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Every fond ambition, all I've sought and hoped and known. Yet how rich is my condition. God and heaven are still my own. When the world despises and leave me, they have left my savior too. Human hearts and looks deceive me. Thou art not like man untrue. And while thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love, and mind, foes may hate and friends may shun me. Show thy face and all is bright. Man may trouble and distress me. Twill but drive me to thy breast. Life with trials hard may press me. Heaven will be my sweeter rest. O, tis not in grief to harm me. What is left to me? O, twere not in joy to charm me. Were that joy unmixed with thee. Haste thee on from grace to glory. Armed by faith and winged by prayer. Have eternal days before thee. God's own hand shall guide thee there. Soon shall close thy earthly mansions. Swift shall pass thy pilgrim days. Hope shall change to glad fruition. Faith to sign and prayer to praise. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, again, Lord, we just want to thank you, God, for this beautiful Sunday morning you've given us to meet in your house and to hear you were preached. Lord, I want to thank you, Lord, for all the souls that were saved yesterday and throughout last week. I pray, Lord, now that you would just be with our pastor, fill him with your power of spirit. We love you, for it's in Jesus' name we ask all. But amen. All right, you may be seated. And take your Mountain Baptist songbooks and turn to page number nine in your Mountain Baptist Psalms and spiritual songbooks. We'll sing Psalm 139 on page number nine. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God. Depart from me, therefore ye bloody men. Depart from me, therefore ye bloody men. Do not I hate them, O Lord? That hate thee? Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? For they speak against thee wickedly. For they speak against thee wickedly. And thine enemies take thy name in vain. And thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies. I count them mine enemies. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? Amen. Well, welcome to Mountain Baptist Church on this Sunday morning. Just some announcements here. First of all, praise the Lord for the soul winning marathon out in Philadelphia. Remember what the total number was? 24. Praise the Lord. So praise the Lord for that. Be in prayer for all those that are still out there and coming back and traveling and all that. And then just be in prayer for those that are still dealing with sicknesses, all that fun stuff. I think the allergies are really getting to me. So if I sound a little different this morning, that's what's going on there. Or I'm getting sick. I mean, that wouldn't be out of the question, considering my whole family's been sick for the last two weeks. That being said, the services today should be normal. So we'll have our afternoon service at 4 PM. And between that, we're going to have our, well, the women are going to have their prayer meeting. It's 23rd today, right? So losing track of time. But we're going to have our soul winning time at 1 PM. So if you want to go out soul winning this afternoon, meet up here before 1 o'clock. We'll get teamed up and go out soul winning. And then the regional soul winning times there, just be on the lookout on the church group there. I know, obviously, with the soul winning marathon this past weekend, these may be a little different for times and stuff like that. And then the men's prayer meeting will be this Friday at 6 PM. So if you remember, we changed that time to 6 instead of 7. And then we do have the firework display that we're going to be doing on July 5. So that's a Friday. And so if you want to come out to that, we're going to have food and all that fun stuff. We'll have sparklers and stuff like that for the kids. And so we just ask, obviously, that parents are watching their kids at all times. My brother's place is not child proof. So when it comes to just everything that's around, farm equipment, everything else, so cliffs, things like that. So that being said, everybody's welcome to obviously come out to that. You don't have to bring anything. But if you want to bring something, you're more than welcome to as far as dessert or anything like that. So that'll be coming up on July 5. That's a Friday. And that'll be that evening. So obviously, we're not going to do fireworks until it gets dark at like 9.30 now or something like that or 9, 9.30. But we'll eat before that. So upcoming soul eating events, we have in July 27 the Cumberland, Maryland Soul Eating Marathon, and then a Moorfield West Virginia Soul Eating Marathon at the end of August. I think in September for our church anniversary, we usually do a Soul Eating Marathon. I think we're going to go up in the Pittsburgh area. So anyway, so that's not on the list there. But tentatively, that's what's going on there. And then on the back of your bullets in there, Psalm 32 is a memory chapter for the month. Psalm 32 in Hebrews 13.4 is a memory verse for the week. Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. That is our memory verse for the week. And then birthdays, we have to get Emma this morning. She's been sick. So her birthday was last week, but we definitely have to get her this morning, big five years old and all that. And then we'll have to get Goldie next week, unless I'm missing, yeah, they're not here, right? So we'll get Goldie next week. And then on the pregnancy list there, be in prayer for Crystal McCloy and due in August. So that'll be here before you know it. He's a couple months away. That's about what I have for announcements that I can think of. Offering box in the back, everyone give tithes and offerings. And the mother-baby room's for the mothers, babies only. But Dave's going to sing one more song. We're going to sing Happy Birthday to Emma. And then we'll sing Happy Birthday to Emma, one more song. And then brother Anthony's going to be reading Ecclesiastes chapter 4 for us this morning. All right. Take your song books and turn to song 199. Song 199 in your song books. We'll sing Let the Joy Overflow. But before we do that, we need to sing Happy Birthday to Emma, Emma, Emma, Emma, Emma Robinson. You were just standing up on your chair. All right, five years old. Man, a whole hand. You're getting so big. I'll tell you what, can't believe it. All right, we'll sing Happy Birthday to Emma, five years old. Ready? Here we go. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, God bless you. Happy birthday to you. All right. Happy birthday, Emma. I'm glad you all are feeling better. All right, we'll sing song 199. There's a clear fountain flowing from the bright throne above. And its waters are glowing with the sunshine of love. Take the blessed consolation with the Lord bestow. Take the cup of salvation. Let the joy overflow. Oh, the joy with wondrous salvation. Be our hearts all aglow. Oh, the joy. Let the blessings run over and joy overflow. Oh, many hearts need the story or a thirst for His grace. Go to them with His glory shining out from your face. Tell of Jesus, your Savior. If His mercies you know, show the light of His favor. Let the joy overflow. Oh, the joy with His wondrous salvation. Be our hearts all aglow. Oh, the joy. Let the blessings run over and joy overflow. Be our hearts live yielded to the Savior's command. By His care ever shielded and upheld by His hand. And the pathways of sadness, sweetest lilies may grow. Let us sow seeds of gladness. Let the joy overflow. Oh, the joy with His wondrous salvation. Hearts all aglow. Oh, the joy. Let the blessings run over and joy overflow. All right. Take your song books and turn to the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter number four. Oh, take your Bibles? Yeah, OK, your Bibles. Take your Bibles and turn to Ecclesiastes, chapter number four. My brother Anthony, read that for us. Ecclesiastes, chapter four. The Bible reads, so I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of such as were oppressed. And they had no comforter. And on the side of their oppressors, there was power. But they had no comforter. Wherefore, I praise the dead, which are already dead, more than the living, which are yet alive. Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. Again, I considered all travail and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. Better is an handful with quietness than both of the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit. Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. There is one alone, and there is not a second. Yea, he hath neither child nor brother. Yea, is there no end of all his labor. Neither is his I satisfied with riches. Neither saith he, for whom do I labor, and bereave my soul of good. This is also vanity. Yea, it is a sore travail. Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him that is alone when he falleth, for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat. But how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him, and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. For out of prison he cometh to reign, whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor. I consider all the living which walk under the sun with the second child that shall stand up in his stead. There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them. They also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this is also vanity and vexation of spirit. Let's pray. Dear Lord, thank you for this morning. We're gonna gather and continue to study from your word. I pray you be of pastor Robinson, fill him with your Holy Spirit, and help us all to be identified. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Amen, so you're there. In Ecclesiastes chapter four, and I'm preaching a sermon called the threefold cord of marriage. Threefold cord of marriage. Now I preached a sermon entitled the threefold cord a while back, but I wanna specifically hone in on marriage when it comes to this threefold cord. And more so dealing with just the subject of marriage and what is marriage, what constitutes marriage as far as what someone must do in order to get married, that type of thing. What does the Bible teach on this? So this is more of a doctrinal sermon when it comes to this. But if you look there in Ecclesiastes chapter four and verse nine, this passage obviously doesn't have to be dealing with marriage. Obviously this could just be dealing with two men that are friends that obviously are helping each other out. And obviously that can be true, right? Just dealing with friendship and all this stuff. But also this passage is used a lot of times in marriage because this definitely can apply to husband and wife. So read this obviously in the idea of husband and wife and all that. In verse nine it says, two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow, but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat, but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him, and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. And I'm pretty concerned about a threefold cord and the fact that obviously you have three cords that are basically being wrapped around each other. Actually, it's interesting because a threefold cord is actually not as strong as three cords added together essentially. When you wrap them together, you actually lose a little bit of tension strength because of that. But the idea is that it's not quickly broken, meaning that if one of those strands were to break, then the cord is still holding intact and it's actually holding the broken cord in place. So there's a lot to be said about that, that when it comes to marriage, there's the argument of obviously you can do more when you're single, but at the same time when you're married, there's an idea that even though you're maybe not as strong as far as maybe what you can do because of time or whatever the case may be, there's that stability that's there that if one breaks or one falls, it holds the other one together, right? It holds them there. Whereas if someone's doing great things for God but they're by themselves, then if they fall, it's like there's no one there to help them. They kind of just fall out of things completely, right? And that's kind of just a real quick synopsis of kind of the difference between just three cords that are basically just being pulled tight and then when you wrap them together and it's a three-fold cord, meaning it's one cord but it's made up of three cords, right? It's three strands, if you will. And so I preached a whole sermon on that but I wanna talk about the three elements of marriage, meaning like what is involved in order to get married. And there's three specific elements in the Bible and number one is that God is joining you together, okay? That God is in this equation. God is enjoining you together. Two, the law is joining you together. This is gonna be a very important point, especially because there's weird doctrines out there as far as stating that the law shouldn't be involved or it shouldn't be on the books or whatever. If anybody's wanting, listen, ladies, young women, if a man ever comes up to you and says, hey, I don't want it to be law-binding, then run away from that situation. Basically, they just want a live-in girlfriend is what they want, okay? But also the Bible teaches that it is to be law-binding, meaning joined by law, okay? That may not sit well with the Fox News Baptist out there and the conservative talk radios where they say that the government should be out of marriage completely and they shouldn't be involved in marriage, that's not biblical. Biblically speaking, the government should be involved in marriage and I'll give you the reasons why besides the Bible just stating that, but obviously there's reasons why that needs to be in place for other things to be even implemented when it comes to marriage, okay? So number one, God is joining you in marriage. Number two, it's law-binding, meaning that that's why you have to go to the courthouse and you have to get an actual marriage certificate stating that you are by law getting married to the other person, right? And number three, there's a physical joining and consummation of the marriage, okay? So these three things is the three-fold cord of marriage, okay, and so I'm gonna be going down the line and go to Matthew chapter 19, chapter 19 and verse four. Chapter 19 verse four and just wanna show you that it's God, God is involved in marriage and as far as joining the husband and wife together, okay? Matthew 19 verse four. Now let me state this though, I do not believe just because people aren't saved that they're not really married, okay? Does that make sense? Okay, so this is just stating a fact that marriage, God's involved, He's binding it and therefore in God's eyes, it's a serious thing, okay? So if God's binding husband and wife together, this is very serious and notice what it says in verse four. He says, He answered and said unto them, have you not read that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female? Now, do I even need to say that it's between a man and a woman? You know, it's always funny when the Republican Baptist out there, the Fox News Baptist, the talk radio, they're always just wanting to say, you know, well, marriage, you know, the argument against homosexuality is that, well, it's about marriage, it's between a man and a woman I don't give a rip what they do. Marriage-wise, the Bible says, doesn't say anything about homos getting married, it talks about them getting the death penalty, okay? So that's not even in the equation. Yeah, obviously any person knows that marriage is a man and a woman and that's just pure logic, but also just by nature, we know that's true. And obviously the Bible teaches from the very beginning that Adam and Eve, obviously male and female and they too became one flesh, but