclusion of those that had brought him was there was some sin in the family. They said to the Lord, Who hath sinned this man or his parents, that he was born blind. The Lord said neither this man nor his parents, but that the works of God may be glorified in him. There was going to be glory and fruit and testimony brought in that man's life and into to the lives of those that witnessed his, his healing.
Because because of this circumstance, it didn't have to do with any family sin or sin in his personal life. And so we want to be careful not to judge in another, but has been brought out to look at our own lives. Why has God allowed this in my life. But on the by the same token, in asking for wisdom, brethren, we never want to question the ways of God with us. You know, it's not getting all the answers that gives us peace or increases our faith.
Remember one time taking the funeral of a young man and it was a very, very tragic and difficult circumstance. And I looked into a sea of hundreds of faces of young people who had come from all over the continent expecting answers. And I said at the beginning of that funeral, I said, I don't have the answers as to why God has allowed this tragedy to touch our lives the way it has today.
But I said, even if we never get the answers this side of heaven without submission to God's will.
And a recognition that He has allowed this and for a purpose. Even if we got all the answers as to why, we still wouldn't have peace in our souls. That's not what gives us peace, brethren. And you notice here, it's not wisdom as to why all this happened. It's asking wisdom to get through the circumstance to deal with the situation, not even asking wisdom to get out of the circumstance. These brethren were in these circumstances, they weren't going to get out of them.
But they could ask wisdom as to how to get through it and to deal with the situation day by day. And we may not see the removal of all the trials and difficulties this side of heaven, or even get all the answers as to why God has allowed this. But we can get wisdom, daily wisdom. You lack wisdom. All you have to do is ask. Ask in faith. He'll give. He'll give it just a little bit. And all He gives to all men liberally, it's just for some to all men liberally. And He doesn't upbraid us when we ask.
I might go and ask you for wisdom and you say, now come on Jim, you should know how to act in that situation. Our God never does that. We go to him for wisdom. He doesn't upbraid us for coming, and we can come again and again and again.
Verse in Job chapter 37 that perhaps.
Someone could comment on verse 13 where it says he causes it to come, whether for correction or for his land or for mercy.
Perhaps someone can comment on that verse?
Where was that verse? Bill 37 and 13?
00:45:04
Well, again, this was something that Jobs friends didn't understand, did they? They thought it was all for correction in Jobs life and there was some sins in Jobs life that he hadn't confessed and he needed to get it all out in the open and so on. But we know from the book of Job that's not why God allowed it. He was a righteous man, astute, evil, he was upright and so on. But it was really for it was really in God's schooling. He had lessons to teach him. So sometimes it is for correction as we've been saying.
Sometimes it's for the land. In other words, if we can apply it, I know this is Old Testament, but if we can apply it, it's like Jabez, he prayed that his coast would be increased. And we don't pray that our coast will be increased as far as temporal goods, but we can pray that in the spirit of the New Testament that we we would have a greater spiritual understanding and enjoyment of our blessings and that vast panorama of all that he has for us. And then he says, sometimes it's for mercy.
You know, sometimes God allows circumstances in our lives to keep us from certain things, maybe to stop us from going in a course. Why did the Mariners come down and wake Jonah up in the ship to stop him from going on the course that he was going, going on to turn him around. God allowed them to speak to him was an unusual source that God allowed, but it was in his mercy. But if you notice, Brother Bruce, the next verse in that chapter, I think you get a nice context.
Then it says, hearken unto this O Job, stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. This is very personal. What was allowed in Jobs life may have been judged by his friends, but what was Job to do? He was to stand still and consider what God was doing in his life. Job was going to get the blessing not by getting advice from all his friends. Not that sometimes our brother and I aren't helpful in their direction, but that wasn't where Job's blessing was going to come from.
That's where, well, not how he was going to learn what God was Pat the reason God was passing him through.
These very severe trials, No, you stand still Job, you listen to what I have to say. You consider what I've allowed. And when Job did that, then we go on in the book and we find he got the the purpose of blessing. And remember this, brethren, we sometimes say God allows things for a purpose, but that statement falls very short of what God, the reason God allows things. God allows things for a purpose. That's true, but it's more than that. It's a purpose of blessing.
You know, sometimes as fathers we might have a certain purpose or plan for our family, but sometimes in the end, it's just a selfish motive. But even in his correction, it's he chastens us for our profit, that we might be partakers of His Holiness. So it's not just that the difficulties and trials and tests are for a purpose, but they are for a purpose of blessing. And when we get a hold of that in our souls, then and only then can we thank God for the trials and rejoice in them.
There is a verse in Deuteronomy on. Can't put my finger on it there but.
It speaks of God's dealings with the nation.
In order to do them good at their latter end. And that is the purpose of the Lord in the trials that come into our lives.
We're going to see that trial in a different light, in the glory of the judgment seat of Christ.
But we need to be careful that we don't get bitter under the trial. We turn to Ephesians 4/6. I think we are familiar with this verse, but.
It speaks, the apostle speaks of the shield.
Of faith in the armor there in the chapter 6.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, but coming down in verse 16, above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, Now the fiery darts of the wicket, that Satan, of course.
The trials here in Ephesians 6 are not connected with our old nature.
It is the trials, the the conflict that is occasioned by Satans attacks and one of his most effective weapons is discouragement. And if he can.
00:50:10
Cause us to doubt the goodness that is in the heart of God. He has achieved His purpose and that's why the shield of faith is mentioned.
He tried it in the Garden of Eden, and he's still trying it.
To put a doubt in the mind as to the wisdom of God's ways with us. Especially this comes in in in discouraging times. It may be with health, it may be with losses.
Disappointments in rebel and relationships and so on. Satan is right there to insinuate that God doesn't love you. Why does he allow this to happen? You're going on for the Lord, so those fiery darts.
He will hurl with all his ferocity to break down our confidence in the Lord.
And.
The.
The danger is that we become bitter in the trial. How many people have succumbed to that? And any one of us can, because there's things in your life and mine that we cannot understand. Brethren, we don't know why this has happened in our lives. There's things in my life I'm, I'm sure in every one of our lives that we would not have chosen if we had our way.
We would like to get out of this pressure, but.
Satan is always there ready behind us there to to introduce a doubt in our minds. Well, another verse I just wanted to draw your attention to in Hebrews chapter. I think it's chapter 10. It's remarkable there that the apostle says.
I've enjoyed it. Verse 35 cast not away there for your confidence, which have great recompense of reward. Now we think of reward in connection with some work for the Lord in the gospel, in the ministry.
We usually connect reward with that, and that is true, But here the reward, the judgment seat of Christ, I believe will be, will be our confidence that the Lord is doing the best for us every day of our lives according to our state of soul. That confidence in the Lord's perfect wisdom is what God values.
And as it says in this verse, there will be a reward for that. Well, may the Lord keep us because the enemy is very active. And I believe that discouragement is one of his most effective weapons. All discouragement comes from Satan. And you need to be on our guard. Is that right, Jim? Yes. And we want to be clear too, that faith doesn't act foolishly either. Faith is reasonable.
You can't reason faith, but faith is reasonable. There's a verse I've enjoyed in Proverbs. I'll just read it. It's the last verse of the 21St chapter of Proverbs. There's two parts to this verse that I believe go necessarily together. Says in verse 31, the horse is prepared against the day of battle. That's one side and safety is of the Lord. And I've sometimes said you can't go out on the highway and trust the Lord, your vehicle to the Lord, if you haven't kept up the maintenance.
The horse has to be prepared unto battle. Faith is reasonable, and we don't want to give the impression that faith does foolish things. Faith counts on God. It's true. It asks for wisdom, but faith also always has light for what it does. There's no such thing as blind faith.
Faith is not a leap in the dark as some would say. Sometimes I've heard an expression someone has more faith than brains and it's not a scriptural expression, but I think there's some some truth to it. Faith acts on the word of God and the light that it is given for for the time. And when it has the word of God and light for the for the moment, then faith can act in the utmost confidence. It can rest on God because what God says, what God gives is sure.
00:55:02
And that's why he goes on in these verses to show that sometimes we ask for wisdom in the situation and we don't get it. You say, well, I thought he gives to all men liberally and he doesn't reproach her up braid when we ask and we can come again and again. That's true. But the next verse, verse six of our chapter qualifies it. Brother, it says, but let him ask in faith. Nothing wavering. Now to ask in faith is to ask with complete confidence on God, to rest on the light that he has given. But I also believe it includes something else.
It concludes setting aside our own thoughts and agendas. You know, sometimes we come and we ask the Lord for wisdom, but we've already got a preconceived notion of what we should do and how we should deal with it. We're not going to get God's wisdom like that. We're not going to get wisdom liberally like that. We have to set our side, our own will, our own agenda. Because a man that waivers like the wave of the sea is a man that's driven back and forth by popular opinion or by whoever he asks. And you know yourself, you ask several people about a situation.
Ask five people, you might get 5 different opinions about how you should act and you vacillate back and forth. You waffle back and forth. Should I, shouldn't I, should I do this? And then you have your own agenda on top of it. That's a person that's driven like the wave of the sea back and forth. But a person who comes and asks in faith is going to get the wisdom of God when they have set aside, I say their own will, their own agenda and others opinions.
And in the beginning of verse five, we have any of you asked Wisdom, let him ask of God.
That's another very basic point for us as believers. James. Chapter 4 says the beginning of it. You have not because you asked not.
And very often we don't start out in a trial to even see that God is involved in it at all. It's a failing of faith, and we need to start right there to take up with whatever comes into our lives, whatever circumstances they are.
And see whoever may be involved, even if it was Satan as in the case of Job. Yet God was the one who allowed it. And having gotten to that point, then he takes up the whole point of faith here.
And then there's the question about how we ask.
The rest of the chapter, as I understand it, is challenges to this point.
That whatever God is allowed in our life is something that He's bringing in for a purpose of blessing, whether we understand it or not. And if there's one thing that we could get from Him in wisdom, that would be to really get that point. We may not understand until we get to eternity, to heaven, and have it finally showed to us.
But at least to see that He loves us and He does have a point of blessing right now.
In some way through that trial, that's a grand point to get a hold of. And so looking through it and seeing what's brought out after this, we find that.
There's all this instruction that we have in the verses they're coming to about not asking with a double mind, but then it has an example of two different kinds of believers, one who's rich and one who's poor. And it seems that they got the point. They understood that God had put them into circumstances whereby they could rejoice because their circumstance.
Their future had nothing to do with that circumstance.
And so after having given these examples, he goes on and talks about something else that can come in. As we go through a trial, if we don't see the hand of God in it, it's easy to get taken up with the fact that this one or that one is wrong. Me. And I'm tempted now to actually sin. It's no longer the trial, but now it's sin that comes from within.
Which I believe is what he's talking about next and verses 13.
14 and 15 and he says no, that kind of thought comes some doubt in the goodness of God, what we've been talking about.
The goodness of God is not challenged by faith, and yet we can doubt it. And that comes from inside. That's some lust. God didn't put that thought there. He says, Don't err, my beloved brother. And every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above. He immediately brings in the goodness of God, something that can't be challenged. And then having done that, he gives out an example of two gifts that God gives by which we may understand.
01:00:27
That wisdom that he has for us, first of all, we have.
In verse 16 of his own will begat he us with the word of truth.
That we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. And so there's the divine life that He's given to us, by which we can even understand the wisdom that he's going to give.
We need that that we have by faith. But there's another thing brought in as well, and that's a little further on, and that is in verse, the end of verse 21 That you received with meekness and grafted word, which is able to save your souls and then be doers of the Word, not hearers only. And so His wisdom comes to us through the Word.
Every provision we have is given in an orderly way in this chapter comes from God. His goodness provides it all for us. We aren't to doubt, but the first thing we have to do is go to Him and ask, and He will give it.
Odd is in everything and he knows what he's doing.
We really don't need to question these ways, because As for God, His way is perfect.
But I think a secret to not being discouraged in circumstances is to.
Keep ourselves in the love of God. Now, Eric Smith, I recall often he would say we can't always trace the Lord in our circumstances, but we can trust it. How is it that we can trust it? It's because his love.
Has occasioned that even the difficulties in life are an expression of the Lorde love for us.
You know, when we contemplate what the Lord Jesus has done for you and me at the cross of Calvary, how can we question that He is for us? He has our best interests at heart.
All the time, in every place.
And of course, perfect love is that which casts out fear.
So I think it was Mr. Darby, he said. If we could only have.
