13.
THE EVERLASTING COVENANT
In Gal. 4 :25 we have a good sermon on these two covenants.
Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? Abraham had two sons, one by a bond- woman (Hagar). The other by a free woman (Sarah). Paul tells us these are the two covenants. Hagar’s son was Ishmael, and represents Jerusalem which now is. Sarah (Abram’s legal wife) bore Isaac and represents the New Jerusalem which is in Heaven, which Paul says is the mother of us all. This new and everlasting covenant which is the everlasting covenant will last forever. While that Ten Commandment covenant lasted only for a time until Christ came. Now read Jer. 31:31, The days come saith the Lord that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. But this is the covenant that I will make with them, after those days. I will put my law in their inward parts and write it upon their hearts and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.
You can plainly see that this everlasting covenant reaches the hearts of men. I will write it upon their hearts. While under the law of Moses, an eye for an eye,
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and a tooth for a tooth. That is, if some one knocks your eye out, you knock his out. If some one knocks your tooth out, you knock his out.
Penalty
The penalty for breaking the Law of Moses was death. The widow’s son who picked up sticks to make a fire on the Sabbath day was stoned to death. The penalty for breaking the Gospel covenant is punishment in the prison house which is Hell.
The wicked shall be turned into Hell with all the nations that forget God, as I have given to you in a former sermon on the subject of Hell or of the one on the Eternal Judgment. The Gospel is everlasting. So when we obey the Gospel we make an everlasting covenant. The law of Moses was the law of sin and death. The Gospel is the law of life that makes us free. If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments.
THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
We have many short sermons and entreaties on the Gifts of the Spirit. We have many opinions given out by the churches of the land. But when it comes to knowing, no one but God can give us first hand knowledge.
We can go to the Bible for a record. But when we go to the Bible there are so many people who want to dis. count the record that it’s really confusing some times. I would say a very safe and sure way to follow would be to read, James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like the wave of the sea, driven of the wind and tossed. Let not that man think he shall receive anything from the Lord.” The Lord knows what we have need of before we ask Him. So
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it may take a lot of prayer to condition ourselves to have faith. We must humble ourselves to be obedient. Look at the example of Cornelius of Acts 10. He feared God with all his house. (That means he and his household all kept the commandments) and not only that, they gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always. That righteous way of living won for him the ministry of an angel. The angel told him what to do. He did it. They were shown the way to the Kingdom. They accepted and were baptized. Now this baptism was accompanied by the out pouring of His Spirit. It was faith that prompted such prayers and the giving of alms and moved them to keep His commandments. Faith moves us to do things. Then when our hearts are right with God we can receive our daily bread.
Now about those extraordinary gifts that Paul talks about in I Cor. 12 or Jesus mentioned in Mark 16. They are promised to those who believe and obey. The commandment to the eleven was ‘‘Go ye therefore into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.’’ He that believes and is baptized (that is belief and obedience) shall be saved, lie that believeth not shall be damned and these signs shall follow them that believe, etc.
In this Scripture we have the promise given through Jesus Christ that the believers will receive the gift of tongues. healing and casting out of devils, and protection against deadly things. Of course we all know that is in His hands to give and would be given when we meet the requirements. So if we do not believe we will not receive.
In I Cor. 12, the apostle is very much concerned that we be informed about the Spirit of God and Spiritual Gifts - No one can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
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There are diversities of gifts, but by the same Spirit many gifts). There are differences of administration, but the same Lord (like the laying on of hands for the healing of the sick, or laying on of hands for blessing the babies, or for ordaining ministry or for confirming members). Then He mentions these gifts, faith, wisdom, knowledge, tongues, prophecy, discernment, interpretation of tongues. All these are given of God.
Now what for? Eph. 5 :10, 11, 12. For the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the body of Christ and perfecting of the Saints. Could you think of a better reason or a more noble purpose than to perfect the Saints that they would not be led away by false doctrine or teaching arid tossed around by false teachers who preach a variety of doctrines contrary to these beautiful things that God provided to bring knowledge and assurance to us and increase our faith? Read Acts 8:5-25.
This was their first mission after Pentecost, where they had received the Holy Spirit and they were following the words of Jesus when He told them to go into all the world and teach them to observe all things He had said. Then turn to Acts 16 :16-32. This was a clean cut demonstration of the preaching of the Gospel and casting out of the evil spirit and baptizing those who became believers. Thus was the church in operation. Do you know of any order God ever gave to withhold the blessings He provided from the believers? Those gifts are for those who believe. Not for an experiment or just a try out. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. When the man of God goes to administer these ordinances and faith is present, no power on earth can say to Him it can’t be done. Take Him at His promise. Don’t hide your head in shame.
