Participants: Vicki Griffin
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000397
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01:01 I'm gonna share something that is so special to me.
01:05 You know, I grew up with our role models 01:08 and I'm sure that there're plenty of people here 01:10 that grew up with their role models 01:12 that were really too spectacular to follow, 01:16 very spectacular. 01:18 And so when I read the Bible, I look for role models. 01:23 And I'm going to share with you 01:24 this morning about a role model 01:26 that I found recently in my personal devotions. 01:30 A couple of weeks ago I was reading a scripture. 01:33 I was going through Psalm 34-- 01:37 and the title of this morning's message is, 01:40 "It Is Well." It Is Well. 01:46 Doesn't always feel well, does it? 01:48 But we're gonna find out, 01:49 how it can be well all the time. 01:51 How many of you would like that, today? 01:54 I was reading through Psalms 34 01:56 and it says, in verse 17, 01:59 well its verse 15, it says, 02:01 "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous 02:04 and his ears are open to their cry." 02:07 Aren't you thankful for that today? Yeah. 02:09 It says in verse 17, it says, 02:11 "The righteous cry and the Lord hears 02:16 and delivers them out of how many 02:19 of their troubles." All. 02:20 All of their troubles. 02:24 And then next verse is even more stunning, 02:27 it says in verse 19, it says, 02:31 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, 02:35 but the Lord delivers them." 02:37 Out of how may of them? "All of them." 02:41 It doesn't always feel that way, does it? 02:45 Sometimes it's not just what scripture we're looking at, 02:48 sometimes it's just a position of these scriptures, 02:51 or where they're placed in relation 02:53 to each other is really interesting, 02:54 because as I looked at those scriptures 02:57 and was trying to take in the magnitude 03:00 of what it was saying. 03:01 My eye fell to the very next scripture in verse 20 03:06 and it says of Jesus. It's a prophecy it says, 03:10 "He keepeth all His bones; not one of them is broken." 03:17 Not one of them is broken. 03:19 That's an amazing prophecy we all know here today 03:22 that is a prophecy about, what? 03:25 Jesus Christ and His death. 03:26 He was what? He was murdered. 03:30 He was murdered on the cross 03:33 by unjust men at an unfair trial. 03:37 So how do those scriptures in Psalms apply to Him? 03:42 How do they apply to you and me, 03:45 when we don't feel like we're delivered? 03:46 Well, as I pondered and meditated 03:48 upon those scriptures 03:50 the Lord led me to Hebrews Chapter 5. 03:53 And in Hebrews Chapter 5, it talks about the struggle 03:56 that Jesus had before He died. 03:58 And it says, in verse 7, it says, 04:00 "Who in the days of His flesh, 04:03 when He had offered up prayers 04:06 and supplications with strong crying 04:11 and tears unto him 04:13 that was able to save him from death." 04:17 Did Jesus cry to be saved from death? 04:19 Did He cry out to the father to be saved from death? 04:23 He did and it says, in that and He was heard. 04:30 It said, "He prayed with strong crying 04:33 and tears unto to Him that was able to save Him 04:35 from death and was heard in that He feared." 04:40 Jesus was heard by the Father, 04:45 but He was murdered. 04:47 But He was murdered. 04:52 How do we reconcile this? 04:57 Jesus was heard 04:59 and He was not delivered from death. 05:04 But friends, brothers and sisters, 05:07 He had victory over it. 05:10 He had victory over it. 05:15 You may have cancer and you may cry to God 05:19 with strong prayers 05:21 and cry in tears to be delivered 05:26 and you may not be delivered, 05:29 but you can have victory over it, amen. Yeah. 05:32 You may have a thorn in your flesh 05:35 that just won't to go away 05:36 and you can pray to be delivered from it. 05:39 And it may not leave you 05:40 but you can have victory over it. 05:42 Friends, that's what it means. 05:45 That's what those scriptures mean today. 05:47 That's what they mean to me. 05:48 We can have victory over anything 05:50 that devil throws our way, 05:52 when we're under God's protective umbrella, amen. 05:55 We can have victory over something 05:57 that even kills us because it cannot separate us from God. 06:02 Who shall separate us from the love of God? 06:04 So persecution, or famine, or the sword, 06:09 or trials, or tribulations, 06:11 no, in all these things 06:13 we're more than conquerors. Why? 06:17 Because that's circumstance cannot destroy you 06:20 and separate you from God. 06:21 You can have victory over anything brothers and sisters. 06:23 And today, we're gonna take a look 06:26 at a wonderful story that has meant a lot to me 06:29 and I thought about it very much. 06:31 And I want to share it with you. 06:33 I'd like you if you have your Bibles 06:35 to turn to Second Kings, 06:38 Second Kings, Chapter 4. 