Seeking for the help of the Lord, I direct your prayerful attention to the chapter that we read, 2 Chronicles chapter 25. We'll read for our text, verse 9. Verse 9. And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel. And the man of God answered, the Lord is able to give thee much more than this. 2 Chronicles 25 and verse 9. And here specifically, the last clause, the Lord is able to give thee much more than this, that is upon my spirit.

Amaziah was the great, great grandson of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was a godly king of Judah, but his son and grandsons, they did not follow in his ways, at least not fully in his ways. And though we read here that Amaziah, that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, yet we have this solemn word, but not with a perfect heart. And we're reminded that it is not the almost Christian those that are all together, those that fully follow the Lord, that are saved.

And as this passage goes through, it very soon becomes evident that his heart was not right. The things that happened that discovered it, that found it out. We think of in the New Testament where we have Simon the sorcerer believing and being baptized. But then very soon something happened that found out where his heart really was when he offered the apostles money that then he might have the power of conveying the Holy Spirit by laying on of hands. And Peter says that thy money perish with thee. Thou hast thought to purchase the gift of God with money. Thy heart is not right. before the Lord.

And so the Lord uses those things that come into the lives of those that have professed His name to really test, is this the work of God, or is it the work of man? Will they continue in the Lord's ways, or is it just a partial following? We think of King Saul. that he was able to say to Samuel, yeah, I have obeyed. I have done that which is required. But in reality, he'd picked and chosen what he wanted to obey and how he would obey it. And we find the same thing happening here.

Joash was the most solemn character, the one that had gone before Amaziah's father. We think of him coming to the throne at seven years of age. There's some of you here around that age when he came to the throne. But he had, Jehoahaz the high priest, or Jehoiada rather, the high priest, who mentored him, looked after him, and he followed the Lord all the days of that high priest. But when the high priest died, then the princes of Judah came and they turned his heart away And when the high priest's son, Zechariah, prophesied and warned him of what he was doing, then instead of being kind to him, the son of the man that had looked after him since he was seven years old, he killed him. And it is that who has gone before, the miserable end of him, those that rose up against this chapter. It begins with a reference to that. that when his kingdom was established, those that killed his father, he slew them, but not their children. So in that way, he followed the law of God.

These passages are passages of history. They record the history of Israel. They're very necessary in the word of God because Those that would say we're just following cunningly devised fables, we can say, no, this is a real history. This is the line to Christ. It is through the kings of Judah that our Lord came. When we have chapters that are filled with names, you might say, why all these chapters with names in the inspired word of God? Other things left out and these put in. But it's to validate the word of God. just a fairy tale as some have accused it as being, but it is the true history of the world.

But we have then our Lord saying that which was written aforetime is written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. And we would expect then in these accounts to have that which is an instruction and teaching for us and a help for us, and it is that that I desire might be our instruction and help this morning.

So, really, if you want a title, when loss is gain. I want to look at four points this morning. Firstly, the sin of joining with the ungodly as if we were one of them. This is because Amaziah, king of Judah, is joining with Israel as if they are one with him. Then, secondly, a need for loss, not a waste. He'd paid the hundred talents of silver And if those of Ephraim Israel went back, you might say, well, he wasted. What about these? That's wasted money. But it was better that it be just left, turned away from, rather than followed through. It was actually a gain, not a waste. And then thirdly, a victory gained by obedience to God, even Amaziah, ungodly as he turned out to be, yet the Lord did give him a victory in obeying God at that time. And then fourthly, the solemn evidence of a heart not fully with the Lord is what follows on, especially when he brings the gods of Seir to be his gods. But firstly, the sin of joining with the ungodly. The kings of Judah, many of them were godly kings. And of course, that is the line to Christ. But if you look down the line of the kings of Israel, the 10 tribes, Ephraim often is used to describe those 10 tribes, there was not a godly king amongst them. They were all ungodly.

We find with Jehoshaphat, if we think of when Ahab said to him that Ramoth Gilead is ours and we should go and take it, and Jehoshaphat said that my horses as your horses, my chariots as your chariots, and he joined with him. But it very soon became evident that they weren't one because Jehoshaphat, he wants to inquire of the Lord. But Ahab, he says, my Kaia, he's a prophet of the Lord, but I hate him because he only prophesies evil.

