Brother Gary Sunday Evening 8/30/15

Brother Gary Sunday Evening 8/30/15

2Ti 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

2Ti 2:22  Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Follow righteousness.  That is where we want to be.  Our minds can get so centered on one thing and distract us from what is really needed.  Follow righteousness.  That is so deep, yet so basic and so profound.

Follow faith.  What saith faith? 

Rom 10:8  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

Have faith in God.

Mar 11:22  And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

Mar 11:23  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

The message of faith is an old message as is the message of unbelief.  But it is just as practical today as it ever was.

The white horse rider is written of in Revelations.  It is wonderful to have the white horse rider.  That rider is still going forth today, conquering and still to conquer.  It is just as thrilling today as it was when Brother Lawson was up there preaching and thumping the chart.  

The white horse rider is just as real tonight as he was in the night that Sister Dorothy’s mother and father got saved and as He was when my parents heard the message.

The white horse had a rider and all the promises of God.  For everyone that embraced the message and walked in the light of it, He is just the same today.

Isn’t it wonderful that if we follow faith and the white horse rider, even though we have challenges, we can go on and conquer?  He left the thought, “I am going to go right on conquering.”

Rev 6:2  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

Rev 15:2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

The sea of glass is the Word of God and the fire is the Holy Spirit.  Not only do we need the promise and the scripture when we are in a battle, we need the Holy Spirit of God to draw near. 

The mark of the beast and the image is the religious system that is in the world today.  Isn’t it wonderful to know what it is to have victory over all the confusion of the religious system that is in the world today?  Aren’t you glad that we have beautiful music and a song to sing?

God had delivered the Children of Israel, there was a wall of water on both sides of them and they walked through on dry land.  God can make a wall, an instant wall.  He can form it and He can take it down.

Exo 15:1  Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Exo 15:2  The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.

God had given them instant victory.  Pharaoh and his army were coming behind them.  There is a God in heaven that knows how to protect you from the battle that may be ahead, or from those that seem to be coming behind.

He has triumphed gloriously.  Isn’t it wonderful that we have a God that doesn’t almost give us the victory?  God doesn’t just almost give us the victory.  He gives us the victory.  It is Him that has triumphed gloriously. 

They had gotten through all the plagues, they had gotten through the night when the death angel appeared, and they had fled Egypt.  God had taken care of them.  They escaped Pharaoh, there were walls of water on both sides, they had rejoiced. 

They acknowledged, “The lord is my strength and my song.”  God can give a song.  He is become my salvation.  It is God that is going to deliver us and He is going to keep us safe.  You can always look up and see Him. 

There was a window in the top of the ark that Noah built.  Sister Klemstein sang the song, “Through the upper window you can see Him standing by.” 

He is our healer, our hope, and He is the health of our mind, our body, and our soul. 

I will prepare Him a habitation.  I want to be a good earthen vessel, I want to be on that wheel.  It is fine if I am only a plain earthen vessel, I want to prepare Him a habitation.

When the enemy moves in God stands up to say, “That one is mine.”

Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

We didn’t enlist in the couch potato church of God.  We are an army.  May God help our minds to realize that this God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit of God: The armies that are in heaven followed Him upon white horses. 

They followed the white horse rider. 

Follow charity.

Mat 22:36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment.

Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Isn’t it wonderful that God has ordained that we follow charity?  “God I am serving you because I love you.”  We sing the song, “I love Him too much to fail Him now.”  I am not serving God just because I want to escape hell.  I love Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Love thy neighbor as thyself.  Isn’t it wonderful to have the attitude, “I am not only doing my best for God but for His people?”

Isa 32:17  And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

Follow righteousness and follow peace.  This is a cycle and peace brings you right back to righteousness again.

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 8/26/15

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 8/26/15

Gen 18:16  And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

Gen 18:17  And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

Brother Warner wrote the song, “Watchman, Tell Me What of the Morning.”  If I remember right Brother Warner started writing that song when he was dying.  Brother DO Teasley helped to finish it.  If he could come back and talk to us, how he would tell us, “God always came through!”  He had really tough things in his life. 

For those before him, God always came through.  I think of those that we know that loved and served God, and of all the things that happened in their life, God always came through.

Gen 18:17  And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

Gen 18:18  Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

Gen 18:19  For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Isn’t it a wonderful testimony that God gave of Abraham?  “I know him.”

