Address—Bernie Roossinck
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Are we ready, Steve? OK. Can you guys hear me in the back? All right, welcome.
To Michigan Camp, my name is Bernie. I see a lot of kids and young people in here and that really warms my heart. Umm, a lot of you kids know me as Uncle Bernie, which I like, even though I'm not really your uncle, I kind of am. So, umm, kids, I want to talk especially to you.
Uh, I work in, in agriculture and I work on a lot of farms and over the years I have enjoyed thinking about different things from the farm that can help us in our spiritual lives. So my hope is that we can go through some of these things up here and, uh, we'll have to be quick and you may have questions.
And I would tell you this, kids, I'm going to try to show this stuff closer on this camera that Steve helped me do.
But if you want to see better, you're welcome to come up and look, uh, closer. I don't mind if you come up and stand around me. Is that OK?
Umm, before we start, I feel like I would like to ask God for his help, so let's do that first.
Our loving God and Father, thank you so much for loving us. Thank you, your God and Father, for sending your Son the Lord Jesus Christ into this world.
To die on the cross in my place and take upon himself all of the punishment that belonged to me.
Where does I look at these faces? How we want to have fruitful, happy Christian lives for each one of these young people and boys and girls. We pray for help tonight. We ask that the things that we talk about with the encouraging and helpful in our Christian lives.
Thank you again for the word Jesus and his name. Amen.
All right, first, first I want to read. We're going to have to move quickly here. Umm.
Let's first say I heard this morning from a friend of mine at breakfast.
That told me this was the desire of her heart for her children and grandchildren and I really appreciate it and I want to share it with you. This is X 11/23.
This is Speaking of Barnabas.
It says who when he came, and it seemed the grace of God was glad, and exhorted them all that what purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. And young people and children, that's our desire. That you would with purpose of heart cleave to the Lord and purpose apart really means that you decide and you go for it.
That you would cleave to the Lord now.
You know, kids, I think a lot of times we sit in meeting and I remember sitting in meeting when I was you your age, Simon, and you hear versus like in the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. You heard that before. It's like, oh, that's nice.
And I believed it and I was happy for that. But you know, the older I get, the more I realize that God has put his fingerprint in everything that he has done and there is no.
Uh, accident. There's no, uh, God didn't have to say when he was creating things. Oh man, wish I wouldn't have done that. Everything that he has made has order and unity in it. So a couple of examples before we get into these things. How many of you have heard of Fibonacci?
They don't teach that in math and public school, at least they did in Newfoundland. And I think the reason was they didn't like it because I believe it is the fingerprint, one of the fingerprints of God in creation. I don't have time to explain it, but go look it up. And if you look at the umm spiral on a snail shell.
Or the curve of a wave. Or the shape of the Milky Way.
Or you look at a sunflower and all those seeds are in there. They're in a, uh, perfect spiral that is described mathematically by Fibonacci's cycle.
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And when I heard about that, I was in my mid 40s when I heard about that for the first time. I praise the Lord because I see that now. It's like, Lord, that you're showing me. It's your work. You did this.
Umm, couple other, uh, things I want. I wonder if you could tell me why is it that beans girl up a pole from right to left, but peas grew up a pole from left to right and if you switch them around they die?
You know that why? Because that's the way God made it. It's not an accident. It's not random. They don't get up to the first level of the pole and have a little meeting with the internal structure and say, should we go left or right?
No, they know because God made it that way.
Umm, how many of your kids like sweet corn or adults too?
Once you next time eat sweet corn, count up how many rows around corn is always even.
Always, even never ever seen it. I've never rode around. Why?
It's God's fingerprint. That's the way he made it. That's the way it is.
And yes, you can rejoice in that and see these lessons and say the God that died for me.
Made all of that in perfect order, perfect unity. Umm, how about this one? Why is it I'm going to ask you, umm JD, why is it that when things get cold and freeze, everything contracts except for water?
Which expands.
Interesting, huh? You know that if water contracted when it froze, it would sink to the bottom of the ocean and never thaw out, and it wouldn't be long and we would be living in an Ice Age. But God didn't make it that way. Water expands, everything else contracts. Why? Because God made it that way. It's not an accident. OK, now.
