Brother Gary Sunday Morning 3/30/14

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 3/30/14

Act 14:27  And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

Act 14:28  And there they abode long time with the disciples.

Paul and Barnabus had come back from a missionary journey and had a good report of those that had turned from idols to serving the Living God.  They told how God had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 

What is this door of faith?  What is the door of opportunity that is offered?

It is a wonderful thing to know that there is a door of opportunity opened to mankind.

Mic 6:6  Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

Mic 6:7  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

A very solemn question is posed to us.  We that have reached the age of accountability have come to the realization that we have sinned.  We have a conscience that allows us to know when we have done wrong.  How shall we meet this eternal God that knows that I have sinned and done that which I should not do? 

10,000 rivers of oil?  Could there be?  If Eastern Montana and Canada are as rich in oil as they claim, there may be, but that doesn’t cover for the price of sin.  There was a blood sacrifice given in the Old Testament teaching and in the New Testament teaching Jesus is the sacrifice.

How shall we come before God?  We are each individuals with opportunities.  There is a door of faith that God has that will open to everyone that seeks Him.  There is a great door of opportunity for everyone. 

The greatest door of opportunity that has opened for anyone of us is the opportunity to have our sins forgiven and our past cast as far as the east is from the west. 

Mic 6:8  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

It is a marvelous thing how God has a way of teaching mankind of their need of coming to God.  Psalms 19 tells us that nature, the sun coming up in the east and setting in the west tells us of God. 

It brings to our mind the thought of the Sun of Righteousness rising with healing in His wings.  As the sun is designed to shine on the whole world, so the Sun is designed.

When the spring comes and the flowers with the baby lambs and calves, over and over again we see God speaking to us. 

God speaks to us; God requires mankind to do justly, to give that which is due to God.  Every one of us is so blessed to be alive, to have the opportunity to get right with God, to have the opportunity to serve God in this present world.

I was thinking about the doors this last week.  There are some doors that are always open.  The door of thanksgiving is a door that is always open.  All the parents are laboring to teach their children to be thankful and that is important. 

It is vitally important that we have a thankful heart toward God.  Your life may not be perfect.  It is vital that you look for those things to be thankful for.  Know God.  Practice being thankful.  Be thankful for your friends and for the good teachers that you have.  We must have courage to be thankful. 

Isa 26:3  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Be thankful that you have a sound mind.  If we keep our mind stayed upon God, it is vital to know what to think about.  If you don’t think about right things then you will not have peace, and you will be in a spiral.

Fifty years after the birth of Christ the Holy Spirit moved upon Paul to write to the Philippians.

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Think on things that are true:  His Word, life.  Honest:  God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit will always be honest to you.  It is wonderful to have a friend.  Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.  There are other friends, brothers and sisters in Christ that are honest.  It is wonderful to have an honest friend that says, “Let me help you with that.” 

It is wonderful to have a Just God that is more than just with us.  I think of His justice and kindness.  My heart is moved with His kindness to each one of us. 

Those things that are pure:  Determine to keep your mind pure.  It is a choice.  There is a door of uncleanness that any of us could go through.  You can say, “No I am not going there.  I am going through the door of justice and of faith.  I will keep my mind clean. 

Those things that are lovely:  there are a lot of beautiful things to see in our time.  Thank God for fellowship and friends.

Things that are of a good report:  Tell what God has done for you.  A good report makes fat the bones.  Thank God for what He has done for you.

Things of virtue: valor, modesty, strength.  Thank God for virtuous sisters and brothers of valor and that we can live modestly before God.

The Lord requires that we do justly:  give God that which He is due.  He is worthy of your love.  He is worthy of your youth, he is worthy of yourself.  Give Him your mind.  Give Him your heart.  God created us to love and be loved. 

You may have loved and gotten hurt, that is a part of life but if you will love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, you cannot out love the lord.  He will love you back and be there at every turn of the road.