notice what it says here. You know, the old phrase, Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, you know, very, very clear. You know, we're in June, so I just figured I'd bring that up, right? But in verse five, it says, and said, for this cause shall man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they twain shall be one flesh. Now twain means two, just another way of saying two. It says, wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh what therefore God had joined together let not man put asunder. So notice that who's joining it, God. God is joining that union together, God is in that equation, okay? Go to Matthew chapter 18, Matthew chapter 18. Matthew chapter 18 usually is used for dealing with a transgression like a brother transgressing against another brother. But we're talking about binding or joining together and all that and I believe this is also true when it comes to coming to the Lord about either binding or loosing, okay? When you're dealing with marriage, what do you see? You're bound in marriage or you're loosed from marriage, right, and you'll see that terminology there. I want you to see here that when you come together in a ceremony, for example, obviously there's the human aspect of it, right? I've obviously done ceremonies where I'm there, basically repeating the vows, if you will. But here's the thing, even if there weren't any vows, you are coming to the Lord to ask to be married and just in what marriage is is a lifelong commitment, okay? So whether you say, well, is it really a vow? Is it a promise? It doesn't really matter. It's kind of like if you agree to this arrangement, the arrangement is till death do you part, right? Whether you're saying I swear to take, or I, whatever the case may be. But no one's really saying I swear or I vow. They're just saying I do. Do you take, right, or I will? Like will you take this woman to be your lawfully, wedded wife knows lawfully? But anyway, is that whether it's a vow or a promise or let's just say you're just agreeing to what you're getting into, right? That you are in an arrangement with this other person and you're agreeing to that arrangement, right? So that being said is in Acts chapter 18, verse 18, it says, verily I say unto you, whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loose in heaven. Now obviously, this could be talking about church discipline and the fact that you're dealing with kicking someone out of the church or you're bringing someone back in. But notice what it says here in verse 19. It says again, I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that ye shall ask, and this is exactly what you're doing when you're getting married, is that you are agreeing, two of you are agreeing to marriage, right? The husband and wife are agreeing to marriage and you're asking the Lord to join you in marriage, right? So that's basically what's going on with marriage is you're asking to be joined and you're agreement on it, right? Because you can't just, like if the woman's just like, I don't wanna do this, it's like, well, then you're not married. Right, you have to both agree. It's a mutual agreement, but once there's a mutual agreement, what it's stating here is that it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven, meaning this is that you're making that agreement here on earth, God recognizes it in heaven and it's binding. And it's God that's binding that and joining that together, does that make sense? It says in verse 20, it says, for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Meaning this is that when it comes to marriage, you don't have to have like a whole bunch of people there. You could literally go down to the courthouse before the justice of peace and get married. And that would be between you and God and it'd be law-abiding, binding, and it would be legit. Now, your family may not appreciate that if you do that. Or maybe they'd appreciate it and be like, well, I don't have to pay for that, you know? No wedding, no wedding ceremony, no like, you know, all that stuff. It's a lot cheaper to do it that way. But that being said is that God is involved in joining the husband and wife together in marriage. And the Bible's very clear that God is the one that joined them together. That's why you're not to pull this under, okay? And really what it comes down to is that we're here on earth binding it, right? But God is recognizing it, right? It's not like God's audibly saying, I join you together, right? And what you have to understand with marriage, when it comes to marriage ceremonies, a lot of that is just, I think there's a lot of liberty in it, okay? Meaning this is that there's no just outline of a marriage ceremony in the Bible. So when it comes to that, really, as long as the ceremony includes the fact that God, you're basically going before God and stating that I take this woman, and then she's stating I take this man to be my husband, right? Then therefore, that's where, you know, that is happening. And obviously, lawfully, meaning that the law is involved. Now let's look at that. Go to Romans chapter seven, Romans chapter seven. Romans chapter seven. There's people out there that are just like, basically keeping the law out of it. And it's not shocking that the people are just constantly hopping from one person to another, right? And I won't even say spouse, because they're not really even married. It's just living girlfriends. They don't want it to be law and binding, because they don't even have to get a divorce then. And that gets into the reasoning. I'll give you, obviously the Bible states that it's law-abiding, okay? And that should be case closed, doesn't matter, right? At that point, the Bible says it's binding by law. But I'll give you reasons of why that's important that it's binding by law, okay? Romans chapter seven, verse one. It says, know ye not, brethren, for I speak to them that know the law, how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he live it. And basically, this is giving you an example of the fact that we are cursed under the law and we're bound by the law. So obviously, if we transgress the law, where the wages for that is death, right? But it's giving an example of how to kind of understand that. Because then it says, for the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he live it. So if anybody says, well, marriage shouldn't be law-binding or the law shouldn't be involved in that, they're not biblical. And they're just going off man's traditions or their own thoughts. You know, there's a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. And I don't care if it's the most conservative Christian podcaster or Fox News pundit or whatever that's out there saying that the, or libertarian, like freedom-loving type of person that's out there, listen, you know what? Where the spirit of liberty, or where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. You wanna talk about true liberty is those that are living by the law of liberty. And when it comes to marriage, it is law-binding. And if you don't have it bound by law, then you're not married and you're living in fornication. Facts, you may not like that. I'm not saying anybody here doesn't like that, but I'm just saying like someone out there might not like that, but it's just facts. You're just living in fornication. You know what, the Bible says marriage is honorable and all and the bed on the file, but whoremongers and adulterers, God will judge. And listen, if you're with somebody that you don't have by law, certificate of marriage with that person, and you're coming together like married people do, then you're a whoremonger and you're living in sin. And that's just the facts of what the Bible teaches. But keep reading there, it says, let's just read that again in verse two. It says, for the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth. But if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. Notice the bound, loosed, right? So as long as, and this obviously would apply the other direction, right? Because obviously the husband is bound by the law as long as his wife, the husband's bound by the law to his wife as long as her wife liveth. It says in verse three, it says, so then if while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. But if her husband be dead, she is free from the law so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. So it's till death, that's what the Bible teaches when it comes to marriage and it's by law. Go to 1 Corinthians chapter seven, verse 39, just to show you another place. 