Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 4/22/15

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 4/22/15

2Pe 1:1  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

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

Faith in God is precious.  In this world faith is under attack in many lives.  Many have allowed unbelief to take over and therefore are not able to believe God. 

Grace and Peace:  a lot of our life will be surrounded by a lot of turmoil, distress, stress, unrest, and difficult things.  That doesn’t keep us from enjoying these two wonderful blessings.  Grace is the inspiration of the divine, benefit.

That doesn’t keep us from enjoying peace.  We can have peace though the world be raging, though everything is not going the way that we would like to see, though there is a mental, spiritual, emotional storm.  God has a place where we can rest in Him.

2Pe 1:2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

The more we know about God and Jesus the greater grace and peace that we can enjoy.  He has everything under control.  Though we may be in turmoil, it is wonderful to know His eye is on the sparrow. 

The hymn story behind the song, “His Eye is On the Sparrow,” is that there was a crippled couple that lived in Boston.  He transported himself to work in a wheel chair.  Someone stopped by and said, “How do you folks stay happy in such a sad situation.  They said, “We know that His eye is on the sparrow and He will take care of us too.”

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

We pray and often our prayer is, “God we are so needy.  We feel our pronounced need today.”    

His divine power will give us everything that pertains to life and godliness.  He has already made provision that your greatest challenge be taken care of.

He has given us exceeding and great promises.  We only need one, but He gives them over and over again.

2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

We are so blessed to know that we can escape the corruption that is in the world.  We found that the world would not satisfy that heart of ours.  When we came confessing and repenting, we found that He would satisfy every need.

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

There are a lot of things that God does, but there are some things that we are instructed to do.  “Beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue.” 

The word virtue means a miracle.  There are times in our lives when we need a miracle.  The first miracle that we cried out for was salvation and forgiveness from sin.  To be able to be free from condemnation is a miracle. 

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

That is a miracle that men cannot grasp.  They are always sinning, and being overcome.  That is from youth.  They are always adding to the load.

Virtue means moral excellence.  Isn’t it wonderful that we don’t want any shady deals in our lives?  We don’t have to be the kind loving gentlemen out of the home but a roaring lion in the home.  We want to live it.

God’s plan for everyone that is saved is to be challenged in the spring 2015 to sow good seed spiritually.  We will only do that is by touching Jesus. 

There is a definite row that God wants you to plant seed in, in spring 2015.  I urge you to know where you are investing your money.  Most important is to sow the seed where God has prepared the ground for you. 

There are individuals that may look the most unlikely in the world.  God looks into the window of their heart and their soul.  I not sure how many windows there are into the soul of mankind, but I know that there is a window into our soul that God can look into. 

God has been looking into the window of some soul, if in His great plan He has been looking into the window of a soul that He is going to have cross your path, we want to be prepared.

Knowledge is true wisdom.  Add to your virtue knowledge.  There is some knowledge that God really wants you to know about, that is the knowledge of the Word of God.  I have been dealing with two or three young men whose lives are really messed up.  I thought, “What scripture can I give them?” 

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

I told Karen that I needed to get my filter over and let God wash it all out.  “I wasn’t treated right here or there.”  No one will argue with you.  But if you leave that there, it will cause the filter to get plugged. 

I allowed the filter to get plugged on my lawnmower.  If you leave it there then it will ruin the engine.

Spiritually we need to get our filters cleaned.  “God I have packed this long enough.  I want to get it cleaned out by the washing of the water of the Word.”

The Word is such a marvelous teacher.  It teaches us to be mannerly, to study the word of God, to be instant in season, to reign in this life.  The Word of God quickens when you are so tired that you don’t feel that you can take another step.

 2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

To knowledge add temperance.  It is vital that we know as Paul,

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

We all have a natural mind and feel the responsibilities of the spring of 2015.  We must keep everything in subjection to God.

Temperance means under control.  We have to be temperate in all things.

Add patience to temperance.  Waiting on God in difficulty and in decision. 

1Th 5:14  Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Luk 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

How many have left the sad testimony, “I wish I had been patient and waited on God.”  We cannot undo the past but we can be patient spring 2015.

I believe that God and His Son stand at the window and look into the window of my soul. 

Add to patience godliness.  We want to bear the image of the Father and of the Son.  We want godly attitudes toward one another, toward the situation in our life.  We have so much to be thankful for.  We have difficulties in life; that is why it is called life.  Godliness in our actions, godly actions. 

Add brotherly kindness to godliness.  I want to treat the family of God with that same kindness that I treat my brother, Bill, Kelly.  He can call anytime.  They say, “Do you think you could do this for us?”  I will be there.  “How are you doing?  How is Francis doing?” 

A word fitly spoken; the Bible says to add brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness we are to add charity. 

2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

You say, “Can I abound in virtue?”  Definitely!  You can abound in virtue, you can abound in faith.  If these things be in you and abound… 

Abound in temperance.  You all know that strawberry ice-cream and rhubarb is good together, but we know that we shouldn’t eat a half gallon of ice-cream.  Temperance in eating, in sleeping, in talking, in everything. 

Abound in patience, in godliness, in brotherly kindness.  Abound in charity.