Herbert W Armstrong

   And I think because we've done that, it also had an overreaction on our nature. I remember, I'll never forget, when I was the district superintendent in Kansas City and there were about 23 churches, and I went out to all those churches and each church I'd ask, "Well, you know, how many of you have 10 talents?" I never — a soul ever raised their hand. Nobody ever in all 23 churches had 10 talents. I knew that was impossible because God said some of them did. You know, if it's a parable in the Bible that some have 10 talents, we got to be some. But nobody would admit they have 10 talents because we are self-abasing people. We are humble people. We are people that don't like human nature. We are people that see ourselves in the mirror of God's word and God's spirit and like less and less what we see and get more and more determined to get rid of it, to bury the old man.

   Well, then they asked how many have 5 talents. And never ever in all 23 churches were there more than just 2 or 3 that ever even had 5 talents. Now if I'd been out there instead of up here and Raymond McNair pulled that trick on me as he always does, he said, "How many of you have 5 talents?" I wouldn't raise my hand either. But that is the kind of a picture of the people of God.

   But I'd like to show a little different picture of the people of God. Maybe the men, even in translating the Bible, couldn't really believe this is true. So they were kind of self-abasing when they translated this back in 1611, but you might notice Romans 1 and verse 7. In I Corinthians 1 and 2.

   Romans 1:7, "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Now of course in the King James translation there, you see some italicized words, they show the attitude of the translators that they translated this, not the way it really is in the Greek language, but the way they thought it had to be — called to be saints, something that's gonna be later, not something you are today. And I know I used to read how they would talk about Saint John the Divine in the title of the book of Revelation and I'd shake my head and say, "Isn’t that's ridiculous! Nobody is a saint. Nobody is divine. Saint John the Divine, that was blasphemy."

   And yet what does the word saint mean? And you know, are you called to be saints or are you already a saint? You know, well, of course, the Catholics, they make people saints after they're dead. And so you have Saint Christopher and all kinds of saints, but nobody is a saint while they are alive, are they? You know, what if today if I, if I came in the church service, I shook your hand, I'd say, "Well, good morning Saint Glenn or Saint Dave or Saint Shelley or Saint Celia," or you know, I get up this morning and I said, "Good morning Saint Maxine," and, you know, that's weird, isn't it? That'd be odd and weird, but it wouldn't be unbiblical. No, it wouldn't be unbiblical. Because we're not called to be saints, we are called saints. When you are called and you are converted and you have God's spirit, it isn't that you're going to be a saint, you already are a saint.

   Now there are several different words that are translated saints, especially in the Old Testament. Some of them — the word saint as we read it here in the Greek language, is literally the word hagios, H-A-G-I-O-S, it means holy, that means set apart, that means separate. Now are you set apart? Well, if you have the Holy Spirit, you are, you are sanctified by the begettal of the Holy Spirit. You are set apart. You're separate. You're holy if you have the Holy Spirit, and not totally holy. But there's holiness abiding in you, you have the begettal of holiness. And you keep the holy Sabbath holy and you read the holy scriptures and you keep the holy days holy, and that's the process of making holy, and it goes on and on and on of making holy, separating, changing, setting apart, making holy.

   But these men that translated Romans, you know, they couldn't believe that, that you're already a saint. Now you might notice I Corinthians 1:2, they did it again here because they still didn't realize that's what we are. I Corinthians chapter one. Paul says to the church of God, which is at Corinth, "To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called" — and there again they put "to be" as if something is gonna happen to you in the future, but that isn't true. The word's "to be" are italicized and if you are sanctified in Christ Jesus, if you have God's spirit, then you are sanctified, you are set apart, you're consecrated, you're dedicated, you're called saints. Not called to be saints. They're called saints. I mean over and over again.

   Notice Acts 9:41. Acts chapter 9. Here Peter kneels down and prays and says, "Tabitha arise." She opens her eyes, sees Peter, sits up. Peter gives her his hand and lifts her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. Now, how can he do that if nobody is a saint until they're born again, till they're spirit beings, till they're raised from the dead? Peter didn't think you had to be born again to be a saint. When he called the saints and widows, that doesn't mean they weren't saints, they were just a special group of the saints he was wanting to specially note. He presented her alive.

   Now what does it do to you and what should it do to you when you realize you are a saint? You are to be holy, you're to be set apart, you're to be separate. In I Timothy chapter 5. Here's one of the qualifications for a widow being supported by the church. If she's well reported of for good works, if she has brought up children, if she's lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet. So other human beings that get their feet dirty in the sand and the dust, they're saints. And one of the credits to the widow is that she's washed the saints' feet.

