The burden has been resting upon my heart for months to put in book form the various messages of truth God has revealed to me through the study of the Word. I have not tried to follow any one subject, but have, on the contrary, covered many of the fundamental doctrines of the Bible. The messages contained in this book are those delivered by the ,writer at various camp meetings, conventions, over the radio, and in my home pulpit in Essex, Maryland. I have put them in print with the sincere desire that they may be a blessing to those who read them and, too, that they may enrich your life by becoming acquainted with the truth of God's Word. May the Holy Spirit of God accompany these pages to enlighten the heart and mind of the reader .

Your brother in Christ Jesus,
Harold Barber
Tampa, FL
January 3,1949

This book printed originally by the Church of God, Essex, Maryland, for free distribution to those interested in the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. It is free for the asking. This work supported by free will offerings.

SEEDTIME AND HARVEST

In Genesis 8:22 we read these words, "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." From the reading of this verse of scripture we readily see that in the creation of the world and setting of things in order God separated the light and darkness and called one day and the other night. He also separated the cold and heat and called one winter and the other summer, and in so doing he ordained the seedtime and harvest, or the seasons of the year. -These are laws divinely decreed and shall be in force as long as the world remaineth. Men of all generations and climes have worked in accordance with these laws. It is a law completely out of the control of man; and if he expects a harvest of wheat, rye or oats, he must work in harmony with these laws. He must. sow his wheat, rye, or oats in the seedtiine and cultivate them in order to reap a harvest. He also expects to reap the same kind of harvest as the seed that was sowed. Men never expect to reap a good crop of corn,when they have planted wheat or reap wheat when they have planted corn. As the seed, so shall the harvest be.

God has not only ordained these laws to govern the natural world but has ordained certain laws similar to these to govern the moral world. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Gal. 6:7-8). These words and laws are as firm and fixed as the laws governing the natural world. Men recognize that all the tinkering they do will not change the laws of nature; if they want corn, they must plant corn; if tey want wheat they mus plant wheat. Man recognizes that these laws are unalterable. Yet we have theologians who have excelled scholastically who are making it their lifetime work to tinker with the word of God and bring forth their decisions to offer mankind. But divine inspiration says, ÒBe not deceived; God is not mocked." Regardless of all the tinkering we may do, these words stand as the unchangeable law of God and shall stand as long as the world remaineth. If we sow to the flesh, we are going to reap corruption; if we sow to sin, we are going to reap the wages of sin, which is death; if we sow to the wind, we are going to reap the whirlwind.

To be convinced of the truth of the words we need only to look at the life of an individual who wastes his time in the pleasures of sin and a life of dissipation. Sin begins to pour out its wrath upon that individual, and life becomes almost intolerable, and the gruesome marks of sin are to be seen. We look at the world at large today as she rocks and reels under the stress and strain of the times. The misery and suffering of the world in the second great world war were a result of a quarter century of godless living. Nations poured out their fury upon nations, which came as a result of sinful living and a rejection of the principles and teachings of Jesus. Jesus speaks to his follower, and says, "Ye are, the salt of the earth..." Salt is a preservative power, so he expected his people to be a preservative power to leaven society. Were it not for the elevating influences of the righteous people of the earth the morals of the human family would deteriorate to the low level of brute beast. We read in the first chapter of Romans of some folk who did not like to retain God in their knowledge,so God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient. Paul continues to speak of the debauchery into which they fell as the result of worshiping the creature more than the Creator. There is no limit to the depth of immorality and sinfulness to which we may sink without the Creator in our lives. Righteousness exalteth a nation, and it will also exalt the individual; but sin is a reproach o any people. Sin has made its inroads into human life, and we are reaping some of the harvest now.

When we disobey the laws and commands of God, we must assuredly reap the consequences of a broken law. Far too many people feel they can disregard the Bible and live a life of ease and pleasure and neglect and not reap the harvest of such a misspent life. The life we are now living, the deeds we are committing day by day are being rcorded against our name, and we must stand before God and give account of them all and reap the reward, whether good or bad.

