United Church of God
Sermon Transcript December 21, 2007
You know, this is a special opportunity as we've gathered here this evening, to deepen friendships, garner new ones, to savor a weekend full of education, fellowship, sporting events. You know, there's something special when you can just sit down with a friend, in a chair, and as Mr. Winner mentioned, just talk. And talk until 11:00 and then move your conversation out to the hall, then move your conversation out into the parking lot, then move your conversation on into the Clarion, and just go on and go on and go on. There's something special about that, about the relationships that we do have. And certainly, the theme of this weekend and all that means - the building of Godly relationships. Those are things that God loves. He loves it when His people come together. He loves it when they enjoy one another's company. He loves our fellowship, and certainly smiles when we do have food to go with our fellowship. And it is a very special time.
I'd like to begin tonight by telling a story about relationships. Unfortunately, this particular relationship ended violently. It's one of the most familiar stories in the Bible. You know it as the story of Cain and Abel. And you've read it countless times. We've gone over it, it's been dissected, all the things that are going on between these two brothers. It's a story that has to do with sin. It's a story that has to do with what happens when you do not please God. But there's something else, there's another element in this story that has so much to say about what God wants us to have with Him.
If you turn over to Genesis 4, that's where we'll begin tonight. Of course, Cain was the firstborn.
How many firstborns do we have here tonight?
How many of you enjoy being the firstborn?
(laughter)
Well, Cain was the firstborn. Some of you probably understand it's a little bit difficult, especially when you have siblings with you, who come after you. I'm from a family of five children. I'm the middle child and the middle son, and my poor sister who was the oldest among us, she had the difficult task of getting our lives in order after Mom and Dad left for work. It was her job to get us fed and prepared, and that didn't always go well. And I can remember on many occasions, as I normally did, staying in bed until about fifteen minutes before the bus arrived then jumping out of bed, throwing on some clothes, pretending to make the bed, and racing to breakfast. Now, my sister was in charge of breakfast for the four scrubs, and we had a way of making our demands known, like, "Where are my eggs?"
And on this one particular morning as I came running to the breakfast table, specifically telling my sister from my bed that I wanted easy over eggs, I'm talking the ones that are runny! And I've got to have them runny. And she served something that looked like a black biscuit.
(laughter)
And I said "What is that?"
She said, "It's your breakfast, boy!"
(laughter)
Now you've got to understand my sister, we're from Virginia. It's not b-o-y, it's b-u-o-y! BUOY!
And I said, "Where's the runny yolk?"
(silence)
That's right! She didn't say anything!
(laughter)
I said, "I wanted runny yolks! I wanted easy over!"
That day, I learned two things: One, you do not insult your sister's cooking. And secondly, when used correctly, spatulas hurt!
(laughter)
Sibling rivalry! And I didn't talk to her for the whole ten minutes before the bus came.
(laughter)
But you look at the relationship here, as my sister and I were able to maintain our relationship. And now, happy to say, my sister is in God's church, that we keep the Feast together, that our relationships have grown closer together and bonded and on one occasion I did take her out one evening and said, "Do you remember that time when I made my request for the black biscuit?"
And she laughs and says, "Was it good?"
I said, "Well, it was something."
(laughter)
With these two brothers, it did not end that way.
In Genesis 4:1 ... Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain...
Verse 2 ...she bore again, this time(the) his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep...he was a keeper...
The title of tonight's Bible Study is "We Are The Keepers." You like titles. We are the keepers. So Abel was a keeper of the sheep. Cain was a tiller of the ground. Again, you know the story, in the process of time they brought an offering before God, and God accepted Abel's offering, but there's something else here that we need to read here in Genesis 4:4.
Verse 4 - Abel (who) also brought...his offering... of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat ...it says... the LORD respected ...
There were two things that He respected here, he respected the offering, but He respected Abel too. He accepted him, there was an acceptable relationship between Abel and God. But then he goes on to say in Verse 5
Verse 5 - but He did not respect Cain and his offering...
Something was wrong. Something was amiss. There wasn't the right relationship there. And certainly before this happened, God spoke to Cain and said, "Hey Cain, you really need to understand something; your attitude's wrong." Or as we used to say growing up, "You got a 'tude!" - because everything's abbreviated.
