Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 2/25/15

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 2/25/15

Pro 15:2  The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

Pro 15:7  The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.

Pro 15:14  The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.

Knowledge is received through instruction.  I want to teach on receiving instruction. 

There are some things that we think men always knew, from this scripture we learn that it is God that taught man to till the soil, to plant seeds, and save the seeds so they can be planted again.

We want to be a simple people in the thought, “God we want what you have to teach us.”  Without the instruction of God, we would be in a miserable condition.

Isa 28:23  Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.

Isa 28:24  Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?

Isa 28:25  When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?

Isa 28:26  For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.

Isa 28:27  For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.

Isa 28:28  Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.

Isa 28:29  This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

When it comes to receiving instruction, we want something that someone has tried himself.  There are a million ways to plant tomatoes, but the best way I have found is to dig a hole and put in compost and water them once a week, as my dad did.

We are so blessed to know that we have a God that wants to instruct us.  These children are blessed because if we can, we want to teach them what we know at 68 years old. 

The way to have wisdom and understanding is to be instructed.  We must have the right attitude about instruction.  The best instruction that we can ever receive is found in the 66 books of the Bible.

God taught man how to harvest and how to take care of what he was harvesting.  You don’t take care of the cucumbers the same way you do the Hubbard squash. 

God instruct and teach me.  We can say as the sister, “God, I am going to put this scripture in my pocket. When I get back I want to have the testimony that I allowed you to teach me what to say, and what to add fuel to and what to not.”

What the Bible teaches is a good book to have as a reference.  It teaches 15 attributes of God.  I am going to bring three of them.  We can count on Him for instruction because He is omnipresent, he is everywhere.  The heavens themselves cannot contain God.

We will be faced with many things that we need instruction on.  God knows how to instruct us.  If we always allow God to position us where we ought to be, we need never be without His instruction, for He is everywhere.

He is omnipotent.  He has unlimited and universal power:

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Mat 19:26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

We all can talk about how hard it is to learn.  I want to talk to you about the ability to be instructed because God is God.  He has all the tools needed to instruct us for every situation, in every season, and in every decision in life.

He is omniscient. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning.  All thing are open to the eyes of God.  It is so wonderful to know that God has understood the mysteries that men still cannot figure out.  People come up with how valuable water is.  God knew it and we can tell it is mighty valuable because we look at the rivers, the springs, and the waterfall.  God gives us instruction.

It is up to God how He chooses to instruct us.  I learned this the hard way.  You may say, “I don’t want to ask, be a nuisance, or be troublesome.”  The thing with all those is that there is way too much “I”. 

God has given us instruction, His Word. 

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

God has given us His son Jesus Christ, the great teacher.  In Matthew 5, when the great multitude sat down, Jesus began to teach.

The Holy Spirit teaches us all things. 

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

In the Body of Christ, He has given us teachers.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Even though you have 10,000 teachers…”  I don’t know if this was a figure of speech or if there were 10,000 people around the Corinthians that were trying to tell them this and that and something else. 

Sometimes it seems that we do have way too many instructors.  It seems my wife has 10,000 instructors telling her what to do when she gets 65.

God created and gave to every man a measure of faith.  Every man is lit by Jesus Christ.  The first instruction we receive on a spiritual level is the seed of faith working in a child:  “Who made this world?  Who did this come from?  How come there are only robins at certain times?  How come at times there is nothing growing in the garden?”  These are good questions.  God created and gave to every child a measure of faith.

Isn’t it wonderful how the seed of faith wants to learn those little choruses as a little child?  Deep in the little soul, there is something that is lit by Jesus Christ.  Jesus, the light of the world, lights every soul that comes into the world.

God convicted Solomon in his teenage years to seek after instruction from God.  Isn’t that wonderful?  It is recorded in a couple places that Solomon was 16 to 18 when he made the trip to worship.  While he was there, God spoke and said, “Solomon what would you have me to give to you?”  What a question to have God ask at any age! 

The road to wisdom, knowledge and understanding is called instruction.

Pro 1:1  The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

Pro 1:2  To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

I thought of my father.  I wish I could go to the gallery of heaven tonight and have God open it up and show me all the times my father said, “God would you instruct me how to do this?”

I remember a season when we were very poor.  We had a car that needed a muffler and we didn’t have any money.  He got up one Saturday morning and said, “God showed me how to fix the muffler.”  I remember saying, “Can you fix it?”  He said, “Yes, God showed me how to fix the muffler.”

My father’s back was broken by a tree while he was logging.  He lay on a plywood board for many weeks.  I remember him telling my mom, “Call Gary and Joanne I want to talk to them.  I am going to die.”  He had quite a bit to say to me, “Take care of your mom.  Be obedient.”  I remember crying all that evening and maybe the next day too. 