Perhaps there are may sins committed that will not pour out their fury on the guilty one in this world but will in in the world to come. On the other hand, there are many will reap in this life full consequences of their sins. Not long go I read an exposition on this subject that set forth the idea that we can indulge in sin for years and then come to God and repent of them and be saved and escape the conseqences. Therefore we do not reap what we sow. This kind of reasoning is contradictory to the Bible. We cannot change the laws of God which govern the moral world and read thus: "Whatsoever a man. soweth, that shall he also reap," any more than we can change the, laws that govern the natural world.The sins committed before we find the Lord in their pardon will also. be reaped in some form. We may not reap in a physical way, but we will intellectually, mentally or in some way, for man cannot indulge in sin without it., leaving its mark on him. Many individuals are ruining themselves physically by engaging in a life of sin and reaping the consequences of their sinfulness now, while others are suffering mentally as the result of it. Memory also punishes s because of some sinful deed committed years ago, even though those deeds are under the blood of Jesus. They are not imputed to us because we have repented and by faith we have received assurance of our pardon, yet the price must be paid; we must reap we sow. Sin does not pay. Every act of sin committed, every injustice and wrong done by men must be reaped. What a terrible harvest humanity must reap sometime, somewhere. Remember, the wages of sin is death, and sin is always prompt with its payment. As long as, the world remaineth, the season of the year will remain; there'll be seedtime and harvest. Likewise, the words of Paul will remain, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Therefore be very careful of the seed you sow, remembering the harvest you reap will be as the seed.

We all want to reap a good harvest so we may spend our lives sowing the good seed of righteousness. "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." The seedtime is here and may we be as diligent about the sowing as the farmer is about working the ground and getting it prepared and sowing good seed that he may reap a good harvest. He knows he must sow and cultivate if he reaps a good harvest. So may we realize today that we are sowing for eternity. Soon we must all lay down this life and depart this world to experience the realities of another. Then will we reap the harvest of this entire life, and the harvest will be as the seed. If you sow to the flesh, you must reap corruption, but if to the Spirit, you wil reap life everlasting. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

WHAT THINK YE OF CHRIST?