A deeper, fuller appreciation of the love of God for us, the circumstances of life wouldn't have as great an impact upon us.
Because I speak to myself, we can become discouraged.
You know, because of what's happening in our lives.
But let's not be discouraged, Lord loves you and me. How much? Look at the cross.
And the Lord Jesus said as the Father.
Has loved me.
Even so, have I loved you.
That's the love of Jesus. Think about it. It's wonderful.
But he could also say, in speaking with his father, Thou hast loved them.
Who's the 10? You and me, How much thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me. Now that's the Father's love for you and for me.
So we don't understand all of God's ways.
Let's face it, as high as the heavens are above the earth, the Lord said So higher my thoughts above your thoughts, my ways above your ways.
But let's realize that He loves us. He cares for us, desires the very best for us and God.
He does. He makes all things work together for good to those who love him, who are the called according to his purpose.
Faith. It's just taking God at this word, and I believe that's the greatest favor that we can do. The Lord is to take him at His Word.
In simple faith, God appreciates that.
So when they came to Mara, they couldn't drink of the waters. The only thing that would make the water sweet was the was the tree a picture of the cross? And maybe we can't, as you say, see all, we see God's love in our circumstances, but we can always see it at the cross. And when we look to the cross, can we doubt his love and his his wisdom? But I just want to say in closing, this meeting is almost over. Maybe there's someone sitting here and you say it's OK to talk about trials and rejoicing in trials, but you don't know what I'm passing through. And it's just hard to give thanks.
01:05:34
In the trial, you know, Ephesians, I'm sorry, 1St Thessalonians 5 tells us in everything, give thanks. That's tough, isn't it? And I don't have to admit I'll be the first one to confess. I don't always give thanks in everything. But just in closing, go to a verse in Ephesians 5 that I believe gives us the key to being able to give thanks and rejoice in the trial.
Ephesians 5 and verse 20.
Giving thanks always.
Now notice this not in all things, but for all things.
And until we come to this point where we give thanks for the trial, recognizing that it comes from the good hand of God, not until we come to that point can we give thanks in the trial. We must first of all realize, as our brethren have been telling us this morning, that this trial has come, this test has come from the loving good hand of our God and Father. And when we realize that and give thanks for it.
Then we can give thanks in it. So if you're struggling in a trial and you just find it hard to give thanks and rejoice in the trial, just look to the one who has given you the trial, realize his heart, give thanks for it, and you'll find it'll make a great difference in your being able to rejoice in it.
I make one little comment on that question and job.
For correction seems plain. The storm of waters comes that might bring a flood. For correction, for mercy, a storm of water comes, and it makes the crops grow, and we have food to eat. But what is for his land? All things were created by Him, and for his pleasure they were created. And so the rain comes, and this world produces, and it grows, and maybe in places that no one but God sees it, it's for his pleasure.
And so he may send a storm of rain for correction in my life, for mercy in my life.
But there is that which is just for His pleasure in my life, that which he desires to see and he takes delight in, and he longs for that communion of soul. And if there's that which is going to hinder what he can take pleasure in, and what's for His delight, He may send a storm of rain, too, for his land.
32 in the appendix.
No.
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Yeah.
Prayer, our God and our Father, we thank thee for.
This portion of Thy word, that Holy Spirit is brought before us, and we find it searches us deeply, conscience and heart. May Thy truth find its dwelling place in our hearts by faith. And we do pray that it might be so with us that our wills.
And every circumstance that thou dost allow in our lives, be yielded to thine own, that there might be peace in our hearts, and all that Thou does allow in our path.
To desire thy will alone, and depending upon thee to accomplish thy will.
Thy goodwill begin it all in our lives, for we were born in the purpose of Thy will, begotten by that precious word that feeds us and nourishes us, and wherein Thy will is so plainly given to us for our pathway. Help us not to be double minded, not to be seeking our own well with our lips, asking Thee.
For wisdom, but just wholly cast upon Thee in every circumstance. All these things search us, may it be so. And we do thank Thee for Thy goodness towards us, to give us that which is needful. And we give Thee thanks, our God and our Father, and the precious and worthy name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Fallen Among Thieves
Address—David Mearns
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I so appreciated the way these meetings commenced this morning.
We sang 281.
I'd like to sing it again.
Trust what we'll do this afternoon. If the Lord leaves us here, we'll sing this hymn.
We'll follow up by making a comment or two on the portion that John read to us in the prayer meeting from First Chronicles Chapter 4.
Then perhaps make a comment or two with regards to what we had in our reading this morning, all as preparatory comments for what the Lord has laid on my heart from the book of Luke. So I wonder if we could this afternoon Open by singing 281.
Touched with a sympathy within.
He knows our feeble frame.
He knows what Soros trials mean.
For he has felt the same. If someone could please start 281.
With joy.
And.
James 1:7-27
Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
267.
House for his help.
Our God and Father, we come before thee now and thank you for what we've had before us so far in this conference. These things that have been brought before us would speak to us about how our walk ought to be in ways that would be pleasing to thyself and to thy Son. We just ask for help for this meeting. That there would be food convenient for each one of us here we would have ready years to listen to.
What has to minister to us and we thank thee most of all. What I saw our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it's in his name we cry.
I don't know that the mind of the brethren to proceed with the James one.
So much more teaching there that it's valuable for us.
What is the mind of the assembly?
What verse do you think we should start at?
Well.
Probably.
Verse 8 to the end.
OK, James, chapter one. We'll start at verse 8.
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let the brother of low degree rejoice, and that he is exalted, but the rich, and that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth. So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation.
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For when he is tried, he shall receive of the the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin. Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Do not hurt, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Wherefore lay apart all filling filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers, only deceiving your own selves. For if any, be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, He is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass. For he beholdeth himself and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he he being not a forgetful here, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
We didn't comment on verse 4 this morning. Let Patience have her perfect work, that she may be perfect and entire.
Wanting nothing? Well.
Perfection here is not a question of having no sin in our lives, but there are moral qualities.
That are formed in our character.
When we take these trials.
From the Lord we learn endurance, we learn God's patience with us. There's there's things that we cannot learn in the glory.
You can never learn that God is a God of comfort in heaven because you won't need it.
Or that God is a God of compassion in heaven because you won't need it.
But in the trials of life, we we learn the heart of God. We learn our own hearts too. How how untrustworthy they are.
But that patience, it's, it's a gradual process. It's not accomplished.
In even a few years, let patience have her perfect work. God has something in view in our lives.
Conformity to Christ, it doesn't happen all of a sudden. It is something that goes on those moral qualities.
Perfect more the sense of mature or full growth, not sinless perfection.
And then we come down to our chat, the passage that we started with here.
The apostle or he wasn't an apostle, as I said, James tells us that.
The brother of low degree.
He may feel himself left out.
But in God's sight he has the same standing as the brother who is rich in this world's goods. He has to learn humiliation. He has to learn that those material things that he has doesn't give him any special place in the in the presence of the Lord, he is brought down.
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That these material things that he may trust in are not really.
The divine things that really count in his life.
The person of low degree the poor man before God, He is exalted because he is before God in Christ. Is not partiality there special place for the poor man of the rich man?
No, no, a special advantage there. But then when we come down to verse 12, blessed is the man that endureth temptation or trial. There's a present reward in taking those trials from the Lord.
It says when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life. That's.
Could be looked upon in two ways. There is a present blessing when we take a trial from the Lord we have.
We have the joy of the Lord in our souls.
We grow in the understanding of the character of God. If we take those trials from the Lord, we learn something.
We get that crown of life, of course, crown of life is looking on to the judgment seat of Christ, and it's amazing that James uses the word crown of life in connection with enduring those trials in this life. It's mentioned in Samurai. I think it is in Revelation 2. That was a assembly that was suffering much persecution. Many had lost their lives in Smyrna.
Because of their faithfulness to the Lord.
And God promised them the crown of life. I was looking on to eternity, and the crown of life looks on to eternity here too. But the same crown is promised to the one who endures temptation. There may be a loss in your life and mine. If we walk with God, we may lose a promotion at work. We may lose something of a temporal.
Blessing down here, but the crown of life is promised. It will be given at the judgment seat of Christ to those that endure that trial that the Lord allows. We might say that in the case of the Lord Jesus.
He had temptations or trials from without, but never from within.
Never from within the Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me. There was no response within the Lord to those presentation of of evil. There was no response in His soul. So the trial from was from without. And He has suffered everything that a righteous man could suffer. He endured these holy trials that we are Speaking of here.
But he and he endured, and he was an overcomer. Of course, the apostle goes on to speak of other types of trials here in the latter part of our chapter.
We Smoke spoke this morning at great length about faith and how faith ought to grow. Our faith ought to grow, and there ought to be that maturity, and John has spoken of that maturity and so on. And I'd just like to say for our encouragement as we pass on that, what has been a great comfort to me in taking up this subject of tests and trials and the trial of our faith and so on, is to realize that first of all, faith is a gift of God.
It comes from God himself, and He never tests us in the pathway above the measure of faith that has already been developed and given to us by God as a result of previous tests and trials in our life. So that when we stand at the judgment seat of Christ, if there's been failure in my life, I will have no excuse. I won't be able to say to the Lord Jesus, well, I didn't have the proper faith of the proper amount of faith. I hadn't grown.
00:15:07
That to that certain level of maturity, I was tested above what my what I was able to bear and so on. No, we're going to realize that every test in our life was measured very carefully according to where we already were in our Christian growth.
We spoke, as I say this morning, of faith growing, and I've appreciated it in connection with the circumstances that God allowed in the life of Abraham, that man of faith referred to as the father of faith. Now sometimes thought of it this way. Suppose when Abraham had first been called out of ur the Chaldees, and answered that call by in obedience and by faith. Suppose he had been given immediately a great test.
Like going up to offer up his son Isaac on the mountain. I dare say he would have failed in that test because his level of faith hadn't grown to the to the point where it was up to that kind of a test. But Abraham experienced day by day the faithfulness of his God. He proved by practical experience in his life the faithfulness of his God. So that what that his faith had grown to such a point.
That when the test came, take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, and offer him up on one of the mountains, that I will show thee of why He was able then by grace, by faith, to take up that challenge, so to speak, and to in obedience and faith go. And we know by what he did in and what he thought that he had complete faith and confidence in God. I say that because we know by what he did.
That he had faith. He rose up early in the morning and James takes it up, mentions what he did. But in Hebrews I believe it is. It tells us he had faith by what he thought.
Accounting that God was able even to raise him from the dead. You know, I believe that Abraham had every thought that he was going to have to kill his son, but he didn't stagger at the promise. Why? Because he was sure that this was of God, and that if he had to kill his son, God was able to raise him up even from the dead.
Well, that that's just a little aside. We don't wouldn't know by what he thought that he had faith unless Scripture told us. But we know by what he did that he had faith. And as we were saying this morning, it's our works that justify us before man. Just to get back to this where we started here too, I believe again, it's important to understand the context of James and who he's writing to and why he speaks in this way of the brother of low degree and the brother who's rich.
Because again, everything in the Old Testament in Judaism was measured in this way. The man had wealth. He was it was a sign of spirituality and faithfulness. But what we learned from the New Testament and what these Jewish believers had to learn in the early church was that.
Temporal things were no measure as to spirituality or spiritual gift. I again appreciated in having traveled to many countries and again, just having been in Egypt. You know, in Egypt there are the very wealthy and there are the other in the assembly. There's no buffer zone over here. We might have the rich and poor that meet together as Proverbs says, but there's the middle class and the average guys like some of us who are the buffer zone in between.
In the assembly over there, there's not. There's the very wealthy and there's the other.
But it is so beautiful, it is so touching to see money doesn't talk in the assembly over there. Money has nothing to do with who has responsibility in the in the in the assembly. And it's been very precious to my own soul to see it practically carried out. So these Jewish believers, they had to learn that it was very different in Christianity, that all are equal now in that way, we all have the unsearchable riches of Christ.
We may have nothing of this world, we may have everything of this world, but that is not a measure of spirituality. That doesn't mean that the poor man is spiritual and the rich man isn't. That's not what it's saying either. I've known those who are very poor who are not spiritual. I've known those who are very poor who are very spiritual.
I've known those who are very rich who are not spiritual, but I've also known those who are very rich in this world's goods, who are very spiritual. And so it's not the standard in Christianity. We cannot govern it, govern on persons, spirituality or the place God gives them in the assembly by what they have, whether they have a nice suit or a nice house or a poor, poor closer or a Hut. That is not a measure. And I say that's what he was seeking.
