Address—John Kaiser
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By singing again.
#46 in the appendix.
Have I an object Lord below?
It's very easy to be distracted with what's right before us down here below.
With the meetings have set before US one who is above.
Have I an object, Lord below, which would divide my heart with thee?
Which would divert its even flow in answer to thy constancy.
Oh, teach me.
Quickly.
To return and 'cause my heart.
Afresh to burn have IA hope, however dear, which would differ thy coming Lord, Which would detain my spirit here, Where not can lasting joy afford?
From it my Savior set me free to look and long and wait for thee, that I may undistracted be.
To follow serve and wait for thee 46 in the appendix.
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We do Judges Chapter 7 please.
In verse 21.
I'd sort of like to pick up where our brother left off yesterday. To me, it was encouraging.
And I felt his thoughts LED into what was on my own heart.
I don't mean I shouldn't say his thoughts. The thoughts I believe the Lord gave him.
Judges 721.
And they stood, every man.
In his place.
That's referring, of course, to the 300 that followed Gideon.
300 men, unnamed.
But they stood in their place.
We may not be famous in this world, but each one of us has a place.
And the purposes of God.
And it's a wonderful thing to stand.
In the place that the Lord has put us, the place that the Lord has put us spiritually, the place that He's put us socially, the place that He's put us geographically, and that place as far as social and geographical things. The things that are temporary, those can change, but the point is to be where He wants us.
To be what he wants us to be, where he wants us to be, when he wants us to be there and.
Every man stood in his place.
Now if we turn to First Chronicles chapter 12, we get a little insight into this.
First Chronicles, chapter 12, verse 33.
Oh, Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war with all the instruments of war. And so we have all these men who were mighty men, and they had the they were experts with instruments of war.
But that is not their final commendation.
Says 50,000 of which could keep rank.
They knew how to stand in their place.
The battle is not ours.
You know the temptation is to get into a competition sometimes.
And we want to show other people how it's done.
And we get out of her place.
We have a leader. We have a Lord.
And.
The battle is the Lord's and our business is to be in our place.
To keep rank, to know where we belong.
And to be content with it and useful in it.
50,000 which could keep rank. They were not of double heart.
That's the secret.
They were not of double heart, you know. I don't, I don't.
I trust that every person here today has a heart to please the Lord, has a desire to please God.
But we know the tendency of our own hearts too, to try to please ourselves and to put ourselves forward.
Says of these they were not of a double heart. That's what keeps makes us unstable in our place is having a double heart. Yes, a desire to please the Lord, but also maybe a desire to accomplish something on our own. God never meant us to accomplish anything on our own.
Turn to Ephesians chapter 6.
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Ephesians chapter 6.
Verse 10.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the Wiles of the devil, For we wrestle.
Or another translation said our struggle is not against flesh.
And blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness in this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Our foe is bigger than we can cope with. We should realize that.
And it says here.
The King James Version says we struggle, Darby's translation says.
Our, our umm, can't remember the word exactly, but our battle is, it's present at this point, automake. We're engaged in it. Whether we feel it, recognize it, we're engaged in war. We look at a world around us that's continually warring and we may relax and say, well, it's not here, but it is here.
And we don't see it as we should.
But it's interesting here the, these are the Ephesians. They're addressed collectively and you, we, we read in, uh, chronicles there about those who had the instruments of war and the, the cooter mints of the soldier are mentioned here.
It's not my thought to talk about those.
I want to talk about the soldier inside the armor.
Wanna talk about the nature of the soldier of Christ?
So we turn to First Timothy chapter 2.
Paul was engaged in conflict.
When he wrote this epistle, he was in prison for the sake of the Gospel.
And not only was imprisoned for the sake of the gospel, but he had experienced desertion, shall we say, those that were dear to him with whom he had walked.
Who he whom he had.
Instructed in the things of God, many of them had forsaken him, and he was feeling that loss.
They they were another evidence of the attack of the enemy.
