Category: document

According to Candace McChesney (Coquitlam, BC, Canada), Fergus McIlraith told her years ago that when he started in the work, the older brother workers would take the candidate out behind the barn and he would have to start a hymn to show he could sing. He said when he started he was not with an older companion but with another young brother close to his age. They had street meetings in which they both prayed and both spoke and were back in their batch [back home?] within 15 minutes!

Hymn 396:3-4, “A Little While”

The thought of “a little while” has been my meditation.

II Kings 6:1-7, “And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, ‘Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell.’ And he answered, ‘Go ye.’ And one said, ‘Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants.’ And he answered, ‘I will go.’ So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, ‘Alas, master! For it was borrowed.’ And the man of God said, ‘Where fell it?’ And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, ‘Take it up to thee.’ And he put out his hand, and took it.”

They said the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Matthew 16:24, “Then said Jesus unto His disciples, ‘If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.’” There needs to be a decision made. Our spirits, our will need to be changed to the will of God. The son of the prophet lost the axe head. He was handling the precious gospel and trying to control it, but was careless and lost it. Because of the power and mercy of God, he got it back. “Whosoever shall save his life shall lose it.” Have I borrowed something from someone and lost it? We have the privilege of getting it back if we lose our life and find it thru Christ. Find it; put it in our hearts.

What are we going to do with what we have heard here today? I have been trying to save something that means nothing to God. The real gospel message is in that 26th verse of Matthew 16, “For what is a man profiteth, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Am I willing to give God everything; am I willing to give the Lord my all?

Thank you for your part in the meeting. Your presence expresses your faithfulness to God and the interest you have in the kingdom. This meeting has been a powerful testimony. It comes from the heart of God because of His deep love and care for our souls. Life is a precious and wonderful gift but it is also serious. As time marches on, we realize more fully how serious life is. We realize life is short and eternity is long. Life is just a dot in time. We have everything to look forward to when we abide in God’s will. God understands how much we need His help and care as we prepare for eternity.

I’ve been thinking of storms. In Vietnam we were studying in Mark 4:37 and on, with some folk. Not one person we asked said they enjoyed storms, but storms come in everyone’s experience. We don’t like them but we can’t avoid them. Storms are important; we need them. If it weren’t for storms that bring rain, there’d be no harvest. Wind storms pollinate and electrical storms put more nitrogen into the soil in the time of the storm than a farmer can put into the field in a lifetime. If there were no storms, there would be no harvest. This natural illustration shows us an eternal truth, and we can understand how necessary storms are to our life.

After a storm one day, I was walking on the beach. It was littered with garbage cast up from the sea. The day before, the sea was calm and clear and you would never have guessed what was in the sea. The storm enabled the sea to get rid of the garbage. Storms in our life reveal what is in our hearts and enable us to get rid of what hinders us in the way. The world is full of garbage. The devil, the enemy of our soul, wants to fill our hearts and minds with garbage.

In Mark 4, Jesus got in the ship with the disciples. Jesus was asleep when the storm arose. This was a storm of the like the disciples had never seen before, but it did three wonderful things for the disciples that day, and storms can do the same for us. The disciples would be bailing water out of the boat, but the water kept coming in faster than they could bail it out. The first thing the storm did was to cause them to understand how weak they really were. These strong husky fishermen had weathered many a storm before but they were helpless in this storm and they understood how weak and helpless they really were. It’s in us to want to feel strong and self-sufficient, but if storms can humble us and help us see how weak we are, it’s wonderful.

The second thing that happened was that the storm sent them crying to Jesus. Our Heavenly Father and His Son are in heaven, waiting for us. They want us to come with tears to them, like children to their parents. Parents are there with open arms, just waiting. This creates a stronger bond between parents and children. Our Father loves our souls and wants us to come to Him. He wants us to understand how much He loves us. No one loves us more than God except Jesus who died for our souls. The Father in Heaven gives us the best, He loves us so much. It takes a lifetime to understand the depth of God’s love. He has planned eternal salvation for our souls. Our soul, the real us inside, is what God loves. The body goes back to dust. God allows the storms to come into our lives that will send us to Him.

The third thing is they saw the power of Jesus. They said, “Don’t you care we are perishing?” Did Jesus care? Yes, Jesus cared, but He was waiting for them to come to Him. He rebuked the storm and immediately there was calm. What a contrast! One minute huge waves, next calm, like glass. The sea is to be respected. We are no match for it. This is true also of the sea of life. We are no match for it. They feared exceedingly when they saw the mighty power of God – a wholesome deep respect for their Master—so different from fearing the sea. Jesus just spoke and calm prevailed. That is how powerful the word of God is! God spoke and all we see is the effect of God’s word. By the power of God’s word, life is created in us. We can’t do it ourselves, either naturally or spiritually. The word of God is as powerful today as it was then, it has not diminished.

Divine life seeks divine fellowship. It comes by the sound of the gospel and that calms the storm. Jesus understood the cause of the storm. The disciples saw the waves, but Jesus knew the cause of the storm. He knew the root of the problem and He spoke to the cause, the wind. The disciples lost their peace in the storm; they came to Jesus. He knew the cause and peace was restored. Sometimes we don’t understand what causes the storm and why we are losing our peace. Just come to the Master and He will put His finger on the problem, on the cause of our unrest. He knows the cause, and peace can be restored. The most precious gift we can have is peace. It doesn’t matter the storm around us, we can have peace in our hearts.

In North Vietnam is an irreligious man. He has a son and daughter-in-law—a drug addict son and a devout Buddhist daughter-in-law, but the Lord saw their hearts and brought them in touch with the gospel. The parents saw the change. The father had terminal cancer. One day the daughter-in-law said to him, “Do you want to know why we now have peace and are changed?” “Yes, I do!” He had never before asked the purpose of life. Now he wanted to know more, so Darrel and the friends went into the hospital room and locked the door. They didn’t want unexpected company! They sang hymns softly and talked. When Darrel thought they should go because of the weakened condition of that man, the wife said, “My husband is never too tired to hear God’s word.” He was touched by the word of God, and by the Holy Spirit and power of God’s word, he got help and revelation. We studied Mark 4 about the storm. We asked if he had anything to share. “Yes!” that dying man said, “Jesus could sleep in the midst of that storm because He had peace in His heart. He had peace in His heart because He had implicit trust and confidence and faith in His Father in Heaven.” That man was a living testimony. He was in a storm of sickness but had peace in his heart. He had peace and was now looking ahead to eternal peace and rest. We, too, can have peace in our hearts when we come to Jesus. It doesn’t matter what the storm is, we can have peace in our hearts. But if the storm is because of jealousy, unwillingness, disobedience, or unforgiveness, we need to come to Jesus and let Him put His finger on it and get rid of it, otherwise there is no hope for eternity.

There is another storm brewing that has never been before and never will be after, a terrible storm, Mark 13. Matthew 24 makes it more vivid because Matthew was there when Jesus was telling about it. Jesus told of the signs of His coming and what would happen. Matthew 24:21, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be, and except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved.” It’s coming and we see the signs already. Verse 29, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven.” In Revelation 13, Jesus showed John what was to be. The beast, false prophet, dragon, devil will cause the greatest storm. Verse 7, “It was given him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them.” No one is exempt. Verse 9, “If any man have an ear, let him hear.” These are the most important words we can hear. The words of Jesus come right from the heart of God. Every person whose names are not written in the book will bear the mark of the beast. Tribulation storm is brewing, but Jesus said in Matthew 24 and Mark 13, “Don’t be troubled.” We don’t need to be troubled if we have a living relationship with God. Jesus and God are in heaven and in control because God is the Almighty God. It’s His plan. The enemy of our soul is powerful; he hates our soul; he distracts us and takes our attention off our souls. He is cunning, he is a deceiver, he’s evil and subtle and he wants us to lose our peace, but if we have a relationship with God, we need not fear. If we are in His hand, if we are in the will of God, we will have no need to worry or be troubled.

Revelation 14:1, we don’t want the mark of the beast in our minds and in what we are doing. We want the mark of God. We want His thoughts and desires to give us a higher living. Don’t ever forget God loves our souls. But there are things we must do. Mark 13, “watch and pray.” That’s our job. “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 34, For the Son of man…gave authority to His servants, and to every man His work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35, Watch ye therefore:…36, Lest coming suddenly, He find you sleeping.” He included us, too. 37, “And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” The porter is a doorkeeper. What do we need to watch as we are waiting? There are four main things we need to watch. As the doorkeeper, we need to watch what is in our hearts everyday. Nehemiah 13, Nehemiah was inspired of God and he inspired others to build the walls. Nehemiah had to go back to Shushan the palace because he was waiting on the king. When he came back to Jerusalem, the doorkeeper had let in the enemy and all his stuff—everything that is so ungodly. When the enemy came in, the priests and singers fled so there was no more sacrifice and no more song. If we cease to sacrifice in our service, we’ll lose our song. If we don’t have a song in our hearts, wake up! If we don’t enjoy meetings, wake up! Clean house! Nehemiah cleaned house to restore sacrificing and singing. While we are in the presence of God, clean house so things can be restored again.

The second thing we need to guard is the affections of our hearts. We need to watch what we really love. The church at Ephesus lost their first love. What is our first love? Is it the One who calms the storms, our Lord and Master? Love His will with all our strength, all our soul, all our heart and all our mind and love our neighbour as ourself. On these two laws hinge all the laws of the Old and New Testaments. All of what Jesus lived and taught hang on these two laws. Love goes all the way. We see it in the life of Jesus. Keep the door of our hearts. Preserve our first love.

Next, we need to watch our spirit. The enemy tries to affect our spirit. The spirit we die with is the spirit we’ll have all eternity. We need to watch our thoughts. In Mark 7:21, the first of thirteen things start with our thoughts. Evil things come in from evil thoughts. We need to watch for anything that will harm the city. Habakkuk 2:1, “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch and see what He will say unto me.” We don’t know where the enemy is coming from next. We need to pray. The tower of prayer is most important. Do we have a watchtower in our lives? Watch to see what He is saying to us. We don’t need to fear the storm if we have a watchtower of prayer. Two girls in Vietnam were ordered by their father to stop going to meetings. The one girl complied and stopped attending meetings but the other girl said, “I respect you greatly, father, but I cannot stop going to meetings!” We need the watchtower of prayer. We can’t see the enemy but God can. Prayer will help us to keep our hearts, our spirits, and thoughts right.

Hymn 373:1-3, “Clad in Your Armour”

Ephesians 6:11-17, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Put on the whole armour so we could withstand and then having done everything, to stand. Revelation 6 asks the question, “Who shall be able to stand?” The qualities of darkness and wickedness will not stand. Revelation 7:9 speaks of “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.” Our part, our job today is to withstand, to resist so that on that day we can stand. We need to wear all the armour which God supplies in order to withstand. First, we are to have our loins gird about with truth. To be girded is to be wrapped about. The loins are that which balances us, the centre of gravity of our body between the ribcage and the hips. The core strength is in the loins. Truth must be the centre of our lives. We must be clothed with Truth every day of our lives so we can go out and journey. Truth needs to be the centre of our movement. In Revelation 6:15, “The kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His wrath is come.’” They couldn’t stand on that day.

The next piece of armour we need to wear is the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate protects the heart and what we love. Only the love of righteousness will help us clean our house. It is easier to keep something out than to get it out once it is in. God wants to clothe our heart in righteousness. And then He wants that our feet be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. The opposite of peace is contention. Pride is the lust of the eyes, of flesh. It is easy to clothe our feet in pride. We are bombarded on every side. Our feet take us in a direction and ultimately to our destination. The way of God is narrow and humble. I picked up a fashion magazine in one of the homes we were visiting and there was nothing to be seen in 200 pages of fashion that Jesus could love or would like to see in the lives of His people. There was nothing of quality. It all led to pride, to the lust of the world. It was not of the Father but of the world. We need to put on the gospel of peace and be shod with humility. The gospel of peace will direct our feet.

Another piece of the armour God provides is the helmet of salvation. The helmet protects our head, our thoughts. Fears and doubts flood our minds and we need to remember that God gives us so much. Jesus gave His life that we could have forgiveness and life. Protect our mind with all God has given us and have confidence that He will keep us. “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” The shield of faith is another form of protection to go with the helmet and the breastplate and is like double protection. We need faith to take care of the darts. The greatest dart is questioning, “Why?” Abel would question, “Why am I giving my best?” Noah would ask, “Why am I building?” Abraham would ask, “Why am I living in a tent?” and so on. We need faith to address the whys when asked why we do what we do. The shield of faith helps us take the question out of why. Faith knocks the darts to the ground.

The sword of the Spirit which is the word of God is also a part of the armour of God. We need the sword that would ward off the thrust of the enemy’s sword. The sword goes for the vulnerable place. When Jesus was tempted by the devil, He used the word of God to parry the thrust of the enemy. People love place[s] and things, but life is a dot compared to eternity and the armour makes us one so we journey in unity, being one and being made one, and making us the children of God.

Hymn 170, “Abide with Me”

“I triumph still if Thou abide with me.” Proverbs 8:22-31, “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way before His works of old.” (Lord spelled with a capital “L” means God.) I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth. While as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When He prepared the heavens, I was there; when He set a compass upon the face of the depth, when He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep, when He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment, when He appointed the foundations of the earth, then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.” Wisdom is speaking of Jesus. God wants sons and daughters like Jesus where He can make His abode. Verse 31 speaks of those with whom God could make His abode, His habitation. Many would like to think God is abiding in them. In John 14:21, Jesus said, “If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him. We can have Him with us; we can have His presence within us. We can be an honest person and yet have another presence with us. How careful we need to be about what we have in our home. There was a home we went to where there was everything for our comfort – every little detail taken care of. There was nothing that shouldn’t be there. Everything was in its place. There was no rubbish. It was easy to live there. The lady of the home said, “I love my home,” and it was evident. We need to be careful what we bring in so God can say, “I love this home.” I need to keep my life in order so God can work unhindered. If all is ready, He can draw near any time of the day.

How does God feel about the world when we get weary with it? How He must weary of it when He had such a different plan for it! There are some in the scriptures whose lives were a beautiful home for God. David was a man after God’s own heart. Joseph was a young person who kept wholesome in the world. We look at our young people and see God keeping our young people so wholesome and wholehearted. Joseph was so settled at 17. All his brethren, except Benjamin, were older and all were against him. His father, Jacob, sent Joseph to see his brothers. He was courageous because he had it settled that he would do his father’s will. The father loved Joseph because he was the son of Rachel whom he had served seven years and then seven more years, had served so long to win. God loves our soul because He loved His Son for what He did for us. Parents love their children all through life till they are old. Joseph was upright. Joseph dreamt of seven lean years. The Lord gives everyone who gives their life to God a vision, a revelation of the future. We have a vision that no one else can see. It will carry us through all our life’s journey. We want to be true to the vision.

Joseph was tested. He was given much glory, then came a test and crushing experience and then another test. He didn’t get angry with his brothers or say they had wronged him. He had the ornaments of meekness, humility, and forgiveness. He said, “Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” He spoke kindly unto them. “I triumph best when Thou abideth with me.” It’s not my triumph, but the Lord’s. All the glory and triumph goes to Him. May we keep our dwelling places so the Lord can have all the glory and all the praise.

Hymn 319:4, “Tis Not in Vain to Yield”

Tis not in vain and it is worth it! Sometimes in a storm, we can’t see the end from the beginning but we can sing it is not in vain and we can sing it with reassurance because of victory in our lives. “Tis not in vain though hardness we endure, for through it all, of blessing we are sure. And if we finish in the race, with joy one day we’ll meet Him face to face.” We experience blessing by the grace of God. It’s not in vain to yield ourselves each day. It’s worth it! This year we sat at the bedside of a dying person. It was a privilege to be with the family and it was worth it. There are many lessons to learn and we feel reassured again that it is worth it. Because of putting our life in God’s hand, and experiencing victory, we have reassurance to go on.

We are given promises in the scriptures and we cling to them for it reassures us. Hebrews 13:20, “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ.” The God of peace who brought us from the dead has promised to be with us and work in us and make us perfect in every good work. We cling to that promise. It’s a reassurance to us. 1 John 3:2 is a promise that we shall be like Him if we are dead to every natural thing but alive to the spiritual. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him: for we shall see Him as He is.” Often when people are elderly, they forget all they have once known but they remember very clearly the day the gospel came, and that is a reassurance to us. Every step is worth it!

There is a beautiful depth of spirit and peace to a person’s death when they are in the will of God. The promise in Psalm 126:5 is, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” A man professed on his deathbed. It was very evident there was peace in his life. It’s a beautiful death when there is peace. It’s worth it to sow seed in the ministry. The second verse of hymn 319 says, “Tis not in vain to die to sin and be a living offering to Him.”

2 Corinthians 14-16, “Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life.” My dying to self encourages another to die to self – a savour of life unto life. Jesus endured the cross and despised the shame. It was worth it! I appreciate the dying that brings depth to your testimony; that encourages us. Continue on with the hope and reassurance that it is worth it.

Hymn 20, “From Heaven’s Glory”

Luke 2:8-11, “And there were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’”

Matthew 1, the angel spoke to Joseph that Mary would bring forth a Saviour who would save people from their sins. Nailprints represent the sacrifice Jesus made and the shed blood, but we need to look to the footprints which represent His life, His walk, the path marked out for us. The costliest part of Jesus’ sacrifice was the footprints. It cost His life.

Isaiah 53:3-5, prophecy – “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes, we are healed.” Jesus was willing to become our Saviour in obedience to His Father. We need to do our part so Jesus can become our Saviour. It’s more than human goodness and living a good life and good works. Human goodness alone will not save us and will not get us to heaven. We can’t claim Jesus unless we’re willing to walk in His footprints.

Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” It’s through Jesus we get into the Kingdom of God. We need to believe in Jesus, in His footprints, His teaching, His example, His words and His life. We could be leaning too much on the blood of Jesus. We don’t want to forget the rest and just lean on the blood. We need to live the life. The blood washes us clean and white, cleanses us. Through the blood of Jesus we have hope and cleansing. Jesus’ blood leaves us without a mark or stain, without a past history. We can use different cleansers on a stain and still have a mark left, and the same is true with an eraser, but the blood of Jesus thoroughly cleanses us and leaves us without a record. Allow Jesus to be our Saviour. May we be willing for His will that we could be saved from eternal damnation.

There was a question put to a scientist, and that question was, “What’s inside a seed? And how does something so small and hard grow?” So a botanist answered and said that inside a seed there is an embryo, a plant embryo, which is a new life, which is just waiting for the right conditions to germinate and grow. That’s what is inside a seed. We know that the natural example of a seed is the one that is used in the Bible that explains the purpose of life and explains how we can get salvation.  

That’s the first parable that Jesus spoke – about the sower and the seed. He said to the people, “If you don’t understand this parable, how are you going to understand any parable?” The lessons that we get in a seed, sowing, and farming are wonderful clear lessons given about the purpose of life in the plan of God’s salvation. Sometimes, when we are having meetings over there, we like to ask the children, “What was the first job that God gave man?” It’s in the second chapter of Genesis, the 14th or the 15th verse, and it says that God put Adam into the garden and he was to tend and look after that garden. That was the first job that God gave man; God gave man the job of looking after the garden. Things haven’t changed much since the time of Adam. It’s not a natural garden now; it’s a spiritual garden now. As we sang in that hymn, “Our hearts are soil for sowing;” that’s the main thing in life, that this seed-we’ll cherish and obey it and reap life eternally. We were at a funeral recently, and as I looked down into the open grave I thought, “There isn’t too much to this life, is there. All that we strive for-from the richest man to the poorest beggar-all come to the same level, they all go into a wooden box and get put into the earth.” So the real thing is that my heart is soil for the sowing, and we want to get that seed of eternal life within us now. Jesus, when He explained that parable, said that the seed is the word of God. So it is true to what that botanist said – that a seed is an embryo, a new life, and it is just waiting for the right conditions to germinate and grow into something bigger. So, the word of God – that is what this seed is – is something living. It is not a theory, not a matter of getting a whole lot of knowledge about something; that’s not the word of God. The purpose of the word of God is not to give us knowledge. The purpose of the word of God is to give us new life. If it only gives us knowledge, then we have missed the point of the whole thing. So, it is something living, and the Bible confirms that. It says in Hebrews 4:12, “The word of God is quick, (it’s alive) and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thought and intents of the heart.” That seed that we are talking about is something living, it’s alive and it’s powerful. A seed can be powerful too. Sometimes seed gets under concrete and slowly works away and can even crack the concrete and come up through it. 

So, if the seed is the word of God, what is the word of God? The word. If you are writing me a letter, then you are using words, words that express what is in your mind. The word of God is just a medium to express the mind and the desire of God. This Bible is just giving written expression a living thing, the mind of God. The wonderful thing is that, if we want to concentrate on the word of God and what the purpose of it is in relation to my life, we are concentrating on something that was right from the beginning – like it tells us in the 1st chapter of John, “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.” So, what we are getting is something that was in the beginning, not something that started 2,000 years ago. God is a spirit and does not have a physical form, and the very substance that God is, is expressed in His word. He allowed men to be inspired by Him and then it got into written form here, and the other form is when the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us…what we saw in the life of Jesus.and what we saw in the life of Jesus, that’s the word of God, that’s the very expression of what God’s mind on things is.

So, what do we do with a seed? Do we put it on a shelf and admire it and look after it nicely? If you do that, then it never achieves the purpose for which it has been created. The seed contains a life and is just waiting for the right conditions to germinate and produce a plant. The word of God is looking for soil – soft clean hearts that it can fall into – and then it’s going to produce a new life, eternal life, and that is where we fit into the picture. Our hearts are soil for sowing; what shall the reaping be? So, we are the gardener, and the most important thing in life is to look inside – not to look to someone else in life and to their garden, but take heed to our own garden so that the best thing in life, the eternal thing in life, the living word of God is our first priority. First, look to our own garden before God can use us to help somebody else in their garden. The big thing is that I have a plot of ground here, and God has planted His word in it, and it’s started to grow, and it’s meaning more to me, and the other things that were such an attraction to me don’t mean so much to me any more. I love the word of God and what it produces, and the joy and satisfaction and hope and enriching that it’s brought in my life, and I long to be careful to do the gardening so that it doesn’t die. It can die – it’s not once saved always saved-the plant can die. We see that -people have a real experience with God and they get new life, but if they are not careful in the gardening and other things come in, it can die and we can lose it.  

There are some nice verses in James 1:21, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” It uses the word ‘engrafted’ here, but actually to get in faithfulness, back to the Greek word where it came from. I asked our Korean friends and they said in the Korean Bible it is implanted, and I asked Alan and he said in Spanish it is implanted, and most other translations it says implanted. And this is just a nice simple summary of the parable of the sower and the seed: with meekness – which is just brokenness – for us to become like broken soil and to receive the implanted word within us, and just put out all the rubbish and then with humbleness, meekness, brokenness receive this word in us which is able to save your souls. Now that’s the gospel, isn’t it; that’s the most wonderful message. We understand our lives consist of two parts. We have our body, which is just like a tent, a temporary dwelling for the real you and me which lives inside the body, our immortal soul. And very quickly the time is going to come when the tent is going to be packed up and put back down in the earth and the real you and I, the spirit within us is going to go back to God. Here is the most wonderful thing – the word of God within, when the garden is done in the tent stage, this word – if we cherish and obey it – will reap life eternally. Lay apart all filthiness, superfluity of naughtiness – all that’s just like rubbish. I remember one home in Bangladesh where we went for meetings – in the front bit there was a plot; it was the local rubbish dumping place and everyone used to come along and dump all their rubbish and plastic bags, and what a stink and what a mess. Then one time we went there and I noticed some boys with carts starting to take all this rubbish away, and when we came back the next week all the rubbish had gone, all the weeds had gone and they were starting to break up the ground. Then as the weeks went by, they were sowing, and the time came when there were nice vegetables growing in that place which was at one time just a rubbish dump. And that is just a picture of what God wants to do with our lives.

Our lives – we can produce nothing by ourselves; it doesn’t matter how fertile the soil is, without the seed planted in us, there can be nothing. It is none of our own goodness, it can’t be that way; it needs the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. We have got to do the gardening part, looking after it, and God in His faithfulness will plant the seed. What does it produce? If you plant carrots then carrots will come up, and if you plant cabbage then cabbage comes up. What is the word of God? It is the mind or the very substance of what God is that was in the very beginning. And what a wonderful opportunity in life that what was right from the very beginning, what was in the very substance of what God is, He through the gospel, through the word of God, we’ve got opportunity that that can be implanted in our lives. And what’s the plant that’s going to grow out of it? It’s going to be true to its type, like it tells us in the first chapter of the Bible about seeds producing after their kind. And to think that we are just creatures of the dust and we’ve got no value-that within us something that was in the beginning, that was of eternal value, of Christ-likeness, of Godliness-that’s God’s faithfulness to us and to His word-that He will plant a very part of Himself. That’s what it is to be born again. The seed contains a new life. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; He’ll plant Himself in us and that new life will grow up.

And what happens at the harvest time? Does the farmer gather the earth up and put it into his storehouse? He’ll gather the crop, and that is just a picture of life, isn’t it. There is nothing of the earth that will go up into the eternal storehouse. Just as our lives have been a garden and God has planted a seed of eternal life there, and the crop comes and then death will come and He will take the harvest. That is the only thing that will go, and nothing relating to the earth will have a place there. 

Now that parable of the sower and the seed – there are some lessons in that about the different types of ground. What happens when a seed’s planted in the soil? It is looking for the environment to produce this new life. We were hearing about a jigsaw puzzle and also from someone about the part in our hearts that only God can fill. Well, our lives are like a jigsaw puzzle. There is a piece that is missing, and it is only the word of God that can make the picture complete. People try with all kinds of things to make the jigsaw puzzle complete, and they think with entertainment and different human activities and all kinds of things they can complete the puzzle. Well, it lasts for a little while but it’s nothing eternal; the only thing that can make our lives complete is the seed of eternal life. 

It speaks about the thorny ground. The seed goes into the soil and the soil becomes a slave to the seed. The new life that is within the seed, to grow bigger, it needs feeding. So where does it draw its nutrition and its strength from? It draws it out of the soil. So, the seed of eternal life that God is planting in us is going to grow by us feeding it, by us becoming a slave to it and giving ourselves to it. In the thorny ground, it couldn’t compete. God doesn’t force Himself upon us. We don’t have to give God first place and priority above everything else; God doesn’t force His truth and His seed on anybody. In that thorny soil, there were all those other things and they just choked the seed, and the most important thing was not getting what it needed and it just died; that is what will happen.  

There’s a sobering thought that we can cheat in the sowing but we can’t cheat in the reaping; we can cut corners and not give God what He wants, and we can fool others and still be in the fellowship and all that kind of thing. We can cheat in the sowing but we can’t cheat in the reaping; we will reap what we sow. If we give first place to God-and that’s the most important thing- there are a lot of weeds that we will pull out so that it can get its height, and we will reap life everlasting. But if we don’t, our time and our strength are going out to the weeds and we will reap what we sow. What value do weeds have? What does it say about the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches? God wants us to take a good look at our lives and not just give all the strength we have to weeds. What happens to weeds in the end? You just pull them out, they have no value. We’ve got to live in this life, and we’ve got to give time and strength to natural things, but remember, the day is going to come when we are going to go back into a wooden box and into the earth and then all the things of this life-what are they going to matter then? But if you are giving your strength and your time and your love and your priority to the seed of eternal life and you’re feeding that well, you will have something that death won’t be able to take. 

Maybe just one last thing – in that parable, there is the stony ground. Well, there’s the soil and there’s another influence, and that is the sun. It says, “When the sun came it had no depth of root and it withered away.” In terms of a garden, it is in our hand, in our control. A gardener can keep his garden soft, and he can keep the weeds out, but what he can’t control is the sun; he has no control of the sun, whether it shines or not. That is a picture of our life too; there is our garden, and it is in our hand whether we are going to keep our garden clean and keep out anything that will be taking the rightful place that belongs to God. But there is something that we don’t have control over – the heat of the sunlight, the afflictions that come. There are different difficulties that come that we don’t have any control over in life. There are tragedies, sadness, and ill health, and we don’t have any control over those things. There are two types of ground there. What did it do to the seed in the good ground? It ripened the harvest. What did it do to the stony ground? It withered the seed up. What is it going to do to us? That which we don’t have any control over will depend on whether we have a root system or not. So, do you have a root system, an unseen part? Have you got a personal relationship with God? Is God your friend? Do you spend time with Him? I like what Trevor told us at Ngaire convention. He was telling us about those on the water that day, and they were caught in the storm. They didn’t learn to row in the storm, they learned to row before that. And on the normal days we’re tending to the private side of our life and we’re giving God time, and if you want your roots to go down, well, you have to give God time. In the busyness of life, if you don’t set your priorities to give time to God, your roots won’t go down and then when the heat comes…and those that do, well when the heat comes, it’s wonderful; I’ve seen that in God’s people, and when the difficulties come and what does it do? There is a wonderful ripening of the harvest, and those that don’t, they wither up and die. So we want to see to that side of our life in having a personal and deep relationship with God.

So may God help us to be good gardeners and give it the first priority in our lives in this wonderful prospect of eternal life, which we receive in the word of God.

Hymn 377, “Be Ye Immoveable”

That hymn we have just sung must have been taken from that story of Gideon and his men when they were faint, yet pursuing the kings of Syria. In Judges, it tells us of the Children of Israel being greatly impoverished by the Midianites and they cried unto the Lord, and He sent them the prophet, and he reminded them of what God had done for them, and yet they took their own way, doing what was right in their own eyes. Those Children of Israel, in listening to that message, would really begin to seek God I am sure, and really plead with God that He would send them help. The Midianites and Amalekites came, and what the Children of Israel had sown, they destroyed. But this angel of the Lord appeared unto Gideon as he threshed wheat by the winepress. Judges 6-12, “And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, ‘The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.’” He had never fought any battles! He must have found a secret place where he could work, preparing the ground and planting seed, and watching it grow, making sure that it wasn’t destroyed by the enemy, and then harvesting it, and here he was threshing it now, so as to get that which would be bread for himself, and bread for others. The secret place. We can have a secret place where we can truly get bread for ourselves and that which can become bread for others.

Wheat is not bread – a lot of work has to be done so that wheat does become bread. The secret place. Gideon found that secret place and He prepared the ground. God wants us to find that secret place. My father was a bread baker, and when I was a boy he used to like to take me to the bakehouse so that I could watch him make the dough for the next day. I remember the first time he took me to the bakehouse, and we came to a wall and there were two big double doors and he opened a door in those two doors. From the outside you couldn’t tell there was a bakery there. It was almost as if the place was a secret place. Inside those doors over on one side of the yard was the bakehouse. My father took me by the hand to guide me there first of all. After that, when I was going with him, sometimes he had to put his horse and van away first, so I would walk down there by myself. Our Father takes us by the hand to lead us to the secret place, but once we know of it, He expects us to get there ourselves.

I was thinking in the secret place that Gideon had, the Midianites were all around and they would be watching. They would like to know that secret place, but they could never find it. “No foes can reach that secret place, where hides my soul safe in His care.” Gideon would have been very careful when he went to that secret place, because he would realize that the enemy would try to prevent him from getting there, to get to that which was bread for himself and bread for others. I thought of Gideon leaving that place after he had harvested the wheat, because he knew that the enemy would be looking to rob him of that which he had obtained which could become bread for himself and bread for others. The enemy of our soul wants to rob us, also.

I knew of some friends that got listening to a false doctrine and taken up with that. First of all the workers tried to help them, but they still seemed to cling to the false doctrine. The devil had put this false doctrine into them and they thought on it and they began to go after it, and they were really robbed of that which would have been bread for themselves and bread for others. I thought of Gideon being so careful and we need to be careful too, because we have an enemy that wants to prevent us from getting into the secret place. Once we get there to get that which can become bread, he wants to rob us of it. We will lose out on our soul’s salvation if he is able to succeed. Gideon succeeded to do these things, because he had wheat to thresh, and he made sure nothing hindered him, and then the Lord called him a mighty man of valour. What a privilege for God to call us a mighty man of valour, because of getting into the secret place for that which can become bread for ourselves and bread for others.

God told Gideon what He had in mind, that He would deliver Israel from the Midianites. Gideon felt it was an impossible thing, but he showed a very humble spirit. He said, “I am the least in my father’s house, and we are the least in Israel,” but God said, “I will be with thee.” But Gideon trusted God. Gideon said to the angel, “Will you please wait a while so I can bring you a present?” So he brought food and broth with it. Food was in short supply, and the angel told Gideon to put the food on the rock, and pour out the broth over the food, and Gideon did that. He could have been thinking in his own mind, “What a waste! How can you partake of it now it is poured out over the rock?” As he was willing to do what the angel said, fire came down and consumed what Gideon had brought for him. Gideon was willing to do what the angel said to do, and it was accepted. Obeying what God says to us is never a waste. God accepted that which Gideon offered because he was obedient. Gideon was asked to go and cut down his father’s altar that he had built. Gideon didn’t feel he could do this on his own, and he began to talk to some others about it, and they were of the same mind as himself, and they were willing to help him do it because God had asked them to do it. Gideon did exactly as God said, even though it was against his own father and against the men of the district, because they were worshipping Baal. When this was done, they asked, “Who did it?” They were told it was Gideon and they asked his father that his son may be put to death because of what he had done, but who had lost the most when he did that? His father. But God moved upon his heart to be the one that caused Gideon’s life to be preserved. If we are willing to do completely what God would have us do, then God will make sure that our lives spiritually are preserved.

God talked to Gideon about delivering Israel from the Midianites. The Midianites came up a great company, and Gideon blew the trumpet and called many to come and help him do this, but God said, “There are too many, unless Israel should say that by myself I have saved Israel.” God worked that there was quite a reduction in the number. The last test to reduce the number was that he took the men down to the water, and those that went on one knee and took the water in their hands, he set them apart, and those that lapped the water, God said by those would He save Israel and deliver the Midianites into their hand. Those 300 men, with the enemy all around them, those that went down on one knee, they were watchful, ready to fight if the enemy would come. Jesus told His disciples to watch and pray and that is something that we should all do. Watch and pray every day, for the foe is always near.

The way that Gideon got victory over the Midianites, it was the fellowship that he had with God. It was a close relationship with God. This is what God wants us to seek to develop with Him. He will certainly encourage this, for us to have a close relationship with Him. There are many things in life that we have to face, but a close relationship with Him will save us from being overcome.

After they put the Syrians to flight, Gideon sent for the other tribes around to come and help him, and then he asked Ephraim to come and help, and they were able to capture the princes of Midian. First of all when Gideon blew the trumpet, he didn’t call Ephraim, but the second time he did. Ephraim got up against Gideon and said, “Why didn’t you call us at the first and leave it till now?” But Gideon had the words to settle strife. After he spoke to them they were willing to accept what he had to say. The relationship that Gideon had with God enabled him to speak that which would bring no strife – no division.

The kings of Midian managed to get away, and they got a long, long way away. Gideon and his men began to pursue after them, and it says they were faint because they were following a long time. They were faint, yet still pursuing, and they were determined to get rid of this enemy that had had dominion over them. The Midianites had quite a lot of men with them, and they were a long way from the border of Israel, and probably thought Gideon and his men wouldn’t come after them there. It says that they were camped and the hosts were secure, but it was a false security, because Gideon and his men were so determined to get complete victory. The kept pursuing, and they did get the victory. Having a close relationship with God and a great determination, we to will have victory. The false security that the enemy had at this time – the devil wants us as the Children of God to have a false security, then he will be able to get victory over us. When the Philistines came up against Israel in 1st Samuel 4, Eli and his sons were priests, and the Philistines fought against Israel and Israel was defeated, and the elders in the army say, “Let us fetch the ark of God to help us get victory over the Philistines.” That wasn’t God’s plan for the ark to go into the army. The Israelites thought they had security because they had the ark with them, but it was a false security, and when they fought, it ended in defeat. If Eli had had a close relationship with God, this would have never happened.

Gideon, after this was over, made a request to the Children of Israel, and before that the Children of Israel wanted him to rule over them. “No,” he said, “I will not rule over you, nor my sons, but the Lord will rule over you.” Gideon never wanted to take the place that God should have had. He asked the people to give him the gold that they had taken from the Midianites, and they were pleased to give that. Then it says that Gideon made an ephod and all Israel went whoring after that, and that ephod became a snare unto Gideon and his house. He had a close relationship with God, but he couldn’t foresee that that ephod would become a snare to him and his house, but God could. If he had asked God about it, He would have delivered him from it, that it wouldn’t become a snare to him and his house.

Psalm 91 says, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.” Having a close relationship with God, then we will know of God delivering us from the snare of the fowler. Wonderful thing to know of the help of God in life, enabling us to continue to the end.

I read an article one time of some older Japanese people that made it their goal to clime Mt Fuji. I understand there are a number of resting places on the way up Mt Fuji. You know of the quiet resting places for the children of God, Convention, special meetings, Sunday morning meetings. Those older Japanese people, they set it as their goal to see the dawn from the top of Mt Fuji, and they took a priest with them to worship at a shrine up there. They made the most of those resting places from the bottom of the mountain to the top. At some of those resting places, there was entertainment and some young people made the most of the entertainment, and they didn’t make it to the top. When those older people reached the top and stood there and watched the dawn from the top, there was such rejoicing amongst them. They had accomplished that they set out to do.

What is our goal? To receive God’s well done at the dawn of eternal day? The only way is to make the most of the resting places along the way, and then we will have a close relationship that we have that God will help us and we will see the dawn of God’s eternal day. The rejoicing of those Japanese people was short lived, because afterwards they would have to make the journey down again and back to live. But the dawn of eternal day for us will continue throughout eternity.

Genesis 18, “And the Lord appeared unto Abraham in the plains of Mamre, and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; and he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, and said, ‘My Lord, if now I have found favour in Thy sight, pass not away, I pray Thee, from Thy servant: let a little water, I pray You, be fetched, and wash Your feet, and rest Yourselves under the tree: and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort Ye Your hearts; after that Ye shall pass on, for therefore are Ye come to Your servant,’ and they said, ‘So do, as thou hast said.’”

When I read this portion of scripture in relation to what Abraham said he would like to do for these men that came to him, this is what God and Christ wants to do for us as we come here to convention. Abraham had a love for those people, and because God and Christ love us, they have made it possible for us to be here. The first thing Abraham said was, “Let a little water be fetched and wash your feet.” Cleansing. He knew that these three had walked and they would be tired from their journey, and their feet would have been dirty. John 13, we read of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. It says, “Jesus, having loved His own, He loved them unto the end.” Think of the love of Jesus for His disciples, even though He knew Judas would betray Him and Peter would deny Him, but He still loved them. It doesn’t matter what our condition is before was, maybe He could see some faults in us, but He still loves us.

Jesus, after supper, took a towel and washed His disciples’ feet, and He was setting that example and wanted to show them that they should be like a servant towards each other, and there was never any task too lowly to do for others. If we follow this example, there will be a good relationship between us. Jesus wanted His disciples to feel that He loved them, and He wanted them to feel settled. There was much that would cause them to feel unsettled. Jesus treated them all as individuals, and He treats us as individuals, and He doesn’t point out our failings to others. He wants us to know cleansing. Jim Easton said that in Japan, when the husband comes in from his work, he goes and has a shower and changes his clothes, and then the first thing he says is, “I am clean.” Christ wants to cleanse us as individuals, so that we could say, we are clean. The cleansing that Jesus gave to 11 of those disciples was effective, but because Judas had allowed Satan to enter into his heart, and his love wasn’t wholeheartedly on Jesus, but it was on the love of money, so the cleansing of Jesus was not effective on Judas.

Jesus never exposed to the other disciples that Judas was the one that was going to betray Him, and Jesus doesn’t expose our failings to others. The disciples wanted Jesus to tell who was going to betray Him. John asked him, “Who is it that betrayed thee?” Jesus said, “It is he to whom I dip the sop,” and He gave the sop to Judas. Giving of the sop meant that there was a bond of undying fellowship between the giver and the receiver, so the other disciples could never think of Judas betraying Jesus. Jesus didn’t want the other disciples to know who would betray Him, because they might have tried to prevent him, and the scriptures would not have been fulfilled.

When Jesus came to Peter, Peter questioned whether the Lord should wash his feet. Perhaps Peter felt it should be him washing Jesus’ feet. Jesus said, “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.” There are some things that Christ wants to do for us, and we may not understand at the time, but in the future we will understand why He was dealing with us in a certain way. Peter said, “Thou shalt never wash my feet.” Jesus wanted to work on the inside, and He said, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me.” Peter couldn’t bear to think of not having a part with the One he loved, and he said, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” Complete submission to what Christ wanted to do. Jesus said, “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit.” When our walk is clean, we are completely clean. Then Jesus said, “And ye are clean, but not all.” He was meaning Judas.

Abraham spoke to those men about resting under the tree. It was quiet there, and Abraham wanted them to know of rest. Nothing to disturb. This is what Christ wants us to know as we come here to convention. The sheep, if it doesn’t have time to rest and chew the cud, it will die. We are sheep in God’s flock and the devil would like to keep us on the move, get us all concerned about things, because he knows we will die if he does that, but we have a Good Shepherd who will make it possible for us to know of rest.

That hymn we sang, “My Saviour, Thou hast offered rest, Oh give it then to me, the rest from ceasing from myself and find my all in Thee.” Perfectly satisfied in Christ Jesus. “In Thy strong hands I lay me down, so shall the work be done, for who can work so wondrously, as Thou Almighty One.” No one can work like the God of Heaven and Christ His son.

Abraham said, “I will fetch a morsel of bread,” and that is what God and Christ want to do for us – feed us as we gather here. Jesus spoke of Himself in John 6 as the bread of life which came down from Heaven. “I am the living bread, which if any man shall eat, he will live forever.” The bread of life will strengthen us and enable us to walk in God’s way. I want nothing else to feed on, but Christ. When we feed on Christ, we will be a light in this world – Christlike in our attitude towards one another and towards the world.

Abraham said to those men, “Comfort Ye Your hearts; and after that Ye shall pass on: for therefore are Ye come to Your servant.” Before Christ left His disciples, He said, “I will not leave you comfortless.” He spoke of the Holy Spirit, and it would not only be their comfort, but also their teacher and their guide. As God comforts us, then we will be encouraged to continue on realizing that everything is right with God and we have nothing to worry about. Those two people walking to Emmaus would feel comfort after Jesus spoke to them. The way up to the kingdom of God is the way down as we humble ourselves. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit being a guide. Some mountain climbers were going to do a difficult climb. They hadn’t done it before and they needed a guide. The guide said, “I am your guide and you have never done this climb before, and I want you to trust me and follow me and my instructions, and you will finish this climb safely.” If we trust the Holy Spirit to guide us in all things, we will get to eternity safely.

One day I was standing in the kitchen of a convention and stirring the pot, and when I glanced across the room, I noticed a little girl there singing at the top of her voice. The next meal I looked to see where she was, and there she was and she was singing, and she made a mistake, so she stopped and dropped her head because she had made a mistake. The next meal she didn’t sing, and the next meal she didn’t sing again, and now I was anxious to see if she would sing again. Then she sang very softly, and the next meal she sang a little again.

We all make mistakes and we make them frequently, and we feel so bad, and wonder what God is thinking. I wonder if He is anxiously looking and hoping that we will come on and not just stop there. When I started praying for this meeting, that picture of Joshua standing before the angels with filthy garments – Zechariah 3, and Satan standing on his right hand to accuse. Our accuser stands right there and says, what you have done, and he is right, and we have to say, “Yes, I did fail.” Then the Lord spoke to Satan and rebuked him and said, “O Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee, is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? You can be quiet Satan, I am going to use this man.” God caused the angel to change Joshua’s garments, and there he was ready for duty. The accuser comes in many forms.

I think of Hannah and her husband loved her, but she wasn’t bringing forth the fulfillment of her desire. Peninnah was there saying “You haven’t got a child!” It plagued Hannah and her adversary continued to tell her, “You don’t have a child!” Then she went to the Lord, and it all changed. I wondered what her adversary could say then. When God steps in, He makes the difference.

Someone was attending meetings one time, and she came for 6 years, and she sat and listened and then one day we visited her and she poured out what was in her heart. She had a relationship which was illegal and she justified it because her husband was an alcoholic, and she felt she needed a bit of love. She sat in the meetings and she knew she was guilty. That day it was a very special feeling to be able to read with her John 8 about the woman who was taken in adultery and her accusers said she was guilty, but she couldn’t say a thing because it was true. It was lovely how Jesus handled that. Jesus said, “Go and sin no more.” I don’t know, but maybe that day she also got a revelation of what Jesus was doing for her. Jesus was going to the cross to pay the price for her sin, and then He was going to go on and become the one who was pleading her cause before her Lord God. He was going to be an intercessor. There was hope, and that is what Jesus came to give us.

Jeremiah 29:11, we read, “’For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,’ saith the Lord, ‘Thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.’” The Hungarian Bible rendering is, “to give you an end, and give you a hope.” The day that Peter denied Jesus, and he heard the cock crow, he felt terrible – “I am guilty.” It tells us that Jesus turned and looked on him. I wonder what was in that look. Maybe Jesus was saying, “Peter, remember I have prayed for you – just hold on. I am going to the cross to pay the price for that.” Peter carried on and was able to declare his love to his Master. Jesus just carried on to the cross and He was our intercessor.

