The field is the world and God's work is seen in every place. Human nature is the same so difficulties and problems are the same in every land and also the enemy the Devil is working in every part of the world.

Revelations 12:12, "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea. For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." He has a lot to do in a little time, which is a common problem, the devil is angry so he works very hard for he knows that when Christ returns it will be a problem for him, but it will be our joy and our rejoicing. You friends will go home to circumstances that are the same and we need to know how to fight the enemy we have.

I Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able." This is encouraging, that there is no temptation or test that is too great and God will provide a way of escape. The biggest escape, the way out of captivity, a picture that should give us a lot of courage is in Exodus. Moses and Aaron went to see Pharaoh and said, "Let us go, we pray thee, three days journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword." The enemy is working the same way still today, a leopard does not change his spots, God's servants asked Pharaoh to let the people go to convention, 3 days of quietness. Pharaoh said, "No, it is not possible. There is too much work to do," so now the work was increased, the burdens were increased. They had to produce the same amount of bricks but now they had to gather the straw and they could not get it so they used stubble. The devil does the same, he increases the work burden so that the things of God are left, just work and work, have to make a living, have to go to business. We all have obligations, you might say, "You lucky workers, you have got it made. You are as free as daisies in the field." We as workers do not speak of sacrifice for it is the greatest privilege but we do have obligations. You might wish that you were Bill Gates but that brings a lot of problems, he is in court, having all that money does not make you happy.

What we are seeing clearly is that the devil is increasing the workload of the friends. In England, some friends have good jobs, but they get called back while having their tea, "We've got a problem, we need you to come right away." I have a nephew and we were having tea and the telephone rang, asking him to come back to drive a semi all through the night. We need balance, are we going to give our health and strength to God or just give him the overflow because we are flooded too much with work? What are we going to do about it? We should pray about it.

I admire a businessman, his business is going well and he was in an expansion phase, built a new factory, he was fitting it out and was very busy. One Saturday afternoon one of the children came to him, "Dad can you get your bicycle so we can go to the mill for a run?" The father said, "No, I am too busy." The child said, "Oh come on, get your bike and let's go." He said, "No," so the child went away disappointed. Later that day, he said to his wife, "What sort of a father am I, that I have no time for my children? I am going to use that new building as a warehouse and I will have time for the children." Your children are the most precious possession in your home, have you time for them? They require your time.

The devil has a success if he fills the land with all work and this is the way the devil weakens God's family, through two ways, through false doctrine, and by just making us too busy. Daniel had some visions and in one he saw a power arise who would speak great words against the most High and he would wear out the saints and this is happening now. Friends are too tired to read, to pray, they have to rush, living in a whirlwind; it is the same in all parts of the world. There are the amalgamations of firms, and just work, work, etc. Be very careful, remember your children, you will never regret it, God will bless you for it.

Pharaoh is a symbol of the devil. The people cried unto God because they were whipped and beaten, they could not go to convention. After they were liberated by the power of God, they were travelling, journeying, and came to Succoth. They walked day and night, "The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, to go by day and night." They had to get away from Egypt, they were escaping and God was giving them more time to deliver them from their bondage. Pharaoh said, "They are entangled in the land. The wilderness hath shut them in." God knew what Pharaoh was saying but he made a big mistake for God was giving a new path for the children of Israel that they would not lose their way in the wilderness. Pharaoh knew and God knew that the people could get lost in the woods so that is why God sent the pillar of fire so they could travel by day and night, so they would not be entangled.

Tangles, I hate them. One time I had a cable and it was all tangled, and it got on my nerves so I just left the tangle on the floor. When I came back I found that some kind person had untangled the cable and it was right there on a drum, so I appreciated that person. Sometimes friends get into tangles so we have got to be careful, we can be entangled without realizing it, just lose one end and you have a tangle. In business, in relationships, this comes by itself and so we need to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and not be entangled again. If we stand fast we will not be entangled, if someone whispers in your ear, doubts about this way, or about this doctrine, and have nothing to do with them and God will deliver us.

