We Would See Jesus

When we first gathered here on Wednesday evening, it was mentioned that God was gathering us in as a family and it is nice to think of it like that. We are part of the great family of God. Just before leaving WA, our friends said kindly take our love and greetings to the friends in SA. It was just a friendly greeting from one part of the family to another and I love to think I have the privilege of being amongst you again, to see old friends and also to see new faces. It is a wonderful privilege. 

I was thinking too even as we have been singing, we would see Jesus. I was thinking of Him as we sometimes think of Him as our Father and the Elder Brother, and I am sure that is the expression of our hearts as we would see Jesus. In India amongst the Hindu people, the elder brother has a special place, they look to him for advice, he has a special place in the family and I thought of our Elder Brother Jesus, doesn’t He have a very special place in our hearts and lives? We look to Him, we seek His guidance, we love to have His spirit, we love to see the evidence of His spirit here.  

 

I would like to tell you a story about one of our sisters who used to be in India, Vera an English girl. Her father was a policeman and he rose to the rank of superintendent. Vera at the age of 12 went with her mother to the meetings. Her mother was a sincere Presbyterian. However, as she went to the gospel meetings her heart was turned to Jesus; she could see there was a right spirit amongst the people where she was. She came home and told her husband about the meetings. He was a quiet man but when it came to going to convention, he took Vera and her mother to convention by car and do you know what appealed to him about the gathering? They didn’t need a policeman to keep them in order. He thought that strange, but this is a policeman’s mind. He was used to going to gatherings where there was a measure of police control, but just seeing people coming here, with such a quiet spirit, each one doing what they could do and so on. There is a wonderful spirit in the family of God. It is one thing people take notice of, how the elderly ones are cared for, it is lovely to see young ones helping the older ones, each doing what they can in the family that is truly lovely. You know the family of God is controlled by one spirit. 

When I came from India I spent some time in hospital. I was used to having a companion in the field, one to read together with, but then I had my own private reads. I enjoyed looking into the Psalms, particularly concerning the life of David. I felt I got a deeper understanding of David’s life, and it was well expressed in the Psalms, which God has so kindly left us a record. We don’t often get to know the depths of each other’s heart unless something is spoken. I read other portions also, and I just felt I wouldn’t like to be a little careless about reading of Jesus. I wouldn’t like to take Him for granted and never learn to appreciate His life and His ministry and all that comes from that in my life. I just felt there was that earnest prayer from my heart as I came to this convention that, as a person, I would see Jesus and I have.  

 

We have heard about Him from the platform, we have seen the spirit manifest in the lives of His people. You know the chorus of that hymn says on the faithful of the land keep your eyes that we might stand. I remember an elderly brother worker making a comment on that. That is very good advice, but he said, keep Jesus as the center of our thoughts; other lives we read of in the Scripture and those around us we appreciate, but keep our affections fixed on Jesus.  He is the center, He is the One God sent, He came to earth to show us how to live. Some of the thoughts I had concerning Him have already been mentioned. I hope you don’t mind if I repeat these things that have been laid upon my heart. 

I enjoyed thinking of Isaiah; he was a great prophet in his day and he was a wonderful man. I have heard it said he preached 60 years and I think during the reign of four Kings. He knew many experiences. God in kindness gave him three pictures of Jesus, three visions. I believe those visions would be very, very precious to Isaiah’s heart. We know they became reality 700 years after this. We have one in the ninth, 11 and 13 chapters, scriptures I am sure we are familiar with. I believe those pictures would be deeply written upon Isaiah’s heart where showing the people in the coming pages, 700 years later, when Jesus came in reality and in the flesh. And we in the 20th century look back to the life and teachings of Jesus and one great thought came to me, we can have hope and confidence in the living God who so kindly helped men and women down through the ages and who would help us to appreciate His own dear Son.  I am sure what is very personal is what we have approved in our hearts and lives when we heard the gospel. 

 

When I was 16 I was invited to gospel meetings 2 miles from home. These days it is not far to go when you have a car, we had to get a penny section with the tram and walk, this we did three nights a week. My people were religious, we never had the privilege of having preachers in the home, but there was just something about these meetings and those people that gripped my heart. I thought in my heart God didn’t love me. I was the eldest of seven and bore the responsibility in the family. I used to get into my head sometimes God won’t love you if you tell lies, if you are disobedient, so I had it in my mind God didn’t love me and wouldn’t love me. God in kindness showed me in those meetings He did love me. I’m glad of the assurance and I am glad of the experiences from the hand of God, as we know what they are to us. 

I was thinking of the love of Jesus that was mentioned so kindly last night, when He was 12 years of age He did that journey to Jerusalem, His parents are leaving thinking He was with them. I thought of Jesus as a boy of 12, He was probably helping someone who was traveling with them, He would have that in His life at the age of 12 and bought up in a saved home. This is a very nice mark. His mother and father wouldn’t worry until night came when they would expect Him to rest and He didn’t come. I tried to think a little of the concern of Mary and Joseph as they realized He is not with us. The only thing to do was to go back. They had gone a day’s journey, they went back three days and searched. Imagine how concerned they would be, the precious life that was given to them, they did not know where He was. They found them in the least expected place.  

 

He said “wist ye not that I must be about my father’s business?” God’s spirit was doing something in His life, God was beginning to work. We see that sometimes in a child today. Beginning to be concerned about spiritual things in homes where God’s loved and honored and go to meetings and have the servants of God around them, young hearts are stirred and moved. It says He went home with them. There is another little thought there. Sometimes as the multitude of our thoughts and activities of life, maybe we are so absorbed in other things we get busy and take it for granted He is with us. 

There was a young woman I was speaking to from W.A., I hadn’t seen her for many years; she was troubled in her soul, she was telling me for some years she and her husband lived in another city and had some business. I could get up in the morning and send my child to school and my husband to his business and then after that have a quiet time. They came back to the farm and there seemed to be one thing after another. I said she would just have to get up a little earlier if she wanted to have the spirit of God, the spirit of Christ with her. She realized she was losing out. I felt we need to be careful, we could just get careless and take for granted He is with us. He wants to know that we really love Him as He loved us. I think there would be, from the depths of all our hearts gathered here, the desire that we could indeed get fresh glimpses of Jesus. 

I thought of Jesus at the age of 30. God worked on His heart and He was moved by the spirit of God to take other steps in obedience by going forth to preach the gospel, and there was Satan ready to tempt Him and he tried everything he knew. You know the wall of separation was well fixed. Then it tells us that he left Jesus for a season. Later on we read of Jesus saying, the prince of this world has nothing in Me. He kept up the wall of separation, He kept the influence of Satan out, and He kept the right things in. Don’t we need to do that, because Satan will never give up trying to tempt us; he will always be there to try and tempt and hinder us. 

