Once again, it is so good to
be here. I appreciated what we've already
heard so much, the songs that have been sang, the fellowship
we've enjoyed, and I again repeat, please remember our dear family
in prayer. Also remember our upcoming meeting. I'm looking forward to that.
Once again, would you join me? I'd like to read two verses of
Scripture in the book of Hebrews before we go back to the Old
Testament. And the first place I'd like
to look at is found in Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 18. The Scriptures share with us
some blessings about the cities of refuge, and that's been our
study for a short time. As we've been going through the
book of Numbers, the cities of refuge, and we find that the
cities of refuge were a type. And it is important that we know
the antitype, the Lord Jesus. And here it shares with us in
the book of Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 6 verse 18, 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. Who have fled for refuge. And in the same book of Hebrews,
would you turn with me to chapter 10. The book of Hebrews and there
in verse 1 Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 1 What we read about
the cities of refuge are Only a picture they are not reality
We looked at last week some of the flaws about the cities of
refuge they were only intended for innocent people And you know,
the refuge that we have in Christ is intended for guilty people.
What would Mary Magdalene do? What would Peter do? What would
Saul of Tarsus do? They were all very guilty. And what would we do if only
innocent people could flee to the place of refuge? Well, we
find as we look here in the book of Hebrews chapter 10 and verse
1 for the law, and as we read, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
and Deuteronomy, and the rest of the Old Testament. We're really
reading the summation of the Law, God's Word, as it's found
in the Old Testament, for the Law having a shadow. Good things
to come and not the very image of the things now the very image
of the things is Christ And that's who we're looking for as we read
in the scriptures. We're looking for Christ It says
not the very image of the things can never with those Sacrifices
which they offered year by year continually make the comers there
unto perfect the only one that can make the comers there unto
perfect is the Lord Jesus Christ, He puts away our sin. Now, if
you travel with me over to the book of Numbers, to the book
of Numbers, next to the last chapter of the book of Numbers,
we read there in chapter 35, beginning with verse 11, that
there was to be cities of refuge. Now, it is no mistake It is no
mistake God gave the exact names in the exact order of the cities
of refuge. Now they're not listed here in
Numbers chapter 35. We're going to go over to the
book of Joshua to find those names. But the names of the cities
of refuge and the order that they were given were given exactly
as God intended to give them to give us the greatest amount
of comfort from our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. The names
of those cities were very significant. And the people that fled to those
cities of refuge, those names became very significant to them. And when we flee to Christ, we
find out that the names of the cities of refuge are all wrapped
up in one person, and his name is the Lord Jesus Christ. Here
we find that the exact locations were given by the Lord, where
they would be located. And the meaning of the names
are so significant, and they share with us such great qualities
about the personage and person of the Lord Jesus Christ. So
here in the book of Numbers chapter 35 verse 11, Now the only person
that could stay in the city of refuge after he fled to a city
of refuge was someone that was innocent. No guilty person was allowed
in there. They had to be innocent of shedding.
It was an act of God, if you please. They were cutting down
a tree with an axe and the axe had come off and smacked his
neighbor in the forehead and it killed him right there. The
avenger of blood had every right to go and take and kill that
guy. But if he fled to a city of refuge
and he was found innocent in a trial, he could stay there
and live there and he would be protected there. Verse 12, And
they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger,
that the manslayer die not until he stand before the congregation
in judgment. And of these cities which ye
shall give, six cities shall ye have for refuge. You shall
give three cities on this side of Jordan, and three cities shall
you give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.
Now, the instructions that Moses is receiving from the Lord is
on this side of the Jordan before they entered into Canaan, into
the promised land. So he says there's going to be
three cities of refuge here. There's going to be three cities
of refuge over Jordan, and they are significant. They're well
placed and they're well named. Now if you'd join me into the
book of Joshua chapter 20. In Joshua chapter 20 we have
the names of these cities and they're listed one right after
another and they're very significant in their names. The names of
these cities share with us so much important information about
the Lord Jesus Christ and why we should flee to him as our
refuge to begin with. Here we find in this passage
of scripture in the book of Joshua, the names of the cities of refuge
are given, and it tells us here, and they appointed Kadesh in
Galilee. and in Mount Naphtali, and Shechem
in Mount Ephraim, and Kirjath Arba, which is Hebron, in the
mountain of Judah, and on the other side, Jordan, by Jericho
eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain
out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth and Gilead out of the
tribe of Gad, and Golan and Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
Well, God gave us a little liberty last time to talk about Kedesh. Kedesh, the meaning of the word
Kedesh means strength. We find here, as we look at this,
it's a, excuse me, it means a holy place. I got ahead of myself.
