Choose You This Day Whom Ye Will Serve (Video)

In Deuteronomy 11 verse 26 we read, Behold, I set before you, I set before you this day, this day, a blessing and a curse, a blessing and a curse, a blessing if, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord, and a curse, a curse if ye will not obey, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord, wrong choices we foolishly made and their tragic consequences upon our lives. I want to repeat that. I hope you're listening young men. Wrong choices we foolishly made and their tragic consequences upon our lives. I, of course, have three children. You know, the one is good Roy, but his brother is a little bit older than him and he was very young. Roy's about that tall. I suppose about there. Anyway, years ago I would go off preaching in South Africa when they were very young and I would go off for a week to ten days at a time and a very old godly man called Will McFarlane, the godliest man I ever met in my life, I have no doubt of that, and I have stood with godly men, prayed with them, wept with them. A good number of them knew of their books, so I've been privileged. But the godliest man I ever knew was Will McFarlane. I have no doubt about it. He's the only man I ever stood with that I actually trembled in fear just looking at him, at how godly the Lord will make you if you allow him, if you let him. This side of eternity, I trembled in fear as I saw the Christ-likeness and holiness permeating out of this man's whole being. People, I heard, fell down on their knees in public and gave their lives to Christ, sobbing. When he didn't say one word about Jesus, not one word about the gospel, they just stood in his presence and fell on their knees. I don't know another man I know that I can say that of. He was an incredibly godly man. Well, he would come to my home in South Africa, in Pietermaritzburg, as he stayed a block or two down the road with very godly people who owned the Christian bookroom of the town, the city, in the back of their home. So he would arrive with his little suitcase and a few clothes, etc. When I was about to leave, every time virtually for a few years, his wife had been killed. But he would come, arrive just as I'm about to leave, and then he would take his hat off and stand with me and my good wife and my children and the workers, young missionary workers, before we left. And he would pray in such a way that the powers of hell trembled. I never heard a man in my life pray like that again or before. There was just something about that prayer. Oh, God, here goes a soldier to the front line of the battle. Satan is watching, and Satan and the powers of hell, the demons who follow him and work for him, they're trembling, and they're going to do anything to hurt him from this moment to the moment he arrives there. And while he's there, they're busy already to close hearts, to accuse, to undermine, to make people angry before he even opens his mouth, to keep him out, to get him out, and to close their... Oh, rebuke Satan away! In the name of Christ, shelter him under the blood of Christ, and rebuke the devil away! And he can't touch him, and he can't hurt him, and he can't... And so he would, God, be busy, be busy in hearts now before he's arrived, before he preaches his first sermon, people became concerned for their souls. You know, I arrived in a town. The whole family was waiting for me at the place where I was to live for that ten days of meetings. And there they are on the veranda. Before I preached, the man stands and looks at me, the whole family. I want to give my life to Christ. I want to see God desperately. Me and my family, we need God. And I knew Mr. MacFarlane's prayers before I preached. When he died, I felt this gap until a few hundred people were praying with our newsletter daily for me. And I think I came near to the impact of that one man's prayers on my ministry. Well, MacFarlane, well, I would drive off, come back after the meetings, after he looked after Jenny, who he loved dearly, as a daughter, and my little children, Nolan Roy, who sadly wasn't born at that stage. And I said, Mr. Mac, don't go. Stay a few days. Just because I come back doesn't mean you have to go back home. I'd like to have fellowship with you also. So he willingly would do that on occasions. I walked through the house after being in a bit of a sleep, through my tiredness after a week of meetings, and looking for everybody I couldn't find. So it's a very long house. It's a missionary house. I went down and there in the living room, in the lounge, I heard voices. So I looked around. They didn't see me looking. There was Mr. MacFarlane sitting with Noel, beside him in a sofa, and Roy. And they were looking at him as he was reading from a precious chapter in the Bible, Daniel, chapter 1. And I looked at them and they didn't know I was standing there, little Noel looking up at him. Roy gripped with the gravity of his voice, as few people could ever preach that I've ever heard in my life. And here he was, old, but still anointed to the degree that you tremble. There's Daniel, he says. He was a boy. And suddenly he's taken from his mother and father. And his mother and father aren't there to say, don't do that, Daniel. When compromise with God's word, God's laws were held out to him and he had a choice to make. His mother and father were gone. Doesn't tell us what happened to them. But it does tell us that the choicest of all the people from the lands Nebuchadnezzar had conquered, the choicest children were taken to prepare and nurture to rule in the kingdom with him, the brightest. And Daniel was one of the few from Israel that was selected with other young boys to be trained for the palace and for the running of the kingdom. Well, there he was without father and mother. And suddenly things were held out to him. And he was taken as a slave. He had to obey. But things were held out to him that were against God, against God's commandment. And mother and father weren't there, no. Roy, and we read these words, he purposed in his heart. A boy is required to do that, no. And don't doubt this, Nolan Roy, this is going to happen to you right now. Any moment, if it hasn't started already, it's going to start. So brace yourselves. Well, you have to make up your mind. It's not mother and father's eyes watching you. It's not disappointing them. It's not their reprimand or their teaching. You have to make up your mind. It's going to happen to you. But you alone, between you and God, you have to purpose in your heart like young Daniel. It's between you and God now. Nobody else concerns you. He purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with that which was against the commandments of God, to be defiled in the sight of God. He purposed in his heart as a boy that he would not, no matter what the consequences. And he knew there would be consequences. He knew. But he made up his mind, no matter what the cost. Now, Nolan Roy, that's going to happen to you. And you have to choose. Don't blame peer pressure. People do