"You got a 'tude, and it's wrong, and it smells, and it stinks and you ought to get over it, and you ought to rule over it, so you and I can have the right type of relationship, so that I might respect you."
You know the end of the story. God didn't respect Cain or his offering. He said, basically, "You need to watch your attitude. We ought to have a right relationship here, if not, your attitude is going to consume you, and it's going to destroy you."
And again, you know the story.
Verse 8 - Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and(he) killed him.
What was the relationship there? Do you just pop up one morning and just take your brother out and just kill him? What was happening? What type of relationship was there?
Verse 9 - Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He (Cain) said...
We used to get our shoulders whacked when Mom said, "Where's your brother?"
(laughter)
"I don't know." Which is the last and worst thing you can say to a parent.
Verse 9 (continued) ..."Am I my brother's keeper?"
The 'tude was still there. The attitude was still there. "Am I my brother's keeper? Am I responsible? He's got a mother and a father. Why must I be his keeper?"
What would you have said if Cain asked you that question? What would you have said? We don't really see an answer given here. The word "keeper" in the Hebrew means "to tend; to take care of; to watch over". Merriam-Webster, in their dictionary online, defines "keeper" as the following: "protector; warden; custodian; curator; one having genuine or lasting merit." It means something to you to the point where you take care of it. It has specific meaning to you. So, in essence, Cain was saying, "He doesn't mean anything to me...he doesn't mean anything to me, so I killed him."
A keeper is one who knows the state of another person. How many times, as we've been living our lives, we come in contact with people, and maybe even tonight in you're fellowshipping, and someone mentioned a name "Have you heard from so-and-so?" and we'll say something to the extent of, "We don't keep up as much. Haven't been keeping up with them." In other words, I don't know their state. I don't know what's become of them. And yet, we are to be the keepers.
This whole weekend, and what Mr. Winner was talking about when he was relaying the information as found in our brochure has a lot to say, my friends, about what it is to be a keeper. What it means to meet the curfew. What it means to be quiet during the quiet hours. What it means to arrive at a certain destination, to register there, to realize that there are volunteers who have volunteered to be there to greet you at registration, because they want to make sure that you are kept safe. When the pre-teens come in Sunday, there will be a table there, and as the parents bring them in, we're going to say, "We're going to keep your children. We're going to tend to them. We're going to take care of them. We're going to be their custodians." So you can go over to rock-climbing, where someone at rock-climbing is going to be your keeper there. To do all they can do to keep you safe, to tend to you, because you have value and merit.
And going back to my older sister...and again, to all those who raised your hands out there...sometimes, Mom and Dad says to the older sibling, "We're going out" and they say those magical words that firstborns love to hear; what are they?
"You're in charge."
(laughter)
And you go, "Awwwwwwww!"
And your siblings go, (unseen gesture)
But your parents are saying, " You are the keeper until we get back. You take care of your siblings. You watch over them. You tend to them. You keep things in order until we get back."
Some become keepers earlier than others, depending upon their accountability and their responsibility.
You're the keeper.
God placed Adam in the garden to do what? Tend to it. Keep it. Said to him, "Take care of this. You're the keeper. Watch over this."
You know, one of my favorite songs growing up was a hit by the Four Tops. You've heard of the Four Tops, right? Come on Motown! (laughter) Now, growing up as a kid in the 70's, you didn't really care about the words, only that it had a beat that you could dance to, and the Four Tops had a beat. And there was one particular song that I really enjoyed dancing to. It was called "Keeper of the Castle." You all know it, right? You know how it began, right?
(sings tune)
It did! (laughter)
As I got older, and the song would play on what was now called the, ahem, "oldies." You began to listen to the words. And what I came to find about this particular song brethren, and my dear friends, is that this tune, way back in the 70's, was speaking, and was an anthem, of all things, about what it is to be a keeper. In this specific song, it was speaking to dads. It was an anthem to fathers to be keepers. Here are the words, I'm not going to sing it for you, don't worry. But here are the words:
Live it down
There's a lot of us been pushed around
Red, yellow, black, white and brown
With a tear of their own
Can't you see
While you're pickin' on society
That the leaves on your family tree
Are callin' you to come home.
You're the keeper of the castle
So be a father to your children
The provider of all their daily needs
Like a sovereign lord protector
Be their destiny's director
And they'll do well to follow where you lead.
