Bro Gary Wednesday PM 7/6/11

Bro Gary Wednesday PM 7/6/11

There is a whole world that is seeking for something to satisfy and they will never find it because they are seeking it somewhere besides Jesus Christ. 

Isa 56:7  Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

Prayer means intercession and supplication.  In the Old Testament and in the New supplication means that we would pray that God would hold back evil spirits.  There is no one that is not subject to being tested by evil spirits.  D.O. Teasley wrote the song, “I’ve Found a Refuge.”  He did not remain in the refuge; he lost out with God and on his death bed he told those that tried to help him that “It is too late.”

God’s house is a house of intercession, supplication and worship.

Mat 21:13  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

He wants it to be a place of prayer, worship and supplication.  Coming to the house of God will not in itself change our life; it is what we do in the house of God: prayer, supplication, and worship that changes the life.

Mat 21:1  And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

Mat 21:2  Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

Mat 21:3  And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

Mat 21:4  All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

Mat 21:5  Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

Mat 21:6  And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

Mat 21:7  And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

Mat 21:8  And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

Mat 21:9  And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

Hosanna is an exclamation of adoration.

Mat 21:10  And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

Mat 21:11  And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

Mat 21:12  And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

Mat 21:13  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

It is a principle of God that His house shall be called a house of prayer.  The reason that Jesus cast them out and over threw the tables is because it took away from worship.  God help us to not let anything rob us of this house, (our bodies), being a house of prayer.  Then as we come together and make up the body of Christ, may God help us as the church to be a house of prayer.

Jesus taught us quite a bit about prayer in the sermon on the mount.  When you pray, get into the closet and shut the door.  “Shut in with God in the secret place, there in His beauty beholding His face.  Gaining more power to run in the race; How I love to be shut in with God.” 

We can pray for each other and we are to do so, but there are some things that only become ours by you and I getting alone with God and saying, “I don’t have too much to do to pray; I’m going to go into that closet and I’m going to worship.”

There are times that we need our faith built and we find a scripture.  There are times that the media and pressure of the day of ‘doomsday predictions’ makes you wonder if there will be flour, gasoline, or seed to plant a garden.  It is wonderful that when you hear that and you go to the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus’ words, “After all those things the Gentiles seek…”  There are some things that if you get involved in you end up consumed by it, eating and drinking only that. 

Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

God knows what you and I need.  “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

When we didn’t know how to get from where we were to where we needed to be God said, “Seek Me first.” 

Karen and I got married in 1971.  We were expecting our first child in 1972. Karen and I were so poor that there were times we would go to the store and look at the six pack of RC on the shelf that cost a dollar but we didn’t have a dollar to buy it. 

I got sick before our first child was born, so sick that I thought I might die.  How I wanted to see my baby born.  The people I worked for were worried about me and I gave them a deadline that I’d be back to work by.  God gave me the promise “My God shall supply all your needs.”  For most of Karen and I’s life it has been, “It will be interesting how God will work this out.”  God has never failed!

“Your heavenly father knoweth that you have need of all these things.”  When you have a need, God already knows it.  His son said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Mat 21:13  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Don’t let anything rob you from being a house of prayer. 

Mat 21:14  And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

Mat 21:15  And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,

Mat 21:16  And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

Imagine the little children, they saw the blind see, the lame healed, they said, “Hosanna!”  He is certainly worthy of our praise.

Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Faint means to lose your way.

1Ti 2:8  I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

You can be mad and angry 24/7, life is just that way.  Evidently it was that way in Timothy’s day.  If you can’t fix something, learn how to lay it aside and go on serving God.  God doesn’t want us to be angry.  There are situations in family that you cannot fix.  When someone stiff arms you all the time, they can make you so angry that your prayer life is hindered.  It will not do you any good to be angry. 

We cannot afford to be angry. 

1Ti 2:1  I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

God help me to not be distracted from praying and to hold back anything that would be a hindrance to me praying. 

I’ve never been through what some are going through.  Some can hardly see or hear, yet God is drawing on their heart.  I believe God is drawing on people.  God help us to pray.  I have hope for the salvation of souls. 

We have much to be thankful for.