I'm now for yours truly, Johnny Dollar. The next half hour has its baggage packed to take a trip with America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Johnny Dollar. At insurance investigation, he's just an expert.  Expense accounts submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Dollar to Frederick Kimball, General Manager of Fine Arts, Inc., New York, New York. The following is an accounting of my expenditures in the investigation of the stolen portrait of the Duke of Masson, or who opened the season on canvas back to. Expense account item one, $350 plane fare, New York to London. Item two, $125 replacement brand new light sand topcoat borrowed and not returned by fellow passenger during flight. We've cleared Ganda Newfoundland and we're four hours out, flying at 20,000 feet over the Atlantic with a knife in the weather and fighting it out to see which could darken the sky first. Most of the passengers were asleep, but the rough weather was giving the man a seat beside me at a rough time. Although the plane had leveled off, his dinner was still trying to gain altitude. Among other things, he complained of chill, so I slipped out of my topcoat and threw it around his shoulder. Oh, thank you. Sorry to be such a bother. Oh, I think I'll try a drink of water. Okay, I'll bust for the stewardess. No, don't bother. He's up forward.  I'll be right back. I'll be here. My seat later carried his constitutional too far. He stepped out for a breath of fresh air.  By the time I got to the back of the ship, the rear seat passengers were milling around on the aisle. Oh, I'm claiming not to know anything about what had happened. I didn't know that. But if my ex-friend hadn't got out of the plane, he'd been pushed. And that posed this tantalizing question. If he'd been pushed, and since he'd been wearing my light tan topcoat, was I the one who was supposed to be taking that 20,000-foot swan dive into the Atlantic? I looked over the passengers, and to me, they all looked guilty. I knew they couldn't be. I also knew I had no chance of finding out which one was. The thing settled down. Everybody started asking the stewardess for sedatives to help them get back to sleep. I asked her for some black coffee to keep awake. By four o'clock the next afternoon, I was in good health, in London, and in the office of your policy holder, Dexter Morley. Yes, I've been expecting you, darling.  You're very generous of them to send you all the way over here to help. The way I have to pay out my expense account to make an honest living. Don't ever accuse my clients of generosity. Oh? They aren't being soft-hearted benefactors. They're being hard-headed businessmen. If that painting stays lost, it'll cost them $250,000. Well, I'd better brief you from the beginning. Oh, well, you're under your story, Morley. Don't mind. I'm just sleeping. I see. Very well. I'll make a brief dollar. Well, during my lifetime, I have developed an overwhelming appreciation for fine painting. Unfortunately, I have not been able to develop the fortune that should go with it. As a result, I haven't only not been able to make great paintings, but been able to afford to travel to the museums around the world where the great masterpieces hang. I guess there must be a lot of people stuck in the same fridge. Exactly. And that's what gave birth to my plan. I have organized what you might call the Masterpieces of the Month Club. Its members are 12 of the top museums and galleries in the world. This plan calls for them to rotate their most famous paintings. In other words, if the people can't afford to come to the pictures, my scheme brings the pictures to the people. A new one every month. Oh, it's very interesting, Mr. Morley. But let's talk about the one that got away. Oh, yes, of course. I was merely outlining the background of this case to delineate my responsibility of the matter. Well, so now we know that you feel personally responsible for the loss of the painting, even though it's well-insured. Mr. Dollar, no amount of money can get that picture repainted by the man who originally painted it. The artist Bonnet has been dead for more than 300 years. A real gone guy. If we fail to recover Bonnet's masterpiece, the Duke of Masson, it would not only be a tremendous shock, but also a tremendous loss to the world of art. Further, it would ruin my reputation. The very first painting to be loaned arrives here in London from Paris four days ago. And the first night after I delivered it to the museum, it has stolen off their wall. Okay, Mr. Morley. Don't look through the story. Where's the museum? It's the New Art Gallery at Coventry. Here's the address. I won't be able to accompany myself as I'm flying across the channel immediately to try to calm the official in Paris. The ones who loaned the stolen painting, they've been calling incessantly. I'll phone my assistant Miss Harding to meet you at the main entrance of the museum in, let's say, 45 minutes. Okay. He'll all be the man asleep on his step. Miss Account, item three. Sixpence tapenies. London papers. The read while waiting for Miss Harding at museum entrance. No matter what I told Mr. Morley, I was afraid to go to sleep. Age one of each newspaper referred to my reason. The misadventure which had occurred on a plane the night before.  Then along came another good reason for my lid not drooping. Miss Harding was an eye opener. Speaking in artistic terms, no painter could completely capture her dimension. A sculptor could come closer. Oh, as I was concerned, so could she. And she did. What do you think, Mr. Dollar? What do you mean? I'm Miss Harding. Miss Morley indicated that I might find you asleep. I said it must have been a shocking experience on the way over. Oh, not only shocking, but frustrating. Yes, there was nothing much that could be done. We searched along enough to drop a few life brasses and flares and a big blob of yellow oil to help mark the spot. Then all the pilot could do was call for the AirC Rescue Boys and hope. Yes, it's been in all the papers the whole day for a check. Yeah, it could be that there, but for the grace of a light tan topcoat, go on. What is that? Oh, nothing. Well, shall we go museum prowling? Yes, of course. There isn't much to see, just a blank space on the wall. Well, let's take a look anyway. Hey, did you see a blank space on the wall? Oh, I know. You mean they stole the painting frame and oil? Indeed they did. Our thieves are doing things the hard way these days. Usually they just cut the painting out of the frames, take it under the coat and make a getaway. Yes, Mr. Dollar, I know, but perhaps this job was done by a beginner or perhaps the burglar was interrupted and had to need to run for its frame and oil. There are infinite possibilities. Infinite? Thanks. Mr. Dollar, thank you. I think this trip here to the museum is an utter waste of time. I've gone over the whole situation with a gentleman from Scotland now. There isn't so much as a single fingerprint. Miss Harding, I have yet to solve a case with a fingerprint. Sorry, I forgot. I mean, just can't stand to be in a show of efficiency in a woman. Oh, I wouldn't say that. It's according to what they're trying to represent me. I am speaking of business. Mr. Dollar, I'm sure that I can send you a break through the trouble. I've already done an extraordinary amount of research on this case. Well, be careful what you tell me, Miss Harding. At this point, I can do it easily. Mr. Dollar, a child could understand what I have to tell you. Sometimes a wide awake child is better than a sleepy man. Let's go ahead. Now, this is the case right here. There. You see?  