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Chapter 8 - THE WAY TO TRUE PEACE...[ Part 3 ] In Luke, the 19th chapter and verse 41, we read about Christ entering into Jerusalem. We live in a day when we need to go back to the truth, that is, to get back to the Word of God. Too many people in the world and alas, in the religious realm today, are like Pilate, who said, "What is truth?" Many know that we need the truth to set us free. Well, we need to get that truth out to the people. When Christ came near and beheld the city of Jerusalem, He wept over it. If Christ would come and behold us as a church today in our city, would He not weep over us also? Why did He weep? They were crying, "Hosanna, Peace on Earth." But they did not know anything about peace. There are some things that go with peace and you cannot get peace without them. Let us consider another thing about Christ's entry into Jerusalem. Christ told them to get a mule, the foal of an ass. That did away with Christ coming In a triumphant way. That put an end to all the splendor and Christ setting up a literal kingdom. No, He came meekly and sitting on the foal of an ass. He told them where they could find a mule, the foal of an ass. There is a significance here, that may be passed up -- a colt that no man had ever sat on. Just any colt would not do. Down through the history of Israel, the king rode on a mule. He rode that mule until it died and nobody ever sat on that mule, but the king. The mule was white. When that king died and they were ready to crown another, the mule was passed on. Whenever anyone saw someone riding that mule, they knew that He was a king. In first Kings, we read, "The King, David, said: Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoida. And they came before the King. The King also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your Lord, and cause Solomon to ride upon my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon." It was in this way, that he let all Israel know that Solomon was his successor. "But when Christ entered Jerusalem, he sat on a mule that no man had ever sat on before Him. This is a kingdom to be set up, not one that is being handed down. This is the kingdom of God and not one of man. So, no man had ever sat before on this mule. Men who handle the mule, know that you do not stay on a mule's colt the first time you try to ride on it. Moreover, the crowd was crying out, throwing their hands in the air, and there was much excitement. In the midst of it all, Christ rode that mule straight into Jerusalem. The mule acknowledged his Master, even If man did not. Why was it--that Jesus wept? Because; they did not know the things that belonged to peace. We are living in that kind of a day and age. People come to an altar when they have a need, but they need too get on a foundation where they can stand, no matter what comes. God wants His people to get to a place of good solid ground and get an experience that, whether it rains or shines, they can go right on through, any way. We will 'look at these stones.' It would be foolish for a farmer to try to work the areas, which are very stony. A farmer knows better than to sow in a stone patch. So, he picks up the stones and clears the ground, before he begins to do anything else. May God help the ministry to realize that. The stones are impediments that would hinder the growth of the plant, as they would absorb the moisture that belonged to It. Because of this, Jesus said, they never get a real experience of salvation. The stones lay on the surface of the ground as a sign to all, that the earth is thin and there is solid rock underneath, and not too much soil to work with. This is a picture of a hard hearted individual, who is utterly selfish and has no capacity for self-denial. Let us get a true picture of this type of individual. There is a quickness of comprehension, for he is able to take hold of the Word quickly. This type of Christian is often heard shouting in the services on Sunday but we seldom see him in a prayer meeting. And, why not? There is no depth, or true root, or love of God or appreciation of God in his heart. His is just a light emotional case--just beneath the surface. Christ would have us know, in a case like this, the heart is still cold as a rock. In the 11th chapter and verse 19, we are told concerning the people of today (the time of Christ's coming) "I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh." In Proverbs 4:23 we read: "Out of the heart are the issues of life." The heart is the center of all. If we can get a people with a new heart, we won't have to deal with so many old issues. When we get a new heart within us, we will get a new Issue. Paul picked up that very fact when he said, "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature. Old things are passed away and behold all things have become new." When he gives us one heart we will act alike and we will 'walk the same walk.' Listen to this: "I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances to do them." They shall be my people. Who? The people that really get a new heart and walk in His statutes and keep His ordinances to do them. But there are some other stones. In Isaiah 6:3, God gave a