Do justly in loving your neighbor, loving one another and being merciful and kind to one another.  Do justly to yourself.  Don’t spend another minute beating yourself up.  Don’t spend another minute telling yourself that you have no self worth or don’t amount to anything. 

Genesis 2:7 The lord created man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul.

Do just to your soul.  That sin that is there, if there is sin in your life you know it, it is a black spot and is painful.  If God convicts you of sin, the easiest thing I know of is to get saved.  We come as we are and say, “God I’ve sinned against you and I am sorry.  I know that the door of forgiveness will open and you will forgive me of my sin.”  God has provided for it.

God has ordained that our soul be happy.  There is something about grief and mourning, even though you are hurting past words, you can rejoice because you know that God is there with you.  You can rejoice because even in the difficulties you know that God will bring you through.

Don’t deprive your soul of the joy of prayer.  Jesus taught us to pray, “Our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.”  I am convicted of light frivolous praying.  Some say, “As I step across the threshold, I say, ‘God be with me today,’ and as I come home I say, ‘thank you.’”

If you are able to get on your knees, get on your knees and say, “God I need you to walk with me today.  I need you to keep me from defilement.”  We pray for our grandchildren and children each day. 

Don’t deprive your soul of having the counsel of God.  You may be here and in the decision making process.  Let God help you make the choice.  He will help you to make the right choice.

Love mercy.  Jesus said in Matthew in the beatitudes, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.”  To love mercy you say, “God may you show mercy even where judgment is due.  Where there is something wrong, don’t take the judgment and the justice but help them to ask God to forgive them and help them.”

Psa 19:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Psa 19:2  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

Psa 19:3  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

Psa 19:4  Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,

Psa 19:5  Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.

Psa 19:6  His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

As the sun comes up it causes something in us to be thrilled and rejoice.  There is something greater than that and it is Jesus.  He caused the Sun of Righteousness to arise with healing in His wings. 

We cannot heal ourselves.  We have all known pain.  I see Christ covering every part.  When Karen and I go to see a premature baby in the Hospital it looks to me that they have them wrapped too tight.  But it is right.  That little Baby needs to feel that it is secure, wrapped up and cared for. 

There is only one way to deal with sin and that is to ask God to take care of it.  We must come as we are to God and say, “God will you please forgive me?” 

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

He is the Sun of righteousness that arises with healing in His wings.  There may be many that could stand and say, “I was one that he covered in His wings.” 

He’s brought many promises.  He gives us what we need today.  We come tomorrow and need another promise and He gives us healing again.  He gives again and again and again.

Today the door of faith is open.  Isn’t it wonderful that once you go through the door of faith, get saved and do your best to walk with God and obey His voice, that door is always open to you.  We don’t try to tell God what to do; He is God.  God can help with any need because He is God. 

How many times have you gone with a burden that is too big for you and too big for me?  That door is not locked.  You go through and say, “God I am so needy.  I don’t know what to do here or there.”  He says, “Come over to the door of faith.  Remember what I did for Moses, for Abraham?  I am still God and I will do the same for you today.”

Brother Bill Sunday School 3/30/14

Brother Bill Sunday School 3/30/14

In the Seventh Seal time, the Laodicean time, it appears that God is instructing His people to draw close to Him.  “If any man hear and open the door, I will come in and sup with him.”

I have been applying these lessons to myself.  That is the way the body works.  We are just working to build up one another. 

Rev 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

The Trumpet, the message or the preaching or teaching of God, is always telling the saints to come up hither.  That is the trumpet message.  It is always encouraging us to be closer to God and more for God.

If we draw closer and closer to God, He will show us things. 

Quotes I have written in the front of my bible:  before you ever wake, He is waiting.  When you wake in the morning, He is waiting to meet with you.  This ought to inspire us to meet with Him. 

