In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of the Bible as the ultimate source of spiritual nourishment and growth. He compares the need for a newborn baby to desire and seek milk for survival to the believer's need for the Word of God. The preacher warns against the devil's attempts to keep believers away from the Bible and urges them to prioritize reading and studying it daily. He advises starting with the New Testament, then moving on to the Old Testament, as the latter helps to understand the depth of the former. The preacher also emphasizes the need for repetition and constant exposure to the Word to internalize its teachings and avoid being swayed by superficial influences.

Can we bow again for a short prayer before God? Thank Thee, Lord, we could have gathered like this. Thank Thee for the message that came to our hearts. Thank Thee for those that responded to God. And thank Thee we know Thou art perfect in integrity, perfect in every faculty of Thy eternal and sovereign being. Thank Thee that we know Thou art incapable of turning Thy eyes and Thy face away from those who seek Thee, to be God's, to be yielded to God, to be their best for God, to be all on the altar. Thank Thee, Lord, that we can know that as they are there seeking Thee now, God is there, God has not gone to some other business and that God will give them the desire of their heart. Give them understanding and discernment, clarity of thought as to what they are asking Thee. Lord, that which is in them, that they know, is crying out for change, crying out for God to deal with, crying out because it's getting in the way and making them unable to walk with God and be effective for God. That which God has touched in them, deal with it by the blood. Let their eyes look up and face to the blood of Christ. Let them somehow get to grips with Thee, Lord, by a work of grace, give revelation now. Open their eyes, their hearts, their understandings to be able to grasp from God the cleansing of the blood and to be controlled by God the Holy Ghost as they yield their all on the altar. Lord, we dare to ask Thee that as young or old, they will find that this commitment to God, this laying everything on the altar, this seeking God to take control, Lord, that Thou wilt prove to them that God is faithful and God answers prayer and God accepts the offering on the altar of a life and God will honour it and shame and anoint. So take them now, Lord, and work something of eternal grace in these who have bowed before God today. Please, let this fruit be lasting, abiding. Let it be the beginning of a consistent growth where before we know there's probably ups and downs, more downs than ups, before absolute surrender. Come, God, give them consistent growth into Christ-likeness. Give them wisdom now and joy as He deals with them and answer their prayers and honour them for seeking God like this. Honour us as we just now say, should there be anything that Thou hast sealed in the heart that would be edifying for Christ's glory to those who are gathered here and come guide anyone that must assist me, anyone that knows more than I, to stand and to just give that which they've grasped, that will edify our hearts, our faith, our understanding of the things of God that are of eternal value. Keep us now under the blood of Christ. In Jesus Christ's name. In Jesus Christ's name. We unitedly agree and ask these things in faith of our Father in heaven. Amen. Well, now, beloved, I don't know whether there's a little boy here who has a question, whether there's anyone. You just open your hearts right now and if there's gaps, then we know nobody has a question. So you just open your heart now. Would anyone like to ask something? It must be about the things of God, please. I'm not a politician. I dare not become one. That is a dangerous position, to be in politics. You need ten times more grace to stay real with God. That's why your president, George Bush, needs ten times more prayer than most priests do. Well, you've got a Christian in politics anyway. Now, politics decides where do we go. If there's no questions, you obviously want to go and have tea somewhere. I see you're drinking almost through the whole sermon. So there's a great thirst here. Yes, sir. Was this on a program, a television or radio? No. Some fellow who has got real authority gave that answer. Well, just never listen to him again. I think you can't answer a man that's liberal. You can pray for him. You can wipe the floor off him if you want to. But a liberal theologian, he needs to be saved. If he is saved, he's in trouble with God. Terrible trouble. He's going to be wiped out if he doesn't see God. To become real. You can't handle this book as if you're an authority if you're saved. And you can't compromise it without God the Holy Ghost convicting you that you won't sleep. And if you do sleep, God will bury you. He'll make sure you're buried in your ministry. But when you deal with men who are unsaved, it's a different thing. And when it comes to answering people like that, all you have is the Word of God. Don't ever try and be on an intellectual level by giving Greek and giving highfalutin answers. Just say, well, sir, Jesus Christ said. But what do you say? Because if you say opposites of that, you're saying Christ is wrong. And you have more authority than God manifests in the flesh. And you have enough of what Jesus Christ said about hell. You can say, sir, were you a greater man than Paul? Or John? When it comes to eternal damnation, and if Paul preaches it, who are you to say we mustn't? If Christ said it, who are you to say we mustn't? That's if you have the liberty. He won't let you get there, by the way. They'll cut you off. They'll pretend there was a storm that cut the telephone off. If they're that liberal to say such things, you'd be amazed what they'd do to cut a man off if they haven't got an answer. Try it. They'll cut you off if you prove them wrong. But then you've proved him wrong in the eyes of God, in the sight of God. And he has his conscience to go with if he can't answer you. And he has to stand before God and give account one day why he denied truth from a young man and cut him off. Why he didn't want truth. There's so much of the word. I have illustrations of what I remember a fellow. Go back to Bible school. Go to a different one this time, he said. Go learn Greek, boy, he said. I was young. There's no such thing as eternal damnation and suffering. The Greek says, and then he brings out these three words of hell in the Old Testament. Nothing's talking about the literal punishment. And so he gives the different three Hebrew words of the word hell that comes into some as a state of darkness, a state of being without God, literally. But I said, sir, I want you with all your Greek and all your Hebrew to just tell me exactly what this means, if it doesn't mean it. He will return. 2 Thessalonians 1 verse 8. Now that word everlasting, sir, you know the Greek. Tell me what it says in the original. Sought not, no judgment, immediate but it stops. Or is it everlasting? Is it in the Greek or don't you know? Well, he just looked at me, his mouth opened. And then I saw his mind's working, you see. By the way, he had degrees going out the door. He just happened to be lying to himself and to others. You can do that. You harden your heart. You blind your eyes to truth. God lets you believe a lie, Thessalonians says. Eventually you believe a lie. You believe a lie. You can actually believe a lie. And you know it's a lie if you don't want truth. And that's when God seals a man's choice. It's a terrifying thing. It's all through the Bible. But just to bring him the Scriptures upon Scriptures upon Scriptures upon Scriptures. With the smoke of their torment to send it up forever and ever. They have no peace day or night. Revelation speaking about the lake that burns a fine brimstone, which is the second death, which is spoken of again and again. And every single man will face it who isn't prepared to meet with God. Revelation 20 verse 10, I saw a great white throne. And him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away. And there was found no place for him. I saw the dead, small and great, children and grown-ups, literally, stand before God. And the books were opened. And another book was opened, which was