Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 11/26/14

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 11/26/14

Give thanks to God.

Psa 107:1  O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Sometimes we fail to give thanks for how good God is.  He is bigger than we can think.  He is even more and even more and even more. 

God is.  It is sad the concepts of God that are out there.  Many ideas of a greater force or a supreme being that ‘must be out there’.  Others don’t understand about the one true God and think that there are many gods.

Oh give thanks to the LORD.  God is; it doesn’t stop there.  He is the rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. 

Ps 90:2 a psalm written by Moses. 

Psa 90:2  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Moses knew that God was from eternity.  If you began reading in Genesis 1; Moses wrote this under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.  In the beginning God…

God gave Moses the understanding that God was from eternity and from eternity God spoke this world into existence.  “In the beginning God said…”

From everlasting to everlasting thou art God.  All through time and before time began, God is God.  He is God today.  When you think of the ceaseless ages of eternity where we will forever be with the Lord, He will be God.

Deu 33:27  The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

You can trust God.  He is from eternity. 

Isa 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Thankfulness does so much for us.  If you will practice having a thankful heart, it will fill in the distresses of life.  It will change our thought pattern. 

Psa 107:2  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

We need to thank God to be redeemed.  Don’t hesitate to testify, “I’ve been redeemed.”

We have been redeemed from the hand of the enemy:  from terrible destruction.  “There go I but for the grace of God.” 

We have endeavored in our service tonight to tell of, past what one would have thought of getting saved and rid of the burden of sin, of the more that God has done.  Every year we could do the same song and have the same people testify and it would be new things over and over again that God does. 

He redeems us from the hand of destruction.  Those things that are out there whether you are young or old. The enemy always has something to try to destroy the fellowship with God.  Over and over He redeems us from that which would destroy our mind or our relationships. 

If it wasn’t for God we wouldn’t have relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ or with our children.  We would live a life serving our self and find fault with everyone in the world.  You get into that and there will not be one person good enough to fellowship with.  Love covers a multitude of sins.

Psa 107:3  And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.

Psa 107:4  They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.

Wanderings are terrible.  One lady decided that she didn’t want to be a wife and a mother anymore.  Wandering.  There are religious people that get under that.  God has a place for us to dwell. 

Every night as Karen and I kneel and pray we thank God.  Thank God that we have a home.  Thank God that I have a job.  Thank God that we have fellowship.  We have a place for our grandchildren to come to sing choruses, be taught in Sunday school, and know the love of the saints.

Wanderings. 

Psa 107:5  Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

You don’t have to have a gift of discernment to see how hungry people are.  They are empty on the inside.

Psa 107:6  Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.

Psa 107:7  And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.

When you feel your need of God, you cry to God.  Learn to pray.  Be the one that can teach someone else how to have devotions.  Sister Darla’s friend Pearl knew how to have devotions.  If you don’t know how, then ask someone, “Teach me how to have devotions, teach me how to read the bible and how to pray.” 

Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father…”  We are taught to pray in Jesus name.

When you feel troubled, insecure, unsure what is going to happen, or uneasy, then pray.  He delivers out of distresses and leads forth by the right way.

You can trust God to lead you the right way.  The right way is Jesus going before.  John 10:4

He teaches you about the Holy Spirit of God.  It is for every believer.  It is designed that every man, boy, and girl, not only be saved, but present their body a living sacrifice and the nature of sin be purged out by the Holy Spirit, holy fire. 

God leads the right way from the wilderness and leads to the height of Zion.

Psa 107:8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psa 107:9  For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

There is nothing sadder than to live life with an empty soul.  There is nothing more wonderful than having your soul fully satisfied.  The prophet Jeremiah said our souls would be saturated.  That is not just enough to get by, but fully satisfied.

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 11/23/14

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 11/23/14

1Sa 1:9  So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.

1Sa 1:10  And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

1Sa 1:11  And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

1Sa 1:12  And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.

1Sa 1:13  Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

1Sa 1:14  And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.

1Sa 1:15  And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

1Sa 1:16  Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

1Sa 1:17  Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

To Eli, Hannah’s prayer was silent.  Hannah was one of the wives of Elkanah his other wife, Peninnah, had born children and Hannah was barren.  There was a constant vexing by Peninnah who made life miserable for Hannah.  

