WHERE HE LEADS ME I WILL FOLLOW
Since we have heard the story thus far we are in unity and we will travel on and we pledge our fidelity and integrity to go where lie wants us to go, do what lie wants us to do, and say what He wants us to say. That’s a beautiful title. What shall we do about it Go on with Him to the city, whose builder and maker is God. So don’t get tired and stop at some road house built by some preacher who has a fascinating story to tell, trying to make you believe its the real stuff.
We will travel all the way to Calvary. We will walk the road that Jesus walked for me. That’s beautiful and we can make the pathway beautiful by following him, Now that pathway will not all be roses. He learned obedience by the things He suffered and we may have to learn in that way too. His disciples came up through great tribulation. We might have to come on that same road. In Ps. 50, “Gather my saints together unto me those who have made covenant with me by sacrifice.” So the trials and toils of the road are necessary to help us appreciate the blessings along the road. Let’s go. We may need a little help. He did. He fasted 40 days to help him get ready for His work. Since He made that sacrifice, I wonder if we could do less. Figure that out for yourself. You see that a fast would be to humble our souls and get us to
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believe and go all the way and not try a short cut. He said He that climbed up some other way is a thief and a robber. So don’t try that. Let’s believe His law is perfect. Ps.19. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. He preached Faith Repentance, Baptisms, Laying on of hands. Resurrection and Eternal Judgment. Those who believe will he saved in the celestial kingdom, not the unbelievers. they (the unbelievers will have to do their stretch in hell the prison house , and be taught His ways there and wait for the second resurrection. Read I Peter 3:17, and Rev. I).
So the road into His Kingdom is just as straight now as it ever was and He sent men called of God by Revelation. Read Luke 22:29 and John 16. So you and I are following this pattern and dare not step back or deviate from His law. So we have learned to be content with his appointments of the officers in the church of Apostles, Prophets, Seventies. Elders. Evangelists, Pastors, Priests, Teachers, Deacons, Bishops, and High Priests. So in these days when the angel brought the authority, God called some to be Apostles, some Prophets, etc. Read Eph. 4: 11-15. So they all preached the same thing and told the people of the marvelous work and a wonder that God had given to them through Jesus Christ and don’t forget we, you and I, are traveling on that road. We’ve found this glorious gospel that was taught in former years, with its gifts and blessings. all so full and free and our hearts are thrilled with gladness in the blessed angel’s message, that comes to me. Now Jesus said, My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent Me. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself. Now Jesus said these signs (as of Mark 16), shall follow them that believe. So you and I have
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this promise that we shall know for we are following Him, where He goes we will go. Where He stays, we will stay. He told His disciples to go into all the world and tell every one, these things. So let’s tell everyone who will listen to this beautiful story and then we can go to the wedding feast when He shall come.
Are you still walking with me Are you getting tired? Are you still willing to pay the price Now that we. have walked together so well and have kept in step to the music of the Gospel horn let‘s train ourselves that we can stand together even if we do have a little opposition. I ‘m not afraid of opposition. are you? Surely not. No power on earth can conquoer us when God is on our side. Let‘s take Him at His promise and not run away and hide. I think our humility is sufficiency that we could say “Have thine Own Way Lord.”
What a humble soul who will ay to him, “have thine Own Way Lord. Thou art the potter I am thee clay. What a sweet spirit to acknowledge God’s way to he right. Our wisdom is far beneath God’s wisdom and knowledge, as far as the heavens are from the earth. Read Isa. 55 8-9.
