And the Lord Spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the  borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue;  And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a-whoring:  That ye may remember, and do my commandments, and be holy unto your God.  I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God;  I am the Lord your God.

Numbers 15:38-41

God told Moses to tell the Children of Israel to put fringe in their garments. These tassel s were to be put in each corner of their garments and they were to  put them there with blue ribbon.  Each time the Israelites saw these blue tassels it would be a reminder of something.  (You know; like someone will tie a string around their finger as a reminder to not forget something important---or write themselves a note and hang it on the refrigerator door to remind them of something they have to do).

Why did the Children of Israel need to be reminded?  For the same reason we need be reminded. The truth is---We forget!  The Bible goes on to say that if they were not constantly reminded, they would follow their own hearts and their own eyes and commit spiritual adultery.  You know, Church, God looks upon you as the Bride and the Bride must be faithful to the Bridegroom.  If we follow our own lust, our own hearts and eyes, Scripture says we would depart from a relationship with the Bridegroom.  We will commit spiritual adultery----and that doesn't make God happy.  It won't make you happy either.  God is not being mean here!  He's helping them by creating a reminder to do the right thing.

Each time you see a tassel......For example: if you see me in Wal-Mart......"Hey! there's the preacher over there.  He's going down aisle four, let's duck down aisle six.  We don't want to bump into the preacher.  It's a good thing he didn't see me reading that magazine awhile ago, and I don't need to be talking like I was a few minutes ago, either.  I need to straighten up and act right.  I don't want him to see me acting like this!"

You know what you ought to do?  You ought to act like someone is watching you every minute of the day.  Well, Somebody is watching you!  These tassel were heavenly reminders.  We have heavenly reminders too!  There are many, but today I will give you three.

• Spending time in heavenly company -- For the life of me I can't understand how people can say, ”I love Jesus,” and you can't get them in the House of God.  What's wrong with this picture?    That's like saying, ”I love Baskin-Robbins ice cream, but I won't go there.”  Oh, Lord knows I go.  I know where the good stuff is, amen!  I also know where the good stuff is here, too.  When I fellowship with my family that encourages me, it lifts my spirit to see your smiling faces. Today is a holiday weekend; this church could be three-fourths empty, but here we are--- well attended,  and you chose to spend your holiday coming to church. That shows your walk with God.  When you walk with God, you walk blessed,  and when you grill out tomorrow and cook that hamburger, the Lord's gonna' make it taste mighty good.  He's might keep the flies off your hot dog, too.  I can't make promises for God, but when you walk in obedience,  you please the Father.

• Spending time with the brethren;  You know what?   You going to spend eternity with a lot of people you see here today.  So you might need to get to know them right now.  Spend time with the Brethren. That should remind us we are accountable. I have a hard time acting a heathen when I'm around the brethren.  You know why?  Because I want them to see Jesus in me.  I want them to see enough Jesus in me that they would want Him in their life.  To be accountable to man, you must be accountable to God.  Going to church is a good thing.  

Parents, bring your kids to church.  Make it a family affair.  Even if you have to use friendly-persuasion sometimes to bring them....Do it!  The truth is, if you don't get church attendance grounded in them, they may never go to church.  Some may say, “I don't want to go to church.  It's too hot, it's too cold.  You can't find a parking place and someone else always gets my pew.  Well bless your heart!  Going to church is a good thing.  Why don't you try it? Don't just try it but get in there and stay in there.  Make church a priority.

•  Spending time in heavenly presence with heavenly sights and sounds.  We are filling our eyes and ears with junk!  You can't get your cup filled with junk.  Is God honored in  your music, or worse yet,  does your music dishonor  God?    Too many times people fuss about certain music in the church -- ” We're  not going to have that kind of music in  this church!”  Yet, they'll leave the church, tune their radio in to rock-and-roll,  hip-hop, rap  or country music.  You question; “Well,  what about that song "Jesus,  Take the Wheel” ?  Personally, I like that song!  For each "Jesus Take the Wheel" song, there are a hundred beer drinking,  saloon busting , wife leaving songs people listen to everyday.  Junk!   You might  say, “Preacher, country music is the heartbeat of America... I ask you, ”Does it honor God?”

 Let's discuss your television viewing?  "Oh, Preacher, don't talk about my TV."    .Bless your heart , honey; does it honor God?  Ninety percent of what comes across television is vulgar.  Did you hear me????  I said, ” Ninety percent of what comes on television is vulgar!  If it weren't for Andy Griffith, there would be nothing on television fit to watch ---- and sometimes I'm not too sure about him!  Especially when Otis gets on a big drunk and locks himself in the jail. 

I watch quite a bit on the History Channel but that is not always a good thing to watch, either.  Recently, they had a documentary on Prostitution.--as if anyone needed to know about prostitution.   What I'm really trying to say is don't allow filth to come into your mind.  You can't think about God and Heaven when your mind is cluttered with ungodly sights and sounds.

The times I get most blessed is when I'm  all alone with God, in His presence. 

Last Sunday was one of the sweetest services I have ever been in.  We've never had  one like it ever before.  The whole church responded to a prayer circle... His Holy Spirit was here in the midst.  I'll never forget that service.  There is no kind of love like the love of God and as good as last Sunday's service was,  it is when I'm all alone with God I feel blessed the most.  There's nothing like His sweet gentle spirit.  If we don't let God rule and reign in our lives, we will follow our own hearts and our own eyes, and be caught in the midst of spiritual adultery.  That is not God's plan for His children.

God did not save us to be average  He didn't save us to be luke-warm.  God saved us to be a crown jewel so that people can see Jesus through us.  I want Him to guide me and  bless me and my family. I want Him to bless this church and you.  So, I urge you to spend time with heavenly company and heavenly brethren in heavenly places.

Bro. Jr Fields........May 28, 2006.

Sermon edited by Mary King

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