Zechariah

[0:00] May the Lord help us commence this evening service by singing hymn 888, tune 555.

[0:11] No wit or will of man, or learning he may boast, no power of reason can draw sinners unto Christ.

[0:22] So fallen is nature, such her flaw, none come except the Father draw. Hymn 888, tune 555.

[0:52] Hymn 888, tune 555.

[1:22] Hymn 888, tune 555. Hymn 888, tune 565. Come to Christ Sing this nature Such a glory And come make sin The love of God The earth's glory The same Jesus so The dayus The day of the day And we toých O our halls father glows All our hearts

[2:27] And show them And hope's safe And in the sun And we stay We are grateful That Jesus is And we are grateful And we are grateful That Jesus is And we are grateful That Savior's Tired and small And with conviction

[3:30] We reach To the Lord And we are grateful That Jesus is And we are grateful And we are grateful And we are grateful Thank you.

[4:21] Thank you.

[4:51] Thank you.

[5:21] Thank you. Thank you.

[6:21] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[6:33] Thank you. I'll read this evening three portions from the Word of God, commencing with Psalm 91. 91.

[6:46]

[9:16] I satisfy him and show him my salvation. Now Psalm 121. I will lift up mine eyes under the hills, from whence cometh my hell.

[9:35] My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer, thy foot to be moved. He that keepeth thee will not slumber.

[9:50] For he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper.

[10:01] The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil.

[10:15] He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and even forevermore.

[10:31] Now we will turn to Paul's epistle to the Ephesians and the last chapter. Paul's epistle to the Ephesians chapter 6.

[10:47] Commencing to read at verse 10. Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

[11:01] Put on the whole armour of God. That ye may be able to stand against the walls of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood.

[11:15] But against principalities. Against powers. Against the rulers. Of the darkness of this world. Against spiritual wickedness.

[11:28] In high places. Therefore take unto you the whole armour of God. That ye may be able to withstand in evil day.

[11:41] And having done all to stand. Stand therefore having your loins go to bait with truth. And having on the breastplate of righteousness.

[11:52] And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all taking the shield of faith.

[12:05] And with you shall be able to quench. All the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation.

[12:16] And the sword of the spirit. And the sword of the spirit. Which is the word of God. Praying always. With all prayer and supplication in the spirit.

[12:29] And watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication. For all saints. And for me that utterance may be given unto me.

[12:40] That I may open my mouth boldly. To make known the mystery of the gospel. For which. For which.

[12:51] I am an ambassador in bonds. Therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. But that ye also may know my affairs.

[13:04] And how I do. To Chichikis the beloved brother. And faithful minister in the Lord. Shall make known. To you all things. Who I have sent unto you for the same purpose.

[13:18] That ye might know our affairs. That he might comfort your hearts. Peace. Be to the brethren and love with faith.

[13:30] From God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace. Be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

[13:43] Dear Lord we come to thee. We are.

[13:55] Utterly dependent upon thee. As we approach thy mercy. See grant. A spirit of prayer this night. We seek dear Lord. That thy kingdom may come.

[14:08] That thy will may be done in earth as it is in heaven. In heaven. We pray thou Jews. The foolishness of preaching. To the accomplishment. Of thy divine purposes.

[14:24] In the feeding of thy flock. The gathering out of thy family. Out of nature's darkness. Of the darkness. Lord in that.

[14:35] In that. Work of the spirit. That. Miracle of grace. That there may be. That there may be. Fruit. To thine honour and glory.

[14:49] That thy great and holy name. Might have all the praise. May have all the praise. We pray. That power may attend the word. Even the power of the Holy Spirit of truth.

[15:01] That thy word may have recourse. That thy word may have recourse. And be glorified. That a hearing ear may be given.

[15:13] That a good seed may be sown in good ground. Bring forth fruit. In thy own ordered time and way. Lord we seek the work of thy spirit.

[15:24] That one day. In thy own divine time and purpose. There may be a harvest. We watch. As one by one. Those that we have known and loved. In the bonds of the gospel. Are taken from time into eternity.

[15:37] We watch. As one by one. Those that we have known and loved. In the bonds of the gospel. Are taken from time into eternity. Are taken from time into eternity.

[15:49] Knowing Lord. That. Each one of us. That one day pass that way. And oh gracious God. We seek. To be in possession.

