Bro Gary Sunday Evening 2/26/12

Bro Gary Sunday Evening 2/26/12

Luk 10:25  And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

This parable is like the Word of God.  It is as simple and as basic as our limited minds can make it.  It is also as deep and as full as God and His Son and His Holy Spirit have length and height and depth.  I believe that Jesus spoke a total of 40 parables recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  About twenty of them are recorded in Matthew. 

This is what may be considered a simple lesson tonight.  We don’t want to lose the simplicity of Christ but may God and His Son and His Holy Spirit help us to grasp the deep truths that they would not be incomprehensible but made as simple as the truths of the Gospel of Christ.

How the lawyer thought to tempt Jesus is beyond my mind.  Carnal men have thoughts that are from the vine of the World.  Jesus knew all about this man before he even began to talk.

Luk 10:26  He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

Undoubtedly this lawyer knew that the Messiah was coming.  He should have known he was talking to the Messiah.  This guy had a question and Jesus answered it.   Jesus asked him a question and the lawyer answered.

Luk 10:27  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

The Lawyer’s answer would have been excellent if he had been living it. 

Luk 10:28  And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

Many times people make a statement and ask a question but already want to give you an answer to what they ask the question about.  Behind it they want to justify themselves. 

This man knew more than what he was doing.  This is pretty simple truth tonight.  Most people know more than what they are doing.  They may not know the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, but there is something about God: He is very faithful to witness to people about what they are doing and what is right.

Luk 10:29  But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

On our behalf we are interested in what Jesus had to say in answer to this question.

Luk 10:30  And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

Jesus used a pretty common story of reality and life.  This road between Jerusalem and Jericho was well traveled and there were thieves and robbers on this road.

Luk 10:31  And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

According to my study, at this time there were twelve priests and Levites living in Jericho and working in Jerusalem.  That is a lot.  There was a lot of travel on this road.  I’m confident that Jesus used a picture story of how things were in AD 33.  This priest should have known quite a bit about worshipping God but he passed by on the other side. 

As much as we want to fulfill the calling that God has given everyone of us, we don’t want to lose sight of the needs around us.  Sometimes people lose the reality that as an individual that is serving God our whole goal is to meet the need of the needy one that God has put in our pathway. 

This priest probably was really active and took care of the morning and the evening sacrifice but he didn’t reach to help the needy man. 

I don’t know who you are going to reach to this week.  We live among men and women that as this scripture says: much has been stolen from them.  They have fallen among thieves.

Jer 29:11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

This scripture was not given just for us in Paradise Montana this Sunday night.  God has good thoughts toward everyone that was requested prayer for.  You and I know a God that has lots of good thoughts toward each one that the saints are burdened for.

It is so sad but as God’s thoughts are coming they are intercepted by the enemy and the enemy’s thought patterns so that people miss the important things that God would have imparted to their lives.

Jn 10 teaches of Jesus going before us as the good shepherd:

Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

Jesus also taught us that the thief comes to steal:

Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

We all can say “We failed to get God’s plan when we were whatever age.”  God has plans for you tomorrow.  You cannot turn back the clock even a day.  Don’t you be the victim of the thief today and tomorrow. 

This man was stripped of his raiment.  There are things that the enemy wants to take away from us today: The garment of praise, the robe of righteousness, humility.  I teach myself and you tonight.  The bible instructs us to put on humility and to be humble in our mind.  Don’t let the devil rob you of humility.  Humility is so beautiful and the opposite of it is so ugly.  God sends His Word and the songs, “Humble thyself to walk with God.” 

There are roads that present themselves for you to go down that would elevate your mind that, “I really have a grasp on something.”  I’m not telling you that you don’t have, but do you know how fast you can lose your grasp? 

I had a sad experience Monday, I thought that Bro Herb would enjoy the pictures of the saints in Miami, he knows some of those people.  His mind had slipped he couldn’t identify with them.  His mind was full of other things.

God help me to realize how much I need Him.  There are people younger than me that cannot keep it together mentally.  There is a thief.  This man fell among thieves and those that should have been able to help him were doing something else.  They thought they were doing something for God and they were missing God’s work. 

Whatever God gives you to put on, put it on.  We don’t always feel like praising God but praise God anyway.  You may not always feel like praising God but you have a lot to praise God for.

