Pleasing God - Pt. 6 — Kay Smith

Knowing God Knows Each Woman by Name

This morning it's so good to be back together again and as I was thinking about you praying about the class and thinking about God's magnificence and wonder and His presence with us and all, I was thinking of how He knows all the stars by name and He slung them out in space and I thought, it isn't only that He knows the name of every star, but He knows the name of every woman in this room this morning.

And that in itself is just mind-boggling to me. Can you imagine any one of us in this room knowing the name of everyone in the room? You know, Chuck is marvelous with names. All of you that know Chuck, he's just phenomenal.

You walk up to him ten years later and he goes, well my son, Chuck, went with a girl for two years named Terry and of course everybody's always patting Chuck on the back for remembering every name and one night in church we hadn't seen Terry for a long time and she walked up to Chuck and she said, I bet you don't even remember me, and he said, how could I ever forget you, Janine?

She said, Janine was another girlfriend of Chuck's, Chuck Jr.'s. I am bound to get myself in trouble one way or another it seems these days. But God knows each one of you by name. He knows why you're here.

He knows your circumstances. He knows your heartaches. He knows your problems. He knows your needs today. And every one of us in this room have needs today. And God is here to minister to each one of you by His Holy Spirit and meet that need.

He's here to solve the problems. He's here to be right there with you in every crisis of your life. He is so faithful and so good and so wonderful. I can't praise Him enough. I've been talking to a lady for several months who almost lost her faith.

She had something happen that was so destructive to her spiritually she just about didn't last. And she said to me one day, she said, you know, I know God is punishing me. And I just woke up and I said, oh, no, He's not.

He's not. And I said, I know He isn't. She said, how do you know He isn't punishing me? And you know, the one thing I could say is I know my God. I knew it. And I knew the conviction was so strong that it had to reach across by the Holy Spirit and touch your heart.

God's Chastening Draws His Children Toward Repentance

My God does not operate that way. He chastens. But you know what chastening does? It draws you to Him. It causes remorse and repentance and sorrow for what you've done. Punishing drives you away from Him.

Chastening. And you know, the punishment is for the rejecting people. It's not for the children who love Him and fail and falter along the path and stumble. Do you punish your child when it stumbles and falls?

What do you usually do if you're a good mommy and a loving mommy? You pick up your little one. I get hurt when I see a child fall. And inside, you know, that feeling that you just, oh, my, in fact, I almost get angry.

When one of our little grandkids was playing hide and go seek under the kitchen table the other night and the inevitable happened, they got so excited, they stood straight up and, you know, hit the, oh, ouch.

And I was like, why, you know, inside, why did they go under the table? Why are they playing hide and go seek? And what does it come from? It comes from that awful feeling that they got hurt. Oh, you know, you don't want them hurt.

And I see our God not getting angry when we stumble or fall or bump our head, but He reaches down. So this morning, whatever you're going through, don't see our God is up there punishing you and hating you and pushing you away.

He's calling you into Him. He knows you by name. Let Him minister to you this morning. Let Him minister comfort and blessing and healing and putting things in right perspective in your life. And you minister to Him while we're sitting here.

You just tell Him you love Him. He's your bridegroom. And you know how you're treated, your bridegroom, you that are married. In those first few marvelous months of marriage, and I hope the next 35, 40, 50 years, it's the same.

But just minister to Him this morning while you're sitting there. You can say, Lord, I just love you. You're so special and you're so sweet and so kind and so good to me. Let's just close our eyes and thank Him that He knows us by name and then tell Him we love Him.

Just pray to Him quietly. Sundown today begins the most important day in the Jewish, religious Jewish person's life. It's called what? Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur. That's the right way too. I was in Israel nine.

No, I know nothing. That's all the Hebrew I know. I've said it. But it means a day of atonement. It begins today at sundown and it lasts till tomorrow evening at sundown. And the word Kippur has two meanings to it.

One is atonement. And the Jewish people believe that to mean an expiation for their sin or expiation for sin on the part of the sinner. And the other part of Kippur means pardon for their sin. Now, think of this in light of the Jewish faith, because our faith has its roots in Judaism.

I want to share just a few things quickly with you this morning on Yom Kippur. And as I do, you relate it to what you believe in Jesus Christ. And you're going to see some things that are very special, I think.

They take this day of atonement from the Torah, which is made up of comprised of the first five books of the Bible. And they take it from Leviticus 16, 30 to 31. Don't open to it now, please. Just listen.

