The People of God 09 a Separated People — James K. Boswell

Now, I want to know, is this all together lovely, and the terrors of ten thousand hearts? Good hearing that good, tenor voice there this morning, wasn't it, eh? Very lovely, did my heart good. We all sing so very well here, you know, and it's just wonderful to listen to you.

I was just glad our brother Andy kind of clarified that part at the end there. He said, this is going to be my last day here. And it kind of reminded me of a great yonder in Norfolk, England, years ago.

And he was giving a serious errand among the fishermen. And the Lord came, and the brother gave him a notice that he had to break the bread. He said, Sunday school, the half past one. Ministry of the Word at three o 'clock.

And at six-thirty, our brother Boz will preach the gospel for the last time. So, very glad he said it this time, eh? Well, we've had a wonderful time together these days. I don't know if you have, but I have.

My own spirit is refreshed and really deftly encouraged as a result of being with you. And I trust the Lord will just bless his word and give his heart for it. And I trust him to do that, and I know he will.

Israel as a People Separated to the Lord

All right, brother, let us have the verse. Do you remember it? Deuteronomy thirty-three and twenty-nine. All together. Have ye art thou, O Israel, who is like unto thee, O people slain by the Lord, the shield of thy health, and who is the sword of thy ecstasy?

And thy enemies shall be found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their high places. Now, brother Ptolemy, he doesn't look bad for seventeen years old, does he? Does he? Looks pretty good for seventeen years old, doesn't he?

That's right. Well, I must admit he has a birthday today. I wish him a real happy birthday. I'm sure the real joy in the Lord has deftly preserved these two people down to the earth. And I'm sure they'll have much joy on this particular day.

These birthdays come so fast, don't they? But one day alone we're going to see him. There'll be no change, no age, nor decay. We'll sing him that lovely hymn this morning. And the road leads home. But sometimes I go home sick for heaven.

The glories I there shall behold, what a joy it shall be when our Savior we see in that beautiful city of gold. The glory of all glories will be to see him, and to be with him, and to like him throughout the countless ages of eternity.

You remember, in our first meeting together, we read four scriptures. The first one, Deuteronomy 33 and 29. And up hand all those who use daily light. There's a book called Daily Light. Praise the Lord.

Well, remember this morning Daily Light had in it almost the second reading. Exodus 33, verses 14 through 16. Remember, the Lord said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. Moses said, If thy presence go not with us, carry us not of hand.

For we are equally known here. I and thy people have found grace in thy sight. If it not in that thou goest with us, so shall we be separated. I and thy people, from all the people, are upon the face of the earth.

And the other scripture was, Ephesians chapter 1, verse 13. How that we've been sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise until the day of redemption. And the last scripture will be, and I'll try to stress that tonight, God willing.

John 20, verse number 21. What it says, As my Father sent me, even so send I you. I really enjoyed looking at Deuteronomy 33, and Pentecost number 29. This morning, he won't believe it, but still the basis is, all people saved by the Lord.

And once he has saved us, he has separated us. And notice, he's separated us unto himself. I like that. He said, I brought you out, so I might bring you unto myself. The very same night when Jeremiah filled, applied the blood to the two sides first, and the upper lid of the doorway, that very same night that Jeremiah went forth from the land of Egypt.

What is the utensil pattern? Galatians chapter 1, verse 3 and 4. And what do you read? Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself to better way our sins, and to deliver us from this present evil age. Beloved, we hear a great deal these days about Christ dying to better way our sins.

It's wonderful. But remember the second part of that verse. And to deliver us from this present evil age. And the very same moment we trusted Christ for salvation, that moment we came to the right side of the cross.

He separated us unto himself. And remember Galatians chapter 6, verse 14 says, By the cross I am crucified to the world, and by the cross the world is crucified to me. There's a little hymn we hear sung a lot these days, I will follow Jesus.

Remember the one from Philbein has, the cross before me, the world behind me, I will follow Jesus. Now that may be good hymnology, but it's very poor theology. Remember the cross is not before the Christian today.

The cross is behind the Christian. Behind the Christian. As a poor sinner we came, and we looked with Christ at the cross, the burden of sin rolled away. Oh happy days, Galatians 1, verse 4, the first part.

But then, and delivered us from this present evil world, and we came from before the cross to behind the cross, and my back's toward the cross, and my faith is toward the glory. And just as the red sea rolled between the tomb of Israel and the old seer, and the old master, and the old enemy, so now the crosswork of the Lord Jesus stand betwixt the Christian and the world.