Then the day came that Dad asked mom to help him get into the car.  (He probably crawled to the car.)  He said that God taught him how to learn to walk again.  He had mom drive him to the hill and leave him there.  I don’t know how many days this happened.  One day he learned to walk again.

God has the instruction that you need.  You have to let him teach you.  You may be in a quandary.  “What shall I do?”  Have the attitude, “God teach me how to be instructed.

Pro 1:3  To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

Pro 1:4  To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

How many men are 30 or how far down the road do they travel until they realize, “I should have known better.”  God has instruction for the young man.  He has instruction for all men. 

Pro 1:5  A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

Learn to listen.  Have an attitude, “I want to get everything that I can.”  If you ask someone a question, shut your mind off and quit talking.  Quit coming back with, “You’re going to one up them.”  Hearken. 

A wise man will hear and increase learning.

Pro 1:6  To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

Pro 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Pro 1:8  My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

Pro 1:9  For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

Mothers don’t be afraid to give your sons instruction.  They shall be an ornament of grace to their head.

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 2/22/15

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 2/22/15

Hab 2:4  Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

We have come to this portion of scripture this morning having dealt with the thoughts from Jeremiah, to ‘ask for the old paths’.  One of the oldest paths is the path of faith.  We thank God for that.

Jer 8:22  Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

We know this morning that not only in America, but it is pronounced condition in America, there are millions that are sick in sin, because of sin and its effects.  There is the emotional, the physical, and the social sicknesses.  This is not my message but it is a reality.  We live among those that are very seriously sick.

Is there no balm in Gilead?  Yes there is.  There is today and there was in that day.  There is a physician there.

The just shall live by his faith.  Paul emphasized in several scriptures that the Just shall live by faith.

The words justice and just mean the same in the Hebrew and Greek, to be just and righteous before God looking for the Messiah is the Old Testament thought.  We know that those that were saved under the old covenant were so because their faith that the Messiah would come was counted for righteousness.

In the New Testament those that are righteous are a result of the fact that Jesus has come and they have chosen to be obedient and so are just before God. 

We are taught how to be free from our sin:

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.

There is a pronounced truth that there is an old path that brings rest to the soul.  It is to have faith in God. 

Heb 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

Prior to salvation there was something in every one of us that knew that there was a God in heaven.  When we reached the age of accountability we knew that we had sinned, displeased God, and were out of favor with God.

Faith in God brings unto us when we obey His Word, forgiveness and the approval of God.  It is a natural characteristic of a child to want the approval of their parents.  It is good, especially if their parents are responsible before God and want to please Him.

My barber told me that his children have been targeted in the school in Missoula to not be judgmental about anything.  “Daddy, don’t say anything against anything.”  The dad had some things he wanted me to know about:  “My son said, “Don’t be judgmental,” and yet did he ever give it to me.”

There is an approval, a wonderful approval when you and I live by faith.  Faith is under attack.  Even children in this audience know that God is under attack.  Many teachers don’t want you to have a standard on anything. 

We have a standard in the Word of God, “The Just shall live by faith.”  This standard brings the approval of God.

The road and path of faith, trusting and obeying God, is a path that goes back to very early in the Old Testament.  Noah chose to believe God.  He chose to hear and obey God.  The path of faith that brings rest to our souls is to believe God, hear God, and then to obey God.

Paul said,

Heb 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

You and I are so blessed when we are put into a situation where we feel our faith is being tried.  The other side to that is you look up and say, “God I don’t know how this is going to go.”  There are many in this audience that have even made requests in the last week or two that say, “I don’t know how this will affect my life and it will have an effect on other’s lives too.” 

We are blessed when you and I are in the midst of a decision, “God it could go this way or it could go that way.” 

Way back in time when I was severely tempted… It was brought in Sunday school that when the time of temptation comes if people don’t have root in themselves, they fall away.  I remember that occasion as if it were yesterday.  There was something in me that wanted to please God. 

We come to these crossroads over and over again.  We make the choice, “I am going to choose to live by faith.”  We make the curve or choose the highroad.  It gives God pleasure and brings His approval in our life.

Heb 10:39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

When you are making a decision in your life… Whatever age you are, you will continue to come to crossroads in your life.  We all have reached those places where we choose to make the choice, “I am going to do what God wants me to do and exercise faith in God.”  Or we choose, “I am going to choose what my flesh wants to do.”

Perdition means destruction.  When an individual chooses to draw back, they don’t draw back to good things.  I pray, “God keep the mirror of the Word before me.”  When we think, “I don’t want to climb anymore”, keep climbing.  Keep walking, if you ever quit, you will become immobile.