We receive instruction from being at Jesus feet.  In John 21, the disciples went fishing and caught no fish.  Jesus told them from the shore to cast on the other side and then they caught a multitude of fish.  When they came, Jesus had fish all ready.  They ate together and Jesus gave instruction to Peter, “Feed my sheep.”

Being in His presence will make you Christ-like.  The source of wisdom is prayer.  Appearing before God gives you strength.  Go from strength to strength.  You are not worth anything if you don’t spend time in prayer. 

By spending much time in prayer, it will help you to know the will of God.  Don’t you want to know the will of God?  I don’t want to take any calling upon myself or push any doors open.  At the same time, I hope I have enough God to not just live, work, retire, live a while longer, and then die. 

If God would be pleased my desire is that He would help me to be active for Him now and as we live throughout the years that we be fruitful for God.

Prayer reveals our need, brings us into fellowship with God, with one another, and reveals the mind of Christ.

We cause prosperity to our souls by frequenting our time with Him in prayer.

We will be drawn closer to God in prayer by spending time alone with God.  Even spending just a few minutes in prayer benefits us.  Time after time spending extra time with God, I get up feeling like I’ve been touched.  You can say the same thing.  You just feel like you have been affected by getting alone with Him.

A lot of secrets are revealed through secret prayer.  It is in His presence we see our condition.  Unless you have that bonding with God then you will drift.  Spend time bonding with God.  He wants to draw closer and closer to you.

The way you get the tongue of the learned is by getting between the cherubims, spending time alone with God.

God loves to spend time with you.  Prayer puts all things in their proper perspective.  David wrote, “Truly God is good to Israel and to such as are of a clean heart.”  He was starting to look at the prosperity of the wicked he said, “Until I went into the sanctuary, then understood I their end.”  Then I got my perspective; I got it together.

The enemy loves to get us out of church so that we are not spending time with Him.  It is good for me to draw near to God.

Rev 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

Rev 4:2  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

As we get before God, it may be a situation where God will say, “I’m still on the throne.  I am still in control.”  Spending time with God will give you the portion that you need.

Rev 4:3  And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

Maybe the message will be “The promises of God are still true” and God will speak His Word to you.  We know that we can trust God.  We have been in the pews however many years; we know we have a prayer answering God.  In the situation that I was in just recently it was proved again.  I felt I was spiraling down, but God took care of it.

Rev 4:4  And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

Maybe the message will be, “You are not the only one that is saved; God has seven thousand that have never bowed their knee to Baal.” 

The picture is bigger than that within your four walls.  I am a God that knows how to deal with people; I have a people that are clothed in white raiment. 

The apostle John was not better than anyone else; he was probably a man that spent much time in prayer.  That may be why God showed him what He did. 

I believe that God wants to show us some things.  It will not be things off the wall or contrary to the Word.  It will not be something that will cause problems and all that. 

In my life I want to have a better understanding how to walk with Him.  I was praying recently, “God, help me to have a better understanding how you want me to walk and help me to walk that way.”  There are things that we want from Him and there are things that He wants for us.

Rev 21:9  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

I will show you the bride.  Don’t you just love all the ‘comes’ in the Revelations?  Come hither and I will show you Babylon.  We don’t want to get ecumenical.  We want to have just as clear as eyesight as we can have so that we don’t open the doors that shouldn’t be opened.  ‘Come hither’ means position yourself before me.

Exo 34:29  And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

Exo 34:30  And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

He had spent time with God and it showed on his face.  Challenge yourself to get closer and closer to God.  Challenge yourself.  You don’t have to tell anyone, “Brother I am drawing closer to God.”  Just do it, and it will reflect out in your life.

Psa 16:11  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psa 68:8  The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

What power to cause even the mountains to shake!  God help us. 

We need revival at the school.  I am disgusted with the adults.  What bad examples.  They want to tell the kids to take off their hats when they come into the school and then they live like they do.  God help us to have such presence of God in our lives that we go down the halls and the presence of God will cause people to just start shaking.