I was thinking to of some of the lovely marks of Jesus. We know so well the spirit He had, the great humility, the great patience and the compassion and love. I thought of the time we read of Him sitting on the well. It says He was weary of the journey. It is the only time we read of Jesus being tired. I am glad it is there. We know He was tempted in all points as we are, and we get tired and weary.  We can’t help it, our bodies are like that in the cares of life. I thought of Jesus sitting there, quietly thinking, a needy soul came along and as a result of that contact led to a mi Ilma Jenyns  - Oak Lodge conv. 1979  [Ilma labored many years in India, started in the work in Western Australia in 1933]  

 

When we first gathered here on Wednesday evening, it was mentioned that God was gathering us in as a family and it is nice to think of it like that. We are part of the great family of God. Just before leaving WA, our friends said kindly take our love and greetings to the friends in SA. It was just a friendly greeting from one part of the family to another and I love to think I have the privilege of being amongst you again, to see old friends and also to see new faces. It is a wonderful privilege. 

I was thinking too even as we have been singing, we would see Jesus. I was thinking of Him as we sometimes think of Him as our Father and the Elder Brother, and I am sure that is the expression of our hearts as we would see Jesus. In India amongst the Hindu people, the elder brother has a special place, they look to him for advice, he has a special place in the family and I thought of our Elder Brother Jesus, doesn’t He have a very special place in our hearts and lives? We look to Him, we seek His guidance, we love to have His spirit, we love to see the evidence of His spirit here. 

I would like to tell you a story about one of our sisters who used to be in India, Vera an English girl. Her father was a policeman and he rose to the rank of superintendent. Vera at the age of 12 went with her mother to the meetings. Her mother was a sincere Presbyterian. However, as she went to the gospel meetings her heart was turned to Jesus; she could see there was a right spirit amongst the people where she was. She came home and told her husband about the meetings. He was a quiet man but when it came to going to convention, he took Vera and her mother to convention by car and do you know what appealed to him about the gathering? They didn’t need a policeman to keep them in order. He thought that strange, but this is a policeman’s mind. He was used to going to gatherings where there was a measure of police control, but just seeing people coming here, with such a quiet spirit, each one doing what they could do and so on. There is a wonderful spirit in the family of God. It is one thing people take notice of, how the elderly ones are cared for, it is lovely to see young ones helping the older ones, each doing what they can in the family that is truly lovely. You know the family of God is controlled by one spirit.  

 

When I came from India I spent some time in hospital. I was used to having a companion in the field, one to read together with, but then I had my own private reads. I enjoyed looking into the Psalms, particularly concerning the life of David. I felt I got a deeper understanding of David’s life, and it was well expressed in the Psalms, which God has so kindly left us a record. We don’t often get to know the depths of each other’s heart unless something is spoken. I read other portions also, and I just felt I wouldn’t like to be a little careless about reading of Jesus. I wouldn’t like to take Him for granted and never learn to appreciate His life and His ministry and all that comes from that in my life. I just felt there was that earnest prayer from my heart as I came to this convention that, as a person, I would see Jesus and I have. 

We have heard about Him from the platform, we have seen the spirit manifest in the lives of His people. You know the chorus of that hymn says on the faithful of the land keep your eyes that we might stand. I remember an elderly brother worker making a comment on that. That is very good advice, but he said, keep Jesus as the center of our thoughts; other lives we read of in the Scripture and those around us we appreciate, but keep our affections fixed on Jesus.  He is the center, He is the One God sent, He came to earth to show us how to live. Some of the thoughts I had concerning Him have already been mentioned. I hope you don’t mind if I repeat these things that have been laid upon my heart. 

I enjoyed thinking of Isaiah; he was a great prophet in his day and he was a wonderful man. I have heard it said he preached 60 years and I think during the reign of four Kings. He knew many experiences. God in kindness gave him three pictures of Jesus, three visions. I believe those visions would be very, very precious to Isaiah’s heart. We know they became reality 700 years after this. We have one in the ninth, 11 and 13 chapters, scriptures I am sure we are familiar with. I believe those pictures would be deeply written upon Isaiah’s heart where showing the people in the coming pages, 700 years later, when Jesus came in reality and in the flesh. And we in the 20th century look back to the life and teachings of Jesus and one great thought came to me, we can have hope and confidence in the living God who so kindly helped men and women down through the ages and who would help us to appreciate His own dear Son.  I am sure what is very personal is what we have approved in our hearts and lives when we heard the gospel.  

 

When I was 16 I was invited to gospel meetings 2 miles from home. These days it is not far to go when you have a car, we had to get a penny section with the tram and walk, this we did three nights a week. My people were religious, we never had the privilege of having preachers in the home, but there was just something about these meetings and those people that gripped my heart. I thought in my heart God didn’t love me. I was the eldest of seven and bore the responsibility in the family. I used to get into my head sometimes God won’t love you if you tell lies, if you are disobedient, so I had it in my mind God didn’t love me and wouldn’t love me. God in kindness showed me in those meetings He did love me. I’m glad of the assurance and I am glad of the experiences from the hand of God, as we know what they are to us. 

I was thinking of the love of Jesus that was mentioned so kindly last night, when He was 12 years of age He did that journey to Jerusalem, His parents are leaving, thinking He was with them. I thought of Jesus as a boy of 12, He was probably helping someone who was traveling with them, He would have that in His life at the age of 12 and bought up in a saved home. This is a very nice mark. His mother and father wouldn’t worry until night came when they would expect Him to rest and He didn’t come. I tried to think a little of the concern of Mary and Joseph as they realized He is not with us. The only thing to do was to go back. They had gone a day’s journey, they went back three days and searched. Imagine how concerned they would be, the precious life that was given to them, they did not know where He was. They found them in the least expected place. 

He said “wist ye not that I must be about my father’s business?” God’s spirit was doing something in His life, God was beginning to work. We see that sometimes in a child today. Beginning to be concerned about spiritual things in homes where God’s loved and honored and go to meetings and have the servants of God around them, young hearts are stirred and moved. It says He went home with them. There is another little thought there. Sometimes as the multitude of our thoughts and activities of life, maybe we are so absorbed in other things we get busy and take it for granted He is with us. 

There was a young woman I was speaking to from W.A., I hadn’t seen her for many years; she was troubled in her soul, she was telling me for some years she and her husband lived in another city and had some business. I could get up in the morning and send my child to school and my husband to his business and then after that have a quiet time. They came back to the farm and there seemed to be one thing after another. I said she would just have to get up a little earlier if she wanted to have the spirit of God, the spirit of Christ with her. She realized she was losing out. I felt we need to be careful, we could just get careless and take for granted He is with us. He wants to know that we really love Him as He loved us. I think there would be, from the depths of all our hearts gathered here, the desire that we could indeed get fresh glimpses of Jesus.

 

I thought of Jesus at the age of 30. God worked on His heart and He was moved by the spirit of God to take other steps in obedience by going forth to preach the gospel, and there was Satan ready to tempt Him and he tried everything he knew. You know the wall of separation was well fixed. Then it tells us that he left Jesus for a season. Later on we read of Jesus saying, the prince of this world has nothing in Me. He kept up the wall of separation, He kept the influence of Satan out, and He kept the right things in. Don’t we need to do that, because Satan will never give up trying to tempt us; he will always be there to try and tempt and hinder us. 