Her testimony in prayer was that she was very grieved in her soul.  Her husband loved her and asked, “Am I not better than ten sons?” 

We understand as we look at one another.  You know what the burden of your heart is this morning.  We hear each other’s prayer request and sometimes someone says that they have a very special unspoken prayer request. 

Hannah was in the temple, there were needs all around her, but she had this particular heart cry.  Her husband was very good to her, gave her many gifts.  To Eli, she was praying silently. 

Eli was sitting by one of the posts of the temple.  As he was sitting there, this lady came in.  I would say (as my wife says of Chuck Kelly, he has a presence about him.  He is six foot six and he has a voice that when he speaks people know he is there.)  I believe that as Hannah walked into the temple that she had a presence about her.

I would say that each one of you has a presence about you.  This young couple had a presence about them when they were about to be married.  John wasn’t sure where he should be but the bride knew where she should be.  She had found her place and was waiting for her father. 

She had a presence about her.  She knew right where she wanted to be, had her dress ready, and had her flowers ready.  They knew exactly what they wanted the minister to say.  She wasn’t saying anything but was waiting right there ready for her father to give her away.

Hannah had a presence about her.  She had one desire on her heart.  Usually when I pray, there is a whole list of things that I pray about.  Because I don’t have a good memory, as you enter the house if you turn right then you will see the stairway.  On one of the steps there is a prayer request list.  The stairs and the basement is a wonderful way to remind me, “Let’s pray one more time.”

There are times that Karen and I agree in prayer for one single prayer request.  Kayla called, “It is hailing here.  Will you pray?”  I wasn’t praying for the snow on Jocho or the weather in Hawaii.  We prayed earnestly for one single prayer request.

As Hannah walked into the temple known as a house of prayer.  She was heavily burdened with one burden.  She wasn’t interested in telling Eli of Peninnah, or all the children that she helped with that were not hers.  She had one burden.

She walked into the temple, known as a house of prayer, and the priest was sitting by the door.  All that have read the book of 1 Samuel know how terrible things were in the land in that day and how terrible Eli’s sons were.  There were a lot of women drunken around the temple at that time. 

She walked into the temple, maybe didn’t even see Eli, she had one single burden, a heavy single burden.  She was there full of grief.  She had tangible things, a husband and a home.  She knew how to worship.  She walked into that temple with one single burden on her heart.  She was full of heartache.

Us Americans have been taught to live with many masks to not let anyone know how broken we are.  When you are dying of whatever, “Everything is fine.”  When you are so lonely; loneliness is a tough thing to deal with.

Some of you have known grief and heartache, tangible losses that there would be no way to measure.  Only God himself would be able to measure them.  Come into the temple before Him for God to know, “This individual has, as Hannah, bitterness of soul.”

Sometimes bitterness of soul is such disappointment.  As long as God is chastising us, we are His.  I am not going to read you the scripture, but if you live a life without chastisement then you are not His.

We all as parents and grandparents know how it is when there is no correction in a life.  Hannah was very loved by her husband.  He loved her so much that he said, “Hannah, am I not better than ten sons?”

He was hurting with his wife.  He was trying to help Hannah to see, “I love you so much that I give Peninnah 5 goats, but I give you a hundred.”  Hannah went into the temple with a presence about her, “I am so burdened.”

Do you believe that Hannah knew that God was going to send a Samuel that would change the course of thousands, maybe millions of lives?  There are in this audience a congregation of people who hold the possibility of great changes taking place in the lives of I am not going to limit to a number, 10, or 1,000, or any other.  I am not going to limit God.

Hannah prayed and wept.  One burden.  God had planned all this and she was in the perfect plan of God.  Our former pastor in the movement when I was a child used to sing a song, “You hold the keys.”  There is a key here this morning and it is not just for the pastor: one burden. 

God knew what He was doing.  Hannah was not the only lady without children.  There was something in her that cried out to God. 

I won’t be offended if you pray that I am humble before God.  I must be humble before God.  Hannah prayed, “I am just a handmaid.”  Can you feel the presence in this account in the scripture? 