But you might want to read the 16th chapter when you go home today. It tells about Aaron, who was the high priest, taking the scapegoat and what he did and how one was slain and how one was taken out into the wilderness, how a bullock was slain and a scapegoat out into the wilderness, and how they took the blood of the bullock and another goat.

And when Aaron went into the Holy of Holies, he sprinkled it on the altar and he lit incense in the Holy of Holies. Now, this day is continuing to be a day of atonement. And the Jewish people feel that although there is no blood sacrifice anymore, that because in Leviticus 16, 30 and 31, it says this is an ordinance forever, they're to keep this day forever and ever and ever, that the expiation for their sins that went on when there was blood atonement is still going on.

Now, it's not true. We know that, but that is what they believe. And so they believe that they do have atonement and pardon. The word atonement in Hebrew does not mean the same thing that the word for atonement means in Greek.

The word for atonement in Hebrew means covering. Atonement by the sacrifice of these animals only gave a covering for sin. It did not give a putting away of their sin. In Greek, the word means we are made one with God at one month.

Chuck was sharing this with me the other day again, and it really blessed my heart. The reconciliation was made through Christ's atonement on the cross. The bridge was banned and we have a relationship and fellowship with God.

And we have a high priest in Jesus who intercedes for us all the time. But the Jewish people, without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, do not have an expiation for their sin. And this is why we're so burdened for the Jewish people.

Because as Isaiah said, they are blind. There is blindness there still till this day. But someday God is going to remove the blindness from their eyes. They say, the Jewish people say, and I take this from two marvelous Jewish books that I have.

They say, we make atonement for ourselves through our fasting, our prayer, and the great confession that we recite in the name of all Israel. Blindness on atonement. They say, we have pardoned for our sins because of a high priest.

We have pardoned for our sins because of a high priest who went into the Holy of Holies back then, and it still continues to now. Okay, what sins does God forgive us on this day, they say? And this is interesting.

They feel that God only forgives those sins committed by man against God. They do not feel there's any forgiveness of sins of man against man. If you aren't forgiving your brother or your brother isn't forgiving you on this day of atonement, there is no forgiving of these sins.

You do that on another day. But on this day, this is just the sins that you've committed against God. A good place to think about this is how Jesus tried to break down some of these ideas that they had.

Remember, he said, when you go to the altar to give your gift, if your brother has ought against you, and then another place, if you have ought against your brother, you go first and be reconciled to your brother.

Isn't that interesting? But he's trying to show the Jewish people that you cannot have ought against your brother and come into the presence of God and have this full atonement. Jesus said that, you know, in the Lord's Prayer, he taught us to pray that we be forgiven as we forgive others.

Okay, pardon is asked on this day for all of Israel. They believe that God only forgives sins of the Jews on this day. He doesn't forgive sins of the whole world, just sins of the Jews. And one reason they believe this is that many of the sins listed in the...

I don't know how you pronounce this, I'll say, but do it's V-I-D-D-U-I, which lists the sins, can only be committed by the Jewish people. So thus, they're the only ones that need forgiveness of these particular sins.

For instance, the violation of their dietary laws, if they've eaten meat and drunk milk at the same meal, they need forgiveness for that, they feel. Okay, it is called the Sabbath of Sabbaths and they are to afflict their souls.

That means they are to fast. And all the laws that apply to the Sabbath concerning work apply to Yom Kippur. And the afflicting of their souls is to heighten repentance. Ordinarily, it is forbidden to fast on a Sabbath in the Jewish law.

But on Yom Kippur, this is the one exception. And if it lands on the Sabbath, if Yom Kippur lands on the Sabbath as it is tomorrow, starting this evening at sundown, the laws of the Sabbath do not apply, they fast.

Now, some of the rules and prohibitions, and I really enjoyed reading this, the fast is 24 hours long, it is not a sign of mourning, but for purifying of thoughts and increasing their intensity of purpose.

They cannot put any ointment or perfume on at all. Remember what Jesus said when you fast? Wash your face and anoint yourself so you don't appear to men to be fasting. But listen, they can't even brush their teeth.

Now, I don't want to go to synagogue tomorrow, I don't know about you. I hope I'm not offending anyone. But they cannot bathe during that day. They cannot eat or drink anything, including water. They can't even wash their mouth out, much less brush their teeth.

