I'm playing marches as you can tell. ♪ ♪ Good morning, we welcome you to the service this morning. We invite you to take your hymnal, turn to hymn number 437. 437, I am his and he is mine. And let's stand as we sing. In a love which cannot cease, I am bitter when he is gone. bring something new to every view. I see signs that I've never seen, but if I ever stop to look, I think they could really shine.

I am His and He is mine. Since I know Him now I know I am His and He is mine. arms. And I'll proudly serve my rest. Clothed in everlasting arms, filled with all the loving grace of the Father who ever lived. Now in care and suffering's mind, I I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine.

I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. I am his and he is mine. Like you may be seated as we take our bulletin here.

Come, our Savior, three in one, sung to the tune of the duxology. Let praises run from every tongue, You. ♪ In Christ the Lord ♪ ♪ All we need is that man may know ♪ ♪ The Lord of Christ was but a son ♪ ♪ Who came to earth in flesh and blood ♪ ♪ A victory for God his own ♪ righteousness. Sing, spirit of the Holy One, who gave us life when we had none, and through the gospel we reveal.

Who's made us ever such as we, And by His sacred persons all, Has given us comfort in that unfall. Greetings to each and every one on this somewhat dismal, rainy morning. We're thankful that as does not hinder the bright light, the son of righteousness who always rises in the hearts of his people with healing in his wings. As we gather this morning, we want to continue our prayers for these that we've been praying for.

I hear so much about prayer and the positive things that prayer can accomplish, but in the prayer of God's people, we pray that His will be done. We don't pray that his will won't be done. We pray according to that will that we know is good and perfect. And in prayer, the Lord bows our hearts and causes us to submit to those things that he brings to pass. We ask for mercy and grace to all that we pray for.

We want to continue to pray for Anthony. He begins his chemo treatment this week. We pray the Lord would bless that to him. Pray for Jewel that she might be raised back to strength. Pray for Roger and Vicki. Love them and pray for them. Pray for my wife who's having a difficult time with her knees and back. We want to remember Christian, Betty's granddaughter again this morning. We want to pray for Ree who's sick this morning and I'm sure I've missed somebody and not intentionally we ask the Lord to help each one.

I thought about it this week. We have had so much sickness and so much surgery and so much many things that seemed to get us down and such. What a delight it was that we were able to announce and hear the news about baby Evelyn Jean McClain being born early Monday morning. I could almost sense it in the text that went up in the text group that there was rejoicing and thanksgiving to God and praise to Him for that child coming. We pray His riches of blessings upon her that He might reveal to her the Lord Jesus Christ and cause her to know His salvation. I want you to turn this morning for a reading to the book of Philippians. You can just hold your place here or mark it in your Bibles because we'll be coming back to this in the message. Philippians chapter four.

Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved, and long for my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. I beseech Jodeas and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord, And I entreat thee also, true Yoke fellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, Whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. And those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen of me do, and the God of peace shall be with you.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again, wherein you were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased and I know both how to abound. Everywhere in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me.

Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. Now ye Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity, not because I desire a gift, But I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all and abound. I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you. All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Our Father, we bow our heads this morning. which I hope and pray is a symbol of our hearts bowed before the throne of your grace. We bring before you the honor, the praise, the glory, the submission that you are worthy of. but yet that we only can do in a small part. For you're worthy of all glory, all honor, all submission.

And we pray that in all these things, yet you would exalt and glorify your name alone. We pray for that grace, and that faith that enables us to look to none but you. We acknowledge that you are God alone, and there is none else. There is none like you or beside you.

And we ask of you this very day for these especially that we have mentioned and more that are upon our hearts and minds. These sick ones, these ones undergoing treatment, these ones enduring daily sufferings in the body, these ones that cry out to you as we cry out this morning for help and strength and deliverance according to your will. We pray to you that you might be to them the Lord that healeth them. And we ask of you in every case, especially for their own salvation, for their being brought to a true knowledge of Christ. and true dependence upon Christ. We pray that in these days of all this error and all of this deception and delusion, that you would reveal yourself with great clarity and make yourself known in Christ, the true Christ, not another Jesus, but the true Christ that we read of and his work that he accomplished in these pages of scripture that you've given us. Lord, we thank you that you have not left us without hope, that you have not left us without objective truth, that you've maintained to us a faithful witness of that truth and faith and belief in that truth. We pray, Lord, now that you would deliver and help and be in the midst of all your true people in this world.

