12, the first 10 verses, and the topic is wanted living sacrifices. Now, if you look at the history of the scriptures, different places in the Old Testament, all the different sacrifices were made. One thing was true about every one of those sacrifices, they were all dead. They died. But today, God is not interested in dead sacrifices, but in living sacrifices. And he wants people that are saved, Christian people, want living sacrifices. These things are very important to God. And let's read verse number one together. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to take Christian bodies and living sacrifices, all except one God, which is a reasonable source. Notice in this section, 10 verses, many present tenses in the Greek language. The present tense is saying, I hand it to you. Continuous action, continuous, that's just the word action. I beseech you, I continually talk and urge you, brethren. Present tense. Beseech, urge, on you brethren, that of safety, By the mercies of God, what does he beseech them about? That you present, whether present tense or his first verse. Continuously, present tense. Present, continue to present. Not just simply when the weather is sunny, but all the time. Continuously, he doesn't need to present your bodies. That means to have your bodies be used for him. Present them and offer him so he can use them in any way he wishes to use them. Your bodies. Other parts of our bodies, our mouths, our throats, our eyes, our hands, our feet, our ears, all, every part of our body presented to a living, again, a present tense, continuous, a living sacrifice. I don't know whether you're 5 or 10 or 20 or 50 or 60 or 80 or 90, whatever your age is, It has to be a living sacrifice. Now, sacrifice is something that's not easy, something to give as a gift to the Lord, and it's called a sacrifice. Now, notice the type of sacrifice it's got to be. It's got to be holy, not simply scrubbed up by some person who might have an unholy type of work. It should be a holy sacrifice, a holy giving to the Lord. It should be acceptable to God. He would want it. You know, something He wants you to do and give to Him. And that's the second thing He wants you to do. And notice it says it's your reasonable service. Nothing is out of the line. He saves you by His grace. He saves you by His grace and then expects you to do His service. So it's a reasonable thing. I'm not getting enough flying here. That one flew up high in the sky. It's a reasonable sacrifice. It doesn't make nonsense. It makes sense that you and I, as genuine Christians, should offer ourselves a living sacrifice. Very poor people do that. Now, these are important things for all of us to understand. I guess I told you that in the Old Testament there are dead sacrifices. There are a total of 1,700. required, 1,700 in the Old Testament, plus offerings, general offerings. They're not necessarily sacrifices, but offerings, willing offerings. These are willing, but these are offerings for special means, but there are 1,700 that are required sacrifices for the Lord Himself. Very important to see that. And then, Let's read verse number two at this time. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. And be not conformed. Again, it's the present tense, negative, which in the Greek means stop an action already in progress. These people have given themselves to the world, and God says stop it. And if we are giving ourselves to this world instead of to him, he orders us to stop it as well. Be not conformed. Stop your being conformed to the image of the, to the image of the world, rather. And be transformed. Again, a present tense. Continuously transforming ourselves, transforming our lives, transforming our thoughts, our speech, all that we do. Changing what we normally have been doing all of our lives. Conforming ourselves to this wicked world. to be transformed, continuous action, in the present tense. How? By the renewing of your mind. Our minds will not renew, will be forsaken, and our minds should be continuously renewed. It's continuously renewed day by day by the scriptures, the Word of God. So we should read it, study it, memorize it, in order that they may prove continuous action, continuously to prove and to accept and to understand what is a good and acceptable and perfect will of God. That's the only way we know what is acceptable and perfect will of God, is to find it in the scriptures, to read, to study, to memorize, all these different things, to honor the Lord. And the will of God, the will of God is found in the scriptures, only in the scriptures. A lot of people say, I know what the will of God is. I think about it. Well, some people do think about it, but that's not the will of God. Scriptures will tell us what that word is. God's commandments are for our good. For instance, in Deuteronomy 10, verse 12 and 13. And now Israel, what does the Lord thy God require of thee? But to fear me, fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul. That's