Keep Your Helmet On

Do we get a little rebellious sometimes? Converts, do you sometimes feel that way? You say, now why do I do this? Why is that in the Bible? You show me that one more time?

You have to have a little faith. You have to realize there are some veterans out here that have been in combat with Satan sixty, seventy years. They know! If they say there is something in the Bible that you and I need to utilize and put open trust in, believe and trust that experience of that veteran. It is a good thing.

We had a second cousin who served in the German army during World War II. Their helmet was a lot more cumbersome and more encompassing. In fact, the United States Army has copied it today. It came way down here on your neck. It was uncomfortable. Especially when you were down in a foxhole.

The German soldiers quite frequently would take their helmet off when they were down in a foxhole, thinking, 'I am safe. I am not going to be under fire here.' Well, it wasn't long before we figured out that if we fired the shells into the trees, the shell would hit the tree, explode and then come down and land on top of the soldiers. Many a German soldier died because he did not have his helmet on. The ordnance came down from the top and hit him in the top of the head. If he would have had a helmet on, he would have lived!

Somebody maybe told him, "keep your helmet on!"

"But it is too cumbersome. It is old-fashioned. I don't like it! It is not cool!"

But it is there for protection.

Who ever said protection is going to be cool? Who ever said that protection is going to please the world? Who ever said that protection and faith and belief in God is going to be what the world likes? They are not! They are going to be rebellious!

Truly, we have been given these traditions, the teachings, the doctrine, the love of Jesus Christ. The world is not going to see why. But let's hope that we do.
--Sermon Excerpt: Bro. C.S.

No Longer Doubt

Can it be right with such a Lord,
Even to dread the hour of death?
Waiting in faith the great reward,
Calmly I'll yield my dying breath.
I will no longer doubt Thee, O Lord!
I will forever rest in Thy word.
--Gospel Hymns #150 vs. 6

What A Happiness...

He will us as His people then acknowledge,
When He appears on that great Judgment day;
Before His Father, He will then confess us;
His love for us no one can take away!
O, what a happiness for us is waiting
When He, our bridegroom, will appear with might,
Us as His holy bride, with Him uniting
And dry our tears in that eternal light!
--Zion's Harp #191 vs. 5

No More Death

And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

--Revelation 21:2-4

Have You Vowed to Serve the Lord?

Have you vowed to serve the Lord,
'Neath His banner ever fighting?
Flee the evil of this world,
Satan and his power smiting;
Till the victor there shall be,
Waving palms of victory,
Waving palms of victory.

Thus our duty is made plain,
Trusting and in God abiding.
Faithful to thy Lord remain;
Till your eyes in light beholding,
See prepared there for the blest
Shining crowns of righteousness,
Shining crowns of righteousness.
--Zion's Harp #105 vs. 4-5

We Owe Our Entire Lives

My beloved hearers, salvation is so simple. Isn't it true, when we stop and consider it? Still, it is a serious matter and it's something that we should give our entire heart, our mind, our thinking, our whole life and our being into the hands of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Then we can come to the full realization of the poverty of man who lives in sin. We can realize how fortunate we are that we have a living hope; that we can now set our affection and our aim upon things that are eternal, no longer to be so much concerned with the material things. For after all, brethren, I often think, "if we seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and its righteousness, all of these things will be added." ...

It often comes to my mind, brethren, we cannot appreciate enough the Love of God. We owe our all to our blessed Lord, our entire lives without any reservation. There should never be anything too much for a Child of God to offer up and to sacrifice for our Lord, for He has done so much for us.
--Sermon Excerpt: Elder Bro. S.A.

Unfolding the Rosebud

It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of God's design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
God opens this flower so sweetly,
When in my hands they fade and die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of God's design,
Then how can I think I have wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?

So I'll trust in Him for His leading
Each moment of every day.
I will look to him for His guidance
Each step of the pilgrim way.

The pathway that lies before me,
Only my Heavenly Father knows.
I'll trust Him to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose.
--Author Unknown

Be Unafraid

O, be glad, my brothers;
Brave the hate of others;
And be not dismayed.
Though vain men assail you,
Let your faith not fail you;
Still be unafraid.
God hath shown
More power alone
Than great hosts in armor trusting,
For your downfall lusting.
--Zion's Harp #96 vs. 9

Two Tricks

The devil has two master tricks.

One is to get us discouraged; then, for a time at least, we can be of no service to others, and so are defeated.

The other is to make us doubt, thus breaking the faith link by which we are bound to our Father.

Look out! Do not be tricked either way.
--Excerpt: Streams in the Desert (G.E.M.)

Refuse to Doubt

"Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." -Heb. 12:1

There are weights which are not sins themseles, but which become distractions and stumbling blocks in our Christian progress. One of the worst of these is despondency. The heavy heart is indeed a weight that will surely drag us down in our holiness and usefulness.

The failure of Israel to enter the land of promise began in murmuring, or, as the text in Numbers literally puts it, "as it were murmured." Just a faint desire to complain and be discontented. This led on until it blossomed and ripened into rebellion and ruin. Let us give ourselves no liberty ever to doubt God or His love and faithfulness to us in everything and forever.

We can set our will against doubt just as we do against any other sin; and as we stand firm and refuse to doubt, the Holy Spirit will come to our aid and give us the faith of God and crown us with victory.

It is very easy to fall into the habit of doubting, fretting and wondering if God has forsaken us and if, after all, our hopes are to end in failure. Let us refuse to be discouraged. Let us refuse to be unhappy. Let us "count it all joy" when we cannot feel one emotion of happiness. Let us rejoice by faith, by resolution, by reckoning, and we shall surely find that God will make the reckoning real.
--Excerpt: Streams in the Desert