Address—Bernie Roossinck
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I guess there's still a few people coming, but.
It's been a big day and we'll just go ahead and sing and maybe when you were done singing, they'll all be in here.
Let's begin with singing hymn number 334.
334.
Through the love of God, our Savior.
All will be well.
#334 through.
Let's ask for the Lord's help tonight.
For loving God and Father.
It is with.
A great deal of dependence.
That we come before the.
This evening.
Father, we thank thee for.
Supplying everything that we need.
Here in this life.
We thank Thee for sending thy Son, the Lord Jesus.
Into the world to be the Savior of sinners.
We thank thee for settling forever the question of our sins.
Father.
In a special way tonight we think of the Van Holstein family.
And the sudden loss of Mike.
And Lord, it seemed so tragic and so.
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Perhaps even unfair. But Father, we rest that thou dost know best.
And all must be well.
Lord, we look to the independence tonight.
We pray that the message would be useful and helpful.
And that Christ would be honored. Help us, Lord, to walk the last few steps of the journey, leaning upon our beloved.
We just cry out today for help and guidance and wisdom tonight in Jesus name, Amen.
I had a subject before me.
And before we get into that subject, I would just like to read a passage or two that came before me.
This afternoon.
I have known Mike.
For his whole life.
And in fact, Becky and I were just talking yesterday with Becky about Mike. How's Mike doing? What's Mike? How's it going?
And Mike had a very soft heart. Mike was a tough guy. Mike fought in Afghanistan and saw and did things that young men shouldn't have to see or do.
But Mike had a soft heart and I know I'm very confident that Mike is with the Lord Jesus right now.
Many years ago? Sounds like a long time ago. A number of years ago we were having some gospel meetings in Fremont on Saturday nights and Mike came to know the Lord Jesus.
I don't know how old he was, eight or nine maybe.
Tonight, Mike is with the Lord.
And a question came before my heart that's asked in the second Kings. So let's turn the Second Kings.
Chapter 4.
Here's a case where.
The prophet of God had.
Given.
He had been blessed in the House of the Shunammite woman, and they had made him a little cottage there, a little room on the side of their house. And and he said to his servant, What should we do for her?
So they called her in and she's very modest and very.
You know, he said. Well, would you like me to mention you in the King's court? Oh, no, no, I'll just dwell here among my people. Anyway, she had no son, and the Lord gave.
Her son. But then the little boy died.
And let's read verse 34.
Yes, afterwards I was thinking of it's further up. She's the the the woman is coming and the man of God sees her afar off his Hey, look, that's the that's the sooner might woman and she comes up and he says says is it well with thee?
Is it well with thy husband?
Is it well with the child?
This is verse 26 and she answered.
It is. Well, was it well.
The boy was laying out of bed in her house, dead. But she could say it is. Well, it is well. So I just wanted to say that about Mike.
It is well with the child and are certainly it's our hearts are sad and we're broken hearted by the loss.
To Dave and Becky.
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But what a joy to be able to say it is well with the child.
It is well with the child.
Well, I'd like to turn please to Daniel chapter one.
It's been my exercise to speak to the young people.
From Daniel chapter one in regard to the path of purity.
We're living in a world today, young people, where Satan wants to ruin.
And destroy. And to pervert and to twist.
Everything that God has for your blessing and he wants to take it and and counterfeit it and say, oh, this is God's plan is no good you, you really ought to be on my plan. And there's an attack. And Daniel is a great example and some of his friends and was just going to spend a little bit of time thinking about some of these things that happened to Daniel. And I hope that we can be encouraged by it and I hope that we can.
Find strength to go on in our pathway. You know we're almost home.
It's that long, young people, and we'll be home. They look forward to that.
Might be tomorrow.
It was for Mike when he got up and had breakfast today. This is his last day.
They ask you, boys and girls.
Is it well with you? Do you know the Lord Jesus? See the Lord of your life.
If he's not, today is the day of salvation.
Let's read here in Daniel.
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar.
King of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand with part of the vessels of the House of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar, to the House of his God.
And he brought the vessels into the treasure House of his God.
And the king spake unto espionage the master of his eunuchs. They should bring certain of the children of Israel and of the King's seed, and of the Princess, children in whom was no blemish, but well favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning, and knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the King's palace.
And whom they might teach the learning.
