1 00:00:01,420 --> 00:00:03,200 Let's start with prayer. 2 00:00:04,940 --> 00:00:07,860 Abba Father, we ask you to speak the 3 00:00:07,860 --> 00:00:10,560 things unto us this morning that we need 4 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:14,280 to hear, and Lord, work it for good 5 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:16,060 in many lives, I pray. 6 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:19,980 In Jesus' name, Amen. 7 00:00:24,790 --> 00:00:28,770 The message this morning is about having a 8 00:00:28,770 --> 00:00:33,530 sufficient livelihood, and it's come about by me 9 00:00:33,530 --> 00:00:36,690 seeing and dealing and working with people and 10 00:00:36,690 --> 00:00:40,770 trying to help Christians, believers, children of God 11 00:00:40,770 --> 00:00:45,090 who are in dire financial straits, even on 12 00:00:45,090 --> 00:00:47,450 the point of look like they're becoming homeless. 13 00:00:47,750 --> 00:00:50,270 And years ago, I received a letter from 14 00:00:50,270 --> 00:00:53,010 a Christian lady in South Alabama whom I've 15 00:00:53,010 --> 00:00:53,770 never met in person. 16 00:00:53,930 --> 00:00:56,910 She had read my books, and she wrote 17 00:00:56,910 --> 00:00:58,650 me that she was living in her car, 18 00:00:59,550 --> 00:01:02,530 had to get out of her rental house 19 00:01:02,530 --> 00:01:04,310 because of no money to pay rent. 20 00:01:05,530 --> 00:01:08,310 And I want to address such things this 21 00:01:08,310 --> 00:01:08,810 morning. 22 00:01:09,230 --> 00:01:12,470 If you will look at Matthew 22, 36, 23 00:01:13,530 --> 00:01:16,450 where the man came to Jesus and said, 24 00:01:17,570 --> 00:01:21,410 Master, which is the great commandment in the 25 00:01:21,410 --> 00:01:21,750 law? 26 00:01:22,450 --> 00:01:24,590 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the 27 00:01:24,590 --> 00:01:26,630 Lord thy God with all thy heart, and 28 00:01:26,630 --> 00:01:28,190 with all thy soul, and with all thy 29 00:01:28,190 --> 00:01:28,790 mind. 30 00:01:29,750 --> 00:01:31,870 This is the first and great commandment. 31 00:01:32,810 --> 00:01:34,670 And the second is like unto it, Thou 32 00:01:34,670 --> 00:01:36,750 shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 33 00:01:38,270 --> 00:01:41,690 God gave us commandments to be obeyed. 34 00:01:42,490 --> 00:01:46,350 Obeying his commandments glorify God. 35 00:01:47,310 --> 00:01:51,350 They're a testimony before the lost world around 36 00:01:51,350 --> 00:01:53,510 us, which also glorifies God. 37 00:01:55,490 --> 00:02:00,250 Obedience edifies the body of Christ, and it 38 00:02:00,250 --> 00:02:04,410 brings many wonderful blessings and benefits to us 39 00:02:04,410 --> 00:02:05,370 that we need. 40 00:02:06,390 --> 00:02:12,110 And worldly, carnal-minded Christians often trusted in 41 00:02:12,110 --> 00:02:14,410 the Lord Jesus Christ for fire insurance. 42 00:02:14,490 --> 00:02:16,130 They don't want to burn forever in hell. 43 00:02:16,350 --> 00:02:18,410 And after that, they want to just be 44 00:02:18,410 --> 00:02:21,470 left alone and live their own life to 45 00:02:21,470 --> 00:02:24,690 do what they please instead of loving the 46 00:02:24,690 --> 00:02:26,450 Lord God with all their heart and doing 47 00:02:26,450 --> 00:02:30,370 exactly as he commands and guides them to 48 00:02:30,370 --> 00:02:30,690 do. 49 00:02:32,370 --> 00:02:35,250 If you want to back up there to 50 00:02:35,250 --> 00:02:39,830 Matthew 6, 31, which we have memorized 6, 51 00:02:39,930 --> 00:02:44,570 33 probably, we have another important command. 52 00:02:44,870 --> 00:02:47,770 I want to read all the way from 53 00:02:47,770 --> 00:02:51,050 Matthew 6, 31 through 34. 54 00:02:53,150 --> 00:02:56,270 Therefore take no thoughts saying what shall we 55 00:02:56,270 --> 00:02:59,710 eat or what shall we drink, or wherewithal 56 00:02:59,710 --> 00:03:01,090 shall we be clothed. 57 00:03:02,170 --> 00:03:05,030 You know your own life and the life 58 00:03:05,030 --> 00:03:08,190 of Christians around you, and just consider how 59 00:03:08,190 --> 00:03:12,130 much we give thought to these things that 60 00:03:12,130 --> 00:03:13,850 he tells us to take no thought of 61 00:03:13,850 --> 00:03:14,790 in verse 31. 62 00:03:16,370 --> 00:03:19,330 For after all these things to the Gentiles 63 00:03:19,330 --> 00:03:24,230 seek, for your heavenly Father knoweth that you 64 00:03:24,230 --> 00:03:25,890 have need of all these things. 65 00:03:26,070 --> 00:03:27,410 Praise his name that he does. 66 00:03:29,090 --> 00:03:31,430 But seek ye first the kingdom of God 67 00:03:31,430 --> 00:03:33,770 and his righteousness, and all these things shall 68 00:03:33,770 --> 00:03:34,950 be added unto you. 69 00:03:35,990 --> 00:03:41,450 Therefore no thought for the morrow shall take 70 00:03:41,450 --> 00:03:44,010 thought for the things of itself. 71 00:03:44,630 --> 00:03:48,530 Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 72 00:03:49,470 --> 00:03:52,190 And we, mostly all of us have memorized 73 00:03:52,190 --> 00:03:54,090 verse 33, and I sing it as a 74 00:03:54,090 --> 00:03:55,490 children's song with the children. 75 00:03:56,930 --> 00:03:59,130 He commands us to seek first the kingdom 76 00:03:59,130 --> 00:04:02,630 of God, and we look on Christians around 77 00:04:02,630 --> 00:04:05,870 us seeking that which pleases them. 78 00:04:07,350 --> 00:04:10,270 He commands us to do these things and 79 00:04:10,270 --> 00:04:16,529 regard our daily livelihood needs in the manner 80 00:04:16,529 --> 00:04:19,529 as he commands us here in these verses 81 00:04:19,529 --> 00:04:20,450 I just read. 82 00:04:21,770 --> 00:04:24,550 In chapter 6 here in 11 we are 83 00:04:24,550 --> 00:04:26,330 in the midst of the Lord's prayer where 84 00:04:26,330 --> 00:04:29,130 he says, he teaches us to pray give 85 00:04:29,130 --> 00:04:31,250 us this day our daily bread. 86 00:04:33,330 --> 00:04:39,730 If we obey Matthew 6.33 the necessities 87 00:04:39,730 --> 00:04:43,990 of this life will not be a problem 88 00:04:43,990 --> 00:04:44,670 to us. 89 00:04:45,530 --> 00:04:49,330 We are to fully believe and genuinely do 90 00:04:49,330 --> 00:04:52,590 all these things commanded of us, and the 91 00:04:52,590 --> 00:04:55,190 result will be the blessing of a proper 92 00:04:55,190 --> 00:04:59,350 livelihood provided by God, and we won't have 93 00:04:59,350 --> 00:05:01,010 to worry about it just as he tells 94 00:05:01,010 --> 00:05:02,790 us not to think about it in Matthew 95 00:05:02,790 --> 00:05:03,390 6. 96 00:05:04,990 --> 00:05:07,410 We can expect God to put us through 97 00:05:07,410 --> 00:05:11,970 seasons of poverty for our good, and if 98 00:05:11,970 --> 00:05:15,870 we truly love him all such will be 99 00:05:15,870 --> 00:05:17,890 a great joy to us. 100 00:05:18,610 --> 00:05:21,730 I've experienced that and will give some testimony 101 00:05:21,730 --> 00:05:23,030 to that in a few minutes. 102 00:05:23,810 --> 00:05:27,570 I look around at Christians living like kings. 103 00:05:28,850 --> 00:05:31,930 I wouldn't doubt there are kings in third 104 00:05:31,930 --> 00:05:35,030 world poor countries that do not live near 105 00:05:35,030 --> 00:05:36,770 as well as some of the Christians whose 106 00:05:36,770 --> 00:05:39,710 homes I have the privilege of visiting in 107 00:05:39,710 --> 00:05:42,470 now, and some of those are in great 108 00:05:42,470 --> 00:05:45,570 agony because the people inside those homes because 109 00:05:45,570 --> 00:05:50,370 they cannot pay their bills and wonder what 110 00:05:50,370 --> 00:05:52,430 they're going to do when the rent is 111 00:05:52,430 --> 00:05:53,310 due next month. 112 00:05:54,570 --> 00:05:58,950 Our Lord Jesus Christ is always the supreme 113 00:05:58,950 --> 00:06:03,590 example in these things, and we can fairly 114 00:06:03,590 --> 00:06:09,630 well logically conclude that while he was here 115 00:06:09,630 --> 00:06:12,850 on this earth he owned nothing but the 116 00:06:12,850 --> 00:06:14,610 clothing that was on his back. 117 00:06:15,070 --> 00:06:18,070 You remember when they started casting lots for 118 00:06:18,070 --> 00:06:19,310 the coat? 119 00:06:19,810 --> 00:06:22,770 It was so well woven they didn't want 120 00:06:22,770 --> 00:06:24,890 to tear it apart, so they cast lots 121 00:06:24,890 --> 00:06:25,230 for it. 122 00:06:26,010 --> 00:06:29,150 I suppose his mother had made that years 123 00:06:29,150 --> 00:06:29,470 ago. 124 00:06:29,630 --> 00:06:30,570 That's just speculation. 