06:45 It's a story that we all know very well. 06:50 But I'd like to unpack it today. 06:53 And see what we can learn about the kind of faith, 06:57 the kind of holding on that we need. 07:00 Because when you go home from this place 07:03 circumstances are gonna hit you, right? 07:06 Your environment is gonna hit you. 07:09 Those old temptations are gonna hit you. 07:12 Your genetics are still with you. 07:17 And the Lord says, 07:18 you can have victory over those things. 07:21 By His grace you can learn to hold on, 07:24 but it's by faith, not in our own strength, 07:27 not in our own works but in our God. 07:32 This is a story we're starting in verse 8. 07:37 Oh, you're supposed to guess. 07:40 Chapter 4, sorry. 07:42 Second Kings 4, Chapter 4. 07:50 And it's a story of the Shunammite woman. 07:53 The story of the Shunammite woman. 07:56 And we're gonna start at verse 8. 07:59 It says, "It fell on a day 08:02 that Elisha passed to Shunem 08:05 where there, was a what? 08:07 There was a great woman, a great woman. 08:10 She constrained Him to come and eat bread. 08:13 And so it was that is all of as He passed by 08:16 He turned wither to eat bread. 08:20 Here was a great woman she was busy. 08:24 Is there anybody here that isn't busy? 08:27 Is there any one who is isn't busy. 08:28 If you're not busy please call me 08:30 I've a job for you. 08:33 We're all so busy. 08:35 This woman was not only busy, she was accomplished. 08:38 She found her niche. 08:39 She knew who she was and she was in it. 08:42 And yet she took time 08:46 to notice need. 08:50 She took time to notice the needs of others. 08:55 My husband gives me the greatest advice, 08:58 I just appreciate him so much. 09:01 And he told me one time when we first got married, 09:03 he said Vicki, people are not interested in you. 09:07 They're not interested in me. 09:10 And if you want to make friends 09:12 ask somebody about themselves 09:14 and they'll tell you all about themselves. 09:17 And when they leave your presence, 09:20 they'll say that Vicki Griffin, 09:22 she is just the greatest. 09:25 And they don't know a thing about you. 09:29 People love and need to be noticed. 09:33 We're so isolated. We're so cut-off. 09:39 She took time to notice 09:43 the needs of another human being. 09:46 And in verse 9, it says, "She said to her husband, 09:50 behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God 09:54 which passes by us continually her perception." 10:00 She was sensitive to the man of God. 10:03 When Jesus passes by, do we notice Him? 10:09 There're so many times every day. 10:11 When we're making decisions and we're so confused 10:14 and we're so perplexed and we needed an answer 10:16 and Jesus is passing by. 10:19 But are we noticing? 10:21 Are we looking for Him? 10:25 She said, I perceive that this is a man of God. 10:29 Do we perceive the presence of Christ 10:32 when we hear the counsel 10:33 and advice of others in the writings 10:36 and the leadings of the Holy Spirit? 10:37 Are we looking for His providences in our lives? 10:40 He's passing by everyday, isn't He? 10:46 And then she said, lets make a chamber. 10:50 Let's make a little chamber for Him. 10:55 I pray thee on the wall let us set for Him a bed 10:57 and a table and a stool and a candlestick. 11:01 It shall be when He comes 11:03 we'll have a place ready for Him. 11:06 Do we need today brothers and sisters 11:09 more than anything else a sense of anticipation 11:13 and waiting upon God and are looking for 11:16 and hastening the appearing of our God. 11:19 You know, Dane preaches a sermon that I really love. 11:21 It's called up close and personal. 11:24 Up close and personal. 11:26 And so many times we ask each other questions. 11:32 You know, when we are interviewing young people 11:33 for positions at camp meeting or something like this. 11:36 You know, we'll say do you-- 11:37 Jim Micheff has talked about this, 11:39 he is Youth Director. 11:41 He'll talk to these young people 11:42 and he'll say do you love Jesus. 11:44 Oh, oh yes. Oh, yes I love Jesus. 11:48 And they talk a little while longer 11:52 and He'll ask them another question, He will say. 11:54 Would you like to serve Jesus? 11:58 Oh, yes, I wanna serve Jesus. Oh yes. 12:01 I want to serve Jesus. 12:03 And they talk a little while longer. 12:06 And then He'll ask them. 12:08 What's your devotional life like? 12:11 And the heads go down. 12:14 It's not there or it's almost not there. 12:20 But the Lord has promised that we spent time with Him, 12:23 when we make a chamber for Him 12:24 and when we invite Him and spent time with Him, 12:27 He says, I'll guide you continually. 