I was thinking to of some of the lovely marks of Jesus. We know so well the spirit He had, the great humility, the great patience and the compassion and love. I thought of the time we read of Him sitting on the well. It says He was weary of the journey. It is the only time we read of Jesus being tired. I am glad it is there. We know He was tempted in all points as we are, and we get tired and weary.  We can’t help it, our bodies are like that in the cares of life. I thought of Jesus sitting there, quietly thinking, a needy soul came along and as a result of that contact led to a mission in the village, and how Jesus was tired, but He was always ready to help needy souls. I think that is lovely to think of our Saviour was always ready in spirit to help us. Today we heard of Him serving, He is still serving as our intercessor, He is still very interested in our spiritual welfare. What a wonderful Saviour appears to us; think of Him in so many ways as recorded in the Scripture. 

My thoughts have turned to the first day of the week after He had been crucified, that little band of women who stood by Him and seen Him suffer, that was all they could do for Him, the One they loved, they couldn’t do anything to help Him, only by their presence and their souls willing to be identified with Him in His shame you could say, it would mean a lot to our Saviour. Then we read of Joseph coming on the first day of the week with spices and to anoint His body. I do appreciate that, even they felt there was nothing they could do, they did the little they could do. Desire accomplished is sweet to the soul. Sometimes we suffer frustration, how do we take these things? God knows what is in our hearts and we might not accomplish what we set out to do because of circumstances, it is good to have the desire and God knows.  

 

I couldn’t help but think of Mary in the 12th of John in the home of Martha, she grasped the opportunity while He was there. Martha at their home as a housekeeper, would like to prepare something very special for this servant of God. Mary felt this is the opportunity to learn a little more. Jesus probably said don’t go to any trouble, as servants often say that; Mary valued the opportunity she had that day to learn, to sacrifice, which had a great effect. She was the one who broke the alabaster box, the fragrances savored that home, it also savored the life of Jesus at that time. Jesus said let her alone she has done this for my burying. She didn’t know what it meant to the Saviour, but she grasped the opportunity and she never had another one. 

There is just one little thought, little opportunities come our way of doing something laid upon our hearts, if we make the best of our opportunities we will have no regrets. I feel I have regrets by putting things off, and opportunity may never come again. I hope as we have gathered here we would indeed see Jesus, we will see again the lovely qualities in His life and what He means to us, we will go forth from convention feeling God has been good in giving us a vision of His Son. As we think of how His love and how He died for our sakes, it would move us to even be faithful in our generation and show to others how our faith is fixed on Jesus. He is a center of our affections and He is our hope. I am sure as God looks down today, He will help us even in our weakness and need, that we would see Jesus, see Him dying, and see Him pleading, pleading with us that we would give of our best, so He can give to us all the very best, for Jesus' sake. ~ ~ ~ssion in the village, and how Jesus was tired, but He was always ready to help needy souls. I think that is lovely to think of our Saviour was always ready in spirit to help us. Today we heard of Him serving, He is still serving as our intercessor, He is still very interested in our spiritual welfare. What a wonderful Saviour appears to us; think of Him in so many ways as recorded in the Scripture. 

My thoughts have turned to the first day of the week after He had been crucified, that little band of women who stood by Him and seen Him suffer, that was all they could do for Him, the One they loved, they couldn’t do anything to help Him, only by their presence and their souls willing to be identified with Him in His shame you could say, it would mean a lot to our Saviour. Then we read of Joseph coming on the first day of the week with spices and to anoint His body. I do appreciate that, even they felt there was nothing they could do, they did the little they could do. Desire accomplished is sweet to the soul. Sometimes we suffer frustration, how do we take these things? God knows what is in our hearts and we might not accomplish what we set out to do because of circumstances, it is good to have the desire and God knows.  

 

I couldn’t help but think of Mary in the 12th of John in the home of Martha, she grasped the opportunity while He was there. Martha at their home as a housekeeper, would like to prepare something very special for this servant of God. Mary felt this is the opportunity to learn a little more. Jesus probably said don’t go to any trouble, as servants often say that; Mary valued the opportunity she had that day to learn, to sacrifice, which had a great effect. She was the one who broke the alabaster box, the fragrances savored that home, it also savored the life of Jesus at that time. Jesus said let her alone she has done this for my burying. She didn’t know what it meant to the Saviour, but she grasped the opportunity and she never had another one. 

There is just one little thought, little opportunities come our way of doing something laid upon our hearts, if we make the best of our opportunities we will have no regrets. I feel I have regrets by putting things off, and opportunity may never come again. I hope as we have gathered here we would indeed see Jesus, we will see again the lovely qualities in His life and what He means to us, we will go forth from convention feeling God has been good in giving us a vision of His Son. As we think of how His love and how He died for our sakes, it would move us to even be faithful in our generation and show to others how our faith is fixed on Jesus. He is a center of our affections and He is our hope. I am sure as God looks down today, He will help us even in our weakness and need, that we would see Jesus, see Him dying, and see Him pleading, pleading with us that we would give of our best, so He can give to us all the very best, for Jesus' sake. ~ ~ ~

 

Ilma Jenyns  - Oak Lodge conv. 1979  [Ilma labored many years in India, started in the work in Western Australia in 1933]   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Letter Of James Summarized In A Poem

THE NEW TESTAMENT BOOK OF PROVERBS

(The Letter of James summarized in a Poem)

Chapter 1: Vain Religion and Pure Religion

Vain religion justifies self
In temptation fierce and wild
Pure religion denies self
And seeks to serve God's child


Chapter 2: Living Faith and Dead Faith

A living faith will sacrifice
To do what God requests
A dead faith only speaks of things
It really doesn't possess

Chapter 3: Heavenly Wisdom and Earthly Wisdom

Heavenly wisdom softens the heart
And plants some living seeds
Earthly wisdom hardens the heart
And often it deceives
Chapter 4: Godly Desires and Fleshly Desires
Godly desires will fill the heart
With humility and God's grace
Fleshly desires will empty the heart
And forsakes the lowly place

Chapter 5: Eternal Riches and Corruptible Riches

(a) Money earned deceitfully
By the unjust, this will only rust!
Money earned by our brow’s own sweat
This is the best yet!

(b) A garment not worn
Only the closet does adorn
Remove it and you will shout
When you notice the moths fly out!

(c) Earthly Treasure satisfies not
And it shall surely fail
Heavenly Treasure makes content
And it reaches beyond the vail!

From Bill Walker, 2012

The Seven Wonders Of The World

A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present "Seven Wonders of the World.” Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help." The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the 'Seven Wonders of the World are:

1. to see
2. to hear
3. to touch
4. to taste
5. to feel
6. to laugh
7. and to love."

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The things we overlook as simple, ordinary and take for granted are truly wondrous! A gentle reminder - that the most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man but are gifts from God.