Psa 97:5  The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

Exo 33:9  And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.

Exo 33:10  And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

Exo 33:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

Can you imagine this?  Joshua, a young man, went into the tabernacle with Moses.  It affected Him to such an extent having God talk to Moses as a friend face to face.  It caused him to not want to leave there. 

Rev 8:1  And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

Rev 8:2  And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

Rev 8:3  And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

Rev 8:4  And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

Rev 8:5  And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Rev 8:6  And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Psa 141:2  Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Revelations says, ‘much incense.’  See what happened with all the prayers of the saint?  They took the censor and filled it with fire from the altar and cast it into the earth, His people.  There were voices, thundering, and lightening.  They prepared themselves to sound, that is spending time in prayer.

Act 10:1  There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

Act 10:2  A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

Act 10:3  He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.

Act 10:4  And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

Act 10:9  On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:

Our prayers will not go unnoticed to God.  Cornelius was a man that prayed to God always.  Peter went up to pray.  I don’t believe that Peter was anyone that was greater than anyone else.  He was just a man that applied himself to God.

We see in Acts the effects of those that were praying.

Luk 2:36  And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;

Luk 2:37  And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Luk 2:38  And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Here was a woman that was given to prayer.  God allowed her to see the Christ child.

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 3/26/14

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 3/26/14

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

Rev 1:2  Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

We are blessed to have the Word of God.  There is such a marvelous quickening, conviction, and blessing found by reading and hearing the Word of God.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ was given to His servant John.  He received this revelation when he was in his nineties.  That alone is convicting to me.  Just because we are aged doesn’t mean that we have to get lukewarm, wander, or drift. 

He was a pastor of Jerusalem for many years and then went to Ephesus in his later years.

The promise is, “Blessed are they that read and hear this prophecy.  The time is at hand.”

Rev 1:4  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

The seven Spirits are the Holy Spirit of God in every church age.

Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

It is a wonderful thing to have Jesus Christ as our prince.  He is the ruler of the people; the choice, first rank ruler.  We are so happy to know about Jesus Christ and to know that He is the Prince of the kings of the earth.

He is the ruler of evil spirits.  You and I need to acknowledge beyond a shadow of a doubt that everyone that is unsaved have been to whatever degree seduced by a seducing spirit.  They are not hopeless.  There is hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

He is the prince of evil spirits.  He delivered Legion.  We may have family members that have legions.  We have a prince that has the power to deliver even those that might have legions.

Jesus calmed the storm on the sea and is still calming storms today. 

Jesus called Lazarus forth when he had been dead for four days.  He is the Prince of life and gave life over death.

Jesus fed 5,000 men with the lad’s lunch and after feeding the multitude they picked up 12 baskets full.  He has the power to bless.

He has the heart of a shepherd, of a father, and He is a friend.  He is a burden bearer. 

I love the account of how Jesus treated the woman caught in the very act of adultery.  He didn’t give a long discourse of how He had remained pure.  He said, “You that are without sin cast the first stone.”  He then bent down and wrote on the ground.  When He looked up the accusers were gone and He said to the woman, “Neither do I condemn you.  Go and sin no more.” 

We have a Prince that is not to bring into bondage but to make free.

Unto Him that loved us:  he loved us when we were unlovable and needed to be loved so bad.  There are a million tonight that Jesus loves who don’t know what they are looking for and are trying to find fulfillment somewhere else.  They will only find it when they allow Him to wash them from their sins in His own blood.

He made us kings and priests knowing how to worship Him and doing our best to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

We don’t have to run everything.  We don’t have the wisdom to run everything.  He knows how to set things in order in our personal lives and in our family.

Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Rev 1:7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Jesus left us His Word and promise that He is coming.  He will come with clouds.  I believe that means that He will bring those with Him.  Every eye shall see Him.  I don’t need to talk to this audience tonight of men and women being blinded by sin, self, the world, lies, and evil spirits.  That is a common thing today and has been common for a long time.