And tongue of the Chaldeans.
And the king appointed them a daily provision of the King's meat and of the wine which he drank, so nourishing them three years.
But at the end thereof they might stand before the king.
Now among these were the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Michelle and Azariah.
Unto whom the Prince of the eunuchs gave names, For he gave unto Daniel the name Belt, the Schezer to Hananiah, of Shedrick to Michelle.
Mishek and Azariah Abednego.
Well, let's stop right there for a minute.
Here.
Mark touched on this the other night, going to touch on it. Mark spoke the whole meeting on this.
This event, the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. This had been foretold to Hezekiah.
About 110 years or so before the Lord, Isaiah had come in by the word of the Lord, and said to Hezekiah.
These people are going to come and they're going to carry away your sons into captivity.
And it's, I guess let's turn over to 2nd Kings Chapter 20. There's a few things I want to notice there.
That Mark didn't speak on that are instructive for us.
Second Kings 20.
Verse 18 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt bigot, shall they take away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
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You know.
I want to speak just for a minute to you moms and dads.
Hezekiah had been given a message from God that says set your house in order, you're going to die.
And Hezekiah, although he was a godly king and a dear man.
He didn't want to get that news and he turned his face to the wall, it says in a Wept store. And he begged God for more time.
And God gave it to him 15 more years, right?
Bill.
He had a son named Vanessa.
Who started to reign when he was 12.
Manasseh reigned a long time in Israel, 55 years. Some of us that probably like following politics more than we should.
I think that eight years is a long time.
55 years.
Manasseh reigned in Judah, and he was one of the most wicked kings that they had ever had. That's it. He practiced witchcraft. He sent his children through the fire. Sorcery. It says about him that more blood flowed in the city than ever before.
Sometimes you always study history. You think about Stalin and the purges and stuff. That's what Manessa's day was like.
And you know what? He was born three years after the.
15 year extension God gave him and I'm afraid Hezekiah didn't pass the test that God sent his way, that Mark talked about where he sent him. Lord sent Hezekiah prosperity, right? And he shows these men all the things he's got in his house and he got his eye, if you will, off the Lord and the result was his 12 year old son.
Didn't get the direction that he needed.
He didn't give the guidance that he needed.
Hezekiah was focused on something else. Now, I don't want to be Hezekiah too much. It was a dear godly man. But moms and dad, let's be careful about what we are allowing to go on in their homes, what we're allowing to be read, what we're allowing to be watched in Manassas case.
Was a terrible thing.
But you know what I really like the verse in Romans. It says where sin abounded.
Grace was enough to cover half of it. Is that what it says? No, Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Isn't that great to think about? And Manasseh, it says in Chronicles.
He at the end of his life he repented and God saw his heart change and God began to bless him.
He dies and his son Ammon reigns. 2 years. Wicked king murdered. You know what's cool though?
Is that the next? The next guy in line was Josiah. He starts raining when he's 8. Anybody here? That's 8:00 tonight.
Think about it. Imagine being the king of a country when you're 8.
His dad had reigned for two years. You know what that tells me? He did the math. But NASA had six years grandpas and grandmas 6 years to influence his grandson.
It doesn't say Manasseh did that. I'm speculating, but I trust you'll pardon me connecting those dots that Josiah.
Manasseh was wicked and was wicked.
Josiah was influenced by his grandpa for six years of his life. Some of you in here are 6.
Did you know that God has a plan for your life when you're 6? When you're 4?
Think about that, kids, God has something for you to do and he loves you and he wants to take your life and make it useful and make it fruitful. And here Josiah was a great king, a very godly man. And I I just wonder if, if Manessa in the last six years.
Took his grandson on his knee and he said, son, I really blew it. This is bad. But here's what you need to do. And God honored that. So be encouraged. Grandpas and grandmas and moms and dads. The final chapter isn't written yet.
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And there's influence and help that you can have for your grandchildren.
Well now it says in Daniel that this Nebuchadnezzar, he said. Now I want you to take the good ones and bring them back the well favored ones.
You know young people, most of you have been raised in a Christian home. A citizen's son, 16.
The lines are falling unto me in pleasant places. Yeah, I have a goodly heritage.
Yes, thinking back over your life, I do sometimes and think about the times of encouragement and the times of of.