commission to the ministry. It takes the love of God to pour out the 'wrath of God' upon a false spirit or system and yet have enough of the 'love of God' that the man you are preaching to will know that you love him even as you are preaching and pouring out the truth upon him. It is one of the dangers of this age that the enemy strives to get a group of people to compromise or apostatize and turn from the truth and then he strives to get others to despise them. But you have to love them and if a brother errs from the truth, God bids us to convert him and not 'brush him off' and say we are none of his any more. This "groupitis" is one of the worst things that ever hit God's people, and the first thing I am confronted with is, "What group are you with?" I just answer, "I am a member of the group in the 14th chapter of Revelation and the 15th verse; the one that 'follows the Lamb whithersoever He goeth,' also, those 'standing on the sea of glass, mingled with fire,' the one that 'has victory over the beast and over his image and his mark and the number of his name.' I believe 'that answer,' takes care of any of the devil's work that he has come up with or that he can come up with. If we are not careful, the enemy will do a destructive and terrible thing to the Body of Christ. You don't need to put any emotion in 'this.' God's already put enough in it. If you pour this Word of God out on any man, and he is guilty, he is hurt bad enough without you giving him a 'cold shoulder.' Some people 'wither under it.' It let's us know what kind of an experience they have. I don't think we've preached anything yet, that's not Bible -- just 'raised the sun' a little. The divine ploughman or minister has a big Job. In Isaiah 62:10,God says to the ministers: "Here is your commission: Go through the gates, prepare the way of the people. Cast up the highway." Now, why can't the people 'get along' with the ministry preparing the way? Why do we get all these sects and divisions? Because. 'False ministers' have also prepared a way. But the prophet said: "Woe be unto the pastors who have scattered my flock." Christ said: "There is one way." And He prepared a ministry to tell of that one way that He prepared. Any man that is saved is in the 'hollow of God's hand' and is in God's fold, and unless a false preacher 'let's the fence down' some place, the sheep will not get out. "Prepare a way for the people. Cast up the highway." If you ever get on the 'highway of holiness' you are as sure of Zion as If you were there already -- because that is where it ends. The 'way of holiness' leads to Zion. The way is so simple, that a wayfaring man, though a fool need not err therein, and again, it is only understood by those who pass on it. When the Word of God goes forth, it reveals to every man, 'where he stands' before God. A sinner can't stand, because he withers under the preaching of God's Word. God does not want people deceived as to 'where they stand' in His sight. He does not want them to think they are alright, when they are not 'where they should be.' Thank God, through the name of Jesus there is an ointment, that contains an oil, to heal every sinful condition -- whatever It may be. If ever you have real peace in your heart, you will have to have the wounds of sin completely healed. People today are in the "sin more or less" business; crying peace when there is no peace. The 'sin business' must be completely stopped. The seeming healing is like the cancer or some other terrible sore which has part healing over the outside and it leads one to believe that it is healed, when it has only 'crusted over.' And If 'that place' remains healed, it will 'come out' some other place. Why? Because. It is in the blood stream. Christ does not heal from the outside. He goes to the seat of it. God covers it with His own precious blood and purifies the very seat of infection in our lives. He puts a new heart within us. Again, I say, we cannot have peace without righteousness. "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Psalm 85:10. "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Mercy and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. John 1:17. If you want righteousness, peace will come right along. Do you want peace? You will have to take righteousness too. They are living together in Jesus Christ. "And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever." Isaiah 32:17. "The work of righteousness shall be peace." "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom." James 3:13. Verse 14, "But If ye have bitter envying and strife In your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish." Verse 15,"For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." Verse 16, "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." Verse 17, "And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." Righteousness and peace go together. You will never know an ounce of peace until you become a righteous Individual. That is why Christ wrote to the church of Laodicea (the day and age in which we are living) "You are wretched, you are miserable." God's people who have apostatized and compromised are miserable. They have forgotten their resting place. They have gone too far back into the world and are reaching out into It. Why? They are not getting any satisfaction out of their experience. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. Christians biting one another? Christian cannabalism? (Backbiting) If you bite one another you are consuming one another, and where there is strife there is confusion. The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable. You have to be righteous, you have to be pure to know an ounce of peace, also gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality. (There is a lot of earthly and devilish wisdom going around) Also, we must be without hypocrisy; the fruit of wisdom is sown in peace. Do you want peace? Then sow righteousness and bring forth a crop of peace. You just cry "peace" where there is no peace, If you are not living right. Peace is the result of righteousness. 'Light' evangelism is a curse to our land -- 'this business' of 'raising hands' and making 'mass decisions' for Christ without the bed rock repentance required in the Word of God. Some people who do not look deeply into the results declare that they are doing good. They (the evangelists who do this) are sowing seed in stony places and so erecting a wall about them, making it all the harder to reach them with the real Gospel message of truth. It is not making a decision for Christ under the influence of the service, but the singing of touching Invitation songs and the melting death bed stories that cause them to decide for Christ and then when they leave the service are soon led away. One cannot make a real decision for Christ merely under the singing of songs and death bed stories; also, the telling about heaven and not explaining that they will have to remain a few years and fight the devil. In Revelation 14:8, we read about the pouring out of the vial. The opening of the sixth seal happened about 1880. God gave a commission to His ministers to leave Babylon and pour out the truth upon her and avoid the plagues that were to come upon her. So, the 6th seal ministers put up their Revelation charts and poured out the truth on Babylon. People 'came out of her' and stood for truth against ridicule and persecution. But the Word of God says to give her a second cup. Now who is going to give her a second cup? In these last days and right here on earth it must be done. We have a generation of young people who have never heard such men preach as F.G. Smith or C. E. Byers and other of the older brethren who were true to the call. The cup must be poured out on them also. The fourth seal was poured out on the sun, the very New Testament. What for? To revive the people and put them in a position to pour out the last three, which are no more or less (but just expanded a little) a repetition of the first three of the same message, "Come out of her my people." Roman Catholicism would tell you that they are not what they used to be, but there is the same spirit, backed by the same evil power that has always backed up this great false system and God wills to have the truth poured out on them. We are living in a day and age of which Paul wrote to Timothy that perilous times would come in the Church. The world has always been in a perilous condition. But in these times people will profess to love God and love the world and worldly pleasures more. Ministers say that they cannot get people to attend services on Sunday nights. Why? They want to go boating, or driving, or watch television. These are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof. The ministers of these people say: "We are still preaching the Word." Maybe so, but where Is your power? Old fashioned Holy Ghost power still makes the sinner tremble. If you give them a vision of hell under the power of the Holy Spirit it won't run off them like water off a duck's back. I saw a man standing in the back of the building, shaking under conviction and I went back and laid my hands on him and said, "Brother, God loves you." That man went to the altar. He said afterward, "Brother, when you laid your hands on me, God put me in the furnace." He had never sweat as hard, unloading coal, as he did under conviction for his sins; the power of God was working on his soul, and that power is just the same today. Do not believe 'that business' of 'no conviction' in these days, for sin. God fashioned the hearts of men alike. If mankind is changed, then Christ would have to change, but He is the same today and forever; He will never change. His power is as great as it ever was. And be sure my friends, that power from on high will be given to the ministry of today -- that is willing to pay the price. Thank God, I know when it came. I know when God led me forth from the sixth seal, and gave me a glimpse into the seventh seal age and touched my soul with power that I might know, and sent me forth again with something that gave me the greatest boost I have had in a long time Power has been given to the ministry of today, who will walk humbly and not be ashamed to be led of God, in this dark hour, to scorch men with the truth of the Word of God. But why must men be scorched? Too much man. "And men were scorched with a great heat." Men are the only 'thing' that ever gets scorched. This very movement