   Now I don't think most of us realize what it means to God that people have the Holy Spirit, that they are sanctified and set apart, that they are separate, that they are to be holy beings. And I think that struck me the most, as I mentioned to you before, when I heard Mr. Armstrong give this sermon in Pasadena on how many elect have there been. And showed down through time how few people there were that had ever separated themselves to obey God.

   And you know sometimes the smaller church seems to think, "Well, you know, God is not aware of us, we are just a smaller church," and yet the Bible says the effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much. Then you know what about 170 or 200? But you know what happens when we read that scripture, the effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man? Nobody thinks that means them. You know, if you're a self-abasing person, if you're a person who's on guard against vanity and you're always out to get rid of human nature, and then you read a scripture like that, you say, "Well, that doesn't mean me. I wish old so and so would pray more. His prayers would amount a whole lot more," but you don't ever think it means you.

   Now what is that, what are the requirements for that scripture to mean you? Uh, you remember where that scripture is? Let's turn and just read that for a minute. James chapter 5. First of all, let's read verse 17. James 5:17. Elias, Elijah, in other words, was a man subject to like passions as we are. And all men of God are. That's one lesson people have to learn when they come into the church. Nobody is perfect. All of us make mistakes. God allows leaders to make mistakes. So Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are.

   So what's that got to do with anything, you know? Well, notice what he is telling you that for, and yet here a man like Elijah prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and we all stand in awe of this story of Elijah, how a man like him could pray that it wouldn't rain and then all of a sudden there wasn't any rain for all that many years. Now I'm sure most of us don't think we could ever do that. That surely doesn't apply to us, you know. I've never heard of anybody ever doing that in our day. Why? Nobody is like Elijah that could pray earnestly that it might not rain and then it didn't rain on the earth by the space of 3 1/2 years.

   You know, if you realize the potential power in prayer of a righteous man. You ever watch out what you pray that you might — God might answer your prayer and you find out later you wish you hadn't or something. But that's the lesson he's trying to get across here about Elijah. That he was just a plain old ordinary everyday man that had tests and battles and human nature and failures like we do. He was a man subject to passions as we are. And yet look what his earnest prayer did.

   And then verse 18, it says, yeah, he prayed again and then the heaven gave rain and then the earth brought forth their fruit. Now that comes after verse 16. Look at the last part of verse 16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man.

   Now what would the Bible definition of a righteous man be? Perfect? No, because he's telling you the next verse. Elias wasn't perfect. He was a man subject to like passions as we are. So a righteous man isn't somebody that's flawless, that's infallible, that's perfect. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man, you know, a righteous man is — what is righteousness? Well, you get your dictionary out, look up in the Bible, it says all of God's commandments are righteousness. Then if you're a person who's trying to live by all of God's commandments. Now none is good, Jesus said, but a righteous man, any of us can be righteous if we're trying to live by every word of God, and yet we don't have to do it perfectly because Elijah is the example. He's a man subject to like passions. And yet that's the man who prayed and it didn't rain for 3 1/2 years.

   Now the word effectual and fervent show that it isn't just general prayer, routine prayer. The word effectual is the Greek word energy. So it has to be fervent and it has to be full of energy and take a lot of energy. But when you read that verse, you better know it means you. It does mean you — the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man. You know, don't we have any Timothys today in the church and any Tituses and Philemons? And why, we certainly do. We've got a whole bunch of Timothys and Tituses and many of the men of the Bible just like today. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man. Don't ever read that again without knowing that means you. You're trying to live by God's commandments, then that does mean you.

   Now notice back in the 3rd chapter of Hebrews. You think surely Paul must have slipped up here because notice what he says here. Hebrews 3 (Hebrews 3:1). "Wherefore, holy brethren." Holy brethren. That's what Paul called these Hebrews that he's writing to. And yet you'd think for sure he might call Thessalonians holy brethren or you might think he'd call the Corinthians or other churches, but Hebrews, he calls Hebrews "wherefore holy brethren."

   Now you're converted and you have God's Holy Spirit and you're trying to keep the Sabbath holy and the holy days holy and wash yourselves with holy scriptures and, you know, what do you have to be to be holy brethren? Well, in God's sight, if we're sanctified and we have God's spirit, we're holy brethren. And he inspired Paul to write this to people, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling. We are all partakers of the heavenly calling, so we are holy brethren. Now that ought to make you realize how much more God cares about you and how much he is concerned about you.

