SAFETY, REST, AND QUIET

Chapter Seven

In Conclusion

“I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet.” (Job 3:26)

Now I want you to seriously consider just how easy and simple it is to put into practice in your own life, these three things that I believe made Job perfect and upright before God. Any Christian believer, anywhere on earth, can easily practice all 3 of these things in his or her life.

Basically, no money is needed for you to do just as Job did regarding these 3 matters. An education is not required. Talent, good looks, great mental and physical ability, and other such things are not necessary. Facilities such as buildings, modern machinery, vehicles, hi-tech gadgets, and such, are totally unnecessary. There is no need to promote and advertise your programs and activities to practice these 3 things. You do not have to have any backing, help, co-operation, praise, encouragement, and such, from any person (family, friends, fellow Christians, or anyone).

In general, there are only two things required by you to put these things into practice in your life and thereby be perfect and upright before God as Job was. Of first and foremost importance is a WILL to be like Job in these 3 matters. Anyone, anywhere, under any circumstances, can choose to not be in safety, to not have rest, and to not be quiet. Do you have the DESIRE to do that? Do you have that WILL? If you do not presently have such a desire and will, do you want them? If so, they will be most easy for you to obtain. All you have to do is to earnestly ask for them, from the Giver of all Good Gifts. Why not do that right now?

“Heavenly Father, how wonderful it would be to have a burning zeal and desire to be exactly like Job in these matters of Safety, Rest, and Quiet; and thereby have the honour of being perfect and upright before Thee, my Creator and my Judge. So I now cry out to Thee, My God, begging Thee to create within me, that burning zeal and desire to be like Job. If these 3 things are the key to being perfect and upright before God, as Brother Richard teaches that they are; then please confirm that truth to me in my heart right now, so clearly that I cannot possibly doubt it.

Come now and destroy all the fears, embarrassment, shame, and such that I have about practicing these things in my life. By Thine Infinite Power, work mightily in my heart right now to overcome all my selfish desires, selfish goals, love of the world, and such; that stand in the way and hinder me from being like Job in these matters. Lord God, I know without any doubt that I do not have the power within myself to be perfect and upright before Thee. Therefore, that can only be accomplished by a miraculous work by Thee in my heart and life. Therefore, with God as my Helper, I now completely open my heart and yield it to Thee, for Thee to work freely in it, to give me a strong will to be like Job, by not being in safety, not having rest, and not being quiet. Please make me totally willing and fervently desirous to be like that.

I also pray these same things for every person who reads this book. May they yield themselves to Thee, for Thee to work this same WILL and DESIRE in them also. Change us into perfect and upright believers, so that Thou canst be just as proud of us as Thou wast of Job, and canst brag on us before the devil and his crowd just as Thou didst brag on Job. As Brother Richard is so desirous to be perfect and upright before Thee, please help him to be so. Thank Thee, most gracious Heavenly Father, for hearing and answering this prayer. Amen.”

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Another thing needed is the COURAGE to practice these things, especially the 2 matters of not being in safety and not being quiet. During the time I was growing up and as a young adult, no danger came my way for being a Christian. However, during that very sheltered time, I had almost no courage to speak up for Christ, though I had already received Him as my Saviour. And at times now, I lack the courage to speak up, as I should about Christ. Therefore I certainly know how needful courage is and also how lacking it is in most of us, at least sometimes. So I can certainly “sympathize” with any Christian who lacks courage to speak up for Christ. Again, in this matter as in all matters, “our help is in the name of the Lord.” He is your Creator, so He certainly knows your weaknesses and He is most desirous to give you all the courage you need. Keep in mind the suggestions I have made in this book about different methods of spreading the Gospel that don’t require so much courage. Consider starting with some of those you feel “comfortable” doing, and also start right now calling on the Giver of courage to give you an abundance of it and to make you as bold as a lion.

“Heavenly Father, I confess that all things are possible with Thee, and therefore I know it is possible for Thee to give timid, little me all the courage I need to speak up for Thee and for Thy Holy, Righteous Standard. So I cry out unto Thee for that courage. I now open my heart wide to Thee, for Thee to fill it with Thy Holy Ghost Power. Please give me all the courage I need to speak up for Thee every time Thou desirest that I do so. Help me not to flinch at the angry faces of the devil’s crowd as they oppose me. Please make both my face & my heart as adamant as a flint every time I stand before the enemy. Teach me the fear of the Lord and help me to truly and totally fear Thee and Thee alone. I pray this for Brother Richard too. I also pray it for all other Christians. Please have mercy on us all and help us in our weakness by filling us with Thy Divine courage. Thank Thee; Lord, for hearing and answering this prayer. Amen.”

