In this sermon, the preacher shares the story of Hudson Taylor, a missionary in China, who faced a difficult situation when there was no flour left for the animals. Despite the challenge, Taylor remained confident in God's provision and encouraged his wife to trust in Him as well. The preacher then refers to Jesus' teaching in Luke 12:24, where He uses the example of birds and how God takes care of them to illustrate that believers should not be anxious about their needs. The sermon emphasizes that life is not defined by material possessions, but by serving God and trusting in His care.

By way of introduction to our subject tonight, I would like to read this 8th chapter of Romans and verse 32. They are the words of the beloved Apostle Paul as he wrote them and gave in that wonderful chapter, in the 32nd verse, this precious fact. He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for his own, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Tonight we wish to speak upon the privileges of the father's children. And when we look at the verse before us, we must recognize that the works of privileges that as members in his family, as his children, those privileges express to us the father's great heart of concern for his beloved children in every need. It is because of his love that he cares for his children. His love for them prompts him to be considerate of their condition in every need. The verse that we have read gives the indication that the greatest gift of his love was his own beloved son. But with that gift of his beloved son, all other gifts that may be lesser in value or importance, nevertheless all other gifts come through him. Note the words carefully. He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for his own, how shall he not with him, with that son, through that son, also freely give us all things? The beloved son is the greatest gift, but with that beloved son has come many lesser gifts for you and for me to enjoy as his children. Tonight we would speak on the subject of the privileges that belong to the children of God. We have touched upon a few facets of truth relating to the father and his family. Many other subjects of kindred might could be touched upon for our blessing. But here is one that I believe we shall all value tonight, the privileges that the father has given to his children. You know it's a wonderful thing to have the privileges of the father and to be so privileged to be in his family. I remember when my children were small, they took for granted that everything their parents possessed belongs to them. I recall on one occasion as we came with a new car out of the sales room and out of the service stage, out of the service garage, the children had watched the transaction take place very quietly, without a word, without any interference, and they had all immediately got out of the old car and then into the new car. But the moment that they reached the street in the new car, the moment those front wheels came into the street, they both said unitedly, Daddy, is this ours? Well I think sometimes they still say that. But one can recognize they enjoyed the privileges that went along with being possessed by such parents. And oh my beloved child of God, if only you and I would realize, our blessed father, who did not spare his only son, but truly gave him up for us all, how shall he not then, also with him, give us all things? And one is going to realize there are many privileges that belong to the children of God which the father desires them to enjoy. We haven't time to talk of many of them tonight, but I do wish to speak briefly, first of all, upon the privilege of our father's care. The care of our father over his children, and in two particular ways. Now if you have your bible, I wish you to follow with me in Matthew chapter 10, the words of the Lord Jesus, for who could tell us better than the son himself, some of the privileges of our father's care over us. In chapter 10 of the gospel of Matthew, let me read briefly to bring before our hearts and minds the subject, verses 28 through verse 31. The Lord Jesus saying, as you read in verse 28 through 31, fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a fathering, and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father, but the very hands of your head are all numbered. Therefore fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Now I want you to follow carefully with me the context preceding as well as following the portion we have read, for in the context we find the Lord Jesus telling of our father's care for his children in view of persecution, in relation to their sufferings, and in relation to even the dangers of death that we may face. Now may I point out from verse 16, as we go down the section, begin with verse 16 and see with me these words, the Savior says, behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as dogs. Now let me point out to you as the context clearly indicates, as his children we are to serve the Father. We are to serve him in this present world. As we serve him in this world, we shall find that it is an antagonistic world. He gives the description that he is sending us out into this world in the midst of wolves, and we are as sheep, and we're to be wise as serpents and harmless as dogs. And yet though he sends us into an antagonistic world, to thus remember our responsibility to serve him, we thank God that he will prove his care over us. But then if you will, we shall not take the time, but if you were to read from verse 17 through verse 23, you would find that the service of his children provokes opposition