[16:02] Of those things. Which will remain. Those things which cannot be taken from. That.

[16:13] Which is thy word. O come Holy Spirit. And speak in the hearts of the hearers. With divine power. May thy holy word.

[16:26] Find a resting place. In their soul. May it even mark. Never to be forgotten. May thy work be carried on.

[16:39] As there has promised it will be. I will work. And who shall let it. Lord. Thine is in a low place. A very low place. Yet. We thank thee. That thou hast not left us. Thou remainest. Thou changest not.

[16:50] We thank thee. That thou hast not left us. Thou remainest. Thou changest not. Thou changest not. But Lord. We pray. That thou hast work.

[17:01] In the church. In the hearts of the hearers. Work in the hearts of the hearers. Work by thy spirit in this place. We will be conscious of the mercy. In the church. Lord. In the work of thy spirit. The gathering in. Lord.

[17:11] We will be conscious of the mercy. In the church. Lord. In the work of thy spirit. In the church. Lord. In the work of thy spirit. The gathering in. Lord. We see. That thou hast work again.

[17:23] And again. That there may be that. Which shall be brought to fruition. In thy own time and way. Gracious exercise. Constraining power. In the soul. The work of thy Holy Spirit. Lord. That.

[17:34] Thy name. I be honored and glorified. That there may be. As we have known in this place. In generations past. Witnessed it here. And so many. Taken to God. In the work of thy spirit. That there may be.

[17:45] That there may be that. Which shall be brought to fruition. In thy own time and way. Gracious exercise. Constraining power. In the soul. The work of thy Holy Spirit. Lord. That thy name. That thy name.

[17:56] I be honored and glorified. That there may be. So many. Taken to glory. They were led. They were fed. They were taught by thee. They were established in the truth.

[18:09] They grew in grace. And in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Their Lord. Tribulation was sanctified. They profited from it. Their Lord.

[18:21] Thou didst perfect them. In thy own time and way. And prepare them for glory. Sanctify. The pathway to them. And Lord. We pray for the young here.

[18:34] As we watch them. And have watched them over the years. That thou is work in their hearts. And in thy own order. Time and way.

[18:45] For Lord. There has divine purposes. And set time. Then there is a set time. To favour Zion. In accordance with thy own.

[18:57] Divine will. Divine will. And we pray Lord. That thou would favour Zion here. With thy dear brother at the death. Help him. In the responsibilities of the church.

[19:10] Lord. We have watched his pathway. Lord. Lord. We pray. That thou would support. And sustain him. In felt weakness. And in his need.

[19:21] And oh. Grant him answers to his prayers. And his love for this place. That he has known throughout his life. Lord. We pray. That thou would sustain him. In his loved ones.

[19:32] And oh. Look down upon the preaching of the gospel here. Lord. Oh. May there be. The anointing of thy spirit. As thy servants come and go. May scripture be fulfilled.

[19:45] Paul may sow. And a polished water. For God give it the increase. Dear Lord. What we pray for Zion. Here we pray for Zion.

[19:56] In our land. That seest how low the churches are come. For gracious God. We believe there is a following generation. Growing up.

[20:07] About her. Those in whose hearts. Thou hast. Planted thy truth. We pray. Gracious God. That. They may be used in thy own order. At time and away.

[20:18] Made a benefit. And a blessing in Zion. That there may yet be. A generation raised up. To serve thee.

[20:29] And to call the redeemer blessed. As I say. Or look down upon all thy sins. So. We thank thee for sending young ones. Into the. Ministry of thy holy word.

[20:40] Lord. We pray. That. That be to each one of them. All they stand in need of. They will find that.

[20:51] Every time they stand up. In thy holy name. Their need will be greater. The feeling of weakness greater. The feeling of weakness greater. But Lord. Thou art faithful.

[21:02] Thou changest not. And all we pray for grace. For being able to trust in thee. At all times. To pour out our heart before thee.

[21:14] Be to us. And each of thy servants. All that they stand in need of. In need of. May they prove the sweetness. Of the truth. My grace.

[21:25] Is sufficient for thee. For my strength is made perfect in weakness. And dear Lord. We pray thee. That thou would send other neighbours. Into thy vineyard.

[21:36] To have in young. Those whom thou hast eternally ordained. To the world. Those who may carry this.

