Give me a true Token (Quality: Good)

[0:00] I am not entirely on the Lord for his help.

[0:12] I ask your attention to the second chapter of the book of Joshua and I'll read verse 12. The second chapter of the book of Joshua and I'll read verse 12.

[0:29] Now therefore I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have showed you kindness, that you will also show kindness unto my father's house and give me a true token.

[0:47] Now therefore I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have showed you kindness, that you will also show kindness unto my father's house and give me a true token.

[1:07] Those last six words is the text. It seemed to me as I was able to meditate a little that it seemed so important to this dear woman.

[1:31] She didn't want a token, she wanted a true token. That seems to me to emphasize the need that was upon her spirit in the question that she, in the word that she brought before these two men.

[1:50] that true token was of course that her life was spared, that of her father and mother and her brothers and sisters, and all that they have shall be spared.

[2:04] that when Joshua and Israel shall defeat Jericho and the people of Jericho, that they shall be spared from those, from that destruction.

[2:20] Now, there was to be done something which would have no effect upon anyone else.

[2:33] That is that to distinguish and to determine the house where these people shall dwell, there was to be this scarlet cord.

[2:47] And we read in the closing verses, Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window.

[2:59] And of course, as we also read, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed, and she bound the scarlet line in the window.

[3:13] Throughout the Old Testament, The Holy Spirit is pleased to use types and shadows. The purposes of God are to be seen, and to be understood by the children of God, by types and shadows in those days.

[3:35] And we have, even in those descriptions of the scarlet cord, a description of the, not only of the person of Christ, the scarlet line, not only the person of Christ, but of Christ's precious blood.

[3:56] I've never been one to argue against what seems to be little things. If the Lord puts matters in the word of God, that is sufficient for me.

[4:11] Why wasn't it any other color? Why was it got a color on it at all? It was a cord which said, she had let down these two men out of the window, and down the town wall, as it says in the 15th verse.

[4:27] It was the means of their escape, but it was also the means that they shall be, these people in this house shall be delivered from destruction.

[4:39] The scarlet cord, and there's no other deliverance. Now, history is interesting, and as you may have revealed to you, the matters which lie beneath these words, and are deep beneath these words, we would leave history behind, and go on to try to speak of what these true tokens are to God's people.

[5:13] It's sufficient to say this also, this woman who is known as a harlot, whose name was Rahab, she is among the faithful.

[5:26] If you read in Hebrews, that account in the 11th chapter of the Hebrews, she is among the faithful that is recorded there. Now, the subject, and give me a true token.

[5:48] Once more, it isn't collective, it is personal. Once more, it is a reminder that you and I must have something personal from the Lord.

[5:59] it is not hiding behind a company of people, or we are members of this denomination, or that. It is me, and give me a true token.

[6:14] it is something that you can't take yourself, it is something that you can't arrive at yourself, it is something that must be given, and if you and I are those who fear the Lord, we shall know where to look for that true token.

[6:36] It will be as it was with Rahab, it will be the cry of our heart, because without a true token, we shall be deceived, and with being deceived, we shall be destroyed.

[6:50] There's no two ways about it, my friends. If you and I are in the possession of a true token, we cannot be destroyed, but without it, my friends, you'll be found wanting in that great day.

[7:07] So you see, and I hope you do, and I hope you feel it, as I feel it this moment, the necessity of a true token, and I believe there's a difference, and I'm not going to try to distinguish between, without too much trouble anyway, to distinguish between the letter and the possession of things.

[7:35] Tokens, my friends, are very, very necessary, very necessary, but true tokens are essential. True tokens in religion are essential. You know what that man wrote when he wrote that lovely hymn?

[7:49] It is a point I long to know. Oft it causes anxious thought. Do I love the Lord or no? Am I his? Or am I not?

[8:00] Where was he looking to? Well, he could have gone and looked in the church book if he wanted to, to those things that were written of him there. He could have gone to his hymns that he wrote. He could have turned to his profession or to his ministry.

