SNT-0438-Fellowship (Cummins)
Format: mp3
Walter J. Cummins graduated from the Power for Abundant Class in 1962.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Ohio State University in 1968 and his Master of Education degree in Secondary School Administration in 1978 from Wright State University.
He was ordained to the Christian by The Way International in 1968. He has studied at The Way International under Victor Paul Wierwille and K.C.Pillai. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he was director of the Research department of the Way International and served as assistant to the president.
DRAFT
SNT-438Fellowship-Test DRAFT
SUMMARY KEYWORDS: joy, God, Timothy, reap, souls, minded, stand, Paul
Well, Bill, I'm glad you're in here. I just found out today that you had a birthday too today. But you know, it's quite a privilege Bill had the opportunity this last week of sharing with us. And we had the opportunity of listening to him. Some of the great things which Bill has been teaching across this part of the country. Bill's in charge of the Dale Carnegie course in this area. And he shared with us some of the wonderful things that really make a man's life and his job, as well as the ministry which we represent effective. And I was real thankful for being there. I'm just sorry, the rest of you couldn't have been there last Tuesday evening, too. But I'd like to share something with you from Isaiah 55. Before we get into this tonight, many of you already know this. Many, some of you may have read this before and not understood it because of one great key. One thing you have to understand from God's Word is that this is not a Western book. It was not written by people in the United States. Or this part of Europe as far as that goes, or any part of Europe. It was not written by people from the Western world it was written by people from the Eastern world, the Orient, the Orient. And today, many of the customs which they had in Bible times are still in practice in places like Indian surrounding countries in the Orient. And in this verse, we find an Orientalism expressed here those of you that have heard of before will be blessed again, as you read it. It says in verse one of chapter 55 of Isaiah, whoa everyone that thirst come you to the waters and he that has no money come me by and eat now how can you buy something if you don't have any money? Yay, come buy wine and milk without money. And without price I hear he's telling you or telling the people come and buy but you don't need any money to buy it with. Now that sounds like a pretty good bargain when you say sure if you could go into some of the stores today why that'd be a real special my wife's always watching the papers you know for the specials that come out IgA, Kroger the other places around I'm sure some of you ladies do that too. But they're looking for specials. Well, here's a real special come by, you don't even need any money. A drinks are on me said wanting their milk. But this is an Orientalism. In the east instead of when you have a birthday. Instead of everybody buying you presence, you buy everybody else else presence. That sounds like a good deal. I just switch it around. Now who are you going to say is backwards? The western world or the Eastern world they were first right. So we must be backwards. But in the East when you had a birthday, you bought the presence for everybody else. And that's the Orientalism expressed in this verse as bishop Pillai has taught us on a number of occasions. Whoa, everyone that thirst is come you to the waters and he that hath no money. Come me by and eat? Yea, come buy wine and milk Without money and without price. It's my birthday and the treats are on me. So the night from God's Word, the treats are on me, I guess. Let's get started in the first epistle of John chapter one.