[21:47] Burden of the word of the Lord. And feel. That they may never go. So unfair. So unable.

[22:00] But Lord. When thou wouldst. Send the man. Thou wouldst bless his labour. Strengthen him. Support and uphold him.

[22:11] Dear Lord. We pray. In this solemn time. In which we are living. That thou wouldst uphold. And support. Thy dear servant. And send forth others. In thy own ordered time. And way.

[22:24] Dear Lord. Look down. We pray thee. Upon the prodigals. That have gone out. We never forget them. Dear Lord.

[22:36] Put forth thy mighty power. Manifested. In returning prodigals. In the churches. We live to witness. So many go out.

[22:47] From the churches. Turned from Zion's way. And yet. Lord. They were able. To bring them back.

[22:58] And we pray. That thou wouldst manifest. Thy power. In returning prodigal. That they may be given.

[23:09] In their hearts. The solemn realisation. Of the husks. Of the swine. To the swine. To the swine. To the swine.

[23:20] To the husks. Of this world. The husks. Of false religion. That which will not stand. In that great day. And they may turn again.

[23:31] To their father's house. To their father's God. To the throne of grace. To the preaching of the gospel. To be gathered. Into the churches.

[23:42] In order. To the well persuaded. Returning prodigals. When brought back. By thy spirit. Are the strength. Of the churches. For they know.

[23:55] Where they have been. They know how they have returned. They know why they have returned. They know why they have returned. They know the power. That has brought them back. Lord build up Zion.

[24:07] Or establish her. We live. In days. Of prosperity. Material prosperity.

[24:18] We live in days. Of spiritual death. Thy hand is not shortened. It cannot save.

[24:29] And neither is thy near heavy. That it cannot hear. But our sins have come. Between us and our God. For our sins have come. For our sins have come. Dear Lord. We have nothing to bring to thee.

[24:40] And much to mourn over. Wilderness. Kindality. Over much taken up. With the things of this world. But all in they.

[24:52] To sanctify tribulations. How they bring us close to thee. How they bring us close to thee. We pray in Zion. That thou would sanctify tribulations. That they may come forth.

[25:06] From their tribulation. Bettered by the cross. That it may leave in their hearts. A lasting effect. Never to be forgotten.

[25:18] Never to be forgotten. Separation from this world. And the following. Hard after thee. For thy dear people. In sickness and affliction.

[25:30] Age and infirmity. Weakness of mind and body. Bereavement. And many of thy dear children. Are walking in sorrow. But gracious God.

[25:43] It is the path thou hast promised thy church. Through much tribulation. Ye shall enter the kingdom. The dear Lord we pray. That may be entering into the truth.

[25:58] Tribulation work is patience. And patience experience. And experience hope. And hope make us not ashamed.

[26:09] Because the love of Christ. Is shared abroad in the heart. Dear Lord grant. In the churches. A spirit of prayer. A spirit of wrestling prayer.

[26:21] That the arms of thy servants. May be upheld. We are living in solemn times. And the claims of persecution. Are drawing near to us.

[26:33] Are all abate us. And the enemy of souls. Goes abate us. A roaring lion. And Lord we are defenseless. We are no match for him.

[26:46] He knows our every weakness. He is the tempter. And Lord he fires those fiery darts.

[26:57] Into the heart. Into the heart. We wrestle not against flesh and blood. But against principalities. Against power.

[27:08] Against the rulers of darkness. Of this world. Against spiritual wickedness. In high places. And thou hast counseled us. As you have read in thy word this night.

[27:20] To take unto us. The whole armour of God. To take unto us. The whole armour of God. Oh may we be enabled to do it. Taught by thy spirit. Established in the truth.

[27:31] Brought to thy mercy see. Having a shield of faith. The helmet of salvation. The sword of the spirit.

[27:43] Which is the word of God. O speak in our heart. Grant to us. Each. Those exceeding great.

[27:54] And precious promises. That we may have. A sword of the spirit. And be able to say to thee. Lord. That thou say.

[28:06] Dear Lord. We pray for this nation at this time. Now. Thou seest. The heathen darkness.

[28:17] Thou seest. Lord. The great falling away. Thou seest. The godlessness. The abandonment of thy holy law.

[28:29] The total desecration of thy holy die. The people are but a tiny remnant. They despise. The enemy rises up.