Now, Mr. Dollar, of the 12 former arches in London, I have discovered that nine are currently in prison. One is in hospital after falling four stories off a roof. And the other two are at large, and ladies aren't residing at the addresses I have here. You sound more like a patron of the criminal court than you do of the arts. In the past, I've been to criminology's fascination.  Yeah, things are blank enough. Give me those addresses. And while you're right, I think you'd better give me yours. Mr. Dollar, you don't think I look suspicious? Oh, no. Delicious. Spencer Cow, item four. Five shillings, cab fare to Scotland Yard. Tip to driver, two bars. In terms of the money, I speak all languages. Scotland Yard from the outside looked like a big public school. Well, it has taught a lot of lessons to a lot of people. Inside, it was tea time. When I inquired for the officer in charge of the robbery, with which I was concerned, I was led to an Inspector Carew. First, he gave me a cup of tea, then he gave me my lumps. Mr. Dollar, you sit here and ask me why we haven't done something. Believe me, sir, the yard is not as archaic as its architecture. There's a simple legal procedure which must occur before we can make either an investigation or an arrest. Well? First, a complaint must be lodged by the legal owners of any stolen property. At that point, and at that point only, are we allowed to act. You mean nobody called for help? Well, naturally, when the museum discovered the painting, he immediately rang us up. We went to court to gather primary evidence. Unfortunately, there was none. Well, what about the owners of the painting? The museum in Paris? As yet, we've heard nothing. We expect to momentarily. Inspector, just out of curiosity, what about this girl, this Harding? I'd say she's, uh... Well, uh, a jolly, fine type. I mean, do you know anything about her? I've stayed. Do yanks carry off enough of our girls after the war? I'm not in the importing business.  What? You suspect her? Well, not particularly, but she did give me this list. In her opinion, this is the who's who and where they are of your city's light-fingered art lovers. Let me see it.  Hardly the work of an amateur. We've heard what a young lady like Miss Harding come into such information. That, Inspector Carew, is exactly what I'm driving at. I've got a taxi headed from Scotland Yard on my way to check into the Mount Royal Hotel. I gave my eyes a rest at the risk of missing the sightseeing, but my mind refused to follow suit that now had three blank walls to stare into. The one in the museum, the one at Scotland Yard, and the most provocative of the three to look at, the girls who knew too much, Miss Burial Harding. My mind also kept ruffling my nerve ends with a question. Was I supposed to be the guy who got dumped out of that plane the night before? We arrived at the Mount Royal Hotel, and I got my answers. Here we are, sir. That's the Mount Royal right. Stayed on, of course, the way you can't miss it. Okay. What's the bill? That'll be off the crowd. How much? Two and six cents. Oh, here, you'll figure it out. Shoot! God, ever so clever. That was a close one. You all right, government? Yeah. You know, I mean, just the cars are back on the street. It's more dangerous to walk around now than it was when them ruddy buzzbonds were dropping. Yeah, a couple of good things about the buzzbonds, though. Nobody aims them at you personally, and nobody was at the wheel to steer them. That made it official. I had been set up for a picture, and it caused me somebody had tried to turn into a seagull during that flight across the Atlantic. Extended to Count Item 5, three pounds 10 to Bellaboy for service of rent. How about that 14 bucks for a bottle of scotch? An actor of 40 winks that felt like only 20. Then I grabbed a shower, a shave, and a cab down Oxford Street and over to Soho. Extended to Count Item 6, five shillings, the legal limit on the price of dinner in England these days. I ate in a nice place called Kettner's, dinner being a bit of chicken, three choices of vegetables. Brussels sprouts boiled, Brussels sprouts creamed, and Brussels sprouts roasted. For dessert, I looked at the names and addresses of Miss Harding's two candidates for the boys most likely to have succeeded in swiping the missing portrait of a Duke of Masson. I was in the right district for one of them. I found myself in a dark and lonely muse. That may sound good to you, but in Soho, a muse is still only a place fit for ash cans and cats. There's the address of the number one boy on Miss Harding's list. At a top step, I was breathing hard, and I wasn't off on the climb. That's my teeth. My knuckles were knocked on the door. Then I broke road through the basic instructions for the working snoop. I opened the door. That lock never went to Yale. The door of a wood-burning stove across the room was open. The flames erratically pinging the walls with orange light, then erasing them back into black dark. I finally dared to breathe. Then I saw what I was looking for, lying on a table. Its edges curled upward. An oil painting of a guy with short breeches and a long face. I started forward, but something bored my foot. I stared down at the floor in front of me. First it was pitch black. Then the light from the stove cleared up, and I saw that the object was what it... I thought it was, and hoped it wasn't. A man wearing his head, and I don't mean his hair, pointed in the middle. I rushed across the room, flipped them over the top of the stove, gave me more light, and looked for a telephone. There was none in the room with a corpse, so I tried the door of the next room. And the door I was trying started erupting. In just a moment, we'll return to the second act of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. But first, we want to remind you that those delightful, charming neighbors, Ozzie and Harriet, are coming back home next Sunday night. Coming back to CBN. You'll be able to join them on most of these same stations at 6.30 Eastern Standard Time, just before the Jack Benny show. Ozzie and Harriet now have their own sons, Ricky and David, playing themselves in place of the young actors who formerly portrayed them. So make it a party for your whole family when Ozzie and Harriet, Ricky and David, come home with their fun and laughter to CBS next Sunday night. And now, back to yours truly, Johnny Dollar. When bullets came crashing through the door, I dropped to the floor. I still don't know whether my knees buckled or I meant to go down. I stayed where I was, but whoever it was on the other side of that door decided to take off, out the window. I got to my feet, but by the time I kicked the door, I got to the window. I had that old mother-hubbered feeling. The cupboard was there. That's what I'm doing here in your flatness, Harding.   