00:20:28
At least one of the things that James is seeking to teach the brethren here and for our encouragement and learning as well.
Apostle or James had spoken about asking.
Nothing wavering, not having mixed motives, not asking of God, and yet going about figuring out how I'm going to answer this problem myself, but just completely dependent upon God. And these two things brought in poverty and wealth are both circumstances that.
Can lead us to a place of out of dependence upon God if I'm poor.
I might say, what's the use of trusting God? Why ask? Look at my situation. I'm miserably poor. I don't have anything. Everybody else has something, I don't have anything. Why trust God? Go out there and get it myself. The wealthy says, why do I need to trust God? I've got it all. I don't need to ask God for anything. And so those are two extremes, but it's really circumstances that would bring us into a place.
Where we're not dependent upon God, not having a single eye, not completely trusting or wanting His will, but our own will gets at work.
So I suppose that's why Solomon said give me neither poverty nor riches. But I think too, you get a similar thought when Peter writes to the Saints as well, because they were in a similar situation. Again, as we mentioned this morning, they were used to the old order of things where prosperity was a result of following the Lord and faithfulness to the Word. And now they were concerned they were questioning things because.
They were going through what is termed as fiery trials. They'd lost everything. But what Peter brings before them is that while that which was earthly had been taken away from them, that which they had in a temporal way they had lost. They had an inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled, that fade did not away reserved in heaven for them. And so he could encourage them to go on to trust the Lord.
No matter what the circumstances were, no matter how deep the trial, they had something in Christ that could not be touched. And brethren, you and I have something in Christ that cannot be touched. If we trust in certain riches, we're going to Pierce ourselves through with many arrows, as I think it, Paul said to Timothy, we we can have wealth today and we can have poverty tomorrow, but if we are really in the enjoyment of what is ours.
And realize that we things are not measured by the substance, our substance, the substance of what a man has in a temporal way. Then I believe it's going to give us the grace and the energy of faith to run with endurance, the path that set before us to endure temptation. If we only look at material things, we're going to get discouraged. And there is a great movement today in Christian circles to measure spirituality.
By temporal things, brethren, that is false. And those that do that often end up very, very depressed, sometimes, sad to say, on the psychiatric wards of the hospitals of this world, because they may have a lot today and nothing tomorrow. And sometimes they're told that if they didn't get what they wanted in a material way, it's because they didn't have the faith, brethren.
There are those who are poor in this world but rich in faith and it's sometimes a joy to be with them. But I want to again qualify our remarks by saying that doesn't have to be so. You know, when the when the truth was revived in England and Europe in the early days, God raised up those who were ultra, ultra wealthy. Some of the nobility of Britain and Europe were raised up a faithful, godly men and women.
00:25:07
And not just men, but women. Lady Powers Court opened her castle for the prophetic conferences. Many wealthy opened their wallets for the printing of the ministry that is still in print today. And that we can read and and enjoy. And so it doesn't have to. Wealth does not have to stand in the way of spirituality.
But but again, it is not a measure of whether a man is spiritual, because, as he says here, the grass Withers and the flower fades.
It's an it's a quote from Isaiah 40. Peter uses it as well in a little different context in his epistle. But what it really shows is when he talks about the grass and the flower in Scripture, it puts on a display for a while, but there's really nothing abiding. And the things of this world they can put on a display for a while. But if that's what we're trusting in brethren, if that's what we're looking for, if that's what we're measuring spirituality by, we're going to be disappointed. We're going to see an end of all perfection, as the psalmist said.
Because those things can spring up like the grass and the flower for a little while they look beautiful, but you run the mower over them, or there's a bit of a drought and they're gone. They they wither. But again, we have something like these brethren. That is, that it, that is for eternity, and that no matter what the circumstance, it will never fade away.
And there's also the thought that we.
Should be reminded of that.
The resources that we have.
Can be used for the furtherance of God's interests here below. So if those resources are put into His hands, and whatever the measure of them, they can be used for God's glory.
And there will be a reward in that coming day. The crown of life here is not in connection with martyrdom, although it's the same crown that is mentioned in Revelation 2.
But it's a reward. Crown brings before us the thought of reward, and that will be at the judgment seat of Christ. So if there's loss down here because of faithfulness to the Lord, that crown of life is promised to the believer. When we come down to the succeeding verses here, I think it's very important to see.
That the trials mentioned here, the temptations are of a different character. They come from within, they are unholy trials and we all have this temptation.
We Satan says that we can.
Find satisfaction and joy.
By allowing that old sinful nature to manifest itself.
And.
Sometimes we do this and we know that it only brings a sorrow and trouble into our lives when we allow that old nature which we all have to display itself. We can't blame God about it because our brother has said we are the ones that are responsible. We don't keep that old nature in the place of death.
There's a little poem, so a thought reap an action. So an action reap a habit, sow a habit reap a character, so a character reap a destiny.
So what we think about and pursue after?
Will form our character in the end, as it says here, Lust.
When it hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. That's the end of the pathway. However, it does bring a moral death into our lives too, because if we allow the those sinful desires to to gratify those sinful desires.
We're going to have a moral death in our lives. There's not going to be any fruit for God in our in our pathway.
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We sang in the opening hymn.
About how that when we are faint and ready to fail.
You'll give that which is wanting and make us to prevail. Well, I believe this involves endurance.
And.
You know I believe the Lord.
He never asked us to do anything.
What he gives us the ability to do it.
And I think of how David.
In the Psalms in Psalm 40.
He says I waited patiently for the Lord.
And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also on horrible pit.
Well, I think there was endurance with.
David.
The circumstances were very difficult.
But he didn't throw up his hands in despair and turn against the Lord. He simply cried to the Lord.
And he knew there would be deliverance and there was. And David was delivered from the horrible pit.
Well, sometimes we're brought to that point, you know, where we're just about ready to give up.
We're faint and we think we're going to fail, but you know, at that point the Lord comes in and he does. He gives what is wanting and makes us to prevail.
But if we do give in to the flesh, you know the flesh wants to take easy. Street doesn't appreciate this idea of endurance.
And sometimes we do give in and there's failure come in. Well, I think that's really what it's telling us here in verse.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. God cannot be tempted with evil either. Tempted he any man.
God never tempts us to do evil or to give in to the flesh.
He give us victory over the flesh.
And it speaks in first Peter, I believe it's.
Well, just let me turn back to that in first, Peter.
I should say turn ahead to it first. Peter chapter 4.
And verse one first, Peter four and one. For as much then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind, for he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.
That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh. That a loss of men, but to the will of God.
So we know the flesh desires to be pampered and gratified.
And yet we find here in First Peter that.
If we're willing to say no to the flesh.
He ceased from sin.
And their suffering involved with respect to the flesh, but.
To cease from sin brings joy and happiness into our lives.
I just thought of that connection there with first Peter. Respect what we have here.
It may seem like as James is going along, that it's a little disjointed.
At first he's talking about this thing and then he's talking about that thing, but really there is a flow in the inspiration of the Spirit of God and what James is penning. And he takes up in the beginning our own will and God's will. And are we willing to be subject to His will to receive all from His hand and complete dependence upon Him? Asking in faith because we want His will.
Well, he accomplishes Will.
First, He will. So if I just want His will and I'm asking for His will, He's going to accomplish it, no two ways about it. And then we get into situations where I just want His will, but I'm in a place where I'm in a trial and I've got to take a step and I don't know what to do. I'll ask God, He'll show you.
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And then He takes up the things that might take us out of a place of dependence upon his will.
Rich or poor?
And then he says now rather than.
Rejoicing and riches. Rejoicing that God makes nothing of wealth or the things that this world thinks much of.
Don't get down under the things that this world looks down on. Rejoice in the place you have in Christ and both of you, whether rich or poor.
Rejoice in the work of God in your soul and what He is desiring to produce and all that He's passing you through. Rejoice in that because He does have a purpose for blessing. He's working in your soul. He's interested in what He's doing and.
Your heart and my heart, and to bring it to its happy end. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation. He says there's the place to rejoice. There's a place for us to rejoice as in what he is doing and the like. And then he takes up and continues the subject, really contrasting our will, what comes from self and his will and what comes from him and what do we want?
What do we really want?
What does our will produce? What does His will bring? And that goes on then and the rest of the chapter in that way.
That's the very point that he makes here, Steve. He says, do not air, beloved brethren, how often we think that by yielding to that.
Wicked old nature that we're going to find happiness. These are the verse in Romans chapter 8.
We could just look at there.
Verse 13 or verse 12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors.
Not to the flesh to live after the flesh, for if we live after the flesh, he shall die. They're there. That's again the moral death. But if He through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. You know, the apostle is saying here, we're not debtors to the flesh. Whenever we've allowed the flesh to act, it's always brought sorrow, trouble.
Affliction.
Government of God in our lives, we all have had the experience of that. We're no debtors to the flesh.
It has never brought any good in our lives.
Might note in passing that it doesn't say we are debtors to the Spirit because the Christian life is a life of liberty not to.
Not legality.
But the apostle or the James is saying this in our chapter here. He's saying don't make a mistake, that you think you can get happiness by allowing your will to act as our brother mentioned here, every good and perfect gift.
It comes from above. The good gifts, we might say, are those.
Temporal blessings that we enjoy. We've had a good meal here.
Today we have.
100 material blessings showered upon us, which we sometimes take for granted and are unthankful for. But all those good gifts, food and raiment, and 100 mercies that we experience day by day are from the Lord. Do we thank Him for it? Those are the good gifts. But there's this the perfect gifts too. Those are the those of a spiritual character.
Which we're enjoying today and which we have in the the word of God, the wonderful spiritual blessings that we can enjoy, which go on into eternity. So they all come from above, certainly don't come from any other source and from the Father of lights, that is, he knows perfectly all about us. He knows our.
Weaknesses. He knows our background.
He knows everything about us and he's perfect in all his dealings with us. No father here could say that he acts in a perfect way, but.
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The Lord has a special.
Love for every one of his children. We're all different, thank God for that. We're all different and the Lord has a special love for each one of us.
Plate of the high priest. There were 12 Stones. There were two stones on the on the shoulders. You remember the Onyx stones?
The six of the tribes of Israel engraved on 1/6 on the other. That's eternal security.
What the The stones on the breastplate were all different, Every one of them. You read that in Exodus 2829. God is a special love for every one of us. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our personalities. He knows our special needs. We speak in education today of special needs. Well, the Lord knows all that. He's a Father of light.
He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He is doing the best for us with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. He's not fickle, not of one day and down the decks like some of us. But it's wonderful to have that confidence, Father. That's the relationship we have now with God, not even known in the Old Testament. How wonderful to know His care.
His his watchfulness, His mercy, his love and his perfect knowledge.
Of his children, that right, yeah, yes. And as we've been saying, and it's always good to go back to the context of a portion we're taking up. This is practical Christianity. This is our walk with God in the path of faith through this world. And I believe that's why he brings out the flesh here, because Satan seeks to hinder our walk with God through this world by bringing before us temptations connected with the flesh.
You see it illustrated with the children of Israel in the Old Testament. You know, the real conflict for Israel never started till they got into the land, but there was a conflict they had during their passage through the wilderness and that was a conflict with Amalek. And Amalek is a picture to us of Satan Satan's working on the flesh to hinder our walk with God through this wilderness world.
The reason I say that is because Amalek was the grandson of Esau, and Esau was one who sold his birthright for momentary gratification, as we might say for a bowl of porridge, just to satisfy his natural appetite for the moment. And when you trace the history of Amalek through the Old Testament, you find that this is the thought that carries through. I say again, it's Satan's working on the flesh to hinder our walk with God through this world.
And that's what he's seeking to do with each one of us. He puts before us temptations, just like he put before Eve certain things. She saw the fruit, He spoke to her, and Eve was tempted. And we know the sad, the sad result. But remember this too, in connection with Satan. You know, Satan is not all knowing and he's not omnipresent. That's reserved for deity. Satan puts certain things in our pathway, certain things before us to seek to corrupt our minds and to tempt us.
So that we act in the flesh and the result is sin and, and and so on. But Satan doesn't know what we're thinking. He can put things in front of me to corrupt my mind, but only God and the Lord Jesus know what I'm thinking. And so that's why so often in Scripture we're taught we're exhorted as to our our minds and what we fill our minds with. Are they filled with Christ? Are they filled with that which is good and lovely and pure and so on if they are.