You see, Jehoshaphat was thinking, Judah, they are of the sons of Jacob. The other tribes, Israel, they also are the sons of Jacob. They are Israel. We are related. Therefore we can join together, we'll be as one. But they weren't because one feared the Lord and the other did not.

And then we have Jehoshaphat even not learning from that. That was the time when Ahab was killed and slain in battle. Then Jehoshaphat joins with his son Ahaziah and he builds ships to go to Tarshish. But those ships were broken. And again, he was reproved by the prophet for joining himself with the ungodly all the time, trying, because they were of the tribes of Jacob and Israel, that they could join together.

We have also with Joram, the son of Ahab. Jehoshaphat does the same thing with him when they're going against Moab, that time that they did a circle round of seven days, and there was nothing to drink. And they were delivered by making ditches, and the water came by way of the wilderness and the Moabites. They saw the water as it were blood, and they thought they were already slain, so they rose up. It was at that time.

But Elisha, he was the one that, again, Jehoshaphat said, is there not a servant of the Lord? Elisha comes. But Elisha, he says to Joram, he says to the king of Israel, if it was not for Jehoshaphat, I would not even look toward thee or see thee. And again, it was an unequal union that was between them.

I often think of that incidence really as ourselves as sinners and in the sight of God, how can God look upon us in all of our sin? but when we have the Lord Jesus Christ and God can look upon us in his beloved Son and the blessings that we have are through him. So again and again we have this with Judah and Israel.

We are warned in Proverbs that we are not to take the same purse with the ungodly, to join with the ungodly. Sometimes this can be very difficult in a practical way. Years ago, 12 years ago, the Christian Institute, there was a Section 5 reform campaign. They wanted to remove a clause which could make a criminal out of those who had abusive behaviour or speech. And many could see that the government would use that to even take those who were bringing the word of God and use it against them, say that was abusive speech.

And there was many that were lobbying the government at that time, not only the Christian Institute, but the Peter Tatchell Foundation, which is the gay lobby, the humanists, all of them, And they gathered together, and they had one purse. If you gave to the Christian Institute, you were giving to all of these together. And we got many letters to and fro to the Christian Institute at that time. And they said, well, we're co-religions. We're all wanting the same thing from the government, so it's right to join together.

My point was, no, you can want the same thing, but don't sit on the same platform. Don't have the same purse. Stand separate. because otherwise you're giving such a wrong message. And it's the same as what we have here with godly kings joining with ungodly kings.

We think of how clearly the apostle sets it forth to us in the epistle to the Corinthians. He says in 2 Corinthians chapter six, What agreement hath the temple of God with idols? Ye are the temple of the living God. As God hath said, I will dwell in them, walk in them. I will be their God and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you and will be a father unto you. You shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

There is to be a separation, there is to be a distinction between the two, and we are to apply that in our lives. We know, of course, that we may go to school with the ungodly. We work with those who do not fear the Lord. That's where we're joining into a covenant with them.

Many years ago, I had the opportunity of joining in with my brothers on my father's farm as having shares in the farm. I wouldn't have been personally there, but I would have been part of the company. And I said, no, because I knew that my brothers did not fear the Lord and that what decisions were made would not be made rightly. And so I declined. There was a loss in that. But I could not join in that way. It is when we are in a joint company, we're tied in, and decisions, it's like with Ahab and with Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat wants to inquire of the Lord, Ahab doesn't. He hates the Lord's servants, he hates the guidance, and that really is what we've got to ask. If I'm gonna join with this person in business or whatever it is, and they're gonna be decisions made, are they going to be happy with me praying over it Going to the Word of God and seeking in that way, or is it very evident that we're going to be bound in legally, but we're not together?

It's often said, like even as a trusteeship, if you're a trustee of a church or whatever it is, that all trustees are equally liable. If something goes wrong, something's done wrong, And the trustee says, well, I didn't do it. I said, yes, but you should have known what was going on, and you're liable together. So then to be with those who do not fear the Lord and not looking for direction is the wrong thing.