that calls itself the Church of God is becoming an organization of men with its committees and societies and men, men, men. The ministers are preaching men's thoughts, and reading men's books, and repeating men's exerts. They think that people won't receive a message any more unless Matthew Henry or Adam Clarke, said so. These writers have given some good words along the lines of history, but we are living in a day and age when we can't afford to look back, but must get our message fresh from God and march on from there. The two witnesses lay dead for 350 years or three and a half centuries. The people gave gifts to one another, or gave degrees of honor for learning and higher education. If you see this happening around 'the Church of God,' then you may know that this place is one, where the witnesses are dead. When someone studies for a number of years, he of course, is in a more 'elevated position' than his fellows, and he gets to wear a black hat with tassels on it, and gets a DD or something a little lower, for a present bestowed upon him. But Jesus said we were all brethren, so, if we are all on the same level, why bestow gifts of honor and acknowledgement upon each other? When the two witnesses are alive, God will give us all gifts. When honor began to be shown one another, that is when all 'this kind of thing' got started in the church, and it happened right among the saints in the church. When the saints get inflated ideas about being so big in their own eyes, that they can learn nothing from the older brethren, who have suffered, and sacrificed to carry this message through the years, and we seek out a minister that, although he has no vision of the true Body of Christ, the Church, however, has won a degree in higher education -- and that degree Is supposed to qualify him to preach his Ideas to the church. Well, we are just bringing in 'stones' from Babylon. Now, 'there' is where the trouble started. Do not bring them, for we don't need them. We have 'a foundation' and it does not include 'stones' from old Babylon. "Wilt thou not revive us again that thy people may rejoice in thee?" Psalm 85:6. I am a firm believer that we have reached the time when this gospel is making it's 'last round.' With plain and true preaching of the precious Word, we will see old time rejoicing, see crutches laid aside, see everything that the gospel brought with it in the apostolic days. What are people rejoicing over today? They are rejoicing over love instead of 'the lover,' and over the blessing Instead of 'the blesser,' and over the gift instead of 'the giver.' God wants the Church to rejoice in Him even if He has done nothing outstanding at the particular time. Do lovers wait to show their love after some special attention? No. They love to be even in the very presence of each other and it is not necessary to perform some special deed of merit to praise and appreciate one another. So our love for God must reach the place where we can worship and adore him for himself. Chapter 9 - SOME FELL AMONG THORNS There are seven parables in the 13th chapter of Matthew that coincide with the seven letters to the seven Churches in Asia. One of these will help to clear up the other and we will get into the parables after a while. We have been dealing with the four kinds of ground on which the Word of God falls. I made a statement before, and I want to make it again, that the four kinds of ground cover all humanity. Wayside ground (hearers), stony ground (hearers), thorny ground (hearers) and good ground (hearers). We are one kind or the other, every one of us and God would have us deal with His Word that we might get located. He wants us to be good ground. And we are going to prove by God's Word that all of God's children must bring forth one hundred fold. God won't put up with anything less than that anymore. The false hiding places are not only in denominationalism, but there are a lot of false hiding places around that which calls itself the Church of God. This business of bearing some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred fold is nothing more than a false hiding place that people get in and try to excuse themselves for only bringing forth thirty, and sixty fold. There is no excuse. The Word of God will shake up all the bushes they are hiding behind and put them out In the open. We dealt with the wayside hearers in the preceding lecture and in the stony places we found that neither one of these Individuals had a solid experience with God. The one in the stony place sprung up, but it had no root and you cannot bear fruit If you have no roots. There is nothing that bears fruit that does not first have roots. Just as soon as the sun came up (and the Sun, we have proved by the Bible, is the Word of God) the plant was scorched, and withered away, and died. And many people get that kind of an experience. We want to look at that which fell among thorns. In the 13th chapter of Matthew and the 7th verse, we read that: "Some fell among thorns and the thorns sprung up and choked them." Now, turn to the 22nd verse where He gives the explanation of it and we find that: "he also that receiveth the seed among thorns is he that heareth the Word and received the seed among