12:32 He says, you'll hear a voice behind you 12:35 saying this is the way whether you turn 12:38 to the right hand or to the left. 12:39 Walk yee in it. 12:42 And I've tried and tried and tried 12:45 to impress upon our people 12:46 that the health message is not a list. 12:50 It's a relationship. 12:52 It's not a set of rules and regulation. 12:54 It's a principle implanted by the Holy Spirit, 12:56 that will help you to do what is right 12:58 under each circumstances that is the most appropriate 13:01 for you and the people you're ministering to. 13:03 The Ten Commandments are the same way. 13:05 It is a spiritual thing. 13:08 Because we can wrongly apply right principles 13:12 and destroy with the law of God. 13:16 The letter kills but the spirit makes alive, 13:20 it's the same with the health message 13:21 we can destroy with the health message. 13:23 No friends don't go back to your church 13:25 and destroy people. 13:29 They're hurting people. 13:31 We're looking at their habits 13:33 and missing them by a mile. 13:40 The Bible says, "I'll guide you with my eye. 13:44 Don't be like a mule." 13:47 The needs are better or brittle. 13:50 Anybody ever had the privilege of owning a donkey. 13:54 Did you love it? No-- she's shaking her head no. 13:59 We had a bad donkey. 14:01 Oh, she was a bad donkey. 14:03 We said that donkey every thing 14:04 that you could imagine. 14:06 All she had to do is take the kids for a lunch walk. 14:10 And that thing-- it sit on her hunches 14:13 and whining like a dog. 14:16 She was out to pasture. 14:18 The Lord says, "I wanna guide you with my eye." 14:26 She said let us make a little chamber 14:28 and it will be when He comes to us. 14:31 You know, the Bible says, blessed are those 14:33 who that are watching and waiting for their Lord, 14:35 not only when He comes but everyday. Amen. 14:39 Are you watching and waiting for Him 14:42 to get you through the lunch-line? 14:44 Are you watching and waiting for Him 14:46 to get you through the family entertainment time? 14:48 Through being nice to people at work, 14:52 having worship with your family whatever it is, 14:54 are you watching and waiting for Him. 14:56 It just falls flat without Jesus, doesn't it? 14:59 And when we try and do the right things 15:01 without the presence of Jesus, 15:03 we become as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. 15:09 It fell on a day that He came thither, 15:11 and He turned into the chamber and lay there. 15:13 And he said to Gehazi his servant, 15:15 Call this Shunammite. 15:18 When he called her she stood behind Him, before him. 15:25 This busy women, had her priorities straight. 15:31 She had her priorities straight 15:33 and friends the hardest thing for us to do 15:37 is to give our schedule to God. 15:41 I mean that's the hardest thing. 15:43 I mean no, we've got to give him our heart, okay. 15:47 That can be hardest thing. 15:49 But all those schedules how we hang to them. 15:53 Did you know that God is easier on you 15:55 than you are on yourself? 15:57 Good is the enemy of best. 16:00 We cramp so much into our lives 16:02 that we run around like rabbits. 16:04 And the best and most important thing 16:06 is just blow right over our heads, 16:08 because we're so busy. 16:10 We've got to put God first, 16:14 our time with Him first. 16:18 His priorities first and everything else fits. 16:21 The laundry can wait. 16:25 You can change your oil tomorrow but do change it. 16:28 We've a friend that just blew her engine up. 16:30 She didn't put anything in there. 16:32 I've done that before too. It's not good. 16:38 And He calls her and the minute He calls her 16:41 she had already made a chamber for him 16:42 and so her attitude was right. 16:44 And when He called her she did, what? 16:46 She stood before him. 16:47 Sometimes when Jesus calls us 16:49 we run around the corner, don't we. 16:52 But she had made a place for Him. 16:54 She prepared a place for Him. 16:55 And so when He called she was there 16:58 and she stood before Him. 17:02 And it's really interesting a test comes to this woman. 17:05 Now, this is a prophet. 17:07 This is a man of God. 17:09 She was responsive, she was prompt to obey. 17:15 And when we've been convicted about something, 17:17 how prompt are we? 17:19 If you're convicted or if I'm convicted 17:21 that I've been rude to somebody 17:23 or I've gossiped or whatever it is. 17:27 You know, it's so easy for us to look at externals. 17:30 Oh, I ate too late you know, 17:31 I'm gonna do this or that whatever repent. 17:33 What about our attitudes? 17:35 What about relations with other people? 17:38 Darling, I didn't spend enough time 17:39 with you this week. 17:42 Husbands--you know, those jobs are second 17:46 to that wife, right. 17:48 The wife and the family. 17:52 It's such a wonderful cleansing thing, 17:53 but if we put it off, it hardens our own hearts. 