Samson, Dying To Self

Hebrews 11:32  "And what shall I say more? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:)" A phrase in the 34th verse says ". . .out of weakness we're made strong."  It gives a list of faithful people who through faith and the power of God working in their lives were victorious in serving God, in glorifying God and honoring God with their lives.  It speaks here about Samson.  I would like to speak a little bit today about Samson.  We have the story of Samson over in Judges 13 through the 16th chapter.  This was a dark time and history of God's people but there was a boy, a son was promised.  It tells us that this boy was to be a Nazarite, an exceptional child.  He had exceptional strength.  You remember that his mother was told not to drink wine or strong drink and when this lad was born she was not to cut his hair.  This was part of the vow of a Nazarite.  He was a Nazarite from the womb.  Now, not all Nazarites were lifetime Nazarites but this boy was.  He had incredible strength and power.  One time he came across a lion and it says that he rent him, or tore him, like he was a little goat.  Another place tells us that they bound him with two new cords and he took his arms and tore them apart like it was just flax or like they were just threads.  He took the jaw bone of a donkey and killed 1000 men.  The enemy could not understand or figure out where his strength lay.  They tried everything to find out.  Come to find out, it was in his hair.  When they finally found out, they tricked him and trapped him and cut his hair.  Then he lost his strength. He lost his vision, you remember they put out his eyes.  They put him in the prison, the mill, to grind.  Blind and weak going around, and around, and around, a captive.  He lost all of his joy. He lost all of his peace.  When I think of that story I think of my own grandfather on my mother ' s side.  He heard this gospel many, many years ago, in the 1920s.  When he heard it he recognized it and made his choice to be part of it.  He was a part of it for a time then he got offended and fell away.  He lived the most of the rest of his life without God.  He lost his strength, he lost his vision, he lost his faith and his life was just around, and around, and around.  I am glad that was not Samson's choice but it was the situation that he found himself in.  We read in the 16th chapter that his hair began to grow again.  Samson's strength was connected with his hair.  With God ' s people today it is not so. Our strength is connected with our prayer.  The enemy knows that if he can cut off our prayer life then we lose our strength. We lose our vision. We lose our faith.  Samson said that if he lost his hair then he would be just like any other man.  If we are cut off from prayer, then we would be just like any other person.  We would find ourselves in the same category that others find themselves in.  So, we pray to get the strength because it is a power that other people don't have.  It gives us understanding, it gives us help, so we guard our prayer life.  I have often heard it said, people who have lost out, people who have gone away, and others:  What happened?  They said, "I stopped praying," and they lost faith.  Now here is Samson in the prison house grinding, going around, and around and around and it says, his hair began to grow.  I thought of those who find themselves, and my grandfather did, captive like Samson and helpless. Their course should be to begin praying again. Then their strength, which comes from God, would return.  That strength which comes by faith from God would begin to grow.  It says there that Samson's hair began to grow and his power returned.  He was still blind and on this particular day, out there in that arena there were 3000 men and women gathered to honor their gods and to make a mockery of Samson and his God.  That arena must have been quite a feat of architecture because it was held upon two pillars and all of these folks up there, and they bring Samson out to mock him.  A little child brings him in.  They bring him out there to make sport of him and he feels the pillars of the building.  He put his hands against them and then prayed. Judges 16:26  "And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.  Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.  And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life."  He had greater victory in his death than he had in his life.  God answered that prayer and gave him his strength.

 

I think of my grandfather. He lived so many years without the Lord. Then he found that he was dying of cancer.  It is one thing to live without the Lord, but it is another thing to die without the Lord.  My grandfather humbled himself.  Pride had gotten in the way, but when he found that he was dying, he humbled himself and asked for the workers to come and they did come.  My grandfather wanted to know if the Lord would accept him after turning his back on him.  They assured him that He would, that would be God's will. That would be what God wanted. If he would serve the Lord with all his heart and soul, then God would accept him.  My grandfather made his choice again, and his joy came back and his faith and hope returned.  That was the first contact that my family had with the gospel.  He was anxious that his children would hear and believe.  And that was the beginning of my story when my parents began to attend the meetings.  My grandfather had greater victory in his death than he did in his life.  When he was dying and with what little strength that he had, he gave it to the Lord and the Lord blessed it.  I like that verse over there in second Corinthians 12:9. "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."  There was now a power in my grandfather’s life that he didn’t have when he wasn’t serving God. God’s strength was made perfect in weakness.  In his illness he asked my parents if they would come to meetings.  Well, what could dad and mom say?  There he is on his deathbed and he is asking them if they would come.  Well, of course we would come.  In his weakness, he was able to accomplish something that is very difficult to do, ask people to come to meeting.  God’s strength was made perfect in weakness.  My dad began to attend the meetings.  Isn’t that wonderful?  That applies to us today too. God’s strength is still made perfect in weakness, and we don’t have to fear our weakness.  You know how it is in this world, we don’t want to admit to weakness or to show weakness, but our weakness appeals to God.  There is something in our weakness and our need that touches the heart of God. Then His strength is made perfect in weakness.  In our most feeble efforts His strength is made perfect in that.  Here, in the case of Samson, with what little strength that he had, with the help of God and an answered prayer, he accomplishes more in dying than in his living.  OK now, that is a little key we want to focus on. We want to accomplish more in our dying than we do in our living.

 

We think of Jesus, he was a promised child and he came at a very dark time in the history of God’s people.  He had a power in his life: power to heal, the power to raise the dead.  He had a power in his life that others did not understand.  They found fault with him.  They tried to trick him.  They tried to trap him.  They would do whatever they could to reduce him.  He had this power in his life and they were never able to take that from him.  He gave his life. They didn’t take it from him.  So, we see him with his tremendous strength doing the will of God, the armor of God with him.  Those seeking to belittle him, to destroy him, to ridicule him, but he has something, the truth that he knows and understands, and it causes him to give his life.  In John 12:24 we see this great truth that he knows.  "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."  He knows that except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He knows that he, like a corn of wheat, has to fall into the ground and die.  Now, he could live out his life. He could avoid suffering, but then he would be alone.  There would be no salvation for us. There would be no redemption.  He could live out his life and maybe become an old man, but he would be alone and we wouldn’t be with him.  There is going to be an eternal harvest of those that God loves, whose souls are so precious.  He knows that he has to die, so he lets himself be led.  In the case of Samson, a little child led him. With Jesus that was the spirit of a little child that led him.  He let himself be taken.  When they come for him, he doesn’t fight.  He knows that this is how fruitfulness comes.  They tied him and they mistreated him.  It says that one of the disciples, Peter, drew out his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Jesus stopped him and said, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" That is over in Matthew 26:53. He still had the power, he had all of heaven behind him, but what hope would there be for us?  The scriptures were going to be fulfilled and it would not be with a sword.  It was going to be by dying.  So, he just lets himself be led.  We have already heard about how they treated him: how they spit upon him; they mocked him before he was to die.  I like this picture of Samson standing between those two pillars.  Jesus was put on that cross and he was put in a position where the greatest victory that was ever known to man was about to happen. Jesus was nailed to the cross, suffering, and with his last little strength He prayed to God, bowed his head and died.  Then all of the power of Satan came tumbling down just like all of those people in that arena, when Samson pushed those pillars apart came tumbling down.  The vail of the temple was rent in twain and Satan’s kingdom was conquered.  Those in the Old Testament, Abraham, Moses, who were like hostages because of their sin, on that day when Jesus died on the cross, they were freed.  The power of Satan was broken and that is our hope of salvation, that Jesus when he died on the cross, the power that sin has over us was taken away so that we can be forgiven and our past can be put away because the offering of Jesus was acceptable to God. Well, I guess we could say this, it almost seems awesome to say this, because we know that power in his life, but he accomplished something in his death that he couldn’t accomplish in his life, and that is our salvation.  When he was willing to die that accomplished something for us.