what the will of God is in the Old Testament, Deuteronomy, in this chapter 10. And that's what this Lord calls us to do here. Be not conformed. Stop being conformed to the will of God. But to be transformed again, the present tense, continuous action, transformed by the living God. Then, verse number 2, I guess we read that already. Verse number three, verse number three. For I say, through the grace given unto me by every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly, not to think soberly, according to God, as thought to be a man of faith. Not to think more highly than he ought to think. In other words, be humble and sober and contrite, not boastful and arrogant and pride. Pride and pride, there's various verses on that. For instance, in Proverbs chapter 16, verse 18. Proverbs 13, verse 10. Only by pride cometh contention, fighting, bickering, love, argumentation. But with the well-advised is wisdom. And also another verse on pride in Proverbs 16, verse 18. Pride goeth before destruction. and haughty spirit, or for a fault. You've got to be very careful with pride. Stick with the Lord, and understand what He wants you to do. Then in Mark 7, 21 to 22, there are many things that are listed. But it says to start with, from within, out of the heart of man. Here's a list of all the things that it consists of, including pride. but perceive evil thoughts from our hearts, adulteries from our hearts, fornications, murders. These all originate from our hearts. Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, assiduousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride from the heart. All these things are due to pride and foolishness. And then in 1 Timothy 3 verse 6, A pastor, any Christian, is not to be a novice, lest, lifting up with, filled with pride, lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil. That's why pastors should not be just a new devil or Christian. These are things for maturity. People have lived their lives because of the dangers of pride that might come from a pastor that is not feared for love and service. and one that's a mature individual. Let's read the first number. I love reading numbers. Let's read it. We've read four of them. Let's read, okay. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office. That's true, we have a lot of members, and they've got not the same office, absolutely. fingers, and wrists, and hands, and feet, and legs, and all these different things. And the brain, they don't have the same way of doing things. They're all necessary. And so the members of the body of Christ is one body, all members, and not the same office, which is true. Every Christian has a special memory, special office, that's not the same office. But these things are different. And I realize that they're different I got to realize which way to turn these pages. So the fourth verse, let's read that for us. We have members in one body. All the members have not the same. So that's what it is, one body. Wrists and fingers and ankles and legs are not the same. I've got this new type of section here. I've got a new number 2. We've done that. I'm reading the wrong section. Okay, we read two. Have we read the verses on the members yet? Yeah, verse four we read twice. We read that twice already. Well, what did we read about the members? Romans 6 and verse 13. Be the yielding of your members. These are the believers. Save Christians as instruments of unrighteousness and to sin, and be in every remembrance. But yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and in members as instruments of righteousness unto God. It's important how we yield our instruments of our bodies, all the things that we have. And then in 1 Corinthians 12, and verse number 12, whereas the body is one and has many members, And all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. So we are members of that body. We're genuine Christians. And we don't have the same gifts. Some have very few gifts. At least, you don't seem to have any gifts. We don't use our gifts to the Lord. We just use them for ourselves, and that's all. In verse 5, it says, so we, being many, of one body in Christ and every one member is one another. Body of Christ. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set the body of Christ as a local church. Some churches set In Regents, we read it in Proverbs 6. Now, we believe the prophecy has already been finished and completed. There's nothing more to go. We have the Holy Spirit of God in the early church. He gave the messages that he wanted to give in prophetic picture in the Old Testament. And we don't believe that that's a gift for today. Now some people differ with us when they say it's still a prophecy, so let's go ahead with the gift of prophecy. Sometimes they have a whole meeting. I think of the big meeting that my wife and I went to somewhere in the south. I don't remember the exact date. And they kept it prophecy, prophecy, prophecy. Like