YP Address—W. Smith
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Turn to hymn #224.
#224.
Oh, that we never might forget what Christ has suffered for our sake to save our souls and make us meet of all His glory to partake.
But keeping this in mind, press on to glory and the victor's crown. Someone started, please.
Don't say why.
I got me.
A water and.
Rain.
It's my thought this afternoon.
Dear friends, Brethren.
To trace through the scripture through the New Testament.
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Some of the history.
And God's thoughts concerning.
One of the churches.
That are brought before us in the scripture.
I'm speaking in particular.
Of the assembly at Ephesus.
The place where Paul labored so long.
And that place which was so highly blessed.
For three years of the ministry of the apostle.
And I thought it might be for profit.
To consider.
What the scripture tells us concerning.
That assembly.
So we might turn first to the Acts of the Apostles.
Chapter 19.
Verse one.
And it came to pass that while Apollos was at Corinth.
Paul, having passed through the upper coast, came and came to Ephesus, and finding certain disciples, he said unto them, Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?
When they said unto him, We have not so much had heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
And he said unto them, Under what then were ye baptized?
And they said unto John's baptism.
Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him which had come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
When they heard this, they were baptized.
In the name of the Lord Jesus.
Now in verse 18.
And many that believed came and confessed and showed their deeds.
Many of them also, which used curious arts, brought their books together and burned them before old men in the count of the price of them.
And found us 50,000 pieces of silver.
So mightily.
Grew the work of God and prevailed.
Here we find the Apostle Paul.
Coming into.
They're notoriously.
Wicked heathen city.
City given over to idolatry?
A study.
Which could claim as they said.
Artemis or Diana of the Ephesians.
What do you find somewhere in that city?
Whose hearts God had touched.
They believed the testimony that they had received up to that time.
And how good it is.
When we receive the word of God.
Simply.
As it is given to us.
How many there are?
In various places.
Who have received little light.
But they have believed the testimony that God has sent amongst them.
And God has given further light.
It was that way with those at opposites.
They had believed.
That which have been spoken amongst them, calling for repentance.
Their hardware right towards God.
And God now.
As his servant.
To send into their midst in order to bring them to Christ.
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So if I the apostle by the Spirit of God.
Being directed to Ephesus.
He finds these here, who had been baptized into John's baptism.
And as he says, there was that which pointed on.
To the Lord Jesus Christ who was to come.
But when Paul arrived in Ephesus.
The Lord Jesus Christ had come. The work was finished.
And now he can preach to them.
The gospel of the grace of God and point them.
To the one who alone was the savior.
And the one who not only had completed the work of redemption, but now.
Had gone on.
They received the word of God.
They believed.
And all we can thank God for everyone who has.
Believe the Word of God in this company.
But I do wonder.
As we stand here, if there are any.
So having been brought into the place where the word of God is spoken.
And I am sure heard in the homes daily.
I wonder if there is a young man or a young lady.
That is not yet.
What his or her trust?
In the Lord Jesus Christ.
The one that Paul preached.
To these at Ephesus.
Or, you know, the solemn thing.
To sit under the sound of the Gospel, under the sound of the word of God.
And not to receive it.
It's a solemn thing.
Having heard the word of God.
And to turn away from it.
All the words of the Lord Jesus.
Has spoken.
The word of God.
Will judge.
In the day of judgment.
Oh, how solemn.
But all we can thank God for everyone.
That has been raised in a Christian home.
Has heard the Word of God and responded to it.
Taking the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.
How happy.
That these that emphasis.
Turn to God.
Yeah, it's like the Thessalonians. They turn to God from their idols.
And as we read in the 18th verse.
Here they come, owning what they had been.
And giving up.
All these curious arts that they had been identified with before.
You know it costs them something.
It cost them something to give up these things.
And we find that God takes note.
What it cost them?
We have it recorded here on the pages of Inspiration.
That the value of these things.
Which they consigned to the fire.
Was 50,000 pieces of silver.
For whatever is of value.
Of that money today.
We don't know.
But we were speaking this morning.
Of what the Apostle Paul had before his conversion.
But what an advantage it was to him as a man down here in this world.
A man who was headed for the top.
As far as his nation was concerned.
He was one who could go to the authorities in that day.
An eager got letters.
Giving him authority.
To bring prisoners those whom he would find.
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Oh yeah, he was a prominent man.
But when he found Christ.
That was lost to him.
To have retained that which was for his advantage as a man down here in this world.
To retain that would have meant that he couldn't have Christ for his game.