Then Satan, when he puts things in front of us, whether it's through the eye or through the ear or any other Ave. then we're not going to be so vulnerable to those things that he puts in front of us. If our minds are filled with that which is a, it is of Christ. So I believe that's why he brings this out in James in connection with our practical walk of faith. It's Satan working on the flesh to trip us up, to spoil our testimony, to spoil our joy.
And Satan wants to turn every test that God puts in front of us into a temptation. And if we're not careful, brethren, he'll do that very, very thing. You know, Abraham had a test from God. He was tempted by God was a holy test, as John has worded it. He was tested if Abraham.
00:45:15
Hasn't focused on God and what was before him from God and counted on God by faith. It could have been disastrous. It could have been disastrous and no doubt the enemy was right there to seek to corrupt his Abraham's thinking and to get him to waver in his faith. Thank God. Abraham trusted God explicitly. He rose up early in the morning with one object before him, and that was obedience to the word of the Lord and so on.
But when a test comes in our lives from God, let's be careful because if we don't turn to him in faith, in obedience, and for that wisdom that we spoke of this morning, that test from God, then can the the enemy can come and use as a temptation to lead into a very bad path.
I suggest for a moment our brother Wally read that verse in First Peter chapter 4, and there's an interesting expression used in that second verse, and that's the expression the rest of his time. Sometimes you hear the expression today. Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
And I'd like to connect this with a verse that we have in Second Corinthians chapter.
5.
And verse 15.
And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. There's an object, isn't there? And.
There is that crucifixion, so to speak, of self there.
I was thinking of an illustration that we have also in Second Kings chapter 20.
And it's a very solemn portion that we have here, we have recorded here.
Hezekiah's illness or affliction and he goes before the Lord in this connection and he pleads with the Lord and the Lord answers Hezekiah here and in verse six it says, and I will add onto thy days.
15 years.
15 years.
OK, what took place during those 15 years? And that's that's the solemn point in this passage. And 2nd Kings Chapter 20. Well, we see that.
He imprudently exposes his treasures and the treasures of the Lord's house to the men of Babylon, and this displeased the Lord, and this took place during those 15 years that were added to Hezekiah's life.
The rest of his time, that's a solemn.
1St is a portion of the verse. And so the Lord was displeased with Hezekiah.
In connection with what Hezekiah did during those 15 extra years that he had given Hezekiah, let's just look at another verse very briefly in Joel.
The Lord is gracious sometimes, and I believe that we see a measure of grace expressed in the second chapter of Joel and verse 25.
Says And I will restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten.
The tanker worm and the Caterpillar and the Palmer worm.
Well, there's a measure of restoration, but I don't think it's full restoration. So there should be an exercise as to what we do with the time that we have remaining from this time forth.
But as you say, there is restoration, and there might be someone here today who's discouraged because you say, well, I've failed in the path of faith. I've allowed sin in my life. I've allowed the flesh to raise its ugly head.
00:50:12
But there is restoration. There may be, as you say, consequences. Sometimes the government of God comes in, but thank God, there can be in the soul at least full restoration. David sinned and there was full restoration in his soul, even though there was a governmental consequence for David and for future generations. But I think they're too. There's another point we don't want to miss in these verses in James. It doesn't say here, brethren, that when we're tempted, we're tempted of the devil.
That's not what it says. We're tempted of our own lusts. Isn't that interesting? You know, my mother used to have an expression she said used to tell me, Jim, the devil gets blamed for a lot of things he's not responsible for. Now, it is true sometimes the devil is right there like he was with Eve and with with others and sometimes in our lives. But when we sin, it's because we have a sinful, fallen nature and we allow the flesh to be fed and to raise its ugly head.
We can't always blame the devil. We have to blame our ourselves. And I believe this is is punctuated by the fact that there's a day coming on earth when the devil is going to be bound for 1000 years and Christ is going to reign and it's going to be a wonderful time unlike that this world has ever seen. But there is still going to be sin in the Millennium. Just read the last couple of chapters of Isaiah and other places and you'll find.
That sin will raise its ugly head and be judged morning by morning. And in the Millennium when people openly sin, they will not be able to say the devil made me do it. People say that now while the devil made me do it. But they won't be able to bring up that excuse to the judge when they're brought up morning by morning. Man will sin because he has a fallen nature, and the flesh in a believer is no different than the flesh in an unbeliever.
We find with Judas. Judas was an unregenerate man, and I believe remained so until the end. Satan entered into Judas to carry out the awful deed of betraying the betraying the Lord. But was the flesh any different in Peter a believer than it was in Judas? The Lord said Satan hath desired to have you that he might sift you as wheat, and we know that.
Peter acted in the flesh in a way that caused him to deny the Lord three times with those and curses. Now we know the devil was directly responsible there. But again, I say that's not what it says in our verse in verse 14. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts and enticed. So let's remember we sin even as believers. We sin because we still have the flesh, and that which is born of the flesh is flesh. It has not improved in any way.
Mr. Darby said we sin because we like to sing, and that is true.
I was thinking along this line that.
You know what we think about.
Forms our character and.
There is everything in this world to minister to the old nature and.
Just the look of the news stands and what comes through the door and so on.
And.
We know that our thoughts sometimes.
Are unholy.
And we indulge them, we savor them, we turn them over.
Beware, they couldn't lead to an action.
But I always was helped by.
What Mr. Darby said, because we all are assailed by these evil thoughts. If you haven't had that problem, I'd like to meet you, because I've never met anyone that didn't. We are all assailed by these evil thoughts. Vile intruders, as Macintosh says, they come into our unto our minds.
Unbidden, perhaps, but.
They do, they do sometimes find a lodging in our souls. But Mr. Darby said, and it was always helpful to me, How do we overcome that? You say it's a continual battle all day long. We get into ******* about it. If I have to stop and judge every evil thought that goes through my mind, it's it would be all day long. But he said by turning away from it.
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We judge it by occupying ourselves with that which is good, precious word of God, the person of Christ, the hymn that we know. In that way we become overcomers. We.
The that thought does not find a lodging place in our souls. And you know if when sin breaks out, we'll say publicly something has gone on before.
That has been unjudged for perhaps.
Months or even years. And if we judge the thoughts which our brethren don't see, we won't have to judge the actions that they do see. And perhaps it will lead to something more serious. So I just dropped that remark because it has been a help to me. We're, we're, we all have this conflict, I'm sure. But isn't it wonderful to be able to turn to the word of God?
Occupied with those things which well, as Philippians 4 brings before us, maybe we should just look at those verses Philippians 4.
Eight finally, finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are are just what's over. Things are pure, what's over, things are lovely, whatsoever things are a good report. We all have all of this in the word of God, in the person of Christ.
If there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.
There's something even worse here than blaming it on the devil.
Blaming it on God. It's in verse 13. Let no man say when he is tempted. I'm tempted of God, but God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempted thee any man. And so we're have to do that too, aren't we sadly just say that this thing.
Upon me because God led me into temptation saying no, that's a very serious thing to do, we must not do it. If there's some thought that comes up, it's called a lost here desire that comes from within and we need to judge it as such. The problem is that we tend to judge others and even God by ourselves. And I think, well, I can change my mind so God can change his.
Brother Don Rule is reminding us of that at the Carrollton meetings, and I thought it was such a good point that he made that.
I tend to think of God as.
In connection with those things that I find in myself and it's very wrong to do that. And so here we find the the double minded man in verse eight. We might be tempted to think that God has different thoughts and maybe he thought one way about our circumstance yesterday, another way today.
Worth it somehow, because I'm capricious. I'm arbitrary in the way I act, that God is doing that with me, but he doesn't do that.
And so the Spirit of God goes right on verse 17, verse 16. We could connect the verse of verse 15.
And don't errors to.
Sin in that way, but it could also be connected with verse 17. Don't air, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights. And what is that Father? Well, He doesn't have any variable in this and there is no shadow of turning. He's marked by those lights. God is light, and so he doesn't think the way I think. As the heaven is high above the earth, so higher his thoughts above my thoughts, and I can't judge him by myself.
And so I need to take responsibility for my own actions. If there's difficulty, yes, God could have allowed that to come in my life. But if there's sin, if there's an evil thought or desire that comes, well, then I need to take responsibility myself. That has come from within, and I need to judge it as such and seek grace from the Lord to go on in a way that's pleasing to him.
Every every good giving.
Might be the thought in verse 17.
So we never receive anything bad in that way or.
Us there's there's nothing that leads to corruption that would come from God his way of giving is perfect so even the very manner of giving every good giving and every perfect gift is from above 1 There's no variableness you know it's been human history to.
01:00:22
Conceive of gods as being in the image, man, that that is idolatry. That's that's the basics of it.
And even as Christians, we think of God as being somewhat like us, and that's quite wrong. Is is so different. And the verse 13 is really very central, I think to this this whole.
Discussion and you emphasizing that very very important and then I'll just read again verse 17 every good giving the very manner of giving the very manner that a gift comes and the very incentives behind it there's nothing of.
A taint when it comes from God, He has no ulterior motive to drive you or whatever.
It's it's love, and so it's always a perfect given.
I think that's really the thought the Lord himself said, If ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more your Father which is in heaven?
And sometimes we might give a gift to our child. It might be a good thing, but we might give it in the wrong way, with the wrong spirit and attitude, or maybe even at the wrong time. Maybe we give something to a 5 year old that really shouldn't be given to that child until they're ten years of age. And our Father not only knows how to give good gifts, but he knows when to give them. He knows how to give them. He knows the circumstances under which to give them.
And so it's not just the gift itself, but I believe, as Bruce said, this verse really includes more than that. And Mr. Darby has a footnote in his translation that's very helpful in that, in that regard, that good, the good gift and perfect gift. It's almost the same word in the original because the thought is really not just the gift itself, but how and when it is it is given. And that really, if we understand that, brethren, doesn't that really help us again to accept?
His will in our lives, you know, sometimes we ask for something and it might be the right thing, but it might be the wrong time. There was a brother Dave was bringing before us how God sometimes says no to us when we ask for something, like with Moses and the apostle Paul. But sometimes it's not just no, it's not. It's not yes and it's not no, but it's wait a while. The timing isn't right. Are we willing to accept God's time?
A child is looking forward to a gift that they anticipate and the parent has promised for them. But maybe they got to wait till their birthday. And every day they ask and the father says, now son, daughter, the time isn't right yet the day hasn't come. Well, our God knows exactly as the Father of lights. He knows exactly not only what we need, but he knows when we need it. You know, sometimes we see a little expression and I understand it and I don't want to.
Bash it completely. A little model. Prayer changes things, I understand that, and we see prayer doing marvelous things in the scripture and so on. But I would suggest that more often, prayer doesn't change God's mind on things, it changes me.
It gives me the proper attitude to accept what God's will and God's time. And I think that's why sometimes God withholds something from us, or so it seems, until we come to that spirit of dependence. And while we're asking, he's got it right there, why didn't He give it to us yesterday? He wanted to bring us to the proper spirit and attitude so that when he gave it to us, not only was it his time and the good, the best thing, but we were in the proper spirit and attitude to receive it.
So I appreciate what Bruce said. I believe this 17th verse is more than just what is given. It's how it's given, the timing, and the spirit in which it is given.
Can I just say this too, not to go back, but we want to be careful too because we circus, we can never blame sin or failure in the path of faith on our circumstances or our situation. And brother, sometimes we find, and I want to be careful, but we find even sometimes amongst believers, true Christians, this thought to take us back in our life to some circumstance back here.
01:05:19
Some environmental situation that it has affected some failure or sin or caused some failure or sin in our lives now.
You know, we can overcome. I'm not saying our environment doesn't affect us, but we can overcome with the resources that we have in Christ. Everything, as we've been saying in these meetings is provided for us. And you know, some of the most godly kings in Israel rose out of ungodly families and situations. A king that did evil in the sight of the Lord, a king that grew our a young boy that grew up in appalling.
Circumstances in Israel.
Often was raised up to be one of the most God to some of the God most godly kings in Israel. You have it vice versa too. So again, we cannot blame our failure or our sin on our circumstances because there are always the resources not to be overcome. But we can be overcomers in any situation.
How wonderful that.
We have such a good.
And gracious God.
And.
It tells us here that of his own will, He begat us.
Wonderful to contemplate that God's desire was that you and I should be part of His family, that there might be a relationship with Him.
