Jesus - Our Only Shelter

The words of these songs point out to us who we are and where we’re going. They point out to us what we owe to our Lord. And we owe Him everything – He who provided our salvation and He who provides our shelter.

I want to speak just a little bit about shelter in this evening hour. The verse read at the beginning contains a description that the man David applied to his God and his Heavenly Father. He referred to Him as a Rock and a Fortress.

When we think of those two words … what are the conditions when a rock and a fortress are really of the most value? Isn’t it in the times when there’s a storm? The value of a fortress would not be the value that it is unless there was a storm of a foreign invader. We think of the rock and the wise man who built his house upon a rock. The wise man was really only shown to be a wise man when the storm came.

…

But as we look at the never-dying soul that’s within us … if you’ve reached that age of accountability and you’ve not yet turned your back to the world and your heart and your face to God in Heaven in repentance, you are no longer sheltered. You’re not sheltered at all. In fact, you’re fearfully exposed.

Why is that exposure so fearful? Because a storm is coming. There’s a storm that’s coming upon this earth.

I don’t intend to delve into current events in the house of God and I’m not going to now. Except to say that the events of the day are such that it very strongly indicates that the hour of this earth is growing very late.

And there’s going to be a judgment that comes. And all of those earthly supports are going to fail you. Everything – everything that you see with your eyes is going to melt. All your confidences, all your comforts, they’re all going to let you down. They’re going to depart you. From the smart phone in your hand to the heart beating in your chest, it’s all going to stop.

And then the Judgment. The Judgment comes to the soul of man.

There’s a court proceeding of sorts in your future. And like the courts of this world, there’s going to be a judge. Unlike the courts of this world, there won’t be a jury of your peers determining your guilt or your innocence. There won’t be any counselors at your side trying to shape the outcome or trying to gain you an acquittal or even to reduce your sentence by talking up your redeeming qualities. Nor would it matter if there were. We won’t have any redeeming qualities of our own.

At that point, you’re going to need shelter like you’ve never known it on this earth. And there’s only one source of shelter that’s going to be able to withstand the wrath of a Holy God who comes as a righteous judge.

There’s a song in our Zion’s Harp that speaks directly to this predicament that the soul of man will find himself in and I’m just going to read a couple verses. Hymn #168 where the hymn writer writes:

1. Flourishing youth, thou our hope and our fond expectation,

Hark to the voice that is calling in kind invitation!

That hand obey which oft has pointed the way

To the dear Saviour’s salvation!

2. Offer the lively, the cheerful and beautiful flower,

Offer with gladness and willingness thy youthful power

To Christ, thy friend, who thy soul e’er will defend,

Safe in His heavenly bower.

Jesus Christ and His shed blood is the only rock and the only fortress, the only shelter that’s going to avail the soul of man in that hour of judgment. Only if His blood that he shed for you and for me puts in an appearance for us at that judgment bar are we going to enter in. Only then will we escape that eternal condemnation that would await those who would reject.

So, as we depart in this evening hour, I’m going to lay it to your hearts. A storm is coming. Find that shelter of Jesus Christ and get inside.

--Sermon Excerpt: Bro. N.B.

Glory In This... Saith the Lord

Thus saith the LORD:

Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
neither let the mighty man glory in his might,
let not the rich man glory in his riches:

But let him that glorieth glory in this,
that he understandeth and knoweth me,
that I am the LORD
which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth:

for in these things I delight,
saith the LORD.
--Jeremiah 9:25-25

Concentrate My Scattered Mind

Concentrate my scattered mind
On Thy word, O Saviour!
For apart from Thee I find
Torment and disfavor.
Mortal foes will confuse,
But in Thee is given
Rest and joy in heaven.
--Zion's Harp #238 vs. 2

Complacency or Lukewarmness

You know, Satan has found a new way, as we sit here today. We've come in freedom, we're clothed, we're blessed, we're comfortable and we came and we'll leave in comfortable cars and we'll go home to comfortable homes. Now there's nothing wrong with that. All that we have the Lord has blessed us with. But let's keep one thing in mind: those very things can be so much the tools of Satan.

Because those very things back in the old days when the physical body was persecuted and tortured, and, even as we read in these Scriptures here ... how the church flourished and thrived, even when they were put in prisons and the Lord let them out again, and they were beheaded and it didn't matter much what happened to them, the faith continued and it marched on.