Seeing God work and I grew up in a home where the gospel was preached a lot and we, I, I stepped through gospel meetings in the gospel tent probably thousands of times. And I look back sometimes we'll sing a, a gospel song and I can just close my eyes and see my dad.
Out there.
Good heritage.
You young people have a good heritage. The lines are falling to you in pleasant places.
What are you going to do about that? Does it mean anything to you?
Here, this, Nebuchadnezzar said. I want you to take the best ones because I think they could be useful for me. Bring them back and we're going to fix them up a little bit, tweak them. That's what the enemy wants to do to you, young men and young women. He looks at you. You're raising a Christian home.
Many of the.
Children in our assemblies and young people.
They're by and large upright, godly young people, and the enemy wants to take you.
And to use you to take you out of God's service and put you into His service. So what does he do?
He says he turned back to it.
He says I want no blemish well favored, smart understanding. So we're going to teach them our ways, we're going to teach them our language, and we're going to change their names, basically, he said. I want them to forget about who they are.
And that's what the enemy wants to do with you young people. He wants to, he wants you to forget who you belong to. He wants you to turn your back on the heritage that you have as a, as a Christian young person. Now, if you're not the Lords right now, I'm not talking to you.
You're already property of Satan, and on the current course that you're on, if you're not the Lord's, you will end in a lost eternity.
Serious thing to be raised in a Christian home and to say no.
It says in Psalms the fool has said in his heart, no God.
I'm speaking now to those of you that do know and love the Lord Jesus in your heart. The enemy wants to take you and to make you forget who you belong to. He says, hey, never mind that, why don't you try this? Try that, and here's Daniel, okay? I don't know how old he was. He's probably in his teens. Maybe we'll say he's 16. I don't really know.
And he's 16 year olds in here.
For almost 16 I know I got 116 tomorrow.
Feels like we just brought her home yesterday, right, Shannon? OK, The enemy wants to take you, Brayden. And.
Make you so you're not any use to the Lord.
Change the language, change the name, and then he's going to give him this education. You know, I'm not against education. I went to university.
And I know many of you did. If you didn't, maybe you want to or have thoughts about that. I meant against that, but I will tell you this.
The much of the goal of the enemy is to take everything you know and everything you've been taught and to turn it and twist it, change it. Be careful. Here's Daniel, a 16 year old, and he's just been yanked out of his atmosphere.
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His comfort zone hauled hundreds of miles or more.
Away to a new place, doesn't know the language and he's imposed there. Stuck into this school.
And Daniel could have said.
All right.
It is what it is.
Guess we'll just deal with what we got and there we go.
Is that the right path?
No, it says Daniel purposed in his heart.
Let's read this here.
Verse 8. Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the King's meat, nor with the wine which he drank.
OK, what does it mean when we say he purposed in his heart?
Usually an air assembly. I'll call people out by name, but I'll try not to do that here.
Purposed in his heart. Somebody holler it out.
Not very good at definitions. Can I call on somebody ET what does it mean?
He decided.
Right to me, purposing in your heart means.
You have an intention. He made a decision. He he had something that he aspired to.
He he had an objective in mind, a goal, and he decided this is the this is the way. Now here he is.
A stranger in a strange place as an adolescent young person, and it says they made Unix out of them. I'm not going to get into the details of that, but it probably wasn't that pleasant.
You would think that Daniel would say.
Why even bother this?
Forget about it. Here we are in captivity.
Who cares? But he didn't says he purposed in his heart that he wouldn't defile himself.
And young people at takes a tremendous amount of.
Purpose to walk in this world for the Lord today. Everything you see, every message that the enemy is sending you is to tell you you're not on the right track. You can't possibly be happy unless you're eating this, or unless you bought that, or unless you're driving this or drinking that, or unless you've seen this movie or whatever.
All those messages are telling you.
You should do that.
It's defiling and Daniel had this strong.
Objective and his intent and his aspiration was not to defile himself and it's worth it young people to have purpose of heart to want to honor the Lord in your life. The Lord will honor that and we're going to find out in Daniels life he did in an awesome way.
Now you might let's ask ourselves, You think Daniel had a verse?
For his decision.
What do you think? Do you think Daniel had a scripture to back up what he decided to do? Yeah, he did. I'm sure he did. If you go over to Leviticus 7, there's and they had the writings of Moses. I don't doubt he could have known from Leviticus 7 not to eat fat, blood or things offered idols.