Peter wrote in his epistles that there would be scoffers in the last day. 

Those that pierced Him:  Those that placed that crown of thorns on His head were mocking him and were purposely placing the crown and it pricked his forehead and it bled. 

The cross was laid on the ground and He was placed there and the nails pierced his hands and feet.  There are people like the Roman soldiers that pierced His hands with the nails.  Time has not erased what they did.  The Word of God is as true today as that day on the Isle of Patmos.

The soldier pierced his side with a spear and the fountain opened.  All kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him:  there are three times when the word wail is mentioned in the Bible.  15 times the word wailing is mentioned.  This word in the Revelation is a different word than the other words, wail or wailing. 

It says, “All the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.”  This means they will beat their chest in grief.  We hope these precious children haven’t experienced grief.  But we all have had experiences with grief.  Sometimes it is because we lost a family member that we cared for. 

Grief is expressed in many different ways.  The scripture says, “Blessed are they that mourn because they shall be comforted.”  The most difficult grief may be the grief that “This situation will never be right.  This individual has gone into eternity.”  Sometimes it is a very untimely death. 

There is that disappointment of seeing or hearing of young or old lives that could have been so used of God, individuals that had so much going for them or had such potential. 

We have all had people tell us of individuals that were someone’s star.  God looks upon every one as having lots of potential.  They may not have graduated from a university but it is unknown what God will do with an individual that will yield themselves to Him.

This teaches us that Jesus is coming with clouds and every eye shall see him.  It is not leaving anyone out.  We have met some that say, “I have chosen not to believe so I will not see Jesus if He should come.”  That changes nothing.  Every eye shall see Him.

All the kindreds, this doesn’t leave the atheistic communist out or whoever turned immorality lose in Greenland.  It doesn’t leave out or make excuse for anyone.  We wonder sometimes in our mind, “How can God deal with that individual?”  It makes no difference with God.  He knows how to deal with everyone.  It doesn’t take away from the wailing or beating on the chest.

How can I keep this real to me? 

Rev 1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

This is the answer, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.”  We live in a society that wants to rob us from Sunday.  We make the choice, “I’m going to be in the Spirit on the Lords Day and have my life lined up with the Word and the Spirit of God. 

The most important business that we have is to be ready for Jesus’ coming.  It supersedes the garden, money, health, it supersedes everything. 

Jesus promised the Holy Spirit.

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray and Jesus did a marvelous job.  He then dealt with a thought of going to a friend asking for bread.  He said, “Come back later.”  He desperately said, “No my friend is here and I need bread now.” 

May God teach us how to desperately pray for the Holy Ghost in our life.  it is absolutely necessary that you and I realize, “I am going to have to have a fresh anointing, a fresh visitation, a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God in my life or everything of the world will crowd in.”

When you reach the place where your mind is consumed with your health, it is the same as your mind being consumed with finances or your family.  The effect is the same.  It crowds out the Holy Spirit of God.  We must have the Holy Spirit real and working in our life. 

Luk 11:5  And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

Luk 11:6  For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

Luk 11:7  And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

Luk 11:8  I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

Luk 11:9  And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Luk 11:10  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

If this account for literal bread is in the scripture, how much more do we need to have the Holy Spirit of God in our life? 

Luk 11:11  If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

Luk 11:12  Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

Luk 11:13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

It wouldn’t even have to be a son, if one of you shows up with a need or our neighbor shows up that isn’t saved, we are going to work to supply that need.  This is in the natural; let us go to the spiritual.  May God help me to realize, we need the Holy Spirit active in our life every day. 

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

The Holy Spirit will reprove the world of sin.  It is the convicting force that reproves men and women of sin.  You and I everyday are targeted to not keep sin exceedingly sinful.  Someone wants to look at sin in someone’s life as the exception.  It is not. 