I want to read from the 22nd chapter of Matthew, beginning with the 34th verse, "But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the 1aw? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self. 0n these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions" On this occasion we find the Pharisees and the Sadducees had been trying every way possible to entrap Jesus in his teachings to find cause whereby they might put him to death. Jesus had brought to silence the Sadducees, and word reached the Pharisees that this had happened, so they gathered together and one of them, being a lawyer, asked Jesus the question, "Which is the great commandment of the law?" Then Jesus asked them a question, "What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he?" It is this question that Jesus asked the Pharisees that I want to consider with you for a few minutes. "What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?" Throughout the Bible we find many, many questions, and they are all important, or else they would not be in the word of God. They are worthy of our consideration, but I believe this is one of the most important questions we find in the Bible, because a great deal hinges upon our answering this question correctly. What a man is and what a man does is largely due to his answer to this question. How he lives in this world and where he will spend eternity hinges greatly upon how he answers this question and of the action he takes as a result of what he thinks of Christ. The future of your life, dear friend, whether it be happiness or despair, is based largely upon your answer to this question. So if there is the least doubt in your heart or in your mind as to who Christ is, or as to the correct Bible answer to this question Jesus has asked, I would say the best thing for you to do is to take your Bible and go before God in prayer and search that Bible with an open heart and an open mind and decide for yourself concerning Christ, that he is the Son of the living God. Now Jesus asked his disciples a question, as recorded in Matthew 16:13. He said, "Whom do men t I the Son of man am?" They answered by saying, "Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.Ó So, friends, by the answer of the disciples we find that public opinion was varied as to who Jesus was. And, of course. all those who thought he was John the Baptist had the privilege to think of him what they wanted to. Those who, thought he was Elias had the same privilege. Those who thought he was Jeremias had the same privilege. Every individual has the privilege to think of Christ want to think and answer this question the way they, choose to answer it. Nevertheless beloved, if we think of him wrongly or if we answer this (question wrongly, we will have to suffer the bitter consequences of an unbelief in Christ as the divine Son of God. There are some people today who say that Christ was a good man, and a virtuous man, but he was only a man, and he was not divine. Millions of people in the world today are of this same opinion; they think that Christ was merely a good man he was a virtuous man, but he was not the Son of God. Of course, everyone, I say again, has the privilege to think of Christ what they choose, but, I also repeat, that what we think of Christ and the action we take in regard to him will decide where we will spend eternity after we have departed from this world. Men and women cannot reasonably deny that Christ was a virtuous man. But neither does reason allow us to deny that Christ was the divine Son of God, because Nicodemus, in his conversation with Jesus, said, "We know that thou art a man sent of God, because no man could do the works that you do, except God be with him.' I'll say that no individual can be saved and think that Christ was merely a man. We are going to believe in the divinity of Christ, or we will never reach the portals of heaven. We may think of him what we choose, but we cannot enter heaven with what-ever choice or whatever decision we make in regard to him. Some people even think that Christ is no more than Santa Claus. Some time ago I read the testimony of a minister of the gospel that was written in the newspaper, and this minister said that Christ was no more to him than Santa Claus. Beloved, when we profess to be servants of the most high God and profess to be worshipping him and make such statements as that, it isn't possible for us to have the love of God in our hearts and think that about Jesus. This, to me, is the height of heathenism; and all the worship that we may bestow upon the name of God the Father will mean nothing and will not be accepted by him we think that Christ is no more than Santa Claus. Other answers come to us from people, and some tell us that he was nothing more than a product of literature, an idealized character, a character whom the evangelists of his day idealized and lifted him up before the multitudes of the people; that he actually lived in Palestine, but was merely an idealized character by the evangelists. Then others would tell us that Christ is product of the peculiar condition of the age in which he lived, that he was a student of prophecy and he saw that the opportune time had come when he could claim be the Messiah; that he was a well-meaning man and meant to do good and he as a good natured man, but was merely a good natured imposter. And that in order the good that he desired to do, he must assume the of the Messiah. I say, beloved, it would take more for me to believe these things concerning Christ than it does for me to believe that he is the divine Son of God. As we read in the word of God the great and mighty works that he performed, the miraculous deeds that we done at his hand, we are made to bow our knees and humble our hearts and to say, "Thou art the Son of the living God." So, these opinions, we see, are all wrong. The world was wrong when Christ was on earth, and the world is still wrong in its opinions of Christ. Eternity depends, dear ones, on what you think of Christ. This is a very important question that we've read as a text. "What think ye of Christ?" Our salvation depends upon our answer to Christ as to who he is. It's impossible for us be a Christian and not to believe in the divine birth and not to believe in the divinity of Christ. I want to read two verses from John, the third chapter, verses 18 and 19, John said, "He that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness, rather than light, because their deeds were evil." Beloved, to be saved and to be a Christian, we must believe in the divine birth and the divinity of the Son of God. So, I would ask you a question just now, you who read these lines, "What do you think of Christ?" This very moment you are thinking about him your mind is dwelling upon this very question. I say that you must believe the divine Son of God in order to be a Christian; and intellectual belief is not sufficient. You may believe your mind, but in order to be saved, you must believe from the heart. God says, "Repent, and be baptized." And when we fail to believe in Christ as the divine Son of God, we are denying God's report of him. Jesus came out of the river Jordan on the day he was baptized, and the heavens were opened; and there he saw the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove and lighting upon him and a voice from heaven said, "'This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." If we believe not that report and accept it not, we are denying the great God heaven and earth and there is no possible chance for us to be saved. May God help you today to think seriously upon this question, "What think ye of Christ?" May God help you to humble your heart just now and open your heart's door and receive him into your heart and life.

CAN MEN LIVE HOLY IN THIS LIFE?

I want to speak to you for a few minutes from the question, "Can men live holy in this life?" This question living a holy life or a sinless life in this world of wickedness for years been a controversial question and will continue to be as long as men resist the teachings of the word of God. It matters little what I say in regard to question, but it is of utmost importance what God about it; and that's all I'm interested in, and that's at I'm going to give you. We are not going to consider what men have to say in defense of a life in sin, but what God says about a life of holiness. There has never been or prophet or preacher sent of God who defended a sinful life. God doesn't send men to preach things contrary to his word; therefore, those who contend the impossibility of sinless living do not know God, neither hath known him.

First, I call your attention to Eph. 1:4-5 which tells us that God planned that his people should live holy lives even before he laid the foundation of this beautiful world. The doctrine of holy living is nothing new with God - it was in his mind before he created Adam and Eve in the beginning, and it is still in his mind and is his plan for his children. I read in Eph. 1:4-5, "According as, he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." The desire of the heart of God is manifest in these words, "That we should be holy and without blame before him in love." This is one thing that God did predestinate. He did not predestinate any particular individual to be saved or lost, but he did predestinate all his children should be adopted into the family of God through Jesus Christ, and that they all should be holy and without blame. This was the good pleasure of God even before the foundation of the world.