They wounded him, undoubtedly literally wounded.  There are people that are emotionally wounded today.  We live in the deepest dark time.  It is such a mean time.  A brother wounded in spirit…

There are a lot of people that have been wounded.  God help us to not be as this priest but to know the value of the oil and the wine.  Often they would mix them together and pour it into the wound.  Help us to have the Word and the Spirit in our lives so that we can be the one that is able to help the wounded.

If you run onto someone half dead, don’t kill them, get them to the inn.  Work to get them functioning and seeking after God.  Let them know that you love them.  Let us have more than this priest and Levite did. 

You cannot help a soul unless you love them.  If they don’t know that you love them you can have the answer but your words will be as sounding brass and tinkling cymbal.

Luk 10:32  And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

The Levites had an important job.  They cleaned the temple and kept it supplied with the oil, the wine and the bread.  They were responsible for the music in David’s time.  These are very responsible and important things.  But the Levite looked on him and passed by on the other side.

Luk 10:33  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

The priest and the Levite at this time looked down on the Samaritan.  If you think that you are special and there are others that are under you, find an altar to put that thing on.  You may say, “That young man really has potential.”  What young man doesn’t have potential?  We want people to realize that they have potential but they are not the only one in the world that has potential.

This Samaritan came where the wounded man was.  Most of us in this audience have fallen among thieves at some point in our life.  Most of us have had occasions where we’ve been pretty beat up.  By the time they got done with us we felt like we might be half dead ourselves.  This Samaritan may have experienced some things 

in this journey that made him feel compassion for the wounded man. 

He had compassion on him.  God help us as the church and me as an individual to have compassion from God for the needy.  It is better to error on the side of compassion than to error on the side of being hard and critical. 

The Samaritan went to him.  We all want to remember that when we see a need, let’s go to them.  I know God.   I’m not afraid of the situations that I may end up in.  I’m saved; I know the power of God.  I know what the word of God says. 

I have a message for a lady of illrepute.  I know a God that gives character to those that have none.  You can pour oil in the wounds and get them to the inn and not abuse the situation. 

Luk 10:34  And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

I believe there is a lesson here of checking on folks.  Let them know that you really care. 

Luk 10:35  And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

He helped meet his needs financially.  There are times when God wants us to take out two pennies and say, “I’m not loaning this to you, I’m giving this as from God to help you.”

Luk 10:36  Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

Luk 10:37  And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

We love these truths; I believe that we live these truths.  We want to keep them real in our experience. 

Bro Gary Sunday Morning 2/26/12

Bro Gary Sunday Morning 2/26/12

Jer 10:23  O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

There are many places we could look in the scripture that show that man is not capable of directing himself.  It is God that can direct right.

Psa 142:4  I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

David said, “No man cared for my soul.”  These are common thoughts of man in the scripture: of Job, of David and also of others. 

Ravi that sought God in India thought to take his own life and someone brought him a New Testament.  He said, “God you have been so good to spare my life even though I tried to take it.  If you will heal me I will do my best to find the true God.”  He went to a priest of Hindu and asked where the soul of the man that died went.  The priest said that was an old question and he didn’t know the answer.  God lead him to know Him.

Isa 55:4  Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

This is a prophecy of Jesus.  He was born 700 years after this prophecy and lived 33 years.  He was crucified, rose again and then ascended to the Father.  This witness is still alive today.  He is the commander; this governor is still alive in our lives and He is the commander.

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

Jesus Christ is standing upon Mount Zion.  I’m so happy to know that it isn’t the mount that Moses received the law upon: a mountain of fear, blackness, and darkness.  It is a mountain where there is light, truth, life, and an innumerable company of angels. 

It is wonderful to have a leader that is so unique.  He made every provision for us for all through the time world and throughout eternity. 

John saw a perfect number of angels: 144,000. This is not the number that will be saved, but represents that number.  They had the Father’s name written in their foreheads.  This name written in the forehead represents the knowledge held by them: to know God and know truth, to know that His name is God, Jehovah, and we are His son or daughter.  This enables us to be put in the position to know the Lamb is Jesus Christ and He is able to lead our life.

Rev 14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:

There are times that God speaks to us through His spirit or His word.  There are times when God speaks to us audibly.  We don’t tell God how to speak to us.  It is not a part of our rights or how this relationship works. 