And Paul is giving instruction here to an individual soldier. And as you know, it's interesting in Ephesians 6, it says be strong in the Lord and in the power as might. But when Paul addresses Timothy.
He uses different words.
Ephesians chapter 2 Thou therefore, my son or my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Second Timothy, Excuse me. Second Timothy, chapter 2, verse one. Thank you thou. Therefore, my son, be strong.
In the grace that's in Christ Jesus. Grace strong in grace.
Why, because he was going to need it. We need grace to go on. We we desire to be strong. This world has a view of strength and because it didn't re it, it has the wrong view of strength. It didn't recognize the Lord Jesus when he came. It says of the Lord Jesus grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus came in grace. He didn't come in the outward show of strength that this world.
Uh, so glamorizes.
And we're apartment to be turned aside by that ourselves. We we get very conscious of our weakness. Folks may taunt us because of our apparent weakness.
But there's no limit to the grace that the Lord can provide. And so that Paul says to Timothy, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Turn to Acts chapter 4 for a minute.
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Acts chapter 4 verse.
33.
And great power, with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There were those among them, the apostles, who had gift.
And this gift was exercised in power. And this is just a, a, a, a weak body of believers.
But it says here there was great power and great grace was upon them all. That means each individual great grace was upon them all. And brethren, we're weak, young people, we're weak.
But we are no more collectively than we are individually.
And.
If we each experience the grace of the Lord Jesus, there will be power.
In our testimony.
We the 11 I believe the one reason the world sees so little power and Christianity because they see so little grace.
Doesn't. It's interesting, it says.
You know, because Paul had spoken earlier of those who had given up the truth that he committed to them. He doesn't say to Timothy, be strong in the truth.
He says be strong in grace. It's the character.
And.
Hebrews, chapter 12.
Like to impress this verse on us?
I'm gonna be referring a lot to a lot of scriptures.
This afternoon because.
I trust the word of God more than I trust my own, with good reason. Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 28. Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Grace.
Let us have it. How do we get it? Turn to Proverbs chapter 3.
OK.
Proverbs, chapter 3, verse 34.
Surely he scorneth the scorners, but he giveth grace.
Antilla lowly.
And that verse is quoted twice, at least in the New Testament.
In James and also in First Peter where it says God resists the proud but gives grace to the lowly, and James says he gives more grace.
So we can have as much as we want.
And better than that, we can have as much as we need.
We don't want as much as we need.
Back to Second Timothy, please.
And Paul says in verse 2, Paul says in one first in verse one first be strong because we can be strong.
Timothy was a person who was.
They perhaps had a tendency to feel weak, to be backward, Paul says to him. Simply be strong, you know?
We need that assurance in our soul that we can be strong. That doesn't say, feel strong or act strong. It's being, it's drawing on the Lord's supply. There's no way we can be strong.
Independently the Lord is our strength, and so it says here in verse two and the things which thou has heard among.
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Many witnesses the same commit out of faithful manner.
Paul had confidence in Timothy. He knew that Paul had. He knew that Timothy had heard many things among many witnesses. Paul's teaching.
It says the things that thou hast heard.
What we're going to find is, and I don't know if I'll make it through the whole passage here that I was hoping to get through in this hour, to get down through the umm 12/13 first. And I don't know that I'll make it. But what we find in this passage is that, Paul, that the character of a servant, a soldier, is first of all that of a servant.
You get in the armed forces, one of the first things you learn is how to hear, to recognize commands and how to respond to them.
We want to serve the Lord. We want to follow the Lord. We need to listen.
And of course you want to listen to somebody, you have to get close to them.
But there's a very important verse regarding listening, and actually a couple of them in the book of Proverbs like to look at.
Proverbs Chapter.
Umm, 10.
Proverbs, chapter 10.
Verse 8 The wise in heart will receive.
Commands.
If we're good at listening, we respond properly to the simple instructions of Scripture.
The wise in heart will receive commandments. You say, oh, I want inspiration and there's people today.
