Our God is a giver of all good things and there is no more encouraging Scripture than the one that says God withholds no good thing from them that walk uprightly.

Of course, walking uprightly and living righteously have to do with our living according to God’s eternal laws and principles.

1 John 3:

7  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness [lives righteously] is righteous, even as He is righteous.

Everyone in God's Church claims to keep the Ten Commandments and the entire law of God - but do they in practice?  The interesting thing about John's summation of "Christianity," is that he writes these Scriptures at nearly 100 AD - a life span after the crucifixion.

Do we know God? Who is able to know God and have His love perfected in them?  The keeping of God’s Ten Commandments

1 John 2:

3  And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

4  He that saith, I know Him, and keeps not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5  But whoso keeps His word, in him truly is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him.

1 John 5:

2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

John 14:

6  Jesus said..., I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

21  He that hath my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

24  He that loves me not keeps not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine.

John 15:

10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

11  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

So the big question becomes, “Who keeps God’s word?”  We want to love the things that God loves and hate the things that God hates.  The law of God reveals the mind of God to us.

King David wrote, “O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.”  Brethren, do we deeply love the law of God with all our heart?  We should.

God speaks to us through His word, the Bible.  Do we trust in these words of God?  Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament and He gave mankind His law.

1 Corinthians 10:

3  And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

I worked a career in the construction business – in the world – before I was in the ministry of Jesus Christ in God’s Church.  Having men and women working for you day-in and day-out – year after year you have the occasion to learn a lot about life.  And being in the world – there were many opportunities to see where God was left out of the picture.  That was because those in the world do not include God in their decisions.

As you might imagine the difficulties of employee’s lives impacted the performance of their company duties.  If he’s drunk – he cannot come to work!  If he’s a thief – he’ll end up in jail… Breaking God’s law has severe penalties.  I’m talking about serious predicaments over the years of life and death, of financial importance, of marriage and divorce, of sickness, and health.  My employees – not knowing God’s way of life – made serious blunders that impacted their lives greatly.

Then, a wonderful thing happened.  God called me to a knowledge of His Truth!  But, I was naïve when I came into God’s Church and first began to understand God benevolence and His generosity toward His people.  I expected a utopia of blessings to descend on all of God’s people all at once.  But Christianity also brings the persecutions of the world.  Indeed, Paul told Timothy:

2 Timothy 3:

12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

After having the privilege of attending Ambassador College, I was ordained and placed in the ministry of Jesus Christ in God’s Church.  At the time I still had the highest regard for all the ministry of God’s Church.

I remember the first Passover in Pasadena where the minister asked the brethren to pardon him for his wrongdoings toward them.  I was taken aback.  Sure, I thought, “Anyone can accidently offend or forget something causing hurt and disappointment to the brethren,” but that was not what he was saying.  He was asking forgiveness for things he had deliberately done to some of the brethren in the course of pastoring the congregation.

Certainly, it is always correct to seek forgiveness, but at the time, I could not imagine a man of God being and acting in such a callous, heartless and unsympathetic way toward God’s people.  That minister was publically admitting that he was “sometimes” harsh and cruel on purpose.

My naïveté bubble began to be popped.  Soon, my misgivings were confirmed.  As you would expect, problems and difficulties arose in the congregations that called for the Godly solution.  But much to my chagrin, I found that ministers frequently did not follow God’s precepts, statutes and judgments.  I was embarrassed to discover that ministers – even at headquarters – would often set aside the law of God in favor of a “more expedient solution” to the matter at hand.

Sometimes their answer to the problem was of a political nature.  Ministers wondered how they would maintain their standing among all the other Pasadena men of rank – rather than asking themselves, “What was God’s solution?”  Other times, the Pasadena leaders felt that God’s judgment was too harsh – and they opted for a more “compassionate” resolution to the problem.

