Read This Little Sermon
0 FOR A CLOSER WALK WITH GOD
Many have yearned and longed and prayed to get near to Him. 0, how wonderful to hear His voice. How it thrills me to have Him speak to me. Some one says He does not speak. That someone does not know. They have not paid the price of the trip. The price must be paid. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth Me, and he shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him
God's word is true and His promises are true also. We are making our record. The recording angel is writing in the Book of Life the things we do and say, and aside from this Book of Life is the Lamb's Book of Life, in which is written the doings or work of those who have obeyed the law and are working at the job, keeping His commandments and have been adopted into His Kingdom, known as The Church of Jesus Christ. Called after His own name, the only name ever given, or ever will be given by which the people may be safe in His tender care, bringing to them the light and power of God that burns in their souls and shines in the things they do and say. Words fitly spoken are like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Those words are the words you said when you were at the bedside of your brother or what you said to that brother who was in prison
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for His sake. They were the message you wrote on the package you sent to the needy. They are the note you wrote with the food you sent to the hungry brother whose family was in need.
Those express works of mercy are the results of a closer walk with God. So in this Lamb's Book of Life we must record our names by the deeds of love required by the law of the Celestial Kingdom, and this law requires us to become His adopted children, by obeying the principles of the Gospel, which are Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Laying on of Hands, which entitles us to membership in the Church of Jesus Christ, and must be administered by God called, ordained and anointed men who are called of God, as was Aaron. Although we may give all our goods to feed the poor, and do not love God enough to obey these laws at the bands of His servants, we are nothing. Read I Con 13. Though we give our bodies to be burned and do not love God enough to accept His word of counsel and law we are nothing.
To obey is better than sacrifice. That closer walk with God humbles our souls and brings to us the vision of ourselves that we may see our sins and correct the crooked and perverse things of our lives. We are all convinced that if our conversation is filthy our whole body will be full of evil. Brain and heart are working at the wrong job, and are not subject to the law of God. Therefore we must make a change and walk on the highway instead of the low way, and when we have found the Church of Jesus Christ and entered into it, then and not till then our sins may be forgiven, and we can see the shining way and no power on earth can conquer us when God is on our side.
I stood at the bedside of a sweet little girl, stricken with polio. She said, "I know Jesus can heal me." I said, "I know He can too." I administered to her and she re
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quested to pray at the same time I prayed and to pray aloud. Her request was granted and I'll say of all the prayers I ever heard there never was a sweeter prayer. She was healed. Jesus said, "Except ye be converted and become as a little child, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of God.
Just a short time ago I was asked to administer to a good sister. She said if I am administered to I will be healed. I administered. She had been on crutches for six months. She got up and walked. Never used her crutches again, didn't need them.
0, for a closer walk with God. It must be so in order to receive a blessing of that kind. We must have faith as that little girl who said, "I know Jesus can heal me." It must be so for the prophet said, out of Zion the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
The Prophet Enoch walked with God for 300 years, and builded a city in which all were of one heart and one mind, no poor among them. When we arrive to that condition of heart and mind that we are willing, to be equal in temporal things we then may inherit equality in spiritual or heavenly things.
Then we can mingle with the angels and the Lord will bless His own and the earth will be as Eden and we'll know as we are known.
So let our constant prayer be 0, for a closer walk with God.
He will send His angels and gather out of His kingdom all that offend and they who do wickedly. The wedding garments must be bought in deeds of righteousness and love. Those characteristics that will stand the test of fire and as Lazarus we may suffer until our strength is gone, and then see the salvation of God.
The fires of Hell cannot dim the works represented as
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precious stones. their glory and brightness will shine on and we too may be fondled in the arms of the angels and carried to the paradise of God. That prayer, "Who shall abide in thy tabernacle. and who shall dwell in thy holy hill of Zion carries 'great meaning and we must send that material over there that are purchased by faith and devo tion to His cause. Our works and faithfulness to Him will
purchase us a place in His heavenly kingdom. Come to the waters of salvation and get down on your knees as did the soldiers of General Joshua and drink from the living fountain that you may never thirst again. Let the fra grance of the Rose of Sharon flavor your conversation and the Son of righteousness shine in your life that others may know and love Him. Amen.