17:57 That's why Jesus said, 17:59 if your right eye offends you pluck it out. 18:03 If your hand offends you 18:05 and if you're foot offends you. 18:06 What you see? What you do? 18:08 Where you go? How you act? 18:10 It hardens our own hearts, doesn't it? 18:12 And so we need to pray 18:14 for sensitiveness to the spirit. 18:16 Now this man of God speaks to this woman. 18:21 In verse 13 it says, "Behold, you have been careful 18:27 for us with all this care, what is to be done for you? 18:33 What would you like? 18:36 You have ministered to my need. 18:39 Now I wanna minister to you." 18:40 And He asks the most unusual question. 18:46 He says, "Would you be spoken for in front of the king? 18:52 Would you like some position? 18:54 Would you like me to talk to you 18:56 to the captain of the host about you? 18:58 Or send the letter to the king. 19:01 Now would you expect this to come from a man of God? 19:07 In other words this is a test that has come for her. 19:09 He's asking her do you want promotion. 19:11 Do you want promotion? 19:15 She says, no. No I'm not into that. 19:18 I really just want to serve you 19:20 and so often it's so easy without us even realizing it, 19:25 that we when we come into God's church 19:29 would become active members. 19:31 It's so easy to expect God to do something for us. 19:37 I've done all this for you. 19:39 Why aren't you doing this for me? 19:42 Have you ever done that? 19:44 I've the first time we had a big a big thing 19:48 here in Michigan that was involving me 19:50 and cost some money. 19:52 Not nearly the people turned out that I thought, 19:55 what I mean I was having visions 19:56 of the whole town turning out. 19:58 And we'd to turn people away 20:00 and bus loads of people would be coming 20:02 because this message is so wonderful 20:04 and they're going to hear. 20:07 We'd to scrunch the chairs up 20:08 so that it would feel crowded. 20:12 I wanted to die. 20:14 I was so upset with God. 20:17 I said, what have you done to me? 20:20 I've done all this for you. 20:22 What have you done for me now? 20:23 Why didn't you bring them? 20:25 You know, it's the truth it's right, it's this. 20:27 You know, when I'm going down my list with God 20:29 I did it very politely. 20:30 I wanted you to know because I fear God. 20:38 But the Lord said, I talked to another evangelist he said, 20:41 hey I've had evangelistic series and nobody showed up. 20:45 Zip. You just keep going. 20:49 It's God's business. Outcomes are His business. 20:55 I tell you I've to pick my selves up by the bootstraps. 21:00 So I had to divorce myself from it something being in it. 21:04 For me, it's not my program, it's God's. 21:13 So He called her, she came. 21:15 She said I'm not looking for promotion. 21:20 And then He speaks to His servant Gehazi 21:22 who by the ways is being tested 21:23 because in the next Chapter with Naaman, 21:26 we begin to see the selfishness 21:27 of this man coming out. 21:29 And the Lord is working with the Gehazi 21:31 through the prophet. 21:35 And Gehazi is into it at this point. 21:37 He says the woman has no child. 21:42 And so He speaks to her He calls her again. 21:47 And she stood at the door every time the Lord called. 21:53 Every time the prophet called she was there. 21:56 Don't you want that in your life today? 21:59 Don't you wanna be there, when He calls? 22:02 Do you know that we're told 22:03 that we should pray for sensitiveness to sin? 22:07 And we pray that we won't recognize it sometimes. 22:09 I mean sometimes we just don't want to hear it, 22:10 we don't want to think about it. 22:11 It's just not an issue we want to deal with our friends. 22:14 We need to allow God to take off the layers 22:16 in the order He want to take them off, amen. 22:19 And we mustn't take off 22:20 somebody else's layers for them. 22:27 So the prophet comes to this woman. 22:32 "And He says about this season 22:35 according to the time of life, 22:36 though shalt embrace a son." 22:40 She said no. No my Lord. 22:47 The man of God, do not lie unto thy handmaid. 22:53 Do not lie unto thy handmaid. 22:55 You know, the question is, 22:57 are we still living in the land of unbelief? 23:00 Are we living in the land of the impossible? 23:03 In Mathew 19, verse 26, it says, 23:05 "All things are possible." 23:07 Just believe and then it stated 23:09 exactly the opposite way in Mathew 17:20, 23:12 it says, "Nothing is impossible." 23:16 It's really interesting. 23:18 There was a boy in graduate school 23:24 and he wrote a paper for his thesis 23:29 about a dream that he had. 23:32 About an overnight package delivery system 23:36 that would encompass the world. 23:38 In 24 hours you can have a package delivered. 23:42 The professor said 23:43 that is the most ridiculous thing 23:45 I've ever heard it in my life he got to see. 23:48 The boy was so discouraged. 