from the world. As you have it in verse 17, let me just read verse 17 and 18 briefly. Beware of men, they will deliver you up to the council, they will scourge you in their synagogues, ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. And as you read down the context, the Father makes it clear through the lips of his Son that we face an antagonistic world, and that antagonistic world will be opposed to his children. Do you remember the Lord Jesus said that if he wants, so should we be in this world? And we face a world that is opposed to us. But look with me at verse 24 and 25. The Savior goes on to say, the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his Lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be of his master, and the servant as his Lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, thus how much more shall they call them of his household. And here we have the Lord Jesus clearly referring to the fact, we shall have the same experience in this world as did our master. And yet, though this is so, we have nothing to fear, because of the care of our Father over us, in such an antipaganistic scene. If there is one thing that we should fear, let me point it out to you. Go with me to verse 32 and verse 33. May I point out what the Lord Jesus says in verse 32? Whosoever therefore shall confess me before man, him will I confess also before my Father, which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before man, him will I also deny before my Father, which is in heaven. Now, if there is one thing we should fear, it would be, and should be, being unfaithful to our Father as we represent him here. The unfaithfulness of our heart. To fear this, in this responsibility, that we would fail to represent our Father while we are in this scene. Look at verse 28, please. Note the Lord saying those words of admonition. Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body. So that it matters not if there may be persecution, if there may be danger, if there will be the very fear of death, he tells us not to fear. Fear not them which can kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather fear him who is able to kill both body and soul, and cast into hell. And here is the danger we should recognize, that you and I may fail to represent the Father in this present scene. You remember the Lord Jesus said in John 20, as the Father has sent me, so send I you. And from the theme of our study of this week, let me emphasize the importance of realizing the responsibility of representing our Father for his glory, for his honor, while in this present scene. Note with me verses 26 and 27, please. For the Lord gives us encouragement. He seeks to encourage and admonish us to represent him well. Fear them not therefore, for there is nothing covenant that shall not be revealed, and did that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speaking in light, and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. O beloved, you and I have the joy and privilege of understanding the Father's heart, the Father's mind. And our blessed Lord Jesus came to reveal it, has fully displayed it, has fully uncovered the Father's heart and mind. And you and I know the Father, we have come to the Father, we have seen the Father in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. And what we have seen, and what we have heard, and what we know of our Father, it is our privilege to preach on the housetops. And then you can recognize there's no reason to cover up the message. There's no reason to quiet the truth. You know, beloved, I wish we had more conviction of the truth today. And fill up for the truth that God has revealed. And our Lord Jesus bids us not to fear anyone. And those men who kill the body, they cannot kill the soul. Many years ago, and it must be perhaps 40, near 40 years ago, I recall a visiting brother that came to our assembly of Christians, and gave us a little bit of ministry as he stayed a few days. He was an old brother from Scotland. He had a son in the ministry here in this country down near Pittsburgh, if I recall. And he himself, as a retired brother, was seeking to preach the gospel anywhere he could. He went to the mining regions, the coal mining regions of Pennsylvania. And he preached the gospel in homes, in schoolhouses, in churches wherever he had the privilege. But it was in a place of bitter opposition. And though many of the women of the area rejoiced in his ministry and his messages, the men of that place were definitely opposed. They threatened him. And then one day a man came, and with a gun in his hand, he said, if you don't get out of here, I will kill you. And he looked at the man fearlessly, and he said, I'll give you the opportunity, your privilege to kill me on one condition. The man said, what's that? He said, be certain that you shoot straight, and you'll shoot me right into heaven. Well, needless to say, the fellow couldn't understand a man like that. And neither could he feel like shooting anyone into heaven. The man could kill his body, and bless your heart, he'd send his soul right to heaven. His body may go down, but his soul would go up. Oh my beloved, what a joy to realize it is our privilege, and not only privilege, our responsibility to represent the Father, and to preach the truth. Paul said to Timothy, preach the words, the instant, in season, and out of season. In the days of the early covenant, and in the days when in the old country, the state and the church were thus in power, and godly Christians who had found Christ were being crushed, in those days there were men that