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Bro. Otis Fisher
Well we have a new president. I'm so proud of him. His last eight years have taught me to appreciate him. He actually reads his Bible every morning. God does not tell us after we have done something wrong.
Do you ever think about it? He tells you before. We do it anyhow, but he never says a word. I received an email this week I would like to share with you. I passed it on to some of you, not all of you got it, unless the other party shared it with you, but act like you haven't heard it before.
But those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strengths. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. That's found in Isaiah 40 31. He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
He is the keeper of creation and the creator of all. He is the architect of the universe and the manager of all things. He always was, he always is, and he always will be. Unmoved, unchanged, undefeated, and never undone.
He was bruised and brought healings. He was pierced and eased pain. He was persecuted and brought freedom. He was dead and brought life. He is risen and brings power. He reigns and brings peace. The world cannot understand him.
The armies cannot defeat him. The schools cannot explain him, and the leaders can't ignore him. Herod couldn't kill him. The Pharisees couldn't confuse him. The people couldn't hold him. Nero couldn't crush him.
Hitler couldn't silence him. The New Age can't replace him, and Donahue cannot explain him away. He is right, love, and the Lord. He is goodness and kindness, gentleness, and God. He is holy, righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure.
His ways are right. His word is eternal. His will is unchanging, and his mind is on me. He is my Redeemer. He is my Savior. He is my guide, and he is my peace. He is my joy. He is my comfort. He is my Lord, and he rules my life.
I serve him because his bond is sure. His burden is light. His goals for me is abundant life. I follow him because he is the wisdom of the wise, the power of the powerful, the ancient of days, the ruler of rulers, the leader of leaders, the overseer, overcomers, and the sovereign Lord of all that was, is, and is to come.
And if that seems impressive to you, try this for size. His goal is a. He will never forsake me. He will never mislead me. He will never forgive me, never overlook me, and never cancel my appointments in his appointment book.
When I fail, when I fall, he lifts me up. When I fail, he forgives. When I'm weak, he is strong. When I'm lost, he is my way. When I'm afraid, he is my courage. When I stumble, he steadies me. When I hurt, he heals me.
When I'm broken, he mends me. When I'm blind, he leads me. When I'm hungry, he feeds me. Whether I face trials, he is with me. When I face persecution, he shields me. When I face problems, he comforts me.
When I face loss, he provides for me. When I face death, he carries me home. He is everything for everybody, everywhere. Every time and every way, he is God. He is faithful. I am his, and he is mine. My father in heaven can whip the father of this world, so if you're wondering why I feel so secure, understand this.
He said it, and that settles it. God is in control. I am on his side. That means all is well with my soul. Every day is a blessing for God. Now I would like for you to turn to Psalms 139. Previously, David called me yesterday evening again and said he was not going to make it.
He wished that I would take over, which I attempt to do. We need to pray for him, but he is staying in bed. That's unusual. Psalms 139. Let's look at this. To the chief musician, a Psalm of David. O Lord, thou has searched me and know me.
Thou knowest my down sittings and mine uprising. Thou understandest my thought afar off. Neither our actions or thoughts or any part of our life can be hid from God, though he seems to be afar off, yet he is near.
I cannot so much as take a seat or leave it without being marked by thee. I can't sit down. I can't get up. I can do nothing but what he has marked it. We get accustomed to the thought that God made the sun, the sky, the moon, the stars, which he has ordained, and we bow to the fact that they are the work of his fingers.
Can you imagine making the sun, the stars, the moon, the planets as a work of his fingers? Small. Thou understandest my thought afar off. Bill, he knows what we're thinking and he knows what we're going to think.
My thought, that is every thought, though innumerable thoughts pass in a day, the divine knows each to their source and fountain. Before they are out of our thoughts, if the Lord knows them before their existence, before they can be promptly called ours, much more does he know them when they were actually sprang up in us.
He knows the tendency of which we think. Where the bird will light, when it is in flight, he knows them exactly. Of all of the animals in the world, of everything, he knows before. He is therefore called a discerner or criticizer of the heart.
Thou understandest my thoughts afar off. Russell, he knows what I'm going to think before I think I'm going to think it. How does one think? How do you think? Do you think about what you're going to think?
Can you think of that which you're going to think about? Can you, Virg? What causes you to think? God is the only being that knows what you are going to think about. More than that, he knows what you're going to think about right now, only he knew it way back in eternity past.
Can you imagine such a God? He knew ahead of time we'd all be here this morning. He knew right where you were going to sit. He knew when you were going to get up. He knew what we're going to have to eat.
He knows everything. He knows where the birds, where a bird flies. Verse three, thou compassed my path and my line down and art acquainted with all of my ways. As air surrounds us all, so the presence of his Holy Spirit surrounds us.
Air is all around us, inside, outside, next door, every place. God is more than that. For there is not a word in my tongue, O Lord. Thou knewest it all together. Virg, he doesn't know what, where you're going to sit.