23:49 He quit school and started FedEx. 23:57 Circumstances do not limit God. 24:01 Circumstances do not limit God. 24:06 Our limitations don't even limit God. 24:12 There was a man in Florida, this is a true story. 24:16 He lived beside a lake 24:18 and elderly women drove her car 24:20 off the bridge into the lake. 24:25 He saw it happened he ran into the garage 24:29 and grabbed the hammer. 24:32 He raced, he just raced out to the lake 24:36 jumped into the waters swam to the car 24:38 broke the window before it was submerged. 24:41 Hold this woman out of the car 24:43 dragged her to shore and saved her life. 24:47 Well the interesting thing about that story 24:52 is that he forgot two things. 24:54 Number one, he forget 24:55 that the waters were infested with crocodiles. 24:59 And he forgot that he didn't know how to swim. 25:05 And at this moment this woman is living 25:07 in the land of the impossible. 25:08 She believes he is a man of God. 25:10 She perceives him she makes a room for him in her heart. 25:13 She's responsive she's there. 25:15 But belief hasn't latched on to omnipotence. 25:20 And friends, that's the step we miss. 25:22 That's the step we need to get through 25:24 the time of trouble to grab on to his omnipotence. 25:28 The Bible says, "Nothing will be impossible to you." 25:32 In other words you'll get through 25:35 anything that I put you in. 25:38 And I'm gonna get you to the place Vicki, 25:39 where there's no such thing as the straw 25:41 that breaks the camel's back. 25:44 But that's our test. 25:45 There is one prayer that Jesus did not pray. 25:48 He said I pray not that you take him out of the world, 25:51 but that you keep them from evil. 25:54 We look to the cross. 25:57 That's what happened to Jesus. 25:59 He prayed for deliverance. 26:00 He was heard and He had victory. 26:02 He was not delivered. 26:03 We're looking for the wrong thing 26:05 and we get disappointed at God. 26:07 We get mad at God 26:08 because we don't get delivered from the circumstance. 26:10 He wants to give you victory over it. 26:17 Now, her dream is coming true. 26:20 She conceived, she had a babe. 26:26 In verse 20, it says, 26:30 oh in verse 19 the little boy is working out with his dad, 26:34 "and said unto his father my head my head." 26:38 And he said to the lad. Carry him to his mother. 26:43 And when he had taken him 26:45 and brought him to his mother. 26:46 She sat on her knees until noon. 26:51 And then he was all better 26:52 because after all it was a gift from God. 26:54 Right? What happened? 26:57 The babe died-- died. 27:02 Her most cherished possession her every hope 27:06 her dream her posterity died. 27:13 But her faith did not die with it. 27:19 She went up. 27:21 She went to the place where she last saw the light. 27:24 She took that dead body and she laid it on the bed. 27:28 Where she last saw the light? 27:30 And she said this is where I last saw God. 27:34 I don't see Him now. 27:36 But I'm taking my trouble where I know. 27:38 There is power. 27:45 She laid him on that bed. 27:47 She shut the door. And she left. 27:53 God says, in Psalms 50, verse 15. 27:57 "Call upon me in the day of trouble. 28:00 I will hear thee and that shall glorify me." 28:04 In Psalm 91, verse 15 it says, 28:06 "He will call upon me, I will answer Him. 28:09 I will deliver Him and I will honor Him." 28:14 You're gonna glorify me. I'm gonna honor you. 28:16 It sounds like a pact. 28:21 This woman knew where to go when she was in trouble. 28:27 You know, why she knew where to go 28:29 when she was in trouble. 28:31 Because she knew where to go when she wasn't in trouble. 28:36 When we're not seeking God daily. 28:38 When we're not seeking His will in our lives daily 28:42 we don't have to find Him when we're in trouble. 28:48 The Bible says in Micah 7:8, 28:50 "when I, when I fall I shall arise." 28:57 Do you make mistakes? 28:59 Allen White, says, "do not let this discourage you." 29:03 Go to the Lord. 29:09 And he will heal you 29:14 and he will help you to take heed 29:16 that you be not overtaken again. 29:20 I would go to Dane I just kick myself around the world. 29:25 When I do wrong sometimes. 29:27 Sometimes I'm too easy on myself friends. 29:29 You note what I mean. 29:32 Sometimes I'm total too hard. 29:34 Or I get excited at the meeting 29:36 and interrupt dozen times. 29:40 And I go to Dane. 29:41 And I'll Dane why can't I just be home knitting 29:44 that's what I was going to do. 29:45 I didn't ask for this job. 29:46 I was just gonna. You know, I will start going on. 29:49 And he'll say, you look at me 29:51 and he'll say Vicki do you make mistakes. 29:54 Allen White says, "Do not let this discourage you. 29:57 Go to the Lord, go to those 29:59 that you know love the Lord 30:02 and learn how to do better. 