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First Epistle of John. James, Peter John chapter one first, John, will begin reading with the first verse. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of what word of the Word of Life, right? He's not talking about handling the machinery at your factory or talking about handling food on the table. He's not talking about handling clothing or anything else. He's talking about handling one thing, the word of God or word of life, for the life was manifested verse two, and we have seen it and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us, that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that he also may have what? fellowship that you may have fellowship. That's that booklet that Peter held up tonight deals with. First John here the answer, that other one is fellowship as the secret, right? They deal with this subject of fellowship, before you can have fellowship with God, you have to have what sonship That's right. You have to be born again of God's Spirit, you have to be a son of God, as a teachers and other places in the Scripture. But after you're born again of God, you have fellowship with Him. And that's what it's telling you about in First John, that you may have fellowship with us. And truly, our fellowship is with who the father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ, and these things, right we unto you, that's your What joy, that your joy may be full, not partially fall, not deficient in any way, but that your joy may be full. Now, recently, we had a youth advance, or three of them, I guess, at the last one, the college youth advance. We had a remarkable speaker there. My name is Tim Somervell, from Northeastern Ohio, I guess many of you most of you know, I mean, here tonight, some of your new people won't. But he was a fabulous speaker. And it really set the youth advance on fire that first evening, when he spoke on fellowship, and the joy a Christian has as a fellowships with God. Now joy is an inside job. Joy is something that you receive, when you're born again of God's Spirit. But as you walk with God, as you fellowship with Him, as you commune with Him, walk with walking with Him. You bring this joy out here, in the physical life, you've got it on the inside, it's like peace, you've got peace in there, too, don't you? That's what the word says. But as you walk with God, you bring this peace, you bring this joy, you bring it out here, you bring it out where people can see it in your life, and where you can see it in your life. And we have fellowship with Him, He says, These things we write unto you that your joy may be full, fall out here, overflowing that it's not only in there, but that you're bringing it out here you have joy in your life. And after this remarkable discussion, at the advance after Mr. summable presented this. And as the advance progress could say the advanced advanced. But as it went on, and the joy just a bounded more and more in the lives of these young people. I put a challenge to him. I said, I notice how much joy you're manifesting here right now. But I said, How about a month from now? Or how about six months from now but a year from now, you still gotta have this same joy that you have right now. Some of them said yes. I think most of them there said yes. If not all of them. Sure. We're going to have joy a month from now. So I said, if you have joy on February 1 1970, I'd like you to write me a letter.
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And all you have to do is put in this letter, I've still got joy. That's a real simple letter to write. Cost you six cents for the stamp on it, you know, that's all it send it in to me. So I did get a few letters this week. And I was real thankful for. I'd like you to see the envelope of one of these letters. Just to show you that the mailman must have got blessed to Christ is joy from our friend John Lin at East Carolina University. Another letter I got I'd like to read to you it says I'm still full of joy, joy, joy, not just one she's got three of them must been triple work of grace or something. Besides that, I'm living in joy, House of joy. That's the name of her dorm up there. It's called the House of joy. I have peace that passes understanding because because there's therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. The youth advances were tremendous. The Love, fellowship, unity of purpose. We're also full and beautiful. We left Saturday night, but I got the tapes. I heard you ask us to write on February 1. And I very much enjoyed Ken's teaching on the word love. Well, I love you all. May God continue to bless you richly, as you boldly claim His promises and walk in him. Now wonderful, has she still got joy? Yes, you got joy, joy, joy. Right like to share with you a part of another one of the letters I received. Young lady says, I know it would be uncomprehending evil for the world to understand how a person could get so blessed by the greatness of God that suddenly finds herself laughing out loud in the dark of night, out of sheer joy, instead of laying awake for hours worrying over daily tensions. Guys, thank goodness myself while ago, I heard you people who stood and spoke in tongues interpreted or prophesied. I got so bless how, when I was preparing this thing, this afternoon, and really working on it, how this thing just seemed to gel and fit together. When I got in here and heard these messages tonight to see how well they fit. It always fits this way. But to see it and to hear it again, just blessed me and I set up here and I didn't mean to be critical of anybody I just about broke out laughing because of the joy of something like this. And this is what she's saying she lays in bed there instead of having to worry over the tensions of the day, she almost burst out laughing in the middle of the night, because of joy. I spent a few of the other kinds of nights everyone has. But the simplicity in experiencing the joy instead of torment is so beautiful, that all we need to do is to be able to quiet ourselves within and obtain peace. And with that the joy always comes that wonderful. That's great. Well, some of these young people still got joy. And I was real blessed to hear from these people and expect to hear from a few more in case they just happen to forget or so. Let's look at Philippians chapter two.