It is a great blessing if the Lord has called us out, called us from the world unto himself, called us to serve him, to have it said, even like with Haman, who said it, against the Jews at their time when he got the king to make the law that they be exterminated, he said, their laws are not like our laws, their ways are not like our ways. And that is true. When the Lord brings us to himself, we're under his laws and his ways and to serve him. And we're not to be ashamed of that. And we're to remember that there are those in this world that are a bit of hatred against the things of God. And they are in nature's darkness, they are under Satan's dominion. And so we are not to join with them.

So this path that Amazigh took, the path even that Jehoshaphat took, but Jehoshaphat was a godly king. He did listen, although fell back in several times, but he died a godly king, he lived a godly life. All the time, even though he was joining with the ungodly, all the time he wanted to serve the Lord. He wanted to know the Lord's will. And may we be like that. And that also be as a guide who we are to be joined with and who not. And especially in a marriage situation with you young people, to not be unequally joined together in marriage. In a covenant like that, one must be only in the Lord.

The second point I'd bring before you is a need for loss and not a waste. Amazigh had made this agreement. He paid money to the children of Israel, to the children of Ephraim, to help him in this battle in a way similar to Jehoshaphat, he's joining with Ahab in the battle, but in this case, he had paid money. And that had been already done, already arranged, it was already said. And in one way, that can be a real trap to us. If we started to go down a path, and it's cost us money, or we made agreement so far, the temptation, even though we know it is wrong, is still to go ahead with him, still to go along with him.

In our text, Amaziah, when he's told by the man of God that if he has these hired ones, that God has just as much ability to fight against him as for him, and that he won't fight for him if he's hiring these other men. And so he has to send them back. Amaziah, he has a problem. He's paid these hundred talents. He says, but what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? How many, when they are seeking to follow the Lord, to obey the Lord, will be in some trap or something like this that they think they cannot because of this or that, as if they're going to lose out by following the Lord or by obeying the Lord. In this case here, it was to be a gain by a loss.

Now there's sometimes in our lives that we have no choice in the matter. The Lord does it for us. Now, many years ago, and again, the Lord had warned me not to do it, but I did it anyway. I bought a block of land over in Australia just before the market crashed, and I borrowed everything for it. The market crashed, and I couldn't sell it or give it away. From start to finish, to that block of land, I lost $30,000. And you might say that was a real waste. And it was certainly my mistake, it was my wrong that I aborted. But the Lord used it for good because it worked as an anchor over the time that we were getting married so that I didn't come back to England before the time that I should. And when we did come back at the right time, the housing market was right at the very bottom over here, and the exchange rate was the best between Australia and here. And the Lord gave me back more than what I'd lost on that block, just by those providences.

To me, if I wasn't able to see and look at the whole picture of what the Lord had done, I'd say, I've lost that. But no, I gained because it held me into the timing and to do what the Lord would have me to do and when he'd have me to do it. Another time over here, the Lord using loss materially, but in a chastening way. When I had the allotment down the road here, and many times in my conscience the Lord was saying, this is not right. You know, every Saturday you're coming in with the harvest and you've got all of this work to do before the Lord's day. This is not really profitable, but in my mind, I thought, oh no, I'd like to have the allotment. I want to keep that. And I wouldn't listen to my conscience, wouldn't listen to the Lord.

Then we had one of our anniversary services here, and the collection was for us. And we got 200 pounds given, more than what was usual for several years for that collection. And we thought, oh, that might be nice for a holiday. But a few days later, I went down to the allotment with the streamer to start preparing it. In the winter, they started to prepare it for the spring and use the strimmer to level off the allotment. And as I was working with that, one of the neighbours came. They came through and said, you've just smashed our conservative window, the door. I went over and saw this stone had gone right over a high fence and smashed it. Immediately said, I've got to pay for it, rang up, organised to pay for it, just under 200 pounds.