Bless the work there in Wilmington. Help the one that leads it. Guide and prove. Bring forth your word and gospel in clarity and in power. Lord, we ask your presence. that you might accomplish by your spirit that which we cannot accomplish, that you would bring your people to hear and to be taught by your spirit. We pray that you'd give them spiritual life. We ask, Lord, this morning for myself, As I seek to stand here this morning, such a weak and useless and sinful vessel, clay pot, an earthen pot in which you put a treasure, help me to pour out this morning by your spirit that which is true about you. Take your word and reveal yourself for your glory and to the accomplishment of your purpose and receive this morning our gratitude, our thanksgiving for this gift that you've given us of eternal life. We know that it is in Christ and salvation is in him alone. And we pray that he might get all the glory. For we ask it in his name. Amen.

Turn your hymnals once again. 362. 362. Rock of Ages, cleft for me. And then, Brother Tim, if you'll wait on the congregation. ♪ All through sin and hurt, God, I've known ♪ ♪ I will stay with Thou alone ♪ ♪ Binding in Thy hand, my friend ♪ ♪ Stemming to Thy cross, I cling ♪ ♪ Make it come to Thee, O Lord ♪ So give me your grace and I'll give you mine. Let our love arose then, through the air or night with Him. I shall see Him face to face, sing the story, sing my praise. you so so ♪♪ ♪♪ you you. Let my eyes go and see. I am worthy. My Savior is here. My Lord, you're watching me.

How can I fail you, Jesus? ♪ How can I fill with Jesus? ♪ ♪ When my God will praise me again, ♪ ♪ In the world to come with you. ♪ ♪ How can I fear? ♪ ♪ Jesus, Jesus is near. ♪ ♪ How can I fear? ♪ ♪ Glory, glory, glory to Jesus. ♪ Jesus is King. He controls everything. His will be done in a day. I trust my soul to say that's not true.

♪ How can I feel victory, victory, victory, victory, victory? Turn back to that fourth chapter of Philippians. We read the whole chapter for our reading, but I want us to go back and read one more time that eighth verse. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, Whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. I've entitled this message, True positive thinking. And when I became interested in and looking at this verse, something came to my mind, a little parable that has been depicted a proverb supposedly finding its roots in Japanese literature, of the three wise monkeys. And you've seen them depicted in little statues and pictures, the three wise monkeys, and one has his hands over his eyes.

See no evil. And the other monkey has his hands over his ears. Hear no evil. And the other one has his hand over his mouth. Speak no evil. You've seen these three monkeys. Well, there probably ought to be a fourth monkey. And maybe he'd just hold his hands on his head and depict, think no evil. Think no evil. But that is not possible in this flesh, just like the other three are not possible. This fourth thing would not be possible in this flesh.

Because in the book of Proverbs, we read these words, these condemning, enlightening words. He says, the thought of foolishness is sin. And how many times a day, how many times in our lifetime have we thought the thought of foolishness? He tells us it's sin. And so is all natural thinking.

Old Naaman the leper, who was cleansed, he came into my mind because when the prophet first told him what the prescription for his cleansing was, that dipping and washing in that river, that muddy River Jordan, seven times. He became angry and he turned away and started to leave, saying, I thought, I thought surely the prophet would say like some magic words, or the prophet would hold his hand over my leprosy or something like that. He just said that this cleansing would be through this washing. Are not the rivers of Abana and Parpar much cleaner and pristine than this river?

I thought but his thinking was foolishness. And then another one that came to my mind was that rich man, when he was considering all that he has, it says that he thought within himself, I need to tear down these little barns and build bigger barns. to hold what I am. He got that thinking from himself. He thought within himself.

And here in this text, Paul is not advocating the positive thinking that is taught in our day, that think good thoughts, Think positive thoughts only. He's not advocating natural positive thinking, because when he writes here, he says, finally, he's closing out this letter. a letter to the church at Philippi to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ that he has such love for and who have such love for him because they so cared for him. And he addresses them as dearly beloved saints Brethren, this is written to believers, to those who have been regenerated by the Spirit of God, who are the children of God, but they are still plagued with unbelief, and who in themselves still cannot think right. Our thinking is just naturally wrong. We think within ourselves. We think like Neyman thought. We think it's this way or that way.

But Paul's instruction is not according to those things. And granted, there could be, in these things listed here, there could be taken a general thinking. There could be a so-called practical thinking or a mental way of thinking here that might be encouraged and have been taken by many who don't even know Christ as positive. But this is not to the world.