the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in death. And hell delivered up the dead which were in them. And they were judged, every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This was the second death. And whoso was not found, written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire. Whoso was not found, literally, in its context and light of all the Scriptures, not having prepared to meet with God, through the shed blood of Christ, was cast into the lake that burns a fine brimstone, which is the second death. The lake that burns a fine brimstone, by the way, is eternal. Of all the verses in Revelation that speak of it, it refers to it as an everlasting, eternal, where the smoke of their torment ascended up forever and ever. It's everlasting. Now, once you've given enough Scriptures, and they might get a little bit upset, then just say, well, sir, you're stopping me from going on. But you refuse to preach what God said will happen to every soul that does not prepare to meet with God through the shed blood of Christ. He will return in vengeance, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction. And, sir, if you don't agree with it, take a pair of scissors right now and cut out the word everlasting. And cut out every single word you disagree with God with. But don't carry a Bible that you say you represent the full revelation of God. If you've cut it to shreds, you don't believe it. Whatever you don't believe, whatever you don't preach, you don't believe. Whatever you refute, you don't believe. Cut it out and stand up and show them what's left of what you do believe. But don't walk in the pulpit as a hypocrite and pretend you're representing the full revelation of God. Sir, you're not. You're lying. And their blood shall be on your hands. If you fail to warn them, when I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die. If thou dost not speak and warn the wicked from their way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity. But his blood will I require at thine hand. You refuse to tell him. If you refuse to warn, his blood will be on your hands. Will it ever kill the only man that ever lived that God says such a thing if he fails to give the truth to the soul God intended him to give it to? Will you not be judged, sir? Take the scriptures. We've got nothing but the scriptures, brother. To deal with the intellectual. You want to deal with liberalism, the word of God. It's the sword of the spirit. You have nothing else. Don't ever protest. Protesting doesn't help. Just uphold truth. And error just dissolves. In the eyes of anyone who has a conscience. Left. Some don't, tragically. Use the scriptures. That's why we've got to study to show ourselves approved. The word. A workman that can handle the word of God aright. That need not be ashamed. I sat with a man who had so many degrees from Oxford. Cambridge. Well, anyway. Six years in this university. Six there. Six there. And he said, and you dare to walk in here and ask me. If I'm born again. If I'm right with God. What. What education did you have? What academic achievement? Look at these degrees. Scripture. I can. I can read in a Hebrew or something. I don't know. And you dare to ask me. Who gives you the right to come in here and ask me that? As if God does. I'm asking you what Jesus Christ said. Has to happen in your life. Or you'll never ever see heaven. And there's only one other place where they're told in the Bible scriptures of hell. Are you born again? If you can't answer that. I don't care how many degrees you've got, sir. You're going to hell. Because Jesus Christ. Christ said. Except a man be born again. He cannot see the King of God. Now in that one verse. That man with all his degrees. And years in both of these. Sat down and broke into tears and sobbed. You know why? Because a young boy. 21 years of age. Just knew a verse. And refused to budge until the man could say. Whether that happened or not. And Jesus Christ said that verse. You've got no greater authority than Jesus Christ, sir. Don't lose the authority of Christ. Or this word. We have nothing but the word to give. That'll work. But as I say. You're in for a shock. With radios. And television. And superficial showmen. And pulpits. They'll cut you short. Make sure you can't go on. They're hypocrites. And a hypocrite is going to have a terrifying moment when he stands before God. To say why he denied deliberately truth. To those who listen to him. Their blood is on his hands. I believe. I don't know what that's going to mean. Does that answer your question? Okay. Ah. Is there any other question? We're not going to go on long. We're going on to half past eleven. And it's now ten past. So. That took about ten minutes. Isn't that terrifying? I'm long winded. But I like to get the point through until it's in repetition, brother. Repeat. Keep repeating. Not into yourself to get it in your head. You never lose it. But to others. They get a bit annoyed. But they never forget. Yes, sir. I would like to hear. If I understand what you're saying. When I was saved. The night I was saved. The first thing I thought. Because the man that led me to Christ said. He put an old King James book in my hand. We didn't have all the translations. We had something called the good news for modern man. Which I hadn't really heard of. I heard of afterwards. But it was the bad news for modern man. Trust me. Yes. It was the worst thing they could ever put out of God's word. It was a total lie. That's putting it mildly. I could go on to say what. But. They. He put this King James. They did of course have the Revised Standard Version. The American Authorized. Things like that were keeping him. But the King James was predominantly used across the world when I was saved. Predominantly. There wasn't NIV. Etc. So. He put the old King James. And he said to me. When I got over my knees saved. He said. Because I didn't have feeling. And I was thinking. I don't feel different. I feel the same. I was thinking that. Now this old man. I don't know how God did it. He said it doesn't matter that you don't feel any different. He shook me. I literally quaked that he had known what I was thinking. Feelings don't matter now. He said what does matter is this. And he put this old Bible in my hand. And he said go home. And soak yourself in the Bible. As your greatest priority in life. Till the day you die. This is your source of survival King. Go home now. He said begin with John. That's what I tell everyone. To do when they come to Christ. Like you have tonight. And I believe the way you prayed you were sincere. Start in John. Get through John. Take a pen. Never open the book unless you have a pen. Write what God speaks to you. What God gives to you as a promise. Don't lose it. Don't lose anything God burns in your heart. That he assures you. That he's speaking to you. That he's affirming. Confirming. So keep a pen and mark what God says to you. Now that you've given your life to Christ. What he says to you individually. And then he said when you finish with John. Go to Matthew. And go from Matthew to Revelation. Go at least. He said three times. Through the New Testament. Then go from Genesis. And never neglect the new for the old. But don't neglect the old. Because you'll never understand the new. You'll never understand the new in depth. The old teaches the depth. Of what each verse is in the new. And he says but now I want you. To read three or four or five chapters of the old. And three or four or five chapters of the new. Every day of your life. Beginning tomorrow morning. But tonight John. Don't ever read less. Often more. Sometimes you can read sixty chapters in one day. Take it. Get away from the crowd. He said. This is your source of survival my boy. And the devil's greatest priority. Till the day you die. Would be to keep you from this book. But if you can. Somehow. Not do what the devil suggests. Through all the pressures of life. He'll always create something you've got to do. To neglect this book. If you can somehow. Neglect anything but not this book. Till the day you die. You will never backslide. You will never backslide. But the day the devil gets you to neglect this. Things are going to go wrong my boy. And you're going to be ashamed in Christ's name. Don't neglect this book. Well I went home. It was eleven o'clock in the