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Before Job 3:26 had caught my attention, and before I came to know and believe the many things about that verse that I have shared in this book, God had already brought me to the place where I was endeavoring to preach to everyone I could and I was also foregoing rest to do that as many hours as possible. Therefore I was being like Job by not being quiet and not having rest. Doing those 2 things “naturally” resulted in me not being in safety, because some people threaten me as I preach out in public. Also I have put my health in danger by pushing my body to its physical limits a few times. And I gave up financial “safety” by ceasing to work a paying job in order to “not be quiet” all the time. So keep this “natural progression” in mind. Choose to spread the Gospel long hours without rest and you have already done 2 of these things Job mentioned. And then you can expect, “not being in safety” to “naturally” follow, as friends forsake you for being “radical” and God haters oppose you for proclaiming, “Thus saith the Lord God,” to them. I pray that God will give you the will and the courage to practice these 3 things just as Job did.

For me, a burning desire to tell everyone about God activated all 3 of these things in my life before I had any “working” knowledge of this verse, and it activated them in reverse order to the way Job mentioned them. So it appears that not being quiet is the natural starting point to practicing these 3 things I believe made Job perfect and upright. That may be the reason I ended up writing 3 chapters about not being quiet, and only one chapter each about not being in safety and not having rest. Also, I plan to continue preaching on “not being quiet” in this chapter, because the last chapter got so long that I ended it when I still had much more to say. Please think on the importance of not being quiet, if you desire to be like Job was regarding these things. If you just have the WILL and the COURAGE to not be quiet under any circumstances, you should soon find yourself “naturally” practicing the other two things.

Also, you can expect the very last thing mentioned in Job 3:26 to happen to you. “I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.” When you strive to be like perfect and upright Job in these 3 matters, rest assured that the devil and his crowd will bring plenty of trouble your way. Expect it. Don’t let it catch you off guard. Don’t be upset or cowered by it. And fully believe that with Christ as your Captain, you can be victorious over the enemy.

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If we Christian believers are to speak up about God, then it could be said that we need knowledge of what to say about Him. That is really no problem. Just start telling what you already know about God, and then He will reward you by filling you with more knowledge to impart to others. Read your Bible much to gain knowledge of its contents. Then tell everyone you can, all the things you learn from the Bible.

When I started preaching in public on Guam, I used a “plainly made,” cheap Bible with cardboard covers, as opposed to one of my expensive, “treasured” Bibles. That is because I knew it would receive much wear, get rained on sometimes, and such. And sure enough, I wore it out in a few years. I was also aware of the possibility of a child of the devil snatching the Bible from me and tearing it up. Therefore I think it wise to use a cheap Bible, which in no way lessens its power if the content is King James 1611.

No one had previously made any markings in this Bible I chose for street preaching. So I read through that entire Bible, underlining all passages I considered plenty valuable to proclaim out in public. Then, when I preached in public, I could just start reading the passages I had underlined. I would preach what thoughts came to mind about each passage, no matter how few those thoughts were. Then I would move on to the next underlined passage and preach it. My thoughts on each passage were ever so limited, but that did not present any problem. I had many marked passages throughout the Bible, so straining to produce a long sermon from any one of them was totally unnecessary.

Young men, whom God calls to preach, often go through a very tortuous experience at the start. They announce to their pastor that they feel like God is calling them to preach, or the pastor thinks God is calling that young man to preach. So the pastor asks that 20 year-old to fill the pulpit some Sunday night. Some young preachers preach superbly from the start. But for some, those first attempts at preaching are disasters. Though they desire to preach, God has not yet given them any sermons. Or they have what they think is a marvelous sermon, but do not realize it is only 5 minutes long until they preach it all out in 5 minutes. Then they find themselves sweating profusely behind that pulpit in front of that congregation, trying to think of something more to say for another 25 minutes because a sermon is supposed to last 30 minutes. How painful such experiences can be. (I know from experience.)

Therefore I feel so free preaching out in public with no time frame to fill and no set “amount” I have to say about any passage of scripture. As soon as I run out of “thoughts” on any passage, I simply move on to the next passage. The freedom, to preach exactly as I want to, is most refreshing. Most people aren’t listening or don’t want to hear it. In some places I preach, they are just walking by and only hear a few sentences. Though I endeavor to preach as well as possible to please my God Who called me to be out there preaching, I feel no obligation to “give the people their money’s worth.” (When I preach in a steeple house, sometimes I do feel obligated to give the people their money’s worth, because they have just had a money bucket passed under their noses.)

When I first started preaching in public, usually I could think of very little to preach about each passage I had underlined. But as I preached everything I knew to say, God was at work purging this branch (John 15:2). He was blessing my efforts by adding an increase. Each time I preached, He taught me more to preach about those passages. Over the years, that has added up to a lot of Bible education that came right out of Heaven. So that when I now stand before a church congregation to preach, I can easily give them a sermon long enough to put everyone in the house to sleep. Amen!

