Brother Chancellor Sunday Morning 6/7/15

Brother Chancellor Sunday Morning 6/7/15

We can listen as well as preach.  We need to be able to take in more than we put out.  We are always in need of God.  We have been focusing on the work of the Holy Spirit in our studies recently.  That is the need of the hour. 

We can look back in our life time and see many things that were disappointing and look like failure.  As we reflect upon those things, the thing that seems most apparent is that people got their eye off of how important it is that the Holy Spirit the lead the church, the Holy Spirit build the church.

We live in a time where there is much focus on the grace of God.  Yet as I look in the world around me there is an absence of the grace of God.  The grace is reduced to much less than God had in mind for His grace.

As I look back, about the time that we got married some things took a turn for the worse.  Someone decided the message of sanctification was not the message that it had been.  It took the cleansing of the Holy Spirit’s work out.  The devil knew what he was doing.

 Many things have been reaped from that.  Some took their stand, “That is the wrong teaching.”  I don’t know that they understood what the problem was.  The problem was addressed to try to put more law to it and discipline to it.  When what was needed was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

This is why the message of sanctification was so important.  Jesus told His disciples before He went to the cross, “Without me you can do nothing.” 

When He said, “Go and preach the gospel.” he followed with, “Wait.”  While it was important that they go and tell the world about Jesus, it was important that they have the Spirit.  “Wait until you receive power from God.  That will make your going effective.”

Endued with power, means to be clothed with power from on high.  Clothed upon with the power of God.  This power comes upon us through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Joh 1:17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Joh 1:18  No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

The law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.  The Law in itself had nothing wrong with it.  It taught us a very important thing, “We need a savior.”  That is what the Law came to tell us.  It was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. 

If you endeavor to live out the things in the law the thing that will become most obvious to you is that you need a savior.  Paul described it as the ministration of condemnation.  By the Law we came to know that we were sinners and had within us something that was contrary to God.

Many times we focus on sins.  We preach against sin and we focus on those sins.  The Law focused on sins.  “Thou shalt not steal, kill, covet…”  If you just focus on sin, it is like looking at a tree and saying, “That fruit has bad fruit,” and you pick all the bad fruit off.  The next year you do the same.  The tree is still there growing.

John the Baptist said, “The axe is laid to the root of the tree.”  Grace and truth lays the axe to the foot of the tree.  It does not just go around and pick the fruit off.  Grace and truth addresses the problem of the bad tree and the fruit. 

One reason we feel this is important, we can spend our time focusing on the sin when we need to do something about the sin.  Paul said, “I was alive without the law once, but the law came and sin revived and I died.”  That happens in every life.

We come into this world and sin is there.  Mom and dad don’t teach us and put the sin nature in later.  We are all born with a problem.  That tree that produces the sin is present in the heart of man.  Jesus came to bring grace and truth to address that problem in man.

Jesus addressed God Himself through the grace and truth that He brought.  Jesus spent three years teaching the disciples.  He taught them many things that are recorded in the Gospel.  As Jesus began to prepare to go to the cross, He endeavored to instruct His disciples that He would go to the cross, die, and rise again.

It seemed that they were not able to take in all that would take place.  Maybe we would have trouble too if we knew someone as great as Jesus thinking that He could go to the cross, be condemned, and crucified.

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Joh 16:9  Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Joh 16:10  Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

Joh 16:11  Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Joh 16:14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Jesus let them know that it was important that He go to the cross, because if He went not away the Comforter wouldn’t come to them.  We need the comforter. 

We need the Holy Spirit to do that work of reproving today.  We could take the Law, and by the Law we could bring you to the place of condemnation.  There is something better than the Law.  The Holy Spirit will reprove or convict the world of sin.

That is needed today, the world to experience the reproof or conviction of sin.  In the world around us much is said about sin but it doesn’t seem that there is much conviction of sin.  Our nation may have one time considered itself to be a Christian nation.  Christianity was so predominate that just about anything else was not considered. 

Still 70% say that they are Christians.  They are saying, “I am a Christian culturally but not a follower of Christ.”  Some would like to retain their culture as a Christian but have no belief in Christ.  “I grew up in this religious culture and I would like to retain this culture but I have no knowledge of Christ.”  They know Christianity only in a cultural way. 

They need to experience the presence of the Holy Spirit and experience His doings and feel the conviction of sin that will cause them to seek after forgiveness of sin.

We need to preach the Law and grace, but what we really need is the Holy Spirit working on the hearts of man to convict them of sin. 

Faith means a conviction that comes by hearing.  How is the hearing?  It is by the Spirit moving upon the heart.  The Word certainly needs to be presented to men and women’s minds, but it needs to be presented under the influence of the Spirit.  By the Holy Spirit working through those that have experienced the Working of the Holy Spirit in themselves.