night. And I opened John. And I begin to read. And as I read. I thought these words. I never did understand this old language. These and those you know. But anyway. He said I must read. So I'm going to read. So I started reading John. Chapter one. Verse one. And I had the pen. In the beginning. Was the word. And the word was with God. And the word was God. The same was in the beginning. With God. All things. Were made by him. And without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life. And the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness. And the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God. His name was John. The same came for a witness. To bear witness of the light. That all men through him might believe. He was not that light. But was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light. Which lighted every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world. And the world was made by him. And the world knew him not. He came unto his own. And his own received him not. But as many as received him. To them gave he the power. To become the sons of God. Even to them that believe on his name. Which were born. Not of blood. Nor of the will of the flesh. Nor of the will of man. But of God. And the word was made flesh. And dwelt among us. And we held his glory. The glory of the only begotten of the Father. Full of great and true. I read. As many as received him. To them gave he the power. And the right. To become the sons of God. Even to them that. I receive thee tonight. I ask thee to come into my heart Lord Jesus. I'm born. Not of blood. Nor of physical birth. Nor of the will of the flesh. Nor of the will of man. I'm born of God. I grasp that name. I've become a child of God. I've been born of God. I'm born again. That verse just burst out of me. And I marked it. And I felt tears come in. Dripping. Some of the verses were marked by tears. Not by a pain. In the end I looked back and I thought. He said I must mark whatever verses burst out in my heart. I marked every single verse on the whole page. I don't even have to mark every single verse bursting out. What happened here? Well. By the way. The sun came up. And I said. Oh. The sun's come up. I haven't slept at all. I've got to go to work. I didn't sleep. I wasn't tired by the way. Tea time. Ring, ring. Twenty minutes. I didn't want to speak. I was scared anybody would speak. I just ran to the side room. I didn't want tea. I wanted more chips. And when the bell rang. Oh no. Oh God. Lunch time. Couldn't wait to get back. And that night after some other meeting they took us hours into the night. And I said God I must sleep. I don't want to be stupid. But I want to wait. It's like my eyes don't want to close. Even though they are closing. I read later on. My eyes prevent you know in the night watching from closing. I so love your work. But you see. It wasn't the these and the thous. It was the problem. It was me. The natural man cannot receive the things of God. He can't discern them. The unsaved man. But the Spirit. And once the Holy Spirit is in you. The letter kill it. But the Spirit give it life. I wasn't saved. And I couldn't grasp the things of God. I could understand as he held out one verse to a man saying there's judgment. There's hell. Repent. Come to Christ. But I wasn't able to read past the few verses before. Because I wasn't able to discern it. It didn't grip me. Now the Holy Spirit was in me. This book became throbbing. It's not the these and the thous. It was me. I was unsaved. I didn't have the Holy Spirit in me. The natural man. The unsaved man cannot receive the things of God. But once the Holy Spirit's in him. Once God comes in you. This book becomes throbbing. You can't live without it. Man shall not live by bread alone. I ask a person who comes to me and says. How can I be sure I'm born again? People talk about the witness of the Spirit. I say well. When you gave your life to Jesus. Did this book become your source of life? Your source of survival? Like oxygen to someone who suffers. Did this book grip you? Did this book become your greatest love? Your greatest desire? You couldn't. Nothing. Nothing could keep you. Nothing. Nothing. No matter what the devil offered on the television. Even if it was legitimate. You couldn't stay from this. Things die. Their value. This book becomes the value. This book becomes the desire. The great desire. The one desire. That throws you into... Did that happen? Or is this book never becoming like that to you? No, that never happened. Then you're not saved. Full stop. Go. You can't be born. As newborn babes. Desire to see a milk of the word. That you may grow thereby. This is the only thing. You bring a baby into the world. Is one thing. They don't need to go to university by the way. To know when they need milk. To know what they have to do to survive. You don't need as a mother and father to know. What they want. They know they need something. Give them a million dollar check and say. Just keep quiet and you've got a million dollars baby. When you grow up. That's not going to satisfy them. They'll scream their hearts out you know. Until they get milk. Because that's all they need to survive. They don't want it anymore. If that baby doesn't want milk. He's going to die. There's something radically wrong. If you're born again. As newborn babes. If desire doesn't see a milk of the word. This is God's milk to the baby. If you don't desire. You're not saved. It's stillborn. Dead at birth. It was premature. There was nothing real. It wasn't really right. The evidence. That you're saved. Is this book. You have to. You have to. You crave. You will go. Desperate. Till you get it. As a baby in Christ. You can't live without it. And it grieves you when you think you're neglecting it. Because you know you're neglecting the things. The things the devil is putting. And of course you can really come into a calamity of back splitting. God has to deal with it. You know what the witness of the spirit was to me? This book. Crying out. God confirm me. He's my father. This verse upon verse. Crying out your mind. Before it didn't. Before if anything. All I could trust. But it cried out condemnation. Now all it did was confirmation. And I knew. I didn't have warm crippling feelings down my back. But I'm saying. But the Holy Spirit bore witness as my spirit. That I'm a child of God. Because what this book said. I should do to be saved. I saw I had done. What God said he would do. If I did that. I believed. He had done. And what God said to me. Now I need to do. I did. What he held out to me. And here he is. Man shall not live by bread alone. Boy. You can't stay alive by food alone. That's a physical survival. But now you're a spiritual being. Born of God. On the spiritual level. You survive. Not by food. You survive spiritually by every word. This is your survival. Try not eating. Try not eating for a while. See what happens to you. Just physically. God says. It's the same spiritually. You can't do without it if you're saved. And boy when you're hungry. What sort of vengeance you see. If you hate hamburgers. You'll stop and devour these ugly foods if you're hungry. But. If you're saved. Get hungry. And if you don't want this. You don't have to. Get everything aside. You're not saved. Or. You're backslidden. But you're not backslidden if you never desire this. You're just not saved. It has to be this. Natural man cannot. You can't. But the spiritual man. So you talk about when did the word of God have power to me. The night I was saved. Before that. Never. I can't think of ever. Lovely sort of preaching from. About the prodigal son. That didn't. From an unsaved priest. Didn't do anything. Well that's interesting. You know. I believed God. I believed this was God's word. But I wasn't saved. It wasn't saving faith. Believing is obeying. And I took the steps of obedience to be saved. Confession. Embracing. Nothing in my hands. And faith in what God said he would do. And justified freely by grace through faith in his blood. I put my faith in the blood. And I trusted God that not he justified me. And I was saved. Father we thank thee. For. This time together. And for all who. Threw their lives out and said. Longingly here am I. Oh God. If it's in thy heart please. Could you use such a base. Sing as me. For that's my longing. And Lord. Thou