I have never studied at any school that teaches the Bible. I have learned much by listening to many preachers, Bible teachers, and common believers, and by reading their writings. The rest of what I know of God, I learned mainly by praying, fasting, reading the Bible, and preaching. God teaches me so much when I am with my Saviour, without the gate, bearing His reproach, out in public proclaiming His Word to everyone within hearing. If you want to truly sit at the Master’s feet and learn of Him, I cannot think of a better place to do it. “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.” (Hebrews 13:13)

One thing that can easily be a deficit about Bible schools is that they tend to turn out cookie cutter replicas of their teachers and/or of the person who founded or now heads the school. That “reproducing” does not have to be a deficit, as it can simply be the making of more fiery and godly preachers like the founder. But it does tend toward, “If you have heard one of them preach, you have heard them all.” Cookie cutter replicas.

But please listen to me most keenly as I tell you that going forth unto your precious Saviour without the camp and bearing His reproach by standing in the face of any of the devil’s children and proclaiming to them, “Thus saith the Lord God,” will definitely give your preaching a special and most delicious flavor that will never be mistaken as a cookie cutter replica. God has given me most of the content of my books and sermons as a result of me going unto my Saviour without the camp and bearing His reproach there. What treasured times those have been, and many people have told me that my writings have been most beneficial to them. To God be the glory for it all!

My fellow Christian believer, if you desire that your life glorify God to the fullest and be of maximum benefit to other people, then I firmly believe that the best way to achieve that is to go unto your Saviour without the camp, bearing His reproach. That will lead you right into being like perfect and upright Job in regard to these 3 matters he mentioned in Job 3:36. If you don’t have the money for Bible school tuition, rest assured that mammon is not required to go unto Christ without the camp, and there learn from Him the richest treasures of knowledge about our Great God. I urge you to do that.

“Heavenly Father, please help me to do that. What a wonderful invitation our Saviour gives to us in Hebrews 13:13. Please help me not to spurn it. Help me to not be ashamed of the reproach of Christ. Give me the courage to go unto Him without the camp, to there fellowship with Him and to serve Him there. I pray this for all other Christian believes also. Amen.”

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It can also be said that the opportunity to speak to others about God, is necessary. I believe that opportunity is always present as long as any other people are within hearing of you. You always have the opportunity to just go out in public where they are and start speaking or singing words about God to them. I heard a preacher tell of an elderly Christian lady exclaim in frustration about wanting to do something for her Lord, but could not find any opportunities at all. I do well understand her situation. Lack of opportunity to serve can “appear” to be the “lot” of any Christian believer, especially an elderly person whose “ability” is decreasing. Do you still have the strength to go sit on a park bench and sing hymns? If so, please consider doing it. If you shirk from doing that because people are likely to think you are losing your mind, then try to find a friend to sing with you in public. Somehow, it appears less crazy when two people are doing something, instead of just one person. Many of the old hymns have most beautiful messages along with beautiful melodies. In general, singing comes across as being more friendly than preaching. People are more apt to listen to it and to remember it. I have been wonderfully blessed by some people’s reactions as I sing hymns out in public. I think you will be also. Please try it and see.

If you live in a cold climate, the harsh winter weather can easily keep you inside during that season, especially if you are elderly. Possibly you could find a bench in a warm thoroughfare inside a mall, and sit there and sing hymns as a multitude of eternal souls walk past you. Also always bear in mind that “neither was I quiet,” does not just refer to talking to people. It also refers to talking to God. And one of the most valuable things we can do with our time is to spend it in intercessory prayer to God for others. I promise you that is true. And you can pray to God anywhere and at any time, lying on a sick bed, shut in from the cold, or anywhere. If you will be vigilant in this life to pray without ceasing, you will be most happy about that for all eternity. So be like Job and don’t be quiet.

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When preaching and/or singing out in public, I believe it is important in general to not act like you have a bone to pick with anyone out there. If God leads you to preach near abortion mills, bars, or any place of sin, then I think it appropriate to preach clearly against the sin being committed in those locations. But if you are out in a general public area, I think it wise to not come across as viciously attacking everyone within hearing, just because you know many of them are Christ rejecters. Just preaching straight Bible messages will make you seem mean enough to most people, without you exerting extra effort in the flesh to attack them. God forbid that reading this book gets you so “all fired up” that you try to make all the trouble you can when you go out to preach in public.

Though straight Bible preaching will be plenty confrontational, don’t strive in the flesh to be confrontational and don’t glory in being so. Preaching with a heart full of love to tell lost sinners about God’s Love for them and His desire to save them should always be a MAIN goal of your preaching. And you must never forget that goal. You are an ambassador for Christ. Many eyes will be on you and many ears will hear you when you preach out in public. Therefore you should be especially sensitive to the Holy Spirit leading you so as to glorify God in what you do or say. When a child of the devil starts a shouting match with you, be careful to not let him bring you down to his level.