Well, you mean you sound so annoyed at me. Of course I advised you to go there, but after all, it was your duty. You did recover the picture. I almost lost my health doing it for the third time. Really? Yes, really. First, somebody tried to make a sea-going parrot trooper out of me. Then they tried to make me part of the pavement by running me down with an auto. And now tonight, somebody on the other side of the door tries to turn it into my personal copy of the pearly gate. That's really enough for me. Mr. Dollar, where is the painting now? At Scotland Yard. And now let's change the subject back. What's bothering me is bothering me plenty. I want to know who didn't want me to find that picture. And why? Well, I seem elementary. Thank you, Doctor Watt. The food naturally didn't want you to find it. Miss Harding, please. When I got shot at, the apparent thief was dead. Well, they do have henchmen, you know. If he was killed by an accomplice, why are the killer leave the painting? I'd have no way of knowing. Of that, I'm still not sure. Oh, really? Mr. Dollar, come off it. You hardly suspect me. I suspect you less than you'd stop saying that. At this point, I suspect everyone, even Dexter Morley, dreaming up this whole painting of the month scheme to bring those paintings within a stealing distance. Oh, but that's utter living. I know, I know. If that was the plan, he'd wait until he had more than one picture on the road to steal. That's why I don't suspect him. Well, frankly, I don't see why you continue to worry. After all, you're part of the job he's done, isn't it? Yeah, I suppose you're right. When I still have a yearning burning deep down inside of me to break somebody's neck. Mind if I use your phone? Of course not. Help yourself. All right. Hello, I want to talk to New York. Don't worry, I'll call Collect. My name is Johnny Dollar.  The number is Plaza 6, 9184. Dexter St. Claude. And the call is... Correct. Collect. Oh, they'll call me. Well, while you're waiting, it's probably due in a break. Is the temporary? What have you got? Oh, dinner calling, dinner lemon, dinner Italian, or dinner French. I wish it. No thanks. Well, come and sit down over there. Where are you resting? There's more restful in the eyes where I am. Here, I can have a better look at you. However... All right, Mr. Dolly, you can be charming. Do you mind if I change the mix of this song? It sounds much more fun. Well, swap your one, Johnny, for every Muriel you let me use. Mr. Bargain. Now, tell me about yourself. Your line of work is fascinating. I'm an absolute bargain criminologist. At the moment, Muriel, that happens to be my unfavorite subject. Let's talk about you. Where shall I begin? Just after the age of 21.  At the age of 21, I was serving in the West. The Women's Air Force. Oh, you must have had a lot of exciting adventures. You rather. What was the most exciting? Oh, I think perhaps the night the young U.S. Air Force Captain Steve. Oh, one of the boys of the wild blue yonder. Maybe it was the blue of your eyes that made him wild. Johnny. I know how he must have felt. Hey, Johnny. Oh, I'll be right back. All right, Johnny. Hello? Are you there? Are you there? Of course I'm here. Mr. Duller? That's right. A minute, you stop. Is this the fine arts insurer? I want to talk to Mr. Kimball. Yes, yes, yes, Duller. I'm on the line. Go ahead. Well, you can stop worrying, Kimball. I got the painting back. You say you did get it back? That's right. It's safe. All you'll have to pay is the price of a new frame. What's that you mean? Well, the guy who swiped it took the painting out of the frame. I don't know where it is. Well, ask the culprit what he did with it. I can't. He's dead. Well, then look. Okay, Fred. Don't go out on any bridge work. I'll look around for it. You've been everything you... It's too near doing that already. What did you say? Okay, Fred. I'll cable you what happened. Goodbye. Well, Muriel, vacation's over. I just got put back to work. I gathered in your conversation. You want us into chasing up into the night to look for the picture frame? Yeah, that's it. Oh, it's really distant. I think you've probably already found it somewhere in that fellow's flat. Well, check that. But my work is personal service. Oh, but...  Well, there's nothing I'd like better, but... Couldn't you stay even for a little while? Well, just long enough to calm my nerves. Big Ben was ringing up midnight on Time's greedy cash register. When I finally cleared with a Bobby guarding the back alley flat, it had not so long before given up one precious life and one very precious painting. The place was darker than it had been on my previous visit, and when I groped for the electric switch, I realized why. There had been a brisk fire blazing before. Upon I'm great at the stove, I found enough unburned portions of the hot picture frame to justify my conclusions. And I found something else that came under the category of hot rocks. Friends, account item seven. Cab fare to the office of Dexter Morley. The front door was not only locked, it was barred. However, at the back of the building, I had better luck. A loose window down to the basement. I had broken the law, but I didn't want to break my neck, so I snapped on a light. The basement was loaded with cabinet-making equipment, but for my dough, they weren't making any cabinets. There was a bench with a power drill, and on the floor below it, a pile of sawdust and wood shading. That was normal enough, but the sawdust pile was blending with tiny specks of crystallized glue. With what I had now, all I had to find was Dexter Morley. He made that easy, he found me. Stay down there, darling. Right where you are. Well, welcome home from that trip to Paris you didn't take. That gun in your hand suggests that I'm right about one thing anyway. Yes, and what would that be? That whoever took those shots at me earlier tonight was probably not an Englishman. The barbies over here don't carry guns, which makes most English mugs afraid to. You're an American. That's an interesting but hardly valuable. I've got some more. How valuable is this? I think you're in on, or at the head of, a very high-class smuggling racket. And I think you set up that painting of the month scheme of yours to establish just about the neatest method of smuggling that I've ever heard of. You're very generous, but I know how I operate, so what you could tell me about it could do nothing more than bore me. What I want from you are the diamonds. Maybe I can trade you. Some diamonds for some answers. You're in no position to bargain.  No, wait a minute. I'd better explain my bargaining position, and I think you admit it's not the worst. Since you must have followed me here, you know I took a cab from the murder flat, one without a tail light, so you don't have a number. But, brother, I do. And the diamonds are jammed down behind its back seats. Now, let's bargain. Why, you... All right. What do you want to know? Just let me do the guessing. You can check me if I'm wrong. You set up a chain of famous paintings which would move around the world through your branch offices. As each one passed through your hands here, the frame was to be dismantled and a hole was bored in it at the joints for the purpose of smuggling diamonds. Right so far? Yes, brother, right. But remember, the more you are right about, the worse it is for me.  