30:08 So she left her burden there and then she called 30:12 and said to her husband, "Get me one of the young men, 30:15 one of the asses, that I may run 30:17 to the man of God and come again." 30:22 And he said, "Wherefore wilt thou go to him today." 30:26 Her husband said, why are you going there today? 30:28 Why? Why are you leaving? 30:31 It's not a new moon, it's not a Sabbath. 30:35 And what did she say? What is her answer? 30:38 What is her answer to her husband? 30:41 Bone of a bone, flesh of a flesh. 30:43 What did she say? She says, it is well, it is well. 30:51 He's an older man, it wasn't his test, 30:56 it wasn't his burden, it was hers. 31:01 She didn't burden her husband with a trial that may be 31:05 he wouldn't be able to bare and how often we bare burdens 31:10 that are hard for other people to bare. 31:15 Does that mean we should never share with anybody, 31:17 never share our troubles, never tell anybody 31:21 that we're having struggles, no! 31:24 But friends if some one has been rude to me at work, 31:29 do I need to go tell the switch board operator. 31:33 Ah, oh, it's nice to do that because you know what? 31:36 Oh, I'll get all the sympathy I need for the day. 31:40 Not our specific switch board operator, 31:42 now this is a hypothetical situation. 31:45 None of us do this, right. 31:50 I'll hear just what I want to hear, if I go to the Lord 31:53 with that, what's He gonna do. 31:56 Vicki, you've got an attitude. 31:59 I want you to be nice to that lady 32:01 and find a way to help her, 32:02 even though she is gossiping about you. 32:05 Oh, Lord, come on. 32:08 What about your righteous anger, 32:10 I've got a speech all ready. 32:15 That's why I am telling you the law is spiritual 32:17 and so is the health message. 32:20 I could find a text to do just what I wanna do 32:22 under almost any circumstance. 32:24 Friends it is only the Holy Spirit 32:26 that can give you your list. 32:33 And so she tells her husband, it will be well, it is well. 32:38 Abraham, when God told Abraham, 32:41 take your son up to the mountain 32:43 and slay him as a burnt offering. 32:46 Did he go run and tell Sarah? No. 32:49 Probably for two reasons, probably for two reasons, 32:53 probably he felt that she would not be able to bare it 32:56 and the other reason was may be he was afraid 32:57 she will talk him out of it. 33:01 He knew he heard the voice of God, 33:03 he knew he had to act upon it and friends 33:05 if you're under conviction about something don't go, 33:09 talk to somebody about it that has the same problem you do. 33:12 They'll talk you out of it. 33:20 I love this part, "She saddled that ass, 33:24 she said to her servant, Drive, go forward, 33:26 slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee." 33:32 She knew where the help was, she knew how to get there, 33:40 because she'd been there before. 33:42 She needed help in a hurry. 33:44 She was used to standing in His presence. 33:47 Now she knew how to get to Him when he was far away. 33:51 Sure when he's standing right there and eating with you, 33:54 always so easy to see Jesus and find Him, 33:56 but when He is far away, how do you find Him? 34:00 She knew the path and she knew how to be the path to Him 34:04 because she was acquainted with Him. 34:05 She had practiced the presence of Jesus Christ 34:08 in her life every day and now she knew 34:11 how to find Him when He seem like He was gone. 34:17 And the Bible tells us 34:18 that God sees us while we are far off. 34:21 Look at the story, it says, 34:24 "The man of God saw her coming." 34:28 It says He saw her coming far off and he said, 34:32 "Is that Shunammite?" 34:34 Do you think He knew something was wrong, 34:36 to see a women wildly galloping 34:38 on an ass towards his house. 34:44 The Bible says, "When the prodigal came 34:47 to the father, that father saw him 34:50 when he was far away and He calls for us 34:53 when we're so far from Him" 34:55 And yet we are so unmerciful to others. 34:58 I wanna dwell on how far away I am and how longing 35:03 the father is after me and that helps me 35:05 to be merciful to others. Amen. Amen. 35:12 Not only does He see us far off and come to meet us 35:15 in our sin, He also understands 35:20 where we come from and where He wants us to go. 35:23 And He sees all the way down the stream of history 35:26 to the day you were born. 35:27 He sees you far off and He knows the dangers 35:31 that surround you and He wants to protect you 35:34 and that's why he is giving you 35:36 biblical principals of living, to protect you, 35:40 because He sees you far off. 35:42 He not only sees back far in the past, 35:44 he also sees what's in your future. 35:46 And He's trying to prepare you 35:47 for the Goliath on the horizon. 