They can't bathe. They can wash their hands and face before the morning prayer. All Sabbath prohibitions in effect, except a child under nine is not allowed to fast. A child from nine to 12 may fast the whole 24 hours, or pick just a portion of the time to fast.

No dangerously ill or pregnant woman, or if she's in that space of 30 days after childbirth, she may not fast. And a pregnant woman may have any food she craves during Yom Kippur, even if it means violating the Sabbath by handling money, and even if she craves pork.

I read that, and I read it about eight times, you know, and I thought, oh my goodness. How could she crave pork if she's never had pork, I wonder? I don't know. But I think that is, if the person simply cannot fast, if they become faint or dizzy or anything like that, they may have food till they recover.

The Jewish law of life always supersedes all other laws. If there is a danger of your dying or getting very ill or anything on the Sabbath or any other day, they can violate any of the laws. Other prohibitions, they may not have marital relations.

And I told you they can't wear perfume or ointment. And this was really interesting to me. They cannot wear shoes or other clothing made of leather. I did not know that. How many of you here already knew that?

Did anyone? I did not know that. And there are two reasons. And they say that the Jewish people usually wear tennis shoes on this day, unless it will subject them to ridicule. Then they wear leather to synagogue, and they take their leather shoes off there and put on cloth shoes.

The reasons are twofold. They don't want to be reminded of their forefathers' sin of worshiping the golden calf. And Chuck said, well, do they have to take all the gold off too? He's such a smart mind.

And I know they don't. And the other reason is they do not wish to utilize any material for which it was necessary to kill an animal. Isn't that interesting? I did not know this, and it really is interesting to me.

OK. In the synagogue, it is not a day of gloom, but of solemnity and of optimism, because their sins are about to be put away from them, they believe. When they go home, the first thing that they're supposed to do is put a nail in the sukkah.

That's the booth they're going to build, because in five days, they're going to be celebrating the harvest. I can't think of... You call it sukkot. What's... Nancy, what's the... Say it again. Sukkot, feast of booths.

But what's that? In gathering of harvest. In gathering of harvest is what they call it. Bringing in the fruits of harvest. And they used to do that at harvest time. They used to take them to the temple.

They do not take them to the temple anymore. So that's your history lesson for this morning. And I hope you can remember it. And I hope you'll share it with your husband, with your children. If you're not married, share it with your friends, whomever the Lord lays on your heart.

These are interesting. And it shows again the deception that the Jewish people have concerning forgiveness of sins. I said to Chuck this morning, oh, I can see why God allowed the temple to be destroyed.

He didn't want any place that the Jews could go and offer sacrifice anymore. You know how they always have this remembrance of the temple? In the Wailing Wall, do you know they still grieve over the temple's destruction?

That is one of the reasons for going to the Western Wall in Israel is to grieve over the destruction of the temple. And yet we know that God had to have that temple destroyed and another one not rebuilt yet or they would still think they had this expiation of sin through sacrificing animals.

Christ's Atonement and the Call to Please God

When the Day of Atonement occurred on Mount Calvary almost 2 ,000 years ago, and aren't we blessed to recognize our Day of Atonement? I think of communion and how our hearts are drawn back into that remembrance constantly of our Day of Atonement.

And this will have bearing on the lesson this morning. So kind of keep it in mind as we go through. It might be good for us to observe, starting at sundown tonight, just a time of remembrance of our Day of Atonement for the next 24 hours.

Just kind of a special time of thanking God for giving Jesus Christ for our sins, that through Him we have this life, we have forgiveness of sins, we have justification, we have reconciliation, we have redemption.

We have everything through our Day of Atonement. Eternal life. As we remember the awful price paid for our sins, how can we do less than want to bring joy to the heart of God who gave so much for us? I was reading this the other day.

To please Him should be our highest aim. The fact that we do please Him, our highest reward. Our highest aim and our highest reward. I'm going on in the study of pleasing God. I have never had a study, myself personally, that I have enjoyed more doing or getting into or sharing with others.

It's answered so many questions for me. I think two of the concepts that I've really gone into the last two years that have changed my life the most have been the fear of God, which has nothing to do with being afraid of God.

It's an awe of God, a reverence of God that keeps you from sinning. And the other one is pleasing God. And pleasing God answers so many questions. I chose this. I feel that the Holy Spirit really laid it on my heart.