So I went right from them, after making that phone call, down to the office of the council and cancelled the allotment. And the Lord used it so that I'd always remember it. And he, the Lord who has appointed it, but he didn't even ask me to pay for it with my own money. He gave me the money before he took it away. Natural man would say, that was mine. And I lost it by that foolish breaking of that window. No, faith says, You didn't listen to the Lord, so the Lord used that way of chastening so that you did listen and would always remember it and not go back on it later on. But he gave you the money first. And so what seemed to be a loss was a gain, because now I knew and I obeyed the Lord's will.

And in that, it's taken out of her hands. In this with Amaziah, he had to make the decision. He was told, you have paid this money, But now you're to give it up. You're to say, I'm not going to have what I've paid for. You make that decision. And so there are times that that is the case with us.

Now, we think of the Apostle Paul, how he would set this forth, how he would speak of it. We read of it in Philippians chapter three and verse seven. He says, but what things were gained to me Those I counted loss for Christ. But he's not losing, because he's gaining Christ. I have suffered, he said, the loss of all things, and do count them but done, that I may win Christ and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ.

Paul had lots of advantages. of his upbringing, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, and all of that advantage in a natural religious way, he lost it, but he gained Christ. It was not a loss, it was a gain. And we have that too.

Our Lord was very clear in the Gospel according to Luke chapter 18. He says before the disciples, the way of Losing thee, Lord had said that 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. Those that heard it, they said, who then can be saved? But he said, the things which are impossible with man are possible with God. And Peter said, lo, we have left all and followed thee. Now the Lord said unto them, verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house or parents or brethren or wife or children for the kingdom of God's sake who shall not receive manifold more in this present time and in the world to come, life everlasting.

There are times if we are to serve and obey the Lord that then it involves losing Maybe losing money, losing houses, losing a position, losing the ability to have a job because maybe we won't work on the Lord's Day. But the Lord knows that. He looks upon that. And those that follow Him will not lose. They will not fear those that have to say, well, this is lost and there's been no gain at all.

You know, with Amazigh here, it was a needful loss. And it may be as we look back through our lives as well, there's been those things taken out of our hands, a needful loss. Those things that we had to make the decision as well that resulted in loss, a needful loss. But in the end, it was not a loss. It was a gain. It was a blessing. The Lord's hand was in it. We see the end of the matter, and sometimes it may be many years before we do see and are able to look back over it all.

You think of dear Joseph. He lost his family, lost his liberty. He was in prison. But in the end, there he is next to Pharaoh. And he said, he sent me not hither but God to save your lives by a great deliverance. Moses, while he had all the advantages in Pharaoh's court, But we read in Hebrews that he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. So a need for loss, but not a waste. Those that follow after the Lord Jesus Christ, those who let go of those things, they won't suffer loss. And yet alas, there are many that will say, well, I can't follow the Lord because of my family ties, or because of this that I've entered into.

Our Lord spoke of those that he said to follow him, but one had married a wife, one had bought a farm, and they'd all got excuses, all got something that they couldn't do. Well, Amaziah here, he'd got the objection, but the Lord gave him, or through the prophet, an answer, the Lord is able to give thee much more than this, the faith for the right word. And at first then, Amaziah, he obeys.

So I want to put then thirdly, a victory gained by obedience. Even Amaziah, even one who was not really one of the lords, though he obeyed, The Lord gave him the victory over those of seer. It should be a real encouragement to us.

But you know we are not saved by our own obedience. In Christ's obedience clothe and wash me in his blood. So shall I lift my head with joy amongst the sons of God. And yet we are called to obedience. But all our obedience to sin is mixed with everything that we do. But it's still a real encouragement to us to obey. There are many that say we believe in God, but they don't obey. The Lord said, be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. He said, there are many that at the last day shall say, Lord, Lord, we have been called by thy name, thou hast taught in our streets. And he says, depart from me, I never knew you, ye workers of iniquity. They had a name to live and yet be dead. They were not obedient unto the Lord.

When we think of the beautiful example of our Lord Jesus Christ, In Philippians chapter two, we have him that's obeyed even unto death. One of the Philippians, one of the beautiful epistles of the apostle, although the word of course is a beautiful word, inspired word, that when we come to Philippians, we find the apostle has such a love to the Lord. In the very first chapter you have 18 occurrences of the name of Jesus Christ, even in the very salutation at the beginning of the first chapter, he's using the name of our Lord those three times. Christ is precious to him.