We say, “God help me to do what you want me to do.”  God speaks to us through the songs, through the Sunday school teachers; God wants to speak to us through His Word.  We pray that He will help us to have an ear to hear.  He has great thoughts toward His children.  The challenge is for us to not allow the enemy to keep us from hearing what God is sending to us.

God’s thoughts are wonderful.  What He sends us is always what we need to hear even if it isn’t what we were anticipating.

The term ‘waters’ in the Revelations usually represents people. 

Thunder usually follows lightening.  John probably heard in this thunder the voice of men and women telling what God had done for them in the past.  You can read from Genesis to Revelation what God has done for His people.

Thunder in the Scripture is like Hebrews chapter 11.  You and I reading what God did for Moses, for Abraham, for others.  When we pick up books and read what God did for men and women through the dark ages.  This is thunder caused by lightening.

In a recording by E.M. Bounds, he speaks of how valuable the prayers of children are.  In the Dark Ages there was an old gentleman that was open about his testimony of serving God.  People there decided to burn this man on the stake.  These people thought that children looking on would help him recant.  As they lit the fire, these children ran to the stake and prayed that the gentleman would feel no pain.  The testimony is that this gentleman died smiling, praising God. 

Children are blessed to be young, to be tender, and to be innocent.  I’m against the children losing their innocence way too young.  I’m against the textbook weighing them down with way too much information for their young lives and taking their innocence from them.  In the old days they chose the Bible for their textbook and produced some of the greatest men that time has ever known. 

There is something wonderful about music and about the playing of the harp.  It did a marvelous thing when David played for the king Saul.  These ones that John heard on the Isle of Patmos, he heard them sing a new song:

Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

We are blessed to be singing a new song, different than the one that we sang when we were in sin.  When we come to Christ we sing a new song.  It takes the focus off of our selves, off of our problems, and off our disappointments.

The cross was a choice to Jesus.  He could have called 10,000 angels, but he chose: “Not my will but thine.”  He chose the cross and we are so happy that He chose the cross.  He took it not for His benefit.  He was already the son of God.  He knew how wonderful Heaven is and was.  He took the cross so that men and women could experience eternal salvation, be free from sin here on earth, and to be forever with the Lord.

Many critters were slain in the Old Testament to make an atonement for sin.  Solomon would offer thousands of sacrifices at one time.  This never did the work of giving them a new heart and a new spirit.  They had the remembrance in the thought of: “I’m going to go back to sin.” 

These harpers were playing this new song, a song of victory.  “Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood.”  It takes the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to wash us from our sin.

John on the Isle of Patmos was alone with snakes and other wild creatures.  It was a wonderful place to be because God ordained it.  God has redeemed us from every kindred and every nation.  It is wonderful the expanse of God.  God didn’t have the attitude of “I only want to save a few.” 

It pains me with a double edged sword to hear someone refer to one of their children as a stepchild.  It is different with God.  He doesn’t say, “This one is from a different tribe.”  No.  Out of every nation and every tongue he redeemed them. 

He has made us unto our God a king and a priest.  Karen was trying to tell a co-worker this last week that he could pray to God.  It is ordained of God that we can enter that secret closet and cry out to Him for whatever needs that we have.

The living creatures, the church through time: The lion conquering, the ox laboring for God, the man the instrument chosen of God to carry the gospel message, the eagle flying above the storms. 

The thought of a light greater than the sun, was addressed in the Sunday school lesson.  God is God; He created light before He created the sun, moon or stars.  He can cause a light that is greater than the sun to shine down on the sons of men at noon day.  The searchlight of heaven is the light that shines upon the soul on the brightest day or in the darkest night. 

The thought of a flying eagle: There are times when we are going to have to use eagle wings to mount the storm, ride the storm, or rise above the storm.  This is how it is in our lives.  There are times when we need to use the wings of faith and of promise to get through the difficult times.  “God I‘m going to use this to help me rise above the trouble.”

The 144,000 are made only of those that are redeemed from the earth:  Those that have gotten saved and have the victory over the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  The vine of the earth is a strong vine with strong influences and holding powers.  We are serving one that can deliver from the vine of the earth.

Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Isa 4:1  And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

There are many people that want to serve God their own way.  There is a lot of cheap religion that we call Babylon where you can do anything you want contrary to the Word of God and still be saved and go to heaven.  If you are going to be redeemed you cannot be defiled with these teachings.