1Sa 1:11  And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

Quite a bit of time lapsed:

1Sa 1:12  And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.

Her prayer was silent:

1Sa 1:13  Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

And Eli thought she was drunken. 

1Sa 1:14  And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.

1Sa 1:15  And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

She said, “I am so full of grief and sorrow on the inside; don’t think me a daughter of Belial but I have poured out my soul before the Lord.”

There are right times for us to be heavily burdened.  I love her approach.  “I am here to make contact with God.  I am not here telling anyone how I am mistreated and vexed or how hard I work.  I am here because there is grief and sorrow in my heart.” 

This lady carried a burden that God himself had left there.  God chose to move upon Eli:

1Sa 1:17  Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

1Sa 1:18  And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

They rose up early, went back and worshiped again and then went home.

There is something about God witnessing that He has heard prayer.  I don’t know how many years ago it was; I came to the church to do whatever while we were in meeting.  While I was here I decided I would pray and I began to pray.  If you are sick, or burdened, the thing to do is pray. 

I was physically sick.  The rumor that was out there was that I was on heavy drugs.  I was not, I never took them.  Whoever said it and all that repeated it lied. 

I was sick, I was a father, a husband, and I was very sick.  I was over here praying and someone heard me praying unbeknownst to me.  Sister Davis is the someone.  I don’t know when it was but before they went back to Idaho she found me and said, “Brother Kelly I want to tell you something; you will be healed.” 

It didn’t happen that day and it didn’t happen the day after that, but I was healed.  Thank the Lord.

Eli said, “Go in peace.”  The bible says that her countenance changed.  There is something about a heartache, they don’t make masks to hide it.  They don’t make masks that hide sorrow.  That is not how it is.

There is something about God, when He witnesses, “I heard prayer; I am going to answer prayer.”  Eli said, “Go in peace.”

They worshipped, they went home, and four years later Hannah was back at the temple and Eli was there.  Hannah’s answer to prayer was with her, Samuel.”

1Sa 1:26  And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.

1Sa 1:27  For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:

1Sa 1:28  Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.

God has a burden for each one of us to carry diligently.  It is vital that you know that your burden is from the Lord.  Everyone can call us for prayer.  Each one of us in this audience is a particular individual before God.  God has a specific plan for you. 

You can fill your prayer with all sorts of things that are all around us; that is not bad.  What this message is about is that there are things, one thing in particular.  For every individual in this service this morning, there is one particular burden that God wants you to carry.

There are some things that only you can carry.  I believe that because you are a unique individual before God. 

There may be things in your family that are not perfect.  You may wear, “The perfect family” mask.  Throw it away and give it up.  You may be burdened for your family or your wife’s family, but every one of us is called to have a very specific burden. 

When you walk into the presence of Almighty God, the high priest, Jesus Christ, realizes, “That saint has a presence.”

She knew her soul’s burden. 

These little children in this audience, God could be dealing with them at a young age about the mission field.  If God is speaking to you about going to Africa, He is right. 

She refused to be distracted.  You may be here and gifted to do several things at a time.  I cannot.  She refused to be distracted by gifts.  She refused to be distracted by needs. 

She walked into the temple at Shiloh and I don’t want to tell you what I think that she saw on the way.  It was not a pretty sight.  Eli’s sons were bad.  She had other things to think about.  Just suppose Elkanah had given her 100 rams what was she going to do with them?  If had given her money, what if someone stole it?  My whole thought is this: other things.

Hannah let her soul feel the weight of the burden.  Sometimes we don’t want to feel the weight of the burden especially when it deals with eternity.  Eternity is very heavy. 

We want to hear the solemn footsteps of eternity.  It makes everything different.

Hannah promised to give God back the answer to her burden.  “God help me to have a burden and then when you give the answer to bring it back to you.”  She enjoyed little Samuel for four years and then she brought him back.

She wanted a son to give back to God, a son to train to God, a son to stand in the gap, a son to be used of God.  God remembered Hannah.

What is your petition before God?  It is alright to walk into this country church whether someone is here or no one is here and pray, bring your petition before God.