The message of grace today focuses almost completely on the forgiveness of sin.  Grace is more than that.  It is the outpouring of God in the heart of man so that they not only experience the forgiveness of sin but the new life of Christ and the indwelling presence of God’s Holy Spirit.

People of Christian culture may be so because they have not experienced His life.  They haven’t been cleansed from the problem of the indwelling nature of sin.  That must be addressed.

The comforter will reprove the world of sin, convict the sinner, grip the heart to experience what God has provided through Jesus Christ.  He will convict the world of righteousness.

The righteousness today is only an imputed righteousness.  “The blood of Christ covers you so that God is blinded to the sin in your life by that blood.”  People with a Christian culture say, “I have this culture, why do I need Christ.”

The world looks on and sees a people claiming this wonderful conviction that have no change in their life and are just like them. He convicts the world of righteousness because God wants something different.  We are following Christ because God wants something different.

If we saw Christ walking among men we would have a very good picture and understanding of what righteousness is.  The world around us still needs an understanding of what righteousness is.  If we are filled with the Spirit of God, we will be living so that Christ shines out through our life.

“I will send you a teacher that will help you to understand things that I have already told you and you were not able to hear.” 

Before the day of Pentecost Peter said, “God forbid that you go to the cross.”  Peter understood on the day of Pentecost enough to stand and say, “This is it.”  He knew what Christ was trying to convey to them before He went to the cross.

Peter was well aware of his need of the Holy Spirit when the day of Pentecost came.  He had boasted so strong, “If every one of these fail you, I will still be there.”  He had Christ look at him on the third denial and it hit home.  He had said, “I am not going to fail.” but he did. 

He had time to think about it when Christ was in the tomb.  He may have thought, “I will never be able to say, “I am sorry.””  Christ forgave him and said, “Feed my sheep.”  Go out and preach the gospel.

He may have thought, “I could not stand before man; how can I go out and preach the gospel?”  He said, “I found out how I can face man.”

The Holy Spirit reveals to us what grace and truth can do in us.

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Tit 2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

We think about this scripture that we have heard many times.  We want to focus on the thought that the grace of God has appeared to all men.  What that verse is saying: “Salvation is for everyone.” 

This was written by Paul, if he believed that everyone knew about it then why would he have been a missionary.  “It is for everyone but not everyone knows that it is there for them.”  When Christ said, “Go to all the world and preach the gospel, our responsibility is to let people know that “This is for you.”

This exists in our society today.  Our daughter had a foreign exchange student and we had an opportunity to preach to someone that had never heard.  She had no background in the bible.  She had not heard of Daniel, or anyone else in the Bible. 

When we went to preach, we thought, “How can we get this across.”  Maybe she didn’t have Christian culture but Jesus died for her.  Salvation is for her even if she was not form Christian America.

Many children in America today may as well be from China.  They haven’t had someone sit down with them and tell them about the bible.  Even in suburban America, not everyone knows about salvation and that it is for them.

Dressing nice, looking nice, and talking nice doesn’t mean that they know about the bible.  Not everyone that is of great need is in the inner city or ghetto. 

The grace of God is for all men, but we need to make sure that all men hear that it is for them.  The grace that comes teaches us something.  The Law taught us something, but grace teaches something too.  It teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world. 

Some say, “We will do that in heaven.”  I need it now.  If I have it now I can take it there with me. 

It teaches that we deny impiety and disregard for God.  A lot of people in the world have no respect for the person of God and don’t even want to know about His existence.  That is the real essence of ungodliness:  god shut out. 

If I deny ungodliness, I focus on God.  That is how you address ungodliness in people’s life, you focus on God.

Worldly lust is desires pertaining to this world and the sinful flesh.  We live in a society that has the idea, “I am going to have it all.”  People that want to keep Christian culture think, “I am going to hold onto this Christian culture and hang onto the world and have all it will give me.” 

You may be able to have Christian culture with that thought, but you will not have what Christ brought.  We find through Him that the worldly lust is not something that we want to hang onto.  It drags people down and gets them into all sorts of things that are destructive to their life.

There is something wrong when people think, “I don’t have to deny this.”  It has reached the point that grace in the world’s view takes in everything.  One person’s writing was, “I wouldn’t have Christianity; they are not creative.”  His thought of creative is being tattooed all over. 

That is the world that we are in.  “Grace takes in everything.  I can still drink and be a Christian.  I can follow all my fleshly desires.” 

Grace teaches us, “I had that once, I am not going there.”  We look it over and realize, “Christ brought something better than that.”  We deny ungodliness and instead of being focused on what the world can give us, we live for God.

