In this sermon, the preacher shares two stories to illustrate the importance of complete devotion to God. The first story is about a young lady who developed a desire for strong drink at a very young age due to her father's influence. The second story is about a student who, after hearing from God, decides to give his life completely to Him without any reservations. The preacher emphasizes the need for loyalty and commitment to God, using examples of soldiers who were ineffective because they tried to serve both sides in a war. He concludes by urging listeners to examine their own lives and ensure that they are fully devoted to God.

Thank you very much. That's real lovely singing, and you're into it, and that means so much too. It's a real joy having you here this morning, and we trust the Lord will bless you and grant you every encouragement for coming along. Please do me much in prayer regarding the meeting this evening. I know you'll have some exercise regarding this particular meeting. Maybe some of you have never yet come to the Lord Jesus as the Lord and Savior. Let us pray this meeting this very morning when the hearts are open to the Son of God's love. The Lord brings near with us the joy, and the peace, and the power, and the purity that prayer for the Lord Jesus alone can bring. So, now these mornings and evenings we've been looking at the question, Who is a Christian? And we found a Christian is one who belongs to Christ, who witnesses for Christ, and who suffers with Christ. We notice that a Christian is a child of God. A Christian is a heir of God, and a joint heir with Christ. We notice the Christian is one who has been redeemed, and redeemed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then we looked at Friday night and seen the Christian as an influence. The Christian as an influence. And we've been giving and crossing all these wonderful names and titles, and this morning we want to go to the soldier. The Christian as a soldier. Now, this is not a toy soldier, a tin soldier, nor a chocolate soldier. A Christian is a real soldier, a real man, a real woman, saved by God's matchless grace, and cleansed by the precious blood of our adorable Lord Jesus. So, please open your Bible for you at 2 Timothy, chapter 2. 2 Timothy, and 2nd chapter, please. The Christian as a soldier. I want you to please read with me verse number 1. 2 Timothy, chapter 2, and verse number 1. Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man at war entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strives for mastery, yet is he not crowned except he strives lawfully. The husbandman that labors must first be partaker of the fruit. Now, notice verse number 1, he is a son. Verse number 3, he is a soldier. Verse number 5, he is an athlete. In verse number 6, he is a husband. I mean, I like this point. Consider that verse number 8, remember that Jesus Christ, in the seat of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel. Now, notice, wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds, but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Now, notice, it is a faithful saying that if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us. If we believe not, yet we are by the staples, he cannot deny himself. And there we got the theme of the example. The son, the soldier, the athlete, the husbandman, and then the example. And right in the very center of verse 70, consider and remember Jesus Christ, which describes him as a soldier. Now, the first word I want to give you, the soldier is selected. He is a select man, woman. I want to get that this morning. All men and women are not in God's army. Oh no, just all men and all women are not in God's family. Remember, first of all, he is a son, then he becomes a soldier. Now, that's very important for us to recognize that. You see, the Christian is one who is a son of God by faith in Christ Jesus, and because we are sons, then we become soldiers of Jesus Christ. What an honor, what a privilege to be in his wonderful army. Are you there? We sometimes think, you know, I am a soldier of Jesus Christ. Are you one of his soldiers? If not, I pray this is going to be the very morning when you recognize something of the value, and the dignity, and the honor, and the glorious privilege of what it means to be in the army of our beloved Lord Jesus. So, we are selected. We are sons, and then remember we are redeemed by the Precious Blood, just as in Isaiah, chapter thirty-five, it speaks there about the King's Highway, and those that are walking along the King's Highway, they are soldiers, but they are select soldiers. Who are they? They are redeemed. The redeemed shall walk there, and there are clean people who are walking along the King's Highway. They say, remember, no unclean shall walk thereon. So, let's thank God this morning. We are redeemed by the blood, we are cleansed by the efficacy, the value of the Precious Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, are you one of his soldiers? If you are, we are going to look at a few more