the thorns and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choked God's eternal Word. It is the work of Satan. Jesus' teachings seemed simple, but the parables are as deep as the Revelation and hid in the same shell. The seed took root in this Individual. It had to bear fruit and we will see it 'just ahead.' Some fell among thorns -- though they had not sprung up yet. In other words, there was some 'thorn seed' lying under the earth that had not sprouted yet. The seed of the Word of God, took root and sprung up, then the thorns grew up too and choked the plant out. Now, the seed did not choke out the thorns, but the thorns choked out the 'seed of the Word.' The Word of God says, that the thorns sprung up and choked them and they became unfruitful. That is an 'awful blow' to the popular eternal security teaching. It is possible to become unfruitful after you have been fruitful once. We are facing today a multitude of people who are looking back to a day when their experience was a glorious pledge for God, bearing beautiful fruit of an experience of righteousness and true holiness, but today they are unfruitful. The stones spoiled the roots. The root experience of stony ground was, that the root could not 'take hold.' In the parable of the thorny ground the individual actually was born again and justified before God. He had to be in order to bear fruit. He said: "He that abideth in me and I in Him the same bringeth forth much fruit. And every branch that beareth fruit He purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit. The stony ground kept the root from working and now we see the thorns working on the fruit. We can also see the works of Satan. Some brethren are preaching how the devil works through false religious systems, but I say he works on individuals too. The thing that keeps men from getting a 'root experience with God, will keep them from getting saved in the first place. Even after you get saved, he's not done. He has another tool he uses on you to choke out your fruit after you begin to bear. But I thank God there is an easy way to put him out of business. By the Word of God, you can destroy the very works of the devil. Jesus himself was made manifest that He might destroy the works of the devil. In Eph. 4:8. We read, that He led captivity captive. There is an experience you can get with God, where you can do as Isaiah said: shout 'glory be to God,' right on a nest of devils. And if he carries on too much God also has the power to let you cast him out. I Peter 5:8 tells us that the devil goes about as a roaring lion. He is not a lion; he is an actor. There is only one lion in the Word of God, and that is the lion of the tribe of Judah. And the devil goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. There was a day, before Jesus came with this great salvation, when it was easier for him. We are told in the book of Job that he was walking up and down in the earth, having a good time, and when the sons of God came to present themselves, the devil came too. Everywhere the 'sons of God' present themselves he comes along too. He cannot stop the Gospel, but he wants to hinder it. When he begins to spread himself, God puts the truth on him. Jesus said he was a liar. In fact, he was a liar from the beginning. The devil took Jesus up there on the mountain and told Him that he would give Him all the kingdoms of the world -- and Jesus did not pay a bit of attention, because He knew the devil did not have anything to give. Why? God said: That the world and all in it was His. It did not belong to the devil. I would not like to believe, that God did anything for Job that He would not do for me. Remember, He delivered him and rewarded him for resisting evil. Be sure, that when you are tempted and tried, that God sees it is good for you. You need to get shook around and cultivated a little. If You don't get tempted and tried once in a while, you won't know what you have. If we don't go through some persecution, there will be no real shouting or rejoicing. I don't like this 'light business' - of shouting or rejoicing at the 'drop of your hat.' If there is any real shouting or rejoicing in the camp of the saints, there has been a battle won. No battle won - no real 'shout.' Since Jesus Christ came, the devil is the 'prince of this old world,' the 'prince of the power of the air,' as scripture calls him. Now, in any country that still has a king instead of a democracy (as we have), the prince is next in command when the king is not there, But when the king comes riding on a mule, then, the prince has to step down. I Peter 5:8 says he goes around as a roaring lion. He is not devouring whosoever he will, or whosoever he wants to, for there are some he can't devour. "Seeking whom he may devour". When he 'knocks at the door,' just send Jesus. He'll remember how Jesus won the battle with him and walk away. The devil has no kingdoms to give. Maybe you are saying, How do you know? In the Scripture, there was a man on an island with legions of devils and bound by Satan and when Jesus was here he made a trip across that lake, and the only work He did there was to free that man, and then, got in the boat and went back. The man came running trembling. He