In your head
You don't believe what the good book said
You're gonna strike out now instead
'Cause the world's been unkind
Through thick and thin
Whatever shape your heart is in
You only have one next of kin
Better keep 'em in mind.
You're the keeper of the castle
So be a good man to your lady
The creator of the sunshine in her day
'Tend the garden that you seeded
Be a friend when a friend is needed
And you won't have to look the other way.
I thought, "Wow!" Not only a good beat, but a good message. It's saying, "Dads, step up in your position as a keeper of your family, as a keeper to your spouse, as a keeper to your children."
It speaks to us brethren. If we speak about Godly relationships, and the responsibilities that we have, that God has allowed us to have, we should approach those opportunities realistically and seriously.
So again I say, whether you know it or not, we're the keepers of the Winter Family Weekend. This is our weekend; we are to keep it. Whether you are having your pizza at Chuck E. Cheese, and throwing your tokens away, or you'll be sitting here tomorrow or in any activity that follows. And yes, when you get in your automobile, or your airplane and fly away from here whether it's Tuesday or Wednesday, you're still the keeper of this weekend. We must not fail in our job. You see, the tending and the keeping, in part, is based on what? Your relationships. To what degree your relationships hinge upon is to the degree we'll have a great success this weekend. So we're to ask ourselves, "Who am I with? Are they helping to promote the right type of atmosphere and environment here, or is it a little suspect? If it is suspect, do I have a responsibility as a keeper?"
Cain was asking God, "What responsibility do I have to my brother?" Perhaps he felt it was Adam and Eve's job. But you know, sometimes the job of keeper falls to us when there is no one else around who'll step up to be that keeper of what is right and what is pure and what is good.
I'd like to read a story to you. It's a wonderful example. It speaks about relationships. It also speaks to an individual who was the keeper, and the relationships this keeper had, in this case, a girl's basketball team. It's titled, "Growing Up" by Rubel Shelly.
"An editorial in the Caledonian-Record of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, put it: "Friday night five teen-age girls at Danville High School became five young adults, and they did so with class." I thought you'd like to know the story.
The Friday night in question was January 11, 2002 . The setting was a packed gymnasium just prior to the start of the varsity game. The five girls were members of the Danville High School basketball team -- four of them were starters. They weren't in uniform to play that night, and they would not play for the remainder of the season..."
And you all know, if you played sports, January you're coming in hot and heavy in your basketball season, and these young women would not be playing on the team. We'll get to the reason why here in just a moment.
"...They were there..."
And this is something, if you've been following Major League Baseball...again, I love baseball. I grew up playing baseball, and it's sad when you see grown men not take responsibility for infractions that they've committed. It hurts to see people that you respected at one time say, "Ha-Ha...you can't pin...well, you know I...what excuse can I use...I'll get my lawyer to speak."
But what happens when you have to make a stand? These five girls did.
"...They were there at that basketball game that night to own up to a serious infraction of team rules. They were there to support their coach's decision to take them off the team..."
They were there standing up before everyone instead of being up in the bleachers, you know, with their buddies, their new buddies saying, "Yeah, we're going to lose every game now, because look what they did to me! They took away my basketball season. I hope they lose every game by a thousand points!" They were there with their team. They were there to support their coach.
If you're going to support someone, for better or worse, there must have been a relationship there, established, functioning, that even though they were now no longer on the team, they stood by their coach. Oh, but it gets better!
"...They were also there to explain to the crowd why they were no longer on the team, to the fans. And they were going to tell them why they were kicked off the team. They were there to own that serious infraction of team rules. And there they were with appropriate contrition..."
They were contrite! They weren't there...they were contrite. Something was there. A relationship was there. They stood, they supported their team and their coach
"...They were there to let the town know there was a problem in their little community that needed to be addressed.
While school had been out for the winter break and New Years holidays, the girls had gone to a party with several of their friends. It was New Year's Eve. There was alcohol there. And the five girls all drank some.
Coach Tammy Rainville (who is the coach, but also the keeper) had a zero-tolerance level, a zero-tolerance rule on drugs and alcohol for the members of her team. Every kid who plays for her knows that rule. So when classes resumed after the break and accounts of the holiday parties were shared, rumors about the five girls began closing in on them. Coach Rainville did not have to confront them. They got together and decided the five of them would go to her and tell her themselves.