I had a fall a year ago in February.  The pain to keep walking was intense.  I knew that if I ever quit, it would only be a matter of time until I became immobile.  In the spiritual realm, we cannot quit walking, climbing, or living by faith.  If we do, we will draw back to perdition.

Unbelief brings to shipwreck and destruction.

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

It is good to have good desires.  It is of utmost importance that we have good spiritual desires.  This lesson is on having faith in God, overcoming those things that would hinder us in our daily lives. 

My thoughts for my heart: out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  I thought, “What is in my heart?”  Among the things that every one of us has been given is a measure of faith.  By now, having lived to the age that I am, that faith should have grown. 

The kingdom of God is not some mystic kingdom somewhere some place, it is within us.  It is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.  Out of the abundance of my heart, instead of my mind wandering, my desire is that thoughts would come that would be beneficial in my walk of serving God, beneficial as a brother in Christ, as a parent, and as a grandparent.

Faith is the substance:  one of my mother’s favorite scriptures was Mark 11:23 have faith in God and you can say to this mountain, “Be removed.” And it shall be removed if you doubt not in your heart.

If you are praying about something, then have faith in God.  You may think that what you are praying about looks impossible.  Yes, and that was the way it was in the day of Cyrus when he went out to make some conquests and victories that God ordained from before the day he was born.

God has ordained that you be a victor.  How many have had miracles in their lives in this audience?  The greatest miracle is bible Salvation.  It is greater than five barley loaves and two fish feeding 5,000. 

The reality that you can be delivered from a life of sin and that you can be sanctified wholly.  You may say, “My nature is so complex, I don’t even understand it.”  That could be, but The God of heaven can sanctify you wholly.

You may say, “I am struggling with this person.  They are doing their best to hinder me.”  We serve a God that can change even sinner people. 

This is the rest of faith, “I don’t know how this will work out, but I am resting with you that it will work out.”

The only way to get through difficult things is by faith in God.  You could lose everything.  Before we get home, our lives could be changed, our homes could be gone, or some family member that you depend on could be gone.  We have a God that has not and will not fail.

There may be great opportunities that are offered to some, others may suffer great disappointment.  The only way to get through them is by faith in God, “God I know that you know what you are doing.”

Evidence of things not seen:  I am believing God.  When Paul was on the ship headed to Rome he told them to not take off.  They didn’t listen to him.  They ended up in terrible storms.  They fasted for days and it looked like everything would be a total loss.  Paul knew what to do, he sought God.  “There stood by me this night the angel of the Lord that told me there would be no loss of lives.”

Paul said, “Sirs, I believe God.”  You can trust God and believe God.

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

With faith in God it is possible to please Him.  When you are put to the test, in a humble way but definite, we can tell God, “I am believing you and trusting you to take care of things.”

Where does faith come from?

Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

I don’t believe that God just put a pinhead measure in my mind, but a measure in my heart and my soul.  If it were just in my mind, when I didn’t get the answer, I would have just let it pass.  It is there because God gave a measure of faith. 

God knew Jeremiah before He was ever in the womb.  That is the God that I know.  There is something within me and is within every soul. 

The enemy wants people to make choices so that their faith is destroyed.  But we serve a God that can help us to look up and say, “There has to be more than this cemetery when we die.”

2Th 1:3  We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

If we started out with a miracle when we got saved is there any reason that we shouldn’t expect good things from God?  He will take excellent care of us.

Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

If you read Hebrews 11, you don’t have to get through all the verses until you feel faith growing.

Faith justifies:

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Faith brings peace.  We live in a world without any peace.  Men and women cannot sleep day or night.  They have no peace.  Faith brings peace and hope. 

Is there no balm in Gilead?  Isaiah 53 says that we are healed by His stripes.  Someday when you and I are in eternity perhaps there is a room of miracles.  Perhaps you will be admitted in to begin looking at all the miracles, all the healings, all the lives that God has done miracles for.

Don’t ever underestimate that there is a balm, there is a healing, and it is Christ.  There is nothing too hard for God.  It can be literal or mental sickness.  God has come to my rescue many times when the oppression of the enemy was strong to destroy my vision of the Church of God because of people.  I knew when I got saved and knew what the Word of God said. 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to walk into that room and see that flood of discouragement that would have carried you away but God never failed?  To see that flood of difficulty that God carried you through?

Over and over again Abraham, Moses, and others in the Old Testament had victories by faith.  You can trust God.  He will not fail.  At the end of Hebrews 11 it says, “I am running out of room.  I cannot write it all.”  You and I could write chapter after chapter.