If you were here before, don't turn off your ears. Listen, it might be something you've forgotten. Hopefully not, but we're human. We do forget. We had a girl speak for us at a leadership meeting here.

Her name was Ramona Jensen. And I know you've heard this story if you've heard me very often, but I love the story and I'm going to repeat it again. She was called to Darmstadt, Germany, to speak for the Evangelical Sisters of Mary in Germany.

When she got there, Ramona was 28 at the time she told the story. A lady about 60 years old, one of the sisters in this Lutheran fellowship, met her at the gate and said, may I carry your luggage? And Ramona said, no, no, no, no.

And the lady said, oh, it would give me great pleasure to carry it. She carried it into the registration place. It took a little time registering. While they were walking from the gate to the registration room, the lady said to Ramona, what is your favorite color?

What is your favorite flower? What is your favorite drink? And what is your favorite scripture verse? And I know she did it in a much more subtle way than that, but we're pushing against time this morning.

And when Ramona got to her room, she found out why. Her favorite drink was there, a cup of steaming hot tea. Her favorite color was carried out in the towels. Her favorite flowers were in a vase in the room.

And her favorite scripture was handwritten and put in a frame on the wall. When she went to dinner that night, she said she had no trouble finding out where she was to sit. There was a plate there around it where her favorite flowers and chocolates and...

Oh, I wish I'd been there. And chocolates there. And she said that when she sat down, that the women all sat up and began to sing to her. The Lord bless you, Ramona. The Lord keep you. The Lord, you know, on and on and on.

And she was so touched. When she prepared to leave, they handed her a little booklet. And as she got in the plane, she began to read this. And she realized why they had done this. They had done it not because Ramona was a special person or a special guest or so great or so anything.

They did it for one reason. To show love to one of God's children pleases the heart of God. And that's the way I want us to live. To please the heart of God. This just kept going around and around in my mind.

And I couldn't get away from it. And I opened my Bible one day. I was in prayer and I was praying about pleasing the heart of God. And the Lord directed me right to Hebrews 11, verses 5 and 6. Don't turn to it because this is just by way of review.

But it was about Enoch. And it talked about Enoch being translated that he should not see death. And when he was translated, he had this testimony that he pleased God. This summer, we were in Hawaii. And my greatest delight when we go anyplace is walking with Chuck and going to a Christian bookstore.

Well, we didn't get to walk very much together, but I did get to a Christian bookstore. And while I was in the Christian bookstore, I found this book. I'm not recommending it. I mean, it's a good book, but it's not anything that I don't know if you'd want to forget it.

I found something in the book I really liked and I wanted to share for just a moment. The book is by A .B. Simpson, who was the founder of the Prairie Bible Institute in Canada. And he talks about Enoch being a type of the church.

And it blessed me so much because remember Enoch was what we might say raptured. God took him. Now, A .B. Simpson brings out that if we don't die a premature death or from sickness or whatever accident or barring any of those things, if Jesus comes back, we will be raptured.

And he said Enoch is a type of that. And he's talking about Enoch. He said, undoubtedly, it is meant for us as a figure of the translation, which awaits the faithful children of God. Enoch's translation represents the glory that awaits the watching ones, ones who shall be found walking with God at the beginning of this time of tribulation.

And he quotes the scripture, then we, which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And he goes on to say, it would seem that this blessed hope is especially linked with a life of holiness and a fearless testimony, both of which we see exemplified in holy and faithful Enoch.

Remember, in Jude, it tells about Enoch who preached righteousness. He lived a life of holiness and he preached the Lord's coming. So God put upon his life and his testimony this glorious seal. So let us watch and keep our garments for that day.

When the marriage comes, they that are ready shall go in and they that love is appearing shall receive the crown of righteousness. That blessed me so much because I thought of the weeks of sharing on pleasing God as Enoch did and being raptured, being translated, being caught up together with the Lord so that we would not have to go through the tribulation, which we believe is the wrath of God poured out upon the unbelieving, rejecting people.

OK, so these are the things that moved me into wanting to share with you on pleasing God. My heart's desire for all of us in these last days is to live beyond obedience in a place of pleasing him. I want you to turn to First Thessalonians 4 .1 this morning.

This is not our lesson. This is all introduction. I want you, if you're taking notes this morning, to write this at the top of your notes, because this is my purpose in sharing. I want to share this at the beginning of the year again.