1 Corinthians chapter seven, verse 39. 1 Corinthians seven, verse 39. The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will only in the Lord, okay? So obviously, you don't wanna be unequally yoked with a non-believer. That's what it's saying, only in the Lord. But basically, it's stating it's till death and it's bound by the law. Now, let me give you an example as far as why that's important, that it's bound by the law. Go to Mark chapter 10, Mark chapter 10. A bill of divorcement would not be possible if it's not bound by the law. There'd be no reason for a bill of divorcement. A bill of divorcement by definition is a law. Actually, the Bible calls it a precept but we know that testimonies, precepts, laws, these things are used a lot of times and interchangeably in the Bible. Is there cough drops up here? What is this, demonery? What flavor is this? I'm struggling. So you're there in Mark chapter 10. Ooh, menthol. Verse two there of Mark chapter 10. It says, and the Pharisees came to him and asked him, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife, tempting him? See, notice how it's just very clear that it's by law, right? Is it lawful, is it by the law, all that, right? And obviously, they're tempting him because basically, in another place, it says for any case, right? Can we just get rid of our spouse for any reason? It says, and he answered and said unto them, what did Moses command you? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement and to put her away. Jesus answered and said unto them, for the hardness of your heart, he wrote you this precept. So in order for this law to even be used, there has to be the law of marriage on the books. Does that make sense? How can you apply a precept to something that's not even in the law, right? Okay, so that being said is that there's a precept of writing a bill of divorcement. Let's see specifically what that's talking about. Go to Matthew chapter 19. Divorce is rampant these days, and basically, they're like the Pharisees, just get divorced for any cause, right? For any reason, just write a bill of divorcement and all of that. But specifically, there is one reason that would constitute where you, here's the thing, people can put away their spouses all day long, but the issue is getting remarried, okay? As far as not being an adulterer by getting remarried. That's kind of the big issue when it comes to divorce. Obviously, God hated putting away. He doesn't want people to get divorced and all that, but at the same time, there is this cause where it would be legit and where you could get remarried and all of that. Now, what it says in Matthew chapter 19 and verse seven, it says, they say unto him, why did Moses then command to give writing a divorcement and to put her away? And he saith unto them, Moses, because of the hardness of your heart, suffered you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. Which means this, is that before Moses in the law, there was no writing a divorcement, like a bill of divorcement, okay? But obviously that was put in later and all of that. Now, notice what it says in verse nine, it says, and I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commiteth adultery. And whoso marrieth her which is put away, doth commit adultery. Now, one example of this would be Joseph and Mary. Now, the interesting thing about Joseph and Mary is that their marriage was not consummated yet, okay? It's very clear because obviously she was, Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus and the consummation didn't happen until afterwards. That's why it says espoused wife, right? And espousal in the Bible was more dealing with, you know, like we would say espoused, like we're espoused to somebody, it's more like an engagement. But in their case, it was like you're almost there, like you're kind of in the midst of that threefold cord there because, but the consummation hasn't happened yet. So obviously it says that in Matthew chapter one, that Joseph would have been a just man, minded to put her away privily, he obviously would have been fine if she had committed fornication to where she's with child before they come together where that would have been the case. Now I personally believe that that obviously is legit, but look back at the law in Deuteronomy 24, Deuteronomy 24 in verse one. So it's referencing this law. In Deuteronomy 24, it's a little more vague, whereas the New Testament's a little more specific, okay, as far as what the cause for this would be. So what is it, fornication, which is obviously dealing with, you know, people coming together that are not married, you know, like basically that this is talking about if the person that you're marrying commits an act with someone else, okay? Now the question would be, you know, is this only applying to before consummation or could this be applying after consummation? And I'm just gonna be honest with you, I'm not 100% on this. So when it comes to this issue, okay, when it comes to remarriage and stuff like that, there's certain cases where I take a conservative route as far as where I'm gonna stand on an issue, but there's cases where I may not speak good or bad on it, does that make sense? If there's an issue where I don't know, I'm gonna take the conservative route and be safe, okay, on my end, as far as how I would, you know, deal with the situation. Like I'm not gonna marry, personally, I'm not gonna marry someone that's been divorced, even if I think it's possible for them to be right on this issue, does that make sense? And therefore, I'm not gonna speak good or bad about it. I'm not gonna be like, well, you know, this is great, or I'm not gonna say they're wicked, okay? So let me just hear me out on this. When it comes to this, Deuteronomy 24, verse one, it says, when a man hath taken a wife and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favor in his eyes because he hath found some uncleanness in her. So it's not just that he just doesn't like her, okay? You know, this is like the end cause, like, I just don't like her, you know, so it's just whatever. He has found some uncleanness in her. Now, in the New Testament, what's that specifically talking about? Fornication, okay? Fornication. Then let him write her a bill of divorcement and give it in her hand and send her out of his house, and when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife, okay? So it's even talking about her going out and getting remarried after this, okay? Now, the thing with this is that in context of this passage, when it's talking about this, it brings up this as far as, okay, how do you know she has uncleanness if you haven't consummated? Now, the case would be, in the case that she's with child, that would definitely be, but this isn't mentioning someone being with child. Does that make sense? It's talking about uncleanness being there. In order for you to really know that someone's not a virgin or there's uncleanness in them, there has to be the consummation process, but the question is is that if there is a consummation that happens, where's the line as far as when someone could give a writing of divorcement, right? Is it 10 years down the road? It's like you have five kids 10 years down the road, and you're like, you know what? She did this over here. I'm writing a bill of divorcement. I believe, in context, look at verse