that, you know. Don't blame the moral decadence of the decade and the age. The media, the filth and depravity thrown at you. It was way back then. It's a billion times worse even now. And every child knows it. You can pick up depravity that the worst evil-minded would find now today on a telephone. Even a ten-year-old child has access to it. Easy access if he wants to. No, Roy. Don't blame anyone. You choose how holy you will be now. Don't say it's the circumstances, it's the people that were with you. It's you. You better brace yourself. This is going to be required of you. But the choice is yours. And it is a choice. And you have the choice. And no one else on earth is to blame ultimately. You have the choice, Nolan Roy. And you have to come to purpose in your heart that you're not going, no matter what they ostracize you or persecute you or laugh at you. To be friendless, to stand alone, but alone with Jesus is better than alone with a crowd of sinners that will take you to hell. But don't blame anyone. It's you. It's your choice, Nolan. It's your choice, Roy. He closed the Bible and I stood there and thanked God from my soul that such a caliber of godliness was there speaking to my two boys. I thank God from my soul. I met a man called Lex Buchanan, a very godly man, German background. He was a farmer not too far from the city. But oh, so godly. And I so appreciated every moment. Never walked into a house. Oh, he said, I haven't got time. But then an hour later, under the tree, he's still talking. That sort of wonderful person. But I blessed the Lord for him as he came once a month to give us a little tithing or something to us as a mission. But what a godly man. Oh, I preached on so many things I learned from that man under that tree. So many, many, many things. One day he was sharing with me that when the Second World War broke out, South Africa was part of the empire. And even though the Boers had won the battle, we were still under Britain. But it was up to you who went to war to fight with the British allies against Germany. And when the evils of German's Nazism came more and more aware, multitudes of people across Southern Africa and Africa turned to God, turned to war, sorry, went along to fight whatever took over the world. Be a devastating evil. Be uncomprehended. Wipe out whole nations to the last one, mercilessly. That would just be the beginning of where they wipe out, let me tell you. But this man, Lexby Cannon, 18 years old, went to war. Now all the farm boys around had grown up with him. Clean boys, he said he'd never touched a drink in his life, alcohol, never touched a cigarette in his life, never sworn a dirty word in his life. They were clean boys. Now they're men, 18 years old, off to war. A whole crowd of them, they went through schooling together, farming together now, standing together. They're all off, a whole group of them. And they were put in the same squadron and sent to the battlefield. But he said it stunned him. Within days, away from their mothers and fathers, they were defiling themselves just because other defiled people were sharing with them. Suddenly, they were blaspheming. Suddenly, they were cursing the most filthy words. Suddenly, they were saying terrible things that were indecent because everyone else was. Suddenly, they want to smoke. Suddenly, they want to drink. Suddenly, in the days off, they lie drunk. He said, but we never did this. Why would you do it now, just away, such a short while from home? Why would you throw yourself to the dogs? Why do you do this? We've never had to do this to be happy or fulfilled. What's wrong with you men? Just because you're away from home. Oh, he was angry and full of indignation and anger and sorrow and shame for them. But they went on defiling themselves. And he stood alone. Sometimes he sat in that camp alone when they all went out for sin and evil in the days off in different parts of Italy, etc. Well, six years went by. Six long years. Millions and millions and millions never went home to their fathers, mothers and young wives and children, babies. Millions and millions and millions. Oh, the curse of war. There's no glory in war. Nothing. No matter who you think you talk. But how many lives were destroyed, not with a gun, but morally. And he went through war. Six years later, he gets off the ship, gets onto the train up to the farmland, Cato Ridge, inland from Durban, the largest natural harbour in the southern hemisphere of the world. And in the train he gets off. They didn't know he was coming. They didn't know exactly when. He walks to the farm, walks in the door as all the servants, the labourers all saw him. He grew up with them, embracing him, weeping. And his father and mother run out. And so there's great rejoicing that he came home safely and didn't get killed. And he said, Father, Mother, I need to speak to you alone. And now they went into the lounge, they shut the door. What is it? What is it? Fearfully, he said, Father, Mother, before anything else, I need to tell you this. I have waited to tell you this and I have to tell you now. Mother, Father, not one of the boys that grew up with me returned home, pure they are. I have wept, I have begged. They never did these things, not once, not once did they drink or swear or curse. But I want to look at you in the eyes of my father and my mother and I want to say this to you. I never once defiled myself. I never once degraded the name I carry from you, Daddy. You weren't watching. You probably would never have known. I never did one thing. I never touched one thing. I never went to one place that all the others did, because I carry Daddy's name. I couldn't. I needed to tell you that. I wanted to tell you this immediately. His father stood up weeping and put his arms around his son and said, Lex, my boy, I expected nothing less from you. I expected nothing less from you, my boy. Here in America, in a place called Cheyenne, Wyoming, there's a man and woman, Marvin and Linda Struber. I think that's German, but anyway, godly people, lovely people. I have been there many times, preached in many, many halls, venues, etc., with them most times being the people who arranged it, but I've been so blessed being in it. The first time, I think it was the first time, I walked out of the meeting after I preached and a young man stood with me. It was Marvin and Linda Struber's son. I was staying in their home, and it was their son, their eldest boy. I don't know if it was their eldest boy, but at that stage in the home, he was the eldest. Nonetheless, there was something about this boy that made me stand and just look with wonder. I notice when a man is living, what do you call it, living waters flowing out of him. It's just like rivers of living water. You can't put that on, you can't emulate it, you can't lie. There's something about God that makes the heart overflow when you're so in love with God, with his word, so devout in the things of God, so pursuing God with every breath in your body, that you leave other Christians stunned. I was just