[8:17] Not so. Not so. John Newton looked up to glory, and that's where his token was to come from, and to give me a true token. And you and I will not be satisfied if we are gracious from any source, from any place, from any part or person, my friends, respecting our standing or our position or our membership or whatever in the things of God, but from God himself.

[8:47] That is where the true token shall come from. And I go back for a second to what I said before, how necessary was this true token? It emphasizes the very words itself is sufficient to, with weight and with burden upon one's spirit.

[9:05] My friends, it isn't just a token, it's a true token. And why do you want just a true token, you say? Because people have been left to be deceived, that's why.

[9:18] God will never deceive a sinner. God will never deceive his people. We may deceive others and others and others may deceive us, my friends, but God will never do so.

[9:30] In his possession is these tokens. And these true tokens must come from heaven. And it is these true tokens that the people of God want.

[9:42] And he says, this is the cry of their heart, the subject of their prayer, it is the purpose of their drawing near to the mercy seat, it is in the attendance of God's house, it is their walk and pathway here below, this exercise, a true token.

[10:02] And it is by the eye of faith that they look up unto the gracious God in glory for it. Well, the true token then for the dear woman was to be known by the scarlet cord, scarlet line that was bound in the window.

[10:25] It determined where she was and who dwelt with her and under the safety of that scarlet line she remained.

[10:37] You remember, we must just say this. Behold, when we come into the land I shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by and I shall bring thy father and thy mother and thy brother and all thy father's household home unto thee and it shall be that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street his blood shall be upon his head and we shall be guiltless and whosoever shall be with thee in the house his blood shall be on our head if any hand be upon him.

[11:16] how important that scarlet thread was. Just for a moment how important. Whilst they were in the house they were safe and the scarlet thread distinguished the place where they were and the token was given in compliance to and in total dependence on that scarlet thread because they were they were absolved of their promise if any that were in that house were not found at the time of the destruction of Jericho.

[12:00] It took me to Exodus 12 in Exodus 12 Israel were in their houses and it was a Passover night it was a time when the destroying angels shall pass over Egypt and destroy the firstborn but God gave to Israel a token and they were under that token again in the same authority in the same compliance to the truth that Moses the man of God ordered that they were to stay indoors that night their safety stood in their staying indoors and what was the token the blood that was the token the safety the security of the people of Israel was because they were under that blood and the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are and when I see the blood

[13:14] I will pass over you now it may be that someone I feel it may be so that someone has come to chapel asking for a true token I would seek that you may look up to glory for that token you won't find it down my friends anywhere else it's got to come from heaven it's no good somebody looking at their profession and say well now there's the token I've been so many years in the church or looking at their life and saying well all the years of my life I've met in the chapel under the truth so are thousands of people but the true token for salvation security safety and heaven itself God will give my friends it isn't something that he withholds from his people it's something that he will indeed apply to them bring them into the possession of it make them to feel the enjoyment of it and to glorify his glorious name because of it but it is this exercise that we want to come to before the

[14:33] Lord shall grant it my friends he will put you and I into the exercise and you will pray for this dear woman as this dear woman said and give me a true token you will remember of course because of the hymn that we sang that in David's 86th Psalm he also asked for a token he asked his God for a token now there was a reason for his asking or there was a purpose in our as we would rightly describe it in his spirit show me a token for good that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast opened me and comforted me now this is one of the exercises of the people of God why is it that they need a true token what put the cry in their heart why couldn't this woman just trust why couldn't they say well we believe your

[15:41] God as she did indeed say we believe your God has given you the land of Canaan we believe that as he delivered you from the waters of the Red Sea as he delivered the kings of the Amorites on the other side Jordan and so on well that that's sufficient she was very strong in these things as she said as soon as we heard these things our hearts did melt neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you for the Lord your God he is God in heaven above and in earth beneath but why didn't she just trust him or trust these two men because my friends life hung upon the token her life and the life of her parents her brothers and sisters and all that belong to them hung upon that true token and give me a true token rest in short my friends or whatever you rest upon you will rest short but you will never rest short if you have this seal upon your heart and that seal is from the

