HOME
HOME |
      |
|
Transcript of message from TV Broadcast 674 -- taken from Closed Captioning Text -- Brother Thomas: Psalm 132. Hey, James. I see you meandered back. ( laughter ). Well, I hope you'll meander into the Kingdom of God. ( congregational amens ). I'll hold the door open for you...best I know how. "For the LORD hath chosen Zion..." This is verse 13. "...He hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish." Praise God! That's wonderful, isn't it? Do you ever hear people say, well back in such-and-such a time, I accepted the Lord? I wonder if He had anything to do with it? I remember one time I was in this little old town. I was a Baptist pastor. And, you know, I tried to be friendly with other churches and other preachers, as much as possible. I didn't just run rough-shod over their feelings, or their doctrines or things. In fact, I've had 'em ask me to preach. That's sort of unusual, especially the denomination that this one was. But after I got through preaching, they said, he ain't nothing but a so-and-so and so-and-so. In other words, I was like them. ( laughter ). -- Brother Felton Wall: Wade out a little deeper. -- Brother Thomas: Yeah. ( laughing ). ( laughter ). -- Brother Thomas: Well now, another one said that now. Another one said that. That's right. They said I was too deep for the denomination I was in. What I needed to do was wade on out a little bit and I'd be like them. ( laughter ). Anyway, I know I attended their service one night. They was having what we call revival. And they knew I was there. The preacher, he decided he'd take a jab at me. He said, you've accepted the Lord, have you? Well, what I want to know is, has He accepted you? ( laughter ). He said it in kind of a mean way, too. ( laughing ). That's one of them that tries to emphasize what you've got to do. And, have you done this? In other words, if you don't measure up and fly right, I don't know what'll happen. Well, I'm glad to see you back there, children. A couple of my grandchildren are back there. That's good. Praise God! That's great. The greatest thing I know of, is to be here in church. ( congregational amens ). And, I'll tell you this. If you'll really get it in your heart, one day I'll look out at a congregation somewhere else. It won't be here. And you'll be there. ( congregational amens ). That's what'll be wonderful, won't it? Yeah, the preacher was really getting me straightened out. Alright, let's go back to the Psalm there. Well, let's take John, chapter 15 and verse 16. Since I gave part of this as a kind of a title or name for this message this morning..."Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain...." I wonder about these now that lose their salvation, that teach if you don't do this and don't do that, you will lose it. This says here that, "...I have chosen you, and ordained you...." Now, we've got about 2,000 different denominations, sects, cults and what have you. They're all telling people, if they'll believe what they do and do what they say do, that they will go to heaven. I wonder if that could be so, in view of that. You reckon God chose that 2,000? What would that make Him, if He did? That'd make Him the author of confusion and the Bible says that "...God is not the author of confusion...." ( congregational amens ). Well, that ought to settle that, hadn't it? So that means you need to be careful. You folks out there in radio land, or wherever, if you happen to hear this message. You need to...let me tell you how not to be wrong. This way you can't err. Will to do His will, that's right. That's in John chapter 7. If you "...will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or..." whether I'm just whistling Dixie. God ain't gonna let you be fooled if you desire to do His will. God's not going to let you be deceived. ( congregational amens ). Hallelujah! But, let me see if I can help you along the way. It says here that God hath chosen--the LORD hath chosen Zion. Did you think you chose the Lord or that you accepted Him? You accepted Him because He accepted you first. ( congregational amens ). He chose you! Praise God! There's multiplied millions out here that don't know anything about what I'm talking about and they're not interested. They're going merrily to hell with no concern whatsoever. And here's why He chose you. "For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation." You know when the Lord comes down to this earth, He don't come down here and enter trees. He wants a body to live in. That's just the way with the devil. If he wants to do something down here, he don't come down here and enter a tree or a bush or a building. He enters a man. When he betrayed Christ, who'd he enter? -- Congregation: Judas. -- Brother Thomas: Judas Iscariot, that's right. Now here is what it says about the Lord choosing Zion. For "...he hath desired it for his habitation." What is a habitation? -- Congregation: The place where we live. -- Brother Thomas: That's the place you live. That's right. That's where He wants to live. That's His dwelling place. In fact, there's a scripture that says that. Now, "This is my rest..." as long as you measure up. -- Congregation: No sir. -- Brother Thomas: That ain't what it says? This is my rest, for how long? -- Congregation: Forever! -- Brother Thomas: How do you like that? I like that, too. That's pretty good, isn't it? "This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell...." He's gonna live in us! Do you believe that? ( congregational amens ). You know why? We're His rest! We're not...we're the dwelling place. He is the rest. That's why there's a great calm come into your life, in your heart, when you bow to Jesus. He brings the rest in with Himself. Now, why would He rest? He don't have anything to worry about. Everything's over--the battle's over. If we understand that little chorus the Lord gave me and my wife years ago--"O the battle is the Lord's and it's already won. At the cross, at the cross it was done. And all you have to do, is believe that it's true and the battle is won for you." ( congregational amens ). Hallelujah! There's not one single thing you can do for salvation, 'cause He is that salvation and it's a permanent salvation. He's our rest forever--forever! Think about it. That oughta establish you, make you feel better. Now verse 15, he says, "I will abundantly bless her..."--Note in the feminine gender. He uses the word 'her'--"...her provision...." Now this is talking about the true church. You understand that, don't you? That's not talking about just any old thing called church. God says, He will bless her provision--what you have. I believe I can say that God has blessed me abundantly. And I believe every one that hears the Word of God that comes forth from this unworthy preacher, I believe they've entered into this rest, 'cause this rest is Jesus. ( congregational amens ). Hallelujah! That's what he means here. "I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread." That's what you're getting here this morning. ( congregational amens ). This is bread and it's good. You eat it and it sustains you. Hallelujah! It does something for you. Then he says, "I will also clothe her priests with salvation..."