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I tell you, I've still got it, whether you've got it or not Philippians chapter two
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verse two, well, let's start with verse one. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, Paul says if you flip in boys down there, and the rest of you, if you've got what it's talking about here, if there's still fellowship with the Spirit in your lives, if any vows of Mercy verse to fulfill ye my what? You're sure Paul wanted some to. He wanted the joy of seeing something in them. That she be like minded. The word like minded means same thoughts. Now there's a book back there, what's it called? My book, I don't know what the title is. Something about mind. It's a study of the Greek words on mind, mind of the believer, okay. But it deals with these Greek words, which are translated mind. And this particular word means same thoughts that you be or have the same thoughts have the same thoughts, put them on up here? Why do you want to put on one thing, Charlie, and Ed over here wants to put on something else and everybody else puts on different thoughts. And pretty soon what have we got? Confusion, right? That's what we have in the organized churches, many times they're disorganized on a call and the disorganized church. Some of them anyway, but he says that you have the same thoughts, the same thoughts, but on the same thoughts up here. Where do you get the same thoughts? If I read you know, Time magazine, or if I listen the channel to what's their names, you know, the news commentators, and somebody else listens to Eric Severide. On Channel Seven. We've got confusion of opinion. I believe Eric and somebody else believes somebody else I don't. But if I did, We would have unlike thoughts, wouldn't we, we wouldn't have the same thing. But Paul says that you have the same thoughts. Well, where are you going to get them? real difficult is it from God's word, that's where you're going to get them from God's Word, the same thoughts. When you get your nose in the book instead of in everybody else's business, then you have the same thoughts and having the same love. The word love is the Greek word of God, a meaning the love of God in the renewed mind, in manifestation. As you manifest the spirit, and you put on the love of God in the renewed mine. You're walking upon the Word, you've put it on up here. How can you help but have the same thoughts to write. Being of one accord, the word want a chord, it's covered in this book, if you want to study it farther, further, whatever. Just get a copy of that book and read it through. But the word one accord is the Greek word meaning souls which are joined together, souls which are joined together, that you have souls joined together. In other words, not only the thoughts that you put on your mind, but your whole being, that your whole being each one of you, your souls are joined together, that you have a unique purpose for what you want to do. That one person doesn't say, Well, I think we ought to help Macedonian somebody else's, I think we oughta chop NASA, Macedonia and forget about them. Say, get together. And this only comes from an accurate knowledge of God's word, you have to know God's word, you have to have the same thoughts, put on the love of God and the renewed mind and manifestation. And have your souls joined together for a unique purpose. And of one mind is literally thoughts on one thing, and that one thing can only be what? The word right, the Word, God's word, having your thoughts on the same thing. So having the same thoughts and having these thoughts on that one thing, which is God's word, and putting on the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation, and having your souls join together? Well, you know, you fellas and you, girls, you know, you hook arms, you walk physically, together, don't you? Why not do this with your souls, join your souls together, and walk arm in arm. Sure, it's a more beautiful relationship than the physical. The physical is good, too. But so is the, the other side. Look at verse 19, of this chapter. Have the same thoughts and the only place you can get the same thoughts is from God's word from an accurate knowledge of God's Word. Verse 19, but I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state. So Paul's gonna send Timothy down there to the Philippians he says in verse 24, I have no man, like minded now there's another usage of that word, the word like minded is literally equal sold, not sol de soul de de, to have souls which are equal parallel, the Greek word that for equal is a sauce from which we get isosceles triangle, you know, has equal sides equal to have equal souls, usually ones up here and ones down here, or vice versa, you know, and they're not on the same thing are ones out here and ones over here, but they're never together. But when you come to an accurate knowledge of God's word, and get your mind on the same things and walk hand in hand with God, you could have a man who was like minded. He says, I have no man who is like minded or has a soul that's on the same plane as mine, who will naturally care for your estate for your state, for all seek their own And of course, that falls in the category of greed, when they seek their own right, for all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ. But you know the proof of him talking about Timothy, you know, the proof of him, that as a son with the Father, He Timothy has served with me in the Gospel. Him, therefore, I hope to send presently, as soon as I see, I shall see how it will go with me. Paul didn't have anybody down there, Philippi, who had a soul that was on the same plane and was thinking the same way as he. But he had a young man by the name of Timothy, who walked with him. carry two suitcases, you know, the rest of it. But Timothy was on the same plane. They thought alike. They were like minded, equivalent souls. Equal sold. That's a good expression. Makes sense. To me. Anyway, they were like minded on the same plane I like. And he had this man, Timothy, who had this ability to communicate what Paul was thinking. So since he didn't have any man down there, Philippi, he sends Timothy down there to do the job. I don't tell you something. I think every man and every woman needs somebody that thinks on the same plane as they do. As he or she does. You need to have someone with whom with whom you can confide. With whom you can talk to, with whom you can get down to the brass tacks. You need somebody that's close to you, who you can talk with, and reason things out. Now, Paul had a man, his name was Timothy, somebody with whom he could reason and talk turkey with. They wanted to talk straight. They got alone. They didn't have to beat around the bush and use the all the vernacular that they had learned in seminaries, a few other places. Now, they could talk turkey, they could talk on their level. They were equal sold or like minded. So Paul had a man who was Timothy. And I think everybody needs someone with whom he can communicate, as Paul and Timothy did.