times. We break the word up to the initial letters. The next thing I find about the soldier is this. He becomes obedient. He is obedient. Daniels, will you please do a verse of Scripture? Romans, chapter six. We're going to use our Bibles this morning. That's one thing that'll keep you awake until the dull morning. Romans, chapter six, please, and reading verse number fifteen. This is one of the great classical chapters in the New Testament touching our union with the Lord Jesus Christ. I never tire of it. Now, verse number sixteen. Know ye not that to whom ye yield servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked that ye were servants of saints, but ye have obeyed from the heart that for a mode of doctrine which was delivered you. So, the first that I want to tell you, a soldier is not only to make that he is obedient, and a soldier must obey orders. Isn't that true? In other cases, I don't like my captain, I don't like my general, I go and set up a little army of my own. Oh, no. When we're in the Lord's army, we must be submissive and obedient to the best of all lords and masters. The best general the world has ever known, or ever will know, is our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. He's referred in Hebrews as the captain of all salvation. But now we must obey orders. We sometimes think to remember, trust, and obey. There's no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey. If we're obedient, childhood is a happy child. If a child is disobedient and out of favor, it's far from happy. Put it in the things of the Lord Jesus. When we are obedient to his revealed will, and submissive to the word of God, then we are obedient children, for working the ways which are well-pleasing to himself. The word obedient is a wonderful word, you know. Go back with me, will you? This time to 2 Samuel chapter 15. 2 Samuel, and the 15th chapter. And verse number 15. 2 Samuel 15, verse 15. The king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord king shall appoint. Notice the word. Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint. And also, in another scripture in 2 Samuel, it says, Obedient is better than sacrifice, and harder than the fat of lambs. Obedient, my friends, to God's revealed will, to his revealed word, O what joy it brings into your life, and into my life. Remember in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, when the sheep came down from heaven, in Acts chapter 10, how the Lord said to Peter, Rise and eat. And remember what he said, Not so, Lord. Not so, Lord. Now, that is a contradiction in terms. We dare not say, Not so, and Lord, in the same breath. Remember that he is Lord, it is just Lord, whatever he may say to us. And there must be prompt obedience to his revealed will, and to his distinct command. I wonder, as soldiers this morning, are we obedient to what is revealed to us in his holy word? Remember the word of God said very clearly, A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another. Now, this is a distinct commandment. We hear a lot about baptism. Correctly so. And baptism is definitely a commandment, and we should obey that commandment too. As chapter 6 of Romans brings it up very clearly, and we should be obedient to this wonderful ordinance of baptism. I think of the words in Psalm 119, where it says, I sovereign my ways, and turn my feet unto thy testimony. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments. Revelation 22, 14 says, Blessed is the man that shall do his commandments. Matthew chapter 28 says, in the very last verse, and I quote the 19th verse also, Christ is standing with a wretch in Palmist's day, going into all the world, and preaching the gospel, disciple the nation, baptizing in the name of the Father, of the Son, of the Holy Ghost, teaching himself all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And notice that little personal pronoun, I. I have commanded you. I will align with you all the way, even to the consummation of the age. So there you have a distinct command. In Acts chapter 10 again, remember Peter says, In the name of the Lord I command you to be baptized. So then, my friends, is the truth regarding baptism as a command. Then furthermore regarding the Lord's Supper. What a beautiful ordinance this is, and what a wonderful ordinance, isn't it? The loving request of our adorable Lord Jesus when he said, This do in remembrance of me. What a wonderful, wonderful ordinance. We thank God for the wonderful privilege we have this morning in that very sweet, blessed, fragrant gathering as we gathered around the Lord Jesus and we sought to break the bread, a picture of the body given, and for sake of the wine, the blood outpoured for an honor, for the privilege. And you know all my heart was saying, Even so come Lord Jesus, even so come today. And remember we do this in view of the coming again of our adorable Lord Jesus. And maybe just we wish for thinking on my part, but I would love the Lord to come when we're gathered just, when we're gathered this morning. There we are gathered fulfilling his last loving request, This do in remembrance of me. And wouldn't it be wonderful in the very act to hear him say, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away far above the clouds. Oh, we can almost hear his footfalls on the threshold of the door. And our souls, our souls are longing to be with him evermore. And so he says, Now a new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another. There's another one, the very same chapter of Romans 6. You know what it says? Yield your members, a distinct commandment. Romans 12.1, a distinct command. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, we present your bodies, a living sacrifice, to Corinthians chapter 6, another commandment. Come up from among them. Now that does not mean to come up from other Christians. Oh no. This is something positive, something very much alive. Oh no. I want to get that, my friend. We're exalted to come up from evil principles. We're not, there's not a verse asking to separate from another Christian. None whatever. I want God to get that across your heart and my heart. Come up from among them and be the separate flesh of the Lord, and I will receive you. I will be a father unto you, and he shall be my son and daughter. Isn't that just wonderful? So there it is now. A soldier must be obedient, able to compensate, ready for anything. Isn't that lovely? Lord, I am ready to do whatsoever my Lord the King shall command. May God give us grace to be ever submissive and obedient to what he has said. But I like this one, you know, in John verse 13, where it says, A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, and by this shall all men know that your mind is troubled by your love one for another. You know, I like to see an army that's moving forward in harmonious relationship, and all submissive and obedient to the distinct orders of their commander-in-chief. Isn't that wonderful? And the Lord of John, he himself, is just that. Go no further, shall we? Not only must we think of the soldier being select and the soldier being obedient, but before I leave this, Mr. George Goodman tells a very interesting story, and this has happened while he was a lawyer back in London, England. You've probably read some of the books by George Goodman and his brother, Francis Goodman, two very well-known men, outstanding Bible teachers. I never forget George Mueller, George Goodman, rather, at Catholic Convention before 5,000 people. He stood there with one hand in his pocket without any notes whatever, and he gave some of the most wonderful exposition I've ever heard, or anyone else has ever heard, by the way, because it came up in various magazines. Bible teaching at its highest in Romans 5, 6, 7, and 8. And he just stood there as he was talking to a great big Bible class, and his heart just overflowed. Oh, he knew the Lord. The Lord was precious to that dear man, and it's over, I'm going to refer to right now at that particular convention. A young lady before just two and a half years of age had acquired a desire for strong drinks. Her daddy, when he was late with her, to try and keep her quiet, he put a little cube of low sugar into whiskey and let her suck it. And before she was two and a half, she acquired the desire for strong drinks. She grew up with that desire. She went out to the world, and before she'd been very long in her teens, she was on the street. A salvation army girl, she would thank God for the salvation army, and all they were doing was similar work. A salvation army officer, immaculate in her drink and in her appearance, saw the girl one day, drew near to her, an entire stranger, threw her arms around the young girl and said to her, My dear, I love you because Jesus loves you. It struck a chord in the girl's heart. Salvation army officer took her home to the hospital. There she was cleaned up, cared for. All the time she thought there must be some gimmick in this, something she wants underneath doing all this for me. She did not realize the girl was doing it all for the sake of the Lord Jesus, and all those other officers working along with her. But one day, after two or three years, that girl was gloriously saved. She was completely transformed her whole life was transformed by the transforming grace of the Lord Jesus. She went through college. She became an officer in the salvation army. One day she walked into the office of George Goodman for some legal advice. He said she was immaculate. She was lit up with a radiance that came from within, a wonderful glow about her, Cartman. Her eyes just simply sparkled, were full of light. There was a gleam about that girl's smile, and after all the legal transaction had taken place, he said to her, Now, before you go, why won't you tell me something about yourself? I know a great deal about your background. I know how you were brought up. I know the life you're living, and now with all the passions and all the desires surging in your young life as a young teenager, longing for satisfaction and passionately desired, how is it now you're