35:52 He is personally acquainted with your situation and mine. 35:55 His name is jealous. His name is jealous. 35:58 I am so thankful for that name of God. 35:59 I do not feel that God is picky with me. 36:02 I feel like He is jealous for me and I love it, 36:05 I am so thankful for that, I grew up, my, you know, 36:08 it hadn't been a run away and stuff 36:09 and my dad left home when I was young, 36:11 then my mom had to go to work 36:12 and she was the one that was abusive. 36:14 She beat me up all the time 36:16 and so I grew up, sort of by myself. 36:19 She was gone although almost all the time. 36:21 So I had to do everything. 36:24 Now, I don't need any pity or anything, 36:25 this is just the facts. 36:27 I raised myself and I did a bad job, pretty bad. 36:32 But then I left home for good and came back 36:35 when I found out that she had cancer, 36:36 she was dying of lymphoma. 36:37 No one wanted to take care of her, 36:40 so I came back and it was just her and I 36:43 for a long-long time and when she died, 36:47 I was living in my house with no furniture in it. 36:51 The house I grew up in and with no-- 36:53 sleeping on the floor and I dragged a plant in 36:55 so that I would feel like I was in nature at least, 36:58 you know, kind of camping out. 37:01 Well I went to college at that time, 37:02 I signed up for last year and I signed up 37:06 after a while, after little bit of this. 37:07 I signed up to live in a dormitory. 37:11 And the girls in my room said, are you crazy, 37:15 you have all this freedom. 37:17 What on earth are you signing, 37:20 now you are on somebody's list and they're gonna check 37:22 and make sure you're in the room every night. 37:24 And I said, girls you don't understand, 37:26 if I died in that house, I am not on anybody's list. 37:29 Nobody would know, nobody would find my rotting carcass. 37:34 At least I am on a list somewhere. 37:40 We are on God's list. Amen. 37:46 He cares about you, He wants to look after you, 37:48 He want to nip at your heels, let Him do it. 37:50 He loves you, He wants to surround you. 37:55 But we want freedom 37:58 and it's not freedom, 37:59 its bondage, its misery, its loneliness and its isolation. 38:04 The devil wants us to feel helpless, 38:05 hopeless and worthless. 38:07 He knows we're most likely to kill 38:08 ourselves in that circumstance. 38:12 And many of us are slowly doing it with our habits, 38:16 but its suicide nonetheless. 38:20 And so he saw her, 38:27 it was not a journey in vain, was it? 38:30 And our journey to God is never, never in vain. 38:36 He told to Gehazi, run out and meet her, 38:38 say unto her, is it well with you? 38:41 What a loaded question. You talk about the obvious. 38:46 Is it well with her husband, is it well with the child. 38:50 God wants us to be specific, doesn't He? Thank you. 38:58 God wants us to be specific. 39:00 You know, what did Jesus say to blind Bart? 39:02 Here, you know, blind Bart, he's at the-- 39:04 he's at the gate and he's like this 39:05 and he has the blindness and his eyes, 39:07 they go back and forth you know, 39:08 all that in a stigmas and stuff and his arms are waving. 39:10 He says Jesus, oh son of David have mercy on me. 39:13 Jesus comes up to him and says, what would thou? 39:16 What would thou? Was he being mean, 39:19 trying to embarrass him. 39:22 No, he says if you're specific with me, 39:25 I am gonna give you a specific answer. 39:26 It's gonna build your faith, It's gonna build your faith. 39:32 So Gehazi goes out there, she knows where she's going, 39:35 there's no intermediary, there's no priest, 39:37 there's nobody that can intercede for her. 39:40 Mary isn't gonna do it, the priest 39:42 doesn't gonna do it, nobody's gonna do it. 39:44 She knows where to go and she's gonna 39:46 get to her man and that's where she head. 39:48 She says it is well. I don't have time to talk to you. 39:51 There's only one that can intercede for me 39:53 and that's the man of God himself. 39:55 And the Bible says, "That Jesus ever lives 39:58 to make intercession for us because we can come boldly 40:00 to the throne of grace and receive help and mercy 40:05 in time of need and grace in time of need." 40:11 So she passes him by, then she comes to the man of God. 40:15 Gehazi start to show his colors. 40:17 He's is little offended you know, he was an Embassary, 40:19 he had a job, the title. 40:24 But he was bypassed. How do we act when we're passed by? 40:31 She came to the man of God, she caught him by the feet. 40:34 Gehazi came by to thrust her away. 40:44 But the man of God would not let anyone interfere with 40:48 her relationship and that's the way it is with God too. 40:50 Do you think someone is wrecking 40:52 your relationship with God? 40:54 Do you think someone is ruining your time with God? 40:56 You know, I am gonna be honest with you, 40:58 I have done this to my kid. 40:59 Well, I was just fine this morning until you came down 41:04 to that table with that face. 41:09 Now I am not happy and it's your fault. 