And I repeat, the line of demarcation between the believer and the old seer is the crosswork of the Lord Jesus. He not only gave himself to bury away my sin, but he bore me away, Christ having died on the sin, on the self, and unto the world.

The Cross and the Christian Life

So we in Christ have done the same, and this morning we're on resurrection ground, on the life side of the cross. Some years ago, we were speaking in a conference in Washington, D .C. It was a young people's convention, and it was a closing night.

We were talking on the home we came, what is a Christian? What is a Christian? I've been out praying with Venus Brooks, as well as other speakers, along with Bill Hines, and I'll never forget this in all my life.

We talked that night upon the cross and the Christian life, and that place, Minnesota Avenue, was packed with mainly young people. Looking around at Van Straat, I said, girls, I don't mind you wearing a cross around your neck, as long as there's no image on it.

If there's an image on it, then I object to it. But I don't mind you wearing a cross around your neck, but please be scriptural and wear it at your back, because your back's the wall of the cross, and your feet is the wall of the glory.

What happened that night? Five crosses and five chains, while a solid gold cross and solid gold chain was picked up in the auditorium. Many other things were picked up that night. Do you know why? Because young people were willing to do business with God.

We never asked them to do that. Not at all. That's all I said regarding the cross at that particular point. As you know, all these things were picked up. Chuck Coleman, who was the chairman, they held them up and said, whoever owns these will come and accept them, receive them.

They're still there. No one came forward. Young people have come to recognize, many of them, that on the life side of the cross. A good friend, Sidney Baxter, whom I greatly indebted to because of that little book that awaked my heart, said, young people today are entering into the life our brother Morris has been referring to, the yielding life, while the older people, and I speak reverently, I speak sincerely, and I speak with all due respect, while the older people who have been brought up with doctrine and tradition are afraid to venture forth and rest all on the Lord Jesus Christ.

They've been taught they have everything in Christ, and how true that is, and yet they wander around in the wilderness. It's much easier for a young person to enter in, and by saying to let go, than for someone who's been brought up in certain life, and in certain circumstances, and environment, what, they're afraid of the emotional.

They're afraid of the emotional. They're afraid that they will be emotional. And yet, beloved, if you know anything about salvation, you know something about emotions, don't you? Your emotions have been, and must have been, stirred.

And they're afraid to let go, and are in a midst of it. I thank God for many of you here who have let go, and you know the joy of what I'm talking of. It's a reality you're not just a figure in history, not just a mere doctrine, or a mere scene through the scripture.

Yielding to the Indwelling Holy Spirit

You've come to recognize that only does the Holy Spirit indwell us. Remember, as we yield to Him, He fills us, and as He fills us, then He uses us. Remember, He can only fill what is yielded, and only in the measure we yield will He fill.

We can't have more of the Spirit. He's given to us without measure, but He can have more of you, and more of me, and only in the measure which we yield our lives entirely to Him shall He fill us, and then, by God's grace, will He use us for God's glory.

Some of those young people who are at that particular convention at Washington today are out in full-time ministry to the liturgy described. Some are not. Some are in executive positions today in different parts of the great North American continent, and living vital witnesses, convincing, reproducing Christians of the Lord Jesus.

And remember, we're born to reproduce. We're born to reproduce. I've just been in Arizona, and we had the privilege of baptizing thirteen men, most of them officers and majors from the American Army, and one married woman, and one sweet little girl.

This is an interesting baptismal service. There were two officers going to be baptized. We give a talk on baptism. I went to the room at the side here. The two officers went into that room there. I went to put on my clothes to go down into the water, and to my great amazement, the door opened, and in walked nine men, yay, yay, more than nine, eleven men, and one woman.

And I looked. What's the matter? I didn't mind the men being there, but I couldn't quite understand this woman being here, you see. And I said, what's the matter? They said, we can't get away after that message.

We've got to be baptized, and we want to be baptized straightaway. So praise the Lord. It's wonderful to see a response ministry like that. And you will see that quite a lot. A response immediately to the ministry.

We love that. So what happened? So Jack Grammer, who was there in the full-time ministry at the Bible chapel in Tucson, Arizona, he came in and said, I said, Jack, I suppose you want to be baptized. So I said, have you any clothes with you, any change?