What has happened in the past, it doesn’t matter anymore. If the accuser comes and tells you about your past, you just tell him about his future. Our future is a future of hope. Hebrews 6 speaks about the oath that God has made, “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us; which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.” It is sure and steadfast, and as we are following Jesus, we are going to obtain that reward. We don’t have to listen to the old adversary. Jesus went to the cross, and He hung there and suffered and died, and He knew that darkness from being separated from God. That is why He could pray, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do…” He knew how terrible the separation from God is. His love and His suffering for our sins, I don’t want to ever forget it.

That day the accuser was standing there accusing Joshua to God. He might even accuse us to our God, and our friends in our meeting, but He can’t accuse us to God any more because we have an intercessor. We don’t have to listen to him any more, as he has no access to God. John 10 tells us the thief cometh in but to steal and to kill and destroy. That is what our accuser is about, to steal from us eternal life. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd, and I know My sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” We want to listen to the shepherd that gives us what will feed our souls. Words of the hymn I like to think of – “Made conscious of short comings and our need of help from Thee…Impart Thy Holy Spirit to give utterance to our plea…The tempter now accusing, from our vision Lord conceal…And interceding on our part, Our great High Priest reveal.” That is what we want to see. Every time the accuser comes, may we remember that he has no place in Heaven.

Exodus 16:4, bread from heaven every day to prove them. This was an answer to a people who murmured. It would be manna that fell from heaven.

Seven things the manna would prove about them:

1. Their belief, that it will feed me today and meet my need and give me strength and will master my nature today. It will meet my need today if I am lonely or burdened. If they really believed, they would be out gathering.

2. Their daily faithfulness. Morning by morning, get up to get it. Gathered by hand, seed by seed. Quality time that affected the little ones in their household and others.

3. Their willingness to bow and bed. They couldn’t work while they did it. That proved their strength for their soul.

4. Would prove their obedience. For one day only, it would last except the sixth day when a double portion was preserved. Obedience opens the door to be fed.

5. Would prove their desires. Makes us willing to get up and be satisfied and get rest and joy. Manna would help keep right desires and to cast out wrong desires.

6. Prove their urgency of salvation. Neglect takes us to the same destiny as rebellion! This means my salvation. This is my life and health and soul’s strength. The rut of complacency can rob.

7. Prove to them that this is my ONLY source of strength and life. We learn what avenue in life brings us life and where to feed for a strong, well-fed soul.

Mark 10, the Pharisees questioned because of the hardness of their heart.

Good soil is soil with room for the good seed and nothing else. Legion must have had good soil – Jesus saw potential.

Proverbs 24:3, through wisdom is a house builded.

Matthew 7, those who heard and obeyed were wise. Planned to obey and make a stable house.

Pray – and we learn about God

Read – and we learn about Jesus

Obey – and we learn more about the Spirit

Luke 15, the prodigal didn’t know if he would be accepted as a servant but he was offering. He planned to obey. He had only room for his Father’s will so there’d be life – because he had a need. The older brother had a hard heart.

Do what we have to do when we find out, it’s for our soul. Listen with the intent to obey. The doing develops the fruit. When fruit finally resembles the seed, it’s time for it to be taken home.

James 5:16, “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Fervent is warm and heartfelt. Effectual is having a feeling of need and being thankful.

What makes our prayer effectual? Our feeling of need and thankfulness will make them effectual.

Mark 11:23 – mountains removed. Faith must accompany our prayer. Believe God hears. We can go to a water tap with confidence that the water will flow. We must believe God will hear our cry and help our need. Jesus said, “Thou hearest Me always.”

Mark 11:25 – if you stand praying, forgive, if you have ought against any. Forgiveness must accompany prayer. There is help in prayer to forgive. Jesus on the cross asked for forgiveness for those still hurting Him.

Mark 9:28, the man the disciples could not help. Jesus said this comes by fasting and by prayer. Fasting is self-denial. Jesus had that background so He could help the man.

Mark 14:37, Jesus spoke of watching. When we’re not praying, are we watching? Watch for doors of temptation to stay awake and aware of.

Mark 10, we read here about the blind man. We are very glad for the gospel message, it is the most important message that we can hear in this life. We know a magnet, we can hold a magnet near a stone and it doesn’t do anything, put it near to the wood and it doesn’t do anything, and you can put it near many things and it does not do anything. When we bring it near the steel, it makes contact, it draws. We are glad for this gospel for often when people listen to this gospel there are different hearts. Sometimes there is a heart like a stone, this gospel, this magnet cannot draw that heart, different kind of hearts that listen to the word of God. We can be very glad when there is a need and desire in our hearts for the help of God, because this gospel draws that heart.

This was not the first time that the Lord visited Jericho, just a visit. The Lord did not come to stay there. When we listen to this gospel, the Lord, the God of Heaven visits us. To think that the Lord wants to visit us. What did David say? When he thought of the greatness of God, “What is man, that you come and visit him?” You know when the Lord comes to visit, He wants to stay with us, and we have the choice.

Remember in Joshua, we think of the two messengers that came to Jericho. They came to the house of Rahab. They did not know Rahab. They didn’t know her life, but the Lord sent them there. Sometimes we look at people on the outside, and we say, “Oh no, there is nothing there.” The Lord looks at the heart. When Rahab saw those two messengers, she said, “Come inside.” When Jesus sent His disciples out two by two, he said, “They that receive you, they receive Me. They that receive Me, receive the Father who sent Me.” Rahab said to them, “We have heard many things about you people. We heard about your God, how He brought you out of Egypt, how He gave you victory over the enemy, and all the miracles your God did.” I am sure that Rahab, many a day as she heard these things, she would have thought, “I want a God like that in my life. Where can I find Him? How can He come to me?” The Lord heard the prayer of her heart, nothing impossible for the Lord to do. Rahab was in Jericho. Round about Jericho was a big wall. How could anybody break through there? When there is a person who has a need in their heart, there is no wall that can stop the Lord from working. We have examples where this gospel has found people behind a wall of sin. It seemed impossible for them to be saved, but the Lord worked. Here Jesus visited Jericho. There were many people in Jericho. Who did he find there? He found Zacchaeus. There was something different about Zacchaeus. He had a need in his heart. He wanted the Lord’s help in his life, and this is what drew the Lord’s presence to him.

Now, as Jesus was going out of Jericho, we read of this blind man Bartimaeus. You know when God looks down on the earth today, He sees two kinds of people. He sees those people who can see, and those who are blind. There are many people, there are rich people, there are poor people, there are strong people, there are weak people, different kinds of people but the Lord sees two kinds: those who can see and those who can’t see. This blind man, there were other blind men I am sure, but this blind man was different. He knew he was blind, and he knew, “I have no rest in my soul. I want to see.” When a blind man walks there on the road, he doesn’t call out and say, “I am blind.” He goes quietly along. Everybody can see there goes a blind man. Maybe he walks with a white stick, but perhaps he has someone who leads him. Everybody can see it is a blind man, the way he walks, the way he talks. You can see he is a blind man. You know the way people walk and the way people talk today, the Lord can see that is a blind person, not speaking about these eyes, but the eyes of our heart, to be able to see with the eyes of our heart. Sometimes a person says there are many ways that go to heaven. Those are words of a blind person before God. They say, “We all read the same bible. We all pray to the same God. We are all going to heaven.” Those are words of a blind man. Sometimes a person speaks the truth from the bible, speaks about Jesus. It is true, you can read it, true what he says, but you know the life doesn’t go with the words, he is a blind man. Sometimes a person says, “I want to do my own thing. Go my own way.” That is a blind person, and we think of this blind man. He was a beggar, he was begging every day. Some places where we go, we find a lot of beggars. Many times, you try to avoid them. If they come this side of the road, you go that side of the road. You feel sorry for them. Sometimes you see a beggar standing beside the road. Someone comes past and they beg for something. That person just looks the other way, doesn’t look at the beggar. The beggar doesn’t mind, he waits for the next person. When the next person comes and this beggar begs for something, sometimes that person can say hard words to that beggar, words that can hurt him, “Why don’t you go and work? Why stand here and beg?” No, the beggar just waits till he gets help. We don’t like beggars like that. We want to avoid them but you know what? Before God, if we come like a beggar, this is what the Lord is waiting for. He will never avoid us. If we come and plead for help, He is very ready to help us. This is how this blind man felt in his heart when Jesus came past, “Now I must call out for help.” You know what he was calling for? He was calling for mercy. He realised his own condition, “I can’t see, I can’t help.” There were other voices that tried to quieten him, but his need was too great, was greater than the other voices. He just kept on asking.

The Lord called him and you know what the blind man did? He cast his garment away. We think of a garment, sometimes it is just like an outward covering. Jesus said to the Pharisee who were worried about the outside, “What about the heart?” Between the outside of the dish which is so clean, and the inside is dirty. It is possible to have a garment of self righteousness. The way I do things, it is right in my eyes but it is not according to the righteousness of God. We can do many good things, but our righteousness is just like dirty rags. The garment the Lord wants to give us comes from the heart. We think of our Lord Jesus full of grace and truth. He is the righteousness of God. Jesus asked this man, “What do you want me to do for you?” The Lord can do anything for us. This man just said, “That I may see.” That is an honest heart. An honest heart will always feel, “I cannot see, I do not know what is the right way.” What is right and what is wrong in the sight of God? He said, “Open my eyes.” This was a wonderful thing that happened to this man. In the beginning, there were so may people who could see. This man was blind. In the end, this man could see. All the other people were blind. They could not see that Jesus was the way to heaven. This man, the eyes of his heart were opened. He could see this is his way, this is his ministry, this is his doctrine because of a revelation that came to him and he began to follow Him in the way.

Jesus said to His disciples, “Blessed are your eyes for they see.” He was not speaking about these eyes, speaking of the eyes of the heart. What is more wonderful, these eyes: they get weaker as we get older, but the eyes of our heart get clearer and clearer. We are so glad for these things, glad for this gospel. It is the same that Jesus brought, comes with the same spirit, comes with the same power, it does the same work today. There were only two people in Jericho that the Lord could help. What about all the other people? It depends on the need in our hearts. It is a great blessing to have a desire in our heart for the help of God.

Genesis 12:1, we read here of the time that God found Abraham and when He called Abraham. Aren’t we glad that we found the truth? Jesus said, “I am the truth.” Aren’t we glad we found the truth? Some places we go and we invite people to gospel meetings, no, they do not want to come. I think in my heart, “Thank you, Lord, for remembering me. I could have been just like that.” Often we are thankful that we found the truth. Really, it is the truth that found us. Even these days as we sit in these meetings, nobody knows what is going on in our hearts. The light of the truth is showing things to us, showing that we are standing in a wrong place, come away from that. The truth finds us all the time.

This day when the Lord called, “Abraham, come away from your country, from your father’s house,” it was a day of separation, a big separation, had to go to another country. This was not the biggest separation that came in Abraham’s life. As Abraham went on with the Lord, the Lord showed him things in his own life to separate from them; Abraham was willing to separate from Isaac. Doesn’t it happen with us, also? As we go on in the way of God, the Lord shows us that His thoughts are not our thoughts. Sometimes we can have good thoughts. The Lord tells us, “They are not My thoughts.” As the heaven is high above the earth, so are the Lord’s thoughts above our thoughts, and His ways are above our ways. The Lord has to bring a separation so that we can come more into His favour.

As Abraham listened to the word of God, he received faith in his heart. We are not born with this faith, but as we listen to the word of God we receive this faith in our heart. Abraham went out. He did not know where he was going, taking steps in faith. That is how we walk in the way of God. People want to know why do you do this, why don’t you do that, but we are walking in faith. The faithful ones finished in the way, and we would also like to be with them. Abraham began to journey to the land of Canaan. Every day Abraham could have started the day and he would have said to himself, “I am not in Canaan yet. I must go to Canaan.” We would like to remember also, “I am not like Jesus yet, a lot of work to be done. I must be willing for this work in my life, to become more like Him.”

The Lord said to Abraham, “I will make of you a great nation. I will make you.” Sometimes we want to do things, but it is what we allow the Lord to do for us that is the most important. The Lord’s work is a great work. The Lord’s spirit can work where no man can work. The Lord said to Abraham, “I will bless you.” The people of God have the greatest blessing. There are two kinds of blessings: natural blessings and spiritual blessings. Sometimes when as farmer has a good harvest, he says, “I am blest.” When a man finds a good job, he says, “I am blest.” Many natural blessings, but aren’t we so glad for spiritual blessings? Even this convention, the Lord has blessed us to be here. A great blessing, getting food for our souls. Other people don’t know about this food. We heard about sitting at the king’s table, a great blessing. The Lord has really blessed us. When we come to the end of the journey and we look back, we will see blessings and blessings that came from the Lord.

As Abraham went, he began to build altars where he made sacrifices. We have two kinds of altars in our life as we make sacrifices, not that we want to speak about sacrifices, for we want to feel it is a privilege. There are two kinds of sacrifices: one is the sacrifices we make and other people can see what we are doing, then there are sacrifices in the secret places between us and God, the Lord only knows about those, and those are more important to the Lord, those sacrifices that bring us nearer to the Lord. As Abraham journeyed there was a famine in the land, a difficult experience. Don’t we find that also as we go on in the way of the Lord? We never expected it, but the Lord did not tell us in the beginning, that there won’t be difficult times, won’t be battles to fight. No, but he promised to be with us all the way. We would like to go through these experiences with the Lord.

An old sister was in the hospital. She was very sick. She could not speak. The friends came to visit her there. There was one man who did not know about her. When he visited these people in the hospital, he saw that woman. One day when she was alone, he went to speak to her. She spoke to him in a very difficult way. She could not speak clearly. She was in pain, but she never complained. That was what spoke to him. He came to meetings, he and his wife. They both professed. What he said afterwards, “It was the spirit in that woman that spoke to me.” Sometimes God’s people go through difficult times but then we can help other people.

The time came when Abraham had so much cattle and flocks and Lot was with him. They had to separate. Abraham, from the beginning, let God choose for him. He said to Lot, “If you go to the left, then I will go to the right.” A wonderful spirit, he let God choose for him. We know so well, when we allow God to choose, we never lose. In the eyes of man, it looked as though Lot was winning. He chose the place where there was all the water. When he went away from Abraham, the Lord drew near to Abraham. The Lord said, “Lift up your eyes from the place where you are standing. Look all around, as far as you can see I will give it to you.” The Lord did not say to Abraham, “If you were a better person, I would have helped you. If you had more victory in your life, I would have helped you. If you were more kind, I would have helped you.” No, He said, “You look from the place where you are.”

Sometimes we come to a place where we feel that we have been defeated. The enemy says, “There is no hope for you.” We are in bondage, even from that place the Lord would like to show you what He can do for you. The Lord can bring a change, when we work with Him. He can bring a big change and He can bless us. This happened in Abraham’s life a few times when he had to lift up his eyes. Sometimes we look down, we can’t see. The Lord helps us in meetings like this to lift up our eyes again, to see the very best before us. All the time, the Lord seeks to help us to have the right vision. If we see we go the right way, and if we go the right way, it brings happiness into our hearts.

We read of another time when Abraham was sitting in his tent door. He was guarding his tent, keeping the right things inside and the wrong things outside. The wrong things that creep in, they don’t just walk in, they creep in, they don’t creep out. Sometimes we have to fight to get them out, and that is our part. God want us to guard our hearts. We are glad for the heart God gave us. He wants us to guard it. That day when Abraham was sitting there, he looked up again. He saw three men coming to him. It was the Lord coming to him. What an encouraging word! When we are struggling the most, then the Lord comes to us to help us. This was one day that Abraham would never forget the help he got from the Lord. It was a happy day in Abraham’s life.

We read of the other time coming when the Lord asked Abraham to offer up Isaac. As they journeyed three days, Abraham lifted up his eyes. He saw the place afar off. Abraham would have realised that is the place where he must sacrifice and he went there. Sometimes the Lord shows us the place of sacrifice, the place where we have to say no to self and yes to the Lord. I am so slow to go there, but you know in that place of sacrifice, others have found such great blessing. Abraham went there and we know what happened. The angel of the Lord had to stop him. He lifted up his eyes again and he saw that ram caught in the bush there. The Lord showed him his sacrifice. The Lord showed him that day, because he was willing for this sacrifice, he was able to see much further. He was there on the mountain and the Lord showed him Jesus 100s of years before Jesus came, Abraham saw the Lord Jesus. This is what Jesus said, “Abraham rejoiced to see My day.” He was glad. Abraham could see that day such full provision that God would make through His son years later, provision for our souls, salvation.

When we think of a convention, we get the dates during the year, and we look forward to convention. You know who looks forward more to those days? The Lord Himself. He knows these are My children, I know their needs and I have a big storehouse, full provision. Don’t we find that as we sit in these meetings, provision and more provision for our souls? The need in our heart can never be greater than the provision that God can meet at the king’s table. Abraham saw all this. When he went back that day to his servants, they would have seen, “This is a happy man.” Such a change. What happened? That was a matter between him and God. They don’t know what happened. When he came home, his wife and others would have seen, “There is such a change. Something happened. Abraham is so happy.” We heard about one woman coming to convention. She was the only one professing in her family. When she came back from Convention and she came home, her relatives asked her, “What did you hear? What happened?” She said, “I can’t remember much, but I feel so clean inside.” That is what the Lord does for us at Convention. He wants to clean our hearts. It can be seen on our countenance, seen on our faces. Abraham lived many years. It speaks of the days of Abraham. That is what happens to us, also.

We serve the Lord day by day. The Lord is counting our days. He would like our days to count for eternity. The Lord does so much for us every day. Sometimes I can worry about the future. Then I can’t see what the Lord is doing for me today. One day, the Lord is going to come back that day, and so we want to make the best of every day.

I Thessalonians 5, Paul in writing to the people began by talking of the secnd coming of Christ. “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.”

The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night – will come suddenly for them that know not God. It will come as a thief to rob them. God helps us to be prepared for that day when Christ comes a second time – that’s something we’ve been living for. Walk as children of the light, and we’d be manifesting that which is of Christ, as we live our lives here.

As we are children of the day and not of the darkness, not asleep as do others, but watch and be sober. Why did Paul write this if he was referring to the Children of God? It would be a sad situation to be in – to sleep while we are children of the day. If some would be in that condition, God wants to awaken us to our responsibility; to realise we should be watching and be sober. Something may come upon us if we sleep and are not aware.

“Let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith.” Speaks of being prepared – take that which God has provided and be able to stand that which comes against us. Jesus encouraged the Disciples to watch and pray – be those that are watchful. A friend in Scotland who was skipper of a fishing trawler always left the home port with the crew so they would arrive at the fishing grounds at midnight. They are very busy putting the nets out and get in position once the course was plotted. The skipper always took first watch, and he let others go down to the bunks and sleep. There he was – no lights, just the navigator’s little light, so he could keep on course. He said, “It’s very easy at that time to fall asleep – the noise of the diesel engine and no other lights on.” What helped him to keep awake was his responsibility for the lives of other men that were asleep in the trawler. If he went to sleep and something happened and he didn’t react quick enough to right the situation of that trawler and to right the situation of their course, there was very little hope of those men coming out alive.

It is necessary as children of God to realise our responsibility to others – those journeying along with us, because as we realize this, we’ll be those that will watch and be sober, and watch and pray.

Verse 14, Paul is showing us what is our responsibility, “Warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.” This is the responsibility that could keep us awake, to help us to watch and pray. As we shoulder our responsibility, we’ll be those that will be the help that we should be, so that there wouldn’t be those that would lose out in knowing soul’s salvation. Maybe not so much as that skipper felt, but we are our brother’s keeper, to be the help we should be to others.

Verse 16, “Rejoice evermore.” That is something that as we do it ourselves, we encourage others to do the same. Rejoice not only at times when things are going well for us, and we are enjoying serving God, but at times when there are difficulties and dark experiences come. It is in those times we know God with us. Matthew 5, “Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Rejoice when times are not good. When evil spoken of us, we endure that and our name is written in the Book of Life.

“Pray without ceasing.” Abraham prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah – because of the love he had for Lot who was living there. He first prayed if God found 50 righteous within the city, that God would save Sodom.

Abraham didn’t feel, “Well, I’ve prayed to God and it’s good enough,” but he continued to pray. He didn’t cease, because of a love for Lot. He reduced the number to 10, and God said, “I’ll not destroy the city for 10.” One time there were things I really needed to pray for and I prayed once for them, and said, “Well, I’ve prayed for that.” That is not how it should be. Jesus prayed without ceasing all through His life – constantly, and how much more I needed to do so! So God continued to hear my cry, and helped others also.

“Give thanks in all things, for this is God’s will concerning you.” It is easy to give thanks to God when things go well. We sing in that hymn, “We thank thee Lord for weary days, when desert springs were dry.” When we prove God being a Father to us in weary days and dark experiences, we can certainly thank God for those experiences. The Children of Israel – we have a record of those people facing dark experiences, but looking back upon them, because of praising God as their helper and strength, they gave thanks for all things for this is God’s will for us.

Hebrews 13-15, “By Him therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.” That is a sacrifice to give to God – sacrifice of praise to His name, as God brings us through experiences, and we come through those experiences as He wants us to come through. Realising His help, we will continue to give thanks to His name.

“Quench not the Spirit.” King Saul, after Samuel anointed him, the spirit of God came upon him, and he did something after that which pleased God and pleased the people. But I Samuel 13 says Saul reigned one year, but when he reigned two years he got his army together and chose 3000 men. It was peaceful for the first year of Saul’s reign, enjoying being King and appreciating his position, but it would seem that in that time he got lifted up in himself. It was told to us some years ago – “Days of prosperity are dark days – but days of adversity are bright days.”

When I first heard that, I thought, “Surely not!” But days of prosperity, if we are not careful, they are days taking us away from God. We can become lifted up in ourselves. But in days of adversity, we feel our need of receiving help, and God draws near to us and we draw near to God.

Saul, it seemed had bright days of prosperity – if he had kept in touch with Samuel and God, but in that time of waiting for Samuel to come, and he didn’t come, Saul saw the Philistines and people beginning to scatter, so he took things into his own hands. I’m sure that the Spirit would have prompted him to wait, but he felt, “I am king,” and was lifted up – “I can do what I want.” Quench not the spirit. Be responsive to the prompting of the Spirit.

A young sister worker and her older companion went to a Sunday morning meeting, and the younger spoke in the meeting as well as others. When she spoke the older companion felt, “That’s not quite right,” and felt she should tell her sometime! But the older companion never had opportunity to do that. The next day, Monday, they went to visit some folks, and talked with the wife, then the husband came home and he said to the younger sister, “Thank you for what you said in the Sunday morning meeting.” The older companion said later to the young sister, “I felt bad when I heard that man say that. I had despised what you said, but the very thing you said was a help to that man.” Not good to despise prophesy, because what is said could be a help to another.

“Prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good.” There was a man who lived in a hollow. Big floods went through that country and some of the water rose around his home. He climbed up on the roof, and the floods swept him off the roof. His hand came in contact with a wire and with the other hand he hung on for 18 hours in the dark, till a boat came to rescue him. The rescuers said to him, “You can let go of the wire.” The man said, “I can’t.” The wire was embedded into his hand. They had to operate to take the wire out. He was asked, “That must have been painful holding on?” “Well,” he said, “It was at first, but I said to myself, `Let go and drown, or hold on and live.’” We need to hold on to live, as far as God is concerned. Let go and lose our soul’s salvation. God wants to encourage us to hold on, no matter what experiences come into our lives.

“Abstain from all appearance of evil.” Abstain from every form of evil, certainly as the Spirit of God is with you – be even as the Children of Light, and we will be able to recognise every form of evil and abstain from it.

Think of the number of times Jesus told the disciples to forgive another, so God will forgive us. Matthew 18, Peter asked Jesus, “How often shall I forgive?” Jesus said, “Seventy times seven – 490 times.” Jesus was really saying, “Put no limit on your forgiveness,” and that is a good thing. Put no limit on your forgiveness because God our Father puts no limit on us either. Jesus spoke a parable about a man who was forgiven much, yet he wouldn’t forgive another for so little. His master took compassion on him and forgave such a big debt, yet he had no love for his master. He didn’t show any love to his fellow servant that owed him so little. Our Father has shown us so much love. How much more we need to show love and compassion to others. As we do this, God our Father will forgive our sin. This matter of forgiving others, Jesus taught, “Be childlike.” If we are childlike to forgive others, we can be a help to ourselves and to others.

For me, it’s a privilege to have a part in this family where the love of God unites us, not just here but everywhere. When I was leaving Italy and everyone knew, many sent heartiest greetings to our brothers and sisters here. There’s a lady in Turin who had been looking for the truth and the way of God. She was lying in a hospital bed, opposite one of our friends who was very ill and was being cared for by our friends and our sister workers. This lady knew, she said, right away that this was the right Way. In a city of more than a million people, she was found. That’s the heart of our Father, like a father who says to a little child, “Take one step at a time” because a little child falls often.

My thoughts have been with Peter and what Jesus said to him, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” Jesus didn’t say, “If you are converted, but when!” Isn’t that a wonderful hope? There was a future after all for Peter, even though he felt so badly. I thought of some of the steps you and I have taken and you, like me, have stumbled. “There’s a hand held out in pity, there’s a hand held out in love.” It’s the spirit of power and love and a sound mind — not the spirit of fear. Sure we have reverence but it’s the power to forgive, that power of love, and Jesus has this power — He is the sin-offering.

In Luke 5, Jesus used Peter’s boat and said, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.” Peter wasn’t anxious, as it wasn’t convenient for him, but he obeyed, and when he obeyed, he saw the miracle and went and fell at Jesus’ knees. Any fisherman would have said “It’s not a good time,” but Jesus knew — He knows the right time for you and me to launch out into the deep, as it’s the safest place when He directs us, and there in the deep we see His power.

Peter said, “Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord. This is a power far greater than I have ever seen.” Psalm 48:4, “For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marveled; they were troubled, and hasted away.” They saw God amongst His people — something they had never seen before, something that had never been told them. Our Father has a power far greater than every other power. I think of Jesus and the power on His side. It speaks that they took steps up into the mount of prayer, and Peter spoke of that occasion as an old man — it was a picture of Jesus in His majesty. Sometimes we take steps with Jesus up into the mount of prayer, too. I was thinking of how Peter’s faith failed. This is what is happening to us these days, isn’t it? We see Him in His majesty and His power.

Peter let Jesus down by denying Him three times, and then he went out and wept bitterly. Jesus looked at him with a look of love, understanding, and compassion. That’s our Master! That’s our older brother! That’s the One who takes our hand when we stumble! How could Peter’s faith become less? Maybe he felt, “I have gone too far,” but then he realised, “Jesus has prayed for me.” And that’s how Jesus is, and even as we sang in that hymn, He’s pleading now within the veil. Peter said, “I will go with you even to prison, unto death.” All the disciples said the same thing, but Peter denied Him three times and failed. We all fail!

I thought of what Jesus said, “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” In John 17, He prayed three times for those whom God had given Him and said, “Keep them through thine own name from the world.” He loved them to the end just as He loves us today. Peter was found sleeping and Jesus said, “Could ye not spend one hour with me?” How often I’m found sleeping when I should be praying. Jesus overcame through the power of prayer and after He rose from the dead, those two who were walking to Emmaus went and told, “The Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared unto Simon.” Remember the message that the angels told, “Go tell His disciples and Peter.” Peter would have felt, “I am hardly worthy to be His disciple anymore.” But that’s the heart of our Father!

In the last chapter of John, Jesus said to Peter, “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.” He didn’t say “Can you preach?” but “If you love Me, feed the ones that I love.” That is the message from Jesus, the Good Shepherd today.

James 1:22-25, “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS IMPUTED UNTO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS,’ and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?”

We read of the disobedience of Jonah when God told him, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it…” but Jonah ran away in another direction and ended up in the belly of the fish. God wanted him to help Nineveh, but perhaps God was also focusing on what was wrong in Jonah’s heart; what was hindering him. Perhaps something needed to be changed, something needed to be corrected. We could be like Jonah today, trying to tidy our hair in a picture hanging on the wall and not getting a true picture of ourselves. God gave that man a true picture that day.

To break a mirror, or remove it from the wall, doesn’t destroy what is in us. Today, Jesus holds the mirror of His word up to us and perhaps we don’t like what we see because it shows us our true reflection. We see ourselves and what is behind us, and before us are the possibilities of change. Despite what it costs us, if we are committed, He will help us change ourselves. Jesus held the mirror of His word up to those who condemned Him that day on the cross but they didn’t see themselves.

Today, we are shocked by what we see in God’s mirror. We see our past and our failures and are so thankful we can look beyond them and see our possibilities in Christ. It gives us reassurance and encourages us that these changes can be made in us. The brass laver that stood in the centre of the courtyard of the temple was used as a looking glass for the ladies. Inside the laver was the water used for cleansing. May God’s word help us use the mirror of His word daily and be cleansed and may we be willing to make the necessary changes in our life.

Richard Hare Middleton was born on December 19, 1921 and died on October 02, 2006 at the age of 84. He last resided in Shingle Springs, California in El Dorado County. He laboured in the ministry in western USA. Hymn 323 was written by him after the funeral of a 20-year-old saint girl who was killed while walking to a gospel meeting in 1970.

Moses said to Pharaoh, “Let my people go to the wilderness to worship.” Pharaoh refused and so God sent many troubles to them. Moses continued with the same message, “Let my people go.” Afterwards, Pharaoh said to Moses, “You can go but do not go very far away.” The king of this world is just like that, “Yes, you can go and worship your God, but don’t go far, just stay near us.” If we wish to worship God, we need to be separate, from everything, be completely separated from Egypt and the things of Egypt.  

Pharaoh then asked Moses a question, “Who are they that shall go?” Moses replied, “We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters. With our flocks and with our herds will we go, for we must hold a feast to the Lord. We will go with everything, not just with our children but we all go, even the old ones.” We are so glad that we see you bringing your children to the meetings, coming to convention for we all serve God.

We understand that sometimes money is short and some cannot come to convention. One of our friends, a certain mother went to another place in the north of the country where there was no fellowship. We were angry with her husband because they went there, sending your wife far away. How is she going to have a meeting? No friends there. Never mind, that is their business. They were looking for a new farm. Every Sunday morning, this Mother had a meeting with her children. They worshipped God. One day, one of the neighbours called at this time and asked, “What are you doing here?” “Well, we are praying, worshipping God.” “May I also come in?” She said, “Yes, you can come in.” She began to come in, also. Another came. She also came and started to go. Today, there is a convention on that farm. God had a plan in all this, but we could not see it at the time. She was a faithful woman who wanted to serve God.

Moses did not want to leave the children, not even the animals. Pharaoh said, “Go, but let your cattle stay.” Moses did not agree to leave one thing behind. If something was left, they would be drawn to go back again.

We heard about Abraham. He went out because he was called. We have been called, also. It was difficult to leave his father, it hurts.

Ruth also went. She left her family behind. She saw the prize ahead. She knew, “I have been called.”

In Corinthians, we read, “Come out from among them and be ye separate.” Don’t be in agreement with things that are not in agreement with God, things that are not suitable for the children of God.

Hannah took her son Samuel and left him with Eli in the house of God. She fulfilled her vow. Don’t you think it was painful to separate from him and to leave him?

Jesus came from far, didn’t he? Separated from his father, coming to this evil world to preach to all people, to all nations.

Daniel and his friends also were separated from their friends, as a prisoner to a far-off country. They served in that land that was not their land. They showed plainly that we are serving God. We will never bow to other gods even if it means death.

Joseph also was separated from his Father to that far-away land. He kept himself upright. Some tried to find fault with him, but he stood with strength.

John on the Isle of Patmos, also alone. We know that the book of the Revelations was written by him. If John was not separated from his brethren, would we have had that book written? I am glad that he remained faithful to God and he saw Jesus sitting on a throne. One day, Jesus will sit on His throne as a shepherd dividing the goats from the sheep. Let us be faithful today and have it settled that we are on His side now. Then it will also be for all eternity.

I would like to read from Deuteronomy 8:1-8. As we read on in this chapter, we read where Moses told about the land of Egypt and where they had come from; he also told them about the desert and the good land—the Promised Land, which they were leading into. He gives three clear pictures of it: firstly, from where they had come from, concisely that Egypt was the house of bondage. Then he reminisces about the desert that was a great and terrible desert, and then he speaks about the Promised Land that was a good land, a land of brooks and fountains, etc.

Today, we would like to speak about the desert that Moses spoke of here. I have read that ‘desert’ is derived from the Hebrew word which means ‘to speak.’ That has been helpful to me in understanding why God leads us through this desert – He wants to speak to us. There’s no place on this earth that is so dreary, so harsh, or so absent of people and things, where we still can hear the voice of God. Many here today have known of some desert days and those are the days that God is speaking to us about. This chapter is when Moses was reflecting, “Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee, these 40 years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no. And He humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with manna which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.”

There were three reasons why God was leading them through this terrible desert. First, it is to humble us. There’s nothing there, there is no audience, and no band playing. It’s in the desert days that God has been leading us through, where He has been proving and testing us, “to humble thee, to prove thee, and to know what was in thy heart.” There’s nothing like a desert—day after day for 40 years wandering in that great and terrible desert. That’s where God wants to speak to us. We can thank God today for the desert because if it wasn’t for the desert, we may never have heard the voice of God. It’s wonderful that in this great and terrible desert we are passing through, our God is leading us and telling us about His Son every day.

Exodus 3, after 40 years in that great and terrible desert Moses was on top of Mount Horeb. We can call this mount the Mount of conviction. It was there that he personally heard very clearly the call of God. The reason he was in the desert was for God to speak to Moses and after tending the sheep for 40 years God spoke to him. Isn’t this a comforting thought? We are back at convention again, and for many gathered in this place this is the mount of conviction. Many can relate back to a time like this when we were quiet and still—God slowed us down to the point where He could say, “Be still and know that I am God,” and God was able to speak to us. When God speaks, there is never any doubt as to who is speaking. When God spoke to Moses, He said, “Moses, Moses…” Moses knew who was speaking to him, and he answered and said, “Here am I.” I don’t think God ever wanted to hear anything else.

After 40 years of day by day wandering in a trackless desert, God showed Moses His miraculous plan to lead His people out of Egypt. Sometimes God waits many years to hear these words from us, but in His patience and mercy He has been kind and has led us to this mountain of conviction when we are quieted and stilled enough. We can thank Him today that He ever spoke to us. The desert was a very different place for Moses than the palace where pride, independence, and wealth were. Maybe that’s why he needed those 40 years in the desert to rid him of the pride when God chose to take him from Pharaoh. He wanted to speak to Moses and get him alone. It was perfect timing when God spoke to him, and I am sure those words would have re-echoed from that time onwards.

God said to him, “Draw not nigh hither for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” That is an important verse. There was Moses standing alone with God and God wanting to tell him something very important. There would never be a day after that Moses would forget. This place was a token of his respect and submission to the God of Heaven. “I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” If you remember back in Genesis 17 when God appeared to Abraham, he was 99 years old, and He said, “I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect.” At that very important time of his life God assured Moses again that He was the Almighty God; He was still in charge, and He was leading them through that great and vast wilderness.

There were a number of things that Moses felt at that time—he felt his inability. Firstly, he said, “Who am I? What shall I say? How shall I say it? I am not eloquent,” and God said, “When you go unto the children of Israel you say, ‘I AM THAT I AM: You tell them that so they will know that the One who has sent you is the Almighty God.’” We are so thankful today the Almighty God gives us that loud and clear conviction—the Almighty One is the One who is going to be with us in this desert. There won’t be one day or one hour or one moment when He’s going to be far away from us, no matter what our experience has been. He is reminding us again that He is the Almighty God; He is in control.

Experiences are for a reason—they are not for fun but to humble us and to know what is in our hearts. There’s nothing like a desert to teach us and help us to understand that there is just me and God, we are walking through this terrible desert together. That was particular for Moses at this time when he was in the wilderness. That was the one thing he proved, that there was no one but God and that’s one thing we must prove, too. In a sense, we walk together but we stand alone with God. The further on we go through life the lonelier life becomes, and at the end it’s as if we are individuals, one-to-one. That’s why God is leading us through to this land of Canaan, to humble us. It’s not without reason that we pass through these experiences of loss, separation, distress and tribulation. There’s a purpose and God tries to speak to us.

Your desert may be where you work. You may be the only one who works there. Your desert may be at school, and day-by-day you are walking. Your desert may be in the office where there’s no one else, just you and God. Your desert may be in your home, just you and God. Or those that aren’t here but in nursing homes and have been with us before but aren’t today, that may be your desert. Maybe they are the last days for them but God is still there, still saying, “I am the Almighty God. I am still with you and will never forsake you.” No matter what your experiences have been on this side of eternity, no matter how desperate or how dark or how unable we may feel, there’s no one day, this side of eternity, that we can’t feel the presence of God with us, reassuring us again that He is the Almighty God; He’s still leading us because He wants to lead us into the Promised Land.

Moses felt so unable. He felt he couldn’t go down in this miracle plan and he said, “They won’t believe me when I tell these people I cannot speak, I am not eloquent.” God got angry with him and said, “Go Moses, don’t look back, I want you to go,” and He gave him Aaron to be his mouth-piece; He gave him that conviction. And then we read that Moses talked with Aaron of this miracle plan of salvation, and do you remember what happened when they spoke to the people? They believed! – those elders and the children of Israel. No words, or expression of thankfulness, could ever express what it meant to be given a fresh hope, a fresh conviction in life.

Now we will go to Exodus 16. This is a very interesting chapter. We read of the bread of life here. Those people had travelled a certain distance and there was no bread and soon they began to look backwards to Egypt. Verse 4, “Then said the Lord unto Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in My law, or no.’” That manna wasn’t simply the only food to sustain them but it was to prove them, and the going out day-by-day to get that manna in the desert would prove their love and commitment to God. It was a vital part of their day, and a portion was to be kept laid up in the temple so that they would see that “this is the manna, the bread of life that God proved us with in that great and terrible desert.” It would be a monument to them, pointing them to the bread of life. His life would be the life-giving substance that gave them eternal life and it was a symbol of the true and living way.

Verse 7, “And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord; for that He heareth your murmurings against the Lord: and what are we that ye murmur against us?” When they first woke up in the morning, the first thing they saw was the cloud in the desert—God’s own presence there in the desert. God was still saying, “I am still here and there hasn’t been one second that I haven’t been here.” Just seeing that cloud every morning would be a visible reminder that “God is still with us, He hasn’t left us and He never will; He is still the ever-present God.” They had to go into the desert and look into the wilderness to see the glory of God and what a tremendous impact it would have on those people! It’s a wonderful thing at the start of every day when we are closer to eternity that the wonderful presence of God is still there. And then secondly is the glory of God in the desert when they saw the glory and their minds and thoughts were adjusted. They would never go through one day without thinking, “I have seen God; I have been fed on the bread of life and it has sustained me again.”

Some years ago one of my companions asked me, “What do you think is the stronger life—the human nature that we are born with or the new life that we have in Christ?” I went into some detail in explaining this new life that we have in Christ, and he listened to me, but at the end he said, “The stronger life is the life you feed. If you feed on the carnal things of this world, the fleshly things of this world, that life will be the stronger life.” As we go out every morning, God is trying to reassure us again by saying, “I am the bread of life.”

When Jesus was feeding the 5,000 in John, chapter 6, there was a multitude of people gathered and there was no bread. There was a lad there with five small barley loaves and two small fishes. Have you ever gone to a fellowship meeting and felt that the piece of bread you bring is so small, too small, and you haven’t got anything worthwhile to say? The devil speaks to you and says, “You haven’t got anything to say, again.” And you feel, “What’s that among so many?” But then you have courage to get up and share your bread and God blesses the offering and there’s bread and to spare. That’s the feast in the desert when God gives us the bread of life—that’s where we must be. If we are feeding on the right things, we will grow in the right way. If we are feeding on Jesus, there will be unity amongst us. If we are feeding on Jesus, it will be easier to love, to forgive, and to serve.

One verse that has been a help to me in recent weeks was when Jesus asked which was the greatest commandment. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, mind, and strength.” I have read that verse since childhood: God doesn’t want us to give a divided affection – but with all thy soul, mind, and strength. One of the outstanding victories that has helped me when I was trying to submit to this work was there could be no other place on this earth where a person could give themselves completely—no place where one is better able to serve God and no better place that would be more joy to God. He would only fill that place with the best things. There is no other place on this earth where our mind can be more centred on Jesus, the bread of life; no other place where a person can give more of their strength in this work of God and I’m thankful today that in my own personal desert God is still proving His promises: He will never leave you nor never forsake you. He is feeding us again today in this vast and terrible desert.

In Exodus 17 God is speaking to Moses, “Go before Me and I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb.” That is God Himself speaking to Moses. The rock is a type of Jesus, and God went before Him – that great rock foundation. Moses got to touch the rock with his rod and out came that water, and that multitude of famished people gathered around that rock. God was in the desert and feeding those people again with that life-giving water. Where the water is, the moments of blessing are, and we must be at the rock because that’s where we get the refreshing to go through the next step. Jesus is the fountain of life. Remember when Jesus came to that woman of Samaria at the well and she said that the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans? He could have fed that thought and ended up in an argument but He rather chose to tell her about the gift of God and, “Who it is that’s speaking to you? You should have asked and He would have given you that living water.” That was the spiritual rock in the desert: the rock Christ Jesus and it flowed that day and brought refreshing to that woman. Day-by-day and year-by-year, they had made sacrifices in the desert of that lamb that was indicative of Jesus giving His life. It all pointed to that time to come when Jesus Himself would come and give His life for a people like us. It’s wonderful today that we can remember that our God is the Almighty God and is still saying, “I am the Almighty God,” telling us again that Jesus is the fountain of life and the source of living water. He gave His life as a free-will offering that we could know it today.

Another verse I thought of is when Philip went to the Ethiopian eunuch and joined on to the chariot where the eunuch was reading in Isaiah. It says, “In his humility, his judgment was taken away.” Jesus was going through the last days, His last hours of His spiritual death on earth and is still humbling Himself in that great and terrible desert, still proving that He loved God with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength. We will never know this side of eternity the humiliation that the cross of Calvary brought, but in His humiliation He maintained His spirit; that was commendable. May God help us in all the deserts we go through that we will know Jesus and God the Almighty rock.

Ephesians 1:1, I found it striking what Paul wrote in this verse. The letter to the Ephesians is a rich letter.

Luke 15:18-19, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.’” The Prodigal son said, “I have sinned,” not “You have sinned.” The Prodigal son was not the only one who said, I have sinned. There were five others who uttered the same three words. Pharaoh, Saul, David, Job, Judas, and the Prodigal son. You may feel very impressed if someone said to you, “I have sinned,” but not so impressed if they said, ”You have sinned.” In the case of three it didn’t mean anything to God because of why and when they said it – they were words from the lips, no deeper than the lips – no depth to it. Confession to sin is necessary for our salvation.

Proverbs 28:13, “He who covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” With three God saw deeper than the lips, He saw the hearts. God looks upon us and looks on the heart. Three confessed their sin but did not forsake it, and it led to their ruin. Three confessed their sin, and forsook it and went on to find mercy and prosperity.

Pharaoh – Exodus 9:27, “Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, ‘I have sinned this time; the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.’” This was just the cry of a frightened man; white chunks of ice fell, lightning running on the ground. He feared, but his heart was as hard as ever. He said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?” It says the Lord hardened his heart. The Lord just sends His word and our response is either to harden our hearts or soften them. Pharoah could have had a place beside Aaron and Moses, but he hardened his heart. A frightened man cried, “I have sinned.”

Salvation means to get rid of the rocks or hardness. Ten plagues were sent to try and soften Pharaoh’s heart; that is just like ten experiences or ten gospel meetings. There were thunder and lightning and he said, “I have sinned.” An unprofessing son drove into shallow water, broke his neck – was in hospital, paralyzed from below the chest. He did not know if he would live or die. He asked for the workers to come and pray and read to him.

Then slowly the feeling came back into his body; first he could move his big toe, then the leg. Movement came back, and now he did not want the workers any more. A cry born in the storm, died in the calm. The sailors say, “When they reached the shore, they prayed no more!”

All of God’s work starts with a soft heart. Convention begins when our hearts are soft, because like the potter needs soft clay, the farmer needs soft soil to weed out and sow, the blacksmith needs soft metal to unite it, God needs a soft heart.

King Saul – I Samuel 15:24, “Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.’” He said, “I have transgressed” – feared the people and obeyed. It came from a rebellious heart, and he made excuses. It was a mixed confession, with excuses. We should not say, “IF I have hurt you, or if I have offended you, I am sorry.” We should say, “I have offended you, I have hurt you.” His cry did not mean anything because of a rebellious heart and excuses. He said, “I obeyed the voice of God.” Next he confessed with excuses. The oxen lowing, and things still alive need to be fed; they were not taken care of. “When you were little in your eyes you were made King. Why did you not obey?” Partial obedience is not obedience. Selective obedience is not obedience. It’s like cafeteria style where you pick what you like – partial obedience is not obedience.

At one convention it was said, “Obedience, Obedience, Obedience!” There are three kinds of obedience – unwilling obedience, willing obedience, and selective obedience – which is for convenience. Saul thought partial obedience is obedience. When I was a teacher, I asked my students to do their homework in ink, with double spaces – available for correction, and their name in the upper right hand corner. I said, “I will not accept it if they didn’t do that.” I wanted obedience. I didn’t expect the right answers, but they had to obey. God does want His people to obey. The Author of eternal salvation wants His people to obey.

