All right let’s continue on. Let’s go to Acts 3:19. Very key thing. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted,...” Part of the converting is getting rid of the guilt complex. Not only having the laws and commandments of God written in your heart and mind, but having the carnality and the human ways put out. And you know, God’s way is much like the human body. The body that you have today is not the one you had a year ago. And I think, I believe it is every seven years every cell in your whole body has been changed, and you’re not the same person. How did that happen? By growth. You have to eat, you have to sleep, all the processes that go on. So there is also through the process of conversion, you see, there is this change. That’s why we have the Sabbath every week. Because, just like we need to eat food regularly, we need spiritual food regularly so that we can be changed. So that, as it were, our spiritual cells are renewed day-by-day. And then as we go down in time we are not the same person that we were last year or the year before, or ten years ago, or fifteen years ago, or twenty years ago, spiritually speaking, that is. Not just referring just to the physical change that takes place. So we must be renewed, you see. “...That your sins may be blotted out,...” And that’s what God wants. The sins blotted out. He came to forgive sins.

Now let’s continue on. Let’s come to Psalm 32. Let’s see how this whole process now works together. Let’s put it together. And that’s another reason why we have the Passover every year, so that we can be renewed in the baptism through foot washing. We can be renewed in our commitment to Christ throughthe broken body. We can be renewed in our understanding of the forgiveness of the sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ so that we attain this state right here, Psalm 32:1. “Blessedis he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” And yours have been. “Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity,...” But what does God impute to us because we believe? He imputes righteousness. “...And in whose spirit there is no guile.” (Psa. 32:1-2). And that means, the removal of all the subterfuge of human nature, plus the removal of a guilt conscience. “In whom there is no guile.” So when you have this guilt feeling, and you just can’t seem to get rid of it, though you repent of it, God has already forgiven it. God has already removed it as far as He’s concerned. You need to let it go. You need to take it to God and say, “God, here, take it. It’s more than I can bear.” Christ already bore it for you, you see.

Now let’s continue on, verse 3, “When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.” Now sometimes through sickness and sometimes through problems we are drawn close to God because we begin to see how weak we are. “For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid,...” And that’s what we need to do. And I know whenever there’s a time of sickness and difficulty, that’s the time when you confess to God. And that’s the time when you ask God for help and strength. And that is a great benefit that comes when there is sickness and difficulty and pain. “...I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” (vs. 3-5). Now notice, we have “Selah” just one verse after the other. And “Selah” means, stop, think, meditate on what was just said. Because what was just said was profound.

Now notice this promise, verse 6: “For this shall every one that is godly pray unto Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found:...” And now it is a time when God may be found. “...Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto [me] him. Thou art my hiding place;...” Now notice the complete change of attitude once everything is shifted to God: “Thou art my hiding place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble; Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.” Again, stop. Think. Meditate on this. This is profound. Then God speaks back, doesn’t He? Verse 8, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with Mine eye.” And that’s how we want God to be with us and deal with us, right? Yes. “Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with [a] bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him...” How? When he repents. “…Compass him about. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart” (vs. 6-11). Now this is what that kind of repentance is to do for us.

Now sometimes you get laid really, really low. Let’s go to Psalm 51. And this is the repentance of David after his long sordid encounter with Bathsheba. Let’s come to Psalm 51. And in this kind of deep repentance, you understand where sin comes from - deep within you, you see. And again, it’s just like as we drew the analogy that every cell of the physical body changed, so then everything spiritually must change, and grow, and be rejuvenated, and be reinvigorated. And in doing this you discover things that you never discovered before. Now why is that? That is because you did not have the spiritual strength to begin to grasp it until a particular point. Because God will lay upon us no more than we’re able to bear. Just think of what it would be if, when God first called us, He laid out the whole sum total of the whole character of carnality that each one of us had. Why, it would be overwhelming. So God reveals it bit, by bit, by bit. And that’s all a part of the growing and overcoming that God gives to us.