Please don’t feel like a failure and feel like it is a waste of time, when you get no favorable response to your preaching/singing out in public. The devil will try his best to get you to give up and quit over that very one thing. But each hearer is challenged by what he or she hears from the Bible, and God will judge all of them in accordance to what they did about the preaching they heard. Even if you see no positive response, rest assured that much is accomplished for all eternity. And one of those eternal accomplishments is the rewards you receive in Heaven for proclaiming to everyone you could, “thus saith the Lord God.” And according to Matthew 5:11&12, I believe your eternal reward will be greater when you receive no favorable response.

Another important thing that will be accomplished, when you preach and sing out in public, is that demons will flee. Rest assured that they are ever present, especially in places of much sin, liquor, drugs, and where rock music is played. Rock music is the devil’s music and it draws demons to it. Demons are a main source of unrest, violence, and crimes, especially in heavily populated areas like ghettos and poor intercity areas. I read a Christian’s story, telling of his life of violence before he got saved. As a young man in the city, he was smoking pot one night with friends when he heard a clear voice in his head audibly commanding him to “Kill!” And in obedience to that voice, he and his friends immediately went and assaulted a man, killing him. I firmly believe that a demon said, “Kill!” to that young man, and that demons commonly instigate such violence.

If you live in such a crime-ridden area and are fed up with such horrible things going on around you all the time, you can easily put a damper on them. Stand out in public and preach the Holy Bible, and the demons behind that violence will flee. Sing old hymns about the blood of Jesus and the demons will flee because they just can’t stand to hear that. Don’t let all the horrible sin around you daily vex your soul without you fighting back at it. Get out daily and bombard it with preaching and good singing and just watch the taming effect it will have on violence and other sins present. I believe that it will especially be effective against mischievous and violent children and teenagers. If your neighborhood is full of such young’ens, stand out in public among them and sing those old hymns hours at a time. The demons prodding those young people to violence will flee and you will likely see a marked taming effect on them.

I am not very pleased with the voice God gave me. To me, it is too weak, high-pitched, difficult to control, and has poor singing ability. Still I use it much for God’s glory. One day while preaching in pubic in Japan, a Japanese lady walked by, stopped to listen just a few seconds, walked a little further, stopped to listen just a little more before turning and saying to me, “That is a nice sounding voice.” She was sincere in that compliment, so apparently she heard something in my voice that I don’t hear. For many years, people who heard me singing would shake their head in despair at it. So I thought it was totally hopeless for my singing to ever sound good to anyone. But lately, some people with genuine musical ability have honestly said to me that my singing sounds good. Just maybe God is rewarding me with a better sounding voice because I have used it so many thousands of hours for His Glory. “Neither was I quiet.” Please use your voice all you can for God, and see what improvements He makes on it.

When I was visiting the jail on Guam weekly with other men from the church, we would sing hymns along with preaching. The climate inside a jail is “tense” by nature, and “trouble” is prone to occur regularly. One day when we were there, one of the jailbirds remarked to us that our singing and preaching had a general soothing and calming effect on the atmosphere there. He compared us with the charismatic church group that came there regularly, at a different time from us. He said that they just made a big noise with all their loud musical instruments and such, but that we did a lot of good. Likely they played “beaty” music that called in demons instead of driving them away.

“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.” (II Corinthians 4:18) All the visible wrong doings you see going on around you are just part of the great spiritual battle between God and the devil. Therefore many spiritual beings that are presently invisible to our human eyes are around us and they are a part of that battle. Preaching, singing, and praying out in public will drive away demons and will bring in angels and their power. You have this powerful ammo available to you if you will only use it by not being quiet. What great victories can be won out in public by you voicing Bible Truth out there. In this present life, you will be unaware of a lot is being accomplished. So please don’t let lack of visible results discourage you and cause you to quit. Keep being like Job. “Neither was I quiet.”

While preaching on the street in the town of Karuizawa here in Japan, a Japanese lady who runs a store just up the street comes by me most every day as she goes to and from the post office. I guess she is 50 or older and somewhat pitiful in appearance. She is somewhat small and frail in body. When I first saw her on the street there, often one of her arms would be bandaged. At times there were bruise-like marks on her face and sometimes bandages. She appeared to be battered by some person or demons, and I strongly believe that it was demons. That’s because she often emitted a loud sound much like a dog barking, sort of halfway between a dog’s bark and a cough. I have seen 2 or 3 Japanese children who barked like a dog, emitting a high-pitched yelp off and on. And I was quite sure that was caused by demons. As this woman came down the street, usually she would be emitting those barking-like sounds and also singing the saddest songs. Also she looked very pitiful, physically. People on the street would scoot away from her, and she almost never paid any attention to anyone. She was always alone, and I can’t recall ever seeing her smile or greet anyone on the street.