They're looking for inspiration rather than guidance. They want to accomplish big things, and they're not content to be faithful in little things. The wise in heart will receive commandments. That's the test of our hearing ability.
Is the willingness to receive the simple, straightforward instructions of the Lord, and when we when we as we receive His commandments, we learn His ways.
And as we learn his ways, we learn to know his mind.
There's another verse in Proverbs that's very helpful in this respect.
21 Proverbs, chapter 21.
And by the way, you'll notice that I'll be referring to a lot of verses and proverbs because.
Proverbs is called the Young man's Book in the Old Testament, and the Epistles to Timothy might be called the Young Man's Book.
In the New Testament there is a strong correlation between the two proverbs. Chapter 21.
And.
Verse 20.
8.
Remember, Paul said to Timothy, the things that thou was heard among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Paul was looking forward to the propagation of his teaching and that's a privilege that we have, a heritage, we have a spiritual wealth to pass on to others.
We need to get it faithfully, we need to hear, to listen carefully. But this verse is interesting, gives us some hope.
Proverbs 21, verse 28. It says a false witness shall perish.
But the man that heareth speaketh constantly. Now this verse. I used to have trouble with this verse. For years I had trouble with this verse. The man they hear it speaketh constantly. How can you listen constantly and speak constantly? Because this word constantly has a different meaning in English than it did several 100 years ago.
The man that hears a better translation would be speaks endearingly.
Enduringly.
We have a privilege of spreading the word of God, something that lasts, but we can't speak it according to the mind of God until we hear it from Him. We have nothing more to give than what we receive. If we give more than we receive, we haven't got it from God. Come out of our own minds.
The man that heareth.
Speaks enduringly. Oh, we have a it's a privilege to be able to pass along to the souls around us the eternal councils of God, the word of God. The man that hears Speaks enduringly. Paul was in prison.
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But he says later in this chapter, the word of God is not bound.
The truth stands. It cannot. You can't stand against the truth, Spurgeon once said.
We don't need to defend the Bible. The Bible defends itself. Just let it loose.
And that's the nature of God's truth, the Word of God.
OK, next I thought I'd like to concentrate on is this word faithful?
Proverbs tells us a faithful man who can find.
We find them in this room. Yes, I believe so.
Faithful men.
Find faithful men.
If I couldn't find a faithful man in this room, then I would be condemning myself. Paul was a faithful man. Turn to Philippians chapter 2.
Excuse me, not Paul, I meant Timothy. Timothy was a faithful man turned to Philippians chapter 2.
Philippians chapter 2 and verse 19.
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send to Moses shortly unto you, that I may be of good comfort when I know your state. For I know have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ. But you know the proof of him. That is a son with a Father. He has served with me in the Gospel. Paul had found in Timothy one who was faithful, who was reliable, who listened.
And who could be trusted to pass on what he had received?
It's a challenge to my own soul that I might be found faithful in this respect to hear and to pass on to other faithful men.
Who shall be able to teach others also?
Faithfulness.
Implies hearing. It applies obedience. It implies reliability.
And loyalty.
Back to Second Timothy.
Two.
Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. You look down through this passage, you find the thought of endurance. We've had this thought before us in Hebrews chapter 12 as well. Endure.
It doesn't mean just to last.
What it means to bear hardness, Darby's translation says Take your share of hardness.
That's part of our lot down here. We're associated with a with a Lord who was rejected.
He endured contradiction as we.
Heard early endured contradiction of sinners, Paul says elsewhere. All they that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
And we have it so easy in this country that sometimes we forget that.
Thou therefore take your share of hardness as as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
I'm I passed over one thought, I'd like to bring it go back a moment. This thought of being faithful. It isn't just.
This we have in this verse, in verse two, faithful man. I'd like to draw your attention to Acts chapter 16.
For the encouragement of the sisters here.
Acts Chapter 16.