Now let’s notice right here, Psalm 51, beginning in verse 1. “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness:...” Now notice, there’s no going to God, dickering with God as to “How good I am; therefore, God, You do this for me.” None at all. “...According to Thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly [thoroughly] from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” (Psa. 51:1-2). Why? Because no human can cleanse himself from his own sins. It has to be from God.

“For I acknowledge...” Here’s the cleansing part that we can do. We have to acknowledge this. “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me” (vs. 3). Because he didn’t repent. His sin was right there. You go back and read that whole account. That was really quite premeditated in what he did. He just thought for a while, “Well, I’ll just put God on hold and I’ll work this out my way.” And what happens when you do that? It never works out, does it? No, it doesn’t. So that whole sin was “…ever before me.” Now he’s also talking about the punishment that he received, though his sins were forgiven. And what was that punishment that David received the rest of his life? God said, “Because you have done this before the world, you have done this before the enemies, My enemies, and cause them to blaspheme, therefore I am doing this before the world, and your household will be divided from this day hence. And the child that is born will die” (2 Samuel 12:10-14, paraphrased). That, He could never remove.

“Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight: that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Now he wasn’t born of an adulterous affair by any means. But this just merely means that the law of sin and death is given by inheritance to every human being. “Behold, Thou desiredest truth in the inward parts:...” That’s the whole goal of all of it, brethren. The whole goal of the Passover, the whole goal of Unleavened Bread. How are we to keep Unleavened Bread? How? In sincerity and truth. Where? In here. In the hidden parts. The inward parts. “...And in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop [a strong cleansing agent], and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities” (vs. 4-9). If we want forgiveness from God, this is how we need to come to God.

Now notice. When that is done, notice again, the same process: cease to do evil, learn to do well. Here we have the process here. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; ...” That’s learning to do well, isn’t it? “I will put My laws into their hearts and in their minds I will write them.” Same thing right here. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (vs. 10). And it is true, when you go along and have sins hanging, or problems hanging, what happens? How’s your attitude? Yuck. You’ve experienced that, haven’t you? I’ve experienced it. Yes. How do you feel? Miserable. God has got to renew it right. God has got to straighten it out. He will.

“Cast me not away from Thy presence;...” Now how far away was David from God in this instance? A long way away. “...And take not Thy holy spirit from me.” Which meant, he was really concerned that he was ready to lose salvation because of it. Now how great a sin was that? Great sin. Did God forgive it? Yes, He did. Why? Because God led David to repentance, and David received and accepted that repentance, and repented with his whole heart. “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit” (vs. 11-12). Then all the things will be right, is the sum of the rest of Psalm 51.

Now let’s go to Daniel 9. And in Daniel 9 we find a different kind of prayer. In Psalm 51 we have a personal, individual prayer for one’s own faults and mistakes. But in Daniel 9 we have a representative prayer, similar to the one that Moses gave, but in this case the one that Daniel gave. And he prays not for himself, but he prays for all of God’s people. And the prayer is really quite long and quite moving. And he confesses and admits all the sins. Now one thing that is interesting, which I wrote in the Passover book, and I put in this whole prayer of Daniel, because it’s so powerful and so moving, that this prayer was given in the first year of the reign of Darius. That very year those… the first group of Jews going back to Jerusalem, took place. Six years later the temple was finished. So this was a very moving and profound prayer.

Let’s pick it up here in verse 16, and we get the sum and the feeling of it. And this kind of repentance and prayer is when one is praying for all of the sinful ones that have sinned. And brethren, this ought to be our prayer for all the church of God. God is not done with it yet, and God is going to bring back those that He wants. So let’s see if we can apply this also, verse 16 on. “Oh Lord, according to all Thy righteousness,...” Now notice, again, how this is just like the Psalms. Not according to his, or how great he was. “…I beseech Thee, let Thine anger and Thy fury be turned away from Thy city Jerusalem, Thy holy mountain: Because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us. Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of Thy servant, and his supplications, and cause Thy face to shine upon Thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. O my God, incline Thine ear, and hear; open Thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by Thy name: for we do not present our supplications before Thee for our righteousnesses, but for Thy great mercies” (Dan. 9:16-18).