We do need to keep moving, so we're going to first thing I want to do is talk about a beautiful example.
Of the Lord Jesus in His death and resurrection. So turn with me to John chapter 12, verse 24.
This is the words of the Lord Jesus. We'll read verse 23 first. Jesus answered them, saying, The hour has come that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, and abideth alone.
But if it's, uh, bringing forth much fruit now let's try to show this on the screen a little bit more. I have in this little pack here corn seeds. I can figure out which way to move it. You guys all see that.
Yeah, these are corn seeds. Those of you that know agriculture can tell what genetic supply are they came from and what the herbicide tolerance is, Alex, you know, don't you? What does this mean to you?
Green seeds.
I know I'm putting you on the spot. This tells me that this came from Bayer Genetics and it's Roundup Ready, but that's another story. OK, everyone of these plants that I just dug this out of the field this morning at my house, every one of these plants started with a single seed. OK? The Lord Jesus went into the ground and died.
Except the corn of wheat. That means a seed goes into the ground and dies. It abides alone.
But if it's die, it brings forth much fruit. I think the word is probably talking about wheat. But this example will be the same because they're both grasses. And I can show you this now. I don't know if I can show you this really clearly, but in here in the very middle.
I might have to tap the shop so you can see this.
Yeah, I think I'll just cut it up right in here. This route that I'm moving around here, this is the original seat piece that died. In fact, I'm going to cut this up and show you because this is a beautiful picture of resurrection.
Umm.
We'll use the other plant for roots. We're going to talk about roots here in a minute. This is the first meeting I've ever had with an axe and knife and a sickle in it too. So give me a minute to chop these off. By the way, God made corn kits that they can root at every node. Every one of these bumps is a node. If you want to come up here, you can feel these.
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Probably see these little bumps here started the route on these. See that And if the conditions were right, it would root all the way up. It also has been made so that every year, every note can also make an ear. And if you had a little microscope and we dug into here, every one of these nodes has a little tiny here that has the same number of rows around in length that these others have. But anyway, let me get to that middle one.
I'm glad that Doctor Reno is here, but I'll try not to use your services for.
But I'm shopping off. Here is what's called the brace roots. I'll clean this up and when I'm done, sorry.
Because when you go buy a cornfield, I want you to think about the resurrection. OK, that note of roots is gone. The next step is, umm, called the, umm, third node. Then we're going to get to the second node.
I'm trying. I don't want to cut this off and ruin what I'm trying to show you because it's so small.
OK, by the way, every one of these can go as deep as the corn is tall, but I cut most of them off with my shovel now.
Now you can see this a little better. And if you're wondering if you can't see it right, come up and here we go right here.
This.
Is the corn of wheat.
Fell into the ground and died. You guys see that little bump right there?
That reminds me of the Lord Jesus. See that everybody?
See that here? That little bump right there? You want to feel it? That used to be the seat. Still is the seat, but it died. You know what happened here when it died?
It made something.
Made this right here.
I want to see what this is.
Hey, what's this?
Corn and all those corn kernels came from this little tiny one that reminds us of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus had to die, and when he died and he rose again, you know what? He could bring you to heaven and me to heaven because he paid the price for our sins. Aren't you glad about that? Now, Carrie, you, you take this back to your dad and ask him to count how many rows around there are.
And you tell me, well, if there's even the right number.
Yeah, you can take it back to them and ask them to count them.
I am guessing these are about 18, around by 36 long. That seed brings forth 650 new seeds, new kernels. That's much fruit. I would say. Brethren, you could buy a cornfield. Think about the resurrection. The price be not raised. Their faith is in vain. God has given us practical examples.
In nature that says that's my son and this is my spirit. Happens in week, happens in lots of other crops. You know, I didn't know that when I was a kid, but I'm glad I know it and I want to tell you guys about it. Isn't that beautiful? Except the quart of wheat fall into the ground that abides alone. You guys know that if you were the only person summer in the whole world.
The Lord Jesus would have come and died for just you. What?
How do we know that? It says in relation the Son of God who loved me a singular right and gave himself for me. OK, Isaiah, you want to have one of these years or you take that to your dad, tell him to count it. I want to know if they're even or I'll send these around. You guys check it out, see if I'm right.