125 00:06:31,010 --> 00:06:32,750 She was still alive when he was hanging 126 00:06:32,750 --> 00:06:36,890 on the cross, but we can fairly reasonably 127 00:06:36,890 --> 00:06:40,270 conclude that he gathered up no other earthly 128 00:06:40,270 --> 00:06:41,610 possessions than that. 129 00:06:42,530 --> 00:06:45,310 If we were to follow that supreme example, 130 00:06:45,590 --> 00:06:48,110 we would be most rich and ask him 131 00:06:48,110 --> 00:06:50,070 to give us each day our daily bread, 132 00:06:50,630 --> 00:06:53,270 and if we were content with having food 133 00:06:53,270 --> 00:06:56,110 and raiment as he commands us to be, 134 00:06:56,690 --> 00:06:58,910 it would be a most blessed life. 135 00:07:00,410 --> 00:07:02,850 Most of you know that the Lord called 136 00:07:02,850 --> 00:07:05,270 me to serve him as a missionary in 137 00:07:05,270 --> 00:07:07,990 Japan while I was there serving in the 138 00:07:07,990 --> 00:07:13,410 United States Marine Corps, so I got discharged 139 00:07:13,410 --> 00:07:15,370 from the Marines in Japan as my time 140 00:07:15,370 --> 00:07:17,610 was up then and started serving the Lord 141 00:07:17,610 --> 00:07:20,830 with no salary, no promise of any support 142 00:07:20,830 --> 00:07:25,170 or anything, so the natural reaction for me 143 00:07:25,170 --> 00:07:27,670 was to become as frugal as I could 144 00:07:27,670 --> 00:07:31,970 be, and that's a wonderful virtue for any 145 00:07:31,970 --> 00:07:32,950 of us to practice. 146 00:07:33,770 --> 00:07:36,630 I went into a missionary language school and 147 00:07:36,630 --> 00:07:38,990 studied full-time for two years living in 148 00:07:38,990 --> 00:07:42,230 a small room with no thrills. 149 00:07:43,410 --> 00:07:46,170 I walked everywhere I went because I didn't 150 00:07:46,170 --> 00:07:50,370 have a motor vehicle and didn't even want 151 00:07:50,370 --> 00:07:52,270 to spend the money to buy a bicycle, 152 00:07:52,470 --> 00:07:55,330 which many adults use in Japan instead of 153 00:07:55,330 --> 00:07:55,690 a car. 154 00:07:56,090 --> 00:07:59,310 I walked just as my Lord walked while 155 00:07:59,310 --> 00:08:01,410 he was here on earth, and it's a 156 00:08:01,410 --> 00:08:03,570 wonderful way to commute. 157 00:08:04,630 --> 00:08:08,510 After I finished that language school study, the 158 00:08:08,510 --> 00:08:11,130 Lord led me to move into the house 159 00:08:11,130 --> 00:08:12,370 that I'm still living in. 160 00:08:12,430 --> 00:08:16,070 I moved into it in August of 1978. 161 00:08:17,010 --> 00:08:19,590 It was completely unfurnished, and it more or 162 00:08:19,590 --> 00:08:20,850 less stayed that way. 163 00:08:21,190 --> 00:08:24,290 I had no refrigerator for about two years 164 00:08:24,290 --> 00:08:27,670 until friends visited me from the States, and 165 00:08:27,670 --> 00:08:29,970 it seemed like I needed one then. 166 00:08:30,850 --> 00:08:35,090 I would buy a half a liter of 167 00:08:35,090 --> 00:08:38,090 milk and drink it with the next meal. 168 00:08:38,630 --> 00:08:40,490 In the winter time, I could put milk 169 00:08:40,490 --> 00:08:43,049 or juice out on the north side of 170 00:08:43,049 --> 00:08:45,930 my house outside, and it would stay cool 171 00:08:45,930 --> 00:08:47,870 enough so that it didn't spoil there. 172 00:08:48,990 --> 00:08:52,290 I looked around for any tent making jobs 173 00:08:52,290 --> 00:08:58,830 and began to teach English conversation as opportunity 174 00:08:58,830 --> 00:08:59,750 afforded. 175 00:09:00,930 --> 00:09:03,190 I was not idle, and I'll get to 176 00:09:03,190 --> 00:09:06,910 that later on down here in some scriptures. 177 00:09:07,630 --> 00:09:10,470 When I became hungry, I just went hungry 178 00:09:10,470 --> 00:09:15,410 and searched for more tent making jobs. 179 00:09:15,770 --> 00:09:17,850 One of my tent making jobs was to 180 00:09:17,850 --> 00:09:20,370 often arrive about 1 a.m. in the 181 00:09:20,370 --> 00:09:23,170 morning when everybody else was off the streets 182 00:09:23,170 --> 00:09:25,930 and it was dark and take a wire 183 00:09:25,930 --> 00:09:28,630 coat hanger that had fashioned into a hook 184 00:09:28,630 --> 00:09:32,330 for my this job and a small flashlight 185 00:09:32,330 --> 00:09:34,210 and head out on my bicycle. 186 00:09:34,350 --> 00:09:36,570 By then, I had a bicycle, and you're 187 00:09:36,570 --> 00:09:39,090 probably thinking, oh, he became a burglar. 188 00:09:39,750 --> 00:09:41,530 Well, not exactly. 189 00:09:42,770 --> 00:09:45,150 Vending machines everywhere in Japan, and I found 190 00:09:45,150 --> 00:09:47,550 out there's often a sprinkling of coins under 191 00:09:47,550 --> 00:09:51,950 vending machines there, and I was somewhat embarrassed 192 00:09:51,950 --> 00:09:55,770 to be kneeling down looking under, peering under 193 00:09:55,770 --> 00:09:57,370 vending machines in the middle of the day 194 00:09:57,370 --> 00:09:58,570 with everyone walking by. 195 00:09:59,050 --> 00:10:01,330 So, I would go out at night with 196 00:10:01,330 --> 00:10:04,090 that little flashlight and shine it under vending 197 00:10:04,090 --> 00:10:08,990 machines and often get up to two dollars 198 00:10:08,990 --> 00:10:09,630 or more. 199 00:10:09,950 --> 00:10:12,150 That would buy a small sack of potatoes 200 00:10:12,150 --> 00:10:15,430 that would last me a while, and there's 201 00:10:15,430 --> 00:10:19,810 always things we can do not being idle 202 00:10:19,810 --> 00:10:24,210 to earn some money or get some money 203 00:10:24,210 --> 00:10:26,850 to buy our food that we need. 204 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:36,040 When about three years later, going to Guam, 205 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,360 I rented an apartment in Tumon Village to 206 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:44,060 have children's services, and it was unfurnished, and 207 00:10:44,060 --> 00:10:46,820 at first the children sit on the hard 208 00:10:46,820 --> 00:10:50,620 tile concrete floors until I gathered up a 209 00:10:50,620 --> 00:10:52,900 few little cushions and such from church friends 210 00:10:52,900 --> 00:10:53,860 for them to sit on. 211 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:57,380 And my first days there, as soon as 212 00:10:57,380 --> 00:10:59,400 I arrived on Guam and rented that apartment, 213 00:10:59,540 --> 00:11:02,360 a friend was good enough to loan me 214 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:02,940 his car. 215 00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:05,160 I go to the supermarket for a little 216 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:09,080 food, and I get several cardboard boxes and 217 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,360 bring them home and flatten them down, and 218 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:13,520 they would be my bed on that concrete 219 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:14,440 tile floor. 220 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:18,800 And I had my laundry, dirty clothes, in 221 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,660 a small cloth laundry bag, and I'd roll 222 00:11:21,660 --> 00:11:23,200 it up and make it my pillow. 223 00:11:24,180 --> 00:11:26,540 And I felt so blessed to be there. 224 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:30,560 Daytime, an average of 20 something children would 225 00:11:30,560 --> 00:11:30,740 come. 226 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:34,100 A large apartment complex, and almost daily there 227 00:11:34,100 --> 00:11:36,880 were decisions of children to trust in the 228 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:37,960 Lord Jesus Christ. 