Gen 18:20  And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

The cry of Sodom is great.  When I hear of Sodom and Gomorrah my mind often goes to the unspeakable sins that are not to be talked about in mixed crowds.  It is more than just the unspeakable sins.  It did not get into its terrible condition in one day.

Souls don’t get in spiritual trouble in one day.  There is a drifting that begins to take place. 

Sinning America doesn’t want to acknowledge how terrible America is.  Often you stand in a line even in a little country store and you see men and women with tattoos on their neck and back.  You ask them how they are and they will say, “I am great.”  Why do they have a tattoo there?  There is a vast difference between what men and women say and what it is really.

If our senses have been dulled by the journey, by the battle, or by unbelief then we will look at them and think, “Well, things probably are alright.”  Why is suicide so high?  There is something wrong with this picture.

We know that God hears the true cries of lives and souls.  His ear is not dull.  We often times will never hear the true cry that God can hear.  Jim Heffernan tells people how lonely his life is.  Why is his life so lonely?  There is not anyone here that wouldn’t have time for him.  There is open seating in the house of God. 

The cry of souls!  There is no way to leave God out of an individual’s life without there being a cry going out of, “This is terrible.”

I talked to a young lady that drives a big Toyota with big wheels.  I asked her how she was, “Everything is just fine.”  That is her words, but that is not her expression.  Everything is not just fine.

“I have heard the cry of Sodom… because their sin is grievous.”  There is one thing that causes the cry to be very great and it is sin. 

Church, may God stir me that I don’t become accustomed to sin.  Kay Baker told of the death of her first husband and then her second began socially drinking and it only increased from there.  One day he reached the place where he was drinking so much that it was going to take their home away from them.  Sin is terrible.

Mean people start small.  People that have a sharp tongue start small and then it grows and grows and grows. 

Gen 18:21  I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

Gen 18:22  And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

We are blessed to know about worship.  We always have time to stand before the Lord.  If you don’t then you need to rearrange your schedule.  “God I have time.  I am not going to rush through this.  I need to stand before the Lord.”

You meet someone they tell you everything is fine and you leave there with a heavy heart.  Things are not just fine.  We all have that experience of, “This just doesn’t taste right.”  God has given us a spiritual taster.  People will tell you stuff and you think, “I need to chew on this a while for the palate is sensing that this doesn’t taste right.”

Where can our senses be made anew?  Abraham stood before God. 

Gen 18:23  And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

Abraham drew near.  We didn’t read that God was going to destroy Sodom.  Abraham knew that there is a penalty for sin.  Most of us have family and friends that ended up in Sodom.  They never planned for sin to take them where it went.  They went looking for prosperity, companions, education, or whatever they went for.

Let me tell you, if your senses ever become dull you don’t know where you will end up.  Sin will take you further than you want to go.  Mothers leave babies.  Can you imagine it?  Husbands leave wives.  Something got a hold of them and they think they want someone else.  Wives leave husbands.

Children rebel against parents.  We need to pray for our children.  We live in a condition that the world that is around them when we are not there says, “You don’t have to put up with strict parents.”

Gen 18:24  Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

We can identify with this question.  We have children, grandchildren.  It doesn’t matter who, what family they are from, or what color they are.  Prejudice is a terrible thing.

Gen 18:25  That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Gen 18:26  And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

Gen 18:27  And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:

Gen 18:28  Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

Gen 18:29  And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.

Gen 18:30  And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

Gen 18:31  And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.

Gen 18:32  And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.

Gen 18:33  And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

In verse 27 Abraham says, “I am but dust and ashes.”  This shows that Abraham was really burdened for Lot and his family.  It is alright to be heavy burdened and it is alright to be grieving for someone in your family.  It is alright to take this thought, “I am in dust and ashes for they are lost.”

The world is, “You got a house, a job, a car?  Then things are good.”  Things are not good if people are not saved and serving God.  Our vision is not: “How much money do they have in the bank?”  It is not: “Do they drive a decent car?”  Or “Do the kids get new tennis shoes to go to school?” 

In this country we are targeted to be unconcerned for souls.  We are targeted to keep our mind off of spiritual things.  We are targeted to not have a soul burden. 

Abraham was in pain.  Abraham pleaded for forty, for thirty, for twenty, and for ten. 

I read verse 33.  I have had that happened to me.  God has spoken to me, communed with me, challenged my faith.  This message is going to require faith.  God went His way after communing with Abraham.  Abraham was left all alone.

