I am honored beyond words to have
been asked to come here tonight and preach. My pastor, Gene Harmon,
reminds me in almost every conversation, and I talk to him probably five
times a week from California, and he reminds me how much of
an honor it is for him to have preached all those year in rescue,
but not just then, as it is now. I mean, he was over there preaching
for David this last Sunday, 82 years old, and the Lord's still
blessing him with that honor and that privilege. And it's
an honor and a privilege to be here tonight. Turn in your Bibles, if you would,
to the Book of Lamentations. But before I join you there,
we've just heard in the men's meeting that our dear brother
Tim James has probably lost his home to the flood. The church
has been canceled indefinitely due to the flooding of the church.
And I understand his home, is that correct, is right next to
the church on the same level. So we're going to assume at this
moment that the house is gone as well. walking over here just getting
ready to walk over here my sister called from California and she
just lost everything she has her house burnt down about five
to about five ten minutes before we came to come over here everything
everything she had is gone all of her animals she got her dogs
out but cats and chickens are all gone I can imagine what Tim
must be going through as well. But there's a difference. I know
that Tim James knows the Lord. I'm not so sure about my sister.
She's a very religious woman, but she's devastated. She's absolutely devastated.
That's all that she had in this world, no children, no husband,
just what she had in her home. God's people have a reliance
on our Lord as being sovereign of everything. All things are
purposed by him. We have a sign over the walkway
and underneath the awning that goes into the church. It says,
if your preacher or if your God is trying, then your preacher
is lying. And then I give him an invitation
to come and hear the truth. God's people, we know that he's
God. There's no question about it
in our minds. We believe. We believe that everything
we believe about him is because of him. The faith that I have
in the almighty sovereign God is because he was gracious enough
to give me that faith. And every child of God knows
that, don't we? I'm talking to a bunch of the
regulars tonight, aren't I? You all show up every Wednesday,
don't you? The regulars, those who come
because it's most definitely a desire in their hearts to hear
about our Lord. You know, Job, he lost everything,
didn't he? He lost all of his house. He
lost all of his children, lost all of his crops. Listen to these
words, he says, in Job chapter one, verse 21, and said, Naked
came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither.
The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name
of the Lord. I'll bet you that's what Tim
James is saying. I'll bet you that's what he's
saying. Blessed be the name of the Lord. What do you think Paul, when
he wrote to the Romans, that scriptures we just read there,
what do you think he was thinking when he said, for I am persuaded,
persuaded, completely convinced. I don't care what you think about
of anything on this earth. It doesn't matter. The issue
is Christ. What do you think of him? Paul was persuaded because he
was completely convinced that nothing of this earth, nothing
of this flesh can separate him from what? From the love of God.
It says there in verse 39, nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Do you know that's where his
love for us is? It's in his Son. It's not in anything you have
done. If the Lord looked at John Reeves and he was going to base
his love upon John Reeves, he'd snarl up his nose and walk away
from that. Thank God, though, that we're
in Christ. You know when it says that the Lord over there in 2
Corinthians 15, you know where it says that he was made sin?
He who knew no sin was made sin, that we might be made what? The righteousness of God. It's not a righteousness of ours.
I mean, it's ours, but it's in him. The righteousness of God
in Christ. Oh, we sing this song here. It says, great is thy faithfulness. Oh God, my father, there is no
shadow of turning with thee. There's no shadow of turning
with Thee. You know what I think about when I sing that song? These words just pop out and
bless my heart so much over in Malachi 3, verse 6. For I am
the Lord. He's sovereign God of everything.
He's the Lord God Almighty in bodily form, in the form of His
Son, the Lord Jesus. He says, I change not, therefore,
Because he changes not, you sons and daughters of Jacob are not
consumed. We deserve it, don't we? We deserve to be consumed. We
deserve the wrath of God, and we know that, don't we? You know,
God has to come to you and give you that broken heart, broken
and contrite heart. That's not something that comes
natural to anybody. We all like to think of ourselves as a little
bit of something, don't we? I'm not such a bad guy. Look
at little Johnny, ain't he just the sweetest little guy in the
world? Oh, it takes God to reveal what we are before him. And I'm
so thankful that he has. Because not only has he revealed
what I am before him, he's revealed my salvation in his son. He's
not going to break your heart and show you what you deserve
until He's decided He's going to show you His Son, our salvation. There is no shadow of changing. There is no shadow of turning
with thee. Oh, how thankful, how blessed
I am to know that God does not change. Therefore, ye sons of
Jacob are not consumed. Are you with me in lamentations?
