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.”