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

Lay aside worry, fear, the weight of tomorrow, the fear of less income; they are a part of our lives.  Lay aside the weights, the sin; look to Jesus, the author.

Look unto Jesus the author, the one that way back in eternity was designed to pay the price that you could be saved.  He is the author of salvation and He is the finisher.  He didn’t just start out to start a life worthwhile for you, He plans to bring it to the best ultimate in life. 

That you can say with Paul,

2Ti 4:7  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

2Ti 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

God wants us to not only begin, but to finish.  He is not just a rough-in carpenter.  He is a finishing carpenter.  We have been in places where there is not all the molding up.  He says, “I want to bring this to a beautiful end.”

Where ever we are on this road of faith, we want to be right where He wants us, but we want to be looking forwards.  He will keep working.

Look to Jesus:

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He did this so you and I can enjoy the road of faith and the rest.

Sister Sharron Sunday School 2/22/15

Sister Sharron Sunday School 2/22/15

When I got saved, I was admonished to be good ground.  It was good admonition and part of my foundation.

Mar 4:1  And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

Matthew Henry – Here seems to be a new convenience found out, which had not been used before, though he had before preached by the sea side (Mar_2:13), and that was - his standing in a ship, while his hearers stood upon the land; and that inland sea of Tiberias having no tide, there was no ebbing and flowing of the waters to disturb them.

A parable is a short story that has a moral or a spiritual lesson.  Jesus taught them in a way they could understand.  It is still hidden to those that are not converted.

Mar 4:2  And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

Mar 4:3  Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

Jesus wants us to get it.  You need to listen so that it will profit you.  It is good not only to hear but that it profit you in your life.  We need to value the Word of God and the work that it will do. 

The sower sows on all the ground and expects a harvest.  The purpose is that it multiply and grow.  It is not always what happens when you sow, but it is expected.

Mar 4:4  And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

The wayside is the part that fell on the road.  It was pushed to the side because those on the road didn’t want it.  The birds came along and devoured it; they also scatter their seed. 

Sometimes that is the way it is.  There is already bad seed sown when you come along.  I had bad seed in my life when I got saved.  Don’t worry about it when you come upon bad seed in an individual that you are reaching out to, because God can remove it. 

Sister Brenda - I remember as a child Babylon reached out to me but I loved the church.  If a soul has an honest heart, they will be drawn to the people of God.  People around us that become injected with whatever, if they really want God, will respond to the Word of God and the saints.  Honest hearts will still come.

Luk 8:12  Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

See how important it is to value the Word of God?  Don’t let anyone steal it. 

Mar 4:5  And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

Mar 4:6  But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

Ground that is on rocks and stones and doesn’t have much earth, you’d have to clear and put in topsoil to make a good area.  You wouldn’t see many beautiful things there unless the ground has been redone. 

Luk 8:13  They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

We’ve all seen those with the stony ground.  They don’t stay around long enough to get the work in their heart that will sustain them.  This shows that hearing alone will not take us to heaven.  There must be the work. 

They don’t bring fruit to perfection but after a while wither away.  They haven’t had God do a deep enough work in their heart.  That is why they fall away.

Mar 4:7  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

Who likes to sit by prickly people?  We are full of discomfort and apprehension and don’t know what is going to come next.  The thorns grew and choked the word.  The cares of life, the worldly cares eat up the vigor of the soul.  We are supposed to be on fire for God.

The deceitfulness of riches, the hearers of the Word and yet they are still in a snare.  We must not put our confidence in riches, they will choke out the Word.

Luk 8:14  And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

We don’t want any thorns in our life.  We need to find the balance.  If you get involved with stuff that pushes God out, then you need to get back on track.  I noticed that we have to watch what we get involved in. 

Brother Bill - You can have good devotions, endeavor to visit the sick and work with souls, then you find there are things that are time wasters.  For Teri and me it is the computer.  We need to find where the balance is so that we don’t leave out our responsibilities at home, taking care of the lawn or our home.  We need to find the balance.  We need to know and pursue the balance so that we are functioning the best that we can.  Time marches on and we are getting older.  God help me to be the best I can be for you all in the short life that I have.  Pray for Teri and me that we can find what the balance is.

Mar 4:8  And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

The seed of the Word of God should always meet good soil.  Sometimes it is not convenient to be good soil, but we must make a decision.  The bad seed will grow.  We want to make it to heaven.

Mar 4:13  And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

Mar 4:14  The sower soweth the word.

Mar 4:15  And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

Mar 4:16  And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

Mar 4:17  And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

Mar 4:18  And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

Mar 4:19  And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Mar 4:20  And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Our goal should be a 100%.  We shouldn’t stop way short of what God has for us.  As a true steward we will have afflictions and so on.  Remember we don’t have a right to be offended.  We can immediately give it to him.  Whatever comes He has allowed it. 