It is vital for God’s people to follow Christ whithersoever He goes.  Many individuals try to find answers someplace other than following Christ. 

I have good friends that are strong followers of John and Charles Wesley.  I have great appreciation for these two men.  Yet you can read through their journals until your eyes are darkened and that will not bring revival.  Revival comes from seeking God. 

We greatly appreciate F.G. Smith and others, but anything they accomplished from God was not accomplished because of who they were but was accomplished because they followed God.  All those that have helped us get where we are: a lady writer, Hannah Smith, as good a writer as she is, she cannot replace being led by the Lamb.  I’m not preaching against books, but there is no leading from books that will lead you as the Lamb will lead you.

These are redeemed from among men.  When we got saved we were one man as an individual that was redeemed by the blood of Christ.  When we changed our lifestyle and began following Christ our friends weren’t as friendly as they used to be.  We became loners until we were graft into the vine of Christ. 

The first fruits always belong to God.

Rev 14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

They are without deceit.  We must lay aside all of our masks, our greatness, our opinions: all guile.  We must lay aside trying to hide anything.  Have enough wisdom to know “I don’t want to broadcast the sin God has forgiven me of.” 

I know my story; I know what God has delivered me from.  I was the chief among sinners (as Paul said).  I was worse than Paul.  Without God we came to him as a sinner, just as we were, and He forgave us.

You will never get to the point where someone won’t be able to find something wrong with you.  Some have a whole journal against some of us.  They don’t want to talk about themselves and their need; they want to talk about someone else. 

God I’m before you doing my best to serve you.  Any place you want to send me, anything that I have that you want, I’ll give you.  Send me to the darkest place, (Where ever you are is the darkest place.)  We walk among people that have the light within them as darkness.  The darkest place in Africa is not darker than that. 

We can be without fault before the throne of God.  There is something about knowing God the Father and His care to all children that can make us a big parent and a big grandparent.  Gyme is six.  Cole is 3.  Zoë is 6 months.  Bro Gyme and all of us adults that are here look at these children through the eyes that their parents do.  We see them as perfect but with teaching and training that they will need. 

This is how God is with His children.  He doesn’t think, “They need to mature more and then I will be satisfied with them.”  He says, “They have done their utmost and I have confidence as I shine light on their pathway they will obey my leading.”

It is not enough just to want to follow Christ.  We must have the attitude that whatever God requires I will do to follow His Son.  The leader is Jesus.

Our leader said:

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

If we are going to follow Christ we must stand before Him and say, “I’m going to deny myself because I wanted to do it my own way.”  Jesus hadn’t taken the cross yet when He said these words, but He did. 

People get uneasy when they think of taking up a cross.  I don’t know if the world thinks of what they are bearing as a cross or not.  The bondages that they are bearing are hard to bear.  Whosoever will save their life will lose it. 

“What is a man profited if they gain the whole world and then lose their soul.”

I don’t know how much that man from Butte was worth but when he died, he left it all.  We are blessed to know that we can follow the Lamb of God whithersoever He leads.

Sis Dorothy Sunday School 2/26/12

Sis Dorothy Sunday School 2/26/12

When Adam and Eve lost their communion with God through their sin, it was a loss of great magnitude.  When Jesus paid the price to restore that communion it again is of magnitude.  He paid the price of redemption for all.  In the heart garden once again God communes with man.  Once again we can become one with the wonderful Spirit of God.  In the church, the King’s Garden: “I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people.”

The King rules in Holiness and supplies in every heart the needs that are there.  Some needs supplied are water light, companionship, substance, and a foundation.

Our hymnal is a poetic book of the experiences that God has given His people.  It is beautiful.  I love to see the pictures of their experience in my mind through the poetry that is written by them.

The winepress was put in the King’s garden so each of us has to go through it.  I don’t want to be just a lump; I want to become a part of the Body of Christ.  This is what the winepress does for us; it makes us become a part of the body.  We no longer see just individuals we see the body of Christ working and doing all that it should.

Isa 27:2  In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine.

 Isa 27:3  I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.

Isa 27:4  Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.

Isa 27:5  Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.

Isa 27:6  He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.

There is no sleeping or weariness of God portrayed in these verses.  He keeps it night and day.  He purges His vineyard.  We want this beautiful garden/vineyard that He has planted.

Isa 5:1  Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

Isa 5:2  And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

Mat 21:33  Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

The similarity of these two scriptures was astounding to me.  We find it in the Old and the New Testament. 