He said, no. So he said, it's quite all right. We've got gowns here, and I'm quite convinced we have enough gowns to go around. So he curves back, he goes, and he said, you men go to the other side, and I'll assist you as you dress here.

And so that's what happened. And they got enough gowns. So that was really wonderful. The Lord was very rich. He went down to the water, and the baptismal service went on. And then he dressed. And lo and behold, another man, a man from Cleveland, came rushing back in.

Brother Bob, you've got to put your clothes on again. I want to be baptized. So another two men were baptized. Coming up out of the water, a man came on the island and said, Jim, do you mind baptizing my daughter?

She really wants to be baptized. I said, well, I said, yes, I'd be happy to. So I went back into the water, baptized her. I led him to Christ 13 years ago, and he's a scientist, and he's a reproducing Christian.

He's led many other scientists and doctors to Christ in those 13 years. Beloved, we are born to reproduce. All the joy in a reproducing Christian. May God touch your heart with my heart. But we can only reproduce in the measure that we've yielded to the indwelling Spirit.

My good brother, Mr. Willie, caught his thumbing the very first night I was here, and I used here, the first time, the free movements. The free movements. Remember, the Lord went up, the Holy Spirit came down, and they went up, and they went up.

Luke 24 and the Separated People

Now, we're going to deal with that just right now. So will you please open your Bibles to Luke chapter 24. Luke 24. I'm not preaching this morning. I don't feel like preaching. I just want to have a heart-to-heart talk.

And it'll be a real blessing to all of us in a very real way. So Luke chapter 24, and verse number 49. Remember, we're dealing this morning with a separated people. First of all, we are saved, and now we are a separated people.

And remember, it's a cross-work of Jesus Christ that does the separating. I'm not speaking of separation in a legalistic, metallic, negative kind of a way. It's don't do, don't do, don't say, don't wear.

I'm not talking about that separation. There's a place for it, by the way. I'm going to talk this morning on a positive separation. The Lord's, I brought you up, and I bring you unto myself. At first, a separation is a lie, unvital and convincing.

And something I want to say right here, that when our hearts are magnetized to Jesus Christ, they are demagnetized from everything that's unlike Jesus Christ. Many of my beloved brethren have come to me through the years of ministering, saying, Jim, why don't you preach on an all-out separation?

Come out from among them. Touch not the unclean. Well, I believe there's a place for that. But no, I've never known it failed. When you teach a positive, vital separation unto the Lord Jesus Christ, all the other things take the right place.

I find once you get the believer in love with the Lord Jesus, and he's a firm Lord of all, all these other things take the right place. Because if you've got one ambition, it's to be well-pleasing and in love with that lovely Lord Jesus.

And we're so often quoted these days, O precious Lord Jesus, how lovely thou art! Come and abiding rule in my heart. Here it is. Break every fetter, thy faith let me see, then thou shalt ever be precious unto me.

Look at verse number 49 of Luke 24. It is safe, yes? By the way, these are the last recorded words of the Lord Jesus in Luke's Gospel. See what it says. Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, that thou be ye in the city of Jerusalem, and shall ye be in Jer, with power from on high.

Now, you remember the first words of the Lord Jesus in Luke's Gospel. Luke 2, verse, again, 49. And what does it say? Whiskey not, I must be about my Father's business. Whiskey not, I must be about my Father's business.

Now, he's just about to leave them and go back to the Father, but his work must be carried on. And he must carry on his work through them. And so now he says here, Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you.

What did it say, remember, in John, chapter 13? I will pray the Father, and he shall send you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever. I will pray the promise of my Father upon you, that thou be ye in the city of Jerusalem, and shall ye be in Jer, with power from on high.

Going Outside the Camp Unto Christ

Now, just see how he goes on here. And he led them up. Do you remember the verse in Mark, chapter 15, verse 20, what it says? And they led him out to crucify him. But thank God this morning that cross is empty, and the pilgrims vacated, and he's standing here on resurrection ground, and he led them out.

He led them out to the place of separation. The place of separation. Hebrews 13, 13, going outside the camp unto him, bearing his reproach. A separation unto a person. A separation unto our adorable Lord Jesus Christ.

And when our hearts are magnetized to that lovely one, then they're demagnetized from all that's unlike him. So we turn our eyes upon Jesus, we look whole into his wonderful face, and the things of earth do strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.

There are three words in the Greek for the word world. There is the wonderful world of creation. We thank God for that wonderful world. See all the beauties grazing all around us. I trust you've got an eye to take them in, a heart to appreciate them.