Brethren, we are not to second guess God – His way is perfect.  Our respect for the law of God dictates that God’s way is always best.  Job learned the lesson that God’s way is justified and defended – and it is man who is to be judged.  We are never permitted to place anything ahead of God’s law – we are to love His law more than life itself.

Luke 14:

26  If any man come to me, and hate [love less by comparison] not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

So we see that we must love God in a greater way than everything else.  I could add that He who loves his church headquarters more than Jesus Christ is not worthy of our Lord.  That is because a minister’s first obligation as a servant of Jesus Christ is to serve the brethren.  In fact, the minister demonstrates his love to God by the way that he serves the brethren.

Matthew 25:

40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me [God says.]

Brethren, do we know and understand that God is good – and He is the only one who is totally good?

Mark 10:

18  …There is none good but one, that is, God.

But when it comes to men:

Romans 3:

12  …There is none that does good, no, not one.

The Title is from this verse:

Psalm 84:

11  For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

12  O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusts in thee.

Brethren, the question for us becomes: Do I trust in God – or do I trust in myself?  King David prayed: Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.  Do we want God’s way – or our way?  Do I trust that God’s way is always best?  Or do I second guess the Lord?

When God says that we are to marry “Only in the Lord,”  Do I say I would do that if only there was someone in my neighborhood to marry – but since there is no one – I’ll marry in the world.  Jesus says that if that is your attitude you have made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition (Matthew 15:6).  The carnal mind is submissive to no one – it is self deceiving and wicked – it trusts only in itself to be the last word.

Jeremiah 17:

9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Conversion brings a transition where the changed man, led by the Spirit of God, relies on God in every way, rather than himself.

1 Thessalonians 2:

13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received [not heard – but welcomed into your innermost being ] the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually works also in you that believe.

When we fully keep God’s law - they begin to make us a new creation – we begin to become like God is in our thoughts and actions.  Speaking of the Bible itself, John wrote the words of Jesus:

John 17:

17  Sanctify [set them apart for a spiritual purpose ] them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

We are speaking today of how God withholds no good thing from them that walk uprightly and trust in Him.  That is a very serious question to ponder: Do we truly Trust in God?  Do we Trust in His word – trust in His law – trust in God Himself?

Brethren, we have rapidly come to the place where very, very few trust in God.  The Israelite nations – America – and unfortunately many within the Church of God - do not trust and have faith in God’s lead over our lives.

In God’s word – the Bible – God gives us His judgment on matters of faith and morals, and yet we find even among those who count themselves as leaders of God’s people a growing tendency to try to be more merciful and more understanding and more compassionate than God is.

It is a dangerous trend in the Church because the word of God is being seriously eroded.  God is not pleased.  One thing that the Church of God should never do is to try to make the word of God more palatable or acceptable to the world by watering it down.

We do not apologize for the Holy Days, tithing, or keeping the Sabbath holy.  Those are precious gifts God has given us to set us apart from the world.  God calls only those that He knows will be able to qualify to be in His family.

There is no necessity on our part to appeal to the world’s churches by pretending that we are like they are.  Yes, we preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ – but we do not lower God’s standards in order to make it easier for unbelievers to come to church.

Some of the larger groups are mounting campaigns to appeal to the world in order to grow their membership rolls.  They are hiring worldly consultants to help them come up with an attractive church brand that will have a fascination about it.  Putting up giant public billboards on the highway of “welcome” to any and all comers is deceptive.

The brethren should not be instructed to remain silent on God’s doctrine when a stranger comes in their midst.  Only someone who does not fully trust in God would ask his congregation to do such an irrational thing.

We are not ashamed of the fact that we fast on Atonement, or that we do not eat unclean things according to the word of God – and do not celebrate Christmas, Easter, Halloween or Valentine’s Day.  Those facts do not need to be hidden.

God does not “con” someone into coming to His way of life.  It is only by full repentance and the Faith of Jesus Christ that we respond to God’s calling.  God’s calling is not to everyone at this time.  I wish He were.