didst hear those words in the heart. And we bless thee. If thou didst not turn thy face away. Then millions of Christians would never really consider. Giving up their ambition. Though Christ gave up his life for them. And so we know thou would not pass. By. As thine eyes did beheld. Those who sought. Today longing to be youth of God. If God had given the right. I'd be surprised Lord. I'd be surprised. If in heaven thou didst not show us one day. Everyone. That so reached out. And said please Lord. Use me. Didn't go out to serve thee. But if it is thy will continue. Through circumstances. Through the quiet time. Through conversations. Through scriptures. Through things that would just. Cry out to them. Until they know. That if they don't go. They defying God. God blueprint for their life. Can be. Destroyed. We know that. Help them God. Through. Circumstances and all the leadings of God. To lose desire for anything. But. To reach the world for God. And to preach. Thy holy word. If it is thy will. Make their ambitions become as. Something obnoxious to them. That they'll know it's God. But let many many many multitudes of people. Come to know Christ. As a result of the obedience of those today. Through the sensitive hearts. In reverence. And reverential fear. Sought God today. For God's best. Be with us now as we question time. If there are things Lord. That are in the hearts that could edify. Us here today. That we could share together. And reason together. Let the Holy Spirit guide us. And bless us. And edify us. And bring light where there's darkness. Peace where there's fear. Clarity where there's confusion. And obedience. Where there's defiance. That we're excusing. On issues that might be brought up here today. But keep us under the blood of Jesus. And come and make this half an hour. Something precious to us. In Jesus Christ's name. We ask all these things. In faith. Longing to glorify thee. Amen. Well now brother Don asked me. If I could repeat the question. Yesterday I didn't. I began to think about it this morning. When I was praying. And I said probably because they want. The people who get this tape to know what the question was. And not wonder why I'm going on a. Whole thing. On something that they perhaps didn't know. The direct. So I'm going to try and repeat the question. I see some of you are dying of heat. Literally. Perhaps someone could open a window. Unless you really want to die of heat. Because that's a different question then. I don't want to get in your way. If you want to really suffer here. If you are cold. Then you get up and shut the window. And we pretend we didn't see. Then we know why someone left all the windows shut. It was you. Alright. I love the cold. I don't know about you. I could live in a fridge. I'm very comfortable. I can do twenty times as much when it's cold. Than when I'm in a hot climate. I can feng shui. Honestly I'd say more than twenty times. In every second of the day. Where it's brisk. You can just go on going on. But give me heat. In my word one conversation is an ordeal. I suppose that's old age. I don't know. But whatever it is I love the cool. Now. Who would like to put their hand up. And then try to stand up. And say it loud. So all will hear you. Of what you might have in your heart. And you young boys. You're welcome. You're welcome. You're welcome to stand up. And get courage. And know how to publicly express your heart. No one will despise you. Alright. No one. So I think we want to close with tea. Oh. Alright. Now tea gets on. Especially if you've got to drink right through a service. Go ahead please. My personal opinion. And now I'll have to repeat that. Basically. In the light of God's word. How should we feel led. In obedience to God's word. What to do with our finances. In regard to tithing. Or being led by God. To support other missions. Etc. Well different godly men have a different opinion. And they're so godly. I'm glad they gave us a choice. So we don't have to stand you know. And say. I'm a Wesleyan Arminius. Because John Wesley was. Well. Some people can say well. George Whitfield in the same time was a Calvinist. And used my Chile also. So. Not that I want to bring up Calvinism. Please don't anybody ask the question now. But. Alright. I personally believe. And I think most people would say a church. Puts their tithing the individuals to the church. I think that's what God intended. It doesn't mean that you just as an individual say. No my minister is rich enough. My church has got enough. Lovely seats. And doesn't need it. So I'm going to go out. I think God personally. But I do believe. After years. I don't suppose I would always have said this. Of watching. The survival. Of God's people. Sometimes God has to bypass. The church who just doesn't see the vision. It has the most beautiful ambitions. And luxuries. And no ending. But it doesn't send. I like the man Solomon. He spent so much time on his own house. And not on God's house. That's a sort of physical thing. Okay. But. In comparison. He actually drowned out God's house. Is something not really important. To what time he spent in his own. One can be given all the wisdom. In the world. That no man ever had. And divert from what God really tells you. Because somehow you lose touch with God. And we know Solomon did lose touch with God. Because. By many things. Scripturally you should give to your church. But many churches have no vision. Many people are sitting in churches. That actually they wish they could find someone in sight. That they could go elsewhere. Because of the compromise. And they feel how can I give. To these people who are. Just so compromising. And so. Unless they're willing to travel four or five hundred miles. To find a church. You might think that's impossible brother. I know people who phone me. And say we've got to travel three hours. To find a church. That we can actually sit past the singing. Let alone hear the message. It is not easy to find a church. You can say wholeheartedly I want to support. And so maybe God does divert different people. Who have to go and try and influence that church. Who are compromising by being there. Not just separating themselves and say. I'm not going to have anything to do with them. But they're tithing. They honestly say no. I do not want the money to go into that. That I know it's going to go to. And so they pray prayerfully. I was standing. And a godly missionary woman. With blue eyes. Never forget her blue eyes. It was so pale blue it was haunting. I looked at her eyes you know. She was beautiful. She was in her seventies. At that stage. But she had been one of the great missionaries. These women are the soul women. They might not get the pulpits. But oh their courage takes them where most men don't want to go. So God has to choose women. To go out there door to door. And bring them to Christ. Because most men are too scared to. Or don't want to go. But she stood in front of me. In her old age. Doesn't mean she still isn't the responsibility of God. Because she's now old. Doesn't mean God doesn't have to provide for her. And how does he? By laying it in her heart. And I stood talking to her. Suddenly. Now this. This was amazing. Suddenly. Impressed upon my heart. Was take all the money you've got. And I'd just been given money. I really had prayed through to God to give me. I needed that money brother. I was a young fellow. I was a student. You want to be a student. And you haven't got money for toothpaste. You see what to do with your tooth. Your teeth. Among other things. You want to know what it is when God gives you money. Oh bless the Lord. God's been faithful. Suddenly. I walk along now with his money in my pocket. And knowing it's there. Conscious God gave it to me. And it was quite a substantial amount. That was going to cover a lot of needs. Far more than just toothpastes. And my funds. Fees. There was a lot of things I needed. And God's in my heart impressed. Not with an audible voice. But it was such an impression that I trembled. Give it all to her. Can God do that? Can God expect it of you? Oh I haven't given my tithing to my church. My home church. Even if I'm a student. I should send that tent. They faithful at least. So God said. Give it all. And I broke out into a sweat. I started saying no. In my heart. I didn't know what she was speaking about in