Look here, if you would, at verses 22 and 23, Lamentations chapter
3, verse 22. We read these words, it is of
the Lord's mercies. You know, if it's of the Lord's,
it's the best there is. He doesn't do anything secondhand.
His mercies are exactly what we need. We may not always know
it. We may not always know it right away. But there's going
to come a time, you'll see how merciful he was and how his mercies. It is the Lord's mercies that
we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great
is thy faithfulness. Isn't that wonderful? Turn now,
if you would, over to Hebrews chapter 11. That'll be our text
for this evening. Hebrews chapter 11. We've been
considering this chapter and I've just been having so much
fun going through it word by word in our Bible study on Sunday
mornings. We kind of skimmed through and
did some bunches of verses, bundles of verses all the way through
to chapter nine. And in chapter nine, all of a
sudden, everything just kind of slowed down and we started
grabbing into some of the meat of the gospel. And here in 11,
in chapter 11, the Lord's showing us a cloud of witnesses. That's what it's called over
there in chapter 12, verse one. Wherefore, seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us
lay aside every weight. and the sin which does so easily
beset us." Do you have sin that easily besets you? You know,
the Lord came to save sinners, of which I am chief. I heard
one of the men preaching over there at Kingsport this weekend
say that true followers of God, those
who know the truth of God in His Word, are the only group
of people that they're all chiefs. Every one of us, we're all chiefs,
aren't we? Oh no, John, I'm the chief. Oh no, no, I'm the chief. Seeing we are encompassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses. And all these witnesses we see
here in chapter 11, this example that the Lord gives us here in
verse 11. Read this with me, if you would.
Hebrews 11, verse 11, through faith, because Sarah had been
given true faith, that faith that she was given, based upon
that, that's what that means, through faith, through her belief,
through her trust, this gift of God, also Sarah herself received
strength. to conceive seed and was delivered
of a child when she was past age. You know the story. She
is way past the age of birth. She had even laughed when she
heard that God had promised a child. He really is going to give us
a child. And he addressed that. But here we come to the point
where it's talking about her and her faith in the Lord. And
then it says there that last phrase. I want you to look at
this. It says, through faith she received strength. But here,
because. She judged, she considered Him
faithful who had promised. She trusted. She believed. John 3, 16. Now, I know everybody
wants to say God's the love of the world, and they want to focus
on that. Folks, the key to that verse is this, whosoever. Whosoever. Whosoever believeth. on me shall
have everlasting life." She believed. She had the faith of God. God
doesn't give you secondhand things. He doesn't do things halfway.
He does it all, and it's always right. Everything. That flood
that took out all those homes was done because God had purposed
it to happen. My sister's home. My heart just
breaks for her. I'm anxious now to get home to
help her in any way I can. But this was purposed by God. I don't know if she's a child
of God yet. There's still time left for her
to be one. What do you mean by that, John? She's still breathing.
She's not passed through that doormark death yet. And God can
do all things. My only hope for my children
is this, that all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. Those
words of God gives me hope that my children may come to the Lord
someday and that they will if they belong to him. But not knowing
whether she is or not, it doesn't matter. I want to go home. I
want to help her. I want to call her up as soon
as we're done with services tonight and try to offer her some hope. to put her faith in her religion
aside for a moment and think about who is in charge of all
things? Who is it that rules and purposes
all things for us? How did Paul say, I am confident,
I'm assured, because God assured him with it. That's how, the
same way you and I have assurance about it. I know a man who, Lord,
John, I just, I don't know if I'm saved. I've been there. How can I be saved and have thoughts
like that go through my mind? How can I be saved and want to
throw something at that car that just cut me off on the freeway?