   Now you might notice back in Psalm 56. Psalm 56:8. "You tell my wanderings." In other words, God knows your ups and downs in your Christian growth. He knows when you wander away spiritually and when you come back and get strong spiritually and, David said, "You tell my wanderings. Put you my tears into your bottle. Are they not in your book? When I cry to you?" Uh, most of us really realize that God is that much aware of tests we go through and disappointments and heartaches and sadnesses and troubles and, and yet David knew. Not only did God know his wanderings, but as it were, God measured his tears in a measuring bottle and recorded them in the book. The book of reward, the book that he's going to reward us for.

   Now, how many times though do people — because they are out physically alone and maybe they are not able to make it to church every Sabbath and maybe their husband or some of their family or their employer or their teachers at school persecute them and they end up shedding tears. I'm here to tell you God knows about that. I guarantee you, you don't shed tears over living God's way, over God's truth, over God's calling that he doesn't know about it. Every tear you shed that you don't earn, that you don't deserve, that you don't bring on yourself, every tear that you endure or suffer because of being a Christian, because of living God's way, God puts those into his measuring bottle and they are all recorded in God's book.

   Now you might notice in Psalm 69. You're aware of a lot of these sad psalms that David wrote when he was being ridiculed by military men because he was soft, because he was a Christian. And here David is saying (Psalm 69:1), "Save me, oh God, because the waters are come into my soul. I sink in deep mire where there's no standing, I am come into deep waters where the floods overflow me. I'm weary of my crying. My throat is dried. My eyes fail while I wait for my God. They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Then I restored that which I took not away."

   I'm sure Mr. Armstrong has read a psalm like that in the last years. Because of all the persecution on the church and the attacks on the church and the trouble on the church and it's just like this scripture says, they that hate me without a cause. They would destroy me and then you bend over backwards to even do more than you should — restore even what you haven't taken away.

   But there are cases where people have been through a great deal. I know the McNair brothers when they first started studying the way of God, way back when they were just barely teenagers. And their dad was a Jehovah's Witness and he said, "Now you're gonna get out there and you're gonna work today." And they said, "Well, if you can show us in the Bible that we can, we will. We know the Bible commands us to honor our father and mother, but we know it says we ought to obey God rather than man." I mean they literally got whipped with a horse whip because they wouldn't get out there and work, and their dad would drag them out there and put their arms around the shock of wheat or oat and force them to carry it into the barn, and of course as soon as he turned loose, that was the last one they carried. But you know, God's people had to go through quite a few things like that in order to obey God.

   You might notice back in II Kings chapter 20. You know, there's a scripture that's kind of always amused me where it says, is God a God who's near or far away? Well, it really depends on the individual, you know, God is the same distance to anybody. I mean, wherever God is, that's where he is and he's the same distance from everybody. But some people, God is a God that's far away. That you know he isn't aware of what you're going through day by day and he's not aware of you most of your time and when you come to church Saturday, why, you come into his presence, the rest of the week, why, you can come into his presence when you're studying and praying and, but outside of that, you know, he's just way off and — no he's not either. No, he's not way off the rest of the time.

   Notice here in II Kings 20 (II Kings 20:1). In those days, Hezekiah was sick unto death. The prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, came to him and said to him, "Thus says the Eternal, set your house in order because you are going to die and not live." Well, he turned his face to the wall and prayed unto the Eternal. "I beseech you, oh Eternal. Remember now how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart." Boy, you wouldn't dare talk like that, would you? Would you ever talk like that to God? When you get into trouble, do you ever say, "Well God, wait a minute now, listen, I've walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart," knowing perfect doesn't mean infallible, doesn't mean flawless or sinless, but it means mature. It means a trying heart. In your heart you want to do, you're trying to do.

   So notice Hezekiah wasn't self-righteous when he reminded God that he was trying. "I walked before you in truth and with a perfect, mature, upright heart. I've done that which is good in your sight." You know, you ever give yourself that much credit? When you're praying to God, do you ever say, "Well, now God, remember now how I have walked before you in truth"? I don't get carried away and do it like some men have and say, "Well now God, look what you owe me. Why I have done this for you and I have done that for you and I've, I've gone to this church for so many years and that" — that's the wrong attitude there. That's not what he's saying here. Here he is faced with the statement you're gonna die and that's it. And so he didn't want to die. He wants to live longer. So he says, "Remember how I've walked before you. And I've done good in your sight," and he wept sore.

   Well, before Isaiah even got out into the middle court — you know, Isaiah was a different man from some of the others. He didn't get mad when God let him go in and say something, and then God changed his mind immediately and embarrassed the prophet. He didn't get mad like some guys did. So Isaiah hadn't even gotten out of the middle court. God said, "Hey, turn around and go back and tell him the opposite of what I told you to tell him last time. Turn again and tell Hezekiah, the captain of my people, thus says the Eternal, the God of David, your father, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. Behold, I'm gonna heal you. On the 3rd day, you'll go up into the house of the Eternal."