We should live soberly, exercise that self-restraint that governs all passions and desires enabling one to be conformed to Christ.  To be living in the mind of Christ.

This writer pointed out the thought in this way, “I have lived my life and have been as busy as I could be in Christ yet I have never lead anyone to Christ.”  When they finally came to the point of instead of living for Christ he would get out of the way and let Christ live in him.  When he came to that point, he saw 30 people led to Christ.  The difference was he was not doing something for Christ, he was letting Christ work in Him. 

It is not, “I am going to exercise that self-restraint.”  I cannot in myself.  The restraint is, “I am going to let the mind of Christ be my mind, look from His point of view rather than the fleshly point of view.  Most people are looking at things from the point of view of the sin nature.

In Sunday school we read, “We have great promises whereby we can be partakers of the divine nature.”  There is something that is able to focus on life from a different perspective and different world view.  We live soberly.  We look at things as Christ would.

Live righteously.  That is in a straight way.  Straight and narrow is the way.  Observant of custom, rule, and right.  “I am going to look at things the right way, the way it should be.”  Grace teaches us that I should live that way.  I should look at things as, “What is the right way?”

Righteous was in the original English, was rightwise.  We are going to do things rightwise.  A state of doing things right, right conduct as judged by divine standards.  We should live that way; grace teaches me this.

If I am looking at it from the mind of Christ then I want to do what is right as God sees it. 

We should live godly in this present world.  It means devout, that piety characterized by a Godward attitude and does that which is well pleasing to Him.

Ungodly is to lack focus on God.  To be godly is to be totally focused on God.  Our attitude is to be focused on God and with that focus do that which is pleasing to Him, “If God doesn’t want this, then I don’t either.”

When we tell people, “We need to walk like God wants us to.”  They say, “You are being legalistic.”  They say “What do I have to do to get by?”  That is legalistic.

Paul said on the road to Damascus, “What do you want me to do?”  That should be our attitude if we are living for God.  “I don’t think this is pleasing to you God; those things will have to go.”

The grace of God teaches me to live soberly, with the mind of Christ; righteously, doing what is right with an attitude to pleasing God; right here.

The world presents the thought that we have to leave this world to be sanctified.  They say, “How are they going to get the message of grace?”  You believe that way in this present world but only get the grace to do it in the next world. 

Christ brought grace and truth that we could in fact live out the message of grace.  That is what the world needs today.  If we live out that grace then we will be looking for that glorious hope and blessed appearing of Jesus Christ. 

We want to be with Him.  He gave himself for us that we might be redeemed from all iniquity.  That word iniquity, just as being ungodly, is to not focus and respect the person of God.  The Word iniquity means no respect for God’s law and no interest for the consequence of lawlessness.

He came to redeem us from lawlessness and not give us a cloak for it. 

Paul pointed out, when we walk in the Spirit that Law is taken care of.  It is not, “I can do anything anytime and any way.”  No, He redeemed us from our lawlessness, and from our attitude toward God.

He redeemed us from lawlessness to become a peculiar people.  The peculiar people:  he will cleanse us in this life, God’s own possession.  He kept telling them through the Law, “You will come to the place where I will be your God and you will be my people, a peculiar people:  God’s own possession.” 

A sad condition of the world today is that people are still in possession of themselves.  They have never given themselves a living sacrifice to be filled by Him. 

Jesus came and had a body but the Holy Spirit needs one and it is yours.  We are to present our body a living sacrifice so that the Holy Spirit has a body to live in and to work through right here in this present world. 

He came to purify us and cleanse us right here in this present world.  He needs a people zealous of good works, a heart burning to do God’s will right here.  That is what grace teaches us.  I look in the world about me where grace is just reduced to the forgiveness of sins.  They have taken grace out of grace.

The grace of God is the working of God in the hearts and lives of individuals and the work of God.  It is that experience of sanctification that will make the church shine.  It is that which sets the church apart from the world. 

The only way the world will see the difference is in the heart of the individual given fully to God.  It is what the world needs.  If we find in our life that the Holy Spirit is not having the way that God would have it to be that we would get before God and cry out to God that the Spirit be poured on us and so that the world can see what the grace of God does in the life.  So that we can tell the lost world, “It is for you today.”

Sister Teri Sunday School 6/7/15

Sister Teri Sunday School 6/7/15

When we have a vision that God is in even the bad things that happen, it brings a rest.  God works in adversity a growth, a purging, and a perfecting in us and also to show forth His grace to a lost world.  If we go through it as He would have us to then it will lift Him up to others. 

The world is going through adversity too.  God worked in me through the reaping of my bad choices to turn my heart back to Him.

We want to be a vessel that He can work through as He desires and He can then use us to win souls to Him. 