Jesus is the author of salvation to those who obey. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Faith is the sacrifice of our understanding. And obedience is the sacrifice of our own will. It is the sacrifice of our will that God wants. To hearken means to listen with the intent to do; it is better than the fat of lambs. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. We know witchcraft is wrong. Rebellion is just the same.

Saul wouldn’t obey and was slain on the high slopes of Gilboa by an Amalekite that he had spared. His “I have sinned” didn’t mean anything to the Lord.

David – II Samuel 12:13, “And David said unto Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ And Nathan said unto David, ‘The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.’” When David said, “I have sinned,” the confession came from the heart of a genuinely repentant man. David put away the sin. God also put away his sin, because he forsook and confessed it, and he went on to prosperity and blessing. David put away sin so the Lord did not have to put him away. He did not sin when he was a boy, but when he was in the height of glory, in luxury and prosperity and ease – not as a shepherd, or in adversity, or fleeing from Saul. He became self-indulgent. This is written for our learning. He that standeth let him take heed lest he fall. David fell, sinned. Rightly or wrongly he was determined to have Uriah’s wife. His heart was hard. He tried to cover his sin – you shall not prosper. Uriah was a noble, loyal man. He slept at the door of the king, showing his loyalty to the king. David made him drunk. It takes a lot of hardness to make a man drunk. He then arranged for Uriah’s death. It takes quite a lot of hardness of heart to arrange for a man’s destruction!

2 Samuel 11:13, the thing David did displeased the Lord. If we displease the Lord, nothing will go well after that. The Lord then had mercy. He sent Nathan the prophet to David. I am sure Nathan went to David in fear and trembling. He spoke the parable of the wayfaring man – which is just the flesh that comes – coming for the one little ewe lamb belonging to the poor man. David’s anger was kindled; he said, “The man that has done this thing shall surely die!” Nathan said, “Thou art the man!” David took “the poor man’s one little ewe lamb.” Sometimes we are indignant of other people’s sins. We can’t see our own sin but we see that of the other man. This parable is like a mirror. We often see others’ sins directly and our own indirectly. It is hard to see ourselves sometimes. We need two mirrors to see ourselves, or parts of our anatomy. Through God’s servants and the word of God – we see ourselves, and see the will of God. David saw himself, and he said, “I have sinned against the Lord.” He was able to take correction. It takes a soft heart to take correction. A soft heart does not get offended.

There was a man giving problems. We tried to visit him, and speak as gently as possible to him. He just about threw us out in a rage. I was feeling so sorry because of his hard heart. He could not take correction and was out of the Way for 12 years. He got cancer, and called for us. At home in his bed, he apologized for that day which had cost him 12 years out of the Truth. Now his heart was soft.

David too, could take correction. He was in the depths of despair in this experience in Psalm 51. Create in me a clean heart – something he did not have. Create means to make something out of nothing. God can make something out of nothing. Create in me a clean heart, love, willingness, faith – where there is nothing. David realized it was his hope to have a broken heart. Broken says, “I am sorry.” Contrite says, “I am willing.” A broken and a contrite spirit is the real sacrifice that God can’t resist. Psalm 51:19, then God will be pleased with the bullock offering which is the costliest and finest offering. A truly repentant heart is the most costly and finest offering. David found mercy and prosperity. God never mentioned David’s sin again, and he was called, “The man after God’s own heart.”

Job – Job 7:20, “I have sinned: what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?” Job didn’t know what had happened – he was a confused man. God said he was perfect and upright, one of the best who feared him, but tests, troubles came. He lost his family, his friends, possessions, substance, farm, and wife. He made no excuses. His cry was, “What shall I do?” and God accepted his cry. Job 23:15, “Therefore am I troubled at His presence: when I consider, I am afraid of Him. The almighty troubles me, makes my heart soft.” Job knew it was no good to get bitter or hard.

My sister lost her husband in a fire. She said, “I feel bitterness trying to creep in” – that is hardness. But she didn’t want that. Job 34:32, “That which I see not, teach Thou me, and if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more.” God honoured his spirit and he got blessing. Just show me.

Judas – Matthew 27:24, Judas said, “I have sinned and betrayed innocent blood.” His repentance to the priests meant nothing to them. They said, “That is your business!” The Pharisees continually found fault. A hard-hearted person can find fault even with perfection. Judas cried out of remorse and regret – that is not repentance. Judas was with Jesus from the beginning – saw miracles – heard and saw the same as the other disciples did, but his heart was still hard.

Matthew 27:2, Satan put it into Judas’ heart, then, it says Satan entered his heart. His heart hardened, their heart softened. John 13, Satan put it into Judas’ heart to betray Jesus. He entered in because of his hard heart. Satan uses a hard heart for the foundation of his work. God uses a soft heart for the foundation of His work. The prince of the world came to Jesus and found nothing in him to work on because his heart was always soft. Jesus was always meek and lowly and the devil found nothing in Jesus’ heart he could USE. The devil uses hard hearts. Satan can build on greed, selfishness, etc. The prince of this world comes to look for something to work on.

John 13, Jesus was with His disciples. He took the towel to do what none other would do. Peter felt condemned; he said, “You will never wash my feet,” and Jesus said, “Then you have no part with Me” – he wanted a part with Jesus. Jesus also washed Judas’ feet, but the water never reached Judas’ heart; He could not wash the dust off Judas’ heart. In Matthew 26 Judas said, “Is it I?” The Lord said, “Thou hast said.”

The captain of the Titanic received many warnings about the icebergs ahead and that they were on a destruction course, but he would not listen or change. It takes a soft heart to take instruction and warning. Judas did not change. Jesus gave Judas the sop to show He still loved him. Jesus kept a soft heart towards Judas even when Judas was gone. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, with a demonstration of love but a terribly hard heart. Next day there was no comfort for him, and he said, “I have sinned.” We were told that the purpose of sin is to bring us to the feet of Jesus. But Judas, when he had sinned, went to the priests and not to Jesus. If our heart is soft and humbled, and we come to the feet of Jesus, provision is made for our sin. Judas could have had forgiveness at Jesus’ feet; he could have found mercy but he went to the hard-hearted priests. There had to be a Judas, but it did not have to be that Judas.

The Prodigal son – he said, “I will arise and go to my father.” This is a parable about what sin is, where sin takes us, and the remedy for sin. The prodigal wanted to be independent of the father, and free. Iniquity is taking our own way. There are lots of good people, who do not lie and cheat, but take their own way – it is sin. The Prodigal had many illusions – sin takes us to a far country and far from God. His pocket was full of money, his head full of ideas, and his heart filled with passions. He thought he would be merry – and was miserable. He thought he would have a feast – he found a famine. He thought he would be free – he found himself in bondage. The hymn says, “Every day some new illusion seems to offer what you crave, and the author of confusion leads men to a hopeless grave.” The world offers illusions. He went to a far country, fed on husks; a mighty famine arose and he was in want.

A mother asked about a wayward son – what could she do? What do you do to help a prodigal? Two things: 1 – you pray, 2 – you show him the father’s house has bread and to spare, there is more than we can ever use, that you are happy. This parable tells the remedy for sin. The remedy for sin is a U-turn. He not only made a resolution, but he did it. It is one thing when the alarm clock goes off, another thing to get out of bed. Confession is one thing; to forsake sin is another thing.

This parable explains repentance is a change of direction, and masters and mind. He got rid of illusions. A change of diet, not feed on what the world does, a change of friends and a change of garments. Have the Master’s mind. Raiment is the outward part. The best robe was just the outward part of the difference. A cry, a confession of sin means everything to God when we come to him.

A mother had just received news of her son, killed in battle. She was disconsolate, found no comfort and a neighbour lady tried to comfort her. The mother then said, “If I could just see my son for 5 minutes, it would mean so much to me.” The neighbour asked, “If you could see your son, in what form would you like to see him? When he was born – as a babe? When he graduated with honors? The day he left in the army?” “No,” she said, “I would like to see him the way he was, as a little boy – when I told him to take off his meeting clothes, lest he dirty them. But he didn’t listen, and he fell in the mud, and ran to me and said, ‘Mommy I am sorry, sorry, sorry,’ I would like to see him like that.” God would like to see us that way. We can find mercy and go on to prosperity.

I just have gotten on your website, and read the first couple of chapters. It made my heart thrill when I read about that old Irish man, and his testimony. Especially dear to my heart, as my Grampa professed in Belfast. I’ll share a little of his story – I don’t know too much!

He went into the work, and was at a convention peeling potatoes (in Ireland) when another brother worker came running in, saying, “They’re asking for volunteers to go to America!” He dropped his potato peeler, and ran in and volunteered. He came over on a ship to Ellis Island in 1908. Have you ever looked up the ships’ manifests? I found his. Very interesting: There were 8 workers. The oldest was Dave Lyness. All put down their occupation as ‘evangelist,’ and all had $25, and all were going to the same address in Pennsylvania.

So he came here, and he is in a few of the old worker pictures I’ve seen. Worked mostly in the midwest – not sure – but I heard him and his companion were the first to go to Kentucky.

Later, he went blind, and my grandmother who had been in the work, was unable to continue, and so the workers ‘arranged’ for them to marry, and asked them to travel to California, where there was a need for an open home. When the train got to Denver, they were met by workers there, this would be somewhere around 1920, I’m thinking, and were told, “Please stay here! We need an open home here, too!” So they lived there – mostly in Pueblo, then on a ranch east of there, then in Canyon City. My dad was born and raised there.

Five years ago, I visited Viola Friedley in the care home in Merced, CA. Her mind was as sharp as could be with those old memories. She remembered my grandparents arriving by bus, and walking to the convention grounds (owned by her parents), near Denver. He said when my dad was three, he walked up to her and said, “Hello! I am Roy Hugh Millar!” And she mimicked him with a lisp and baby talk and all! What a sweet lady – she was about 94, and could remember that!

My grandfather’s name was Hugh Henry Millar, and my grandmother’s was Grace Burrill (although her last name was spelled wrong on one worker’s picture – I think it was spelled Burrel).

Sorry this has gotten long, but just wanted to let you know I have a special ‘heritage’ in truth connected to Colorado, and am so looking forward to reading your book!

Ephesians 1:1, I found it striking what Paul wrote in this verse. The letter to the Ephesians is a rich letter.

Luke 15:18-19, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.’” The Prodigal son said, “I have sinned,” not “You have sinned.” The Prodigal son was not the only one who said, “I have sinned.” There were five others who uttered the same three words. Pharoah, Saul, David, Job, Judas, and the Prodigal son. You may feel very impressed if someone said to you, “I have sinned”, but not so impressed if they said, “You have sinned.” In the case of three, it didn’t mean anything to God because of why and when they said it – they were words from the lips, no deeper than the lips – no depth to it. Confession to sin is necessary for our salvation.

Proverbs 28:13, “He who covers his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” With three, God saw deeper than the lips; He saw the hearts. God looks upon us and looks on the heart. Three confessed their sin but did not forsake it, and it led to their ruin. Three confessed their sin, and forsook it and went on to find mercy and prosperity.

Pharaoh – Exodus 9:27, “Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, ‘I have sinned this time; the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.’” This was just the cry of a frightened man; white chunks of ice fell, lightning running on the ground. He feared, but his heart was as hard as ever. He said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?” It says the Lord hardened his heart. The Lord just sends His word and our response is either to harden our hearts or soften them. Pharoah could have had a place beside Aaron and Moses, but he hardened his heart. A frightened man cried, “I have sinned.”

Salvation means, to get rid of the rocks or hardness. Ten plagues were sent to try and soften Pharaoh’s heart; that is just like ten experiences or ten gospel meetings. There were thunder and lightning and he said, “I have sinned.”

An unprofessing son drove into shallow water, broke his neck – was in hospital, paralysed from below the chest. He did not know if he would live or die. He asked for the workers to come and pray and read to him. Then slowly the feeling came back into his body, first he could move his big toe, then the leg. Movement came back, and now he did not want the workers any more. A cry born in the storm, died in the calm. The sailors say, “When they reached the shore, they prayed no more!”

All of God’s work starts with a soft heart. Convention begins when our hearts are soft, because like the potter needs soft clay, the farmer needs soft soil to weed out and sow, the blacksmith needs soft metal to unite it, God needs a soft heart.

King Saul – I Samuel 15:24, “Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.’” He said, “I have transgressed – feared the people and obeyed.” It came from a rebellious heart, and he made excuses. It was a mixed confession, with excuses. We should not say, “IF I have hurt you, or if I have offended you, I am sorry.” We should say, “I have offended you, I have hurt you.” His cry did not mean anything because of a rebellious heart and excuses. He said, “I obeyed the voice of God.” Next he confessed with excuses. The oxen lowing, and things still alive need to be fed; they were not taken care of. “When you were little in your eyes, you were made King. Why did you not obey?” Partial obedience is not obedience. Selective obedience is not obedience. It’s like cafeteria style where you pick what you like – partial obedience is not obedience.

At one convention, it was said, “Obedience, Obedience, Obedience!” There are three kinds of obedience – unwilling obedience, willing obedience, and selective obedience – which is for convenience. Saul thought partial obedience is obedience. When I was a teacher, I asked my students to do their homework in ink, with double spaces – available for correction, and their name in the upper right hand corner. I said I will not accept it if they didn’t do that. I wanted obedience. I didn’t expect the right answers, but they had to obey. God does want His people to obey. The Author of eternal salvation wants His people to obey.

Jesus is the author of salvation to those who obey. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Faith is the sacrifice of our understanding. And obedience is the sacrifice of our own will. It is the sacrifice of our will that God wants. To hearken means to listen with the intent to do; it is better than the fat of lambs. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. We know witchcraft is wrong. Rebellion is just the same.

Saul wouldn’t obey, and was slain on the high slopes of Gilboa by an Amalekite, that he had spared. His “I have sinned,” didn’t mean anything to the Lord.

David – II Samuel 12:13, “And David said unto Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ And Nathan said unto David, ‘The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.’” When David said, “I have sinned,” the confession came from the heart of a genuinely repentant man. David put away the sin. God also put away his sin, because he forsook and confessed it, and he went on to prosperity and blessing. David put away sin so the Lord did not have to put him away. He did not sin when he was a boy, but when he was in the height of glory, in luxury and prosperity and ease – not as a shepherd, or in adversity, or fleeing from Saul. He became self-indulgent. This is written for our learning. He that standeth, let him take heed lest he fall. David fell, sinned. Rightly or wrongly he was determined to have Uriah’s wife. His heart was hard. He tried to cover his sin – “You shall not prosper.” Uriah was a noble, loyal man. He slept at the door of the king, showing his loyalty to the king. David made him drunk. It takes a lot of hardness to make a man drunk. He then arranged for Uriah’s death. It takes quite a lot of hardness of heart to arrange for a man’s destruction!

II Samuel 11:13, the thing David did displeased the Lord. If we displease the Lord, nothing will go well after that. The Lord then had mercy. He sent Nathan the prophet to David. I am sure Nathan went to David in fear and trembling. He spoke the parable of the wayfaring man – which is just the flesh that comes – coming for the one little ewe lamb belonging to the poor man. David’s anger was kindled; he said, “The man that has done this thing shall surely die!” Nathan said, “Thou art the man!” David took “the poor man’s one little ewe lamb.” Sometimes we are indignant of other people’s sins. We can’t see our own sin but we see that of the other man. This parable is like a mirror. We often see others’ sins directly and our own indirectly. It is hard to see ourselves sometimes. We need two mirrors to see ourselves, or parts of our anatomy. Through God’s servants and the word of God – we see ourselves, and see the will of God. David saw himself, and he said, “I have sinned against the Lord.” He was able to take correction. It takes a soft heart to take correction. A soft heart does not get offended.

There was a man giving problems. We tried to visit him, and speak as gently as possible to him. He just about threw us out in a rage. I was feeling so sorry because of his hard heart. He could not take correction and was out of the Way for 12 years. He got cancer, and called for us. At home in his bed, he apologized for that day which had cost him 12 years out of the Truth. Now his heart was soft.

David too, could take correction. He was in the depths of despair in this experience in Psalm 51, “Create in me a clean heart” – something he did not have. Create means to make something from nothing. God can make something out of nothing. Create in me a clean heart, love, willingness, faith – where there is nothing. David realized it was his hope to have a broken heart. Broken says, “I am sorry.” Contrite says, “I am willing.” A broken and a contrite spirit is the real sacrifice that God can’t resist. Psalms 51:19, THEN God will be pleased with the bullock offering which is the costliest and finest offering. A truly repentant heart is the most costly and finest offering. David found mercy and prosperity. God never mentioned David’s sin again, and he was called, “The man after God’s own heart.”

Job 7:20, “I have sinned. What shall I do unto Thee, O Thou preserver of men? Why hast Thou set me as a mark against Thee, so that I am a burden to myself?” Job didn’t know what had happened – he was a confused man. God said he was perfect and upright, one of the best who feared Him, but tests, troubles came. He lost his family, his friends, possessions, substance, farm, and wife. He made no excuses. His cry was, “What shall I do?” and God accepted his cry.

Job 23:15, “Therefore am I troubled at His presence; when I consider, I am afraid of him.” “The almighty troubles me, makes my heart soft.” Job knew it was no good to get bitter or hard. My sister lost her husband in a fire. She said, I feel bitterness trying to creep in – that is hardness. But she didn’t want that.

Job 34:32, “That which I see not, teach Thou me, and if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more.” God honoured his spirit and he got blessing. Just show me.

Matthew 27:24, Judas said “I have sinned and betrayed innocent blood.” His repentance to the priests meant nothing to them. They said, “That is your business!” The Pharisees continually found fault. A hard-hearted person can find fault even with perfection. Judas cried out of remorse and regret – that is not repentance. Judas was with Jesus from the beginning – saw miracles – heard and saw the same as the other disciples did, but his heart was still hard.

Matthew 27:2, Satan put it into Judas’ heart, then, it says Satan entered his heart. His heart hardened, their heart softened. John 13, Satan put it into Judas’ heart to betray Jesus. He entered in because of his hard heart. Satan uses a hard heart for the foundation of his work. God uses a soft heart for the foundation of His work. The prince of the world came to Jesus and found nothing in him to work on because his heart was always soft. Jesus was always meek and lowly and the devil found nothing in Jesus’ heart he could use, (capitalize use). The devil uses hard hearts. Satan can build on greed, selfishness, etc. The prince of this world comes to look for something to work on.

John 13, Jesus was with His disciples. He took the towel to do what none other would do. Peter felt condemned, he said, “You will never wash my feet,” and Jesus said, “Then you have no part with Me” – he wanted a part with Jesus. Jesus also washed Judas’ feet, but the water never reached Judas’ heart, He could not wash the dust off Judas’ heart. In Matthew 26, Judas said, “Is it I?” The Lord said, “Thou hast said.”

The captain of the Titanic received many warnings about the icebergs ahead and that they were on a destruction course. But he would not listen or change. It takes a soft heart to take instruction and warning. Judas did not change. Jesus gave Judas the sop to show He still loved him. Jesus kept a soft heart towards Judas even when Judas was gone. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, with a demonstration of love but a terribly hard heart. Next day there was no comfort for him, and he said, “I have sinned.”

We were told that the purpose of sin is to bring us to the feet of Jesus. But Judas, when he had sinned, went to the priests and not to Jesus. If our heart is soft and humbled, and we come to the feet of Jesus, provision is made for our sin. Judas could have had forgiveness at Jesus’ feet; he could have found mercy. But he went to the hard-hearted priests. There had to be a Judas, but it did not have to be that Judas.

The Prodigal son – He said, “I will arise and go to my father.” This is a parable about what sin is, where sin takes us and the remedy for sin. The prodigal wanted to be independent of the father, and free. Iniquity is taking our own way. There are lots of good people who do not lie and cheat, but take their own way – it is sin. The Prodigal had many illusions – sin takes us to a far country and far from God. His pocket was full of money, his head full of ideas, and his heart filled with passions. He thought he would be merry – and was miserable. He thought he would have a feast – he found a famine. He thought he would be free – he found himself in bondage. The hymn says, “Every day some new illusion seems to offer what you crave, and the author of confusion leads men to a hopeless grave.” The world offers illusions. He went to a far country, fed on husks; a mighty famine arose and he was in want.

A mother asked about a wayward son – what could she do? What do you do to help a prodigal? Two things: 1 – you pray, 2 – you show him the father’s house has bread and to spare, there is more than we can ever use, that you are happy. This parable tells the remedy for sin. The remedy for sin is a U-turn. He not only made a resolution, but he did it. It is one thing when the alarm clock goes off, another thing to get out of bed. Confession is one thing, to forsake sin is another thing.

This parable explains repentance is a change of direction, and masters and mind. He got rid of illusions. A change of diet, not feed on what the world does. A change of friends, and a change of garments. Have the Master’s mind. Raiment is the outward part. The best robe was just the outward part of the difference. A cry, a confession of sin means everything to God when we come to him.

A mother had just received news of her son, killed in battle. She was disconsolate, found no comfort and a neighbour lady tried to comfort her. The mother then said, “If I could just see my son for 5 minutes, it would mean so much to me.” The neighbour asked, “If you could see your son, in what form would you like to see him? When he was born – as a babe? When he graduated with honours? The day he left in the army?”

“No,” she said, “I would like to see him the way he was, as a little boy – when I told him to take off his meeting clothes, lest he dirty them. But he didn’t listen, and he fell in the mud, and ran to me and said, ‘Mommy, I am sorry, sorry, sorry,’ I would like to see him like that.” God would like to see us that way. We can find mercy and go on to prosperity.

Hymn 321

Ephesians 1:1. I found it striking what Paul wrote in this verse. The letter to the Ephesians is a rich letter.

Luke 15:18-19, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.’” The Prodigal son said, “I have sinned,” not “You have sinned.” The Prodigal son was not the only one who said, “I have sinned.” There were five others who uttered the same three words. Pharoah, Saul, David, Job, Judas and the Prodigal son. You may feel very impressed if someone said to you “I have sinned,” but not so impressed if they said “You have sinned.” In the case of three it didn’t mean anything to God because of why and when they said it – they were words from the lips, no deeper than the lips – no depth to it. Confession to sin is necessary for our salvation.

Prov 28:13, “He who covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” With three God saw deeper than the lips, He saw the hearts. God looks upon us and looks on the heart. Three confessed their sin but did not forsake it, and it led to their ruin. Three confessed their sin, and forsook it and went on to find mercy and prosperity.

Pharaoh – Ex 9:27: “Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time; the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.” This was just the cry of a frightened man; white chunks of ice fell, lightning running on the ground. He feared, but his heart was as hard as ever. He said: “Who is the Lord that I should obey Him.” It says the Lord hardened his heart. The Lord just sends his word and our response is either to harden our hearts or soften them. Pharaoh could have had a place beside Aaron and Moses, but he hardened his heart. A frightened man cried, “I have sinned.”

Salvation means to get rid of the rocks or hardness. Ten plagues were sent to try and soften Pharaoh’s heart; that is just like ten experiences or ten gospel meetings. There were thunder and lightning and he said “I have sinned.”

An unprofessing son drove into shallow water, broke his neck – was in hospital, paralyzed from below the chest. He did not know if he would live or die. He asked for the workers to come and pray and read to him. Then slowly the feeling came back into his body, first he could move his big toe, then the leg. Movement came back, and now he did not want the workers any more. A cry born in the storm, died in the calm. The sailors say, “When they reached the shore, they prayed no more!”

All of God’s work starts with a soft heart. Convention begins when our hearts are soft, because like the potter needs soft clay, the farmer needs soft soil to weed out and sow, the blacksmith needs soft metal to unite it, God needs a soft heart.

King Saul – I Sam 15:24, “Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.” He said I have transgressed – feared the people and obeyed. It came from a rebellious heart, and he made excuses. It was a mixed confession, with excuses. We should not say, “IF I have hurt you, or if I have offended you, I am sorry.” We should say “I have offended you, I have hurt you.” His cry did not mean anything because of a rebellious heart and excuses. He said, “I obeyed the voice of God.” Next he confessed with excuses. The oxen lowing, and things still alive need to be fed; they were not taken care of. “When you were little in your eyes you were made King. Why did you not obey?” Partial obedience is not obedience. Selective obedience is not obedience. It’s like cafeteria style where you pick what you like – partial obedience is not obedience.

At one convention it was said, “Obedience, Obedience, Obedience!” There are three kinds of obedience – unwilling obedience, willing obedience, and selective obedience – which is for convenience. Saul thought partial obedience is obedience. When I was a teacher, I asked my students to do their homework in ink, with double spaces – available for correction, and their name in the upper right hand corner. I said I will not accept it if they didn’t do that. I wanted obedience. I didn’t expect the right answers, but they had to obey. God does want His people to obey. The Author of eternal salvation wants His people to obey.

Jesus is the author of salvation to those who obey. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Faith is the sacrifice of our understanding. And obedience is the sacrifice of our own will. It is the sacrifice of our will that God wants. To hearken means to listen with the intent to do; it is better than the fat of lambs. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. We know witchcraft is wrong. Rebellion is just the same.

Saul wouldn’t obey, and was slain on the high slopes of Gilboa by an Amalekite, that he had spared. His “I have sinned” didn’t mean anything to the Lord.

David – II Sam 12:13: “And David said unto Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ And Nathan said unto David, ‘The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.’” When David said “I have sinned,” the confession came from the heart of a genuinely repentant man. David put away the sin. God also put away his sin, because he forsook and confessed it, and he went on to prosperity and blessing. David put away sin so the Lord did not have to put him away. He did not sin when he was a boy, but when he was in the height of glory, in luxury and prosperity and ease – not as a shepherd, or in adversity, or fleeing from Saul. He became self-indulgent. This is written for our learning. He that standeth let him take heed lest he fall. David fell, sinned. Rightly or wrongly he was determined to have Uriah’s wife. His heart was hard. He tried to cover his sin – You shall not prosper. Uriah was a noble, loyal man. He slept at the door of the king, showing his loyalty to the king. David made him drunk. It takes a lot of hardness to make a man drunk. He then arranged for Uriah’s death. It takes quite a lot of hardness of heart to arrange for a man’s destruction! 2 Sam 11:13: the thing David did displeased the Lord. If we displease the Lord, nothing will go well after that. The Lord then had mercy. He sent Nathan the prophet to David. I am sure Nathan went to David in fear and trembling. He spoke the parable of the wayfaring man – which is just the flesh that comes – coming for the one little ewe lamb belonging to the poor man. David’s anger was kindled; he said “The man that has done this thing shall surely die!” Nathan said, “Thou art the man!” David took “the poor man’s one little ewe lamb.” Sometimes we are indignant of other people’s sins. We can’t see our own sin but we see that of the other man. This parable is like a mirror. We often see others’ sins directly and our own indirectly. It is hard to see ourselves sometimes. We need two mirrors to see ourselves, or parts of our anatomy. Through God’s servants and the word of God – we see ourselves, and see the will of God. David saw himself, and he said I have sinned against the Lord. He was able to take correction. It takes a soft heart to take correction. A soft heart does not get offended.

There was a man giving problems. We tried to visit him, and speak as gently as possible to him. He just about threw us out in a rage. I was feeling so sorry because of his hard heart. He could not take correction and was out of the Way for 12 years. He got cancer, and called for us. At home in his bed he apologized for that day which had cost him 12 years out of the Truth. Now his heart was soft.

David, too, could take correction. He was in the depths of despair in this experience in Psalm 51 – Create in me a clean heart – something he did not have. Create means to make something from nothing. God can make something out of nothing. Create in me a clean heart, love, willingness, faith – where there is nothing. David realized it was his hope to have a broken heart. Broken says: “I am sorry.” Contrite says I am willing. A broken and a contrite spirit is the real sacrifice that God can’t resist. Psalms 51:19: THEN God will be pleased with the bullock offering which is the costliest and finest offering. A truly repentant heart is the most costly and finest offering. David found mercy and prosperity. God never mentioned David’s sin again, and he was called “The man after God’s own heart.”

Job 7:20: “I have sinned: what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?” Job didn’t know what had happened – he was a confused man. God said he was perfect and upright, one of the best who feared him, but tests, troubles came. He lost his family, his friends, possessions, substance, farm and wife. He made no excuses. His cry was, “What shall I do?” and God accepted his cry. Job 23:15: “Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him.” “The almighty troubles me, makes my heart soft.” Job knew it was no good to get bitter or hard. My sister lost her husband in a fire. She said, “I feel bitterness trying to creep in” – that is hardness. But she didn’t want that. Job 34:32: “That which I see not, teach thou me, and if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more.” God honoured his spirit and he got blessing. Just show me.

Judas – Matthew 27:24: Judas said, “I have sinned and betrayed innocent blood.” His repentance to the priests meant nothing to them. They said, “That is your business!” The Pharisees continually found fault. A hard-hearted person can find fault even with perfection. Judas cried out of remorse and regret – that is not repentance. Judas was with Jesus from the beginning – saw miracles – heard and saw the same as the other disciples did, but his heart was still hard.

Matthew 27:2: Satan put it into Judas’ heart, then, it says Satan entered his heart. His heart hardened, their heart softened. John 13: Satan put it into Judas’ heart to betray Jesus. He entered in because of his hard heart. Satan uses a hard heart for the foundation of his work. God uses a soft heart for the foundation of His work. The prince of the world came to Jesus and found nothing in him to work on because his heart was always soft. Jesus was always meek and lowly and the devil found nothing in Jesus’ heart he could use. The devil uses hard hearts. Satan can build on greed, selfishness, etc. The prince of this world comes to look for something to work on.

John 13: Jesus was with his disciples. He took the towel to do what none other would do. Peter felt condemned, he said, “You will never wash my feet,” and Jesus said then you have no part with me – he wanted a part with Jesus. Jesus also washed Judas’ feet, but the water never reached Judas’ heart, He could not wash the dust off Judas’ heart. In Matthew 26, Judas said, “Is it I?” The Lord said, “Thou hast said.”

The captain of the Titanic received many warnings about the icebergs ahead and that they were on a destruction course. But he would not listen or change. It takes a soft heart to take instruction and warning. Judas did not change. Jesus gave Judas the sop to show he still loved him. Jesus kept a soft heart towards Judas even when Judas was gone. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, with a demonstration of love but a terribly hard heart. Next day there was no comfort for him, and he said, “I have sinned.”

We were told that the purpose of sin is to bring us to the feet of Jesus. But Judas, when he had sinned, went to the priests and not to Jesus. If our heart is soft and humbled, and we come to the feet of Jesus, provision is made for our sin. Judas could have had forgiveness at Jesus’ feet; he could have found mercy. But he went to the hard-hearted priests. There had to be a Judas, but it did not have to be that Judas.

The Prodigal son – He said, “I will arise and go to my father.” This is a parable about what sin is, where sin takes us and the remedy for sin. The prodigal wanted to be independent of the father and free. Iniquity is taking our own way. There are lots of good people who do not lie and cheat, but take their own way – it is sin. The Prodigal had many illusions – sin takes us to a far country and far from God. His pocket was full of money, his head full of ideas, and his heart filled with passions. He thought he would be merry – and was miserable. He thought he would have a feast – he found a famine. He thought he would be free – he found himself in bondage. The hymn says “Every day some new illusion seems to offer what you crave, and the author of confusion leads men to a hopeless grave.” The world offers illusions. He went to a far country, fed on husks; a mighty famine arose and he was in want.

A mother asked about a wayward son – what could she do? What do you do to help a prodigal? Two things: 1 – you pray, 2 – you show him the father’s house has bread and to spare, there is more than we can ever use, that you are happy. This parable tells the remedy for sin. The remedy for sin is a U-turn. He not only made a resolution, but he did it. It is one thing when the alarm clock goes off, another thing to get out of bed. Confession is one thing; to forsake sin is another thing.

This parable explains repentance is a change of direction, and masters and mind. He got rid of illusions. A change of diet, not feed on what the world does. A change of friends and a change of garments. Have the Master’s mind. Raiment is the outward part. The best robe was just the outward part of the difference. A cry, a confession of sin means everything to God when we come to him.

A mother had just received news of her son, killed in battle. She was disconsolate, found no comfort and a neighbour lady tried to comfort her. The mother then said, “If I could just see my son for 5 minutes, it would mean so much to me.” The neighbour asked, “If you could see your son, in what form would you like to see him? When he was born – as a babe? When he graduated with honours? The day he left in the army?”

“No,” she said. “I would like to see him the way he was, as a little boy – when I told him to take off his meeting clothes, lest he dirty them. But he didn’t listen, and he fell in the mud, and ran to me and said, ‘Mommy I am sorry, sorry, sorry,’ I would like to see him like that.” God would like to see us that way. We can find mercy and go on to prosperity. Hymn 321

Matthew 13:33, “Another parable spake He unto them, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.’” I have often been amazed at the ability of the Lord Jesus to make the truths of the Kingdom so simple that even a child can understand them. Some illustrations were from the agricultural kingdom, others from the commercial world, and this one from the domestic scene. God has put us here to feed Him. This parable features the same thing. God not only wants us to have bread but to be bread to feed God and others. Three measures of meal were used and the leaven was put into it – like the Spirit. Just as the leaven was put into the meal, so God wants to put His Spirit into us. The seed was put into the soil; the wine was put into the bottle and the well of water into you and me, and He wants to put His spirit, like leaven, into our lives. God wants to get something working within, not so much us, but into a thing. That woman was making bread to feed. You can be thankful in your Sunday a.m. meeting for those who are feeders in both having bread and in being an example. Moses was a feeder, Gideon was a feeder, and the Lord Jesus was a feeder. On the judgment day, some will hear the Lord Jesus say He was hungry and they fed Him. Leaven is from an outside source. To become a child of God, it is not through the good of us or due to some latent talent but the Spirit that’s given from an outside source. We could have every ingredient but still not make bread. Baking powder is a chemical reaction, not like the working of leaven. We could have the finest of wheat but if it’s not broken, then the leaven would not work. That is why God’s people are of a contrite Spirit. The kernels are broken. Life is destroyed, but the life of the Spirit is another life. Religious people may have all the knowledge of the Bible, but they are like whole kernels and the working of the spirit is not there. It takes leaven working to make bread. When I was a student, I was working in a large bakery to pay for my studies. Early in the morning, the dough man would come. There was a huge room with huge mixers. They would mix all the ingredients together, and then they’d toss out the dough. This was put into a trough and placed in the trough room. This was a room with warm moist air, and the dough was left for a while. After an hour, it had mushroomed up over the sides of the trough. It was punched down and again, it was put into this room. God puts this rising power into us. In Psalm 119, the Psalmist says, “his soul cleaveth to the dust.” If we no longer have the rising power within, then we will never rise up. In Romans 8:31 we read, “…If God be for us, who can be against us?” That same spirit in us quickens us. We are raised up by the spirit, but at other times we are punched down – “Many the crushing defeats I have known.” We need defeats to bring us back down again, and this makes for good bread. If a lid is put over the dough, it could lift it. It works in the right atmosphere. This is like saying, “Yes” to God – welcoming His will. At some bakeries, they make frozen bread. The leaven is left to work for a while, and then stopped by putting it in a cold place. We can stop the working of the Spirit by giving God a cold “No.” This can be through rebellion or withdrawing from Him. He wants to put His Spirit in us and allow that Spirit to work. It takes time and it works slowly and transfers that dough into another shape. We are changed from glory to glory. It will be evident that something is working. There are six kinds of leaven in the Bible. Sometimes, it is a type of the bad spirit, and at other times a picture of God’s Spirit. We need to be alive and be aware of the spirit that is in us. Mathew 16:11, “How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?” This related to doctrine. With every doctrine there is a spirit that accompanies it. For example, the Catholics have a spirit; the Methodists have a spirit; the Apostolics have a spirit, etc. When the Lord Jesus was talking of the leaven, He was talking of a bad spirit that could work and influence our lives and make for bread.

I once visited with a religious man and he said to me that leaven always refers to a bad spirit. At first I didn’t know what to say, and then I answered him. In different parts of the Bible, symbols change. The devil is referred to as a roaring lion but at the same time, the Lord Jesus is referred to as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. The righteous are like a tree (Psalm 1:3, “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”), but the wicked are also like a spreading green bay tree (Psalm 37:35, “I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree”). The good leaven works to salvation and the bad leaven to hinder. Jesus said beware of the leaven.

1) Luke 12:1, “… Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” The Pharisees said but didn’t do. We wouldn’t get far in the way of God if we say and don’t do. My Grandmother said, after listening to the Truth, “When the workers spoke of love, I saw it; when the workers spoke of sacrifice, I saw it; when the workers spoke of service, I saw it; and when they spoke of humility, I saw it.” She understood that which she had not understood before. We need to narrow the gap between what we say and what we do. When all is said and done, far more is said than done. I know more of the Truth than what I have ever done.

2) The leaven of the Sadducees is unbelief. Mathew 22:23, “The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection…” and Acts 23:8, “For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.” Some of the greatest attacks on the Bible are from religious people. They don’t believe the story of creation; they don’t believe the story of Noah or Jonah or of Christ’s birth. They are leavened with the leaven of unbelief. This same leaven could work in us. We would like the love of God to be real in our experience. We want to believe that God’s promises are ours and that His will is always best and to believe that His grace is sufficient for us. There was a nobleman that came to Jesus asking to have his unbelief helped. Sometimes we can be a complicated mixture of belief and unbelief.

3) Mark 8:15, “And He charged them, saying, ‘Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.’” He was warning them of the leaven of Herod. Herod was a man who was captivated by the world. He was taken up with his place, position, and glamour. We also could have the spirit of the world working in us. There’s a saying that goes: “When in Rome do as the Romans do.” We are in the world and could do as the worldlings do. The love of the world is enmity with God. This is not the world of nature, of trees and of lakes, etc., but the world of humanity referred to in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Mark was writing of the spirit that is in the world. We could let the fashions of the world, sports, and money get a hold of us. We could practice what others in the world are doing. If that Spirit affects us, it will change us and make for poor bread. If any are born of God, then they will overcome the world, 1 John 5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

4) 1 Corinthians 5:4, “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This was the old leaven. They were to purge that out and keep the new feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. When we gather on a Sunday morning, we don’t want to keep the feast with the old leaven, which relates to our past life – the old life with all its sins. Christ our Passover lamb is sacrificed for us. Exodus 12:18-19, “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.” No leaven was to be found in their homes. They were to thoroughly search their homes, and verses 23-24 say, “For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons forever.” They were to be cleansed and sheltered by the blood. We need to get rid of the old ways, and then we can come and enjoy the shelter and cleansing of the blood of the Lamb. Acts 3:19, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” This says the same thing: Repent and get the right order, and then your sins can be forgiven. We first must be cleansed, and then we can enjoy the blood of Christ.

There was a lady from Oregon that had decided but went out again. She could never clean out the old leaven, the old wrongs, etc. Exodus 34:25, “Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the Passover be left unto the morning.” They were not to mix leaven and blood together. In Leviticus 23, we read of the seven feasts of the Lord. Fifty days after the Passover was Pentecost. This was held on the first day of the week. The Feast of Passover centered around the Lamb. On the feast of Pentecost, Leviticus 23:17, “Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord.” Two wave loaves were to be baked with leaven. This was to teach them that when God cleanses our lives He doesn’t leave us flat and empty, but fills us with the Spirit. At the last Passover of the Lord Jesus, the Jewish nation felt He was the worst kind of leaven. They wanted to get rid of that old corrupting leaven that was corrupting the Jewish nation. Fifty days after He held that Passover, we read in Acts 2, the description of the Holy Spirit being sent as leaven from heaven in a dramatic way that filled the house. This was a sign and seal that God was right. They were there on the first day of the week and the Spirit was signifying to them that they were keeping the right day. When God sent the Holy Spirit, it didn’t land on the temple or the synagogue but on the home were they met. The Holy Spirit, like a rising power, enabled them to go forth and stand against governments and face opposition. It filled their lives and they felt their lives were complete and rich. They felt this was too good to withhold from the world.

5) The leaven of the flesh – of malice and wickedness. If we are leavened with this, then we can’t have fellowship. Every effort of the Gospel is to promote fellowship. Malice is when a person does a thing you resent and you hope that someone else will harm them. Wickedness is a deliberate desire to go ahead and do what is wrong, even though you know what you should do. That spirit will never produce fellowship. When we come on a Sunday a.m. meeting, don’t come with that spirit. Titus 3:3-4, “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared” is like Paul’s testimony. Can you imagine serving God in that manner? With hatred! It makes for poor bread. Matthew 13:33, “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand”—that’s the good spirit of God. It was present when the right atmosphere is there. Romans 8:9, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” The Spirit of God makes us one of His. Three measures: what we are in our bodies and our lives. It’s made of three parts: the past, present, and future. The leaven can change them all: Forgiveness for the past, privileges for the present, and a hopeful future. Also 1st Thessalonians 5:23, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God our whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are made of spirit, soul, and body. Leaven works in all three parts. If it works in all three parts, we will be preserved at His coming. The body is the physical part – like the animals made from the dust. The soul is the mental part- we can communicate with the spirit and with God. The body is the home for the soul and the soul is the home for the spirit. Ephesians 2:1, “And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” By nature, the soul is dead, but when we get connected to God’s Spirit, this leaven not only connects us to God but also has a bearing on our attitude to our fellow man. The body is the home for the soul and the soul is the home for the spirit. When the leaven is put in it, it works a change. I used to read this incorrectly, i.e.: Body, soul, and spirit, but it is spirit, soul, and body, as the spirit is the most important. That’s where God starts to work a change. Some come to the first Gospel meeting and sit at the back. Sometimes they are reeking of tobacco and drink, and straight after the meeting they disappear. Little by little, they get closer to the front and a change is evident. They learn to pray. They develop a taste for those things that they never had a taste for before. Some had never prayed before in their lives and now they cannot face a day without prayer. There is a change in their attitude. Now they like to talk of spiritual things. The second part is the mental part, whereby we communicate with others. It changes our attitude to mankind. We show a kindly good spirit to all mankind. The first four Blesseds all relate to our attitude toward God, our need of God. First, they mourn for sin; secondly, they submit to God; and thirdly, they hunger and have a great desire. Fourthly, they are merciful and have a generous disposition. They become pure in heart and have no pretence; i.e., something that is genuine. Peacemakers work toward peace, not compromise. “Blessed are the persecuted”—the spirit in us keeps us from retaliating or taking revenge. The third measure is the body. We begin to regard the body as the temple of God and we don’t use it in any common ordinary way. The word of God makes for a healthy man and a clean mind. Grandpa Jones was a taxi driver in Portland. He made various stops in the city to meet with his cronies and they smoked and drank and told off-colour jokes. After he had decided, he called at the various places and told them he would no longer stop off. One of the men asked if a preacher had told him to stop doing it. No. The Spirit of God had worked and He wanted to use his body to make good bread. It leavens until the whole is leavened and the loaf is complete. In John 6, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” He was the perfect loaf. The word used for bread here is Artos, which is a raised or leavened loaf. His life was emptied of the flesh but filled with the Spirit. John 3:34, “For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure of Him.” The Spirit was given without measure. We should never be leavened with the leaven of the Pharisees—to say and not to do. Nor should we be leavened with the leaven of the Sadducees, of that wickedness or malice. The reason Jesus was the perfect loaf was because He was always leavened with the Holy Spirit of God. Colossians 1:19, “For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell.” God has given us the example of His Son to you and me and we can feed upon every word and deed, upon every attitude of Jesus. In Matthew 26, the Lord Jesus instituted the church service and it was in a man’s home. He took the bread and blessed it. The word for bread again is Artos: to teach us that when the old leaven is leavened out, then God doesn’t leave our lives flat and empty. When the bread is passed around in a Sunday morning meeting we remember the Lord Jesus, leavened with the right Spirit, and can feed on His every action.

If we begin to walk with the Shepherd, we won’t lack anything. Be bound to what God loves so that we can be bound to it in Heaven. Christ is the key that unlocks God’s treasures. He can shut the door to our past, and can open the door to our future. The key to help is a genuine cry to God. The key to faith is believing (believing the unbelievable). The key to love is to love (love begets love; and if we live a life of self, we won’t have love). The key to hope is response (Christ in you the hope of glory – having hope when all is hopeless). The key to peace is surrender (surrendering completely, with no reservations). The key to happiness is obedience (complete obedience). The key to forgiveness is genuine repentance (forgiving the unforgivable). The key to success is to be strong and courageous (going on in spite of fear). God gives us the keys we need, but they won’t do any good unless we use them, even if they’re hard. Faith comes when we hear the right voice.