And so these at Ephesus.
They gave up that which had been for their supposed advantage.
In that city.
They gave it up as worthless.
And they burned it.
Oh, here's a company of young Christians.
Just like some in this room today, young Christians.
All we don't know their ages as far as their birth was concerned.
But as Christians.
They were young.
They were young and the truth.
All we find, do we not?
That affection.
For the Lord Jesus.
To enable them to give up.
That which we had been of worth to them.
And now to consider. But loss.
For the Excellency of Christ.
Such was the beginning.
Of.
The assembly at appersence.
The apostle had been in their midst for some years.
Three years he had been there.
Teaching them the word of God.
Now let's turn to the next chapter.
Verse 16.
Paul has gone away.
And now he is on the road to Jerusalem.
For Paul and determined assailed by Ephesus.
Because you will not spend the time in Asia, for he hasted if it were possible for him to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
And from my leaders he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church.
And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all season.
Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations, which bellow me by the lying and weight of the Jews.
And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you.
But have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house.
Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks.
Repentance towards God.
And faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, verse 25.
And now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
Wherefore I take you to record this day.
That I am pure from the blood of all men, For I have not shunned to declare unto you.
All the counsel of God.
Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers.
To feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
For I know this, that after my departings of grievous wolves enter in among you.
Not sparing the flock.
Also of your own sounds shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Therefore, watch and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone.
Night and day.
With tears.
And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace.
Which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them.
Which are sanctified.
This was the apostles last message.
The last oral message to this.
Wonderful company of Christians.
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He had been with them.
As such was her state of soul.
That he could present to them some of the highest truths.
Which we have in the scripture.
He had been faithful in their midst.
Yeah, you've been there as an example to them.
Serving the Lord, as He says, with all humility of mind.
Than with many tears and temptations.
All these things they could see.
In him.
They can see the reality.
Of what the apostle was teaching.
They could see it in himself.
He left them that example.
For our wonderful to think that such was the grace of God that He would provide a servant for them.
Who could be an example to them to show them just what was God's mind for them?
Now he said, I kept back nothing profitable unto you.
Oh, you know, sometimes.
When a message is given to this one or that one.
Perhaps it's unwise, but nevertheless it is so dumb to present what we think.
Might be something that they can bear.
But the apostle Paul kept nothing back from that was profitable to them.
He went from house to house admonishing.
And teaching them.
Oh yes, they were dear to the heart of the apostle.
And the Provident by his teaching, by his ministry, deproverted by it.
And now he says I'm going away.
You won't see me anymore.
For research I have not shown to declare into the whole council of God.
Oh, how wonderful it is, dear young Christian.
That you and I.
Have been given in the Scripture the whole council of God.
God has kept back nothing.
From you and me, that would be for our prophet down here in this world.
And to give us a triumphant entry.
Into the glory above.
A wonderful idea.
How much do we avail ourselves?
Of what God has given to us.
We were reminded this morning.
About Abraham.
Was given the whole arm of Canaan.
But he was told to walk through it, the length and the breadth of it, to walk through it, that he might enjoy it.
The obvious state in the place where he was.
How could he enjoy that which God had given to him?
And dear young Christian, how can you and I enjoy what God has given to us?
By his.
Unless we feed and meditate upon the wonderful truths of God.
But you know, the enemy is ever busy. The enemy likes to undermine our faith. He likes to discourage, to say well.
Must not be occupied with that.
Nor the apostle tells thee.
That were so favored. Take heed.
The enemy is busy. Take heed.
Under yourselves know that all the flock.
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Over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseer, to feed the Church of God, which hath purchased with the blood.
Of his own.
Boy says I know that after my departing.
Grievous wolves.
Shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
All we see the truth of this today.
How do the worlds have come in?
Of how the word of God.
The testimony.
Has been so deluded by these.
That's to make the word of God of none effect.
To the unwary.
Yes, it is.
To the point of denying.
The very inspiration denying the truth of the Word of God.
Also of your own selves shall men arise.
Speaking for various things to draw away disciples after them.
All we need to be careful, we need to be on our guard.
That we don't allow these things which we know have come in amongst the people of God.
To allow these things to disturb, to undermine our faith.
But you know, there's one sure thing.
The apostle in the face of all these that would come in.
To destroy.
To harass the flock.
There is one resource that he has.
He says I commend you to garden.
And to the void of His grace.
What better place could there be? What better refuge?
Could there be for you and me?
You know the enemy.
Is a wise being.