WE MUST BE ONE
There are times when we feel blue and wonder if the Lord does really care for us. We need to read in Acts 17, God made all of one blood. so there's no royal blood coursing through my veins, we all have an equal chance as far as spiritual creation is concerned and the time and place of our birth, but we all want to reach that heavenly kingdom, whose builder and maker is God. In James 1:5, "If any of you lack wisdom. let him ask of God. "
So the young man Joseph went to the woods and asked God, "which of all the churches are right?" The Lord answered him, telling him to join none of them. The creeds of the various churches are devised or made by a group of people getting together and determine the articles of their own faith and appoint their own ministers.
That position is wrong. In Hebrews 5:4 we are told, "No man taketh this honour unto himself, but He that is called of God as was Aaron.." In Isaiah 55 we are also
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told, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, saith the Lord, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. So we have to depend on God to lead us. So in Revelations 14, "1 saw another angel, flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to men on the earth unto every nation, kindred, tongue and people. And in the same text it says He would come in the hour of God's judgment. And in Matthew 24 Jesus told His disciples of his second coming and the end of the world and He mentioned the wars and rumors of war, earthquakes, pestilence and other things that would come in that day and the high point or most outstanding sign was: "This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all people and then the end would come. So the old Jerusalem gospel with signs following the believer would be preached, also read Daniel 2:44. In the days of these kings will God of heaven set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor given to another people, and it would stand forever.
Now these scriptures do not need repair or modification, but stand as a light or mile post for you to seek for the Church of Jesus Christ. 0, by the way could you tell me how you could reach the celestial kingdom under another name. Paul said, "There is no other name given whereby you can be saved." So if one should try it under any name of our own choosing aside from the name of Jesus Christ, you are wrong, and by the way we are also told we should be one. You may talk of the noble 300 to 600 names by which people are congregated, or gathered together, and not one name is chosen, but the Church of Jesus Christ, and if it does not match His teaching in Organization, Doctrine and Practice, they will fail.
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COME AND DINE
The angel has come with the everlasting gospel. It is good as new, not a thing left out. The Lord is blessing the people of the church, helping them to prepare themselves for the feast. The oxen and fatlings are killed, and the angels are helping the guests to arrange their garments to attend the feast. You can't attend unless you have on the wedding garment. It must be bought and you have to wear it. It doesn't wear out, It looks better the longer you wear it. Its a very beautiful thing. In order to receive it we are required to do certain things, and those things are to obey the order and counsel of the King or Leader and Commander. He is the good shepherd and we are the sheep. So follow Him and He has made it mandatory we should be born into His kingdom here that we may work out our salvation and pay for the garment, by the things we do and say. We must wash to be clean, now this washing is referred to as Baptism and it is proceeded by Faith and Repentance. Now if you would wash and be clean, it is mandatory that the principles by which you wash and be cleaned are administered by one in authority.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John, this was John the Baptist. Jesus Christ was sent, anointed Isaiah 61.
The disciples called and ordained. John 15.
No man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. Heb. 5:4, So search for this apostolic set up and inquire if the signs follow the believer, and they will tell you. Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Laying on of Hands are taught as the principles of His everlasting law and He will say come and let's do the work required of us. Jesus Christ has not done our work, we alone with Him must get the job done. So when we have found the church and entered into it and received a testi
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mony from heaven, let's go on in this work of redeeming love until our souls will be redeemed in His fold and then we can partake of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the Paradise of God. Come and Dine.
HIS GRACE
We meet people almost every day who will say, "We are saved by grace." That is very true, but they want to put their own interpretation on Grace. Paul said, "By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God.
He said also we are created unto good works, to walk in them. Do you believe we should walk in good works? If you don't you will walk with the filthy in works of evil. He created us unto good works not idleness. James said, "Show me your faith without your works and I'll show you my faith by my works. Know this, 0 vain man, that faith without works is dead." So that man who said, no work is necessary, his faith is dead and would be classified with those who are blind, naked and dead, and will suffer and be burned at His coming. The things that Christ offered for our salvation are His Grace. Reject the word of His grace and you reject Him. The one who loves to tell filthy stories will be sent with those of his kind and they will lift up their eyes in Hell and wish they had done something about it. We would have to throw that Book of James in the waste basket if we reject His teachings. The early Virginia colonists learned to their sorrow that idleness does not pay. Instead of planting and sowing, they hunted for treasures, and the winter of 1609 came on and the colony starved and was reduced from over 500 to 60. Likewise spiritual idleness does not pay.