standing there stunned as this boy was just relating to what I preached and what he believes and his excitement in what I preached there. Nonetheless, he had a young brother, Howard. Now his young brother was small also at that stage. I didn't take much note of him. He was there, nice boy, but nonetheless, time went by and I came back to that town, to that home. That eldest boy was gone to China to somehow find some venue where he could serve Christ and preach the gospel. Some orphanage gave him that opportunity for many years. Nonetheless, he was gone, but Howard had grown up a bit, quite a bit. I was stunned that this young Howard, who I hadn't taken much note of, was just flowing out with God again, like his elder brother. It was incredible. I was stunned and blessed that this young boy now had grown up into a man full of God. I heard him preaching there before I preached the first message, as these people do. Nonetheless, we drive into the airport and I said, you know, I was so blessed by your eldest boy, Edwin. Now it's the same with your young boy. He's the same. I said, Howard, you people have done something remarkable and I want to thank you for what you did for God, giving two boys like that. It will so bless me, I'm uplifted. I would have crossed the world to just be in their presence the first time and now with Howard. It's such a blessing. Linda turned to me and said, do you want to know why they so follow God? Well, our eldest boy walked into our bedroom one night, late, weeping, and he said, Mother, Father, I have something to tell you that will shame you. But I have to tell you, I have lived a lie. Mother, Father thought I was saved. I knew the right terminology, the right things to say, the right way to pray. You thought I was right with God, but I wasn't. Mother, Father, I've been pursuing things. When you thought I was listening to good Christian music, it was evil music. And I pursued things that I'm too ashamed to even think that you will ever find. Mother, Father, I have lived a lie. I'm so ashamed. But I have sought God tonight, desperately to change me, desperately to meet with me, desperately to make me real. Because young Howard, my little brother, I have noticed for a long while, but especially the last few days, if I walk, if I get up and start walking, I look and he's walking behind me in my footsteps. When I'm pursuing evil, he's trying to find out, trying to watch it with me. Whatever I do, wherever I go, every step I take, everything of evil I'm doing, there's little Howard, just wanting to follow me. And I began to lie awake and think, I'm going to lead this boy to hell. Wherever I choose, wherever I go, he's going to follow his brother. And that has so worried me, so concerned. I'm in full of remorse and fear. And I've sought God desperately because I don't want Howard to go to hell. I've sought God desperately. And Mother, Father, I've met with God and I'm going to be. That's when Edwin found the reality you're talking about. And from that time on, we noticed it and we blessed God. It wasn't so much us. It was just his conscience toward, you see, your sin affects others. Don't ever doubt this. You might survive, but many want what you are, who are influenced by you. Don't ever, ever forget that. And then she said, when Edwin started calling on God and pursuing God like that, young Howard started. And as the time went on, he just went on and on with God. And as Edwin went deeper with God and everything on the altar for God, Don't doubt it. Your choices influence others, affect others. Exodus 32, verse 26. Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come. In case you don't believe in appeals, the Bible is full of them now. And they're radical and they're confrontational. Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. That's why God so wanted them. In Joshua 24, verse 15, we read, Choose you this day whom ye will serve. God is confrontational. He doesn't say when you like it. God is, and be careful, don't play the fool with God. Don't play the fool with God. Choose you this day whom ye will serve, God says in Joshua 24, verse 15. The wages of sin is death. That's not speaking about physical death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Romans 6, verse 23. Lay hold on eternal life. For God's sake, don't play the fool with your soul. Choose you now this day. Lay hold on eternal life. 1 Timothy 6, verse 12. I have set before you life and death. I have set before you life and death. Therefore, choose life. Choose life. Deuteronomy 30, verse 19. But choose you this day whom ye will serve. You see, the Bible is strewn with warnings. Now is the acceptable time. Today, if you will harden not your heart. Don't blame God if you're not there or if your life's a wreck. You made the wrong choice. It's your choice. God says, now is the acceptable time. Today is the day of salvation. If you will harden not your heart. As in the day of provocation when they were destroyed. 60,000 of them wiped out in God's anger. Don't you procure the wrath of God. Be careful now. Now I can save you. Today, you see, seeking the Lord while he may be found is not a promise. Call ye upon him while he is near is a terrible warning. Because he may never be near again. If you close your heart and harden your heart. There are warnings throughout this book. What God eventually can do. So don't play the fool with God, sir. Be careful what you do with this message. Young man, young lady. You lie for eternity remembering this message. And cursing what you chose to do with it. Be careful. Choose you this day. Whom ye will serve. Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey. His servant ye are to whom ye obey. Romans 6 verse 16. Who do choose you this day whom ye will serve. Is a fearful thing. But these fearful words do not only confront us. On the day of our salvation. These fearful words do not only confront us on the day of our salvation. But will be held before us by God every day to the day you die. Daily for the rest of your lives. If you're truly saved. As you rise up from sleep. You will hear if you are pursuing God and truth and truly say. Choose you this day. You're saved, yes. But this is going to confront you daily. If you have any reality with God. Don't doubt this. Whom you will serve. You see you have to have a disciplined meaningful quiet time. To survive now. You make a crucial choice each day as you rise. As you wake up. Don't ever doubt this now. My son. No my eldest son. He came home from schooling. We weren't allowed homeschooling those days. The government forbade it. And you would be in jail. If you didn't let your children go to school those days. Later on homeschooling came. It was allowed by the law. And my wife homeschooled our youngest son. But Noel and Roy had to go to public school. So we were missionaries. A man said to us a very good man. Among others. You can't afford to send yourself. Your sons to a good school. So we're going to pay. Just because you're a missionary. You're an evangelist. Doesn't mean your children