He had lots of experience in deceiving people.
Yes, sometimes even deceiving the Lord's people.
Oh, how sad do you think that the enemy can get in his work?
Amongst the people of God.
But there's a resource that you and I can rely upon.
A sure resource that will never fail.
He says I command you to God.
And to the word of his grace.
Which is able to give you to be able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them.
All them that are sanctified, oh how blessed.
See, our time is moving on.
We'd like to turn to the Epistle to the Ephesians.
Not to go into any details at all about it.
But just to point out some of the things that the apostle was able.
To present to these dear souls.
In the Epistle to the Ephesians in the first chapter.
All we find there.
In the 16th verse or 15th verse.
Wherever I also after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the Saints.
Cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers.
How good it is?
To be able to pray for one another.
Not only for those that are going on.
Bad course.
Not only for those in trial, but for those that are going on well.
To pray.
For the whole Church of God.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of Him.
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened.
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That you may know what is the hope of his calling.
And what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints?
And what is the exceeding greatness of its power to us right, who believe according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places?
Far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.
And has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth All in all.
The apostle presents to the Ephesians the truth.
That Christ is now in the heavenly places, seated in the heavenly places.
In the highest places, exalted above all.
As we saw Saturday.
In the second chapter to the Philippians.
Of how that he's been given a name which is above every name.
The name of Jesus exalted above every other name.
So that all will bow the knee to him.
But for you and me.
He is up there in the glory, seated.
There in the heavenlies.
And the desire of God is that you and I might have our understanding opened to enter into the blessedness of that truth.
Oh yeah, she wants us to enjoy.
That which is given to us.
So the apostle be praised without ceasing.
That you and I as well as the Ephesians.
Might enter in and enjoy all these things.
Lord, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing.
In the heavenlies in Christ.
For that is.
Return to the second chapter.
We won't take time to read, but we find there that not only is Christ seated there in the heavenlies.
For that, you and I.
Who once were dead in trespasses and sins.
Going on in the course of this world.
Oh God, rich and mercy.
Has saved us.
And he seated us together with him.
In heavenly places.
All blessed truth.
That that's our possession now before God.
Seated alone with Christ.
In the heavenly places.
Can your father it?
Can you lay hold of it?
So we can enjoy it, can we not?
That God has so blessed you and me.
Now, so unite us to Christ.
See us with him up there.
And at the end of the second chapter.
We find that you and I, who once were strangers to that place.
Had no right.
In the glory, no right to heaven at all.
But we find no more strangers and pilgrims.
In the 19 verse of the second chapter.
Fellow citizens were the Saints.
And of the household of God.
Oh what a place we have been brought into.
No more strangers and pilgrims.
No.
Heaven is our home.
That's where we belong.
Built upon the foundation of the apostles and province.
Jesus Christ himself.
Being a chief cornerstone.
So all there's a building going on, yes.
It isn't complete as of this moment, but we anticipate that it will very, very soon be completed.
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Building growing up.
Into a holy temple in the Lord.
There, when the Lord comes, that building will be completed.
And seeing that holy temple in the Lord, in the glory.
All fitly framed together.
Oh, that's what God desires for us to be there with Him.
That mighty edifice.
To the glory of God.
But even now down here.
We're building together from habitation of God through the Spirit.
God dwelling in the midst of His people down here in this world.
Not some of the truth that's been presented to the Ephesian Saints. And such was their spiritual capacity that they could take it in.
But is that all? Oh, we turn to the third chapter.
And we find that this is in the purpose of God.
From the foundation of the world. From before the foundation of the world.
And the very angelic beings.
Can sing through the church.
The manifold.
The all various.
Wisdom of God.
In uniting.
Together in one.
Both Jew and Gentile into the Church of God.
Oh, God had it in mind from before the foundation of this world.
To have a people united to Christ.
Yeah. And then in the 4th chapter.
We have presented to.
The truth is A1 body. There is one body.
But again this morning we were reminded.
Of the calling wherewith we have been called.
The first verse of the 4th chapter says, I therefore the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation.
Wherewith ye are called.
And how is it to be?
With all loneliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace.
Oh, we have a vocation. We have a calling.
The refers back, I think.
What we have in the end of the second chapter.
That holy temple in the Lord to be manifested in the glory.
The truth that even now down here, God dwells in the midst of his people.
Now he says walk worthy of that.
I wonder.
If we walked worthy of it.
May God help us.
To walk in the good of what we have here.
Of the vocation, where was we been called?