And he's made it all possible.
And I believe it's through the word of truth. Now in our hands we have the Scriptures. It tells us in first Peter that we're born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, which is the word of God. And of course in John One we understand that we're born.
Out of blood, not of flesh, nor the will of man, but the will of God. And so I believe God, he gives to us a brand new life, a new nature, and he gives us that which nourishes that new life. And it's the word of God as it tells us as we go on here, verse 21. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness, superfluity of naughtiness, receive with meekness.
In grafted word which is able to save your souls, it's I believe that which nourishes.
And so.
There's also reference to be.
Being swift to hear, well, I believe here this afternoon I'm looking into the faces of those.
That are swift to hear. You're sitting here because you want to hear the word of God. You want to hear God speaking.
No doubt you could be doing other things.
Pursuing the world in its interests, but to become a part, to sit in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, to have His word open.
And I believe it's a blessed place to be, to be sitting at the feet of Jesus, to hear His Word.
Well, sometimes we're more swift to speak than we are to listen, but I think if we're going to say the right thing.
We need to be listening first.
And it also speaks about being slow.
To wrath. Well, I do believe there is a place for wrath. Righteous indignation.
But we need to be careful that the old nature doesn't take over.
And we become angry because of the fact that.
We're experiencing adversity and difficulty in our lives. Sometimes, you know, we're called to endurance, but we're not careful. We might become very irritated because of the circumstances. And I think that's the old nature.
So there's a word back in the Old Testament that.
If thou faint in the day of adversity.
01:10:01
Thy strength is small.
Well, we're in a day of adversity at the present time.
But we have no reason to faint.
Because Christ is our strength. If we're relying on our own strength, definitely faith.
But I often think of how Paul, he could say I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Need to keep our focus on him.
Hymn #318.
Oh Lamb of God, still.
I never said I.
Did his own way. Everything said I wanted to be sleeping.
Whenever God transparent the sun.
Yeah.
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2 verses in our chapter before we pray.
James One.
It's 22.
But be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves.
Verse 25.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continue it therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Blessed God and our Father, we have so enjoyed the reading this afternoon.
We thank Thee for answering the prayer at the beginning that there would be encouragement for us, and we just thank Thee for Thy Holy Spirit, our God, that would direct our hearts to the truth of Thy word. We thank Thee for what was brought before our hearts of the the goodness of God. We thank Thee, our God, that Thou art the one who purposes blessing for us.
And we are the ones who fail.
And we just would pray for strength for us to be able to go on in this world. Lord, we know these things. Help us to do them. And so we just thank thee for this time together. Thank thee for those who were used of the our God to bring before us these things. And now we just give thee our thanks for the time together. And we pray to bless our fellowship. We pray in thy name, Lord Jesus, Amen.
Peace
Gospel—Jim Hyland
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I'd like to start The Gospel Meeting this evening with Hymn #19 on the Gospel Hymn sheet.
O Christ, in thee my soul hath found and found in thee alone the peace, the joy I sought so long, the bliss till now unknown. We're going to stand to sing this hymn #19 and if someone will please start it.
Let's ask God's help and blessing our blessed God and Father how thankful we are tonight for the Lord Jesus Christ, that wonderful, precious Savior of sinners. We thank Thee for that mighty work that He accomplished there on Calvary's cross, and we're thankful that as a result, the gospel is still going out around this planet. Tonight. We thank thee that Thou art still working by thy spirit, compelling sinners to come in.
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That thy house may be filled. We thank thee for that mighty work that Thou art doing in souls, and opening the eyes of the blind to see beauty in the Savior. And now, as this gospel meeting is upon us, our God and Father, we turn to Thee for blessing. We look to Thee for help and direction.
Guide and direct in every word that is said, Guide and direct in the Scriptures that are read and quoted, That thy living word might be as that hammer that breaketh the rock and twain, that thus the sword of the Spirit might have its desired effect tonight, and that thou would in part divine life to loss guilty souls. So we ask thy help and blessing we ask it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and for his glory. Amen.
By way of introduction to what is really on my heart tonight, I'd like to read what might seem like 2 very strange scriptures to read at the beginning of a gospel meeting. But I trust we'll get the connection and that the Spirit of God will work mightily tonight and use the word of God in power, because we're born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible by the word of God that liveth and abideth forever.
Turn with me first of all to the book of Ezra in the Old Testament.
Ezra, Chapter 7.
Ezra, Chapter 7 and Justice The Last Clause of verse 12.
Perfect Peace and at such a time. And now I want to read a portion in Luke's Gospel chapter 2.
Luke's Gospel, chapter 2.
And verse 13.
And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest, in our and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. I have it on my heart this evening, and seeking by the grace of God to present the gospel as simply and clearly as we can, to look at some scriptures that bring before us the subject of peace.
We find this little expression we read in the book of Ezra peace, and at such a time, and not just peace, but perfect peace. And tonight we're going to speak of how we can have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. But I want to point out first of all that there is a peace that will never be on planet Earth this side of the Lord's coming, a peace that we cannot expect to see while we are here in this world.
It's that peace, that outward peace, that men are working so hard to obtain. And having just come back from the Middle East two weeks ago today, I suppose I'm acutely aware of the fact that all the peace packs and summits and the talks and negotiations and the ink that dries on the lines of those those negotiate, those packs that are made, it means absolutely nothing. You know, God in his government has allowed there to be turmoil in this world.
And God said of the races in the Middle East, every man's sword would be against his brother. And here we are in the Western world, trying to negate the government of God before the time. Is it any wonder that men in high places are frustrated to tonight? They're trying to do something that only God will be able to do in a coming day through his son, the Lord Jesus? Because I'm here to tell you tonight that there will never be outward peace in this world.
Until the Prince of Peace comes back to reign and until the sun of righteousness rises with healing in his wings and all that men can do is not going to bring it about. In fact, Scripture teaches us and prepares us to show that the days just before the Lord Jesus comes to call his people to himself, to the Father's house, are days that are characterized by absolute turmoil and upheaval.
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I will overturn, overturn, overturn until he come. Who's right? It is. There's not going to be peace in this world, you say. Why did the Angel proclaim peace at the birth of the Lord Jesus? The reason the Angel proclaimed peace at the birth of the Lord Jesus was because here was the Prince of peace come in incarnation, born into this world, but as we go on in the history of the Lord Jesus here on earth.
It becomes abundantly clear to the prayerful reader of the Gospels that He was the rejected one. They didn't want Him. If they had only known in the day of their His visitation who it was that was amongst them all, there could have been peace for Israel and for this world.
The Lord Jesus would have set up his Kingdom at that time, but they rejected him. At the end they said we have no king but Caesar. Later on they sent a messenger after him. Really in the stoning of Steven, they sent a messenger after him saying, we will not have this man to reign over us, and so that which the Angel proclaimed there at the birth of the Lord Jesus to those few shepherds on the hillside of Judea.
That, if I can put it this way, is really on hold tonight. Oh yes, there is a wonderful time of peace coming for this world. But, you know, I was impressed to notice some statistics and I don't always put a lot of stock in in statistics, but there's this, an organization called the Society for International Law. They're based in London and they run from time to time statistics on various world events and so on.
And the history of that which has taken place in recent years.
Now again, I'm not going to say that these statistics are completely accurate, but these statistics published by the International Society of Law in London state, first of all, that in the last 4000 years there have only been 286 years of peace on planet Earth, Isn't a very big average, is it?
Also states that there have been during those the wars that have been fought on planet earth, some 3.64 billion people killed through wars here in this world.
In the last 300 years of history, almost 300 wars, 290 something like that. Wars fought here on planet Earth, in Europe, in Europe alone, in recorded history, 8% of the time there has been peace again. These are statistics, they're estimates.
In recent history, 8000 peace treaties made and broken. Doesn't sound like Planet Earth is on a course That's going to lead to better and better things, does it? But I'm thankful that we can turn from statistics like that. And I'm thankful we can turn from current events and we can turn to the word of God and we can find out how we can have tonight.
An inward peace.
If we had to end the meeting now with statistics like this and the realization that in this age there isn't going to be peace on the earth, and in fact things are going to get worse and worse, that would not be We would not be able to label this meeting as a gospel meeting because as we've often been reminded, the gospel is good news. And so we're going to turn now to some scriptures that bring before us.
That peace that we can have. We were singing about how many of us at one time we had no peace, we had no rest of soul. But many of us in this room thrill as we speak of the peace of God that passes all understanding, as we speak of the blood of Christ, as we speak of the results of the work of Calvary and the results of a work of grace in our souls. How we thrill.
But our burden tonight is for you. If you are still lost and in your sins, let's turn first of all to the Book of Job Job, Chapter 22.
Job, Chapter 22.
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And verse 21.
The point now thyself with him and be.
At peace. And then I want to read a verse in Romans chapter 5.
Romans chapter 5 and verse one. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Colossians chapter one.
Colossians, Chapter one and verse 20.
And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven. And I want to read in one more place before we make some comments in the book of Hebrews, chapter 13.
Hebrews, chapter 13.
And verse 20.
Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do, is well working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ.
To whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. If we were to put these scriptures together, as we have tried to do tonight, and reading them in this order, I believe here we have the gospel message in a nutshell. Here we have brought before us that the way that you and I can have an inward piece of soul tonight. And we read first of all in the book of Job, a point Now thyself with him.
And be at peace. The world is trying to have peace by lining up with the United States and the allied forces and all that kind of thing. But it's not by lining up with men on earth that we're going to have peace. It's coming to know the Lord Jesus. It's being acquainted with the savior of sinners. It's being acquainted with the one who came into this world as a man in incarnation and went to Calvary's cross.
And there gave himself.
One week ago today, I had a very solemn responsibility.
The very solemn responsibility of standing before a crowd of some 350 people.
And taking the funeral of a young man who had been ushered into eternity without a moment's notice, It was a very solemn responsibility. And there were many present who otherwise I don't think would have ever come to what we would term as a gospel meeting. But, you know, in those kinds of situations, in the presence of death, and especially an untimely death, as we would say, naturally speaking, men seem to have their hearts softened for the moment.
Men and women and young people are willing to listen to the word of God, at least for the moment, and we sought by the grace of God to seize the opportunity.
But I want to tell you a little bit about that young man. It was a young man that I knew very, very well. His name was Mike. Mike, I have no doubt, is in the presence of the Lord Jesus this evening, absent from the body and present with the Lord.
You know, it's interesting how God works and gives comfort and all the little details of life in the end, as we look back, workout really as we were saying this afternoon in the Reading meeting, for a purpose, and not just a purpose, but a purpose of blessing and this young man's mother about a week before he was killed on his motorcycle.
Found a letter in the bottom of a drawer with some other old papers that had been sitting there for 16 years. A letter that Mike had written when he was 11 years of age. As was explained to me, they had just got a new computer and the boys in that family were fascinated with this computer and how you could change fonts and type and move things around and so on. It was quite a novelty.
Back then, things we take for granted and think little about today. And so the boys were trying out different fonts and writing different things. Mike was one who I don't suppose ever wrote much in his life. He was good at what he did and.
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But he was not an English major. He was not a student in that way. But he wrote a letter on the computer that day. That letter was run off, and the Lord had his eye on it and kept it in the bottom of that drawer in their dining room for all those years.
That many of you have seen that letter, but I'm going to take the liberty to read you that letter tonight.
It was read at his funeral by one of his peers and I believe it was made a very solemn impression.
On those that were there.
I thought of what it says about Abel in Hebrews Chapter 11, He being Dead Yet speaketh, and I'd like to hear you to listen. If you're not the Lords, I want you to listen tonight to the words of Michael Van Holstein as I read this solemn letter that he wrote as a boy of 11 years of age.
It's a letter addressed to humans.
Dear people.
Jesus, my Savior, came into this evil, wicked world and died on the cross for me.
You know, that gave us all great comfort to read this statement of this boy.
When Jesus washed my sins away, I was so very happy.
As you read this letter.
You should be thinking what's going on here.
I'm trying to tell you how to be saved.
Just right where you are. Say, Lord, I'm a Sinner, can you come into my sinful heart?
And wash away my sins.
The Lord doesn't care if you're young or old.
Or if there's something wrong with you, the Lord loves you.
If you don't. If you don't, you will have to go to the lake of fire.
Which is hell.
Here is a verse to remember. It's actually 2 verses. You'll recognize them.
For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him.
Hell was meant for the devil, not for us.
This is the end of my letter. Goodbye.