This being the desire of God's heart and his good pleasure that his people should be holy, he provided a way that they may be holy. He gladly gave his Son on the cross of Calvary that we might be delivered from the power of sin and have victory over it. In Matt. 1:21 we read these words, 'And she shall bring forth a son (speaking of Mary), and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for he shall save his people from their sins." Jesus came into the world to save people from their sin and not in their sin. Praise God! He does deliver those who will come to him and accept him in their hearts. He suffered the ignominious death on the cross to reconcile all things unto himself. Paul declares this truth in Col. 1:20-22, "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight." These scriptures tell us that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary and went to the cross for the purpose of saving his people from their sins and to present them holy and unblameable in his sight. If it is impossible to live a sinless life, we conclude then that the plan of God was to no avail. It did not accomplish that which he planned, if so be it is impossible to live holy. Do you see what men who are so-called preachers of God are doing when they teach the impossibility of living holy? They are robbing God of his power to save; they are robbing the blood of Jesus of its efficacy to save; in fact, they are robbing the Bible of its authority as the word of God. They are false prophets; they were not sent of God, neither do they know God.

Jesus came teaching that men must be "born again." He said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." At this point is where so many people are led astray. They are led to rely on church joining to make them a Christian, or perhaps on personal confession to a man, or doing penance. None of these things will make a Christian of you, dear friend. You must "be born again." What does he mean? He means you will have to forsake sin and repent of it before God will save you from it. In so doing, you will be born of the Spirit and become a Christian. In John 1:11- 13 we read these words, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe his name; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." You cannot receive Jesus unless you forsake and repent of sins. The saving grace of God does not come in until we have thoroughly repented, then faith to receive him is inspired in our hearts and we are born of God, saved from sin and ready to live a Christian life. Now lets look at a few verses in the first epistle of John, chapter 3, verses 8-l0. "He that committeth sin is of the devil for the devil sineth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy, the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." This is simple and very easily understood. John says he that commits sin is of the devil, and whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. There is only one of two lives we can live, that is a sinful life or a sinless life. It is at this point that John differentiates between the children of God, or Christians, and the children of the devil, sinners. The one commits sin and the other does not.

Holy living is sinless living, and without this kind of life we will miss heaven. Perhaps you say, "Preacher, I don't know anyone who lives that kind of life in my community.Ó That doesn't make the word of God of no effect. You cannot hide, behind that on the day of judgment; You must meet the word of God just as it is. It is your responsibility to give your heart and life to God. and be the first one in your community to put this kind of life on exhibition. It is scriptural and is possible . God can and does save from the bondage of sin and gives power to live without sin. Paul testified to the Romans once and said. "Sin shall not have dominion over you.Ó If you ever expect to see God in peace and enter the pearly white city, you will have to live holy in this life Heb. 12:14 tells us to "follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."

BUT SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

The title of this article are the words of our Lord while he was here on earth teaching men the way of righteousness. In the 6th chapter of Matthew he taught that it is impossible to serve two masters. We will either hate the one and love the other; or else we will hold to the one, and despise the other. He also taught the importance of spiritual things above that of the material and uttered the words of our subject, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God...." It is absurd to think Jesus taught the folk in that day and also today to seek something that did not exist. The fact that he taught us to seek the kingdom God above or before material things is concrete proof that it exists, even though religious teachers tell us it hasn't been set up yet. If the kingdom of God hasn't been set up, then God offers us nothing better than ancient Israel experienced, which was only the shadow of good things to come. They looked forward with great anticipation to the day when the kingdom would be set up and they would enjoy its realities. Of course, they were expecting a literal kingdom; and when Jesus came and set, up a spiritual one, they failed to see it and enter into it just as many religiously minded people are doing today. The majority of religious movements are looking forward to a day which they call the millennium, when the kingdom of God will be established, but to their sad disappointment it will be delivered up to the Father instead of being set up (I Cor. 15:24). Jesus was not an impostor. He did not teach us to seek something that didnÕt, exist. "The law and the prophets were until John: since, that time the kingdom of God is preached, and ever man presseth into it" (Luke 16:16).

We go back to Daniel, chapter 2, and read of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had one night. All the magicians, astrologers and sorcerers were called in before the king to interpret the dream. When ask to tell the dream, the king declared it had gone from him and demanded the astrologers to tell it and also interpret it. Their failure to do so caused the king to send out decree to kill all the wise men of Babylon. This decree included Daniel and his fellows, but Daniel pleaded for a little time. It was granted. He went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azaariah, his companions. They had a prayer meeting and asked God to reveal the dream and the interpretation which thing he did. Then Daniel appeared before the king with the dream and the interpretation. This is it. "Thou sawest a great image, whose brightness was excellent, that stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. The image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth" (Daniel 2:31-35). In Daniel's interpretation of the dream he declared that Nebuchadnezzar, or the Babylonian kingdom, was the head of gold. ÒAfter thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee," and another third king and still another fourth kingdom. "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed...Ó (Verse 44). So this dream of the Babylonian king was a vision of things that would come to pass in later days.