OK, now let's talk about roots.
I just chopped a bunch of those roots up and now we're going to go to this one.
Turn to, uh, Ephesians chapter three, I think it is.
Seasons chapter 3 and we'll read verse UH-17.
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That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, they ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with All Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ. It's passive knowledge that he might be filled with all the fullness of God.
You know, I know, kids, that you're not made for corn roots.
But I would just say it's important in your life as you grow in your Christian want to put roots down into the soil of Christian living and get rooted and grounded and what really matters to pour the word of God into your heart to. I think somebody mentioned this a couple of different times.
To read the scriptures until your thinking is formed by the scriptures.
You know, we're not going to get into this, and I could do a whole lesson on this. Sometimes the ground gets compacted because Alex drove on it when it was wet with too big of a tractor and the roots can't get down. So they got what's called pancake roots. They just go out flat. Umm.
Another spiritual lesson for another day. There's there's one other thing I want to show you guys about this single route here. Umm, because this is another one of those things in nature that God has made that the roads could take them Malawi and it'd be just as true there as it is here.
And Tim, I'm making a big mess.
And I just cut off the one I wanted. So I'm not going to be able to show you that little route, that first route where that little seat piece is. God has made it so that that length plus 3/4 of an inch everywhere in the world and every corn plant in the world, That's how deep the seed was planted. The plant doesn't lie. Sometimes I.
Talk to farmers that have problems and they're like, oh, it's the seed guy's fault, they're the chemical guy's fault, they're the planner was screwed up or whatever.
So let's take a shovel and see what the plants say. And then you look at it and go, Sir, the problem is you. What do you mean? You planted it way too shallow. We're way too deep. God has made it so that that distance is true in Malawi and it's true in Umm Greenville, MI. That distance plus 3/4 of an inch always doesn't lie because.
God made it that way. OK, let's keep moving.
Umm.
All right, another thing that happened to me this year. You know, a, a, a good friend of mine knows I like sweet corn. He gave me a pack of sweet corn that he told me he got from a new genetic supplier and it was the best sweet corn ever.
So he gave us a whole bag of it and umm, I had my intern break that into little packets or I didn't. One of my employees did. So we handed out these packs of sweet corn seeds and I planted it.
My wife will laugh at this because ** *** knows I'm into details and 30 inch rows.
8 inches apart, all the same depth, by hand, watered it, fertilized it, came up, it looked awesome. Only it wasn't sweet corn.
It was this.
So I looked at the seed and I told the dude I don't look like any sweet or I've ever seen. He goes, oh, but it is. It's new all right.
You know, I think it's in Matthew 7. Let's turn to this. Umm, this is a good lesson for all of us.
That is 7 verse 20. Umm, the Lord says this, Wherefore by you, therefore she shall know them, you know.
Simon Umm, I want a sweet corn. I like sweet corn. You don't get this chubby by that like a sweet corn. And I watered this and I fertilized it and I weeded it and it looked really good. But when it came out of the ground, I said to my wife, it doesn't have to look a sweet corn. Something right here.
And when it got bigger, I thought it's getting way too tall.
Like that's a tall accord. Sweet corn is usually tasseled out right here, right? And usually it has two suckers on it, which means other tiller plants that come up out of the same route. None of it had that. And then the year came out and it was these.
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That looks like good sweet corn to you, Summer.
Bye, bye. See what you think. It's not. It's Calcorn. I was really disappointed, but you know what? I wasn't surprised.
Because.
The fruit told me what reality was. And you know, kids, you can tell me Uncle Bernie and tell Mister Roach. You can tell Mom and dad, Grandpa and grandma, different loved ones. Yeah, I'm saved. But you know, kids go good looks on the heart. And sometimes I will tell you this with joy. I see evidence in in your lives that you know and love the Lord Jesus.
And that you are earnestly seeking to follow him. But sometimes I don't, and that makes me a little sad because the fruit tells me. The mouse says, oh, I'm in.
But the actions say now I'm out. So it's a warning for us. By their fruit she shall know them and I knew.
It's too late to change it. This wasn't sweet. This makes really good sandwich, but I didn't want sandwich going. I want a sweet corn, but I didn't get it. Anyway, let's keep moving.