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AN EXPERIENCE IN FAITH
When I went to my mission in Eastern Iowa I went to Brother John Heide‘s place near Fulton in Jackson County. Brother Heide lived a short distance from Fulton on a farm. After lunch Brother Heide said, Oscar, let’s go over to see the church.’’ We did. A small church seven miles out in the country. When I saw it, I said, ‘‘Brother John, I do not want to preach in that little church.” He remarked, ‘‘You don’t?’’ I said, ‘‘No, I want to go down town where the people are.’’ He said, ‘‘We have tried to get a foothold in Fulton for fifty years and we have never accomplished anything.” I said, “You tell me the most prejudiced man in the town of Fulton and I’ll baptize him before I leave.” He said, ‘‘You can’t do it, Oscar.” I said, give me hiss name and I’ll show you. He said it was not a man. it was a woman. I said 0. K., give me her name. He did. He said it was Grandma Shields. I said 0. K.. I’ll baptize Grandma Shields. He said it couldn’t be done.
I ordered the district tent and received it in a couple of days. but while I was getting that, I began to pray, asking God to help me. I rented a lot right across the street from her house. She was very angry. I began preaching. I said if that old lady stays to home she’s going to hear this Gospel. The first night she closed the doors and windows pulled down the blinds, turned out the lights and went to bed. I thought she’d pulled out. She stuck her fingers in her ears and when she thought I was through she took her fingers out of her ears and heard something very good. The next night she sat out on the porch. The next night she had a dream, in her dream she went over to the tent and I was sitting at the organ playing and Brother Turner was standing beside me and she never did hear such beautiful singing and the tent was full. There were seventeen
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reserved chairs in the front row and fourteen of them were filled and three ladies dressed in white came in and I got. up said right here is your seat.
That was her dream, and it was so real that she came up the next night and asked me if I could interpret dreams I said, Grandma I don’t pose as an interpreter, but if you have had a dream I’d like to hear it. She told me. I said, Well I have the interpretation, and you are going to be mixed up in it. She said, ‘‘Don’t tell me I’m going in that old church. I am not.’’ I said, ‘‘Well Grandma, you will be mixed up in it some way.’’
I preached three weeks, had sixteen names for baptism. I announced we would have baptism Sunday 2:00 P. M. A very large crowd, I baptized the sixteen and stood in the water, I said, ‘‘Just one more here that should obey or reject his call and it might be a little late.’’ She walked down out of that crowd and asked me if I’d baptize her. I replied, ‘‘I’d he delighted to baptize you.” That evening before service I was sitting at the organ playing. Brother Turner was standing beside me, we were singing. The tent was full. Seventeen chairs were reserved for confirmation, fourteen were occupied and in walked the remaining three, dressed in white. I jumped up and said, ‘‘right here is your seat.’’ And Sister Shields was one of those three.
I have now at this date been in the ministry for over 67 years and have been administering to the sick by the laying on of my hands, with anointing with oil, and the blessing of healing has followed all my life. So many I could not remember half of them. I will give you a few of recent experiences.
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TESTIMONY
of Dorothy Hawley Haas
In January, 1954, I came to Independence to spend what 1 thought were my last days. For ten years I had been a semi invalid, eating only bland or baby foods, I had to spend most of my time lying down; sometimes I could be up for a longer time than others.
I came here to Independence wanting to die because 1 had problems too great to be solved alone, and I felt that I had not received the Divine Guidance to do anything about them.
I had been through the University of Kansas and the Research Clinics in Kansas City, both informed me that the doctors could not accomplish much for my case. I had had eleven operations and, although I needed another, 1 would be in a worsened condition after the operation than before. My bowel-movements were irregular as I had little control over them. About every six weeks, my condition was such that a visit to the hospital was necessary to have an enema with prostigmon shots; these shots forced bowel movements. I cannot remember ever feeling really well in those ten years. Usually I was nauseated and had abdominal pain. At times my bowels would obstruct and the doctor would use drugs to try to relax the intestines enabling the blockage to pass. Most of the time this method would work, but if not I had to have further surgery.
My mother, Mrs. F. T. Hawley, lived at 630 North Pleasant Street in Independence with my sister, Mrs. Zeno Booker. In January of 1954 I came here to die; I wanted to.