This head of gold represents the Babylonian kingdom, as Daniel said, that was begun in B. C. 2233, and ended in the death of Belshazzar in B. C. 538. The breast and arms were of silver, representing the Medo-Persian empire that came to power by the termination of the Babylonian in B. C. 538. The belly and thighs were of the brass, representing Grecian empire as founded by Alexander the Great. He subdued Darius Codomanus in B. C. 331 and thus terminated the Persian monarchy. His legs of iron and his feet part of iron and part of clay represent the Roman empire which followed the Grecian in point of time.

According to the dream, it was while these four kings or kingdoms were in existence that the God of heaven was to set up a kingdom which would never be destroyed, but would break in pieces these kingdoms. Rome, the fourth kingdom, represented by the legs of iron, and feet part of iron, and part of clay, was at the summit of her power when Jesus appeared on the stage of time. He was born in Bethlehem during the reign of the Caesars.

In the dream Òthe king sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and break them to piecesÓ. This stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands represents the kingdom of God, a universal kingdom, It was in the days of these kingdoms mentioned in the dream that Jesus of Nazareth came preaching the gospel o the kingdom of God, and saying, " The time is fulfilled; and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1: 14-15) - Jesus preached "the time is fulfilled" and according to the vision of Nebuchadnezzar as interpreted by Daniel, it also was fulfilled. How then can Bible expositors be so blind as to teach the kingdom of God a future reality? Thank God, it was established by Jesus during his earthly ministry and is a present reality.

While ancient Rome was at the peak of her power, reveling in her riches and splendor, Jesus of Nazareth gathered a few fishermen from the ways of sin and wen 'out to preach the gospel of salvation from sin. He plane planted the seed of righteousness in the hearts of those who, followed him during his earthly ministry and before he went to the cross, Rome felt the first blow of the hammer of the gospel. After his crucifixion and ascension he sent the Holy Spirit to his followers on the day of Pentecost that only gave more power and accuracy to the preaching of the gospel, which in its very nature was directed at the foundation of these earthly kingdoms, or at the feet of the image. As the early church went out preaching, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," multitudes turned from sin and accepted Jesus into their hearts, thus becoming members of the kingdom of God. Under the incessant blows of the gospel hammer Pagan Rome soon crumbled and went to pieces about the year A. D. 476. Thus the image was broken to pieces by the stone cut out of the mountain without hands and became as chaff of the summer threshing floor which is scattered by the wind. Christianity became a universal kingdom and ever shall be. The gospel of Jesus is a universal one and beckon men of every race, color, and clime.

The preaching of Jesus was centered around this theme, repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. As men turned from sin and repented before God, they were delivered from condemnation and its power, and were translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the, kingdom of light. The kingdom of God cometh not by observation (Luke 17:20), neither is it meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom. 14:17). When a soul forsakes sin and repents before God, he is born of the Spirit and becomes a member of the kingdom of God. Jesus is then his king, an lie is reigning with him in this life, reigning above sin, and the power of Satan.

"For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ" (Rom- 5:17). The kingdom, of God is a spiritual kingdom wherein Jesus reigns (governs as king) in the heart and life of those who are truly born of God. It is the government of heaven ruling lives, Jesus as king, and we the subjects of his kingdom. Praise God! I'm so glad it is a present reality and we can be the subjects of that kingdom and have the king of glory reigning in our hearts in this life. With Jesus in our hearts we go out to walk the pathway of life, trampling sin under our feet by the grace of God given us from above. Jesus said: "I'll give you power over all the power of the enemy." 'This is the power we need to conquer sin and live godly in Christ Jesus.

RESISTANCE

The heart's desire of every true Christian is that they may so live that when they stand before God in the judgment they will hear his ÒWell done, thou good and faithful servant.Ó. This, to me, is the ultimate goal of every Christian life, and everything in life should contribute to it. If after we have lived our allotted time in this world we should miss the approbation of the Lord on that last day, we have made a complete failure in life and have missed it all. Therefore, we should earnestly contend for those things which build faith in God and will strengthen our ability to trust in God. If we are to gain the "well done" of the Lord on that great and notable day there are some things, some spirits, and some people we are going to have to resist. Even though it is very unpleasant to resist some people, and very hard to resist some spirits and some things, it must be done to gain heaven. I am aware, too, of the fact that to resist things and some people we are going to gain the disapproval of the world and of many close friends. B remember the words of Jesus, "If ye were of the world the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." So, dear Christian, you are not going to have the smile and friendship of the world and also the approval of the Lord. Make your choice which you desire, and if it be for God's approval, then set out to gain it, regardless of the cost.