   Now, you know, all of that happened. He changed God's mind. God was tenderhearted to Hezekiah and because he knew his reason for wanting to live longer was good, God actually allowed him to live 15 years longer. And all because Hezekiah said to God, "Now wait a minute, God look," and he talked with God like a friend and talked with God like a man who knew that he was known of God, that God was concerned about him, and so God says, "I've heard your prayer, I've seen your tears." And that is true always. God always sees your tears.

   Now you might notice the book of Esther. Right after Ezra and Nehemiah and then Esther. "On that day, did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman, the Jews' enemy, to Esther the queen. Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was unto her. Then the king took off his ring which he had taken from Haman and gave it unto Mordecai, and Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman, and Esther spake yet again before the king and fell down at his feet and besought him with tears."

   Now you think God wasn't aware of a woman that he had developed into a position that he was going to use her for influencing a great empire for his purposes later on? So here Esther, a person of great respect and royalty and prestige and power and position and everything else, and yet she wasn't above concern for her people and so Esther fell down at the feet of this human leader and besought him with tears. "Put away the mischief of Haman and his device that he devised against the Jews." The king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. She arose and stood before the king and said, "If it please the king and if I have found favor in his sight, the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes. Let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces."

   Of course you know the story of how the judgment was reversed and the man that brought it on ends up reaping the consequences. But you know there are many other examples you can show, even Christ himself, you know, it says he was heard in that he feared and with bitter weeping.

   Now I think all of us are aware of what Jesus said back here. You might notice in Luke chapter 12. Luke 12:4, Jesus speaking to the disciples, and "I say unto you, my friends." Now, you know, what does it mean when God calls people his friends? Well, you know, what does it take for somebody to be your friend? Somebody you spent time with, somebody you're open with, somebody that helps you when you need help, uh, what is a friend, you know, why would God call you a friend? Jesus says, "I say to you, my friends. Don't be afraid of those who kill the body, and that's all they can do. Fear him that can do more than that, can cut off any hope of life forever."

   Then he talks about sparrows. "Why aren't 5 sparrows sold for 2 farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?" Now, you know, intellectuals like to philosophize about that and they say, "Well, that's just a saying. You can't take that literally. It doesn't mean that actually or totally," but you know it does mean that God has a balance in nature and that balance can't become unbalanced with what God is aware of. Now if God is that aware of balance in physical creatures, then why do we as humans made in God's image, think we can just have all kinds of difficulties and God's way off, doesn't even notice it, isn't even aware of it?

   God isn't — how many times this past week were you aware that God was aware of you? "Well, none since last Sabbath. I mean, if you come to Bible study, God's aware of you because you're with others that are saints and you aren't, but the others are, so God's aware of you." And that's kind of the way you feel. Well that isn't the way it is. You know what kind of a parent would God be if that's the case? And what if somebody came to you and uh on a Wednesday and asked you about your kids? He said, "Well, I don't know, it's only Wednesday. I don't know where they are. I don't know what they're doing, you know what, I don't keep up with them all the time." That's what we accuse God of. We think that's kind of the kind of a parent God is. And here, you know, he tells us to stay with us and they didn't that way with our kids.

   Well, the lesson is the same regardless of how you want to take what this is said, whether it's a proverbial type thing or whatever. That God is aware of the balance of nature even concerning sparrows that are cheap, only, you know, 5 of them for 2 farthings, that's how worthless they are, how unimportant and inferior, and yet not one of them is forgotten before God. "But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered." Now of course, you have to take that pretty much as a general thing and not that God has a record book up there and Bill Smith, 888,000 and you uh comb your hair and he erases it and puts a new number to track the one you lost there. It doesn't mean that, but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. In other words, God cares enough about you to know what's happening to you.

   Now he explains what he means by this by example, which we'll read. But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. "Don't be afraid, therefore." So notice the point about it is, don't be afraid. God cares more about you than sparrows that fall. Don't be worried. God cares more about you than the loss of hair. "You're of more value than many sparrows."

   Now let's just take a look at a few examples of this because there are uh examples right in the scriptures. Daniel chapter 3. It's a good example. Daniel chapter 3. And we touched on this when we went through the book of Daniel for those that were able to be here at Bible study, but notice in Daniel 3. Nebuchadnezzar comes near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and he yells in there (Daniel 3:26), "Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, you servants of the most high God, come out of there. Come here." So they came forth in the midst of the fire. The princes, governors, captains, kings counselors gathered together, saw these men upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was a hair of their heads singed.