five there. Now, we're talking about the very beginning of marriage, actually the first year of that espousal or in that marriage, okay? Verse five there, it says, when a man had taken a new wife, notice that it's talking about a new wife, obviously just got married, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business, but he shall be free at home one year and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken. Now, what I believe is that basically within that year, that's considered a new wife, and that's specifically probably what Deuteronomy 24 is talking about, is that if you found uncleanness in her, you found out she's been unfaithful or whatever, and someone would say, and listen, again, if other people have stricter stance on this, would say, well, it says fornication, not adultery. Well, let me ask you a question. What if the woman, before you consummated in the marriage, slept with a married person? Be like, well, I guess you can't get a divorce then, right? Does that make sense? That would be adultery by definition. What you have to understand is that uncleanness is a very broad statement, right? Meaning like not showering would be unclean, but obviously fornication is also unclean. So uncleanness, huge. Fornication, you're narrowing it down. Obviously fornication is unclean, but you're narrowing it down to where there's all kinds of things that would be in that group, from unmarried people to married people to whatever. And listen, there's a Bible on this. There's fornication in the church such as to not be named among the Gentiles that one should have his father's wife, okay? So clearly fornication can be talked about, and it talks about in Revelation that it talks about the woman committing fornication, and it says those that committed adultery with her, okay? Adultery is even more narrowed down. Adultery is narrowed down to like someone's married in that group. It could be just one of them, could be both of them, but it doesn't matter, right? Because you can have an unmarried person with a married person, it's adultery. You have two married people, it's adultery, right? And adultery is more neck down from that, okay? Fornication can be talking about adultery as well. Uncleanness can be talking about adultery as well. Would we all agree that adultery is unclean? Would we all agree that fornication is unclean? And so when it comes to this, obviously in the case where there's no consummation that's happened, very clear, Bible even has an example of that. The question would be after consummation, would there be grounds where that could apply? And I'll say this, I don't believe it could apply after a year, okay? But you say, well, would you say that it could apply to someone that's consummated and are in the first year? I'll say this, I think it's possible, but I will not, like I take the stance that no, like I'm gonna take the stance that I'm not marrying anybody that's been divorced, unless it's like literally a case of like Joseph and Mary. Like where there's like the, I have it written right here, this is what, like I know this is just right here. And so there's gonna be cases like that where there's gonna be gray areas where you're like, you should know you're the pastor. Listen, I'm not gonna know everything. And there's not everything just is black and white in the Bible. Know this is that there is a cause for divorcement. I'm not throwing that out. But I'll say this, it's a lot smaller than what people think, okay? And the question is, is how small do you think that realm is, okay? I'll say this, I don't think it's after a year. I think after a year, like there is no cause. Like there is no way you're getting out of that other than death or committing adultery, okay? So if you're here and you're married after a year, sorry suckers, no, I'm just kidding. Obviously you're, but what I'm saying here is that, but I'll say this, okay? For the hardness of your hearts, you wrote this precept. So this obviously isn't something where God's just like really wanting you to like take advantage of. Does that make sense? Like this shouldn't be something where we're just like, hey, I really need to know if I can do this, okay? But I'll say this is that there may be cases where someone gets remarried where it was like within that year, adultery had taken place or unfaithfulness took place and where it would be constituted and it may not be sin for them to get remarried. And I'll say this, if there's that case, I'm not gonna speak good or bad on it, okay? I'm not gonna bless it, but I'm not gonna curse it. Right, does that make sense? And there's cases like that when it comes to anything in the Bible where if I'm not sure, I'm just gonna stay neutral and I'm just gonna be, you know, if it's black and white, I'm gonna say yes, that's wrong, this is right, okay? But I'm just stating a fact here that in the New Testament, it doesn't give you a timeframe, does it? Okay, in order for there to be a divorcement, there has to be a marriage, right? Does that make sense? And the question that you have to ask yourself, did it say that it had to be consummated? We're assuming that because we're looking at an example, right, of Mary and Joseph, okay? But does that mean that that's the only thing that applies, okay? I'll say this, that definitely applies, right? No doubt. But at the same time, is that where it stops? When you look back at Deuteronomy, I think that it could extend within that first year and all of that. But you know, if you disagree with me on that, that's fine. I'll say this, I'm not marrying anybody that's divorced. I'm taking the conservative route with that. And if someone comes up to me and says, should I get remarried, I'm gonna say, this is my thoughts. Just know that I'm not 100% on that. So, you know, there are just cases like that. And I'm not gonna say, I'm not gonna take the route where I say, you're wicked if I'm not sure on it. So, or you're in sin because I'm not sure on it. I'll just tell you straight up, could be, could not be, it's your call. And some people may not like that, but just know this, is that in life, you have to make your own decisions. And the pastor's not always gonna be there to tell you this is exactly where you're at. And listen, if you have doubt, then don't do it, right? Does that make sense? Like, if you're doubting and you're not sure, then take the conservative route. And then you know you're good, okay? I know one thing is that if you don't get remarried after your divorce, you know you're good. So, if you have any doubt, then take that route. But I'll say this, is that there is that case, and the question then lies in where's that lie? Where's the cutoff point of where that could even take place? And people are gonna differ on that, and that's fine. So anyway, that being said, but in order for there to be a divorcement, there has to be on the books, a law. How about this? How about the death penalty for adultery? How can you have capital punishment if it's not a law? Does that make sense? Go to Leviticus chapter 20, Leviticus chapter 20. And actually there is a law dealing with this as far as, well actually putting someone to death, just because someone commits adultery doesn't mean they automatically get put to death. Okay, and then I'll explain this. Deuteronomy 20 verse 10, it says, in the man that committed adultery with another man's wife, even he that committed adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulterer shall surely be put to death. But Deuteronomy 17, six says this, okay? Meaning this is that there has to be two witnesses at least to this. Two eyewitnesses to this event, okay? So you can imagine, probably doesn't happen that often where you're gonna have two eyewitnesses when it comes to someone being found in the act, okay? Now you have the case of John chapter eight, right, where it says she's found in the very act and maybe there was a case where there was actually eyewitnesses there. So I'm