Being offended is a danger.  It is not healthy.  “Great peace have they that serve the Lord and nothing shall offend them.”  That doesn’t mean that things won’t be hard, but we must choose to have a right attitude, and not get in a tiff. 

Offend means to entrap, trip up, figuratively to stumble, entice to sin, displeasure, get annoyed, feel displeasure, be indignant, to judge unfavorably and unjustly. 

It can be like the temptations that Sister Dorothy brought out.  Not only to go into obvious sin but things that are closer to home, our everyday life.  The use of our time, our money, our attention… 

People are willing to go to a certain length, go to church on Sunday once, but when it is many times a week or daily devotions, or other things people put limits on what they are willing to do.  We cannot do that.  We are bought with a price.  We belong to God.  The ground needs to be God’s; nothing there to choke out the word of God.

Brother Bill - There is a seed sown in being offended.  At work I feel like a politician, I cannot make everyone happy.  I had someone at the school that really chewed on me.  They felt that I should have done something.  I responded, “We’ll sure take care of that.”  They kept on chewing and I responded the same, “We’ll sure take care of that.”  They kept on.  I went on my way. 

I thought, “It is important that we handle things right not only that we have to keep ourselves clean, but if the saints have worked with them, we don’t want to be a hindrance to them.  There is more involved than just us getting offended.  We are trying to help the lost.

Sister Alice - God will help us as we go.  We are human we are going to get hurt.  If we have a sore foot, we favor it and as others get close to it we tell them to watch out for our foot.  It causes a ripple effect. 

Our goal is to help them get saved.  If we were to do as they did we would feel bad.  It helps us to have that awareness. 

God’s grace can go far beyond what we can even imagine if can access it.  You have to actually die out to it sometimes to get the victory.  The only thing that can be offended is flesh and self.  We must take a look at what is offended.

Mar 13:13  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Sometimes it is hard to swallow.  We have to endure.

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 2/18/15

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 2/18/15

God moves from eternity. 

We enjoy the songs that were written 200 to 300 years ago, but we have something that goes back further than our hymnal.  The book of Isaiah was written about 600 years before Christ.

Isa 57:13  When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;

This is saying, “If people don’t need help from God then go ahead and let their companies take care of them, but there is no help or hope except in God.”

Isa 57:14  And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.

God help us to lift up the standard and live the life; so that precious souls will know that there is a God in heaven.  We have a desire to show others that the Word of God is true and that Jesus came to build a church that the enemy cannot destroy, the gates of hell cannot prevail against, and thank God He says, “Take the stumbling block out of the way of my people.”

Those that have been burnt by religion are afraid to go to church and afraid to trust in God.  They don’t realize it, but as long as they are under that mind frame, “I have been burnt…,”  then they are still yoked to them.

We know a God that breaks every yoke.  We could write a book about heartache, sorrow, being burnt, and how the church shouldn’t be.  Aren’t you glad that you have been freed from that and aren’t still yoked to, “So-in-so did me wrong here or there.”

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.

Aren’t you glad to be yoked to God in heaven whose name is Holy?  When we pray, “Our Father, we are addressing the God that is Holy with everyone that is saved.  We are praying to the same God that the saints in Cuba are praying to.

“Heaven is a holy place filled with glory and with grace, sin can never enter there.”  He inhabits eternity His name is Holy. 

He said, “I dwell there.”  Isn’t it marvelous that in an instant, you can have a contact in heaven?  We can go back and thank God so much for His help.  When He protects us we have a lot to be thankful for.  To have the privilege of having instant access to heaven! 

Whether we are a child at school, a wife at home, on the job or in a difficult situation.  It is wonderful that we can address heaven and He is there.  He doesn’t slumber or sleep.

He dwells with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit.  We don’t ever want to feel that we have arrived at a most humble place, “God keep the mirror of the Word and Spirit of God directed toward me and show me how I can be more humble.” 

Humility brings us into a wonderful position before God.  He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.  We need audience with God.

He revives the contrite ones.  It was written 6 or seven hundred years before Christ.  It was written for Isaiah’s day and for Jeremiah’s day.  Things were in difficult straits and the temple was in disrepair.  They did a little to rebuild it and met with great resistance.  They needed their spirit revived.

If you need your spirit revived, then don’t hesitate to say, “God revive my spirit.”  If it is not revived by God then we will look for something else to perk us up a bit.  We can call upon mankind for help or trust in the eternal God for divine intervention.  We can get help from the saints, but we thank God for spiritual help from God. 