 

I was just thinking about something that happened several years ago when I was in the Lebanon field, and Albany is just across the freeway where they had a Veteran’s Day celebration.  I thought about it and I wanted to go because I was a veteran.  I went over on the day and saw the parade and it was impressive.  There were quite a number there.  We saw the high school bands playing the patriotic music.  The marching bands with all of the young people in step.  It was just wonderful.  Then the military bands came marching along and then right behind them came the big guns, so to speak, the tanks and then came the Generals and high up officials.  I hardly ever saw Generals, but there they were, come marching by.  It was inspirational.  It just made you proud to be an American. Finally the last one went by and I thought it was over, but I noticed that no one left.  Everyone just stood there. So I just stood there and we waited and waited and waited.  No one was leaving, so I didn't leave.  Finally, way down about three blocks around the corner comes a man.  He was carrying the flag of the United States of America.  He was walking alone and his wife was walking a ways behind him.  He was walking on two artificial legs.  He had lost his legs in the war. He was a veteran.  He had been marching a long time.  You could see that every step now was a step of pain.  He was marching and you could see that he was determined to finish this race.  There was something in us that wanted to go out and help him to carry the flag.  There wasn’t anyone of us that was worthy  to do that.  So he just kept marching step by step to the end.  I remember that I stood there and I realized that this man had given his legs for his country.  I stood there and I cried.  There was something that was just so moving about that.  I remember that as I left the parade that there was something that had changed inside of me.  The big guns, the marching bands and all of that had inspired me, but this that I saw of one that had made such a sacrifice for the freedom that I enjoy, for the country that we love, that it was at such a cost. It was something that made me want to go away and be a better citizen.  It moved me.

 

Behind the scenes of this kingdom is this picture that we have of Jesus that is so important, we hold and respect and honor because all that we have in the Kingdom, the special meetings, the conventions, the wonderful privilege of fellowship on Sunday morning, all that our friends mean to us, we hear the singing and the songs.  It all inspires us and makes us thankful for what we have, but if we were to take the dying life of Jesus out of the picture, there wouldn’t be anything.  It is that same dying life that must be in our lives or we don’t have anything, just a form.  Behind every faithful life, every godly example, there is the dying life.  That is the way that we can be a help in this world, to be a light.  The dying life has power to draw people.  We can accomplish more in our dying to ourselves, in denying ourselves, than we can ever do in just going to meetings.  It is the dying life that speaks loudly.

 

We know a man who was a millionaire several times over.  He was a success.  He did well.  He is one of us.  There is something about that that is inspiring if we would want that, but when the time came for his testimony decision he lost it all to save his testimony.  He sacrificed it all.  Now there is something about that that is powerful, but what is even more powerful is to be willing to die to one’s self.  I have more respect for that man today with the little that he has than I had when he was a millionaire, because there is a power in dying and it speaks loudly.

 

We are going to face experiences, tests and trials and it is going to be like dying.  You remember the time when Jesus in Matthew 27:54 was on the cross: "Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God."  They didn’t say that when he was living. They didn’t have that conviction. But when he died, God shook the earth around them and there was an impression left that they feared greatly and they said, "Truly this was the son of God." Jesus was just faithful in dying. He didn’t shake the ground. He didn’t cause the earthquake.  He was just faithful in dying on the cross.  When he was faithful in dying, then God caused the earth to shake. Then maybe that impression on those hardened people caused them to fear and believe that this was the Son of God.  If we are faithful in dying in our weakness and in our feeble effort to deny ourselves and to die, then God will do the shaking around us.  God will use that to making impressions around us.

 

In that little picture in Judges that we have of that little lad guiding Sampson to those two pillars, I like that picture because in a sense we could compare those two pillars to Luke 9: 23, some very, very familiar verses; "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."  One pillar we could call self-denial and we will call the other pillar taking up our cross daily and following him, following Jesus.  As Sampson placed himself between those two pillars and with a prayer to God to help him, he put all of his strength into that effort of moving those two pillars and all of the enemy came tumbling down.  Jesus put all of his strength into denying himself and doing the will of God and the power of sin, and of Satan, and all of that came tumbling down.  There was a great victory.  In our lives if we give all of our strength into denying ourselves and taking up our cross and with a prayer to God to help us, then all of the sin that does so easily beset us in our lives comes tumbling down.  Sin in our life is a mere fact that we have not been denying ourselves and we have not been following Jesus.  But when we put all of our strength and all of our force into denying ourselves and with a prayer to God to help us then sin has no power over us.  There is a power given to us that we didn’t have before and we have victory in our lives.

 

This little thought now: Sampson prayed, “Let me die with the Philistines.”  Sometimes there is a prayer in our hearts or thought in our minds, let me live like the Philistines.  That is our flesh.  But he was praying to die and we should have that prayer, not that we would be living like the Philistines but that we would die like a child of God, to die doing the will of God.

 

I just want to mention this thought of taking up our cross: We need to understand what that is.  One lady said onetime, she had a disabled child and said, “That is my cross.”  But no, she would have that child if she was serving God or not.  Our cross is what we do for Jesus’ sake.  This is what God has asked of us. This is God’s will for us, and that is our cross.  As we put our strength into doing His will, that is what brings victory.  He does have a will and a way for us.  We should focus all of our strength in doing His will daily and putting our force into that, and that will give us the victory as we go forth.  I was just thinking that if Sampson was only pushing on one, say self denial, there are a lot of people that put a lot in to self denial and not doing the will of God.  In just denying yourself you become self-righteous.  If you put all of strength into going to meeting, you want to be there and like the fellowship and you do not die to self, there is no victory.  It is when we apply ourselves to both, then there is victory in our lives.  I like this verse, 1Peter 4:1  "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin."  He just said that we should do like Jesus did. He laid down his life and gave a sacrifice that was acceptable to God, and God blessed that.  It was a wonderful victory that we are still enjoying and entering into today.  If we arm ourselves with the same mind we will have the same kind of victory because he that has suffered in the flesh, willing to die to himself, has ceased from sin.  If we are faithful in denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily and following Jesus, God will be faithful in doing His part.