I guess there is one more thing here. How much this is for you? How much gas you think is left in this tank?
Any idea?
OK, As the plant grows, it uses up the space in between these nodes. It stores sugar. See how like A50 and Styrofoamy that is? This is like a fuel cell in a race car and it's empty.
Not holding anything now down here.
That's, that's that way. Look how juicy and, uh, hard that is. There's about this much gas left in the tank. And for that, this time of year that is plenty of nutrient to finish the year. But sometimes I dig up plants and the farmer goes, what do you think is going to happen? I'm like, you're going to die early and finish slow. Like, oh, what do you mean right there, man, you're out of gas.
The plant tells you might seem weird that plants can talk to people, but they kind of do because the Lord made them. And anyway, I know that's kind of uh, for me to say, but.
Yeah, we need to keep moving.
Last year, after camp number of you young people went to Israel and umm, I like woodworking and I really wanted to go to Israel too. I still want to go to Israel. I got a text one day from CNN, she said. Dad, Ren Nazareth.
You guys know who grew up in Nazareth?
Who grew up in Nazareth? So what's it the word Jesus?
And, uh, she sent me a picture of a guy that was woodworking in a little shop there.
Thought about the Good Shepherd. This is a Good Shepherd. This is carved out of olive wood. I'm going to show everybody and then I'll pass it around. So this is the Good Shepherd. He has that sheep up on his shoulders.
So beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus.
OK, somewhere else there with you. I want you to think about the words the Good Shepherd as you pass that around. I'm going to read to you kids from Matthew 18.
You know, I wonder what the Lord made between the age of 0 and 30. The carpenter's son kind of like to make something with the Lord.
And you know what, Simon? I don't think he cut his thumb either.
But you know, you like the word, you know how to use a sign out, don't you? Yeah. The Lord Jesus did something similar to what you and I were doing together. And this is Matthew 18, verse 11. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
I think if a man have 100 sheep.
And one of them begun astray, the thing that leave the 90 and nine, and go into the mountains, seeking that which has gone astray. And if so be that he find it barely, I say unto you, He rejoiceth more of that sheet than of the 90 and nine that went out astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these.
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Little ones should perish. You know, kids, the Lord Jesus loves you and.
The Bible teaches us that we're born in sin and shaping in iniquity. I want you to raise your hand if your mom or dad had to teach you how to trip somebody up.
Mine didn't. I already knew how to do that.
Were born in sin shape and iniquity. See these little lamps here? They're so cute, aren't they?
I'll send that each of the lamps, what they're born in sin and shaping and iniquity.
And the Lord Jesus, kids, what else has the Good Shepherd and sought for the washi until he found it? Because I hope that you don't turn your back on the Lord Jesus and say no, I'm not lost. I'm good man, I don't need you.
Where Jesus is seeking for you. So this is part of the lesson of the fire because people have sheep on their farms. So now we're going to do a couple other things about sheep here. Umm, turn to some 23.
I know I'm randomly moving here, but we don't have enough time. I just hope to wet your appetite on these things. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. We'll stop with that. We could really read the wholesome. You know what people that know about sheep will tell you?
Umm.
I can only a perfectly contented sheet.
Wise down.
And a lot of times when I drive by farms and when I check to see the sheep standing here lying down, they're almost always standing. But sometimes they're lying down and you can go. That shoot is content. You know, kids, the Lord there says he maketh me lie down in green pastures. You know what that tells me? The word Jesus's purpose for your life is to put you in that environment.
Where you are happy and content and able to lie down, Now here the sheep are by still waters. Sheep never drink from rough water, and they don't drink dirty water. They drink still clean water.
Umm.
OK, one more thing about sheet.
Is So what these are?
Show this to everybody. This is probably a grass Clipper, but for today it's a sheep shear. Who wants a haircut today? All right, stand up here and let me cut your hair. No, I'm not going to really cut your hair.
I think your mom would be real mad about that. You know it says in umm, Isaiah 53.
Uh, you know, well, let me step back in that in Exodus 12, the Lord is shown out as the, uh, mail of the first year without blemish and without spa. The Passover lamb was to be a male of the first year, no blemish, no spot. Uh, kids in him was no sin. He knew no sin. He did no sin. He was the perfect Lamb of God.