We will go through adversity.  Refuse to be discouraged, remember God is with you, and rely on God’s protection and guidance.  Trust fully in God.

 Walk in the light:  the difference for those that believe in Jesus is not the absence of shadow but the presence of light. 

We know that God is good, in control, and has a purpose in everything.  God will use His Word to guide, it is the light.  We need to know the Word and be in the Word, and then the Spirit of God will bring the words to us.

Never doubt in the dark what God showed you in the light.  The enemy will cause us to forget what God has already done, forget the promises.  We need to keep the promises that God has given us; hold onto those things that we know.

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:

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

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:

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.

God has given us some knowledge, what we know, that He has already revealed to us.  Those promises are exceeding and great.  By them we can grasp hold of the grace of God to go through difficulty under the divine influence, power, and nature rather than in the flesh.

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

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

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.

2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

He has given us promises to strengthen us and to deliver us from the present world.

Psa 34:17  The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

Psa 34:18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psa 34:19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

Psa 34:20  He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

Psa 41:3  The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

Isa 43:2  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

We are going to be going through some waters, through some rivers, and walking through some fire, but God is going to take care of us.

Isa 43:3  For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

God is our savior and will bring us through.

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

One way that we escape is to flee to Him for His grace and help.  He gives strength to bear it, to go through it right, to resist, and to get the victory.

Psa 34:19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

When He has tried me I shall come forth as gold.  That is our desire.

Psa 50:14  Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:

Psa 50:15  And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Psa 50:23  Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

Conversation means course of life, mode of action or behavior.  God wants us to conduct ourselves in a right way through the difficulties of life.  We do this through the strength He gives us, we then give Him glory.

Psa 94:12  Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;

Psa 94:13  That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.

Psa 94:14  For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.

Psa 94:15  But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.

Psa 94:16  Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

Psa 94:17  Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.

Psa 94:18  When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.

Psa 94:19  In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

Psa 94:20  Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?

Through the years, it is happening in our day, the wicked try to establish laws against the right.  It happened with the three Hebrew children, with Daniel, and with Mordecai.  They try to use the laws of the land to bind us and prevent us from doing what God wants us to do.

Psa 94:21  They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.

Psa 94:22  But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.

Psa 94:23  And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.

He has done it through history and we can have confidence He will do it again for us.

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

He wouldn’t go through the trouble of preparing a place if He is not going to come back and get us.  We want to go through all things right.  He will leave us here as long as He desires.  When the time comes, He will come and take us home.

Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

We can see the fulfillment in our life.  He has wiped away our tears and raised us up from the death of sin.  We still have heartache on this side of eternity.  Eventually we will be delivered from all of that.

Rev 7:13  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

If we go through these tribulations right we will be among that number.  Let the tribulation reveal what needs to be purged and perfected, let the grace of God take us through in the right way and we will be in that number.

June 4^th, Streams in the Desert (book 2) By Mrs. Charles E. Cowman:

The wax speaks to the paper:

“Unaccountable this!" said the Wax, as from the flame it dropped melting upon the Paper beneath.
"Do not grieve," said the Paper; "I am sure it is all right."

"I was never in such agony!" exclaimed the Wax, still dropping.
"It is not without a good design, and will end well," replied the Paper.

The Wax was unable to reply at once, owing to a strong pressure; and when it again looked up it bore a beautiful impression, the counterpart of the seal which had been applied to it.

"Ah! I comprehend now," said the Wax, no longer in suffering, "I was softened in order to receive this lovely durable impress. Yes; I see now it was all right, because it has given to me the beautiful likeness which I could not otherwise have obtained."

About the light: 

It was not always light with me;
For many a sinful year
I walkedin darkness, far from Thee; But Thou hast brought me near,

And washed me in Thy precious blood, And taught me by Thy grace, And lifted up on my poor soul The brightness of Thy face. 

My Saviour died in darkness that I might live in light;
He closed His eyes in death that mine might have the heavenly sight;
He gave up all His glory to bring it down to me,
And took the sinner's place that He the sinner's Friend might be. 

His Spirit shines upon His Word, and makes it sweet indeed,
Just like a shining lamp held up beside me as I read;
And brings it to my mind again alone upon my bed,
Till all abroad within my heart, the Love of God is shed.

 By Frances Ridley Havergal

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 6/3/15

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 6/3/15

When men begin to pray. 

We see in Genesis chapter three that Adam and Eve were driven from the garden.  It was not long after that that we see the sad story of Cain and Able.

Gen 3:23  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Gen 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Gen 4:1  And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

Gen 4:2  And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Gen 4:3  And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

We know that they knew how to worship God.  Men and women have a knowledge that they need to worship God.  It is a sad condition that goes way back in the history of man:  Anytime men turn from worshipping the true God, they turn to worshipping something else.