And Michael, tonight is an eternity with the Savior that he came to know as a young boy.
Mike had no notice that at 26 years of age.
He was going to be ushered into eternity.
You have no lease on life tonight. It's serious. These issues tonight are extremely serious. They are matters of life and death. These are things that are not just important. These are things that are vital. Do you know the Lord Jesus? Do you have peace in your soul? A point Now Thyself with him, with the Lord Jesus Christ.
And be at peace.
I remember reading a little story one time.
About a farmer on the East Coast of the United States.
Who advertised for a farm hand to help him on his farm. He had had several farm hands and none of them had proof satisfactory and so there were a number of men that applied for this job.
And they were all interviewed.
And then there came a man who was probably a little past what we would call middle age. Not real young, not real old either.
And as he was being interviewed.
The farmer asked him what would you do in the event of a storm, because along the East Coast storms would often come up, sometimes very suddenly, sometimes very severely, and it was important to this farmer that his farm hands knew what to do in the event of an approaching storm.
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This man gave a very strange answer. He said. Oh, I can sleep while the wind blows.
Well, the farmer was a little puzzled by this answer, but after he had reviewed all the applicants, he decided that he would hire this man who had said I can sleep while the wind blows. The man proved very satisfactory.
But one night the farmer was awakened in his home by the rattling of the windows and the raging of the wind outside.
A storm had indeed blown up and blown up almost without warning. Alarmed, the farmer jumped out of bed, quickly got dressed and raced outside to help secure things, thinking that his farm hand would have already heard the storm approaching and be out there securing the barns and the sheds and the animals. To his dismay, he saw no one about he rushed to the quarters of the this hired man.
Into his room, and there he was, sound asleep on his cot. Oh, the farmer was beside himself now. He shook the man. He said. What are you doing? There's a storm raging outside and you're here, sound asleep.
The farm hands sleepily opened his eyes and said, I told you Sir, I can sleep while the wind blows, the farmer thought, I'm going to fire this man on the spot, but he was more concerned at that moment for his livestock and his crops and his buildings than he was for this man. And so, leaving the man to turn over asleep in his bed, he rushed outside.
And as he went from building to building, he found everything had been well secured. Tarps had been placed over the the bales of hay, the shutters had been bolted on the chicken coop, the barn doors were shut, and the cattle were inside. Nothing could have been done to make anything more secure than it already was.
And the farmer finally realized what the man had meant when he said I can sleep while the wind blows. How could he do such a thing? Because he was prepared for the storm. He had made preparation. And there is a storm of judgment coming on this world, and a storm like this world has never seen before.
And I know there are many of us in this room.
Who have peace in our souls. Even though we know there's a storm of judgment hanging over this world, how can it be? Because we have, by the grace of God, acquainted ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. We know him as our Savior. We are secure from the judgment that is coming on this world.
Let me ask you a question tonight.
We read in Romans chapter five we read about peace with God. Do you have peace with God tonight?
I can't answer that question for you. Only you can answer that question in your own soul. I can look into your faces tonight.
Some of you look like you're paying attention.
Others look a little sleepy. Others are occupied with other activities. But I don't know what's going on in your soul. I don't know what's going on in your heart, but there's one who does. There's one who looks down into this room tonight, and unlike the speaker, he can see right into your heart. You can't hide one thing from God. Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord.
Looketh on the heart his eye light lids. Try the reins. You know, I often pondered that scripture and I've just thought of it in a simple way like this, you know, even if the Lord closed his eyes, he could still see into your heart. He sees everything. He knows everything. His eyelids. Try the children of of men you can't hide. We had in our reading He's the father of lights with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning.
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You ever hide in the shadows? You know we like to, when I was a boy, play hide and seek and we had some acreage and behind us was the old family farm. But you know when we specially like to play hide and seek in the evening, in the early evenings in the summer. Why? Because there were lots of shades and shadows and you could hide in the shadows of the trees. It wasn't dark, so it wasn't real scary yet for for children.
But there were those shadows and shades, and you could often hide in those shadows and shades and not be seen or not easily found. But you know you can't hide in the shadows tonight, because there is no variableness nor shadow of turning with God himself. He sees and he sees.
Very clearly.
Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you have peace with God tonight?
We read 2IN Colossians chapter one, because I want to bring in now, at this juncture in the gospel, the importance of the blood of Christ. And it tells us that the Lord Jesus has made peace through the blood of his cross. You know, sometimes I've heard the expression, have you made your peace with God? If I had eternity to do it, I could never make peace with God. Not for one moment could I make peace with God.
And those who are struggling to make peace with God have no peace.
Some of us have been to idolatrous countries, and it's a very, very solemn thing to see those who bow down to images. And it's interesting to realize that in idolatrous countries, they're trying all their life to make peace with their God or gods.
Do they ever have peace themselves? No, not for one moment. And to hear people wail out their hearts to those idols and images that cannot hear or speak or help them is a very, very heart rending thing. Because you realize.
That they never accomplish the purpose for which they start out. They spend their whole life trying to make peace with their God or gods. But I don't have to make peace with God, because the Lord Jesus has done that for me. And how has he done it? It's through the blood of his cross. Oh, this evening we want to point you to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. We want to stress upon your soul the importance of the blood.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because the gospel, very simply, is that Christ died, he was buried, and he rose again the 3rd day according to the Scriptures. And it's the cross of Christ that is vital tonight. If you come to the cross, see the Lord Jesus there, the one who died for sin. 01 Look at him will save your soul. One look of faith to him as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.
Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.
Have you looked to the cross? There is life in a look at the crucified one. There is life at this moment for thee and to look to the cross and to see the Lord Jesus who there died for sin, because the wages of sin is death.
But the Lord Jesus died on Calvary's cross. I rejoiced to be able to stand before you tonight and confess again. The Lord Jesus died for me. He's my precious savior. He bore my sins in his own body, on the tree that gives me utmost peace. No question in my soul, no doubt in my mind, as to where I'm going to spend eternity if I were to drop dead in front of you before this gospel meeting is over.
You can have every assurance that I'm with the Lord Jesus, that I'll be absent from the body and present with the Lord. I have no doubt in my mind as I confess to you again, the Lord Jesus Christ as my precious Savior. And I want to tell you that it thrills my soul to be able to speak of the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we were to read on in Romans, we would find that we're justified by His blood.
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It's the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that brings me into a position before God where I am completely comfortable in his presence. It's true that it is through the blood of Jesus that we have forgiveness of sins. But you know, I'm far, far more than a forgiven Sinner Tonight. I'm justified. What does that mean? That's a big word. It's a word we don't use a lot in everyday language.
But it very simply means I'm brought into a position before God where I am seen in all the righteousness and perfection of Christ. I'm accepted in Him. I have been made the righteousness of God in Him. I've sometimes illustrated it this way. Suppose I break into your house tonight and I steal a good many things from your home, and I get a couple of miles down the road and the police pick me up.
And they bring me to the police station and they call you and they say we've caught your thief and he has the goods on him. And you come down to the police station and you see me sitting on the bench at the police station and you come over and you put your arm around me. And you say now, Jim, I know what you did was wrong, but I'm going to forgive you and I'm not going to press charges. I've got my goods back and I'm not going to press charges. And not only that, but come on over to my house on Friday night and let's have a meal together.
And let's just continue on like nothing's happened. Would I ever be really comfortable in your presence again? I'd be forgiven, but I'd always feel like a forgiven thief. And tonight I am a forgiven Sinner, thank God. But I'm far, far more than a forgiven Sinner. I have peace through the blood of his cross. I've been brought into a position where I can sit down in the presence of my Father, God, my Father in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And feel completely comfortable because it says by sins and iniquities I will remember no more. You know, I find that a tremendous statement. You know, only a divine person can choose not to remember. My grandmother had an expression I forgive and forget, but I always remember. And isn't that true? We forgive and forget, but we always remember.
And its human weakness to forget, you know, it never says God forgets. That's human weakness. You know the things I want to remember I forget. And the things I want to forget I remember. That's what you what we're like as humans. But I say a divine person can choose not to remember. And one of the things God chooses not to remember Are my sins when they're washed in the precious blood of Christ. Are your sins washed in the blood of Christ? As a child we sang over and over again. What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. There is no substitute tonight for the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's made peace through the blood of his cross. But I also read in the book of Hebrews because I want to bring in another vital element of the gospel, and that is the resurrection, because in Hebrews we read of the Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep being brought back from the dead.
Because the resurrection, the and the ascension and glorification of Christ are gods. Amen to the work of Calvary. You know, I just say this to those who perhaps at times doubt their salvation got a lot of problems, but it's one thing by the grace of God I've never had to deal with. But I know sometimes there are those real believers who sometimes the enemy comes and he gets that fiery dart of in, and it's that dart of doubting.
Our salvation. If you ever doubt your salvation, having availed yourself of the finished work of Calvary, just look up and see where the Lord Jesus is Now You know, having availed myself of the finished work of Calvary, if God were to refuse me now, he'd have to refuse his own dear Son. And that is impossible, absolutely impossible. He would have to banish his Son from from his presence forever, and that cannot be in fact.
The Lord Jesus as my forerunner, is there in heaven, and God having accepted him as the forerunner, he will accept me when the right moment comes into his presence in the Father's house. That's the assurance that we have. That's what gives us peace tonight in knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. But you know how sad it is that there are those.
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Who struggle? Those who try to obtain peace with God. Those who, through one means or another try to become righteous before God. Do they ever really have peace? Not for one moment, I say again. It's only.
Through the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is a book called The Peace Child written by a missionary by the name of Don Richardson, and Don and his wife Carol were missionaries from 1962 to 1967 in what was then Dutch New Guinea, and they went as pioneer missionaries to take the Gospel to those who had never heard it before, those who lived in the darkness.
Of heathendom and all that that darkness entails. They struggled against many things. Culture, language and so many things.
And Dawn found it very hard to bring before them the story of God's Son, God sending his Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
Because treachery was their highest virtue, this tribe that they were seeking to reach.
In fact, when they heard the story of Judas, they all cheered. They touted him as a hero when they heard that he betrayed the Lord Jesus that was so ingrained in their culture.
Well, Dawn and his wife Carol, were there. Wars broke out between 3 feuding tribes in that area.
Dawn threatened to leave if they didn't make peace with these tribes. These natives were, as we would say, between a rock and a hard place because they appreciated carols, medical expertise, and they appreciated Dons, farming expertise and the implements, farm implements that he had brought to help them cultivate their land and grow better crops, and so on. Plus, to have foreigners in their presence gave them status.
Amongst the other tribes. And so they decided they got together and they decided that they would make peace. And Don tells the story himself how that a certain day, on a certain day, the two of the tribes that were fighting lined up, one on each side of a large clearing. And there were the warriors of the tribe that Don was seeking to reach. And on the other side were the warriors lined up with their chief as well.
Of those that they were feuding with.
The chief of the tribe that Dawn was seeking to reach and living amongst took his first born son, a young child in his arms.
Walked across the clearing, walked down the line of warriors, starting with the chief.
Each one touched the head of that young child.
And the chief handed his child to the chief of the other tribe.
Walked back to his own people. The other warriors with the chief and child disappeared into the jungle, not to be seen again.
When it was all over, Dawn questioned what this ceremony meant.
And they were. He was told that in giving his child the chief, in giving his child to the feuding.
Tribe to their enemies meant that they were making, coming, and making peace, and that as long as that child lived in that tribe, there could be no war between the two tribes.
And Don felt that he had finally found the key in explaining the gospel in God, giving his Son for his enemies. God commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died.
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For us, the Lord Jesus died for me. Not when I was His friend, when I was his enemy, when I was a Sinner. Through and through the Lord, God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Isn't that more than if it just said God sent Jesus? It's true God did send Jesus, but it was more than that.
Think of what must have gone through that chief's heart, and through the mother of that young child, as that young child was handed over to the enemy tribe, knowing that they would probably never see that child again. But think of God the Father sending his son into this world, knowing what would take place, knowing that not only would He be rejected by those he came to bless, but knowing.
That eventually he would be taken out and by wicked hands nailed to a cross, and that there he would die and shed his precious blood. But all again, how wonderful to be able to speak of the resurrection. And it is vital. It is an important element of the gospel, because it tells us, if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain, and ye are still in your sins but again.
He was raised, he it says he was raised again for our justification. I'm going to repeat a little story that I know, I've told before, but I'm going to repeat it because I think it illustrates the importance of the resurrection so very well. I remember some years ago reading about a couple of missionaries who were working in one of the busy cities in India, and one day they were on a busy, busy St.