In Mark 11, we read of three consecutive days in the life of Jesus: on the first day, He rode on a donkey from Bethany into Jerusalem. It was prophesied that He would ride, thus the scriptures were fulfilled. Jesus had salvation, but they didn’t want Him because He came lowly. The Jews wanted a king that would come with pomp and show, who would save them; they didn’t want a king that would humble them. Someone once said, “If Jesus could use a little donkey, He can use us.” A donkey has long ears to hear; we need to hear what God is saying to us. A donkey has a thick skin; we need a thick skin to shrug off irritations, and a soft heart. A donkey is an animal that can walk where other animals can’t; we need to walk on top of offences, disappointments, and the trials of life. A donkey is a small animal that could uplift Jesus. When people look on our lives, they mustn’t see us; they must see Jesus lifted up. Jesus went into the temple and looked around, then He went back to Bethany. If we leave here feeling searched or corrected, then Christ has been here. We must let God search us. If we’re honest, we’ll want to know the worst about us, and if we’re led by God, then we can be set free. On the second day, He went again from Bethany to the temple in Jerusalem and on His way, while He was hungry, He saw leaves and no fruit on the fig tree. When the Lord comes to us, what does He find? Fruit, or just leaves? The fig tree didn’t do anything wrong – it didn’t poison anyone – but it hadn’t fulfilled its purpose of bearing fruit. Our purpose is to bear fruit and to bring pleasure to God. The Lord’s plan is for us to be consumed to feed His Kingdom. The mineral kingdom dies to feed the plant kingdom; the plant kingdom dies to feed the animal kingdom; the animal kingdom dies to feed the human kingdom; we must die to feed the divine kingdom. Mercy won’t save us one day – fruit will. Adam and Eve realized when God walked in the garden that fig leaves were not enough so they tried to hide. Only fruit in our lives will satisfy God.

What kinds of fruit does God want? He wants FRUITS OF REPENTANCE which means “I see my sin, I hate my sin, I turn from my sin, and I seek after that which is right.” The Lord can’t resist the fruit of repentance because it satisfies Him. True repentance can get us out of any situation which we think is hopeless. In Hebrews, we read of the FRUIT OF OUR LIPS. It speaks of offering the sacrifice of praise. God loves the fruit of thankfulness. When we are thankful, it tells God that we are getting more than what we deserve. A testimony is an expression of thankfulness; this is sweet fruit to the Lord. If we have a thankful spirit, it means we are focusing on what we have, not what we don’t have. If we’re thankful, God can open heaven and pour more blessings on us. God also wants the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT; this is one fruit with nine different aspects to it. If we have the life of the Spirit working in us, we’ll bring forth fruit of the Spirit. There is never an over-abundance of the fruit of the Spirit. Adverse weather can result in no harvest; what matters is the climate of the heart, and we control this. The fruit of the Spirit gets softer and sweeter as we get older. Artificial fruit may look nice in a picture or photo, but it won’t feed anyone. The nine aspects of the fruit of the spirit are: Love – Love for God, His people, His Word, His Will. When God sees love, it feeds Him. Love is evidence that we’ve passed from death to life.

Joy – It feeds God’s heart when He sees His people serving him because it is their chief joy, and that they don’t serve Him out of duty. We will always find joy in the Lord.

Peace – If we trust in God, we’ll have peace, and we’ll bring peace to others.

Longsuffering – Longsuffering is part of patience, and it means returning a soft answer for wrath, and a smile for a frown. This feeds the Lord.

Gentleness – Gentleness has to do with kindness. Parents can correct their children in a gentle but firm way. It feeds the Lord when we’re gentle.

Goodness – Goodness has to do with generosity. Goodness must be an unconscious virtue; we need to be careful of not becoming self-righteous.

Faith – Faith feeds God because it honours Him and lets Him be God. If we have more faith, we’ll have fewer anxieties and fears. We must seek to have the attitude, “God said it, I believe it, I’m going to do it.”

Meekness – Meekness is submission. Jesus was meek. A meek person won’t fight for their own rights. The opposite to meekness is rebellion. When we make a stand, it mustn’t cross over to rebellion. Rebellion makes a hard heart and God can only work in a soft heart.

Temperance – Temperance is finding the middle of the road, and the Spirit of God can help us not to become fanatics – don’t neglect, or smother someone with care; don’t speak too long or short in a meeting.

Fruit is what will make us acceptable in the sight of God. Jesus went into the temple and found leaves only – there was nothing to feed. What does God find in the temple of our hearts? On the third day, Jesus and the disciples passed the fig tree which had withered away in just a day. The fig tree had dried up from the roots. The tree had a root problem and that’s why there were no fruit. The root system is the most important thing in a plant. A healthy root system will result in fruit. Do we have a healthy root system – a healthy unseen part of our lives? Root rot is when things eat away at the roots which results in the plant being spoilt – bitterness can eat at the root of our service to God. Parasite roots attach themselves to another plant – the 5 foolish virgins were living off the 5 wise virgins. If we have no root, we’ll wither away. How deep have we gone into the things of God and serving Him? We need to get deep down. There are 2 kinds of roots – tap roots and balanced roots – what way are we leaning and what are our inclinations? We need a healthy root system so that we don’t fall. Job lost everything but he remained upright because he had a good root system.

Jesus said, “Have faith in God.” As Jesus withered the fig tree in just a day, He can wither away all our opposition. We mustn’t fear oppositions or problems – rather fear not having a good root system.

The truths of the Kingdom of God were made so simple by Jesus using agriculture (sowing and reaping), commercial (buying and selling), and domestic (leaven and bread) scenes. God doesn’t just want us to have bread – He wants us to be bread, to feed others. Leaven is like God’s Spirit – He wants to put His Spirit in us. It’s not a matter of getting us into something, but getting something in us. God loves feeders. Without leaven, we can’t make bread. If the kernels of wheat is not broken, they won’t react with the leaven – that is why God’s people are broken. Leaven working in the meal makes bread – this is a silent, secret work in the dough. Leaven is a rising power – God wants to put a rising power in us – He wants us to rise above what we are by our human nature. His Spirit is a rising power – we need that. Dough needs to be kneaded and crushed – we need crushing defeats to make us into bread. Leaven only works in the right atmosphere, where it is warm (the dough won’t rise if it’s put into a deep freeze) – to have the right atmosphere, we must welcome His Will and we must have a longing and desire for the Lord. Is the Spirit working in our lives or are we rebelling or withdrawing from the Lord that He stops working in us? Let the Spirit work – silently, surely and secretly. If His Spirit works in us, we will be transformed – it will be evident in our lives. There are 6 kinds of leaven – some are of the bad spirit and some are of the good spirit – we need to be alive and awake to know what kind of spirit is working in us. With every doctrine, there’s a spirit that goes with it. A bad spirit can work in our lives and influence it. The good leaven works towards our salvation – the bad leaven works towards our destruction.

LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES – The leaven of the Pharisees is hypocrisy – they said but didn’t do. What we need to understand is to narrow the gap between what we say and what we do. If we don’t, we’ll make poor bread.

LEAVEN OF THE SADDUCEES – The leaven of the Sadducees is unbelief. We need to believe the love of God is real, His promises are sure, His Will is best, and His Grace is sufficient for us. Are we a complicated mixture of belief and unbelief?

LEAVEN OF HEROD – The leaven of Herod is being captivated by the world. It would be sad if the spirit of the world is working in us. The friendship of the world is at enmity with God. The world (money, sport, status, and glamour) wants to get hold of us and if we let the leaven of worldliness get in us, it will transform us to the world. We must overcome the world – God gives us power to do this.

OLD LEAVEN – When we gather in Meetings, don’t keep the feast with the old leaven (sin and the past). In Exodus we read of the Passover – the people had to purge their homes of the old leaven, then they would be cleansed and purged by the blood of the lamb. There is shelter and cleansing in the blood of Christ if we repent first. We need to learn to cleanse ourselves of feelings and happenings of the past because we can’t mix the old leaven with the blood. The Passover focused on the blood, but Pentecost which was 50 days after the Passover (on the first day of the week after 7 weeks), focused on bread. When we get rid of the old leaven, God doesn’t leave us empty, but He fills us to make of us good bread. Jesus cleansed the temple.

Acts 2:1-2, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” God filled the house with His Spirit to show them that they were doing the right thing – it didn’t go to the temple, it went to the home. It was like leaven, a rising power that filled their lives, and it was too good to withhold from the world.

LEAVEN OF THE FLESH – 1 Corinthians 5:8, “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” If there is malice (resentment) or wickedness (deliberate desire to go ahead and do what is wrong), there will be no fellowship. We cannot serve God with the leaven of the flesh.

LEAVEN OF GOD – Present the right spirit and atmosphere so that God’s Spirit can work in us. If we don’t have God’s Spirit, we are not of Him. If the leaven of God works through our soul, body, and spirit, we will be preserved for His coming. The soul symbolizes the mental part of us so that we can communicate with others, the body symbolizes the physical part of us, and the spirit symbolizes having communion with God. The body is the home for the soul and the soul is the home for the spirit. When God’s Spirit is in us, our souls can live. When the leaven of God works in us, it brings about a change:

Spirit – When the leaven of God works in our spirit, we begin to love the things of God, we begin to pray and we become alive spiritually.

Soul – When the leaven of God works in our soul, we begin to communicate with others. We change our attitude towards others and take on a kind and good spirit. We become merciful, tolerant, pure, genuine; we don’t pretend or cover up, we seek to be peacemakers, and we don’t retaliate or take revenge.

Body – When the leaven of God works in our body, we begin to regard our body as the temple of God, and we don’t use it in any common way. A clean body makes good bread. Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life” – leavened bread. God gave Jesus His Spirit without measure because He gave Himself to God without measure. He was never leavened with the leaven of the Pharisees, the leaven of the Sadducees, the leaven of Herod, the leaven of the flesh or the old leaven – He was leavened with God. God gave the example of His Son that we can feed upon because He was always leavened by the right Spirit. Jesus broke bread – leavened bread. When we purge our old lives, He doesn’t leave us empty, but He fills us and makes us complete. He will strengthen us. We can feed on Jesus – His words, deeds, and attitudes. We need to be alive and awake to see the effect of the right spirit – this will lead to salvation and will feed others and the heart of God.

Isaiah 6, I was thinking of this chapter. Verse Is6:1 begins, “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord…” Uzziah was a very good king until he over-stepped the border of his responsibility and he became a leper and was a leper until the day of his death. We haven’t finished the race yet and this experience could happen to anyone, so we have to go forth carefully.

I was thinking of when Absalom was caught up in the tree. Joab asked the young man why he did not smite him down, but the young man spoke about the advice the king gave. “Deal gently with the young man.” That young man fulfilled the words of the king. Joab killed Absalom. I admire that young man. In spite of what the older man told him, he still kept the words of the king. If we would go forward, just keep the words of the King and remember what we have heard here and fulfill it.

We have heard much about leaving here and the problems we may face in the world. Sometimes those who were against you begin to admire your manner of life, and they appreciate you for it. They may not be willing for it, but they may come to appreciate you. It is a privilege to witness to others, so don’t let the attitude of others discourage you.

Is6:2, “Above it stood the seraphims…. with twain he did fly.” These seraphims hid their identity, and they spoke the same message. There was great unity among them. None put himself forward and they had the message.

Is6:3-4, “Holy, holy, holy…… was filled with smoke.” There was a response to the message. The house was filled with smoke. The message had quite an effect upon the house.

Isaiah said (Is6:5), “Woe is me…. the Lord of hosts.” He was grateful for that vision that he had seen the king.

Is6:6-7, “Then flew one of the seraphims…. thy sin purged.” That was not a pleasant experience. It was a live coal – a living word. We can leave here with iniquity taken away and our sin purged. That is God’s provision for His people. He can send them forth as a clean people. That is the interest that God has in His people.

Isaiah 55, the word of God will cleanse.

Is55:12, “For ye shall go out with joy….. with peace.” We can now go forward with the knowledge that we are clean no matter how we felt before. Our responsibility is to keep clean. We can go out with joy. We can rejoice in His salvation. We can rejoice in the dealings of God and be led forth with peace. There is nothing to equal peace. Peace in the heart, peace in the home and peace in the nation. We can find that in Jesus. If we are willing to be cleansed by His word and keep that word, we can experience peace. This is a very troubled world, and it is not going to get any better but in the quietness of our own hearts we can live in peace.

Is6:8, the voice of the Lord asked, “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah said, “Send me.” He was very willing to respond to the voice of God and said willingly “Here am I, send me.” We have heard much about going into the Work but in every walk of life we could say “Here am I, send me.” We are very grateful for those who have gone. I have thought recently of Wilson Reid who told us once, “When you pray, don’t preach.” Preaching and prayers should be separated. One would like to practice that, not preach while we are praying. We are just to express our own need and the needs of others. I was thinking again of the Song of Solomon. A lady once said to me, “You like the romantic scriptures.” There is a great depth of meaning in this Song.

Song2:3, “I sat down under his shadow.” it is not easy to sit down. You people have your occupation and responsibilities and I would like to learn better how to sit down. When you sit down something comes into your mind, and you have to do it, and eventually you don’t sit down at all. There is a lot to be gained if we are just willing to sit down.

Song2:4, “…… and his and banner over me was love.” He has so much to offer us if we could only sit down. This world is in such a mad rush. People are all better off, but they seem to have less time than ever for the important things. The devil doesn’t mind how well off we are. All he wants to do is to distract us and hinder us from what we need to do in order to preserve our own life. And this is a matter of eternal life. We must look at it in that light and realize that we have been given the privilege of eternal life. We are joint-heirs with Christ. This is almost unbelievable. We turn to Jesus on the Cross and all He did to make that possible for us. We don’t feel worthy of being a joint-heir with Christ.

Song2:10-11, “My beloved….. over and gone.” In those countries winter is an unfruitful season but in this verse that season is over, so the message is “Rise up.” It was my beloved who spoke. That response is necessary, to rise up and leave certain things behind. A different season had come. “The time of the singing of birds….. in our land.” This can be our experience as we go through life, having fellowship with Jesus and with the Father. That enables us to rise up and come away.

The Psalmist said, “My soul cleaveth to the dust.”(Ps119:25) We cleave to the dust, and we need to be quickened, to be raised up that one day we may live with Him forever.

Song2:14-15, “Let me hear thy voice….. tender grapes.” Fellowship is very tender. It can be broken. It goes back to this matter of forgiveness that we have heard about.

Forgiveness preserves fellowship. We have no right not to forgive the other person for we have been forgiven ourselves. This is the most wonderful fellowship in all the world. Someone said in testimony of that which is better. I have been thinking of the parable of the grain of mustard seed.

Matthew 13:31, “The Kingdom of Heaven….. mustard seed…. greatest among herbs.” We have a part in that which has become great. The whole world is going to destruction but we as God’s Children, if we remain, faithful are in what is going to last forever. We are in it right now, not only after we die. The only thing in the world today that is becoming greater is God’s testimony. The ordinary way of life is diminishing in value, but God’s Kingdom is increasing in value. People give themselves to so much and then say, “It doesn’t interest me anymore.” It is so good to give ourselves to what is becoming greater day by day. We are a very privileged people to have a part in His Kingdom.

Song2:16, “My beloved is mine…… among the lilies.” The lilies speak of purity.

Song2:17, “Until the day… mountains.” Jesus wanted to wash the Disciples’ feet, but Peter didn’t want it. Jesus said (John13:8),” If I wash thee not….. with me.” Right away Peter said “Not my feet only… head.” Perhaps he made the first statement out of respect for the Master. But he had a perfect revelation of Jesus when he said, “Not my feet….. head.” He couldn’t entertain the thought of not being in the Kingdom of Jesus. If we could think along the same line, we are not going to allow anything to hinder us. Peter wanted to have a part forever with Jesus. Today, perhaps, it is a little bit of self-denial and bearing of the Cross, but one day it will be altogether different. It is a wonderful future to live on this earth for one thousand years when all evil will be put down. The enemy wants to hide that view from our eyes.

Song3:6, “Who is this….. of the merchant.” When you think of a merchant you think of trading. You have to buy. You have to pay a price.

Song4:16, the Bride is speaking. “Awake, O north wind… pleasant fruits.” She was willing for every experience that the sweet spices would flow out, proving to others that she was subject to her beloved. Sometimes when I think of the beautiful expressions in this chapter, I wonder if you husbands use such expressions to your wives.

Chapter Song5:2, “I sleep…..” The Bridegroom was coming, but the bride didn’t respond. The Bridegroom said, “Open to me.” When the Bridegroom speaks do we respond? The beloved had withdrawn, and then the bride realized what she had missed. She had taken things easy and the Bridegroom had to pass her by.

Verse Song5:9, “What is thy beloved more than another beloved?” She didn’t want another beloved. She had a revelation of the true beloved. This was her testimony of her beloved. He was altogether lovely. It is nice when we have that true understanding of our beloved.

Song6:2, “My beloved….. gather lilies.” Now she was fully satisfied. As we leave this place we want to have this assurance “I am my beloved’s ….. is mine.” This is a very individual matter, and it is wonderful to think of the possibility of service. This is our only hope for the future. We will then have part in the great resurrection and be able to live with Him for ever and ever. This is a great reality. This Song is more than a love story. It holds out hope to us. There were some mistakes made by the bride, but the relationship was renewed as soon as possible. She couldn’t live without the Bridegroom. We can’t live without our Bridegroom. It would be a very dark future if we allowed the Bridegroom to leave us. We have to put forth the effort that the Bridegroom will be willing to abide with us.

Hymns

313 Where All Is Peaceful

307  I Will Follow My Saviour

I was here twenty-nine years ago and a few years later, I was working in Belfast with Jacob Kevelighan, so I had some experience of the political problems here. A bomb damaged the hall we were in, and we visited a friend whose home was damaged by a bomb. We are glad to be living in more peaceful times. We are encouraged to pray for those in authority that we may live a peaceable life.

A friend reminded me of what I spoke here twenty-nine years ago. A family who visited us when I was a child used to call me Timothy. I hated the name because Timothy to me seemed to be a small boy never far away from his mother’s apron-strings. His socks were always pulled up and his hair neat and tidy, and he would say, “Yes, Mummy. No, Mummy.” That wasn’t me. I much preferred to be like “Just William” who was always dirty and untidy because he was never out of mischief. Now I wouldn’t mind if people called me Timothy. Paul gave Timothy wonderful advice, and it is safe to assume that Timothy followed that advice. I have read his letters often and have tried to make them more my thinking and my activity.

Paul wrote to Timothy about being a soldier. My brother was in the Royal Marines, and he told me that at their inaugural lecture on the first day in camp, an officer told them, “You’re ours. From now on, you have no say in anything. From now on you obey. You have no will of your own. From now on, you are ours.” That was what Paul told Timothy. He should be totally committed and dedicated to his master. We have every reason to believe he lived in that way, controlled and moved by the Holy Spirit. A good soldier.

We read in the Old Testament of fifty thousand men who kept rank and were not of a double mind. I used to think people who kept rank, knew how to march correctly and were always in line. It is more than that. They are people who are subject to discipline. In the army, there are several ranks; privates, sergeants, captains, majors. All have their place and if they step above their rank, they become a very poor soldier. They may even be disciplined for voicing their own opinion or stepping out of rank. I would like to keep rank in this Kingdom of God. God forbid that I would in any way undermine authority. We have heard of those who have responsibility – working up from children to the overseer. I would like to know my place. Not giving advice that cancels the advice given by others, not going about to assert my own authority. Not sowing discord, not causing others to doubt because they have been diligently and conscientiously following advice given by their superiors. These are people who are not double-minded. They were purposed that they were going out to fight, and they would get victory. It is good not have to be double hearted. We have heard of the turmoil that can be in our minds until we come to some definite decision. I would like to make it my aim to be single-minded and have one objective.

We were talking around the meal table in Peru and someone was asked if their recent mission had been successful. The reply given was this. What makes a mission successful? Is it a successful mission if the relationship of the Workers as individuals with God is right? If their relationship with their companion is as it ought to be and if they have a good relationship with the friends? If, because of the godly way they are living they are living above reproach from the world? That would be a successful mission. I have had missions and several have professed but if I take these conditions as a barometer, I would have to say that my missions have not always been successful. My relationship with God has not been as deep as it ought to have been or even with my companion. I have not always acted wisely with the friends. That doesn’t result in successful missions.

It is easy to be companionable going on a round of Conventions. We are waited on hand and foot. Served graciously in the dining hall and our laundry is attended to. So much care is lavished upon us. It is a different thing to be a brother in the bach when you have to do your own cooking, cleaning, and shopping. Not that I mind cooking or shopping. But it is different being a brother in the bach when you are on your own and there are no friends around. I was thinking of the Prodigal Son and when he purposed to return to his father. He must have considered that the road back to his father would have passed by his older brother’s house. He may have thought that the father would have handed over all responsibility to the older brother. From now on, he would have to knuckle under to him. He wasn’t much of a character, but he was prepared to do it. The road to the father’s house took him past his brother’s and this is so for each and every one of us. The road to the presence of God takes us past our brother’s house. We can’t possibly be right with God if we are not right with our brother and sister or the person that is closest to us. There is a price to be paid. I was thinking of Jacob when he was told by God to return to his father’s house. He realized he would have to pass by his brother Esau who had been at enmity with him. He did it in a very graceful and humble way. He did everything he could to appease his brother just like Abigail as we heard. Jacob in his vow had spoken of returning in peace to his father’s house. God was willing to do that, but he didn’t exclude Jacob from doing his part in making peace possible. He sent presents to Esau and referred to itself as thy servant but referred to Esau as my lord. He humbled himself. Because he did this, unity and peace were brought about in the family.

Humility precedes unity. There was no question of any bargaining chip. Jacob came to his father’s house in peace because he was prepared to pay the price for unity. How do we stand in our relationship with those closest to us? Do we do what we ought to do so that peace might reign? When I was a child, my brother and I used to play Monopoly. You have to pass by the property that belongs to your opponent. It seemed to me that my brother always ended up with the best property. He always turned up a lucky chance card, but I seemed to get the Go-to Jail card. Soon I was bankrupt. We tried to cheat. It was only a game, but we have to pass by property that is others’ who are in the game with us. So it is in this race of life. It is not a game and there is no cheating.

Romans 13:7, “Render therefore to all……. honour to whom honour.” In our relations with people every day, we have to pay up, and it is no bargain. We have to pay the price to keep ourselves right with God. Proverbs 25:9 and 29:9, “Debate thy cause…. a secret to another.” “If a wise man contendeth….. there is no rest.” Jesus said this in Matthew 18:15, “Moreover if thy brother…… and him alone.” How many of us do this? We have heard how misunderstandings can create a breach. A lot of problems could be solved if the person went to the other alone. I have tended to bottle things up and disturb myself and everybody else when the remedy was there if I had gone to speak to the person alone. Proverbs 25:10, “Lest he that heareth…. turn not away.” If we don’t go to the person concerned, the tendency among us is to moan and groan to a third party. The third party might say, “Set your own house in order.” If you are not prepared to go to the person’s self, don’t tell another for that could make the situation worse. Proverbs 25:8, “Go not forth hastily… thee to shame.” We may have given a lot of time and thought to a problem and decided to go to speak to him in a graceful and tactful way and say, “What you are doing is an offense to me and I think you are spoiling your own testimony by doing this.” He might say, “I know you have my interest at heart but what about working on the beam that is in your own eye.”

We have to be concerned about what others do and this is especially so for the ministry, but it really comes back to working on ourselves. Leviticus 19:17, “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart.” I do not think for one moment that there is anyone in this tent who hates his brother. “Thou shalt in any wise… rebuke him.” That seems to mean that to not rebuke or reprove when it is necessary to do so, would be an expression of hate for your brother. No one likes to think himself better than another but nevertheless there comes a time when correction and advice has to be given. If it is not given, it could be taken as an expression of hate. When Workers in this country have to speak about certain things that need to be attended to, and you may not like it, just remember that it is not an expression of hate but one of deep love and affection for those they are speaking to. Proverbs 28:23, “He that rebuketh a man……flattereth with the tongue.” Since I am relatively fit and active it is hard for me to come to terms with my age. I pray for grace to help me keep rank. It has been arranged for me during my home-visit to be in a mission in England.

Prayer is a mighty source of power. We have been made to understand how important prayer is in our lives. When we pray in our quiet times, we are praying one on one with God. We don’t need to pray as we do in a meeting when others are listening in. We pray in the first person, “I.” “I love You, Father. I love Your Way; I love Your Will; I love Jesus; I am thankful for His willingness to live and die a cruel death that I might have a hope of Eternal life. I pray –, I love –, I plead — , I beg –, I ask, I give thanks, etc.” Sometimes, an hour isn’t even long enough to make our petitions known, but we should not pray long prayers in the meeting. An hour may not be long enough for us to hear God speak to us. That is more important than making ourselves heard. We can take as long as we want when we are praying in the secret place. If we prayed short prayers in a meeting, others would have something to express also that has not been expressed several times already.

In a meeting, we are praying SHORT prayers together so we pray as a group. We pray in the plural in the meeting. “WE pray, We love, WE ask, WE plead, WE beg , WE are thankful, WE need your forgiveness.” It isn’t judging others when WE pray for forgiveness. We can safely pray in the plural sense because we are praying as a group. Save your personal prayers for personal time with God. Do you realize that when we pray in a meeting, we are praying to God and others are listening in, and we need to speak up so others can hear us? When we speak in a meeting, we need to speak up also because we are speaking to others and God is listening in.

We sometimes get nervous and forget how and what we are praying. When we pray, we should pray in Jesus’ name, not in the Father’s name. Not in THY name but Thy SON’s name. Do you get tired of hearing others end their prayers by making their requests in Jesus’ name? I hope not. That is certainly not vain repetition. Vain repetition is praying the same ‘vain’ words because they do not come from the heart, or we are not asking for a present need for right now, for this meeting, but uttering words memorized from having said them so many times in the same sequence, hardly realizing what we are saying. And could vain repetition be praying the same thing over and over, which has already been prayed many times in the meeting, like the people who chant the words of Jesus’ sample prayer and chant, “Lord have mercy,” over and over in their services? Are you guilty of repeating what has been prayed already MANY times? If we would remember this, we would not be praying long prayers in the meeting and we would not be seeking to use pretty words for other’s ears. God doesn’t need to hear fancy words; He knows what words we are thinking before we speak them, so our prayers should be in simplicity.

Do we think it pleases God more to ask of Him in His own name than simply do what Jesus told His disciples and ask in Jesus’ name or in Christ‘s name? Do we think, “The other twenty or twenty-five in the meeting have asked in Jesus’ name, so I will end my prayer differently?” We should be VERY AWARE that we are asking OF God in His Son Jesus Christ’s name, making a few simple requests known as a group so all can say AMEN. Can this be impressed upon us enough? May we be teachable, as the Holy Spirit seeks to teach us, so that our prayers may be heard and our times together would be profitable.

Hymn 372 May the Lord Depend on You?

II Corinthians 11:3, “But I fear, lest by any means….simplicity that is in Christ.” We have come to the last day and for many of us it is the last Convention this year. How do we feel? We have had very special times in the presence of God. Maybe we are like the little mouse we often heard about that ate the cheese. He then said, “Bring on the cats now!” Because of sitting in the atmosphere of the Spirit of God, we feel we could almost face anything. It won’t be very long until reality will dawn.

We have an enemy who is very subtle and as he beguiled Eve through his subtlety, he wants to destroy what has taken place at Convention. It won’t be very long after the Convention before you know that he is working. He is trying to hinder the work of God being completed in all our lives. He can come in such a subtle way that we can hardly realise it. His purpose is to upset us. We heard in testimony that someone on coming home from a previous Convention was bombarded with something they never expected. The subtlety of the enemy is to take away from us the wonderful atmosphere we enjoyed in this place. We are not going out to play. We are going out to fight a battle. This is a battle of our will and God’s will.

We sang in the hymn “What will give us hope …. daily strife.” It is not very long before we find that strife again. That struggle arising in our hearts and we wonder how we can face it. But we need to remember we have the power of Heaven behind us. All Heaven is behind every one of God’s true children. So often we limit the power of the Spirit of God because of reservations in our hearts. But we want to use the power of Heaven and we have something to do. The hymn says, “Is it not in praying”…. life.

A number of times, I have left Convention feeling enriched but in a very short time I was flat on my face. Every time, I traced it to a lack of true prayer. We may feel we can go along on what we have heard. A lack of prayer in the secret place leads to failure. When you leave, give time to God. That is where we get the power of Heaven to help us face the daily strife.

I have enjoyed the book of Nehemiah and I hope I can tell you some of the things that were dear to my heart. It is the story of a man in very difficult circumstances, away from his homeland and in captivity. But a little thought came into his heart, a concern for the needs of the Kingdom of God. It is wonderful when God can awaken in us a concern for the needs of the Kingdom. It is not just the Workers but those in the home life, those who have families, those in the little Churches. There are needs for every hand and there are many needs. The care of the elderly in your Church, the care of the sick, the care of the young. The needs are endless. We are glad that even at Convention, God can make us aware of these needs.

Nehemiah recognised the state of the wall at Jerusalem. He could have felt there was nothing he could do for he was far away but he prayed. It is always safe to pray and in prayer, God can awaken our hearts to paths of usefulness. Someone told us in our field this year that they prayed, “Lord help me to be used.” They were used in a very special way. Maybe in a way they didn’t expect but they were used. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a desire like that, to be used by God in the interests of His kingdom? Nehemiah may have felt this is a hopeless situation but he prayed and God deepened that desire in his heart. He saw there was something he could do, so he made that journey to Jerusalem and he saw that there was a need for every hand. I hope God has been able to awake in us the needs of the Kingdom for there is need for every hand.

He may have thought, “What can I do?” but he didn’t tell anyone what God had put in his heart. It was something between himself and God and these little convictions that we get from God are very precious. He thought of it a little more and then the time came when he had to share what was in his heart. We sometimes have these little convictions in our heart from God but they can just remain like that. I remember being like that for a few years and then I decided I would go in the Work if God really wanted me but I did not tell anyone and I had no peace. I remember struggling at the last Convention and I was afraid to leave that Convention without telling what was in my heart. I tried after the first day but I couldn’t do it. The last day of Convention is very special to me. Things can take place on the last day of Convention that can change our whole life. I thought after the first meeting I could get the opportunity to tell someone but it didn’t happen. Then came the second meeting and it still didn’t happen. I was afraid to leave for I knew that I had to share what was in my heart. I was afraid I might lose what God had put in my heart. I knew it had been put there by God and I wondered what would happen if God left me alone. I stayed to help at the clear-up and then I walked straight into our overseer. I told him what was in my heart. I was young and I expected him to tell me that I was too young. He just put his hand on my shoulder and said, “The need is great.” I knew that was my destiny but I left with a peace in my heart that I didn’t have for some years. I remember going home from that Convention with singing in my heart. I had shared with others what God had in my heart.

That is when there comes no turning back. I knew if I had kept it in my heart, I could have changed my mind. I knew what was ahead when the older brother said, “The need is great.” I remember that line of the hymn coming to me, “And prove to Thee my heart’s deep love.” That was my song as I left that Convention. Wouldn’t it be terrible if anyone left this convention the same way as we came? That is not how God wants us to leave. God wants us to leave with peace in our hearts. That’s what happened to Nehemiah.

It took courage and by him taking the stand he encouraged others to rise and fight. When you take a stand in the will of God, you don’t know how that can encourage someone else. You don’t know the influence it could have on someone watching your life. They started to build the wall and it wasn’t long until the enemy became busy. When the work of God is going on, the enemy won’t be far away. After Convention when God is trying to do a work, the enemy will be close by. The enemy tried to hinder that work in every way they could. First, they tried to mock it and despise it. They said even a little fox could destroy it. The enemy can use that ploy with us, despising the work God is doing in our hearts. If God is working in your soul, it is a work for eternity. Don’t let the enemy despise God’s work in your heart. It is priceless.

Then, they began to build. Each one in his place and it says, “Next unto him.” Each one was building against their own house. We all have a place to fill. We all have a part in this building of God. We all have different places and in a very short time we will be separated from Convention. You will be going back to your place on the wall, separated one from the other. Separation must come. We can’t stay here. You go back to the place God has for you and that is the right place.

After this meeting, the list will come out and we will be sent to our place. The last two years, I have been surprised at my companions, but they have been two of the best years for me. It is not what we choose or whom we choose to be with. It is the work of God’s Spirit. Next unto us may be our companions, our family or those in our little Church.

It says the breaches began to be stopped and the enemy was very wroth. The enemy loves to see little breaches. He longs to bring in breaches between companions, between husbands and wives, between members of the little church. Where there is a breach, there is a weakness that the enemy can work on. It can come in a most unexpected way. Maybe a little misunderstanding, then another misunderstanding and then before you know a breach has come. I have seen it happen and it is very serious. But it is wonderful when the Spirit can bridge those breaches and there is no weakness where the enemy can enter. We need to be very careful. Even in the family, little breaches can come. An unkind word can be spoken, leads to something else and suddenly there is a gap. What happens then? It affects the Church. We read in this chapter that they were fighting with one hand working and the other on a weapon. What is our weapon? “Being armed with the mind of Christ.” That is the armour of God. When we face the day that is the armour we need to take with us. The One who when He was reviled, reviled not again. When He was misunderstood, He didn’t retaliate. That is Jesus. That is the One we need to keep beside us and if something unsuspected arises from an area you never expected, you have the mind of Christ to deal with it. Nehemiah said

“Fight for your family, fight for your children, fight for your wives.” The battles we are fighting are not for us alone. The battles we win can have such an influence on the lives of those who are coming after. We need to be sure that we are in the place on the wall that God has for us. What happens if we are in the wrong place? It will spoil the peace in our heart.

We heard this year of an experience of a young couple. They were thinking of getting married. Before this, the girl had wondered if God had a place for her in the Work. She prayed but nothing happened. She wanted to be sure that she was in the right place. She said to her future husband, “If God gives me a sign right up to when I enter the Registry Office, I will have to turn back. For if God shows me I should be in the Work, it will make my life and your life miserable.” She went through and they are a happy, useful couple because she put God first. It is evident in their home that they are living like servants of God for they have such a care for those who are lost. I don’t want to lift them up but they were an inspiration to me. We need to be sure that we are in the place God wants us to be.

When the enemy saw the work going ahead, he wanted to talk with Nehemiah but Nehemiah recognised it as a ploy of the enemy. The enemy wants us to compromise and in compromising, we never win. There is a story of a man who went to hunt for a bear. He was about to shoot it when the bear asked him what he was doing. The man said that the he wanted a fur coat. The bear said he wanted his breakfast and they should discuss it. Then the bear ate the man. That is but the ploy of the enemy to get us to sit down and compromise. We always lose. Samson compromised and lost his eyesight. Samson thought he could play with the enemy. We can’t play with the enemy so be careful. We are going out to fight a battle so that the will of God gets uppermost place in our hearts.

[Jeremy Gibson’s next-to-last convention message?]

We had the wonderful privilege to attend Manhattan Montana #1 convention this year, and after hearing of Jeremy Gibson’s death, were made doubly glad that we had seen and visited with Jeremy, and heard him speak. Elaine typed up Jeremy’s message, which is, I think, his next-to-last convention message, because I hear that he also spoke at Manhattan #2.

Here it is:

In I Corinthians 2, I won’t read the verses but particularly from verses 11 down, it tells us that we know the ways of men, of humans, by the spirit of man in us. Also we might call it the human nature in us. That we know the ways of men and that we can only know the ways of God by having the Spirit of God. And if we have the Spirit of God, we’ll think different than if we just have the spirit of man. There is much difference between God and man. We know there is a difference between men and women. Men don’t exactly understand how women think, and vise versa. But that is a small difference compared to the difference between the thinking of man and the thinking of God. And it is the Spirit of God that helps us understand the mysteries of heaven. Like even the purpose and the existence of hell, the Spirit of God teaches us that. Many people in the world want to think that that is just a scare tactic or there is nothing to hell, but the Spirit of God teaches us why there is a hell. And it teaches us why Jesus had to die for us. To many people that is a mystery that seems foolish. But the Spirit of God teaches us those things.

God wants us to know the way He thinks about things. He wants us to know His judgment. And if we are confused about how God thinks, it is because of our unwillingness to accept. Either to search and ask God why or just unwillingness to accept His answers. I was in confusion for a couple years about whether I was supposed to be in the work, just because of my unwillingness.

People came to Jesus and asked Him, “How long will You hold us in doubt or in suspense? Tell us plainly.” Jesus had been telling them but they just didn’t want the answer. So they were confused. God wants us to understand the way He thinks. When we come to know God and have a relationship with God, He wants to teach us His ways.

So I was thinking of some ways that we think differently, if we have the Spirit of God, we think differently than those in the world. I had a companion, my second year in the work. He was 80 years old. Many times, he would express his lack of understanding of why people did things the way they did, why they made the choices that they did. And me, I wasn’t very far removed from the spirit of man, my second year in the work, though not very far. And I could understand why they made those choices. But my older companion, it was becoming hard to understand why people would make those choices. And it would be nice as we continue on, and God’s way becomes more a part of us, that you would come to understand less the workings of man, the workings of our human nature.

And briefly, one way we think differently than the world, is that we believe that all that Jesus did and said was the best. It still is the best. And maybe the biggest case in point would be Jesus’ example of how people ought to preach the Gospel. How He sent out the apostles, and how He Himself lived and preached as an example of a minister of God. We believe that Jesus did it the best way possible – that He taught the best way possible. But not many people in the world pay any attention to how Jesus established the ministry. They think it has been improved on, that they can improve on that.

And we also believe that the record we have of the believers in the New Testament, that it’s the same. That they were basically mature, as mature as we are, can be today. What we read of in the Acts, of the way that the friends met together in those first thirty or sixty years after Jesus left, that they had as much understanding of God as we have today. The same Spirit was teaching them and it can’t be improved on. We believe that moving the fellowship meetings from homes into buildings is a regression not a progression.

And we aren’t interested in the, necessarily, in the quantity of those that walk with us in this way. But we are interested in the quality of Spirit of our meetings, of individuals. We don’t believe that there is any benefit in ignoring any commandments of Jesus so that there could be more members in our way. Because if we did ignore anything of Jesus, then that is what it would be. It would be “our way.” But Jesus selected the perfect way. God has a perfect plan and we want to follow all the teachings of Jesus.

One thing that we don’t want to differ from is what Jesus taught. For example, Jesus taught that people ought to give their alms, their acts of righteousness, in secret. People in the world, they found that people will give more if they make a public plea for help and if they have some sort of competition involved among people. They ask people to give publicly in front of other people, that the people would give more. And then the whole idea behind that, or the justification for that, is that is all that is given, if the preacher can get somebody to give more, then that can be used in spreading the gospel and more people can come to know Christ. But that is their idea. But that is ignoring the teachings of Jesus. We don’t believe there is any benefit in that. Then it would become “our way,” not God’s way.

We believe that the way is narrow. Others believe that the way is wide. We pray differently than those in the world. They pray that God would be with them in their activities. We pray that God would direct us throughout the day and that God would be with us as we do His will. They pray for world peace and we pray that people would be troubled until they would come to submit or surrender to God, especially those that we love the most. We pray that they would be troubled and be moved to turn to God. They pray for good weather for their activities for the day. We pray that we would have a good spirit throughout the day. They pray for health and for wealth, and we pray that we would be content in whatever conditions God has prepared for us. Stressing that His will is best, and that we would learn and prosper spiritually in whatever condition we are in. In their prayers, they are bold as teenagers are bold to their parents. Making requests and feeling like they know as well or better than their parents. But we pray with the boldness of infants, that we cry out shamelessly in need, asking our parents to help us. We don’t really know what we need, but we need something and our parents can provide that.

God’s people, when they are corrected, they assume that the person correcting them loves them, because that’s the way it ought to be. Love must be included with correction and correction must go with love. So when we are corrected, we feel that the person that is correcting us loves us. We are not offended. And many other things, we think differently, and that is good, because if we have the Spirit of God, we’ll think differently than those that just have the spirit of man. It is good to be different.

Separation encourages differences. So, when we leave here, we want to try to get to all the meetings we can. To be separate from the world. We have to be in the world but we don’t have to be of the world. We want to be separate and not mix in with activities of the world that aren’t necessary and that would make us think the way they think and value the things they value. When our thoughts tend to follow the trend of the world, that’s time to get worried. What is really motivating us? What is really directing our thoughts? Is it the Spirit of God or is it the spirit of man?

*[These notes also in circulation with the date 2009. Perhaps the earlier date is correct.]

Hymn 208

I have read those first chapters of Revelation over many times and each time I read them, I find something new. This story begins when John was a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos. Rev1:4, “John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace…” This message began as a message of peace. We can have all kinds of treasures in this life but if we don’t have peace, we have nothing. We can have joy but if there’s no peace, we don’t have very much. John wanted to give his people this message — this message of peace.

Peace doesn’t depend on circumstances but on ourselves. Jesus told His disciples in John that if they went into a city or a home where no peace was, it shouldn’t affect their peace. It didn’t mean they shouldn’t be concerned about it, but it shouldn’t affect their peace. I don’t want to be at peace myself yet have a wrong spirit; I don’t want to be at peace with myself but condemn others, either. That’s a dangerous position to be in. We must learn this peace by yielding ourselves to God. Like our sister has already told us, “without reputation, and without hesitation.” We blame others for our faults but peace doesn’t come by getting our own way. I would rather lose an argument and keep my peace than win an argument and lose my peace.

We heard this morning about Jesus and all that He faced. He was despised and rejected, but His response never disturbed His peace. How much can we apply to our own circumstance and to our own life? There’s no such thing in this world as an excuse or reason for a bad spirit. There is nothing that gives justification for a bad spirit. It is just taking what Jesus has taught us and lived before us and applying it to ourselves daily. John said, “I, John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” He was in the spirit on the Lord’s Day. Sometimes we have difficulty being in the spirit on the Lord’s Day and we won’t receive the blessing, or what feeds our soul, if we are not.

It tells us he heard a voice behind him and John turned. How many times have we had to turn from our own thinking and attitude? John was in the spirit that day, yet he had to change and turn. I don’t think I have ever been at a convention where I’ve heard so much about the need of changing and turning. Each of us knows what needs changing in ourselves. John saw seven candlesticks when he turned, and in the midst of them was One like the Son of God. He saw Jesus when he turned, “clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.” He saw the human completely covered. Isn’t that what this is all about…Jesus only? He first showed John something very useful before He showed him anything else.

In these messages to the seven churches, He spoke first to the church at Ephesus, that they had lost their first love. Why do we always think about this church losing their first love and don’t ever think about the positive things concerning them? God showed John the situation first and then He showed him the positive side before the negative and how it could be corrected. This speaks of our attitude, our conduct, and our testimony. Nothing is wrong with that, but this church had lost their first love. God said, “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

He told that church He would remove their light out of the community. All the good we do won’t substitute for our love of God, and then the rest will fit in beautifully. It’s like a house that’s perfect except for the love that doesn’t exist between the couple. There is no fellowship and no communication. What good is that? If there’s no repentance, the light goes out. I have seen several people like this and you can’t put a finger on their testimony, but their love for God is lacking. They look down on others while lifting themselves up, and soon the light goes out. One man asked me once, “What have I done wrong?”

It wasn’t because he had done wrong; it was because he didn’t have the love of God. It’s like the girl who once went with a boy to a gathering and was told by him, “My folks aren’t home, so let’s go over to my house.” She said, “Take me home.” He said, “Are you afraid your father will hurt you?” “No,” she said, “I don’t want to hurt my father.” When we argue about the good things or the bad, we will never come to any conclusion unless the love of God is superior to every other thing we face. We must repent and ignite again that love which satisfies the heart of God.

What do you think when you think of Peter? Do you think of him as the one who denied Christ? He did deny Christ BUT he also said, “This is the Christ.” Jesus told him that “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak,” and Peter said, “I will go to death before I will deny Thee.” I respect that and I believe Peter meant those words. Jesus knew Peter’s spirit was willing and He proved it. Jesus looked at Peter only once and it caused him to weep when he was rebuked. It says he wept bitterly. To change our attitude we need to look at the positive side of things, and if we do, our attitudes will be changed.

We can think about Thomas, too, and it’s his doubting that we remember, not the positive things in that man. Peter [Thomas ?] only doubted one time, and isn’t that what we remember? John told those churches many good things before he told them the negative. Nothing is secure if there isn’t love first. Jesus didn’t find fault with the next church in Smyrna but He told them, “I know your works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil; and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.” He told them about their attitudes. He knows everything about us. You might be in poverty, but if the love of God is in your life, you are rich. Often we feel we are rich if we have more than our neighbour or poorer if we have less. That is how we measure things but Jesus said, don’t worry about those things — “be faithful unto death, and if you are, you will have the crown of life.”

There are times when an awful struggle rises up within us and we face difficulties and pray and ask why, but this is not a prayer of faith. He told them, “…ye never denied my faith.” False doctrine and immorality are two things God despises and will continue to despise until the day that Christ returns. But this isn’t the first thing he thought about. We read of the positives first and then the negatives, and then he tells them to deal with the problems. It’s these things that must be put out first before we can even repent.

Mercy and forgiveness are two separate things. Mercy gives a person another chance, but if they don’t repent God doesn’t forgive them. Rev2:20, “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.” That woman Jezebel was in the church of Thyatira, but do we think about that first? The reason we must deal with wrong things first is to perfect the Lord in us.

Rev3:20, To the church at Laodicea, He said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” He didn’t have much good to say about this church but He gave them another chance. He opened the door in His mercy to them, but mercy doesn’t put treasure in heaven. Mercy just gives us another chance—another opportunity to do better; to do right. Mercy is not forgiveness but another opportunity.

I tried to put myself in John’s shoes that day and wondered what would I have done? There was no one for him to consult with as he was all alone, yet he had to write this letter to the churches and address these problems that were within. Without doubt, he was distressed and might have questioned, “What am I to do?” But we read that He looked up and beheld a door open in heaven, and immediately, he was in the spirit. Sometimes it seems every door is closed to us, and that isn’t the time to be discouraged but a time to look up as John did. He saw a throne and a rainbow around the throne, he saw the One sitting on the throne and his spirit was calmed.