had jumped on people and tore their clothes off, but when he saw the Son of God, he trembled. This devil in this man, who had offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world, is begging Jesus that he might go into the pigs down the mountain. The fact is, that he did not even own a pig, and had to ask permission to get one. He had lied to man, and done a work in them and held them 'under sway,' but Jesus Christ came that we might know the truth about him and the truth will make you free. God said to the devil, "Have you considered my servant Job?" The devil said yes, but he has a wall or fence about him. Don't you know the devil cannot even tempt you, unless he gets 'a pass' from God? It would be sad to believe that God did something for Job, that He wouldn't do for us. Why, He led captivity captive. Yes, there is grace and victory for those who will be fruitful and stay fruitful for God. Christ specified It the 2nd verse what He calls thorns: "He also that receiveth the seed among thorns is he that heareth the Word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choked the Word and he became unfruitful.' In I John 2:15, He said: "Love not the world, neither the things that are In the world, if any man love the world the love of the'Father Is not in him.'' In Mark 4:19, He said: The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things enterlng In, choked the Word and It became unfruitful. Christ mentions the care or love of this world and John, In the second chapter tells us what It Is, and the next thing He mentioned was the deceitfulness of riches, We want to get to the root of this thing. Jesus called them thorns. The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the lust of other things are symbolized by Christ as thorns. Why? They are entangling, aggravating, agitating, Irritating. What? The cares of this world. To those still hanging on to cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lust of other things…they are truly thorns in our experience. Luke, 8th chapter, and that which fell among thorns are they, which hear and go forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to perfection. There is deceitfulness in riches. I have spoken to more than one individual, before 'this,' when situations came up. There was a chance of working out a business…everything on the level; one brother with oil wells and another brother in another situation said: pray that God will help them to prosper and God knows He will get His share. I said, "Brother, you had better pray to God and ask Him if it's His will for You to have this; for with the money, comes a spirit. I am a firm believer in the fact that if we are wholeheartedly 'sold out to God' and consecrated to Him, He will let us handle all the money we are able. If we get any more, it will 'handle us.' There is deceitfulness in riches. Men get drunk on alcohol. There is a spirit that goes with it, that will capsize you and make you come to the place where you can not make a proper estimate of things, as you once did. Let me explain. Here's a man, who is working and not making very big wages, and when a need comes up, he will give one hundred dollars of his hard earned wages quicker than the rich man. Why? They are not looking out of the same pair of eyes, and a ten dollar bill looks bigger to the rich man than a hundred dollars does to the poor man, consecrated to God. Someone says, "Bro. Wilson, money talks." Yes, but it never tells the truth. Proverbs 23:5 "Riches certainly make themselves wings, they fly away as an eagle toward Heaven." I have seen people that did not have a thing when God got hold of them. They were in such a situation that the Church helped them to get a little furniture and keep food on the table. We finally got the truth across to them of God's plan of financing and they began to square up their business with God, and after a time, God, true to His Word, put them on their feet. They finally got everything paid up, fixed up and a little in reserve. What happened then? They got a different spirit. With a little money they had, they made themselves wings. They 'no longer needed the Church as bad as they once did.' They became more and more independent of the 'moving of God.' This is happening all over our land, because God has blessed our land with prosperity, and men are resting on the prosperity of the land, instead of the blessing of God. They become more and more independent of God and feel that they can 'get along by themselves.' Prosperity is deceitful and can get into our systems like alcohol and craves more and more riches. It can be a dangerous thing to have great possessions. Cannot God use a man with money? You may say, that He needs the man with money because he has wherewith to do things. No, he does not. Why not? Because God can get all the money He needs without him, and in the end it will all be God's anyhow. Someone may say, Well, He is not going to get any of mine. I will leave it to my children, and they to theirs etc., etc. Well, in the end it is still in the possession of God. Let us seek first, the kingdom of God and He will add these things unto us. It can be dangerous, I repeat, to have great possessions. [ End of Part 3 ]    |