We'll take care of that later. This scheme of yours is fascinating. The stuff moves around the world and the picture frames under official armed guard and enjoying virtual diplomatic immunity through customs. It's great. It's better than great, but it hasn't been for that heavy handed oath. Oh, that still is in a missing link. A man of the night comes a burglar, steals your first loaded picture, shoves the frame into his stove to get rid of it.  You saw what happened to him when he resisted me, Stella. Now, you must realize that I won't hesitate a moment. It works the other way, doesn't it?  And without it, you will never get your diamond. There are other ways. Keep your hands behind you. Same rule. I thought so. Your head will wear out before this gun barrel does. Still more like talking? Just enough to tell you one more thing. You can tell I've blonde the countless of yours. I was on to her from the start. Tony, what do you mean? What? Don't shoot back. I can't repay you for those three tries you made or had made on my life, Mollie. Well, here's what it feels like to be being hit on the head with a gun. A rocker by booby. Muriel, look out. You'll fall. I told you, that's a very undignified way for a lady to enter a room through a basement window. Johnny, I was only trying to help, and there you were accusing me of being the accomplice. After all those nice things you said to me before. Whoa, wait a minute. I followed you. I wanted to see how you were. I'll break you and your criminology. At least you might have stepped in before you hit me those two licks. Oh, I'm sorry, Johnny. It's just that I love crime. Well, come on, get up. What? It would be a crime if Mr. Warley there woke up and I had to put him back to sleep again before the police got here.   I've got a pocket full of them. There. Scrape one of them with your fingernail. Oh, it's nice. Tony, that's the kind of glass a fellow hands his girl when he wants to be engaged to marry her. Johnny, Johnny, you mean? Yes, I mean only that they're diamonds. Expense account item 8. $350. Plain fare out of attempted matrimony by the party of the second part. Item 9. $25. Gift to Muriel Harding. Two books. One on the art of crime, the other on the art of cookery. In the hopes that the latter might attract her to the pursuit of a more womanly hobby. Item 10, 10 cents. Roma Seltzer. Perches upon landing at Ganda Newfoundland. The only thing still fighting me on this case were those Brussels sprouts I had at dinner in London the night before. Expense account total? $15.63 and 40 cents. If you find any slight discrepancy in this amount, in my favor, blame it on my confusion and lack of understanding of the international rate of exchange. The only thing I like to exchange at this point is my head with its true new lump. Wishing you the same. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. In just a moment, more about Johnny Dollar. But first, Academy Award winner, Jane Wyman comes as guest to the Family Hour of Stars and Ozzie and Harriet return in triumph to CBS. These are two headline-making events for next Sunday night. Add these two shows to the top comedy of Jack Benny, the feminine charm and dramatic talent of Helen Hayes and Eve Arden, the ace comedy teams of Amos and Andy and Lemon Abner, and CBS Sunday Night makes great news. On top of this, there are the notable mystery capers with Sam Spade and the laughter with life with Luigi and its age to be ignorant. So don't miss a single one of CBS 10 Great Entertainment next Sunday night when they're heard over most of these same stations. Jack Benny, of course, comes to you over them all. Listen in again next week when CBS brings you your truly Johnny Dollar with Charles Russell as Johnny. Your truly Johnny Dollar is written by Paul Dudley and Gil Dow, with music by Mark Warno and is produced and directed by Richard Sanville for CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.


Okay, good morning and welcome to a new week, before we begin with someone open as a prayer please. I can pray sister. Yes please, thank you. Heavenly Father, thank you Lord for this day and thank you for the breath of life my Master Lord. As we come today, gather to learn your word my Master. Let your word be transformed in our spirit my Master that we may be rooted strong and strong in your foundation my Master Lord. We pray Lord that you will inspire our teacher to teach us your word my Master. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen. Amen, thank you so much. So, we'll just continue from where we stopped last week we'll do a quick overview of what we covered last week and then go into the rest of it and then we're going to try and finish the book today and then we'll have a discussion on what your experience was of meditating on the word. I still have to pick a topic and spend time over this week meditating on that word so we'll have a discussion on that maybe in the second hour. So, we'll just continue we'll just do a quick overview. So, the previous week we looked at what exactly we do when we are meditating and we talked about these three aspects of meditation which is contemplation, visualization and confession. So, we looked at what those three things mean and then we went into what are we expecting out of meditating on God's word. So, we said the first thing is to actually come into the presence of God to be able to experience him with us in that time of meditating and spending time in his word. We also talked about us being renewed in our minds renewing the way we speak, renewing our faith through meditation. So, it changes the way we view ourselves, it changes the way we view the world around us and the way we respond to the world around us. The fruit of meditation we looked at a few verses in scripture and some of the things that result out of meditating in God's word. So, being born of the word of God, experiencing healing, receiving insight and wisdom, prosperity, being promised prosperity and success and then spiritual growth and maturity. We then looked at when we can meditate on God's word. So, we can use it as a daily practice as we are studying the word of God to also be meditating on God's word in times of special need where we're having a certain situation or a challenge and we go to God's word and meditate on a specific topic relevant to what is going on in our lives. And then the third is just to do it as a discipline that we strengthen ourselves spiritually just as you would using physical exercise to strengthen your body. You do that as a discipline and that's what keeps you strong and healthy in the same way we do that with the scriptures with meditating on God's word. Then we covered a few ways in which we can meditate on God's word. These are just suggestions that you can choose to use or you can find other ways in which you