living such a victorious legal life? And George Goodman looked over that great crown and said, I'll never forget her answer. Sir? Prompt obedience. Prompt obedience. She said, As far as I know from the moment I identified my whole life with Christ, the moment I was faint-eyed, in fact, I have never denied the Lord anything he's asked of me. The answer? Prompt obedience. There it is, my friend, there's no other way. Live that life while pleasing to God. As soldiers of Jesus Christ, there must be prompt obedience that is revealed to us through his holy word. May God give us grace to be true soldiers in this particular sense of the word. Now, go down to the next verse, shall we? The next letter, or rather, and the word is loyal. A soldier must always be selected and obedient, but he must be loyal. I see what it says there in Matthew 6. Matthew 6, and verse number 24. Now, these are wonderful verses. I want you to take them down on your notes. Look at them, by the way, afterwards. See, I suggest coming to you, though. I understand there are tapes being made of all the conferences' messages, and there have been a blessing to so many already. Some have asked for the tapes that are being made right now, but may I suggest this to you. Now, some of you can't get me. What I'm talking is, I'm talking now. That you get the tapes, and you'll get it as clear as anything, without any mispronunciation at all. You'll find it as clear as anything on the tapes. I'll tell you how I know. I was in Victoria some time ago, British Columbia. They were always passing the planes out night after night in Victoria Gospel Chapel, and there was a dear man called Monday, very, very lovely man, whose son is John Monday from Ecuador. He's a little bit dead, but he never missed a meeting. He never... He felt his presence there was an influence to others. He couldn't always hear me, but he always wanted to be there, you see, because it was an influence to other people. But, you see, if you recall, there was some European who had been there the first week, said to Mr. Monday, We want to take those messages down and take. We want to have them. We're on duty next week, but we want to get those messages. And he said, You know, Jim, I go home, and for the next hour, I sit down and enjoy your ministry. I enjoy it. Why? Because I'm getting... and there's no background noise. I hear all just so clear as anything on the tapes. So, there's a suggestion. Well, you're my friend. I don't know what Mr. Willie charges for the tapes, but I think you'll find them worthwhile. Matthew 6, and verse number 24. Verse number 24. No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Now, a soldier must be loyal. He must be loyal to his commander. He must be loyal to his Lord, and master, and beloved soul must we, as soldiers of Jesus Christ. You know, when the Americans, the Southern, and the Northern, those Yankees came down here, they tried to invade the South, you know, and of course, the Southern people very correctly stood up and got to fight them back. I know it was a terrific battle at Rage, long before my day, but I remember reading about this, and there was one man calling him from the South. Now, you know, when the Southerns were winning, he was on their side. When the Northerns were winning, he was on their side. And, of course, the Northerners were on the side, and no one was really the winner. So, what happened? Both sides were so ashamed of that man. The Southerns put their trousers on him, belonging to their uniform. The Northerns put their jacket on him, belonging to their uniform. The ones shot him through the trousers, the others shot him through the jacket. There was no use to either side. There was disgrace to both sides. Are we a soldier? Are we trying to run with the hare and the hounds at the same time? Are we pretending to be the lords? Yet, my friend, our lives denied, inflected, we're going country contrary to what a lord and mass would have for us. Virgin tells a story about the bat, the crow, and the sparrows at a terrible war. And the bat, when the sparrows were winning, he was on their side. When the crows were winning, he was on their side. And there was an armistice among the birds. And the bat, is so downright ashamed of himself, he only comes out in the dark. He only comes out in the dark. Now, let me ask you, as they write here, let me go and read the verse again. No man can serve two masters, for he will either hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Know this, ye cannot serve God and man. Go back to another Old Testament scripture. 1 Chronicles, chapter 12, and verse 18. Chronicles, the first book, the twelfth chapter, and verse 18. Now, these are wonderful verses, and I want you to see them for yourself. This is one of my most favorite chapters, by the way, in the Old Testament, the twelfth chapter, of the first book of Chronicles. Verse number 18. I'll read 17 for the connection. 