God heard the cries of the great sin and God went to see.  Abraham loved Lot and his family.  He could not stop Lot from going toward Sodom.  Now Abraham is pleading and interceding and God considered the pleadings. 

Church, plead with God.  Brother Miller asked my dad one day, “If you cannot pray then who can?”  Souls are depending on us praying.  Heaven is depending on us praying.

Some of you sing the song, “Lord give me a vision.  Oh help me to see some soul saved.”

Abraham humbly pleaded with God.  God said, “I will show mercy if there is fifty.”  It worked way down and God said, “I’ll show mercy if there are ten.”

God left us with the encouragement to pray.

Adam Clarke: Faith in God endues prayer with a species of omnipotence.

I know about faith in God.  I know about how when you are in His presence there is that omnipotence of God, all power.  He is able to deliver. He is able to save to the uttermost. 

You may not feel strong enough to carry a burden.  Yes you are.  Stay before God until your senses have been moved upon by the presence of God. 

Whatsoever a man askes in His name He will do.

Prayer is termed the gate of heaven but only when faith can open the gate.

There are people that I want to go to heaven.  A dear one sang the song, “I want to stroll all over heaven with you.”  I think of our friends and all the guys that we worked with.  I think, “Oh I hope… I would love to stroll heaven with them.” 

There is a price to pay.  Dear ones, I don’t know how many of you have had the opportunity to visit with Dave and Joann, but they have had a terrible heartache in their life.  The sins of Sodom are mean.  It is not just Missoula. 

He who prays, pleads, intercedes, and believes shall have the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Peace.

America is in sad shape.  Families are in sad shape.  You and I were given the Word of God to encourage us and to help us to say, “I am not going to look on the outward.”  God open my senses so that I can hear. 

My brother says, “Everything is just fine.”  No things are not just fine. 

God help me to smell:
“How is it going sonny?” 
“Ok.” 
What kind of an attitude is that I smell?  

God help me to see.  We live in a smokescreen world. 

God help me to taste. 

God help me to have the spirit of discernment.  It is not surmising, but when there is a bad spirit you need to know it. 

Brother Gary Sunday Evening 8/23/15

Brother Gary Sunday Evening 8/23/15

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

It is wonderful to have a treasure.  We have memories that are really treasures.  I have a precious memory of Brother Sheppard.  There are many things that we take for granted.

There is a treasure that only God can give.  We have this treasure in earthen vessels.  God takes clay and puts it on the potter’s wheel.  Then He, Jesus, the Word, and the Spirit of God work to make an earthen vessel that they can put something really valuable in. 

This butter crock was created by Mrs. Childress as a vessel to hold butter.  You let the butter come to room temperature and then you put it in this vessel.  You can put a cube in this vessel and then you turn it upside-down in the fresh water in the bowl. 

I use fresh water every day because I realize that this treasure in my vessel needs fresh water every day.  You can take a knife and use butter from the vessel on corn or whatever else.

The treasure is Jesus Christ.  He is all in all.  Christ is all. 

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

In order to be acceptable to God and please Him, we must have God in our life.  Religion does not put God in your life.  The only way that we get God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit in our life: we must do as the scripture tells us.

Conviction is Godly sorrow that works repentance not to be repented of.  Then there is confession and repentance to God and asking Him to forgive us of all our sin.  After we do this then He begins working on us as an earthen vessel that the excellency may be of God and not of us.

We are troubled on every side:  He used the plural form, not just the thought, “You may have trouble.”  In serving God there are times that we are troubled on every side.  We are perplexed and persecuted…

These words, troubled, perplexed, and cast down all refer to a wrestling match.  Paul was an influential person that knew a lot about a lot of things.  He had been to a wrestling match.  He had learned that the opponent is every place that you look.

There are times in our spiritual walk that you can say, “I with Paul feel troubled on every side.  The enemy is there no matter what I try to do, contesting me.”  There will be seasons of accusation and everywhere you look there is an accusation.  There will be seasons of tribulation. 

There are times that you war the war of unbelief.  It is real.  You see the spirit of unbelief in Revelations in the red horse rider.  He is riding around to take peace, to destroy lives, to combat your faith. 

It is wonderful to have been saved a while.  I thank God that I got saved.  Even last week unbelief moved in on me so long.  I was praying for whomever it was, unbelief moved in on me.  “NO use praying…”  Oh yes, I am praying and I am believing God. 