[28:40] And Lord. We see in our land. Great darkness. The young grow up. In the midst of it. And all thy people are becoming marked. More and more. They're becoming a small minority.

[28:51] Dear Lord. We pray. We may be given grace. To stand in this evil day. And having done all to stand. To stand. Oh may we have. By thy. Thy. Thy. Thy.

[29:02] Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy.

[29:13] Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy.

[29:24] Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy. Thy.

[29:35] Thy. Thy.

[29:49] Thy. in this nation. We approach this coming election. Corruption in high places we have witnessed.

[30:02] Great evils. We've seen the love of money. Oh, we pray, Lord, that those raise up God-fearing men in our National Assembly and Parliament.

[30:18] Upright men, men of integrity, to be thy sovereign will. Oh, this nation deserves thy wrath and thy judgment.

[30:31] We believe we are under thy judgment, solemnly under them. Gracious God, we pray, that thou have mercy upon us.

[30:44] Oh, in wrath, which thou remember mercy. One said, turn us again. We shall return. Turn this guilty land, Lord, to thy holy word, thy holy law, thy holy day.

[31:03] and all grant an outpouring of thy spirit upon the preaching of the gospel.

[31:15] Bless the spread of thy holy word. O Lord, O Lord, this nation now has abandoned thy holy word. O gracious God, we pray, that thou was drawn to you and do what thou hast in generations past, grant an awakening.

[31:39] We pray for those in authority over us, the Queen, the heir to the throne, the Prime Minister, his Cabinet, our Parliament.

[31:52] Dear Lord, thou hast counseled us to pray for those in authority over us. We see, dear Lord, in the coming day, thou hast had mercy upon us, preserve to us our national sovereignty, preserve to us our Protestant Reformed heritage and Constitution, all in serious attack upon them.

[32:16] For our liberties, Lord, are slipping away from us. Reserve to us our freedom of worship, freedom of speech.

[32:27] O have mercy upon us. Come on us now, Lord, this night. We come to thee and seek thy faith. And seek, Lord, thou hast remembered.

[32:42] Once again, we seek the power of thy Spirit to rest upon the foolishness of preaching. Lord, touch our lips that I have called from thy heavenly altar.

[32:54] Grant that thy dear people may feed upon thy word. Fill our earth and vessel as we would seek to commit all into thy dear hand.

[33:05] thanking thee, Lord, for every mercy and blessing. At least thy holy word and a desire to be found in thy house.

[33:20] O feed us then with the bread of heaven. Apply thy word in the heart. We ask it for Christ's sake.

[33:33] Amen. Hymn 769, tune 681.

[33:57] Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, o'er the billows steer me, be my pilot in each storm. Hold me fast and keep me near thee, for thou knowest I'm but a worm what concerns me by thy power and love perform.

[34:18] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Hymn 769, tune 681.

[34:42] Amen. Amen. Jesus, Lord, everyfat, brou 2016, have you seen me, be my pilot every falou.

[35:06] Amen. Amen. Holy, Pastor, give me love For their Heil sheep come, Oh Oh Oh

[37:00] Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Thank you.

[38:30] Thank you.

[39:00] Thank you.

[39:30] Thank you. Thank you.

[40:02] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[40:14] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[40:26] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[40:38] Thank you. Thank you. his dear church was to keep them and protect them.

[40:50] I was reminded of the prophet Elisha at Dothan. He said he was besieged and surrounded.

[41:04] And he was stood there with the young man. The young man's reaction was what shall we do? And the prophet's prayer was this, open the young man's eye.

[41:19] The Lord did. And he had such a sight of the protecting angels of God surrounding that city.

[41:34] Blessed mercy went in our own heart and life we're brought to realize our danger and have a sight of God's watchful care over us.

[41:55] He's protecting mercy. This wall of fire ran the bay. There's another aspect of this wall of fire and that's it. Protect us from ourselves.

[42:06] evil of our own hearts. The tempter works upon our fallen nature.

[42:20] He fires those fiery darts into our hearts. He would set the place of lies with temptation. temptation. And scripture has solemn examples of this.

[42:40] The ray dawn of creation and he tempted Eve and they both fell. But a solemn work was the work of the adversary.

[42:56] He came with those words hath God said casting down on God's word and God had prepared a wall of fire round the bay Adam and Eve and we read of it in that opening chapter of Genesis the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head.