The children of Israel walked in the light of the pillar of fire and they walked so hard that they went too far and we can get ahead of the Lord. Exodus 14:1, “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 'Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon, before it shall ye encamp by the sea.'" Why ever did the Lord tell them to do that, to turn and go back, they would be tired, they would have sore feet, corns aching and now go back. There was no grumbling and it is good to obey to be delivered. Why all these words and all these places that God instructed Moses? If I was to say to you folks, go out of this meeting tent and stand before the dining shed and the window that could be anywhere. Now add, by the door, you now have a 3-point dimension and you would be within a square meter of where I want you to be, you would be right there. This was what God was asking his people to do for when God created the earth he prepared a road under the sea and it had been there since creation. Otherwise there would have been rocks there, but no the Lord knew what he was doing; his infinite mind prepared this way under the sea. It was a highway; a freeway under the sea and here was the mouth of the freeway. Pharaoh's chariots went so fast on this freeway that they were catching up to the children of Israel so God sent an angel who took the split pins from the axles and the wheels came off their chariots. God did not take any risks with His people; they are too precious to Him.

Isaiah 43:16, "Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters." This is a wonderful story how God saved His people, it was humanly impossible but God did it. We sometimes find ourselves in problems, business problems, family problems, work problems, and we have difficulties that make us worried and we wonder what to do. We can pray to the Lord, who can bring us out of the difficulties, He can provide a way of escape. The way of escape is not an easy way. Mum and Dad had a bungalow and during the war they had an air raid shelter, it was concrete, had a door in the back. A tunnel in the front which was like an escape hatch in case the door was bombed and to get out was not an easy thing to do. Walking day and night was not easy, there was an urgency, they had to do it, had to get down to it. If we pray and are willing, it will be possible.

A brother in South Africa got a very good job, he was happy in his work. The boss put more on his shoulders, work increased and became a burden. He had no time to pray, to meditate, and to get quiet, so he asked the Lord for a sign. Going to the meeting he prayed that if a certain sister would choose a hymn he would leave his work. This sister hardly ever gave out a hymn, so she did and now he became worried. So he said to the Lord, "Please have patience with me, and Gideon asked two questions, so can I also ask another sign? If the wife of the bishop gives out a hymn also I will leave my work," and she did. So this man went home to his wife and told her what he must do and she was a Godly woman and said, "If you have opened your mouth to the Lord, then you must do it." So this man went to the personnel manager and told him what he must do, told him his testimony and he said, "We don't want to lose you. We will transfer you in the same building to another position and you can have all the time you need to attend to your meetings." The Lord knows who are His and he makes the way of escape in the difficulty.

Another man had arranged for his holidays for convention. He worked on the railways and when the time came, the manager said that there were drivers sick so he could not grant him his leave. So the man said, "Was there not another way that I could go?" The man said, "There is a way. You must lose your total annual holiday and you can have 4 days in place of your holidays," and he was willing for that. This brother was helping the washing up at convention when a message came through to him from home. The Railway Company telephoned and said, "We are sorry for the way we treated you. Enjoy your convention and all your holidays are intact and still yours." God honours those who honour Him.

Sometimes our young people in England go to convention for weekend and save the rest of the days for their holidays but the way of God is a sacrifice. Good to grow spiritually and have treasure in heaven, we have to sacrifice, to let the temporal things go, there is no other way. We need to bear these burdens, friends in business, children at school, all have a heavy work load and all want to do their best. Be careful not to get overloaded, this is a dangerous thing.

There is an example of overloading, on Lake Victoria in Africa they have a ferry, a big one and there they are always overloaded. Eighteen months ago, the ferry was about two thirds of the way home and the ferry was overloaded and the captain took no notice. The ferry began to list and so the captain asked the passengers over the loud speakers to move to the other side and so nearly all went to the other side and so it went down the other way and nearly 100 drowned. Don't take on too much, don't get it any bigger, having enough to eat and drink be content, don't keep up with the Jones's. Having a car, caravan bigger than others. Be willing to keep under and life will be better for you. It is a natural thing to get overloaded, always trying to get a liter into a half liter bottle, you just lose it. Keep safe, care for the children, sacrifice, let the temporal things go, there is no other way. We need to bear these burdens, friends in business, children at school. All have a heavy work load and all want to do their best. Be careful not to get overloaded. This is a dangerous thing.