How can I be saved and want to yell at the woman who's letting
her dogs run in my yard? Whatever you want to put before
that, how can, Save me. I have loved you with an everlasting
love." Isn't that good words? I have
loved you with everlasting love. Through faith, she judged him
faithful who had promised. Sarah considered him that is
faithful. She trusted through belief that He could and would
do all that He says. Do you trust? Do you trust in
Him to be who He says He is? When you read this book and you
read about this One called Jesus, do you trust Him to be God Almighty
in the flesh as He claims to be? Do you trust Him that what
He has done, walking this earth in perfect righteousness, fulfilling
the law in Himself perfectly for His people? Do you trust
Him in that? That's a hard one to do, isn't
it? Our flesh keeps jumping up and trying to, well, I've got
to do something. I have a responsibility, don't
I? Absolutely you do. Be ye holy,
for our God is holy. Plain. Simple. But I can't! Neither can I. And neither could
Paul. All those things Paul listed
off there in the book of Romans, you think they didn't plague
him like they plague us? You ever sit down and look at
Ephesians chapter 2, verses 1 and 2, and read those words, read
those descriptions of how we were before, and say to yourself,
I remember. I remember. And here's the worst thing about
it. I'm still that sometimes today. I still have those thoughts go
through my mind. People like to go to church and
pretend that, oh, I'm so much holier now. I don't smoke. I
don't do this and I don't do that. My son came to me one day and
he said, you know, Dad, I know a few people that are like that.
How come you don't do that? And I said, because I'm not that
way. I still sin every day, all day, every time. Everything about
this flesh that stands before you is full of sin. You see, to believe in Jesus
is not to believe that Jesus existed only. It's to believe
in what he's done and who he's done it for. It's to believe
everything there is about him. We must believe who He is. We
must believe what He did. And we must believe who He did
it for. And we must believe what it is
He's doing right now. Did you know He's God Almighty
sitting on His throne today? Everything that happened today
was purposed by God sitting on His throne right now. Those folks
who say He's going to come back and reign a thousand years, I'm
telling you, Christ Jesus reigns today. It's called faith. You know what
faith is? Look back at verse one of Hebrews
chapter 11. Look back at verse one there.
Now, faith is the substance. That's the assurance. That's
the solid rock that we have. Assurance, substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. This man who would
cry unto me, I just don't know if I'm saved. I would ask him,
I'd say, well, you know, The other day when I saw you, you
were all smiles and you were hearing the gospel and you were
all happy. What happened between now and then? He says, I just
don't know if I can believe. I said, well, do you believe
that Jesus is God Almighty in the flesh? Oh, yeah, absolutely. Do you believe he died for a
people on the cross? That's what the scriptures say.
Absolutely. Do you believe he's sitting on
his throne today? Oh, absolutely. I believe that. Well, then what are you putting
your faith in in your salvation? I just don't feel. I say, stop
feeling. Stop feeling. You're putting
trust in your feelings. Our Lord doesn't say, believe
and feel. He says, believe. He says, believe. It's called faith, and it's a
gift that God gives to some, And here's grace. He passes by
others. World don't like to hear that.
That's not fair. It's not fair that it's in God's
hands to make that choice. Yes, it is. And it's right. I don't care what you think about
it. I don't care what I think about. I don't care what I feel
about it. He says so. And it's right. He passes by some, and He gives
grace to others. It's called vessels of mercy
and vessels fitted for destruction. I deserve to be a vessel of destruction,
but God has chosen a people in His Son to be merciful to, to
be gracious to. That lifts my heart up. Maybe
I'm one. When the apostles When the Lord
told them that there would be one who would betray them, every
one of them, even Peter, stood up to the Lord and said, is it
I? Is it I? We read these words in Ephesians
2, verse 8, for by grace are you saved through faith. and
that not of yourselves that have gifted God, not of works, lest
any man should boast. And I tell you, I know that to
be true. If God would remove His merciful,
gracious hand from John, I would start boasting. You know how
I know that? I can hit a golf ball down the middle of the fairway,
and I can stand right up and tell you, hey, did you see what
I just did? Instead of, see what the Lord just did for me? Or
I can hit it off into the weeds and tell you, And trust me, it
goes off in the weeds a lot more than it does down the middle
of the fairway. I know I would boast, do you? See, the Lord doesn't take our
sin away from us that we remember. We remember, don't we? We know
that if he wasn't looking for us, we would have never sought
him. We know that if He hadn't shown His grace to us, we would
have never believed it. It's like that blind man. Once
I was blind, but now I see. We believe His Word is truth.
