Brother Gary Sunday Evening 9/13/15

Brother Gary Sunday Evening 9/13/15

Isa 43:7  Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

We are created for the glory of God; we are created to honor God.  We are blessed to have the wonderful privilege of being on the potter’s wheel. 

Among the things that are so important:

Mat 7:13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

It is vital that we know what the strait gate is.  From my study the strait gate was about six feet wide.  It was just the right width.  Some things cannot go through the strait gate.  We want to ever keep it this way, God has not only designed the strait gate to help us to get rid of some things, but it is a gate of protection.

The thought was that the strait gate was six feet wide and the wide gate that leads to destruction was approximately 24 feet wide.  We live in a society that is expressive that they don’t want anything to be termed sinful or wrong but want everything to be accepted.

It is because God is love that there is the strait gate. 

Mat 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

We have made the choice.  We make the choice to have praise in our heart.  We as adults believe in the protection of the family, the protection of the church, and the protection of children.

There are a lot of things that children don’t know anything about.  They don’t realize when hard times come.  They just know that mom and dad have said, “We need to cut down a bit.”  They are children and don’t need to worry about these things.

How sensitive children are!  We as adults are sensitive to that and are careful what we say around them.

I remember one statement that Brother Wilcoxon made; he preached a message against sowing seeds of division and strife.  We are not going to go into that gate packing some things.  We won’t make it with seeds of division.

Pro 6:16  These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

Pro 6:17  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

Pro 6:18  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

Pro 6:19  A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

God hates a proud look.  It won’t be on the straight and narrow way or on the highway of holiness.  Pride makes short people be able to look down their nose at someone that is taller than them.

A lying tongue:  isn’t it wonderful to not want to say anything wrong or put a bad reflection on even those that haven’t treated you well?

Hands that shed innocent blood:  that would chill your blood.  May God help us.

A heart that:  Have nothing but praise in your heart on the narrow way.  On the broad road that leads to destruction there is a heart that devises evil imaginations. 

There is a spirit that would think that everyone in the world is doing evil.  You try to correct them and they say, “Everyone is doing it.”  No not everyone is.  There are those that are living the best they can to please God.

Among everything that is going on in the world and the access we have to information on the computer.  Anything that is mischief: we say, “I don’t want to know about it.”  We don’t have feet that are swift to run to mischief.

A false witness and he that soweth discord among the brethren.  There will not be those that sow seeds of division on the straight and narrow road.

Aren’t you glad for the day that conviction fell on your life and your realized, “I will not get in the strait gate packing a lot of wrong ideas, or with sin in my life, or making a lot of plans for myself.”  We say, “God I came to the place that I realize that broad is the gate that leads to destruction.” 

It is a wonderful thing to make a choice. 

There is a beautiful song, “I am traveling a highway, a beautiful road.  It leads up to heaven, the home of the soul.”

We were created for God’s glory.  Every week my wife and I are placed in the situation where we have plans and realize, “It is fine to make plans but we must surrender them all to God.”

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

Mat 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Mat 6:11  Give us this day our daily bread.

Mat 6:12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Mat 6:13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Dear God, going through the narrow gate and on the straight and narrow way, “Thy will be done.”

“Forever I choose the good will of my Lord.”

On the straight and narrow road there is such liberty.  We are not forced.  That driving “I have to have it my way.” Is over.

I am convinced that God’s will is always best.  Yes there are times that we are disappointed.  We know this: “God’s will is best.”

Forever I choose the good will of my God. 
His holy deep riches to love and to know.

It is already settled, “Forever I choose.”  We have only scratched the surface of the deep riches. 

God, help us to let you make us to be one that will be willing to dig deep.  That we would be filled with something better than literal things.  That we may be filled with the deep riches of God.  We will only find them by saying, “Forever we choose the good will of my God.”

Spiritually may God help us to get past the spiritual hardpan.  There are tools that will get us past that:  We pray and seek God.

The serfdom of love to so sweeten the rod.
That its touch maketh rivers of honey to flow.

There are times that God has spoken and you haven’t heard that He says, “Son I must scourge you.” If we forever choose the good will of my God then He corrects with so much love, so honestly, and so tenderly.

It is so wonderful when He pours out showers of blessing and fills your soul with the sweetness of heaven.  How hard and rigid I can become without it.  My eye becomes so critical that I see everything that is wrong except in the mirror of myself.

Abraham was visited by God and two angels that were in route to Sodom.  We are burdened tonight.  There were a lot of folks in Sodom.  I haven’t checked out the population. 

God and two angels journeyed together.  God came by our house this morning early.  We have come to an innumerable company of angels.

On His journey God came to Abraham.  You all remember the hospitality that Abraham showed them, the water to wash their feet.  It may have been the custom of that day, but when they had guests they journeyed on with them for a way. 

Abraham journeyed with them as they traveled to Sodom.  God paused and Abraham paused and the angels went on.  Before this God had said, “Shall I hide anything from Abraham?” 

Can God share anything with us?  Let’s not fly all apart.  You say, “You don’t know what it is to be sick.  You don’t know what it is to be broke.” 

God said, “Shall we hide anything from Abraham?”  They went on their journey.  The angels went on.  God had said, “The cry of Sodom…”  It is more than what some would think of the terrible lifestyle of sodomites that we know today.  That was a city of a lot of sin.

I think of the cry and the broken heartedness of what sin does to lives.  Brother Figeroa said to the sisters from Miami, “I had made such a mess of my life.”  Those cries are a part of the cries of Sodom.

I think of babies being born without a real father figure.  The cries of Sodom…  The cries of backsliders…

There are those that we meet in the rest home that, when you try to talk to them about their soul, say that it is too late.  That is a block and I don’t believe it.  It is not too late.  I know a God that straightens out lives and restores minds.

The cries of Sodom.  Think of facing eternity and realizing, I am old and I have rejected God.  But one thing that I know is, if there is a burden for a soul then it is not too late. 

There will be those opportunities when God comes by and you know that God is there.  There will be times when God stands still and you know that you are in His presence.  As God stood there Abraham drew near to God.  He began to intercede.

I don’t know who God will burden you for tomorrow morning.  I don’t know who I am going to be burdened for tomorrow morning.  There are seasons of burdens.  There are times when God takes us, this little earthen vessel, and he fills it with a burden.

Karen and I have an undisclosed burden.  It brings chills to me.  The burden that God lays there, be faithful to.  Draw near to God.  Intercede.

Remember Abraham.  He started pleading for fifty and it went down to ten.  You and I are the ones that can intercede.  Babylon and sinners cannot intercede.  They roll up the prayers all the time and I am not sure where they are rolling them up to.

“Sweet will of God.”  When you choose to meet with me and place a burden there, I will intercede.  The burden could be for yourself, it could be for your son. 

As God works with us then let us work with Him.