When men don’t worship God, the true and the living God, their mind goes either to worshipping an individual or to worshipping something else that God created.  There is nothing that exists that God did not create.  He created men and women’s minds.  He created the universe.

Unfortunately but true, Cain chose to offer as a sacrifice for sin his vegetables or whatever he grew.  Able brought of the first of his flock and God had respect to Able and his offering.  God honors us worshipping God in Spirit and in truth.

We find this every morning when we go into worship thanking God for the sacrifice of His Son, and go to the laver.  We find this as we go through the door mentally to the Tabernacle and enjoy the showbread.  There were twelves loaves made fresh every morning.  We must be a king and a priest to be able to eat that wonderful bread.

It is wonderful to receive the bread from Heaven with the oil of the Holy Spirit upon it.  My strength level and ability to concentrate was not very high Monday.  God took me to Isaiah 12 verse 3 or 4: “With joy shall you draw waters out of the wells of salvation.”

People don’t get anything from God with a critical spirit, always seeing something wrong and negative.  They don’t receive anything to give out.  But with Joy shall you draw water from the wells of salvation. 

We are blessed to get into position for God to come and say, “Son or daughter, you need to get to the laver.  There are things that you need to be washed of.”  We don’t have the attitude, “Everyone needs to have grace for me because I am just a sourpuss.” 

We can have the presence of God about us.  This is what we want to be the difference, that we have an identity with the value of worshipping God God’s way. 

Able brought of the firstling of His flock and of the fat thereof.  The Lord had respect to Able and His offering.

It starts right here at the brazen altar:  Thank you God for the sacrifice of your Son.  We acknowledge that it was with the precious blood of the Lamb of God on the hill called Mount Calvary that His precious blood paid for my sin.  I was saved from a lot of things.  Many of them I will never know.

We go and are washed.  He that was holy, harmless, and from heaven didn’t have to go to the cross, but He did it to save me.  It is a humbling experience that puts such thanksgiving in our soul.

Gen 4:4  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

Gen 4:5  But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

The result of worshipping God’s way:  It was accepted.  Sometimes things don’t go through the internet when you try to send something.  We know when God accepts it.  God rejected Cain.  His offering was unacceptable, but to make it worse he became wroth.  He became angry and jealous. 

As brothers, it is in our heart to help and to teach each other all that we possibly can.  It is a wonderful thing.  Here Cain chose to do it his way and when God rejected it he was angry and jealous with his brother.  His countenance fell.

Gen 4:6  And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Gen 4:8  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

As wrong as Cain was, and he was really wrong, God came to him.  James chapter four: He is the father of mercies.  I have an understanding of this because of the faithfulness of God to come back to Cain.  There are people tonight that are so lost that they are hopeless, yet the mercifulness of God will go back to them.

God said, “Why are you wroth?”  When someone chooses to attack you…  There will be someone that will choose you to be their target.  It happened to Able and it will happen to you.

It is wonderful how God reasoned with Cain, “Why are you so black in the face?”  There are people that when they see us their faces darken. 

God said to Cain, “If you do well, shalt thou not be accepted, if you do not well, then sin lies at the door.”  I believe it is right that God was telling him, “Your brother will give you a sheep, there is a sacrifice and forgiveness of sin, if you do it the right way.”

The easiest thing in the world is to get right with God.  All you have to do is to humble down.  God would have forgiven Cain, He was still ready after all of this.  After Cain was so angry with his brother, God was still ready to forgive.  We see this because He reasoned with him.

God said, if you do what is right, your brother will love you and you will be in a position of having influence over him, but you have to do what is right.  If people want to be an influence in your life it is only if they do what is right.  All people have to do is just do what is right.

Cain talked with his brother, perhaps he said, “Let’s go for a walk.”  They ended up in the field.  It came to pass when they were in the field:

Gen 4:8  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Gen 4:9  And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

Gen 4:10  And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

God help us to not ever take a measure that will cause our brother’s blood to cry out from the ground.

Gen 4:11  And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;

Gen 4:12  When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

Isn’t it sad what sin does to people?  A fugitive.  My heart goes out to people that never come to Zion.  They wander here, and they wander there; they get beat up here, and they get beat up somewhere else.  They find themselves in a position that no one wants them.

Gen 4:13  And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

Gen 4:14  Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

He did this all to himself.  He thought everyone would be like he was. 

Learn the lesson, when people think that everyone is out to get them, they are out to get everyone.  They think that everyone is like themselves.

Gen 4:15  And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

Gen 4:16  And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

Stay with God.  It is a crucial time, the enemy is turned loose everywhere.  Cain went from the presence of the lord and dwelt in the land of wandering for that is what Nod means.