We see many things in the world today, many things in the kingdom too, that shouldn’t be there, and we sometimes become disturbed. I do, and then I look up and see God still sitting on the throne. John remembered that there was a God sitting on the throne; He remembered the covenant with His people. We don’t see those things by looking down or around us—we see them by only looking up. John received a revelation that day that no other man has ever received before or since, and I appreciate that the Lord can speak to us like that, sometimes like a trumpet and not in a still small voice. It takes a trumpet sometimes to sound out and awaken us from our sleep.

If we keep in the spirit we will see so much. If we look heavenward, amidst the troubles and trials of our life, we will be calmed. Revelation 7:4 says, “And I heard the number of them which were sealed; and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” Some people think these 144,000 will be the only people who will ever set foot in heaven, but let us read on a little bit further. It tells us in verse 9, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.”

I just love that picture of those who were washed by the blood of the Lamb. Those palms speak of victory. They were there because they had washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, not because of their own righteousness or their own goodness, but because their garments were washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. One of the grandest things that Jesus ever taught was forgiveness of sin through the blood of the Lamb. All my sins can be washed away by His blood. I would like to be there on that day to lift my voice up in praise and harmony with them that gather round the throne in heaven, but I realize I need to lift my voice up in praise and harmony today.

How many times have you heard a person say in their testimony, “My desire?” It’s good to have a desire and I like to hear it but there’s a difference between “my desire” and “my accomplishment.” We will still have to choose or lose between the good and the bad, etc. First we must overcome these things now or we won’t be there on that day, for no promise ever comes without a fulfillment of certain conditions.

Hymn 385

Well, our poor friends here had a terrible experience last night in the Wednesday night bible study…4 armed robbers came in during meeting. I’ll paste David Lansdale’s letter below to give you details of what happened. There are 2 Wednesday night meetings here in Quito and I had been planning to go to the other one in the south last night, but when it got closer, I realized that I just didn’t have the energy to go, so stayed home to rest. I didn’t find out what happened in the north meeting until this morning. Some of the friends called to tell me about it and said they were so glad I wasn’t there. It seems that the outside gate was left open which was an open invitation to thieves and the inside door was also unlocked. I’m sure they will be more careful in the future, but what a frightful thing for our dear friends. April P

Letter from David Lansdale: (the word “colaboren” means “co-operate”)

Dear family and friends:

Ecuador celebrates their victory over Costa Rica in their quest for a world cup today, and the world takes note, but I´d like to share a quiet little scene, unnoticed but by a few who were there, that touched my life last night.

We gathered for a weekly study at the home of the Almeidas at 7 p.m., about 30 of us, including about 12 young children. We had sung two hymns, and in the middle of the third prayer, there was a sudden commotion in the hall. Four young men burst into the room, brandishing handguns, and ordered us all to drop to the floor. I appreciated the first word of advice my neighbor, Ramiro, cried out: ¨Colaboren!¨

A hush fell over the room, except for an occasional muffled sob of a child or mother, as the thieves worked the room, taking cell phones, wallets, cash, whatever we were willing to hand over. Three of the men then went upstairs to see what else they could find, clearly disappointed by the lack of jewelry in the take. During the next twenty minutes, the leader who kept watch over us in the living room, on five different occasions, commanded: ¨Agachen las caras¨ (¨bow your faces¨). And each time, my dear friend Ramiro, in a quiet but firm voice, would follow up with: ¨Colaboren.¨

An interesting phenomenon occurred as the moments ticked away. I could tell that those of us who could were quietly praying. A gentle, quiet spirit drew over us, and what struck me was that the voice of the leader of the group, each time he gave an order, became just a little bit softer, gentler. Finally, one of the fathers present asked them to please get it over with, as the children were clearly upset. The leader then asked his companions to finish up, and as quickly as they had arrived, they were gone. The house and the room were a mess, and we were all shook up, but no one was hurt.

Our studies have been in the book of Matthew, and last night it was chapter 20. Time and again, Jesus has been encouraging his disciples, who have been asking who would be first among them, to become as little children. We didn’t follow through with the study, as the police arrived to make out a report. But I did go home last night, thankful for a Father who was watching over us, and in the midst of the darkness (at one point, the lights were turned out), the quiet, gentle voice of encouragement and assurance: Bow your faces, collaborate, be as little children…

I lost my cell phone in the process. I can’t now call at will, but I sure can pray, if only I will! And I came away all the more encouraged by what I gained from the experience, an object lesson in submission and obedience, and an ever greater assurance that the One Who promised is ever a very present help in time of trouble.

Gratefully yours, from Quito, David

(Doyle’s age: 90 years)

I enjoyed what we heard about the Promised Land, and I enjoyed hymn 306 in regard to the Promised Land our God is still giving to His people. Hebrews 11:13 says these all died in faith not having received the promises, but having seen them, and were persuaded of them and embraced them, and confessed they were strangers and pilgrims (a stranger has no home, and a pilgrim is going home) and verse 16 is their reward, a heavenly country.

Dreams are a domain of experience having intellectual, ethical, and Spiritual significance. There is quite a bit in the Bible in regard to dreams. Everyone dreams to some extent, but many cannot recall their dreams. In general, dreams are easily forgotten. Dreaming, like all mental processes, is a product of the brain. Whether a person is awake or asleep, the brain continuously gives off electrical waves.

In the Bible, Joseph and Daniel are most noted for their dreams.

However in Genesis 20:3, God spoke to Abimelech, an unsaved man, and told him in a dream not to take Sarah to wife. So we can say this was a most profitable dream, both for Abimelech and for Sarah.

In 1 Kings 3:5, the Lord appeared in a dream to Solomon, so we can conclude this was a very profitable dream for Solomon.

Jeremiah 23:28 says, “The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream.” In other words, don’t be afraid to tell the dream he had.

But on the other hand, Deuteronomy 13:1-5 says a dreamer by a sign or wonder says, “Let us go after other gods,” then don’t hearken to him, but put him to death.

Jude 8 mentions filthy dreamers who defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

In Genesis 28:12, Jacob dreamed a very significant dream one night out under the stars. He had a stone for a pillow, and in this dream, God showed him a ladder which reached from earth to Heaven; he got a clear revelation of God’s Way. Oh, if more people had a similar revelation in our day.

We read of Joseph’s first dream in Genesis 37, and his brothers hated him for it, and one can understand why. But his father observed the saying– which was wise; he did not disregard the dream, neither did he immediately accept it.

Genesis 42:6 tells the fulfillment of the dream. Yes, the dream was of God, I’m not sure as to how much time elapsed in the fulfilling of that dream, but likely near 13 years – note Gen 41:46.

In Daniel 2:1, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a dream, but he could not recall it—which is often my case with dreams. His wise men could not help him remember the dream. But there were four young men in his employ who made known the dream, and the interpretation thereof. And the result was that Daniel and his fellows were advanced in the kingdom. However, one very significant thing is in dan2:28 where Daniel made it clear that the interpretation was not given to him because he had more wisdom than others, but simply that there was a God in Heaven that revealed secrets and dreams. Daniel could have taken the credit, but he did not fall into that trap. In regards to this king’s dream, it is important to note that in dan2:16 Daniel asked for time—time to pray about it, and also he included his three companions that they too would desire mercies of the God of Heaven in this dream. I don’t pretend to understand this dream, even after Daniel opened it up, but it’s clear as dan2:44 brings out, all these kingdoms will be destroyed, but there is one Kingdom that will never be destroyed, it will stand forever. And it’s this one Kingdom we’re so thankful to be a part of.

Filthy dreamers in our day have said this Kingdom died out during the dark ages– another infamous lie.

The last chapter shows that even though Daniel had seen marvelous things, he did not see it all. In dan12:8 he asked, “What shall be the end of these things?” And in the next verse, God plainly told him, “The words are closed up and sealed to the time of the end.”

But in dan12:13, God gave him hope; he would be standing in his lot at the end of days, in Eternity! What a comforting promise! And it can be ours also if we keep true to the end.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord God is one Lord and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” As I was getting ready for this meeting there seemed to be one burning question in my thoughts, and that is how much do I love God? True love sees no cost. True love gives and true love sacrifices. As we have heard, it’s true love that leads us to the place of prayer. And more than that, it’s true love that leads us to the place of sacrifice.

How much do I love God? I would like to tell you a little story of a little girl, and maybe we’ll call her Suzie. She had been to the toy shop and seen this string of pearls, so she diligently saved up all her money to make that string of pearls hers: and it became her most favoured possession. It went everywhere with her and at all times. She had a special father, and each night her daddy would read her a bedtime story. But this one night after the story he looked at his little Suzie and his heart was stirred. He asked, “Do you love me Suzie?” She said, “Of course I do, Daddy.” And he said, “Will you give me your pearls?” She said, “Daddy, I will give you my favourite teddy, my doll and jigsaw, but not the pearls.” Daddy just closed the book and left the room and left it for a few nights. Again he asked her, “Do you love me Suzie, and will you give me your pearls?” Well she started to cry, “No Daddy, I will give you my favourite teddy, but not my pearls.” A few nights later, her father went in to read her a story again and he found her crying. As he sat down beside her and asked her what was wrong; she raised her little hand and in her hand was that string of pearls. And she said, “I love you Daddy; here are my pearls.” That father held that little girl for a little while and when she stopped crying he reached into his pocket and brought out a real strand of pearls. He said to her, “Suzie, I have been waiting for you to be willing to give up your toy pearls so I could give you this one in exchange – true pearls.” I wonder if we feel a little like Suzie at times? Our Father knows that we are hanging on to things which are like fake pearls: things that are precious to us – things we feel we can’t live without, things in our homes and in our lives. Maybe because of peer pressure: of feeling and being different to others – things that are like fake pearls. Maybe there are things that are robbing us from entering into the greater treasure of God’s kingdom. And maybe God is today saying, “How much do you love Me?” Or even, “Do you love Me and are you willing to give up these things in your life for Me?”

We heard in the Special Meeting last Sunday a little of Abraham in Genesis 22:2 where God came and said to him, “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest and get thee into the land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” Make him an offering! We heard that there was no conversation on Abraham’s part: he just arose and simply did what the Lord asked. God was asking of him the most precious thing that Abraham had in his life at that time. It’s too hard to comprehend the love in Abraham’s heart for God, “Do I love God like that?” When I was struggling with the thought of going in the work, I remember a worker speaking about this verse and said, “What if the Lord was to come to us and say, ‘Take now thou life, thine only life that thou lovest, and give it to me.’” It was like an arrow straight to my heart. How much do I love God? And would I be willing to show my love to God even by giving Him my life? The thing that’s most precious to any of us is our life. Are we willing to give it to God to show Him our love?

In Luke 18 and also recorded in Matthew 19, there was a certain ruler that came to Jesus asking what he had to do to inherit eternal life. And Jesus said, “Thou knowest the commandments. Do not commit adultery, do not kill, and do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Honour thy father and thy mother.” And he said, “All these have I kept from my youth up.” Now when Jesus heard these things, He said unto him, “Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast and distribute unto the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” This man had been serving God and had been following up to a certain point, yet felt there was still a lack. I just wondered if it was like Jesus asking him whether he was having feelings towards there being a need in the harvest field. But Jesus was telling him if he wanted to be perfect, he could sell all he had and be like Jesus: and follow Him. What was He saying? You take now your life: the life that you love and come follow Me. It says that man was very sorrowful because he had other riches. One day in eternity, those very riches are the things we will hate the most because they were the things that kept him from totally living and following Jesus.

What have we got in our lives that’s hindering our love? In Matthew 6 we read, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Where is our treasure? Is it in the walls of the kingdom? Is our treasure loving the will of God and doing the will of God? You know where our treasure is will determine what the walls of the kingdom become to us. If our treasure isn’t in the walls of the kingdom they are going to feel like a prison, aren’t they? We will be feeling the restriction of the kingdom if our heart and our treasure are in the will and way of God. Won’t the walls of the kingdom be our safety, our protection and our security? It all depends on which side of the walls of the kingdom our treasure truly is. How much do I love God, and where is my treasure?

One other little thought, in thinking along the lines of Suzie giving false pearls for real pearls. Our God is a God of exchange: He wants to take those things – false feelings of hope, false feelings of peace, joy – and give us that which is real. He gives us real hope, real joy, real peace. I went to John 5 and read about that pool and around that pool lay a great multitude of impotent folk, blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. “For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity 38 years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, He saith unto him, ‘Wilt thou be made whole?’ The impotent man answered Him, ‘Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.’ Jesus saith unto him, ‘Rise, take up thy bed and walk.’ And immediately the man was made whole.” The more I have looked into this little story, the more I realise that this was no angel of the Lord. This was an angel of Satan that was stirring this pool and giving all these people a false hope that whoever would be the first in the pool would be helped. This man had been lying there all these years with that false hope: holding on to ‘false pearls’ could we say? Jesus actually asked that man, “Wilt thou be made whole?” It would be an obvious answer that he would want to be made whole, so why did Jesus ask? I got a picture of some of the pools that Satan’s angels are in today. We have all been in the shopping centres and seen the people line up: huge lines of people all there with the hope of being the big winner; like false hope. But how many times have they lined up and paid their money? If you were to walk up and tap them on the shoulder and tell them that you have something far greater in life, a greater treasure you could offer them. They would look at you and think you were really queer. I just wondered is that why Jesus asked that man about wanting to be made whole?  How many others were there lying around that pool happy to hold on to their false hopes instead of realising that Jesus was passing by with that real hope, real peace.

Good to question ourselves have we got false pearls? Are we holding on to maybe, being rebellious about it, and the Lord is touching our hearts? I long, that as we go from here we would want to have more love for Thee, O Christ. More love, so we can enter fully into the blessings of the kingdom.

Hymn 283

Mark 4:34-38, “And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him even as He was in the ship. And there were also with Him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And He was in the hinder part of the ship asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him and say unto Him, ‘Master, carest Thou not that we perish?’

Life could be described as a journey across an ocean, a body of water, and we either have Jesus with us or we don’t. There are 2 possibilities and here we’re told about the disciples journeying across the sea in the ship and Jesus was in that ship with them. We are also told about other little ships but Jesus wasn’t in those ships. There was only 1 ship that had Jesus present. I don’t know what those other ships thought: maybe having Jesus in the ship nearby was enough, but it wasn’t. When we journey on life’s ocean, we take Jesus in our ship.

We heard recently of some that have just embarked on that journey, and that’s nice, taking their first steps in God’s way and with others who have just about reached the other shore. But for some or a lot of us we are somewhere out in the middle of that ocean, but the question is where is Jesus in our ship? Where is He in our life, because as they journeyed out there arose a great storm? There are going to be storms: that’s part of the ocean, part of life. And even if Jesus is in the ship, it may not necessarily prevent the storms coming. Some may be right in the thick of the storm now or about to enter. But the main thing is, where is Jesus if you take Him on board, and what part of the ship? He was in the hinder part, the back of the boat and not only that, but He was asleep. The disciples were stricken with fear and panic, like their life was in turmoil. Maybe that’s how it is at present, but where is Jesus in the midst of all the storm? Well, He was asleep and needed to be awakened. We may have taken Him into our life and He could just be occupying some part but not the prominent part.

As we sang, “Is the Master at the helm? Hear Him whisper peace, be still.” Are we making Him the captain of our salvation or is He asleep in some other part of our life and He needs to be awakened? Well, Jesus cared for them. He had peace in His life, all was well. And He was trusting in His Heavenly Father from which He had come so all was well and He did care for them. He arose and rebuked the wind. Those disciples – they had each other but it was only when they called on Jesus that the great calm came, and peace. The real storm that day was in their own hearts, and Jesus rebuked them. “Why are ye fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” They were fretting rather than trusting and their faith was wavering, and Jesus needed to be awakened.

We read in the Psalms, “Turn us again, O God of hosts cause Thy face to shine and we shall be saved.” Isn’t that what we need to do? That the Lord would turn us again, direct us away from ourselves, our selfishness; turn us from the storm we have got focused on? Turn us again, cause Thy face to shine. “Strong radiant light assuring,” it comes from the face of Jesus when we turn to Him, we shall be saved. The captain of our salvation – they had the help of each other and we are glad of each other but in the height of the storm and the heat of the battle, its Jesus alone can save me; from every storm He’ll shield me.

Storms are part of life, part of the ocean and part of the journey. He won’t save us from the storm but He will shield us in the storm. Jesus rebuked the wind and that power was just His word and there was a great calm. Not only on the ocean that day but in the lives of those who had called on the God of their salvation. We don’t read any more about those other little ships but today it’s the ship that we are in. We want to get Jesus awake in our lives and get Him at the helm crying, “Peace be still.” “And they said one to another, ‘What manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’” Yet His very own, through wavering faith, aren’t always willing to do His will. Hear Him whisper, “Peace be still.”

My testimony is the work of God in my life, ” just as I am ,” a struggling soul for life and liberty. It has been to me one of the hardest things to talk about myself. Maybe it is because I don’t have a “glamorous” testimony like others. I really I don’t like talking much about myself. But sometimes people ask me to give my testimony and tell them how I happen to be in the company of God’s people today, for which I am very grateful. So I have given up and I will share it with you now.

In John chapter 1:45, we read of Philip finding Nathaniel and telling him “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law and whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth.” Did you find the truth or did the truth find you? We don’t find the truth. We could not have found the truth. We didn’t even know that there was such a truth. We didn’t know where to find it. It was the Lord that found us. Long before we ever groped after Him, the Lord was mindful. As a young man I wanted to be right with God, but I did not know how. I wanted to find God but I didn’t where to look for Him. I knew that God was everywhere but He was not in every thing. It was a desperate condition and I will never forget it.

I grew up a catholic. My mother was a good catholic, went to church regularly and so I did. In high school I was an altar boy. I was baptised, confirmed, and I even married in the Catholic Church. I went through all catholic religious rituals and traditions except CONFESSION. My wife and I went to church and helped there in what we could. We were just religious and lived what the church called a sanctified life. In addition to that, we also lived a dedicated life and up to every PENNY we could spare went to the church work. But in spite of our sanctification and dedication, I was not getting what the priest was talking about. I knew that the priest did not have it and we could have either. On one occasion in particular I asked the priest, “Why is it you stand and tell us about the wonderful promises of God from the scripture and what God can do for His people, why is it that these promises are not being fulfilled in your ministry, in our lives and in our homes?” He answered, “We are living in a different age and times have changed and perhaps we could not expect the same things today.” One thing that perplexed me was that the Lord seemed to demand the same sanctification and dedication. If the Lord demands the same sanctification and dedication from His people today, why is He not prepared to gives us the fulfillment of His wonderful promises He has made? I began to see the confusion and darkness of catholic denominationalism and there was nothing to satisfy my soul. I also began to see that Catholics do not know God. They were far from God, far from the truth, and far from obedience of faith. I also saw Mohammedans in hundreds and thousands of them with no hope for eternity. Those of us who have had the privilege of knowing the truth have something to be grateful for. We have a treasure that we will never know the value of in this world.

In my effort to find God, I attended many different churches hoping to find something truer to the scripture. I got several disappointments with the way things were done, supposedly in the name of the Lord. I enrolled myself in East African School of Theology Nairobi, Kenya. Within a period of six months religious study, I was awarded three certificates. I knew that these to me were just mere papers. I also knew that a certificate or diploma in the pocket would never change a person. All that the diploma doe s is to give false preachers a passport into the society. I was the same person, having a form of GODLINESS, but, deep down in my heart, I was very empty. I then deserted East African School of Theology on realising that God was not there. Many people in the world today quote the scriptures but that isn’t the answer. It isn’t what they say, but what they do that would bring victory.

In my further effort to find God, my wife and I attended a marriage encounter course whose theme was how to know God, how live according to His plan, and how raise up happy children. I knew that if Christianity does not begin at home, it will never begin at all. I also knew that the gospel could only prosper in a country where there are stable homes. Stable homes are the stability of kingdom and the nation.

The catholic priests and marriage encounter coordinators were very religious, and there was no evidence in their lives that they knew God. There was no love, and no fellowship. There was only respect for persons. They exalted and uplifted themselves in pride. I saw their nakedness. I did not know of anything that would be worthy of in the sight of heaven than to be called a servant or a friend of God. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. How different from this world today? Men get titles “Doctor, father, or right revered’’ and all the initials after their names. These titles do not mean much. It is very much like the curl on a pig’s tail. It enhances the beauty of the pig but it does not improve the flavour of the bacon. John the Baptist was not concern about his name. He wanted people to know Jesus and the Lord for themselves. There is not anything more important than that, that we all would become acquainted with the Lord ourselves. David was called a man after God’s heart. Abraham was three times referred to as a friend of God. Moses my servant is dead. The greatest title is to be called a friend or a servant of God.

I began realise that different religions and the sects in the world are not of God and have no foundation in the Bible. It is something on the surface that appeals to the people. Big buildings and road shows and the further we go into it, the shallower and corrupt it all becomes. Christianity is a walking religion. Churchianity is a talking religion. It doesn’t take brains to walk. It doesn’t take money to walk. It doesn’t take education to walk. It just takes willingness. When there is willingness, we will follow the Lamb and people looking will take notice. When we supply the willingness, God will supply the power. I heard of a couple that passed neighbours every Sunday morning to a little meeting. One day this neighbour asked them where they were walking every Sunday. It wasn’t so much what this couple said, although they gave their testimony, but it was their walking that triggered his question and this man and his wife are today in the faith.

I became more and more disenchanted with Catholic Church. 20, 30, 40 years, I had gone to church, and less and less I had in my life. One after another of our children went out into the world, into the darkness and I had nothing in my heart to give to them. All I wanted was what God was to His people in the Bible days. I was told that won’t work now. That left me with desperation. This is surely the experience for many of us. I prayed to God that He would show me His Way. The Lord sees, the Lord hears and the Lord undertakes and at the end of the year 1986, the Lord began to work. I came in contact with God’s servants. I was not invited. I saw the advertisement. I attended the first meeting and in that first meeting, I knew this is what I had been looking for over the years. I will never forget that.

God’s servant spoke about Naaman, a valiant soldier and highly regarded because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He told us how prophet Elisha cured Naaman of his leprosy, the amount of treasure he had carried converted to Kenyan currency that year was 18 million and how Elisha declined to accept that gift of colossal sum of money. “As surely as the Lord lives whom I serve, I will not take a thing.” He said that true servants of God do not take money in form of tithings. He said he had been in the work for the last 20 years without salary and he had never gone without food, shelter or clothing. That was incredible. I knew money was and is important, terribly important. Let anyone who imagines that he does not need money try to get along without it. Nothing will take the place of money in the area in which money works. In fact money is as important as the food and clothes that it buys, the shelter that it affords, the education that it provides, and the bills that it pays. Money is important to anyone living in a civilized society, and to argue that it’s not important is absurd. I knew what it meant to be poor because I had gone through the university of hard knocks, a philosophy that no person who had an easy life ever acquires. Poverty is dirty, uncomfortable, a degrading experience. It is a form of disease, and in its acute phases seems to be a form of insanity. Poverty fills prisons, it drives men and women to drink, to drugs and addiction, and sometimes to suicide. It can lead potentially fine, talented, intelligent children to delinquency and crime. It can make people do things they otherwise would never dream of doing. And so to work and live in a city like Nairobi, Kenya without salary and without an organisation to support him was, in my view, quite impossible.

I wanted to hear more about this mystery and that was my turning point. I regularly continued to sit in those little meetings. I listened to God’s servants bring those little showers of blessings. What impressed me from the beginning of the meeting was its simplicity. There was no “usual” introductions telling us their education, travels, etc. Not even their names were given. And the hymns were beautiful. I surely felt here was something that could not be found in any place in the land. You couldn’t get it out of seminary, or theological college, or in the library. This was wisdom that came from above. It was pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to entreat, full of mercy, without partiality and without hypocrisy. God’s servants told us about Jesus, His way and His truth, and how they left all to go out in the harvest field in Jesus’ way.

They spoke about the Lord’s world wide ministry that is held together without any organisation, headquarters or board of directors, or any group of individuals to support them. One of the reasons that this ministry has existed without organisation, headquarters or board of directors is because it’s God’s workmanship. God planned this impossible ministry so that men and women can see the hand of God in it. If there is an organisation and earthly headquarter, then there would be no proof to give to the world that there is God or that the hand of God is in this ministry because the unions and international business clubs function on that basis. This is a miracle which God Himself is able to bring about.

They spoke about Lord’s servants today are like the apostles that they go to all the parts of the world two by two giving the gospel freely without any collections, or salary or tithing, without books to sell or any ministry to support them and no knowledge where the next penny is going to come from in this selfish age. This is a proof that the power of heaven is backing them.

They told us that in the in the New Testament there is no such a thing as “one man ministry.” Jesus sent his disciples in pairs. He sent two disciples to prepare the Passover. He sent two disciples to loosen the colt. He sent two disciples to seek lodgings in Samaria. Two angels were sent to announce the risen Christ. When Jesus ascended into heaven, two angels were sent again. Peter and John in the Acts of Apostles were together. Paul and Barnabas were also together.

They told us about how God has given a spirit that unites His people the world over. There has never been a group of men or women from the dawn of creation of the earth that is able to produce a ministry or fellowship like this. No child of God is ready-made or self-made. They are all God-made people. If the Lord’s people are man-made, there would be no fellowship. The religious world around us has proved this fact. Where there is different in picture, there is no fellowship. God’s people in the bible are likened to sheep, the irreligious people are likened to dogs, and the religious people are likened to pigs. The reason is because pigs walk like sheep but they do not have the sheep-like nature. If a pig would walk along road during the night and leave its tracks on the sand, unless you are a real good farmer, you would not know whether that was a pig or a sheep that walked there. They leave much the same kind of tracks. One thing that has become a CURSE today in the religious world is that false preachers train their people to walk like sheep. They train them to walk into church instead of bars. They train them to walk to the hospital to visit the sick. They also train them to walk in high standards of the world instead of low standards of the world. And because they don’t have sheep nature, they can’t produce fellowship. You put two or three of them together and the first thing you notice is a squel going on. There can be no possibility of having fellowship. God makes the rich and poor. When the Lord’s makes the rich and the poor, a miracle takes place. Normally the rich and the poor won’t have anything in common. But they can meet together and have fellowship because God has conformed them into the image of His son. All this from human stand point of view is utterly impossible. But we can rejoice today over the impossible ministry, impossible fellowship, and impossible working of the spirit. There are men and women in this ministry we would never have met except for this gospel. We do not teach each other, but we have gathered here because of something taking place in our lives. Most of us have had a background of religion or worldly and we had a privilege of listening to the message Christ who lives forever. A child of God is so different because of the alpha and omega.

They talked about the two fundamentals of the faith of Jesus from which we must dare not depart. The first is “the preacher without a home” and the second is “the church in the home and only in the home.” No preacher in fellowship with Jesus can have a home of his own. He must be willing to have a fellowship with Jesus in His homelessness. One of the conditions for those that are thinking of entering into the ministry must face the willingness to have fellowship with Jesus, the homeless son of man. Jesus Himself said, “Foxes have their holes, birds of the air have their nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay His head.” The second fundamental is “the church in the home” and only in the home. The early Christian in the New Testament met in little groups in consecrated homes to worship God in spirit and truth, without the priest or church buildings, without the religious ritualism which are considered so necessary by all daughters of Babylon. When God’s people leave their homes on the Lord’s day and go to another home to keep this memorial, they are not only obeying the scripture but they are also registering a protest against every system of false religion that has blinded the minds of men women through out the ages. Regular meetings in the first day of the week are very important. It is a double appointment. First of all with our Master and secondly, with our brethren. What a poor substitute for those that go to public buildings and listen to hired preachers! Jesus gathered His disciples together in a home and it was there He established the breaking of the bread. Over here in Kenya, the Muslims go to mosque to worship, the Jewish people go to synagogues, and the religious people have their church buildings but God’s people always go to worship in a home.

They told us how the Lord has been sending out powerful DELUSIONS into the world to those that have NO LOVE for the truth of God. Many would wonder about this. Why would God send them a powerful delusion to believe a lie? If it is the devil doing this, one could understand because it the work of the devil to delude people and to deceive them. If people haven’t the desire for the truth of God as it is in Jesus, God would not allow them inside the city of Truth .This city is made of men and women who love the truth of God as Jesus lived and taught it. God is anxious that men and women would understand what this TRUTH is all about. The Pharisees had their doctrine they called the truth. The Sadducees had their doctrine they also called the truth. Muslims have their doctrine they call the truth. All of the conglomeration of the teachings that we have in the religious world today call their doctrines the truth. And the question in the minds of many people is what is this truth? God sent His son into the world and lived for 331/2 years. He lived on the earth to show us what the truth of God is. Jesus Himself said to his disciples, “He is the way, the truth and the life. And for this reason he was born and for this cause he came into the world to testify and to bear witness of truth.” If one is willing to believe and to honour the truth of God, God would throw the gates of heaven open. But if one has no desire and love for it and is not willing obey and honour the truth, God will send one a strong delusion to believe a lie that would take one a millions miles away from God. God keeps His truth separate and pure. He has put the difference between His truth and everything else in the religious world like day and night.

After listening to this pure gospel message continually for one year, my spiritual eyes and ears were opened. Faith and conviction were begotten in my heart and my deep desire to follow this hidden Way engulfed my heart. My joy was so great that I wanted to share with others who were seeking like I had been. But I couldn’t tell anyone for sometime as I felt incapable and unworthy.

This is a miracle ministry because it produces life. When people listen to this simple message, all over sudden something begins to happen in the process, their understanding begins to change, their attitude begins to change and in the course of time, they become new creatures in Christ Jesus.

I am thankful, when I listened to this precious gospel, God’s servants didn’t try to condemn what I had done. I had met many religious people and they all began by finding fault and condemning what I had been taught from my childhood. I knew nothing else, but they said nothing about that. They taught me something better. It is the same as a man with a shirt on. It is dirty. It is ragged and it is the only shirt the man has. Now if you begin to find fault with the man’s shirt, “Why have you that dirt shirt on for? Take it off and throw it away.” The poor man would get angry because it is the only shirt he has. But if you come along and show him a new shirt and say to him, ”What do you think of this shirt? Do you like it? Is it of your size? Is it clean?” There isn’t a tear on it. The man himself would be free. He would take it off and throw it away himself because he has a better shirt. The Lord would like to clothe us with a righteous garment of Christ and this can only happen when God’s servants have shown people something better. Not showing our wrongs. That is God’s way of showing truth to others. Jesus did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it. That was the purpose of His coming.

I learned that in the way of God, there is a part that we see and the part we don’t see. One part that we see is the fellowship, wholesome people, a nice standard, approved ministry, two going together and meeting in homes, but we would not make a commitment if this is all that we see. There is the other part that is more far more valuable and that is the hidden treasure. When one sees the hidden treasure and taste the peace that only God gives by revelation, then one can make a commitment. I saw the hidden treasure. I made a commitment to make it my own. I then burned all the bridges. I stopped attending religious masses. I stopped attending weekly community religious prayer meetings. I burned my rosary, religious portraits, and all religious literature.

When the invitation was given in my first year in the convention, I made my choice. It didn’t matter what it would mean or cost me. I wanted it. No one else made the choice that night. I have since been glad of this because I know I was not influenced by anyone. I thought because I could see “righteousness” of the cause, everybody would see it immediately. It didn’t happen. I found it unfair for my people and friends to judge the servants of God before hearing them. It was not long after this that my family members and friends started to gang up. My wife was and is a good sincere woman in her desire to serve God in Catholic Church resented. She told friends and relatives how glad she was that I had gotten saved. They told her how sorry they were that I had gotten tangled up with a religion with no name, no salary, no college degrees, or diplomas. People do not want to be identified with a church without a name, ministry without titles, or salaries, or a church in a home. My wife resented the truth and the meetings. She felt that this was another sect. Here today and tomorrow gone. And besides, it was hard for her to give up her place in the religious cycle. Children also resented the truth and the meetings. A mother has a very strong influence on her children, and if the right influence prevails in the home, we do not need to be afraid of the influence of the world.

A lot of other people thought I was nuts for abandoning the mother church. But I knew I was right and I wasn’t prepared for people looking me in the eyes and telling me they didn’t like what I was doing. The enemy of my soul also took over. I said t o myself, “Stanley, are you good enough to live for God? People like me can’t make it. This cannot happen to people like me who come where I come from. I imagined all kinds of scenes where I would be humiliated. I also created all kinds of imaginary difficulties, when I hadn’t actually experienced a single problem. I had a thousands reasons to quit. I was continually told that the odds were against me. My ability to serve God was questioned. No other member of the family was willing to the listen to the gospel. And besides, we were very few. That is a human tendency, no doubt acquired and strengthened in childhood to believe that whatever people in significant numbers are doing must be correct or so many would not be doing it. We live in a society which popularity is confused with superiority or excellence. For example, the most popular brands are not necessary the best. Surely, the natural tendency would have been to quit. I felt like giving up.”

But any one can quit. It is the easiest road to take, but I had a total confidence in God. I believed that God had a personal interest in my life. A changed life is the loudest sermon anyone can speak. I didn’t know much about the Bible. All I knew was that God had answered prayers and He had put something in my heart. I went into my room and prayed. I knelt before my bed, opened the Bible and my e yes rested upon the verses in Luke 12:51, ” I am not come to bring peace, but rather division. From hence forth there shall be five in one family divided, three against two and two against three.” But in my home it was five against one. I have never forgotten that revelation and I have thanked God for that ever since. Friends and family members advised to consult a psychiatrist which I did. The psychiatrist examined me and found that that I was very normal. He said that those that had sent me were the ones that were sick and they needed medical check-up. I continued, however, to experience my share of rejection, which has persistently continued to this day. The thing I feel more grateful for today than anything else is that the Lord has given me the courage to stand alone and face the divided home for the past 20 years.

It is a comfort to me to know that there is no one beyond the love of God and there is no one beyond the reach of the gospel, if a person is honest enough to accept in his or her heart. When people come out of such sordid background like mine, the change is more outstanding and most noticeable. I have great empathy for those of us that have gone through a similar trauma. The clock cannot be turned back and we know that Jesus always shows more mercy to a repentant heart than every one of us put together can ever show. If this has happened to you, don’t let devil or anyone let you think that you are beyond the love of Christ.

Some nice thoughts about the burning bush that Moses saw in Exodus 3 have been of great help to me over the years. This little bush was not considered valuable but the bush was precious because God could light fire in its heart. This is a picture of ourselves. If God can light a fire in our heart, we won’t be consumed but we will live forever.

God has given us the world that nothing but our own folly keeps it from being a paradise. My people are still hanging around the stagnant pool of religion of this world which has given them no power to walk. They are far from God, far from the truth, going through their forms and calling upon their myths. God’s way has brought peace and joy in my heart that I had never known before and the search ended. I feel very unworthy of God seeking me out and speaking to my heart. I also feel the calling is very high and the profession that I have made is very great. I also sense a great responsibility entrusted to me. I pray that I might always be willing for God’s true living way and show appreciation for all that God in His mercy has done for me.

Fortunate are the children who are born to parents who are both serving God. There is something tragic about one parent believing one thing and the other parent believing something else. It only works confusion in the minds of the little children. We are responsible to be the right influence on them, so that they will make the right choices. What helps children to obey their parents is when they see their parents obeying God. Obedience does not come through inheritance, it has to be taught. The greatest example that Abraham left to his son Isaac was his obedience to God. Isaac could not have known how much his father loved to obey God until the time came when he took the knife. Isaac knew that his father loved him, but that day he saw Abraham loved God more than him. If there is something that you can do, let your children see that you love God more than them. Sometimes there is lack of example in the parents, father telling his son to do something that he himself is not doing. I want to be more obedient so that the spirit of God can enrich my life.

I have told my testimony not to brag about my fleeting accomplishments which cannot possibly interest anyone. I have told wholly with the hope that it may renew a courage and confidence to some seeking souls that no one is beyond the love of God and no one is beyond the reach of the gospel.

If we give in to a desire to something. it makes it harder to give it up later because we learn to love it. But if we don’t put it to death, it will kill us. If we still feel God working in us, it’s still possible to be saved. But not without a cost – we must choose to put those things to death.

We are looking forward to Christ’s return. There are certain things we would be ashamed to be doing when Christ returns. Will we be ashamed when Christ returns, or will we be doing things that He will not be disappointed in us?

This is a way of self-denial – the way of self-denial is the safe way. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God.

What effort are we making to walk worthy of God’s name?

He was a lad when Jesus passed his way,

And still at home, just living day to day.
The gospel called and “Yes” was his reply
To follow Jesus and to daily die.
Working with “Pop” with dates in desert soil,
He made a living with his sweat and toil.

Another call came to him as a man,
With struggles new to utter “Yes” again.
With Heaven’s help, he left behind his home
And dreams; he had to find one for his own,
To spend his days sowing the precious seed,
Bringing new life to those who felt their need.

The days flew by and months turned into years.
He learned to always take to God his fears,
Became a soldier; hardness he endured.
Self he denied; God’s favor he procured.
God gave him grace; courage He did bestow,
To be a friend yet, bravely face the foe.

Then as he worked God did a work in him
And filled his heart with love clear to the brim,
Made him a shepherd, humble, meek, and kind.
He made him wise, answers of peace to find,
To love the truth and ever live in light,
Yet, see in color, not in black and white.

When his health left, we never heard, “Why me?”
But as before, “My life I yield to Thee.”
Four words were his; he used them every day,
“Thank you so much” – it was his life and way.
He had it rough but he did not complain,
For in his life, he’d learned to deal with pain.

With grateful hearts our thanks today we raise
For this dear servant, faithful all his days,
And we do plead that others God would call,
That they like Jesus would yield up their all.
All praise is God’s, the glory His alone.
He’s taken home to Him one of His own.

Hymn 392

John 12, It tells us of some of the Greeks that were at the feast to worship and they came to Philip and desired him saying, “We would see Jesus.” We have come here today with a deep consciousness of need, feelings of weariness, and with an understanding that we need our zeal increased; awareness that we need courage in the journey; that we haven’t got enough in ourselves and conscious of the agitation of life and death. But this is all we are needing: we would see Jesus. The answer to every one of our needs is found in our vision of Jesus.

I was thinking today of visions of Jesus that the Lord has brought to my heart and that have brought comfort. It tells in John 7 of Jesus standing on the last great day of the feast and saying, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. He that believeth on Me as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” That was the only condition Jesus spoke of that day in regard to getting help. He didn’t speak to them about their past greatness but if you are thirsty, come. That’s all you need to have. Haven’t we come with a thirst to see the one who can do all things for us? He spoke about the spirit He would give and that it would be like living water. We were speaking of water pipes and wondering if the flow would be enough to meet the demand. Maybe that’s the feeling of our hearts; conscious of the demands that we are faced with, demands of responsibilities in life; and is the flow going to be great enough to meet these demands.

Jesus said, “Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” Not just a trickle or a stream but a river of living water: rivers of courage, rivers of strength, rivers of peace that flow sweet and pure. There will be all that we need in Jesus and the Lord is going to provide that river. We think of those who are depending on us: young ones leaning on us for strength; older ones who depend on what we can be and do for them. There are demands upon us but when we see Jesus, the provision that He gives is enough to meet the need and the demands.

Another picture in Matthew chapter 5:38, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.” This is a picture of Jesus that gives us a comparison of the attitude and spirit of the human heart and the attitude and spirit of Jesus. So different! When we see Jesus it enables us to live above this human attitude – eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth.

The human in us looks for equalness, fairness, but Jesus is saying life is not equal. Joseph knew that experience, one time the favourite son, then in the prison among the transgressors. And Jesus was there on the cross as if He were a transgressor Himself. “Resist not evil,” Jesus said. Those men that came to Philip and Andrew, and Philip and Andrew both went to Jesus with a message. Isn’t it good when a need is made known? And we make it a matter of prayer: take it to Jesus. Philip told Andrew and he took it to Jesus.

Sometimes when we see unequal things; if we could take it to Jesus, make it a matter of prayer he is the one that will give us the answer. And the answer here in Matthew 5 was: don’t raise your hand, let the Lord do the dealing, let the Lord make known His doctrine: “Whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.” When Martha found it difficult to go the second mile, she needed to see the one who would take away the weariness of heart; take away the consciousness of the unequalness of life – “My sister has left me to serve alone.” The result of that kind of vision was a complaining spirit. When we have a complaining spirit, it makes it hard for those around us to give of their best. But when Martha had seen Jesus, she served in the spirit of true service, new strength, and new joy. Martha was a background for Mary to give her best. We would see Jesus. It’s going to put strength into our lives. It’s going to give us joy when service and willingness are in our hearts. Today we can lift up our hearts to Him because the Lord is wanting us to see His son: may it be our experience.

In the 16th chapter of Deuteronomy, in the latter part of the 16th verse, it says, “…they shall not appear before the Lord empty. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which He hath given thee.” This verse speaks about the feast, and it would appear that they were not to appear before the Lord empty. Fresh sacrifice always helps us cover a little bit more ground and deepens our joy and our peace. I was just thinking today of a teacher giving a child a report that is good; sometimes they say “Making good progress.” God would like to see us making good progress, too, not just standing still.

Before our convention in Bloemfontein, as it was getting towards the end of the year, we tried to visit all our friends in our field. We visited one of those friends in a lonely place and had a lovely visit with her. There just seemed to be something in her that was bubbling over and we couldn’t understand what it was, until we noticed a man busy doing some building, making an alteration on the house. I asked our friend, “What are you making there? Are you adding another room on?” and she just smiled and said, “You know, every time you visit me, you just pass by. That is going to be the workers’ room so next time you come past, you can stay and we can have some visits together.” That really touched my heart. Do you know what else she told us? She said, “Every year I get to convention but I never have a part in the preps. This year things are going to be different! I don’t need to look after my grandchildren any more, and I’m free. I want to go to convention preps and I want to help.” And she was there and was helping! When I greeted her, I saw the joy on her face, and the big smile. She was now willing for a little more sacrifice and a little more giving, and joy and peace radiated from her.

Sometimes we come empty-handed to convention because we are holding onto things and don’t want to let them go. There was one of our friends in our field we were very worried about, for when her relatives came and visited, she missed the meetings as though they were of no importance to her. Well, that’s what we thought. She would give up the meetings because her relatives were visiting, and then we saw something beautiful happening. We didn’t know that she and her husband owned a TV, but the elder of the meeting told us. That lady didn’t come from a professing background but her husband did. At one meeting, she said, “After the gospel meetings, I just want to do a little bit more for God,” and then she said, “The TV must go!” and it went! She also said, “This business of me missing meetings is no more and I’m going to tell my people.” I was in that meeting on Christmas day when she tearfully took part and said, “God has tested me. My family said, ‘Stay at home and celebrate.’” But because she was willing to give and let go, there was so much joy and peace now seen in her life. I wasn’t at all surprised to hear that her little boy has made his choice to serve God now. He saw what was important in his mom and dad’s life and what they were willing to give up and it moved that little boy to give up his life and begin to serve God. You know, there is such a reward in giving.

The Lord Jesus said, “Give, and to you, it shall be given.” Hannah went to Shiloh every year but one year it was different. When she prayed to God unconditionally, without reservation in her heart, she had Samuel to give. When Hannah gave Samuel back to God, she had less at home but more in heaven. You know, we NEVER lose when we give our best to God.

I just thought of that lad who gave those five loaves and two fishes. It looked so small to feed a multitude of 5,000 men, but he gave it and Jesus blessed it and broke it and it fed the multitude. God cannot bless what we don’t give to him. When that bread was given to Jesus, it was in His hands and He could bless it and He broke it and it fed many. We are so grateful for those who have been willing to be broken.

In this world broken things have no value, but broken wills and broken hearts and broken bread have great value in the sight of God. I thought of that widow woman with her two small mites that she threw into the treasury. No doubt others looking upon it thought it so small, but Jesus said she had given more than them all. Jesus looked at what she kept back…and it was nothing. She could have given one mite and kept the other for herself, but she gave all and in giving all, we can receive God’s blessing.

There is just one more person I thought of, and she was that woman who broke the alabaster box. You know it was something precious, and maybe even of some sentimental value to her, but she broke it and poured out that ointment. Others said, “What a waste.” I’m sure she, in her heart, was saying, “What a privilege.” She didn’t see it as a waste but saw it as her privilege to give and do for Jesus. You know what Jesus said about her? He gave a wonderful, wonderful testimony of her when He said, “She hath done what she could.” God will be pleased if He sees we have done what we can in giving and if we do, we will know a wonderful, wonderful blessing. He also said it would be spoken of her wherever this gospel was preached. Maybe she didn’t realise that day the extent of her influence in doing and giving, but it has affected the whole world since. Wherever the Gospel is preached, she is mentioned.

May God just help us at this convention to give God a little more than we have done or given in the past. I thought of what Dellas told us when he was here, “Love’s strength is seen in love’s sacrifice.” We show how much we love God by how much we are willing to give, and may it just be the portion of each one of us to give and surrender so our time together could be blessed.

Deuteronomy 2, we read in this chapter about the journeys of the Children of Israel. God had led them out of Egypt and was leading them now through the wilderness, over the mountains, and the hills into the Promised Land. A few times in this chapter God said to turn. They had been in this mountain long enough and they were now to go north. They had to turn in another direction and go forward. We are glad for times like this when God can turn us, for many of us have come a long way to come to this place, but spiritually a lot of us have come a long way through experiences. We are glad that God by His grace has kept us turned towards Him.