1 Chronicles 12, verse number 17, And David went out to meet them, and Anselm said unto him, If ye become physically unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you. But if ye come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers will part their arms and rebuke it. Then the Spirit came upon the Messiah, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David. And on thy side. Thine are we, David. And on thy side. Now, great David, greater son, is here this morning. He's looking into your heart, he's looking into my heart, and beloved, he's looking for loyalty. He's waiting for you, and he's waiting for me to say triumphantly, Thine are we, Lord Jesus. And on thy side. For ever the cost will go all the way, no compromising, oh no, but Lord, you're my Lord, you're my master, you're the captain of my salvation, and Lord, I'm going all the way. Thine am I, Lord Jesus. Think of that verse again. Not so long. If you profess you're the Lord Jesus, you're going to do something this morning that's going to really count. You take that little phrase, and we dare not say not so, and Lord in the same breath. Either you're going to take your pencil or your pen, and you're going to score out not so, and leave Lord, or you're going to score out Lord, and leave not so. Now, what is it? Thank you. I heard one another saying not so. That means Lord, doesn't it? And from your heart with my heart we're going to pray, reign over me, Lord Jesus, reign over all within, make me a loyal subject to thee in everything. And you'll find he'll never disappoint you, he'll never let you down, he'll never do you dirty, he'll never cause you to share needless fear, nor ask you to carry an unnecessary burden. Oh, today trust in my praying with all your heart. It happened in Detroit some years ago. After the morning gathering, that is after the breaking of bread, a young teenager came to me and said, Uncle Jim, that's just a figure of speech, and may I talk with you? He went down to the basement of the chapel, and that young girl began to unburden her heart. She said, you know, I thought I'd been a Christian but through my ministry journeys, days I found out I've never been a Christian, and I've yielded my whole life to Jesus Christ. She's a very beautiful girl, a very attractive young girl, a young high school girl. And I spoke to her about her good looks, spoke to her about the temptations at high school, the opposite sex. Her whole heart just flatly unburdened. At last said, Uncle Jim, I want Christ to be Lord over every part of my body, my spirit, my mind. I want Him Lord over all, blessed forever. That very same morning, a woman broke her heart after the breaking of bread, and she soon found out she'd been breaking bread for years, and she had never been born again by the Spirit of God. And God, by His Holy Spirit, broke a brother right through for Himself. A few months after, Mrs. Barnes and I were away down in the gas tank, down to bed. We were having meetings down there. This day, we got a pile of mail. She said, well, let's go down to the beach. We had never been down there all the time we'd been there. While you gather some shells, I'll go through my mail. We got down there, and I was sitting on the log right near to the beach. And I was busy reading, and I felt somebody sitting down beside me, and I looked up. Who should it be but this very same girl. She and her mother were down there, and other members of the family had come down there for a summer vacation. See, Uncle Jim, when I made that decision there in Detroit, I meant it with all my heart. I looked up and said, Sheila, you know, this is going to mean a lot. It means you're no longer your own. If the Lord calls you to some part of land, you are here to say yes, Lord. If you go to some particular part here in the homeland, it's yes, Lord. If He should place you in some hospital bed, to undergo some particular illness, it's yes, Lord. Sheila said, Uncle Jim, I don't care what it costs. Be the Lord of my life. As long as my money and the other members of the family are saved and brought into the assembly, I'll go through anything. I've already been killed by a motor car accident since about two years before. What happened? The next day she was in the hospital, and Mariah, Mariah is down there in Quebec, we went to see her, and that beautiful, charming young girl had been rapidly blown off, and the doctor couldn't find out what the matter was. And the Lord had been paralyzed. And I bent over and I kissed that girl, and she looked up and said, Uncle Jim, in a very weak voice, it's still Lord. It's still Lord. They visited her every day, and they couldn't find out what was wrong. They brought her back to Detroit, to this poor hospital there. And I was having meetings at that particular time in Dearborn. And I arrived down one night to see her, and there she was lying there near the skeleton. Ten o'clock this particular night, I got a phone call, would I go down? And then we found her in the intensive care. She was unconscious. She was lying like a great big dog. And I knew I'd never see her again here. We went up to the mother waiting in another room, which we wouldn't