 J. WICKS – 2008-01-13 - Samson, Dying To Self - Salem , OR.

The Three Heavens And The Three Hells

"I knew a man in Christ above 14 years ago, (whether in the body I cannot tell; or whether out of the body I cannot tell; God knoweth) such a one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell; God knoweth) how that he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter." II Corinthians 12:2-4.
The word "unspeakable" occurs only three times in the Bible. In Chapter 9:15 of this same letter, when Paul was describing the wonderful new nature and eternal life given to us through Christ, he said "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." I Peter 1:8 speaking about the great joy of the life that comes into a child of God, Peter said, "Whom having not seen, ye love: in whom, though now rejoice with joy unspeakable, wonderful something waiting us in the third heaven. The word "unspeakable" means something too wonderful to describe.
You might ask us what is the greatest difficulty we have in presenting the gospel? It is to find words to convey the wonderfulness of this way. It is too wonderful to describe. That might help you to understand why it is so hard to give your testimony. When you talk to the neighbors about the weather you can talk like a machine gun, but when you talk about the truth, you are tongue-tied. You are talking about something too wonderful for the human heart to describe.
We knew a young couple whose little son was born blind. Doctors advised them it could be corrected by surgery when he was older. So their little son spent the first few years of his life in darkness. He had the surgery and it was successful. Little by little he was exposed to light and finally his mother led him to the hospital window and, for the first time, he looked out on the world beyond him. He said to his mother, "Why didn't you tell me how nice everything is?" She told him that she had often tried to tell him, but he couldn't understand. In trying to describe the beauty of nature, she was talking about something unspeakable. He couldn't understand it until his eyes were opened and he saw it for himself.
As we preach the gospel story, we try to tell you about this wonderful way we are a part of. I believe I can say we have sincerely tried, but it is hard for you to grasp it because we are talking to you about something unspeakable. We know you have to get into it yourself and have your eyes opened to see how wonderful it is. When I think of this new life and what it consists of, all I can do is express the words of Paul by saying, "Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift." When I think of the joy that comes into his people, even though they might be surrounded by a world of evil and go through bitter disappointments, yet there is joy unspeakable and full of glory. Paul gives us assurance that when we find ourselves in the third heaven, we will find ourselves face to face with something too wonderful to describe.
The Bible tells us there are three heavens. Each one if referred to as paradise. Each one is a little greater than the one before. Where is the FIRST heaven? Most of you would tell me it is right here on earth, and we have scripture to back it up. Ephesians 2:6 "And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." That is a little foretaste of heaven right here on earth. In the Old Testament God delivered His word through Moses. The Word was so wonderful to them it was a taste of heaven upon earth. God never intended that men and women would go through the heartaches that average people go through. By following His word and teachings, we can have days on earth as days in heaven.
We had a very religious woman get saved. She had been disappointed with her experience in religion. It is most sincere people who are the most disappointed in the world. That woman was broken-hearted, even though she was the most sincere person I had ever met. We were glad to see her after the first fellowship meeting and she said, "I have often wondered what heaven would be like, but I had a little taste of it this morning." That is what it should be. When a person submits to God, and He puts a new life in him and makes us sit together in heavenly places. That is the paradise we read about in Revelation 2:7, "He that hath a ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."
One of the reasons why this fellowship is a paradise on earth is because Christ, the tree of life, is in the midst of us feeding us. This tree bears twelve manner of fruit...fruit in every month. There is never an experience a person goes through but he can turn to Christ and find the answer. When I think of the young teenagers here tonight, they have found something in Christ that feeds them. We don't set down a list of rules or regulations and tell them what they can and cannot do. They are satisfied in Jesus. You can look around and see fathers and mothers bearing the burden in the heat of the day, giving evidence that they also are finding in Christ everything that meets their need. You see older people in this meeting. When everything else in life has let them down, they are still finding in Christ everything that feeds them and meets their need. Is it any wonder that this is a paradise? The Lord said, "I will give him to eat of the tree of life in the midst of the paradise of God." Christ is in the midst of his people, even in a world of heartaches.
The SECOND heaven or paradise is the place God's people go at death. That is where they are while they are waiting for their reward. One of the reasons they do not go on to their reward at death is because everyone leaves an influence. The Lord will not give them their reward at death. Revelation 14:13, "And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth, yea saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." Able had been dead for thousands of years, but his influence for good was still working. It will never be known this side of eternity the effect of the influence. People, thousands of years later, turned aside after the influence of Cain. I don't know anything that would put a more serious thought on life than the realization of the fact that I am leaving an influence behind. When I die, my influence does not die. Luke 23:43 Jesus said to the thief, "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." That was a greater paradise than the one we are enjoying here.
Paul said in Philippians 1:23, "I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better." It was far better because if he went to be with Christ, it would mean no more aches, pains, battles or discouragements in life. Everything we begin to enjoy in Christ, now we can go on to enjoy in a fuller measure. Paul spoke those words when he was a prisoner. Any minute they might come to sever his head from his body. He said as far as he was concerned, they could cut his head off because it would just release him to go on to be with Christ which is far better. The place Larazus found himself, when he was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom in Luke 16, was a far better place than down here going through the distress of his body. That paradise in the second heaven is better than the one we are enjoying today.
The THIRD heaven, or paradise, is the place prepared after we get our reward. I believe most of you know Paul was referring to himself when he said he knew a man in Christ above 14 years ago, etc. If you have dates in your Bible, go back 14 years and it will take you to Acts 14:19 where he was left for dead. Paul revived and sat up in their midst. Fourteen years later he still didn't know what happened then, whether he was unconscious, and God gave him a vision of the body or if he was in the body or not. He said only God knows. He said he knew this much that at the time this happened he heard unspeakable things and saw things impossible for the human heart to describe. I Corinthians 2:9 says, "But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” Through the Spirit we have a vision of what it might be, but as he said we have never seen anything to be compared with what he saw while he was caught up to the third heaven.
Paul had traveled a good part of the then known world. He said in all his wanderings he never saw anything to be compared for a single minute of what he saw up there in the third heaven and all the wonderful things he heard--nothing to be compared with it. While it is a paradise to be numbered amongst God's people here on earth, in a world of grief, selfishness and bitterness on every side, in the midst of all that, it cannot be compared with what it will be in the third heaven where we will leave this old body full of aches, pains, and distresses and go on to be with Christ. It will be still greater paradise for God's people when the books are opened and we enter into and enjoy what we are labouring for now.
That is just half the story…
There are also THREE HELLS. There are two sides to the gospel story. God said, through Moses, to the people, "Behold I set before you this day a blessing and a curse. A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day, and a curse if you will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day and go after other gods, which ye have not known." Deuteronomy 11:26-28. A blessing will come into your life if ye obey. If ye rebel the curse of God will come into the picture.
One thing that makes this so serious is that the gospel brings men and women to the place where there are only two things in the picture. Listen to this and remember it if you don't remember anything else. Sometimes people sit in gospel meetings and get a vision of God's will for their life. They are not willing for it. Not willing to give up something--too proud to humble themselves. They think after the meetings are over they will go back to the old ditch. But I want to tell you, you will never go back to the old ditch again. It is utterly impossible for you to go back as if nothing has happened.
When a person sits under the sound of the gospel, he doesn't go back. He goes forward either to enjoy the blessing of God, or His cursing. It is not merely a question "do you want a blessing?" but "do you want to face the cursing of God right here?" These are not my words. I am not crying "wolf, wolf" to you tonight. The Lord is saying to you, "Behold I set before you a blessing or a curse." As sure as there is a blessing to gain, there is a cursing to shun right here on earth. James 3:6 "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity; so is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell." Proverbs 15:24 "The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath." Bringing into their members the fire of hell right here on this earth.
I was talking to a woman in the last stages of tuberculosis. Looking into my eyes she said, "Howard, they talk about people dying and going to hell. I want to tell you, you don't have to die to be in hell. I am going through hell right now." Just before I went in to see her, her husband had brought her three little girls in to see her for the last time. He couldn't take them into the room. They looked in through a big window at their mother and cried their hearts out. She looked out and cried her heart out for them, but they were separated forever. But that isn't what made hell on earth for her. A few years before, she remembered sitting with her parents in meetings like this when she was 17 years of age, full of life...going to have a good time and later on she would think about serving God. She went into the world, got married, and she and her husband lived the world up to the last of their ability. The doctor said treatment failed because of the dissipated life she had lived and she had no resistance to fight the disease. The reason she was going through hell was that she realized if only she had obeyed the gospel, everything would have been so different.
You don't have to die to be in hell. Every minute somebody is attempting suicide because of a hell so great there is no desire to live. They would rather die than face another day of it. A hell because of their choices. With their tongues they made the wrong choice.
The SECOND hell is a place of torment people go while waiting their reward. II Peter 2:4 "God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment. Like a person in a condemned row--he hasn't received his execution yet, but there is no escaping it. There is no getting around the fact. He knows that. That is the place the rich man found himself in Luke 16. "In hell he lifted up his eyes." His influence was still working for evil upon the earth. He found himself in the place of torment. There is no escaping it.
Maybe you believe after death you will have another chance to get right. If there is any doubt in your mind think of the words in Luke 16:20, "Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that they which pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us that would come from thence." At death, between the person and heaven there is a great gulf fixed.
Then there is ANOTHER HELL the Bible speaks of in Mark 9:43 where Jesus said, "If thy hand offend thee, cut it off, it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands and go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." There is a difference between that verse and II Peter 2:14 where it says "reserved in chains". This is the THIRD hell. The fire shall never be quenched and the worm never dies. I don't know of any time when Jesus poured out his heart to a needy world like he did in those verses. If there is anything that you hold onto--CUT IT OFF. It might cost you as much as if you were to cut off your right hand. It is better than to end up in a place where you will know what suffering really is. Nothing can be compared with the suffering in hell that you will suffer.
If there is anything you are holding onto that is keeping you from giving God your very best CUT IT OFF. It is far better to suffer a little loss and get right than to one day realize what it is to really suffer. If the way you are walking is hindering you, cut if off. It might be the way of pleasure, pride, false religious ways--CUT IT OFF. That might cost you as much as if you were to cut off your right foot. He said it is well worth it. These are the words of Jesus. It is far better to get right with God than to go on in the way you are going. No suffering a person goes through to get right with God could be compared with the suffering in an eternal hell.
If your eye, your aim, or ambition in life is hindering you, pluck it out. It might cost you as much as if you naturally plucked out your eye. It is still worth it. Don't let your goal in life hinder you from getting saved. It is far better to give up your plans and aims than to continue in the way you are going and end up in hell. Those are not my words. They are the words of Jesus.
Have you people felt like a miserable worm? That expression originated in the Bible. "Fear not, thou worm Jacob." The reason the Lord used that language was those people at that time felt they had made an utter mess of their lives and the Lord described their feelings perfectly. Jesus spoke of hell as a place where the worm dieth not. What will make hell to the average person is feeling, "I am here because I am nothing but a miserable worm in spite of Calvary. I have persisted in taking my own way and here I am in hell because I am nothing but a worm" That regret will never cease. The Lord doesn't want to leave you in that condition.
"Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 41:14. There might be some of you here tonight who feel that you are nothing but a miserable worm. You have made a mess of you life. You feel you are not even worthy to sit here amongst God's people. Fear not. He can still help you. Regardless of what position you may find yourself in tonight, the Lord can still help you. The Lord stands beseeching you appealingly.
We would encourage you to do something while you can. If you wait until the line is crossed, your worm will never die. The burning regrets will never cease. Can you remember that "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." When Christ came to die, it was with this in mind that God does not want you to end up in the THIRD HELL where the worm never dies and the fire is not quenched.