[16:51] Lord himself this true token but the desire for it let's just go back a moment the desire for it why do you need it why do you need it why aren't you just content with coming and going it's too much at stake my friends that's why soul is at stake isn't it the peace of your conscience is at stake your eternal destination is in dispute without this token an interest in the saviour's blood as we sang very recently in 1085 is at stake as it were everything that is real is at stake it is in doubtful consideration doubts and fears alternate rise you know that my friends and it is the reason for that it is also because of the enemy as we read in the 86th psalm show me a token for good that they that hate me may be ashamed those who that is that that is who is the enemy of the people of god satan and again your own evil heart the doubts and fears that come from your old nature and satan distressing and troubling you and causing you to question your hope you lose sight of the comfort and the enjoyment that you have once had seasons of darkness have come upon your spirit promises and blessings of yesteryears would have seemed to be out of sight and therefore their comfort not felt how many of the lord's people have you heard say well in those days it was such a sweet time but though i can remember the words that the lord spoke into my soul i can't i can't seem to still claim the feeling the sweetness or the love that flowed in my heart unto the person of christ they've not forgot the words but the power seems to have gone and when the power is gone there's no effect and so they can look back and therefore comes from the old nature that we live with and carry about with us well there's doubts and fears that rise was it true well these words that i imagined you know you can learn the hymn book as you do over the many years that you worship in the house of the lord and you can learn the hymn books and these lovely hymns and some of them come back to us and satan said oh but you've only just remembered that it was something that dropped into the memory you know people talk about past things appearing you you you are reminded because of this or that and it and it jogs the memory and it brings back a word that you learnt when you was younger or that it remains in your memory and so the attack comes on and from various quarters and then you begin to doubt lots of things as we repeat the words of john newton am i his or am i not it gets down to bedrock truth and the desire therefore is found by a child of grace who is under the assault of the enemy under the temptations of satan with all his doubts and fears that bring us into distress well is it real what we've got is there truly a god in heaven who sent his only begotten son into the world to save sinners and those blessings and times and seasons past that i'd enjoyed and rejoiced in and walked in were they tokens from the lord or not were they just the emotions of the mind or the remembrances of the promises you know if you suffer with emotion well you might put down your religion to emotion or you might put down the melting of your heart to emotion and you would steal the glory from the

[20:52] holy ghost and so with all these things the cry my friends the lord must put it right the lord must ever put these things right it won't come any other way if you desire to know these things if your heart is in such a state and condition this morning that it's only a true token we'll put it right and that my friends you'll seek for and give me give me oh it's not because of this i must be oh it's not because of this i therefore have that confidence that i'm amongst god's children that i don't do what i used to do that's no that's no grounds of grace my friends that i don't do the things i used to enjoy to do in those long days of unregeneracy that's no token of grace you might say my friends how essential is this token you go for a moment into the last into the new testament and what we heard what we read here on wednesday night in that 24th chapter of luke there were things that were in question the death of christ and the resurrection of christ i i believe that it is rightly to say this you know my friends it's not that satan will not question you on the denomination that you worship amongst but satan will question you or distress you or tempt you upon the bedrock truth that is preached and that's what he'll question you on that's what he'll distress you on and he'll cause you into despair if you could on those essential foundation truths those two men that we read of wednesday night here were questioning as i've often said the very necessity and the very strength that lies in the powers of god in christ towards his people his death and his resurrection and as we read together those words from the 24th chapter we came to those words of those two men did not our heart burn within us as he spoke with us by the way and one must understand by that feeling it was well it was music to their ears it was comfort to their soul it was confirmations of what they had believed in it was the sweet words of christ who preached into their hearts and spoke as never man spoke and there was the token this was the true token beginning at moses and the prophets he spoke to them the things concerning himself my friend they had a true token and from the lips of the person of christ and of course on top of that there was this revelation of him their eyes were whole and while they walked with him when they sat with him when they partook of what he partook of their eyes were opened and they knew him and there was the token there was the token you couldn't doubt then you wouldn't get them people questioning the resurrection and the death after that would you why not because they said we've seen the