I wish Adam and Eve had not sinned in the Garden of Eden – and that everyone would know the true God – but that is not the way that it is.  I wish that God was working with everyone in the world right now – but He is not.

In the 1070’s, in my exuberance, I was so enamored by the Gospel message and the growth of church numbers – I thought that the world just might embrace God’s Truth – but that turned out not to be the case.

After Herbert W Armstrong died, and ungodly men of perdition rose up among our ranks – God’s law was evil spoken of.

2 Peter 3:

7  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

What should have happened is that a loyal ministry should have stood strong when the Commandment of the Sabbath Day was made null and void by those leaders at Pasadena.  Only a very, very few ministers spoke out for the brethren’s sake – and they were immediately dispatched by firing and disfellowship.  All the other ministers were afraid to take a stand.  They had been taught to take orders from a top-down administration.  And they were obedient to headquarters – and not to God and His word.

O yes, some of those full time ministers give pretty decent sermons – straight from their heart, and straight from the Bible.  The problem arose when they were ready to defend their political corporate headquarters -– right or wrong.  God does not allow them that liberty.  You cannot do that – and – at the same time be right with God!  God says that when you become aware of a problem – you must be a part of the right solution – no matter what.  You have no other option.

Leviticus 5:

1  And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he does not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.

When headquarters’ leaders are wrong – they cannot ever be supported and endorsed by local ministers – even if it means their job!  That should tell you a lot – when they are defenders of wrong practices coming down from their superiors.

Acts 5:

29  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

If we are unwilling to let our light shine because we are ashamed of the words of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – we are in serious trouble.  Those same ministers who refused to trust in God nearly 30 years ago are today the same ministers who believe that God’s way is too harsh for the public to accept.

A lady in God’s Church told me that their congregation was instructed not to say anything that might be considered as “offensive” when outsiders came to church services on open door day.  There was even talk by some brethren of reciprocation – and perhaps attending their Sunday worship services to show our “good faith.”  Brethren, we do not want the world to bring its culture into our congregations.

2 Corinthians 6:

17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Jesus has already announced His judgment on those who are too embarrassed to support the entire word of God.

Mark 8:

38  Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Brethren, please understand this:  God’s word is entirely sufficient to call those whom He chooses from the world…  And God’s word is also sufficient to find those faithful brethren who have been separated and scattered from us by men who do not trust in God.

Let me share something with you.  We received this touching email this week from a lady far away.  I would like to read a few excerpts from her letter because it is so typical of what so many faithful brethren are going through.

Brethren, there is much more about their plight – but that is all I’ll share at this time, except to say that they are still living in fear and hurt.  They really need encouragement.

One of the most tragic things – is that many brethren are going through that separation from true brethren all alone.  But, God will uphold them:

Isaiah 41:

10  Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Where are the true ministers who are able and willing to teach all our brethren to be teachers?  Paul said:

Hebrews 5:

12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teaches you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

Brethren, here is the question we need to ask ourselves.  Do I really love and desire God’s law more than anything else?  Is there anything that would make me compromise God’s law?  And when we are speaking of God’s law – we are speaking of every word of truth in the Bible.

The entire Bible clearly indicates – to those who are being led by God’s Holy Spirit – what the will of God is.  The Scriptures are God breathed – that is what “inspiration” means.

2 Timothy 3:

16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

With trust in God comes His protection on every side.

His words do not need to be added to or embellished – they are complete for salvation.  God’s words do not need to be watered-down, or changed, or mitigated in any way – they are perfect for every occasion.  We never weaken or subvert God’s law or His words.

Proverbs 30:

5  Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.

6    Add thou not unto His words, [nor take away] lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Do not ever say, "God says," when He has not said it.

Isaiah 8:

20  To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Only God's word is able to effectively get to the bottom of everything in a right way.