The philosophy of life which most people accept as right is the one that admits of all men's opinions, ideas, desires, and grants them the privilege to think and do and say what they please without any objections whatsoever. This philosophy would say: "Don't be a complainer, donÕt be a complainer, donÕt be a fault-finder, don't be a critic, don't object to the things others are doing, but just fall in with the great masses and go with the crowd." That's the kind of individual the world admires; that's the kind of preacher world admires, the one who will fit into the pattern of things without any objection, the preacher who can stand behind the sacred desk and orate for thirty minutes using beautiful words but never objecting to anything be going on in the universe. Truly this is the easiest philosophy of life to follow while in this world, but woe unto that individual when he reaches the end of the way and must meet God. Jesus said, "Woe unto you, when all men speak well of you." It's far better to have God smile upon you than to have that of all men on the earth. There are still other philosophies of life-men have ways and philosophies of life and God also has his way and his philosophy of life. The decision rests in our hands as to which way we shall follow, but to the genuine Christian God's way is the only way even though it does gain the scorn and ridicule of the world.

At this point I would like you to stop reading this article long enough to get your Bible and read a few verses from Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus. Please read the 6th chapter, verses l0 to 18. The thought contained in these few verses is that the Christian is a soldier an must fight. Being a soldier in battle, it is of necessity that he have an armor to protect himself, which armor God supplies. We are exhorted to put on the whole armor of God that we might be able to stand, and having done all, to stand. The spiritual application to this exhortation is that we should be saved from sin, and subsequent to that experience of conversion we should sanctified by the infilling of the Holy Ghost. This, beloved, is the only way we will be able to repel the enemy of our soul. He will come against us with all the force and power he has; and if we're not anchored in Jesus, we will be carried away by that force. In the 12th verse Paul says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Who would dispute these words of the apostle when he says we wrestle against these forces of wickedness? The Christian life is a life of continual wrestling against the forces of evil that would destroy every vestige of purity and righteousness. It is a life of resistance. Webster's dictionary says the word wrestle means: to struggle for the mastery; to grapple with a person or things. He defines resistance as meaning: to repel; to exert oneself to counteract; to withstand the action of. In the light these definitions we are convinced from life's experiences that Paul used the right word when he said we wrestle against certain things. How many times have we experienced the surging powers of evil sweeping against our souls, and if it were not for the mighty hand of God and the bulwarks of the Spirit we would be swept from our moorings. "When the enemy shall come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." ( Isa. 59:19). Praise God for the privilege of having the indwelling Spirit of God to help us exert ourselves to counteract the enemy. We must repel him; we must grapple with him; we must withstand the action of Satan or lose our soul. He has only one thing in view; that is the destruction of the human soul. Regardless of how subtle, he may approach you, or how innocent he may seem when he approaches, he comes for one purpose only to destroy. And for you, dear Christian, to fail to resist is to become subject to his power and be destroyed by him. Failure to resist this great enemy is the cause of the world's chaotic condition today. Mankind in general failed to resist the forces of evil and has been made slaves by it. The principles and teachings of Jesus have been set aside for an easier way which leads to chaos and ruin physically and morally. It demands the best in an individual plus the Spirit of God in the heart to follow in the, footsteps of Jesus. And each step you follow will be contested by Satan, but thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. You will not be able to overcome the power of Satan within yourself but God has promised grace sufficient for the day. Paul says, "Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." "Not by power nor might, but by my Spirit saith the Lord." There is victory in Jesus for every soul that will accept him in his fullness and resist the powers of hell and darkness.

Satan approaches as a roaring lion. He presents things for us to do that we know are evil, wrong, and we know we should not do them. Sometimes it is easy for us to say "No", and sometimes it is hard. But whether easy or hard we must say "No". Here is when we must resist. If the presentation of the thing becomes a real temptation, then ofttimes we must call repeatedly for reinforcements from heaven to help us resist. We must exert ourselves to counteract the temptation. After resisting for some time we feel we can't hold out any longer, but just remember the lord has promised not to let us be tempted above that which we are able to bear, but will make a way of escape that we may be able to bear it. Regardless of how severe the battle may be, or how long it may be, just continue to resist, and God will bring you out with victory.