It means a holy place. And you know, for unholy people,
there is only one place to go to get holiness. We're not gonna
work ourselves into holiness. We're not gonna put away our
own sins and make ourselves holy. We attempt to do that in religion,
but we find out when the Lord saves us that our holiness is
not dependent upon us because it is tainted by the very fall
of Adam, and we carry that to our generation, to our time.
We, too, are dead in trespasses and sin. And when the Lord God
Almighty regenerates us and raises us from the spiritual dead, we
find out that we're not holy and we need holiness. God said,
without holiness, you cannot meet me. And so we have this
place, a refuge to go to. The unholy can flee to holiness. The sinful can flee to non-sinful. And so it is with the Lord Jesus
Christ. He reminds us that we have this cadish, reminds us
that we are drawn to Christ and salvation. and He gives us a
perfect, imputed holiness or righteousness, and forgives us
of all our sins. What a place is the Lord Jesus
Christ! And as that person is fleeing
to this particular place, to Kadesh, he's fleeing to a place
that means, the name means holiness. Now, he didn't get any holier
by entering in. but God s people are made holy
by Jesus Christ the Lord by imputed righteousness. All right, let
s go on to the next one. We just got started on that,
and that is the name Shechem, and it means a shoulder or strength.
And we find out that the Lord Jesus Christ He bore our sins
in His own body on the tree. It was like a shepherd carrying
his sheep. You know, the Lord shares with
us in the book of Luke, Chapter 15. And would you join me there
for just a moment? We looked at this just briefly
last Sunday, and I just want to bring it up for just a moment
as we travel through here in the book of Luke, Chapter 15,
about the Good Shepherd. Luke, Chapter 15, Verses 4 and
5, and we read these words. Jesus is speaking and says, What
man of you, having a hundred sheep, If he lose one of them,
doth he not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and
go after that which is lost, until he find it? You know we
heard read this morning about the Lord told a group of people,
you believe not, because you are not of my sheep. You know
there's only one person knows that? Only the Lord Jesus Christ, only
the Godhead knows who are not his sheep and who are his sheep,
and we may make a grave error when we think we can determine
who they are. I am convinced that the Church
of Jerusalem made a grave error when they considered Saul of
Tarsus, and that man has only one place to go, and that will
be eternal hell, because he's raking habit with some of God's
choicest jewels, saints, and having them killed. When God's
good providence, in His purpose of grace, in His everlasting
covenant, He had marked out that man. as one of His sheep. Now, we can just consider that
when we read this passage of Scripture. We are unable to come
ourselves to Him. We cannot come to Him. It's an
impossibility. We're in a horrible pit. We're
stuck in the mud. We could have all kinds of words
to describe the problem, but we are dead in trespasses and
sin and can't even acknowledge Him until He raises us from the
spiritual dead. When He hath found it, now look
what He does with that lost sheep. It says, He laith it upon His
shoulders rejoicing. Why? Because He is everlasting
strength. He can take care of the problem
of sin. He can take care of the problem
of our holiness. He can take care of the problem
of where we came from. He can take care of our original
father. He can take care of all those
issues because He is God and beside Him there is none else.
So He has the ability to take care of our sin. The strength
of the Lord. when he went to the cross. You
know, amazing thing about him on the cross is he said about
this whole incident, no man taketh my life from me. but I lay it
down on myself." Now, we can blame the Romans, we can blame
the Sanhedrin, we can blame the Pharisees, we can blame all kinds
of people, but ultimately, the Lord Jesus Christ came here for
the sole purpose of laying down His life, a ransom for His people,
and that's exactly what He did. What strength is that? that he
would lay down his life a ransom. What strength it took for him! God, come in the flesh, is the
strength of this one. Surely he hath borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows. Where? On himself. You know, we, I remember we used
to get flyers from a place. It says, he ain't brother, he
ain't heavy, but he's my brother. Well, from God's standpoint,
that's right. From our standpoint, we can't
do it. We succumb to the weight. I remember when I was a freshman
in high school and I wanted to be a football player, one of
the responsibilities that was imposed upon us was to carry
a varsity football player on our shoulders down the football
field and back. Nobody made it. Those guys were
burly. You know, that's one thing about
the Lord though. He never has to say, well, I
lost somebody. He says, I lost nobody. What
strength He has. He did not phantomly bear our
sins. And when we finally came to Him,
He says, okay, I had them. He said, I know my sheep. I bear their sins. I go to the
cross for their sins. I lay down my life, a ransom
for them. I pay for them and they shall
be mine for time and for eternity. Well, as we go on to the next
one, there in the book of Joshua again, let's go back to the book
of Joshua for just a moment, and we want to pick up this name.