[43:38] There was to be an unseen protector yet ever at hand. The Lord had divine purposes to protect his people from total destruction.

[43:51] They be cast into hell and he had prepared this blessed wall of fire round about them. A saviour.

[44:04] Divine purposes in election. The spirit of truth to go forth. To bring them to a knowledge of themselves and a knowledge of himself.

[44:20] and to make them solemnly aware of their danger. The dangers of their own fallen nature in league with hell and the solemn danger of being cast into eternal darkness forever.

[44:39] And bring them to fill their need of a saviour, a protector. one who would keep them.

[44:55] The Lord has promised here that to his dear church be a wall of fire. He has come here into this earth to do battle with the adversary of souls.

[45:14] He has come here to be that mediator between God and man. That healer of the breach.

[45:26] He has come here to protect his dear people from the wrath of his father against their sin. A broken holy law is the Lord to you a wall of fire.

[45:51] Do you dwell as we read this evening in the secret place of the Most High? Is he your refuge? Had he not kept you?

[46:11] We all have our besetting sins and temptations. which varied amongst each one of us. We know them. We know our danger.

[46:24] We know what these fiery darts of the wicked one are. A solemn and awful reality. He is a bitter foe. He would cast our souls into hell.

[46:38] God. It is a solemn matter to do battle with him. We shall realize that left to ourselves, without the divine help of God, we shall fall.

[46:59] So many solemnly fall. I think at this moment of Judas, numbered with the twelve, sat down for the last supper, solemnly went out and betrayed his master.

[47:20] Went and hanged himself, repented for what he'd done, but it was a solemn repentance. Peter, what was his weakness?

[47:37] Over confidence. Confidence in himself. Pride. I'll go with even unto death. Now he is a case of a wall of fire round about him.

[47:53] And we see one of the aspects of it, that is this. I have prayed for thee. Oh, the Lord was to him. He saw what was going to happen, the Lord did.

[48:07] He knew what he was going to do. He warned him. Self-confidence had to be removed. And the Lord watched over him while he denied his Lord with oaths and curses and curses to his foe.

[48:34] The adversary. Satan has desired to have thee, that he may sift thee as wheat. What a solemn expression. Left, we would be sifted as wheat.

[48:51] the apostle Paul in that chapter we read in Ephesians had a sight of the enemy, of soul.

[49:07] He knows where to fire those fiery darks, the wicked one. He had a measure of his power.

[49:17] blood. We wrestle not against flesh and blood. It's not humanity.

[49:31] It's not men and women who are the danger. It's not those about us. But we wrestle. And he speaks of it here in this chapter.

[49:47] We wrestle, he says, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world. And this is a solemn word, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

[50:02] The margin reads heavenly places. It's in the hearts of God's dear people in whom he has begun a work of grace, like the sweet psalmist of Israel, like his dear servant Peter, spiritual in his heavenly places.

[50:20] The Satan comes to God's dear children to overthrow them. Then he lures them. Adam was lured and Eve was lured.

[50:31] He ever is the same to lure God's people and bring them down to shame. and if he could to Judas' end.

[50:46] Well, Judas went out and committed suicide. Peter didn't. He went out and wept bitterly, a wall of fire. His God was there.

[51:01] He was his refuge. He had prayed for him. and he wished to die for him. He speaks of that wall of fire in his experience.

[51:15] Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree. He knew Christ as his saviour. Christ as his redeemer.

[51:29] He knew the Lord Jesus Christ had borne his sins in his own body on the tree. It's a beautiful word, I think.

[51:41] The emphasis is so sweet. Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree.

[51:56] A wall of fire. Oh, how the Lord in his death and in his resurrection and his ever-present intercession, the right hand of his father, interceded for his dear servant Peter and for so many more of his dear people.

[52:19] He has watched over them from eternity past. He came here to be a wall of fire round about them.

[52:31] To protect them from themselves and the curse of God's holy law and a tempting adversary. And when they fall, a remedy prepared, a way of salvation, a path of repentance and godly sorrow.

[52:49] a path of coming to his mercy to plead that precious blood and to seek to be washed in it. You've sung of it this night in your hymn, a word very precious to me some years ago in great trouble.

[53:09] Jesus, our eternal lover, says his word shall never fail. o'er a wall of fire.

