Bro Gary Wednesday Night 12/28/11

Bro Gary Wednesday Night 12/28/11

Psa 95:1  O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

Psa 95:2  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Psa 95:3  For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

Psa 95:4  In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.

Psa 95:5  The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.

Psa 95:6  O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

Psa 95:7  For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,

Psa 95:8  Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

Psa 95:9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

Psa 95:10  Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

Psa 95:11  Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

It is wonderful to have an invitation and to be greeted.  We are invited by God and instructed by the Psalmist, “Oh come.”  David learned at a young age the value of music and singing and what it does for us.

We could talk about problems and never get done for the rest of the year, but we need to realize how thankful that we need to be and make a joyful noise.

If you are in a deep place then just stay in God’s hand.  The deep places are His and so are the hills.

O come, let us worship:  This is marvelous instruction.  His name is Immanuel which means God with us.  We can have the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit of God dwelling in us.

Of all the really great things that God made, I think of the star of the east.  A marvelous creation of God! 

We know that Nature preaches.  The Sun and the Son will cause people to realize that there has to be a God in heaven and I need to know Him.  The stars, in Genesis it says, “He also made the stars.”  To you and to me the bible says, “Let us kneel before our maker.” 

Many in this audience can make an expression of how lonesome we get for our parents.  Our parents are gone.  In the spiritual and in the natural, I can kneel before my maker.  Most of us will reach a place where we cannot go back home again.  Some in this audience will never have all of their sons at home again.  Yet we can come before our maker and bow down before Him.

In this chapter it tells about our maker, his majesty.  There is no other that has majesty.  We show up for a little while and then we are gone, but we can kneel before our maker.

2011 is a tough year for many in this audience.  It has been a year of weeping, of heartache and sorrow for many.  We will look back and say, “Oh God that is what it took to get me where I needed to be.”  Our heart may be in many pieces but we can kneel before our maker.

He is our God and we are the sheep of His pasture.

Referring to the minister of the Old Testament or the priest:  “Today if you will hear His voice…”  We are blessed to be called to the closet.  When you are driving or when you are working, you may not be able to go into the prayer closet but you can go before God and meet before God. 

Today the majority of this audience felt drawn to the place of prayer.  Maybe no one called other than God and said, “Spend time with me.”  I’m not elevating man; sin ruins lives.  The plan of sin was to totally destroy and ruin lives.  We have a redeemer, it is wonderful!

The great High Priest Jesus says, “Son or daughter stay tender; when I call, respond.”

God left this thought with David:  “When your fathers tempted me and proved me and saw my work…”

We were all erroring in our heart.  What compassion that should give us for souls that are erroring.  You look upon souls and you can see that they have errored in their heart; they have chosen many things.  They have allowed the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life to deceive them.

How it ruins lives and leaves them so empty! 

God swore that they would not enter into His rest.

Psa 96:1  O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.

God help me to realize a new song every day: the song of deliverance, of the lamb, of victory.  Sing unto the Lord.

Psa 96:2  Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

Psa 96:3  Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

We need to be enlarged so that we can grasp the wonders of God.  We have a small mentality.  God is so big that the heavens cannot contain all of Him.

Psa 96:4  For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

Psa 96:5  For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

Psa 96:6  Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

God chose to cause David to show there is a certain amount of difference between honor and majesty.  They are both full of beauty, of comeliness.  The antonym of comeliness is rudeness.  God is never rude.  It is amazing how God approaches men in their low estate. 

The worst thing I can think of in the world is individuals that are involved in selling children.  That is the lowest you can go.  In Cambodia they are selling children starting at three years old.  I’m not meaning adoption.  I believe that the percentage is 35% of young people, in a perverted world it is boys and girls,  35% of the prostitutes are under 16 years of age.  

This same spirit is alive and working in America.  It has a plan to take your grandchildren and our children.  These spirits don’t know boundaries.  

If there is ever a time that we need to pray it is now.  We are here for that purpose.  I look at the beautiful children that are here tonight.  You and I have the marvelous privilege and opportunity of standing in the gap. 

May God challenge me and challenge you to be so right before the eternal God of comeliness that He would make a strong appeal to Zoe’s heart and Zoe’s mother’s heart.  The same goes for our daughters and son in laws, the same for your daughters and son in laws.  Don’t be deceived in thinking that it won’t happen to you. 