the end. And she must have seen the fear in my eyes. And the confusion and the sweat. And she said. Brother are you sick? I said no. I said I'm confused. Something in me is saying you need money. And I don't mean to offend you lady. But do you need money? I have money. And something in me says to give everything to you. And tears just came up in your eyes. And poured down. And this old soul took my hand. And in our country we're very conservative. We don't touch each other. It's dangerous. Even as an old person. And she said. My boy. God must have just brought you here. I am so desperate. I haven't told a soul. Because my vow to God. Was I would never ever ever ask a soul. Till the day I die. I only ask thee God. And if I die. Let me die. But thou alone do I look to. I never advertise my needs. And God took me through all the years. There's been times I was on my face. My boy. But right now. I was so desperate. I was standing here. Talking to you. But in the back of my mind is. God what am I going to do. Unless thou disprove thyself faithful to me. And so I go over to the money. By the by. She looked at the money. It was exactly. To the cent. What she had to have. Brother. What God knew I would give to her. I would walk past her. We can't limit God. To his leading. We can't. We dare not. True. God wants us to stand with the church. But if the church doesn't give. As they ought to. To the mission. And when I say the mission. It doesn't give everything. It has to allocate. And as you know. The churches like. Coase's church. Saw the bulk of their funds. Going out to the mission. Was with the most honored. Financially. Where there was truth. Financial prosperity. Doesn't mean a church. Is being honored by God. Otherwise. The Jehovah Witnesses. Are being honored by God. You think of the finances. That go into them. And they give. Sacrificially. To the church. But. If a church is true. And it is right with God. It seeks the heart of God. Not to one man's pet vision. Or mission. But it seeks God. This boy. That my son was speaking about. Glenn. Glenn is. My son's age. The two of them are. Fearful. Which is as well. God split them up now. But. They just. Wanted to conquer the world. And I think some people are still running. The way those boys went. But Glenn. Was quite something. He is a character. That you've got to pray for. I've prayed. I had prayed maturity. But. When I was. Oh. Many years ago. He was eight years old. When I was preaching his father's church. In what we call Bloemfontein. And. He was a little boy. One of the family. And he was of course. Listening to the sermons. And. I suppose. Deeply touched by God. For some reason. And this little boy. Walked up to me. I think he was ten. And he held out to me. Money. But it was a substantial amount. That you would never expect. A child to have. I mean he was little. And I looked at this boy. And I took his money. He said. God told me. To give this to you. Now that's a little boy. Now brother. I needed that money. But I didn't have the heart to take it. From a little child. Because it was a lot of money. I really needed that money. Right then. I needed it. Don't doubt it. It wasn't just a. A thing for me to say. No I don't need it. It. It was just a principle in my life. It was something. Don't doubt it. It wasn't just a. A thing for me to say. No I don't need it. It. It was just a principle in my life. It was something of a. An ethical code. You just don't grab from a child. And I said. My boy this is a lot of money. It's a lot more than I would expect a child of you to have. And I really don't feel you should give it to me. You perhaps need this. Please take it back. I can't take it from you. He looked at me and his eyes welled up with tears. He said. But God told me to give it to you. Work that out brother. And I looked up. And I saw his mother. She was saying. Doubt it. Doubt it. I said. Thank you. His mother afterwards. Said. You know he's never given his tithing. And we said that you must give your tithing. He said. No. Nobody told him. From a little fellow. He tithed every single thing he ever got. And this is everything he ever got tithing. He's never given. He said. No. I'm waiting for God. Well it's patriotic. It's not spiritual. Goodness me. He said. I'm waiting for God. To tell me. I don't know how God put that in a child's heart. But you want to see this child what he's become for God. He is fearless. And he's fearful. Through his fear. He's become a force for God. But this little boy. Had a leading by God. She said. She said. When I saw him. Go into this. Cupboard where we put these things. And take his money. I said. Cannot be. He found someone at last. And I watched him. That's why I followed through here. To see what he's going to do. And she said. Thank you. You took it. He was never. Ever inclined. Not once. Even considered. To give it to another person. And then she also said. You must need it. She knew it was God. Because she knew that boy was real. And by the by. When I did take the money. And he said. And listen carefully to me sir. This little ten year old. Listen carefully please sir. One day. I am going to go to your Bible school. And I'm going to preach like you. To bring the world to God. Ten years old. Well I forgot about him by the way. My son arrives at Bible school. And Glenn arrives. The two of them look at each other and realize. We're friends for life. They didn't take much than one look. By the by. The rest of the college was just left behind. They even had to confront him about it. Can't we join you. And all your escapades for God. But this boy was at Bible school now. And I go around to all the new students. Every time a seminar begins. Every time a term begins. And a whole new group come. And then there's the old students. So I go to shake their hands before I lecture. And I took his hands. He said. Me. Sir. No. What's your name. And he said. Glenn Bass. I said. I really don't. You forgive me. I see thousands of people. And he said. I was a little boy who held my tithing. To you. You were the first one God ever told me to give it to. And then I said to you. One day sir. I'm going to come to your Bible school. One day. I'd never seen him from that day all the way through. And now he's a man. Well I'm here. He says. I've come. He knew his goal. He knew even his goal was from God. As to his principle about tithing. I've never questioned a person about what they do to their tithing. I leave that to the preachers. The ministers. Have to teach it. People have to be taught. But if you don't teach people that there is missions out there in the whole world. And just show them a photograph. Of every single thing that missionary has got in life. And put it next to you sir. Before you say no. They don't need it as much as us. I'm not speaking of me. I never would stoop to that. God knows. Because then I have to look to man till the day I die. I only look to God. I have taken the principle of that. Woman. And most of our preachers. I keep cutting off brother. But you know what it is. I'm holding this. Aerial. And probably cutting it off. It's. Old age again. I think. Well. Something's going a little bit wrong here. You've got a lip read here. Are you good at lip reading? Otherwise you're going to miss half. Tithing. Faithful to your church. If your church is faithful to God. And God's word. And your heart witnesses. Tithing goes to them. Outside of that. Generally. God expects you to sacrifice. Where you come across some mission. Or missionary. Or some person. From India. China. Wherever. Who you suddenly become conscious of. And burdened for. And suddenly realize you can. You can give. And you find that day. On their faces. Fasting for seven days. Without crying. God help us to stay alive. In case you don't think that's real. You want to hear. Or I don't want to start mentioning Stephen Alford. Or the way they were on their faces as missionaries. Crying God let us stay alive. It happens. And. Your responsibility. When it comes to your finances. Go beyond the walls of your church. Once you reach the stage you can. Not before though. But normally the church that has a missing heart. Is a church God prospers. Not men. Begging to give to the earth. You know. I can get my Rolls Royce. But God. God leads. God begins to prosper. God begins to honor those who do give. Above