it's a prophetic conference. They didn't think it was finished. One would end up in later prophecy, another would end up in another prophecy. No, the scriptures are finished. The Bible is complete. This gift was finished when the Bible was finished in the period of Israel. And so we don't have this gift of prophecy as a formation. And it costs us peace. They believe and preach. But our Bible is finished. And so we should stop and finish it for the prophecy. Let's read verse 1 Corinthians 12 and verse 10, however. For another, the working of miracles. For another, prophecy. to another the discerning of spirits, to another the diverse kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. This is at a scriptural time when the Bible is being completed and being written. These are the things that are talked about in that sense of prophecy and the time of the book of the Bible. Same in 1 Corinthians 13, verse 2. Though I have a gift of prophecy, that's what Paul is saying, to understand the mysteries in all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and had not charity, I had nothing. This was during a time when the prophets were being written and scriptures were being made. Charity must accompany prophecy, even at that time when it was being given. In 1 Corinthians 13, 8 to 12, charity and love never fail. Whether there be prophecies, they shall fall. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease. I have ceased it. You're different with the Pentecostals, the Charismatics. They think tongues still are here, and they just babble their way along. It's unscriptural. It's unscriptural. Whether it be knowledge, it's evangelical. It won't be knowledge evangelism. And verse 9, I know in part, the prophesying part, when that which is perfect is come, and that which is in part shall be done away. It says, when I was a child, I speak as a child. This is true. I understood as a child, I thought as a child, when I became a man, I put away childless things. Many men do not put away childless things, side to side. Many Christians, sort of a glorization, won't put away childless things either, such as prophecy, such as speaking in tongues. Those are childless, baby things, baby talk, nonsense. For now, though we see through a glass, darkly, but then, face to face, Now I know in part, that's knowledge, just in part. And then shall I know even as also I am known. I think what I'll do is change the order of these pages. I normally go from left to right. And that's why I mixed up that verse. I'm going to go from left to right this time as well. And what are the verses on? Can I read my prophecy already? Can I read a number of verses in prophecy? Working Americans? Is that what I'm doing? 50%? Okay. All right, good. Perfect. Now, I've moved from right to left, but I think we're all right now. Let's read verse number seven together. Our ministry, let us lay down our ministry. We need to practice teaching. The word teaching is present for many years. I shall also continue to teach. I never stop teaching the word of God. The Old Testament, when it applies, New Testament, when it applies as well. But the teaching should be sound. The teaching should be biblical. Nothing to do with these unbiblical things. First of all, in our ministries, the various verses in ministry, what it is, for instance, in Acts 6 and verse 4, we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. You realize there are very, very few churches in this country and around the world that minister in the Word of God. They don't care about the Word of God. Many of them don't even know what the Word of God is. They don't know much about it. And their churches are simply something other than ministry of the Word of God. I haven't been to these churches, so I don't know what to do, but just talk, talk, talk, talk about various subjects and topics. They list the topics, ministry of the Scripture, ministry of Acts, 6, in verse 4, Paul says, we will give ourselves continually to prayer after the ministry of the word, the scriptures. You must know the word of the ministry, the scriptures, brothers, then in Acts 20, verse 24, and none of these things move me, says Paul, neither can I have my life, I'm daring to myself. He's either ready to give his life for the Lord Jesus Christ, or if need be, so that I might finish my course with joy. I did finish it with joy. I did finish it with suffering as well. And the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus gave me the ministry. He was out to kill Christians, and he killed many of them. And the Lord went in, and rode, and plucked them. I'm Jesus, in my person is. And he was saved, called the Lord. So let me finish my job with the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus on that road that gave me the ministry to follow me and serve me, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. The gospel is good news. It's also bad news. It's bad news because it tells there's a way