The (keeper) coach..."
Moms and dads you know what we're talking about. We love our children. Infraction happens. We have a loving relationship, but the infraction happens. We say, "When this happens, I love you, but here's the consequence." Somehow, many adults have forgotten that. We live in a society that does not want consequences, and so they will butcher, destroy, usurp all forms of relationships in order to get what they want.
"...The coach said she couldn't back down on her policy. And the players -- two juniors, three seniors..."
The seniors were never going to play basketball for the rest of their high school career.
"... they agreed. That Friday night in the gym was part of their public support of the coach's decision.
One of the seniors spoke last. She said, 'We hope you will understand that we are not bad kids. We made a mistake... What we did was definitely not worth it. We hope this event will make everyone open their eyes and realize that there is a big drug and alcohol problem in our community.' She said, 'And if you work with us...' speaking to the fans, 'If you work with us to try to solve this problem, you will help us feel that we have not been thrown off our basketball team for nothing.'..."
We work with one another as keepers. We tend to one another, we try to take care of one another. It's difficult sometimes, and as the author wrote:
"...The Danville High School girls basketball team may not win another game this year. But they've learned something about personal responsibility, the effect of one's actions on others, and integrity that will serve them well throughout life."
See, keeper is all about maintaining what is right, about maintaining integrity. It's difficult. We are...what? Commandment keepers! Sure, we can recite them; we learned at a young age, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom all the way. Good that we can memorize them, how well do we keep them? How do we treat them? Do they have merit and weight to them that says, "You know, this is something God gave us. How should we handle that?"
Turn over to Deuteronomy 4. We're the keepers of God's commandments, we're the keepers of marriages. We have a responsibility to have Godly marriages. We have a responsibility to rear our children in the admonition of the Lord we have that responsibility to parent our children. And when something happens, we kick in and do those things that, perhaps, we don't like doing, but we find necessary that, as I read in that story, they may mature and learn to be more responsible, and to also learn we are all accountable as keepers. And we are the keepers of Godly relationships.
Deuteronomy 4:1 - Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live...God wants us to live, to grow, to expand, to achieve, to succeed in all that we do...they're going into the land, to possess it, which the Lord their God was giving them... and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you.
Verse 2 - You shall not add to the word(s) which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep (it) the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
He's saying, "You've got everything you need at this point. Keep it. See the benefit of it. Take care of it. Tend to it." You see, that's one reason...you know, God took David out of the sheepfolds. David was a keeper of the sheep. He said, "They were my responsibility. If a bear came up, well, there was nobody else there, had to go kill the bear! Lion came running, well you know, the sheep weren't going to jump on the lion. Got to go, because I have to keep them. Protect them."
You see, all these things that God was giving them was for their protection. It was to help them.
Verse 5 - Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess.
Verse 6 - Therefore be careful...Be careful! You're a keeper! We need to be careful the way we interact with one another, the words that come forth from our lips, the jokes we may tell, the company we we must be careful to maintain what is right and proper. We are the keepers. He said, be careful... to observe them... they're special... for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people."
I'd like to think that about all of us, but, wise and understanding, and we use that wisdom in the way that we interact with one another, because we understand how important it is to be careful, to be very careful in our dealings with one another. Again, Verse 9
Verse 9 - Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself...Take care of yourself. Be mindful of what you say and do. Be mindful of how you interact and fellowship together. Because if you're not mindful, if you don't care, if you adopt an attitude, then you won't see the benefit of a weekend like this, when so many loving brethren come together out of a world that is in turmoil during this time of year. A time...there will be people during this time of year that will commit suicide because they are so depressed, and they have, in their opinion, nothing! No friendships, no relationships, no friends, only whatever that implement is, they feel they will utilize to end their existence. Now, turn it over and look at this tonight. If you can be lonely here, you need to come talk to me. (laughter) I'm getting you some friends real fast. (laughter) We'll meet at the dessert table. (laughter) And we'll talk as we chew.
You see, keep yourself. Because if you don't care about who you are, and what we're supposed to stand for, what God has given us...if you don't care about it, we'll forget. That's what he says... Lest you forget the things your eyes have seen...like tonight, like the Feast, and they become just mere things, get togethers. They're much more than that... lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life...and he says ...teach them...teach them ... to your children...show your children the importance of opportunities like this. Because we are the keepers.