Don’t be stopped by rejection.  If one rejected you ask God to give you two if two reject you then ask God to give you three.  There is nothing more wonderful than Bible salvation.

There is only one God of glory.  You can look at all the totem poles in Alaska they may be beautiful in the eyes of the beholder but there is no glory there.  A painting may be beautiful but there is no Glory there; it takes God. 

With this honor there is majesty.  There is magnificence in splendor or ornament.  We all have sights that are beautiful to the eye.  A new born baby is beautiful.  Majesty, splendor!  You and I able to identify with an eternal God, Majesty!

With the thought of strength: omnipotence, all power.  You and I are going to wear out.  That doesn’t mean that we don’t want to do our job or carry our burden, or do our best.  There will be times when you are exhausted on Sunday night or Wednesday night.  Our God of omnipotence has a plan that we bow down, pray, have our evening devotions, and wake up the next morning with strength.

We find beauty by meeting God in His sanctuary.  We receive the beauty of a new song.  It is wonderful to have a new song, a song with meaning that we never knew before. 

The beauty of a vessel of honor:  our heart has been so broken this year seeing lives ruined by sin.  It has caused me to realize that the plan was to ruin my life. 

The beauty of a vessel of honor: it is beautiful.  God taking a life on the road to destruction and as they call out to God, God takes something that is all twisted and warped and God makes something beautiful out of it. 

The beauty of a living sacrifice, I had this planned but whatever I need to do…  A living sacrifice, God has something different today than the blood of bulls and goats.

The beauty of prayer! Isn’t prayer beautiful?  It is not just an ushering up to God of the things that we want.  It is worshipping God, getting into the presence of his majesty, of his honor, of his strength and of worship.

When people say that their thoughts are with us it is to be appreciated.  It is wonderful though for those to agree in prayer with us.  There is a fasting for our own needs and there is also a fasting for someone else.  There is beauty of prayer in carrying one another’s burdens. 

It is beautiful to be greeted; it is beautiful to be loved.  I’m going to treat my sisters like they are my sisters and my brothers like they are brothers; I love the family of God.  The beauty of Godly behavior, of in honor preferring one another. 

God can use whomever He wants to.  Sometimes He sends spiritual food through children.  God gives a song or a scripture and edifies His people by one of His own.  There is nothing more ugly than strife or division.  Stay beautiful.  Unity is beautiful. 

Solomon said, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”  God has a way of making eternity real to us.  He has a way of placing us where we cry unto Him, “God only you can change this by your majesty.” 

He has all strength and power.  He gives strength to turn the battle to the gate.  We will have severe battles, rest in God’s strength.  Do right; there is much strength in virtue.  The strength of valor is facing uncertainty with extreme confidence in God.

Bro Gary Sunday Morning 12/25/11

Bro Gary Sunday Morning 12/25/11

Luk 2:1  And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

Luk 2:2  (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

Luk 2:3  And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

Luk 2:4  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

Luk 2:5  To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

Luk 2:6  And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

Luk 2:7  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luk 2:8  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

Luk 2:9  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

Luk 2:10  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Luk 2:11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luk 2:12  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Luk 2:13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Luk 2:14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luk 2:15  And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

Luk 2:16  And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Luk 2:17  And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

Luk 2:18  And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

Luk 2:19  But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

Luk 2:20  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Verse 7: There was no room for him in the inn.  This was no problem for Jesus even though He was and is the Son of God.  He was glad to be born in a humble manger.  Each of us finds a beginning with Him in a humble way.

Verse 9: The shepherds were on a hill side and the glory of the Lord shown around about them.  They were afraid and the angel spoke.  When fear grips your heart God will send an angel.  The angel said, “I bring you good tidings of great joy.”

Everyone needs good tidings of great joy.  As blessed as you are in this audience this morning, you have a need of good tidings of great joy.  It is to all people.  The greatness of God and His Son, of His Holy Spirit is encouraging because the design of God is that this good message that brings great joy would be to all people.

He is the savior, He is the Christ, and He is the Lord. 

Jesus is a savior.  He gives hope.  The father who had only one begotten son chose to send Him as a Savior.  This shows the need of mankind.  All of us in this audience this morning are challenged.  It is a privilege to be alive and to be challenged.  We are not alone in having needs. 