[53:23] He is ever about us. Do we know it? Do we know our danger? Or do we think we can stand in our own strength? Do we look in wonder that all the way the Lord our God has led us?

[53:44] Preserved us physically in hours of great danger. When we could have been killed?

[54:00] Wall of fire round about it. History of people or the apple of his eye. He will never leave them nor forsake them. He watches over them.

[54:15] He keeps them morally. All that we see this in the scriptures, the solemn force, God's dear children.

[54:38] Deceitfulness, we see it in Jacob. Abraham. All the sin. Temptation, solemn weapon of Satan.

[54:54] tempt God's dear people. Bitterly tempted. And not just at the beginning of their lives, but all their journey through.

[55:10] Fill their hearts with evil thoughts. Draw them away. Bring them down in bondage and guilt before they're gone.

[55:22] it is his work. And he's a subtle foe. We are no match for him.

[55:38] We need this wall of fire round about us. We need the protecting hand of our God. We need his prayer for us.

[55:52] We need his keeping hand. We need the whole armour of God. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand and not fall in the evil day and in all the conflict, having done all, to stand.

[56:19] all to be cared. When we make a profession of his holy name, all to be cared, bringing shame and disgrace upon ourselves.

[56:39] It is a real conflict, a bitter conflict. It will go on to a dying hour. man. The Lord, the attempt to attempt God's dear people to unbelief and disobedience, defiance of God's will.

[56:58] From the very dawn of creation, that was his work. His dear people are fallen creatures in Adam. They're weak.

[57:10] They need this divine protector. they need this guardian, one to keep them. They need divine guidance and leading.

[57:22] And in the unequal battle, wrestling, not against flesh and blood, they're told in Scripture to fight the good fight of faith, to lay hold on eternal life.

[57:40] It is the lots of God's dear children to walk this path of tribulation out. The world knows nothing of it. The easygoing religious world that can give their souls to the Lord and be satisfied with a mere profession of his name.

[58:00] Know nothing about this country. God's to the Lord. God's love and love to the one about how low and dark I felt and how tried and tempted.

[58:18] And their response was he wanted to look up. Stop looking down. It was so easy. What do I do is look up? well that is true but you know something that God's dear children need is the Lord to look down upon them to speak in their heart and to keep them that they may be kept beautiful word by the power of God through faith unto salvation that they may be surrounded by this wall of fire and often have a sight of how great their danger has been morally physically twice in my life I have been in great danger of death once as a student when I was coming back from some theatre performance in worldly days on a pill and passed on a motorbike which went head on into a car straight into a car

[59:26] I was thrown across the main London road in Leicester with buses all around me I never saw how great my danger had been I look back now to see this wall of fire the second time was when I was doing my army service in Germany we were set to march for 15 miles in deep snow a bright winter's day glaring the light was we were marching in groups of six cross country in Germany with our heads down and suddenly there was an explosion near us and a whole lot of debris fell around us and we weared away from it thinking we were in the gun ranges and a shell had landed nearby but as we moved we suddenly became aware that we had been on the edge of a quarry and they blasted the face and in a moment we would have gone over that quarry to a drop of four or five hundred feet what had happened was the snow had come up to the fence the barbwire fence the snow had risen to it the depth of snow we hadn't seen the fence but the hand of God wall of fire but when we come to temptations morally what an enemy Satan is we need this whole armour of God we need our eyes up to him in heaven we need to be brought into that lovely hymn make us well our weakness no keep us very very low we need to be solemnly aware of our danger to be on our guard the Lord himself when here on earth was tempted by Satan he permitted himself to be tempted by Satan what a path that was you know he entered into conflict with Satan

[61:56] Satan's temptations are suitable to God's dear people and they were suitable to Christ come on these stones and they made bread I said it was suitable to Christ he could have done it all have the adversary word but what was the what was the way the Lord answered him it is written the word of God it is written and you see well our loins we are going to debate with truth as the apostle speaks in this letter to the church at Ephesus and when we have in our hand the sword of the spirit which is the word of God that is the word of God that the Lord has spoken in your heart and mind if ever he's done it that is what he said to us that is the exceeding great and precious promises he's given to us that is the sword of the spirit and we can say thou said to me and the Lord gives these precious promises in the hearts of his dear people they're the bond between Christ and his church and they're to be lent upon rested in pleaded at the mercy see what a promise the Lord gave to his servant