She never paid the least bit of attention to me when she walked past me, and often I would be preaching when she went by. Then I started singing hymns there also. And after I had been singing for several weeks, she started greeting me with a smile on her face. That change was quite a shock to me, and caused me to realize that she was no longer singing those sad songs, nor was she “barking” any more. That was a major change in her behavior. She continues to mostly ignore everyone on the street, but usually makes it a point to greet me when she comes by. I believed she was possessed by demons that tormented her terribly. Likely they could not stand to hear those hymns about Christ and therefore fled from her. And I think she knows exactly why those tormenters are gone form her, and that is why she became somewhat friendly to me. Singing those old, sacred hymns out in public certainly brings God’s power to bear there in that place. Many or all of the demons present will run when they hear it. You have a voice that can be used in such a powerful way in spiritual warfare. So what is your excuse for not using it for God’s glory and to gain victories for Him?

One night on Guam when I was preaching in front of bars, a man drove up in his car, parked right in front of me, and got out of his car to go into a bar. When he heard my preaching, he immediately got back into his car and drove away. He may have traveled on to another bar where there was no preaching. But if so, my preaching still had an effect on him. And if a Christian soldier were preaching in front of every place of sin, think how much more effective that would be. So just where are you, Christian soldier, far away from the front lines on permanent R and R? Rest assured that you could make a difference in the world around you by being like Job and not being quiet about God. You may feel like what you alone can do would be so little, just a “drop in the bucket.” But that is exactly what God has ordained, that each of us believers does his or her “little” part. And when we all do so, it adds up to a LOT. So you are responsible to God to not let your part be missing.

“Heavenly Father, please make me fully aware of my personal duty and responsibility to be a watchman and sound the warning of coming destruction to lost sinners. Help me to keep in mind that my “little part” is just as important as anyone else’s and that Thou will hold me accountable in Judgment for doing it. I pray this for all other Christians also. Amen.”

Another night when I was preaching in front of bars, a young Marine listened to me for a while. Then he came up to me and said, “I need to talk to you. I am not supposed to be out here. My Mother is back home praying that I will not go to bars and that I will not drink.” My car was parked nearby, so I asked him if he would come sit in the car and let me pray for him. He did that, and wept as I prayed for him. Then he prayed also. Such responses as that are rare, but they will occur if we will faithfully stand our watch for lost souls out where they are perishing, just as a good Marine or soldier stands his post. “Neither was I quiet.”

“Heavenly Father, please lead me into doing Thy Will concerning telling others around me about Thee. Please give me good understanding of the power in preaching, praying, and singing out in public. Please make me aware of the “invisible” victories that are won by doing so. And if it is Thy Will that I take part in fighting this spiritual battle out in public, please help me to faithfully do my God ordained part in it. I pray this for all other Christians also. Amen.”

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Likely you have heard the story that is supposed to be true, about a Christian witnessing to an atheist about salvation in Christ. After listening for a while, the atheist said to the Christian, “If I believed that were true as you claim that you believe it is true, then I would crawl around the world on broken glass to tell everyone.” I first heard that story many years ago when I was a boy. It has been told in many similar versions, and what I wrote above is likely not exactly what I heard many decades ago. But that is the jest of the story and many who have told it claim that it such a conversation actually took place in the distant past. It has a definite ring of truth to it, and it has much logic to it.

If we Christians truly believe the Bible account of an eternal Hell of fire and brimstone awaiting all the many souls who are without Christ, is it not totally logical that we should constantly be going everywhere we can, warning everyone we can to flee the wrath to come? If you are a Christian who does not do this, there is something most abnormal about you. You are not like your Saviour Who desires that no one perish. You are not a part of the great company that down through the ages has published the good news of God’s salvation. And you are not like perfect and upright Job who proclaimed, “Neither was I quiet.” May God help you to do the logical thing of warning lost sinners of the eternal punishment awaiting them in Hell.

Christians who do not warn lost people of the eternal Hell awaiting them, practically appear to be atheists. If you truly believe what the Bible teaches about God sending Christ rejecters to Hell, then what logical reason can you give for not warning everyone you possibly can, of the danger that lies ahead of them? For you to not have any desire to warn lost souls, gives the appearance that you simply do not believe God.

“Heavenly Father, please make me completely aware of how totally illogical it is for me, a professing Christian believer, not to do all I can to warn lost souls about the eternal Hell that awaits them after this life. Please change me into a fervent witness. Please help me to be like Job and not be quiet about God. I pray this for all other Christians also. Amen.”