There is only one savior that has the authority to give real hope.  There is hope in Christ.  If you are in sin, He is here to give hope this morning.  There is hope for individuals in sin.

I was reading about life in Cambodia.  When you realize what is being done to exploit children three years and up you would pray for them.  You would also pray, “God help America.”  What gives dignity to life is the strength of virtue and valor that only comes from the Divine. 

Every one of us here is contested against that which is right.  There is an eternal God in Heaven that gave a savior and He will give us strength of virtue.  He will give us strength of valor, the ability to face the battle and realize that the savior is with us.

The savior gives life and life more abundant.  He is given for everyone that would need deliverance.  Jesus came to deliver.  In a world that wants no restrictions and yet they open themselves up to bondage and more bondage.  Jesus Christ gives real freedom.  The man that is free is the man that Jesus Christ sets free.  That is real freedom.

He gives protection.  I don’t know what might be out there that would try to destroy you.  I know a savior that came to give protection to all men and to all women. 

He isn’t there just to help us; He is the giver of eternal life. 

He is the Christ, the anointed one from eternity.  There is something wonderful in going back where we were before and seeing how God protected, led, and provided for us.  There is one that inhabits eternity, ordained and anointed of the Father, that fulfilled all the prophecies given in the Bible. 

He is the anointed one who came from heaven to earth so that your and my life could be influenced by Divine influences.  I’m glad that there is a resource besides looking into my empty self and trying to find something that would satisfy.  Wherever you would be thinking to look for satisfaction besides in Him is all passing vanity.  But there is a Christ that came from Heaven this morning with the anointing of God to deal collectively or individually with whatever our needs are.

He is supreme, He is Lord, and He is above everything.  It is a wonderful thing to have Him speak to us, direct us, and influence our lives.  Many will give you free counsel even when you don’t want it.  It is wonderful to have counsel from one that is above.  Those that would give you counsel without you seeking it is seeing things from a horizontal view. 

This savior wasn’t just given to the rich, He was given to all.

He is the revealer, He reveals everything.  He identifies with our need and then he produces the solution.  One way that you can know that it is God dealing with you is that He is always exact with two things.  He first reveals the need and then through His word He reveals the solution.

He reveals truth.  We are blessed this morning because this Lord reveals truth and when you hear error the Spirit will help you know that it is not truth.

The angels told the shepherds that they would give them a sign, a miracle.  They’d find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Jesus was visited by one angel in the scripture.  Yet often, as with the shepherds, the angels come with a host.

When the shepherds knew what God wanted them to do they moved hastily.  They didn’t think, “It’s not in my schedule.”  When God speaks you and I need to have a consecrated schedule and say, “This wasn’t planned by me but it was planned by the scheduler.”

They went and saw that it was just like the angels said that it would be and they couldn’t be quiet about it.  Mary kept all these things and pondered it in her heart. 

Verse 20: The shepherds returned to the sheep.

Isaiah was given promise of a miracle, a virgin would have a son and He would be named Immanuel. 

What God has planned for every one of us is that God be with us. 

When does God begin to be with us?  Many of us can go back to our hungering for God as a child, those times that we asked our mother and father about God.  The bible teaches that the babe leaped in Elizabeth’s womb because of hearing the voice of the mother of Jesus.  God spoke to Jeremiah, I knew you when you were in your mother’s womb. 

God with us before birth, God with us at birth, God is with children.  May God help you and me to realize what is really important in life.  We are happy for every parent that is represented here.  God is with parents.  Immanuel, God with us. 

You ask, “What season of parenting is the most difficult?”  I’m not going to answer that, but God has designed that He would be with you no matter where you are at today.  There are some seasons that are heartbreaking.  God has designed that He’d be with parents and with grandparents.

The church needs to pray that God would be Immanuel in the thought of God leading men and women to Godly sorrow.  Godly sorrow is past what any does to another human being.  It is realizing that Jesus suffered for my sin.  It takes God being with an individual to have Godly sorrow. 

Seldom will you meet a man or woman in sin that doesn’t blame someone else for where they are.  The entire plan of getting saved, of getting baptized, of the ordinances, of Bible Sanctification is having God with us.