This is to the people of God, to God's elect in every place where he sends this message, and it is about Christ. As a matter of fact, everything In this book, all of the scriptures, Christ himself said, they all testify of me. Turn back and look at verse four. His admonition is rejoice in the Lord. That's not a message of just be happy all the time, fake it and front it and do all these things for a show like the Pharisee. He said rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. Because the Lord Jesus Christ is our rejoicing. And also he says, look in verse five, he says, let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

What does that mean? That you don't eat too much or that you don't drink. That's not the meaning here. He's talking about us being steady and unmoved witnesses to the grace of God, the peace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. Not up one minute, down the next, sideways this minute.

He's talking about this steadiness that we have, this constant happiness and joy and rejoicing in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord. And this is where God-given faith looks, always and only looks. It looks outside of us, not inwardly, not to our situations, but to God. David said, why art thou cast down, O my soul? Hope thou in God.

I don't know if you figure this out, but every little joy of this world is fleeting. It's like an instant in the midst of all of these other things that disturb us, that break our hearts, that concern us, that make us anxious and cause us to have such unbelief and distraction from God himself and his grace to us. And then he says in verse 7, and the peace of God. The peace of God, which passes all understanding, all natural understanding, cannot be recognized, cannot be felt, cannot be known, cannot be understood by those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, who have not experienced His grace. It passeth all understanding, and the peace of God shall.

Did you hear that? Shall. Keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. He shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. And that is because true peace True peace comes from a peace made outside of ourselves. We'll never have peace in us, the peace of God in us, until we know the peace that is outside of us in Christ Jesus. Hold your place right there.

Look just over one book, one chapter to Colossians chapter one. Paul is always reminding the people of God in concerning all these matters of living in this world as believers, as those who are born of God, with all the conflict and all the tribulations and all the persecutions. He always reminds us and calls back to a peace that was made outside of us. Colossians 1 and 19.

For it pleased the Father that in him, that is in Christ, that in him should all fullness dwell. All fullness in Christ. And having made peace, and having made peace, peace with God through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven. He made peace. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled." There's no peace of God without peace with God. And that peace has been made by the Lord Jesus Christ. And note what he says in verse nine. He says, those things, those things which ye have both learned and receive, and heard, and seen in me do, and the God of peace shall be with you." Those things. What things? The things of Christ. That's what Paul preached.

That's what he emphasized. That was what he was all about. But if you look here in verse A, his words are about these things. I read that and it said, finally brethren whatsoever things are. No, not whatsoever things tend to, or whatsoever things make you feel one way or another, but whatsoever things are, they are all of these things in this list. And that makes me know that it has to be that he's talking about Christ because those things can only be and are in him. In him. They're the things concerning Christ Jesus. Turn back over, holding your place here, to John chapter 14. John chapter 14. And look what Christ says to us in verse 26.

He says, but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, came to this earth on the day of Pentecost. indwell that body of God's people in that hour, and indwells every one of his elect in the days following. Whom the Father shall send in my name, he shall teach you all things." He's going to teach us all things. and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you." The things he says concerning himself, the things he said concerning who he was, the things he said concerning All of our weakness and frailty, our sadness, our brokenness, all our immoderation in how we present ourselves to this world and how we are is because of our failure to look to Him, to hear Him.

And He says, peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you, not as the world give it, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Why? Because my peace I leave with you, leave with you. My peace I give unto you. It's not a peace like the world. It's a peace that is born out of the knowledge and trust in who Christ is and what he has done for his people. Look over in John chapter 16. John 16, in verse 13, much the same thing Christ saying in His own words, these words in verse 13.

How be it when He, the Spirit of truth, when He is come, He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself, But whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine. Therefore said I, that he shall take of mine and show it to you.

What things will he show? What things will he reveal? Will he talk about speaking in tongues? Will he enable this? No, he takes the spirit of Christ. He takes the things of Christ and he shows it to his people. And he reminds his people. And it causes him to grow an understanding of these things, and knowledge of these things, and trust in these things, the things of Christ.

We'll get one more portion, 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter two. Look at verse 9, but as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. That means that naturally no one in himself ever thinks, ever knows, ever understands the true things of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But he reveals them to us. He shows them, and that's not those that He does so because they love Him. We love Him because He first loved us, but this is the evidence that He's loved them. They are brought to love Him and know and understand some of these things of Christ.

But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given unto us of God, that we may know the things that are freely given us of God."