I think that there are some of those wrestlers that are pretty quick.  They act like they are coming one direction and then they get you somewhere else.  We have a real strong resistance that we have been battling against and then something else comes along that we were not expecting.

In a wrestling match they get the opponent down and the coach begins to count.  I can sense the energy in the wrestler that is being pinned.  He uses everything that he knows and has been trained in his mind to do.  He has in his mind: “Use this when you are down there and have come to the last resource.” 

We have something to use: look up to God.  This Word has never, never failed.  This treasure is so valuable that you don’t want to lose it.  Let us look to ourselves that we not lose the things that we have gained.

The thought of being persecuted is the thought: it is a Greek word that comes from the same root as being pursued.  There are times in our life that we feel that the enemy is on our trail.  It is like running a race and you hear someone getting really close behind, trying to overtake you. 

We want to remember in this race that there is a goal to be gained.  There is a heaven that is sure.  In this race there are victories all along the line.

The gospel is clear in the thought of pressing to the mark.  In a race there are definite boundaries and there is a winning mark.  You cannot just run into the woods and have a four wheeler waiting for you and you get on and then jump off and finish.  You have to stay the course.

When troubles come, refuse to be distressed.  You are God’s.  There is something to be benefited in our spiritual man and in our spiritual life.  The way that you will help someone else that is in trouble is to give your testimony, “I have been in trouble and this is how God helped me.”

We are perplexed.  There are times that I see a soul and I am perplexed, “God what can I do to help this soul?”  I am burdened for Kari.  She has three children and one of them is a boy about 10 years old.  I looked at her yesterday and she is so sad.  I thought, “What can I do to help her?” 

There is something that we can really do and that is pray.  We can show ourselves friendly.  As brothers and sisters in Christ we can avail ourselves before God, “God what can I do?”

We are perplexed what to do about the situation with Landa.  We can pray, we can write and encourage the Twete’s.  Some of you could write songs about this occasion.  Some of you could find a song.

Being in a race:  “God, I want to make it.  More than anything else I want to make heaven.”  Everyone here could say that.  Everyone that wants to go to heaven wants to take someone else with them.  The next thought is, “I want to help someone else.”

We are in a race, not deserted; cast down but not destroyed.

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

2Co 4:11  For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

In the center of His will my soul is resting.  “All things are for your sake.” 

Through the efforts of Brother Hines and Brother Maconahae I have a treasure that was left to me of a man that was sick and gained benefits from his sickness.  I may have read this article about 100 times.  It came to me this last week, “I need to make that treasure available to this congregation.”

Sickness was not designed to destroy me.  If I let it work, it will be a benefit.

Abundant grace:  grace has 10 definitions.  The inspiration of the divine and its reflection out into our life.  It is amazing that an earthen vessel can have divine inspiration. 

Grace means a benefit.  What a benefit grace is!  The children that are getting ready to go back to school feel their need of the grace of God.  The teachers need the grace of God.  You precious teachers already know that some of the parents will be happy that you are teaching their child and there will be some that you would not be their pick.  You will need grace.

It is not just with teachers.  Not everyone will be happy to see us.  We will suffer some losses.  The abundant grace is that all things are for your sake.

The unmerited favor of God:  the grace of God.  Grace is gratitude, graciousness.  It is a wonderful thing that in an ungracious world the Grace of God makes us gracious.  Acceptable, favor, pleasure, thankworthy, joy liberality.

All things are for your sake that the abundant grace…

I didn’t count how many requests were in the Sunday school hour.  With the unspoken there were more than 24.  God is able to work in every one of those requests.

2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

We need grace to be children, and we need grace to be old.  Getting old is an experience.  When I was young I had hoped to be able to preach nonstop.  I had hoped to be able to preach seven days a week and three or four times a day.  There have been times that I have done well to try to preach Sunday Morning. 

For this cause we faint not…

God crated you with five natural senses.  He also created you a spiritual being with at least five spiritual senses.  We don’t want our hearing to become dull.  Is there anything sadder than someone losing their vision of truth? 

We have all experienced having such sweet fellowship with a brother or a sister.  Then they failed to keep closely associated with vessels of honor.  They became contaminated with something that caused their vision to lose its keenness, their hearing to be dull, they didn’t taste the good things of God, they no longer heard the good news.  They failed to feel the touch of His hand.  “The touch of His hand means so much to me.”

We will go through situations where we feel, “God, I need to feel the touch of your hand.”