which seemeth right unto a man, a way to follow that is not good. I call it the good way, but not the bad way. And because of the ministry, this false ministry, which is not salvation by grace and faith, but salvation by works. That's one of the ministries that people teach. And that's not true. That's not great at all. But the ministry, you see, God is for the Lord. That's why the gospel of the grace of God. The gospel is two parts. It's two parts. The first part of the gospel is in Professor Wasserman, God for Hell. There is a hell. Without trusting the Lord Jesus as Savior, you're ending up in hell. That's part of the gospel. The positive part of it is the good news. Trusting Christ your God for your sins is your Savior. You escape hell, you go to heaven, and you die, and you live for Him who died for you. And testament of the gospel of grace, you've been getting something you've been not pursuing. And in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 18, all things are of God's worth. Reconcile it to Himself. Reconcile means to bring us together again, peacefully. Reconcile himself by Jesus Christ and give it to us, every genuine Christian, the ministry of reconciliation. Good that we tell others who are not reconciled to be reconciled, who are not with Christ, who are against Christ, not Christian, anti-Christian, be reconciled, joined to him, peacefully and comfortably. In Ephesians 4 and verse 4. for the perfecting of his saints. The saints are not perfected. The saints are lost. Not lost in the sense of lost in heaven and hell, but they're fleshly. They've got the same flesh as the un-saved people. The thing they have different is they're safe. They have safe flesh, and they have the Holy Spirit God, and God in them, as always, to help them. For the perfecting of the sense, we need perfection. Any saint who says they're perfect is lying. Nobody can be perfect in this flesh that we live in. Only in Christ can we be perfect. If Christ were perfect, Not in every detail of our life. We have the spirit of God, yes, but also we have the flesh, which is wicked, sinful, and we never have that to be free with. A lot of people teach that. They teach that once you're Christian, you have no flesh. It's gone. You know the answer to that? Just ask your husband or your wife or your friends or your children. Ask them if they're perfect. Well, you might have to ask them. Because of the flesh. But, in Ephesians 4, verse 12, it says, for the perfecting of the saints. The saints aren't perfect, that ain't perfecting. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. That's what saints, Christians, should be doing. Edifying, building up the body of Christ. That's what the others say of Christians. In 1 Timothy 1, verse 12, Paul says, I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord. was enabled me, all realized he needed enablement, he was not perfect, which were all over the world, was enabled me that he counted me faithful, though he may not be perfect, helped us to be faithful to the Lord, counted me faithful, putting me into ministry. He was going to be killing the Christians, now the Lord said, here, Paul, why don't you go to the wolves that are lost and minister to them the gospel of Christ. And this word teaches. be the teachings in this verse, number seven. That's a present tense, continuous, continuous preaching. Because people never could have all the ministry and remember it, it's gotta be continuous reaction, continuous teaching. For instance, in Acts 15, verse 35, Paul also and Barnabas continued at Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord. with many of his apostles. I think these things are important. The teacher ought to teach the things of the Lord, and the preaching. Teaching is not preaching. Preaching is not teaching. They're both unnecessary. Preaching is a more empowered use of scriptures. Teaching is telling what the scriptures teach, what the scriptures are. Teaching. And then in Acts 18, verse 11, and he that is called continued there a year and six months. I've been here in this church, what is it, 22 years? I can't keep track. When did we begin? 1998? So how many years it would be present time? It would be 22, what month was it? What month was it? October. Coming up on 22, the final. And actually within a year and six months, What was he doing? Playing tiddlywinks with men of all colors? No, he was teaching the Word of God among them. And that's what many pastors are not doing in their ministries. They're not teaching the Word of God. They don't write anything about the Word of God. They're talking about many other things. Teaching is very important. And then in Acts 26, or rather 28, in verse 31, Paul, preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching those things was concern of the Lord Jesus Christ. Teaching the Word of God and preaching and doing things. Notice how he does it. What is his attitude as he preaches and teaches? With all confidence, no