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The reason I brought this up is because I got another letter this week, a letter which I didn't ask for. But I'm glad I received it. Because it really blessed me. And started me thinking again, from a fellow young man who wasn't at the Youth advance, didn't have the opportunity to get all that joy get all lathered up and get out there. However, he was here at summer school, and he was just blessed beyond measure. And he wrote this letter to me. And I would like to read just a couple lines out of it. Which really reflects what many people have said, in which I've said when I've gotten away from headquarters, when you get out there, you know, you get out in the dark, and it's difficult to walk. He says it is truly dark in the world today. And I have found that the boldness I once had at headquarters this summer, has diminished to only a slight flicker after being put down by every local, happily ignorant acquaintance. Now that's his way of putting it and I couldn't express it my words anymore plainly and accurately as he did. Who are these local people, Loc, Al, who are happily ignorant acquaintances. Now, if you're happy in your rut, stay in, you know, like the orange juice commercial. And we've seen that where they're down in the rut in the morning? Well, I'll tell you, it takes more and oranges to get out. It takes an accurate knowledge of God's word, right. But he goes on to say in another paragraph, I hope that you and your family are aware of how great it is to live near and to be so closely associated with the way it is such a blessing that I cannot express in words, the discipline I lacked just being away from there. I wasn't this what many of you have felt when you've gotten away from here for a period of time, especially when you're young in the ministry like this young man is and it's difficult to get out there and walk. But I want to tell you something There comes a time, after a period of really digging in God's word, when you have to be able to stand, as Peter said, and I come hell or high water, you've got to be able to get out there and stand, because it's God's word. And if you knuckle under to every Tom, Dick and Harry that comes along, just be washed out, like the road down here. Sure. But you've got to stay in. And it takes discipline, you've got to discipline your life to be able to do this. And you've got to study God's Word, you've got to stay in it. The other interesting thing about this letter, young man, like I say, there are many people like this. And I, I really feel for him, because I've been out in that situation too before. And sometimes I just wish we could all get together and just have a good time, you know, all together. But there are other people out there who are hungry, who are hungry, who want to know God's word, and we have to get out there to reach those people don't we? We can't be selfish with because it's God's word. And people who are hungry need to be filled. But this was sent the stamp on here where, you know, the, like clump that one says Stoney Creek. That was the town where they met where this was mailed from Stony Creek. It's where he sent it from from Stony Creek. And I can see this, the way he how he feels when he wrote the how he felt when he wrote this letter, and how this sort of fit together this idea of a Stoney Creek. That's where he wrote it from. But you know what the return address is the return address. It is Silver Springs. That's where he wants me to send my letter back to him at Silver Springs. And that wonderful. Think of the spring of found of living water gushing up out of the earth. You know, Jeremiah, chapter 214. The fountain of living, that's where I'm sending out letters. I'm not sending it to Stoney Creek wouldn't reach him wood. But I'm sending to his return address Silver Springs, like a fountain of living waters. But you see, there are people out there. They want answers. They get out there. And they get away from the fellowship of headquarters. But still, deep down in they have that hunger. But they need the knowledge to be able to stand. And my heart goes out for these people.