So, Paul, in this fourth chapter, of Philippians, and in this eighth verse, he closes out this letter, and he says, finally, brethren, whatsoever things are truth, If we really understood that, it would narrow down a lot. It would narrow it down to Christ alone, who is the truth. Now there are most people, even religious people say there's no absolute truth, that maybe the Bible contains some truth, but the Bible is about Christ, who is the truth. Not just has some truth, and His Word is the truth. called the word of truth. He's the truth. The only way you'll ever know the truth, the truth is to know Christ. Why? Because he is the revelation of the truth.

God hath in these last days spoken unto us The God of truth has spoken unto us by His Son, or in His Son. Christ is the truth because He's the revelation, the truth concerning God Himself. We know nothing about God except what he reveals to us in Christ. The scripture says that the Son, no man has seen God at any time, but the Son has declared Him.

He's the only way we know the truth about man. helpless, has to be saved by one outside of himself. Wretched sinner must be saved from his sins. He's the only way that we know the truth about salvation, that salvation is of the Lord. That salvation is in Christ alone. That's why he's called the Savior, the Savior of the world. Whether Jew or Gentile, all that are saved are saved by Christ.

And it is mainly the truth concerning his person and his work. What did he do? Who was he really? He's God manifest in the flesh. Is it true he was a good man? Yes. Is it true that he was a great teacher? Yes. Is it true that he was a good moral example? Yes.

But the truth is he was and is God manifest in the flesh. And all of salvation The truth about salvation is that Christ brought in that everlasting righteousness by which salvation is established and has for old eternity been established by God as a gift of his people. He's the unspeakable gift in Christ. And this means also that he's the truth in this, that he's faithful.

I may, whatsoever things are true, I may promise you the world. I may promise I'd come and help you. I may promise I won't do this or that or the other, but I may break my promise. He's the truth. He's the faithful one. And he changes not. Then it says whatsoever things are honest.

I looked up that word in the original. It has to do with honorable. It has to do with noble. It has to do with those who are grave in the sense of being sober. It has to do with the matter of being dignified. And one word that was given was this, reverend. The scripture says holy and reverend is his name. Men take it to their titles, Reverend so-and-so, Reverend this and Reverend that, and they show themselves and they prove themselves not to be revered at all. Is there anybody worthy of being revered? Is there anyone truly dignified? truly honorable, truly noble, noble.

He's the Prince of Glory, King of Glory. Whatsoever is just. That word means righteous. Isn't he righteous? Is there any righteous among us? Not in themselves. There's none righteous, no not one. There are a lot of people going about to establish their own righteousness.

There are a lot of people who have a righteousness that's nothing more than filthy rags, but if there's anybody or anything whatsoever is just or righteous, it's the Lord Jesus Christ in whom God has given the gift of righteousness. It's the one in whom we're made the righteousness of God in him. It's the one who's described as the Lord our righteousness.

He's the only one. He's the only righteousness there is. Just search this book from page to page. And it will be obvious if we have any kind of revelation or understanding at all that there is one righteousness alone, and that's Christ. He's just. Just and the justifier. He's the one who is the just God and the Savior. we read about in Isaiah. He's the justifier of all who believe. They don't look for righteousness anywhere else. Oh, I was disappointed in so and so. Well, I hate to tell you, but somebody will be disappointed in you. We're all a disappointment. But God has never been disappointed with his people because he's always viewed them in Christ. He's the Lord, our righteousness.

He goes on, he says, whatsoever things are pure, that is blameless or clear. Christ told those Pharisees, he said, let him who is without sin cast the first stone. You see, we all have to leave the rocks on the ground. There's one pure one, one clear one, one blameless one in himself, one who knew no sin. And that's Christ.

That's why I don't I don't get upset when people go to talking about this one falling or failing or something like that. Oh, I may get disappointed in this flesh, but there's one who's never failed, one who's never sinned, one who's never did anything but that which God required for a perfect sacrifice, the one who was made sin because sin was impunity Whatsoever things are lovely."

Lovely. You know, that is a word used somewhere else, and it speaks of Christ. It means pleasing. And the only man, the only person that ever got this endorsement An audible from heaven endorsement by God the Father is Christ. This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. And when you read over in the song of Solomon speaking of the bridegroom, The bride says that the bridegroom, my beloved, is altogether lovely.

Lovely. In other words, I can look at him, I can think on Christ, just as God surely thinks on him and views him and find absolutely no fault flaw whatsoever. He's lovely. He's lovely in who he is, and he sure is lovely in what he's already done for us sinners.