Hebrews 4:

12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

13  Neither is there any [of God’s creation] that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Brethren, the problem that we are facing is that the world has done a number on “God’s Law.”  It is thrown our completely by our governments.  It is hated and despised.  It is done away with.  Protestants say it was nailed to the cross – and is not for Christians.  And worst of all – within God’s Church – God’s law is not trusted.  Brethren, do we deeply love the law of God with all our heart?

This Psalm 119 was a poem to be memorized and sung.  It is a beautiful testament to the law of God.  The scrutinization of Psalm 119 would make a great in-depth Bible study.  It demonstrates an overpowering love of the word of God.  It is packed full of superlatives of love for the way of God.

This Psalm is written in Acrostic – alphabetic order – with the first word in each verse beginning with the key letter appearing first.  ALEPH is the Hebrew “A.”  Hebrew reads from right to left.  Acrostic is a mnemonic device for making it easier to memorize as you follow the alphabet.  I have no doubt that King David knew this Psalm by heart – especially since it was also set to music to be sung.

Psalm 119:

1  ALEPH. Blessed [ALEPH] are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law [‘torah’ - statute] of the LORD.

Torah is the law of God as reiterated to Moses and recorded in the first five books of the Bible. (The Pentateuch)

This ALEPH section – from verse 1 to verse 8 consist of differing parts of God’s law.

I’ll point them out as we come to them - but to obtain a full understanding of each point of God’s law would require an entire Bible Study on the law of God.

Suffice it to say that these Psalms are more instructive and informative than they first appear.

Psalm 119:

2  Blessed [ALEPH] are they that keep His testimonies [‘edah’ - witness], and that seek him with the whole heart.

3  They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways [‘derek’ - course].

4  Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts [‘piqqud’ - mandate] diligently.

5  O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes [‘choq’ – task or appointment]!

6  Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments [‘mitsvah’ - law].

7  I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments [‘mishpat’ - ordinance].

8  I will keep thy statutes [‘choq’ – appointed time  - Holy Day]: O forsake me not utterly.

Psalm 19:

7  [A Psalm of David]  The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

“Converting the soul” – yes David was changed by meditating on the law of God day and night – he was converted into a man in God’s image – because that is what the perfect law of God does.

Psalm 19:

8  The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9  The reverence of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

10  More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

If the ministers at Pasadena – and around the world – had read that one verse – Psalm 19:10 they would not have “sold out” as they did.  God’s law is more important than money or retirements – God’s law is more important that life itself!

Psalm 19:

11  Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

We come next to the second letter in the Hebrew alphabet… BETH.

Psalm 119:

9    BETH. With what [BETH] shall a young man cleanse [purify] his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

10  With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

David knew God’s will backward and forward – he divulges that he knows it by heart.

Psalm 119:

11  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

What is sin but the breaking of God’s law?

1 John 3:

4  Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Those men who are deliberately watering down the way of God so that they might obtain greater numbers of attendees are transgressing God’s perfect law.  Those men water-down God’s law because they do not actually believe that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

God knows what He is doing, and no one need misrepresent His word in order to get members.

The thing that really baffles me is how leading ministers hold the brethren as underlings and the people in disdain on one hand – because the ministry thinks of itself as being close to God, they are sophisticated, trained, intelligent and elite –  and then they turnaround an wish to stuff their halls with those people from the world that they look-down-their-noses upon.

There is a dichotomy or hypocrisy there by those ministers.  A division exists between two separate standards being represented by that erroneous mind-set.  Jesus Christ counts us a brothers and sisters that He shares everything with – while the ministry holds to their two-tiered system with themselves on top.

Romans 8:

28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Psalm 119:

17  GIMEL. Deal bountifully with [Grant] thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.

24  Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.

30  I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.

34  Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

36  Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.

46  I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. [How many are ashamed of God’s law today?]

62  At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

66  Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.

97  MEM. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

98  Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.

99  I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.

100  I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.

101  I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.

105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

165  Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

What a wonderful world it will be when the entire planet with its people will be run according to God's laws and principles in every way.

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Sermon:

"God Withholds No Good Thing"