And that’s how we need to approach God in repenting. Individually, and collectively. Then there will be forgiveness. Then there will be, as Jesus said, “Lord, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Now Daniel 9:19, “O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for Thine own sake, O my God: for Thy city and Thy people are called by Thy name.”

Now let’s see how that applies in the New Testament. Now we can take all of these and we apply them collectively and individually. Let’s come to the epistle of 1 John. Very important in relationship to the Passover and the days of Unleavened Bread. The Passover represents the forgiveness. Unleavened Bread represents the learning to do well, ceasing to do evil, learning to do well. So that’s why you have the Passover first and then you have the days of Unleavened Bread. Isn’t it interesting, you don’t have the days of Unleavened Bread and then the Passover? What would happen if you had that sequence? You would work out your salvation so that you would be good enough to take the Passover, correct? Yes. No, it’s the other way around. The way that you are worthy of the Passover is you acknowledge you are a sinner, and you need God, and you need God’s Spirit, and that’s where you begin. Then you learn to do well and cease to do evil. Because then it’s God in you motivating the works, and not your own.

Now here, 1 John 1, and let’s pick it up in verse 7. And this is something we really need to learn and understand and realize. This is how, then, you get rid of that guilt complex, that you don’t carry it around as a burden. And that you don’t carry it around one for the other. Verse 7, “But if we walk in the light,...” And the light is the truth of God. And Christ is the light Who gives us the way to go. So if we walk in the light, “...as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” Now how many times does it tell us He forgives our sins, all of them? We’ll see how far, how thorough, how complete.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins,...” Now who do we confess our sins to? To God. We’re going to see a little bit later on, that we confess our faults one to another, that we may be healed. You confess your sins to God. Now there is a difference. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us...” Again, “Give us a clean heart, O God.” “...From all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (vs. 8-10).

Chapter 2:1 now. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin,...” Which you’re going to, because you have the law of sin and death within you, “...we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:...” Advocating for you. Who is the accuser? Satan. He’s the one who’s trying to put you down. Christ is advocating for you. “…And He is the propitiation for our sins:...” Propitiation means the continual source of mercy through grace. That’s what propitiation means. Continual. It is there all the time. Never runs out. This is part of the fullness of Christ. “...And not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2). And we know through the plan of the holy days, in God’s time it’s going to apply to every one. Now then it talks right after that about keeping the commandments, and so forth. That’s true. Whenever there is repentance then there is learning to do well.

Now let’s see how far God removes these from us. Let’s come to Psalm 103. And we will see how all of this ties together now. Let’s just begin right in verse 1. It’s a wonderful Psalm. If you ever get really discouraged and really down, and you have doubts, and you have guilt, and you have fear, well, what you do is get out Psalm 103 and see, how then, you can overcome all of this. “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me,...” Again, his whole being, you see. “...Bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;...” Just like back there in 1 John 1. “...Who healeth all thy diseases;...” (Psa. 103:1-3). It’s important to understand. Now how is God going to heal every single disease? The resurrection. Won’t that be the greatest healing possible? That’s better than just a temporary physical thing in this life, isn’t it? Isn’t it better to be raised to be a spirit being, totally healed of everything physical? Yes, indeed.

“Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;...” Because He called you to eternal life, we can put in there. “...Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;...” (vs. 4). And God has done that. Tremendously, hasn’t He? Yes. In giving the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, did He not do that? Yes.

Let’s come down here to verse 8. “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever. He [the Lord] hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.” Now that’s a tremendous promise, isn’t it? That’s a wonderful, wonderful thing to contemplate. “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.” And of course, we know that means the total love to God. “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us” (vs. 8-12). Now if He forgives all your iniquities, forgives all your sins, removes them from you as far as the east is from the west, question: when have you ever read in a history book that east met west? Other than just a play on words of culture? Never has. They’re in two opposite directions, never to meet.