Once when I was witnessing to a woman on Guam, she interrupted me and asked, “You don’t believe that ______, do you?”

I immediately replied, “I certainly do.” And now she believes it just as much as I do, because she died quite some time ago. Death makes believers out of everyone. May you and I do all we can to make believers out of the many lost sinners around us before death ends their chance to get saved. “Neither was I quiet.”

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Young preachers, for you to be used greatly of God, it is necessary for you to spend much time in the wilderness in order for God to bring you to spiritual maturity. One of the best wilderness experiences I have been through is that of going to Christ without the camp and there preaching to the many people out in public. My pulpit preaching was plenty weak and anemic until I started preaching out in public. Then it was amazing to see the change and an increase of power flow when I stood in the pulpit to preach. Also, stage fright in the pulpit just about completely disappeared. If you want God’s Power on your pulpit preaching, I would recommend that you preach out in public to gain it.

Moses was in the wilderness 40 years before God used him to lead the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. Being in a wilderness a long time is unpleasant in many ways, making us desirous to forsake it. From 1979 through 1984, I preached in public almost daily for long hours both on Guam and in Japan. I was in deep physical poverty then and it seemed like the main reward I got for my much preaching was much scorn, reproach, and opposition. I looked at my good pastor friend on Guam, 6 months younger than I and with a large, fine congregation to stand behind him, compliment him on his preaching, and pay him a good salary for it. When he asked the church to hire his wife as his personal secretary at the church, they did. When he soon after asked the church to hire some churchwomen to do his wife’s housework because she now worked away from home, the church gladly did that. I looked at what little I was getting in return for my much preaching and sure did feel weary in that great wilderness. Also, it just seemed that my lot would never improve in any way. But I was certainly wrong about that.

That is because the wilderness is God’s classroom. And He has certainly taught me a lot while I have been out there in class. Now, God enables me to put what I learned in writing and send it all over the world to be a help to many other people. What a great blessing that is to me, and to God be the glory for it all. So, my young preacher friend, call on God to give you patience while you are out there in that wilderness classroom. It truly is a weary journey, but it certainly yields great rewards. Be patient, be diligent in your calling, and you will find much to rejoice about when those rewards come in due time.

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I earnestly pray that this book will reach many of you fine, humble servants of the Lord who are in dire poverty in poor nations as you faithfully labor for God. The constant poverty wearies one, as one has to continually sacrifice just because of that. And as you think of how luxuriously some Christians daily live in “rich” nations, it is easy for you to become bitter at them & even at God. I pray that you will continue to be faithful to your calling of God. I pray that this book will be a great source of encouragement for you doing so.

Keep in mind that it requires no money for you to do just like Job did in these 3 matters. You can be perfect and upright like him, while rich Christians live in pleasure on the earth and are wanton. And on Judgment Day when you will receive great reward, their wood, hay, and stubble will all be burned up and some of them will be saved as by fire. I pray that you will be of good courage and faithfully serve your Heavenly Master in the great and terrible wilderness that you are in. And may God bless you beyond measure as you do so.

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In writing about Job, I have made a big issue out of him not being in safety, not having rest, and not being quiet. But we all know that it is not a rare thing at all for any of us to do these 3 things. In fact, it is a very common thing for people to forsake safety and do something that involves some degree of danger in some area of their life, physical, or financial, or such. Also, there is nothing rare about people working hard and long, without rest. And all of us who have a voice are most prone to make it heard, aren’t we? These 3 things compose most of the content of the history of the human race. There is absolutely nothing rare about them at all. So, just what was unusual about Job boasting of doing these things? And why did that action make him perfect and upright before God?

The answer is that Job did these 3 things for God his Creator, instead of for selfish gain or pleasure. He did them for God because he loved God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. The basic motive behind any person doing these 3 things (which most of us commonly do) is the motive of LOVE. Love toward some person or thing. We will readily sacrifice safety for the sake of the person or thing that we love the most. We will work till we drop, for that which we love. And we all tend to talk unceasingly about the person, people, and things that we love. You well know the truth of these statements.

So it is most important to know exactly what motivates anyone to do these 3 things which compose much of the history of the human race, and are 3 things most all of us do just as regularly as we breathe. By all means, please let it register firmly in your mind that the main motive behind those 3 most common actions is LOVE. Please remember that and think on the importance of it.

God’s first and greatest commandment to us is that we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Obeying that greatest of all commandments will result in us sacrificing safety for God’s causes, working long hours without rest for Him, and regularly speaking to others about God. Obeying God’s first and greatest commandment will result in us being like perfect & upright Job, and that greatly glorifies God. May God help each of us believers to love Him with all our heart and thereby be perfect and upright before God, man, and the devil.