God’s way is the best way. though we may not see. So its right to say God’s way is the best while He searches us in our day. Its only to make the. pattern of our life look like the pattern He made for us to follow. He said, ‘‘I am the way, the truth and the light. I am the way. by me if any man enter, he shall be saved.” His way was, is, and ever will be right. For God gave it to him. ‘When God gave it, it was perfect. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The soul is both body and spirit. Sometimes in our thinking we may say something is right and true, but when we compare it to God’s law it may fail to measure up. He said there is a way that
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seemeth right unto man, but the end thereof is the way of death. So let’s go to Him with our problems and ask Him. Now we see so many churches around us and many are fighting each other. One says this way, another says that’s wrong, come with me. It’s confusing to one who is not familiar with His word, as lie spoke to them in that long ago when He was here .Now lets condition ourselves again, what do I mean by that? I mean to think it over, what we were taught in his word when we were in Sunday School. We were taught the prayer He taught His disciples, ‘‘Give us this day our daily bread.’’ That means we can receive from him an answer to our prayers today. That is God’s way, we must believe that, so here we are going to Him and ask Him, which of all churches are right. There is no two alike. Could God say they are all right when no two are alike? God’s way is the best way. What did He say? Paul said in Eph.. 4, ‘‘One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism,” and that was God’s way and in that little sermon in Eph. 4. He gave as a reason for the gifts given to the ministry that they could not be tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive. But Paul spoke the truth as it was in Jesus Christ, they were fitly joined together by that which every joint supplieth.. Now you stop right there and think it over, and see how Jesus Christ appointed the Twelve and then the Seventy and sent them to gather in the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and appointed all those men, each in their place, and it worked, as He said it would, and those lost sheep were fed. Their sick were healed, the lame walked, the dead were raised. What would you say? ‘Would it take a lesser effort to convert and save the Gentiles than that to save the Jews? Let Peter answer that. He said, “I perceive that God is no
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respecter of persons. But that in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness (that means obeying the Gospel) is accepted of him, So we must come all the way to Him, and then He will take us and mold us after His will. He is the potter. We are the clay. This molding process is clearly outlined in that 4th chapter of Ephesians where He refers to those God called and giftcd men working to bring the people to a unity of the Faith. So whatever idol we may have chosen, picked up or adopted that does not meet with the laws, specifications or fit the picture of that work in His time, we must tear those idols from our hearts and worship only Him. We must realize that our wants are second. His work is first and that second commandments as true as it was or ever will be, on those two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. So that includes all. Our doings are subject to Him, and no matter what we want to do. the work of God has our first attention, and share with our Brother until we are equal. Then the Lord will help us to arrange our temporalities until our cup is full and goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and we will dwell iii the house of the Lord forever.
GUIDE ME 0 THOU GREAT JEHOVAH
What a humble soul who would say guide me. How sweet it would be to say, lead me. 0 my Saviour, lead me. I am weak, but thou art able, hold me with thy powerful hand. He is our Leader and Commander, the mighty God, the everlasting Father the prince of Peace, wonderful isn’t it? Offer to him right now a little prayer. Lord lead me to the promised land. We would all like to go in
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and inherit the redeemed earth. When the Lord my God shall come as in Zech. 14. Yes, the Lord my God shall come and all the Saints with Him, and the Lord shall be King over all the earth and there shall be one Lord and His name one. What ecstasy of joy to think we can meet the dear ones who have made themselves ready. I’m sure my loved ones left me who were so pure and good and died in the Faith will be there. 0, yes, all those who are so dear to my heart and died in the faith will be among those He will bring with him. Their life is a challenge to me. Guide me. 0 thou great Jehovah. This should burn in our hearts and on the altar of our hearts and our homes until we would have a melodv in our souls to sing His praise and glory all our life.
Now let me say, where shall my praise begin? Take a look at myself. have a little conversation with myself. I must he clean in body and mind, my spirit must be willing. Ye are the temple of the living God, and he that defileth the temple of God him will God destroy. I Cor. 3 16-17, So I m going to make this body or house I live in clean. That‘s my first job. So I’ll go to my closet and tell Him what I’m going to do. And lie said the angels would rejoice over one sinner who would repent. Then the very next thing I’ll do, I’ll set my house in order and make the chief topic be our work we have to do in the building of the kingdom in our lives and in our home, and then when I’m real sure that I have made a good showing of progress, I could then help others, and all the while this redeeming process is going on I will visit my closet at least twice a day, asking Him to guide me. Showing me my weakness, and let me live in the light of God that I may see thy guiding hand that the Day Star may arise in my heart never to set again.
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FAITH OF OUR FATHERS LIVING STILL
Many have longed for that old Jerusalem Gospel. as it was when Jesus was here, as when Jesus and John tie Baptist preached and prophesied in Galilee and .Judea. Woiild that I could have heard Jesus preach and prophesy. I’d like to have seen the miracle on the hillside at Bethsaida or the raising of Lazarus from the dead. What a thrill to have seen him go hack to I heaven. What a message the angels had when they said, - This same Jesus that ye see go into Heaven shall so conic again in like manner as ye see Him go into Heaven.” He’s going to be time same when lie returns, so we better not try to substitute any thing pertaining to the story of salvation.
The Scriptures are laden with prophesies of His return, telling the time and place of His return. A place must be prepared for Him, that place is Zion. So Zion is our goal and He will bring all the angels. and all the Saints who have died in Christ, He will bring them with him. That is the faith those Saints had when they went away. His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem on the East. Zech. 14.