not saying it doesn't happen. I'm just saying that when it comes to any type of death penalty, notice what it says here in verse six. Deuteronomy 17 verse six, at the mouth of two witnesses or three witnesses he that is worthy of death be put to death, but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. I'm for the death penalty, but I'm for the death penalty the way that God has set up the death penalty. Not based off of some kind of blood evidence or like DNA tests or whatever the case may be. If you don't have two witnesses, the death penalty is not in place. That's what the Bible teaches. And know this is that if someone comes up as a false witness in a murder case, they are to be put to death if they are found to be false. That's what the Bible teaches. So when it comes to divorce, which obviously I think is a very small window anyway, right, and wherever you lie on that it's a small window. Whether you say it's before consummation, after consummation up to a year, it's still a small window of where that could even take place, but even so, for that to be a bill or a precept, you know, there needs to be a law there. And when it comes to obviously the death penalty, who executes the death penalty? The government, right? So, Romans chapter 13, go to Romans chapter 13. God has ordained for physical government to execute judgment and ultimately capital punishment. Romans chapter 13, verse one, says this. It says, let every soul be subject unto the higher powers for there is no power but of God. And the powers that be are ordained of God. No, it's not the people, the powers themselves, okay? The power of government is ordained by God. And obviously there's different types of governments, but in the end that power to execute judgment is ordained by God, okay? So that could be a monarch, that could be a republic, it could be an oligarchy for all we know, you know, whatever the case may be. There's obviously different forms of government, but the power itself is ordained, but only specific things in that power, right? Okay, notice what it says here. It says, whosoever therefore resists the power resisteth the ordinance of God. They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. So notice that what God's ordaining here is that obviously powers that have rulers in place that are terror to those that are evil works, not good works, okay? So obviously if there's a government that is like a dictatorship that's just literally persecuting righteousness and doing good unto those that are evil, God didn't ordain that, okay? But it says, wilt thou then not be afraid of the power to do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same? For he is the minister of God to thee for good, but if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. Notice the sword, what are we talking about? We're talking about capital punishment here. It says, for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. So in the end, yes, marriage is law binding. Law binding, which is why you would even need a bill of divorce. Law binding in the fact that capital punishment, there has to be law on the books when it comes to that, right? And obviously, a little thing about murder, obviously you don't have to like sign up to not be a murderer, right, to be offensive to that. That's just by nature, you're not to be a murderer, right, but you're not by nature married to somebody. That make sense? Like you have to come to an agreement with that and that gets on the books, okay? So because no one has to get married, I know there's shotgun weddings and all that stuff, but you know, in the end you can still say no, okay? Now the third point, so the first point is God joins the marriage together. So what God joined together, let not man put asunder. Number two, it's law binding. Law, you're joined by law, okay? So there's three joinings, God, the law, and then the physical joining, the physical consummation. Now consummation literally means the point at which something is made complete or finalized. So you can use that term for other things than marriage, but usually when you think consummation, you're thinking of marriage, right? And that's kind of like the discreet way of talking about the physical act that happens between man and wife, you know, coming together, all of that, okay? Go to Ephesians chapter five and verse 31. I just want you to see here that it uses the term join. Now, it also uses the term cleave. You know, cleave unto your wife. But here, instead of cleave and twain, you see it very clearly in, I guess, more modern vernacular of what we would think of, okay? It says in verse 31, it says, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be one flesh. And that literally, physically speaking, happens, okay? Between a man and a woman, this is what marriage is about. The birds and the bees here. First Corinthians chapter, go to First Corinthians chapter six, and let me just kind of debunk. The last thing I want to kind of show here, or you know, like talk about here, is the physical union, but I just want to debunk some things when it comes to this physical union, as far as how people will just come up with some weird doctrines, okay? So, but just because you commit fornication doesn't mean you're married to somebody. Does that make sense? Like, let me just debunk that really quick in maybe five different ways here, okay? Fornication's wrong, okay? Don't commit fornication, flee from fornication. But when you commit fornication, that doesn't mean marriage. And that's where people just get this weird idea, it's like, well, you don't need law, you don't need anything, you just come together, you're married. It's like, no. So that's not how this works. It's not what the Bible teaches on this. Now, it's very clear that obviously fornication is the act of two becoming one flesh. And let me just show you that in 1 Corinthians chapter six and verse 15. It says, know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What, know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? For two, saith he, shall be one flesh. And what are we talking about? Fornication, because it says, but he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication, every sin that a man doeth is without the body. But he that is committed fornication sinneth against his own body. And so people would go to this and be like, well, you sleep with a harlot and you are now married. No, it doesn't say you're married, it just says these two are one flesh because that's what it means. Unequivocally, when it says that Adam, obviously when it says these two shall be one flesh, it's talking about this physical union that happens between man and woman, between a man and a maid, like that union, that coming together. But let me give you just some examples of how people will take this and say, well, in the Old Testament, they didn't have a law, they didn't have different things like that. They just came together and they're married. Go to Genesis chapter 24, Genesis chapter 24. I'll say this, just because when it says that someone's made, they're now married in the Bible, but it only mentions the consummation, that doesn't mean that the law wasn't involved, that doesn't mean that God wasn't involved. Just because you leave out information doesn't make it true. It's not like this is only what happened, they didn't come before God, there was no law written. Like if it said that, okay, let's talk, okay? But it doesn't say anything like that. Don't go to a passage like this. You know what, and just to be clear, I'm talking to people like Ken Hovind, who's had five wives, and the one that he hath isn't his. I don't know, straight up like the woman at the well. And is it surprising that he's had how many live-in girlfriends or concubines that he has that are kind of like in name only his wife, and then it's just like, oh, this one isn't working out, you're gone, give me another one. It's wicked. He's living in fornication is what