have to be destroyed. In some of the worst public schools where there's violence etc. We'll pay. And so our children went to one of the. Voted one of the ten best schools on earth. For education. Go through that. Jobs open for you anywhere. You're so qualified just being there. Nonetheless. My boy went there. Comes home one day. And I saw tears in his eyes. So he goes to his room. Jenny says go and see what's wrong. Oh. What is it Noel? Daddy. I don't know how to tell daddy this. But I'm going to try. Daddy just evil is held out to me every day. There is not a day. I have no friends. I go to one little group. And within moments there's sin. There's things daddy I'm scared you'll even know. Things I didn't know humans were capable of. Things held out to me. I walk away. Look for someone else. I sit next to a boy in a classroom. And I think perhaps within moments he's holding out to me drugs or something filthy. Daddy. I even went to the Christian group. And you can't believe it. They're just like the world. I said to walk away from them and think well I'm going to shatter daddy and mommy if I do this and be wrong to them and go with them. The places they go, the things they do. Daddy how am I going to stay pure? I don't want to break daddy's heart. I don't know how to stay clean. What am I going to do? How long can I last daddy? I can't survive daddy. I wept also. Quite a while before I could speak. To my son. And I said listen boy. Daddy cannot promise you much or guarantee you much in his life. There's very little I can guarantee you. But this I guarantee you boy. If you're saved. You have to be saved for this, no? Truly saved and only you know for truth. If you belong to Christ. Because his spirit bears witness with your spirit that you are saved. You won't doubt it. But if you are saved. And you soak yourself in the Bible. At the beginning of every day my boy. The devil will tempt you but he won't get you. You see boy. To the degree you soak yourself in the Bible. Unhurried as the greatest discipline of your life daily. That nothing is more disciplined. Nothing is more guarded. Nothing is more protected. Nothing is more nurtured. To the degree you soak yourself in the Bible. To that degree you will hate the evil. And love the good. No being saved doesn't make you hate the evil. Many saved preachers. And they were saved boy. And now thrown aside cast away. After they preached to others. Because they loved the evil. They were saved. But they neglected the one thing that matters. After salvation. Daily no. Communing with God. Abiding in him. There's one way boy. Whosoever abideth in him. Sinneth not. 1 John 3 verse 6. This abiding in Christ boy is not. Some act of faith. This is a discipline that costs more than anything in life. But it's possible if God's first. This is gloriously possible. It's impossible not to. If God's first. You know when God's first. By this no. You know when God is second. Tenth. Twentieth. Off the table. If other things. When you can make a choice. You be alone with God. And soak yourself in the Bible. But especially the beginning. Even the time you go to bed boy. Determines. Whether God is first. You can sit up and have fellowship. You can say oh. But you can't get up in the morning. You get up in the morning. You fall asleep. Because you got to bed too late. Even the time you go to bed. Determines. Whether you want to keep God first. So that you get up and know. If you get on your knees. And you fall asleep. Don't ever get on your knees again. Get up. Wash your face. Take coffee. Do anything. Do what works. Do what works. Don't read a book. That put you asleep. What makes you not be grip. Get something that's vital. Of daily readings. And then be disciplined with this boy. And prayer. You see true prayer. Is the result of soaking yourself. In the scriptures. Because faith cometh by hearing. Hearing by the word of God. As you read the promises boy. You'll be amazed. How the holy God. In his. He orchestrates right there. Where you're reading. He's so beyond. Comprehension and control. He'll speak to you. As if he's sitting in front of you. Directly. Exactly. If you are soaking yourself in the book. You'll be stunned. How God. Knows where you are. And he'll make sure you get up. And never give up. He'll make sure you heal. When you're wounded. He'll make sure. You're protected. When you're tempted. The circumstances. You're going to face that day. I know to the degree. You soak yourself in the Bible. To that degree only. Will you hate the evil. You will reject it. No. But it's a daily thing boy. The devil is waiting for one thing. Not what food he can throw in front of you. But just waiting for you. To neglect God himself. That's why preachers. Fall into sin. And if we honest brethren. Most of the great preachers. Across the world today. Have been thrown into sin. And brought shame. Unto God's name. Let alone all the people in the pews. We're living in a dangerous time. We're living in a dangerous time. You will hate the evil. And you will love the good my boy. To the degree. This is first in your life. And never neglected. You will hate. You will walk away from it. Even if you're alone. Till the day you die. Be alone with Jesus. You see no need. You must be renewed. In the spirit of your mind daily. Ephesians 4 verse 23. It is vital. You have to be renewed. In the spirit of your mind daily. And there's one way boy. Watch. And pray. That you enter not into temptation. Temptation is not sin. Jesus was tempted. Of the devil. Yet without sin. Temptation is not sin. The godliest person in this building. Or in this world. If he's honest. Or she is honest. Would say they tempted. That doesn't make them evil. The devil tries to accuse you. Through tempting you. And saying why do you fail us. Why do you even think of us. He's a liar. Watch and pray. That you enter not into. Is that moment. That temptation becomes sin. You can't help the birds. Flying over your head. But you had something to do with it. If they lay a nest and eggs. Watch. And pray. True prayer is the result of. Soaking yourself in the scriptures. Praying in the spirit is not tongues. It has nothing to do with manifestations. It's the result fully. Of what happens in your heart. And mind through this book. And your knowledge of this book. You're kept from sin. Jesus said. I pray not that thou should take them out of the world. Thou shall keep them from the evil. How? Keep them. From the evil. Through thy word. Thy truth. Thy word is truth. This is what keeps us. That we don't go into the world. That thou should keep them from the evil. This is what keeps us. Thy word. Christ said. As he prayed for us. Oh watch. You will watch. And you will watch and pray. That ye enter not into temptation. If you are in touch with God. For whosoever abideth in him. Sinneth not. And when you get up from your quiet time. When you get up from your knees. You don't open the door and say. There's my quiet time. My discipline be. No. You get up. Because you will walk from that day. From that moment. Till you