man forbid him. We must be confident in what we're preaching and what we believe. Otherwise people are not going to believe in what we're saying. We've got to be confident in what we're doing, what we're teaching about and preaching about as well. 1, verse 28, speaking of Christ the Lord Jesus Christ, whom we preach, warning every man. So it's got to be a warning. There's warning about God. There's judgments of God. Warning every man and teaching every man how he's going to teach him in all wisdom. Not foolishness or folly. Silliness. In all wisdom. Why? That we may present every man, every woman, every person, perfect, complete in Christ Jesus. That's the goal. You want to build them up so they're Christian, they're Godly Christians, and they're obedient Christians as well. In Colossians 3, verse 16, let the word of Christ dwell in you first richly. The way to have it go, of course, is to read it and believe it. And kind of like William, without wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another. Once you have the word of God, teach and admonish one another, fellow believers, fellow Christians. And psalms and hymns should be proper psalms that we read, hymns, proper psalms, and spiritual songs. So singing and hymns are an important part of the churches. They should be sound and sing proper. Singing with grace. and your hearts to the Lord. And some people can't sing very well, but what they do when they sing, they should be singing with their grace and in their hearts and sing to the Lord. That's what we want, people to know and be able to sing to the Lord. Let's read verse number eight again. He that exhorteth in exhortation. He that giveth and doeth with simplicity. Again, several present tenses. Like in this verse, there are four present tense verbs. Four. He that exhorteth, that's present tense, continue to exhort. A lot of people exhort themselves, or push themselves, but exhorting the Lord Jesus Christ, exhorting the Christian things. Exhortation means to encourage people. Exhortation is encouraging. And he that giveth, again, present tense, he that continues to give. You've got to give to the Lord, but I'm doing it with simplicity. A lot of people give with great pride and exultation, almost telling everybody about it and bragging about it, but I'm doing it with simplicity. These are the rules. If they get another person, they're going to change their rules. Provide and direct, minister to the church and other areas. Do it with diligence. Diligent means carefulness. It means exactness. It means not to be inherent in error. And then another person, he that shows mercy, continues to show mercy to people, do it with cheerfulness. How can I show mercy without cheerfulness? Just be cheerful about it and do it. There's nothing about it other than that. And as far as exhorting, verses on exhorting, one of the things on exhorting, for instance, in Acts 14, excuse me, Acts 11, in verse 23, on exhorting. Who would it be that his bride of us came and had seen the grace of God, for he was glad, there was a man glad to see the grace of God, and exhorted them all with purpose of heart, that they would cleave unto the Lord, snatch closely, and stay with the Lord, cleave unto the Lord. This part of it is exhorting. And in Acts 14, verse 22, another verse on exhorting, Paul and Barnabas, confirming the souls of the disciples, confirming them, making sure that they're right in their doctrines and beliefs and practices, and exhorting them to continue in the faith. A lot of people start with the faith, maybe four or three weeks, or months, or years. They don't see much of the faith anyway. What's the safest way? Continue in the faith of Lord Jesus Christ. And that we must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God. He warns them. Paul Barnabas warns the people that there's tribulation. We haven't seen much tribulation. in our church yet. Although, when you're given commands to do a number of things, it costs a lot of money. It's a little bit of a tribulation. Whenever you have to build an outside exit, a basement, it costs $9,500. That's a little tribulation. You've got to bear up with it. But if it's required, if it's necessary, you do it. Praise the Lord for supplying the needs. I just completed much of it. We're going to ask some extra things. For instance, in the basement of this church, they say because we're a church, we're a church and a house, but still, they're going to, I guess, condemn us and shut us down. If we didn't have, if the Lord had not given us that amount of money, $9,500, and not done what they ordered us to do, I don't know, it's closed down. It closed down our house, which I live in. It's very important. But it's one thing to have the money. It's another thing to be willing to disburse the money for what is needed for the ministry. And that must be the case as well. And so it's not always easy. I've lost my place in the first line. Acts 15.32, did you see that? Judas