Hymn 263.

Hebrews 2:6, "But one in a certain place testified saying, "What is man that Thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that Thou visitest him. But we see Jesus Who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man." Paul was writing to professing people. This is what we see in Jesus, not with the mind, but with the heart. This visitation of man goes beyond the mind. Because of sin a need arose, and God promised that Jesus would come and visit the world. Why did God do this'? God was able to annihilate Adam and Eve and start all over again, but by the wondrous grace of God, with all our family human life, Jesus came to visit us, and what we see in Jesus is the plan of God that He would come into our lives. This is the same as what we read in creation. God gave dominion to man over all things, put him in charge of the animals, the birds, the fishes in the sea. This was God's arrangement that all would be in subjection to man. But now we see not all things in subjection, because of sin man no longer has dominion over all things. Sin had power over him. The adversary had power over us, and man was not in charge of things because of sin. Then we see Jesus who came, who had dominion over all things. He was tested and proved in all things, to with stand all kinds of opposition. Many products that are made are given a test, a pressure test, a compression test, a heat test, a freezing test, to prove the quality, to see if it will stand. Then they can advertise that product with the standard of what it will stand. At the beginning of Jesus' ministry, He was baptised, and directed by the Spirit into the wilderness and had all the stress and pressure upon Him for 40 days. He was tested in all points, but He was Lord over the power of the adversary. Jesus is Lord. We see Jesus as Lord over all opposition, and in every problem or stress, Jesus is Lord, and as we believe by faith, in Him, He will deliver us, He will free us. As we pray, believing, our faithful God will give us deliverance. In the world, there is much persuasion of the mind, but we are persuaded in the heart. It is not in the mind, but in the heart, where the change must come.

Making a phone call is like serving God. When we dial, we must dial the right number. It is no good doing it almost, having all the numbers right but one, we might get someone else and there is no satisfaction in the phone call. Sometimes the line is busy, but it is never so with God. Sometimes we are put on hold, and we are left waiting, but this is never so with God. Sometimes there is a recording, to leave a message, but not so with God. We must come to God with reverence and Godly fear. Jesus said, "Hallowed by Thy Name," a reverence, a dignity, and a Godly fear. Come in the right spirit, be contrite and humble, this attitude reaches the ear of God. God never delivered His people at their own convenience, but only in His wisdom, so that people would know that God was God. When they were leaving Egypt, there was distress of soul. They were not distressed because of making bricks, but when it came to drowning their sons, they had to come to grips with this experience. It was not the hard task masters that caused them the distress, but they became desperate when Egypt was going to drown their sons. They prayed and wept and God heard them, and delivered them. God never delivered His people in the first experiences, when the river became blood, when the fish died in the sea, none were delivered. It was only in the spirit of obedience, when the people put the blood of the Lamb on the door post, that they were saved.

It was only in the spirit of obedience that Jesus did His miracles. He never saved life unless it gave confidence in Him. It was Jesus' work on Calvary that delivered people. On the journey, there was no bread, there was no quick stop bakery. God allowed the bread to run out before He brought His miracle. He did this to prove them, when there was a real need, a hunger, and they began to look around to see where help would come from. We may talk to others and see if they are adequate to help, but God withheld help to see what the people would do, then He provided and met the need. There are times when we pray to God, full of fear and doubt, and God proves us to see if we trust Him.

In Hebrews 1, we see a great contrast in Jesus. God gave Jesus a better name, an excellent name that He never gave to the angels. An angel caused our earthly parents to fall in the garden. God never said to an angel, "Thou art My Son." Then unto Jesus, He said, "Thy throne 0 God is forever and ever, a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity." When a person is raising fruit, they understand the weeds. Jesus hated weeds and loved flowers, He loved righteousness. There was a strong contrast to what was wrong. Compromise is defeat on the installment plan. They who are faithful in the least are faithful in much. These are laws we cannot escape from. "Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands." People tell us that the world is gradually wearing out, resources are being used up, but Jesus is the same. He is not becoming decrepit, blind, and not able to help, He is just as mighty to help. We see Jesus, every aspect of His life, His majesty, authority, power, kingship. The more we see of Him, it affects our hearts and we love Him more and more. It is love that makes all the difference. We can serve God by duty, by making a good impression, but this will make us weary. When we are in love, it is easy, when we are in love with Jesus in the heart, a love service is not hard. This is not a paid service. We do not get the feeling that I have so much and others do not have so much.