We believe that what He has said to be, will be. We believe that
all that is to come of past shall come to pass, just as He has
said it shall be. Because of who he is, we have
confidence in his word. Our faith is based on him, him
alone, and he who is perfectly faithful in all that he has promised. He cannot lie. He cannot fail. He does not try. He does. Like I said, if your God is trying,
your pastor is lying. That's not mine, by the way.
That's Mike Loveless, our dear elder there in rescue. Some of
you may know him. He's quite the poet. He wrote
a sign. We were going to go sit one day.
He wanted to go out and some of the old religion part was
coming up and he wanted to go sit in front of a store and just
invite people to church on a Sunday, which there's nothing wrong with
that. I personally don't think it's all that profitable, but
we were going to do it. And he made up a sign to put
across the thing. And I said, I've decided that sign is going
to go over our walkway instead. That's just a good statement.
Listen to these words in Psalms chapter 36, verse 5. Thy mercy,
O Lord, is in the heavens, and thy faithfulness reacheth unto
the clouds. Turn over to Ephesians chapter
1, if you would. Ephesians chapter 1. Consider him that is faithful. That's what Sarah was doing.
She had considered the one that was faithful. That's what we
read there in Hebrews 11, verse 11. Her faith, her belief, her
trust was on the faithfulness of the one who had made the promise.
Now has God the Son, has God the Father promised God the Son
of people? I believe that's in Scriptures
in several places, isn't it? Yeah. He's promised a people
to His Son. And His Son has promised to save
those people, has He not? And the Spirit has promised to
give life to those people that they may come to the Lord in
the day of His power and the day of His love. That's the same
promise you and I have that Sarah had. I'm going to do something,
and it's going to get done. Well, here in Ephesians chapter
one, we see these words, beginning at verse 10, if you would, that
in the dispensation of time, in His plan of time, in the fullness
of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ,
His Son, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even
in Him, in whom also we have obtained, that's past tense,
It's done. That's the Lord Jesus Christ
on the cross saying it is finished. An inheritance being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will. That we should be the praise
of His glory who first trusted in Christ. Who's the one who
first trusted in Christ? God the Father in the covenant
before the world was made. See folks, we've been, we were
put, we were inscribed in the palms of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ before the world was ever created. We were on
that breastplate of the chosen people, the twelve tribes. Our
names were written on that breastplate, the breastplate of Christ. We
were loved with an everlasting love. And as you read in Scriptures, He gave His only begotten Son.
How shall He not give us all things? God Almighty trusted His Son
before anything was ever made, that we should be the praise
of His glory who first trusted Christ, verse 13, in whom ye also trusted. After that
ye heard the word of truth, Folks, you're not going to come
to a God who's trying. You're not going to come to the
God who has purposed all things unless he tells you about him.
How are you going to come to somebody you've never heard of?
How are you going to come to somebody you've never heard of,
in whom you also trusted after that you heard the word of truth
the gospel of your salvation in whom also after that you believed
you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise which is the
earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchase
possession unto the praise of his glory. All that I have said tonight
to to say this great is the faithfulness of
the Lord. I want you to consider him that
is faithful. That's what Sarah was doing. When something comes up and folks,
doesn't it seem like every time we get through a trial and then
another one comes right behind it? If I'm dealing with a trial
in my family or a trial where I'm working or a trial in the
world that rules over us, politics, whatever your trial might be.
And then you get almost all the way through that and the Lord
brings you another trial. If he didn't, then John Reeves
would get all big headed. Remember we were talking a minute
ago about bursting with pride and boasting about ourselves? I'm thankful. Paul said this,
I'm thankful for trials. I thank the Lord for the trials
he brings my way to keep me humble, to keep me looking to him. Do
you realize that that's his love for us? Reminding us over and
over and over again that we're nothing but worms. All we have
In all of creation is this one called the Lord Jesus Christ
to look to. That's it. But that's everything. It's not just some little thing.
He's all things to me. He's all things to his people.