and Silas, the prophets, also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words and confirmed them. They confirmed the words they were saying, confirmed the exhortation. So they exhorted. Exhortation is encouraging people to follow the things of the Lord. We did not slap them in the face. bite their nails, confirm the exhortation, building them up, encouraging them to follow the Lord. Acts 15, verse 32. And Judas and Silas, the apathists, also themselves, exhorted the brethren, again exhorted the brethren, how? With many words. Many words, don't condemn them, don't mock them, don't slap their faces, but exhort them with many words and confirm them. Make sure that they realize what they're doing, what they're believing, is confirmable and livable in conforming to the will of God. In 1 Timothy 4, verse 13, Paul says to Pastor Timothy, till I come, you have attendance to various things. Three things. One, two, three. First is to reading. Probably the reading of the word of the whole New Testament. In several words written in the New Testament, the whole thing. First thing, give attendance to reading. Second thing, give attendance to exhortation. That means to encourage people to the face of the world. Give attendance to that. Then give attendance to doctrine, teaching the scripture. Don't be a false teacher in the doctrines. But till I come, Paul says, Timothy, you're a preacher, give attendance to these things, reading, exhortation. On the second day of the forum, verse two, a wonderful verse, preach the word. One of the many passions of God's Father had about me. He talked about grace, doesn't he? But preach the word, the scripture. It has to be the right word. The proper historic Hebrew, proper historic Aramaic. proper historic Greek provision, translated excellently, all of which can be said of the King James Bible. Proper translation of Hebrew and Aramaic, the Old Testament, Aramaic, and the New. And we must follow. And they told Timothy, the pastor there, preach the word, and continue, till I come. And the second thing they foretold, first of all, is the word of God. Preach the word, the scriptures, the word of God. Be in season as we're preaching. Do it in season. Do it out of season. There's certainly another amount of season in the preaching of the Word. Do it all the time. What's it do when you're preaching? Reprove. If there's some sins to be reproved, reprove. Rebuke. If there's need to be rebuked, rebuke. Exhort. Enlighten and encourage. Exhort. Now, with all long sufferings, first of all, long sufferings are not easy for some people. and also the doctor, teaching of the word of the doctor in the Bible scripture. Then Titus 1 verse 9, holding fast the faithful word, that's the scripture, the way we have the faithful word of King James Bible, accurately translated to the proper, offended Old Testament, New Testament original words. Sound doctrine, exhort, convince, Exhort and convince the gainsayers. A lot of gainsayers don't believe the word, don't believe the Bible, don't believe the Scripture, don't believe Christ. You've got to exhort them and convince them if possible. Some people I convinced. Before I was saved, I was an unbeliever. Uncle Charlie was 30 years solidary with Trump before God saved me. He was just a janitor. He pushed the pushes of rock and roll and the gray high school. And that's where I first met him. Three of us were listening to him. He was talking in the music room. It was in the first floor of the gray high school. We were coming out to get a drink, and he was out there sleeping on the floor with a friend. And we were talking about the creation and all the big things that God had made. And I told him up in front of him what we were talking about. About three of us, three students. We were all seniors. And one of the things we were talking about was creation, and stars, and hope. And so I thought I'd ask him. I said, I could try that. How did all these things get up there? Because he had millions and billions of stars. And other things had got up before him. He just, he put his room away. He just sort of let it slip through his, held it down. Just at the hips. Four, six feet, two inches. Looked down at me. Gave me a one-word answer, two-word answer. How do all these people do it? I don't know. If he knew that, I thought to myself, he may know a lot of things. He may know other things that he knows as well. So I went down to his brother's room several days after that and talked to him about all the things that he knew. The Lord Jesus Christ has been saved and born again. All the stars are made in creation. All these things. Praise the Lord. That's what we've got to realize. I'm sorry, I'm forced to stop. That is one thing. Sire doctrine is to convince the gainsayers. I needed to be convinced. I went to a Methodist church that knew nothing but modernism and apostasy. My mother made me go. I was so sick, I said, I've got to go somewhere. I went to Sunday school. I