Mr. T. Doble's Last Conference Message

by N/A | Category: General | Dec 1943

In the natural course of events I feel I am getting near the end of my pilgrimage. What I wish to say differs in several respects from what is generally put forward at Conferences. First of all I would like you to call to mind the scripture "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God." We sometimes sing:

"Children of God, oh glorious calling, Surely His grace will keep us from falling,"

and also:

"With such a blessed hope in view, We would more holy be."

The first thing then that I draw your special attention to is the fact that it has pleased God to make us His people. We are exhorted to let our light shine before men therefore, as such, and it behoves us, one and all, to be on the watch tower. Each one of us should be our brother's keeper, and each of us should be very careful lest our manner of life should become a cause of stumbling to others.

The things I want to mention are very practical, and are in connection with our money. God gives us the privilege of earning wages; He allows us to call what we earn our own, although He says,

"The silver and the gold are mine."

We should ever seek to remember that by this means, out of what the Lord gives us, His work is carried on.

In days of old, when He had an earthly people, He gave them the privilege to bring Him their offerings, and these He required from willing hearts. In the matter of the service of His house they were commanded to give Him the tithe of all their increase (the tithe is the tenth).

In the days of Malachi the people had sadly departed from the commandments of the LORD, who had delivered them from such cruel bondage, and had preserved them all along the way, and they had so failed in this respect that the Levites, who carried on the work of the Tent of Meeting were deprived of that which

they should have had, and in consequence had to go to the fields to work to obtain their livelihood.

God asked His people: "Will a man rob God "-" Yet ye rob Me." Whilst they said-" Wherein have we robbed Thee ? " He told them-" In tithes and offerings" ; and if on their part they would now bring in the whole tithe so that there would be meat in His house, then they would prove Him and find that He would open the windows of heaven and pour out such a: blessing that there would not be room enough to receive it.

While they thus robbed God they had no blessing themselves, for God sent the canker-worm, the palmer-worm, grasshoppers and locusts which devoured the crops, which might have otherwise been given to the LORD and have met their own needs.

God asked for the firstfruits of all. He also assured them that, if they honoured Him with their substance and the firstfruits of all their increase, their barns or storehouses would be filled with plenty and their presses would burst with new wine.

This is taught throughout the Old Testament Scriptures. Take for instance one thing in particular: when they reaped their harvest and brought in their sheaves of corn, these were laid on the ground, whilst oxen were trained to walk round and round upon the sheaves, treading out the corn. God knew those oxen would get hungry, therefore He told His people. they were not to put muzzles on them to prevent them eating what they had laboured t6 tread out.

We turn now to New Testament times. The money we earn may be spent foolishly, or in wiser ways to carry on the work of the Lord in its many and vaned aspects.

General expenses must be met, the poor we have always with us and we can always do them good, and the work of the Lord must be carried on.

Now I wish to speak of a matter that we never hear beloved servants of the Lord speak of, those who so often leave their homes having gone. forth taking nothing of the Gentiles, dependent on the Lord to supply their need, and seldom or never

minister concerning this aspect of truth. They are dependent upon the Lord that He will exercise the hearts of His own people in this respect. So we have a division in the box which is marked "The Lord's Servants," and we do well to be exercised to contribute thereto.

In referring back to the oxen that were not to be muzzled, the question is asked in the Scripture, "Doth God take care for oxen, or saith He it altogether for our sakes?" For the Lord hath ordained that those who preach the gospel should live of the gospel. Fellow-saints may see that such ministers of the Word do not in their general ministry readily refer to these things. This then is an aspect of the material side of things which needs to be borne in mind in connection with-how we spend our money.

Of old, God expected His people to serve Him and find joy and gladness in their service. Unto the bountiful He was bountiful, and it is the same to-day. The Lord loveth a cheerful giver. If we sow sparingly, we shall reap also sparingly, if we sow bountifully we shall reap also bountifully (2 Corinthians 8.6).

I have felt for a long time this line of truth needs to be brought before fellow-saints. Perhaps. sufficient has been said on this point, and - before I close I desire lovingly to exhort saints to live a godly life in this poor, dark world, and so let their light shine before men that their friends and companions with whom they work may see their manner of life that they are Christians in deed and not in word only

My prayer is that all who minister the Word to day will speak the truth in love, not so much dictatively, but rather being constrained by the love of Christ who owns the lambs and sheep and who gives His servants the holy privilege of feeding, tending and caring for them, and that one and all may see and feel

THAT GODLY SHEPHERD CARE for those who, apart from such shepherds, I fear, would sadly go astray in this dark and evil world in which our lot is cast.

Let us all seek to. be well pleasing to .Him, who called us to glory and virtue, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all lawlessness and purify unto Himself a people for His own possession, zealous of good works.

May God in His abounding love and grace, fill each heart with joy and peace. This is the prayer that arises from my heart.

(Communicated by MR. G. E. STOCKWELL.)

N/A | Dec 1943
General