If there be any good report, whatsoever things are of a good report, What's that? A report. Well, there's only one good report that can be given about any man or any being on this earth. And that's the good report that God has spoken to his people when Isaiah said, who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? What is our report? A report is a message about something that has been done about somebody who is something. And it is a good report.

It is good news to all the people of God for whom it is intended in their salvation by grace as sinners. It's a good report. It comes on natural ears, this news, and that's what the gospel is. It's good news. It's not what we've already always known before, what we knew in religion falsely and all these other things, but it comes to us as news, a revelation of something God has done in Christ and given us in Christ and made us in Christ. It's good news, the forgiveness of sins.

It's a good report. It means well speaking. And he says if there be any virtue, and I believe this is anything to excite and motivate to holy living, if there be anything that moves us not only to rejoice, but to do as these people had done, which was to support Paul in his necessities of life as he traveled to preach the gospel. If there's anything that moved them to generosity to their weak brethren and needy brethren, if there was anything that motivated them to a holy life, There's only one thing.

It's not law. It's not the promise of something. It's not the threat of something. It's Christ. His grace, His mercy, and the knowledge of it in our hearts, the belief of it the seeing of the greatness of that gift, and the love of God, which is amazingly in what it accomplishes, will move us, humble us, bring us to live as He has commanded us. And then he says, if there be any praise, anything worthy of praise. Most everything that man praises either doesn't exist or lets him down. I don't know what it is, but we're by nature those who like to immediately almost without thought and consideration of anything about a person or about what he has done or about what he'll do, that he preys on him.

But he'll just prove himself that he's not worthy of it. I just read this morning where the Microsoft man who was to give a speech at a Congress, something worldwide, I think this very day. He had removed himself from that conference because of emails that had been published about his activities and with Jeffrey Epstein. He's not worthy of praise. You're not worthy of praise. I'm not worthy of praise.

But Christ is. He can be praised. And he'll never change. And everything is said to be to the praise of this glory. the glory of His grace. And that's what the redeemed, elect, are shown by John, to John, and by John, in the Revelation. What are they crying? Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb.

And so, Paul says, Think on these things. If we do nothing but watch the news, we'll think on the news. And it'll pretty soon ruin you. If we think on our work or all these other things, we won't have any peace at all, as far as felt peace. He says, think on these things that are, and they only could be in one, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse seven says, and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. He says, verse nine, those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do, and the God of peace shall be with you. He says in verse 11, not that I speak in respect of one, for I have learned in whatsoever state I'm in, therewith to be content. Verse 13, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. We'll know his strength, we'll know his presence, we'll know his peace. Turn over with me just one more time to Matthew chapter 6. This is about thinking. Matthew chapter six and verse 25.

Christ says, therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, that is what you shall eat, We eat one meal, we're worried about where the next one's coming from. What ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body what ye shall put on, is not the life more than me and the body more than Raymond? Is that all that's about? What we're to wear, what we're to eat, where we're to go, what we're to do, Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.

Are you not much better than they? And besides, which of you, by taking thought, what can you change by thinking? Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature? Let me turn that around. Which of you, by taking thought, can take off a pound? You already lost 20 pounds. You lost that five pounds you put on through the holidays. You can't even, your thinking does not change one thing.

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore, take no thought. Don't be thinking about these things. They'll consume you. Take no thoughts, say, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for tomorrow, for tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself, and sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. We'll be thinking about these things. Whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is a good report, whatsoever is a virtue, Christ. Who he is and what he's done. Think on these things. And Peter admonishes us and he says this.

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind. They say that's a reference to the long flowing garments that people used to wear, but when they had some journey to take or when they had some work that would require a lot of movement and effort, they would gather up the long garment hems and pull them up and cinch around them a leather belt so they wouldn't bend. That's the way our mind is. Well, Peter says, gird up, gather up the loins of your mind and be sober.

Don't be wishy-washy. Don't appear before this world as dying or about any other thing. and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. When Christ comes, we'll never be disappointed. Our hope will prove to be a good hope. That's the only way we can have hope, the grace of God, the Christ of God. the cross of God, but a fullness will be brought to us, and that hope will be hope no more. It'll be seen, realized at the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Think on these things. That's true. Positive thinking. That's the only thing that is positive.

Christ and Him crucified. Father, this morning we thank you for your word, for your promises to such sinners and such weak ones and sinful and frail ones like we are. We pray that you'd help us gird up the loins of our minds and cause us to think on Christ and your mercy and grace that was given to us in Him for all that He is, for all that He's done, for all that He's promised, for all the care He gives us every day of our lives. Thank you for it. And in his name we pray. Amen. Amen.