And I pray God you'll thank God for all you see in this wonderful world of creation. And then there's another word called mankind. Mankind. But there's another word for world. It's the world system of which Satan himself is the prince of the power.

This one, the God of the age, Satan. And this is what we must be separated from. Separated from and separated to our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. I love that expression. I brought you out. He led them out, that I might bring you unto myself.

The Cross as Redemption, Salvation, and Separation

And so he led them to the place of separation. You know about this time I'm very fond of acrostics, don't you? You know it now. May I give you a double acrostic on the word cross? Because it's coming flashing into my mind, I've got to get rid of it.

And I want to give it to you. Here it is. The capital C-R-O-S-S. A double acrostic. Now, here it is. It's not the cross, but the Christ of the cross. I have two friends. I've got more than two, but at least two I'm thinking of.

Bill Davis, a Welshman, and Dave Clifford, whom we had here recently. Bill used to come and join us in our text work from time to time back in Britain while he was in business, but he's now in school time.

In fact, he's in a factory now, down in Bermuda, in one of our assemblies there. And when Bill and Dave were together, Dave could not stand at any price that hymn, The Old Rugged Cross. He didn't like that hymn at all.

Bill Davis loved it with all his heart. He loved that hymn, An Old Rugged Cross, built for the good Welsh singing boys without them saying, On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of cut string and shade.

Sure enough, during the course of that same program, Dave would get up, you know, he'd hike and so on, he'd get up and say, My God, I've got to sing a song to you. The Christ of the Cross is the theme of my song, the wonderful Christ of the Cross.

And Dave would get up and just try to defeat this hymn by preaching the Christ of the Cross. There's the whole thing, you see. The wonder of it all. They are pleased, they're wonderful. They remember the old rugged cross, but it's not the cross as a stake, not the cross as a tree, not the cross as a piece of wood.

Oh no, it's the Christ of the Cross that's the theme of our song. Now I want to give you something more right here. Not the cross as a relic, like I will R-E-L-I-C, not the cross as a relic, but redemption through the Christ of the Cross.

Now get that. Not the cross, but the Christ of the Cross. Not the cross as a relic, but redemption through the Christ of the Cross. Oh, not the Christ as an ornament, but omnipotence through the Christ of the Cross.

Omnipotence through the Christ of the Cross. Not the cross as a symbol, not the cross as a symbol, but salvation through the Christ of the Cross. Not the cross as mere center. How many people we've seen crying over the crucifixion, over the maltreatment of our adorable Lord Jesus, and yet they're not born again, people?

All the injustice, all the cruelty, and yet they don't yield themselves to that lovely man? Friend, it's not the cross as mere sentiment, it's separation through the Christ of the Cross. May I go back over that?

I'm going to get it. Not the cross, but the Christ. Not the relic, but redemption. Not the ornament, but omnipotence. Not the symbol, but salvation. And not the sentiment, but separation through the Christ of the Cross.

Again, put the term of C-R-O-S-S down. Of the cross, what do I find? Of what do we find as Christians? We find the cancellation of all our debt. The cancellation of all our debt. Aren't you glad about that?

Aren't you glad, my friend, the debt has been canceled and canceled forever? Ours? The removal of the guilty stain. The crosswork removes the guilt, not merely the sin, but the very stain caused by sin.

The blood of Jesus Christ, God cleansed from all sin. I'm so happy about that, aren't you? Oh, he opens the way back to God. The way once was closed, as on the ground of sin, but now, beloved, the way stands open wide on the ground of salvation.

He's opened up a new and living way whereby we can come to Him, hold communion with Him. Oh, the joy of the crosswork of the liturgies. And as the cross separates me from sin, it separates me from sin, once in the end of the age that Christ appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

As the East is from the West, so far have He removed all transgressions from us. Not North, nor South. That can be measured. The North Pole and the South Pole. East and West can never be measured. And it says, as the East is from the West, so far.

Aren't you glad about that? Their sins are never remitted. I remember, no more. I like that word, no more, don't you? These studies in the New World Scriptures cause you to have pressures. No more. Forever.

And it sets me apart. And the next part is, sets me apart for God. Remember? Cancels the debt, removes the guilty state, opens the way back to God, separates from sin, and sets me apart for God. Now, that's the separation I know.

That's the separation I enjoy. The separation of walking on resurrection ground, on the life and cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, that takes me to another point now. He led them up to the place of separation, the place called Bethany.