Sister Sunny Sunday School 11/23/14

Sister Sunny Sunday School 11/23/14

We have seen in previous lessons who God is and how He created man to be like Him.  God desires to dwell with us but cannot tolerate the presence of sin.  Adam and Eve sinned because they went beyond the bounds that God had set for them.  God made a sacrifice for their sin and clothing and made a way for them to worship Him and fellowship Him.  This set the stage for Jesus coming to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Everyone, including us which were born to Adam and Eve, were born not in the image of God but in the image of Adam, with a carnal, selfish, nature.  Jesus came to remove the curse that we received through Adam.  He is the giver of spiritual life, eternal life. 

Jesus was born in the image of God: Holy, blameless, undefiled, and did not sin in life.  He became the perfect sacrifice for our sins by dying for us and rising again the third day.  He made a way to give victory over the power of death, which is sin, to all that would believe on Him. 

God has prepared a dwelling place for His servants that sin can never enter.  God does not hear the prayer of a sinner, and since we all have sinned, we all need to be saved.  God has commanded that we be holy as He is holy.  He made a way for us to become new creatures, able again to be in His image through the sacrifice of His dear Son.

Definition of the word salvation – Deliverance, Help, Safety, Victory, Health.

God’s plan of salvation:  Repent, confess, and turn from our sin.

Repent:

Mar 1:14  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Mar 1:15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Luk 24:45  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

Luk 24:46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

Luk 24:47  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Act 5:29  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Act 5:30  The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Act 5:31  Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Act 5:32  And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Repentance goes with forgiveness of sins.  “If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14

To humble our self, and pray, and seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways is to repent.  It is the description of the action of repentance. 

Confess:

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In order to receive God’s mercy, we must acknowledge that we have need of it.  We must confess that we have sinned and turn from our sin to Him.  He will have mercy and forgive.  He is faithful and just to forgive us.  And He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Pro 28:13  He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Turn from sin:

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

1Pe 4:2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Rom 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Rom 6:9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

Rom 6:10  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 6:12  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Rom 6:13  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Adam Clarke - Romans 6:14

 Sin shall not have dominion over you - God delivers you from it; and if you again become subject to it, it will be the effect of your own choice or negligence.

Ye are not under the law - That law which exacts obedience, without giving power to obey; that condemns every transgression and every unholy thought without providing for the extirpation of evil or the pardon of sin.

But under grace - Ye are under the merciful and beneficent dispensation of the Gospel, that, although it requires the strictest conformity to the will of God, affords sufficient power to be thus conformed; and, in the death of Christ, has provided pardon for all that is past, and grace to help in every time of need.

Become a new creature:

Eph 4:20  But ye have not so learned Christ;

Eph 4:21  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

We are to put off the old man, the old sinful nature, and put on the new man which is created in the image of God, righteousness and true holiness.

Adam Clarke - Which after God is created in righteousness - Here is certainly an allusion to the creation of man. Moses tells us, Gen_1:27, that God created man in his own image; that is, God was the model according to which he was formed in the spirit of his mind. St. Paul says here that they should put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, or, ὁσιοτητι της αληθειας, in the holiness of truth. Both certainly refer to the same thing, and the one illustrates the other. From the apostle we learn what Moses meant by the image of God; it was righteousness and the truth of holiness. See the note on Gen_1:26. It is not this or the other degree of moral good which the soul is to receive by Jesus Christ, it is the whole image of God; it is to be formed κατα Θεον, according to God; the likeness of the Divine Being is to be traced upon his soul, and he is to bear that as fully as his first father Adam bore it in the beginning.

Col 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Again we see that the new man is after the image of Him that created him.  It is renewed in knowledge, God writes His laws upon our heart.  It is not a law that comes from outside us that is pressed upon us, but it is something that is within us that we desire to do what is right.  We are made a new creature, no longer driven by the lusts of sin and the flesh. 

The description of the new man:

Col 3:11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Col 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Col 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

Col 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Col 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Col 3:17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

The results of salvation in our life:

Life (more abundant):

Joh 10:9  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

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.

Adam Clarke – The word used signifies more abundant life; that is, eternal life; or spiritual blessings much greater than had ever yet been communicated to man, preparing for a glorious immortality. Jesus is come that men may have abundance; abundance of grace, peace, love, life, and salvation. Blessed be Jesus.