And when John the Baptist was introducing him in John One, he says.
Behold, the Lamb of God is taketh away the sin of the world. Now when you turn to Isaiah 53 you read this.
Umm.
Oh, we, like sheep, have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Except the verse I was thinking about. Let me turn to it to get it right.
Isaiah 53.
There in this verse I'm turning to it refers to the Lord as a female she and there's a reason that I want to tell you about OK, he was oppressed. This is verse seven. He was afflicted, yet he opened on his mouth as broad as a lamb to the slaughter.
And this is sheep before her humor system. So he opened it, not his mouth. No, a man that I know that knows about, she told me that's true. If Isaiah would have written, umm, that a female that a male sheep like the Passover lamb was would go to be shared, he would say that's wrong. Every shepherd knows that's wrong.
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Because the RAM will fight and buck and push.
And try to get away but the EU as the female doesn't they stand there quietly while they're shears you and you know the the Lord knows that and in this passage in Isaiah it's not talking about the Lamb of God there it's talking about his perfect submission to his father's will to go to the cross without.
Fighting or pushing back and.
We read in different places what the Lord said in John 4 to the woman at the well. My meat. My whole purpose in life is to do the will of him that sent me. And so.
If it's said there in Isaiah that a female sheet was going through, it would be perfectly right, but a ram not so much. Safely and the Lord Jesus.
In his submission to going to the cross with perfect humility and quiet purpose and confidence. OK, now one more thing about sheep and pigs.
See that I got this as a present from Steve's grandmother, Dave's mother-in-law, and I think my brother Benz might be watching this. So Benj.
He hates this pig. He's afraid of it.
OK, now.
Two different natures here.
What does the pig known for? What do you guys tell me? What's a pig's nature?
What is it? I was in the mud. What are you going to say, Mary Ann? Same thing. What do you say, Summer? What's that? Bacon. Who? Yeah, they are known for bacon. And I like bacon.
That's a good answer. Ribs too. Umm, that's pretty funny, I really like that.
Now here's the deal. Things don't sweat, so the only way they can get cool is to roll around in the mud.
It says in Peter.
The dog is returned to his vomit and the South to her wallowing in the mire.
Says that the sheep.
He leadeth me decide the Stillwater, and I think it's in John 10. The sheep go in and out and find pasture. Don't be a pig in your Christian life. It says in Psalms and also in Jeremiah Speaking of the being raised up out of that horrible pit and set my feet upon a rock.
Don't be a pig, kids, even though they do have bacon center.
In your nature, be a sheep. OK, Understand. All right, let's keep moving.
Uh, horses.
Let's turn to some 32.
OK.
OK, I wanna read.
Read from verse 8 and maybe verse nine. I will instruct the and teach the in the way that thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine.
Be not as the horse or the mule, which have no understanding whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, unless they come near him today, OK.
You know, horses aren't used for farm work much anymore, although that far from this camp, probably within 10 miles of here. There is a lot of Amish communities and I spend my life to work with some of those people and they're really nice folks. And umm, interestingly enough, I have a picture on my phone of umm, an Amish guy.
Working a pretty large field with about 12 Courses.
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He has 6 double teams and the next field over was a guy working with a case quad track with a big wide 40 or more foot fielder. And they were running side by side down this road, one-on-one side, one on the other. And I thought to myself, I took the picture of them and I thought to myself, you know, in a lot of ways they both probably look across the way and go. I wish I was like that guy more.
The horse guy is probably thinking, yeah, look what I can get done.
And the director guy is probably thinking, man, there's got to be a simpler life than this. But anyway.
Horses.
Horses are used in Scripture as a symbol of strength and power. But kids, the example I want to give you for horses here is you have to put a bit in a bridle, in a horse's mouth to turn it, to make it do what you want it to do. So if we were going to plow a field or or trail ride or ride a carriage or whatever, they have to have the harness on and the driver is more or less yanking on the horse's lips like this.
We're going this way, we're going that way. And I have a feeling that horses don't find that that funny. Umm, but you know, the word says to you and I, young people, don't be like that.
I will guide you with my eye now. How many of you guys like football?