The Holy Spirit keeps sin exceedingly sinful.  When it comes to this thought of the Holy Spirit reproving or convicting the world of sin, our part is having the Holy Spirit in us and that consecration “Sin is sin.  I don’t want to be obnoxious; I want the Holy Spirit to work with everyone that I come in contact with.” 

I would rather have someone say that they hate me because of the conviction than have them think good otherwise.  The Holy Spirit is the third person that will warn us of the sin of drifting.  I have been saved for a while but I don’t want to drift. 

Drifting is easy.  There is a song, “I was rescued just in time from drifting.”  The man that wrote the song, “I will follow Jesus.”  Drifted away from truth and got caught up in heresy and God in His mercy broke through on his drifting and he came to the realization of it and went to the brethren and said “I am wrong and whatever I need to do, I want to do to get right.”  He got right.  He came back and said, “I have to redeem the time.” 

It will be the Holy Spirit that will keep us on track.  We cannot afford to drift or wander.  Wanderers get lost.  “I’ve wandered far away from God.”  Lukewarmness is real.  It is the onslaught against the church today.  The Holy Spirit will reprove men and women of sin, of lukewarmness, and of righteousness. 

Whoever you are burdened for, this is a burdened congregation.  We have a right to be burdened.  We have children, grandchildren, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters… 

The Holy Spirit will cause self righteousness to be as filthy rags. 

The Holy Spirit of God convicts the Saints of the necessity of walking in the Spirit.  We have heard and been taught that message.  The message is right.  The practicality is that we must have the Holy Spirit alive and real in our life or we will not walk in the Spirit. 

If we are to walk and live in the Spirit then we must keep a fresh infilling of the Spirit coming in.  Life is draining and our times are draining.  There are things going on in America if you let it will draw the Spirit of God out of your life and mind and you will be focused on the times we live in.

The Holy Spirit places judgment on the princes of the world.  The devil cannot satisfy.  Individuals that fill their lives with worldliness and self, it will not work.  We live in a world that is selfish.  Children are selfish, men and women are selfish.  Men and women get married and there is a tug o war. It is because of selfishness.

Carnality:  We need to pray that the Holy Spirit take the magnifying glass and show us carnality in our self.  Any of our ways that displease God we want to know about.  We want to be so well prepared that our life is filled with the Holy Spirit of God and the difference in our life and theirs is the Spirit of God in our life convicting men and women. 

We want more than an outward standard.  We want the Holy Spirit alive and active in our life.

The Holy Spirit makes it real to me.  This word of God is opened on one side of the balance.  The balance is in God’s hand and the Holy Spirit of God dealing with you and me.  Not someone saying, “I think you can get by, if you can handle it ok.”  If you spend much time thinking about it then you need to get the snippers out and let the Holy Spirit of God deal with it.

Unbelief says, “Where is the promise of His coming?”  People get all twittered in their mind. 

I’d take Jesus any day and the Holy Spirit any day.  We worship a lot but never too much.  Yes a lot is required, but never too much.  Look at what the world requires of people.  Look what people are trying to do to make a living.  My heart goes out to those in Eastern Montana and Dakotas.  Sleeping in a sleeping bag and eating out of a can.

Unbelief says, “Where is the promise of His coming?  The Holy Spirit says, “The books will be opened and we will be judged out of those books.”

May we be challenged to have the Holy Spirit in our lives. 

God wants you to meet with Him just like He wants me to meet with Him.  He comes with a real serious note.  He is really good to us but He comes with a serious note and says, “Son or daughter.”  He talks to me as a son, “You preached of patience recently.  You have need of patience.”  He says, “Come on up a little higher.  You need more of the Holy Spirit of God in your life, Gary.”  You are right.

We have this wonderful privilege of being ready when He comes.  Let us walk in the Spirit and let us live in the Spirit.  Let us ask for the Holy Spirit to keep the final judgment real to us.  There is the final judgment.  There is judgment all along the line, but all nations will be gathered together and there is the final judgment.