Now we find today, much to the burden of our heart, the faith that struggles, the faith that fumbles and tries to hold, Satan gnaws at its ranks. Because Satan thought, "Well, through persecution, all they did was gain the more. They are well blessed; now we'll see if they can stand the blessings and the bounty that are upon them."

It's our human nature to become complacent. That is one thing no faith can stand, beloved, is complacency ... lukewarmness. And why not? Because the Lord says, "I will spue thee out of my mouth." (Rev. 3:16)

It's so simple. Let's keep it that way.
--Sermon Excerpt: Bro. W.G.

The Return of the Lord is Close

It says, "But as the days of Noe were, so shall ... the coming of the Son of man be." (Matt. 24:37) If we go back into Genesis, we find that in the days of Noah, it says "... that every imagination of the thoughts of his (man's) heart was only evil continually ... and the earth was filled with violence." (Gen. 6:5, 11) That's the condition we live in today.

It says, "...As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (Matt. 24:37) So I believe there is no doubt that the return of the Lord is close.

When? I don't know. Even Christ Himself doesn't know, the Word tells us in this chapter. (Matt. 24:36)

How then should we be? What should be our attitude?

We read in the final verses in this chapter, "Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming." (Matt. 24:46-48). Again ... the element of time. If the servant says, "I've got more time." "And shall begin to smite his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunken, the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 24:49-51)

I believe, dear ones, that is a warning to the believer -- to the servant -- to be ready and not to become slothful.

Finally, it can be concluded in the 44th verse of this chapter, "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh." (Matt. 24:44)

--Sermon Excerpt: Elder Bro. S.R.

The Old Cross and the New

The Old Cross and the New

All unannounced and mostly undetected there has come in modern times a new cross into popular evangelical circles. It is like the old cross, but different: the likenesses are superficial; the differences, fundamental.

From this new cross has sprung a new philosophy of the Christian life, and from that new philosophy has come a new evangelical technique-a new type of meeting and a new kind of preaching. This new evangelism employs the same language as the old, but its content is not the same and its emphasis not as before.

The old cross would have no truck with the world. For Adam's proud flesh it meant the end of the journey. It carried into effect the sentence imposed by the law of Sinai. The new cross is not opposed to the human race; rather, it is a friendly pal and, if understood aright, it is the source of oceans of good clean fun and innocent enjoyment. It lets Adam live without interference. His life motivation is unchanged; he still lives for his own pleasure, only now he takes delight in singing choruses and watching religious movies instead of singing bawdy songs and drinking hard liquor. The accent is still on enjoyment, though the fun is now on a higher plane morally if not intellectually.

The new cross encourages a new and entirely different evangelistic approach. The evangelist does not demand abnegation of the old life before a new life can be received. He preaches not contrasts but similarities. He seeks to key into public interest by showing that Christianity makes no unpleasant demands; rather, it offers the same thing the world does, only on a higher level. Whatever the sin-mad world happens to be clamoring after at the moment is cleverly shown to be the very thing the gospel offers, only the religious product is better.

The new cross does not slay the sinner, it redirects him. It gears him into a cleaner and jollier way of living and saves his self-respect. To the self-assertive it says, "Come and assert yourself for Christ." To the egotist it says, "Come and do your boasting in the Lord." To the thrill seeker it says, "Come and enjoy the thrill of Christian fellowship." The Christian message is slanted in the direction of the current vogue in order to make it acceptable to the public.

The philosophy back of this kind of thing may be sincere but its sincerity does not save it from being false. It is false because it is blind. It misses completely the whole meaning of the cross.

The old cross is a symbol of death. It stands for the abrupt, violent end of a human being. The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said good-by to his friends. He was not coming back. He was going out to have it ended. The cross made no compromise, modified nothing, spared nothing; it slew all of the man, completely and for good. It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim. It struck cruel and hard, and when it had finished its work, the man was no more.

The race of Adam is under death sentence. There is no commutation and no escape. God cannot approve any of the fruits of sin, however innocent they may appear or beautiful to the eyes of men. God salvages the individual by liquidating him and then raising him again to newness of life.

That evangelism which draws friendly parallels between the ways of God and the ways of men is false to the Bible and cruel to the souls of its hearers. The faith of Christ does not parallel the world, it intersects it. In coming to Christ we do not bring our old life up onto a higher plane; we leave it at the cross. The corn of wheat must fall into the ground and die.