229 00:11:38,580 --> 00:11:41,560 My Lord had no place to lay His 230 00:11:41,560 --> 00:11:43,700 head, and the closer I live to the 231 00:11:43,700 --> 00:11:45,960 way He lives here on this earth, it 232 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:49,160 just fills my heart to overflow Him with 233 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:49,540 joy. 234 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:55,100 Those first years as a missionary were the 235 00:11:55,100 --> 00:11:58,500 leanest time physically in my missionary life thus 236 00:11:58,500 --> 00:12:00,980 far, but they were the richest time spiritually. 237 00:12:01,940 --> 00:12:04,380 And the joy the Lord gave was just 238 00:12:04,380 --> 00:12:09,840 such a spiritually rich, physically poor. 239 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:15,120 Psalms 37, 4, you've probably memorized it. 240 00:12:15,540 --> 00:12:18,160 Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he 241 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:20,580 shall give thee the desires of thy heart. 242 00:12:21,580 --> 00:12:25,720 As you listen to fellow Christians complaining that 243 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:27,760 they do not have the desires of their 244 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:30,700 heart, they wanted this, they wanted that, but 245 00:12:30,700 --> 00:12:32,540 they never were able to achieve it. 246 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:36,280 It's simply a testimony that they have not 247 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:39,980 delighted themselves in the Lord. 248 00:12:40,260 --> 00:12:42,480 And they never think on what a testimony 249 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:44,960 they're given there, but that is exactly the 250 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:45,380 case. 251 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:50,120 More and more, my one delight becomes to 252 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:53,300 love the Lord Jesus Christ with all my 253 00:12:53,300 --> 00:12:56,440 heart, to seek first the kingdom of God, 254 00:12:57,020 --> 00:12:59,220 to follow the Lamb with us wherever He 255 00:12:59,220 --> 00:12:59,660 leads. 256 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:02,720 And as that becomes my delight, when I 257 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:04,820 have a need or something, I often cry 258 00:13:04,820 --> 00:13:06,940 out to the Lord for it, and it's 259 00:13:06,940 --> 00:13:12,080 amazing to see how that He so quickly 260 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:15,020 and so readily provides what we need. 261 00:13:18,170 --> 00:13:24,230 2 Thessalonians 3, 10, Paul writes to the 262 00:13:24,230 --> 00:13:28,510 church in Thessalonica saying, we command you that 263 00:13:28,510 --> 00:13:31,870 if any would not work, neither should he 264 00:13:31,870 --> 00:13:32,530 eat. 265 00:13:33,670 --> 00:13:36,450 That sounds sort of like a harsh commandment, 266 00:13:36,650 --> 00:13:38,850 but that's from our Lord, and I love 267 00:13:38,850 --> 00:13:40,650 that, and that is the way it should 268 00:13:40,650 --> 00:13:41,010 be. 269 00:13:41,690 --> 00:13:43,830 If a person is not willing to work, 270 00:13:44,770 --> 00:13:48,570 he shouldn't expect to have any food provided 271 00:13:48,570 --> 00:13:49,090 for him. 272 00:13:49,730 --> 00:13:51,930 Our Lord is not much of a Lord 273 00:13:51,930 --> 00:13:53,790 of welfare, if you want to put it 274 00:13:53,790 --> 00:13:54,650 in those words. 275 00:13:55,870 --> 00:13:58,330 One time, a Japanese man came to me 276 00:13:58,330 --> 00:14:01,570 and asked me for money, said he needed 277 00:14:01,570 --> 00:14:03,910 money, and I said, well, I've got work 278 00:14:03,910 --> 00:14:04,730 for you to do. 279 00:14:05,050 --> 00:14:07,850 I'll put you to work for hourly wages. 280 00:14:08,310 --> 00:14:09,230 He walked away. 281 00:14:09,230 --> 00:14:11,450 It was simple work that he could have 282 00:14:11,450 --> 00:14:14,050 done, but he wouldn't work for wages, so 283 00:14:14,050 --> 00:14:16,110 he walked away without working, and he walked 284 00:14:16,110 --> 00:14:17,750 away without any of my money. 285 00:14:18,490 --> 00:14:20,210 This is a good verse to keep in 286 00:14:20,210 --> 00:14:23,250 mind and to speak it and preach it 287 00:14:23,250 --> 00:14:28,250 to others when the occasion calls for it. 288 00:14:29,550 --> 00:14:33,530 Christians know the experience of ending up unemployed, 289 00:14:34,570 --> 00:14:38,030 what an agonizing situation it is, but there's 290 00:14:38,030 --> 00:14:41,330 no need to be idle at all. 291 00:14:42,370 --> 00:14:45,290 We can work for our Lord and expect 292 00:14:45,290 --> 00:14:46,790 Him to give us good pay. 293 00:14:47,730 --> 00:14:53,530 Exodus 20, in verse 9 there in the 294 00:14:53,530 --> 00:14:56,110 Ten Commandments, he says, six days shalt thou 295 00:14:56,110 --> 00:15:01,390 labor, and in Matthew chapter 20, we're told 296 00:15:01,390 --> 00:15:03,690 that the man went out at the eleventh 297 00:15:03,690 --> 00:15:06,070 hour still hiring, so we see that the 298 00:15:06,070 --> 00:15:10,090 Lord God ordained a twelve-hour work day 299 00:15:10,090 --> 00:15:12,010 for us, six days a week. 300 00:15:13,070 --> 00:15:15,510 If you will, turn to Matthew chapter 20. 301 00:15:15,650 --> 00:15:16,270 We were in it. 302 00:15:16,770 --> 00:15:19,310 This is a very important chapter. 303 00:15:19,650 --> 00:15:22,350 It has several important points made here. 304 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:27,920 You can start glancing at verse 1 of 305 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:31,260 chapter 20 to see the man, like the 306 00:15:31,260 --> 00:15:33,340 householder, going out early in the morning to 307 00:15:33,340 --> 00:15:36,540 hire laborers into his vineyard, and he hired 308 00:15:36,540 --> 00:15:37,700 some for a penny a day. 309 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:40,540 That was the wages then, well, long before 310 00:15:40,540 --> 00:15:41,140 inflation. 311 00:15:41,900 --> 00:15:43,520 Verse 3, and he went out about the 312 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:46,260 third hour, and later on he went out 313 00:15:46,260 --> 00:15:48,860 about the sixth hour in verse 5 and 314 00:15:48,860 --> 00:15:49,640 the ninth hour. 315 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:55,040 And verse 6 of Matthew chapter 20, and 316 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:57,160 about the eleventh hour he went out and 317 00:15:57,160 --> 00:15:59,140 found others standing idle. 318 00:16:01,550 --> 00:16:03,710 Being idle is a curse. 319 00:16:04,870 --> 00:16:08,730 God did not ordain that we be idle. 320 00:16:09,550 --> 00:16:12,450 Twelve hours a day, six days a week, 321 00:16:12,570 --> 00:16:13,730 He ordained that we labor. 322 00:16:14,410 --> 00:16:16,290 If you'll do that, it'd be a wonderful 323 00:16:16,290 --> 00:16:16,730 thing. 324 00:16:17,370 --> 00:16:19,210 It'll be something that God will honor. 325 00:16:20,670 --> 00:16:23,330 And you know, if you're a math genius, 326 00:16:23,490 --> 00:16:25,730 you can figure out that's seventy-two hours 327 00:16:25,730 --> 00:16:28,150 a day, I believe, six times twelve. 328 00:16:28,530 --> 00:16:30,730 You can see how many more hours that 329 00:16:30,730 --> 00:16:34,290 is than our forty-hour work week. 330 00:16:35,150 --> 00:16:38,870 And any man who wants to labor diligently 331 00:16:38,870 --> 00:16:41,610 for seventy-two hours per week, you can 332 00:16:41,610 --> 00:16:43,470 expect him to be able to earn a 333 00:16:43,470 --> 00:16:49,050 good good livelihood with that many work hours 334 00:16:49,050 --> 00:16:49,790 per week. 335 00:16:51,250 --> 00:16:54,910 He found others standing idle, so he said 336 00:16:54,910 --> 00:16:58,750 unto them, Why stand ye here all the 337 00:16:58,750 --> 00:16:59,470 day idle? 338 00:17:00,510 --> 00:17:03,010 And in verse 7 they say, Because. 