And verse 15, Speaking of Lydia. And when she was baptized at her household, she besought us, saying, if you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrain us. Now if this had been, if Lydia had been judged unfaithful, I don't believe we would have had this verse here.
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She had a good conscience and she is recorded here, I believe, indicating that she was a faithful sister. We need faithful men.
We need faithful sisters.
I thank God.
For the influence.
Of many faithful sisters in my life.
Back to our chapter.
It says here in Second Timothy chapter 2.
And verse four, No man that worth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life.
We read about. We talked about weights.
The same sort of idea. No man that warth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life. In other words, he doesn't.
A good soldier doesn't stop to pick up curious.
He carries.
What is required to carry what the what the Army shall I say, says is his proper equipment?
And they have a pretty good idea of what a man can live with and what's most efficient.
And so it says no man that warth entangled himself with the fairest life. Every one of us is engaged with this life and we find things that we that we feel our entanglements. But it says no man that worth entangled himself. In other words, on his own initiative, he doesn't get he doesn't get any more involved in life than he has authority to be involved.
No man that worth entangled himself with affairs this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him.
To be a soldier.
Our whole point down here should be first and foremost to please the Lord. You know, Paul said. If I please myself, I should not be the servant of Christ.
But we are by nature we we all we, we all. I look at myself, I condemn myself and saying this because our nature is to please ourselves. We get up in the morning, we.
We think of ourselves pretty automatically. It's a nice thing to present ourselves before the Lord and say, Lord, what do you want me to do today?
No man that warth entangled himself the affairs of this life.
That he may please him who hath chosen him or enlisted him. It's not just chosen, but we're on the roll. We are officially.
In the in the Army, so to speak, has enlisted him to be a soldier.
And if a man also strives for masteries, yet he is he not crowned unless he strive lawfully. In other words, we're not left her own devices, we have our orders.
And.
Umm, we wanna get them fresh from the Lord every day.
Now we come to verse six. The husband on that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruit.
I remember puzzling over this verse for many years until I started reading the book of Proverbs again. And let's look in, uh, Proverbs chapter.
Umm.
I think it's 28.
Yeah, excuse me, Proverbs chapter nine first.
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Proverbs, Chapter 9.
Proverbs Chapter 9 and verse 12.
If they'll be wise, thou shall be wise for thyself. But if thou scornest, thou alone shall bear it. And look at Chapter 11.
And verse 25.
The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. And then Proverbs 27, which is the really verse I was thinking of originally. Proverbs 27.
And verse 18.
Whoso keep as the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof, so he that waiteth on his master shall be honored.
It's just this.
We're aware.
Then when we ask the Lord for something.
We should be aware of it anyway, that when we ask the Lord for something He gives us abundantly. He gives us, always gives us more than we ask.
But the other side is when the Lord asks something of us.
He always repays us more than he asks.
When I do something for the Lord or for one of the Lord's people.
I get more than I invest. That's the point of this verse here. The husbandman must be first partaker of the fruits.
Back in That's the verse in Second Timothy.
It says here.
The husband and Laboureth must be first, particular the first. We're the first beneficiaries of anything we do.
On the other hand, if we do something wrong, we hurt ourselves more than we hurt anybody else except the Lord.
But we do something for the Lord. We benefit by it. It may not seem like it at the time, but God is not unfaithful. He is a rich rewarder.
And so anytime I do anything for the Lord.
I benefit myself.
We're not talking of selfish motives here. We're talking about a person who generously rewards we're we serve a generous master, one who generously rewards anything we do for him.
Now it's notice what it says here in the next verse.
Verse seven Consider what I say.
You know there's time for meditation.
For considering.
It was one of it's it in the beginning of Isaiah. Let's look at it, Isaiah chapter one.
Verse three Isaiah 1. Verse three. The ox knoweth his owner, and they asked his master's crib.
But Israel does not know.
My people does not consider.
It was lament.
Considering takes time.
Another word for consider is meditation.