he's doing, okay? Or adultery, if you wanna look at it that way, because obviously him and his wife, his original wife are divorced. And by the way, if you're divorced and you get remarried, you're not in perpetual adultery. At that point, you stay married to your spouse and yeah, I mean, you messed up, okay? But at the same time, this is not something where you're just like, well, you're to defraud your new spouse and then all that, okay? But that being said, Deuteronomy, I'm sorry, Genesis chapter 24 and verse 67, this is where Isaac marries Rebekah, and they'll go to a place like this and they'll just say, well, see? All you have to do is go into the tent with her and then she's your wife. In Genesis 24 and verse 67, it says, and Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent and took Rebekah and she became his wife. And he loved her and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death, okay? So his mother died. He's basically getting married after his mother dies, all this stuff. Basically, they went into the tent and therefore, you know what happened there and therefore now they're husband and wife. It's like, no, just because it doesn't mention all the other, the elements that are there, doesn't mean it's not true. The fact that it says she became his wife shows you that all those elements were there. Or it wouldn't have said that she's his wife, okay? And again, it's not like they had to go down to the city hall. It's not like the same, necessarily the exact process that we go through here in America, right? But the idea is that there is a law-binding thing that's going on there when it comes to whatever town, province, wherever you're at, unless you're just living in this, do you think they just live in this anarchal world when it comes to like there's just completely no government anywhere at all and they're just living by the seat of their pants and there's just nothing out there that would constitute any type of semblance of order? No, there is, obviously. And so, but look at 2 Samuel 11, 2 Samuel 11. Let me just prove to you, just because someone comes into somebody or commits adultery or commits fornication doesn't mean that they're married to that person. How about David and Bathsheba? Now we're gonna be getting to this this Wednesday, so I don't wanna belabor this, because obviously we'll be getting into the story in more detail. But in verse four there, 2 Samuel 11, it says, and David sent messengers and took her, and she came in unto him and he lay with her. So very clear, obviously she was found with child after this. Go down to verse 26. It says, and when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah, her husband, was dead, she mourned for her husband, and when the morning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house and she became his wife. I thought, wait, I thought they were already husband and wife because they came together. How about Dinah and Shechem? Jacob's daughter, remember he enticed her and basically he lay with her and then he was basically begging for this girl to become his wife. Wait, I thought they were already married, they came together. Why would he even have to ask for that? Why would he have to do that? Why isn't it just said it's Shechem's wife now? How about there's a law that literally states that if fornication's committed, that they're not husband and wife yet, but that actually is stating that, but you need to go get married. Go to Exodus chapter 22. I'm just trying to put this stupidity to bed. Obviously fornication's wrong. Fornication, you should flee from fornication and obviously the Bible teaches this over and over again, specifically in the New Testament to stay away from fornication, but know this is that if you commit fornication, that doesn't mean you're married. That's a dumb doctrine, but I think people get sucked into that because it talks about obviously that union is something that takes place to consummate a marriage. So it is a crucial part of marriage to complete that process, but at the same time, just because you did that last thing of that process doesn't mean that you're actually married. You're not law-binding. God hasn't, you haven't come before God and come in agreement that you're going to get married. Exodus chapter 22 and verse 16, it says, and if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. Now, because some would maybe say, well, you know, I mean, obviously she was already married, so that's why that didn't apply. That's why she, you know, wasn't automatically his wife. So here, this woman's clearly not betrothed. She's not even betrothed, she's not even married. She's not even betrothed, right? She's not even like engaged to somebody. And if he lies with her, it says he shall surely endow her to be his wife. That doesn't mean that he is his wife because notice what it says in verse 17, if her father utterly refused to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. So basically the father can say, no, you're not marrying that derelict, but you need to pay me, right? The dowry anyway. Pay me the dowry and you're not getting a wife on top of that because you defiled her, okay? That doesn't mean automatic marriage. That's ridiculous. And notice when it comes to this, go back to Matthew chapter 19, you may look at this and say, well, this is extreme, marriage is serious. Yes, it is, marriage is very serious. God binds it and there's like this very small window of where a bill of divorcement with the hardness of your heart that can be done, okay? And that may be up to debate as far as how big that window is right there, but it's still smaller than any way you slice that. It's not like the rest of your marriage, okay? Like there is no cause for me to get divorced from my wife. I don't care if unfaithfulness is there, it doesn't matter. There is no cause. Like I cannot write a bill of divorcement. That's what I believe. Like it's just not even possible in any shape, form or fashion, okay? But know this is that marriage is serious and that's why after Jesus states this, even after he gives the exception, okay? Notice what it says in verse nine. He says, and I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commiteth adultery, and whoso marrieth her that which is put away doth commit adultery, his disciples say unto him, if the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. Basically they're understanding like this is serious then. It's like yes it is. It's law binding and obviously the case of even putting away your wife and getting remarried is very small, like it's just this one exception that the law states which I believe is dealing with the very beginning of the marriage, right? And in that case then you're stuck, right? That's basically what's being stated there. And it says in verse 11, but he said unto them, all men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. He's basically saying, okay, yeah, basically, yeah, I guess it's not for everybody. But it's not like Jesus is like, well, okay, let me lighten that up a little bit. Just like, it's kind of like when Jesus gives these hard sayings like, this is a hard saying. He's like, will you leave also? He's not like, well, let me change that hard saying. Let me soften the blow there. He's just like, I guess some people can receive it and some can't. But that's just facts of life. Marriage is very serious. And that's what they're getting across here. And this is verse 12. It says, for there are some eunuchs which were so born from their mother's womb. And there are some eunuchs which were made eunuchs of men and there'll be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of God, for the kingdom of heaven's sake, he that is able to receive it, let him receive it. And the reason he's bringing up eunuchs is because he's basically talking about people that are celibate. Now there's cases where people are born, and obviously just what the Bible would teach, like kind of like castrated. And