allow the mother to see her. And the result was this. I told of the desire in Sheila's heart. And Sheila was willing to go through all that the mother might be saved, and the family might come to the Lord Jesus. The mother broke down, and she trusted Jesus Christ. Today, the mother and the whole family are in the assembly at Redford. May I pause here, beloved? It's always tossing about Lord, Lord. Lord, I surrender all, and you hold back part. I often think of the Lord, too, because at the sum of the sin of Him we sin, and too does our work, like Ananias and Sapphira, when the professor gives all to the Lord, so they held back part. Then remember, Peter says, why have you sinned against God? What is the right of the Holy Ghost? What has the professor given you all while you're holding back part? Old friend, no holding back. If you're a true soldier of Jesus Christ, that means absolutely everything upon the altar for Him. No reserve. No condition. Young Baldwin, the Baldwin thing, an honored student from Yale University, when his father said he wanted to come into the business, said, Dad, it's impossible. When I was there in the classroom at Yale, the Lord spoke to me, and I've given my life to Him without any reserve. And, Dad, I'm going all the way. So why don't we stay here in this North American concept? Why do you want to go among the student bodies at the very university? Why must you go to Tibet? Dad, I've given my life with reserve. I have realized I am no longer my own. I have been purchased by the blood of Christ. And I hear the voice saying, You're not your own. You're bought with a price. And, Dad, if I hold back, I'm robbing Him. I must hand over the purchased goods to the rightful owner. Father, I've done that. I've done that. And, Dad, I'm going all the way. A senator from the house in Washington was asked for his impressions of the greatest impression ever made on his life as a senator. The one day I visited Yale, and I was taken to the mission in New Haven. And I saw there an honored student, a young man, heir to millions upon millions. I saw that young man down on his knees with his arms around a bum, and a tear rolling down his face, leaning that bum to Christ. A day that was the greatest impression ever made in my life. Who was the young man? Borden. He was on his way to bed, as you know the story. He turned very ill and bored. They called him at Malta, and he was dying. None again. And brother got there just in time, and they heard him saying, I gave my life without reserve. I gave my life without retreat. I've given my life without regret. And, beloved, I look round this group here, and none of you, my friend, I take to be under 40. Let me ask you lovingly, and I'm over 40 myself, your heart was my heart, let me ask you, have you surrendered it all to Him? Have you? Can you look up and say to me, Lord, You have selected me, by Thy merciful grace You have chosen me to be a soldier, and I have no right to be warring around with things entangling and hindering me from a life well pleasing to Thee. Lord, I come and in prompt obedience Thy great desire for my life, and out of a heart of true loyalty for Thee I'll throw. O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee, for Thou in Thine atonement didst give Thyself to me. I own no other master. My heart shall be Thy throne. My life I give henceforth to live, O Christ, and for Thee alone. Yes, my friend, the call selected, the call obedient, and the call to true-hearted, whole-hearted, one-hearted loyalty unto Himself, which was Livingston from Vancouver. He and I were having lunch together with a doctor in Vancouver. Now, after the doctor conducted his surgery, which said to me, Jim, come, let us talk together. We went to Stanley Park, that young man in Burleigh Park. Some of you know him as Dmitriy Ninferov. He was then the sales manager for British Columbia for the Heinz 57 variety. He'd been called to Ontario, to Toronto, to the head office, and they offered him the managership for the whole of Canada with that very fine company. He asked for one week to consider it. Flying home, a boy said to him, wait, when you were in Northern Ireland, you promised you were going to South America, and you've never gone. He tried to shelve it. Tired of these issues, he tried to quieten the boys that kept coming. You promised me in that little gospel chaplain in Northern Ireland you were going to go to South America, and you've never gone. When he got home, his wife and the two children met him at the plane. They drove home, jovial kind of spirit, having daddy home. Children were tucked in for the night. He sat down with the teen's wife crying down to his knees, looking straight into his eyes, and she said, wait, I've always loved you. I love you with all my heart, more to the night probably than ever before, but while you've been in Toronto, God's been laying South America upon my heart. Pardon? They never discussed it. While you've been in Toronto, oh, I know you've got a wonderful promotion, I know you've got a wonderful slump