[24:35] Lord and there's the token my friends there is the true token it doesn't matter what anybody told them it's just like Thomas that apostle disciple well he's got a tag hasn't he we call him doubting Thomas but you know what he wanted was a true token and nothing else was sat beside that poor man I wouldn't condone him for his doubts and fears neither would I condemn him for his doubts and fears either but his heart was in the right place my friends and his insistence was in the right place it wasn't as if what they said was anything like anything less than the truth of course it wasn't but he wanted to see him himself and he had the true token then that's what he had my friends except I see in his hands the print of the nails and thrust my fingers into the print of the nails and my hand into his side

[25:37] I will not believe oh condemn him if you will for his unbelief you don't know your own heart if you do but my friends God the Lord Jesus Christ didn't condemn him he didn't condemn him he showed him his hands and his side he showed him what he wanted to see he had a true token this was the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and give me a true token where do we begin my friends the Lord only knows your hearts what token you want if it comes in those words am I his or am I not I want you to say this may the Lord so impress this on your spirit my friends the very matter of your soul to seek a token from the

[26:38] Lord a true token is the evidence of spiritual life now that's not my words my friends I say it because I know it's true you wouldn't be concerned with a true token if you was not a living soul you wouldn't concern yourself with the possibility of being deceived you wouldn't be troubled by Satan's temptations you wouldn't be tempted if you was not of Christ but because Christ's people have a body of sin and death and because they walk through a world of sin and woe because they've got Satan now as their enemy as God as their friend and grace in their soul they do from time to time seek him for this true token because of the opposition that lies within and the opposition that lies without my friends do you doubt the pathway that you walk do you wonder whether it's right that you should be found I'm talking to myself as much as to anyone here you come into doubts whether you're in the right place in the right walk and pathway you know some people say it don't matter when you go to chapel if you sit under the truth or you can sit under the truth here or you can sit under it somewhere else it's still the truth it matters not my friends to the unregenerate and the careless it matters immensely to the people of God because you can sit under the truth and be in the wrong place now my friends that doesn't that's not hard my friends you want to be where the

[28:17] Lord is and you'll want to be where the Lord will bless it said in prayer of dear Jacob under Bethel by revelation and by visitation that man knew the place where he was to be none other than the house of God and the gate of heaven that's what you'll want is not going to chapel my friends in a child of God's existence spiritual existence is not going to chapel that is the burden my friends it's the Lord's blessing in that place and he'll bless you in that place where he'll have you to be and give me a true token and I believe this too my friends that the Lord will search out his people lest they should careless grow lest they should come and go with indifferent spirits that sort of sleepy contentment that

[29:19] God's people sometimes fall into I suppose I've told you this before but it comes back to me in 1981 we moved here in July and I felt to be in complete need of the Lord to appear within a few days or weeks perhaps I felt I must have the Lord's approbation it seemed to be it was in doubt in my mind I believe the steps were ordered and I do today but I was for a few days in a place where I needed the Lord I had to ask the Lord show me why show me why Lord that I'm not sitting at my cause of truth amongst those I love at Hanover Tombridge Wells why am I here what is the purpose of it and the Lord showed me in a few days clear as crystal

[30:20] I've never doubted it since though at times it's sorely tried and give me a true token now the subjects of sonship the subjects of being amongst the people of God you know how easy my friends religion forms on some people and they can talk religion and imbibe it and argue it and so on but a true gracious God taught soul you know will see the to see it also as that it's possible to be in all those places and situations in religion and be deceived a child of God will desire this word from the Lord a word from the Lord to confirm that he is a child of God and he'll fear less it's all just company and it's all just gathering together he'll fear whether he's got just a religious nature and nothing in his soul that he's still dead in trespasses and sins though highly religious in his old nature it's