Now notice, He goes beyond that. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.” God isn’t going to lay upon you any more than you are able to bear. “As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children’s children; to such as keep His covenant,...” That’s why we’re going to keep the Passover, because that is keeping His covenant. “...And to those that remember His commandments to do them” (vs., 13-18).

Now let’s stop by Psalm 86 for just a minute here. Now as I mentioned, being in the grace of God is not forgiveness in advance. But what it is, it means that forgiveness is there upon repentance. And here’s a good example of it. Verse 1, “Bow down Thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O Thou my God, save Thy servant that trusteth in Thee. Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto Thee daily. Rejoice the soul of Thy servant: for unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive;...” - upon repentance. “...And plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee” (Psa. 86:1-5). And you can read the rest of the Psalm, because I want to cover something a little bit different here.

Now we’ve covered forgiveness for a group, we’ve covered forgiveness for an individual. Now let’s talk about forgiveness one to another. Let’s come to Matthew 5, and see how important this is. Verse 23, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar,...” Or that is, you come to God in prayer. Since there’s no altar, we’re coming to God and the gifts that we give are the sacrifices of praise, and repentance, and encouragement for others, and so forth. “...And there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;...” And I would like to hope that through this Feast of Unleavened Bread that, especially in many of the fellowship groups that we have now, where there are brethren coming together that have been over in one place but now have been reunited through different courses together, and different problems, that you, if you have anything against one another, that you make a concerted, loving effort to get together and bury the hatchet by love and understanding. That’s most important. So important that God says, if you remember that you have anything, “...leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way;...” God is saying, “Look, I don’t even want to hear your prayer until you get this resolved.” Now is that important or what? Have to say so, wouldn’t you? Yes indeed. “...First be reconciled to thy brother,...” That’s what God - don’t we want to be reconciled to God? Yes. Then God says be reconciled to your brother. And you have to come to a meeting of minds. Sometimes it may not be possible. But you have to put forth the effort. Maybe putting forth the effort will inspire the other person. “...And then come and offer thy gift” (Matt. 5:23-24). So you do what you can to work it out.

Let’s come over here to Matthew 6 and see how this is even on a daily basis. Now here’s a promise, Matthew 6:14. “For if ye forgive men their trespasses,...” Now notice, that’s against you. Now there can be many forms of this. It can be serious. Sometimes it can be where only God can really do the forgiving. I don’t know what they’re going to do back there in Jonesboro, Arkansas, with all that’s going on there. But I tell you what, it’s going to be a grave and difficult situation indeed. God alone can forgive. The most that any of them can do is be understanding and accepting. If there’s any forgiveness to those two lads, God alone can do it. No man can forgive what they did. Only God can. But in order to get along with each other, or if they desire to do so, then there’s going to have to be acceptance and understanding, realizing that only God can forgive them. The only thing you can do is pity those poor boys, that they’re pawns in such a wicked society, that this type of thing would happen.

If you forgive men their trespasses, “...your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:14-15). Now that’s very important to understand. You need to realize that. Now if you’re willing to forgive, but they are not willing to reciprocate, you have done your part, have you not? Yes. Then you can pray that God will put it in their minds to do their parts. And that’s what’s important.

Let’s see how this works. Let’s come to Matthew 18. And here is where God tells each one of us that we are to work out the differences between us on this basis. The responsibility becomes ours to do, if we are to be responsible, spiritual Christians. In a corporate hierarchical church, they cannot do this because it takes away their work. And it takes away their control. And it takes away their fear and intimidation.

First of all, we’re told, verse 15 - and I’ll just summarize this because we went through this here just recently, “If your brother trespass against you, you go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” Now we’re talking about faults, are we not? Yes. That’s important to understand. We confess our sins, and also our faults, before God. No question about that. But when we have difficulties with each other, most of the time it’s because of a fault. Is that not true? Or a perceived fault. “You tell it between you and him alone. And he if he will hear you, you have gained a brother. If that doesn’t work, you take two or three more with you. Establish every word. If that doesn’t work, then you tell it to the church, being the whole assembled group together. And if he neglect to hear the church, let him be then unto you a heathen man and a publican” (Matt. 18:15-17, paraphrased).