We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum.

God offers life, but not an improved old life. The life He offers is life out of death. It stands always on the far side of the cross. Whoever would possess it must pass under the rod. He must repudiate himself and concur in God's just sentence against him.

What does this mean to the individual, the condemned man who would find life in Christ Jesus? How can this theology be translated into life? Simply, he must repent and believe. He must forsake his sins and then go on to forsake himself. Let him cover nothing, defend nothing, excuse nothing. Let him not seek to make terms with God, but let him bow his head before the stroke of God's stern displeasure and acknowledge himself worthy to die.

Having done this let him gaze with simple trust upon the risen Saviour, and from Him will come life and rebirth and cleansing and power. The cross that ended the earthly life of Jesus now puts an end to the sinner; and the power that raised Christ from the dead now raises him to a new life along with Christ.

To any who may object to this or count it merely a narrow and private view of truth, let me say God has set His hallmark of approval upon this message from Paul's day to the present. Whether stated in these exact words or not, this has been the content of all preaching that has brought life and power to the world through the centuries. The mystics, the reformers, the revivalists have put their emphasis here, and signs and wonders and mighty operations of the Holy Ghost gave witness to God's approval.

Dare we, the heirs of such a legacy of power, tamper with the truth? Dare we with our stubby pencils erase the lines of the blueprint or alter the pattern shown us in the Mount? May God forbid. Let us preach the old cross and we will know the old power.

--A. W. Tozer in Man, the Dwelling Place of God, 1966

Which Faith Is Thine?

Passive faith accepts the word as true

But never moves.

Active faith begins the work to do,

And thereby proves.

---------

Passive faith says, "I believe it! every word of God is true.

Well I know He hath not spoken what He cannot, will not, do.

He hath bidden me, 'Go forward!' but a closed-up way I see,

When the waters are divided, soon in Canaan's land I'll be.

Lo! I hear His voice commanding, 'Rise and walk: take up thy bed';

And, 'Stretch forth thy withered member!' which for so long has been dead.

When I am a little stronger, then, I know I'll surely stand:

When there comes a thrill of heating, I will use with ease My other hand.

Yes, I know that 'God is able' and full willing all to do

I believe that every promise, sometime, will to me come true."

------

Active faith says, "I believe it! and the promise now I take,

Knowing well, as I receive it, God, each promise, real will make.

So I step into the waters, finding there an open way;

Onward press, the land possessing; nothing can my progress stay.

Yea, I rise at His commanding, walk straightway, and joyfully:

This, my hand, so sadly shriveled, as I reach, restored shall be.

What beyond His faithful promise, would I wish or do I need?

Looking not for 'signs or wonders,' I'll no contradiction heed.

Well I know that 'God is able,' and full willing all to do

I believe that every promise, at this moment can come true."

---------

Passive faith but praises in the light, When sun doth shine.

Active faith will praise in darkest night-- Which faith is thine?

--Selected

The Servant of the Lord Must Not Strive

Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
--II Timothy 2:22-26

Pray To Be Made What We Should Be

We often pray to be delivered from calamities; we even trust that we shall be; but we do not pray to be made what we should be, in the very presence of the calamities; to live amid them, as long as they last, in the consciousness that we are, held and sheltered by the Lord, and can therefore remain in the midst of them, so long as they continue, without any hurt.

For forty days and nights, the Saviour was kept in the presence of Satan in the wilderness, and that, under circumstances of special trial, His human nature being weakened by want of food and rest. The furnace was heated seven times more than it was wont to be heated, but the three Hebrew children were kept a season amid its flames as calm and composed in the presence of the tyrant's last appliances of torture, as they were in the presence of himself before their time of deliverance came. And the livelong night did Daniel sit among the lions, and when he was taken up out of the den, "no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God." They dwelt in the presence of the enemy, because they dwelt in the presence of God.
--Excerpt: Streams in the Desert

A Morning Prayer

I owe the Lord a morning song
Of gratitude and praise,
For the kind mercy He has shown
In length'ning out my days.