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I got steadily worse after I came here. For six weeks before I came, 1 had been unable to eat anything and the last few days, I had even been unable to drink liquids. Mother finally got my consent to call for the Elders. I had hem administered to many times, but never healed although I feel my life was sometimes extended.
My mother called Elder Oscar Case and Elder Floyd Deal ; I was not acquainted with either of these men at that time although I had seen Brother Case before. When Brother Case came close to the bed, I told him I needed more than a physical blessing. When the hands of the Brethren were on my head, I felt an upheaval in my stomach—the distention, the nausea and the terrible sick ness left and I knew I had received a blessing, how great 1 was to learn later. While the Brothers were leaving. Brother Case said, “You will be all right.”
As soon as they had left, I sat up and asked for some thing to eat. I’ve been eating regularly ever since—anything I want. My intestinal movements are normal and I am never in pain or nauseated. But greater than this, my problems were made known to Brother Case by God and God utilized him to tell me what to do. That if I would go forward, doors would open for me which I little realized possible.
This I know to be true. Today, with God’s help, I have a Beauty Shop where I can work and support my son. God has surely been good to me and lie has made possible this miracle.
Mrs. Dorothy Hawley Haas
January 2, 1956
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A TESTIMONY
of
Mrs. Mary Margaret Armstrong
For years I taught a Sunday School class and worked in the church I had united with. Knowing something of the teachings of the Restored Gospel through a close friend, I began to realize how much more it had to offer. I attended a series of meetings held by J. C. Curt. He gave me a Book of Mormon. I shall never forget the testimony that was given to me. One day as I picked up the book I was filled with the Spirit. I thought surely the Lord wants me to know of it. In June of 1953 I was baptized into The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In September, 1953, I came to Independence. I had a cross too heavy to bear and an arthritis condition of the spine and an enlarged heart. Brother Floyd Deal and Brother Oscar Case administered to me and I was healed entirely overnight of the arthritis. That much I knew at that time. Several months later I had a return for a little season. One of the Elders told me I was looking back to some of the things the Lord had helped to free me from, but under another administration I was healed again. Last month I was given a complete physical to enter practical nursing. They found no signs of an enlarged heart. I have had a year of enlightenment, courage and blessing. On January 1, 1956, my son was baptized into the church. My prayers are answered. I want to grow that I may know my Saviour as was given in my patriarch blessing.
Mary Margaret Armstrong
The Lord Jesus said to His disciples that the Comforter would come to abide with them forever. If there was no more said that would be sufficient for most people..
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But there are a few who insist the day of miracles has past and God does not give those extraordinary gifts any more, such as prophecy, healing, discerning of Spirits, and casting out devils. The devil is still loose and evil Spirits are all around, but you will have to get along the best you know how and take the consequences with the Devil. That’s the idea of the unbelieving Christian world. But those who believe are enjoying the blessings and gifts of the Gospel as in days of yore.
The manifestations of the Spirit is given to everyone to profit withall. (That is it was for his good). One of the most helpful things I know of is the promised help to His servants when they are called upon to preach. It will he given to you in that very hour. Many, many times that has been verified to me.
If you take away the gifts you would take the light out of the church. The assurance away from the Gospel and the evidence out of faith and you would have a dead form of blasted hope. Who are you that you would question the authority of God, or try to close the avenues, cutting off all communication to Heaven, and spread contagion of unbelief and still affirm to be a Christian? If I should express my opinion it would be a modern Pharisee. A wolf in disguise. Sounding brass, a cymbal of Satan and doomed to burn at His coming.
Lift up your heads and believe in a living God. Living today and working with the church, confirming the believers. Leading the church to Zion. Now let’s answer that fellow who believes the gifts are done away. They use the 13th chapter of I Cor., Whether there be prophecies they shall fail, whether there be tongues they shall cease, whether there shall be knowledge it shall vanish away— take notice when prophecies fail and tongues shall cease, knowledge will vanish away. They are not willing to
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say we should be without knowledge. But notice that Scripture, it tells us they who had those beautiful gifts of prophecy and tongues, that gave to them only knowledge in part and was like seeing through a dark glass. This partial knowledge was to be exchanged for fullness of knowledge and seeing in part to full view seeing as we are seen. When Jesus Christ shall come we will see Him as He is. We will see each other face to face and behold a fullness of His power and glory in the redeemed earth. That’s what these blessed gifts will lead us up and into. This is eternal life to know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.
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