Joshua chapter 20, and there in verse 7, we have the last
one of the cities of refuge that's on one side of the river, and
that is the town Hebron. It tells us there, and they appointed
Kedesh, which means holy or righteous or holiness, and Hebron, which
is in Mount Judah, the mountain of Judah, which means a place
of strength. And the other side of Jordan,
let me see, I missed one here, Kedesh o Shechem. in Ephraim,
and now Hebron. There's where we want to be,
is in Hebron. Now, Hebron means fellowship,
friendship, or association. You know, it's no mistake that
the Lord gave us this name concerning this city. This city of Hebron
means a place of fellowship. You know, turn with me to the
book of Amos, if you would. In the book of Amos, we read
these words and how true they are, even in just everyday life,
how true these words are. But when it comes to spiritual
things, how absolutely true they are. For it says here in the
book of Amos 3, verse 1 through 3, hear this word that the Lord
has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole
family, which I brought up from the land of Egypt saying, you
only have I known of all the families of the earth. Isn't
that a statement? He never had the relationship
with the Hittites that He had with Israel. He never had the
relationship with the Canaanites like He did with Israel. He never
had the relationship with the Perizzites as He did with Israel. He had a very special relationship
with them. And He says here, You only have
I known of all the families of the earth. You know, when it
comes to talking to people, religious people, about God choosing Israel,
there's no problem. That's his right, he can do it.
And he did it. But when it comes to God choosing
a people to save, oh no, no, no, God would never do that.
Guess what? That's what he did, exactly what
he did. He chose a people before the
foundation of the world. And that's the people that he
is buying on the cross, that he is paying for. All right,
here in the book of Amos chapter three, verse, 2. I will punish
you for your iniquities. Now notice verse 3. When it comes
to a place of fellowship, and when it comes to a place of friendship,
and when it comes to a place of association, God said this. Can two walk together except
they be agreed? Can a person enter into the city
of refuge that is in disagreement with the city of refuge? Can
someone come into Christ that disagrees with the way he does
his business? And the answer is absolutely
not. What does he say about this?
I must give them a new heart. And with that new heart, they
will love me. And with that new heart, they
will serve me. And with that new heart, they
will keep my word. Now, we either have that, that
blessed association, that blessed fellowship, that blessed friendship,
or we don't. And by nature, we don't have
any friendship with God. In fact, the scriptures tell
us that we're enmity with God, that we're at variance with God,
that we hate Him. Now, we may never say that with
our mouth, but our heart betrayeth us, and guess what? God knows
our heart. So in order for someone to come
into this city of refuge and have fellowship and friendship
and association there, it is absolutely necessary that they
be in agreement with the city itself, the city charter. You
have to agree with this. Well, the city charter of the
Lord Jesus Christ is, I only take sinners. in my city and
when I bring them into myself, I cause them to know me and that
they will believe me and that they will not argue with me over
every little thing. the very blessing that we have
in 2 Corinthians chapter 6. Would you turn with me to 2 Corinthians
chapter 6? We find here the blessing that
God has put out, and the instructions here are quite simple. Sometimes
they're very difficult for us to take, But they are simple
instructions, and the Lord shares with us that this city of refuge,
this Hebron, means fellowship and friendship and association,
and there has to be fellowship between the two partners or there's
not going to be any good. Here in the book of 2 Corinthians
6, be ye not unequally yoked together. You know who says that?
The Lord. You know, the Old Testament tells
us, don't you ever plow with a cow and a donkey, hitched and
harnessed. What's that mean? Don't you ever
try to mix law and grace. Don't you ever try to mix things
up. God has given an order to things
and that is the order to things and that is you're either saved
by law or you're saved by grace. And he tells us very plainly
that you're not saved by law, you're only saved by grace. And
if there's any works to it, it is not grace. And if there's
grace in it, there's not going to be any works in it. So here
we have, be you not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.
Jesus Christ is not yoked together with unbelievers. All his church
are gonna be believers. Not one is gonna be an unbeliever.