If Satan fails in his attempts to get you to go out into sinful things, he will approach you in some other manner. His tactics are not always the same. Remember, he desires, to have you that he may sift you as wheat, and he'll never give up until he gets you or you enter heaven. The Christian battle is one that lasts until we reach the end of life's way and depart to be with the Lord, so never weary in well doing, just buckle on the whole armor of God and fight the good fight of faith. After failing in his attempts to get you into sin, he may present things that are impure and ungodly for you to think about. If he can capture your thinking, he will soon have you in his clutches. Right thinking leads to right living, and wrong thinking leads to wrong living. We need to guard our thoughts. The mind is a very fertile field in which Satan can work and finally lead a soul away from God or into confusion, causing them to doubt their experience with God, even though they have not sinned openly. "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind..." (I Peter 1: 13) - In this verse of scripture Peter means we should brace up our mind. Be careful how we use our mind. Many of us have experienced the attacks of Satan on the mind. If he can't get you to do something wrong, he'll try to get you to think something wrong. Our thoughts may trail along in loose disorder and cause us untold agonies. We cannot afford to be slothful in our thinking any more than in our business or, conduct of life. This is a frivolous and light hearted age when so many folk think to be sober minded means to be gloomy and sullen. But not so, dear one, we need not take on a long face to be sober or grave; a smile will still be in order. Nevertheless, we should exercise the strictest control over the mind. How often have you sat down to study the Word of God and become enveloped in your reading when suddenly something deflects your thinking to some other channel? It seems your mind immediately runs off on a side track thoughts-that should not be there are there, and you have to resist them and discard them. Sin becomes sin in God's sight long before it reaches the conduct of life. It have its seed in some idle thoughts of the mind that should have been resisted, but instead were harbored until they brought disaster and defeat to the spiritual man through doubting confusion. Oh God! help us to realize we must resist Satan in our thinking as much as in our living. Paul says, "I keep under my body and bring it into subjection." I believe we should guard our thinking against the wiles of the devil and bring it into subjection too. Again I quote Paul when he says our "weapons are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. You are the master of your mind; you can control the thoughts of your mind if you will guard them, but if not, Satan will fill it with thoughts which will in time lead to spiritual disaster. Many souls are led into confusion and finally into sin because they failed to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Be on your guard, Christian, watch for the approach of Satan in this manner and receive the exhortation of Paul, "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 good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

A PECULIAR PEOPLE In I Peter 2:9 we read, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." Peter addressed these words to scattered Christians of his day and also of our day. If he were here to speak to us today, Ie would bear the same message. He declares we are a chosen generation, a generation of people who have been called of God, called out of sin to walk with him in this present world. "A royal priesthood." Yes, thank God, we have been washed from our sins in his own blood and have become kings and priests unto God and his Father (Rev.1: 5-6). The world may look upon Christian people as the off scouring of the earth, a narrow-minded people who are deprived of the pleasures of life, but, thank God, we are drinking of the river of pleasure that flows from the throne of God and are kings and priests unto God. "An holy nation, a peculiar people." In this verse Peter pictures a wonderful throng of people who have been chosen of God to live holy before him in this world and to be robed in white garments and rejoice around the white throne in heaven after this life is over, a throne of which the world is not worthy.

He declares this chosen generation shall be a peculiar people. This is a part of the teaching of God's word that so many people resent. If they could be a Christian and be as the multitudes of earth, live as they live, act as they act, they would gladly be a Christian. But there is something about being a Christian that makes an individual or group peculiar; and when this peculiarity is absent, God is absent. The Lord spoke through Moses to Israel long ago and said, "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed , and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar people treasure unto me above all people." God's people have always been a peculiar people; and as long as they obey his voice and keep his covenant, they will always be peculiar. In Titus 2:13-l4 we read, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our savior Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." So in this gospel dispensation as well as back under the law God's people are peculiar.