Let's turn back to Leviticus for a minute.
There's a few things that are helpful here in Leviticus.
He could have probably knew a lot about Leviticus 11, where we have the clean and the unclean. Let's just read a little bit about this verse one. And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, these are the beasts which he shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth, whatsoever part of the hoof in his cloven footed, and so on. I'm not going to read the whole chapter, but Daniel did have a verse.
He could turn to the Scripture and say this is the way that God has wants me to to live my life and he could do it with confidence. But you know why He knew that? Because he knew what the scriptures were. He could remember and that the Spirit can bring that to your mind today in a time of decision, what would the Lord have me do?
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In this circumstance and the Lord will bring a verse to your thoughts.
Art and I've had that in my life a number of times where I've been at a fork in the road and you're not really sure what to do and the Lord will give you a passage. This is the way walkie in it, right? So I want to encourage you young people.
Here, Daniel knew what pure food was.
And then he might have known about number six, where we have the.
A person that was separated themselves to God, right? Samson was a Nazarite and one of the.
Parameters of that separation to God was they were not going to drink strong drink. So here's Daniels looking at this banquet table perhaps and he's going, man, that looks good.
But it's unclean food. It's not pure food.
And I I can't drink the wine.
What to do right and he has this purpose of heart and.
He could have went along with the rest of them. I'm sure there was a number of other people that reading of that food and maybe they.
And in fact, I think all four are, all of them were eating of that food except for these four.
It brings the mind of verse in first Peter chapter 3 that says sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer right? And here Daniel could give an answer, so he goes to the.
Prince of the Eunuchs, by the way, just as an aside, am I going to get into this, but Leviticus 11 gives us pure food.
Leviticus 13 Pure bodies. How important.
Chapter 14. Pure Homes.
Moms and dads.
That's the goal. Pure home, right?
Chapter 15. Pure Habits. Oh, that's so difficult.
Some of us were speaking last night about pure habits. It honors the Lord, it pleases the Lord, and the Lord will honor you in purposing in your heart to have pure habits. Chapter 16 pure worship. It's a day of atonement, and I'm looking forward to the day when we.
The offerings and the sacrifices are are.
Over I mean, they're over for us as Christians now, but to see our.
Savior and those hands and his feet.
And to know that our sins are gone, we know it now. But to see him face to face, and that'd be I'm just so looking forward to that.
Pure worship. Chapter 18. Pure morals.
And chapter 19 pure customs so God's word gives us.
Guidance, young people, and don't blow it off. Open it up, read it, have it before you get your guidance from it. This is our food. This is our road map. This is what we need so open your Bibles, young people and.
Let the Word of God speak to your soul, sink into your heart, and the Lord delights that bless and unfold. You know it's it, doesn't it? I'm not asking you to be Jay and Darby.
It says line upon line, precept upon precept. Hear a little there a little. Oh, what a great thing. Cultivate the habit of having the scriptures open every day. Have them. I I, I remember hearing an address by a brother who said.
Read the scriptures until your thoughts are formed by the scriptures.
Good guidance.
So here we have Daniel and E got this dilemma.
There's all this food and he can't eat it.
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So what does he do?
Choice A Go to the Prince of the eunuchs. Say I'm at plan, man. You can't make me do that. I'm out.
Is that the way Christians speak? Is that the attitude and the spirit that we should have?
No here Daniel here it says he requested.
It's fine. Let me get it right here.
Therefore, he requested of the Prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Turn over to First Peter, chapter 3.
Going to take this verse a little bit out of context so.
If you're thinking about nailing the after meeting, I know it's out of context, but it is the word of God.
First Peter, chapter 3.
And verse 4.
This is speaking to wives, but here it says a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
You know, even in our assemblies, brethren.
Wouldn't it be good to have a meek and quiet spirit?
Instead of hey man, you offended me, he said. Just back off.
I'm right here, wrong. No, that's not the way Daniel did this. And God will bless that meek and quiet spirit. You know I I'm guilty of this a lot and my wife will smile at this.
Because she said to me, it's not what you say, it's how you say it.
Guilty.
Is that true, Lindsay, at your house? It's not what you say, it's how you say it. And here, Daniel, he has this exercise. So he goes and he requests of the of the Prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God brought him into favor with the unit. What the Prince of the eunuchs? And you know the Lord will work for you too. When you have a desire and an exercise to please the Lord, the Lord will work for you.