rose up by the Spirit, and fearlessly preached. There was such a man in a certain area of England, who faithfully preached the gospel, out in the open air and everywhere that he could. The bishop of the area was very much opposed, and strongly commanded him not to do it. But the fellow wouldn't stop. And he saw, the bishop saw, that no amount of persuasion, no amount of threatening, would stop the man from preaching. So he called into his home one time, and he said, now listen my friend, he said, I don't want to make trouble for you, but if you'll only cut down your preaching, and not do it so frequently, I won't bother you. So the brother said, all right, I'll promise I'll only preach on two occasions. Fine, the bishop said, when will they be? And the man answered, in season and out of season. But the mother, do you know as well as I do, in those days of persecution, they looked to their father above, whether they gave their lives, or whether he protected them, they would be faithful. But just note the protection of the father. For the father's protection, and his care is over us perpetually. Look at me at verse 29, 30, and 31. Are not two sparrows so for a fathering? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father? But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Remember, will you notice something? The protection of the father's care over those who are his, and the minuteness of that care and protection that he offers his children. The dangers may be great, they will be. We may be amidst enemies, we may be in persecution, we may be in service at home and abroad, on land or sea, and even in the air, and we may be in many dangers. Yes, and here's the lesson. No matter what the dangers are, we should have the conviction and the inward consciousness, our father will protect us. And we should enjoy the assurance of our father's faithful, protective care. His care is so perfect, and so minute. He says, the very hairs of your head are numbered. The mightiness, minuteness of his care, that the very hairs of one's head are completely numbered by him, with infinite knowledge and perfection. And the sparrow that falls, worthless as it may be, the father says, I know it, I see it, I care for the sparrow's fall. And he looks at his child, and he says to his children, you are of more value than many sparrows. I wonder how many sparrows you would need to meet the value of a saint. If you want my humble opinion, take an awful lot of sparrows. My beloved, what a joy to realize the loving, faithful, perpetual care of a father, who in all dangers will care for his own. Well, perhaps some of you have had some experiences. I haven't had too many that way. I do remember one, though. I was in Upper Michigan one time, ministering at a camp, walked around the camp every day, early in the morning, about two and a half miles, and one day came along, up the hill, little hill, through the woods, and just as I came along, singing and whistling, I suddenly spied a big she-bear standing up on her paws and looking down at me, with two little cubs with her, and I knew I could be in for trouble. And you know, I thought of that verse, that I can't say to the feet, I have no need of these. I realized the truth of the one body, this meaning. And my inclination was to turn and run. I thought, well, if I run, she can run a lot faster than I can. And if I try to climb a tree, she can do that better than I can. And I just left it with the Lord, and went on as though I didn't care if there was a hundred bears there. And I did, though. But then went as nonchalant as I could, looking to the Lord, just to keep me going on. And though she looked at me, stood up three times and looked at me carefully, wondering whether I was coming toward her or toward the cubs. And I didn't want anything to do with it. And I kept going on. But the same thing happened to another man, very similarly, and the bear attacked him. But beloved, whatever the danger, oh beloved, thank God, we're under our Father's perpetual care. Praise His precious name. Isn't that wonderful? My Heavenly Father watches over me. Go with me to Luke chapter 12, though. I want you to see another privilege, not only of His care over us in danger, but His care over us in something very practical. And that is your food and clothing. Luke chapter 12, please. Luke chapter 12. The twelfth chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Let me begin reading at verse 22. Let's look down the chapter together. In verse 22 of Luke 12, Jesus said to His disciples, Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, neither for the body what ye shall put on. My beloved, if there's any avenue or problem that we face so frequently and are anxious over, it's the problem of food and clothing. Our daily food, the needs of life. What shall we eat? Wherewithal shall we be clothed? And beloved, there is no question of doubt. These can be practical needs. And lastly, needs of life that come along every day. For the Savior says in the next verse, verse 23, the life is more than meat, and the body more than raiment. Life is greater, life itself is greater than the food we eat, and greater than the clothing that we wear. But the Lord Jesus says that the problem of food and of raiment itself should never be of more concern than our life. Look with me at verse 15, please. Back in the chapter, Jesus said unto them, Take heed, beware of covetousness, for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. What a man possesseth, no matter how much amount of food he may have, or not. No matter how many clothes he may have, or she