Keep me from danger and from sin;
Help me Thy will to do,
So that my heart be pure within;
And I Thy goodness know.
--Hymns of Zion #203 vs. 1 & 3

Above Tis Calm and Brighter

Draw, O Lord, us near to Thee;
Draw to Thee each valiant fighter.
Storm and night surround us here,
But above 'tis calm and brighter.
There, beyond death and the tomb,
Radiant morn dispels the gloom.
--Zion's Harp #99 vs. 3

Are You Dead to Sin?

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." -Col. 3:1-2.

It seems to me that the Lord has a message for us today, that the things of this life are temporal and are going to pass away. But the things that are eternal are going to last. We should set our affections on things above, not on things on the earth.

Loved ones, it says if we are risen with Christ, we are to do that, seek those things that are above. What does it mean to be risen with Christ? We must be born again. We remember when that time came in our lives, dear brothers and sisters, when we stood in those baptismal waters and we made that covenant before that cloud of witnesses, that we would be true and faithful to God until life's end. That wasn't just for today. It wasn't just for tomorrow. We said we would be true and faithful until life's end. Then we were buried in those baptismal waters.

I will never forget it, loved ones. I will never forget it; in my proving, the elder asked me, "Are you dead to sin? Are you tempted?"
"Yes, I was tempted."
"But do you yield?"
"No, I don't yield."
"Then you must be dead to sin."
Loved ones, he went on to comment, we wouldn't think of burying something that was not dead.

I have often thought about that. Even in a natural way, many of you have loved ones in a rest home and they linger and lay, maybe not even aware that you are there. You wonder ... what for? Why do they still live? But, loved ones, think about it in a natural way. We wouldn't think of taking that loved one and burying them, because they are still living.

It is not different than that for a child of God. When we come to God in true repentance, we have to humble ourselves.
--Sermon Excerpt: Bro. R.I.

Jesus Answers Our Questions

... faith really does not always have the answers.

But faith really consists of a reliance upon God and believing, because of past experiences, that the end result will come to pass.

Now they (the disciples) had a question.

Isn’t that so much like us, beloved? When we receive the counsel and the direction of the Lord, sometimes we have questions. But Jesus gave answers to them – and He gives answers to us. And how many times have we found that to be so beautiful – when He gives answers to our questions.

--Bro. S.M.

Jesus - My Strength in Weakness

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Jesus! what a Strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him.
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my Strength, my victory wins.

Jesus! what a Help in sorrow!
While the billows over me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my Comfort, helps my soul.

Jesus! what a Guide and Keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
Storms about me, night overtakes me,
He, my Pilot, hears my cry.

Jesus! I do now adore Him,
More than all in Him I find.
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I am His, and He is mine.

REFRAIN:
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

My Heart With Thanks Overflows

Morning hours are ever lovely
When my heart with thanks overflows,
And my voice in hymns so gladly
Soaring up to God's throne goes,
Soaring up to God's throne goes.

Dwelling in the Spirit's splendor,
Gladly I'll devote this day
To my good and gracious Master,
Thankful tributes to Him pay,
Thankful tributes to Him pay.
--Zion's Melodies #49 vs. 3&4

The Love of God Dispels Fear

The mortal man may quite disown
And speak in bold derision
Against my labors and my name;
Yet blest is my condition.
The love of God dispels the fear
And makes my faith in Him more dear.
--Zion's Harp #113 vs. 8

Must I Not Stem the Flood?

Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His Name?

Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord.
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.

--Tabernacle Hymns #321

The Lord is My Light and My Salvation

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

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 inquire in his temple.

For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
--Psalm 27

God Will Never Fail

Oh that there might be more Calebs and Joshuas in our midst that are willing to come forward and say what the Lord tells them! You can do it. Fear not.

... that there might be more Jairuses that bring their children to the Lord. Believe.

... that there might be more that would touch the hem of the garment of Jesus Christ.

... that there might be more that will take the surety of the Word of God.

Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you His kingdom.

Like God said to Abraham, "I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward."

And don't forget, brother and sister, when you made a covenant with God, He made a covenant with you. He upholds the other end without fail. He has spared nothing in His offering to us anew each day.

God has not failed ... cannot fail ... will never fail.

May it be encouraging to us as we see the clouds gathering ... and let it not be strange if we see the powers of Heaven shaken (Luke 21:26) in your day yet and in mine.
--Sermon Excerpt: Bro. M.B.