The prayer of those that hope in God is, “Cast up the way.”  It is, “Oh God, show us the highway.”  God’s ways are not our ways.  His thoughts are not our thoughts.  His ways are higher and His thoughts are higher.  “God show me the highway and help me to know the way to get there.”

God remove the stumbling blocks:  The enemy of souls has a way of blowing out of proportion whatever it might be so that people don’t get to God and truth.  Often times it is in their minds they have blown it out of proportion. 

There are people that are inflators.  If they know that someone has something against something, they will come along and blow a little air into it and it gets bigger and bigger.  God help us to not only remove stumbling blocks but not make them any bigger.

He dwells in a high and holy place, but He also dwells with the contrite and the humble.  If you need revived, God already knew it and made provision for it.  From eternity comes help from Him that is Holy.  Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven.”

I’m always interested in what is recorded once, twice, three times or four times in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The rich young ruler is recorded by Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

Mat 19:16  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

There is an acknowledgement in this young man that his soul is going to live on.

Mat 19:17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Mat 19:18  He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

Mat 19:19  Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Mat 19:20  The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

That is a really old question isn’t it?  In this valley, since anyone was here, all that the valley produced, the fine place to live before the white man was here, yet there was something lacking in the lives of all that didn’t know God. 

I think of individuals that choose the city life.  They look for something that will fill the hole, it doesn’t fill the hole.  Some people think, “I’d like to find a place of solitude somewhere.  It will not fill the hole.  The only thing that will fill the hole is Jesus Christ.

Mat 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Isn’t it marvelous the things that were offered to this young man?  We look at the requests made tonight, the list goes on and on.  We don’t know all the details.  But isn’t it something that Jesus said, “If thou wilt be perfect…”  What an opportunity was given this young man and is given all that are on the list. 

Thou shalt have treasure in heaven, come and follow me:  We don’t want to ever have so much that it hinders us from coming.  What God has blessed you with, don’t use as a burden or a hindrance, but use it as something to help others and ourselves to be able to come.

Mat 19:22  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

I thought of our burdens tonight, Karen and I’s, and the Paradise church.  We are burdened for many that have great treasure.  They are rich.  There are some people that have money today, but that is not the wealth that I am referring to.  They are rich in pleasure, in plans, a lot of them are rich in ability; they are rich in possessions too. 

People are rich in things that they look to provide something for the emptiness of the soul.  When this young man heard that he had to unload so that he could follow, the bible says that he went away sorrowful.

Mat 19:23  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Mat 19:25  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?

Mat 19:26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Mark:

Mar 10:27  And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

Luke:

Luk 18:27  And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

God knows how to prepare our heart to realize that “I really need God.”  Rich in excuses, in resistance, in their own thoughts, entertainment, pleasure, and other things.

Tonight for those that you are burdened for, however impossible it looks, you may say, “Other than God that is impossible.”  It is, but don’t forget that there is a God in heaven that you can have instant contact with. 

God moves from eternity.  You and I won’t convince anyone on the list, we will not convince any on the unspoken prayer list, but there is a God in heaven that moves from eternity.  When God’s people pray and agree in prayer, as it was with Jeremiah, God moved and worked with Jeremiah even before he was born.

God is able to move upon whomever it might be.  The least likely, the one that it is impossible with men, it is not impossible with God. 

You are 100% right in asking God to do the impossible.  You can touch eternity tonight, the high and lofty one that inhabits eternity, and by faith lay hold on Him to hear your prayer.  God will hear, He will revive the spirit of the humble. 

The enemy visited me with unbelief today.  I chose to resist it.  He may come back tomorrow and if he does the only thing to do is to resist him, steadfast in the faith.  We serve a God that inhabits eternity and dwells with the contrite and the humble.

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 2/15/15

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 2/15/15

Jer 6:16  Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

We are happy that there is a rest.  It is a promise of both the Old and New Testament.  It is for each and every one of us.

There are six things written of that produces rest for the soul in this reading.  It is vital that we do all that the Word of God teaches to find rest for our soul.  A discontented soul will always be searching for things in the world to satisfy and only Jesus can satisfy the soul.

Jeremiah said, “Stand in the ways.”  There are a lot of ways that are presented.  There are emotions, and promises that come with the ways that are out there. 

And look:  it is vital that each of us is conscious of the fact that we don’t just wander on or make a move in the way that many are going or the way of least resistance or even in the way that would fit our personality.  We need to look at the many paths that are traveled and realize that each path leads to a destination. 

Jesus is the only way.  Many have found that way, have chosen to serve Him, found rest and peace in life, and today are rejoicing in heaven.