Blessings overtake us:

Deu 28:2  And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

Deu 28:3  Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

Deu 28:4  Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

Deu 28:5  Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.

Deu 28:6  Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

Deu 28:7  The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

Deu 28:8  The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Deu 28:9  The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

Restored fellowship with God:

Rev 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Health and help:

Psa 103:1  A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Psa 103:2  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Psa 103:3  Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Psa 103:4  Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Psa 103:5  Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psa 103:6  The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

Rivers of pleasure:

Psa 36:7  How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

Psa 36:8  They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

Satisfied: Heb. watered, Yirweyun, "they shall be saturated," as a thirsty field by showers from heaven. Isa_58:11

God’s providence: every good gift,

Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Pro 10:22  The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

Direction:

Isa 30:20  And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

Isa 30:21  And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Isa 48:17  Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 11/19/14

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 11/19/14

1Pe 5:1  The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

If a minister fails to partake of the things of God, if he fails to, as Isaiah when he went into the temple, to see God high and lifted up, His presence filling the temple, and seeing the many angels singing that song and echoing back and forth, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

I don’t know much and I don’t want to know much outside of Western Montana.  We have a job to do here.  With just the exhortation from Sister Annette, Sister Hayen, and Sister Sue, we have a lot to do around here.

1Pe 5:2  Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

It is vital that I as a minister meet with God, have my message from God, and not have an agenda.  It is ok for a pastor to have a standard and lift up the standard in the local congregation.  But it is vital that he have a message from Heaven. 

It is possible for a minister to get sidetracked.  I don’t want to go that way and I know that you don’t want me to go that way.  The thing for us to do is to pray.  You to pray for me that I stay in the Word of God and lay judgment to the line and righteousness to the plummet and be balanced; with the Word of God taught just as God would have it.

Be a willing overseer: pastor not for pay but of a willing mind.  In every one of us it is vital that we have a willing mind.  We need to have the attitude, “My mind is willing; whatever, where ever you want me to do and be I want to have a wiling mind.”

Adam Clark says, “Doing all for Christ’s sake and love for mortal souls.”  There is something going on in my soul about eternity.  DO Teasley was in New York City at a young man’s funeral in the Woodlawn cemetery, and wrote the song, “Eternity.”  DO Teasley felt that Eternity had a sound of footsteps. 

1.    I stood at the time-beaten portals,
Where many a pilgrim had passed
Out into the infinite future,
To be with the pure and the blest;
And, musing in silent devotion,
Eternity seemed to draw near;
And strains from the choir of the faithful
I seemed in my fancy to hear.

o   Refrain:
Oh, eternity! Long eternity!
Hear the solemn footsteps of eternity.

1Pe 5:3  Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

There has to be a real balance.  In a home the husband is to be a head, but it doesn’t mean that he is to be a dictator.  It is the same in the church, the pastor is not to be a lord over God’s heritage without consideration for souls.

Being ensamples to the flock:  God help me to be a good example in every way in my life.  I ask that you please pray because I want to do my very best.

1Pe 5:4  And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Christ shall appear with a crown of glory that fades not away.

1Pe 5:5  Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

There is always a person that is the oldest in the congregation.  It is vital to know how to submit and to have a heart, “I’ll be taught and I’ll be trained.”  If we think that we know something that would help someone it is vital that we have the grace and anointing of God to help a younger one.

I remember sister Gerhart when someone looked up and said, “Here comes brother and sister Ferguson.”  She looked at me and said, “Son be very careful.”  Those that know the rest of the story know it.  We need to know how to be warned and how to give a warning.

Yea all of you be subject one to another.  You can be younger than me and still teach me.  The bible teaches us to be subject one to another.  And to be clothed with humility.

May God help me as a minister and us as a flock not to have a voluntary humility, “You can tell I’m humble because I haven’t bought shoes in 17 years and I always wear used ties and never buy tie tacks…” 

Church be clothed with humility.  That is not saying that you have to dress out of “secret seconds” or that you can never wear new clothes or a tie.  No, it means to be clothed with humility.

I think of our heavy burdens, the crucial position that all of us are in.  The bible says that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.  How we need the grace of God and the ten meanings thereof.