[63:36] Jacob at Bethel I'll be with thee that's enough isn't it all his life afterwards he said he could say Lord I says I'll be with thee in all places with us wherever they go as I'm not leaving so I brought thee again to this place bring him he did to that place and then his brother came to kill him but what happened he could plead that promise then oh what a wall of fire he had about him what a blessed promise sign sealed in his heart was his forever never to be taken from him have you got one what has the Lord said to you how vital that we have those things which cannot be taken from us those things which God has wrought in our shield of faith it's the gift of God who he possesses what do we know of the reality of faith faith is the very avenue to glory it's the avenue to heaven it's the avenue to God have we ever been at his mercy pleading with him in prayer like Jacob did that brook jabber

[64:49] I'll not let thee go I've no one else to flee here is the wall of fire around God's dear people it is the sweet bond between him and his church what he has said must be fulfilled on this firm rock believer's bill we wrestle not against flesh and blood against principalities against power against the rulers of the darkness of this world and one goes to another case and that is Job the Lord permitted Job to be tempted of Satan he originated that hast thou considered my servant Job he allowed Satan to tempt him but he said touch not his soul he was to work in his heart in tribulation little did

[65:50] Satan know what he was doing he was totally blind to what he was up to he thought that he would bring Job down to disgrace to deny his God and to turn from the truth and he went to work with delight what was God doing well he was taking away from Job every false prop every vain hope stripping him of his self-righteousness bringing him down in poverty in need to lean upon Christ he was intending all that time while that terrible conflict went on in Job's life and heart to be around him as a water fire touch not his soul or how the Lord works dead paths of tribulation bringing his dear children down giving them heavy crosses bringing better sorrows into their life putting a cup solemn contents bitter cup in their hands all for their eternal welfare that they might enter into the sweet experience of the protecting hand of their God this wall of fire round about them that as many as the fiery darts of the wicked one come into their hearts and souls yet they are given grace to fight that good fight of fire the Lord has established them in the truth their loins are girt about with truth he is the glory in the midst of them yes he is the conflict with Satan here is their fallen nature and yet he is their

[67:49] God his father's holy law kept in every iotra of it in thought word and deed by Christ a fountain open for sin and uncleanness when they fall as we read in the 51st psalm somewhere to go for refuge here the Lord has prepared a way for them to escape and he stands between them the adversary of souls then he protects them he has promised he will never leave them nor forsake them but when he comes to look at this the glory in the midst yes a robe of righteousness a fountain open for sin and uncleanness oh his righteousness not there that was the lesson Job had to learn stripped of all his righteousness there had to be a glory in them in the psalm we read of that bride of

[69:15] Christ the daughter of Zion being clothed in a robe of needlework you know as a blessed figure of the righteousness of Christ and his work here below in his sacred humanity walking this earth keeping his father's holy law walking through a bitter path of suffering sorrow that his dear church might have the raiment of needlework and stand before her God glory in the midst it was of rock gold that raiment and so it is if we are to stand in the presence of almighty God the glory must be his it must be his righteousness it must be the fountain of his precious blood known in our heart cleansing from sin beautifully read of it in the book of the revelation the bride has made herself ready who was given that she should be arrayed in finding in white and clean the finding is the righteousness of sin not their righteousness imputed righteousness a wall of fire oh

[70:48] I see in this wall of fire the love of Christ for his dear church there is that which he has to pass through himself the fiery path that he walked here in this earth that he might be a wall of fire to his dear people and that when they reach glory they will have one who stands between them and his father's holiness majesty a broken law and as the hymn writer says in garments dyed in blood tis he instead of me is seen when I approach to God and I go back to the beginning and the word of God in this I saith the Lord will be divine purposes the lamb slain before the foundation of the world eternal son of

[71:58] God incarnate prepared come here into this world to take into union with his deity here's the wall of fire a body and a soul and to offer that body and that soul as John Bunyan says I believe in his holy wall he offered himself for us body for body and soul for soul we read of that offering of his body in the new testament and in the old testament in Isaiah we read of this when they shall make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his sea oh this wall of fire and the glory they're all in the person and finished work of the dear son of God he has determined that his church should never be destroyed never be lost she may fall but she's ransomed from the fall she will be delivered and cared we see the beauty of this world all that the father giveth me shall come to me he himself was danger into this solemn fire of suffering sorrow that his people might live he was to be that protector the keeper of his saints and he was to deliver them and gather them one by one to glory there is then a conflict and we need that whole armour of