   Now that's an example of how the hair of your head is numbered. God can protect you to the point that in a fiery furnace, not a hair of your head would even be singed with a furnace heated 7 times higher than it had ever been, that flames would leap out and just cremate humans standing there and yet not a hair of your head would even be singed. Neither were their coats changed. In other words, they weren't charred and burnt, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

   So you know what would it have been to God to let a man as righteous, a man as conscientious as Daniel, get scarred and burnt and abused and mistreated by these men, by this fiery furnace? Though God's respect for a man that was as strong spiritually as Daniel, God didn't allow even the singeing of his hair or the smell of smoke in his garments. Nor the charring of his garments even. Now, maybe a reason for that. You can find a little later here in Daniel.

   You might notice in chapter 10 of Daniel. Daniel chapter 10. And here again when I read this, I read this about Mr. Herbert Armstrong. I read this about Rod Meredith, I can read this about uh Raymond McNair, and you know I don't ever read it about myself though because I don't think it's — I think it's dangerous to do it. But notice Daniel 10:10, behold, an angel's hands touched Daniel, touches Daniel, set him on his knees in the palms of his hands. This angel says to Daniel, "Oh Daniel, a man greatly beloved."

   Now of course you don't ever think that that's — that's Daniel. A man greatly beloved. Well, where was Daniel, you know, is it only in that day that they had men greatly beloved? Abraham was, we know, of course Isaac was and Jacob was and Solomon or David or different ones in their time were, but uh you never think that would apply to you or people in your day. You know, could this say, could this angel say, "Oh, Herbert, a man greatly beloved?" Could, could this angel say "Oh Roderick or old Raymond" or something like that, a man greatly beloved? Well, why could he? I believe it does. Angels are informed about God's sons.

   "Oh, Daniel, a man greatly beloved. Understand the words that I speak to you. Stand upright because to you I am now sent." When he has spoken this word to Daniel, Daniel stood trembling. Then he said to Daniel, "Fear not Daniel, for from the first day that you did set your heart to understand and to chasten yourself." Now he really puts the conditions down there for being a man greatly beloved. God greatly beloved people who have set their hearts to understand and who have set their hearts to chasten themselves before their God. Doesn't say you got to be perfect, flawless, infallible, doesn't say you've got to be born again, a spirit being. From the first day you set your heart to understand. You still have that, you still want to understand all that God has to say about everything. You want to understand anything you can from God's word and you want to know all that God says, so you can chasten yourself to get rid of everything that doesn't fit God's mold and God's qualifications, that's all it requires.

   From the first day that you do that. From the first day you set your heart to understand God's word, your purpose, why you're here, where you're headed, what is truth, what is God's way. From the first day you set your heart to understand and to chasten yourself before your God. You're a man greatly beloved and your words are heard, and this angel came because of those words.

   Now you might notice back in Chapter 9. In verse 23, Chapter 9:23, you know, in many ways when God says by the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word is to be established, God even follows that scripture himself in many cases and especially where something special like this. Because God wanted Daniel to know how much he respected and loved and was pleased with him because of all he went through and yet how persistent he was and how he didn't stumble and fail and worship idols and, but he stayed with the truth regardless.

   And so notice again in chapter 9 verse 23 (Daniel 9:23). Here Daniel has offered his long prayer of self-abasement, realizing he along with the nation had sinned. You know that's a great attitude Daniel had. He included himself in with this nation and their cause of captivity. He says verse 5, "We have sinned." And then when he finishes this prayer, Verse 20, "While he was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel. And presenting my supplication before the Eternal my God while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly touched me about the time of the evening sacrifice." About the time Christ is going to be uh crucified, "and he informed me and talked with me and said, 'Oh Daniel, I'm now come forth to give you skill and understanding. At the beginning of your supplication, the commandment came forth.'"

   So that's when God gave the angel the order to get down there at the beginning of Daniel's supplication. This angel got the commandment to get on down there, "and I'm come to show you because you are greatly beloved." So you know, if you pray a prayer like Daniel did in chapter 9, and you know a good thing to do is just get down on your knees at times and open your Bible, the passages you have marked as prayers and just read those out loud on your knees. If you want to pray like Peter or pray like Daniel or pray like men in the Bible, then you know you get their prayers and read them out loud on your knees and let them be your prayers because this is a very powerful prayer. It caused Gabriel, the archangel to be sent down and he said you are a man greatly beloved.