then there's people that were literally castrated by other people. You think of like Babylon did that to people. And there was like the prince of the eunuchs and all that stuff. And there are people that are made eunuchs. Now I don't believe this is self-mutilation. I believe basically they are living as if they're a eunuch. Meaning this is like a Paul situation. I don't believe Paul actually castrated himself. But Paul lived single and never got married. Go to First Corinthians chapter seven. First Corinthians chapter seven. So this is a hard saying, but know this, is that marriage is for 99% of the people. Maybe I'm wrong on that percentage. Maybe it's 95%. But I'll say this, is that most people is not good that a man should be alone. Paul's the exception to the rule. Does that make sense? So this idea of marriage, most people should be perked up to this and be like, yeah, I need to know about this. I need to know how serious this is. I need to know what it even constitutes of marriage. But notice what it says in verse one. We read this before, but it says in verse one of chapter seven. Now concerning the things which I wrote unto you, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body but the husband and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body but the wife. The fraud you not one the other, except it be with consent for a time that you may give yourself the fasting and prayer and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontancy. But I speak this by permission and not of commandment for I would that all men were even as I myself but every man hath this proper gift of God, one after this man or another after that. So he's basically saying, to avoid fornication, get married. But I wish, basically I would, it means like I wish that you were like me. And it literally talks about how he was found faithful, concerning virgins, how he was found faithful, meaning that he is living a holy sanctified life as a single man, not married, and he has power to reign in that will, okay? So when Jesus is saying, not everybody can hear this, because there's eunuchs, right? And some have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of God, that's what Paul's case is in the whole chapter is that basically, if you're single, you have more time, you're not like distracted by your spouse, all this stuff, and he's kind of giving the case for the fact of like, yes, if you need to marry, but you could be more profitable this way, okay? And there's pros and cons to all that because you don't have that three-fold cord when you're not married. You're by yourself, there's no one there to pick you up. Obviously, you can have friends, all this other stuff, but obviously, who's closer to you than your spouse? That that three-fold cord is gonna be stronger than any relationship. I mean, besides maybe like David and Jonathan, where it's like the love person surpassed the love of women, right? And maybe their bond was just that strong, but that's kind of a testimony to David's lack of having a good marriage when it comes to his multiple wives that he had. So again, three-fold cord, what are we talking about? God joining the marriage, and that is law binding, okay? And that the consummation happens. So to get married, you need to, I mean, listen, if you're wanting to get married, the first thing you need to do is go to the courthouse and get a marriage certificate, okay? Obviously, you've already done your due diligence to find the right person, you know, everybody's agreeing on this situation, right? You need a marriage certificate. I will not marry anybody that doesn't have a marriage certificate. You better have that in your hand or we're not doing a ceremony, okay? And then, obviously, you have to both agree to get married, okay? There's that agreement. Obviously, God's in that and he's binding it from heaven. You're binding it there on earth, he's binding it in heaven and you're being joined by God but that physical union has to happen for it to really truly be consummated or you're just a spouse to him, okay? It's kind of like an espoused wife, you're kind of waiting to finalize that marriage process, right? And, you know, that's marriage. Those three things need to be there. And whether you have a cake, it doesn't matter. Whether you have, I'll say, even if the person that's marrying you is not saved, who cares? You know, it's not about them, it's about you. And obviously, I think there needs to be witnesses, so, you know, I mean, that's just by law. Someone has to be there, right? Like, I have to sign it, okay? Someone has to sign that, actually, in the state of West Virginia, you have to be on the books that you are able to perform that and therefore, you have like a number that's assigned to you that you can do that and then you sign it. And so, it's legit, so the law, and it was like, yes, this literally happened, there was someone that was there when this happened, and it's on the books, it's before you and God, and the consummation happens, and boom, you're married. There it is. It's really that simple, but I just kind of wanted to show you, this is what the Bible teaches on this, and there's just a lot of things that all the other stuff around that, is there's a lot of liberty. How you do the wedding, the receptions, all that stuff, obviously, everything should be done decently and in order and obviously, not wicked stuff going on and all that other stuff. But listen, if you wanna have a seven-day celebration for your wedding, okay, right? I think those in India do that, right? Apparently, the Jewish wedding's seven days, right? Like, show me that in the Bible. Like, well, the Philistines. Oh, the Philistines, okay, cool. Samson, you know, Samson's a great example of how marriages should be done, right? Tell me again how we should do that. Now, you can maybe make the argument with Jacob, but here's the thing, I don't think it matters whether it's a one-day thing, whether it's a 15-minute thing that's going on at the courthouse, that's what matters, is that it's law-binding, that you're agreeing before God to come together and that you physically come together. That is marriage, that's the threefold cord. And, you know, that's my stance on it. And if you have any other scriptures that you wanna point out that maybe would suggest something different, I'll say this, is that those are rock solid, those three things. So, you know, that's, and marriage is serious. So if you're gonna get married, you better be in it for the long haul, because if not, there's consequences to that. So let's end with a word of prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you today. Thank you for your word, thank you for these passages, and Lord, just help us to obviously live up to the husbands and wives that we need to be in our relationships, and Lord, be with those that are looking to get married in the future, and Lord, just help them to understand the gravity of the situation, and Lord, that marriage is good and honorable, but Lord, it's a serious commitment, and Lord, that you hold it binding in heaven, and Lord, just pray that you be with us throughout the rest of the day. Pray that you be with us as we go soul-winding. We love you, and pray also in Jesus Christ's name, amen. So, brother, they have a comment, sing one more song, and then we'll be dismissed. All right, take your songbooks and turn to song number 18. Song number 18 in your songbooks, we'll sing Take the Name of Jesus with you. If you would stand, we'll sing song number 18. ["Take the Name of Jesus with You"] Take the name of Jesus with you, child of sorrow and of woe. It will joy and comfort give you, take it then where you go. Precious name, oh how sweet, hope of earth and joy of half. Precious name, oh how sweet, hope of earth and joy of half. Take the name of Jesus ever, as a shield from every snare. If temptations round you gather, breathe that holy name in prayer. Precious name, oh how sweet.