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.