“Heavenly Father, if Brother Richard is correct about love being the motivating factor behind these 3 actions, and if it is an important thing for us to know that, then please confirm both of those truths to me now. Please work powerfully in my heart to help me to love Thee with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Please create within me a perfect and total love for Thee that will make me gladly sacrifice safety and rest for Thy Sake, and will also make me want to proclaim Thy wondrous works to everyone that I can. I pray this for Brother Richard and all other believers also. Amen.”

There is only one True God, but He is Three Persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. Also, much of what God created, He created in 3 parts. This planet is made up of land, water, and air. God created humans as a body, soul, and spirit. Time is past, present, and future. God created 3 human institutions, the family, government, and the church. I suppose there is an infinite number of these sets of threes that God put into His creation.

And one of these sets of threes is the three windows God created into the human heart. God created the human heart for the purpose giving and receiving love. The heart was created by God for LOVE. And God created 3 windows into the human heart for the purpose of viewing what that heart loves. It is most easy for you to know what any person loves. Just simply observe what he or she will forsake safety for and risk danger for, and that is what that person loves. Just look at what they will work long and hard for without rest, and that is what they love. Just listen to what they talk about all the time, and that is what they love. We are also prone to talk much about that which we hate. But bear in mind that when we do that, we are indirectly revealing that which we love.

People who love God with all their hearts will manifest that by gladly forsaking safety and facing danger for Him. They will forego rest to labor hard and long for Him. And they will never cease to pray to Him, sing to Him and sing of Him, and talk of Him. These things are most easy to observe through the 3 windows God created in the human heart. People, who do not love God, also openly display the object or objects of their love by sacrificing safety and rest for that which they love, and by talking much of it.

These are 3 large and perfectly clear picture windows that God has put into each human heart He creates. You, as the possessor of that heart, cannot close these windows, put curtains on them, or shut out the view, by any means at all. They are always wide open for viewing. These windows face outward for other people to observe your heart. And it is most difficult to disguise the view with efforts of hypocrisy. May what others see, inside these windows to your heart, greatly glorify your Creator and inspire those who view your actions and hear your words, to be perfect and upright like Job. God’s archenemy, the devil, constantly looks into these windows of your heart. May that sight make him ever so miserable, just as perfect and upright Job made him miserable.

These heart windows also face upward, right into the Face of God your Creator for Him to observe where your love lieth. And of course, we never deceive God with our hypocrisy. God keeps a detailed and permanent record of all the things for which you lay aside safety and rest, and which you talk about all the time. And you will meet that record on Judgment Day. May God help each of us believers to strive with all our might to prepare to meet our God in judgment.

“Heavenly Father, please make me totally aware of the grave importance of the fact that Thou, other people, and Thine enemy the devil, are always observing my life. Please help me to fully know what an important and powerful testimony it is when I sacrifice safety and rest, and when I talk much. Please make me ever aware that this is a clearly visible testimony that I cannot possibly hide from mankind, the devil, or especially from Thee, The All Knowing God. Please help me to love Thee with all my heart so that the view into these windows of my heart will always greatly glorify Thee. I pray this prayer for all other Christian believers also. Amen.”

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Suppose that Job had never spoken of not being in safety, not having rest, and not being quiet. And let’s further suppose that God still led me to write a book about the importance of these three things in a believer’s life. I could easily find many scriptures in the Bible that show the importance of each of these three subjects. But Job 3:26 groups these three points together. And I firmly believe it teaches us that these are the main things that made Job perfect and upright before God. I also believe that if you and I will make these 3 things as important as Job did, that it will be a manifestation of us loving God with all our hearts, and will make us perfect and upright before God our Creator and Judge. May God help us all to do that.

In writing an entire book on these 3 points, I am not saying that the remaining vast amount of teaching and the numerous commands in God’s Bible are not important. It is of dire importance that we spend much time in reading and studying the entire Bible. And with God’s Help, we should diligently strive to be completely obedient to it. This will result in us living pure, clean, holy lives, and serving God with fear and trembling. It will also naturally result in us laying aside safety and rest for God, and talking much to Him and about Him to others. I pray that God will make you into such a mature and strong Christian. Please pray that for me also.

“Heavenly Father, I do desire to love Thee with all my heart. Please help me to do that. Help me to obey all Thine instructions in the Bible. May my love for Thee be so great, that I will gladly lay aside safety and rest for Thee in order to work the works that Thou hast ordained that I work while here on this earth. Help me to pray to Thee without ceasing and to constantly talk to others about Thee. I pray this prayer for all other Christian believers also. Help us all to be like Job. Amen.”

