Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 12/26/12

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 12/26/12

Php 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Php 4:5  Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Challenges are a part of life.  This is the reason that the Bible tells us to rejoice.  When Jesus was born, the angels were rejoicing.  They met the shepherds and the shepherds heard such good news and such rejoicing that they went to see Jesus and it totally changed their lives.

When the wisemen saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.  Sometimes we come huffing and puffing into church when we haven’t even walked a mile.  Those that have studied it tell me that the wisemen probably walked 800 miles.  They did it without wheels and they were rejoicing.

We need a miracle in our minds.  We are spoiled.  The people in Cuba stand for hours hoping that someone will give them a ride.  We are blessed.  They have no padded pews or hymnbooks as we know them.  They have no air-conditioning.  They won’t let us Americans eat any of their ice-cream, there is too much of the wrong stuff in it.  It would make us sick.  We are all spoiled.

Simeon had waited a long time.  He picked up the child, Jesus, and it brought rejoicing.  After Simeon then Anna came in.  She had been married only seven years and was a widow and had lived to be 84.  They gather from the scriptures that that lady, that was only 84, after she saw Jesus, went out and spread the news to everyone there.  She was rejoicing.

We think of the church in Acts and in Revelations, and we want to be a rejoicing people.  There is not one family here that doesn’t have great needs.  You think that there were not great needs with the Shepherds, with the wisemen, or with Simeon and Anna?  We need to learn how to rejoice.

God is right here.  I rejoiced this morning, as I read the bible, God was right there.  As we knelt in the secret closet, God was there.  Where two or three are gathered together in His name, He will be in their midst.

This is Jesus, He taught us what to do when we are alone, he prayed.

Mar 1:35  And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Mar 1:36  And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.

Mar 1:37  And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.

Mar 1:38  And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

Mar 1:39  And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

Mar 1:40  And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

Mar 1:41  And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

Mar 1:42  And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

Mar 1:43  And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;

Mar 1:44  And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Mar 1:45  But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

May all men be seeking Jesus!  He preached in their synagogues and cast out devils.  There came a leper to Him.  We don’t know how this leper knew about Jesus.  Because of his disease he probably was not in the synagogues.  He came to Jesus with great needs.  His condition was impossible.  There was no cure for the leprosy. 

He came and sought Jesus.  He kneeled and said, “If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” 

A lot of requests are denied because of the way that they are made.  People have an attitude.  One family came and knocked on our door and said, “We want gas money.”  When the mom and dad got done, the little boy said, “I want a new pair of tennis shoes.”  I told them that they would not get anything here.  Their attitude was wrong and they got me out of bed at 10 o’clock at night.

This leper was needy.  He was begging Jesus.  He may have heard from a relative, he got to Jesus and said, “If thou wilt.”  We know a God whose very heart is to provide for the needs. 

Jesus met the man’s needs.  He was moved with compassion and reached forth His hand.  He did what probably had not been done since the man got leprosy.  He touched him and said, “I will, be thou clean.” 

This was for a physical need, when you and I approach God with any need, I believe the way that we approach His son has a lot to do with getting that need met.  We already know many things that God wants to do.  He wants to keep you and meet all your needs.  He wants to keep you from all the snares.  Every child, every adult, every young person here can come to Jesus and ask, “If you will; show me the snares.” 

If you already know everything then you’ll not get any need met.  God help me to do something for someone else.  One of the worst diseases is the love of self.  God wants to help this widow lady with five children.  If they are willing to count the cost then He will help them.

Rebecca has nothing to lose but everything to gain.  “God if thou wilt.”  This lady that brought a request if she will humble her heart then she can get saved.  The list goes on and on. 

As soon as He spoke, immediately the leprosy departed and he was cleansed.  There is a spiritual lesson taught here.  Jesus charged him and sent him away saying, “See that you say nothing but go and offer what has been commanded.”  Jesus told him that he needed to take two male sheep and a ewe, two birds, some flour and oil and do what was expected of him to do.

This is the reason that people need to really get clean.  When we have something that we need to get cleared up, get it cleared up.  There is nothing worth hindering ourselves over. 

When you receive something as good as being cleansed from leprosy then you’ll not be able to be quiet. 

Jesus was without in the desert place and they came from every corner.  Rejoice, praise God and thank Him for what He has done and for what He is doing.