[74:06] God we need one of the most blessed parts of it are feet shodd with the preparation of the gospel of peace the Lord when he was here on earth spoke my peace I leave with you and that peace is the peace speaking blood of Christ in our heart and it will bring us to that place we're known and felt that Satan cannot touch us we know the peace of God that our sins are washed away oh how vital that we know it how vital that we have it and Peter had it when he fell he knew that precious blood he knew the rock

[75:11] Christ Jesus he heard the Lord say upon this rock I'll build my church he had a good foundation ask yourself tonight what do I know what has the Lord done for me what has he given me what has he spoken to me what do I know about the battle what do I know about the conflict and what do I know about the protecting hand of my God keeping me solemn temptation solemn weakness solemn thorns in the flesh solemn besetting sins and yet in the Lord's deep mysterious hand for the good of his church as it was for Job the Lord led him in that solemn pathway and as it were let Satan loose in his life that he might bring his dear servant down to dust and ashes in his sight behold I am

[76:12] God make him well his weakness know keep him very very low and at the same time bring him to a place where he was ready I was going to say right a place where he was ready to receive that blessed word in his soul Christ revealed in his heart the hope of glory and to be able to say I know that my redeemer liveth tend to that lovely hymn redeemed with Jesus as experience redeemed with Jesus blood redeemed his beauty called to trace grace how angel could it compare a sinner saved by grace oh vital if we are to have any peace any glory within oh the love the compassion the divine purposes of God in sending this wall of fire and his dear son to defend his people from the curse of his holy law and from the powerful temptation of the adversary of soul and to bring them in that great day to stand spotless before his father's throne to be received to know that he is their

[77:59] God and have a solemn sacred blessed sight of how he has protected them kept them led them in all their folly and foolishness and all the dangers that surround them solemn danger physical temporal spiritual a tempting adversary reality of it oh I believe God's dear children know the battle and the armor they know the battle wrestle not against flesh and blood take unto you the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day and having done all to stand stand there for having your loins go to bat with truth no error taught by the

[79:02] Holy Spirit your feet shod the preparation of gospel of peace to know peace with God to our Lord Jesus Christ to know a little sweet taste of that peace speaking blood in our soul and to have the shield of faith whereby we are unable to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one the words the Lord's words to his people we do well to remember them simple words but they're these resist the devil and he shall flee from you oh how often we listen to him follow his temptation these are inward necessarily outward the adversary of souls comes deep into the soul but the mercy is resist the devil oh look wield that shield of faith look to

[80:08] God and plead with him to help resist the devil he'll flee from me and he dies and there are times in our hearts experience when we feel surrounded by this precious wall of fire the adversary cannot accuse us he cannot attack us and why because we know a little of the sweet blood and righteousness of Christ with it comes peace oh wielding the shield of faith they're the reality the fiery dance the wicked one and to have the helmet of salvation blessed shield and defender of our God oh that sacred helmet saved saved by God brought down at his mercy seat to know the helmet of salvation and peculiarly in the conflict to have a sword who got one what has the

[81:18] Lord said to you what has he spoken to you well I tell you this it will be like the words of the Lord when he spoke to Satan in his hour of temptation in the wilderness it is written silence him if you have something you can plead that the Lord has said to you in your life which can never be taken from you one of those exceeding great and precious promises can say to Satan it is written thou hast said Lord that will silence oh the need of a sword of the spirit that we may wield it in this bitter conflict for I saith the Lord will be unto her a wall of fire round about and will be the glory in the midst of her

[82:24] Amen hymn nine nine hundred and sixty seven shun three hundred and forty eight God of my life to thee I call afflicted at thy feet I fall when the great water floods prevail leave not my trembling heart to fail him nine hundred and sixty seven shun chun three three hundred and forty eight oh one three hundred orенная from others whoемся

[83:43] Amen. Amen.

[84:43] Amen. Amen.

[85:43] Amen. Amen.

[86:43] Amen. Amen.

[87:43] Amen. Amen.

[88:43] Amen.義 And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, the communion of the Holy Spirit, abide with you each.

[89:08] Amen.