Stay with God, know your calling, know your work, know where you feed, have a burden for souls, follow that burden for souls.  Know what God wants you to do and be busy doing it.

It wasn’t very far along until polygamy was introduced.  That is a sad condition.  There was more violence.  This man with two wives killed a couple people in self-defense, there were bad times.

Adam and Eve had a son and called him Seth; Seth bare a son and called him Enos.  Men and women began to call upon God. 

We are so blessed when men and women begin to pray.  We become separated.  We are not so interested in money, or being influential.  “I am a little man with a big job in a little town.”  This is how God wants us to be.  He wants us to be humble men, realizing that we have a big job.

When you begin to call upon God it is not so much that you are great, but that you have access to God. 

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 5/31/15

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 5/31/15

Heb 8:1  Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

Heb 8:2  A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

Heb 8:3  For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.

Heb 8:4  For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

Heb 8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

The pattern of the Tabernacle was given to Moses on the mount and he was instructed to make all things according to the pattern.  God was given to detail.  The altar was to be made of a type of wood that would not burn.  It was to have rings that staves could be put through and the altar carried by. 

The tabernacle was 15 cubits wide and 45 long.  The brazen altar was to offer a sin sacrifice on.  It was in the outer court.  The family that brought the sacrifice in would put their hand on its head as it was slaughtered to acknowledge that this animal was sacrificed for their sin. 

The laver was where the priest would wash before he went into the holy place.  The priests would wash their hands often but would not wash their cloths and entire body unless they were going into the Holiest of Holies.

The table of shew bread was to be filled with fresh bread every week.  There were 12 loaves one for each of the tribes of Israel.  The Olive oil was to be there and represented the Holy Spirit of God.  We want to have the oil of the Word and the anointing of the Spirit every morning. 

We live in a world full of yokes of bondages, people can get up and say just about anything except for on moral issues and the things of God.  I consider it a yoke of bondage. 

There is a lot of spiritual food in the Gospel Day.  God knows what each of us needs.  God has often spoke to me, “You are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.”  You can be saved, sanctified, consecrated, dedicated, and sold out to work for God; yet everyday there are new things from the world that will press in on us. 

I am looking forward to Vacation Bible School and I want to find someone that doesn’t know about it and invite them.  There is something in me that the Word of God puts a “Go Ye,” into our souls.

There is a lot of darkness in the world.  The Light of God puts an end to darkness.  Alcoholism is a terrible yoke of bondage.  There are all kinds of yokes that men and women sell their soul to, to enjoy the pleasures of for a while.  When you come to the light of regeneration, the Word of God puts its spotlight on and shows the bondage.  There is a cure for the problem.

I go to funerals in Babylon and not once do they say, “You can live free from sin.”  They say, “So in so was a sinner, but we are all sinners.”  They probably don’t open the Bible for it teaches, “Be ye holy for I am holy.” 

We are all growing.  We gladly come back to the golden altar after God has done so much for us and present ourselves a living sacrifice. 

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

That is the way to live, “Not my will; not as I will, but as thou wilt.”  Jesus made a way that we could enter the Holiest of Holies and be set apart and have perfect love between us and God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit.  In a world that is so perverted, it is wonderful that there is perfect love. 

This is Old Testament but it is all fulfilled in the New Testament.  The sacrifice of animals was for the present, but the blood of Jesus on the cross made the supreme sacrifice and paid the debt for sin for everyone forever.

The blood washes the sin and casts it as far as the east is from the west and buries it in the depths of the sea. 

In the Gospel Day, we have a great high priest.  He is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens.  He is the minister of the sanctuary in the church, the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man.

Heb 7:24  But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

From the time that Jesus ascended and is set down at the right hand of the Father, He has continued and will continue His priesthood.

Heb 7:25  Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

We are happy to serve a God whose plan works.  Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, He is able to save them to the uttermost. 

Gideon wanted to know that he was in the will of God.  He said, “God you spoke and I believe it, but I want to be sure.  Will you please cause the fleece to be wet?”  God honored that and the fleece was wet. 

Gideon wanted to know for sure.  He came back and said, “God please don’t be disgusted with me.  I want to know for sure.  This challenge is so great, please cause the fleece to be dry and the ground wet.”  God honored that.

I find no fault with him.  Our situations cause us to want to know that we are in God’s will.  When God is going to do something, there are times that I feel so anointed that I think I could preach and preach and preach.  We love it when we feel that we are enjoying it to the fullest. 

There are days that Karen feels that she can make four loaves of bread.  There are other days that she only feels like making two loaves.  There will be times that you feel, “This is so enjoyable and God is so close.”  There will be other times when you are walking by faith, “The fleece is not wet, but God said…  I am going to do just what He said because I know that He is making intercession for me today.”