339 00:17:04,170 --> 00:17:06,470 Because no man hath hired us. 340 00:17:07,430 --> 00:17:10,250 I've hit some of these points before, but 341 00:17:10,250 --> 00:17:12,369 they're in the message again today. 342 00:17:13,470 --> 00:17:15,230 That's a curse of the system of the 343 00:17:15,230 --> 00:17:15,569 world. 344 00:17:15,790 --> 00:17:18,329 Instead of the farmer going out each morning 345 00:17:18,329 --> 00:17:21,849 to his own land to kill it and 346 00:17:21,849 --> 00:17:24,910 work it to take the necessities of life 347 00:17:24,910 --> 00:17:26,910 for him and his family, his family laboring 348 00:17:26,910 --> 00:17:29,470 with him, now we go out into the 349 00:17:29,470 --> 00:17:34,190 world and prostrate ourselves before some human employer 350 00:17:34,190 --> 00:17:36,310 and beg him to hire us. 351 00:17:36,930 --> 00:17:38,810 God didn't ordain that we have to live 352 00:17:38,810 --> 00:17:39,610 such a life. 353 00:17:40,610 --> 00:17:44,450 The good news here is that our Lord 354 00:17:44,450 --> 00:17:47,350 Jesus Christ is in the hiring business. 355 00:17:48,210 --> 00:17:52,490 If you want a wonderful taskmaster, labor for 356 00:17:52,490 --> 00:17:53,210 our Lord. 357 00:17:54,930 --> 00:17:58,070 Why don't we go on to Luke 10, 358 00:17:58,230 --> 00:17:59,650 7 at this point. 359 00:17:59,750 --> 00:18:02,070 I want you to keep in mind what 360 00:18:02,070 --> 00:18:05,550 a terrible curse that it is for a 361 00:18:05,550 --> 00:18:06,690 person to be idle. 362 00:18:07,330 --> 00:18:09,830 And you know how if you're sitting by 363 00:18:09,830 --> 00:18:11,650 the phone waiting for it to ring, you 364 00:18:11,650 --> 00:18:13,870 put out your resumes, you signed up at 365 00:18:13,870 --> 00:18:18,610 the employment or unemployment office, and still you 366 00:18:18,610 --> 00:18:23,410 sit there, your heart hemorrhaging because waiting for 367 00:18:23,410 --> 00:18:25,250 the phone to ring and it never rings. 368 00:18:26,090 --> 00:18:31,530 It is a horrible situation, very perplexing situation 369 00:18:31,530 --> 00:18:32,470 to be idle. 370 00:18:33,970 --> 00:18:37,390 No Christian has to be idle at all. 371 00:18:38,330 --> 00:18:41,030 The Lord has work readily available for you, 372 00:18:41,670 --> 00:18:43,730 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. 373 00:18:44,670 --> 00:18:47,390 In Luke 10, the Lord is sending out 374 00:18:47,390 --> 00:18:49,870 the 70 after sending out the 12 in 375 00:18:49,870 --> 00:18:52,390 chapter 9. 376 00:18:52,650 --> 00:18:57,590 And we go on to verse 7 of 377 00:18:57,590 --> 00:19:00,750 Luke chapter 10 where he's told them, take 378 00:19:00,750 --> 00:19:01,930 nothing for your journey. 379 00:19:02,270 --> 00:19:03,850 He spoke that in one of these chapters, 380 00:19:03,990 --> 00:19:05,230 maybe both of them. 381 00:19:05,930 --> 00:19:09,370 And in verse 7 here, he says, and 382 00:19:09,370 --> 00:19:12,650 in the same house remain eating and drinking 383 00:19:12,650 --> 00:19:16,650 such things as they give, for the laborer 384 00:19:16,650 --> 00:19:18,630 is worthy of his hire. 385 00:19:19,570 --> 00:19:21,230 Go not from house to house. 386 00:19:22,730 --> 00:19:25,390 If Almighty God hires you to work for 387 00:19:25,390 --> 00:19:28,150 him, he deems you to be worthy of 388 00:19:28,150 --> 00:19:31,690 your hire, and you can rest assured that 389 00:19:31,690 --> 00:19:33,810 he will not cheat you out of any 390 00:19:33,810 --> 00:19:34,590 of your wages. 391 00:19:35,990 --> 00:19:39,070 I think one of the most high and 392 00:19:39,070 --> 00:19:45,050 lofty works that we can do while we're 393 00:19:45,050 --> 00:19:48,190 here on earth is that of an intercessor. 394 00:19:49,370 --> 00:19:53,170 Praying without ceasing in intercessory prayer. 395 00:19:54,070 --> 00:19:56,270 You can take the Bible one verse at 396 00:19:56,270 --> 00:19:58,230 a time and pray it for yourself or 397 00:19:58,230 --> 00:19:59,370 for anyone you know. 398 00:20:00,630 --> 00:20:03,190 Let me give you a wonderful true story 399 00:20:03,190 --> 00:20:04,190 regarding that. 400 00:20:04,590 --> 00:20:07,210 I don't know how many of you might 401 00:20:07,210 --> 00:20:11,470 know the name Pastor Jack Howes, who pastored 402 00:20:11,470 --> 00:20:14,150 the Lord's First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana 403 00:20:14,150 --> 00:20:15,170 for many years. 404 00:20:15,410 --> 00:20:17,090 And he's with the Lord now. 405 00:20:17,570 --> 00:20:18,870 Went to be with the Lord at age 406 00:20:18,870 --> 00:20:19,730 about 75. 407 00:20:20,870 --> 00:20:23,690 He was a very zealous preacher. 408 00:20:24,070 --> 00:20:26,810 And because of that, he won many souls 409 00:20:26,810 --> 00:20:29,730 and his church became a quite large church 410 00:20:29,730 --> 00:20:32,690 with a few thousand in church on Sunday 411 00:20:32,690 --> 00:20:33,050 mornings. 412 00:20:33,710 --> 00:20:37,030 And he stressed soul winning, going after the 413 00:20:37,030 --> 00:20:38,790 lost souls for whom Christ died. 414 00:20:39,530 --> 00:20:41,470 And as he won lost souls, they took 415 00:20:41,470 --> 00:20:42,410 on the same burden. 416 00:20:43,290 --> 00:20:45,790 And it was amazing to hear some of 417 00:20:45,790 --> 00:20:47,490 the stories of soul winning. 418 00:20:48,650 --> 00:20:52,970 And a dedicated Christian in his church got 419 00:20:52,970 --> 00:20:55,210 a burden for a drunkard friend. 420 00:20:56,190 --> 00:20:58,030 We call them alcoholics today. 421 00:20:58,870 --> 00:21:00,930 God's Holy Bible calls them drunkards. 422 00:21:01,110 --> 00:21:03,290 Let's stay with this perfect language that the 423 00:21:03,290 --> 00:21:05,570 Lord gave us in his Holy Bible. 424 00:21:07,870 --> 00:21:11,390 And the Christian brother with the burden began 425 00:21:11,390 --> 00:21:14,270 to intercede in prayer for this drunkard who 426 00:21:14,750 --> 00:21:17,810 he had Christian friends and he would laugh 427 00:21:17,810 --> 00:21:19,990 as they witnessed to him. 428 00:21:20,650 --> 00:21:24,430 Apparently, he was a large, muscular, strong man 429 00:21:24,430 --> 00:21:26,230 who loved his whiskey. 430 00:21:27,310 --> 00:21:29,890 And when he would get high on that 431 00:21:29,890 --> 00:21:32,530 whiskey, get drunk, he really enjoyed life. 432 00:21:32,630 --> 00:21:35,530 I don't know if he fought or messed 433 00:21:35,530 --> 00:21:38,590 with people or what, but he really liked 434 00:21:38,590 --> 00:21:39,810 to tie on a good drunk. 435 00:21:40,770 --> 00:21:42,310 And as they would witness to him and 436 00:21:42,310 --> 00:21:45,530 tell him how the drunkard's going to have 437 00:21:45,530 --> 00:21:46,610 a part in the lake of fire and 438 00:21:46,610 --> 00:21:48,150 such, more or less, he would laugh at 439 00:21:48,150 --> 00:21:48,930 them and go on his way. 440 00:21:49,170 --> 00:21:52,290 But all that time, the Holy Spirit working 441 00:21:52,290 --> 00:21:56,050 in there in his heart from what the 442 00:21:56,050 --> 00:21:57,230 witnesses told him. 443 00:21:58,330 --> 00:22:00,570 But one godly man got a burden for 444 00:22:00,570 --> 00:22:00,770 him. 445 00:22:01,550 --> 00:22:04,490 And he started with Genesis 1-1, praying 446 00:22:04,490 --> 00:22:06,630 each and every verse of the Bible for 447 00:22:06,630 --> 00:22:07,190 that man. 448 00:22:07,870 --> 00:22:09,270 I don't know what he said about each 449 00:22:09,270 --> 00:22:09,590 verse. 450 00:22:10,090 --> 00:22:12,350 Lord, help George to believe this. 451 00:22:12,990 --> 00:22:15,110 Help him to repent and trust in you 452 00:22:15,110 --> 00:22:16,170 and obey this verse. 453 00:22:16,430 --> 00:22:18,230 Give him full knowledge of this verse. 454 00:22:19,310 --> 00:22:21,330 And I don't know how many years it 455 00:22:21,330 --> 00:22:21,590 was. 456 00:22:21,670 --> 00:22:23,970 It was probably at least two years or 457 00:22:23,970 --> 00:22:28,650 more that that dedicated Christian prayed without ceasing. 458 00:22:28,830 --> 00:22:32,250 He went through the Bible once, through the 459 00:22:32,250 --> 00:22:37,470 Bible twice, praying each and every verse, spending 460 00:22:37,470 --> 00:22:40,330 many hundreds of hours in intercessory prayer for 461 00:22:40,330 --> 00:22:41,170 that one drunkard. 