   Now you know that's mentioned again here in chapter 10. Notice in chapter 10 after he's seen this glorious vision. Then all of a sudden, verse 18 Daniel 10:18), here comes again and touches him, another one of these spirit beings, another angel, and he said, "Oh man, greatly beloved, don't be afraid, peace to you, be strong." So look how angels comfort people and encourage them and strengthen them and God does that through his spirit with you today, but he calms you and gives you peace and tells you don't be afraid and be strong and he ought to also tell you you're a man greatly beloved. And maybe at times God's spirit has caused that to come into your mind and you panic and put it out right quick and say, "Oh no, don't, don't, don't think that. Don't let that dwell in your mind." Here's God's spirit, trying to encourage you, trying to comfort you, trying to make you feel that you're important to God and especially to God and you put it out, you won't let yourself think that. Well, you don't need to do that. In fact, you'd be better off if you didn't keep doing that to yourself.

   Back in Malachi, the 3rd chapter. This is one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible. In fact, I can't think of one that's any more favored. Maybe John 3:16 is one that's a favorite we all have for much longer in our lives, but Malachi 3:16, "Then they that feared the Eternal spake often to one another and the Eternal hearkened." Now God's aware of your conversation when church brothers get together and they talk about God's plan and God's kingdom and the world tomorrow and the world today and the solutions of the world's problems and people who fear God and speak to one another often in the fear of God and out of fear of God, the Eternal hearkens.

   And hears, and just like those tears are written in the book, so is this written in the book. "A book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Eternal and that thought upon his name."

   Now that's not wrong for you to do. So now, isn't that going to be great when I get to be Bill Smith Elohim? "Boy, I'm gonna get to heal people. I'm gonna get to teach people God's truth and get people to kill cows instead of worshiping them." Boy, that's gonna be a great honor and blessing to be a son of God. "Boy, I think on God's name. I'm gonna get to be a shield and a buckler, and I'm gonna get to be a high tower and a fortress. I'm gonna get to be a God, healer and a savior, boy oh boy, think on God's name." That's not bad, that's not vanity. That's not sin, that's not wrong. In fact, God writes that in the book of remembrance for people who at the same time fear God and think on his name.

   I think it's significant that God also puts fear in God at the same time cause I've seen guys in the last 7, 8, 10 years who called on God's name, but they didn't fear God. They had no attitude of being conquered and fearful to authority and government and the right fear, not the wrong fear. So in the same voice, don't forget, in the same breath that says, speak to one another often and think on God's name, that it better be accompanied by the fear of God. Because if it isn't, it might be just vanity and it might be carnality of "Boy, when I get to be a king, I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna have 5 cities and boy I'm gonna rule them," and you have to watch out. It has to be with the fear of God that you couple that together.

   Now, what about people though? They're always talking to each other about the word of God and the plan of God and the truth of God, and you know, is it embarrassing to you to talk about God and talk about God's word, and talk about God's plan and talk about the world tomorrow and God's kingdom, and is that embarrassing to you? Well, those who have the character to do it out of the fear of God and out of the desire to be in God's family, God says verse 17 (Malachi 3:17), "They're gonna be mine in that day when I make up my special treasure," as the margin shows that it means there. People like that are a special treasure in God's sight.

   And I know myself when I've gotten together with people and we talk about the world tomorrow and God's kingdom and uh God's government and God's way of life and you know afterwards you just feel a lot more close to that person and you feel really rejuvenated, you feel a lot better after. You know when you get together and you just joke and horse around and goof off and, well, all the reward you get out of it while you're doing it. But I'll tell you, these people are God's rubies and pearls and emeralds and diamonds. These people are God's special treasure. God said, "I'm going to spare them like a man spares his own son." That's really something special.

   You might notice back in Psalm 116. I know before I get back here again there may well happen — I used to hate to leave on district trips because sometimes when you come back, one of the widows had died and then somebody else has conducted their funeral and you never really get to see them anymore and you just wish you could have visited them one more time. But you know this scripture is really inspiring to me. Psalm 116:15, "Precious in the sight of the Eternal is the death of his saints."

   You know, for one of God's saints to die and to think that God wasn't even aware of it, that — what kind of a blasphemous thought is that? To think that one of the saints of God could die and he wasn't even aware of it. Now I don't care, you know, in some cases I've heard of widows that were loyal in the church and they — with age, their kids who weren't in the church took them off somewhere and then they died and they had their own preacher preach the funeral and they never did get to go to church and never did get to go to the feast. Yeah, all that doesn't make any difference. God didn't lose sight of them. I mean, don't think God didn't look down and help them and be concerned about them and preserve their lives and then in their death, precious in the sight of the Eternal is the death of the saints.

   But sometimes the devil makes us think God's so far off we could even get dying and God wouldn't even know about it. God doesn't even care. He's gonna sit up there in heaven and let you die and he won't even be aware of it. Don't ever listen to a thought like that. That's a lie. That's not true. That's of Satan, that's not of God. The word of God says, "Precious in the sight of the Eternal is the death of the saints."