Hebrews 10:23 speaks to how important it is, as God's people, as we are maturing, as we watch our children grow up before our eyes, as we watch our children become baptized members of the body of Christ, and they take their part in the body, we watch this go on and on and on as God gives the increase, we see the benefit and we want to keep that.
Hebrews 10:23 - Says... Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Verse 24 - And let us consider one another...You see? Ten o'clock - its time for what? To consider one another. If we don't consider one another as important enough to be quiet during quiet hours how can we say we're a keeper? And that this is important to us... in order to stir up love( Verse 24 ) and good works.
See, we stir each other up to good things. A keeper is constantly seeing, "What can I do? What can I do to make this better? To get an increase, to take care of it better, to tend to it?"
Verse 25 - Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting...you know, Merriam-Webster says to "exhort" means to "incite" to "urge strongly" that we do the right thing. We're to be lights, we're to be examples as Mr. Winner mentioned. We're to be models, examples. Olders mentoring to the young of, why is this important? Why do we follow the rules? Why is this important? Yes, I know the line is long in the sumo wrestling line. (laughter) For those of you who haven't done the sumo wrestling on the Family Fun Day there's a long line. And then you get in the suit, and it's SWEATY! You say, "I waited in line to get sweaty!" But if it was the ladies, they don't sweat, they perspire. (laughter)
You see, do we refuse someone who is trying to serve us? When someone is trying to assist us? Do we refuse responsible assistance? Do we refuse to give responsible assistance? A keeper cannot refuse to give responsible assistance, especially when it comes to meaningful relationships.
We know Satan would love nothing more than to rip us asunder. To try to create irreverent attitudes, haughty attitudes and proud looks and try to disturb what we have here that is very special, brethren. But as a keeper, we're not going to allow that to happen. You know, there is a quote that our Race-Relations Committee utilizes a great deal when it comes to stepping up as good people to try to assist others. It's a quote from Edmond Burke from the 18 th century, it goes like this: "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph, is for good people to do or say nothing." That's how it wins. That's how it wins. He says, "Silence can be deadly even if a kind heart beats." And we are the keepers of what is good, and we must do all that we can starting this evening this is the opening night. To see to it that the right relationships, the right interactions are maintained. Tend, take care of, watch over.
In Proverbs 22 ...again, I spoke of how relationships in the world, many times, are so shallow. They're ok, they're fine, until something happens that one of the individuals don't like and more often than not, they will sabotage that relationship. You've heard the expressions "kick 'em to the curb", "throw 'em under the bus". And yet, the relationships we're building here, the relations we're forging...you know, there are times, nobody likes them, but there are times even among friends, if you see your friend veering off in the wrong way if you love 'em, Christ said, "If that's one veering off, you gotta go get him! You gotta go get him."
Proverbs 22 puts it this way:
Proverbs 22:11 - He who loves purity of heart...is there anybody here that hates purity? If you want meaningful, pure, Godly relationships, friendly relationships they're going to stand the test of time. If you love purity of heart... And has grace on his lips...it says... the king will be his friend.
A keeper loves what is pure, what is right and will seek to maintain those proper and right relationships.
Turn over a few chapters to Proverbs 27. Look at what keepers are admonished to do. You know, sometimes...I know this is going to come as a shock to you friends will sometimes hurt the feelings of other friends. I knew it would shock you. Shocked you into silence. Why? Why must we hurt one another's feelings sometimes? Why does it have to be, "Why can't you just let it lie?" "Why can't you just let it be?" "Why do you have to come off trying to correct me?" "Why do you have to be so goody-two-shoes?" Then ask, "Why do you love me?" "Why do you love this way?" "Why are you going to live your life to the end, 'til you die or Christ returns, whatever comes first?" You're gonna endure it. Because, as a keeper, there will be times when someone is veering off and you count them as a friend. If you love 'em, you'll go get 'em. Sometimes, you're the only one who can go get them. As it should be. If you love 'em.