Only God can make it real to you of having God real in your childhood.  It is only God that can put it in the children’s heart to not, when they feel God checking them, investigate what they don’t know about.  When people begin to play with sin it will only lead to an addiction to a bigger sin. 

The design of God is for the Immanuel to be with you in the great joys of life.  I’ve reached the age where I’m not young anymore.  The best of the times that Karen and I have had are because of God.  We look forward to good times in enjoying the family of God, in being parents and grandparents, in working to rescue the perishing.  We want God with us.

The other side is that we will all face trials of life.  There will be temptations; we need God with us to ever remember that nothing is worth losing Jesus over.  If God allows me to have another week to live I guarantee that there will be disappointments.  The Immanuel will be there with us, He will not fail.

Among the greatest disappointments in life are your own failures.  Whatever the failure was, clear it with God, and if you owe someone an apology, then make it a good one. 

Those things that are in the past, let the Immanuel come and let the past be in the past and be energized by the Almighty God to have strength of virtue and strength of valor.

God in our prime: Some of you are so young and strong.  Your career is just beginning.  You have the financial maze in America figured out.  We need God, Immanuel, in our prime.  When I think of how good God has been!  I personally believe that everyone in this audience was visited by God in the womb. 

He has a marvelous design that His Son would be Immanuel.  He’s gotten us from where ever we were to where ever we are 12/25/2011.

Some are past their prime.  Some are seeing the sunset.  Have God as your Immanuel.  When our steps begin to get feeble and they will.  When you reach that stage where it is easier to fall than it used to be:  Immanuel, God with us. 

One of these days you are going to be somewhere and the death angel is going to be dispatched, have Immanuel with you.  I echoed these words to my sister for a year, “Joanne leave a testimony to your children that you are saved.” 

I’d rather leave the testimony to my children that God hasn’t failed me and I haven’t failed Him than to leave whatever can be amassed in the state of Montana.

When they begin opening those books that contain all you’ve done with what you’ve been entrusted with, you don’t’ have to fear if you’ve lived with Him beside you.

Immanuel, God with us for all eternity.  I’ve never traveled abroad; I don’t really care to get more than a day’s drive from Montana.  One of these days in eternity nothing will matter except, have I been with Immanuel?  I will only be with Him then if I have lived with Him here.

Bro Gary Wednesday Evening 12/21/11

Bro Gary Wednesday Evening 12/21/11

Psa 8:2  Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

The commentators believe that David wrote this after facing Goliath.  He felt himself a babe.  God gives strength to the humble.

Strength - H5797 עוז    עז ‛ôz  ‛ôz oze, oze - strength in various applications (force, security, majesty, praise):

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.

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

It is a marvel how in a setting where things were not the greatest, Jesus Christ still took care of the needs.  We have all experienced this scripture to be true.  In untimely difficult situations, when it wasn’t our doing, He was there and stepped in and showed Himself very strong.

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?

Those that should have been rejoicing were sore displeased.  Don’t underestimate what God will do for you.  If you feel like you are no one great then expect a miracle.  You feel like you need divine intervention?   

Expect a miracle.  Don’t hesitate to believe that God will work a miracle for you.

Jesus was very displeased because God’s house was to be a house of prayer and praise, and they had made it a place of business.  When the blind and the lame came and Jesus met their needs it did not move the Chief Priests, the Scribes and the Pharisees at all.  They had needs and He would have met their needs as well.

“Hosanna” means welcome thou son of David and the messiah.  The children knew.  The Scribes and Pharisees asked, “Do you hear what they are saying?”  Jesus said, “Out of the mouths of the babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise.”

The children recognized Jesus and were at liberty to give him praise.

Psa 84:5  Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.

Blessed is the man that is trusting God.  Most of us have a whole lot of things that we are trusting God for.  We are blessed.

Psa 84:6  Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.

This is the valley of weeping.  The valley of weeping can come from many different things.  We don’t always just weep because of the loss of a son, or over sinners and prodigals and these are something to weep for. 

One thing that brings real weeping is disobedience.  To feel that you have failed God in any way brings weeping. 

This has become so strong in my thought patterns recently, “people may feel so bad that they hurt whomever it was, but unfortunately being hurt is a part of life.”  I was visiting with my grandson and he is three and said, “Somebody hurt my feelings.”  I should have said, “Why did they hurt your feelings Cole?” 