--That's what this anointing is. He's clothed us with salvation. See it?--"...And her saints shall shout aloud for joy. There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish." Now, a lot of things I could preach, but you don't need a lot of 'em. When did God do all this? He looked down there and He saw me and you, and He said that's a pretty good boy and a pretty good girl. I think I'll save 'em. You mean, he didn't do it then? Well, what about this? Jeremiah chapter 1, verse 5 "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." Do you believe that? ( congregational amens ). Now, that takes away all speculation. I don't have to worry. I don't have to go anywhere to see if my ordination is in order. I don't have to ask anybody. And yet, I don't line up with nobody. But, if I line up with the Lord, that's the One I have to give an account to. ( congregational amens ). Hallelujah! Praise God! Think about it. Isn't that wonderful? And He did that! The Lord knows from beginning to the end and we haven't yet reached the end. But we will. And He knows everything in between! Everything! He knew you, and you, and you, and you before you ever come into existence. There's a scripture in one of the Psalms, I won't look it up. It speaks of your substance in the earth, when God made the earth. Think about it now--your substance...there's not much to you. If you could live 500 years, I'd say, where's your substance? Where would it be? Gone back to the dirt. You've heard the preacher say at funerals, dust thou art and dust thou shalt return? That's exactly right. Where were you at a hundred years ago? Where were you? You didn't exist! But God knew you...then! God has known you. Now only has He known you, He's made plans for you. ( congregational amens ). He's made plans for you! And right now, you're in His school. You're in a state of training. He's getting you ready and me ready. He had plans for us. Hallelujah! It's more than building a house. It's more than getting married and having a good time. It's more vital than anything we can thing of or imagine. ( congregational amens ). God, before He formed us in the belly...now you know sometimes, if you're a married couple, or if you're a woman or a man, you're married and then there comes a baby. You know when he's coming. You say, well, I missed last month, so I guess I'm pregnant. That's what they say--I guess I am. And then after a while, you begin to grow a little bit in the middle. ( laughter ). Then after a while, it begins to pooch out. You know you are. You don't guess. And, of course, your husband pats you every now and then and says, take care of that baby, if he's the kind of a husband he oughta be. And you both are expecting. You both are longing, looking for that little fellow. Used to, you use to wonder if it was gonna be a boy or be a girl. Now, I think they can pick 'em out almost before they're conceived. ( laughter ). It's a sight what they can do now. I'll just take 'em pot luck. ( laughter ). 'Course, there's some of 'em I wish I could've sent back after they'd been here a while. ( laughter ). When they start giving me a lot of trouble. ( laughing ). Oh, praise God. But, I put up with 'em. They had to put up with me. They didn't ask to be my father...or for me to be their father. ( laughter ). They didn't ask to be my young'un. Do you ever think about those things? We all have to accept things just like they are and praise God for it...and for His goodness. Hallelujah! So the Lord knew us, everyone of us, before He formed us. And He says that, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee...." So He did the forming. Think about it. When He got down to me, He said, let's make this nose a little bigger. ( laughter ). ( laughing ). When He got down to some of you, He said let's make him a little bit extra ugly. ( laughter ). ( laughing ). Hallelujah! If you ain't got nothing to be amused, to laugh at, you better get something. ( congregational amens ). I'm gonna enjoy life. I ain't gonna endure it. God don't want us just to endure it. He wants us to enjoy it. Hallelujah! Now let's go back here. I want you to let's study this a little bit. It says "For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation." He wants a place to live in! That's us! The only God on the earth that people will ever see is what they see in us. Did you know that? If they don't see Him in us, then they can't see Him. I don't know why people have faith and why they don't. I know this. When you're saved, it's not your faith. Paul said in Galatians chapter 2, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith..."--of my grandma?--"I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." ( congregational amens ). Now, no wonder it says here, He's desired Zion. He said this is my rest forever. God's a little bit particular about who He saves. I believe many have religion that don't know what I'm talking about. I believe that there...in fact let's see if that's what the Word says about many. Go with me to Matthew chapter 7. Let's take now...I'm just gonna prove what I said. Let's take verse 22. "Many will say to me..."--Note what it says--"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?" Have we not preached? Well, let's take verse 21 first. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Now, He shows you then the contrast. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them..."--you had it and you lost it. -- Congregation: No. -- Brother Thomas: That ain't what it says? -- Congregation: No. -- Brother Thomas: What does it say? "...I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." I never knew you. And that's somebody that's depending on their works, too. They're gonna say, look here and look what I did over here. Look at that great building I built and I gave it to my denomination. Look at all them people that come forward. 'Course they used to backslide about as fast as they come forward in some places. But just notice that now. This is my rest, for how long? -- Congregation: Forever. -- Brother Thomas: Forever! Who said that? Who? -- Congregation: The Lord. -- Brother Thomas: The Lord! Now, if we can find out who this Zion is, then we're in business. 'Cause He's chosen Zion and He's desired it for His habitation. He's desired it for His place to live. And He says, this is My rest forever...if they live a certain kind of life, do this and do that, and don't do this and don't do that. Is that what it says? -- Congregation: No sir. -- Brother Thomas: No, those He's chosen. How many of 'em do you think He'll lose? -- Congregation: Not a one. -- Brother Thomas: Not a one is exactly right. 
|