I don’t usually fear when I go to sleep.  I went to bed when the wind came and the electricity went out.  I was not afraid because of that but I was concerned that the wind would cause Mrs. Porter’s house to have some damage or it would cause a fire in the area. 

We had a child that was afraid of the dark.  We asked her when she became afraid to bring her sleeping bag into the room.  Just to feel the touch of her mother’s hand would make the difference. 

I probably will need a strong touch of the Master’s hand on my tongue this week.  We need Him.  If you knew that someone’s heart was breaking, you would know that we need to pray.  You know things that I will never know.  You will need the touch of His hand.

“Though the outward man perish the inward man is renewed day by day.”

2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

It is evident that Paul wrote this after the affliction.  When you are in the middle of a trial it doesn’t feel like a light affliction.  When I had a sinus affection and an infected tooth, it did not feel like a light affliction.

“Worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

I am going through this because you want to work it for good.  We are not looking at the things that are seen, but at that which is beyond.

2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 8/23/15

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 8/23/15

Isa 64:8  But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

A vessel unto honor:  In the first verse Isaiah acknowledged the Father.  It is vital that every one of us realize that man did not come into being someway somehow.  God created man, breathed into his nostrils and man became a living soul.

We are a twofold being: a natural body and a spiritual body.  Isaiah emphasized, “We are the clay.”  Much can be said about clay.  So much, that what Brother Jim taught was a very little amount. 

Clay is found everywhere.  The clay that is in this earthen vessel that I have in my hand came from Medicine Hat, Alberta.  (50 or 60 years ago a minister came here from there.  He was a German speaking brother that had immigrated to Canada, Brother Bedker.)  It works its way to Helena Montana and goes through many steps and ends up in Plains Montana to where there is a potter and a wheel, Mrs. Childress.

We did not come into this world perfected for all God had for us.  We came into this world as living clay, with a soul.  For every baby that has been born, the population in Montana is about 1 million people, all came from dust and all return to the dust but the spirit or soul goes to the God that created it.

Two weeks ago there was a baby in the congregation.  We are always happy when a baby comes.  When service was out, the congregation didn’t all rush out the door, or rush to greet me, or even to see how much smoke was outside, they headed to meet the baby. 

God wants every one of us to ever keep it real that not only do children need parents, they need godly parents.  They need parents that realize that “The potter has a definite plan for that life.”  They need the potter. 

There are many things in this world, the necessity of every earthen vessel is to be purged.  Everyone that is saved and knows God is also purged and set apart from that which would defile.

God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit of God is the potter.  Even those in this audience that are in the double digits, the thought is as long as we have this treasure in an earthen vessel, we are clay designed by Almighty God to be saved.  We are to repent of our sin and to acknowledge the transaction that has taken place by being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. 

To be baptized, in the Greek, means to be immersed.  A spit bath is not a shower nor is it a bath.  The residents in the nursing facilities don’t have someone come in and pour water over them and tell them that they have been bathed.

We are the work of His hands.  I believe that this piece of pottery that I hold in my hand is very well done.  Knowing God as our heavenly Father, Jesus taught us:

Mat 6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

“Our Father,” for all that have God as their Father, Jesus as their savior and sanctifier, we all have the same Father.  It is vital that we know who our Father is.  Jesus dealt strongly with the thought, “Those that resist the Gospel have another father.  It is not a heavenly father.”

2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

God said in Proverbs, “I will be the father to the fatherless.”  There should never be a prejudice in the family of God that we look down on a fatherless child.  We live in a mean society.  God said, “I will be a father to the fatherless.  You shall be my sons and you shall be my daughters saith the Almighty God.”

It is wonderful to belong.  To belong to the family of God.  We have a father.  He is the potter.  We are the clay.  It is vital that you and I know how much the clay needs a potter. 

Every one of us sees individuals that have been left to themselves.  Brother Bill didn’t feel that he had received some of the training that those that are in godly homes have received.  But all clay needs the potter.

Every one of the Brothers and sisters in the church, we need each other, but it takes more than that.  We need the potter.  We need to have the attitude as clay, “I really need you.” 

The clay originally has a lot of things in it that must be worked out.  Because we were born with a nature to sin, came into this world speaking lies, we came into this world needing divine intervention from Almighty God.  We as clay really need the potter.

God spoke to Abraham, “I am the Almighty God.”  Then He came back and visited again and asked the question, “Is there anything too hard for God?” 