And they were startled by a large crowd coming down on the street with a process following a procession.
As it moved along.
And they watch this, and they saw some Buddhist priests carrying an ornate box with what was supposedly a bone of Buddha that had been found. And the followers of Buddha were rejoicing that this bone had been found. The missionaries watched this for a time, and then they retired to their quarters and talked over the matter, and they were struck with that.
And as they said, the contrast in Christianity, because they concluded that if a bone of the Lord Jesus were ever found, it would not cause great rejoicing amongst the Christians. It would cause great sorrow because it would be the proof that the Lord Jesus hadn't bodily risen from the dead. But a bone of the Lord Jesus will never be found in this world. When the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, he remained on earth.
Long enough to give full and ample testimony to his own that he had bodily risen from the dead, appearing even to about 500 brethren at one time. And there was an occasion when he said to his own Handle me, and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bone, as you see me have, and I want to just say, in passing to all of us, we need to tenaciously hold on to the truth of the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
The Lord Jesus did not simply rise in spirit, as some have tried to teach down through the ages. No, He bodily rose from the dead, and not only that, but a moment came when having given complete testimony as to his bodily resurrection.
He lifted up his hands, and he blessed his disciples, and his feet left the mount of Olives, and bodily as a man he returned to the Father's house. God not only raised him from the dead, but seated him at his own right hand as his Amen to the work of Calvary, the proof that God is forever and eternally satisfied with what was accomplished here in this world.
The God's glory and for the eternal salvation and blessing of mankind, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He died, He was buried. But the story doesn't end there. He was raised again the 3rd day according to the scriptures.
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What are your speculations for eternity? You know, a week ago when I stood up to take Mikes Funeral?
Told a little story, a little incident in the life of Michael Faraday. Michael Faraday reputed to be the father of modern electronics. He was lying on his deathbed and a friend came to his deathbed and said, Michael, what are your speculations for eternity?
Speculations, Michael said. I have no speculations for eternity. I'm resting on certainties.
Michael Faraday did indeed know the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior. He had no speculations for the future. He knew where he was going. And you can know tonight, as this gospel meeting is winding down, you can have the certainty tonight.
Of where you are going to be when you leave this world.
There's another important element of the gospel I want to mention, and that is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Because not all of us, I don't believe all of us in this room are going to go through death.
You know, I'm expecting at any moment an event called the Second Coming of Christ, an event described to us in the Book of Thessalonians. It says there that the Lord himself is going to descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God and the dead in Christ are going to rise 1St, and we which are alive and remain are going to be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be.
With the Lord. And it tells us in the very book that we were taking up the afternoon, the book of James, that the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. I can't tell you when the Lord Jesus is coming. I do not know when the second coming of Christ is going to take place. But I know with certainty that just as we're sitting in these seats tonight, there is an event going to take place, and I suggest it sooner than perhaps we realize.
An event that is going to have an impact on this planet, like perhaps no other event that has ever taken place in the history of man. And that event is that the coming of the Lord. And when the Lord Jesus comes, as the the scriptures we've quoted have just described, those who have died in faith are going to be raised with glorified bodies. We who are alive, who know Christ as our Savior.
Are going to go through an instantaneous change and we're going to be caught away to meet the Lord in the air. But I want to impress upon our souls at the close of this gospel meeting that that event is going to mean different things for different people. For so many of us in this room, we rejoice as we speak and think of the second coming of Christ. We look up and we say as it were, Even so come Lord Jesus.
But that event is going to close what we often refer to as the day of grace when they, the Lord Jesus, comes for those who have had opportunity. For those who have sought in gospel meanings like this, it is going to mean that there is no further opportunity to be saved, no second chance, the Lord Jesus himself said.
When once the master of the house hath risen up and shut to the door, then they're going to come and they're going to knock. And they're going to be sincere. They're going to be in earnest. And they're going to say, Lord, Lord, open unto us. He's going to say depart from me. You know the message tonight is this simple. Come unto me. If you refuse that, you'll hear another message. Depart from me. It's either come unto me.
Or it will be depart from me? Is that hard to understand?
We have perhaps talked about some things tonight that sound hard and complicated. But is that hard to understand? The message tonight? Come unto me. The message in a future day if you reject Christ, is depart from me. The Lord told about 5 ladies who came and knocked on a door, the door of a wedding feast, and they wanted to come in, but it was too late. And again the message came from the other side of that closed door.
00:55:03
That it was too late.
Do you come from a Christian home?
Have you heard gospel messages like this before? Perhaps most, if not all here are familiar with the story. It's nothing new that you've heard tonight.
But you know, I have been solemnized in reading of Elijah being caught away to heaven in a whirlwind, a chariot of fire. Little picture of what's going to take place when the Church of God, the believers are taken away from this earth.
You know who it was that missed Elijah, Not the general populace in Israel. It was the sons of the prophets.
Not solemn, and I sometimes look into the faces of an audience like this.
And I look into the faces of the sons and daughters, of Christian parents and grandparents, if we can put it this way for our purposes tonight, the sons of the prophets.
And if you refuse the gospel message? If you refuse to be saved tonight?
And the Lord Jesus comes.
You will know what happened, at least initially.
The sons of the prophets.
If the Lord Jesus comes before, I pray and say Amen.
You may look around and see you're the only person sitting in these seats. Will you know what has happened? I believe you will. I want to read one verse in closing to cap our remarks on this subject of peace. Isaiah, Chapter 26.
Really brings us back to what we began with.
Perfect peace. And at such a time we read in the book of Ezra. Now just notice an expression in the 26th of Isaiah.
Isaiah Chapter 26.
And verse 3.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusted in thee. Do you have that perfect peace? Tonight? I ask you once again, you can have perfect peace. And at such a time, a time when the world is in absolute turmoil and winding down for the judgment of God, you can have perfect peace, and you can have what is referred to in the book of Timothy.
As a sound mind, He's not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. If you are resting, trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ in the finished work of Calvary, let's pray our God and Father how thankful we are for that perfect peace that thou has provided through the work of thy beloved Son. We're thankful for this opportunity to present the gospel message once again.
We pray that thou use thy living word in convicting power, that no one will go out of this room lost and in their sins, but each one might have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We ask it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and for his glory. Amen.
Adam and Eve
Children—Peter Marcus
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We're going to start with #32 in your.
Hem sheet.
What can wash away my sins?
Maybe someone can start that one for us.
What can?
I.
Nothing but the blood cheese.
Of love.
That makes me cry at the snow.
No wonder. Outside, no, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my question that's I see nothing but the blood machine for my heart like this rightly nothing but the love of Jesus Christ.
Oh crap, shots in the sun glow.
Makes me quiet.
Nothing can flourish in touch at all. Nothing but a lot of Jamie's house.
I have done nothing but Jesus.
Oh, crash.
Land makes me cry in the snow.
No one ever come time. No, not because of love.
Jesus.
This is all my.
Peace not be much for love.
My righteousness nothing like the blood of Jesus.
What graciousness of all that makes me quiet and snowy and snow alone.
Let's ask for the Lords help this morning. Our loving God and our Father, we.
Give these thanks for.
That precious blood of thy only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
No other found we know.
That can cleanse us from our sins. We give thee thanks for this first day of a new week.
And four.
Another opportunity to be gathered with those of light, precious faith to remember him in his death, perhaps the last time.
That we would remember him.
Before that shout is heard.
The Lord Jesus himself descends.
From heaven to claim.
His spotless bride, made spotless by this precious blood of which we have sung. So we give thee thanks and ask for help in this little time here this morning.
In the most worthy and precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Well.
00:05:00
When we were first gathered and we went to our first couple of conferences, you know, there was always a bunch of.
Young people sitting in these front rows and don't see that much anymore. But I'm just wondering if we could get a few of the young ones up here, the 7-8 nines maybe, and I'm going to need a little help. I would like a young.
Boy to help read some scriptures today, so I'm also looking for a volunteer.
And I would be very happy if a couple could come up to one of these front chairs and.
And give me a hand today, do I? Do I have a volunteer to maybe read a couple of scriptures this morning?
All right, Joshua, sit down.
I think we might need one a little bit older to help us read a scripture or two.
Before we.
Read a couple of scriptures though. Thank you. Before we read a couple of scriptures, does somebody else have a song they would like to sing? We'll we'll sing another song from the hymn sheets.
Anyone can, Tim.
22.
Maybe someone can lift that one up too for us.
The heavenly Bride through sin will come to the plain, and fry and take her home to the ground.
During their land side when your mindset your everything through your eyesight before the.
Time.
What Is the Main Thing in Your Life?
Address—Wally Dear
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I would like to begin this afternoon by singing 284.
#284.
Thou hidden source of calm repose, Thou all sufficient love divine our help and refuge from our foes. Secure we are, for we are dying. And lo, from guilt and grief and shame were hidden Savior by thy name. 284.
Thou hidden source of.
Fashion.
Are.
All sick.
Of your.
We Listen At the Meetings; We Need to Go Home and Be Doers
He Had a Goal - A High Calling - His Future
Gospel 2
Gospel—John Kemp
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While the last meeting of the conference has come and.
It's scheduled as a gospel meeting, as we know.
It's supposed to be short.
I think everyone should be able to present the gospel in 15 minutes.
A brethren say that if I go beyond the time, it will still be acceptable.
So.
They need to warn me about that.
But let's open our meeting by singing #60 a few verses of number.
66 In the back of the book someone was started. Come hear the gospel sound. Yet there is room number 66.
Hear the gospel sound.
Everyone.
Tells me all the light.
And everything.
All things are.
Everything happened. Yeah, there is a room.
Mercy City.
Yeah, there is a room. God's house is still in the past, yet there's room.
Some guests will be held as.
A nervous room.
Yes, salvation.
Day in the world has slowed.
And bright snow, Water said.
Yeah, there is room.
We pray, our loving God and our Father, we thank thee, the outset of this gospel meeting, that we can still proclaim that message from the heart of God, that yet there is room.
We thank Thee, our God, for thinking upon us when we were so far from Thee.
Nature's darkness.
For sending Heaven's Beloved 1 to accomplish that mighty work of redemption that has brought so many of us here from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God. But we are concerned, should there be one in the company here, who is a stranger to thy love and grace in his sins.
Thy word might penetrate the soul, the conscience be as a like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces. So help us our God, as we seek to present this message.
This afternoon, a message which has its origin in heaven.
So we seek Thy guidance depending upon Thee, looking up to Thee in weakness, thanking Thee for this time of fellowship and happy ministry we have had these few days here in Montrose. We ask it all in the name for the glory our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Our brother Etienne spoke of.
Philippians 3.
He mentioned.
00:05:00
Knowing Christ and making him known.
That's a nice expression.
And I'm thinking of a woman who did not know Christ.
But you know, at the end of her history.
She became an evangelist. Are you an evangelist?
They're rare today.
But we need them.
This woman we're going to look at for a few moments.
Became a bright testimony.
In the city where she lived.
And.
It certainly flowed forth from her heart. It certainly wasn't anything of a legal nature.
Sometimes we present the gospel, but.
It's evident it's not really coming from the heart.
I like when an evangelist speaks from the heart. That's the way it should be. I'm afraid I fail in that often.
From a full heart to tell forth the message which has its origin in the heart of God.
That's where the gospel comes from that has met us in our deep need.
It came from heaven.
It came through the channel of God's beloved Son.
But its origin is the heart of God.
And you know, brethren, or I'm speaking to each one here.
That Christ did not have to die on the cross for God to love you.
God loves you in a past eternity. We're going to look at a woman here.
Who before the creation of the world, the Lord had settled.
In the councils of eternity, that she should be blessed.
Well, you know the passage that we're going to look at, I think, in John's Gospel, Chapter 4.
And, you know, it's wonderful to see the way the Lord dealt with souls. In John's Gospel, it's often 1:00 to 1:00.
You often find the Sinner along with Christ in John's gospel.
John 5. John 9. John 3. John 4, which we look at for a few moments here.
This is the most unlikely character.
You know, if I was writing it, I would speak about worship to Nicodemus.
He was a religious man which should know something about.
Worshiping. But that's not the way the Lord did it. He spoke to the woman of Samaria about worship.
And he dealt with this soul. He had perfect wisdom in the way he dealt with souls. We need to look to the Lord for guidance in these matters.