But when we read of the example and also what the Lord did Philippians 2 and verse 5. Let this mind be new, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation. He, you might say, is lost for gain. No salvation except the Lord come from heaven, from his Father, to be a servant, to be obedient, even unto death, and was found in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.

It is the Lord's obedience, his blood shed to put away our sin, his righteousness to fit us for heaven. And this should be a real marker for us when we see a whole salvation is dependent upon the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle says, be ye followers of me as I also am of Christ Jesus. As obedient children, not fastening yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance, but as the Lord is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.

Amaziah, he obtained a victory through obedience. He sent them back, sent back Israel, and the Lord was with him, the Lord helped him, He gained the victory. That victory was the Lord's, exactly as what the Lord has said, able to give thee much more than this. He didn't need to pay for man's help. God had helped him.

Then we come to the last point, which is a most solemn point. The solemn evidence of a heart not fully with the Lord. It seems an incredible thing that Amaziah would go against the enemy and they could not stand against him, but he takes of their gods.

We have in verse 15, the anger of the Lord was kindled against Amaziah And he sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand? Yet it often happened.

We have Ahaz. Of course, Ahaz was a very wicked king. But he saw the gods in the form of an altar in Damascus. And he sent back to the high priest the design of it. You make it. And then when he came back, he saw what they had made. Copying, learn not the way of the heathen. How easy it is to copy, idolatrous, copy those that are not serving the Lord.

And children of Israel, that was their history again and again. They were warned about it when they came into the promised land, into Canaan. And it's a warning to us. We can't look on Israel and say, well, we will never copy the world. We will never do them.

Really, most solemnly today, many churches are copying the world, copying in their songs, copying in how they dress, copying how they worship. God is not feared in their assemblies. And assemblies hardly look like any difference than the world.

It's very easy to do, especially in days that are low and few assembling. You think, how can we attract in the world? We'll become like them. And we learn the ways of the world, the methods of the world. Instead of remembering that God has promised faithfulness, well done, thou good and faithful servant, and is to be obedient to him and not devise one own way.

You think of when David was bringing up the ark of God with all joy and gladness and dancing before the ark. But they were bringing it up on a cart. It had been commanded that it should be on the shoulders of the Levites. But the Philistines, when the Ark had been in their country six months, they put it on a cart and sent it back to Israel. And here we find Israel, even David, and they're copying the Philistines. But God marked it. Uzzah put forth his hand to steady the ark because the oxen shook it, the Lord smote him. And we read how then David feared before God, how can we stand before this God? And they feared to bring up the ark to Jerusalem, they sent to put it in the house of Obed-Edom, but then the Lord balanced it and blessed the house of Obed-Edom.

Then they brought up the ark again and David says, Levites, you carry it. You did it not at the first, as was commanded. He learnt his lesson and God had kindly chastened them. And I believe it's one of the ways that we're taught the fear of the Lord. On one hand, the Lord's judgment and dealing with sin. On the other hand, the blessing. Uzzah died, the blessing on the house of Obed-Edom. And we find it in the New Testament too. Ananias and Sapphira struck dead for lying to the Holy Ghost, but Saul of Tarsus, the apostle Paul, instead of him being struck dead, and I wonder how many of the Lord's people think, well surely him, him that is hailing men into prison, he will be struck dead, but no, he receives the grace of God, the mercy of God, he's converted and becomes the apostle to the Gentiles.

And you learn this. My soul, says the hymn writer, stands trembling while she sings the honours of her God. On one hand, the Lord is gracious, merciful. On the other hand, he marks sin, he chastens his children, he corrects them. And so God's children, we know, they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. They can never fall away. They cannot be like Amaziah that begins well, and then somehow loses their faith. The truth is that Amaziah never was one of God's children, never was one of those redeemed by the Lord. But where the Lord's people are, though they sin, he chases them, he corrects them as he did David, as he did Solomon, but he will not forsake them.