We read in Psalm 78 that some of the Children of Israel didn’t get to the end of the journey, some of them turned away, some turned back in the day of battle. It was not because there was not enough provision but it was because of what was in their hearts. What is in our hearts will keep us turned in the right direction. We read about Abraham and Lot when they had to make a choice and they also had to go on a journey. Lot looked towards Sodom. His heart was there and he chose that place. It looked very beautiful and he chose that place. Abraham turned to God and let God choose for him. God gave him a blessing because he was turned in the right direction. We read about a number of journeys that Abraham took. Every step he took on his journeys took him further into God’s will and to hidden blessing. I am grateful to God that He has helped me to be here. He kept turning me when I wanted to turn away. It is in our nature not to go straight where God leads us. We want to go another way. Maybe not go to another place of worship but turning in our spirit, in our hearts; in the way, but not in God’s way or God’s will.

We read of Jesus’ disciples. They were walking with Him on the journey. They were not walking another way, but their heart and their spirit were turned towards greatness. They said to Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom?” They were still in the kingdom, but their thoughts were turned towards greatness. Jesus brought a little child amongst them and said, “Except you become like this little child, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” I realise the seriousness of Jesus’ words. You will not enter the kingdom of heaven, you must become childlike. When something is small, it can fit into our hand. Something small is handled with care. You have to go on your knees, if you are looking for something small. Jesus turned His disciples away from the thought of being great. God can make us useful and He can do something with us if we are in His hand, but not if we are big.

There was a time when the disciples wanted to bring fire down from heaven, to bring his great power to show how strong they were. Jesus turned and rebuked them. He told them, “You don’t know what manner of spirit you are of.” He turned them so they could still walk with Him in the right way, in the depth of the way. We are glad for every experience that God brings into our lives so that we can be turned in the right direction. Jesus spoke to His disciples not because He did not love them but because He wanted to keep them in the centre of the way and the will of God.

A few years ago I met a sister worker in another country. She told of her experience and of her journey that led her in the right direction. She spoke of the time when she and her parents, grandparents left to flee from their country and go to another country. She was five years old. The journey they had was 35 days. The enemy was behind them. They had to leave that country. She said her father had to leave everything behind. He dug a hole and put all his treasures into that hole. When she saw her father doing that, she went to her room. She took her dolls and toys and gave them to her father to put into that hole. They did not have any value, but her father accepted them from her and put them into that hole as a treasure. The journey they had ahead of them was a very rough, bad journey. Before they got to the other side, the mother and the grandparents nearly turned back. Their feet had started to bleed, and they could not go any further. They were told they could get on to the roof of the train and told to hold onto each other. They did that and they got safely to the other side. As she grew up, this journey never left her mind. She wanted to go in the direction to find God, she wanted to find the loving Saviour because she had the memory of a cruel enemy behind her. She received an invitation to come to the gospel meeting. She was grateful that she was directed and led to God and her Saviour who could save her. She has now been in the work for forty years, still trying to help others to come to the right direction where God is.

“We would see Jesus”, the theme of my thoughts this morning. We came here with the prayer that we would see and I think we have seen Him, high and lifted up. We need to see him as our salvation; seeing and following after Him. I’ve enjoyed looking at some in the scripture who saw Him in the flesh and in the spirit and felt we could relate to some of those experiences ourselves.

I was thinking about Abraham in Genesis 18 the time he saw the Lord Jesus. I was talking to a lady friend one day and I had just made my choice; and I came across some verses in the first chapter where it says Jesus was with the Father in the beginning. I was elated and 24 years old, but hadn’t known that before: I think it was the first revelation I’d had. But Jesus was with the Father in the beginning and with the church in heaven, wasn’t He? He was often seen by His children from time to time in the 0ld Testament and New Testament, and this same Jesus was seen, and the vision of Him is what encouraged men and women to know the will of God and be doers of the will of God. It says 18:1-4, “And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground. And said, “My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree.” This is a beautiful experience in the life of that great man Abraham, when the Lord came to his tent; but that was to his home — and how did the Lord come to his home? I wonder if most of us could relate to this; that it was when the 2 servants of the Lord came, they brought the presence of the Lord to our home and lives. Those 2 servants were being sent to Sodom and Gomorrah but en route they stopped at Abraham’s home. And there was a beautiful message that the Lord had to bring to Abraham and Sarah that day. Now Abraham is 99 years old and Sarah 90, and the voice said that they were going to have a son, but they could hardly believe that. Abraham had been promised that in him, his seed, shall all the nations be blessed; and it hadn’t yet been born.

Now the Lord appeared; and so as you have done, you invite the Lord’s servants into your home. And I wonder if that isn’t the way that many of us first saw the Lord. I remember going to the Convention but I didn’t know the Lord. I had been invited, was hearing the gospel, looking upon the servants and listening to the testimonies and my heart was filled to bursting. I thought, “These people know God; they are talking from experience and from their hearts. These servants are giving their lives and they are in God’s service.” Well, that’s the way I felt when I was brought into the presence of the Lord’s people. Many people can testify that it was when two servants came to their little school house or invited into your home. People often asked me; and my Dad said, “My son, whatever has happened to you? There has been a big change.” First, I was going into the seminary and then I saw that Jesus was the Truth, the Way and Life — and to follow Him was for my life.

There was a man we met in Texas, a rather important man, and he was the administrator of a big, huge hospital in that city. Now he had been brought in from another state but his wife had recently made her choice. We were going to his house for supper: you call it tea over here — the evening meal. So we were in his house visiting and the man was on the patio out there and as is the custom he was grilling some big T-bone steaks; it made my mouth water. So I went out on the patio and talked with this man who didn’t know much about the gospel. Two other sister workers had been in this home and do you know what this man said to me? “I don’t know what it is, those handmaid girls – they bring something into our home when they come. I just don’t know but it’s some kind of savour, a feeling; and I hardly know what it is but it’s really a pleasant thing. They stay a day or two and when they go it hangs around for a day or two and then we’re back to normal. And we have enjoyed having them.” Well, now he has a whole car load of us! Anyway, the Lord’s servants brought the Lord into the homes and hearts of the Lord’s people and that’s how Abraham saw the Lord.

Moving on to Jacob and his vision of the Lord, and you and I know the story very well. Genesis 28:12, His brother Esau had married a daughter of the land and that grieved his parents greatly so they said to Jacob to go and seek a bride from their relatives there. So he left his home and lighted upon a certain place; took of the stones and put them for his pillows and he dreamed, “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, ‘I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed.’” Now, he saw the Lord at the top of the ladder. This was my experience, too, and many can relate to this that when we did hear the gospel and began to see Jesus as He is, we saw the way: the ladder. We saw that the way of God was straight and a narrow way. It was not started from the earth but led up; and the steps on the ladder will take us to His presence on that great day. He woke up from this dream and realised God had been speaking to him; and we can relate to that in life. The Lord revealed to us His way and we saw Jesus at the top: the straight and narrow way. I used to think and wish it wasn’t so narrow and so straight, but I’m glad that the way of God is like a ladder: step by step, upwards towards the Lord. He said — now he’s having a relationship with the Lord — “I didn’t know the Lord was down here.” Where was he? Out in the desert with a stone for a pillow, and he said, “This is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven.”

A lot of people think the gate of heaven is just a set of pearly gates, but when we enter, it’s not a set of gates way out there somewhere. The gate of heaven is here on earth and that’s the place where we meet God and we see Jesus. Jacob rose up early in the morning, took the stone and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel and vowed a vow saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on. So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God.” He saw, and then he came back and dwelt in the land God had promised him in the vision. I wondered, isn’t this when he made his choice? And isn’t that the choice we made when we saw the gate, saw the Lord, saw the way? And we said in our hearts to the Lord, “Lord, here’s my life, here’s my heart. I yield it all if you will just be my God and lead me to my Father’s house in peace.” Jacob had a beautiful life in God’s service; he was the Father of Israel, the Father called Israel.

Then Isaiah 6:1, “In the year the king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.” Verse 5, “Then said I, ‘Woe is me, For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.’” How did Uzziah see him? If you and I see Him today, where are we going to see Him? Well, through the eye of faith, maybe we can see Him walking. But if you want to know where the Lord is: – at the right hand of His Father in heaven, making intercession for His children on earth, and waiting for the last trump when He shall return. That’s where the Lord is “as he saw.” Or is it correct to say, “as He is?” If He is the same yesterday, today, and forever — is He any different to them as He is to us? Not one bit! He is just the same to His children today as He has been from the beginning; because as He was, He is; and as He is, He shall ever be. Because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Now, we just mentioned these 3 great men that saw the Lord in their day and generation and it had a profound effect on their lives; just as it has on yours and mine when we see Jesus. Would an unsaved man ever see Jesus? Would he? Like they saw Jesus; like we see him?

I was thinking about that 3rd chapter Daniel where those 3 Hebrew children and this great king that was the worldly ruler who proclaimed life or death over every subject in the kingdom. Now Nebuchadnezzar the king made this great golden image, and said by proclamation that all in the kingdom would fall down and worship this golden image. Those who didn’t would be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Now, we have the story where he cast in the 3 Hebrew children: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments. He chose the mightiest men to cast them in and those 3 mighty men were all destroyed by the heat of the fire. But the king looked in and saw in the midst of the fiery furnace and said, “Didn’t we cast in 3 men?” And they answered, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “Lo, I see 4 men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Now, isn’t that something? God showed that unbelieving king. I don’t know the end of Nebuchadnezzar, but at this time he certainly wasn’t believing in the God of Heaven or the Lord. But I believe that was the Son of God walking with those men in the furnace.

The robes that bound them weren’t burnt away. Nor was the hair of their head singed, nor the smell of fire on their bodies. And the king said, “That’s the living God; those men have yielded their bodies to the Lord their God.” Does the Lord walk with His children through the fire? Oh friends, He will! And He will be with His own as they go through the fiery trials. They said, “Our God will deliver us from this fiery furnace; but if He won’t, we don’t care, because we believe in the true and living God, and we will not be swayed to worship a false God.” So the king had them cast into the fiery furnace. Nebuchadnezzar, that unbelieving king, saw the Lord. The world may see us walking through this life and facing the fiery trials; but they may also see Jesus walking with us. We have heard on numerous occasions, sometimes through tragedy, where the neighbours saw — all those people have the Lord with them. And they see the Lord walking with His people. What a wonderful thing if you and I can have that experience of having the Lord with us and the unbelieving world can see the Lord is with His people. It would be a marvelous thing and it’s a possibility. We’ve had 3 that saw the Lord in the Old Testament and also an unbelieving king.

Now we’ll turn to one place in the New Testament — John chapter 1 where we have the example of the apostles called to discipleship: this is when they became disciples to Jesus and later they were called into the ministry. I just want to mention 4 here in the New Testament that saw the Lord as He is. How did John the Baptist see Him? Verse 35-36, “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God.’” How did he see Him? He saw Him as He that taketh away the sins of the world. Friends, is it hard for you to believe that the Lamb of God was slain for your sake and mine, to take away my sin? He was slain to bear the sins of the world; He became the sin-bearer and the sanctifier for our sins. That’s how John saw Him, and He hadn’t given His life yet, but John could see it. Two of his disciples that heard him left off from following John and began to follow Jesus: Andrew and Simon Peter, his brother. How did Andrew see the Lord? “He saith unto them, ‘Come and see,’” so they came and saw. Then he found his brother, Simon, and saith unto him, “We have found the Messiah.” How did he see Jesus? “We have found the Messiah, which is the Christ.” Can you imagine what it meant to those Jewish minds? The One that had been prophesied for centuries; the Une that had been promised to the world. And when Andrew heard John speak, he realised Jesus was the Messiah sent from heaven. He was just like us when we hear the gospel; we want to go and tell our friends, our relatives. How many times do we feel like that? I have a couple who say, “I have a son or a daughter in Toronto, in Canada; can you send somebody to talk to them?” Well Andrew told his brother Peter, and Peter went and he saw Him as He is.

Then verses 43-45, “The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael and saith unto him, ‘We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’” So when Philip became His disciple the first thing he does is he looks up his good friend, Nathanael, and says what he saw. Is there anyone else in all this way besides Jesus that has fulfilled the law of God? Well, I enjoyed thinking about that. So he sees Him as the one who has fulfilled all prophecy in the Word of God, Jesus of Nazareth. And that was their invitation. Verses 49-50, “Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, ‘Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel.’ Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘Because I said unto thee I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these.’” I like this story especially, because it relates to my own experience that started at Convention.

I went through a process, and I don’t know if it was going through a washing machine or what; but I was completely overhauled. It was quite uncomfortable because Saturday morning I came with my boxing gloves on and said, “These people are right; or I’m right and they’re wrong!” But what did I know, for sure? And that was, “That I am not right!” I thought, “Those people are all wrong and I am going with my boxing gloves on, and I’m going to do something!” And do you know what happened on Saturday? They brought out the ‘big guns’ —James Jardine, Willie Brown, Jack Craig, Alec Anderson and James McLeod! And they blew me right out of the saddle, and I said, “These men aren’t wrong, they are right! These men are true servants of God and I must be wrong.” Well, this man told me, “Young man, you are very sincere and we like you, but you are on the wrong track.” You talk about morals; well, I went around the house stomping my feet and said all the bad words I’d learned in the army and I called him ‘the old blankety blank…..;’ and he doesn’t even know I’m saved! How dumb can you get? Well anyway, I went through the wringer.

I thought I might tell you of my time under the tree. I don’t know what transpired under the fig tree — “I saw you under the fig tree.” But that Saturday morning I was ‘shot to the ground’ and Saturday afternoon I realised, “You are a sinner and you have no hope for eternity; you have another spirit and don’t know God at all!” Now, God was dealing with me, so after the Saturday afternoon meeting I was rather uncomfortable: and that’s putting it mildly. I went through the parking lot, through the barbed wire fence and up under the poplar tree, and at 5 o’clock I got down on my knees and pleaded with God: from 5 until 7 o’clock. And I said, “Oh God, help me! I have been here 3 days and I don’t want to join this church anyway.” What I wanted to do was go into the seminary; but what the Lord wanted me to do was to give my life to Him. And under the poplar tree He spoke to me, and I said, “If You don’t speak to me tonight and show me how to get saved, I am on the train for Seattle tomorrow.” And He opened my eyes that night and I made my choice and [was/am] very glad to be here, and so glad to be in this great work.

I want to tell a story in closing: I had an Uncle, my Mother’s brother, and Aunt that got me to Convention; and against my will I heard the gospel and got saved. We called him Frankie; he’s quite a man and had the meeting in their home for over 60 years. Well Frankie loved to fight as a young man and was pretty good at it, so I’ve heard. He was a very strong man, an engineer on the old steamers that pulled freight across the Rocky Mountains. He was the fireman on those big steamers, from Denver to California; and he shoveled coal into the steam engines all his years. And I’m telling you — he had muscles! So, here’s what happened. He would often eat his lunch with the other train men, bow his head and offer thanks then eat his lunch out of his lunch basket. They would deride him and call him names. Well, he worked with this bunch of men every day.

Later the railroad got the diesels so he still had his job as the fireman and the engineer is up there with him. Mr. McDonald was his engineer; a rough, swearing, cursing man. Oh my! So one day just before time to pull out, Mr. McDonald pulled out his long jack-knife and cuts through Frankie’s water bag hanging there, and out poured all the water. And he said, “How do you like that, Frankie Smith?” How do you think Frankie Smith liked that? He told us the story one time, “I got off my cap and [was] rolling up my sleeves; I was going to tear that McDonald to shreds.” So he got off the train and got down to where he was, ready to tear into him. And he said, “I saw Jesus.” He used to often tell it to me, and one would ask him, “What did you see when you saw Jesus?” But I never did ask him. But he went up to McDonald and looked him in the face; pulled out his railroad watch and said, “Mac, it’s almost time for our next run; we had better get on the engine.” Well he didn’t make shreds out of McDonald, he got on the engine and away they went. He got victory that day; he saw Jesus.

Ten years later he was sitting in his home and the telephone rang; he thought it was his call to go out on his run, and the voice said, “Frankie Smith, this is McDonald, your old engineer. Do you remember me?” And he said, “How can I forget you?” Well, he said, “You know, my wife died 2 years ago and I am sitting here looking at these four walls alone, and I remembered you. Do you still have those meetings in your home?” And he said, “We sure do, Mac.” Then he said, “Can a man like me come to your meetings?” And he replied, “Sure, you come right on over.” And that old cursing engineer came over to the meeting and I had a part of sitting in those meetings with that old man coming over and making his choice to serve the Lord. Does it pay to see Jesus? Does it pay to do what Jesus would do? Does it pay to follow him when we see him? Oh my, friends, it pays! I just thought you would like to hear my story when I think about Frankie; he could have shredded that McDonald up, but he saw Jesus. I hope you can see Jesus, as He is. I hope there will be faith in our hearts and willingness to value Jesus: it’s our hope for all eternity.

My thoughts for this afternoon’s meeting are found in 1 Corinthians 1. It says in the 27th verse, “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty, the base things of the world, things which are despised hath God chosen and yea things which are not to bring to naught the things that are.” We had this for a study not so long ago and at first I wondered what I could say about this chapter, then I noticed that this is what God hath chosen. So I thought to myself that I would like to know what God has chosen. You would like to know what God has chosen, wouldn’t you? What HAS God chosen and what is God interested in and how does God choose? So I went to work and made a little outline of the four categories here that are spoken about. I put down a few things that I could think of just off the top of my head, that would be under those four categories and since then I have given a bit more thought to that, about the things that God has chosen. Maybe now we could take a little look at those four categories and see what God has chosen. We’d like to have a part in that which God has chosen. We’ve heard so much about choosing our own way and taking our own way that would be leading to destruction but if we could just choose as God chooses and make the will of God the whole purpose of our life, what a glorious future we’ll have. Now that’s what I’ve been hearing in the meetings so far in this place.

So now looking at the first category, it says: “God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.” So the first thing I took note of was some foolish things. There’s a verse in this very chapter where it says in the 25th verse, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” Then it says in verse 23, “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block and unto the Greeks, foolishness.” I thought a lot about foolishness but the verse that really stood out to me was that 21st verse, “For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” In trying to give a bit of my testimony the other evening, I was talking about my search for God and then when I finally found Him, I saw that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life and He even was the Way for the preacher.

That is something that concerned me all my young life. From age 12, I wanted to be a preacher like Jesus but how do you go about it? Then I recognised that Jesus is the pattern for the preacher. Well, it says here that it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Now maybe you can imagine how I felt a few weeks after I professed and I read that verse. It has pleased God by the foolishness of preaching – why is preaching foolish? I thought that must be a misprint because surely preaching is not foolishness, but I didn’t understand what that meant at that first reading. It’s not talking about foolishness to God, it says it is the power of God unto salvation, but it is foolishness to men. When I told my dad I want to go sell my car and preach like Jesus, do you know what he said? “Where are you going to get your donkey, son? Where are you going to get your donkey?” He thought that if I went like Jesus I would have to get a donkey. Well it is true that Jesus rode on a donkey but I am sure He rode other ways too but it sounded so foolish to my dad. I said I want to sell my car and go like Jesus and he said, “You will surely travel a lot and you’ll need your car.” I said, “Dad I want to go like Jesus. I want to sell all and go like Jesus.” Well, he said, “Son, it is foolish to sell your car.” Well, I’d have a hard time getting over here in a car from the United States! I still don’t need a car but selling my car looked foolish to dad but it was wisdom in the sight of God. I had to sell all I had and give it away. Now I was proud of that little car, a brand new car. I was only 24 and it was my first car and I hated to tell it goodbye. Well, it was alright, I was selling all. So I sold my car and away I went, happy as a lark and I have been that way ever since. I really have, in this great work of God. Well, this foolishness of preaching is foolishness in the eyes of the world friends and anything about this ministry doesn’t just add up but it is the power of God unto salvation unto them that believe.

Now God has chosen some other foolish things. I was thinking about the preaching of the cross that is mentioned in this chapter. In verse 17, “Christ sent me not to baptise but to preach the Gospel. Not with wisdom of words lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness but to those which are saved it is the power of God.” The preaching of the cross is foolishness to the world but it is the power of God, God’s power is through the Gospel and that is how men are saved. Well, that is another thing that is so foolish, the preaching of the cross.

Another one I thought of was self denial. My friends said you don’t need to give up EVERYTHING to go out and preach. So often we have heard that. You don’t need to give up this and you don’t need to give up that. Well we as God’s servants are just happy that we can give it all up and we have no worries about the natural things. That is the way God sent His Son and it is the perfect way. He sent His Son to preach the Gospel and He sent us in like manner, to preach the Gospel. Well, this is all foolishness to the world and God has chosen some of these foolish things.

Another thing that I have thought of that is quite foolish in the eyes of the world is separation. You know how young folks feel – I used to think it was strange and I didn’t see why we had to separate ourselves unto God and I don’t see why we can’t go with the crowd and be like the rest of the world and do what the rest of the world does, but what is the point? God believes in separation and God wants to separate the pure from the impure, the good from the evil, and the righteous from the unrighteous. God wants a people not tainted by the things of the world that would not be good but He wants us to have the marks of the children of God. It is a separate people that God is calling into His Kingdom. It is foolishness in the eyes of the world to be different or to separate ourselves unto God but it is the power of God, friends. God has chosen these things that may appear foolish in the eyes of the world, He has chosen them as the hallmark of His Kingdom.

Now we go to the second category and that was the weak ones. It says there that God has chosen the weak things of this world to confound the things that are mighty. I didn’t have much trouble making a list of quite a few things that God chose that were weak. We heard about the weakness of that little child today and when they wanted to know who was going to be the greatest in the Kingdom and Jesus called a little child and set him in their midst and He said, “He that becometh like this little child, the same shall be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” Now that is what God has chosen. God has chosen weakness to manifest His mighty power. Now the little child is the key of the Kingdom. When the Lord sent forth His servants, He said, “I am going to send you forth as lambs among wolves.”

One of these places we visited here in South Africa, we saw some wolves and some of these wild dogs. Well, I didn’t want to get too close to them. Anyway, I thought of a lamb and I have seen lambs born and you know those tiny little legs and when they are first born, they are wobbling around trying to find their mother and they are just so weak and wobbly. If you think about a little weak thing that is but anyway, God chose to send His servants out into the world as little lambs into the midst of wolves and the wolves can’t hurt those little lambs because the Lord is with them. The little lambs don’t fear the wolves and they don’t even fear the big wolves and it doesn’t matter because the Lord is with them. The Lord chose a lamb, little children, and even a little donkey colt, too. Well, my dad thought I would have to have a donkey, too, if I was going to go like Jesus but that donkey colt that Jesus rode must have looked terribly weak to the Pharisees. If He had to come riding along on a big white horse like a king, you know … well, here is the King of Israel and all His disciples loudly praising and singing glory to God because here comes thy King meek and lowly sitting on a colt, the foal of an ass. Now if you can think of anything weaker than that, the King coming to His nation and riding into Jerusalem, the capital and coming before the people of God riding on a donkey colt, what a weak looking thing and that is how people look on this truth of God. It looks so weak and so helpless but God has chosen the weak things of this world to confound the mighty.

I have enjoyed this little study and I was thinking about another thing, the death on the cross. Do you think that looked very great? Could you imagine the weakness of the thing when the One who had declared to be the King, the Son of God and the Saviour of mankind, all the great things that Jesus came to be and there He was dying, hanging between two thieves and hanging on the cross. They said, “You have saved others, now save yourself. Come down from the cross.” It looked so terribly weak in the eyes of those Pharisees and those soldiers who had hung Him on the cross. Here He was, this man who had declared that He was the Son of God and He couldn’t save Himself. Well it was a weak thing in the eyes of men but that was the power and strength of God, Jesus giving His life when He could easily have come down and wiped them all out. Here in lowliness and meekness, Jesus manifested the power of God. God had chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty.

All right, now I just want to tell you two stories. One was of an old worker and he was in his 90s and he pioneered the work in Mexico, one of the first to go to Mexico. A dear old man and he was in the State of Colorado where I was preaching and where he was raised. Anyway we saw him in Mexico just near the end of his life and I am going to give you a little literal demonstration of him when he was on the platform. He stood at a 90 degree angle. I don’t know if I quite made it to 90 degrees but anyway, he was so bent over that they had a terrible time getting the mike down to where he could speak. They did have the mike on the platform and they put it on the floor and set it as low as they could but I thought they would have to dig a hole for it. It was way down. It took two men to get him on the platform but they did get him on the platform all bent over and he opened his mouth and he spoke to us and I do have to confess that I don’t remember what he said, this was a few years ago now, but you know I was in the field around that convention for a little while and there wasn’t a house that we went into that the first thing they said to us, “Did you hear what Louis told us?” That whole convention was taken up and fed by what Louis had told us. You talk about weakness. Why, he should have been pensioned off 20 years before this. Any church would have had him pensioned off long ago but God uses the weakest and here was Louis pouring out the last drops of his life. All bent over, yet he got on the platform and he fed that convention like no one else that was on the program. God blesses the weakness because He has chosen weakness to confound the mighty.

There was one other thing at about that very same time and out of that very same convention. The lists came out and we are always excited to see the list. We had on the Texas list two young really beautiful (no kidding), beautiful young sisters. You’d almost have thought that they should be at home with their mothers but they were out in the work, these two beautiful young sisters. One was in a high up position in the bank and the other was a graduate nurse. They were making it all right in the world, very choice young women, but they were the youngest ones on the staff and somehow, I didn’t make the list because I wouldn’t have made it this way but somehow those two young sisters ended up together and guess where they went. They went out to west Texas amongst all those cowboys! I know you’ve seen pictures and I know you’ve read books about cowboys and west Texas and if you think that is a paradise with all those rattlesnakes and what have you in west Texas, you’ve got another thing coming. That’s a rough country and rough people. They are civilised but some of them are pretty rough out on some of those great ranches in west Texas and you know what, I said to myself, “That looks like the weakest thing I have ever seen – those two young sisters going out to preach in west Texas.” Well, do you know what happened? The end of the year when they came to convention those two sisters brought more little lambs than all the brothers put together. Weakness, mighty, mighty weak but God chose the weak things to confound the mighty. I just enjoyed these thoughts and you could add to this list and you could add a number of things that God chose and that God uses weak things to manifest His mighty power

Now the third one was things that are base and despised and it is not hard to make a list on that category either, is it? What does it say about Nazareth, the town where Jesus was brought up? Remember it? It said, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” They thought He was a Nazarene. Well, I tell you that God chose Nazareth, the despised, base little town to bring up His Son and Jesus grew up as a Nazarene – in Nazareth, yes something good came out of Nazareth.

Now another thing I was thinking about was, “Do you like blood? What about your own blood?” I tore a hole in my finger the first day I got here and had to go find Debbie to get a Band Aid and she patched me up but the blood was just running all over. You know, I don’t like blood, especially my own. You know that God chose blood and blood is not a very nice thing. God chose the precious blood of the Lamb and that is the price of our redemption. The value of His death on Calvary was the blood that was shed and it is a precious thing. The world likes to trample it under foot but God’s people count His blood and sacrifice the greatest thing of all because it is the price of our redemption. – despised and base but God has chosen blood as the price of our redemption – the precious blood of Jesus.

Well, you could think of other things, like suffering. I was thinking about that verse that says they that suffer with Him shall reign with Him. That’s a nice verse but I like the last part but not the first part. How about yourself? You don’t mind reigning with Him but how about the price? Those that suffer with Him shall reign with Him. You know that there is a bit of suffering and we have heard a few testimonies of some who have had to suffer. I can’t say that I have had to suffer a great deal even in the ministry but we have known a measure of reproach and misunderstanding and we have been kicked about a little bit in this work of the Gospel. Those that suffer with Him shall reign with Him so don’t shrink from the suffering if it is the will of God. Sometimes we just have to go through it, as we have heard in some testimonies in this meeting – losing loved ones and such things.

We were coming down the road and here there was an accident and a little child was run over and killed just right ahead of us. We saw the mother leaving the scene and you should have seen her. The little children were scattering to go tell their mothers that some little child had been killed. Well, there is lots of suffering in this world but suffering leads to reigning in the house of God. God allows some suffering for our good, as we have heard. Another thing that the world doesn’t like too well is humility. Honestly, humility is one of the greatest things in the Kingdom of God, it really must be because God loves the humble and He exalts the humble and He is going to abase the proud. We’ve been hearing about that but God has chosen the humble in His Kingdom to manifest His power and glory. We’ve talked about those three. We talked about the foolishness that God has chosen and many things could be added to that list.

We have talked about the weak things that God has chosen and we have talked about the base and the despised things like the blood and the sacrifice and the suffering and in these categories, one could add many things but it is the last one that I wanted to stress and speak about in closing and that one we can read together. In verse 28, it says, “Yea and the things which are not to bring to naught the things that are.” Same pronunciation, in our English. God has chosen that and I thought to myself, ”What in the world is this?” Do you understand that verse? God has chosen the things that are not to bring to nothing the things that are. What’s that all about? It is a tricky verse isn’t it?

I will tell of a little experience that I think answers it in the best way I could ever imagine. My young companion and I were preaching in a little town. We were staying about five miles away in another town and this little town had a sugar beet factory and everybody in this town worked in the sugar beet factory and we thought that it would be a good thing to try that little town with some Gospel meetings. So we asked the Mayor if he would mind us using the City Hall. They had a nice little City Hall there that was open and available. He said, “Well I wouldn’t mind at all if you boys use that but we would have to have a board meeting and put it to the board.” We asked him how many on the board and he said there were seven and they were all working in the sugar factory and it happened that they were working 8 hour shifts all through the day and night and it was pretty hard to catch any of them. They were either going to bed or getting up to go to work all through the day and night and it was pretty hard to catch any of them so we asked him, “Mr Mayor, if we went over and talked to them would it be okay with you?” He said, “Yes, as far as I am concerned you can use the hall.” So it took us the whole week to get those seven men and when we couldn’t see one, we saw another and we made a date and saw the next one. But they said, “Well, if the mayor said it is all right, it is okay with me.” So this is what happened as we went to the next man and then the next man also, until we‘d seen all the seven men. Maybe it was a mistake but every day we would go into this town and we’d have a different car from the friends as we were staying with different friends and would just borrow their car to run into this town and try and see one of the men. So we came in with a blue Ford one day and a black Chevy the next day and a red Plymouth one day and one day we came in with the school bus, on the Saturday. So what happened was that they sent out a warrant to have us investigated as suspicious looking characters. I’d hardly blame them. We’d gone around and knocked on doors and invited the people and this was a few days after we had started. Word came to us that the Sheriff had been looking for us for three days. My young companion had just started in the work and he got that word so he went over to one of our friends as he’d left a shirt with the lady who had said she would wash it for him. I was looking out the window and I saw my young companion coming up the street and he was really coming. He had that shirt on a hanger and it was sticking straight out behind him. He was running so fast and he came dashing into the house where we were staying and between panting said that the sheriff’s been looking for us for three days. I said, “What have you done now?” “I didn’t do nothing. I didn’t do nothing.” Bless his heart, I knew he hadn’t done anything but he said, “The sheriff’s been looking for us for three days.” So I said, “Well I wonder what we ought to do. Maybe we should go see him.” “Oh no, no, no.” He sure didn’t want to go see the sheriff. Well I said, “We’d better go see the sheriff.” So we did and we went into the sheriff’s office and the girl said, “Oh, are you those two preachers? We’ve been looking for you for three days.“ I says, “Well, here we are,” and she says, “Well, sit down right there.” She sat us down on the bench and got on the phone and it was hardly three minutes and in walked the sheriff. I wish you could have seen the sheriff. I am just going to describe him to you briefly. He was a man about six feet six tall, half a foot taller than I am and he was immaculately dressed, you should have seen the man. Immaculately dressed in a tan western suit. I think you all know what a western suit is. A beautiful western suit and he had those cowboy boots on and that gave him another two inches at least and then he had this big white hat. Plus the biggest silver star I ever saw, a big, big thing. Well, he comes walking in and he says, “Are you those two preachers?” He looked at me because I was the oldest and I said, “Yes sir, we are preachers.” “Come into my office,” he says and he gets out his clip board and he gets out his report sheet. He sets down in his swivel chair and he sets us one here and one there. He says, “I have got to investigate you men because you have been reported as suspicious looking characters and we want to know what you’re up to.” So he says, “Your names, please,” and he got our names down and then he started asking us questions. He asked us certain questions and they won’t sound so strange to you when I tell you what they were. He says, “What’s the name of your church?” and he looks straight at me and I says, “Well sir, we don’t have a name to our church.” “No name?” “No, sir.” “Where’s your church building?” “Well, sir, we don’t have a church building.” “No church building?” “ No, sir.” “Well, where’s your seminary? Where do you fellows learn how to preach?” I said, “Well, sir, we don’t have any seminary. We just learn in the school of experience.” So he says, “Well, where’s your home?” “Sheriff, we don’t have any home as we just live with our friends and move around amongst our friends. We’ve been preaching around here but we don’t have any home.” Well, he says, “Where is your headquarters?” I could have told him it is in Heaven but thought that probably didn’t fit too good. So I said, “We don’t have any earthly headquarters, sir.” “Don’t have any headquarters? Well, then, who pays your salary?” I said, “We don’t have any salary.” I was just trying to be honest and he says, “Where’s your car right now?” The town in last place where we were we had raised up two or three little churches there and we quite excited about that part for a while. There they had a good name for us, they said, “We’re the three C’s,” so we were wondering for a while what the three C’s were but after a while we found out. Cattle thieves, there was quite a bit of rustling going on. Car thieves, they figured we were stealing these cars and also Communists because communists weren’t very popular right then. We were supposed to be teaching communism. Anyway, that is what they called us and the mail carrier said, this is a bit ridiculous, but I’ll tell you what the mail carrier said. He come by this place where we were having our meetings and picked up the mail that we’d left in the little country store there and then he’d read all the addresses. We weren’t too smart, my young companion and I, we were writing to the sister workers all over the world. We had a bit of free time there so we were writing letters to the sister workers all over the world. We were having a good, interesting mission but had a bit of free time. Well, he’d come by and see this so he’d go up and down the mail route and he said, “Those two preachers belong to the Lonely Hearts Club.” Anyway, we weren’t doing too good but anyway the sheriff asked us those questions and all of a sudden, he’d come unwound out of that swivel chair and he came over to me that great big man, came marching over to where I was sitting there and he stuck out that great big hand and took my little hand and he shook it and he said, “Boys, I am sorry about this. I want you to accept my apologies. There has been a terrible mistake here.” I says, “Hey?” I didn’t know what the mistake was but he said, “I have embarrassed you young men and caused all this embarrassment.” Then he says, “I believe you are the true Servants of God,” and he says, “Will you pardon me, and will God forgive me?” That big old sheriff you know, and he says, “Boys, that’s all. You can go now, you are excused, but listen, can I tell you one thing? If anybody in this county ever bothers you again, will you come right straight to me?” I says, “Yes sir, we sure will.” So we all had a good smile and we shook hands and we left. Doesn’t that kind of answer the question of the things that God has chosen are the things that are not? The world thinks we are the biggest “Have nots” in all the world, they think we don’t have anything. Really, from their point of view, as far as the churches are concerned, we DON’T have anything. None of these things that the sheriff asked, and he asked every question I could think of and I could see the back of his neck was getting kind of red and he was running out of questions and he couldn’t think of any more that he could ask us. So, finally, I did say this that I forgot to mention, I did say, “Sheriff, maybe if I could just have five minutes or so of your time, I could tell you about our work and you’d understand what we’re doing.” He said, “Go ahead young man, go ahead.” So I just told him that we both had nice cars once and we sold our cars. We had parents and nice homes, we were living at home and we left our homes. I went with an older man years ago and this young man has just recently gone with me and we have learned in the school of experience what little we know about preaching and I said, ”All last summer we had meetings in Harmony Hall, two blocks up the street.” He said, “I knew something was going on up there and I wondered what it was.” We’d had meetings there in Harmony Hall for the whole summer. Two blocks up from his police station and had a great mission there. Well, he said, “I knew there was something going on up there,” but that is as close as he ever got. Anyway that’s when he jumped up and said, “There has been a big mistake here and I want you boys to accept my apologies. We had this warrant sworn out and we had to investigate it but you boys go right on with your work,” and he says, “God bless you and you pray for me.” Well, Sheriff Rolander wasn’t as bad as he looked. He near scared us to death when he came walking in there. I just thought I would tell you this little story because that illustrates to me that we are like the “have nots” and the things the world thinks we need to have, we don’t have any of it and we are just glad we don’t but we have the Lord and we have everything. This is what God has chosen and I really believe that could be the meaning of that verse… God has chosen the things that are not… all these things that they think are important, the choir, the church board, the Sunday school teachers and the ladies aid, the church building and the headquarters, the seminary. The whole thing and they have to have it all – the salary for the preacher and the house for the preacher. We don’t have anything so I think that very well explains that God has chosen the things that are not to bring to nought the things that are. God has chosen the weak things, God has chosen the foolish things, God has chosen the base and despised things. We want to choose what God has chosen. We are so glad that we can read ourselves into the Bible and understand this kind of scripture. I have just enjoyed thinking about this today and passing it on to you.

Hymn 239

3rd Epistle John verse 5, “Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren and to strangers; which have born witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort thou shalt do well.” This epistle is a letter from John to Gaius of how thankful he was to hear that he was doing so well in serving God. He understood this man. Naturally speaking he wasn’t so healthy but spiritually he was healthy, and now he was commending him of how he had heard he was faithfully filling his place and furthermore, helping others to go forward on their journey.

We heard this morning of traveling on the sea of life and the pilgrim journey being one step at a time. I’m sure not one would say we have come as far as this by our own strength, but know it’s the God of Heaven that’s put our feet into the path of life and His Beloved Son that’s opened up the way. But we are also thankful that we walk with, and by, those companions in traveling, and those that encourage us in the faith.

1st Samuel tells of Jonathan, Saul’s son, “And Jonathan Saul’s son arose and went to David into the wood and strengthened his hand in God. And he said unto him, ‘Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee and that also Saul my father knoweth.’” Jonathan was encouraging David in not fearing the enemy, but knowing his rightful place in the kingdom and the one who would be on the throne. If we can have our eyes fixed on the one who is on the throne then we also see more clearly our place in the kingdom. It’s a wonderful thing when we don’t fear our place but begin to love our place more and more. When we fear it inhibits what we do: we don’t do it smoothly or well. The enemy of our soul would try to rob us and make us fear. So here he was trying to feed his faith, strengthening his hand in God, “You remember whose you are: to whom you belong and your place in the kingdom, and do your part faithfully.”

We read of Abigail in chapter 25 who was interested in the kingdom and, when she met, David she didn’t know how her husband had treated David’s servants so wrongfully at that time. She did what she could and brought peace into that situation. It tells of things she carried on that journey: not just a little but great things to feed and help in the situation. She reminded David that his soul was bound up in the bundle of life. We are on a journey and we don’t want to be concerned with the things that would rob us, but centre on the things that would feed us. Sometimes in the mornings people feel hungry. And during the day they feel they can’t take another step and they need sustenance: can’t work. Once we have food we can get up and go again. That’s how it is: we need feeding. We are thankful for those on this journey: wife to husband, parents to children, companions to one another, servants to the friends. We all need each other on the homeward journey.

One hymn tells us about youth, of doing each thoughtful deed and filling the kingdom’s needs. So many needs in the kingdom, we see them all around us: needs in the harvest field, needs in the church and in the homes. God wants us to have sensitive hearts and to be like Abigail, have hearts that would go out and feed even the heart of the king.

John 12 tells of 3 in the home at Bethany – Lazarus, Martha and Mary; and Mary with no more a complaining spirit and Martha willing to serve. She had seen the face of Jesus and realised, “This is my blessing to quietly serve.” And because of her willingness she was now helping Mary, and I am sure she was helping Jesus. He would realise the many times he had been in their home that it was not in vain but helping her to fill her place. She was serving Lazarus as they sat at the table and spoke of the resurrection. That beautiful picture of Mary, that Jesus said she had done this for his burying. She was helping Jesus to die so that He would be the resurrected one, alive, the first begotten amongst the dead. We are so thankful for those all along the journey who help us to die so that we could take further steps. Not taking backward steps, but forward steps: faith’s clear vision. We do realise we have a responsibility to each other, from the youngest to the oldest. We can be a help in the meetings, in the home, to the servants of God by prayer, by feeding so we can bring each other forward on the journey, and we can all do well.

Hymn 352 – I’ve Vowed to Be True

My thoughts have been on how fully committed are we in our purpose for God. There’s a verse in Ezekiel 47:3, that says:

“And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over; for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.”

How fully committed are you to serving God? Have you ever stepped into a river and the water was cold? The water is up to your ankles, and then you step further into the river and you’re up to your knees in very cold water. Then you wade further out and you’re up to your waist, and the water is very, very cold! How far are you willing to go into God’s will? We must go deeper; we must be right over our heads! And then God will help us to float!

In Acts 26:28, it says, “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, ‘Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.’” That king was almost persuaded. He saw the pond and the water, and it looked refreshing, but something was holding him back. There are many things in our lives, too, that hold us back from being wholly committed to God. Being committed means to make a vow, to make a choice to get further into God’s will. Many small vows are made on our knees.

Deuteronomy 23:21, “When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it, for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.” The vows we make must be kept. I have enjoyed being invited to a few weddings and to hear the young man and the young woman exchange their vows to each other. These marriage vows must be kept, as they are made before the God of heaven. It’s like hearing a couple say to each other, “This is our place; this is our place for life.” It’s good to remember the vows we make are before God.

That hymn, number 93 (“I Have Only One Life”), was an inspiration to me when I was thinking about the work and every time we sing it, it kindles up that same feeling again to always keep my vows alive. It says of Jesus in Luke 9:51, “…He steadfastly set His face to go.” Let us strive to be more like Jesus our Master.

Things in the heart show themselves in the lips and hands. Herod had words of worship but murder in his heart. Saul had obedience on lips and disobedience in the heart. Judas had kiss on lips and betrayal in heart. Ananias and Saphira had a gift on lips and deceit in heart. An old man was looking at his hands and thinking of all he had done with them! Saul had a javelin in his hand and hatred in heart. He did not deal with hatred and led to great failure. Hatred and envy are Siamese twins and their mother is jealousy. We go to homes and hands open the door, make the beds, feed us because of what they have love in their hearts. Elisha had water of the hands from the heart of respect and love for Elijah to refresh him. Boaz had barley for the poor because of kindness in heart and to preserve life. Jesus smitten and crowned with thorns by hands because of hate and jealousy in the heart. But Jesus with hands that touched the blind, lepers, lame for healing.

Pearls. After collections they are sorted. Firstly, for size and colour. Then for a flaw which it must have, otherwise it is not a genuine pearl. False pearls have no flaw. The flaw is circled by one man, passed on to the next person who drills a hole throw it and then attaches a string through the hole to join to others. Should the string break pearls are lost, trodden under feet or crushed. Let the Love of God keep us joined.

The reward of a penny a day for all laborers whether many hours or one hour. Just eternal life.

Saul ruled the people and fed his own spirit. David ruled his spirit and fed the people. It is not natural for sheep to follow a shepherd they have to learn it. It is natural for sheep to follow other sheep.

Candles go out quickly when not upright. Upright. Feet, heart, and head in line. Windmills, if not upright, cannot work or stand and soon fall in the direction to which they lean. There is no adverse wind to an upright windmill. Upright people are burden bearers. One small pencil can carry a tremendous load when upright. A man went to the basement of a huge building and saw many pillars bearing the highest building in Vancouver. Unseen. People who are upright bear unseen, great weights.

What shall we do when hope is gone… sow on – sow on – sow on. What does God really require? Obedience… obedience… obedience.

See a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes. We are a small weak body of people wrapped in the Love of God. Open the inner ear… Inner ear controls balance.

What is the greatest need in the world? The Word of God. Not money, jobs. homes. etc. Peter made three major decisions. 1. To serve God. 2. To come into the work. 3. To try after failure. If we only loved perfect people without sin, we would soon find ourselves without ONE friend!!! You have not failed until you failed to try and when you blame others for your faults and excuse yourself. Peter was like a rock. When the chisel hits rock, it either sparks or crumbles or it is formed (shaped). God sees the end result before he Starts. Peter walked on water. Faith. Water like the word of God… His workers and saints “walk on water” on the word of God and have faith in it, which the world does not have. Presumption means to “go ahead of God.” Peter had shaking experience when sifted. He needed it.. He would have been handicapped later when telling others what to do if he did not have that experience first. The devil told him after denying… you have committed spiritual suicide; no good to go further, You are only good for fishing. It would be presumption to go out and preach with others… no! Jesus came. Banks give credit when things flourish and no credit when money is tight and short. God gives greatest credit when “funds” (you) are low and poor. “Do you love Me more than these?” He meant the other disciples, not the fish. Asked 3 times to set the record straight. He had denied three times. WE may have crystal clear revelation of the truth but do we love it what we love will overtake what we know and understand love the truth.

We have failed: 1. When we blame others. 2. When we fail to repent 3. When we are not humbled. 4. When we fail to take the help available to us after failure. Get up and grow again.

In Matthew 12, we read of Jesus speaking about the Queen of Sheba. The thing that impressed Jesus was how far she had gone to see the wisdom of Solomon. I found myself questioning myself; how far am I willing to go? How far am I willing to go to deepen my relationship with Jesus to get to know the Saviour? I found myself thinking of various lives who were fully committed to the will of God and no matter what it cost there was no compromise. True commitment doesn’t compromise.