They're all gonna trust him and believe on him. Goes on to tell
us, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
What must God do in order for us to be from unrighteousness
to righteousness? We must have the imputed righteousness
of Christ given to us, or we'll not have fellowship with him.
And beside that, He'll have no fellowship with us. Goes on to
tell us there, and what communion hath light with darkness? And
what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what hath he that
believeth with an infidel? You know, the Lord Jesus Christ
is in His promise of grace, said, I will take that which is against
me, and I will convert them. I will take those who are against
me, and I will give them a resurrected life, a resurrected spiritual
life, and they shall love me, and they shall call me Father,
and they shall call me God, and they shall love me, and I shall
love them. What God does for us is a miracle
of grace, that he would take us through who had no fellowship
with God, and then bring us to complete fellowship with God
in such a way that you know what he allows us to do? to come into
his presence with gladness. Adam and Eve didn't want to be
in his presence. Adam and Eve didn't want his
fellowship. Adam and Eve didn't like him
after they fell. You know, God came down to them
in the Garden of Eden. Guess what he does for us? He
allows us to come to him. Now He came to us first so that
we can come to Him, but we get to go to His presence. We get
to go to the throne of grace. We get to be with Him. But now
in Christ Jesus, ye who were sometimes were afar off are made
near by the blood of Christ. What fellowship He has given
us is to enjoy that fellowship, that friendship, that companionship,
that which we had no desire for, but now in this great refuge,
the Lord Jesus Christ, He has granted this to take place. Ephesians
chapter 2 verse 6, would you read that with me? In Ephesians
chapter 2 and verse 6, we find some more of this great truth
that God has given us. We have fellowship with Him where
there was no fellowship, no interest. You know, I know from personal
experience I had a great interest in religion. But I found out I had no interest
in the God of this Bible. I had no interest. I've been
going over recently some of the things that the Lord led me through
so I could hear the gospel. put me in a right place at the
right time where I could hear the gospel. And the things that
went through my mind when I heard the gospel, most of you know
the first words out of my mouth to my wife the next morning after
I heard it was, I hate that man. Well, I never said that again,
but in my mind and in my heart, I was so out of sorts with anybody
that brought the message that he brought. And you know what?
His message was a message of grace. Who and what do we argue
with? We argue with someone who wants
to give us grace without any interference from us. We want
to put something into the pot. I think I've mentioned this about
that cake mix company. Add water. Didn't sell. Someone came up with the idea,
have them add an egg. and it became very popular because
now it's my cake. I added an egg. Well, God's not
going to allow that. In order for us to have that
fellowship, to have that friendship, to have that interaction with
God, it must be Him that we worship. Here in the book of Ephesians
chapter 2 and verse 6, and hath raised us up together and made
us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Have you ever
been at a party or a meeting or someplace and you had to sit
down by someone you didn't want to sit with? How did I get this chair? Oh
my gosh. How the feelings go through us.
Oh, I wish I wasn't here. but they are going to give me
an award." Well, guess what? The Lord has taken those who
were so contrary to Him. and contrary to his word, and
contrary to God. And he said, he hath raised us
up together. What is that? That's the new
birth. He has quickened us. That's the new birth. And made
us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And guess what? Everybody says, thank you, Lord.
I like my chair, I like where I'm sitting, and I like who I'm
sitting with. It's the Lord Jesus Christ. In
verse 7, that in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding
riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
The ages to come, that's what we have to look forward, the
exceeding riches of His unmerited favor toward sinners. In Colossians
chapter one, would you turn there with me as we think about, in
order to be in this city of refuge, there has to be fellowship, friendship,
companionship. God is not gonna have rebels
in his presence. He's gonna have his children
in his presence. And the only way that we can
be the children is to be born into his family. And then we
find out, you know what? He planted the seed before the
foundation of the world. He promised this is going to
be mine. Well, here in the book of Colossians chapter one, Colossians
chapter one, and there in verses 20 and 21, read with me these
words. Verse 20, and having made peace,
oh my goodness, peace through the blood of His cross by Him
to reconcile all things unto Himself. What does reconcile
mean? to bring back to friendship,
to bring back together, to bring to fellowship, to bring to, to
be reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus Christ, through the
blood of His cross, having made peace through the blood of His
cross by Him, to reconcile all things unto Himself. By Him I
say, whether they be things in the earth or things in heaven,
and you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, Yet now hath he reconciled." Enemies in your mind. What an enemy we have been against
a thrice holy God. We're born that way, we grow
up that way, unless we're interfered with in our life, we'll die that
way. And you know what? We'll shake
our fist in the face of God and say, I will not have you rule
over me. And then when God saves us by
his grace, he says, please do, because I am so foolish on my
own. I can't make my own decision.