Heb 7:26  For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

Jesus is there to help us, to intercede for us.  I am thrilled at His holiness. 

As you age, you get into all different circumstances.  I remember when Justin, Jason, and Laurel were all in the congregation.  I told them I would take them out for a taco.  I sat there and waited for them and I was just an old man waiting.  But when the three young people walked in then I got all sorts of attention.

God is holy.  He is just as impressed as with a person that has a hard time enunciating and pronouncing.  God is touched by the feeling of our infirmities.  What matters to God is how we come to him with an attitude that is humble and holy.

We live in a world where if you are young and applying for a job, it is easy to get an interview, but if you are my age and apply, they say, “We’ll be getting back to you, probably.”

We serve a God that is holy.  His attitude is, “I am going to do what is best.”  Sometimes we don’t know what is best.  We think, “I think this would be good.”  But when you come to God and submit everything to Him, you say, “God not my will.  I am a part of your Son’s church and what His will is, is exactly what I want.

He is undefiled.  It is wonderful to come to someone that has not been influenced in any way but looks at you as an individual.  He understands you and His plan for you.  His goal is to bring the best in life and in eternity for that dear one.

Separate from sinners.  We are blessed to live here.  It is wonderful that when you and I come to God we come to one that is separate from sinners and deals with us in the thought, “I know what is best for you.” 

We all have work associates and family that will coach you from the side, they are free to give their opinion.  “This is the answer.”  No, instead: “God I am before you and I know that you are not impressed with the words of whomever it might be.  What do you have to say?” 

When He speaks, we have heard from Him.

Heb 7:27  Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

In the Old Testament there was a daily sacrifice morning and evening.  Jesus made one supreme sacrifice once.  He continues forever and saves to the uttermost.  He is alive making intercession.  He wants us to make it. 

When you are tested and going through a dry spell…  For the children and young people, when the world looks attractive it is a mask.  My wife says, “I wish those that are attracted to alcohol would see someone dying of liver failure.”  They don’t go out like a lamp.  They lay there groaning. 

The world offers, “If you do this or that you will be beautiful.”  Beauty comes on the inside.  The gospel records, “He will beautify the meek with salvation.”  The beauty of a meek and quiet spirit is on the inside.

He is holy in His desires toward us.

Heb 8:10  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

All of us parents and grandparents that have reached whatever age it is to realize how difficult it is to get anything out of a mind that shouldn’t be there would say to the younger, “Be careful with videos, internet, magazines, and all those things.” 

We remember the young man that tried to get saved and told us, “My mind goes back and plays those Xrated movies over and over again.”  There are things that you want to avoid.  If you have not, then there is a God in heaven that cleanses, but you must have the attitude, “I will take instruction, I will accept.”

You can have the written Word of God on the mind and on the heart. 

Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Jesus always witnesses to truth.  I have never gone through tabernacle worship in my heart that Jesus hasn’t come to witness to my heart.  It doesn’t take too long to worship.  You don’t have one minute that doesn’t come from God. 

When you need God most is when the enemy comes and says, “The order needs to be checked, check the email, check this, check something else…”  Shut the phone off.

I can never get past the brazen altar in tabernacle worship that I am not awed by His love.  I am rich.  We have a home.  I have a wife and children.  I have fellowship.  I wouldn’t even bother thinking about my bank account.  What counts is the riches of His grace, to be loved...

That shepherd that reached way down and lifted me out, He not only takes the young but the old into His arms. 

He has made us kings and priests that we can reign over sin and worship God in spirit and in truth.

The Holiest of Holies is not just for a few.  It is His will that everyone that gets saved goes on to sanctification.  

Sister Teri Sunday School 5/31/15

Sister Teri Sunday School 5/31/15

Coram Deo – Living before God, in His presence, under His authority, and for His glory.  God has a purpose in everything and has control over everything.  He has a purpose in anything that He allows. 

George McDonald wrote in allegories.  One book he wrote is called, “At the Back of the North Wind.”  The north wind is the damaging, cold, and forceful wind.  The whole point is that God uses it for good.

We benefit more going through adversity than going through the calm perfect days.  In adversity we realize our need for God and draw close to Him.  God used adversity in most of us when we were in sin to draw us to Him.  He uses it to show His grace in us.  We cannot go through adversity without Him. 

How are we going to get through those times of adversity?  Trust fully in God.  That is the purpose.  He wants us to look to Him and get the benefit: His grace and purpose.  Refuse to be discouraged when you go through adversity, remember God is with you, and rely on His grace and guidance.