Considering we need to take time to consider what the Lord tells us, consider what our brethren tell us.
Consider Paul says what I say, and the Lord shall give the understanding in all things. It doesn't say of all things, but in all things. In other words, we get what we need for each circumstance.
We need to take the time to consider we the Lord gives us a little turn to Isaiah.
Umm.
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28 verse 10.
Isaiah 28 and verse 10 it says.
Verse 9, Isaiah 28, Verse nine. Whom shall he teach knowledge, and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk drawn from the breast. You see, it's time involved here. We need to give the Lord time.
God doesn't need time, but we do. That's why He's giving it to us.
The time that God gives is opportunity to know Him.
It's a little poem I've enjoyed recently I'd like to share with you.
So many people today feel that life is a game, Oregon a dream.
And they waste it.
Life is neither game nor dream.
But true is God who gives it.
Life is not all it may seem.
But he who knows God lives it.
Lost is neither thought nor deed.
Times record God is keeping.
Time we have for sowing seed.
Eternity for reaping. We have opportunity now. God gives us time. Time to know Him, Time to do things for Him that that will be lost forever if it's wasted. Time we have for sowing seed.
We may not see the result of it down here.
Time we have for sowing seed, eternity for reaping.
And so it says here in Isaiah 28, Whom shall I teach knowledge, and whom shall I make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk drawn from the breasts. There's time there involved, for a precept must be upon precept, line upon line.
Here a little and there a little.
And that's how we learn.
Every one of us, just here a little and there a little. But those littles grow and they combine and they're precious.
Give God time in your life. Paul says to Timothy, Consider what I say, and the Lord shall the promise give you understanding in all things. One more verse in connection with this umm, Proverbs 28.
28.
And, umm.
Verse 5.
Evil men understand not judgment, but they that seek the Lord understand.
All things we need this understanding. We're going through a world that's very confusing, but God can give us discernment.
And we need it. We're often reminded of it in our circumstances. We.
How often, how often I have just been at my wit's end and I've turned to the Lord and something from His Word just illuminates the situation.
And Paul knew that Timothy was going to be meeting continued opposition back to our chapter, Second Timothy, chapter 2.
Paul says, continue, consider what I say, and the Lord shall give the understanding in all things.
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel.
You know Paul rejoiced in that gospel.
He calls it my Gospel. We have it in his epistles.
It was precious to him.
It wasn't always precious to him. There was a time when Paul hated the gospel and he was against Christ. So what turned it around?
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Paul met the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus.
And it completely upset his world. It completely changed his view. Here's Paul on the way to Damascus. And he thought he had things all figured out.
And then he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and everything was upset. And you know, Paul had to learn, as we say, little by little. If you follow Paul's course through the book of Acts, we find that there are failures in Paul's life. He had to learn little by little, just as we do too. But his whole course of his life was reversed because of the resurrection of Christ. And Paul is saying to Timothy.
Remember.
Oh, we tend to forget. We get involved in circumstances and forget.
That God can completely reverse all those circumstances. He can change anything.
Is an interesting phrase that I've enjoyed in Acts chapter 13. This little phrase. But God raised him from the dead.
It made all the difference and God is able to completely change your circumstances. Yes, Jesus went through death, but he rose. And Paul's saying Timothy, don't forget Jesus.
Rose matter of fact, it's interesting if you look at First Corinthians 15, how the Paul's gospel has a feature in it that I've just only recently appreciated.
1St Corinthians 15 and verse.
Three, I delivered unto you, first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, and we preached the gospel, and we.
Appreciate that we needed somebody to die for our sins.
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and he was buried. Oh well, it's a fact.
We don't preach about that much, the fact that he was buried.
But it says here then he was buried, and that he rose again the third day.
What's the point of that? We understand that the the the wonder of the resurrection. Well, what about what's what's the significance of his being buried?
It's like God put an exclamation point.
On Jesus death it's like Satan himself.
Said aha, it's the end. No hope he was buried.
But God raised him from the dead.