He's not going to have just part of you, folks. He's going to
have all of you or nothing of you. Depart from me, ye workers
of iniquity. You know, if the Lord says that
to me, I deserve every bit of it. But if he says, enter, thou faithful
servant, it's because of his son and his son alone. Who is the Lord Jesus faithful
to? In Hebrews chapter 10, verse
nine, we read these words. Then said he, lo, I come to do
thy will. Oh God, he taketh away the first
that he may establish the second, by the which will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. In John 4, verse 34, we read
these words, and I'd like you to turn over to John 6 while
I'm reading this. Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the
will of him that sent me. to his finished works. Did you
know over in John chapter 17 it says these words, talking
about knowing the one that sent him, over in John chapter 17,
I want you in John 6 if you would, but let me read over here real
quick. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest
me, this is verse 8 of 17, and they have received them and have
known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed. that thou didst send me. God the Father sent his Son to
be our propitiation. Jesus Christ saith unto them,
My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish
his works. Over here in John chapter 6,
beginning at verse 37, we read these words, All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me. Isn't that wonderful? Didn't
that bless you? That means everyone that belongs
to Him is going to come, doesn't it? That's why this world is
still going. That's why people are still wandering
around on the earth. It's because God's got somebody
out there who still has to come to Him. Aren't you thankful that
He had to go through Samaria? That He had to go through Danville?
That He had to go through Rescue, Yuba City, and other places?
Christ must save all His people. All that the Father giveth him
shall. That means they will. This is the trust that Sarah
had. Folks, only God given faith can
give us that kind of trust. This body is going to say that's
flat out crazy. She's, if she was left to her
flesh, she would have said that can't be, I'm way over the age. We stop having babies at 30,
35, 40. Maybe a little bit later, but very rare. I'm 90. I'm a sinner. That cannot be
that somebody would save me. And my Lord says, I will. Be
thou clean. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out. That's just as important, folks.
That verse there is just as important as that first part. But John,
aren't you inviting people to come to Christ? Yes, I am. And
I know that the only way you're going to come to Christ is if
he has come to you first. Because that's the way it was
with me, and that's the way it is with every example he's given
in scriptures. But he's also never turned anybody
away. Why? Because He's given them the power
to come. That's why. In the day of His
power, in the day of His love. Look what it says next, verse
38. For I came down from heaven not
to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's will
which has sent me, that of all which He hath given me, I should
lose nothing, but should raise it up again the last day. And if you didn't understand
that, he's going to say it again to us. Look at verse 40. And
this is the will of him that sent me. You know, when the Lord
Jesus Christ says something, you need to sit up and listen
to it. Trust me, you just need to listen to it. If he says it
twice, you better pay close attention. close attention, and this is
the will of Him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the
Son and believeth on Him may have everlasting life, and I
will raise Him up the last day." This is whom Christ is faithful
to. He's faithful to His Father,
He's faithful to the Spirit, His Spirit, and He's faithful
to Himself. He cannot lie. In 1 John 5, verse
7, there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father,
the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. Now
remember, when it says the Word there, what does it say over
in John chapter 1? In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
made flesh, in verse 14. In John chapter 10, verse 30,
we read these words, I and my Father are one. John 5, verse 18, we read this,
therefore the Jews sought more to kill him because he not only
had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his father
making himself equal with God. Three distinct persons, yet of
one mind. In other words, total agreement.
Total agreement of all three. Go back to our text there in
Hebrews, if you would. Only go back one page to chapter
10. Who is our Lord faithful to?
He's faithful to the Father. He's faithful to the Spirit.
He's faithful to himself. Beginning at verse eight of Hebrews
chapter 10, we read these words. Above, when he said, sacrifice
and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin, thou wouldest
not, neither has pleasure therein, which are offered by the law.
Then said he, lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He came to do the will of his
father. What was the will of his father? All that he had given
him, he should lose none. Isn't that what we just read?
Yeah. See how that goes together? He
taketh away the first that he may establish the second. By
the which will, by his will, not by our will, not by some
so-called free will of men. Folks, our will is bound by the
sin of this flesh. You leave it up to us and we
will fail. Thank God for his mercy and his
grace. By the which will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for
all, once for all, and every priest standeth daily ministering,
and oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins.
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever,
sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting
till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering
he hath perfected. You know, there's another word
there, let me turn over, you can go with me if you want, but
over in Hebrews chapter one, there's another word that's one
of my favorite words in the whole Bible, and that is over in first
Hebrews one, chapter one, verse three. Who being the brightness
of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding
all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself
purged. That means put away. Something
that was there is now gone. Purged, perfected back in our
text. For by one offering, verse 14,
he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Whereof
the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us, for after that he had
said before, this is the covenant that I will make with them after
those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts,
and in their minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities
will I remember no more. Now where remission of these
is, there is no more offering for sin. That's our Sabbath. That's our rest. Right there,
Sarah had full assurance. She had faith. The full assurance
of what is not seen. She hadn't seen the baby yet.