If We Would Christ's Disciples Be

Gethsemane, O woeful place,
Where Jesus sought the Father's face!
O take the cup of death from me,
Its awful pain and agony!
Yet not my will, but Thine be done;
This was the plea of God's own Son.
None other could for sin atone;
In anguish deep He prayed alone.

If we would Christ's disciples be
Our will with His must blended be;
Our very self must be overcome
That we may say, "Thy will be done."
As Jesus in Gethsemane
By prayer attained the victory,
So shall we, when we seek His face,
Still find in Him abundant grace.

--Hymns of Zion #63 vs. 2 & 4

A Way of Escape

In I Samuel 20, the love between Jonathan and David was expressed here. They loved one another even as they loved their own souls. We know the story ... how Saul, in his anger, even proclaimed this regarding his own son, Jonathan, and, certainly, against David, who he considered a threat to the throne. But through it all, there are many lessons. But one lesson we can rest upon and apply to our own lives today is that, no matter what evil is determined upon one another by perhaps the hand of man, if we put our trust and confidence in God, He will take care of us and provide a way of escape. We know it was so with David. Remember how he came into the presence of Jonathan and the presence of Saul and Saul, in his anger, cast his spear at David? But the Lord delivered him out of (Saul's) hand. Because the Lord had a purpose and a work for David to accomplish. So it will be with you and I. May we trust in the one true and living God. --Bro. G.R.

Fear the Smiles

Yes, the character of the world is evil; and the appeal of the world is real. With its disarming appeal, the world has swallowed up many one-time believers.

Lot lost nearly everything to the world. Demas lost it all; he sacrificed his soul on the altar of the world.

The nearer one gets to the world, the stronger the pull of the world becomes. Its attractions are very glittering. It is patient, and yet it is persistent. It has many tactics. In order to captivate the unsuspecting, it stoops even to compromise. It has a philosophy which says, "If you can't beat them, join them." So it sends out many wolves in sheep's clothing. Like the Gibeonites, it has a very disarming approach. Instead of appealing to the baser appetites of the Israelites, they appealed to their good qualities. They appealed to their sympathy, their compassion; and consequently, they deceived the Israelite leaders.

The world will likewise direct its appeal to that which is highest and best among Christians. "Look at how wonderfully humanitarian we are. Here is a list of people we have helped. Our organization needs people like you. Imagine what a contribution you can make through our channels."

Those who are spiritual recognize that we have less to fear from the frowns of the world than we do from the smiles of the world.

The pull of the world is resistible by God's grace. If you are a saint of God living up to your spiritual potential, those appeals of the world will fall upon deaf ears. The most useful saints are those least attracted by the world. God has given them the power to see through the disguise the world wears.

Someone said this about one of God's servants: "There was nothing in the world that held the slightest attraction to him."

--Excerpt: 'Dying to Live with Christ' -M. Ruth

Face to Face

Face to face with Christ my Savior,
Face to face, what will it be,
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ, who died for me?

Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by!

Face to face! O blissful moment!
Face to face to see and know,
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ, who loves me so!

Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by!
--Gospel Hymns #349 vs. 1&4

Mud or Stars?

"Two men look out through the same prison bars;
One sees the mud, the other sees the stars."
--Frederick Langbridge

As strangers and pilgrims on this earth, we are essentially imprisoned by flesh and blood. Romans 8 tells us the whole creation is imprisoned in the "bondage of corruption" and that the whole creation "groaneth and travaileth" as we do, waiting for the redemption of our body.

Some have also suffered behind earthly prison bars for their faith. Some suffer in prison bars of affliction, either of body, mind or spirit.

What do we see when we look through our prison bars?

Do we see mud (the world, earthly cares or desires, darkness, discouragement)?

Or can we look beyond -- far beyond -- to the stars and the realm of light where our Father dwells? Is our vision fixed far above the mud and mire of this earth so that we can have hope, joy, peace and contentment in whatever our circumstances?

Are we truly strangers and pilgrims? Or are we merely earthly dwellers?

Do our lives, our hearts, our conversations give evidence that we are not citizens of this world? That we are hardly aware of the prison bars because we are focused beyond the stars to Heaven?

Paul and Silas were in the "inner prison" and "...at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them." -Acts 16:25

Who might we be able to inspire by our consistent "looking to the stars"; by our desire to sing and praise God in the worst of prisons?

How Can I Be Lonely?

One is walking with me over life's uneven way,
Constantly supporting me each moment of the day;
How can I be lonely when such fellowship is mine,
With my blessed Lord divine!