While God is extending His arms to you, we would encourage you to do something about it. Don't put it off any longer. Don't walk in the wrong path any longer. No matter what it means or costs, submit to God now. He will take over and the past will be forgiven. New life can be yours. Tonight you can be in the paradise of God before this meeting is over. We would encourage you to do so no matter what it means or costs.



Howard Mooney (deceased) - The Three Heavens And The Three Hells - 1977 

The Weaver

My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me.
I may not choose the colors; He knows what they should be.
For He can view the pattern upon the upper side
While I can see it only on this, the under side....
Sometimes He weaveth sorrow, which seemeth strange to me;
But I will trust His judgment, and work on faithfully.
'Tis He who fills the shuttle; He knows just what is best.
So I shall weave in earnest and leave with Him the rest.
Not till the loom is silent, and the shuttles cease to fly
Shall God unroll the canvas, and explain the reason why
The darker threads are as needful in the weaver's skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver for the pattern He has planned.

Author Unknown

Penny And Sammy

   The Testimony of  Penny and Sammy     

 

LECIL SULLIVAN told the story of Penny and Sammy in connection with our study on the resurrection of the body at Post Falls preps: I John 3:2; I Thess. 4:13; John 5: 28-29; 11:23, 24; I Cor. 15:51-54.

There were two children born crippled as a result of the mother taking some medicine before the birth of each to try to destroy the babies, as neither was wanted. Both times, the medicine failed to destroy the baby, but each was born very crippled and pitiful. Surgery was performed on them, but not much could be done, as it was degeneration of the muscles. The mother did not want either of the children, and could not take care of them. The Doctor knew of a woman named Sadie Burley who seemed drawn to retarded or afflicted children. Sadie was asked if she would want to care for them, then 9 and 7. They were expected to live only six months at the most. Now they are 23 and 21.

My companion and I were having meetings in a town where Sadie's brother lived. This brother had professed at one time, but then lost out at the age of 25, and had been out for 35 years. He wanted to come back, but felt there was no hope for him because of those verses in Hebrews 6:4, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift ... and fallen away to be renewed ... " But as we had visits with him, he realized there was hope for him; he began attending meetings and was renewed. After he professed, Sadie began attending meetings that two brothers were having in the area where she lived in Kansas. She would come home and tell Penny and Sammy what she heard. Sammy is unable to talk, but Penny could talk at that time. Later, she was unable to talk any more, but could write very slowly and laboriously. Sammy is bedfast, put Penny can be lifted into a straight backed wheel chair while it is tipped back, and then braced in, and sat upright. They are both very thin and distorted.