First Thessalonians 4 .1. I don't speak. I want you to listen now. If you haven't found it, don't look. Look up here a minute. I don't speak because I think I'm some kind of a speaker. I don't. It's very difficult for me.

I'm enjoying it more and more because I'm seeing more and more results and more fruit, and that blesses me. But my reason for speaking is that I see so many, many women not walking the way God intended them to walk.

Or I see so many women who just don't know how to find the answers in the word. Or I see so many women in pain going through such hard circumstances. Or I see women who really long to go deeper and deeper and deeper with Him.

And that is the thing that propels me. Chuck is the speaker in the family. He was called and chosen of God to speak before he was ever born. God's calling on my heart is just out of a deep need I see in the body and a deep love for women and caring what happens to you.

So this morning, that's where I am. And I want you to know that that is why I do it. It's out of a love and a concern. And I said one time to the Lord, I was praying, Lord, you know, I get scared. I don't want to do it.

He's taken that awful fear away. I used to worry a month in advance, and then it got down to a week and then three nights. And last night I slept like a baby. And He's given me a sense of peace in doing it.

But this scripture says what I want to say to you the next five weeks in this study. Furthermore, then we beg you, sisters. I beseech you. I call upon you. I plead with you and I exert you or I request I beseech you by the Lord Jesus.

I don't do this in my own strength, but I beg you by the Lord Jesus that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and to what? Please, God, as you have received of us how you ought to walk and how you ought to please God, so you would abound more and more.

I don't want you to stop pleasing God in June because there are no more no more lessons on it. I want each one of us in this room to go. I'm pleasing him this summer. I found in so many things I would first of all, when I got to Hawaii, I didn't feel well.

I was really exhausted. And this strep infection that I had apparently has still been with me. And I just felt terrible. And Chuck had scheduled a whole bunch of speaking engagements and we didn't get to walk but once or twice and I was all grumped out as the kids call it.

And, you know, I thought, oh, I don't want to do this. I don't want to do this. Actually, because, you know, when you don't feel good, everything just seems hmm. And I wanted to be alone with Chuck and blah, blah, blah.

And the Lord didn't choose it that way. And Chuck didn't choose it that way. And that's enough to make any wife furious, isn't it? And, you know, right in the middle of the whole thing, you know what the Lord said to me?

Kay, you're simply just not pleasing me in your attitude. But Lord, look at you. I mean, you know, we're over here. It's kind of supposed to be like a honeymoon and we're supposed to be alone. And all the people back home thinking we're having a vacation.

And here we are just going looking at seeing all these people. Kay, it doesn't matter. You're just not pleasing me. But Lord, you know, and then he said, what do you really want to do? And I said, Lord, I really want to please you.

OK, Kay, shape up. And I did. And I had a beautiful time. And the night of my birthday, Chuck had a Last Times meeting and he spoke. And about 250 people came to Jesus. And that's the zingiest birthday present anybody could ever have.

I mean, you know, I saw the people flooding down to accept Christ. Wow. It was beautiful. And I praise the Lord for it. So in pleasing him, it refines our lives so much. Sure, you're in a marriage and your husband's impossible at times.

Sure, your children are impossible and disobedient. And there's hardly, you know, we had a couple that came to Hawaii who I think have the absolutely perfect marriage. Not that mine isn't perfect. Do you understand?

I really think mine is super. But, you know, you meet people that are so well matched. They even, as Chuck talked Sunday night, looked alike. And, you know, every day Sunday night was turning around. How many of you were hearing?

You heard Chuck tell about all the people in marriages that grow to look alike. And people in front of me and around me were going, no, you don't look alike. And it was fun. But these people look alike and they are just so tuned into each other.

And they love Jesus with all their heart and their paths. They walk the same direction. They're both interested in the same thing. It is an absolute beautiful marriage. Now, I think I see those one out of a thousand, if I'm lucky.

Most marriages are not that perfect. I mean, you just usually two extremely opposite temperaments come together. And here's that whole, you know, that it completes us. And it's exactly what we needed, right?

You know, like I needed a slap in the face. That really and truly it is what we need. And we rebel and we fight against the very things that would cause us to grow in Jesus. The solution to these awful, awful times when you just think I cannot stand it any longer is to look unto Jesus and say, how, Lord, may I please you in this situation?

And believe me, it works. All of a sudden, it isn't his fault. It isn't the children's fault. It doesn't matter whose fault it is. What matters is pleasing him. You see it this morning. Let it just really become a part of you.