want to meditate. So, one is to meditate on a specific topic. So, versus related to that topic to spend a few days or weeks or months meditating on one topic related to your specific season in life. Another way is to have a weekly routine where each day you're meditating on a different topic and then you go back to the same topic every week. So, there's an example given there on the slide and then the third was contemplative Bible reading. So, where you basically just focus on a few verses rather than reading a whole passage or a whole chapter of scripture. You just take a few verses and meditate like think deeply on those verses and either spend one day on that or spend a few days as you feel it and as God is speaking to you through that time of meditation. We then looked at how we protect and nurture the seed that has been planted. So, we talked about Satan being after the word of God and so Satan doesn't want us to hear God's word to receive God's word and because he knows that that will result in us growing in our faith and then it makes his efforts to draw us away from God to draw us into temptation that much harder when we are resting in God's word when we are believing God's word when we are declaring God's word and so before that word can actually settle in our hearts and take root in our hearts, Satan's goal is to keep us from even hearing the word or believing that word or receiving it for ourselves. So, he does this in various ways, either through just keeping us from hearing the word because we're so busy because we're distracted by other things that are happening in our lives or he takes it away by bringing in confusion, bringing in lies or deception related to the word of God or he brings in doubt or unbelief so that we don't actually believe the word that we have heard. So, these are some things we need to protect ourselves against and the way to do that is to continually meditate on God's word, to walk in the spirit and in fellowship with other strong believers. Three ways that we can keep ourselves from losing the fruit of the seed that is being planted in our hearts through the word of God. We looked at this other parable from Mark 4, 26 to 29 just about knowing that once a seed is planted, it will grow but that takes time and we don't know how it will grow but we know that it will grow. We just have to be faithful to do the task of taking care of it, of protecting it, of nurturing it, of strengthening ourselves in the word and then trusting that the harvest will come based on all that we've looked at in the beginning of this book. We began the book looking at how powerful the word of God is and how it can produce things in our lives, how it can create things in our life, how it can transform us. So, taking all of that into consideration, we keep growing in the word, just trusting that that fruit will be born over time. We don't know how and we don't know when. We are just going to be faithful to keep remaining in God's word, abiding in God's word. So, I think that was where we stopped last week and we'll continue from there into the last few chapters of the book. So, we look at revelation, so receiving spiritual understanding. So, we see three things in these three gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke, when they're talking about this parable, they use three different ways of talking about what we must do in response to the word of God and Matthew talks about understanding the word of God. So, if somebody can read for us Matthew 13 verse 19, Matthew chapter 13 verse 19 please. Matthew 13 19, when anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received by the wayside. Thank you. I'm just opening that up as well. So, we see here that specific description that Matthew says when you hear the message and don't understand it, right? And we had talked about this previously where understanding doesn't mean only understanding with our minds, it means receiving a spiritual understanding of that scripture and that comes from the Holy Spirit, right? So, here understanding, if we look at the word that's used in scripture, it can be also looked at as putting together or grasping or comprehending what is being talked to us. Now, that comprehension is not just the meaning of the literal words, but comprehending what does that mean for me? How should it impact me? What is the spiritual truth underlying it? We look more at a few of these scriptures here and look at what does it mean to get a spiritual understanding of the scriptures rather than just understanding it with our minds and with our human efforts. Let's also look at Luke 812. If someone can read that please. Luke 812, those by the wayside are the ones who hear, then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. Thank you. So, in Luke we see talking about believing and being saved, right? So, that hearing or that understanding really then moves into believing and receiving and being saved by that word. And so, that's why Satan is trying to take it away because he knows that once we receive that understanding of the word, once we receive that spiritual revelation of the truth of God's word, then it can take hold of our hearts and we can fully take hold of it for ourselves. It moves from just a head knowledge to a conviction that is so strong within us that no matter what is happening around us, that conviction will not be affected. So, there's a difference between having knowledge and having a firm grasp or having a conviction of something. And this is where we want to move from knowing the word of God to moving to this firm faith and belief in God's word. So, we look at some of these scriptures. We're talking about the difference between just understanding with our human intellect. So, we can study the Greek and Hebrew. We can understand the content. We can dissect the verses and the passages and do an outline of the book or the chapter that we're studying. We can do all of those things and just come to an understanding of the message or the words that are being used. But to get to that spiritual truth that underlies it, the message that the Holy Spirit wanted to inspire us through and inspire the writers to put down, we have to depend on the Holy Spirit. That is not something that we can do with our human intellect. So, for us to come to that place of recognizing we want to put in that effort. We want to spend time studying God's word. But we want to do it in partnership with the Holy Spirit, independence on the Holy Spirit, recognizing that our own efforts can only take us that far. And then the Holy Spirit really has to be the one opening our eyes to see things that are beyond our understanding. So, we look at these verses 1 Corinthians 2. I think these two are yeah 1 Corinthians 2 14 and 9 to 12. We look at 14 first and then we look at 9 to 12. If someone can read that for us 1 Corinthians 2 14. 1 Corinthians 2 14. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God or they are foolishness to him. Nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. Thank you. So, we see here clearly that we need the Holy Spirit to reveal reveal the truth of things related to the Spirit, things related to God. We cannot understand it in our natural minds. And so, for us to understand it, we go to the Holy Spirit. Can we then read verses 9 to 12 of the same chapter, please? Yeah, 1 Corinthians 2 verses 9 to 12. But as it is written, what know I has seen, nor your heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him. These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God, for who knows a person's thoughts except the Spirit of that person, which is in him. So, also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now, we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given to us by God. Thank you. So, these verses are just so beautiful and such an amazing promise. We start with this in verse 9 that there will no human eye, no human ear, no human mind can comprehend, can even come close to understanding or imagining what God has in store for us. But we have this and it ends with verse 12, we have the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit enables us to understand these things. So, we know the wonderful things God has freely given us. So, this is such a beautiful promise. So, in line with our effort of meditating on God's Word, to know that God has already given us his Holy Spirit to give us, to enable us to understand what we are, what we're looking at, not to make us work hard and try to come to some understanding by our own efforts and striving, but to do it in line with his Spirit and to receive from him as he reveals things to us through his Spirit. So, just an encouragement for us to take those two things together, the word and the Spirit, and to go to meditating on God's Word in that way. And then let's just read Isaiah 55-9. I'm sure all of us know this verse, but we'll just read it. Why we even need to go to the Holy Spirit? We've already read that in 1 Corinthians 2, but we'll just read this as well for Isaiah 55-9. For us the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Thank you. So again, that reminder that we cannot come in our own human efforts to understand the things of God. We can't only depend on ourselves. It has to be something that God enables us to do, empowers us to do, to understand God's Word. And just something that I was reminded of as I was preparing this is when Jesus is preaching to the people, we see him talking about, let those who have eyes to see, let them see, those who have ears to hear, let them hear. That is what we are seeing here in this, that we come to God's Word with ears and eyes and hearts that are open to receive from him. So it's only when we come with that posture of complete dependence on him with the true earnest desire to know his truth that we can receive this kind of revelation that was hidden from so many other people. It was only revealed to the disciples. And so for us, as Jesus' disciples, to come with that same desire to know him more, to truly seek him and find him through his Word. We read this last verse in this chapter Ephesians 1, 17-19. Ephesians 1, 17-19, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the sense and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his mighty power. Thank you so much. So this is also just a promise for us that once that Word takes hold of us and once we take hold of that Word, it's impossible for Satan to then snatch it away like we read in these parables. Till it's just something that's in our head, till it's just some outside knowledge that we have, if we have not taken hold of it for ourselves, he can easily bring in all of the things we talked about, distractions, doubts, unbelief, all of those things. But once we have allowed it to really take root in our hearts, it becomes that much harder for those things to take us away from God's Word and to keep us from believing and receiving what God has said in his Word for ourselves. So with that we move into what are some of the opposition that comes to God's Word. So we looked at Satan bringing in, Satan taking away the Word of God, but the parables also talk about some things that come in and choke the Word of God. We read about the thorns that are there in the soil that choke out the Word of God. And so these parables talk about what those thorns are. We'll just read Matthew 13, 20 and 21 and Mark 4, 16 and 17. Anyone can read those verses for us. Matthew 13 verses 20 and 21, but he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word, immediately he stumbles. Thank you and Mark 4, 16 and 17 please. Mark 4, 16 and 17. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who when they hear the Word immediately receive it with gladness and they have no root in themselves and so endure only for a time. Afterward when tribulation or persecution arises for the Word's sake immediately they stumble. Thank you. So Matthew and Mark talk about tribulation or persecution or problems that are arising and that's related specifically to the Word that we've received. So Mark says for believing God's Word that persecution comes because we believed God's Word and Matthew also says because of the Word tribulation or persecution comes in. And let's just look at Luke 8, 13 as well. Luke 8, 13 but the ones on the rock are those who when they hear receive the Word with joy and these have no root who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Thank you. So Luke talks about temptation or testing that comes in and that being something that keeps us from seeing that harvest come forth. So these are things related usually to the Word, the very Word that we are meditating on, the very Word that we have received. These things come against that Word. Now when we're talking about tribulation it can be any kind of hardship, any kind of problems that arise in relation to the Word challenging that Word. So for example if we are meditating on a certain passage on healing and then we experience sickness that experience of sickness can either take us away from that verse, that Word that we were meditating on thinking okay maybe I've misunderstood the Word, maybe that Word is not for everyone, maybe that was a promise that is for a certain season whatever it is and then we give up on continuing to claim that Word and declare that Word over our lives. So that is one way in which we can fall away from the Word of God and give up on the truth of God's Word for ourselves. The other is persecution. So persecution is referring to human opposition that comes in. So for example if for a new believer someone who is just starting to understand the things of God and starting to try and walk in obedience to it and then challenges come in from people who are around them whether it is from family who are not believers or from friends who make fun of you for doing something differently than you were doing before. Those kinds of things can pressurize us into giving up on that Word into saving someone so you do not walk with those who are wicked, you do not sit in the seat of scoffers. So if those are some changes that you are trying to implement in your life and then you have people coming in and mocking you or challenging your faith, it's that is one way in which we can say okay maybe this is not true or maybe this is not worth holding