We serve a risen Savior, one who has conquered death, not merely passed through it, but conquered death. He rose.
And so.
Paul says remember.
Remember, Jesus Christ is the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel.
Wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds, but the word of God is not bound.
Let's turn to umm. I mentioned about this earlier, but let's turn to.
2nd 2nd Corinthians.
2nd Corinthians, chapter 13.
Verse 8.
2nd Corinthians chapter 13 verse eight. We can do nothing against the truth.
God's truth stands.
God has said what shall be and it shall be, and we get discouraged by things that.
Appear insurmountable.
I need this reminder as much as Timothy did or anybody else.
We get overwhelmed by things that appear insurmountable.
But God's truth endures. It stands. We are on the side of God's truth. You can't change God's truth.
We're not here because of any merit in our own. God has brought us here by grace.
Associated us with the risen Lord, we have the truth.
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And it says here we can do nothing against the truth. Nobody can.
The truth stands but for the truth. Oh, we can do that. That's what Paul was talking about to Timothy about to stand for the truth to endure, to go on. And so Paul says we're in I suffer trouble as an evildoer back in second Timothy 2 even unto bonds, but the word of God is not bound. Paul says, well, I'm I'm in prison and people might have said well.
What a waste. Paul's labor law, his life, and he ends up in prison and that's the end of him. It's not the end of him.
We've still got it. God's Word, a good chunk of it given to us through the apostle Paul. God's word is not bound. Apostle Paul died. He was in prison. He was executed by Nero. But that wasn't the end. God wasn't done with Paul. God still isn't done with Paul. We're going to meet Paul someday. Resurrected. Scripture suggests that he wasn't a real attractive man. Naturally speaking, he will be when we see him.
And so it says here.
The word of God is not bound, therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake.
Relaxing.
What is precious to God?
They who are precious to God ought to be precious to us, Paul says. I endure all things for they like sake. You know, we want to draw a line somewhere. I remember one time a person who was feeling abused said to me, God didn't create me to be a doormat.
Paul says we're the offscar.
Was that Ador was That's a doormat. That's what a doormat collects is the off scouring. Paul says that we're the off scouring. Speaking of himself. A doormat is something that collects dirt before somebody can enter into a cleaner room. I said our Lord Jesus did at Calvary. He took our filth so that we could enter clean.
If God calls me to be a doorman, may I be willing to be a doorman?
Paul says I endure all things for the elect's sake.
That they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
It is a faithful saying if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him. We're associated with the risen Christ. That's what Paul said before Timothy all the way through here in verse thir, 12. It says if we suffer in the Word, there is the same word as the word endure. So you find the word endure here Paul says in verse.
Umm 3 endure hardness and verse 10 I endure all things. Verse 12 if we suffer or if we endure, it's the same word. If we endure, we shall also reign with him.
I love the word shall.
It's a guarantee we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us.
If we believe not, He abideth faithful, He cannot deny himself. We have a faithful Lord. Paul begins by by saying the things which thou hast heard among many witnesses. The same commit to faithful men. We have a faithful Lord. Faithful Savior, who was the faithful and true witness turned to Revelation very quickly. Revelation chapter one.
God values faithfulness.
Revelation chapter one.
And verse three, notice the order here. It's interesting. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness.
And the first begotten of the dead, the Prince of the kings of the earth. Look what's listed first.
That he was a faithful witness.
Turn to Revelation chapter.
21.
Excuse me, Revelation. I'm chapter sorry, chapter 19.
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Verse 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a White Horse, and he that sat upon him was called.
Faithful.
Andrew.
You know, I had so much more I wanted to share.
Our time is up.
Let's sing together hymn number.
I think it's 174.
174 Patient spotless 1.
Our heart and our hearts and meekness, train to bear thy yoke and learn of Thee, that we may rest. Obtain Jesus, Thou art enough.
The mind and heart to fill 174.
Hope, patience.
All right.
Nsnoise.