In Isaiah it speaks of the vineyard bringing forth wild grapes and in the New, we see that they mistreated the messengers that were sent and then mistreated the son.

Mat 21:40  When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

Mat 21:41  They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

We want to bring forth fruit.  God had the best expectations for His vineyard, but it brought forth wild grapes.  The husbandman did everything right.  The fruit was hard small and bitter when He expected large, soft, and sweet grapes.

Wild fruit comes from a corrupt root.  He didn’t plan on having a vine that produced this wild fruit in the soil that He had prepared so carefully.  Carnality is a horrible thing and produces wild grapes.  If we don’t have the right root then we cannot bear good fruit.  This fruit comes from the wrong root, the root of bitterness.

The act of removing the carnal nature: John said, “Bring forth fruit to repentance.”  This repentance removes the root and we become a new creature in Christ Jesus.  Godly sorrow works repentance to salvation.  This repentance brings us forward to the place that God wants us.

The receiving of the seed depends on the receiver.  Bad soil doesn’t bring forth much fruit but good soil brings forth plentifully.  If we don’t prepare the soil and put the right things into it then it will not bring forth fruit.

That there are three bad types of soil and one good kind shows us that there will be more bad soil than good.  Many hear the word and few bring forth fruit. 

Don’t be discouraged:

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

There is much rejoicing in heaven over one sinner that repents.  We will rejoice when Bro Bill tells us his mom got saved.  My burden this year is for a specific soul to get saved; I pray that he will see his need and repent.   

It is a simple thing but because of the simplicity many miss it.  Each of you is holding on to God for some soul to be saved. 

The King’s Garden is the Lord’s vineyard. 

Psa 127:1  A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Except the Lord keeps this vineyard we are helpless.  He built it, he will keep it.

Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Heb 11:16  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Heb 11:22  By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

This is not written in future tense: He has prepared for them a city.

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

It is visible; they will see the light. 

As in our heart garden this garden must be conditioned and prepared to bring forth fruit. 

1.        There must be light: the glory of God did lighten it and the lamb is the light thereof.

Paul saw a great light even above the brightness of the sun.  Only Paul heard the voice.  His heart was prepared to hear.  God was working on Paul’s heart and shined the light upon Him.  God wanted him to get a vision in the heart of the greatness of God.

2.      We must have the substance to bear fruit. 

Col 1:6  Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

Col 1:10  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

This substance: faith, love, and hope, causes us to bring forth fruit, walk worthy of the Lord, and increase in knowledge.  God can work with us if there is something to work with.

In this garden, the rocks and the thorns are removed and He doesn’t allow us to destruct on these types of soil.  He plants and prepares so that it will bring forth 100%.  My soil was not good when I got saved, neither was yours. 

God worked with my soil and helped me to see where I should go to church when I got saved.  My soil had become wayside.  I was considering staying with the people that I grew up with even though I knew that they had compromised their beliefs.  I had close ties there; I still do.  Yet I was being pulled to where my soul was being fed and watered. 

That fowl almost came and plucked that seed out of my heart garden.  Because God spoke the word and showed me that this is the way, walk in it.  Right then my garden started to change and then He transplanted me from that wayside soil into the beautiful King’s Garden.  There were those that were there that nourished this little transplant.  I’m so grateful.

3.        We also need the foundation. 

Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Jesus is the chief corner stone and existed way before the foundation; He has stood the test of time.  The prophets were way back in the Old Testament.  The Apostles are in the Gospel day.  What a foundation!

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Lay aside every weight:  There are things that we don’t want to bring on our foundation.  We gather out the stones:  wrong teachings, family ties, possessions, and anything else that would weigh us down.  Get rid of them. 

When the plow man plows, we may feel a little nudge.  If we don’t right then start digging and seeking “Why was there a little lump there?”  If we don’t dig out the lump when it first appears then a year down the road the lump will have grown.  If we let it remain it gets greater and greater.  If we really have the desire to serve God then we will dig it out. 

These rocks or stones become gall stones.  Gall is bitterness.  If we would have dug out that first little lump it wouldn’t have grown into bitterness.  It pays to heed the plowman and the Word that is working in our hearts.  There is no cure for gall stones other than divine healing.  You must have a surgery.

Eze 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

We want to get rid of all the stones and let Him put His laws in our heart.