on to and then we give up on it. And then the third way is in temptation that Luke talks about. So temptation we all know is a testing of the very things that God is asking us to do. And so when we see even in Jesus's temptation where Satan is coming with a certain word trying to draw Jesus away but Jesus is holding on strong to the truth of God's Word. He knows God's Word and He knows the truth of it and so even though that temptation comes in, He relies on the Word of God to strengthen Him in that time of temptation. So these are some ways in which the Word or the seed that is sown in us can get choked out and we don't see the fruit of it born in our lives. So how do we protect against that is we let the Word take deep root in us. So if it doesn't like we read in these three gospels, it fell on shallow ground. The seed fell on shallow ground. That means there was no room for it to deepen its roots to strengthen itself so that when the thorns grew, it was strong enough to withstand that. So here we need to allow the Word to go really deep into us. We look at Hebrews 2 1, just look at how can we do that. Hebrews 2 1, someone can read that please. We must give the more honest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. So this is how we strengthen ourselves. We listen carefully to what we have heard. That means we don't just hear it once and then then think that okay once is enough.  I'm going to be strong in the Word of God. That's not how we make sure that we are protecting ourselves against these thorns that can come up. Instead we continue to listen intently to that Word. Continue to dwell on that Word. Consider the truth of that Word for our own lives. Continue to receive that truth for the things that we are facing, the challenges that we are facing. So even in the midst of those challenges, continuing to go back to the Word of God, the things that we know the scriptures talk about in relation to the challenges that we are facing. But apart from doing it in that time of testing, in the challenges that we're facing, we need to be strengthening ourselves when things are good, when we don't have persecution, when we don't have problems, tribulations, we don't have temptation. At those times we should be investing our energy and time into strengthening ourselves in the Word in this way, listening carefully to the Word so that we won't drift away from it. So that when the challenges arise, we are already so strong in the Word that those challenges just have no power over our lives, over our minds, over our hearts, because the Word of God is already so strong in us. So in these three passages that we looked at, we looked at the thorns, the thorns of these three things, right, of temptation, of tribulations, of persecution coming up. We'll just read these three passages that I mentioned here, Matthew 13, 22. So one can read that Mark and then someone read the verses from Mark and then Luke. Matthew 13, 22. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the Word and the cares of this world and the seedfulness of riches choked the Word and he becomes unfruitful. Thank you. So before this, what we were reading about was the soil that was not deep, right? The soil itself was so shallow that the seed didn't take root. Here we're reading about the thorns that choke out the Word. These are another set of things that can keep the seed from bearing fruit. So Matthew 13, 22 talks about the cares of this world, the worries of this life, the lure of wealth. So those things being the things that take us away. Can somebody read Mark 4, 18 and 19 please? Now these are the ones sown among thorns. They are the ones who hear the Word and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things entering in choke the Word and becomes unfruitful. Thank you and Luke 8, 14. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard go out and are choked with cares, riches and pleasures of life and bring no fruit to maturity. So we see here all three talking about the cares of this world, deceitfulness of riches, the desire for other things or the pleasures of this life, right? So these things can be distractions to the Word of God. So when we are too busy chasing after riches, when we have a greater desire for things that satisfy the flesh rather than things that enable us to grow in the spirit or the cares of this world. So they may be very relevant things, right? Responsibilities that we have just as a person who belongs to a certain family. We have family responsibilities. We have work responsibilities and all of those things can be things that take up so much of our time that there's no time given to the Word of God. So those are ways in which the Word of God can be choked out or we don't have time to strengthen ourselves in the Word of God. We just look at those three things. So the cares of this world, those responsibilities that we have or the deceitfulness of riches. So all very legitimate things. We all need money. We all need finances. We need things. We need to be earning money, right? But we see more and more that the source of money, which is our work, has become such a large part of our lives that it takes away so much time from everything else. We don't have time with God. We don't have time with family. All of those important things get forgotten or sacrificed for the sake of surviving, right? We think that, okay, we need the money to survive, so we have to make these sacrifices. So they can be very legitimate things, but what is a place that we are giving them in relation to our work with God in relation to remaining in God's Word and strengthening ourselves in God's Word. And the last is pleasures of this life, right? So there are good things that we want. That's not wrong. It's not wrong to want things for ourselves or our families. But if those things draw us away from God, then that's where we have to be very, very careful to make sure that we don't give up on God's Word, give up on our first love on the one thing that is most important, which is to hear God, listen to God, to dwell in His presence. So any things that you all want to talk about from your practical lives of what do thorns do generally that we know of? And how do we see that in our lives as well? So what do we see when there are thorns? What does that do to the plant? It chokes the plant and destroys it. It destroys it. So what does it do? It's actually starting to take away nutrition from the plant, right? So it grows alongside the plant and it starts to take away nutrition. It starts to grow larger than the plant itself, taking away sunlight and it makes the plant weaker. It makes the plant that you're actually wanting to grow. It makes it weaker and malnourished. It takes away all the nutrients that are actually meant for the plant. And so how can these things, we talked about the cares of this world, riches, all of those things, how have you seen those things be like a thorn? Maybe even if not for you personally, how have you seen it in the lives of others? Or how do you perceive those things can take you away from God's Word?  