We read of lives very early in scripture who were committed to obey the voice of God: it led them to a very close relationship with their God. God was able to speak to Abraham, that he was a man who, right from the beginning of scripture, was willing to go just as God sent him. When God called him first and told him to leave his country and kindred it was like taking a step out into the dark and, if flesh had risen up, he could have thought it unreasonable. But he rose up and went because he had faith that enabled him to see the help of God that day at his disposal. We heard about him offering his son: it was his obedience and as a result we have the record in the New Testament – beautiful stories of his faith. He was willing for what it meant to deny himself. How far are we willing to go in self-denial? How far in taking up the cross and denying ourselves?

Some of you may have come many miles and, I hope when you return, there will be fresh commitment to go further into the will of God. Miles don’t count, but its how far we go and how much we are willing for. We were hearing about the disciples in the ship fishing, and Jesus came and said to launch out into the deep: go a little deeper. Deeper experiences can help to deepen our faith, deepen our love – it’s the depth of the experience. He said to Peter, “You just launch forth.” Sometimes we might fear deep experiences: it’s our nature. We don’t like experiences that are hard to the flesh; but launching out, just trusting with the help of God. Peter proved so much. He would never have proved it had he not been willing to launch forth. He would never have experienced that miracle if he hadn’t launched forth.

We have taken steps and, maybe, the Lord will ask us for more costly steps. When I offered my life for this work, it was like a step out into the deep. Wonderful what I have proved since: and I would never have missed it. Anyone thinking of the work: you think it’s difficult and a hard step. I hope you will think of the wonderful blessing that comes as a result. We don’t need to fear deep experiences but go a little further in self-denial, taking up the cross. I was thinking about Ruth when she left Moab to go with Naomi to the land of Israel: she made a commitment to serve the living God. Wonderful blessing came into her life because of that commitment and there was no thought of turning back: no compromise. All that belonged to Moab she left behind and she became a wonderful woman that the Lord could use.

How far are we prepared to go in prayer? Sometimes we get to the place of prayer and we never know the voice of the Lord speaking to us. Sometimes we want the Lord to bless us: ask for all the blessing without making any commitment ourselves. It’s one thing to ask for blessing, but another to commit ourselves. Thinking of Hannah: she got into the place of prayer: asked for the blessing that cost. She made the commitment and committed her life: then the blessing came when she was prepared for that. That’s true prayer. How far are we prepared to go in the place of prayer?

I was thinking about Abraham and Lot. They separated because there were problems, “You go to the left hand and I will go to the right.” Abraham didn’t want strife. He was prepared for cost himself so that there would be peace. How far are you prepared to go for peace with your brother? Abraham was willing that there might be peace: he didn’t fight with his brother, but later on fought for his brother. When we keep the right attitude towards our brother or sister, it makes it possible to pray for them effectively. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

We need to keep our hearts pure, our attitudes right for our prayers to be effective. I was thinking of Jesus, “I know that Thou hearest Me always.” There was nothing in His heart that made it impossible for God to hear His prayers. Even though He was hated and men did their best to destroy Him, it didn’t bring bitterness and He could pray effectively. Even when He suffered His worst, He prayed for those who were responsible that there would be forgiveness. Can you and I go that far in wanting to make peace? He is our peace: He came and brought peace, made it possible for us, as Gentile people.

How can we be reconciled to God? By Jesus, who came and poured out His life. He gave Himself so that we might have peace. How far are we prepared to go when we think of how far Jesus went? It’s easy when there are problems, to excuse ourselves and blame others instead of taking the blame. Jesus took the blame and He wasn’t guilty: He took the blame. Like the scapegoat that we read of in the Old Testament: the sins of the people were put on the shoulders of that goat, like Jesus. The goat was innocent but it carried those sins away. When those people confessed their sins and they were trusting in the blood, their sins were taken away. That’s what Jesus has done for us.

That’s what Abigail did. She wasn’t in the wrong, but she took the blame upon herself and it was enough to melt David’s heart. If we are prepared to take the blame, it can fuse a lot of the problems. A lot depends on our attitude, too. I was thinking about Moses: there was no compromise as far as he was concerned when Pharaoh refused to let them go. First of all, he said, “All the men could go,” but Moses couldn’t agree to that. Then he said, “They could go but they were to leave their little ones behind.” Do you ever feel you compromise with the world? You feel you don’t want your little ones to suffer, don’t want to know reproach? It’s the voice of Satan! It’s not going to hurt any one of us. I am thankful for reproach when I was young and thankful my parents didn’t spare us and didn’t sacrifice us to this world. Then Pharaoh said, “You can take your children but leave all your stock behind.” But Moses said everything was to go. How far are you prepared to go from the separation of this world? It’s easy when your flesh is crying out. How far are we prepared to go in keeping the righteous standard?

There are so many aspects: we just want to learn how to go further and deeper, trusting Him during the dark and deep experiences.They can work something into our lives. We read of Joseph: there were blessings from above and wonderful that that man was prepared to keep true throughout the dark and deep experiences. He became a feeder of his brethren as a result of being true. I would like to learn how to yield myself in full surrender, totally committed to obedience.

How far can we go in obedience? A little disobedience isn’t obedience. It does matter – it’s still disobedience! It will bring us into a closer relationship with our Lord if we just obey, if we submit and surrender; the Lord will be able to claim us as His own. Like Noah who did everything God asked him to do: salvation came to all his household because he was willing. Think of Daniel: fully committed – no compromise. He could have said that for 30 days, “Maybe I don’t have to seek God and I’ll be alright.” But no compromise, he was committed to serving God. It didn’t keep him out of the lion’s den but it saved him in the lion’s den because God was true to him.

If we commit ourselves to God, it doesn’t mean to say we aren’t going to face difficulties like the lion’s den. The help of God is there, if we are true to Him. We can think of our Saviour who has gone all the way with no reservations. He went on from Gethsemane, on to Calvary and gave Himself without reservation. If we are following His footsteps, it means the same for you and I. Not holding anything back for ourselves but committed to go all the way: all the way in self-denial in pleasing God. We want to go all the way in denying ourselves, all the way in obedience to the Master, and may God help us.

Hymn 230

Matthew 6:10, Jesus was teaching His disciples about prayer – “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  He was telling His disciples that God’s will might be done in their lives; these earthen vessels He has loaned to us. I like what we sing, “Teach us Thy will, Thy way make clear. We would Thy will obey.” His will is something we need to be learning and doing; not something we learn all at one time, but a continuing thing and God wants to teach us and help us in His will. I like the picture we get of Jesus’ life: “I came down from heaven not to do My own will but Him that sent Me.” Jesus made it clear in His life that His life was about doing His Father’s will. That was the way He lived and it consumed His life. He was teaching His disciples and us that we need to be seeking God to teach us and help us to do His will.

He sounded the warning in Matthew 7:21, “Not every one that saith unto Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.”  That is the important thing; it’s in the doing of God’s will in our lives. He explained that there’s going to be many that miss out that say they had prophesied in His name and done wonderful works. “I never knew you; depart from Me ye that work iniquity.” He didn’t know them; they weren’t under His control and not in submission to Him. Doing what they thought but not labouring to be in the will of God: to know it and obey it. It’s a sobering statement because there’s going to be some shocks on that last day if we are going to be doing what we thought and not striving to fit into His will for our lives.

“Teach me Thy will, Thy way make clear, we would Thy will obey.” It has been a comfort to me if that’s my prayer, “Thy will be done in my life,” like it was in Jesus. And if I am working at it each day there will be no shocks at the end: that’s the attitude I would like to cultivate.

[I was thinking about] two men in the Old Testament who wanted God to teach them and show them:

Exodus 33:13, “If I have found grace in Thy sight, shew me now Thy way.” That was Moses’ desire. Moses was not beginning in God’s way. He had led God’s people out into the wilderness. They had sinned and he had come to God to make atonement for them and intercede for them. And now he says, “Teach me now Thy way.” I liked that. Moses felt he needed every direction, fresh vision and understanding.

One of my companions used to tell us God’s way is step-by-step unfolding. Not something we learn in one go but step by step. As we take each step in God’s will, He will lead us further. That was Moses’ desire that day – I need fresh direction; we want Thy presence, we want Thy favour.

Sometimes I have been on bush walks where the tracks aren’t clearly defined. Sometimes there are marks on trees and you will see an arrow on a tree and go 50 meters and you are looking out for the next tree and there’s a mark. God’s will and God’s way is like that. We need to seek God’s direction, God’s help continually; like that tree and know that we are on course and we have God’s favour. Moses wanted that fresh help and direction.

The other was David in Psalm 25:4-5. His cry was, “Shew me Thy ways O Lord; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth and teach me; for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.” David knew he had to seek His direction and His will; knew it was something he needed to learn. This matter of pleasing God isn’t in us by nature but as we seek God He will reveal it. I thought of David, “Lead me in Thy truth.” That was the path he wanted to be walking; in the will of God.

I thought of these men David and Moses; we can see the marks of Christ within their lives. Think of David and the mercy he showed to others. They were marks that came as a result of being led by God into His truth and because of being taught God’s will. That’s how we become more Christ-like as God is able to teach us His will, how to live, how to walk before Him. That’s what He said to Abraham, “Walk before Me and be thou perfect.” If I am seeking God’s help, to teach and guide me, then my life is going to be acceptable to Him. May it be so for us all.

I was reading in the 2 Corinthians 12:7 where Paul says, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” This was Paul’s experience and here he felt that he had a thorn in the flesh, something that was keeping him humble, something that would rise up and cause him not to do the will of his Father, something that would always cause him to seek the face of the Father. Because of this constant uprising, constant irritation to turn his attention away from all that pleased his Father.

We read there of ‘a messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I be exalted above measure.’ How often is it in our human nature that we always, or most people, would like to seek to be good in whatever we do? And many seek to be renowned for the things that they do: whatever it may be that they specialise in, be well known, and in some ways revered. But here Paul, conscious of the thorn in his flesh that would keep him from being exalted above measure, not getting above himself and keeping him humble. How often it is if we were left to ourselves we would rise above what we really are, rise above in our own eyes to what we are in God’s eyes.

“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me.” This thorn that drove Paul to his knees: he sought the Lord 3 times for it to be removed. I can hardly understand how great that thorn must have been to Paul to make him seek the Lord 3 times in his need.

But we read of his response verse 9, “He said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Wonderful thing that in our weakness we can be made strong, not strong in our own strength but in God’s strength – a strength so much superior to our own that would enable us to do that which is pleasing to God. Yet if we trusted in our own strength we would do that which is not pleasing to God. And only through our weakness God, the Lord, will strengthen us.

Paul speaks (verse 9), “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Wonderful spirit of acceptance that Paul had: gladly, most gladly will I accept these things. I cannot change them but I will accept them. Many times we know of things we definitely want for ourselves and we go through experiences that we would never have chosen for ourselves. When things come and there are choices to be made that we don’t want to make: we need to rest and accept that the Lord knows what is best for us, that His grace is sufficient for us. I was very glad for these things and it’s been a great lesson to me to just want to trust more in the grace of God. I want to decrease that He would increase in my life. I thought of those words of John, “He must increase and I must decrease,” – another wonderful testimony. That feeling of need: that anything of myself is only bringing displeasure and not bringing any pleasure to our Heavenly Father.

Hymn 251, “Oh, Don’t Be Led Captive By Friend Or By Foe”

That hymn was written by a brother long ago, John Martin, and he made it very clear, didn’t he? “By friend or by foe,” – sometimes we can handle the foe but not so easy to handle the friend when there’s an enticement from the way that leads to God and home.

The letter that Peter wrote to God’s people: I was noticing in several letters that some were written some years before others, and when Peter’s letter was written, it would appear, not long before his departure from this world, he was concerned about God’s people. We will leave the first letter and have a look together at the second letter and let us keep before us the purpose that God’s servant so long ago had in mind, that God’s people would be saved, strengthened, and fitted to press on to claim the prize. Our Heavenly Father hasn’t changed at all in that intention. These times of refreshing have been planned so that we might be fitted for the next step and be able to take that step in a steady manner, leading on to the next step onward, heavenward, and homeward.

II Peter 1:1-2, “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Grace and peace by multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”

I have been thankful today for all we have enjoyed so far, for the appeal to closer fellowship and the help to closer fellowship. There’s that in our hearts that would hinder, and plenty in the world to hinder, if we allow it! But even when we give proper consideration to God’s provision, that we might be bound together with our Lord and Saviour journeying on, free of all these other things, to one day claim the prize. That’s our purpose today and we can be thankful for the sense of fellowship. He wasn’t writing like a school master, but Peter was writing as a man rich in experience now, looking back over many years and reflecting over his own mistakes – a man who had embraced “like precious faith.” When we come into a gathering like this, it does us good to keep the reflection of being in the company of those who have obtained “like precious faith.” We can be out there in one of the greatest assemblies but there’s no element of the binding of the love that God wants us to know. Our time together is very valuable. Not some strange thing of our own. We need to submit ourselves to the all-searching voice and the all-searching spirit – to the very joints and marrow, so we can be searched. If there’s anything taking away the solidity of the foundation, let’s ask God’s help and we will stand on safe ground. Always nice when we are walking with someone who is on safe ground and they are safe company. We will reflect in regard to three parts.

In the first part, Peter put the absolute solidity, the foundation that has been laid in Jesus. He would know it was the Lord’s intention for God’s people in all eras that they would be building on. No change! No difference! What was presented in the gospel that came to you, and brought at a cost as it did in the first days to this land, continues to be brought at a cost. Peter brings before them the possibility of this wonderful work in their own lives. Further on, we read of the power of the enemy but God’s people have been able and will be able to resist the evil day. That hymn we were singing came to mind because no doubt, as the time that the old enemy has to work grows shorter, he is all the more active; this is foretold. The power of God is sufficient and we can stand and journey on and we can enjoy the peace of God, make it ours and cling to it till the last step of the journey.

“Like precious faith” – that’s through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Where did it come from? – the very person of God Himself, as given to us through Jesus. As we sit together and think of the past experiences and the coming of the gospel to this land, the coming of the gospel to our own homes and the gospel to our own lives, what a wonderful thing to be able to look back and look in the present – that with no change – through the righteousness of God and our Saviour, not through some frivolous thing or the vanity of a man or woman’s mind, but what we have today originated in the heart of God and was made possible and shared with us because He shared with us His own dear son. “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” This is the man who was formerly the fisherman but was now a God-made man. When Jesus said to Peter, “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren,” it was quite evident from His early dealings that Jesus knew the man He had in His hand. “When you have changed and the work of God goes on in your life, strengthen your brethren.” This is now what Peter was doing and had done from that wonderful time in the Acts of the Apostles after Jesus had left them. There he was with the all-sufficient power of God, “When you are changed and you see the real thing, strengthen thy brethren.”

We have been hearing about submission: that’s the way to get the real thing. We are thankful that what was brought to us was the real thing. If we allow the real thing to work, we will know the peace of God and the reality of all that it means in Jesus – not by some small measure, because what God gives us is increased; not what we look at in the world around us – that’s a decrease. “According to His divine power: not earthly.” We are building on the chief cornerstone, invincible, never to be shaken. And we won’t be shaken if we are willing for His work to not only begin but to enable a greater work within.

Verse 4, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” There’s the secret of it: God’s work, then partakers of the divine nature. He wasn’t saying, “By the power of the old Peter,” but recreated in Jesus: that’s our portion today. This inheritance comes because God’s work began within, and by the mercy and kindness of God, here we are still journeying on. And may we continue to journey and not be taken up with some frivolous thing of the world or the nonsense teaching of the world, but we are going to have a greater grip of the Truth as it is in Jesus. “Exceeding great,” – what language! And all that God has promised in Christ that we might know the fullness of redemption and all that comes through Him. That makes all the difference. “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” Paul wrote. He brought it up right to the very present and that’s the hope today and will be till the journey finishes. It hasn’t altered one little bit. If we see someone drop away, it hasn’t altered: Jesus the same yesterday, today and forever. “And beside this, giving all diligence.” We all know it’s not easy to give all diligence. We may have come a short distance along the way, even easing up – that’s the natural thing. But it’s important that the call is to a deeper conviction and a fuller commitment of ourselves to the will of God. It’s simply the main thing in our lives.

Here’s the little part we were speaking of earlier: the foundation, and then the work in our lives and what they were to do. “Add to your faith, virtue, and to virtue, knowledge.” What kind of knowledge are we adding to what we have got? It wouldn’t do to delve into all the books we have in the world, but I am talking of the stuff that could corrupt your mind in regards to the truth as it is in Jesus. We would say again to God’s people that you won’t find any better edition of the bible than the one we have always used, the King James. You might take a revised version sometimes to get it a little clearer but the authorized version, a way back, God was over-shadowing, because it was a very true translation. God’s spirit commends that to us so don’t be going too deep into these other translations. You would be safe if you spend time to look up what you have got in the authorized version.

We used to hear it from the old servants of God in the early days of this work. You might not understand all that’s in the letters to the Romans and the Corinthians, but keep reading and put something into it. We won’t need all these books because we’ll get it from the author and that’s God’s Spirit. “Add to your faith.” I pray God will inspire us afresh today to keep adding to our faith because that’s what the gods of this world are trying to get at, thinking we are sleeping. But no, there’s no change! Let’s make an earnest endeavour to be increasing in the inspiration of God and not some foolish thing that has been written in some book. When we have a God-inspired knowledge, it does away with all uneasiness, but when we hear things that aren’t according to that, it brings an uneasiness. Remember what John wrote? “Ye have an unction.” And when we have an unction, the ear is sensitive to what is not profitable and the eye will pick up that it’s not the thing for me. I remember an old servant of God who has passed on, speaking of this wonderful thing of the unction. The little calf knows its mother, and so does the lamb – each knows its mother out of a great mob of sheep. What by? The in-built unction of the sheep nature. Marvelous if we are in submission to the unction.

“Temperance” – we aren’t doing extreme things.

“Add to patience, godliness,” and a little patience too goes a long way. There’s a side of patience that keeps us all journeying. Yes, the goal is in view but keep at it. There’s something sad when something is said and we don’t like it. Patience helps us to get on in the home life, too. We need to be patient with one another because we expect others to be patient with us and that furthers this wonderful fellowship. The understanding of one another doesn’t take an intellect but brotherly kindness is the way Jesus did it. If Jesus hadn’t done it that way, we may not have this zeal at all. We know Peter failed but Jesus handled it in such a way He was ready for action on the day of Pentecost. We are all in the same battle as God’s servants. There’s no fellowship that should have greater understanding and the fellowship of God’s servants is founded on like-sacrifice.

The fellowship of God’s people is founded on like-experience, not blind and can’t see, just haven’t got it. Those five foolish virgins knew enough to see and walk along, but they didn’t have it. Don’t let us be a camp-follower like in the armies of old – the soldiers up front, then following on were all the camp-followers. “As long as I am in this tabernacle,” he wasn’t attracting people to himself but putting them in remembrance of all Jesus was and could be. How are we going to do that? Because we have made them ours, we have got them into our hearts. We are benefiting from others’ experiences but we aren’t running on them.

Verse 16, “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables.” There’s always something the old enemy wants to circulate amongst God’s people to discourage them, and if you have it, you can conclude this didn’t come from the good shepherd. Hasten to the care of the good shepherd and get His mind on it; He will handle it accordingly.

The middle part of the letter is what’s around us – the ways of death – but he was able to put before God’s people the way of life, the foundation at the beginning, then leading on to God’s work in us, and then the power to handle the enemy. That’s what God’s people will have to do more and more.

Chapter 3:11, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.” Heaven and earth will pass away but what God sent to us by the gospel will be ours forever if we cling on to it. Just cling to the hand of God’s dear son. Then we are told in verse 13, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” That’s the hope of God’s people. There’s the foundation for true salvation. The enemy would try to take it away but nevertheless, he is opening up a glorious future because of the great conviction that we have. “Be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” I would like to get it in my heart with whatever time is left, even as our beloved brother Paul has written unto you. There was a time when Paul reprimanded and stood against Peter’s thinking, and you know what that does to the human heart. Peter had accepted it and learned by it, “Our beloved brother Paul,” – two old men going down to the grave not far ahead. I would presume Paul was still alive and going down to the grave, supporting the Truth as it is in Jesus. What a wonderful thing! Don’t let this nonsense that people talk affect you but get a firmer grip of the Truth and don’t let little things hinder – servant and saint – but that God would be pleased with us.

Psalm 122, “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’” I hope that has been the case with us before we came to the meeting, that we are glad. I hope I will never get to the place where I am not glad to come into the house of the Lord. If we came in feeling we were not as glad as we should be, we can go out feeling gladder, can’t we?

Also Psalm 27:4, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His temple.” There are so many beautiful things that we see in Jesus: to enquire or to consider in His temple. There’s so much for us to enquire and learn, and we never get to the place where we won’t be learning more. Thinking of some things that would make us realise and seek after that desire.

Timothy chapter 4, “Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.” Someone said that the latter days are from when the Lord ascended to when He returns: so that means now! Just a little thought perhaps, giving heed to deceiving spirits that put those little thoughts into our minds; also doctrines and devils. Any doctrine that isn’t of the doctrine of Christ is the doctrine of devils.

Thessalonians 2:3, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” This made me think also in Revelation of the church of Ephesus, “I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil; and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. And hast born, and hast patience, and for My name’s sake hast laboured, and has not fainted.” So many things were in place but one thing was out of place and that was important, “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” It wasn’t that they had lost their first love, but they had left it! I thought of the danger of not having the same love for God: with all our heart, our mind, our soul and our neighbour as ourselves – and not loving God as we did once, but left it. Maybe we haven’t got so much love for the children of God or those in the church that we had once, but left it behind. That doesn’t leave us without hope: even as in this church, “Remember therefore from when thou art fallen.” There are a lot of things we forget, but we don’t often forget when we have fallen. That would affect all the individuals of that church to have their candlestick removed.

Psalm 125:1-2, it’s very important and helps us to be among those that would always have that desire to be in the house of God, to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. “They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever.” As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even forever. Lovely words and they give us hope. Whatever we have been in the past we can turn back to God and trust Him: keep that desire in our heart to dwell in the house of the Lord forever, and to keep seeking for it forever. “If ye seek, ye shall find it.” It’s very nice to be here again and I have valued your friendship and fellowship over the last 43 years.

Luke 16:16, “The law and the prophets were until John; since that time the kingdom of God is preached and every man presseth into it.” Jesus was speaking about the kingdom being preached and that every man, every soul was pressing into it. It’s a marvelous thing when we see souls coming and listening to the gospel and there’s every indication that they are pressing into it.

Thinking back of the time I made a start. We think of our start. It wasn’t something we felt that we were doing much, but somehow or another we found ourselves making a stand for what’s right and beginning to press into the kingdom. It’s nice to read of different ones where people pressed in to touch a hem of Jesus’ garment. That woman who was diseased: she pressed in and touched the hem of his garment. She was doing what she could, using the strength that she had to press in.

We read of others who pressed in. There would have been a throng about Jesus: but one thing we are conscious of is that if we do what we can to press in, to bring ourselves to the place where Jesus is, God will help us and open up a way for us to be able to touch the hem of His garment. That woman might not have had much strength but she did what she could to press in and we are sure that God would have helped her to reach that place. As we do what we can, God will grant us his strength to be able to reach that place.

That verse in Ecclesiastes 9:11, “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” It’s a natural illustration. It’s not the strong winning every natural battle. Even a strong person can stumble and slip. Perhaps it’s the way of it but it’s not always the strongest person who wins or the fastest person that wins.

I remember hearing of an ice skating race where someone fell and it had a cascading effect and the one who won wasn’t in the front to win that race. Thinking of this race we are in, the battle is not to the strong, in their own strength and own ability; but to people who are strong in love and in faith. That’s why God is wanting to help us to press in and have a deeper love and deeper faith.

We speak of faith that comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. This is that which comes from God like precious faith. It appealed when thinking of what Jesus said of having faith to move mountains, it comes by prayer and fasting. It comes as we press on in the place of prayer and fasting. Making the sacrifice to put aside good things so we can press in to get nearer to God. The battle is not always to the strong but our battle is won by those who keep pressing on.

Where it speaks of Gideon: those 300 men were faint yet pursuing. They had already fought a battle and they had slain the princes of the Midianites; but there were further victories to be won that day – faint yet pursuing but pressing on. They went to slay the king of the Midianites and there was greater victory. Isn’t that what we need to be doing? Pressing on ever more pressing on.

I enjoyed some other parts: in Philemon 3:13, it speaks of Paul, “This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” That’s what Paul was doing: putting the things of the past behind whatever they were; disappointments, defeats or victories. This was the one thing he was doing, pressing on forward to gain the prize of his high calling. That’s what we long to be doing.

“So struggling soul press onward and keep the goal in view.” At the end of Isaiah 53 there’s a picture of Jesus (verse 12) dividing the spoil with the strong. That’s the goal in view.  Jesus will be dividing the spoil: the victory that He had on Calvary’s cross – strength in faith, strength in life. May God help us all in our place just to keep struggling on.

I have enjoyed your testimonies and I have also enjoyed what the Workers have had to say to us, too. Someone said one time that Convention was like a pause between two steps. We have taken steps to come here and afterward, we will take steps to leave. So this is like a pause and the important thing is that we keep our next step faithful and that is what counts.

I remember reading some funeral notes of Fannie Hastings’ funeral. She lived to be a very big age but it was said that the length is not important, it is that we keep our next step faithful. Someone mentioned in testimony about the secret ingredient.

This brother said that he noticed between meetings that the Workers went off quietly to their place of rest where they can think about the next meeting. Sometimes the friends may not know what goes on secretly in a Worker’s life. Back in the field I work in we have a bach, it has been around a long time and one of the young friends there had this thought in her mind that it was the Workers’ property so it was explained to her quite clearly that it wasn’t our property. We don’t own anything. Jesus said, “The foxes have holes……. Son of Man hath not where to lay His head.” There were people in Jesus’s day who loved Him and took Him into their homes.

Mary and Joseph, first of all, opened up their hearts. That is the first thing you give before anything else can be accepted. You could give $1 million to the work but that wouldn’t count or you could give two mites and that wouldn’t count. What counts is what is behind what you give. The woman who broke the alabaster box gave a lot but it was the love that was behind it that counted. Submission in a person’s heart is what counts. The wise men who came to Jesus, they bowed down and they worshipped Jesus and then they presented their gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They bowed down and accepted the lowly Son of God.

We heard about the manner in which He came, rejected by so many, accepted by the few. Joseph and Mary were not rich but they opened up their hearts and God could give them something that was very, very precious. He gave them His Son. They protected that Son at all costs, His going out and His coming in. They were willing to sacrifice and went down to Egypt to preserve that life. Someone said that this way of God is founded upon sacrifice and it is maintained by sacrifice. I heard about the Ministry where it was said that a dying Ministry produces a living Church. We are a family here, we are God’s people. I remember the days that I came in contact with the Gospel and what it brought me out of, false religion, false traditions, and so forth, and placed me among God’s people. What God has given us has to be protected at all cost. We have heard that when we leave here we might feel full of power.

It is amazing when you leave here what you are going to face but Jesus said Himself, “I have overcome the world.” If we keep that thought before us, we will possess what He possessed. The world doesn’t love us, That is what Jesus said Himself in John 17:14, “I have given them Thy word…..hated them.” Don’t think that when you go back home the world will love you more and more. The world didn’t receive Jesus, they didn’t open up their homes when He was born. Perhaps because of this meeting, they may love us less and we may have to face a greater battle than we did before because of God’s word.

We have seen people suffering and poor but to suffer for His sake is a different matter. If we suffer for His sake, we don’t have to be ashamed. Great things come to an end and great people come to an end but God’s work continues. In Joshua 1, we read about the death of Moses. Moses died but the memory of Moses didn’t die.

My first year in the Work was in North Down. I have very nice memories of the friends in this part. I remember after I left home, the first home I stayed in, and the warm welcome I received from the man and his wife. My last Convention in Ireland was here in 2002 and I would have to say it was my best Convention. There was a very nice spirit at that Convention. From the first meeting to the last the theme was the same and it has often helped me. Sometimes we ask where in the New Testament is there an example of a Convention. Jack Duncan spoke once of how Jesus after His resurrection met with five hundred all at once. That is a little picture of a Convention. Jesus just appearing to them and having fellowship with them.

A Convention doesn’t need to be made up of five hundred. To me, the Last Supper was like a mini Convention. The conventions in the Old Testament lasted one day. A Convention is an assembly of people called together for a purpose. God has a purpose for our Convention and I’m sure none of you would want to have missed it.

Jesus told his disciples to prepare for the Last Supper, to make ready. The Disciples wouldn’t have realised at that time the importance of that meeting. After Jesus died, that meeting would have been of great significance to the Disciples. They would have reflected on what happened at that meeting. The record of it is of great importance to us also. Sometimes later, we recall things that are said. Jesus said the Spirit would bring all things to our remembrance. Before God can bring a thing to our remembrance, He has to put it into us.

That’s why it is so important to read the Bible. When you leave here, the important thing is to be constant in reading. Jacob Kevelighan said it was like clean water. We may feel soiled in our minds but after reading we feel cleansed in mind and spirit, It does something for us. It is like drinking water. A lot of importance is put on water but not much importance is put on reading the Bible. It is good to have a Bible. It is the most published book in the world but possibly the least read. Some people are keen on reading. For myself, I just read the newspaper. But I met a man who was always reading about philosophers and was continually talking about them. The writer of a book can get into a person’s mind. One needs to be very careful with books for they can contain a lot of immoral language. God said to Joshua (Joshua 1:8), “This book of the law shall not depart….. day and night.” When Moses died the Book of the Law did not discontinue. Friends and Workers die but the word of God continues.

We continue in the teaching of the Bible. Joshua was told the book of the law was not to depart out of their mouth. If it is to be in our mouth we must first of all read it or hear it. Verse 7, ” Observe to do according to all the law….. to the left.” We keep a higher law today. We have the law of liberty and it is good for us to keep it and meditate on it for that is what is going to free us. Jesus said, “If ye continue….. free.” Keep the Bible before you.

We read in Acts that they burned their books. Jack Duncan said once that the best part of the books was the smoke that rose from them. The man I mentioned who read philosophy, knew a little about my life and he always referred to Jesus and concluded that Jesus was the best. If we continue with Him when we leave this place, it will keep us free. It is vital also to continue in prayer.

We heard that you can rush into the place of prayer but you cannot rush into God’s presence. I had a companion and every time I went into the room, he was praying. I almost got afraid of him. I felt he had power because he was in touch with God. I respect what those who pray earnestly have to say. Jesus said that God would reward us openly for prayer. That is very true. Prayer changes our spirit, it changes our attitude. When we go from here, we have to face reality. Jesus said that He would keep us from the evil that is in the world and our only hope is to keep in contact with Him. You will have power and the world will be afraid of you. If you keep that communication strong and healthy you don’t have to be afraid in the future.

Last month, Debbie and I had a very different day in South Africa.  Two things happened that were very different.  It was a holiday down there.  We were allowed to go to the jail, a big jail where they have high security.  There are murderers and people like that are kept there.  We heard the story about these people in this jail in 2001.  A man and his wife went to that jail to visit one of those inmates.  They went in and talked with this man for one hour only.  They went on Christmas day.  We enjoy Christmas day, you visit your friends.  This couple said that this was the best Christmas day they ever had, to go to visit that prisoner.  When they left, they felt so free.  They went to sit under a tree.  They ate their sandwiches, soggy jam sandwiches.  They said to one another, “We are so happy because we are free.”  They were so sorry for those who were in prison.

There was a reason why they were there, that young man whom they visited.  He grew up in the way of God like some of you children, like myself.  He professed when he was a young boy.  He was later mixed up with bad friends.  He was drawn away and he did something that was not right.  He was on drugs and beer and girls.  He had a girlfriend who was not in our faith.  He began to follow her beliefs.  We don’t understand.  He started on witchcraft and things like that.  This girl was killed and this boy was accused.  We don’t know if he is guilty or not.  He says that he was drunk at the time and he does not know anything about it.  Anyhow, he was accused and admitted to solitary confinement, to a high security jail.  This is the result of sin and being with evil friends.

As time passed, he longed and he tried to speak through a small hole to the man next door to him.  He was a Zulu boy and he came to listen little by little.  The workers went to visit this boy.  They also spoke to this other boy.  About two years ago, our friend made his choice.  Later, this other boy also.  Now there are two of them.  So he tried to talk to another boy who had also done a very bad thing.  He was also drunk when they found him.  He was found guilty.  In 2001, he wanted to listen but he felt that he was too bad.  We asked our friend if this year there would be a chance for this boy to also listen.  “Yes,” he said.  He would listen.

So last Christmas day, we went with the other young couple who first went there to visit.  It is very far.  You know the liberty we have, it is a very wonderful thing, peace within our hearts, freedom with my brother, freedom with God, it is very precious.  You know those boys, young men, they are allowed one hour a month visiting time.  If they make a phone call during the month, it is part of their visiting hour.  When Debbie and I went there, we asked God to give us something to say to these men.  We only had 20 minutes to speak to them, to each boy in a small little box.  The guards are watching us, and they are listening.  You are not allowed to carry anything in.  I said, “What shall I say to help them?”  It touched me to see these three men who are longing to hear because they are in solitary confinement.  Our conversation was very different that day.  We returned home where we were staying.

That day, there was a marathon run that was run by many, so we saw lots of different people running.  This race starts in Durban and it goes to the town of Pietermaritzburg, 90 kms.  It is far and there are hills and valleys, it is a difficult race.  We also are in a race.  We are many, all different but we are all encouraging one another in the race to keep going.  This race is called the Comrades Race.  It means that we all go together and we all help each other.  That race started at sunrise and finishes at sunset.  We also are in a race.  We only have one day, perhaps a few more years to run.

There was one lady who fell.  Many shouted at her, “Go, run, go run!”  We also have many who encourage us to keep going and they strengthen us.  We went to the end of the race that day.  We saw many who got to the finish line.  Some were crawling.  One woman fell near to the end of the line, and she wasn’t able to get up.  Others shouted, “Get up, get up!”  Her legs refused.  People cried out, “Get up!”  She just tried, and this touched me.

Wonderful to see others who have almost finished their race.  It is so nice to see it, for there are those who see us and are praying for us so that we will finish and hear the words, “Well done.  You are a faithful servant.”  Recently there was a memorial of a war between two nations.  They are seeking peace and unity between nations.  This memorial is to remember those who fought so that others can be free.  It is called Remembrance Day.  We remember every day that our Saviour has set us free and we rejoice in our freedom today.

Yesterday we officially started our convention round with a one day convention in Aruba. We just had the usual Sunday morning meeting but we workers spoke for a little longer. Then in the evening we had a gospel meeting and invited contacts who get very few opportunities to listen to the gospel. We will have 4 gospel meetings in the week that we are here.

Winsome Lyn from Jamaica spoke from Rom 8 “All things work together for good…”

Sometimes experiences seem as if they are against us. But as far as God’s people are concerned, every experience is working for us. As Paul wrote, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” One of the Jamaican sisters who was supposed to be with us was refused entry when we arrived in Aruba and had to go back to Curacao. We were all rather shocked, of course, but it turned out for good because we had just made contact with a lady whose grandmother professes and she only speaks Spanish and so this sister speaks Spanish and has been able to have some meetings and visits with this lady and it sounds as if she is really appreciating it. So often what seems to be unfortunate can be for the best. And it’s true even when there isn’t obvious evidence at the time. Someone wrote recently in line with this thought that we are not the product of our privileges but we are the product of our prayers. Experiences can teach us many things, experiences can change us, experiences can deepen our love for God. We desire to learn from every experience, but if we don’t learn from the experience, it is only another event. We want to get the gold out of every experience. We can learn from the experiences of others and we do well to listen to the voice of experience. Even a bitter experience can be a growing experience.

This verse goes on to list all the things that could separate us from the love of God.

Tribulation: tribulation worketh patience. That’s what it can work if we have the right attitude. We read that those in heaven came out of great tribulation. They didn’t let tribulation separate them from the love of God. The bible teaches us that if we want to live Godly then we must suffer tribulation. Paul was persuaded that nothing was going to separate him from the love of God. In this verse it speaks about being “more than conquerors.” Be willing for tribulation. When Daniel and his friends went through tribulation there was no smell of fire. We could take out of tribulation a lot of things like bitterness, Job could have. But we don’t want to take anything out of the experience but more of the marks of Christ.

Then it mentions distress. Something else that could separate us from the love of Christ. A Father had a son and in the evenings he would piggyback him around the house. But there was one room without a light on. Whenever the father piggybacked his son through that room, the boy would cling on tighter. Someone said once to the father, “”Why do you take him through that room when he doesn’t like it, when it distresses him?” And the father said, “Because I like the feeling of him holding tighter.”

Persecution. Paul rejoiced that he was counted worthy to suffer…Don’t let persecution separate us but like mature Christians let us rejoice.

Life…cares of life, business. Good to have the purpose this is not going to separate us from the love of God.

Nor angels. Galatians 1, “Tho we or an angel preach another gospel..” Don’t think it can’t happen to us. Satan himself deceives as an angel of light. “If it were possible to deceive the very elect.” A lady of 90 in Jamaica who had been professing for many years was deceived by the Seventh Day adventist people.

Principalities and powers. Ephesians..wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers…. Don’t play with them. They are much more powerful than we are.

Things present…A brother worker was discouraged. Older companion said, “Well, can you make it today?” “Yes, I think I can make it today.” And the next day he asked the same question. We can make it a step at a time. Be true today, and tomorrow will take care of itself.

Height. Riches and promotion. Joseph rose right to the top but he didn’t let it separate him.

But what could separate us from the love of God. What we love. We read of those who were lovers of themselves more than lovers of God. One man gave his testimony and he said, “This year I had a bad year. I spent too much time on my computer.” Be careful of what we love.

Oom Piet told us about a time when he was with Jurgens Slabert and his older companion asked him to go and get some bread. But they had no money. They emptied their wallets and there was nothing. Anyway that afternoon the postman came and there was a package and in it was a 100 guilder note. That was a big amount in those days. It turned out that months before a lady had died and in her bible was an envelope with some money for these two workers. But the man had not noticed it till he happened to look by chance on the mantelpiece and it arrived just when it was needed. God knows the needs of His saints and we are glad that we still have the same confidence in the Lord fulfilling His promises to His servants. John said “I go a fishing.” They had nothing. But God wasn’t unmindful of their situation. Jesus was there with meat.

Just this for now…warm greetings…

Your bro,

Mike

We attended a funeral recently and heard that when we are born we are given some time, a lifetime to invest in. This lifetime was likened to a bank account that we invest our wages in, and each day we live was likened to withdrawing from that account and adding to our eternal account. Each day we live, our earthly account becomes smaller until it reaches zero and there is no more time left. We have such a wonderful privilege in our lifetime of investing wisely so when death comes, our eternal account has grown and we have treasures in heaven.

We’re told in Genesis that Satan was more subtle than any beast of the field. When he first spoke to Eve, he said, “…hath God said, ‘Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’” Satan was testing Eve to see how well she understood God’s word; he tested her faith. When we believe God, our faith will be sorely tested above all else. Eve was given time to repent but sometimes we never get another opportunity.

I remember hearing of a young man who was left in charge of his father’s garage while his father ran an errand, and while he was alone, a thief came and demanded that he open up the cash register and give him the money. But that boy said, “I’ll have to ask my father first.” And the robber fled! He didn’t fear what his father might say or his punishment, but he was interested in following his father’s instructions and he took good heed. We must take good heed too, paying close attention to our Heavenly Father’s instructions for us.

When the Children of Israel were in the wilderness, God provided them with manna. That manna was provided every day, whether they needed it or not, and they were to take good heed of how to gather it: it was to be gathered by every man according to his eating, according to the number of persons, some more and some less, and it was not to be left till the morning. On the sixth day, they were to gather twice as much manna as their holy Sabbath fell the next day. These instructions for gathering the manna were to prove whether they believed in God or not and whether they loved Him. It was to be gathered in urgency early in the morning. Satan isn’t worried about the things that take us away from God but he does worry if we spend too much time with Him gathering quietly, with an urgency early in the morning. If we aren’t profitable in gathering bread, our investment account will soon be at zero! It’s good to ask ourselves: Do we love what God has asked us to do? If we do, it will be a wise investment. I hope we understand all that God has asked us to do, for He has given us so much in return.

There were some girls working at a bank who told us this story that when they started, they were trained to recognize a counterfeit bill. They weren’t given a counterfeit bill to study but they were given a real (true) bill to examine and become familiar with. Then, they were told to hold it up to the light and study it. I thought of that verse, “Let not your heart be deceived.” We must keep close to God and have our eyes focused on Jesus at all times and learn to obey Him and love Him. When we think of forgiveness, we will remember Jesus. He had such faith in God when He committed His life to Him, and we need this same spirit of trust like He had. Mary and Joseph were Jesus’ earthly parents who treasured and invested wisely in Jesus — they had such a wonderful spirit of love for Him. I hope we will ask God to help us be wise in investing in these eternal matters of worth for no matter how weary we become, to invest is just such a little bit of our life.

Grace is the unmerited favour of God. It could also be substituted with the love or help of God. Grace is the divine influence in our lives – a part of God himself that He gives to us. Perhaps grace is better demonstrated than defined. Jesus was the perfect manifestation of grace. Grace is not human. God has the monopoly on grace. Grace is a power that all hell cannot resist. It can reach from heaven to the most lowly, needy sinner.

There are three parts to grace:

1. Grace toward us (Salvation)

2. Grace in us (keeping saved – strength from God)

3. Grace through us (beauty – helping others to be saved)

1. Grace toward Us

Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace, you have been saved through faith.”

Salvation is a 2-way street. It is a gift from God, but there is a part for us to do. Think of rocks in a stream of water getting clean and smooth due to the action of the water. There is a condition for us to fulfil to receive salvation – we need to be in the stream of God’s grace that He can do for us which we cannot do for ourselves. By faith we reach out and take up what God offers and let it do what it’s intended to do.

We mustn’t doubt the power of God’s grace. A lump of clay might look at a china tea-cup and think that he could never be like that. God doesn’t take lumps of clay to heaven, only tea-cups, but, God can take poor material and make it into a masterpiece.

2. Sustaining Grace – Strength

2 Timothy 1:9, God’s purpose is to have a whole family of sons and daughters like His Son, Jesus.

Romans 5:1-2, we have peace with the past, grace for the present, and hope for the future.

I visited our old farm where I grew up and found that the farmhouse (now uninhabited) was hardly standing anymore due to the wind and storms. However, the old barn which my father had built was still fine. Inside I saw that he had just put up a lot of bracing, and this had kept the barn upright. Grace is the bracing in our lives, not just to stand, but to withstand a world of winds and currents contrary to our salvation.

2 Corinthians 9:8, “abounding grace” – more than we will ever need

2 Corinthians 12:7-9, Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” Sometimes we need something that keeps us humble and feeling our need. Sometimes we need to fight the same battle over and over so that we don’t get too familiar with the enemy.

Hebrews 2:9, When Jesus prayed “if this cup can pass from me” – all the wheels in the plan of salvation stopped turning, but God’s will was still paramount in His life and He was willing for it all.

Romans 6:1, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” Disgrace is abusing the grace of God. During the Passover in Egypt, the blood had to be on the door mantle, not on the mat. No-one should trample on the blood of the Lamb. Lasciviousness is accepting the grace and forgiveness of God and then going on to do whatever we want to. Because of grace there is forgiveness for sin, but not a license to sin.

Hebrews 12:15, A root of bitterness will spring up if we don’t get the grace of God. Therefore it is not someone else’s fault if we feel bitter; it is because we didn’t get the grace of God. God’s grace will soften and change us.

3. Beauty (Grace through us)

We need to be “ornaments of grace.” Grace makes God’s people beautiful from the inside. Not just a polished article which is only beautiful from the outside.

Gracious words are always in season. Grace makes truth easier to swallow.

Sometimes we can sacrifice grace for our love for punctuality or efficiency.

Jesus was the most balanced person because of grace – He was no extremist!

He was the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb of God.

James 4:6, “giveth more grace.” We can come without fear to the throne of grace.

Ephesians 4:7-16, His grace equips us to be of help to others.

Grace goes to the person that takes the humble place,

Paul’s letter to Philemon is also called the gracious epistle. Paul pleading for one who certainly didn’t deserve grace – but who of us does?

Something else that was very special at this convention. Dale Spencer spoke about the order that Jesus brought to earth. One thing that He “got in order” was the ministry. If we read the 10th chapter of the first 6 books of the New Testament, we see how Jesus set up the ministry.

Matthew 10 – sending out the 12

Mark 10 – the rich young man

Luke 10 – sending out the 70

John 10 – the good shepherd versus the hireling

Acts 10 – Cornelius calls Peter

Romans 10 – “How shall they preach if they have not been sent?”

Also something special from open meeting: We need to draw a straight line between where we are now and where we want to be – anything that doesn’t fall on that line is not important.

I was in a meeting like this a few years ago and Jason spoke from Luke 17, the first few verses. I would like to share some of his thoughts because they still mean a lot to me today. It says in Luke 17:1 (Jesus is speaking) – “It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come. It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.” Another word for offence is “stumbling-stone.” It is counter-productive; it doesn’t help us on our journey, it just holds us up, makes us fall.