come home. With God. Somehow there's something. That you gave yourself. Don't go by emotion. Just devour the scriptures. And you'll find God's there for you. No doubt this now. This is the result. Of abiding in him. Is getting in touch with him. And being taken by him afresh daily. That ye enter not into temptation. That's the point of sin. But there's a choice. That requires a discipline. Watch and pray. That ye enter not into temptation. You see the spirit is willing. But the flesh is weak. God tells us. Watch ye therefore. And pray. That ye enter not into temptation. There's no other way. There's no other way. When you are faced with temptation. God says. Resist the devil. And he will flee from you. God says. Resist the devil. And he will flee from you. God knows. You won't resist the devil. If you haven't made fresh touch with God. You're in trouble. If you're not devoured by this book. Devouring it. You resist the devil now. When temptation comes. When you're faced with temptations. You reel in the quieter. God promises. And his name is at stake. He cannot deny himself. He has a holy obligation. To come to your rescue. Now you might say. That sounds sacrilegious. Let me tell you something. It will shock you. It's sacrilegious to not say this about God. If he promises. Amen. He cannot deny himself. You resist the devil now. And he will flee from you. God and heaven will make him flee from you. God isn't a little bit stronger than Satan. Greater is he that is in you. Than he that is in the world. A billion, zillion, trillion times greater. And that's just touching the tip of the iceberg. Or you know nothing about this book of God. Resist the devil. And he'll flee from you. And you'll be able to. You'll be able to. When you turn to the right hand. Or to the left. That's when you're tempted. You'll hear a voice behind you. Saying no. No. No Roy. No Keith. No not that way. This is the way. But you will hear that voice. If you've met with God. If you're abiding in him. Doing the one thing that will make you. He leadeth us in the paths of righteousness. That we are. Truly soaked in the Bible. Soaked in communing with God. You will find the strength to enter not. Into the path of the wicked. And go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it. Turn from it. Proverbs 4 verse 14 tells us. If sinners entice thee. Consent thou not. Proverbs 1 verse 10 verse 15. Walk not thou in the way with them. Refrain thy foot from their path. For their feet run to evil. If sinners entice you. When you've met with God. And renewed in the inner man. Daily. Strengthened with might in the inner man. By the Holy Spirit daily. You will know. God's voice to say no. You will know God's power. To resist the devil. If sinners entice you. No matter who they are. Consent thou not. No matter what you have to do. Walk not thou in the way with them. Refrain thy foot from their path. Their feet run to evil. When temptation comes. You have to choose. This day. This moment. This circumstance. To refuse the evil. And choose the good. Isaiah 7 verse 16. You can. Or God wouldn't ask it of us. He'd be mocking us. And God does not mock. Refuse the evil. And choose the good. Isaiah 7 verse 16. To suffer. Affliction. Yes. It comes. Oh God. Something in your life that makes sinners angry. Or is there nothing in your life. That makes them even know you're different. From them. Choosing rather to suffer affliction. With the people of God. Than to enjoy the pleasures of sin. For a season. Hebrews 11 verse 25. Choose rejection. But never compromise. Neither give place to the devil. Ephesians 4 verse 27. You can. Don't invite him to destroy you. You can. Don't give him any opportunity. God warns us. And you can. Neither give place to the devil. Ephesians 4 verse 27. You watch. And you can watch. And pray. Be sure there is always that cry to God. That ye enter not into temptation. When my wife. She grew up on a farm. In Africa. Her father was a very godly man. I was so honored having him as a father-in-law. I don't think there's a day that I don't thank God for him. And the influence on my life. Incredibly Christ like. But he would preach. On the farms to all the laborers. All the workers. And other farms. They would gather them in all the sedge. All over. The valleys. All over the farmlands. He also preached across the whole of southern Africa. And even further afield. And preachers would flock to hear him. He's never had one day in theological seminar. But they wouldn't miss him. They just flocked. These men with degrees. And varsity. Of theology. Why? Because he. In the school of God. And attracted in the farmlands. With all the hardships of the farm. Learned the practical. Outworking of Christianity. As very few. Even when everything comes against you. To destroy you. He could preach. And people loved him. Well he would preach on the farm. To all the laborers gathered. Now tragically. There's a great population section of our country. That lies drunk from the age of 10. In the streets. Right through the nights. You see wine is. Given to them even as pay. They prefer that than money. But it's generational. The next generation. That kid. You can't believe to what degree. They're lying in the gutters drunk. Everywhere. The curse of drink. The curse of alcohol. They jail you if you take drugs. How hypocritical. You can multiply the damaged drugs. As done by 1 billion zillion times. And you haven't come near what drink alcohol. Why? Because it's money. That's why you want to ban them. And put them in jail. Well. It's been one of the terrible curses. Of a great percentage of. A certain section of Africa. That grew up like this. Especially Friday nights. Saturday nights. Sunday. Oh they staggered back to work. Not all of them. By Monday they're just trying to recover. Even the children. It's a way of life. It's wicked. It's sad. It's tragic. One of the workers. On my father-in-law's farm. I sat with him. What a wonderful person. I mean you honestly can say he's a good man. But when he took alcohol. He became like an animal. It changes the whole personality. It's so cursed. Like God warned. Don't look on it. The wine when it sparkles. Don't look at it. Well. When he did drink. He became violent. And he hit his wife. His children. They live in fear. She worked in the house. She had grown up on the farm with him. She was a lovely lady. But she had come in with her. Face scarred. And blown up. Weeping. On a Monday. You see he hit her. And the children they lived in fear of their lives when he was drunk. Suddenly this good man is an animal. Most men who drink. Go to their homes before you argue with me and ask their children. Until then don't argue with me sir. Not after the things I've seen. Home upon home upon home. He became like an animal. One day he responds to my father-in-law's preaching. Compassionate. Wise. Depth. Transparency like few I've ever seen in my life. He comes to God. For the first time since a boy he stops drinking totally. Goes to church. Takes his bible. Goes to prayer meetings. Bible studies. New