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I think one of the keys to really being able to stand when you're out there in the world, by yourself is not to be by yourself, but to have at least one other person with whom you can find. Like Paul had Timothy, they were equal souls. They were like minded. They thought a lot. And if you're going to stay in, you need somebody with whom you can confide somebody, you can talk to somebody who can really appreciate and who really appreciate you with whom you can fellowship. And that's one important key to getting out there after you leave the mountaintop here. Getting out in the valleys where you have to witness where you make these happily ignorant acquaintances. You have to have many times one person with whom you can talk. On the other hand, suppose you didn't have one person, you could still stay in good. But it's always nice to have an extra one there to help you who you can walk with. Look at Colossians chapter three. Colossians chapter three, verse 16, familiar verses scripture. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. dwell in you how rich Lee let it dwell in you richly. In all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Help one another. If you've got somebody out there with whom with whom you're working with somebody that's like minded is always the best. build each other up. Help each other Let the word of Christ dwell in you. How rich Lee? Well, how are you going to let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, if you put it under your pillow, or somewhere else, right? You've got to read it, you've got to study it. You've got to know what's in that word. If you want to know it's, and let it be in your life richly. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Poverty, script stricken. Verse 17, and Whatsoever you do, in Word, or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, and the Father by him. That wonderful, whatever you do, you do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. And again, how are you going to do it without an accurate knowledge of His Word?
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Look at Galatians chapter six. If you're out there with someone, you can help them, you can build them up, give them the word.
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Encourage them to get in the word on their own, to stand on their own. Suppose you're in the immediate vicinity of the headquarters here. And you know of someone out there you can still help that person. Write a letter. Write a letter, get on the stick with the lead in the middle. Right? Call them on the phone, do something help these people they they need. You're sitting back here on the mountaintop in a great and a wonderful, knowing God's word and being able to fellowship Oh can all say Jerusalem. There's a few have to go out reach other people. And they need the communication from you wonderful people who are gathered here Galatians chapter six, verse one. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, if somebody falls he stumbles. E which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness. Help him, restore him in the spirit of meekness. But there's a clause on there, considering thy self, less Tao also be tempted. Don't let him drag you down the drain? No, sir. You build him up and bring him up on your plane. Don't let him pull you down. Got it. You help him. Don't let him deter you or hinder you or tempt you. Verse to bury one another's burdens help one another, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For any man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let every man but But verse four. But in contrast to now we switched horses, haven't we? We're talking about something else. Let every man prove his own work. Sure you help one another. But let each individual prove his own work. To the point that he is able. Now if he needs help you help him. But if he can stay in on his own, let him stand on his own. No baby. Let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in somebody else. For every man shall bear his own burden. Look at verse five and look back at verse two says, bear you one another's burdens. Verse five says, bear, every man shall bear his own burden. But the context switched with that word, but in verse four, the context switch. Sure, when somebody is weak, he needs help. What do you do? Kick him in the teeth and help him down a little farther? No, you help him up, don't you? Sure you bury one another's but to the end, that you can stand on your own. It's not my responsibility to help you. You can stand on your own very own burdens. Stand on your own. But if you need help Brother, I'm glad to give it to you. That's the attitude. Verse six, let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teaches in all good things. communicate to him that teaches and all good things in every way. In Word, money, whatever it is, you communicate to him that teaches you what it says that's what it means. To communicate is a word that means to, to share with, share fully. So we're going to kneel, remember in Hebrews, to share fully, children are partakers they share fully. That's its word, to share fully. In every way, not one, but always unto him, that teachers and all good things, Be not deceived. God is not MA for whatsoever a man sews that shall he reap.