There is also the way of the world.  I remember as far back as I can remember that the way of the world looked very attractive.  Those youthful years have been gone a long time.  It is interesting that the world will still try to be attractive.  It doesn’t matter what our age may be.

The same world that would try to attract children and young people will never stop trying to be attractive until there is destruction.  All that is in the world: 1 John 2:15-17

The lusts of the flesh:  the desire of the flesh.  Those things that look attractive for a season and only last for a season.  The lust of the eyes.  That which is attractive to the eye.  The pride of life, that which will satisfy the carnal pride of an individual or for someone else, that they think will satisfy your life.

Ask for the old paths:  It is vital that you and I know what the old paths are.  You may think, “There have been those in the congregation that have been near 100 years old.  They could tell us about the ‘old days’.  There was a brother that could have told us about coming in a covered wagon. 

We enjoy reading how the first homesteaders survived and built their home.  Those are not the old paths.  The old paths are directions from eternity.  It is a marvelous thing that God told Jeremiah, “I knew you before I created you in the womb.”  He is God. 

I am a firm believer that beyond a shadow of a doubt that the old paths not only made a provision for salvation through the blood of Christ, repentance, and believing that God forgives.  In these old paths there are also treasures unseen through the directing hand of God that guides you as a pilot on the road to eternity.

There are those in this audience that will conclude with the Psalmist that all the foundations of the world are out of course.  Each of us here has veered off the course that God had for us and gone into sin.  You don’t have to be there very long until you think, “I stayed there too long.” 

There are those that got saved as children or young people in this audience.  From eternity God made a plan for mankind.  It is our responsibility to stand in the ways and ask for the old paths.  That is one of the crucial things to finding rest for the soul.

The old paths are the good ways:  It is so wonderful to be traveling the old paths.  God has a path for us to follow.  It is recorded in the 66 books of the bible.  There are those that God spoke to and they spoke to God and sought after Him.  Moses was offered the world.  He was put in the unique position in the thought of being raised and educated in worldly ways but he had praying parents.

If you have praying parents you are very blessed.  If you have a saved mother or father, if you have a saved companion, we need to be thankful and pray for them.  We need to be thankful for the brothers and sisters in Christ.  There is not one that is not prayed for by the saints every day.

Isa 35:8  And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

The marvelous thing about the good way is that we have God the Father, a wonderful teacher, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Isa 35:9  No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:

The lion is an individual with a nature to tear you apart and to oppress and depress.  No lion will be there nor any ravenous beast.  But the redeemed shall walk there.

Isa 35:10  And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

The old paths:  it is wonderful to have a song; wake with a song, and go to sleep with a song.  “He lifted me out.”  The only reason that I can raise my hand to that song is that He lifted me out.

“There is not a friend like Jesus.”  We have found Him to be that friend.  “Sweet hour of prayer,” we feel our soul meditating into that song, “That calls me from a world of care.”

“What a friend we have in Jesus; all our sins and griefs to bear.”  He gives a song.  The Bible tells us that He gives a song in the night.  We have a song of the Lamb. 

Everlasting joy on their heads.  We live in a world that is full of oppressing spirits and is upside down.  We are not happy with the conditions of the world but can be happy that our citizenship is in heaven.

Isa 55:1  Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

You can be very thirsty and looking for something that will fill the hole in the heart, fill your mind with  a purpose and anticipation, give you hope in life.  The old paths do.

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

When we were a sinner, we knew that we were a sinner.  I remember the night that I got saved, I confessed my sin to God.  He witnessed to my heart that my sins were forgiven.  Today I understand that they are cast as far as the east is from the west never to be remembered against me again.

He buried my sin in the depths of the sea.  They will never find my sin.  I confessed, repented, turned, and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ made an atonement. 

Several things took place, my name was recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life and I was given a new name.  I am a part of God’s family this morning.  He also said, “Destroy all those records of sin; I will never remember the sin life of that man again.”

He becomes a leader.  Everyone that is going to be a good leader, needs a good leader: Jesus.  How many times has He led you and directed you?  I have run ahead of him a few times and learned my lesson, “Let Him lead.”

He is a commander.  The voices of the world will wear you out.  It is wonderful when He said, “This is the way.”  There has never been a day when He has given me more than I can handle.  There have been days that I have taken on more than I can handle.

My thoughts are not your thoughts:  My mind can wake up at six in the morning and I begin to think, “Should I get the wood in or do this or that?”  It is wonderful that His thoughts are not our thoughts.

When unbelief, trouble, anxiety come to visit us: it is wonderful that His thoughts are not our thoughts.

God will choose better for you than you will ever choose for yourself.  That individual that chooses their own way it always goes sour.  There could be many volumes of books, libraries of books in every community in every country, God’s way is always best.