Sadie decided in those meetings. The children became interested and wondered if those boys would come and talk to them. The two brothers that were in that field did come and have studies with Penny and Sammy. They weren't sure how much they were taking in. One day Penny asked, "When we go to heaven, will we have crippled bodies?" They could tell them then of the resurrected body. As the boys continued studies with them, Penny expressed a desire to want to serve God. She also expressed a thankfulness for a mother like Sadie. (Penny and Sammy's parents are divorced. The mother has two other children, and sometimes she would come and see them.) Penny wanted to make her choice, but the brothers let it ride, as they were not sure how much she understood. Preps came, and then conventions - and they were away for six weeks. After convention, we were sent to the field. We continued to have studies with Penny and Sammy, and Sadie was always there. It was not always convenient for her, as Sadie worked nights and it was hard for her to have the children ready.

Sadie and her husband had little money, which necessitated Sadie working. The welfare helped some, but not enough to meet all their needs. Sadie had a son of her own who was a little retarded. He was grown, and helped a great deal with Penny and Sammy. He was very gentle with them, and knew how to lift them so as not to hurt them.

During these meetings, it was obvious Penny was grasping some of the Truth. We would ask her for a choice of a hymn, and then we would sing it. We would ask Sammy for his choice. Penny would look right into his eyes for a few seconds, and then would tell us Sammy's choice. She was always right! We would ask Sammy if that was his choice, and he would nod his head. There was nothing wrong with the children's minds. It was soon evident that they were both quite bright. Not very long after, Penny made her choice known, that she wanted to serve God. We were away for a few weeks to go to our special meetings. Sammy got very sick, and he was very troubled. They expected him to die. We were troubled too, because we hadn't really tried to find out what he was thinking. I remember thinking that, if Sammy gets better, I will try to find out if he wants to make his choice.

Sammy did get better. After we returned to the field, Sadie told us that after we had gone, Sammy cried and cried. Sadie wondered what was wrong, as he almost never cried. She asked, "Are you sick?" He shook his head, "No." "Do you hurt somewhere?" "No." Finally she asked, "Sammy, are you crying because you want to make your choice to serve God?" He nodded his head, "Yes. " We went over and had a study, and asked Sammy if he had a choice of a hymn. Penny looked into his eyes, and then wrote down 11. By this time, Penny could no longer speak, so would write when a pencil was placed in her crippled hand.

I said, "Is that your choice, Sammy?" He was weeping, and he shook his head, "No." Penny looked into his eyes again, and this time wrote down number 1. That wasn't it either. By this time, Penny was shocked. She had never been wrong before! So she looked into his eyes for what seemed a very long time, and then wrote 64, "I will say YES to Jesus." Sammy smiled and nodded his head. This is when Sadie told us what had happened after we left. We asked Sammy if he was wanting to make his choice. He nodded, "Yes," and was smiling. We sang 64, and he wept as we sang. We then asked Penny for her choice, and she chose 170, "I am now a child of God." We told Sammy that he could now sing this also, as he was now a child of God.

We told them, "You can't talk as others, but your lives can speak. You can't walk as others, but your can walk in the Way of God." The mother, as she would come to visit, said, "They used to be unhappy and cry all of the time, but now they are always smiling." Truly a picture of a resurrected life! Now they have a tape recorder with tapes of the New Testament that they can listen to. Penny could read if the Bible were placed in front of her and propped up, but the tapes made it much easier for them, especially after she couldn't talk anymore. Some of the friends go and have little meetings with them. Penny got to one convention. On the morning of the baptism, she was crying to see it. It was rainy and cold, and Sadie didn't know if she should risk taking her out. She asked us, and we said to wrap her up real good, and put a raincoat on her, and she would be all right. I pushed her down to the water's edge.

Now came the question of baptism for Penny and Sammy. It seemed impossible. I noticed a new cow tank in the yard, and wondered if it would be possible to put water in it and baptize them there. I didn't say anything about it for awhile, but one day as I stopped by Burley's home, the question of baptism came up, and I mentioned the tank. Sadie said, "I was thinking the same thing. " We were a little worried as they are so fragile and Sammy's back is so rigid, and he has to be handled so carefully. Also, he strangles easily because of his throat, and if water were swallowed, it could be bad. But we decided to try it, so we filled the cow tank with warm water, and had a baptism. A few friends attended. I explained what I would be doing. They would go under the water, and I would hold my hand over their mouth and nose so they would not get any. They handed Penny and Sammy to me very carefully, and I baptized them in the cow tank. Sammy did get some water, and began to strangle, and I had the fear, "What if he dies here?" I didn't know if he was breathing. I said, "Are you all right, Sammy?" He nodded his head.

Sadie had two other children she was keeping also. The time came when the welfare agency wouldn't renew Sadie's license to keep them. There was a regulation that they had to have a sprinkler system in the ceiling in case of fire. There was no way the Burleys could afford to put in a system, so they weren't going to renew the license. There was a hearing, and a health nurse who testified was determined to have those children out of there. We feel she had it in for Sadie because one day she went there, and Sadie was gone for just a short time. Her son, who is very capable in taking care of Penny and Sammy, was left in charge. It could be that he wouldn't let the nurse in, and she got miffed! Sadie was told she was to be there at all times, and that the children could never be left alone, and that the sprinkling system had to be installed.

There was a court hearing, and it was decided that the children were to be taken from Sadie and placed in a mental institution. A few of us workers were at the hearing. The father of the children was in favor of Sadie keeping the children. We each had an opportunity to have a word, and tried to explain to them that if they were placed in a mental institution, they would never have the care Sadie had given them. In all the years they were there, neither had had a bedsore; they were fed, loved and cared for in every way. But we couldn't get it across to them. A mediator tried to help us. He asked about adoption, but the answer was, "No. " We left the courtroom, and I remember thinking, "There is a God in Heaven, and His Will will be done." It was decided that the children had to be out within a certain time, and if they weren't out, there would be a $500 fine. The father turned against the Burleys and was determined to get them out and put them into the state hospital, and that was final. The mother was to come and get them on a Saturday and keep them for two weeks, and then take them to the state hospital. Penny and Sammy were nearly heartbroken while all this was going on. Mr. Burley doesn't profess, but he wanted to keep them as much as Sadie did. We went to have a meeting with Penny and Sammy. No words of comfort could be given. Penny sobbed the whole time. We had Esther Shrow visit them, and she told them if it is the Lord's will, to just accept it. The next day Penny asked Sadie to write Esther that there would be no more tears. How they shut the tears off, we'll never know, but they did. They were still very sad.

I was in my room praying, very heavy-hearted, and the phone rang. Esther called and said one of our young friends had talked to an attorney who thought he could help us We went to see him and one question he asked was whether they were of a sound mind. We said they were, and he said if that were true, they could adopt themselves out. Sammy and Penny would have to go through an adoption where THEY adopted the Burleys. He told us to meet him on Monday morning with the birth certificates and the Burleys. The attorney had the adoption papers prepared. Penny could sign, but Sammy couldn't. They put a pencil in his hand and helped him make an "X". The attorney said to Sammy, "Is this what you want?" Sammy raised both hands as high as he could, and grinned. That was his YES! The new birth certificates did not have the names of the former parents on them; only the Burleys. So now Penny and Sammy had a new birth certificate, a new home, new parents and a new life. The attorney didn't charge a cent for his work. He also had adopted a child, and knew the love in his own heart for his child.

Penny and Sammy can't give their testimony, so we give it often for them!