Let me go to the cross. Let me go to Christ. So having
made peace through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus
is the true Hebron. because he hath reconciled us. Friendship and fellowship is
reestablished even better than before. What we have in Christ
was so much better than what Adam and Eve had. God came down
in the cool of the eve. What did he do for the rest of
the time? And we have a 24-7 ability to
come to the Lord Jesus Christ and into his presence. through
worship and prayer. When Adam sinned, the Lord came
down and says, Where art thou? You know, when he talks to the
church, I know where you are. I've got you attached. You know
where the head is? The body's right there too. The
fellowship we can have We can come boldly to Him. 1 John, look
with me in 1 John 1. 1 John 1, as we find out again
the meaning of this word of Hebrew, fellowship, communication, having
fellowship with God. We cannot have fellowship with
God unless we keep His Word. It's not possible. You know,
a young man has asked me a number of times, Norm, how do you know
you're saved? Well, I said, the best way I know it is I don't
argue with God anymore about His Word. And here we read in 1 John 1,
verse 3, that which we have seen and heard declare unto you that
ye also may have fellowship with us. and truly our fellowship
is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ, and these
things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." Oh, to
get up to a city, he says, oh, you know. I know they got rules
in there, and I'm just not gonna abide by them. I know the mayor
of that town, and he is a rascal. I'm just not going in. Okay,
meet the manslayer. I mean the avenger of blood.
But oh, to enter into a place of safety and say everything
he has to say, he has revealed to me, and I believe it. I don't understand everything
he writes for me, but I believe everything he has to write for
me. There's no condition on God creating the heavens and the
earth. There's no condition on God raising us from the everlasting
darkness. There's no condition that God
raises us from the spiritual dead. There's no condition on
us having to be born again. Nothing. There's no interference
from our side because we readily understand that without God interfering
in our life, We would not have fellowship with God, and we would
not have fellowship with His Son, but we find out we have
absolute, totally and complete fellowship with Him through the
blood of Jesus Christ. What did He do with His blood?
Put away our sin. What was the variance between
us and God? Our sin. He puts it away, destroys
it, buries it, puts it behind him, whatever, paid for it in
full. We have no reason not to be in fellowship with Him. Truly our fellowship is with
Him. There is another city, and it's
Bezer. Over there in the book of Joshua,
chapter 20, verse 8, talks about Bezer. And this place means a
fortified place or a stronghold or a rock. Now, there is significance
in the names of these cities of refuge because you know what?
To every believer, Jesus Christ is our stronghold. Every believer, he is my rock. Every believer, he is my fortified
place, and nothing can get to me because of him. Turn with
me, if you would, to the book of Isaiah chapter 26. Isaiah
chapter 26, as we think of this city, Bezer, which means a fortified
place or a stronghold or a rock. In Isaiah chapter Isaiah chapter 26 the scriptures
share these words with us Isaiah 26 in verse 4 it says Trust ye
in the Lord forever For the Lord Jehovah is everlasting
strength and You know, in some translations,
trust ye in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself
is the rock eternal. Trust ye in Jehovah forever,
for in Jehovah is the rock of ages. The Lord Jesus Christ is
the true rock of ages, the true place of safety, the true place
where we have a stronghold in the day of trouble. And that's
what Nahum brings up, that little book of Nahum there in the Old
Testament. I realize it's a minor prophet,
but it is major in its doctrine. And in the book of Nahum chapter
1 and verse 7, we have the Lord sharing this through his prophet
Nahum, and I've said this in times past. If we love God, and
we love the Lord Jesus Christ, and we love His word, and we
heard of a man by the name of Nahum, and a prophet of the Lord
over here in some hinterland, that's where we want to gravitate
to because he is God's prophet at this time. And Nahum had this
to say, the Lord is good. a stronghold in the day of trouble,
and he knoweth them that trust in him. What is said in that
verse of scripture so much? He is a stronghold in the day
of trouble, and also he knows everyone that rests in the stronghold. He is sovereign over all things.