462 00:22:42,470 --> 00:22:45,030 He had gotten through it two times and 463 00:22:45,030 --> 00:22:46,770 was in the third time or the fourth 464 00:22:46,770 --> 00:22:49,670 time one when that man trusted in the 465 00:22:49,670 --> 00:22:49,950 Lord. 466 00:22:50,810 --> 00:22:54,030 He had been attending Dr. Howells' church from 467 00:22:54,030 --> 00:22:57,850 time to time, the drunkard, because it was 468 00:22:57,850 --> 00:22:59,770 sort of an exciting place to be. 469 00:23:00,190 --> 00:23:02,730 Souls getting saved and such, and friends inviting, 470 00:23:02,830 --> 00:23:03,530 and he would come. 471 00:23:04,090 --> 00:23:07,610 They have an invitation after most every service, 472 00:23:07,990 --> 00:23:11,570 and Dr. Howells said an invitation was going 473 00:23:11,570 --> 00:23:12,870 on, and I was quite busy. 474 00:23:13,170 --> 00:23:15,130 I turned and looked, and there was George 475 00:23:15,130 --> 00:23:17,590 standing there near the altar, and I wondered 476 00:23:17,590 --> 00:23:19,610 what George might be doing coming up there. 477 00:23:20,230 --> 00:23:21,770 He said he wanted to get saved. 478 00:23:22,830 --> 00:23:26,590 And George got wonderfully saved, and Dr. Howells 479 00:23:26,590 --> 00:23:27,590 baptized him. 480 00:23:28,490 --> 00:23:31,350 And after he baptized him, he and Dr. 481 00:23:31,450 --> 00:23:34,350 Howells were back in the same place, same 482 00:23:34,350 --> 00:23:37,910 little room, getting out of their wet clothing, 483 00:23:38,050 --> 00:23:42,750 I suppose, and he said that man, George, 484 00:23:42,790 --> 00:23:45,950 was sitting there looking out toward the baptist, 485 00:23:46,030 --> 00:23:47,910 and he said he was chuckling to himself. 486 00:23:49,590 --> 00:23:51,550 And Dr. Howells said, George, what are you 487 00:23:51,550 --> 00:23:52,230 chuckling about? 488 00:23:53,430 --> 00:23:57,570 He said, Pastor, I'm sitting here thinking that 489 00:23:57,570 --> 00:24:01,490 baptistry probably wouldn't hold all the whiskey I've 490 00:24:01,490 --> 00:24:05,750 drunk, but I've never had such a good 491 00:24:05,750 --> 00:24:08,410 time drinking all that whiskey as I had 492 00:24:08,410 --> 00:24:10,310 when you put me down in that water 493 00:24:10,310 --> 00:24:13,490 and brought me up again, signifying death and 494 00:24:13,490 --> 00:24:18,380 resurrection and new life in Christ, lest, my 495 00:24:18,380 --> 00:24:21,400 friend, that comes from praying without ceasing. 496 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:26,240 If you find yourself idle, you can pray 497 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:29,380 12 hours a day, six or seven days 498 00:24:29,380 --> 00:24:31,420 a week, and you can get up in 499 00:24:31,420 --> 00:24:32,860 the morning and say, give me this day 500 00:24:32,860 --> 00:24:33,780 my daily bread. 501 00:24:34,140 --> 00:24:35,900 Lord, I need some rent money. 502 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:38,780 And I would expect the Lord, who's a 503 00:24:38,780 --> 00:24:43,140 faithful and just One who hires, would give 504 00:24:43,140 --> 00:24:45,980 you your food and your rent money and 505 00:24:45,980 --> 00:24:49,920 supply all your needs according to His riches 506 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,940 in glory, just as He promises to do. 507 00:24:56,150 --> 00:25:01,690 A second employment unto our Lord, work unto 508 00:25:01,690 --> 00:25:05,050 our Lord that any Christian can do is 509 00:25:05,050 --> 00:25:07,830 to take Him up on His wonderful invitation 510 00:25:07,830 --> 00:25:12,310 in Hebrews 13, 13, let us go unto 511 00:25:12,310 --> 00:25:15,750 Him without the count, bearing His reproach. 512 00:25:16,490 --> 00:25:18,170 I listened to Brother Jeff talking to you 513 00:25:18,170 --> 00:25:19,650 folks about that a while ago. 514 00:25:19,650 --> 00:25:22,930 You know, Brother Jeff, as we're out there 515 00:25:22,930 --> 00:25:26,050 in the flea market singing praises to our 516 00:25:26,050 --> 00:25:30,550 Lord, just about everybody going by, just about 517 00:25:30,550 --> 00:25:34,590 all the children of the devil, readily manifest 518 00:25:34,590 --> 00:25:36,430 that they're children of the devil with their 519 00:25:36,430 --> 00:25:39,490 large tattoos all over their body, with the 520 00:25:39,490 --> 00:25:42,750 cigarette they're smoking, with the foul language coming 521 00:25:42,750 --> 00:25:43,590 out of their mouth. 522 00:25:44,310 --> 00:25:47,130 It's no effort on their part to manifest 523 00:25:47,130 --> 00:25:48,770 that they're a child of the devil. 524 00:25:49,810 --> 00:25:52,410 Why should it be thought incredible that we 525 00:25:52,410 --> 00:25:55,890 would stand there singing wonderful hymns of praise 526 00:25:55,890 --> 00:25:58,990 to our Lord, manifest in the whole world 527 00:25:58,990 --> 00:26:01,070 that we're a child of the King? 528 00:26:02,670 --> 00:26:04,390 And I was listening to Brother Jeff as 529 00:26:04,390 --> 00:26:06,490 he told you that it seemed sort of 530 00:26:06,490 --> 00:26:09,390 peculiar what we were doing, and he used 531 00:26:09,390 --> 00:26:10,070 that word. 532 00:26:10,530 --> 00:26:12,950 If you look in a strong concordance, that 533 00:26:12,950 --> 00:26:15,310 word is in the Bible a very few 534 00:26:15,310 --> 00:26:17,890 times, and it usually talks about us Christians. 535 00:26:18,150 --> 00:26:20,790 We are a peculiar people. 536 00:26:21,630 --> 00:26:25,170 The Word of God plainly tells us that. 537 00:26:25,970 --> 00:26:28,970 Don't you be ashamed to be a peculiar 538 00:26:28,970 --> 00:26:29,810 Christian. 539 00:26:30,970 --> 00:26:33,870 Don't be ashamed to go unto the Lord 540 00:26:33,870 --> 00:26:37,690 without the count, bearing His reproach, it says 541 00:26:37,690 --> 00:26:40,330 in Hebrews 13, 13. 542 00:26:41,690 --> 00:26:43,970 So few Christians will do it because they 543 00:26:43,970 --> 00:26:48,110 have so much sinful pride of self, sinful 544 00:26:48,110 --> 00:26:51,110 love of self, that they will not bear 545 00:26:51,110 --> 00:26:51,970 that reproach. 546 00:26:52,070 --> 00:26:54,550 They want men to think well of them. 547 00:26:56,580 --> 00:26:58,720 Read Luke 10, 7. 548 00:26:58,780 --> 00:27:01,500 The laborer is worthy of his hire. 549 00:27:02,100 --> 00:27:05,420 If you're unemployed, cry out, Lord, hire me 550 00:27:05,420 --> 00:27:09,040 and guide me daily as to exactly what 551 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:10,500 you would have me to do. 552 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,520 Twelve hours a day, six days a week, 553 00:27:15,380 --> 00:27:22,300 intercessory prayer, testifying outside of the count, preaching 554 00:27:22,300 --> 00:27:25,180 outside of the count, witnessing, singing outside of 555 00:27:25,180 --> 00:27:28,400 the count, and also any other work the 556 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,300 Lord would guide you into, call on Him 557 00:27:31,300 --> 00:27:33,940 in your needs and see Him supply ever, 558 00:27:34,060 --> 00:27:35,120 ever so well. 559 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:42,840 I mentioned how my first few years in 560 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:44,760 Japan were very lean financially. 561 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:49,200 And the language school I attended was in 562 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:52,220 a summer resort town up in the mountains 563 00:27:52,220 --> 00:27:54,320 where tourists flock to in the summer. 564 00:27:54,780 --> 00:27:57,660 And you know how the shopping area there 565 00:27:57,660 --> 00:27:58,760 is like a vanity fair. 566 00:27:58,900 --> 00:28:00,660 And walking up the main street there are 567 00:28:00,660 --> 00:28:02,960 the little shops with all their trinkets and 568 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:03,360 toys. 569 00:28:04,900 --> 00:28:08,980 I saw car tags on sale for $12 570 00:28:08,980 --> 00:28:09,880 apiece. 