The day is coming when the Lord Jesus Christ is going to bring his own with Him out of glory, and He's going to be admired in his Saints in that day.
What a wonderful thing it is that when the Lord Jesus comes with a train of his redeemed ones.
The wandering eyes down here in this scene are going to see him in all that glory.
And.
That He is the one who has accomplished the work of redemption, and He has worth of a train, the trophies of his glory, trophies of His grace.
Adding to His glory.
In that day.
I wonder.
If they'll see you or they'll see me there.
You say, well, I didn't know that he was going to be there. I didn't know that she was going to be there.
But he is going to be admired.
In his Saints.
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How blessed it is.
Now you know, in the same chapter.
Having presented these wonderful truths.
The Apostle.
Has to say to them.
Let him a stole steal no more.
Hassan, in the midst of the knowledge of all this wonderful truth.
As there has to be that that he established, let him as Dole steal no more.
Oh, he says to putting away a lying. There was lying savory in their midst.
How sad do you think that even amongst those who have the knowledge?
Of these wonderful truths.
But the enemy gets the advantage.
We need to be on our guard, the apostle told him to take heed to themselves.
And you and I need to be on our guard, too.
Because I know your heart and my heart.
Are capable.
I'm doing some of these very things that we see in others.
And we look down upon them for what they have done.
Oh, our hearts are no different from anyone else.
And as a dear brother one time said.
And that because it doesn't come out in me as it does in someone else.
Is only a matter of what eggs have been hatched.
All the capability.
Of wrongdoing. Of sin.
Evil is in my heart.
And the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.
Thus your heart and mind.
But you know, if there are those, that God's mercy has come.
And now as those who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.
He's given us a new life.
Capable of entering in and enjoying the truth that we're Speaking of here.
In the 5th chapter he reminds us that Christ also has loved us and given himself for us.
An offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.
All he brings before is the love of Christ.
He loved us.
Then in the same chapter he speaks that Christ also loved the church.
And gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it.
Of the washing of water.
By the word.
Oh yeah, Christ has loved the church and given himself for it.
And now shall we turn.
To the second chapter of the Revelation.
Under the Angel, the church in Ephesus write.
These things that he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand.
Who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks?
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil.
And thou has tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and has found them liars.
And has born, and has patience. And for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted.
Nevertheless, I have against thee.
Because I was left thy first love.
Remember therefore, from whence thou hast fallen, and repent.
And do the 1St works.
Or else I would come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place, except our effort.
But this thou hast. Thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
He that hath an ear.
Let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.
To him it overcometh Will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God?
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Some few years have gone on.
Since the apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians and presented to them these wonderful truths.
Here we find possibly 30 years later.
The Apostle John writing to the same city.
To the same company.
But how different the tone?
That is manifest here.
This is a word directly from the Lord Jesus Christ.
From the one who's walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.
He holds the seven stars in his right hand.
We find him spoken of in that character in the first chapter.
As the one.
Walking in judicial robe.
Taking account.
Of that which is down here in this world.
And as the apostle Peter says, judgment must begin at the House of God.
And so before the judgments which are about to fall upon this world take place.
The Lord is taking account.
Of that which is amongst his own people down here.
The state of soul.
Now I know that this is spoken here particularly in a collective way.
But I believe that there is a state of soul with each of its individually.
Which can correspond.
With perhaps one or more of these.
Seven addresses to the assembly that are given here.
And I trust.
That we may find something for our individual profits.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who died on Calvary's cross.
Has been given the.
In virtue of his work that Calvary.
To judge.
And his own.
He takes account of and he presents to us his thoughts.
Concerning our ways.
Than our thoughts to down here.
Now he says to them, I know thy works.
Oh yeah, you've taken account of all that they had done.
He had taken account of their faithfulness.
Of how they'd gone on.
There were works.
There was labor.
There was patience among them.
They had not been negligent of that.
But you know even in this that the Lord can command.
There is a note here.
To exercise a heart.
The word written to the Thessalonians Saints.
Similar.
But with a marked difference.
God by inspiration through the Apostle Paul.
To speak of the Thessalonians Saints.
Speak of their works of love.
The works of faith, the labor of love and patience of hope.
Take us big of these. They too had been newly converted.
And they were going on in the enjoyment of all that God had given them.
Here are the Ephesians.
There were their works.
So the faith was gone.
The love was gone.
The patience was gone.
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There had been declension.
Something had come in in that assembly.
The very spring.
Of all that should have been, their activity was gone.