A millstone is something that is useful, productive, it grinds the flour to make bread that feeds us, helps us on our journey. So a millstone is a tool but a stumbling-stone is a problem. Now, a millstone in the wrong place can become a stumbling-stone and that is a danger and that is a warning whereas a stumbling-stone if it is picked up and dealt with and put in the right place, it has the potential to be a millstone, something that can be useful and helpful to us.

Paul in writing to the Romans said (6:12), “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” So he is speaking of parts of the body and saying, “The things that could be stumbling-stones to you, put them in the right place so that they could become a millstone; deal with the things that could make you offensive in the sight of God and rather yield those things as instruments of righteousness unto salvation.” Jesus put it this way, “If your hand offend thee, cut it off; if your foot offend thee, cut it off; if your eye offend thee, pluck it out.” Deal with it; don’t let any part become a stumbling-stone, don’t let things become counter-productive when they could be so useful to you. One example is Judas Iscariot. There was an occasion where a lady anointed Jesus with some very precious ointment and Judas said, “Why was not this sold and the money given to the poor?” He criticised her for what she did and John recorded that adding this note, “Judas said it not because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief; he had the bag.” In other words, he had access to that money. Where was his hand? It was in the wrong place. That hand that could have been so useful in sowing the Gospel seed was in the wrong place and it became a stumbling-stone to him. Something that could have been a millstone – useful – became a stumbling-stone because it was in the wrong place. “Yield your members as instruments of righteousness.

I was thinking about our tongue, our mouth. James when he wrote about the mouth said, “If any man can tame the tongue, he is perfect.” “The same is a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body.” James realised it is so easy to hurt people with our tongue. I know what that is all about.

Sometimes I see other people preaching the Gospel. I admire them because they have a real struggle to speak. I may not look it, but I am as nervous as anything. With some people, it really shows. I am inspired when I see people like that pressing on regardless, spreading the Gospel story because they love it and they love other people’s souls. My problem is the other way round. I sometimes don’t know when to keep my big mouth shut. The tongue is like a fire. There is nothing more destructive than a fire that is out of control. It is a terribly destructive thing and it can hurt people. That is what James said – the tongue is a fire – but you put a fire in its right place, you contain it and it is a wonderful source of warmth and comfort and energy. That is what our tongue can be if we put it in the right place. I can’t control my tongue but I am glad that God can help me to put my tongue in the right place. I like what Isaiah wrote in chapter 50, “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary; He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.” Here Isaiah was saying that his tongue was controlled by God and it was a means of comfort and strength to those that were weary. His tongue was in the right place because his ears were in the right place. If we want to be helpful to other people we need to be listening to things that are helpful to us. His tongue was in the right place because his ears were in the right place; they were a millstone to him, productive and helpful.

I was thinking in particular about our eyes. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” We can say the same thing about our eyes. Where our eyes are, there will our mind be, our priority. Where our eyes are, there will our feet go also. I was thinking about people who proved those things. In the Garden of Eden we read about Eve in chapter 3 being beguiled by the serpent. God had put Adam and Eve in the garden and given them a command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and then along came the serpent and said, “Hath God said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” The woman said, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ‘Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.’” In that day, they experienced spiritual death; they knew of separation between themselves and God. The woman looked at the tree and all she could see was the good in it because where our eyes are that is where our mind will be also. How different it would have been if she had been looking at the tree of life, if that had been her focus. The focus in the garden as far as God was concerned was the tree of life and those two people were welcome to eat from the tree of life and how different it would have been for her if that is where she had been looking but she was looking at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and all she could see was the good in it. Where our eyes are, that is where our mind will be also. We need to make sure that we are looking at the right thing. Don’t let your eyes become a stumbling-stone to your mind when they could be so useful, when they could be focused on the right things and help you to think the right thoughts.

When Abraham and Lot journeyed from Egypt together at one stage, it says they became too great. They began to have strife because there were too many of them, too many sheep and too many people and the land could not bear them any more. Abraham didn’t want strife so he said to Lot, “If you go that way, I will go this way; if you want to go this way, I will go that way.” It says that Lot lifted up his eyes and he saw the well-watered plains. That is what he chose. He chose Sodom and Gomorrah and you can read later on what that did for him. It did him no good at all. Where his eyes went, that is where his feet went, also. When Peter talked about Lot in the New Testament, he said, “That righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.” His eyes were in the wrong place and it didn’t do his soul one bit of good. It vexed his soul. Later, God spoke to Abraham and said, “Lift up your eyes. All the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever.” When Abraham lifted up his eyes it was at the direction of God and what he saw was the Promised Land, something that was so much better than what Lot set his eyes on. Let God control your eyes because where your eyes are, that is where your feet will go also. Don’t let your eyes become a stumbling-stone to your feet. “Rather yield your members as instruments of righteousness.” Make sure that everything at your disposal you are using to this end – the salvation of your soul.

The man who wrote Psalm 73 proved that where your eyes are, that is where your priorities are also. He starts the Psalm by saying, “Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” His eyes were in the wrong place. It says that he was looking at the wicked people and he was envious of them because there seemed to be no limits on their life; they could do what they wanted to do, follow the lusts of their flesh and live it up and have a good time. He said, “How come they can do that and I can’t?” He was envious; his eyes were in the wrong place. He was looking at life in terms of time. That is all he could see. He was thinking that way until he entered into the sanctuary. “Then understood I their end.” It wasn’t until he went into the sanctuary that he saw things from eternity’s view and he realized how futile their lives were, how pointless, how empty and how base. He even said, “So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.” He realised his reasoning was just like an animal because his eyes were in the wrong place and they had become a stumbling-stone to him.

Jesus said, “It is impossible but that offences will come.” What He meant was that there will come a time when stumbling-stones will come into your journey. There will be a time when you will struggle and have hardships, when it will be difficult to serve God. There will be times like that but the good thing is this, we don’t need to become offended. It is impossible but that stumbling-stones should be in our way but we don’t need to stumble. If we are prepared to let God take that experience and make something useful out of it, we will find that it will actually add to our experience with God.

I want to tell you a little story. A man came to Gospel meetings like this in his older age. The Gospel touched his heart and he decided that he wanted to serve God and he made that decision known to other people and he began attending Sunday morning meetings. In the first meeting he attended, there was a man there who had a problem. I don’t know what his problem was or where it took place. This man who had just professed stood up and gave just a simple testimony. Then the man with the problem got up and said, “What we have just heard is a load of rubbish.” I sometimes wonder when I think about that how I would have felt. That man thought this – “Well maybe it was. I will do better next week.” Sometimes offences come and we feel maybe we are owed an apology. I have heard other people say, “Perhaps I owe that person forgiveness.” The best way is not to take offence. It is a surety that stumbling-stones will come but they can become useful in our experience. Don’t let your hand or eye or foot become a stumbling-stone to you but use them, make them as tools to this end – the salvation of your soul.

For noon today we had Kudu, Wildebeest, and lamb–lamb roast and lamb knuckles! I had to try a bit of each one. Lamb knuckles were my favorite, but it was all very good.

About an hour from the convention grounds there are Penguins! Somehow I always thought they were where it was cold. I thought they were at the Antarctic. (I think some are), but they are also in South Africa! The one here is the African Penguin. How I would love to see them! But I think tomorrow is full, so perhaps that won’t happen. I was asking about them at the table, so one of the brothers told me something very interesting. There was an oil spill down where the penguins are and thousands of them were endangered. So they cleaned them off, loaded them up and flew them a long ways away (I think he said about 800 miles). They knew they would return, but also knew that by the time they got back, the oil spill would be cleared up. They put radio trackers on three of them and followed their return. They released them at the ocean and with a direct course, they began to return (swimming), and the newspaper reported their journey back!

The political situation varies here according to who you are talking to! 🙂 And the subject comes up in a variety of ways. Some feel that if the blacks had not gotten into power there would have been a major uprising and much blood shed. The new Mayor of Cape Town is a white woman. Some are glad a white got in, and others are not! We mostly just listen – maybe ask a question now and then. One GOOD thing is that before there was no contact allowed with Madagascar, and now workers are free to go back and forth. A couple of nice young brothers are here from there. They are a different shade of black. They are black-black and folks here are brown-black. There are many shades of black 🙂 The Madagascar brothers have to use the headphones like we do (for the Africanse), and have to speak in their halting English.

Speaking of languages…this accent is something else….! I hear it when I’m thinking, and hear it when I’m praying, and have only been here 10 days…I wonder how long till I will start talking it! I sing it with them…you may as well…I know what they are going to say, before they say it, so may as well say it like they do!

A cool day today. Windy and wore long sleeves all day, but not a sweater. Good drying weather. Not everyone has a dryer.

Tuesday evening, 21st. Wow! We got to see the Penguins today! 🙂 The ladies who were taking us out today had planned to take us not far from there anyway, so when they found out we ( especially me!) really wanted to see the Penguins, they included that in the tour!!! How VERY special that was! There are thousands of them at Boulder Beach, which is down near the Cape of Good Hope. One account says two pairs came first and another account said about a dozen birds. But it was only 15 years ago, and in that short time there were several thousand. They are all over the place, and you can get very close to them, because they are protected, so aren’t afraid. I was within inches of one little fellow and had a little visit with him over the fence! He just looked at me intently and acted like he was listening! I could have watched them for hours! At the gift shop they had a very nice film about them. It was quite long and very interesting. I was surprised how small they are. Maybe about a foot tall. They dig holes in the sand with their tail for their nests and a lot of them were nesting. Like birds, they molt, and when they are molting, they must stay on land. They feed in the water, so they fast for 3 or 4 weeks while they are molting. Their black and white coloring is camouflage – white for underwater predators looking upwards, and black for predators looking down into the water. They can swim an average of 7km per hour and can stay submerged for up to 2 minutes. There are signs along the road to watch out for penguins crossing! I was hoping we would see some on the road, but we didn’t. So that was the highlight of this day for sure! 🙂

There are four households here on the [convention] place at Cape Town. Two are actually on the convention property, and two adjoin so closely that I didn’t realize they were actually off the property. Workers stay in each house. Nancy, where we stay, is a widow and they used to live in the main house and own the grounds. Now she is in a smaller house on the property, and her nephew and wife have taken over the grounds and are in the big house. Their children are grown. Then Nancy’s daughter and husband and three teen age girls are just off the property. And another young couple with two little girls are also just off the property. Sure helps with sleeping accommodations!

Wednesday evening: Well, another convention has just begun. And then next week we move on to another unknown. We’ve gotten very comfortable with this staff. We got to stay on the grounds between conventions, which helps you to get even closer. And our dear little “house mother” Nancy – we’ll certainly miss her. Wish she could visit us in the U.S. some time.

Thursday evening: The interpretation mike that Noreen and I use didn’t work half of one meeting today. I got the English words – about 6!! Noreen got a little more as the sister she sat next to wrote for her. Two spoke in English. They got it working before the main speaker, fortunately. That would have been a long time to sit and get nothing. Most of the prayers today were Africanse and most of the testimonies were English. We were told that this convention is more English speaking. Someone said that the African young people aren’t learning Africanse anymore, because it is a part of the time when whites were in power and blacks were suppressed, and they don’t want anything to do with that any more. Up till now it seems pretty much everyone knew both languages. I can’t imagine that it will die out very soon amongst the Dutch, however, but I could be wrong. But if they are the only ones using it, it might die out. Someone said this is the only country in the world that uses Africanse, and of course it would be. It is really a made-up language (Dutch, English and French, like I said earlier), but has become a real language with text books, etc.

We had Ostrich again for supper and I had a double portion! They tell me this is the last time I will get it! I guess it’s really from the knees or knuckles, rather than the body of the bird, so it is nothing like chicken or turkey.

Eddie ChungKing told us his experience this evening of living so many years being afraid to die. Mentioned that verse about those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. He said that was him. He was so afraid of dying that he went to three doctors to see if he was healthy. Finally when he heard the gospel he could go to bed and sleep without being afraid he might not wake up. Made me feel what a great thing it is to be a part of something that can do that for someone.

Friday evening: This was a good day. Such good meetings this p.m. and evening. I usually don’t get much out of the interpreted messages, but I did tonight. They were simple and not too fast, so the interpreter was able to say what they actually said, rather than just give the thought, and it fed my heart. Something to remember when being interpreted for, which we are also (into Africanse), but the interpreter is not on the platform with us.

Saturday a.m.: This Africanse – at first it is just a total jumble of words and nothing stands out. People of course teach us things like “dankie” (thank you), but the rest is just a blur. After a while a few repeated things begin to be noticed – “Onse Fader” (our Father), and “in Jesus’ naam” – that’s pretty obvious in writing, but it’s NOT pronounced like we would! This morning when I awakened, the first thing that came into my mind was “Onse Vader.” A child’s first simple words are usually mama and dada, but everyone is thrilled with them. I like it that the first thing I learned all on my own, without actually trying, and that came to me automatically, was “our Father.” It seemed an appropriate beginning, and it was a thrill to me!

Only three campers here, and one private tent. A little different than back home! They do have sleeping quarters, but a lot of people must go home. A lot more blacks and colored folks this week. Not very many Dutch. Some of the older colored and black ladies still observe the former custom of wearing hats, but none of the middle aged and younger ones do. I think they are happy to be liberated! Ha!

Yvonne Fulton had a couple nice stories for us today. When they were children, one day she took a box of matches and took her little sister and they went out to play in the dry grass. Her mother called them, and Yvonne threw the box of matches away, because she knew they were in trouble. Her mother asked her where the matches were. Then she had a very serious talk with them about playing with matches, and said, “What would have happened if God had not told me to go look for my children….?” Then one day her school friend took her to where there was a peach tree and wanted to take some peaches. Yvonne said she couldn’t steal. Her friend said, “The principal won’t know unless you tell him…” Yvonne said “My mother would give me a ‘hiding.’” Her friend said, “She won’t know unless you tell her…” Yvonne said, “God will tell her.” The thing that appealed to me is that she felt God had told her mother about the matches, so she knew God told her mother things. I like that! As a child she had faith to believe that God talked to her mother. What a nice thing to feel assured of at a young age – that God talks to your mother.

Sunday: We’re deciding human nature is human nature wherever you go! Saw a boy on the street the other day with his pants barely hanging on his hips, just like back home! A girl came into meeting with her slit skirt slit too high, and I saw several sweaters too tight, and someone was telling us about computers being used in ways they shouldn’t be…. Noreen and I look at each other and shake our heads in amazement. We come half way around the world and find the same things! We were just visiting across the breakfast table with Johan Marais who is South African (Dutch) and labouring in Peru. Noreen asked if they use regular coffee in Peru or instant. He said they don’t have coffee; they use other herbs, etc., because most of them can’t afford coffee, and it takes a lot of paraphernalia to make it. I said in our country we not only have coffee, but lots of kinds of coffee. He said that when one need is satisfied people begin to look for more, whether they are rich or poor – that is human nature. Our country has lots, so people look for more and more. But he said you don’t have to be rich for that to be the case. Any time people get what they need, they begin to look for more…. interesting!

Andy Robijn (pronounced Robine) spoke last evening. He leaves in a few days for the western U.S. and Canada where some of you will see him. He told us a touching story about his father. It was in Holland during the war. The family was very poor because of the war, and didn’t have anything to eat. His father who was, I think he said about 8, had to go and beg and dig through garbage bins. It was very humiliating. One day he went to a very rich area and no one would give anything to him. He went away and stood on a RR overpass thinking how much they had and he had nothing and they wouldn’t give him a crumb. Then he heard planes coming. They were British bombers. They made an error and bombed a wrong target. They bombed that rich area where Andy’s dad had just left. He went back, and from amongst the bodies and rubble, he gathered things for their needs and took them home. Andy said in this country the little children will sometimes come to your car begging (I haven’t seen that yet). He said he usually just turns his face away from them. But one day a little boy came to his car and Andy got a mental picture of his father, and realized that could have been him. He said he purposed to never despise anyone. Then he tested the meeting and said that with God there is no discrimination. And blacks and whites stood together, to begin walking with God. This a.m. as we sang 392 together – whites and all shades of brown and black – I thought we all need to see Jesus – we all CAN see Jesus – we can all welcome the day and bid farewell to the mortal night. Then as we sang 217, I noticed the chorus: Love led Him to Gethsemane and to Calvary for ALL of us…the Lamb of God who died for all of us, no matter the color of our skin, so that the needy cry in every heart could be met….

Tomorrow we travel 1/2 way to Port Elizabeth by car. It’s going to be a sad parting in the a.m. This evening in the house the three teen-age daughters sang us two trios. They sing beautifully. I wondered what road their lives will take. We see good hope for the future in this land. And will we ever see any of these folks again in this life….?

Farewell to Cape Town, S.A… Donna

Psalm 37:25, “I have been young and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor His seed begging bread.” I have been studying in the Psalms and have found some treasure there. David wrote at least eight of his psalms when he was still in his twenties but he says in this 37th one that he is an old man. I don’t know how old because he died when he was 71. But he would have been in his 20s those years when he was fleeing and hiding from Saul to save his life. The eight psalms he wrote while he was young were 34, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 63, and 142. When Saul was killed by the Philistines in battle, the tribe of Judah to which David belonged crowned him king of Judah in Hebron and he would have been 30 years old at this time.

In I Samuel 22:1, Jonathan had warned David that his father, Saul, had plans to kill him so he was hiding from Saul and his army in the cave Adullam and there he wrote the 57th Psalm. He said, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise.” This was his purpose as a young man and when I read this, it started me on my treasure hunt in his psalms. In Proverbs 4:23, Solomon was teaching his son what he said his father, David, had taught him, “Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.” It has been proven that when the pressure is on, you will follow what is in your heart no matter what is in your mind. So, our heart needs to be fixed with the right purposes because out of it will come the things that are going to be the issues of our life forever. The purposes that were fixed in David’s heart as a young man became his testimony and the advice he could give to those that were coming after him.

I have been trying to find some of those things he said his heart was fixed on as a young man that kept him true to God into old age. In Psalm 34, he said, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” He had a fixed purpose that come what may “at all times” he would have a song in his heart that would bless the Lord – and he would sing it. What was the background of that song? He had gone down into the land of the Philistines when he was fleeing from Saul. There the servants of the king of Gath saw David and knew he had been anointed king of Israel their enemy, so the servants captured him and took him to their king. They said, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances saying, “Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands?” David was sore afraid seeing he was in dire straits so he pretended to be crazy and let his spittle run down his beard and made marks on the doors – and the king told his men this is just a mad man and to get him out of there. His own haste had brought him there but he turned to God and said, “I will bless the Lord at all times,” and he wouldn’t let his foolish mistake take away from him what God had given him.

One time in Nebraska I was talking to an old sister worker who was resting, Blanche Hartsock. I asked when it was she went into the work and she told us, “I can’t boast of my progress but I can boast of my leader.” This was also David’s fixed purpose to “boast of the Lord at all times.”

Psalm 34:3, David said, “O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.” What do you think of when you think of “the name of the Lord?” You think of his character. When God called Moses up on the mountain to give him the commandments, He declared His name to him saying, “The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering and abundant in mercy and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgressions and sin.” Another time, He told Moses to tell the children of Israel that “Ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy.” This holy God has made it possible that an unholy man can be made right and have fellowship with Him.

Psalm 34:4, “I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my sins.” This was the young David talking and also in Psalm 142:5, “I cried unto Thee, O Lord; I said, ‘Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.’” He could say I cried and He heard me. When a baby cries, the mom and dad hear them and although the words are not distinct, they, and especially the mom, seem to know what the cry means. One time I was listening to a child mumbling and crying in a high chair. I couldn’t understand anything he was saying but he had dropped something on the floor and when I picked it up and handed it to him, he was satisfied and quiet. Without words, he asked for what he wanted and got it. Sometimes people say they don’t know how to pray because they don’t know the language of heaven but we do know how to cry and God knows our language.

Psalm 34:7, David said, “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him and delivereth them.” I look back on my early years and know that if there had not been an invisible hand keeping me, things wouldn’t have turned out so good.

Psalm 34:12, David proved that he learned in the dark a formula for good days. He says, “What man is he that desireth life and loveth many days that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” We have the same formula to help us make dark days good days.

Ten of those twelve spies that went into Canaan came out saying they had seen the land that it was good but it was inhabited by giants (in reality they weren’t all giants). They said the cities were walled up to heaven (but they really weren’t that high). Their words took the courage out of the hearts of their brethren because they didn’t use the formula of keeping their tongue from evil so they did not have the good days that God intended they should have.

Psalm 34:20, David said, “He keepeth all His bones; not one of them is broken.” In his dark days he received a vision of the Christ also in a dark time giving His life for mankind.

Psalm 4:1, David said, “…Thou hast enlarged me when I was in darkness.” That enlargement was the vision of the Christ who was to come.

Psalm 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivered him out of them all. He kept all His bones: not one of them is broken.” David saw this vision of the Christ when he was in darkness and distress and it enlarged him. He saw the perfect righteous one in affliction but he saw the perfect provision of God for him when He was hanging on the cross beside the two thieves and they came to break the bones of their legs. God saw to it that Jesus was already dead when they came so that scripture was fulfilled and Jesus was spared that further suffering. This glimpse of Jesus in His darkness helped enlarge David in his darkness.

Psalm 52 was written during the same experience and it was a day of crisis in David’s life and in the kingdom but he proved that what was fixed in his heart was the rudder that kept him in that day of crisis. In that last verse he said, “I will praise Thee forever because Thou hast done it and I will wait on Thy name for it is good before Thy saints.” In that dark, distressing, critical time he was a servant serving God’s name. He had it fixed that he was concerned about God’s name and not his own.

In Psalm 54:6, he was still running from Saul and still in this crisis but he could say, “I will freely sacrifice unto Thee…” In a time of crisis, if we are not careful, we can become negligent and neglect the daily sacrifice. The 56th chapter is still that same experience but he could say, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” It wasn’t that he had no fear, but he trusted God to care for him.

Once I was confused like Job when he said in Job 23:8, “Behold I go forward, but He is not there and backward, but I cannot perceive Him; on the left hand where He doth work, but I cannot behold Him; He hideth Himself on the right hand, that I cannot see Him but He knoweth the way that I take; when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” It can be very confusing when we are looking for Him and can’t find Him. He felt he went backward and forward, to the right and the left and still couldn’t find Him. We can feel the same way sometimes. I really don’t know if it is just in our mind that it is that way but it can be very real. We feel if we need to move more to the right to avoid unrighteousness we will. If we need to move more to the left to avoid self righteousness, we will. Job could say that he would trust even though he didn’t understand.

Back to Psalm 56:8. David said, “Thou tellest my wanderings; put Thou my tears into Thy bottle; are they not in Thy book?” When he wandered, he repented and there were tears of repentance that he wanted the Lord to remember and save for him. I have done some things that I wouldn’t recommend that others do but I would recommend that if they do that, they also do what I did when I wandered, and that is repent.

Psalm 57:1, David is still fleeing for his life from Saul and he told God, “In the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge until these calamities be overpast.” At the same time, Saul was looking for his refuge in the shadow of men. In I Samuel 22, he wanted to find David to kill him and was having a pity party when he told his servants, “There is none of you that is sorry for me…” So Doeg the Edomite who was over Saul’s servants told Saul about seeing David going to Ahimelech the priest for food and the sword of Goliath. Then Saul commanded his servants to kill Ahimelech for helping David. When they wouldn’t do it, Doeg killed him and 84 other priests and all the inhabitants of Nob, the city of the priests. Saul’s refuge was in man.

Psalm 59:9, David was still hiding from Saul and he said of God, “Because of His strength will I wait upon Thee; for God is my defense.” He knew he had a strong enemy against him but he also knew he had a strong defense in God. He felt he could not dare try to get ahead of God in defending himself. Saul was king for only two years and God knew that Saul couldn’t wait on Him. But David knew how to wait on God for direction. David never used the sword to do what God had anointed him to do.

There is a saying, “Live and learn and pass it on,” and in the 37th Psalm that is what David the old man was doing. He said, “Fret not thyself because of evildoers.” He proved that there were a lot of things in life that we simply have no power over and it was best to just wait on God to take care of it. In talking with Mary Quinn the other day, she told me she had been thinking about what Jesus told the disciples in John 15, “Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” There is something we can do about a troubled heart – Psalm 37:8 – the old man said, “Cease from anger and forsake wrath; fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.” When those things rest in your heart, it really hurts them. Someone said that keeping bitterness in our heart against someone is like taking poison and hoping it will make the other person sick. You can fret yourself to the point that the person you hurt most is yourself. Evil doers will be cut off so don’t take things into your own hands.

“Trust in the Lord and do good” – those words of the old man were the result of the young man’s fixed purpose: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” The old man says in Psalm 37:3, “Trust in the Lord and do good and thou shalt dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself in the Lord and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

Psalm 142:3, the young man said, “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knowest my path. In the way wherein I walked, have they privily laid a snare for me.”

In Psalm 37:5, the old man said, “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass” and verse 23, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in His way.”

So, if you were to ask the old man, “How was it in life? Did you always take those steps the Lord ordered for a good man?” He would say, “No, nevertheless (verse 24) though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with His hands.” A person is really handicapped if both his arms are broken. The Lord is not handicapped to help us and David knew he could be held up with both of God’s hands.

Psalm 37:6, “He shall bring forth thy righteousness as a light and thy judgment as the noonday.” So if you asked the old man he would say, “Keep right and if at any time you are not right – get right again.” Nobody can keep the sun from rising and neither can anyone keep God from bringing forth righteousness as the light nor His judgment as the noonday. If we are right, we don’t have to make too much of a fuss about it. But if we are not right, we’d better make all the fuss we can because time will run out.

The young man had a purpose and the old man had a testimony. The future does not belong to the wicked but to the righteous. All we need to be concerned about is keeping right with God.

There was a simple question asked of Jesus, only three words, “What is truth?” John 18:38. Some feel that Pilate was a bad man. He was hated throughout history. He was described as being corrupt and pleasure seeking, and if that is true then he is like other rulers of this time. Try to put yourself in his shoes as he stood before Jesus. He saw that what the Jews were doing was wrong, there was corruption among them. Their walk and their talk were going in two different directions. His own people, the Romans, were corrupt and full of hypocrisy and if he looked at himself he would see a product of a corrupt, man-made system. There was corruption in his life–in him, all around him–everywhere. Jesus spoke the truth. Pilate asked, “What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.” He didn’t wait for an answer. Maybe he felt there wasn’t one. If God has revealed to us what is truth we can be thankful for the miracle of an open heaven. This is a way of miracles because God’s truth is still the same. The world today is so much like it was in Bible days. There is corruption all around us. When we are going door to door to invite people to the gospel meeting and we explain what our purpose is, a lot of times people will get these looks on their face, “We’ve done that.” “We’ve been there.” “What is truth?” They have already experienced the disappointment of seeking and not finding so when the true opportunity came they closed the door and turned away. There are also testimonies of those who looked for years and kept looking for right in a world that was so wrong and light in a world that was so dark. Pilate would have trembled if he knew how Jesus could see his heart. Jesus could see the thoughts that would form words that were not yet spoken. He would have trembled if he knew that Jesus knew more about truth than any who had ever been born. He would have trembled if he knew that Jesus was the son of God. Pilate went out and said that he found no fault in him. That was an amazing thing for a man like Pilate. It would have been much easier for him to have accepted the accusations. There was something in his character that allowed him to see that there was no fault in Jesus, that he was the truth. Pilate could see that the accusations were just envy.

There is a dark thread that runs through the Bible. It is a thread of envy and jealousy. It comes from the darkest corner of the human heart. It brings suffering, loss, and death. Gen. 4:9 “And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Lord could have said, “No, you don’t even have a brother because he is here with me and he had help from you in getting here.” That is the starting point of the dark thread; the low point was when Jesus was on the cross. There is also a bright thread that is woven throughout the Bible and it is a thread of joy, gladness, good things, rejoicing, and happiness. It comes from the center of the heart of God. The dark thread is like the darkest night that won’t end and the bright thread is like the goodness of God. It’s like trying to look at the noonday sun. Often they are woven side by side as a reminder that God is in control. In the life of Joseph there are many dark threads, but there is also a very bright thread that speaks of the goodness of God. In the stories of David and Saul there were many dark threads in the life of Saul, but there were some very bright threads in the life of David. There are bright threads on every page of the gospel. There were even bright threads when Jesus was on the cross, when you think of what was accomplished there.

Pilate went against his own will. He wanted to release Jesus but he didn’t know how. He was living for the things of this world-place, position, and power. If you were to ask him why, he would have said, “What else is there?” Anything that we are living for in this world is a vain thing. Others can use that to make us go against our will. The truth is a rock that can help us stand against intrigue. John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” This verse could have helped Pilate. The truth sets us free from all that is not truth, all that is false, all that is illusion. Life without truth is just one big illusion. Where I work there is a city that is known as the city of entertainment, but it is also the city of illusion. There is no expense spared to create the power of illusion. You see two groups of people at the airport there, those that are coming and those that are going. The ones who are coming are so happy and they are full of plans and the ones who are leaving are unhappy, they have been disillusioned, they are disgusted, but even in that moment of disappointment they are already planning their next trip back. There is a danger that even if we have been bitterly disappointed, we can already be buying into the next illusion. All that you have to do to buy into the next illusion is to come and be willing for the price. That city is a place of broken dreams and broken lives where illusions have turned into ugly reality that people cannot face, but it is fruitful for the gospel for that very reason. People come to the end of themselves and need change. There was a couple coming and we had some visits with them but there just didn’t seem to be much of a need. After they came to a few gospel meetings they disappeared and that was pretty much what I expected. After a little bit they started coming again. The man would come in with a big smile on his face and when he left that smile would still be on his face. When we visited with them he said he had already made his choice in his heart, and he had, but his wife felt like she was too much of a sinner so she sat my companion and I down and told us all of her sins. We didn’t really want to hear them, but she was trying to turn us into judges. She was waiting for us to tell her that she couldn’t have a part in this, that she was too sinful, but I could tell that she was already halfway in the door because no one else could be so honest and so convicted of their sin. When she professed if you asked her, “Are you ready?” she would have said, “No.” But God was ready for her to take that step. When she gave her first testimony if you had asked her, “Are you ready to take this step?” she would have said, “No, I am not ready.” But God was ready for her to take that step. Sometimes we feel that we are not ready for the next step but if God is ready, it must happen.

The opposite of illusion is revelation. Illusion is something of the world, revelation comes from God and even a child can understand it. It brings God’s people into the same understanding across cultures and countries. It takes the power out of illusion.

Time proves truth. A sister worker said, “All time needs is truth. All truth needs is time.” Somewhere we were working on one of the buildings on a convention grounds and we had to make the barn bigger so we tore down the old barn. The cement foundation was 40 years old and there wasn’t a crack in it-it was just perfect. We were just going to put a border around this to make it bigger and then we were going to build the barn on top. The day we were going to lay the cement it was really hot but we had planned to lay it, so we went ahead even though it wasn’t the right conditions. When we got done that cement that was 40 years old looked like it was brand new and our brand new cement looked like it was 150 years old. The first cement had been laid with care and it was still true, didn’t change.

241 -The Truth of God so Precious. This is a man’s testimony and even though it was written 97 years ago in another generation and another place, it is still true today.

********************

Our faith gets tested in all situations,… both prosperity and poverty too Its a poverty of thinking the thoughts that keep our hearts aflame. Matt 5 Jesus says blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they SHALL be filled. Blessed are they who are kingdom minded, spend every spare moment to be in touch with the friends and Workers, who see small needs like printing notes that are a help to them and giving or reading them to someone who don’t have these blessings. I remember once that I used to visit some old ladies often, but I realized that I was still missing something. So I asked them when I called for a visit if there was something I could get them on the way or if I could take them somewhere to get what they needed.

Are we hungry? It’s only when we are filled with SPIRITUAL FOOD that we will be filled with FAITH. The disciples said to Jesus: Increase our faith. Most times we might think our faith is ok. We go to the meeting and speak about faith with confidence, but we are mistaken because the test is there. People think that faith is something that you believe in and will see soon. Like believing that a child would yield to God. So many died without seeing things fulfilled. Look at Abram. Even he had to wait 100 years to see his promised son and then was told one day to go and sacrifice him. David must have been on the run for around 14 years. Joseph had to wait many years to see the promise he saw in his dreams. Jesus had to wait until the age of 30 for his ministry to begin. It must have been a trying time. He could have chosen so much that the young people of today choose. He could have been the best in anything he would have wanted to become, but instead he refused it as Moses did.

In Hebrews 11, I pointed out to my companion once that all the people mentioned in those chapters lived in fellowship meeting times. They had no temple to glory in. Most of them were few in small fellowship meetings like we are in today. It takes faith when we are only a few who gather together when maybe across the road there is a church with a few hundred people. Most people are willing to give a donation but very few are willing to give their all and lay their lives on the altar.

The disciples who benefited the most from their time with Jesus are the ones who stayed the closest to him. Their faith was tested over and over, but it did not matter because they were close enough to see his face and behold his glory. It takes a whole lifetime to build faith in these vessels of clay and 5 minutes to break it all down. Some have made shipwreck of their faith because they go and read books which sow doubt, books written by people who have never had a walk with Christ, who have never met him.

How do we increase our faith?

It says Faith comes by hearing…. hearing the Word and voice of God… that’s why we need the meetings. We cannot sit at home and listen to that negative voice all the time. Jesus said that by the words he spoke to his disciples they are now clean. So hearing increases our faith and cleans us. Are we feeding others in the meeting and talking fear and doubt when we are out of the meeting. I catch the friends often with this, talking about the drama in the country, how the political and social systems are failing and even sending and receiving so-called patriotic emails making people want to stand up for their rights and fight. These are not of God, he does not put us up against the principalities that he has set up. I think of Daniel and the honour that he showed to the worldly king, even saying Oh king, live forever.

Our place is in the kingdom of heaven and be lead by the same spirit that led Jesus. The worldly religions always talk politics, money and theology, mixing God and mammon. This world is not our own. Jesus prophesied the degeneration of man and we are not to fight it but accept it. The more we focus on the troubles of time, the more we will fear, the less we believe in good We will then even treat the very elect with suspicion because that’s the way we are programming ourselves. Jesus kept trying to focus his disciples on heavenly bread, not earthly. He was willing to become the poorest to show us the true will of His father in heaven. When two people really love one another, there is no fear, therefore they trust one another. It’s when one person begins to love someone else that the trust diminishes. It’s because our love for the world is growing that our faith in God and maybe His faith in us diminishes.

John the Baptist found his own desires diminishing and being filled more with Christ he found no lack in anything. I too have experienced that in the Work. Many people have a lot to say, and yes it’s true, that if we have not yet learned to be good at anything, the world has taught us to be good critics, to condemn something or someone due to their shortfall in pleasing our desires. Everything is measured by the flesh and the lust thereof. Everyone is competing with the other, trying to have a better car, bigger house, more possessions, constantly looking for better jobs with better conditions and then putting on a humble face when they come to the meeting. God has entrusted many of our friends with money, but most people that look good today are diseased with debt, having sleepless nights and so stressed that they treat their own family and loved ones like castaways.

Faith without works is dead faith… In fact, you cannot then call it faith, but fear! which is dead faith. Fear paralyses people and makes them unproductive today because they are fearing the future because of past failure. Jesus had to constantly comfort his disciples and reassure them that He was powerful and almighty. Not just this but in all things that were happening to them it was in fact for a good purpose, it was in fact strengthening their faith. When someone calls you in distress, you try and comfort them and strengthen their faith. I ask myself the question in return…. Does Christ have faith in me… and the answer is often very negative, but he knows what we can achieve with his help and that is more than what we think. Don’t give up on yourself, don’t give up on what your Father in heaven would like to do in you before he works in those around about you.

Isaiah 53:12

Hebrews 7

I John 2

We have an advocate, an intercessor. Intercession is for the defenseless; to be one, we must be self-less; must understand and care. Christ ever lives to make intercession for us. He understands our situation and all our feelings. Jesus also knows how God feels.

Jesus interceded for the woman taken in adultery. He interceded for the one who broke the alabaster box. No one interceded for Jesus. If no one interceded for us, the verdict would be “condemned to death”.

Intercession is not accomplished with a sword. Don’t take anything sharp! No harsh or sharp words! Everything is accomplished better with gentleness.

Judas went with a betrayer’s heart, not an intercessor’s heart. It would have made such a difference for Judas. Our Saviour stood alone, disowned. Where did it begin? It was settled in heaven before the beginning of time.

In the garden of Eden, God made skins to cover them. Adam could have interceded for Eve, but instead he accused. Genesis 18, Abraham interceded for Lot. He could have accused. NEVER FAIL TO INTERCEDE

WHEN WE CAN. Abraham interceded for Lot even at the risk of the anger of God.

Jesus could be our accuser, but he is interceding for us.

Joseph had no intercessor. He was cast into prison.

Moses interceded for Israel. Pharaoh was angry. Jonathan interceded for David. The second time, Saul cast his javelin. There were doubtless marks on Saul’s wall where he threw the javelin…and likely he hit a few with it. David had a harp. You can’t throw a harp. When we have something bigger than we are, it helps us to be stable. This is what we need in our hand, not the small things.

Esther interceded for her people. The people interceded for her in prayer. If we intercede, we’ll be interceded for; if we accuse, we’ll be accused.

Paul interceded for Onisimus (found in Titus?) “Receive him as myself” “put it on my account.” That is what Jesus is saying. Paul was doing for Onesimus what he couldn’t do for himself.

Our “defense” has never lost a case. He’ll take our case even when we really don’t have a case.

Keep your mouth shut! Self-defense doesn’t stand in the courts of heaven.

An intercessor is: Doing for another what he cannot do for himself; putting ourself in another’s place; going between.

In Jonah’s day, the gourd that grew up was between him and the heat of the sun. Sad if a “worm” would come in and destroy.

God has a tender heart. We have an intercessor.

In Luke 15, we read about the prodigal son. It mentions in Romans 5:3, “…knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience…” Experiences are just a part of life and teach us many things. They change us and make us stronger; they prove who and what we really are and humble us and lessen our love for the world. They may also leave us tired and broken but they are necessary and the results can leave us with fruit. We must always remember that experiences will pass and there will be a change.

The prodigal son had a good heart but some very bad habits. He needed an experience in his life. His bad habits took him far away from home, but his good heart brought him back again. Experience is a school for all of us, the school of hard knocks from which we never graduate, although we may move on. All of us are still in school and we are never too old to learn something new. We sometimes see another person having a similar experience to one we have had, and think, “I sat through that class before. I know what they are going through!” There is also a tuition we must pay for the experience, for this school is not free. If we learn everything we can from our own experience, the tuition is very high. If we learn from the experiences of others, the tuition is not quite so high. Some pay the tuition but never learn the lesson, and never graduate. Sometimes we don’t listen to God and He sends us another experience to wake us up. I have enjoyed thinking about a little story I once heard of a mule that would go to sleep on the job. His master would have to hit him with a stick to wake him up. All too often and too easily we go to sleep in the experience, but God has no stick to hit us with. He sends us an experience and often softens the experience so we can endure. If He leads us into an experience, He will lead us out of it, too.

Some experiences are the result of our own choosing and others are not. Some are planned and others are not. Some are left to time and chance but every experience that comes our way, we can have the attitude: what is it that I can learn from this? Experience is a hard teacher — we have the test first and then the lesson. Before the experience, we have knowledge. Experience turns the knowledge into understanding and we realize, “Oh, so that’s the way it is!” We do well to listen to the voice of experience, of “being there and it having been done before!” On the road of life, we often meet someone going in the other direction, who’ll tell us the road is a dead end. Traveling down that road leads to a wasted life, time, and regret. We should pay attention and listen closely when another has been through an experience before us and has more experience. Some may not be smarter than us, but they have had the experience before us. There was a time when I wished I was wrong and someone would say, “I believe you are wrong.” It concerned me: “How is this going to turn out? I hope I am wrong.” But I wasn’t wrong — experience had taught me where that road would lead. One time, I was working at a convention grounds and everyone was tired. We just sat around the table after the meal talking. A jar was in front of me and I put the lid on, but it didn’t fit. Then I watched as several others came and tried the same lid on the same jar even though they’d seen me try it unsuccessfully. It didn’t fit for anyone! That’s how it is with experiences. If it doesn’t work for somebody else, it would be wise not to try it. Norman Frost told us many stories from India, which covered a lifetime of experience. Only after a lifetime of experiences can we tell stories.

Experience may sometimes seem long and will try our patience but God’s work is slow, not fast, and it is sure and is on course. We often wonder if anything is happening at all. I once watched a huge clock with some large gears turning slowly but I couldn’t see them moving. God is constantly working. When does an experience become an experience? We need to observe diligently and closely; we need to pay attention. Don’t let an experience become just an event. The voice of experience, the voice of the father of the prodigal son, would say, “I’ve tried to teach you and God has tried; now the world will teach you.” The prodigal son paid attention to the teacher of his own experience, and learned. It was not just another event to him. Psalm 73 speaks of the experience of the wicked and after the experience, he understood. In Psalm 107:23-26, “They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven; they go down again to the depths their soul is melted because of trouble.” There was a very deep and real experience behind this. Psalm 119:67, “Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept Thy word.” The work of God in the depths makes the storm calm and quiet. Jeremiah 48: 11, “Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.” This speaks of a purpose and a work being done. In Matthew 14, we read of the disciples on the sea, and how they learned that there is no substitute for having the Lord with them. Experiences change us like all experiences do. Peter, after he had denied Christ, learned from the experience and the hand that understood so well wiped the tears from his eyes, wiping away his sorrow. After the experience we will understand. Before the experience, the prodigal son was proud, now he was humble. Before the experience he was demanding, now he was thankful; before he was foolish, now he was wiser.

Once experiences are in the past, should we talk about them? Some are better left there; it depends on the motive for discussing them. Discuss them only if it will be a help to others and for no other purpose. If we leave impressions about what we’ve done, it is best to leave the experiences untold.

Testing experiences are common to all of us. We pass into some new experience and should pay attention to the experience and realize it is not just an event. The advantage in doing something a second time is that then we have experience. We only live once and often have no experience. Jesus has experience and can be our help and guide. We can draw on His experience. Parents have no experience but they can teach their children to love and respect the laws of the country, and be honourable citizens.

We know we are nearing the end of an experience when we feel acceptance and peace and joy in that experience. The experience is never over until we give thanks for it! Bitter experiences become a growing experience by our being thankful. We often see, a lot of times, fighting in the experience. It will pass much quicker if we accept the experience and just go on. We don’t have to understand why. Experiences we would never have chosen in life cause us to seek God and to know Him, so we can be thankful in eternity for them.

The prodigal son’s father was watching every day for his son’s return and kept the home fires burning. The son had chosen foolishly, but the father continued waiting. He knew the son had a good heart. When somebody you love is going through an experience, remember things are in God’s hands. If you are close to that person, you can be a part of their experience. Keep faithful yourself. Be patient and pray for them. When the experience is past, welcome them home and leave the experience in the past. Experiences will come. Endure them and learn something from them!

I struggled with the work for five years and saw many wasted lives during those years. Where I now labour, I lived in a district with a very muddy road and thought surely it will be repaired, but it only got worse. Spring, summer and fall arrived and finally in October, it was fixed. All I had to do was to endure it and things got better!

Isaiah 53:12 Hebrews 7 I John 2

We have an advocate, an intercessor. Intercession is for the defenseless; to be one, we must be self-less; must understand and care. Christ ever lives to make intercession for us. He understands our situation and all our feelings. Jesus also knows how God feels.

    Jesus interceded for the woman taken in adultery. He interceded for the one who broke the alabaster box. No one interceded for Jesus. If

no one interceded for us, the verdict would be “condemned to death.”

    Intercession is not accomplished with a sword. Don’t take anything sharp! No harsh or sharp words! Everything is accomplished better with gentleness.

    Judas went with a betrayer’s heart, not an intercessor’s heart. It would have made such a difference for Judas. Our saviour stood alone,

disowned. Where did it begin? It was settled in heaven before the beginning of time.

    In the garden of Eden, God made skins to cover them. Adam could have interceded for Eve, but instead he accused. Genesis 18, Abraham

interceded for Lot. He could have accused. NEVER FAIL TO INTERCEDE WHEN WE CAN. Abraham interceded for Lot even at the risk of the anger of God.

    Jesus could be our accuser, but he is interceding for us.

    Joseph had no intercessor. He was cast into prison.

    Moses interceded for Israel. Pharaoh was angry. Jonathon interceded for David. The second time, Saul cast his javelin. There were doubtless marks on Saul’s wall where he threw the javelin…and likely he hit a few with it. David had a harp. You can’t throw a harp. When we have something bigger than we are, it helps us to be stable. This is what we need in our hand, not the small things.

    Esther interceded for her people. The people interceded for her in prayer. If we intercede, we’ll be interceded for; if we accuse, we’ll be accused.

    Paul interceded for Onisimus (found in Titus?) “Receive him as myself” “put it on my account” . That is what Jesus is saying. Paul

was doing for Onesimus what he couldn’t do for himself.

    Our “defense” has never lost a case. He’ll take our case even when we really don’t have a case.

    Keep your mouth shut! Self-defense doesn’t stand in the courts of heaven.

    An intercessor is: Doing for another what he cannot do for himself; putting ourself in another’s place; going between.

    In Jonah’s day, the gourd that grew up was between him and the heat of the sun. Sad if a “worm” would come in and destroy.

    God has a tender heart. We have an intercessor.