Proverbs 27:6 - It says... Faithful are the wounds of a friend...sometimes you go, "Ouch! You stepped on my toes, you rained on my parade, you hurt my feelings." It says, "Faithful!" Because your friend, who is acting as a keeper says, "I've looked at you, and I realize your value to me. And I have to do all I can to tend and take care of and maintain and yes, maybe wound a little bit in order to get the greater good." It says... Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy...a person just says, "Hey, go on and do it! Aw, go on, who's going to say something? I ain't gonna say nothin'" until the heat's turned up, "Oh, well, yeah, I...I...I do know who... their...name...yeah, yeah, I do know...yeah, yeah." Which is why people are singing in Major League Baseball now, "Yeah, yeah...I know...yeah, I know...I know."... are deceitful.
Verse 9 - Ointment and perfume delight the heart...Moms, dads, you know how it is. You're coming in with the rubbing alcohol or the ointment or whatever it is, and, "Here, honey, sit here, Daddy's gonna..." or "Mommy's gonna make it better."
They're going, "AAGGGHHH.....OOOWWW!"
And it's like, "I haven't touched you yet." (laughter)
"NO, NO, NO...OW, OW, OW!"
"Okay, I'll come back later."
"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!"
(laughter)
They don't want the pain, but they don't want you to leave. Such is the life of a keeper. Sometimes we don't want the ointment applied, 'cause it can hurt. It's uncomfortable. It can be embarrassing. It's distasteful. You feel bad, and you feel guilty. But as the keepers, and we are the keepers, brethren, we are to apply the ointment anyway. Even if they're going, "Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!" Because you know what? The perfume smells so much sweeter. When wounds heal, they look so much better, so much better. It says... and the sweetness of a man's friend gives delight by hearty counsel.
The keepers. We are the keepers.
How about God? As we're about to close, I know it's getting close. (laughter) Is God a keeper? Is God a keeper? Solomon said He was.
II Chronicles 6 Here's the dedication of God's house, and Solomon begins to speak to God about all that God had done, how God had taken care of his father, David. And he begins to speak about what God is all about, and what God desires.
II Chronicles 6:14 and he (Solomon) said: "LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant...God's a keeper. You enter into a relationship with God, a covenant with Him, He's gonna keep His end. He sees the importance of it; He sees what He's doing when He calls an individual, He says, "I'm going to keep My part of this contract because I have something fantastic waiting for you. You can't even conceive of it. Even though we write some words on some paper, you can say, 'Oh, it's going to be great!' Oh, you don't have a clue as to how great it's going to be. I'm going to keep it. I'm going to keep you. Take care of you."... and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.
Verse 15 - You have kept...He's a keeper... what You've promised...Isn't it wonderful when friends come through with what they've promised and said they were going to do? Isn't it great? You know? They say, "I'm gonna write you..." or "I'm gonna send you this package..." and it's like, "aaahhhh!" Never take it for granted, brethren, when someone keeps their word. They keep those friendships. They garner and refresh those friendships. Retool them. Strengthen them.
Verse 15 - It says... You have kept (them), (you've kept) what you promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth...You said it... and (then You) fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day...you see?
Verse 16 - Therefore, LORD God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, 'You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only ifyour sons take heed to their way...See the need to, what? Prepare yourself. Keep yourself so that relationship can function and be strengthened and be healthy... that they may walk in My law as you have walked before Me.'
Let's close with Psalm 121 ...We're ready for an exciting weekend together. With so much that's going to be offered for all of us. Please pray for all the activities. Please pray for all those who have seminars and bible studies, those who are teaching the ABC classes, the World News and Prophecy instructors ALL that is happening this weekend. Pray and ask God's blessing and strength on all those who are going to be working, and if you see something that needs to be done, be a keeper step up.
Psalm 121:1 - I will lift up my eyes to the hillsFrom whence comes my help?
Verse 2 - My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
Verse 3 - He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.
See? He keeps us. He's not asleep; He's not aloof; He's not off on a vacation somewhere. He says, "I'm there to keep you, watch over you. I hear you when you say, 'Father, please protect us.' I hear you when you say, 'Put your angels about us.' I hear you. I'll keep; I'll build a hedge."
Verse 5 - The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
Verse 6 - The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night.
Verse 7 - The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.
Verse 8 - The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.
We are the tenders, the curators. We watch over one another. Let us continue and utilize this time wisely as the keepers of God, seeking to ensure that everyone here has a wonderful and joyful time.