Probably lots of you. You ever heard, umm, it said that the receiver read the quarterback's eyes? You guys know what that means, Cameron, right? He's looking at the guy with the ball.
And he can anticipate what was going to happen because he was watching his eyes and he could say he's lined up the throw this way, but he's looking over there, the ball is going that way and you can read that person's eyes. The Lord is saying.
Be close to me, watch me, follow me and I'll guide you with my eye. The Lord doesn't want to yank you around with a rope. He wants to say, can I use you? Did The Lord wants to say, Dave, we're going this way and you can in communion and walking with him say Lord, I got it. We're going that way instead of Lord going, hey.
Pretty soon the words like we're going that way, don't be like that. I will guide you with my eye and the only way to do that for the Lord to do that.
Is when we're in close communion with him and to say, OK, Lord, we're at a fork in the road. I need to decide what should I do? And I would also say this to you kids and young people. When you get to a fork in the road, don't let that be the first time that you get on your knees. Umm, say, oh Lord, we haven't spoken in months.
Now I got problems. Fix it for me. That's not allowing the Lord to guide you with this eye, although I know that that tendency is there, especially when you're young.
But I want to encourage you to cultivate.
A, uh, habit of being in communion with the Lord and listening. You know, the Lord might say something to you today as simple as umm.
Help, uh, Simon fix his car.
I had a nice time helping you with your card assignment. I think we have fun together anyway. Yeah, you know, the word might say, hey, umm, you should help this lady carry that stroller over to her car or vacuum the floor or whatever. And as we obey the Lord in little things, then he can start to give you bigger things and bigger things. But don't be like this horse that has to get yanked around.
Because he's not paying attention.
OK, now we're going to talk about cows.
Actually, we're not going to talk about this one.
OK, what comes from cows?
Henry Milk.
This is a, uh, nursing battle. How many of your kids had a bottle this big when you were babies? OK, milk comes from cows. Uh, before we get into milk, though, I want to say this about cows. If you read in Leviticus about the types of food that God's people were to eat. And now I know we're not under law, so I'm going to draw a example for us to follow.
One of the things they could eat was an animal that had.
Uh, cloven hoof Maybe you guys can see this. See those feet are split. Cow has a cloven hoof but also has a room in it. Animal means it has four stomachs. Umm.
00:40:05
Am I going to try to name them right now because I'll lose my train of thought. There's four stomachs. And so this cow will eat grass or forage, corn, hay, whatever, and it goes into that first stomach and then, umm, when that stomach is full, that's called the room. And it's about 55 gallons by the way. It's big. It will lay down and it will bring that back up out of that first stomach and reach you it and then it goes into the next stomach.
And then the next one. And then the next one.
And that is given it's a picture of bringing things in and then bringing them back up and re.
Meditating on them basically. So I like racing. We just had race car races down there, right? One of the big things on farms is RPMS, probably in racing too. My RPMS for you tonight is read, pray, meditate.
Just like this cow would do, right? The grass goes in.
The room and spits it back up. Re choose it back into the omeism and the abomasim and then the reticulum. See, I got them. I wanted to be a vet when I was a kid. That's fascinating. But anyway, umm.
Bee like a cow?
Regurgitate what you brought in by thinking about reading.
And then meditating on God's Word, it will do you good. Then we're going back to the milk.
Where's Rachel? All right, Rachel, do you like sticking your fingers in a cap's mouth? I think you do. You go into a calf line and there's all these rows of hutches and you stick your fingers out like this in there.
Sucking on your hands, it's kind of cool. And then you stick this bottle out like this, you know? And they drink it down, you know, kids.
Turn with me for something about milk here. It's your first Peter 2. There's a progression in your life that we want to see, and milk is the start of it. So let's go to First Peter chapter 2.
And verse two as newborn babes.
Desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby. If so be that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. So kids, young people.
Desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. But you know what doesn't stop there? Sometimes it makes me sad when I see young people that are at the same level.
Year after year after year, and it's like they're still on the bottle. It's like, man, you're 20, you're still drinking from your bottle. The Lord is wanting growth and it's such a blessing and an encouragement when you know, we've had this question and answer meetings and the questions that you guys are asking are very good and it allows us to go into the word of God.
And to get growth?
And stronger, stronger, stronger food. Uh, who's the youngest kid in here?