How can I be lonely
When I've Jesus only to be my companion and unfailing guide?
Why should I be weary,
Or my path seem dreary,
When He's walking by my side!

Days may bring their burdens and their trials as I go,
But my Lord is near and helps to make them lighter grow,
Life may have its crosses or its losses, or increase,
Jesus meets them all with peace.

How can I be lonely
When I've Jesus only to be my companion and unfailing guide?
Why should I be weary,
Or my path seem dreary,
When He's walking by my side!
--Tabernacle Hymns #61 vs. 1-2

Love Not the World

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world,
-the lust of the flesh, and
-the lust of the eyes, and
-the pride of life,
is not of the Father, but is of the world.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof;
but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
--I John 2:15-17

No Darkness At All

... God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
--I John 1:5-7

Give Me Mercy

Give me, Lord, sympathy and mercy
With my poor brethren in distress,
My bitt'rest foe to love and pity.
Thy love in death Thou didst confess.
Thy blood for sinners does implore:
Compassion! grace, forevermore.
--Zion's Harp #220 vs. 6

Through Much Tribulation

"... we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22.).

The best things of life come out of wounding. Wheat is crushed before it becomes bread. Incense must be cast upon the fire before its odors are set free. The ground must be broken with the sharp plough before it is ready to receive the seed. It is the broken heart that pleases God. The sweetest joys in life are the fruits of sorrow. Human nature seems to need suffering to fit it for being a blessing to the world.

If you aspire to be a son of consolation; if you would partake of the priestly gift of sympathy; if you would pour something beyond commonplace consolation into a tempted heart; if you would pass through the intercourse of daily life with the delicate tact that never inflicts pain; you must be content to pay the price of a costly education--like Him, you must suffer.
--F. W. R.

--Excerpt: Streams in the Desert

Death Is Final

I think of when we lay away a loved one that we have known for some time, we see that when death comes, that it is final. There is no going back and changing or altering anything. The Bible says, "...where the tree falleth, there it shall be." (Ecc. 11:3) It is a very sobering thought, if we will allow ourselves to think of it.

I think that any of us who have been acquainted with losing a close loved one, perhaps, it is more impressive to know that it is final ... that we cannot go and speak to them again. How many times have we wanted to just sit down and visit one more time, but we can't.

Death is final. God tells us this day after day.

We see that this happens every day, but when it hits close to our heart, it makes a deep impression and it brings to reality what God's Word is really all about.

What He is really trying to tell mankind is that we are not going to live here forever and we are not going to be able to put our trust in ourselves or in the material things of life. But, much more, that we place ourselves in the confidence in the hands of our Lord. This is what He tells us.
--Sermon Excerpt: Bro. D.K.

How Much Time Do I Have Left?

I think from the very time when we started out in school and was given an assignment, the first question we asked the teacher was, "How much time do we have?" Wasn't that true? "When does this assignment have to be done?"

When we are given a job today, one of the first things we are told is the time limit on it, if we work for someone. If we work in the fields as a farmer, we know that time - especially this time of year - is of the essence ... very important.

Beloved, time is the most important thing in the life of a child of God. Time is also the most important thing in the life of a person who has not become a child of God, who has not repented of their sin. Because we wanted to know, "How much time have I got left?" "How much time do I have?"

Isn't that the question we ask ourselves? I can very well remember, when I was unconverted, how I thought upon these things. It was a nagging concern in the back of my mind all the time.
"How much time do I have left?"
"Is there any time left?"
"Will I have time to repent before Christ returns?"

We read here that "... as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (Matt. 24:27) I can remember, as a young person, entertaining thoughts in my mind, "Well, when I see Him coming, I'll quick repent."

Have you ever seen how fast lightning flashes from the east to the west? Much faster than the mind can think. We could NEVER repent in that short period of time. It would be too late. We might ask ourselves then, "How much time do I really have left?"
--Sermon Excerpt: Elder Bro. S.R.

The Soul Unfettered

How shall it be when now the soul, unfettered,
Goes soaring upward in unhindered flight,
Drawn on by love to Him whose light has scattered
The darkness which hid heaven from our sight?
When from the eye of faith the veil of dullness,
As mist before the morning sun doth fall,
And we the Son of God in all His fullness
Behold upon His throne, the Lord of all?
--Zion's Harp #146 vs. 3

The Christ of Calvary

Christ does not save men by His life,
Though that was holy, sinless, pure;
Nor even by His tender love,
Though that forever shall endure.