others. And they find a prospering in their own. Because. That isn't their God. Because it doesn't become their God materially. It becomes their goal to give. And God honors the church that have learned to give. With a missing heart. I cannot tell you how many times God honored me. And how and through. I didn't even know when the first month was going to come. When I was a student. All I knew God had said to me. Go. And I went. And no one. On earth knew. Apart from my boss. That I didn't have a cent. He said to me. That how can you go with no money. I know you've got no money. I know what you've been doing. For the motor car. And all these things. I said. Sir. All I know is God told me to go. And if I don't go. I'm in trouble. And if you try and stop me. You're going to be in trouble too. So I went to Bible school. I had enough money. To get there. I had enough money. To pay my first term. And I had enough money. To get through my first term. With. Two space. Etc. Okay. That a man has to have. To have dignity. Right. The second term arrives. And I'm waiting now. I didn't know what it means. To live by faith. All I know. Is that God said. Go. And he said to me. In Matthew 6. Take no thought. When I asked him. How can I go. Suddenly my eyes just fell on Matthew 6. Take no thought. Consider the leaves of the field. How they grow. They toil not. Neither do they spin. Yet I stand to you. That even Solomon. In all his glory. Was not arrayed like one of these. He was clothed like one of these. Wherefore have God so clothed. The grass of the field. Which today is. And tomorrow's cotton of the oven. Surely not much more clothed. You. O ye of little faith. Therefore take no thought. Don't you dare think. Go. So I went. Now. The second term. No money. So what happens. Does it immediately arrive. No. Not in the school of God. The promises have to kiss you. You've got them. But while the fulfillment is waiting. Abraham. Joseph. Everyone else. Even the. But are you going to start staggering in faith. And say. I must have made a mistake. No. So. First of all. I found. I didn't have underarm fragrance. For want of a better word. And a man needs that in Africa. Otherwise people smell them. And you've got to deal with souls. And I didn't have. And I didn't even incline to ask the other brothers there. Faculty. Can I borrow your underarm fragrance. Can I borrow your toothpaste. My hair was getting a little bit long. You're not allowed to do that. In our country. Well. In the conservative churches. You're just not allowed to do it. So. My principal also said. He pulled my hair one day. Have a haircut. And I thought. Give me money. But I didn't pay it. I knew I had to have a haircut. But no one knew. No one knew. I had no money. I had to pay my fees. You're supposed to pay it. As you arrive. You're not allowed to just be there. And say. Oh. Well. Fine. You know. I'm going to leave college one day. Pay you back. You know. When God starts being faithful to me. No. They. But nobody confronted me. But I knew. And they knew. I hadn't paid my fees. I didn't have enough money for dry cleaning. For my suit. My jacket. And. You know. You have to have dry cleaning. You know. Everybody else does too. Somewhere along the line. And I got into a bit of a state. Even the petrol in the car. Daddy and Mommy had thrown it to me. And. This old. Car. That everybody prayed. Would get us safely. To our goal. But sometimes. The petrol was. Boom. And. It really was down there. And they didn't have enough cars for the students. To go out to all the. Opening meetings. I had to drive. I couldn't say. No. Give me money. I couldn't. It was being. It's just. I couldn't put myself to that. So I used to drive. Praying. Don't let us get stuck here. In this. Terrible. Crime area. Lord in the dark. And we got back. And some of that car went. Brother. I don't know how. For a long long time. Went empty. Anyway. One Saturday. I was so desperate. So. I was so desperate. I was. In a state. I think everybody was reading. This guy's in a state. What's wrong with him? I was sitting there. In another world. God. Why? Stop forsaking me. I'm. I'm a pain in the. So Saturday. They go up in the mountains. And all that. And the day off. I said. No. I'm not going. So I got on my knees. And I remember. Starting to weep. And I opened the Bible. Matthew six. And I said. God. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. from the day I arrived here, I had everything paid, but I've had all this amount, and I'd never thought of it. I just separated it. And God said to me, I want you to take that money and give it to Keith Daniel right now. And he said, brother, and now he's crying, am I wrong or do you need this money? And I said, yes! It wasn't very ethical, but I said thank you. I shut the door, I got on my knees, and I looked at this promise of God, and I said, Lord, forgive me for doubting you. I'll never doubt you again. I'll never doubt you again. Well, I learned what it is to live by faith. God uses others. God impresses on hearts. When churches can't be impressed, God takes missionaries to help missionaries. Missionaries have got just about nothing to take the little they've got and say, you need it more than me, brother, and I've seen that again and again. But through the Lord, through the years, the Lord put on people's hearts and churches. And not from me, but I'm talking about missions across the world, missionaries across the world. And the amazing thing is what comes right through my college years. Different amounts that come from people I've never met in my life, don't know anything about. And it always added up. This is the lovely thing, brother, the little bits. And sometimes big bits added up to the exact amount I had to have. So God didn't send through one. God said, remember, I'm the divine calculator. No one else knows your true needs. I do, but He has everything on the dot. It is wonderful how God makes you acknowledge Him. Praise the dear Lord. I could go on and on and on. But when it comes to tithing, give it to your church, if your church is godly and lit as a church. Know what to do, whether it's the immediate needs, perhaps your pastor. I don't know the deal here, and I don't want to interfere. But a man who gives his life is worthy of the labor. God says. He's worthy to be paid. We're obliged to pay. Sometimes a man can give nothing of his life really, apart from spare time for God. Because the church says, no, it's not spiritual to support you. Support yourself and then serve full time to build us up as a church, to get messages. Go over time. We don't want you. You've got to support yourself. Now I've been in churches where men are nearly dead at 40 years old because the church wouldn't give them. It's not spiritual. It's spiritual. Brother, get yourself a work, then I'll listen to you. But you won't listen to much, brother, because you didn't give much time. You had to work to stay alive and then to still feed you. For God's sake, for God's sake, it's not spiritual to say that. Get out of your rut or cultural ideas if it is without compassion and a man you expect to give a word that will burn in your heart and keep your children in the narrow path. That takes time. Don't make him come home dead of work to stay alive and then stay awake all night to give you a message that's worthwhile. Now I don't know the setup here, and Brother Don, I don't know what you're going to say to me because you might be everything that's held out. I'm not sure of things here. All I do know, the laborer is worthy of his hire, brother. But don't you disagree with God? What does he mean? Get his own hire? He's worthy to get out and work for himself while he works for God. You want a man to really have an impact on God? For God, make sure he's provided for. Don't look to the mission, drawing old, that he can't keep the roof of his head without fear, that he can't. You want to say where to do the money? Well, look first at home and then remember if home is provided for in truth by you and your hearts know that what you would want to be done to you, that's lovely, you know. Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. Now if God called you to win the world to God and you would love men to give you the opportunity not to have to go and labor until there's blisters and headaches before you've got money to go and when you don't. You long for people, just remember those that are doing God's work. Do it to them, okay, what you wish God would do for you, had you been in his shoes. So you could be your best and think a little bit past any cultural preferences. Just think of the word, please, sir, when it comes to spiritual decisions with money. Please, sir. We have one minute, who's got another message? One question, who asked that question? You ought to be ashamed. It's me, brother. Good, brother. We all need to talk about these things. You want to know one of the greatest problems in the evangelical church today? Why they don't function, they don't communicate. Good you asked that. And good you didn't get up and walk out by someone who said a lot of things here that many people would jail him for. Well, if I could. Thank you. It's good to speak. And especially, especially if you don't agree, it's good to listen to another view in case God wants to change your mind. Unless you don't want God to ever change your mind ever in your life, brother. Again, you're just perfect. That's a different story. But it's lovely to speak when there's an open heart and say, God, teach me. Take away prejudices, take away background, take away anything that keeps me from light, true light, anything. And let me embrace it and live it. It's more blessed to give than to receive, you know. I led about 200 boys, came to Christ in a reformatory like a prison. They sought God and no one sought to help me. And I had to seek God for money, for Bible for those boys. And I didn't ask a soul. I was a student. And I had this burden, I had this grief, this sense of responsibility to have to have the word of God. I'd given them the little Gospels of John that I got from the Gospel Society, the tracts, mission. But now, a whole lot of monies came. And I went without as a student. And then suddenly I got a big amount. And I went out and I knew I hadn't paid my fees, I knew I hadn't got my vital necessities to survive in decency and dignity and not to be offensive. I knew I had to have that money. It came, but then I knew these boys had to buy, I went and bought the Bibles. And not with a heavy heart. Once the money was over the counter, I said, thank God it's out of my hands. I don't ever struggle now to think about what the consequences are going to be. So, you work this out. I gave all those Bibles. No one, no one knew exactly apart from that Bible place where I got all those Bibles. And they did not have anything to do with this. You might find this hard to believe, but the next day, the next day, there was an envelope full of notes. To the cent, what I had given God, God gave back. It's lovely to obey God, what you do with your money. It's not always just them. Sometimes it's other things. And in the school of God, I would never tell a man not to give a style suit search because then I'm denying what God's Word says. But many times God says to you, brother, beyond this. Well, let's put it this way. Many people started giving 10% to their search or to the mission. And then they said, Lord, that is so prosperous since I started doing this, I'm going to give 20%. And I know many people. I can take you to many business people who worked up to 90%. I don't say many, a good amount anyway that I know personally. 90% of their profits they give to the mission, to God, to evangelical needs. And they keep 10%. God so prospered them when they began to realize if God can trust you to do with the money what he wants you to, he's going to really use you. Who is the man? He's a cobbler whose boots carry, I think, a full-time missionary sewing boots. You don't have to go to the mission field to be a full-time missionary. Somebody has to keep them alive. What did he do? He made boots. I don't know what the exact words in my title is. What did he say? I'm a cobbler, so? I'm a missionary. I can't remember. But it was wonderful that he just saw himself as serving God, full-time service, everything. Oh, most of it went to the mission. A little mite kept to stay alive. Amazing. It's amazing what the heart that's right with God can do. It's amazing. Now, it's 25 past. According to my watch, it might be slow. It might be fast. I don't know. Is there any other question? If there is, yes. If no, then we know you are really thirsty for tea. But most of you, one or two of you, drank tea nonstop right through the message. So you don't need it. Yes, I think so, because no one's looking at their watches but me, brother. I get an indication by the watches, you know. Tomorrow, we've got time. It's Saturday. Yes, tomorrow morning, we'll be having another session. Brother Don, am I right? Yes. Question time, like Roy, just Saturday. Not on Sunday, though. But ask us, brother. You have a wonderful verse, brother. You should be a preacher. Are you a preacher? You've just given me a sermon. Where in Job is that? 17 and 18. Okay. I know it's for... Well, brother, there's two answers I can give you, in briefness. The first is tonight's sermon that I'm preaching. The whole concept, full stop, beginning to end, is in what you've just asked. So in a way, when you said Job, I said, Oh, Lord, it is thy will for this to be preached tonight. Now, the other answer, briefly, is to try every moment. I do not believe that every single second of your life you've been tried was test, that you've got to cling to God for survival. And in confusion, I believe God lifts you out of the valleys to the mountaintop. There's time you ride down. There's time. But if you every moment are looking upon an answer in a limited mind like I have, the closest I can give in my limited understanding would be, you are being tried every moment. You've been tried now, sitting here. Nothing you do when you're saved is not some test. You can be sitting right through this, not for God, but for man. You have to be it. You can be sitting here thinking, Oh, if only I could be out there doing... You could be sitting here not accepting this to your heart. Here is the word, not do it. You know what all God said to you, you're not going to do it. You've been tested right now, being here. Do you know, God even says, this word will judge you by what you did when you heard it. You'll be judged by this book, by what you did once you knew, once you heard. That could go to lots of depth. I find sometimes in the easy times, when it isn't strain and stress, we've got to start fasting in our home and start crying out to God for help on other levels. I find when everything is going well, and you've got a little bit more than you need, sometimes that's a greater test than when you've got to fast. It doesn't mean you're having a test when things are difficult. Now, that you don't need God desperately, are you going to cling as much? Are you going to spend as much time in prayer? Do you only come, child, when you need money? You heard of that man who gave everything to his child. His child, of course, his child disappeared, so he never saw his son. So when his child had need, he decided, no, here, I'm giving you just a little bit. A little bit each time you come, because I want to see more of you. Quite a thought. Give us this day. Not my whole life need God to prove that I'm faithful, that I'll never have another worry in my life. Never have to pray, never have to pray it again. He teaches you to pray the Lord's Prayer. A lot of you have never prayed it from your heart. Trust me, before you die, you will. In the school of God, be careful. There's going to come a time you say, God, today, now. No matter how much you've got, you're going to say, God, today I need to stay alive. I need provision today. Everything's a test, a conversation with a young boy. Two young boys standing together, talking. If you really love God, young man, and you didn't find out the young man you're talking to, playing, joking, is saved. You failed the exam. You didn't give God the opportunity to use you, who knew eternal life, to say something to that boy that you became conscious really wasn't spiritual. It's a test standing. It doesn't mean you've always got to bypass boyhood and not have fun. That would be stupid. Childhood, use it as a moment. Don't lose it. It's beautiful to laugh sometimes. I don't like jokes, by the way. I think your joy is a result of your relationship with Jesus. You don't need a joke. The