He knows what you're going to say. He knows what you're thinking right now. Thou hast beset me behind and before and laid thine hand upon me. He has beset me behind everything that has happened up to now and everything that will happen from here on out.
He knows when I'm going to die. He knows when young David back there is going to die. Hebrews 4 .13, neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open under the eyes of him with whom we have to do everything.
Dian, every little jot and tittle, the smallest, the largest, he knows it all. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot attain unto it. Such knowledge, I cannot grasp it. I can talk about it.
I can think about it, but I cannot think what it is. I can hardly endure to think about it. The theme overwhelms me. I'm amazed and astounded at it. Such knowledge has not only suppressed my comprehension, but even my imagination.
Charlie, can you imagine anything that God cannot already know? He knows what you're going to imagine. Just as the people in Genesis were evil continually, he knew it ahead of time. Just as every embryo of every imagination of every thought, he knew it ahead of time.
Whether shall I go from thy spirit, or whether shall I flee from thy presence, is there any place you can go? Next time you're going to sin, find someplace where God can't see you. It's impossible. If I send up into heaven, thou art there.
If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. The word hell means grave. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
Isn't it great that we have a God such as this? If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day.
The darkness of the night, of the light are both alike to thee. Clarence, have you ever seen your face? Do we see the objects in this auditorium? We see only reflections. That's all. We say, well, that's real.
I can touch that. No, you touch where the reflection has showed you that it is. Now, can God see everything? What if we turn the lights off? There is no night or day with the Lord. That's for us. We can see only when there is light, because we see only the reflection of things.
And there is no reflection where there is no light. Is that true or false? There's no reflection except when there's light on it. That's right. But the Lord does not need a reflection. He can see the real thing.
Now, we think that this podium is made of wood, but that's just what I see. So I call it real, but I see only the reflection of the light off of it. All we have ever seen is a reflection of the thing.
So even that which we can handle is but a reflection of the real. The real is spiritual, and we cannot see it. Why? Why, Bill? We're not yet spiritual. We shall be. I wonder what it would be like then.
I think we'll be able to see things like we've never understood before. We've never comprehended what it will be like. Our imagination cannot go to that area. But the Lord can, and he does. I find that in every place I can be, in every place I cannot be, you're there.
For thou hast possessed my reins. Now, what does he mean by that, Debbie? Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.
My substance was not hid from thee. When I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect. And in thy book all my members were written, which in countenance were fashioned, continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
He knows ahead of time what my great-grandfather was doing. He knows what my great-great-grandchild will be doing. Why is it that God knew and knows the shape, the form, and nationality, height, weight, color, size of people?
We're all different. We're all born in this area. We've lived in this area. Why? Kay, why did he place you here? You thought it was because David asked you to come down. Russell, you thought that your schooling and so forth brought you here.
Did it? Ben, I thought that the house we found brought us here. It didn't. Is it because he is the very one that made all things? It has to be, doesn't it? Romans 11, 36, four of him, through him, to him, are all things to whom be glory forever.
Amen. Everything is to him, from him, for him, by him, everything. 17, how precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God. How great is the sum of them. If I should count them, they are more in number than the sands.
When I awake, I'm still with thee. Do you ever think about at night, when you finally go to sleep, that he's with you? You're not in control. You've gone off to sleep, but he's with you. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God.
Depart from me, therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. How many times in this past week have you heard the Lord's name taken in vain? No one heard anything?
Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with thee that rise up against thee? Do we hate those that hate God? We say we do now, but do we really? I hate them with perfect hatred.
I'll count them enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart and my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me. Lead me in the way everlasting. Is there any wicked way in any person that we want to get rid of?
Is everybody above perfection? There are those that think so, but they're so far below, they think they're... I don't know what they think. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
I wonder, as we come to the close of this brief lesson, do we understand God? Do we know God? Let me hear you. We think we know Him. We think we can explain Him, but surely we can't. He is beyond all explanation.
He is beyond all seeing. He sees it all. He knows it all. Everything has been made for Him. How dare we claim something that we made? Even that we made, He knew He was going to make it, and made it possible.
Let's stand, and we'll be dismissed.
I urge dismissal, please. My dear Heavenly Father, I thank you so much for taking in our heart and meditating on each day. I thank you so much for the brother I was being able to pray for. Restoring him to his health, Lord.
I thank you for such a Christian man like he is. I just thank this church that we have here, that we all gather in one accord, Lord. Thank you that you love us that much. Help us to understand more of what you revealed to us each day.
Lord, I thank you for the new president we have in the United States, Lord, and I just pray for his strength, Lord, that he will continue to serve and stay in your work, Lord, that he'll lead this country as it should have been led so many years ago, Lord.
Lord, just bless the food, and the take of it, and the fellowship that's to come, Lord. Just thank you so much for Jesus Christ, who loves us so much. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.