Probably Connor back there in his stroller. What would happen if we slept the steak down in front of him? Would he be able to eat it?
I think Logan, no, he wants.
Weaker food? How about if we gave you a bottle or AT bone? Which one do you want? You want the T-bone spiritually, same thing. So let's get that from Hebrews.
Umm.
Pardon me for using notes here brother. And I get nervous. Hebrews 5.
We have this mentioned the other day. Hebrews 5 uh, verse 12 for when?
For when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God. And it becomes such as that need of milk and that strong meat for everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of racist. This squeeze obey but strong meat belonging to them that are of full age, even though.
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By reason of use have their senses exercise.
To design both good and evil. OK. All I'm saying is don't stay with this bottle. Grow into strong spiritual needs. And it's such an encouragement to talk with some of you and visit and see that growth continue. It's well worth it. One more thing about milk.
How many of you guys like ice cream?
Umm, you know when, uh, so my wife grew up in a dairy farm and milk cows with dad for a couple of years before I got into agronomy and I enjoyed being out in the barn, especially early in the morning. You go out there and there's a rows of cows and milker was.
Actually, that noise, right And you're going along and milking the cows and.
In that milk house.
Big bulk take big cooler and that milk separates. There's butter fat and there's the white liquid part. You know, oil and water, fat and water. They don't mix. I want to say this to you young people.
There may be.
Times in your Christian experience, maybe in your assemblies where a person or a situation is a bit of a problem for you, is like oil and water doesn't mix.
You know, I I want to encourage you young people, don't allow that to derail your Christian life and experience. So when you go to the store and buy milk, it doesn't separate why? Who knows why?
Well, so homogenized. So here's how it works you we all know that if we mix the oil and water separate immediately.
So what they do when milk is pasteurized to kill the bacteria, it's also heated to a very hot temperature and sprayed through a tiny little nozzle, little bitty orpus AT-5000PSI. And what it does is it breaks those fat, butter fat particles.
Into tiny, tiny little pieces and it stays in suspension and it doesn't come apart.
So what's the lesson, Bernie? This is not, this is not about how to make ice cream. This is about spiritual life. Let's turn it over to you, uh, Ephesians or Philippians? Sorry.
This is not an easy lesson to learn, but it's worth learning. Philippians 2 verse three. Let nothing be done through strife or Vainglory, but in loneliness of mind. Let each esteem other better than themselves. That's not fun all the time. Is it to take the low place?
To step back and.
Submit to something or someone else that maybe bothers you, but it's worth it. The Lord will honor that to take this and umm, esteem others better than yourself. Now who knows what an acronym is?
An acronym. What is it, Allison?
That's a word that means something else. We're going to use an acronym for Joy, JOY, Jesus first.
Others next yourself last. You'll find in your life that will bring you joy. Jesus first, Others next to Southwest. The next time you're eating butter and your mashed potatoes or ice cream, think about steam. Others better than yourself, you'll be happier.
All right. Now we're going to talk about chickens. And this is the best chicken we had in our house, and it even has extendable legs. Thank you, Rachel.
Alright, this is a chicken. Now, I don't know if my friend Dave Murray is will watch this, but I'm going to share a story they told one time that I found to be incredibly encouraging. Let's turn to Psalm 91.
Psalm 91 Before I read this, I want you guys to remember the word Jesus. The scene when the word Jesus came to Jerusalem for the first time.
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And he says he looked out over the city and he wept over it. And he said, how often would I have gathered the children under my wings as a hand does, But you would not.
Brethren, that is the position that the Lord wants to put you in. We are in times of tremendous turmoil. It's not an easy Rd.
I'm not afraid.
For what? For many reasons, and this is one of them, so I'm 91.
Uh, verse 3, Surely he will deliver thee from the snare of the Fowler and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. That means helper. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that fly up by day.
Lord says.
I will cover you with my feathers. I really enjoy what Boaz said to Ruth when she was gleaning in his field. She said, it's been fully shown to me how you have honored your mother-in-law and how you've come to take refuge under the wings of Jehovah. Same thing. So the story Dave Burns told this. His dad was in the British Navy in World War 2.
Umm, he was Canadian, but Canada?