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I have written this book mainly to Christian believers. If you are not a Christian, I am most glad that you have read this book. This book calls on Christians to be good soldiers for Christ, valiantly fighting for God and standing on God’s side for that which is true, right, and holy. The greatest war that has ever been fought is the war between God and His archenemy the devil, Lucifer. And a main focal point of that war is the souls of men (human beings). Your eternal soul is of more value than all the “things” in this world. Because you have not repented to God and trusted in Christ to save you and give you God’s eternal life, you are headed for Hell to be punished for your sins, in fire where you will weep, wail, and gnash your teeth forever. There is no end to Hell. And there is no salvation or escape from it once a Christ rejecter dies and goes to Hell. The most important thing you can do in this life is to call on God to save you from that eternal Hell.

I did that when I was a little child. As I grew up, God taught me the importance of telling other people of their need to trust in Christ to receive God’s eternal life and salvation. As a young adult, that became the ONE thing I wanted to do, preach the Holy Bible to everyone that I could. That was years before the words in Job 3:26 ever caught my attention. But my fervent desire to see other people saved from a never ending Hell, caused me to become like Job by laying aside safety and rest to constantly hold forth the words of eternal life to lost souls who are perishing. With God’s love in my heart, I care about you and do not want you to perish in Hell. I want you to repent and trust in Christ to cleanse you from your sins and save you from the punishment of them. One of the main reasons I strive to be like Job is that I care about lost souls like you who are headed to Hell. I so much want you to repent to God and trust in Christ to save you.

The Lord Jesus Christ loves you with the greatest love there is in that He suffered that brutal death on the cross to take the punishment of your sins in your place. Since then, many prophets and preachers have lifted high this Saviour before a lost and dying world, offering lost mankind the only True Hope there is for us sinners. Every word I have written in this book has been for the purpose of exalting Christ as highly as possible, with a goal of drawing lost sinners like you to Him. Will you come to Him in repentance and trust in Him to save you? Please read over the following prayer really carefully, and consider praying it from your heart.

“Almighty God, please draw me to Thee. Cause me to know the sinful condition of my heart. Show me the reality of Hell, and the reality of the fact that I am headed for that eternal lake of fire and brimstone to be punished for my sins against my Creator God. Please help me to completely understand that Thou art totally just in sending unrepentant sinners to a never ending Hell. Give me good understanding of Thy Great Love for me, in that Thou sent Thine Only Begotten Son to this earth to take my punishment for my sin. Help me to believe that Christ will cleanse an awful sinner like me, with His Blood that He shed on the cross. Convince me that He will make me into a new creature, a child of God, if only I will let Him.

By Thy Unlimited Power, please set me free from the power of the devil, sin, and evil. Please give me victory over my flesh and its desires and lusts. Please create within me now, a repentant heart. Cause me to be truly sorry for all my sins I have committed against Thee and against other people. Please grant me the will and desire to now repent to Thee. Give me faith to fully trust in Thee to save me and give me eternal life. Please give me a desire to know Thee. Help me to hunger and thirst after righteousness. Give me a desire to read and study Thy Holy Bible, and please send Thy Holy Spirit to teach me as I read Thy Word. Please help me to totally surrender my life to Thee, fully obey Thee, and follow Thee wherever Thou choosest to lead me. Please help me to be perfect and upright, like Job. Thank Thee, Lord God, for hearing and answering this prayer of mine. Amen.”

Would you read my sermon titled, “One Thing Is Needful”? It has many prayers in it. Please think seriously on the things I wrote in that sermon, and pray each of those prayers from your heart. Please start reading the Holy Bible daily. If you read it in English, read the Authorized Version, which is the King James Version 1611. Please read all my books and sermons, as I am praying they will be a great spiritual help to you.

My lost friend without Christ, you need Christ and His Eternal Salvation from Hell, more than you need anything else. If you lose your eternal soul in Hell, you lose everything. So please pray the above prayer in earnest. Seek God your Creator with all your heart. Strive to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Become like perfect and upright Job by not being quiet about God. Go to your Saviour without the camp, bearing His reproach, by going out in public and proclaiming the words of the Bible. If you do not know what to say about the Bible, then just stand out in public and read it straight. I recommend starting with the Gospel of John, the book of First John, Psalms, and Proverbs. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart and guiding you to read certain passages from the Bible. Watch your entire being become alive with life you never before knew existed and watch the words of the Bible become alive to you when you read and study it in private. Watch in fascination and awe as God works mightily in your being to make you perfect and upright like Job.

“I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet.” May God help all us believers to be like perfect and upright Job.

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“Heavenly Father, I thank Thee for teaching me the things that I have written in this book. To God be the glory for it. Please deal with many people to read these writings. As they do so, send Thy Holy Spirit to work powerfully in their hearts concerning these spiritual matters. Please give all of us believers a consuming desire to be like perfect and upright Job and set hot revival fires burning in all our hearts. Amen.”

(This is the end of the book, “SAFETY, REST, AND QUIET.” May God use it to make multitudes of people perfect and upright, like Job was.)

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