Bethany as the Place of Affection

There's something precious about Bethany, isn't there? There's a home at Bethany where the Lord was welcomed. I trust He's welcomed in your home. And He's loved. The whole family, Martha who owned the home, and Lazarus, and Mary, were all there.

All there. And they loved Him. And He loved them. Now, after the busy day, and all the crowds milling around Him, how He loved to resort to Bethany. And to the love, and the warmth of the fellowship. The word I want to give you is the place of affection.

He led them to the place of separation. He led them to the place of affection. At Bethany, He found such wonderful, true, warm affection there. Four little arrows I want to give you. One, He found love there.

Love. Oh, how they loved Him. He found life there. Lazarus had been brought back from the dead. He found light there. Come from darkness into light. He found liberty there. Listen! And let Him go. Four wonderful arrows.

Love, light, life, liberty. On these are ours, as we know affection for Jesus Christ. I'm going to say it all in 30. Lord, Thou art enough, the mind and heart to fill. Oh, fix my eyes so wholly on Thee, that with Thy beauty occupied, I elsewhere none may see.

Nehemiah is down the land of Noah. Nehemiah's roof and altar. Altar means high seat, swiftness of foot. Altar roof means remember friendliness and beauty. Nehemiah means pleasantness of joy. Three widows.

There was the only strict of her husband and her two sons. And there she's trying to comfort the two young daughters-in-law. She said, I'm going back to my own land. Mom, we're coming back with you.

They set out together. They come to Crossroads. She invites them to her, and the land is known. The crisis arrives. It always will. She put them to the test. They both go back to their own land. Both have husbands in their own land.

Both have children. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and went back to her God. Went back to her own land. Went back to her own people. Orpah's a victim of mere profession. Having strangely moved in some evangelistic meeting, made the profession of salvation with no heart regeneration.

When the test comes to go all the way, it's too much for her to go back. Too much to take up the cross and follow Christ and go back. For Orpah's a real possessor. She said, "'Treat me not to lead you to return from polygacity.

Where thou goest, I will go. Where thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people. Thy God shall be my God. Where thou diest, I will die, and there will I be buried.'". Now, she goes back to the more text, by the way.

"'Where thou diest, I will die, and there will I be buried.'". What happens? They go all the way. She's undivided, devoted. Shows wonderful affection for Nehomai, with whom she has delivered her. She goes all the way with Nehomai, coming down to the land of Bethlehem, Judah.

Cutting my long story short, she's introduced to a man whose name is Boaz. Boaz means a strong man. The Bible says he's a mighty man of wealth. A mighty man of wealth. Now, what happens? All because of her heart's allegiance, her complete devotion and affection for Nehomai, she comes in contact with a strong man.

Comes in contact with this mighty man of wealth. What is the result? There is a union, and as a result of that union, there is joy, there is love, there is rest, and hallelujah, there is fruit. Life is joy, strength is fruit.

All because she was willing to go all the way. She came in all her penury and poverty, she found in Boaz with wealth. She came in all her weakness and impetus, she found in Boaz with strength. And as a result of this, my friend, you have the picture of Christ in resurrection power.

Nehomai is the picture of Christ in humiliation. Christ in humiliation. And Boaz, you have Christ in resurrection. And from Obed came Jesse, and Jesse came King David. You've got a picture of the coming King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Our adorable Lord Jesus. Oh, how much Ruth would have missed. Had she not been wholeheartedly devoted, I am completely handing over to Nehomai. When she's married to Melody, her first husband, there is no fruit.

No fruit whatever. Married now to Boaz, there is fruit. Lot of joy, precious fruit. Which we do thank God this morning, do we not? For the lesson, our old life, our old Adamic nature, no matter how we find respectable, religious, cultured, educated it may be, can never produce anything for God.

Saint Macintosh said, never end for God to grow nature's barren soil. But now linked up with Christ, a resurrection power, there is fruit. Love us, joy us, precious fruit. And all for God's praise, and for God's glory.

A separation to a person means union, and means love, and means joy, and means rest, and it means fruit. Oh, may I know the joy of this, my friend. Real affection for our adorable Lord Jesus. Then, what happened just there?

Benediction and Adoration in Christ

He lifted up his hands, the Lord did. Lifted up his hands in the act of blessing them, and the word is benediction. Left in the place of separation, affection, and now benediction. Oh, oh, beloved. Do we want to know his blessed benediction resting upon us?