In Matthew there was a father that came to Jesus with a son that was so impaired.  He asked Jesus, “Is there anything that you can do?”  He had taken the son already to the disciples and they were not able to do anything.  Jesus made the statement, “If thou canst believe then all things are possible.”

We have a soul that is eternal.  We will be alive when the world ceases to be.  With God all things are possible.  You may be burdened with a past.  God does wonderful things with a past.  You need to repent:  I have no power to forgive sin, neither does any other man.  

The bible says, “If we confess our sins…”

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.

Jesus said to repent, it means to confess and turn from your sin.  You can get out of the sinning business you don’t have to go on in your sin. 

Paul said, “Shall we continue in sin since grace abounds…”

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?

When we confess and repent of our sin and have the attitude, “I am going to follow you God.”  He casts our sin as far as the east is from the west and never remembers them again.  It doesn’t cost a dime.  It cost the Son, the scars in his hands, and the stripes. 

He casts our sins into the depths of the sea.  God puts your sins so that they will never be remembered against you. 

Until you have been a widow or a widower you cannot tell anyone, “I know what you are going through.”  I don’t know.  I have lost a mother and a father but have not lost a wife.  One thing I know:  We have a God that heals broken hearts. 

Isaiah said in the prophecy of Christ that He would bind up the broken heart.  When Jesus read that prophecy he said, “I will heal the broken hearted.” (Lu 4:18)  The poor it speaks of in this reading is the man, women, boy or girl that realizes that they need help from God.

As the clay, we must know that with God all things are possible.  Recognize, “Thou art the potter.”  He has all the resources to create a vessel unto honor. 

There are certain tools in the spring that you need to plant a garden.  You rake the soil and make it all smooth.  You plant seeds into the containers that you have.  In the harvest you put the cabbage into the crock.  You put certain things on it and on the pickles. 

That is the way that God is.  He takes and makes an earthen vessel that is just right for the season that we are in.  I was always taught to not look for the perfect job, but to find a job, go to work, and like it.

We are the work of thy hands.  The patience of the potter!  Imagine taking that hunk of clay and placing it on the wheel.  There are two pedals.  I think of them as the Word and the Spirit.  They began to mold with a certain design in mind.

We need the attitude, “I want you to place me on the potter’s wheel and make me what you want me to be.”  The potter has patience.  If you think, “I have fallen short and have not been all He wants me to be.”  We have a patient potter.

You may not be clay from Medicine Hat Alberta.  You may be the clay that Doug McDonald dug out of the bar-pit.  You may have grass, gravel, and glass in your clay.  It doesn’t really matter what kind of clay you may be.  You need only the attitude, “God make me what you want me to be.”

Buddy Robinson was a stutterer.  There was not the thought that he would do something big ever.  Someone came by and told him about Jesus.  He found that forgiveness of sin.  He found the experience of dying out to the old man and having the carnal nature purged. 

One day God spoke to him and told him that He wanted him to carry His gospel.  He wrote to an earthly headquarters and told them that God had called him to preach and asked if they had a place for him. 

They looked into it and found out that he stuttered.  They told him to just talk about Jesus where he was.  He began to talk about Jesus there, and the wonderful thing is that when he talked about Jesus he didn’t stutter.

The strength of the potter’s hands.  If you are a child that is challenged or if you are old and it is hard to make changes.  There is strength in the Potter’s hands. 

You may be a young person and the world is making its draw on you.  You may have thoughts of all that the world has to offer you and think that you cannot serve God with all the pressures of your peers.  There is a potter, He has hands that know how to work with you.  Instead of being self-conscious and thinking of what the world has to offer, think of what God has to offer you.

You might be an older person in this audience that feels that your life is consumed with getting old.  God knows how to take those strong hands and say, “Take the focus off of yourself and quit thinking of how poor your memory is and if you are too old to buy a car or not.  Get your focus on God.  Get onto the wheel and let Him begin to move the pedals, the Word and the Spirit of God.”

The love of the clay in the hands of the Potter:  don’t think of going into the turkey business if you don’t like turkeys.  The love of the potter towards the clay!  Hosea was inspired of God.  God said to tell them that He would love them freely.  “I will love them with an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah)

You can rest in His love.  This morning there will not be any in this audience that God won’t deal with.  We are all clay.  He loves working with clay. 