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

It is so wonderful to feel His hand and us to melt and say, “I need you.  I can do nothing without you.”  We have a lot of good entertainment in the world.  I enjoy most of the gospel music that I listen to.  It is entertainment.  I have an Irishman that sings to me pretty often and can sing, “Footsteps Walking” until you can feel the lullaby.  It is good entertainment. 

As the church, instrument players, song leaders, piano players, I appreciate those that work with the children.  (You are getting music out of those children, it is the best music that they will ever hear.  Those choruses that I learned in Sunday school are still with me, I never want to lose them.)  How we need God! 

May God help this minister and this congregation to remember to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.  We have received many complements.  We cannot run on past blessings.  We have to stay humble before God. 

Leave all the exalting to Him.  You say, “I don’t want to be exalted.”  I don’t either.  Maybe the thought that Peter was preaching was of God coming down and lifting me above the difficult places so that I don’t feel the strife or the jabs here or there.  God can do it.

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

It is not possible to be without cares.  You have something to do tomorrow.  There will be cares Friday if time continues.  The best thing that you can do is give it to God. 

We are to rightfully have a care for our mother, but give it to God and then let God give it back to you as to how you are to handle the situation.  Same way with our children, our grandchildren, the one that is starting to drift, those that are in heartbreaking situations say, “God I am going to give you this care, I cannot do it on my own.”

There is one thing to do and that is to get the care over on God.  “God I am giving you Brady, We want to show them that we care and love them.”

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

My God help us to be sober in our mind.  A lot of people won’t be sober minded.  They will laugh and cut up no matter what happens.  We need to take the instruction of Peter, be sober in our minds and in our desires. 

It is not wrong to have a desire.  God knows how to bring us up on our desires.  We need to be sober, “God I am thinking this; what are you thinking?”  A lot of times we want God to think that we have the greatest of thoughts.  Sometimes He says, “That is not the thought that I would have you thinking.” 

Sober in our minds:  “God hasn’t given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.”

Be vigilant, always be on guard to the devil.  It is vital that we are saved, sanctified, and measuring.  It is vital that we be diligent.  The devil is our adversary and walks about as a roaring lion.  Never think that you are an exception.  That roaring lion roars in our ears, our minds, our emotions, our desires.  He is always walking about. 

My mother used to preach about the hound dogs.  In the olden days, potatoes were cheap and people would boil up a five pound bag of potatoes.  They would throw them into the snow to feed the dogs.  As long as the potatoes were hot they would just walk around them but as soon as they would begin to cool off, they would jump in and get the potatoes. 

The enemy is always walk about seeking.  May God help me to have my senses exercised to know when it is the voice of the enemy.  If there are footsteps of eternity, I want my ears to be able to detect if the enemy is walking about. 

1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

This enemy attacks everyone.  I remember when this enemy fought hard to cloud my vision about the truth of God’s Word.  There were a few things that I stood on, this Word of God is true.  That day, that week when I was in that battle I wondered if anyone else had ever been in that battle.  I read that DO Teasley went through a common battle.  These are common battles. 

May God help you and me.  These are old battles; they are not going to be anything new.  They are common battles.

1Pe 5:10  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

When you have exhausted your resources, “What can I do?”  That is when God likes to step in.  If you stay true to God it will come to an end.

Suffering is for our benefit.  Joseph’s brothers thought to do him evil.  If you allow the onslaught of the enemy to work for your good it is designed to perfect us.  It is designed to give us strength or establish us.  We need to go through whatever it is so that we will be strengthened for next time.

1Pe 5:11  To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

1Pe 5:12  By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.

Let us stand in the true grace of God.  Isn’t that beautiful?

1Pe 5:13  The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.

I want Brother and Sister Hayen to leave here tonight with the thought, “The church in Paradise sends greetings to Brother and Sister McCranie.”  I want them to take the greetings of the love of God and I want us to have the same greetings among us.

1Pe 5:14  Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Chuck told me, “I’m going to come to church one of these days.”  He didn’t; he is in eternity tonight.  May God help me and God help you that our greeting may be full of love. 

Peace:  Church live in peace.  Amen.