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If you sow potatoes, you get what learn that long time ago didn't for he that Sowa to his flesh shall of the flesh reproduction, when he that saw to the Spirit shall have the spirit rate life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing. Let us not be worrying well doing for in due season, we shall reap if we faint. Not. All right. So here we go. Boy, I'm all fired up from summer school, or the youth advance or something? I've got it, boy, I'm on fire on top of the heap. So here I go. Back. DCU back to California, some other place. I'm out there in the world. I'm the best startup God, I'm ready to walk. That's the attitude. You've got. You get out there. Somebody says the Word of God. What's that? Who cares? What difference does it make? That's a bunch of bunk. I don't care what you say about the word. Oh, we're gonna start calling your Reverend now.
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Hello, religion didn't? Who do you think you are? All of a sudden, here I come. You know, I've got all this stuff, boy, I'm loaded. And what happens? I hit these blocks, so to speak, and I start slowing down. And that joy I once had dark turning into sorrow.
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Because nobody believes my word. But that says, Be not weary in well doing. Suppose somebody says you're full of baloney. I'll tell him you had steak for lunch? Sure. Sure you come along. The guy says you're full of baloney. Nope. That steak? Apple pie for dessert? What do we care what the Word says? Well, you don't care. Have a good time going to hell or something. Wishing the song was booked something like that. I don't know if you ever saw it, sort of for the first time I saw it. But one of the songs that you run into these lumps. Just push them out of the way. So God's word still stands because it's God's word because God stands behind it. I know it's God's word. I believe it. So I don't care what you think. I don't care what anybody thinks. I care what God thinks.
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That's right. I care what God thinks. What, what difference doesn't make what your neighbor thinks about you get real honest. How much time you're going to spend with your neighbors 5060 years 100 110 At the most how much time you're going to spend with God. Eternity I hope. I know. Hope. I know from the word and you know, don't you? You're going to spend a long time with God compared to what you're going to be spending with your neighbor
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what the word sense be not worry when you're doing well, when you're going out there and while doing is doing the work the will of God isn't doing sharing the word, studying the word knowing the word acting upon the Word.
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Be not weary while you're doing well. Somebody comes along, there was a left hook. Throw up a right block or something. But don't let Florrie be not worrying well doing for in due season you shall
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what bill rate in this season you shall reap. In due time, you're going to reap you're going to gather the benefit. You don't sow wheat in the spring and reap it in May. So in April and reap in may do you farm you rake the wheat, or you don't so when you sell weed the fall? Well, you know it's going to fall and reap it in the winter. You have to wait a little while. Okay, good. Sometimes it's that way with God's word. You walk along you share it with people, some are hungry summer, all of a sudden, somebody is hungry enough that they want the word in the season in due time you shall reap you shall reap provides they don't do what if you get out there, and you're discouraged at the first thing that Satan throws at you, you're defeated, frustrated. Everything else on that side of the ledger the fame and you don't give the seed an opportunity to produce something while you're on and you never have the opportunity to read. So when you get out there you don't think you stand on God's word having been all due up stand with a faithful word it's a free forward so we stand it's a word of life. So we hold it for give to other people. We don't think you know we're all doing in due season we're going to reap and many of us please that reaping from time to time. Other certain fertilizers they've been put on that tea with metal products about last Tuesday was to help us out quite a bit in raising the season to date a little more reaping but still the same principle is there. It doesn't always come like that. It takes a little time. But in this video you're gonna read as we had the opportunity, let us do good unto all but especially unfused to our the household of faith, especially to those people who are the household Look at Hebrews chapter fellowship with God, you walk with Him. And as you as you have this fellowship, you have that joy about ensure you get to help people and going to do it. And I feel that many of you who are constantly around you who can help other people by writing letters or anything you can do they need it and we'd have to help. On the other hand you people who hear this paper anything else to people in online interviews anybody some of you here in areas that are distant from headquarters
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you've got if nobody helped you spell don't become weary in the welded don't Same thing God wants you back God in Christ if it's price to you nothing can stand in the way of God be against counted as cheap that's what God says I didn't have to don't be in your world okay are with great people I do think this will be touched on briefly before you have to wait for me don't take crap what do you what happens Thank you...