And the Lord will open up the pathway and the door for you. You may sit there and go, you know, in my situation, no, it's no good. Forget it man. No, the Lord will open the way for you. So here Daniel is requesting.
The other verse that came to my mind is the servant of God must not strive.
So let's just be careful about our attitude and our spirit. Yes, we want to strive.
To.
Live a godly life, but in our interactions with our neighbors and our friends, our bosses.
It's not a debate. It's not a hey, I beat you, so I'm the winner and you're the loser. It's not a it's using the word of God to as the sword to cut and to.
Get into people's souls. The word of God can get into someone's heart and, you know, striving it. I want to be a little bit careful about saying we shouldn't strive, but.
So let me give you an example. Last week a guy in our shop said to me, you know, this guy asked me to go to his church, and I would never go to his church ever. Really. Why not? He called me a thief and a liar.
Now the guy that asked the asked him to go along with him is a good Christian man, but he ruined he cut off that guy's ears by accident.
He didn't mean to do it. They were looking for a lost set of ratchets is what happened. And anyway, the guy was supposed to bring it back and he didn't and found it in his pickup later. It wasn't intentional, but you're a thief and a liar. Guys. Years are cut off to the gospel. So that's that's kind of what I'm getting at is just be careful in dealing with with people.
OK.
Verse nine Now God had brought Daniel into favor, and tender love with the Prince of the eunuchs. And the Prince of the eunuch said to Daniel, I fear, my Lord, the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink, why should he see your faces worse whitening than the children which are of your sort? And you see that he shall make me endanger my head to the king.
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Then said Daniel de Melzar, whom the Prince of the eunuchs have set over Daniel.
Hananiah, Michel and Azariah proved thy servants, I beseech thee 10 days, and let them give us pulse to eat and water to drink.
Well, this seems to be Daniel's exercise.
But his three friends are there with him.
How important to have friends that can help you in your walk?
To be accountable to help you be accountable to just.
Sometimes it's just to hang on to you and cry with them. It doesn't seem like a manly thing to say, but I've done that.
We had some dear friends of ours that had a late miscarriage. A sad thing to be able to go to them and just no words just.
Be there.
Friends, think about. Some of us talked about this last night. Think about.
Jonathan and David, right? It says the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David. Think about how close that was, that love, that bond. And here's David in the woods, right? And it says Jonathan went to David in the wood.
And strengthened his hand in God.
You know, young people, some of you are in middle school, some of you are in high school, college, out of college, have friends that will strengthen your hand in God. So important. And I would, I would just say this again. I, I, I know I mentioned this to the young men last night, but you ladies weren't there. You may say, I wish I had a friend like that.
Well, so does the person next to you.
OK.
Be that friend for somebody, and here these four friends, they have this exercise together. It says in Proverbs, He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion, a fool, shall be destroyed. Be careful, kids, who your friends are.
It also says iron sharpeneth iron.
So the face of man, I better turn to that.
So I get it right. Proverbs 27.
Proverbs 27.
Verse 17 Iron sharpeneth irons. So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
OK, have friends that will help you in your walk. Now just one other thought about friends.
And this comes out of the book of Ruth, which is one of my favorite books. Here's Boaz talking to Ruth. Boaz means the name means in him is strength pictures the Lord Jesus to us, right? And here he's speaking to Ruth, who was never to come into the congregation of Israel, even to the 10th generation as a Moabites woman, she wasn't allowed.
What does Boaz say to her?
Going out to glean in another field.
Abide ye here fast by my maidens.
Have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? A safety in that right.
The Lord says to you, don't go find your friends all over the place. Abide here in my field.
There's safety in that. Abide here by my maidens.
Now, young men, you can't hang around with the women for the rest of the week, OK?
It's not the point, so let me change it a little bit.
Abide here with my young men too.
But think about the safety that Boaz gives her. Have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee So, friends, how important they are. So let's go back to Daniel because.
Time is going quickly.
So he wants, Daniel says. Well, just prove us try it out.
Verse 12 Proved thy servants, I beseech thee, 10 days. Let them give us pulse to eat and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before they, and the countenance of the children that eat the portion of the King's meat. And as thou seeth deal with thy servants, so we consent it.
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Well.
When I was a kid, my mom made Cream of Wheat.