She hadn't gotten pregnant yet, but God had promised she would,
didn't He? And she knew that what God says will be done. And we know that what God says
shall be done. Excuse me. I apologize. Those to whom the Lord is gracious,
like Sarah, like Abraham, like all those that are listed there
in chapter 11 and more, many, many, many more. The Lord is gracious. Believe
Him and trust in His faithfulness. We have no trust in ourselves.
We have no confidence in anything of this flesh. We have no confidence
about our flesh. We have no confidence in our
feelings. We have no confidence in our
thoughts. Our only confidence is in the promises of God, and
that's where Sarah's was. She looked to Him who is truly
faithful. Sarah believed even though her
womb was dry, even though she was past her time of giving birth,
she believed God would accomplish what He had promised. We too
believe, we trust, for God has promised and He shall lose none. He has promised that His blood
was shed for a people, cleansing them, purging them of their sin.
He has promised that when He was made sin, a people were made
righteous, the righteousness of God in Him. He has promised
that the accuser has nothing to stand on to come between Him
and those that he has loved from the foundations of the world.
Folks, this is our foundation. He is the faithful one. Great
is thy faithfulness. And because he is faithful, I
am strengthened. I'm lifted up when my sins are
overwhelming me. When I'm walking on water, and
I've taken my eyes off of Christ, and I look down, and I see the
waves starting to boister over my head, and the Lord just reaches
down, and He grabs a hold of you. He says, quit looking at
yourself. I've taken care of it for you,
and I'm strengthened. I am strengthened. I receive
strength to keep on keeping on. What do you mean by that, John? I'm strengthened to keep on keeping
on looking to him. I've been preaching now as pastor
of rescue for five years. And there's no doubt in my mind.
That it's him. Who's kept me there. This is
a tough job. This is a job that no man could
do unless God was with him and lifting him up. My pastor tried to warn me of
that. Today, we just laugh about it, and he says, yeah, me too.
Me too. We're strengthened to keep on
keeping on, to keep fighting the good fight, to keep running
the race. I look past the trials. I pray
that our brother Tim Others, and my sister, who've lost all
that they have, can look past the trials and keep on keeping
on. They can look past the chaos
that is in the world around us. You know, we walk through a valley
of death, but the Lord tells us, he tells his people, that
that valley is nothing more than a shadow. Though I walk, through
the valley of the shadow of death." Everything's dying around us.
You know it's a valley of death. You know it's a valley of dry
bones, but yet it's only a shadow to those who are given faith
to look to the faithful one. Let's close, if you would, over
in Jude, the last book before Revelation. A little one-chapter
book there, and I'll bring this to a close. Sorry if I went a
little bit long. I look to the one who is faithful
and who is willing, and he will do what he has promised. Over
here in Jude chapter one, of course, verse 17, but beloved,
remember ye the words which were spoken before the apostles of
our Lord Jesus Christ. What were those words? In Luke
24, verse 27, it says, the Lord expounded from the Old Testament,
from the books, from the prophets, beginning with Moses and all
the prophets, the things concerning himself. So we see this is it,
this is exactly what that's talking about. Remember ye the words
which were spoken before the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,
verse 18, how that they told you there should be mockers in
the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lust. These be they who separate themselves
sensual, having not the spirit, but ye. But ye. You could apply this
if you wanted to. But God. I'm not changing God's
word. I'm saying you could apply that.
But God, but ye. Beloved, building up yourselves
on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves
in the love of God. It is God who keeps us in the
love of God. looking for the mercy of our
Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Drop down to 24 now. Now unto him that is able to
keep you. See what I just said a moment
ago? Who is it that keeps us? Our Savior, the faithful one.
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to
present you faultless before the presence of his glory with
exceeding joy to the only wise God, our Savior. Folks, you get
in those trials, you get into those trials, look to Christ. He's faithful. You can count
on Him. You can count on God Almighty
in the flesh, His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.