We have this morning a word in season to him that is weary.
And we're ambassadors for Christ.
When I was in Ottawa, I met the ambassador to Brazil because we were invited to the celebration of Independence Day. So Eleanor and I spoke to the ambassador of Brazil and his wife, but he doesn't belong in Canada at all. He's just there to represent Brazil.
He doesn't partake in any of the.
Business or the government, the politics of Canada need to be recalled to Brasilia. If he did, he's a stranger there, so to speak. But he's representing his country and so are we.
Where John 4.
When Jesus therefore therefore knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, though Jesus himself baptized not but his disciples, he left Judea and departed again into Galilee, and he must needs go through Samaria.
You know, a stern legalist would not have gone through Samaria. There was there was a bitterness between those two nations. The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. They were a mongrel group of people.
There was.
Prejudice.
And there was opposition, but the Lord had in view.
00:10:03
The blessing of those Samaritan people to reveal the truth of God to them.
And.
He made a journey on purpose through the city of Samaria.
Where he knew there was a hungry, thirsty soul.
Dissatisfied with everything that the world could offer.
Discouraged.
And burdened with sin.
And with hopelessness, you might say.
Well, the Lord had in view.
The blessing of this woman.
And he was tired, tired in seeking sinners, weary in his service of love for others. The Lord never pleased himself.
He labored.
Fervently, I've noticed it says in a passage that he went through every city and village.
Preaching the glad tidings wasn't that wonderful.
He didn't think of his own comfort, as we do too often. He thought of the need of sinners. He had in view this poor degraded woman.
He wanted to bring blessing into her life. The living water she had drunk, the waters of this world. She had gone deep into the horrible pit of sin. And she was.
Dissatisfied.
Because the things of this world cannot satisfy the heart.
The well is deep, but just let me stop here for a moment.
Because the Lord was a perfect man, He was weary with his journey.
He had taken humanity into union with himself.
The Son of God.
He didn't empty himself of his divinity, of his deity, but he did empty himself of all that glory that he had in the bosom of the Father from a past eternity. And so this woman saw only an ordinary man, a weary man at the side of the well here.
Probably she recognized that he was a Jew by the ribbon of blue around his garment.
But she didn't know who he was.
But the Lord never used.
His Godhead glory to shield himself from the circumstances that we meet in everyday life.
He never.
Shielded himself.
He didn't make the stones bread, He didn't perform a miracle there to feed himself. He was surrounded by the same infirmities that we have weary in his journey here. Thirsty.
He could have commanded water from that well in a moment, but he didn't do it.
Because he partook of our humanity perfectly. He was hungry, he was thirsty. He was a perfect man.
But he had an appointment here with this woman.
And if you're unsaved in the room, dear friends, God has an appointment with you tonight, today.
God wants to meet you.
He wants to save your precious soul. He wants to give you the living water.
Which he provides through his work on the cross.
He wants to fill your heart, give you something that will last for eternity because the pleasures of this world.
There are only for a season.
At the end, there is bitter disappointment, there's judgment.
Moses turned his back upon the pleasures of this world in the court of Pharaoh, and he identified himself with those brick making slaves.
But he had the recompense of the reward. So the Lord speaks to this woman. He asks her for a drink of water. He gains her confidence and he said here.
00:15:04
Chapter 4 Then cometh thee to a city of Samaria, which is called Sikar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. This was a traditional ground. Now Jacob's well was there, Jesus therefore being wearied with his journey.
Thus on the well, and it was about the 6th hour of the sixth hour.
According to this gospel would be around 12:00 noon and if you travel in these.
These Oriental countries, you'd want to be out in the heat of the day. Why was it that this woman came to the well, at this time of the day, it's not usually a time that women would be would be coming.
Her sin had isolated her, but she found one that was isolated too.
The Lord was weary. He was friendless.
He did not have a place to lay his head. He was in the world that his hands had created, and there was no room for him in the inn and.
We find today in large measure, there is no still no room for Christ in this world. Thank God that there has been room in your heart here and many others have believed the gospel and made room for Christ.
But the Lord speaks here of a well-being deep. Jacob's well was there. It was deep. We find that as we go on.
The well was deep and.
You know, the unsaved, they find the well to be very deep because they have to go deeper and deeper into the pleasures of this world in order to try and satisfy the longings of their heart. And they're disappointed. The well is deep. I sat by this well.
Back when I visited Palestine.
And if I remember correctly, the guide took a penny or a coin and he dropped it into the well, and it was a long time before we heard the splash.
It the well was deep.
And there in that environment, the Lord speaks of living water. He speaks of a gift. Salvation, dear friend, is a gift. You know, people have devised all sorts of Ways and Means to earn salvation.
And to win a place in in God's heaven.
There's multitudes of ways. There's religion, there's moral living, there's doing good to your neighbor and so on. Being a respectable citizen, taking part in civic affairs, et cetera, et cetera. Man has devised all sorts of ways.
To try to fit himself for God's presence. But it's all in vain salvation.
Is a free gift.
It's not cheap.
Because it costs God his Son and Christ the sufferings of Calvary. But it's the outflowing of the heart of God. Christ was here revealing to this poor creature the heart of God, as He's doing today still to sinners.
Through channels and the living water, if thou knewest the gift of God.
And who it is that says, Do thee give me to drink? Thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. Well, she didn't know much about living water. In fact, it's quite a while in this passage before the woman thinks along spiritual lines. She's thinking of natural things. She has questions about religion and the place of worship and so on. She's not thinking of spiritual water.
She's thinking of natural things. The Lord says, If thou knewest the gift of God.
That is what the Lord is offering to you this afternoon, salvation full and free and eternal. And it's through the grace of God. This is what is revealed in this passage, the grace of God in a marvelous way through the Lord Jesus Christ. Well.
00:20:00
The living water here I suppose to be more correct, would speak of the Holy Spirit of God.
Coming down to lift our hearts up in worship to heaven.
That is the probably the interpretation. The correct interpretation here is refers to the Spirit of God, but we can apply it in in in other ways that it is salvation that the Lord is offering to this woman.
Freely from his heart of love. Well, there's just another point I'll make here as we come down this passage.
The woman.
Realizes that this is a strange person.
She's inquiring what this living water is.
But the Lord has to put his finger upon the black spot of her life.
And we see here that.
The Lord drives home the truth of her guilty past and her sinful present.
We come down here.
Verse 15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not.
Neither come hit her to draw. She had a longing for something that would satisfy. She had drunk of the sinful waters of this world for many years. And she was.
Miserable, but here the Lord puts his finger upon her life, because the truth must come through the conscience.
And the Lord was going to awaken this soul to her.
Sinful past.
To really probe there by the word of God was going to.
Like the looking glass, the mirror that we've been talking about, it was presented to her and she was seeing her, her life as revealed by someone that she didn't know. But it was the Lord of Glory who knew all about her. He knew about her sinful past. He knew about her life at that time. He knew all the evil of her past history. He knows yours too. You can't hide anything from the Lord He.
Your life is an open book before him.
Every thought and word indeed is recorded.
But the Lord is longing to bless, He says to this woman in verse 16. Jesus saith unto her goal.
Call thy husband and come hit her. Not often did the Lord tell anyone to go from him, but He did in this case. Why?
Because he wanted that woman.
To realize what she really was.
And her character and her sin.
He wanted her conscience to be awakened.
To what she had done in her life.
To feel her need of salvation. So the Lord says, go call thy husband and come hit her. Notice he said come hit her.
The invitation was still given to her, not to stay away, but to come back to the one who could meet that deep need. And then she.
Says these words in 17.
I have no husband, Jesus said unto her, Thou as well said, I have no husband, for thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou hast is not thy husband. In that saidst thou truly? In other words, he revealed her life. She was living in sin.
And she realized that she was meeting someone.
Who?
Was a revealer of secrets. You know that's the meaning of Zaft Nathania.
That Pharaoh gave to Joseph in Genesis Zafna Penia in one language.
Coptic, I think it is. It means the revealer of secrets. This is what the Lord was doing here. He was revealing the secrets of this life, of this woman's life. And the other meaning of it in I think it's in in Hebrew is savior of the world.
00:25:13
So the Lord was manifesting himself in these two characters. First of all, revealing.
The life of this woman, which was so black and.
Immoral, but he was also presenting himself as the savior of the world. And her eyes were opened. Perceived that thou art a prophet. Little by little she was.
Becoming acquainted with this person, not only what he had, but who he was. Here was the Messiah.
That was before her. They were looking for him to come. The Lord said I that speak unto thee, am he. You didn't do that very often did to the man in John nine and here to the woman and then he goes on to unfold the truth of worship.
The disciples were surprised when they came back to bringing food.
How little they really knew of the heart of the Lord, because they knew the character of this woman, and they wondered why the Lord would be talking to her, but they didn't realize.
The depth of his interest.
How He could make the dark things light in the crooked places straight, but they didn't enter into that. And the Lord rejoiced in spirit as He had unfolded the heart of God, brought blessing and salvation to this poor woman.
Her heart was one.
Her feet were made.
To carry the glad tidings. How wonderful are the feet of those that preach the gospel of peace. And as I said, she became an evangelist. She went into the city where she was well known. Come see a man that told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ? And we know there was much blessing in the city of Samaria by this woman's testimony and.
Later by the preaching of Philip in Acts chapter, or later by the.
The stay of the Lord here for us two days. Many of the Samaritans of the city believed on him for the saying of the woman which testified. He told me all that ever I did.
And so when the Samaritans were come into unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them, and he abode there two days, many more believed, because of his own word. What a wonderful harvest of souls there were in that city of Samaria, the most unlikely place degraded and.
Had had refused the the true center of of Jehovah. But the Lord worked in his marvelous grace. I'm going to close with a little story. I see I've gone beyond beyond my time.
About a man. A young man, this young man.
Was in a godly home. He had a mother that prayed for him and wept for him, but he didn't want any more of this religion.
Being presented to him day after day. So he said, Mother, I've had enough of this.
I'm leaving home. He gathered together his belongings.
And he said goodbye even though his mother followed him, weeping and saying, son, remember, when the darkest time comes in your life and you think that everything is lost, you pray to your mother's God. Goodbye, mother. He went off and he fell into the horrible pit of sin and infidelity and immorality and what have you.
He gave everything, he threw everything overboard.
He got as far away from his mother as he could.
I don't know how long he carried on this life, but I think it was for some years.
Finally, he came to himself one night in a dingy hotel long away from his home.
He was depressed, he was discouraged. Everything had fallen apart in his life.
00:30:02
He was burdened with his sins now.
And he said, well, I think I'll just end this whole farce called human life because there's nothing in it. He had a gun in his suitcase there, and he was going to bring the gun out and put an end to his life.
But as he looked out into the black night.
Those words that his.
Praying, mother had said to him, came back with power to his soul. Son, in the darkest hour, when you think that everything is lost, pray to your mother's God. He will hear you.
So this man got down on his knees and he cried to the Lord, he said.
Lord, if there is such a being, save my soul.
Hear my cry and be. He couldn't sleep. He was burdened and weary.
And discouraged. But the Lord heard his prayer, and before Daybreak he had passed from death unto life, and his joy knew no bounds. Do you know what he wanted to do? I guess you can assume I want to go back to my mother and tell her that her prayers are answered. It's hard to get away from the mother's prayers. So he made the journey back, and the mother came out.
Crying and laughing and said son.
I know why you are coming back. The Lord has told me you've found the Savior.
He says yes mother, I have and my heart is full of joy and the burden of my sins are gone and I have eternal life. That man was Mr. RA Tory.
Who established this missionary comptown where we are? May the Lord bless His word. Time is gone here, so we'll just have a word of prayer. Our loving God and our Father, we thank Thee for this opportunity once more to sound forth. The glad tidings will feebly done. We thank Thee for the Lord Jesus. We pray for any precious soul in this company here who has.
Never felt their need of Christ.
Closed in with his wondrous offer of mercy, that they might trust the Lord.
Put their faith, confidence in that finished work and that precious blood that was shed, and find peace like Mr. Tory did and like this poor woman. In our story tonight we commit the word to Thee that went forth last night faithfully, and we thank Thee for all Thy goodness to us this happy weekend that we have had together. Commit ourselves into Thy care for the evening and for those who may be traveling back home to give them journeying mercies and a sense of Thy presence.
We ask it all and give thanks in the worthy, precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Open Mtg. 7
Open—J. Hyland, E. Leger
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Through my soul.