world needs jokes just to laugh, you know. So don't you start joking from the poop, at least. I heard a man joking so much, and I think they're teaching in the faculties today, the more you joke, just ease the atmosphere, break down the ice, you know. So they're telling jokes. They should go and be comedians. What do they want to go to the pulpit for? You don't need to joke in the pulpit to bring the presence of God. You just need God's Word, and a man in touch with God, and the last thing you do is joke. I honestly believe some things are humorous. God gave us a humor, and that means he has humor. That isn't irreverent. He sees things as really humorous. Everything in your nature that isn't of the devil, that hasn't been perverted, is of God. And I think really humor is a lovely thing. But I like to laugh at the natural things, the things that genuinely happen, that are funny. And I tell you, a lot happens amongst Christians that you can really laugh at situations. But to go beyond that, I even know people who joke about the Bible. And I've walked up to them without exception, sometimes in a meeting, and said, Brother, you've got a million things to joke about if you have to joke. Why do you have to joke about Jesus? I said to one man in a meeting where he forced me up with all his joking. I didn't know it was going to go on, all these fun things for youth, and all the youth groups were there. So somebody said, come along, everybody will be grateful. Well, this fellow was joking, and started talking about the Lord Jesus in a joke, about a donkey. And I saw a lot of people were shaking, and a lot of people laughed, and a lot of people turned around to look at me. And I said, Lord, what must I do? And he said, Brother Keyes, come. And then he started joking about the Lord with some money or the box, or some stupid thing, and throwing in verses about the Lord Jesus. And I said to the loudspeaker, as he held out to answer now some stupid question, I said, Brother, when God says, I should not take my name in vain, do you think joking about Jesus with donkeys and toilet rolls, and not taking his name in vain? And I said, why do you have to joke at all like this? Joy is the result of a relationship with God, and I don't think you've got any relationship with God at all, that you've got to resort to this, to even joke about Jesus. You blaspheme me, and I want to run away from you right now, Brother. I'm so scared of standing near you, or anyone that can take God's name in vain in a church. So I walked out, and I said, well, what am I going to do now? The people have to give me a lift back home, and now I'm out in the dark, and it was cold. Three minutes, four minutes later, the entire church had walked out and followed me. Not one person said a word to me, by the way. I just looked at them coming, screaming out. Oh, into their cars, nobody was speaking. Even the children, into their cars, driving off. I stood alone. Oh, the person who'd come, everybody said, no, we'll follow him out, get away from this man who jokes about Jesus. You're in a test all the time, how to react. You don't have to go and confront people all the time, by the by. But there's nothing. When you sit with your wife, tired, and you don't find out whether your wife just needs a little encouragement, just a little touch of your hand, like I'd rather see this morning, and you tell her you love her. How do you know your wife doesn't really need just that? I don't know why a lady needs that, but she needs to be told every now and again. Strange things, woman. They have needs that you have to... You're in a test. Not going to your pastor and saying to him, brother, do you have needs that I'm not aware of? I want you to be honest with me. Otherwise you sit with a whole pile of stuff and say, what can we do with this? You know, we really do need this, but you don't. You're in a test, what you do, with the things we're discussing this morning, of the finances. You're in a test. You're in testing ground. When things go wrong at work, why do you think God allowed it? Because, brother, they'll never listen to you unless they see. And you know why most people don't come to Christ in the workplace, or they've got Christians everywhere? It's because they don't see it. Man didn't realize it's a test. To give you the right now to share the gospel, you've got to prove it real. So when things go wrong, I know a godly man. He's an engineer. He's one of the most amazing men. The mind he's got. And this big thing he was working on, it was about to bring him a fortune, and all the money that would come. This brother, this workers, very illiterate people and humble people, dropped this thing. Kind of, they didn't have to, by the way, but it went on his toe, on his foot. He was hospitalized. He was with our neighbor. It was terrifying what happened to the man, but you know, he could have cursed. How can Christians get up from a table and fall and start cursing? They were talking about God at the table, and he just thought, well, that's what he really is. And this man could have said, you fools, I fire you, get out. He could have done what, you know, you expect a person to do. Why do you want to drop this thing on my toe, fool? Get out. But what did he do? In that excruciating pain, he sat down, as these men were humbly crying out for forgiveness, and he said, don't worry, you didn't mean it. I'm hurting, but don't you worry, I'm not going to fire you. I'm not going to be cross with you. You know that because of that, those two men that day gave their lives to Jesus. He had been witnessing. I wonder what this man's got. You can attest when everything goes wrong, when tragedy comes, when trials come, when my daddy lay dying. I'd failed my daddy a lot in life, in my unsaved days. But I sat with him hours upon hours, and I said, God, I'm not going to fail him now, in case he wakes up. I'm going to be here that he's not alone, in case he just once more wakes up. And he did. And I treasure that moment God gave me, that my daddy and I sat with him. Everything's a test. You could say, no, he's going to die, what's the point of being tied to the nail? Tested me every moment. On a human level, with my limited understanding, I'd say perhaps that's what God ultimately means. Not just the trial. In the light of Job's book, though, well, it would be folly to say that it didn't imply that when that word was said, he was being tested every moment. Every moment. Right then. But God is not unjust. He will never allow you to be a refiner of the gold. You know, the gold needs the fire to be purified. Nothing else will. And all the dross, all the rubbish comes up in the heart of the flames. But you can't spare, because otherwise it won't be purified gold. And God says, the trial of your faith is gold. Don't be tried with fire. It's more precious than gold. Don't be tried with fire. And bring it forth a peaceable fruit of holiness. You see, the result of the fires, now the refiner, God, looking at the fires in your life, don't doubt this, there's a point as the fires come and he sees all the rubbish being dealt, nothing else will deal with, to make you get Christ-like. Things that only the fires will take out now. There's a point God will say, enough. Stop! For now. For now. Later they'll come again, brother. But God isn't unjust. He knows just when to say enough. I'm not going to destroy this child. I'm going to make him. The fires don't destroy you. The trials, they make you. Your darkest moment, brother, I guarantee you, is when God is about to try and do his greatest work in your life. Don't lose it. Don't take your eyes off Jesus, John Bunyan. When the devil gets you cast in prison to think he can keep you quiet, right now, in that prison, I'm going to do something that will bring generations and generations to hear what God did through you. He wrote Pilgrim's Progress, the second most printed book on earth. The second most read book. You think you win Satan when you've got Bunyan in prison? I can't do any more damage. You think the devil's won? Oh, woe is me. No. Brother, if God puts you in prison, he's about to do something through you greater than he ever did out of prison. Your darkest moment, sir, is when God is about to try, if you don't take your eyes off him, to accomplish his greatest work in you. Can we stand, please?