Hey, do you guys have your mom's make you eat cream of wheat? Maybe you'll like it, but I didn't.
And sometimes we broke the Cream of Wheat cycle with oatmeal.
Which was almost in the same class and we got to put brown sugar on that.
Pulse really is green is what it is. Can you imagine Brayden eating Cream of Wheat every meal for three years straight?
It sounds like my kind of food.
That's what Daniel Esper.
What are we feeding on spiritually? Young people?
This is our food. This is our food, it says in Psalm chapter 12.
Every word of God is pure as silver tried in the furnace seven times, pure food. You know, the garbage that the enemy wants to feed you will ruin your life, rob your soul.
Leave you. It reminds me of the Good Samaritan, right? The guy falls among thieves. They rob him, beat him up, leave him in the ditch half dead.
That's what the enemy wants to do with your life.
What are you feeding on?
Every word of God is pure.
Then in Psalm 119 it goes even further.
It says the word of God is very pure.
They get any purer than that.
So what are we feeding on? You know, Hezekiah, I'm afraid, at the end of his life got to be feeding on prosperity. Look at the cost in his life. Think of the awful consequences. Manasseh rot.
Turn with me to Jeremiah, chapter 15.
And verse 16.
Thy words were found, and I did know how to look them up on the computer if I needed to get to them in an emergency. Is that what it says?
No, Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.
Thy words were found and I didn't eat them. How do you eat the word of God? I remember Ron Reeves once coming to our town and he had, you remember paper candy? Remember that he had a bunch of that and he just wanted it up and pop in his mouth. And I thought he ate a page out of the Bible, but I don't think he did. But anyway, I never forgot about it is a good analogy. Tight words were found and I did eat them. Take it in, make it your own.
What we feed on.
Effects our bodies. It affects our lives. It affects our thoughts.
So important. Every word of God is pure. This is where we get purity, young people.
And it's our it's our desire for your lives that you have.
Pure lives that are fruitful and useful to God.
So what about the other young people that were on the other side of the dining room?
You know, they probably looked over there at Daniel and his three friends, man.
Who do those people think they are anyway? You see what they're doing? It's like, too good for us or what?
And that's a challenge, young people, it may come down to you being willing to be an assembly with ones and twos.
But to be found faithful to the Lord. But it's worth it. I'm sure some of those other young people said to them, hey, what are you too good for us?
No, I'm just trying to please and honor the Lord in my life. The Lord honor that, absolutely. But we may find ourselves to have to be willing to be part of the ones and the twos and the threes.
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It's not an easy path, but it's a happy path. It's a joyful path, and it's worth it.
Now, Daniel and his friends may have said, you know, I should be able to do whatever I want. Ever think that as a Christian? Well, I'm saved, so I'm going to do whatever I want, and I'm still getting into heaven.
Now, young people, it says in First Corinthians 6, what don't you know? Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. You're not your own. You're bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are gods.
We don't have the liberty to do what we want, and if we take that liberty, God will have to speak to you very loudly, sometimes loudly enough where He has to take you right out of this world. We're not. Our own. Young people were bought with a price.
My wife and I have this I've had a chalkboard in the when you come in to wear a garage and you pull up, it's written the wall. Remember who you belong to. So easy to forget, right? Remember who you belong to. You're not your own. You're bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit.
Easy to do when all of the temptations of the world they're out there going.
They're getting ripped off, man. Girls are getting ripped off. Is that right? No, God's way is the happy way. God has a beauty and a plan.
A tremendous fulfillment for those that will walk in obedience to Him.
So we're not at liberty to do whatever we want.
And think about this, boys and girls.
You reach out and yank your sisters here and give it a good tug.
The Lord Jesus had to hang on the cross for that.
Steal a cookie out of the cookie jar. The Lord had to hang on the cross for that.
Young men, it's off the ante a bit.
You're out with the guys. Dishonouring behavior, dishonouring things to look at.
I'm at liberty to do this. I can handle it, no.
Hear that hammer on nail sound?
The Lord had to die for that.
We're not at liberty to do what we want to do. We're bought with a price.
So now I'm going to wrap this up with the result.
So after 10 days, what happens?
After 10 days, their countenance appeared fatter, fairer and fatter and fleshed. And all the children that that eat the portion of the King's meat.
Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat and the wine that they should drink and gave them pulse.