friends. Watch out for old friends though. Coming home from a prayer meeting and a bible study. Midweek. Over the hills. The farm hills. In the dark. Most of the way. Comes along and who's there? His old friends from childhood. They drunk with him. They were angry. That they lost him. You see they were waiting. Bible in his hand. Here he comes. He sees them. What do you do? He walks on. They grab him. Throw him to the ground. Forge his mouth open. Poor drink. He goes and always drowns. We not. You think sin is a wicked. Wait until you turn from sin to see how wicked your friends are. What they are used by Satan to destroy you. If you try and choose good. Oh. What happens? He goes back to drink. Everybody's reaping. Within days he's killed. Drunk. Driving. You see he was a driver of the lorries to take her over to the co-op etc. Or the produce of the farms. Tragically killed. Drunk. And that man. His childhood friend. A few days after this tragic death of this friend that he forced back to drink. He fell into a machine. And his body. Shreds. Don't play the fool with God. You wicked people. Guard yourself from old friends. They want you back. We dare not question God as to why he allowed this. I can't. Listen I'm not here to defend doctrine. For God's sake if all you are there is to defend doctrine and say that can't happen. I don't care about your doctrine. I care that there's warnings throughout this book. And I care. That that did happen. I care enough to warn you. Not to warn you. Of diverting from doctrines that say we dare not preach such things. And that happened. I'm not here fighting doctrine. I'm fighting your conscience for God's sake and protecting you. You go and fight someone else about doctrine. Oh guard yourself from old friends. He that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. Isaiah warns us. Literally will be counted as mad. God tells us. They look upon you as insane. You think they're all going to pat you on the back and say we're following you? He that departeth. And by the way it's Isaiah. The gospel according to Isaiah. Speaking about contextually this dispensation. The gospel. As a result of the gospel. Contextually. 500 years before Christ was born. He told us. His virgin birth. That he was God manifest in the flesh. Every single aspect of his ministry. How he'd set his face like a flint to jewels. Knowing what's coming. His death. Isaiah 53. His resurrection. His ascension. And his coming judgment. Right to the last chapter. Right to the last chapter. On everyone that does not repent under his message. Oh. The gospel according. This is speaking about the gospel. He that departeth from evil that turns repents as a result. Will be accounted as mad by the sinners. God warns us. God warns us. It's an abomination. To fools to depart from evil. It's madness. They don't tolerate. Proverbs 13 verse 19. Who have given themselves over to lasciviousness. To unbridled sensuality and wickedness. To work all uncleanness. Ephesians 4 verse 19 says. Who eat the bread of wickedness. Proverbs 4 verse 17. Drink the iniquity like water. Drink iniquity as if it's water. Job 15 verse 14. Who hate the good. And love the evil. Micah 3 verse 2. And beware now. They hate the righteous. God says. Psalm 34 verse 21. They hate the righteous. Who cause the righteous to go astray. Into an evil way. Proverbs 28 verse 10. Do you think these warnings are there for nothing? Glue pages together if it doesn't go with you. I care about everyone's soul. I care about everyone's walk. I'm not talking about your eternal desolation. I'm talking about what God says can happen. They sleep not. Except they have done mischief. Their sleep is taken away. Unless they cause some to fall. Proverbs 4 verse 14. Fools make a mock at sin. Proverbs 14 verse 9. And a companion of fools shall be destroyed. God says. Proverbs 13 verse 20. A companion of fools. You choose your friends. You say you're there to win them. Be careful. You see there's a thin line once you say it. When you're dealing with all friends and people of the world. There's a thin line that God will make you know when you've crossed. That you're not there to win them. They're winning you back. And do you think all these verses are inappropriate? Not to be mentioned. To safeguard us. A companion of fools God says will be destroyed. God's word warns us. Be not deceived. Evil communications. Evil company. Corrupt good manners. 1 Corinthians 15 33. I went to a lot of research here. To the greatest teachers of our faith from right the beginning. The great reformers. Evil company undermines. And cripples and destroys. Godliness. And pursuit. Of holy living. Oh yes. Have compassion on them. But considering thyself. Lest thou also be tempted. Galatians 6 verse 1. And God have mercy on the man that thinks this isn't for him. It's not necessary. Keep thyself unspotted from the world. James 1 verse 27. That's our terrible warning. That means you can be terribly terribly discredited. And bring shame on God's name. Keep thyself pure. 1 Timothy 5 verse 22. It's a lot to do with you. I kept myself from iniquity. I have kept myself from my iniquity. 2 Samuel 22 verse 24. When I was saved. A good while now. This is many years back. 50 something years. I said to every friend I had on earth. It's like it was yesterday. I still want to weep. I said I've come to Christ. I've given my life to God. In a way I'll never take it back. And I want you to come to Christ with me. Every one of you. But if you don't. I want you to walk away from me. And never come near me again till the day I die. I want you to be saved. But I don't want to ever see you again. Not one of you. Because I'm scared you might draw me back. And I will not tolerate that. I don't want to go back. God set me free. I want you to walk away. If you don't want God. But if you want God. I'll die for you. You know that. You know me. I'll die for you. And die with you if necessary. I'll be your friend. We've been since I. But I don't want to see you again. I'm begging you. If you don't come to Christ. Walk away from me. Because I don't want to ever be near you again. Not one of you. I lost every friend I had on earth. But I had to. My common sense told me that. One boy. Eventually followed me. And got gloriously saved. Of my childhood friends. Who I had to walk away from. Well. I don't know how many years it was. This boy walks up to me. This man. And a couple of others. And I just looked at them. Keith. You know how angry everyone is at you. And Christianity. Becoming a Christian means you're too good. For anyone else on earth. You look down at everybody. You separate yourself. Everybody's dirt and filth. You throw away every friend. Do you know what's been said about you? You should have done things differently. There's anger against God. There's anger against Christianity. You didn't have to do that. Come just once. Back. Show them that we're not filth. Dirt. Thrown away after all the years. Just because you become saved. That we're not regarded as dirt and filth. Contaminate you. If you're near us. Show everyone that you just have respect enough through all the years. I just wonder. It's the right thing to do, man. A lot of other persuasion going on from the others. I said, okay. Well, they arranged some day for me to be there. I got in my car. My daddy mother's home was up there in the hills. 