He's sovereign over salvation. We find that not only is the
Lord sovereign over every big thing, but He is sovereign over
every little thing. Insignificant things that mean
nothing, He is absolutely sovereign over, and we find out that they
became significant things. He tells us here, the Lord is
good, a stronghold in the day of trouble. this in Psalm 91. Would you turn there with me
in Psalm 91 as we think, what's the use of going someplace if
we have no protection? What's the use of going to a
city of refuge that we're not going to protect me after I get
there? I need protection. I need protection from the avenger
of blood. I need protection from the law
of God. I need protection from God's
wrath. I need protection. Where can
I go? And it's no reason in this world
to flee all those miles and find out there is no protection. You
know, we may flee miles after miles after miles in religion
and find out absolutely there was no protection here. There's
no protection outside of Christ. And so here we read in the book
of Psalms, Psalm 91, these words that the Lord has given us with
regard to the city of refuge whose rock, stronghold, A place
of safety, a place I can be in and not be beat on. Here in the
book of the Psalms, Psalm 91, verse 1. He that dwelleth in the secret
place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the
Almighty. What a refuge, a place to dwell
in the most high, the secret place of the most high, verse
two, and I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress,
my God in whom I will trust. You know, we cannot say enough
about this refuge. Not only does he have our front,
but he has our back. Not only does he have our right
hand, but he has our left hand. Not only does he have our top,
but he has our bottom. He has everything about us. We're
encapsulated in his safety for our soul. Now, An old preacher
once said, he has never met a believer that was afraid to die. The concern
we have sometimes is how God's going to accomplish that. You
know, I think of my friend Joe, I would have wished many things
different than that. But that's the way God accomplished
his purpose. You know, he shared with Peter,
Peter, you love me? Ask him three times. Peter said,
responded, and then he said, Peter, when you were young, you
went where you wanted to go. Isn't that the way we do it?
As soon as I get keys to that car, I'm going to Lakeview. That's
the big town. There's 2,000 people that live
there, and there's a movie theater. I'm going. Well, we, and then
Peter said, and the Lord told Peter, when you're old, you're
going to be taken where you don't want to go." Well, here we have, I'll say
to the Lord, He's my refuge and my fortress, my God, that cannot
be removed. Surely he will deliver thee from
the snare of the fowler, and from the noise and pestilence.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, under his wing shalt
thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield
and buckler. What's that? His truth shall
be my shield and buckler? He said, I promise. I will never lose you. I promise. That's our shield and buffer.
His word is truth. Thou shalt not be afraid for
the terror by night, nor the arrow that flyeth by day. Now
it doesn't mean that the arrow may not take us out of this life.
But the arrows of the wicked one, the arrows of our own nature. A thousand shall fall at thy
side and ten thousand at thy right hand. They shall not come
nigh thee. Only with thine eye shalt thou
behold and see the reward of the wicked. And on and on it
goes. What a blessed place the Lord
has given us in himself. Going back to the book of Isaiah
chapter 32, would you turn there with me? Isaiah chapter 32, we
have these words about this rock, this place of hiding, this stronghold,
this culvert, this place that is so necessary for every believer
to be in, and that is to be in Christ Jesus the Lord, Here in
the book of Isaiah chapter 32, there in verse 2, the scriptures
share this. He says, and man shall be as
a hiding place from the wind. What man is that? Christ. A man, the God man, shall
be as a hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest,
as rivers of water in a dry place, as a shadow of a great rock in
a weary land. Sometimes Nancy and I are privileged
to go down to the coast and place where she grew up. And you know,
the wind is generally blowing down there near Cape Kiwanda.
You want to know what side she stands on of me? In the lee side. I'm big enough to take care of
some of the wind for her. Well, when it comes to our spiritual
well-being, he's big enough to take care of all the wind. We're
on the lee side. We're in the safety side. The
Lord is my rock and my salvation. The name of the Lord. Turn with
me to the book of the Proverbs. Proverbs chapter 18. Proverbs chapter 18. And there in verse 10. Proverbs
chapter 18. The name of the Lord is a strong
tower. This is Hebron, a strong place,
a rock, a bezzar, excuse me, bezzar. The name of the Lord
is a strong tower. The righteous runneth into it
and is safe. Oh, flee to Christ. Safety only in Christ. Nowhere else is there all the
provisions that we are so in need of. The Lord also will be
a refuge. My sheep hear my voice and they
follow me and they shall never perish. And no man shall pluck
them out of my Father's hand. Or pluck them out of my hand.
And no man shall pluck them out of my Father's hand. And my father and I are one on
this issue. So flee to the holy one. Flee to the strength one. Flee
to the one who gives fellowship. Flee to him who is the stronghold. The righteous runneth into it
and is safe. Brother Mike.