   Now Psalm 72:14 is — if you had a second witness to back up the fact that you can carry it further actually. Psalm 72 and verse 14. And here he's talking about the people that God especially cares about because people don't seem to help them or be that concerned. "He shall deliver the needy when he cries. The poor also and him that has no helper." So God is always there and even if someone has no helper, God will deliver them. God is going to spare the poor and the needy, and he is going to save the souls of the needy. God is gonna redeem their souls from deceit and violence, and "precious shall their blood be in his sight."

   So people who have nobody else to care for them, they are not alone, you know, Jesus said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." He said, no, you are not alone, you're never alone. God will redeem the soul of those who don't have somebody else to look for them and help them and the needy and the poor and the ones that have no helper. God redeems their soul from deceit and violence. You know, God even protects you from being robbed or being hit in the head or being injured. God redeems your soul from violence and deceit. And if it went to the point of shedding your blood, God says precious shall their blood be in his sight.

   Now there's another real lesson that David learned and maybe this is one reason David was a man after God's own heart because he was very sensitive and he was very emotional, so he knew all these things, how God felt about him. And he wasn't embarrassed by it, he wasn't ashamed of it. Notice here in Psalm 17. Well, beginning verse 6 (Psalm 17:6), we can start. "I call on you, for you will hear me, oh God, incline your ear to me and hear my speech." Now imagine David saying, "Well, God, lean your head over and get your ear down this way and listen and incline your ear to me. Show your marvelous loving kindness, oh you that save by your right hand, those who put their trust in you, from those that rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of the eye."

   In other words, he felt like God kept him just like you guard the pupil of your eye, you know, how, how do you guard your eye against blindness or against being put out or against being damaged and losing sight? Well, that's the way David felt God kept him. As a person protects the apple of the eye, "hide me under the shadow of your wings." And you know that's mentioned a number of times.

   Notice back in Deuteronomy 32. Of course, here's the Moses song of victory, one of the oldest songs ever written, a victory song. Verse 9 (Deuteronomy 32:9), "The Eternal's portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. God found Jacob in a desert land and in the waste, howling wilderness. God led Jacob about. God instructed Jacob. God kept Jacob as the apple of his eye. Like an eagle stirs up her nest, flutters over her young, spreads abroad her wings, takes them and bears them on her wings. So the Eternal alone did lead him. There was no strange god with him. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields. He made him to suck honey out of the rock and oil out of the flinty rock, gave him the best butter of kine, milk of sheep, fat of lambs, rams of the breed of Bashan."

   You know, look how much God is aware of a stubborn, hard-headed, self-willed old man like Jacob was until God converted him and then he still had that nature to battle, but as long as he was battling it, that's all God cared about. God kept him as the apple of his eye. You know, God made the eagle to stir up the nest and flutter over her young like they do, and yet God does do that over us. Why, he sure does. We're like young eagles and in God — to God, as he protects us.

   Now Zechariah, the 2nd chapter. You might notice Zechariah chapter 2. And here God is talking about delivering Israel out of the land of the north in the future. And God says verse 8 (Zechariah 2:8), "For thus says the Eternal of hosts, after the glory, he has sent me unto the nations which spoiled you, for he that touches you, touches the apple of God's eye." So God's sons and God's people of Israel, even though they are going to have to be punished and taught a lesson, God says he that touches Israel touches the apple of God's eye. So even that carnation was turned that way back in that day.

   You might notice back in John 15, uh, one scripture I want to be sure I cover because I've mentioned this. John 15 and verse 15. He gives two conditions here about friends. Verse 15, or verse 14 (John 15:14), "You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you." So there again, if anybody is trying to do all of God's commandments, they're a friend of God. Not only Abraham was, but we are too. And Jesus called the disciples friends before they even had the Holy Spirit. And Luke, we read that, but they were trying to live God's way. They were being taught God's way and being ready for the Holy Spirit. So "you're my friends if you do whatever I command you. Now henceforth, I'm not calling you servants," although we are bond slaves. But we're closer to God than that after we're converted a while or after we have the Holy Spirit.

   "I don't call you bond slaves only or servants because the servant doesn't know what his Lord does." So the fact that God has revealed his plan to us and showing us ahead of time what's next and what he's doing, then you're friends. If you share your plans with your friends, you tell them what you're gonna be doing and you do things together. So that's why he gives this condition of friends.

   Now you know back in James, God talks of Abraham as the friend of God. But too many times we read that as if that's singular. Well, yeah, Abraham was the friend of God. So was Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and uh Smith and Brown and Jones and, yeah, all, all those are too.