The potter has water there by His hands.  Works with it for a while.  The water is the Word of God.  God is going to work with me and with you as clay in the hand of the potter.

The attitude of the clay, “God I want you to work with me.”  The heart-cry, the deep thing within our soul, “God more than nay thing else, I want to be a vessel unto honor meet for the master’s use.”

Brother Bill Sunday School 8/23/15

Brother Bill Sunday School 8/23/15

Salvation to the Jews and the Gentiles: according to what the Bible says, the Jews are no longer a special people, a step ahead of us.  If they reject the plan of salvation they will be lost just as well as the Gentiles.  They must go through the same process to be saved as the Gentiles do.

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:

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.

There is neither Greek nor Jew.  There is no more the thought of nationalities or of God discerning one nation above another.  In modern day, “There is neither Italian nor Irish.”  We all can be saved. 

It is neither by circumcision nor uncircumcision; it is not by rituals.  The sacrifices and offerings are done.  The distinction between circumcision and uncircumcision is done. 

In the book, “What the Bible Teaches,” it helped me to have a better understanding of this scripture:

Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

You can get the answer to a math problem in many different ways.  Sometimes it is just having someone explain it to you so that you can understand it. 

When the Gospel dispensation came, those Old Testament rituals as far as sacrifices and offerings were done away with at the cross.  But what happened was that their system of operation was hard to change overnight; to have such a reformation happen overnight was hard. 

Even after Jesus hung on the cross and died they were still doing certain things.  God had to reveal to Peter when He brought a vision of animals coming down and told him to eat, Peter said, “No I have never eaten anything unclean.”  God said, “What I have made clean that call thou not unclean.” 

Then those of the Italian band came with a testimony and Peter accepted them.  Before the vision, he would not have accepted them.

Remember in the book of Acts they had a big discussion of what to require of the Gentiles.  Then they decided, “Let’s not put anything on them except…” 

Cast out the bondwoman and her son.  The old form of Old Testament rituals: remember how Hagar and her son Ismael were with Abraham; also Sarah and Isaac were there.  There was no peace.  Abraham, to keep peace in the camp, had to cast out the bondwoman and her son. 

Paul was trying to tell the Galatians, “That form of ritual and worship is done.  We have to leave it behind.  Cast out the bondwoman and her son.” 

The New Testament mentions “Jerusalem which is from above”.  We are not of the old system anymore.  God set up a better plan.  We are of Spiritual Jerusalem now.

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.

Barbarian means of or relating to a land, culture, or people alien and usually believed to be inferior to another.  Lacking refinement, literacy, or culture. 

I was one of those kind of people.  I was not raised in the church of God.  I didn’t have the same training as some of you have and some of your children had.  I lacked teaching.  I am aware that the scripture says, “No man will teach you, you will be taught of the Lord.”  There are things that God teaches you, but I believe that we need the help of the Body to learn some things too.

Even to those that are Barbarians spiritually, salvation is even unto them.  I felt that I lacked refinement, that I was a rock with a bunch of edges.  You’ve seen those tumblers, I was put in the tumbler and rolled around with the other rocks to get those edges knocked off.  We need the body.

Scythian: Owing to their reputation as established by Greek historians, Scythians served as the epitome of savagery and barbarism.  Even those that spend time at the bar and fighting, even they can be saved. 

Bond nor free: Whatever the position in life, whether slave or free man, you can serve God.  Whether you are barely scrapping by or are the banker, you can serve God.

Gal 3:27  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Gal 3:28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

In some cultures the women are counted as lower.  According to what the scripture says, “There is neither male nor female.”  God doesn’t look at one as any higher than anyone else. 

Even as far as our gifts, in Corinthians it tells us that God gives the gifts.  What are we as humans to think that one is above another when all you have received is from Him?  What do we have to glory in when we cannot even open and close our hand without Him?

God doesn’t look at one above another but we are all equal in His sight, heirs according to the promise.  Not according to nationality, nor according to law keeping, but according to the promise and only through salvation. 

Heb 12:18  For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

We are not come to darkness, blackness, and tempest anymore.  When the feeling would come that you are inferior or oppression comes, remember this: It is not of God.  It is the enemy that brings that.

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 8/19/15

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 8/19/15

Gen 17:1  And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

It has been a wonderful privilege to be able to meet with God, to morning by morning have Him come and meet with us.  There in His presence to Have Him speak to us.  He would not have to speak; just His presence would be awesome. 