But I think when we start getting fixated on certain things, like for example money is one of the biggest sources of, could be one of the biggest sources of evil, where we fix it so much on making money and then we lose focus of what the Word is saying and money and everything that money brings with it becomes our main focus. And that's sort of over time, that greed, the desire for money increases and the, our, it takes away our time, it takes away our, everything that we, you know, would like to do and then we sort of, the time for the Word, the time for God diminishes. Yeah, just how it can slowly, it may start with very good intentions on our part, but it can slowly start to take away from our time. So just like the thorns, right? They start to draw away the nutrition, they start to take from the good plant. And so that's what this can do. It may not happen immediately, but as we are sacrificing time, as we are giving up on the important things for the sake of these other things, it can slowly start to eat away at those good things and take away from those good things, take away the fruit that will be born through those good things. Lucy's also shared our focus changes and the importance that we're giving to God's Word, the Kingdom of God, all of that is lost, right? So we're called to seek the Kingdom of God first and then we know that all of our other needs will be satisfied. But if we go the other way around, we go after those needs for getting the Kingdom of God, then we are the ones who lose out in the end. Thank you. So we'll just look at how we can guard ourselves against thorns that choke the Word. So we have a lot of verses here from Psalm 119, but we'll just read them if someone can read these verses for us. Psalm 119. Psalm 119. Verse 16, I will delight myself in your statutes. I will not forget your Word.  It is my meditation all the day. 127, therefore I love your commandments, sorry 127, therefore I love your commandments more than gold. Yes, than pine gold. 162, I rejoice at your Word as one who finds great treasure. Thank you. So these verses have a good balance between how do you focus on God's Word?  I meditate on your Word all the day long. Then it also talks about what is my heart's desire, right? I love your Word. I delight in your Word. I love it more than gold, more than riches, all of those things. So where is our heart first? Are we really delighting in God's Word? Are we really loving the truth that is in it and holding onto it with that kind of passion? And so it has taken hold of our hearts. Are we doing the practical things of keeping the Word before our eyes, meditating on it all the day long? All of those things will guard against though the other things taking us away from God's Word. It has captured our hearts and our passion, our desire is for the Word of God and we are doing practical things of meditating on God's Word. Then we will be strengthened in the Word of God and those other things cannot take us away from it. Let's also look at Psalm 62-10. Someone can read that for us, please. So here again, don't let money take hold of your heart. Let the Word of God have that place in your heart and the beginning of verse 10 is interesting because it's saying, it's talking about ways in which you're gaining wealth that are clearly not the ways of God. So that itself proves, if you are gaining riches in that way, that itself is proof that your wealth or money has a greater place than God's will. So we can look at what are the ways in which we're living that show whether God is primarily the one we are pursuing or its wealth that we are pursuing. Then there will be fruit that we can look at to see which will prove one way or the other. And then Matthew 633, someone can read that for us, please. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all his things will be added to you. Thank you. So we see here and Sister Lucid also mentioned this that everything else comes as a result of seeking God's kingdom first. So we can trust that God cares about those things. God cares about the things we care about. So the cares of this world, whatever responsibilities we have, God cares about those things. God cares about our finances. He cares about provision for us. He cares about just the things that could make us happy, the pleasures of this life, things that we enjoy when they are legitimate things that are in line with God's desires for us. Those things are pleasing to God himself and he wants them for us as well. But if we pursue those things versus his kingdom, then we're losing out on really recognizing that life is in God's kingdom. It's not in those things. But when we seek God's kingdom, God blesses us with those things, recognizing that those are also good things, those are also blessings from God. So we should be concerned about what are some ways in which we can make sure we seek God's kingdom first. Let's just end with that. What are some ways in which we can seek God's kingdom first? Practical things that we can do to make sure that we are putting God's kingdom before all of these other things. Any thoughts? Sorry, one of you can go and then the next please. Sanjay, please go. Okay, just a short one. So one good thing I've noticed, it's good to be a part of Bible College because that's the place where we're definitely receiving the word of God and engaging on a daily basis and discussing things. So that's just one small thought. That's all I wanted to share. So it's a good thing we're all here and I'm happy to be here. I'm pretty much sure everyone else in Bible College is so happy to be here. It's such a blessing for all of us. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, being in Bible College is very nice and so such a great blessing. If you go out of the line of God's word and we don't be in discipline, it brings us the guilty immediately into our hearts just to like bounce back. Yeah, that's being strong in the word. So anything that is not in line with God's word, you immediately know in your spirit, right? Yes, it brings us in track to confers and just come back to God like I'm happy. Thanks, girl. Brother Warden, you're going to say something? Yeah, I think for me it's also, I agree with what Brother Sanjay and Sister Lucille were saying as well, you know, being a part of the Bible College just brings about the discipline, you know, and the more we learn about through all the various modules, you know, it just becomes so interesting. There's so much to the word of God and so much of revelation when we read and, you know, yeah, it's just brilliant. And I think that's something we need to focus on and make the, you know, spending time with God and reading the word of God a priority in our life. It has to come before everything else. And yeah, personally speaking, it's not been the case with me, but there's something I'm strived to do. And I think the more we strive to do that, you can actually see the changes and, you know, the positive changes that God brings in our life. It's just amazing. Thank you. So let's just take a 10 minute break and we'll come back and continue from here. And we'll have, if anyone else wants to share also when we come back, you can do that as we'll take a break now and come back. Thank you.