The Outward.
Part of it was all the same.
But all that we should have been in the heart was gone.
Oh, how easy it is, you know, to go on outwardly.
With all that our fellow Christians and others can say, well now that person certainly is going on well.
As a Christian.
And yet.
Is that what should be in the heart?
That which goes upward to gone.
Is gone.
Oh yes, they could not bear those that were evil.
No, they set aside all that.
They had tried. Those that had come in amongst them said they were apostles and were not.
They had proven them to be liars.
They had shown the false doctrine that they had tried to bring in their midst.
All this God can commend. The Lord Jesus sees it all, and he puts it down to their account.
They had borne, they had patience, they had labored, they had not fainted. All this they had gone on with.
All these years they had gone on with that.
Oh, but he said, nevertheless I have against thee leave out that word somewhat.
It doesn't belong there.
All there wasn't anything light that the Lord had against them, I have against thee. He says that thou hast left.
Thy first love.
So how sad it is.
That they had left their first love.
And the way it's put here, I believe rings before us the fact.
That it was something that they had turned away from.
Not something that had been removed from them.
But they themselves.
Had grown so cold in their hearts.
That they left. They turned away.
From that knowledge had been theirs in the days when the apostle Paul had been in their midst, and when they had taken all those books and burned them.
Because of their faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ.
All this was gone now.
Oh, how is it with us?
Do we have that enjoyment of Christ?
Does His love mean as much to us now as it did in the days?
When we first knew the Lord Jesus Christ.
As our Savior.
Let's ask ourselves that question.
Though it's true, you know that love can become deeper.
Perhaps more quiet.
Than when we first learned to know the Lord Jesus Savior.
But oh, how blessed it is.
To find that love deepening and increasing.
Define our enjoyment of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Increasing day by day.
All these ones to whom the Lord Jesus Christ is sending His message through the apostle John.
They had become cold in their hearts.
They had left their first love.
And the Lord Jesus Christ treated as something that is serious.
Is the beginning of the downfall.
Losing that first love.
Now I said, remember therefore from whence I was fallen, and repent.
And do the 1St.
Or if we become cold in our shoulders.
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Let us remember, let's recall to our own hearts the love of the Lord Jesus Christ for us.
How that he gave himself for us.
How much do we value the fact that he gave himself?
Oh, sometimes you know we say yes. The Lord Jesus Christ gave his life for me.
Gave more than his life.
He gave himself for you and for me.
The Lord Jesus Christ had dedicated himself.
To your service and mind, not only the work of the cross.
But today, as our high priest, as our advocates.
And the day is coming when he's going to have us in the glory and he's going to come forth.
And service.
Do the 1St works?
Or is it? Or else I would come under thee quickly, and will remove like Candlestick out of his place, except our repent.
You know the Apostle Peter.
Speaks of those.
Who had become so cold in their hearts?
That they had forgotten that they were purged from their old sins.
Going on here in this world, just as part of it.
Just as though the Lord Jesus Christ.
Had not died for them.
So if we allow the love that's in our hearts at first love, if we allow that to become cold, oh, how easy it's going to be to slip into such a state as that.
To forget.
The very fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one who's died for us. Oh, it's Syria.
See, our time is gone.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit sat into the churches. Do you have an ear?
Is your ear open to the Word of God?
Are you willing?
To take what the word of God says, the warnings that it has for you and me.
Oh, take deed.
Let's not forget the enemy is ever busy.
Trying to turn away our ears.
But let's hear.
What the Spirit says to the churches, the Lord Jesus Christ himself said.
Take heed how he here.
Take it how ye hear. Nor may it be.
Where the heart warmed by the affection of Christ.
To take heed to his word.
And then there's a word to the overcomer.
And what's an overcomer?
Oh, I believe is.
Who goes on the path of faith perseveres in the path of faith in the midst of the circumstances in which he's vulnerable?
There is a path of faith for you and me.
And if we're willing to walk in it, by the grace of God.
All will be overcomers.
Yes, very well.
And there's a promise to the overcomer here.
To read of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the paradise of God, or to enjoy.
That which God has for us, waiting for us in the glory and to enjoy the blessings of God, the spiritual blessings which has given us today.
For me, we'll be exercised to go on and persevere in that path.
Shall we sing #197?
Oh God, what cords of love are thine, How gentle, yet how strong.
Truth and grace are strength combined to draw our shoulders along.
The Guild of twice 10,000 sins one moment takes away and when the fight of faith begins.
Our strength is as our day 197.