And so I want first Thessalonians at the top of your page, because I don't want you to just walk and please God. I want you to abound in walking and pleasing him. I want pleasing him to become such a habit of your life.

You will grow so fast spiritually if you will allow the Holy Spirit to put this principle in operation in your life. I think it is probably the quickest way I know to grow outside of suffering. You grow fast in suffering, don't you?

You either grow or you die, one or the other. And this is probably the quickest way of growth I know. Just look unto him and say, how may I please you in this? When I was a little girl, I was raised in a Christian home at least the first few years of my life.

And we used to have an expression that we learned from some carnal Christian. And it was if we didn't like somebody, we used to say, I love him just enough to get into heaven. Ever heard people say that?

Or have you ever lived like that? There are a lot of Christians that live that way. They want to walk with God just enough to get into heaven. And that's it. There's no life. There's no power. There's no real light in their life.

Their witness is dull and poor. And they really are kind of lukewarm. And the Lord has a lot to say or something to say about lukewarm Christians. And you know, I don't want us to live like that. I believe that God calls every one of us to a deeper walk.

And we each have the capacity to know and to experience real life in him and live a life that brings great pleasure to him. So often people say, well, what is the deeper life? What are you talking about, Kay?

What do you mean the deeper life? You that are walking in this deeper life know what I'm talking about. And for those who have never really begun to step into this life with Jesus, this morning we want to talk about the way to get into the deeper life.

The Deeper Life Begins Under Christ's Lordship

What is the deeper life and where do I begin? One of your homework questions this week is, what is the deeper life? And the second one will be, where do I begin? Because when you get home during the week, I want you to write it out in your own words.

What is the deeper life and where do I begin? When we talk about the deeper life, we naturally assume that you're already born again. There's no way you can go in the ocean deeper unless you're out in the ship.

All analogies break down somewhere, don't they? But you start on the shoreline. If you're walking, you start on the shoreline. And to get deeper, you go out until the water is deeper and deeper. But you start on the shoreline.

And the deeper life in Christ, you start on the shoreline of coming to Jesus Christ and accepting Him as your Savior. The lesson this morning assumes that you are born again. If you are not born again, please let today become the day of your acknowledging the day of atonement.

Okay, I didn't really write out a long definition of the deeper life. I just simply said this and I would like to write out other definitions and much more inclusive. But this is a very simple one that is easy for us all.

The deeper life in its simplest terms is the life that acknowledges the lordship of Jesus Christ. You're ruled, you're controlled. Jesus is Lord. God is King. He is your ruler. You are a bond slave of Jesus Christ.

You are committed to Him. Okay, if that's true, where does it begin? Turn to Romans 12 .1. Some of you that walked with the Lord a long time are going to go, Romans 12 .1. I've heard that. I've heard 500 sermons on it.

I've memorized it backwards and forwards. And there's not one thing that Kay Smith can share this morning that will be new to me. That scripture, oh, I know it. Listen, I want you to read it and look at it and listen to it this morning.

As though you had never heard it before. As I sat down to study this particular scripture, I said, Lord, I know it so well. I just want you to make it brand new to me. Would you? Would you just by your Holy Spirit just bring out some things I've never seen and just enrich it to my heart in a special, special way?

Now, I started preparing for this lesson in my mind after the last lesson finished. And I just kept saying, God, what do you want? What do you want? What would please you? What lesson do you want? And this scripture kept coming back to me.

And I was like, Lord, they know that scripture. And I have prepared three other lessons on pleasing the heart of God that God said no. Monday of this week, again, he said, Kay, it is to be Romans 12 .1.

Now, not audibly, but it was in my heart very strongly and in my mind. So listen, because God chose this for you this morning. This is not my choice for you. This is God's choice. And he wants to speak to you very strongly through it.

It's not going to be a long lesson. So I want you to really absorb. I beseech you, therefore, sisters, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

I beseech you. I implore. I appeal. I beg. I plead that you will give your life over completely to Jesus Christ. Our plunge into the deeper life must begin here. As long as you are controlling your life, not surrendering to his lordship, you can not grow.

You just can't. It's like a plant refusing sun and air and rain and nutrients, saying, I can do it myself. I can do it myself. The plant has to be surrendered to the sunshine, to the atmosphere, to the water and to all the things that are given into it, given to it.