The thought that is so strong is to not only feel weeping when we fail, but to realize that I didn’t just trespass someone, but I failed God and His son.  His son is the one that died for me. 

When it comes to us and weeping, why are we weeping?  Are we weeping because we are embarrassed? 

We cannot control what anyone else does.  You cannot pack that.  You live right and you do right. 

Weeping because of conviction is a wonderful thing.  I’m near the end of my journey and I am thanking God for conviction.  I don’t have to end bitter and without joy.  Isn’t that wonderful?

Whatever season of life that you are in you need to enjoy it.  Enjoy the season of having children if you have children.  It is wonderful.  Enjoy the season that you are in.  If you’re worried about yesterday, weep tell God that you are sorry and change. 

We cannot change the past.  You cannot buy love.  Weep before God and ask God to help you to find someone to love.  I’m talking about giving out of your self.

Soul travail – I don’t know much about travail.  You sisters that have born children know what it is like to bear a baby for 9 months and to feel that life.  It must be something.  Then you reach the point where the baby is going to be born.  In the day that my mother had babies, my dad probably built up the fire and put water on the stove and then called Dr Maney.

The travail of the soul is something to weep for.  My brother’s son called and said, “I really need prayer.”  What does that mean?  Does it mean that he recognizes a spiritual need?  Does it mean that there is trouble in the school?  We need to be as willing to travail for someone that the world looks down on as we would for someone that is looked up to. 

When we get ready and say, “Oh God, help me to know how to travail.”  The wonderful song written in New Zealand, “Search me O God; O Holy Ghost, revival comes from thee.” 

We have to really want someone to get saved to travail for them.  We will not consider it an inconvenience.  One that wants a baby does not consider pregnancy and inconvenience.  Sometimes we need to really travail for our self.  “God I’m going to show you how much that I want victory in my life.  I’m going to travail.”

To lose a loved one causes weeping.

It is a tragedy to lose the fellowship of those that you love.  There are people that I really love that will not fellowship me.  There are those that once loved us and wanted us to come to their place that would feel really uncomfortable if we showed up the first of March.

Go through the valley of weeping; weep your way through it.  I had a relative that received a bunch of lies about me.  Soon he got to thinking that the person that told him all that, tells one lie after another.  You will be betrayed.  It is a part of life.  Jesus was betrayed.  It hurts and breaks our heart.  At one time we were a good guy and now we’re a bad guy.  Don’t hang around liars.

Disappointment causes weeping.  God is a God of order.  We know that the sun will come up in the east and set in the west.  It is vital that you and I have order in our life; if we don’t then it will end in shambles.

Lack of discernment will cause weeping.  Travail before God until he can trust you with discernment.

Lack of preparation can cause weeping.  When you know that you will be visiting with a soul about spiritual things then be prepared.  Be here early on Sunday so that you are not flustered.  If you have a visitor coming, they will be here early.  We want to have order and preparation in our life.

Wait on God or you will be weeping.  Too little prayer and too much talk and trials will cause weeping.  We will have trials.  We pray to be genuine and the dross comes up and we weep before God. 

Temptation makes you shake your head, “How crazy do you think that I am that I would leave God for What?”  The world doesn’t have anything to offer.

We will weep because we are misunderstood.  The thing to do is to go through the valley of weeping and get over it.  Weeping will endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.

Psa 84:7  They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.

This strength is virtue and virtue comes from God.  Add to your strength virtue and virtue means moral excellence.  Pray for moral strength to arise and meet the difficulty with valor.

Valor is strength of spirit and mind to encounter danger with firmness.

God will give us strength to face difficulty, temptation, trials.  We can add to our faith virtue and go from strength to strength.  Virtue and valor can only come from God. 

Unless we do things God’s way it doesn’t work. 

Psa 84:1  To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!

Today and yesterday we had lots of burdens.  They were burdens that we wanted to carry.  Whether in the house or out of the house we can make a tabernacle.  Bro Gyme makes a tabernacle right there in the hospital.  Bro Bill makes a tabernacle right there in the school.  We must appear before God.

Weeping is not bad, it is good for us.  Weep your way through until you are in the presence of God and you experience strength of virtue.