[31:43] I was going to say I've no use to argue with such a person as to their exercises and burdens these in themselves are as I said just now are evidences of a true token do you know my friends the Lord who begins to deal with his people must confirm his people in the way as amongst his people they shall be found and I'll seek from the Lord a token of their sonship am I his or am I not I keep repeating those words my friends and their cry will be unto the Lord that he will show them indisputably show them that there's no dispute there's no doubt that there's nothing can overthrow it either and may the Lord speak a word in season to the soul if they're in such places in the third of the revelation the Lord Jesus spoke of a church and he said this

[32:47] I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it and when the Lord speaks in positive words of confirmation my friends there is the true token there is the true token the very fact is of course to pray in soul graciously a praying soul I mean has the true token it's often said it's an expression we use you know I suppose we've all heard it that sheep can't see the mark on their own back but nevertheless does she and it is only my friends in the people of God's experience when the Lord speaks into the heart and reveals to them their exercises and their burdens why should they be seeking why should they be concerned why should they be burdened with sin and sorrow over sin why should they be concerned with their soul's eternal welfare why should they be troubled about hell and heaven why should they wonder where they're going to live after death my friends if they weren't a living soul dead souls are not concerned you talk to the world and when life is extinct then everything is extinct according to them it's a total darkness and that's it and it's like switching a light off my friends it is not so and you know it but the very truth of your exercise the very burden of your soul over your sin and over the Lord's condemnation against sin and the fear that he will send you to where hope and mercy can never come my friends is the evidence of the token a lot of people talk about negative evidence I don't believe there are negative evidences my friends you wouldn't worry about your sin if you weren't a sinner you wouldn't plead for the precious blood to be applied if you wasn't in your own eyes in need of washing you wouldn't want to seek for the person of Christ my friends if the world was still in your heart and give me a true token and then my friends what are the prayers of the people of

[35:13] God those that are offered in the name of Jesus Christ has he laid a burden on you that you've got to pray over has he made you cry in the night seasons sometimes by reason of the burden laid upon your spirit my friends those blessed answers of prayer those oh you're saying but I'm still waiting why are you still waiting why don't you just give up waiting you can't do that if you're a child of God it's determined by some people that we shan't have this because he doesn't come my friends that's found in every nature in the old nature that we have isn't it Satan will say well you're obviously not going to have the blessing in Zohar so you might as well give up praying for him well my friends when Satan tries the spirit of a child of God you know then it's wrong and you know he's the prince of liars but there is this wrestling prayer there's this waiting on the Lord this seeking from the Lord my friends you can't stop a child of God seeking

[36:23] Satan will try to do so and he may even hinder the work of grace but he'll never overthrow it it's a power beyond him but we must close now therefore I pray you swear unto me by the Lord since I have showed you kindness that you will also show kindness unto my father's house and give me a true token amen we notice this is as follows god willing there's a prayer meeting Wednesday and Mr.

[37:01] Crane is expected to preach next Lord's day and also on the following Wednesday the 26th of May the closing hymn 772 Christ is the keeper of his saints he guards them by his power subdues their numerous complaints in every gloomy hour what though they fear each dreaded arm tried and severely tossed held by the saviour's mighty arm none none can e'er be lost hymn 772 khác leAS say yeah speres soy

[38:35] Nazareth Daniel God manifestaaa Neces zehn There will not reign John 7 Ten Issureh operations Yeah, yeah.

[39:41] Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

[39:57] Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Shalom.

[40:35] O God, I will not hold me on the same day.

[40:48] Let us pray.

[41:18] Let us pray.

[41:48] Let us pray.

[42:18] Let us pray.

[42:48] Let us pray. Let us pray. Let us pray. Let us pray. And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship, communion of the Holy Spirit remain with us each, both now and forever. Amen.