may have. That's not what life consists of. A man's life does not consist of what he possesseth. And thank God for the spiritual vision, and the spiritual direction that the Spirit of God gives to us to realize the true value of life. It is not materialism. Can I pause for just a moment or two, and meditate upon one of the greatest spiritual tragedies that comes since World War II upon our country, and upon the great body of Christendom, and even the people of God. And that is the rise of materialism. The materialistic spirit, and the materialistic desires of even the people of God. Material things have pushed out of that which is more important. Spiritual things of life, the realities of life. One's life does not consist in the abundance of the things which they possess. But one of the saddest commentaries of life today is to see men and women, and oftentimes believers, giving themselves to the obtaining of those material things of this thing. Oh beloved, it's contrary to the purpose of the Father's heart, and to the words of the Lord Jesus. We should we not then be anxious though, over these things? No, says the Lord Jesus. For very frankly what the Lord Jesus is saying in his admonition of verse 22, he says, therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life regarding what ye shall eat, neither for the body what ye shall put on. In the Confraternity edition of the New Testament, which is the Catholic translation, most excellent one, the translation declares that the Saviour says, I say unto you, do not be anxious. But you see, suppose there's no food in the house. The Saviour says, do not be anxious. Do you believe it? I remember reading the story of Hudson Taylor. One day he came home to his home in China where he labored for the Lord, and his wife very sorrowfully and very furiously pronounced to him, Hudson, we have no flour left in the flour barrel. What are we going to do? He looked at him and he said, darling I'll tell you what I'll do. If you do it with me, I'll put my head in the empty flour barrel, and with you, and we'll sing the doxology. Not easy is it? But the Saviour says, be not anxious. Why not? Well he gives you an illustration in the 24th verse. He gives you an illustration. Now look, this is an illustration of the Father's care. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither hath storehouse nor barn. And God feedeth them. How much more are ye better than the fowl? Consider those black ravens. Your father feedeth them. He feeds them. Are you not much better than the fowls of the air? Why should you be anxious? You know I'm glad I belong to the Father. There's been many a time, I didn't know where the next meal or maybe the next week's groceries were coming from. But I'm glad I knew my Father, my Father's care. And then I say to you, it's the best social security you'll ever have. Did you say amen? Your heavenly Father's care. Consider, he takes care of all the fowls. And are ye much more better than the fowls? Oh beloved, food? Poverty programs? I wish the human race knew the Father's care there'd be no poverty program. And what men and women need today is to become acquainted with the Father through Jesus Christ the Son. It's not the physical need that is the outstanding need and will never be met by any program of man. But it's the deep need of the soul coming in redemption to the Father through Jesus Christ. For I'm glad I'm saved. The joy of realizing I'm under my Father, even for my food. Let me tell you something precious to me. In the early years we were in South Carolina, my wife had a major operation. And while recuperating and convalescing at home, she needed some fresh eggs. And if any of you here, and I think perhaps many if not most of you lived in the Depression, when those days were really rugged, and so there wasn't much to go around. But for two straight weeks, I don't know where the chicken came from, but I found every morning a nest in the corner of my backyard where a chicken laid a fresh egg every day. So my wife could have a fresh egg every day. Now that sounds awful small, but I want to tell you that was awful big. And we took it as a token of our Father's care. Thank God. You know I love my Father. And I praise him for his loving care. But then note, not only food, but his care for our clothing. Look at verse 27 and verse 28. He says, consider the lilies, how they grow. They toil not, they spin not. Yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If they God so clothed the grass, which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith. I don't know how many suits Solomon had, and I don't even know how glorious they may have been. We've had some indication from the song of Solomon in our study in the morning, that one of the glory of Solomon's array, it was nothing in comparison to that lovely lily that was a divine handiwork of my Father's skill. And to realize the lilies that made no toil, neither spun, to weave their own, came as the result of the divine care of my Father God. And if he could not bring out the beauty of the lily, and so clothe it with his beauty, can he not take care of you and of me, O ye of little faith. O beloved, sometimes our faith becomes an attribute, when we see the good hand of our Father manifesting his care. We'll go down to chapter for a moment. Let's read in verse 29 and verse 30. And see not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind, for all these things do the nations of the world seek after. Now I want to tell you frankly, beloved, the nations of the world are seeking these things. They are putting these things first. But