Gen 18:1  And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

Gen 18:2  And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

We see here that God appeared to Abraham again.  We are so blessed to have the Word of God.  This was about 2000 years before Christ.  God came and met with Abraham. 

Abraham bowed himself toward the ground.  I often pray, “God help me to know how to hallow thy name, how to make an expression to you of how grateful I am for your visitation.”

Abraham bowed himself toward the ground and said:

Gen 18:3  And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

Gen 18:4  Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

Gen 18:5  And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

Clarke made a good writing about hospitality here.  They traveled without even sandals, often they just strapped things on their feet.  Abraham offered to bring water and wash their feet.

Gen 18:6  And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

Gen 18:7  And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

Gen 18:8  And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

Abraham stood by them there while they ate their food.  Isn’t it wonderful to be in the presence of God?  There are so many things that would take us from the presence of God. 

I told my wife again that if I had my life to live over I would train my mind at least from the eighth grade on to be a real disciplined mind. 

I felt rough today.  When you don’t feel good then your mind goes to the negative all the time.  If you leave your mind there then unbelief and hopelessness will move in.  “I am sick and I am not doing anything, I need to do this and write that letter, I need to water the garden, I need to…” 

Abraham just stood by them there under the tree.  Church take time to be holy.  We are inclined to think that getting something done is the most important.  Not always.  Be quiet, listen, and show reverence. 

They asked him a question.

Gen 18:9  And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

Gen 18:10  And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

The guests brought an unexpected promise.  Remember that.

We live in a world that has filled people’s minds with everything bad that is going on and they don’t have any answers. 

One of the last scares was that our electrical system would be knocked out of commission and you would not be able to get any money out of the bank.  You can wear your mind out. 

This guests brought an unexpected promise.  This was a guest from heaven.  God help me to not miss it!

Gen 18:11  Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

Gen 18:12  Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

Gen 18:13  And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

Gen 18:14  Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Mar 9:14  And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

Mar 9:15  And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

Mar 9:16  And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

Mar 9:17  And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

These were parents with a son that had a desperate need.  We don’t take away from anyone that has a burden.  For whatever the need is, we are not prejudiced.   

This man had a son with a desperate need.  It is marvelous when we recognize how desperate the need is.  Whether it is my children or someone else’s.  When we recognize the thought, “This is a desperate need.  We want to get to Jesus with this need.”

This man had gotten to the disciples.  God is going to allow you and me to have situations in our life where we are going to have to press.  Some are prejudiced and don’t want to ask ‘that one’ to pray.  “You are prejudiced huh?  They don’t fit your mold?  I understand; you are like Paul before he was converted.” 

“Whatever I have to do to get God to answer prayer.”  This man was that desperate.  Desperate people get answers from God.  You may have been turned away many times.  Sometimes that is all life is.  This daddy was desperate. 

He said, “Master, I brought unto thee my son which hath a dumb spirit…”

Mar 9:18  And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

Mar 9:19  He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

We see the tender compassion of Christ.  “Bring him unto me.”

Mar 9:21  And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

Mar 9:22  And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

Mar 9:23  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Mar 9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

There is not any situation that Jesus doesn’t have an answer for.  All things are possible to him that believeth. 

Mar 9:25  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

Mar 9:26  And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

Mar 9:27  But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

He lay there like he was dead and Jesus just went over took him by the hand and raised him up. 

Mar 9:28  And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

Mar 9:29  And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Jesus asked the question, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?”  There is not any in this audience that if you don’t need a miracle tonight, you will soon.  That is life.  That is the reason that we have these scriptures.

Jesus came on the scene, recorded in Mark 9, there was this man with this son that was in desperate need. 

God is no respecter of persons.  Whether the need is physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, family needs, or any other.  Sometimes I pray and I know that there is a need but I tell God, “You know what the need is.  It is unknown to me but you know.”

Jesus left us the promise.  “If you can believe I will help.”  The father cried out like everyone in this audience could cry out tonight, “Lord I believe.  Help thou mine unbelief.” 

It will be that way for all of us.  There will be occasions where we are believing but we realize that we are being contested by unbelief.  It is a strong spirit designed to take peace, kill, and to destroy.  “Lord help thou mine unbelief.”

As I was worshipping this week God came to me and gave me the song, “There is a blessing in prayer.”

“There is rest, sweet rest at the Master’s feet.”  It was like God just gave it out of heaven.  “There is always a blessing, a blessing in prayer.”