Jesus asked Peter, "Lovest thou Me more than these? Then follow Me." Peter looked and saw John and said, "What will this man do?" Jesus said to Peter, "Never mind John, the responsibility of service between John and I, that is ours, but you see to it that you follow Me." There is something in us that we do not like definite and positive doctrine. We want things to be left open so there is room and space, room for us to have our own way. Jesus is pure, almighty, and we want to love Him completely, having no doubt. Jesus was made lower than the angels, He was made in a human body. We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. Or, run out as leaking vessels. When we put something in a leaking vessel, the hole may not be at the bottom, the hole may be near the top, and it will always leak out at that level. With us there may be a place of concession, a place of unwillingness, a place of rebellion, we will go that far and it will leak out.

In Jeremiah 35, it is a marvellous chapter on consecration in a human sense. Jonadab had said to his children, his daughter and sons, "You shall drink no wine, neither ye, or your sons forever, neither shall ye build house or sow seed nor plant vineyard, nor have any, but all your days ye shall dwell in tents that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers." 300 years later, Jeremiah invites his descendants to a special occasion, into the temple area and this was such an honour. He set wine before them, but they said, "No, we don't drink wine." This was the command of a man, but they honoured that message. They kept his commandment for 300 years. Let us take more earnest heed to the things that first began to be spoken by the Lord, that His message would affect us, and that this convention would apply to us. For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering. This is something that thrills my soul. It doesn't say, "We would see Jesus," but we do see Jesus. We see Jesus in complete control, sanctified and He is not ashamed to call us His brethren. The righteousness in Christ enables us to have fellowship with our brethren.

To be God's child, there is no greater honour, no greater responsibility, no greater place in being God's child, and Jesus caused this to be. We love Jesus and all those whom God has fathered, they are our brethren. The father hood of God brings the brotherhood of man. It is not an improve yourself program, it is by becoming His child, and loving Jesus and all those whom He fathers. This gives us victory over the power of death, the fear of dying, darkness. We are all our life time subject to this bondage. Jesus was delivered from the fear of death, and this is our inheritance forever. We are the sons of God, the seed of Abraham, one seed - Christ. Abraham rejoiced to see the day of Jesus, and he saw it and was glad. He was to be the father of many nations. He would say that is impossible. He was able to understand that one of his descendants would die for the sins of man, and would be raised again, and through this gospel all nations hear it. This is an everlasting work. He is our great high priest.

Jesus was sympathetic to the people, because He was in all points tempted like as we are. This was not like the Old Testament high priest, because he was the oldest son of a particular family of Aaron, and when he was 2 years old, he would understand that, one day, he was to be high priest. He was raised in a special place, raised in a special city, and the whole nation would realise that he was a special boy. His brothers and sisters would know that he would be high priest, and it would mean special care, special reverence. He was carried about as a special boy, and everyone would seek his esteem, because they would want to have his favour when he was high priest. Jesus was not like that. He had brothers that did not know that He would be the Saviour of the world. He did work in a trade. Can any good thing come from Nazareth? His people brought Him to the brow of the hill and wanted to push Him over. Jesus had understanding in all, that He would be our eternal high priest. We see Jesus, fully sympathetic, because He Himself went through every experience. We see Him risen, interceding, He is merciful. It does not mean that He over looks sin, but God has made provision through Him whereby we can be cleaned, where sin can be attended to. We do not close our eyes to sin, but we are delivered from it, and then we can sing songs of praise, that sin has been dealt with and we are free, it is not held against us. It is our confidence in Christ that can help us. This is the truth and I believe it. This brings song in the battle, song in grief and sorrow. Psalm 2:12, "Kiss the Son lest He be angry and ye perish from the way." We want to be true, we want to embrace Him, with outstretched hands, embrace all the promises of God.