20 kilometers. So I'm coming down again. As I'm driving on the freeway. Toward the city. I could hardly believe it. There was a rain like a waterfall. Windscreen wipers. I couldn't see them. I saw all the cars pulling off. They couldn't take a chance. They couldn't see a thing. So everybody's pulling off to stay alive. But I went slowly and slowly, slowly. Through the storm, lightning, thunder, winds. Pouring in. Oh God. I've never seen a storm like this in my life. I get down to the city. The storm's raging. I see this apartment. This big building there. So I push the door open. The wind hardly let me get up. I get out, hardly able to stand. It just came. The wind held on to the car. What am I doing? God, this is the worst storm. This is you speaking to me. And suddenly I started walking. Shopping. Got halfway through the road. And I looked up and I saw steel. These corrugated irons. Sweep up one of these little restaurants on the side of one of the old buildings. And it started coming to me. I just saw right through. It would have cut me in half. I just fell to the ground. Within a second, I'd been chopped in half. And there on the ground, I said, God, you're stopping me. This couldn't be just happening. I've never seen anything like it in my life. God, forgive me. God, I crawled back to the car. I got in the car and started driving. Do you know the wind? About three minutes, the storm was gone. Not a drop of rain, no wind, no lightning thunder. I drive home, trembling. Oh, God. You shot me. I got on my knees. I was so fearful, I was shaking like a leaf at home. Weeping in fear. And I opened my Bible and I read these words. Just open. I withheld thee from sinning against me. God alone knew what was going to happen there. I still can't work out. But I've since learned over the years what old friends can stoop to in the hands of Satan if you get saved. You're looked upon as insane. God says, The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, but be careful. 2 Peter 2, verse 9. Don't tempt God. You see a magnet only has power when it gets close enough. Here it has no power. Here it has no power. Get close enough where you shouldn't be. Don't tell me you won't be drawn in. You remember in the Old Testament, God said to Pharaoh through Moses, Let my people go. Slaves for hundreds of years. Exodus 5, verse 1. Let my people go. But he wouldn't. He hardened his heart and hardened his heart. And then God sealed his choice and God hardened his heart. After everything, he still hardened his heart. Be careful God doesn't seal your choice. Everything's a warning to us. Everything. These things are written as warnings and admonition to become careful to be able to live. Everything was there. Don't tell me two-thirds of the Bible is dispensational. Dispense of it. No. It's written every page, sir. If you're saved or unsaved, God speaks to you. And we're in poverty without the Old Testament. It was written for us. It wasn't just there for a historical record. This is for us. Let my people go. Yes? Well, God sent plagues. Uncomprehendable plagues. Never before imagined or since. It could come upon a land. And then, of course, the final one when Pharaoh still hardened his heart and said, no. It was the blood. You think that's just the record? No. When I see the blood, I will pass over. No judgment there. Pharaoh's son threw out the whole of Egypt. Every family with children. Death. Wailing. Including Pharaoh. But God passes over. That's the blood of Jesus Christ, sir. To this moment. The only hope you have is when you come with nothing but the blood of Jesus. Nothing in my hands I bring. Simply the cross. That's the first moment God can save you. Don't bring anything else but the blood. That's what God waits for. And that's what God waited for there. And Pharaoh says these words. I will let you go. I will let you go. But be careful. That doesn't stop there. You think the fight stops when you get saved? Oh, brother, sister, it starts. Then you become aware of Satan. And fearful of him. Oh. I will let you go only. You shall not go very far away. Don't go too far. As God set you free from slavery. But don't go too far now. Don't go too far now. You think that was just history? That's you and me after that. Everything is to us. Everything is written for us. It's warnings. It wouldn't be in his book. Don't go too far. Well, that's what happens when you get saved. The devil will tell you the same. You used to be his servant. Under his slave bond you were set free. But the son will set you free from slavery. Enslavement to Satan and sin. You shall be gloriously freed. But be careful. Satan doesn't stand back and say fine. Don't go too far. We'll come straight away. Mostly through old friends. Don't doubt this now. There's a man sitting in this building. At least I hope he hasn't run away yet. I'd better not run him down in case he's still sitting here. My word. He's left. Can you believe it? I haven't even preached to the end. All right. I think I see him. All right. His name is Tom Schuss. From Fulton, South Dakota. It's a snowy town. Okay. I've been in his home a number of times. Him and his lovely wife and lovely children. He gave his testimony. I said write it down. I want to preach on that. I was saved on August 15, 1997. I immediately was aware of the leadings of the Holy Spirit. And my entire life began to transform more and more daily. My speech had to change. My clothes had to change. Then something happened to me as I was changing. Everything was changing. I felt in my heart that I should never go to the old places, the dance floor, where I drank. I used to serve in a bar, in this pub or nightclub, whatever it was. And I said never again. Well, my cousin arrived with friends, a girlfriend and another girlfriend for me. I hadn't seen him for a long time. And, of course, they came and they decided they wanted to go soon afterwards to the dance and get a drink. I said no, I can't. Never again. I never touched alcohol. I never... I was in that pub. I even sold the liquor. I ended up doing terrible, terrible things that got me into terrible trouble and disrepute. As I grew up, I can't go back there. I'm saved now. I've given my life to God. Oh, after a good while of strong persuasion and a bit of anger, this cousin who hadn't seen him for a long time had brought this girl for him and brought his own girl and they want to go off dancing now and drinking alcohol. He said, listen, you don't have to drink. You can just take a Coca-Cola. You don't have to dance. Just be there with us. Don't ruin the nightmare. Well, they went on and so he said, okay. Goes there, sits there. There he is with his Coca-Cola. But, you see, the trouble is, he says, you don't know it's Coca-Cola. Those who