He does not save them by His throne,
Though it shall never pass away;
Nor by His vast creative power
That holds the elements in sway.

He does not save them by His works,
Though He was ever doing good;---

The awful need was greater still,
It took His death, His cross, His blood.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Men preach today a crossless Christ,
A strengthless Saviour, vague and dim;
They will not see their sinful state,
They will not own their need of Him.

They will accept the man-made God,
Since for themselves this right they claim,
But not the God sent forth as man
To suffer agony and shame.

They will not know the Lamb of God,
Despised, rejected, crucified,---
That were to humble into dust
Their boasted intellect, their pride.

Yet no man cometh unto God
Save by the Son alone, He saith;
The deathless life for which we long
Can only -- ever -- come through death.

Not Bethlehem or Nazareth
Stern Justice's lifted hand could stay;
To Calvary the soul must go
And follow Jesus all the way.

--Annie Johnson Flint

My Feeble Endeavor

Draw me ever,
My endeavor is but feeble, Lord!
Though my failing is prevailing,
Thou dost strength afford.
For Thy blood doth life impart
And Thy Spirit fills my heart.
At the crowning,
Songs resounding,
Blend in sweet accord.
--Hymns of Zion #244 vs. 4

When is the Time to Trust?

When is the time to trust?
Is it when all is calm,
When waves the victor's palm,
And life is one glad psalm
Of joy and praise?
Nay! but the time to trust
Is when the waves beat high,
When storm clouds fill the sky,
And prayer is one long cry,
O help and save!

When is the time to trust?
Is it when friends are true?
Is it when comforts woo,
And in all we say and do
We meet but praise?
Nay! but the time to trust
Is when we stand alone,
And summer birds have flown,
And every prop is gone,
All else but God.

When is the time to trust?
Is it some future day,
When you have tried your way,
And learned to trust and pray
By bitter woe?
Nay! but the time to trust
Is in this moment's need,
Poor, broken, bruised reed!
Poor, troubled soul, make speed
To trust thy God.

When is the time to trust?
Is it when hopes beat high,
When sunshine gilds the sky,
And joy and ecstasy
Fill all the heart?
Nay! but the time to trust
Is when our joy is fled,
When sorrow bows the head,
And all is cold and dead,
All else but God.
--Selected

Self Causes Brotherly Love to Suffer

"Let brotherly love continue." -Hebrews 13:1

You know when it says, "Let brotherly love continue," there's some assumptions there. One of the assumptions is that there already is brotherly love.

And I'm not sure exactly how to say this other than ... I really feel that there is brotherly love yet.

And i'm not sure of the right way to say it, but I guess I'll just say from my heart ... I'm somewhat fearful that it's suffering.

You know we can't blame the world around us for what we are. But sometimes it does have effects and influences. And as the world around us becomes more focused on self, if in any way that has an impact on us, it is going to be that brotherly love is going to suffer. You just can't love yourself and love other people.

And you'll tell me, "Well, that's not true." We can say that. We can. We can say it that way.

But really, if you love someone and others, you have to sacrifice self. Self cannot be promoted.
--Sermon Excerpt: Bro. G.B.

Satan's Attacks

Loved ones, we have so much. And satan is going to attack us as he attacked the children of Israel. They had so much. Satan doesn't go where there isn't anything to take away. He doesn't attack those that are already his. But he is going to attack us.

You can see where all the confusion is today, in the churches that exist. Satan does not just attack the Apostolic Christian Church, but all of the faiths. They have been striving in the past to serve God. Satan knows he has very little time. That Jesus might appear even today. He finds a way to attack God's people.

Let's stand fast. Let's rely on the almighty God. Let's pray to God, that we can come to fruition, each one of us, that we can bear the fruit of the Spirit, so that God can be pleased.
--Sermon Excerpt: Elder Bro. P.P.

May Thy Light Dispel the Darkness

Come Thou, Shepherd, faithful One;
May Thy light dispel the darkness!
From Thee and Thy little fold
Erring lambs have strayed so helpless.
Little flock, now cease to weep;
Jesus will His promise keep.
Jesus will His promise keep.
--Zion's Harp #119 vs. 3