The word peculiar has several meanings. First, it means that we are the purchased possession of Jesus Christ. Through his precious blood we have been redeemed or brought back from sin's bondage and are the private property of Jesus. And being purchased by the blood of Jesus also means we are peculiar in that we are different from the usual. We no longer live according to the lust of the flesh, doing those things which are unseemly. The old life has passed away and all things are become new. No longer are we seeking pleasure in the things of this world. The moving picture theatres, the dance halls, the crowd that drinks their liquor and carouses around in the sinful things no longer attract us. We've lost our desire for those things, and now we're looking for the children of God that we might unite in prayer and worship to God. Praise God for the transforming, regenerating, life-giving power of the blood of Jesus. Peter said the folk will think it strange that you run not to the same excess of riot, lasciviousness, and reveling, and banquetings, and will speak evil of you. They can't understand what has happened that you don't like to do these things any more. They'll ask, "Where do you get any pleasure? You don't do this, and you don't do that; how do you live such a life?" Beloved, this is just a part of the peculiarity of those who have come in contact with Jesus of Nazareth and have tasted of the river of life. The Christian is eating and drinking things the world knows nothing about, if so be they are feeding at God's table. Praise God! I'm glad I'm peculiar in this respect. Since I found in my heart, the things of this world have faded into oblivion, and I'm, drinking at a fountain that never shall run dry. With joy I'm drawing water from the wells of salvation. Yes, this is just part of the peculiarity of the saints.

The word peculiar also means characteristic of one only. The seed of holiness is to determine the one. It's the seed of holiness that has characterized the people of God all along the way. Even before the foundation of the world, God ordained his people should be holy (Eph. 1:4). Holiness of heart and life will be the thing that will characterize the people of God on the day of judgment as well as in this life. In this modern age of lukewarmness many folk, who at one time believed in holiness of heart and walked holy before God, seem to think that was a fogy idea and now have apostatized and fail to live holy and fail to advocate the doctrine. Let's look at ancient Israel at the time Isaiah wrote his book. The condition of Israel was deplorable. She was in a backslidden condition, the whole head was sick and the heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head was no soundness in it. She needed someone to cry out against her sins and turn her back to God. In the 6th chapter Isaiah received a vision of the thrice holy God seated upon a throne. As he looked upon this scene, he realized he was undone before God, and instantly one the seraphim flew unto him and touched his mouth with a live coal from off the altar, and he was cleansed. Then he heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom, shall I send, and who will go for us? Immediately he volunteered. The message he was to deliver to Israel was this, "Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and convert and be healed." Isaiah, said, "Lord, how long? How long shall the people be dull of seeing, hearing, and understanding?" "Until the cities be wasted without habitation, and the houses without man, and the land utterly desolate." Then in verse 13 he said, "But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof." It is evident from this reading, what is going to happen. God is going to pour out judgment upon Israel for her sins, and from this purging process a remnant will come, and holiness will be the substance thereof, or real nature. The teaching here is that the holy seed will characterize the remnant. This has been true all back through the ages. Many folk have professed to be God's children, but the seed of holiness or holy living will be the only thing that will constitute them as the children of God. The Hebrew people of Jesus' day thought because they were of the chosen race they were inheritors of the kingdom of God regardless of their personal status in relation to sin. Jesus was teaching some of the believing Jews and told them if they would continue in his word they would be his disciples indeed; and they would know the truth and the truth would make them free. They answered, "We be Abraham's seed and were never in bondage to any man." The Jews were a people laden with iniquity, yet they felt they were God's people while rejecting his Son and continuing in sin because they came of the seed of Abraham.

Today we have a generation of people laden with iniquity yet making a profession of godliness. The great percentage of folk today claim to be Christian but one at the wickedness in our land and one asks, "Where Christians?" We are living in the evening of the gospel day when the pure gospel of Jesus Christ is being preached under the anointing of the Holy Ghost and as it is being preached, it is judging the world. Men are accepting it or rejecting it; and as they make their decision, they are being judged by it. Little does our profession to if we fail to live according to God's word. Through this process of judgment, or the preaching of the pure gospel, the lord is preparing a people for himself, and the seed of holiness will characterize the one, or the remnant. Only a small remnant of the so-called Christian world will come through this judgment of the preaching of God's word, and those who do come will be purged and purified and live holy lives and will constitute the bride of Christ when he appears the second time to receive her and present her to the Fattier. True enough, the doctrine of holy living, one of the peculiarities of the children of God, is very unpopular in the world. Men love darkness better than light. They love the cesspools iniquity more than the glories of serving the true and living God. Nevertheless, without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. If we are to be the children of God we must be peculiar in that we live holy lives, which means Christ-like living-living that is, separated from sinful things of this world, clinging to that which is pure and clean and upright. Are you peculiar? Are you living as God tells you to live? Will you be among the white robed throng in heaven? If you expect to be, you must live holy before the Lord in this present evil world.

[ Continued...See Link Below... ]