571 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:12,340 Car tags from the States. 572 00:28:12,620 --> 00:28:14,280 You might know them as license plates. 573 00:28:15,260 --> 00:28:17,780 And the cogs started turning in my brain 574 00:28:17,780 --> 00:28:19,360 because I said, I can get them free 575 00:28:19,360 --> 00:28:20,020 back home. 576 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:22,700 And when I came home on furlough finally 577 00:28:22,700 --> 00:28:25,280 eight years later, I gathered some up in 578 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:26,340 1986. 579 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:30,740 I shipped back by ship a few tons 580 00:28:30,740 --> 00:28:33,480 of them and started standing out on the 581 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:35,500 street there selling license plates. 582 00:28:35,780 --> 00:28:37,420 And I wasn't idle. 583 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:39,620 I didn't have any idea how to sell 584 00:28:39,620 --> 00:28:39,780 them. 585 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:41,600 So I just stood out on the street 586 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:43,180 and put a price on them and people 587 00:28:43,180 --> 00:28:44,100 started buying them. 588 00:28:44,700 --> 00:28:48,580 And soon I start singing and preaching while 589 00:28:48,580 --> 00:28:50,980 my goods are sitting out there for sale, 590 00:28:51,660 --> 00:28:54,880 building and battling back there near where they 591 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:56,400 had to hold a sword in one hand, 592 00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:57,940 you know, to keep the enemy off as 593 00:28:57,940 --> 00:28:59,320 they built that wall. 594 00:29:00,020 --> 00:29:02,440 Building and battling, building and battling. 595 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:04,620 It's a wonderful thing to do. 596 00:29:06,060 --> 00:29:07,960 I want to stress here that you do 597 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:09,240 not have to be idle. 598 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,540 Cry out to the God, to your Lord 599 00:29:12,540 --> 00:29:14,760 as to what he would have you to 600 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:16,960 do when you find yourself idle. 601 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:19,060 Lord, what work do you have for me 602 00:29:19,060 --> 00:29:19,660 to do today? 603 00:29:20,900 --> 00:29:23,980 Other examples really impressed me. 604 00:29:25,140 --> 00:29:27,140 I guess it was well over 30 years 605 00:29:27,140 --> 00:29:29,260 ago that I read a story in Reader's 606 00:29:29,260 --> 00:29:32,680 Digest, a true life story that really the 607 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:34,520 wisdom of it lodged in my mind. 608 00:29:35,260 --> 00:29:37,380 It might have been as early as about 609 00:29:37,380 --> 00:29:38,880 1950. 610 00:29:40,020 --> 00:29:41,620 If it was after that, it wouldn't have 611 00:29:41,620 --> 00:29:45,580 been much longer after that, that a Chinese 612 00:29:45,580 --> 00:29:49,440 man escaped from Communist China into Hong Kong. 613 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:51,300 You well know how many of them would 614 00:29:51,300 --> 00:29:54,220 try to escape China and get out to 615 00:29:54,220 --> 00:29:54,520 freedom. 616 00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:57,540 And at that time, Hong Kong did not 617 00:29:57,540 --> 00:29:58,540 belong to China. 618 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:02,460 It belonged to Britain, I suppose, wasn't it, 619 00:30:02,460 --> 00:30:03,820 back then before they gave it over to 620 00:30:03,820 --> 00:30:04,140 China. 621 00:30:04,620 --> 00:30:05,480 It was freedom. 622 00:30:07,100 --> 00:30:12,100 And this man later on started a ship 623 00:30:12,100 --> 00:30:15,920 building company in Taiwan. 624 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:18,560 He later on went from Hong Kong to 625 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:23,980 Taiwan and started, formed a large company building 626 00:30:23,980 --> 00:30:25,640 ocean-going ships. 627 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:28,820 So you know, you can well imagine what 628 00:30:28,820 --> 00:30:31,500 a large-size business adventure that is. 629 00:30:32,580 --> 00:30:36,740 But he came out of China penniless, and 630 00:30:36,740 --> 00:30:39,360 the Reader's Digest story said that he started 631 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:43,600 out selling pencils on the street in Hong 632 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:43,980 Kong. 633 00:30:45,220 --> 00:30:49,520 And I immediately saw two reasons of wisdom 634 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:52,420 that he would sell pencils. 635 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:55,540 Now, this is long before the digital age, 636 00:30:55,780 --> 00:30:58,820 and everybody from a little child who draws 637 00:30:58,820 --> 00:31:02,480 pictures up through adults used pencils. 638 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:04,660 They used ink pens, too. 639 00:31:05,540 --> 00:31:07,780 But this was before ballpoint pens. 640 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:10,080 I'm old enough to remember when the first 641 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:13,980 ballpoint pens came out in the 1950s, and 642 00:31:13,980 --> 00:31:15,700 we thought, what a convenience. 643 00:31:15,980 --> 00:31:17,720 You don't have to have an ink bottle 644 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:20,480 in that fountain pen with a little lever 645 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:22,300 -like pump on it. 646 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:24,600 There's a squirt ink everywhere if you're not 647 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:27,100 careful, and you put a cheap fountain pen 648 00:31:27,100 --> 00:31:29,420 in your pocket, and it leaks that ink 649 00:31:29,420 --> 00:31:32,460 out, and you can't ever get it out 650 00:31:32,460 --> 00:31:34,540 of your clothing, no matter how much you 651 00:31:34,540 --> 00:31:34,920 wash them. 652 00:31:35,020 --> 00:31:37,620 And everybody knows you had a, unless you 653 00:31:37,620 --> 00:31:39,900 throw the shirt away, knows that you had 654 00:31:39,900 --> 00:31:42,180 a cheap fountain pen which leaked. 655 00:31:43,180 --> 00:31:47,980 But everyone uses pencils, and a pencil is 656 00:31:47,980 --> 00:31:48,840 a cheap item. 657 00:31:50,100 --> 00:31:53,520 He may have come out of China with 658 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:56,240 enough money to go to a wholesaler there 659 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:58,920 somewhere and say, and buy a dozen pencils. 660 00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:03,320 If he had come out penniless, I know 661 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:05,580 he had a brain on him, in his 662 00:32:05,580 --> 00:32:07,780 head, because he founded that shipbuilding company. 663 00:32:08,320 --> 00:32:10,180 He would have walked into a wholesaler. 664 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:13,320 He wouldn't have been frantic or panicky. 665 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:15,960 He would say, hey, I just got out 666 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:18,120 this morning, and everybody in Hong Kong knows 667 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:19,100 what that's all about. 668 00:32:19,660 --> 00:32:21,120 I need to get a start. 669 00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:24,240 Let me have a dozen pencils, and as 670 00:32:24,240 --> 00:32:25,320 soon as I sell them on the street, 671 00:32:25,420 --> 00:32:26,900 I'll be right back to pay you and 672 00:32:26,900 --> 00:32:27,700 get a dozen more. 673 00:32:28,220 --> 00:32:31,160 The man would have probably handed over a 674 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:32,500 dozen pencils to him. 675 00:32:33,300 --> 00:32:35,740 If not, he would have gone to another 676 00:32:35,740 --> 00:32:38,420 man and asked for it, and if necessary, 677 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:39,920 he would have gone all the way down 678 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:41,400 to, well, six pencils. 