As for these four children, God made sure they got ripped off at every turn and they had a miserable life.
Is that what it says?
And your father went along with me, young people.
God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days in which the king has said he should bring them in, then the Prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. Here's the test day now.
And the king commune with them. And among all that were found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Michelle and Azariah.
Therefore stood they before the king, and in all manners of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them.
He found them 10 times better.
God bless you in a path of obedience.
You absolutely will.
Yes, he will.
God promises that He will honor that.
It says in Samuel.
First Samuel, Chapter 2. Those that honor me I will honor.
It's a promise that the Lord gave. He will make good on that promise.
Now you might say to me, hey Bernie, you have, you don't know my life. And you're right, I don't, I don't know about your life.
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You might say I have seen things, done things, heard things, been places.
Bad.
It is bad.
I say it, there's no use. I can't do that. Yes, you can. Yes, you can just by way of an encouragement to you and we'll we'll end with this. Think about John, Mark.
Here he goes to the ministry field with Paul and Barnabas.
And it doesn't go well.
He quits, goes home.
Little time goes by, Paul and Barnabas say let's we should go visit the brethren again. Yeah, we should do that.
Barnabas says. Well, let me call John Merrick at Paul's New.
That guy is no good. He quit unprofitable. And you might say that's where I am right now. I blew it and it's too late and there's no hope for me. Is that true? It's not true. The devil will tell you that. Don't change your life now. How can you give out a song in your home assembly or read a scripture knowing what you did last month or last week or yesterday?
I don't have to tell you. Just forget about it, man. There's no.
No, you know what Paul could say at the end of his life? He says bring Mark, for he's profitable. What happened?
Did the Lord throw Mark out with the bathwater? No.
It's not too late. The final chapter is not written.
Starting right now.
You have the opportunity if you've been walking in an impure way, living an impure life. Maybe you haven't been reading like you should be. Maybe you're not in communion with the Lord. Maybe you're I don't know what it is, can be lots of things. It's not too late. It's not too late. And so Paul could say bring Mark. He's profitable to me.
What an encouragement so.
I would just tell you young people.
We love you.
We want your good and your blessing.
The Lord wants it more than we do.
Do you need help?
Come and talk to somebody. Certainly talk to the Lord. Get on your knees.
Get into the word. Cultivate friends that are not fools, but companions of wise people.
The Word of God is pure, very pure. This is where we get our guidance. This is our food.
Now it's going to read one more verse.
Colossians, Chapter One.
This is.
Pat 2 verses here. This is our desire for you. It was Paul's desire for the Saints of colossi, but it's our desire for you right now. For this 'cause we also verse 9 for this 'cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will.
In all wisdom and spirits will understanding.
That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work.
And increasing in the knowledge of God.
That sound like a good target.
That's our goal for you. I don't have the emotional.
Fortitude tonight to sing this to you, but I could you know, singing the word of God is a great way to memorize things.
And in our family, we like to sing verses. In fact, when we sang last night, I think it was Psalm 25. Boy, I love that. And there's so many Proverbs and Psalms that you could sing. But anyway, ask me later and I'll try to sing you a Colossians 1, pain and 10. But I can't do it tonight, or at least up here. I probably have to borrow one of these Kleenex boxes.
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Anyway, young people.
Your loved and your valued year of great value to the Lord, and He has things for you to do. Don't let the devil wreck it. Don't. Don't take and set us and settle for the counterfeit. Take the real thing.
So let's close in prayer.
Our loving God and Father, we just pray for each one of these young people.
Lord, we know very well the attack that they're under and.
The desire of the enemy to take their lives and to render them useless.
Oh, Father, I just.
Bear them up before they in a special way. Keep them in all their ways. Lord, show them your thoughts. Help them to walk in purity and in newness of life. Father, we, we look forward, all of us, to the day when we're all taken home out of this world.
And while we're waiting, Lord, just we pray that we would be found strengthening one another.
In God feeding upon thy word.
And being.
Useful and fruitful for thee again. Now, Father, we pray for the Van Holstings. We think of those that are going to be hearing the gospel.
In the next few days.
Lord, we just pray that your heart of love and your hand would take them in and that through this sad time there would be a tremendous blessing.
We ask for strength and help for Dave and Becky and the rest of the family.
Rather, we just commit these things into thy hands in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.