Now what follows is very important. This is what’s so important. “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:...” In relationship to resolving these faults. Had nothing to do with doctrine. Has nothing to do keeping of days. Has nothing to do with any Scriptures whatsoever. Has to do with the fault that you have agreed to solve. “...And whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (vs. 18). You make the decision. Wherever it is. “Yes, I forgive you.” It’s taken care of. It’s done in heaven.

“Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask,...” In relationship to what? Solving the faults. That’s what it is. Overcoming the problem. “...It shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name [to solve a problem], there am I in the midst of them” (vs. 19-20). We’re talking about the problem-solving all along. We can say, “Well, this does apply if two or three gather together on the Sabbath.” We can take that in principle. That is true. But the main thrust of this all the way through is with the problems.

Notice the response here by Peter, which shows that it’s true. Verse 21, “Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, How oft shall my brother sin [or that is, trespass] against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?” Now we’re talking about sin or transgress with a fault. “Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, until seventy times seven” (vs. 21-22). Now there’re going to be certain faults and problems that you’re going to carry all your life. Is that not true? I know I have some that are still a problem today that I’ve had for a long time. And some of those things become a difficulty in my relationship with people. I try and do the best I can so I don’t let them be problems. But because I’m human, they can become problems, you see.

So that’s what it’s talking about. Now then, He gives this parable here. He talks about the kingdom of heaven as like a certain king took into account of his servants, and so forth. And you know the story there. He owed him ten thousand talents. He came to his lord, verse 27 now. “Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.” So whenever you’re dealing with each other, and there’s a problem to be handled and forgiven, remember, God has forgiven you. So that you’re going to be very tender and forgiving that individual, though the problem may occur again down the road a little later on. Because what? It’s a fault. How many times? Seven times seventy.

However, notice what happened. When the forgiveness was given, that servant went out, found someone who owed him a hundred pence. He took him and just did the same thing to him, “Pay me all that you owe.” He said, “Have mercy and patience and I will pay you.” And he wouldn’t do it. So what he did, he threw him in jail till he would pay his debts. And then what happened? Be sure, your sins will find out. The lord found out. So he called the first man, verse 32, “Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst [of] me:…” He said, “I didn’t have to do it, but I did it.” “...Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.” Verse 35 is a key important verse: “So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses” (vs. 32-35).

Notice how that flows all the way through the chapter about faults - one with another. So don’t ever again be deceived of what you bind on earth is bound in heaven, having to do with doctrine. If anyone pulls that on you, you know they do not have a single solitary clue as to what’s going on.

Now we’ll finish here in just a minute. But let’s go to James 5 and let’s see how we are to confess our faults. We saw how we’re to confess our sins to God, correct? Yes. Now you confess your faults one to another, and in praying one for another. And that fits in right there with Matthew 18. James 5, and let’s pick up in verse 14, because it is also tied in with healing. Which you could also, then, tie it in with overcoming a fault, not that you’re anointed for a fault, but the process here.

“Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he hath committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults [not your sins, your faults] one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” Not only of your sickness, but also overcome your faults. Wouldn’t you assume that that is part of what’s being done here? Yes. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:14-16). And then he tells the whole story of Elijah.

Now I want to finish by going to Genesis 50. Let’s go there. Genesis 50:15. And maybe this is kind of prophetic as to why out of Joseph came the New Testament, rather than out of the preaching of the Gospel at the end, then, out of Joseph. “And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.” Now you know what they did. Yes. “And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants” (Gen. 50:15-18).

Now notice, he could have said “Right! I’ll get out my jackboot and my big thumb, and I’m going to make you guys pay for it!” Nope. “And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them” (vs. 19-21).

And so that’s the kind of attitude we need to have in the church today, brethren. The same thing. Many things were done with the thought of evil toward the people of God. But there comes a time when all of that has to be put aside. And there comes a time when the forgiveness and the love of God must reign and have the power, instead of the fear and the intimidation.