The Scriptures also tell us, as in Isaiah 35. that the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs of everlasting joy, The prophet David Ps. S5, ‘Righteousness shall go before him and shall set us in the way of His steps. Many other prophets told this story. What shall we do about it? I believe it, don’t you? Don’t be an unbeliever. Jesus said, He that believeth not shall be damned. When those holy men of God said the Gospel would be brought back to earth. Let’s believe it. That is the faith of our fathers, and I testify to you, it’s here and it’s alive. It was delivered alive. That’s the faith of our
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fathers. Who received it’? The angel came to Joseph Smith, ordained him to the priesthood, told him how to set up the church and has continued to reveal His will to give to the church such instruction and direction as has been necessary to carry on t1 work and curry the message to nations of the world. Now what do oil say? Was that wrong? Sas not God pledged to fulfill His word through the prophets? We answer, here it is. He gave it to us and we wish to share it with you that you may also come under the convenant and receive the Baptism from Heaven as Paul represents it in Gal. 4. ‘Jerusalem from above is the mother of us all.” We are not children of a bond- woman, but of the free. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. ‘ You can plainly see if we congregate our selves together and appoint our own ministers, it would be a worldly organization and would only be entitled to a worldly reward. There is authority in the kingdom of God. The set up of His kingdom in the latter days is clearly set forth in Dan. 2 44. “In the days of the ten kings shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed nor given to another people and it shall stand forever. Now wouldn’t you like to line up as a citizen of that kingdom? Give us your name and bring forth fruits of repentance and begin not to say within yourself, I’ve been baptized in a Sectarian church that does not have the Apostolic set up and principles of faith and power by the direct revelation of Jesus Christ. Worldly authority will not answer the end of a Heavenly Kingdom. Better wake up from that worldly slumber and conic into the light of that glory which the God of heaven has set up and be gathered together with His saints who make a covenant with Him by sacrifice. For I testify to you the faith of our fathers is living now.
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NO FURLOUGH GRANTED
When I was in the Northern Nebraska District under appointment, a Brother Settles who had been in the Klondike in 1897 and had located some very rich claims and brought back one load of gold home, was trying to get a picked few to go back with him and get the yellow metal. He came to mc and asked me to go with him, he said I would be back in six months and I could get a lay-off from the mission work and would have enough to last me f rom now on. He said he was paving the others, but if I’d go he would divide 50-50 with me. I thought it over and I wanted the gold. 1 said, Jack, I’ll let you know in the morning. So that night I prayed and asked the Lord if 1 could go. I told Him I thouglit it would I a good thing. (as if He didn’t know). Well he answered me 0K.
I had a dream. In my dream I could see those claims and even see the gold, and in my dream I wanted it and decided to go. But just as I decided to go, I turned around and there was a field of wheat dead ripe that came right up within two feet of me, I looked at it and said. That s the Lord’s harvest. I am not going.” So next morning I said to him, ‘‘Jack I’m not going.’’ He said. “What did He give you?’’ I told him my dream and He said you better not go. I said. “I’m not going. I’ll stay here and take care of His harvest.’’ So when Jack got up there he wrote me a letter, and in it he said he had reached the place and was digging the yellow metal, and he had a long list of friends he had jotted down to help when he got back, and my name was the very first on the list.
I really thought I was going to get something after all, but I never saw’ Jack again. Great wealth can be a curse instead of a blessing. So I learned that the words
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in that old song I had been singing all my life. There will be no furloughs granted in the army of the Lord, are full of inspiration and power and we can profit be those songs of Zion. The are wrapped in the power of God and given to us in packages to cure the diseases of the soul. So I give it to you that a melody in your heart is a sure sign of spiritual growth if you keep there. I have a melody in my heart and it is there to stay. I just don’t know what your reaction will be when you read the story of my dream, but I’d like to tell you one thing that happened at that very time. I turned down the trip to the Klondike for gold and stayed at my post of duty. I baptized one boy that was 9 years old at that time.
I did not keep tab on his life and did not hear from him for over 50 years. He got my address through the headquarters at Independence and wrote me a letter and said if I could, he would like for me to make a few sermon records and send them to him. He said I had baptized him over 50 years ago and he had children grown and married. but none of them belonged to the church and he wanted the same man who converted him to convert his children. I sent him a number of my records as I have a good recorder and make a number of records, He played those records and three of his children came into the church. So my decision to stay on the job is worth more than silver or a store of gold in the Klondike. What do you say to that? Well while you think this over, please sing, ‘‘One hour with Jesus, the Shepherd of my soul, I esteem of more value than silver or gold.That peaceful communion sent down from above makes clear to my vision His mission of love.’’ Come to the waters of salvation and get down on your knees and lap that water and its living properties will heal your soul and set
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your spirit free to walk into green pastures and beside the still waters where there’s plenty.
Chapter 5
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