see it, it just looks like drink. And he put a big signboard up there. Listen, I haven't touched drink. It's Coca-Cola. Well, he says, a young man who I had tried to witness to, who was shaken by the transformation of my life, was there in that pub, in that dance hall, where I'd spent all my weekends before God saved me. And others who I testified and spoken to about God, but this one particular fellow I'd known, I tried to bring him to God. He walked up to the table. He looks at me and he smiles. Oh, Tom, glad to see you back. You see, the whole thing is glad to see you. I haven't gone that far, you see. I was worried about you. I'm glad to see some of the old Tom is still there. You're back. And then Tom Schultz said these words to me. I could never witness to him again. And others. It just, it destroyed my credibility. My opportunity, my right to speak to them. Didn't want to hear again. God cries out to us in the sacred book, abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5.22. That's warning that you've got to make a choice. Walk circumspectly before the lost. That's carefully. You've got a common sense quickened by the Holy Ghost. Don't tell me, oh, the old godly man who led me to Christ said, listen, boy, if there's a question mark, don't. Full stop, no matter what anybody tells you. I've kept that till this day. Walk carefully, circumspectly. Ephesians 5.15. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without before the unsaved. Colossians 4.5. Make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. God warns Christians, born again Christians, you can. Romans 13.14. Make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. Walk in the spirit. And that's only possible by devouring the Bible as your main throbbing goal in life daily. And you can. Don't you tell me you can't. You read 15 minutes and 24 hours in one year. You're through the whole book. Don't tell me you've meant business with God if you haven't been through this book in one year. How many years you sit there, you haven't been through the book. You didn't give God 15 minutes. Oh, you can't. Don't tell me that. No wonder you mean nothing for God. Walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. It's a promise to a holy God that's holding out to us. And you can if you devour the Bible, you commune with God. Don't give place to the devil. Neither give place. Don't do it. Don't give him opportunity. Don't go against your God-given conscience. And it's quickened to a million, billion miles to somebody unsaved that has a conscience left. And you hear the voice immediately saying, no, don't do this. Don't go there. Don't be with this person. Turn around now. We sat with a man, my wife and I, last year. And we went back to New York. People even flow across the world. Can you believe it? This fellow tells us that he always fails. He goes to the nightclubs and ends up in sin, failure. What is he going to do about it? I said, well, stop going to the nightclub. What are you doing there if you're saved? What fellowship has light with darkness? Let us walk as children. If you walk in the light, you have light. If you're saved, you have it. You know. If that's where you fail, God knows how you could ever go back there anyway if you're truly saved. You just don't go to these places. You do not look at that on the Internet. You, don't you tell me you have to. Goodness, God didn't make you so weak that you have to. If you're saved, before you're even saved, you've got a conscience that can keep you from destruction. If you just keep a God-given conscience to protect you. Many of you are tempted. That doesn't mean you've got to. No, to the degree you're soaked in the Scriptures, you look at that, even if it's thrown at you and you're not wanting it, and you say, no, because you hate the evil to the degree you're soaked in the Scriptures and communing with God. It's your choice every morning. I guarantee you, you'll put it off and say no more. I do this, this, this, and I find out I'm protected. Protect yourself. If you don't, you want it. If there's available things to protect you, it's your choice, you want it. If you don't, what are you going to say to God one day when he says the words to you? You'd better rehearse, because you're going to have to. If we walk in the light, we have to walk in light, not in darkness. If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie. That's all God says to you. You're a liar. Why? To protect your circumstances that you can't sin. If we walk in the light, we have to. Listen carefully here. A woman was walking beside me, a missionary's wife, and we were in some big conference center in Africa. And for some reason, from this side hall, we'd be walking along a very big hall that houses many, many people in the great conventions. The lights were not on. There were little lights here along the gardens, but there was a wall about the height of the ceiling right down, holding up the grounds above where the path was next to the... Nonetheless, she's walking with me and talking. And I was keeping to the light, and she kept walking toward the darkness. And I thought, where are you going? Before I could stop her as she was talking, we were just walking on her head. Oh, she was for years trying to recover. It was a tragedy. Now, that's a physical thing. Do you think that isn't going to happen to you on a spiritual level? Do you think all these warnings, all these cautions, all these cries out for God doesn't put any responsibility to your God-given conscience and common sense quickened by the Holy Ghost daily? If we walk in the light, if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie. We do not have the choice. By his light, I walk through darkness. Job 29, verse 3, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I found that. I found that. I said to this man, listen, if you're truly saved, you've got to make a choice. Every day you live till the day you die, and even as you're dying, I guarantee you, probably as you're dying, choose you right now. Who you will serve follows you till the day you die. Don't ever go to those places again because that verse God will hold up to you if you're truly saved. Otherwise, I doubt you're saved if he doesn't hold it out to you. You have to choose. As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool returns to his folly. Proverbs 26, verse 11, God says that. Why? To shock you. Of course, we're apostates. What his body rejects, it can't take. It's rejecting the wrong. He licks it up. God says, look at that. God says to shock you. That's what it is for a man and a woman and a child to go back to that which is going to destroy him. What do you think God says those words for? Listen, what I've said tonight is very controversial. I'll tell you why. Because the standard, any standard today, is hated by most sitting in the compromising evangelical church. So I'm asking you, don't destroy me for daring to preach out of compassion and longing for God to actually do something in your hearts through a sermon I preach.