We too must know practical separation to him, and wholehearted affection for him. Then we shall hear blessed art thou. His blessed benediction resting upon us, and he blessed them there. But what else happened?

It became the place of adoration, and it says, and they worshipped him. They worshipped him right there. What worship up? You can't any engineer worship. You can't prop up worship. You can't any engineer worship as you put on your Sunday clothes.

Oh, no. Worship is the outcome of a heart occupation with our beloved Lord Jesus. As we're contemplating him, Psalm 45, verse number 1 comes in here. My heart is inciting. My heart bubbling up with good matter.

I speak of things I've made touching the King. My tongue is a pen of a ready writer. And the Holy Spirit takes the tongue of the one whose heart engages with Christ, and if it's not said in the tune of name, grace is poured into us.

Why? He is thy Lord. Worship now him. And there's a spontaneity arising now of spiritually God and energized worship. And we worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father, he is the object of our worship.

The Son is the subject of our worship. And the Holy Spirit is the energizer of our worship. We bow before him this morning, and we worship for he is our Lord. He let it out to himself, the place of separation, the place of affection, and the place of benediction, and now the place of adoration.

Oh, do you adore him? Do you worship him? Is he everything to you this morning, my friend? Oh, the thrill. Next, Acts chapter 1. Please turn it. This will help to keep you awake for one thing. Acts 1, verse number 8.

I see what it says here now. And ye shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me. Where? In Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria, and in the uttermost parts of the earth.

Witness, Occupation, and Expectation

By the way, what's the name of the largest woman in the world? What's the name of the largest woman in the world? Jezebel. She was... Oh, I don't like even to mention her name. No? No? Got it? The woman of some area.

Got it? The woman of some area. You remember, Morris, don't you? When Paul was a baker. Remember when Paul was a baker? Yes, when he went into the pie. But here it says now. It says, And ye shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me.

The word becomes the praise of occupation, the praise of separation, praise of affection, benediction, adoration. And what do I do? In worship, I go into the holy priest. I go in there to give to the Lord Jesus.

In my giving, he consecrates. We dedicate, but he consecrates. And as we give in our worship to him, he fills our hands with the meaning of consecration, fills our hands, and we go out on the royal street, into our Sunday school, into our Bible class, into our visitation work, into our Bible ministry, into our gospel titling.

We go out now, as royal priests, and my friends, the further wonderful in Luke 24, but now listen, it leads to the praise of occupation. And Lord, it's occupied till I come. I remember going into a home one time years ago, and they showed me my room, and I was very appreciative, and usually when I'm left alone in my room, I get down by the bed or by a chair, thank the Lord for taking me to this area, and praise the purpose of my being, that I will run after his own glory.

I did that that day, and getting up from my knees, I lifted up over the bed, and there was one of those old-fashioned scrolls there. Do you know what it had on it? Occupied till I come. Right over the bed.

I saw the funny side of that, you know. The Bible says I got to be steadfast, not deadfast. Unmovable, not immovable. There it is, the one that we're told. And it says, Occupied till I come. Now here's the place of occupation, and that's because I really must say, it says in the very act here now, again his hands are lifted up, and you know something, brethren, we never read of those hands being let down.

We never read of those hands being let down. Those hands are lifted, out of unchanging great high praise, pouring out blessings upon his own, having loved his own mother right unto the very uttermost, and now it says, the very act of blessing in whom, he received up into glory, received up into glory, he goes up, and those who are with him, who saw him go?

His own. By the way, the worldling never saw Christ after they put him upon a cross. They never saw him after that. With all the hands of Joseph of Arimathea, when the demons took him down, they wrapped him in a garland, they placed him in a tomb, then they rolled the stones around the sepulchre, then the Roman soldiers came and filled up the Roman field, and when Christ appeared, he appeared to his own for forty days.

And his own are the fathers of Bethany, and the very act of blessing his own, now get this, is standing on the Mount of Olives, right in full view of Bethany. Why not Jerusalem? Do some charisma, waver them, we don't want them.

There's a home of Bethany, love him, and in full view of Bethany, his hands are lifted up, we stood there some months ago, on that very same spot, they call the Mount now the Ascension, on that very same spot, remember, he received up into glory, whose son go his own?

Remember the heavenly messengers have said, ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? The same Jesus, who you have taken up into heaven, shall soon come, in like manner to you, whose son go his own?