that is not what a child of God should do. The Father's children should not seek these things first. Note what the Savior adds. Your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things, before even you could tell him what you need. He knows. He knows. He knows. Your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. Praise the Lord. And what a joy to recognize the Father's care in these material things. Food, clothing, we can trust him for. Beloved, may I say, you'll never have any greater joy and satisfaction in your life than when you're able to prove the Father's care. But may I point out to you on what principle you can do it. But go further with me to verse thirty-one and thirty-two. We must not forget. Our responsibility is not to live in careful suspense about these things. That's the world's anxiety. That's what the world's seeking after. And you and I are told, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. For all these things the nations seek after. But our confidence can be in this. My Father knows just what I need. But this should be the true objective in life. Verse thirty-two and thirty-three. Thirty-one and thirty-two. But rather keep ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flower, for it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Now, beloved, may I point out a principle we must not fail to realize. And it is the principle that if a believer, if a child of God, is going to enjoy the Father's care in food and in raiment, that child of God should be about his and her Father's business. Putting first the kingdom of God, these things will be added unto you. We came into South Carolina, I think, in nineteen thirty-four. And unknown to me, the reputation you get when you start out is amazing. And particularly the questions that go over the minds of many. And I did not know it for some weeks that I had the reputation of not working, and yet I was getting taken care of. And I was away one day, for the whole day, and I came back that evening, and my wife was greatly disturbed. She said, John, she said, a lady came to the door this morning and said, when I came to the door, are you the people that live by faith? My wife said, what do you mean? Well, I understand your husband doesn't work, and yet you get along. And she was so curious, she forced her way into the little apartment, which was no bigger than two rooms. And she looked at the furniture we had, wasn't too much. Is this yours? Is that yours? And then she spied something, and it was a brand new radio, and it was an elegant one. I hadn't bought it. I'd done a real kindness for a good friend who was in deep trouble, in an accident, and to such an extent of appreciation that when he got home and was well enough, he sent me this as a gift. For my wife had been saying, we ought to have a radio. I said, well, you better pray for us. And sure enough, here comes one of the best. And I was standing there, and she said to my wife, is that hate talk? Well, by that time, my wife was feeling rather insulted. I said, I wish I'd have been home. I said, I wouldn't have called her a lady. But I would have told her, I'm working. I'm working. I was busy from early morning till late at night, seeking to do the work of the Lord. And may I say, when you're faithful in that, don't worry about your food and your raiment. He'll take care of you. Put the kingdom of God first. These things shall be handed unto you. And not only that, he says, fear not, little fox, it's your father's good purpose. It is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. And you know what? I'm doing what a lot of people are doing, or say they're doing. I'm working for the kingdom. But I'm not working to get into the kingdom. I hope you get the distinction. I've been born again, I'm already in the kingdom. But thank God I can work for the kingdom. And when the kingdom is set up, fear not, little fox, you're going to enjoy the kingdom. May I ask you, my dear beloved friend, which kingdom are you living for? Which kingdom? This one? This one? Or the kingdom of glory to come? I say it humbly but gratefully, with thanksgiving to the grace of God, to recognize the value of living for his glory. And knowing the faithfulness of a father's care for both food, as well as raiment, as well as dangers and persecution. But one more thought before we close. Go with me to the Gospel of John, please. The Gospel of John. We have noticed in the Gospel of John, the great joy of having come to the Father. Go with me to chapter 14. The great joy of having come to the Father, the great joy that we know the Father, the great joy that we've seen the Father. But read with me verses 12 through 14. And the Savior declares, verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also. And greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. Now here's another privilege. We not only have the privilege of the Father's protection in all dangers, we not only have the privilege of the Father's provision and care for us in food and raiment, but we have the privilege of coming to the Father and asking of the Father. As the Lord Jesus declares, we can also ask the Father. Notice what he says. Look in verse 13 first. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, that I will do it. And one of the greatest privileges which we fail to fulfill is the privilege of coming to the Father in prayerful intercession to ask of him. And that we might receive. May I put it this way? Know what the Lord Jesus says. Note those words. Note them carefully, as you have it. In, in, in verse 14. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. It is asking and receiving, and that for the Father's glory. Note the purpose of it in verse 12. Look at verse 12, please, the first part of it. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also. The works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do. Now, beloved, let's be very careful. The purpose is that the Father wants his children to do work for his glory. And the Lord Jesus said, greater works than I do. How could that be possible? Look at the end of the verse, and you have the explanation. Because I go unto my Father. Because I go unto my Father. And there in heaven above, the Father has the Son upon his right hand, through whom our prayers ascend, and are presented to his loving heart. And because of the presence of that one above, you and I can ask the Father through him, for the glory of the Son. For it's the Son that says whatsoever, now note these words carefully, whatsoever you shall ask in my name. And that involves the authority of the Son. Whatever we ask, knowing the authority of the Son, is with the request, says the blessed Son of God, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. Now, beloved, there's no question of doubt. We can do greater things through prayer than we realize. And that's that what we approve. The Father is able, the Father is willing. We come to him, and through the Lord Jesus, we plead on his authority. Now, what we must be careful to do is to be sure we have the authority of the Lord Jesus. I remember when I was a young Christian, only in my teens, had a Sunday school class, started with two boys and built them up to about eighteen boys. And they had the most enthusiastic, overzealous teacher that anyone could have. And I recall teaching from this chapter, I was only about sixteen or seventeen, but I recall teaching from this chapter, and I told the boys, Jesus says if ye shall ask anything in my name, I'll do it. I said, boy, you can ask him anything, he'll do it, in my enthusiasm. And then suddenly one of those kids said, looked at me, and he said, listen, if I ask him for an automobile, will he give it to me? Then I began to think something wrong with my theology somewhere. I hadn't gone along too far. But as life continued, and as we went on with the Lord, we found that we had to pray for an automobile. For the Lord's work. And by his authority, we could pray to have needed for him. But don't think you can pray for yourself, to get anything your fleshly desires might wish. No. The authority in my name. That will I do. Don't we need that, brother Bob? Oh, how much we need it. Beloved, may I say, and I say this humbly, but I say it gratefully. I am grateful that for nine unto thirty-eight years, I've proved the Father has cared for me and my family without ever asking a penny from any man. I don't say it in boasting. If I say it in boasting, I'm boasting about my Father. And I don't mind boasting over him. Beloved, this is the privilege of the Father's children. Oh, they're recruiting more. Look in John 16 in closing. Let me just point out another, some other words. In the twenty-third verse of chapter 16 of John, and verse twenty-four. Notice what the Lord says. In that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Here the two of ye ask nothing in my name. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. And I want to say, I do not say it bitterly. I do not say it unkindly. But there are so many today that are asking, asking, asking. In fact, I have more literature, and so do you come into the house asking, asking, asking. I wish they knew the Father. I wish they knew the Father. Because I tell you frankly, I had to put all of them in the weight basket. I couldn't meet their needs. Why they looked for me, it's hard to tell sometimes. But says the Lord Jesus, ask my Father, he will give it to you. Beloved, oh I thank God for the testimony of some such as George Moore, and such as dear sister Abigail, and others who through by a light of prayer, the Father was able to give as they asked for his glory. What a privilege. Praise the Lord, I'm so glad I've such a father. And he's yours too. Oh beloved, may God by his Spirit make the Father more real, and make we who are his children more thankful for his namesake. Shall we pray? Father we do thank thee for thyself. We grieve thy name and take it to our lips to honor thee. We take it in love as we speak it before thee. We thank thee for the Son so great, so glorious, who brought us to thyself. And we thank thee the relationship will never fail. It will endure forever, for we are thy children forevermore. Father thou art the same for every brother, for every sister in Christ, for every one of us. We have the same Father, blessed be thy name. And who are we humbly pray, that through the ministry of thy word this week, to this very time, we may say, oh help me to know my Father, and prove my Father in heaven more and more. For he is able to do a cleaning abundantly above all we could ask of thee, according to the power that would have been us. So Father tonight, we have but one prayer as we close. Draw every one of us closer to thine heart, and let us not be anxious for anything. But casting all our care upon thee, trust thee for all, till we see thee face to face in the glory above, and will have no need anymore of the things we need below. Until then Father, keep us going on trusting thee more, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and for his glory. We commend ourselves as we separate, and may the grace of our Lord Jesus, and the love of our Father God, the fellowship of the Holy