When Britain went to Canada, went to work, So Mr. Burns, his name was Morty, was in the Navy and he was stationed off of the coast of England, uh, for a while. And they could row into shore. And he made it his habit periodically to go in there, get off the ship. And he met a new couple there and, uh, visited with them and was asking him about.
The war and stuff. And the old man said, you know, we have two bomb shelters on this island, You want to see him?
Yeah, I'll see him.
So they go into this great big concrete cavern. This is this is the first one, but I don't think this is any good. And so, well, where's the other one? Oh, it's made out of feathers. And he quoted this verse, a bombshell made out of feathers. And umm, you know, umm, the ship, the ship he was on, by the way, was a sister ship to the Hood that the Bismarck sink.
Umm. But anyway, they got moored off of that same place.
And he went in there and the Germans said bomb the whole town, and every house was flat except for that old man's house who had the feather bombshell, you know, young people.
God is for you, and I know this is a weird looking chicken, but just remember, under his feathers take refuge. So that's the lesson from the chicken. Now we're just about out of time here. Let's talk about the yolk. This is a yoke. I shared this here before.
Uh, the top part is made out of piece of cherry from our Buchanan's woods and the bows are made out of oak from my woods. I steam them to bend them.
What's a yoke for? It looks two things together, right? And we would never really do this, but I'll just give you an example.
So these two sheep right here are yoked together, right?
You guys see that it's kind of a odd way to hook 2 sheep together, but this is what the Lord's desire is for. You turn to umm Matthew 11.
Matthew, Chapter 11.
Verse 28.
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rust unto your souls, for My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.
You know kids, when you're yoked with the Lord Jesus.
Hope I can say this without.
Offending anybody. Let's say this is you and this is the word, your yoke together. The Lord says My yoke is easy, my burden is light, and wherever you're going, you're going with Him.
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Think about that. I find that to be so encouraging. The Lord says, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest.
I want rest in my life. The Lord says I have it. Come to me. You know, young people, Andrew was talking last night about their house burning down from then. This tragedy, it's a huge kick in the gut and you have the word to say.
Take my yoke.
Upon you.
Learn at me the Lord Jesus is in it with you. Don't fight him, walk with him. He loves you. He wants the boss and keep you. All right, we're at a time we're not going to talk about the windmill, but what I would have said was wells. That's another meeting in itself. Umm, we could have talked about weeds for a whole another meeting.
Uh, lots of other things. Wait and tears. We could make trip to the manure pit.
Lot to be learned there. Soil compaction, Alex. There's a cost. Just remember that when you want to get the tractor out one day early. Umm.
EAR pension.
That'll be another topic, but I'll say this to you older brethren these years right here, they're set when the corn is knee high and the rows around their set. And if something stresses them out, they scramble from say, 22 and 18161412. And brethren must be careful not to pinch off.
In early years, either by accident or on purpose.
The fruitfulness for God, for young people, that's a whole nother meeting.
OK, we're out of time and it's been a long day. I really hope this is useful and helpful and interesting. And mostly boys and girls and young people.
I want to remind you we serve a wonderful.
Supremely.
Gracious good God.
Umm, we can go to him with our problems. We can be yoked with him.
All these things that we talked about, they're just examples that says in Corinthians first that which is natural, afterwards that which is spiritual.
You know, I encourage you, when you're driving around, don't be gazing out the window listening to some meaningless radio. Think about what you're looking at. God is in the details. It's a beautiful thing. All right, let's pray.
Blessed God and Father, thank you for loving us. Thank you for Sir, so many wonderful examples of your hands of love and goodness for us toward us.
Blessed God and Father, I pray for each one of these young people and children that they would know you and love you and grow up to be useful and fruitful vessels for you. Racist Father, those of us that are older help us to learn these lessons to to esteem others better than ourselves and to take some of the circumstances of life and.
Umm, be yoked together with you, Blessed Savior, we pray for a blessing upon what has been said.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Forgot about that too, but that's another lesson. If your kids want to know how hay used to be harvested and wheat, maybe how Boaz did it. I'm not the grim Reaper. Umm, I meant to talk about this because this is important at the gospel, but that's another day. If you want to handle it, you're welcome to do it. Sorry, Jim.