   You know there's a scripture over in Hebrews. I won't take the time to turn and read that says Jesus is not ashamed to call us brethren. Now you might think he would be because you're human, you still have carnality and you still have human nature, but as long as you're using God's spirit to work on yourself, like the angel told Daniel, Jesus is not ashamed to call you brethren. And you know it goes on to say in another chapter in Hebrews that God is not ashamed to be called your God.

   You know, when, when you speak to God, is he ashamed? "Oh well, boy, there's old sinner Smith down there trying to call me God again. I wish he'd get some other God. Boy, he lives the way he does and tries to call me God." Well you know, God isn't ashamed to be called your God and Christ isn't ashamed to be called your brother. Well, that's some sobering realization, isn't it?

   One scripture that really has always moved me, we'll have to quit here with this one. I John. Chapter 3. I John chapter 3. And there isn't any other religion that has a plan like God's religion, like the truth. Because you know you can look at the hope of the Hindu, the hope of the Buddhists, the hope of the Muslim and none have any hope like we know. And even the Christian religions, they call it blasphemy when they hear what that Armstrong teaches about people becoming the family of God, why, being in the family of God. Now we don't mean we're gonna be instead of God or we're gonna be God and he ain't gonna be God. We're gonna be sons of God, children of God.

   Now John, the beloved disciple, the one that was the youngest, apparently really moved by this. But you know, when we have a baptismal service, I always try to remind people of what a great priceless blessing, what the greatest day in their life. The greatest day of their life, not when they got married. The greatest day of their life is not when they graduated out of high school or when they graduated out of college or — the greatest day of anybody's life is when they're baptized. I mean, that, there's no question there's nothing even close to it. Because from that day forward, instead of just being a clod walking around with air to keep you going, you have the begettal of the God family in you. You have eternal life abiding in you. You have the Holy Spirit that makes you a saint. It makes you a holy brethren, that makes you one separated.

   But to think that God could take dirt that has air and food to keep it going like a physical machine and then impregnate in that being the very spirit of God. And then turn right around and invite you to be in his family. Now you just can't believe that. There isn't any religion that can even think of that. You never read any religion where the God invited dirt clods to come up there and share God's family, power and glory and relationship forever. No religion. It's beyond anybody's imagination.

   And you know that's why John writes what he does here. He says "Behold what manner of love." What manner of love, behold, that the great God of all power and wisdom and knowledge and understanding. What manner of love that that kind of a being could take a bunch of dirt and let it have the spirit of God. Give it the holy scriptures, give it a mother of the church, and invite it to live forever in the very family of God.

   And you can imagine what kind of love — if you took your poodle and you decided you want to let your poodle be begotten and let him become a Blackwell or something. Yes, can you imagine that? You would never do that to a dog. What about your pet chicken maybe or a pet lamb or a jackass or a pig, you never would do that. Humans just never think that way. You hate to lose an animal, but can you imagine what kind of thing that would be for you to want to allow some lower creature to bear your name and be in your family and and be one of you?

   Well, God did more than that. God did that to a bunch of dirt, you know, just a bunch of, uh, physical flesh, bone, blood, air, food, water, and no wonder John said, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us." We clod, dirt beings, air breathing, you know, physical machines that we should be called the sons of God. The sons of God Almighty, the sons of the Eternal ever living, all knowing, all powerful God, we, we, we. Human beings out here in West Texas, we, we could be called the sons of God. No wonder the world doesn't know us, it doesn't really know God. They don't know why they are here.

   And then he says, "Beloved. Now are we the sons of God." We already are the sons of God, begotten sons. With the power to grow and overcome and be in the God family. "Behold, now we are already the sons of God. And it doesn't yet appear what we're going to be" — kings, governors over 5 cities, mayors. It doesn't appear what your reward is going to be yet, but you do know what you're gonna be. It didn't — no, it doesn't say you don't know what you're gonna be like. You sure do. You're gonna be spirit. You're gonna be in the family of God with the God family powers and jobs. "We know when Jesus Christ comes back again, we're going to be like Him." Nobody believes that on earth except God's church. They call that blasphemy. "Then we're gonna see him as he is."

   And notice what he ends it with. "Every man that keeps that in his mind and keeps remembering himself about that, reminding himself, remembering it, not forgetting it. Every man that keeps this hope revived in him, repeated in him, remembering it on and on and on, keeps on purifying himself as God is pure." And really if you just keep your mind on that, according to John, you're gonna do that. You're gonna keep on purifying yourself. You're gonna be a man greatly beloved like Daniel because you're gonna set yourself to scourge yourself, change yourself. And that's all he requires here.

   Well I hope all of us can keep that in our minds and never forget it and put other scriptures with that. We'll see you again before too long.