Paul said, "Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
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If we trust in a man made way we will reap a worldly reward, which is called the terrestrial or worldly reward compared to the glory of the moon. So come to the waters of salvation and be filled with a fullness of His love and grace and power, and be one who goes up to the coronation ceremonies of Jesus Christ when He will be crowned King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
If ye have faith as of a grain of mustard seed, ye can say to this mountain be thou removed, and cast into the sea, and it will be done.
Now I will confess that as to the quality and quantity of that measure, I am not able to explain it all, but I will say that there have been times when it seems to me I had some good quantity of faith. There is only one road that I know of up that mountain of yours or that mountain of mine and if we are not willing to follow that path or road we will not reach the summit of that hill. It's nice to sing get ye up then to your mountain, Zion of This Closing Day. For the glory of my coming waits to break upon your way. But it takes a humility and love that does not tire at every little pebble in the road.
Before Jesus began His ministry, He fasted forty days without bread and water, and if He required a fast of forty days I wonder if we could make the preparation at a lesser sacrifice.
About 54 years ago when I was in the Eastern Iowa District, I was called home because my wife was sick. When I arrived home I had $6.00, my wife had none. I administered to her. She got well. We soon lived up that $6.00. The Spirit of the Lord told me to go back to my work. I told my wife to get my shirts ready, I was going back to my mission tomorrow. She said how are you going without money, its 300 miles. I said I don't know, but I'm going. The next morning I waited till 9:30,
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the train would be in by 10:00. 1 took my grips, kissed her good bye. She cried and so did I. I went to the depot, I knew of no other way to go, the train came in. I started to get on, just one step more I would have been on the train. A sister came behind me, touched me on the shoulder and said, Brother Case are you going to your mission. I said yes. She said something tells me you don't have money enough. I said, it sure told you right that time. She opened her purse and gave me $5.00. 1 paid the conductor on the train, the fare was $4.85. 1 landed in my field with 15 cents. I could have worked and earned some money. Some one will say, I sure wouldn't leave my wife without money. But He told me to go. I went. He opened the door for both of us.
There's lots of unbelievers in the world and in the church. They're everywhere and God has made a place for them where they can be taught and learn of His ways and tender love.
FEED ME THE BREAD OF HEAVEN
That's a beautiful thought. The children of Israel were fed. God fed them with manna for 40 years.
But how could it be that God would feed us, we all have a desire to get near to Him, or in touch or in tune with heaven, or in some way communicate with that holy place. That would indeed be food to our souls, Satisfaction to our minds and peace to our spirits. If we could have Him manifest Himself to us as of John 14:21, or as when Israel needed food, He tossed down bread from heaven, they needed meat, He sent them quails.
They were thirsty Moses smote the rock. Did you notice what Moses said when he smote the rock? Drink, you rebels. It just could be if we would not rebel against His word, that we could drink of that living water, and be
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fed by the bread of heaven. Now while Israel had all their wants supplied we might have our wants supplied if we would ever heed the injunctions given.
“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you nor diminish from it. Now that's one step. Whatever He said that's it. Don't try to fix up a substitute. So if you want the bread from heaven it must be obtained in His way.
He taught us to pray give us this day our daily bread. We need daily bread to sustain the outer man. We also need bread to sustain the inner man. When we learn how to pray, we will not ask amiss. Now what are we looking for? Is it an easy road? Gather my saints together unto Me those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. In Acts 2, 1 Cor. 12, Eph. 4, Acts 8, Mark 16, Acts 19, 1 read how God poured out on them His heavenly gifts and they rejoiced. God gives these gifts to those who prepare for them. He has not changed the gifts, nor He has not altered the plan. So you can read it and then determine in your own mind whether you are honest or not. Paul said in Galatians 1, 1 marvel that ye are so soon removed from the Gospel of Christ. It seems that some one had been teaching subversive things and they had closed their eyes and opened their mouth and it went down and they were living or trying to live on subversive or contrary food. Paul said, though we or an angel from heaven would preach any other gospel let him be accursed. So the bread must come from heaven. Feed me the bread of Heaven. Feed me till I want no more.
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