Those are the old paths.  You may be here and feel, “I don’t know if God has anything in store for me.”  Those are your thought.  Stop right there.  God has good thoughts.

Isa 55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Isa 55:9  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God has chosen a route for you in eternity.  If you have failed, He is a marvelous God.  When you come to Him, “I failed, I chose my own way; I want to get back on the path you chose for me.”

Psa 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

All of us are going somewhere.  The Word of God right there sheds light on our feet.  It is a lamp to our path; the devil lays many snares.  You don’t have to be very old and he lays snares for you. Children are exposed to many things way too young today.  They make choices that they are not old enough to make.

The word is a lamp to our path.  The snares that are out there: an individual doesn’t know that they are in a snare until the trap snaps shut and the individual knows, “Oh, no, I can’t get out of here.”  For an animal in a snare, the more they pull, the tighter the trap gets.

The Spirit of the Lord says, “My child don’t go that way.”  I am too old to get into a snare, when the light of the Word of God shines on my path, “Don’t go there son, be careful what you read…”  I will listen.

Psa 119:9  BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

There is a marvelous word in the Old and New Testament.  It is the word, “Valor.”  It means strength, excellence in character and virtue.  How can I clean up my life and keep clean?  By the Word of God.

Valor and virtue one for masculine and one for feminine, they both mean the same thing.

The message is spiritual strength.  The joy of the Lord is our strength.  The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Isa 35:10  And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Christ gives everlasting joy on our head.

How we need strength!  We need strength to be godly men, to be good husbands, to be good parents, to be good grandparents, to stand the test when you are tried, when you are the one that the enemy picks out to accuse and take your joy, “I am going to stand and be true to God.”

Excellent in character:  a high standard according to the Word of God and courage

To the sisters: Proverbs 31:10 who can find a virtuous woman? 

It means the same as valor.  We live in a day when men and women are very cheap and loose with their lives and morals.  They are loose with what they listen to and how they act. 

The gospel and the old paths, the road that was designed from eternity is the special path that God designed for you.  When you come to a knowledge of Him and begin to seek after Him, there is a way to His road for you.

Heb 11:23  By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

His mom and dad had faith in God.  Dear moms, dads, brothers, and sisters, have faith in God. 

He was hid three months by his parents:  God will move upon us as parents and as grandparents to have a strong conviction to protect our children.  I am here not to scare you but to proclaim, “Know the spirits that are trying to influence your children.”

He was a proper child:  Jesus went to the cross to redeem every child.  You may say, “That child seems to be bent.”  May your love and faith rescue that precious little soul. 

We live in a mean world.  It is a world that will destroy children at a very young age if at all possible.  It is not only mean to men but also to women.  The wonderful thing about eternity and the God of eternity, from eternity for all those that have been born, the Bible leads me to believe that before you were ever in the womb, God had a plan for you.

If you failed God until late in life, “God is a God of new beginnings.”  Don’t take the thought that God could never use you, but rather “I failed and I am going to try to help all those that I can to not fail Him.”

Walk in the old paths.  You shall find rest for your souls.

Isaiah prophesied:  Isaiah 11:10 that the effects of the rest would be glorious.  Heaven comes to earth and brings heavenly rest.

From eternity God chose the path to rest, peace, joy, edification, salvation, and sanctification.

What path are you following?  It is only fair for you to know Psalms 82 tells us that all the foundations, all the paths, of the earth are out of course.

It was prior to 1990, we were worshipping in the old church.  I remember it as if it were last Wednesday night.  Brother Nolan said, “My dad is going to come to church Sunday night would you all pray?”  We said naturally that we would.  At 10:30 that night the phone rang and we answered it. Nolan said, “My dad was flying from Missoula to Helena and his plane has not reached Helena.  We began to pray. 

We called the next morning and he said that he was going to go search.  They looked for many days and found the airplane on a mountainside outside of Helena.  It had clipped the tops of lodge pole trees.  And Nolan’s dad and a few others were killed. 

The investigation said that it was pilot error.  He had the controls set wrong.  He was an excellent pilot set to go instruct how to fly in Alaska.

For us this morning it is vital that we know that we have the controls set according to the Word of God.  There is no exception if we have the controls set wrong. 

“I think I can make it.  I am sharp, I know that it is foggy, but I am strong.”  My thought is that all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

As good as God has been to every one of us, if there is anything in your life that God has witnessed to you, “You know, you don’t have the dial set right according to the Word of God.  If you have allowed an attitude, life is designed to make you bitter.  If it were not for God I would be a bitter old man or probably in hell.  I met Jesus.  Every time that you are at a crossroad say, “I am going to follow God.”