679 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:42,840 Well, three pencils. 680 00:32:43,780 --> 00:32:45,540 And he would have gone out on that 681 00:32:45,540 --> 00:32:48,120 street and just stood there holding up those 682 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:51,980 pencils, and in a very, not a very 683 00:32:51,980 --> 00:32:54,700 loud voice, as there's many passive eyes on 684 00:32:54,700 --> 00:32:56,960 a crowded street, he would say, I just 685 00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:57,760 got out today. 686 00:32:57,860 --> 00:32:58,800 Help me get a start. 687 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:00,960 And people on the street there know what 688 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:02,880 that's all about, getting out of China to 689 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:05,060 freedom, and people would have bought a pencil. 690 00:33:05,460 --> 00:33:07,820 He would have gone back, plopped down every 691 00:33:07,820 --> 00:33:09,040 bit of money he got for those three 692 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:10,660 pencils, and said, give me six, please. 693 00:33:11,100 --> 00:33:12,480 And that man would have just kept a 694 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:15,980 running ledger of his money paid and how 695 00:33:15,980 --> 00:33:19,300 much he's taken out and the money he 696 00:33:19,300 --> 00:33:19,700 owes. 697 00:33:20,420 --> 00:33:21,840 He would have come back, I just sold 698 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:24,860 those six, and said, give me twelve now, 699 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:29,540 and three of your ink pens will sell 700 00:33:29,540 --> 00:33:30,000 the best. 701 00:33:30,780 --> 00:33:31,940 And he'd gone out there with that. 702 00:33:32,020 --> 00:33:33,580 Next time he'd come back, he would ask 703 00:33:33,580 --> 00:33:35,480 for three little notepads. 704 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:37,560 The next time he would come back and 705 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:39,640 ask, have you got a folding chair or 706 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:41,860 anything I can use for a stand out 707 00:33:41,860 --> 00:33:43,160 there to put some of this stuff on? 708 00:33:43,740 --> 00:33:45,620 He might have gotten that, but he would 709 00:33:45,620 --> 00:33:47,780 have increased his wares throughout the day and 710 00:33:47,780 --> 00:33:49,620 gotten in the black during that day. 711 00:33:50,580 --> 00:33:52,540 And by the third day or so of 712 00:33:52,540 --> 00:33:54,560 selling on the street, I would expect he 713 00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:56,260 would spend every night on the street to 714 00:33:56,260 --> 00:33:57,460 save all the money he could. 715 00:33:58,060 --> 00:33:59,900 And in the evenings, he'd go looking for 716 00:33:59,900 --> 00:34:01,420 a small shop to rent. 717 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:04,480 And he might go back on the second 718 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:07,040 end of the second day to that man 719 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:09,699 who he's already bought much from, and that 720 00:34:09,699 --> 00:34:11,940 merchant has made a profit from what he 721 00:34:11,940 --> 00:34:13,040 sold this street vendor. 722 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:15,659 And he'd say, I found a little shop 723 00:34:15,659 --> 00:34:18,760 that's for rent, and I've got enough money 724 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:20,560 now to pay half a month's rent. 725 00:34:21,020 --> 00:34:23,280 How about you going with me and vouch 726 00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:26,980 for me that I'll do right and try 727 00:34:26,980 --> 00:34:29,440 to get that realtor to give me a 728 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:31,239 start by just letting me pay a half 729 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:33,340 a month's rent at the start and the 730 00:34:33,340 --> 00:34:35,040 key money later also. 731 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:38,219 And they might go to that realtor, and 732 00:34:38,219 --> 00:34:40,159 this man might be able to start out 733 00:34:40,159 --> 00:34:40,900 like that. 734 00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:43,000 And he just slowly increased. 735 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:45,360 Within three months, he'd be in a larger 736 00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:45,820 shop. 737 00:34:46,380 --> 00:34:47,600 Soon he goes to Taiwan. 738 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:51,080 He has enough good of a reputation that 739 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:55,300 he can sell stock there to start a 740 00:34:55,300 --> 00:34:56,620 large shipbuilding company. 741 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:00,380 My main point was that as soon as 742 00:35:00,380 --> 00:35:03,280 he got his freedom flat broke, he was 743 00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:04,300 not idle. 744 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:07,780 Oh, the curse of being idle. 745 00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:10,280 Intercede in prayer. 746 00:35:11,020 --> 00:35:12,380 Go without the count. 747 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:16,880 Any elderly Christians around you that need yard 748 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:19,720 work or anything from some younger Christian that 749 00:35:19,720 --> 00:35:21,640 the elderly person is not able to do, 750 00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:25,400 do it as unto the Lord and expect 751 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:26,840 him to pay you. 752 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:30,940 When I started selling those license plates on 753 00:35:30,940 --> 00:35:35,620 the street, that story about the Chinese shipbuilder, 754 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:37,780 it often stayed in my mind. 755 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:41,600 And it's amazing how that I started out 756 00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:44,140 with nothing when the Lord called me to 757 00:35:44,140 --> 00:35:44,780 be a missionary. 758 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:49,200 And I labored and labored and labored preaching 759 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:51,860 on the street till my voice was gone. 760 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:54,840 I would intercede in prayer for days. 761 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:58,160 It was no trouble to fast because often 762 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:00,500 I had no food to eat. 763 00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:04,820 And fasting is another thing that will bring 764 00:36:04,820 --> 00:36:08,360 on power, honors God, and will give answers 765 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:09,180 to prayers. 