But the way it is clearly seen is that we continue in the ways of the Lord. We don't just do partial. And here, though God gave Amaziah the victory, yet he goes and immediately takes the gods of his enemies. And you might say, when you read this account, well, wasn't Amaziah justified in being upset with the Lord? He sent back the army of Ephraim But the army then turned and fought against Judah. And he lost a lot by that. But the Lord knew what he was going to do. He knew the idolatry he was going to follow in. And he used that, even those that he sent back, to chasten him and to correct him.

We read that in verse 13, the soldiers of the army, which Amaziah sent back, that they might should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Beth Horon, smote three thousand and took away much spoil. And then immediately the next verse now came to pass after that Amaziah was come. Then he brings the gods of Seir, the Lord chastening. We have to look for that. Sometimes we might not be able to discern a link between our sin and the Lord's chastening hand. But I believe God will do it like he did with the allotment. When that happened, I knew God had been warning me for two years.

If your children do something wrong, your parents don't immediately chastise you by smacking or by banishment or something like that, the first thing that they'll say is, don't do that. They'll correct you with words first, before actions. And where the Lord chastens his people, where they are his people, they will discern, this is because I have sinned. In Hebrews 12, we read, no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterward, it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness. to them that are exercised thereby. That is, that think about it, think about their own ways, think about what the Lord has said, think about the Word of God, and obey the Lord, not just in some points, but in all of them.

The important thing is to endure unto the end. He that endures unto the end shall be saved. The certainty is the Lord has said, no man is able to pluck them out of my hand. No man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand. My father is greater than I. We see the solemn working of it out. We know our election by our calling. We know our calling by being brought to obey, serve and walk in the ways of the Lord. Something that the world cannot do, won't do, and we can't do, except the Lord gives grace and willingness. It's something very precious when the people of God at first struggle to do something, resisting the Lord's hand, but He makes them willing. We have this word, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. And they often prove they're not willing in themselves, they struggle. They need grace, they need help, but the Lord gives them that help.

And able to look back over the path that they've walked, raise up an Ebenezer, hitherto hath the Lord helped us. And those blessings have come through obedience, through faith, not doing what we think or what seems right at the time or what is worldly wisdom's way. But doing that of which the Lord says, it is thine to obey, and it is the Lord to provide. May we always remember that.

And so we have here, Amaziah saying to the man of God, that what shall we do for the hundred talents that I've given to the army of Israel? The man of God answered, the Lord is able to give thee much more than this.

Everyone that is saved, everyone that is brought with a treasure in heaven, they've been brought to count as, like the Apostle said, all things but loss for the excellency of Christ. This world is not our home, it is not our rest. Where our heart is set upon it and we refuse to let go of it, it's the Lord's mercies when he loosens us from it, through trials, through difficulties, through troubles, but makes us willing in the end.

Choosing like Moses, rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, rather enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Those of you perhaps here finding it hard to obey the law, perhaps finding it hard to let something go, to lose something, maybe feeling trapped in a path. You think, how can I get out of this without loss? But if it is serving the Lord, if it is obeying the Lord, it won't be real loss. You leave that part with the Lord, and follow the Lord, and then watch his hand. It's not always, and sometimes it's not at all, the blessing in a providential building up, or even in health and strength wise, but certainly in a spiritual way.

And those times that we discern that the Lord has seen fit to By obeying Him, we lose temporal things, but we've gained spiritual instruction, teaching from the Lord. That is so humbling, it's so precious. Lord, that has valued my soul more than this poor world. This world soon will all be finished. All the riches we have will be worth nothing, but that which the Lord has given us above, a faith in Him, a hope beyond the grave. That is the greatest blessing.

When we read about a text, the Lord is able to give thee more than this. What more but to give us heaven and hope beyond the grave and the blessings that are eternal. So may we be delivered from not following the Lord because of some perceived thing. We think, I can't give this up. I can't let this go. There are those of you that would follow the Lord, but there's something you say, I can't let this go, I'm not going, I can't let this, give this up. May we help to remember this word, to give it up and to follow the Lord. The Lord is able to give thee much more than this.

May the Lord then add his blessing. Amen.