on your salary, but God's been laying South America upon my heart. And he said these words, three of the elder brethren in 16th and McDonald Street in Vancouver, I know this very well, had gone to him, all the men now over 70 years of age, now saying to him, wait, when I was a young man back in Scotland called Mommy, God laid China upon my heart, and I promised him I was going to China, but wait, I married a woman who didn't want to go to third-born land. We've had children, I've preached the gospel, I've given money to the missionary. All these years I've had God's second best. I've had his permissive will, but not his revealed will. A young man, the southern brother said, when I was a young man back in Ireland, God laid Africa upon my heart, I promised to go, but I had never gone. All these years I got on the world, I've prospered. My heart is all open for ministries and for the Lord's service. I've taught the ministry in this country, and I want to tell you, wait, you're only a young man, but he said, God's given me his second best. God's best for me was Africa. The other man said to him, when I was down south of England, the young man, God laid India upon my heart, and I promised the Lord I was going to go to India, but he said, I've never gone, and all these years I've had God's second best. And with turn to Ruby, and he said, Ruby, I don't want to have to say to some young man after I'm 70 years of age, when I was in Northern Ireland, God called me to South America, but I got wonderful promotions with my company, I've made money, I've made a name, I've got possessions now, I've reached the world, and I don't want to have to say I've had God's second best. And those two young people bowed by the seat, a few rowing down the faces, and they commended themselves to the Lord Jesus, and they dedicated their lives of praise to Him. He wired Toronto, not only refusing the promotion, but relinquishing his job as sales manager for British Columbia. They couldn't understand him then. Two investigators flew up to the garage, and they told them the story. And you know what the two unbelievers said? Livingston, this is of God. This is of God. I'm an assistant director at his valedictory service. And today, we can prove we are in Peru. And God is using a micro in Peru. I know I'm working around this company this morning, this particular lousy morning, and there are men and women here, and they've had God's second best. God laid His hand upon you at heart years ago, and you promised, and you've never done it. Is that true? Yes, I see you nodding. You know it's true. My friend, now in the evening of your career, a few moments, days, a few moments, a few days, weeks, months, the very longest God's left for you, are you willing to come today and look up and say, from the very depth of your heart, take my love, O Lord, I pour at thy feet its treasure store. Take myself, and I will be ever only all for thee. The soldier is selected, the soldier is obedient, but the soldier must be loyal. There must not be two men in your life, not in my life. It must be yes, no. Ten numbers? Do we write books? Three hundred and twenty-eight. Three hundred and twenty-eight. And we'll go on from there, but the soldier tonight, a very important message, the next three letters. Please be much in prayer, come back to yourself and the fruit of expectancy, bow the way. There may be someone here and you've never yet opened your heart to Lord Jesus. You've never yet opened your heart to Him. May I speak to you here? I was in Augusta, Georgia, some time ago. May I put a family Bible or a gospel like this? I live in a field. I do all the good, sometimes I do. If anyone wanted to trust Jesus Christ, he would believe the speech and walk to the front while we're singing the closing hymn. Among those who came out that morning are five young men all in uniform. One, a major in the American Army, a lot of ribbons and medals hanging here, and was crying. This major turned around and said to me, Sir, it's taken more out of me to walk down the aisle and confess Christ than it did in the forefront of the battle in Korea. It challenges every part of your manhood to be a Christian. It challenges every part of your womanhood to be a Christian. The Christian life is not for old women and children. It is, by the way, but some people say that's all it's for, weaklings. That's not true. I tell you frankly, it takes a man to stand up and say Christ for me. It takes a woman, my friend, to stand up and say whatever the cost, I'm going all the way with Christ. Sitting in the same pew, same group that day with a young man, here rolling down his feet, also in soldier's uniform, some of the workers approached him and asked for trouble. He said, I wanted, I wanted to walk down there with the others, but he said, my knees buckled beneath me and I couldn't go. But he said, I want to become a Christian. My friend, I am challenging you this morning. Are you willing to go all the way with Jesus Christ? We're going to sing the last two verses of this lovely hymn. 328.