When Jesus was going through adversity, He relied on the grace of God.  He took Peter, James, and John with Him knowing that they also would face adversity.  His purpose was to teach them to rely on God.

Mat 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

If we don’t rely on God in the little things, we will never do it in the big.  Just like any training, it needs to be done repetitiously in order to be automatic.  

Jer 10:23  O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

We need God’s help to even know how to handle things.  In our own strength we will go astray.  We can to nothing without God’s direction and strength.  We must abide in Him and have Him abiding in us.

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Abide means we dwell there continually.  A steady fixed state, a constancy, abiding in God’s word.

It is not enough to be justified, saved from our sin, we must have the Spirit of God abiding within.  He said He would change our heart from stone to flesh with His Word written on our heart.  It is His work.

When I got saved, my heart was to do the will of God.  My desire was to go all the way.  When I heard the message of sanctification, there was a fearful thing with the thought of writing that blank check, to commit to do anything that God would require of me. 

Before I got saved, God had already been working on my heart.  I had thought of the martyrs.  I knew, “If God is real and that is what I have to do, then how could I do less?  My children would need to know that God is real, if I do less then how would they know that God is real?”

I was already counting the cost, but when it came to the time of putting in for sanctification there was a fear and a withdrawing.  But when I faced questions from my family and coworkers, I realized that I needed the Spirit of God dwelling within in order to be affective. 

The Spirit brings to our remembrance what the scripture says.  I needed the Spirit of God abiding within me.  It is not a onetime thing.  There will be things come through our life where we realize, “I need to give this to God.  I need to present this to Him.  I need to write the blank check.” 

All our own wisdom and strength falls short of what we need.  Our sufficiency is of God.

2Co 3:5  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

All that Paul went through, he knew that his sufficiency was of God.  God did not remove the thorn in the flesh because He wanted Paul to realize how much he needed God.

Psa 127:1  A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

This is God’s house and He knows how to take care of it.  Don’t worry and stress; trust and obey.  Abide in Him, let His Spirit work and He will take care of it.  We can rest in that.  When we are consumed with worries, remember that God is the watchman and will take care of it.

Don’t give into fears.  Worry and fear are things that the enemy brings.  Fears will identify where we are not trusting God.  When fear tries to work, get it to God and trust Him.  Listening to our fears will bring doubts and hinder our ability to trust God.  They will take away our faith and hinder trusting God.

2Co 1:8  For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

2Co 1:9  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

2Co 1:10  Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

He is building on past experience.  “Who delivered us in the past from so great a debt, He does deliver us, and we trust He will yet.”  Our faith is built on victories.  Refer back to the past victories.  It will help deliver us in the current trial and cause us to trust that He will take care of us.

The grace for the future will come when we are there and not before.

2Ch 20:12  O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

This is the right way to handle the adversity.  “We don’t have the strength or know what to do, our eyes are on you, God, to know what to do.”

2Ch 20:15  And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

Any battle we have to face is His.  He has allowed us to be there and will fight the battle for us.  He then gave them a command.

2Ch 20:16  To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

2Ch 20:17  Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

2Ch 20:18  And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

2Ch 20:19  And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

2Ch 20:20  And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

2Ch 20:21  And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

2Ch 20:22  And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

What a beautiful thing to see, they fell before God, their faith was encouraged, and they worshipped and praised.  They went forth not in fear and doubt, but in confidence praising and worshipping as they went. 

There were many nations against the children of Judah.  All of them were smitten. They started coming in unity against the children of Israel and then they started fighting against each other.  The children of Israel didn’t even have to fight. 

We have all kinds of enemies coming against the truth.  They seem to be uniting against the truth.  God will do the same thing, we just need to trust God to help us to know when to speak, when to be silent, when to go forward, and when to wait.

2Ch 20:23  For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

2Ch 20:24  And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

We must stop listening to fear.  Trust God, there is nothing that comes against us that God cannot get good out of.  When you see a fear working, look for the root.  It is a lack of trust.  God can give us light in His Word or otherwise that will encourage us.

Walk in the light.  As we go through difficult times we need to walk in the light.  The difference for those that believe in Jesus is not the absence of shadow but the presence of light. 

If our lives are built on the rock solid bedrock of the words of the Bible we will make it through.  This is why it is so important to study His word.

Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light.  The enemy brings doubts and worries to get us to forget what God shows us in the light.  Hold onto those and don’t forget.

Don’t make fast moves when you are in the dark.  In the dark, we will forget what we knew in the light and be inclined to move in a wrong way. 

When you are feeling pressed to make a sudden move and there is fear, then that is the time to stand still, get a hold of God, remember the things that He showed you in the light, and let Him direct.  Remember that God is good, He is in control, and He has a good purpose in everything.