didn't bother going to that good preacher school. In fact, after I was saved, my mom sicced that preacher, the modernist, apostate Methodist preacher on me and took me out in his car and taught me a lot of things that I believed. I didn't get talked out of one single solid thing. I told mom, you should never set up an apostate preacher after your son. He was trying to get me away from everything I believed, but I didn't stick to Jesus. There's no place that you should have a modernist preacher trying to get me away from things. Exhort him. And so then in Hebrews 3 and verse 13, God exhorted him to exhort one another daily. Encourage them. Encourage them. If you're not discouraged, try to be encouraged. Encourage others. Resort to what it is called today. That's to long and make me gone. And make me dead. You've got to be around me to resort to anything. The last thing to do is be hardened through the bisque. Seek the ones you seek. That's the thing that gets a hold of us, disheartening. In Hebrews 10, verse 25, not for seeking the assembly of the saints together, not church, because we're together. It's not a big church, that's fine. We're listening to the scripture, we're good. And so much so, as you see the day approaching, I'm glad we've got some new ones every day or so, or every other day, or every other week. See a day approaching. And Jude, verse 3, Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you a common salvation, it is needful of me to write unto you and exert you. Jude says, you need exertation, encouragement, that ye should earnestly contend for the faith. The faith is a doctrine, it's a scripture. If there's anything we need to contend about, it's not our thinking, it's not our houses, it's not our places, it's the Word of God. The faith, contend. There's much to be contended about, whether it's churches, whether it's pastors, whether it's Christians, whether it's non-Christians. Our contentions about the faith, the Bibles, the Doctrines, the Scriptures. But for us once to live out of the saints, the faith of God, much more. Funny, let's read a verse from Rames. or he that exhorteth on exhibition, he that giveth, and doeth with simplicity, he that ruleth with diligence, he that showeth mercy and cheerfulness. OK. Let's see. I thought I was going in the right direction. Let's talk about giving. That's one of the things, giving. In Matthew 6, verse 3, but when Abruzzalab's and his kind might small us for giving money, let not the left hand know what the right hand doeth. that thine arms, that thine arms may be the secret, and thy father will see it as the secret himself, so our war be over." So these are some things to do. And he said, I'm turning the right way, I'm going the right direction. In 2 Corinthians 9, verse 7, every man according as he purposes in his heart, every man, as every person, no matter what, so let him give. Not grudgingly, but harm-sensitive. God loves and cares for you. And this verse says, we need to be careful about our rule. What we're saying is that we should take care of it. In 1 Timothy 5, in verse 17, let the elders that rule us. As it's written so many times before, the pastor is the pastor, the bishop is the elder. Other churches have other rulers as well. has a purpose in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, we don't give to the Lord grudgingly, or necessity, for God loves us cheerful, cheerful, no matter how much we give, he wants us to be cheerful people. And ruling, as far as ruling in churches, let the elders rule well, not just rule, the elders don't rule very well. be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the Word and not in God. And in Hebrews 13, verse 7, remember them which have the rule over you, for I have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, and set an end unto their life. And again in Hebrews 13, verse 7, Obey them that have the rule over you. Submit yourselves. They watch for your souls. It is they that must give an account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you. Believers, follow the Lord with profitability and joy. And then Hebrews 13 verse 24. So let all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints, have it over you. So let's read verse number 9 together. Let love be without dissimilation. Abhor that which is evil. Weep for that which is good. It's an interesting love without dissimilation. Remember, I love this one better. That was on dissimilation. Now, these two words, uphold and cleave, they're opposite. But both are present tenses. They're continuously uphold. They're not going to uphold everything. They're continuously cleave. We don't want to cleave everything. There's situations that you should uphold, you should cleave. That's the heading, the word cleave. That means to hold one to another. Cleave is almost like another translation of that, another application of that. It's like glue. First of all, let love be without any discernment. Not any discernment, maybe Christian love. But two things, the core and the creed. Let's start with creed, first of all. Genesis 2, verse 24. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. joining, cleaving, and sticking to the wife as I did with my wife. 71 years. That's a long time. I couldn't continue because she died. I would have continued if she stayed living. It's 71 years. Were we perfect? No, nobody was perfect. Was our marriage perfect? No, no marriage was perfect. We were always doing the best we could. But we had enough brains to stay together as we promised at our wedding ceremony. Love, honor, and obey, until death has true power. Until death has true power. I'm not encouraging death, but until that happens, we stay there. Cleaven. Genesis 2.24. And shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife. That's what they want to finish. Genesis 2.24. And in Mark 10, 7 and 8. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife. And they twain shall be one flesh, so that they are no more twain, or two, but one flesh. And in Acts 11, verse 23, For when it came, and soon the grace of God was glad, and exerted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. Blue is one of those. Never leave. Flee. Stay with them if you can. Then this word of whoring. So they should abhor that which is evil. That means to hate it. Hate evil. Just hate it. Don't hate the good, but hate the evil. For instance, in Psalm 97, verse 19. He that loveth the Lord, hate evil. Some people never hate anything. God differs from them in opinion. He says, hate evil, despise the poor, hate evil. He preserved the souls of the saints and delivered them out of his hand to the wicked. In Psalm 119, verse 104, through thy precepts, O Lord, I get understanding. Therefore, I hate every false way. That's a government of lies. Hating every falsehood. Go get near them. Stay away from falsehoods. In Psalm 119, verse 163. And it says, I hate and abhor lying. But I love who I lie. It's a wonderful difference, isn't it? In Proverbs 8, verse 13. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, and arrogance. He'd always say, evil, right, arrogance. And the evil way. And the froward mouth. All these things. Do I hate him? And then Amos 5, verse 10. They hate him, that rebuketh the gate. And they abhor him that speaketh uprightly. Sometimes we do speak uprightly or hate quite badly. People don't stand with us in a sense. Now, there's a reverse of the truth. Amos, first of all, before the reversal, Amos 5 and verse 15. Hate the evil, love the good, establish judgment in the gate, and make thee the Lord God of hosts. of the graces of the remnant of Joseph. Here's a reversal of the truth. That's in Micah 3, verse 2. That's for those who hate the good, or something like that around us. Hate the good and love the evil. Who put off their skin to nothing and their flesh from off their bones. That's just a reversal of truth. Another verse in that, Hebrews 1, verse 9. Thou hast loved righteousness. and hated iniquity. Therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of lightness, and filled thy face. That's the power of the word. Then, verse 10, final verse. Let's say it together. Be kind to one another in honor of preferring one another. In brotherhood of honor with preferring, one another. Brotherly love, for instance, 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 9. And it's touching brotherly love. I need not that I write on time. These Thessalonians knew what that was all about, the final brotherly love. He, yourselves, are taught of God to love one another properly, brotherly love. And then Hebrews 13, verse 1. Let brotherly love continue. Brotherly Christian love continue. So this is what Paul wanted them to look forward to. This is what they wanted to work out and follow. Love and Christian faith, the things of the Lord. And let them make their bodies answer to the Lord continuously. good testimonies, and not only what Brother Rucker gave, but all the other things, the doctrine of the faith, the things that concern us properly. And as the scripture says, we have to live our lives continuously and forcefully and lovingly with the Lord. And give ourselves, not necessarily dying, but living It lies at peace with all ways and all things. That's close. I don't know the word. I don't know the word, but... We thank Thee, Lord, that Thy words are clear. We thank Thee that Thou hast given us the scriptures here in Romans 12, and we should obey. Help us to love our neighbors. Help us to love our own wives and children, fellow believers in Christ. Help us to be sincere in all that we do and say. Help us in our church and ministry to be faithful and true, and continuous, and serve Thee. Many martyrs were killed in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament. Help us to love with sincerity the truth, and in our bodies, may we give ourselves continuously to the love of our Savior, who died to love us and be Himself for us.