766 00:36:10,180 --> 00:36:12,700 Those three things are three things that anyone 767 00:36:12,700 --> 00:36:13,580 can do. 768 00:36:14,460 --> 00:36:18,540 Nothing, no equipment, anything is required for them. 769 00:36:19,340 --> 00:36:21,920 And you'll find yourself greatly blessed by doing 770 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:22,380 so. 771 00:36:24,970 --> 00:36:27,750 As I preached this on the 5th of 772 00:36:27,750 --> 00:36:34,550 February, 2017, two days ago, a man in 773 00:36:34,550 --> 00:36:36,350 his 50s was talking to me. 774 00:36:36,790 --> 00:36:39,150 I'm here in the States, in Gulf Breeze, 775 00:36:39,210 --> 00:36:40,470 Florida, preaching this. 776 00:36:41,470 --> 00:36:43,390 A man in his 50s was talking to 777 00:36:43,390 --> 00:36:43,650 me. 778 00:36:44,370 --> 00:36:47,650 As we just was in conversation, he mentioned, 779 00:36:48,230 --> 00:36:49,870 well, I mentioned that I'd been to the 780 00:36:49,870 --> 00:36:50,990 dentist the day before. 781 00:36:52,190 --> 00:36:55,250 And this man does not profess to be 782 00:36:55,250 --> 00:36:55,810 a Christian. 783 00:36:56,770 --> 00:36:59,750 And he reiterated how he has no upper 784 00:36:59,750 --> 00:37:00,270 teeth. 785 00:37:01,810 --> 00:37:05,290 And he reiterated how that when a lower 786 00:37:05,290 --> 00:37:08,690 tooth gets bad enough that it has to 787 00:37:08,690 --> 00:37:10,950 be pulled, he scrapes together a little money 788 00:37:10,950 --> 00:37:12,790 and goes to the dentist and gets it 789 00:37:12,790 --> 00:37:13,170 pulled. 790 00:37:13,850 --> 00:37:16,030 He said dental work is hard. 791 00:37:16,850 --> 00:37:18,330 He can't afford dental work. 792 00:37:19,790 --> 00:37:21,850 He hasn't trusted in the Lord as his 793 00:37:21,850 --> 00:37:22,190 Savior. 794 00:37:22,770 --> 00:37:23,970 He's not serving the Lord. 795 00:37:24,670 --> 00:37:26,130 He's working a secular job. 796 00:37:27,670 --> 00:37:30,870 And many of us here in this, here 797 00:37:30,870 --> 00:37:32,550 in Gulf Breeze, have witnessed to him. 798 00:37:33,110 --> 00:37:34,550 I pray he'll get saved. 799 00:37:35,630 --> 00:37:38,330 But I thought about the he and I. 800 00:37:39,230 --> 00:37:41,490 The day before he lamented that to me, 801 00:37:42,770 --> 00:37:48,430 a kind Christian dentist lady took me into 802 00:37:48,430 --> 00:37:51,730 her dental office, gave me a thorough exam, 803 00:37:51,950 --> 00:37:56,730 x-rays, cleaning, and filled the one cavity 804 00:37:56,730 --> 00:37:58,290 she found that needed filling. 805 00:37:59,430 --> 00:38:01,650 And I walked out of there without her 806 00:38:01,650 --> 00:38:03,730 taking one penny of money from me. 807 00:38:04,690 --> 00:38:08,110 That's the reward for loving the Lord Jesus 808 00:38:08,110 --> 00:38:11,330 Christ with all your heart and seeking first 809 00:38:11,330 --> 00:38:14,330 the kingdom of God and His righteousness and 810 00:38:14,330 --> 00:38:17,090 letting Him add all these things unto you. 811 00:38:18,390 --> 00:38:21,450 Another Christian dentist in Japan always worked on 812 00:38:21,450 --> 00:38:21,930 me free. 813 00:38:22,570 --> 00:38:24,790 One time on Guam I had a cavity 814 00:38:24,790 --> 00:38:27,370 and I made a dental appointment, went to 815 00:38:27,370 --> 00:38:28,730 the dentist and he filled it. 816 00:38:29,070 --> 00:38:30,430 I'd never met him before. 817 00:38:30,430 --> 00:38:33,010 In conversation, I told him I was a 818 00:38:33,010 --> 00:38:35,110 missionary in Japan and we chatted somewhat. 819 00:38:35,970 --> 00:38:37,450 And when I walked out, he said, no 820 00:38:37,450 --> 00:38:38,190 charge. 821 00:38:39,390 --> 00:38:42,590 Truly, it is a blessing to work for 822 00:38:42,590 --> 00:38:43,170 the Lord. 823 00:38:43,810 --> 00:38:48,650 Truly, He supplies all our needs according to 824 00:38:48,650 --> 00:38:49,630 His riches in glory. 825 00:38:50,510 --> 00:38:53,910 I'm just past my 71st birthday and my 826 00:38:53,910 --> 00:38:57,590 upper and lower teeth, that horseshoe pattern, the 827 00:38:57,590 --> 00:39:00,490 biting surface is solid from all around. 828 00:39:01,170 --> 00:39:03,010 There's no gaps, nothing missing. 829 00:39:03,750 --> 00:39:05,710 A lot of it these days is man 830 00:39:05,710 --> 00:39:08,550 -made, but the Lord has kept me in 831 00:39:08,550 --> 00:39:10,470 good dental repair. 832 00:39:11,130 --> 00:39:13,070 And I think about that man I talked 833 00:39:13,070 --> 00:39:14,810 to, 53 years old, I think. 834 00:39:15,590 --> 00:39:17,270 I don't know how long all his upper 835 00:39:17,270 --> 00:39:19,070 teeth had been gone and one by one 836 00:39:19,070 --> 00:39:20,330 his lower teeth are going. 837 00:39:20,450 --> 00:39:22,850 When one gets bad enough that it needs 838 00:39:22,850 --> 00:39:25,150 pulling, he goes and gets it pulled. 839 00:39:26,590 --> 00:39:29,970 Truly, the devil is a hard taskmaster. 840 00:39:31,190 --> 00:39:32,890 If you refuse to give the Lord your 841 00:39:32,890 --> 00:39:35,610 all, refuse to love Him with all your 842 00:39:35,610 --> 00:39:37,630 heart because you love things of this world 843 00:39:37,630 --> 00:39:40,190 and such, you are the loser. 844 00:39:41,050 --> 00:39:43,730 Rest assured that you are the loser. 845 00:39:46,890 --> 00:39:49,310 I want to end this at this point. 846 00:39:51,750 --> 00:39:53,930 If you're well taken care of by the 847 00:39:53,930 --> 00:39:55,950 Lord, thank God for it each day. 848 00:39:58,140 --> 00:40:02,040 God will bring people in touch with you 849 00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:05,500 that you can share things from this message 850 00:40:05,500 --> 00:40:08,080 this morning, people who are hurting financially. 851 00:40:09,140 --> 00:40:11,180 Lord willing, I hope to post it in 852 00:40:11,180 --> 00:40:14,780 audio on my website so that anyone can 853 00:40:14,780 --> 00:40:16,020 listen to it from there. 854 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:19,820 These are things that Christians need to know 855 00:40:19,820 --> 00:40:23,800 today and in all ages. 856 00:40:24,140 --> 00:40:26,960 Each and every Christian believer should delight themselves 857 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:29,980 in obeying the greatest commandment, love the Lord 858 00:40:29,980 --> 00:40:31,240 God with all your heart. 859 00:40:31,860 --> 00:40:35,260 Truly, He is worthy and truly you'll benefit 860 00:40:35,260 --> 00:40:38,200 eternally by doing so. 861 00:40:38,980 --> 00:40:40,060 Let's pray. 862 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:43,660 Heavenly Father, we thank you for each and 863 00:40:43,660 --> 00:40:45,140 every command in the Bible. 864 00:40:45,720 --> 00:40:49,120 Truly, your yoke is easy and your burden 865 00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:50,160 is light. 866 00:40:50,820 --> 00:40:53,960 Old people balk at obeying you because they 867 00:40:53,960 --> 00:40:56,680 love themselves and have so many things they 868 00:40:56,680 --> 00:41:00,000 want to do to please themselves, and then 869 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:02,920 godly Christians around them have to listen to 870 00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:05,720 all their graphing and complaining about their lot 871 00:41:05,720 --> 00:41:08,660 in life simply because that's what they chose 872 00:41:08,660 --> 00:41:10,820 when they could have had a perfect lot 873 00:41:10,820 --> 00:41:11,460 in life. 874 00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:14,020 Lord, I have no complaints. 875 00:41:14,620 --> 00:41:17,560 I thank thee that I'm the most blessed 876 00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:19,420 human on the face of this earth. 877 00:41:19,900 --> 00:41:22,880 I thank thee for each and every day 878 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:25,260 and week and month of poverty that thou 879 00:41:25,260 --> 00:41:28,380 hast led me through, how rich it's been, 880 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:32,140 what wonderful lessons I've learned, and what close 881 00:41:32,140 --> 00:41:33,940 fellowship I've had with thee. 882 00:41:35,020 --> 00:41:37,600 Lord, work in each of our hearts to 883 00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:39,740 love you with all our hearts and glorify 884 00:41:39,740 --> 00:41:42,000 you to the fullest while we're here on 885 00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:42,520 earth. 886 00:41:43,100 --> 00:41:45,800 In our Lord's name I pray, amen. 887 00:41:46,520 --> 00:41:46,900 Amen. 888 00:41:50,500 --> 00:41:51,060 Amen.