41:13 Have you ever done that? Don't ever do it, it's wrong. 41:19 Do you realize what a guilt trip that is? 41:22 It's not somebody else's fault that I chose to get 41:24 sour face because of somebody else's behavior, no, no. 41:29 It's so wrong, it's manipulative to do 41:32 that kind of thing and God says 41:33 we're to be transparent as His people. 41:35 We're not to blame other people for our bad mood. 41:38 Don't do it. Now my husband heard me say that 41:43 and I mean it, I am not gonna do it either. 41:48 He will come down, oh and his family I mean, 41:50 I am saying this publicly but his family all recognize 41:52 the man in his family, have these poker faces, 41:58 even if though, even at weddings you know, 42:00 and day we come down of course I was gonna fix him. 42:05 He come down and I go, well hi, you know, he's hi. 42:08 He's editing, he's up there, upstairs, editing 42:11 and doing all the stuffs he's got this face. 42:14 And he doesn't even realize, he didn't realize of course 42:16 this is years ago, years ago. 42:22 And I go, I go into my Italian thing you know, 42:25 "Hay what's the matter with you, can't you smile, 42:27 what, you know what, what you trying to do? Ruin my day." 42:31 You can't put a smile on, you know, 42:34 oh that just really generates a lot of warmth. 42:44 Why should I let somebody else separate me from God? 42:46 Why should I separate them from God by my nasty behavior, 42:50 and my lack of sympathy and patience? 42:56 So the man of God is there, she catches him by the feet 43:02 and she coarse her heart out to him. 43:06 The man of God, he says to her, 43:12 "Let her alone, her soul is vexed. 43:15 The Lord hid it from me and has not told me. 43:17 And then she pours out her grief. 43:21 She fell at his feet and she tells him 43:24 all that's on her heart. 43:26 And friends we need to talk to God about out troubles, amen. 43:30 But we need to talk with faith and hope, 43:32 claiming the promises of God. 43:34 And she says, "Why did you do this? I don't understand." 43:40 Well, they go back together, 43:42 they go back together 43:47 and in verse 34. 43:52 He sends Gehazi back, it doesn't work, 43:54 so he goes back with this woman. 43:56 She rides all the way back with Him. 44:02 And it says, when they get there. 44:04 Now look at, if this was you or me, 44:05 this is the odd thing of the story. 44:07 They get to the room where this dead body is laying, 44:09 they get up to the upper chamber and what does 44:13 the man of God do? What does Elisha do? 44:16 He takes the woman and Gehazi 44:19 and he puts them outside and shuts the door. 44:25 Now if that was you or me, wouldn't you say, 44:29 "Sister, you've been responsive to me, 44:32 you opened your heart to me, you made a room for me, 44:35 you beat a path to me when you're in trouble, 44:38 you clung to me, we rode to the trouble 44:41 together to solve it. 44:43 Now I want you to come in and witness a miracle." 44:46 But he doesn't do that, he puts her outside 44:49 and he shuts the door. 44:54 What a lesson that is to you and to me. 44:59 Sometimes God works His miracles in the dark 45:04 and he wants you to know 45:06 that you don't have a thing to do with it. 45:11 We pray for our children, we labor for our children 45:14 but friends it is God that works the miracle. 45:17 Only God can raise the dead, 45:20 only He can resurrect the dead heart 45:22 and when we try to do that work by cajoling 45:26 and lecturing and bending and hammering, 45:33 it never raises a soul, it doesn't work. 45:39 Can't you understand this? Why don't you join this? 45:41 If you would only understand that you're just-- 45:43 You know, is there a place for exhortation? Is there? 45:47 But the resurrection of a dead soul, 45:50 the quickening from death to life is a personal experience 45:53 between a soul and God. 45:55 It's easy for us parents to forget that, isn't it? 45:58 It's easy to forget that. 46:00 One day I was thinking about my son and my daughter 46:04 and I tell you I had such a bad time in the world 46:07 that I was just determined that they were gonna be 46:08 Christians no matter what, no matter 46:12 what I had to do to them. 46:15 We lived on a mountain and I remember Dane 46:18 and I was sitting on a couch one day talking about them 46:20 giving their hearts to God, they were younger children 46:22 and I said, "If that boy doesn't give his heart to God, 46:27 I believe I'll chase him with the broom" 46:29 I won't even know what else to do, 46:32 that's the only thing I have left is just to chase him. 46:36 Dane said, "I don't think that's gonna work." 46:43 It's God who works the miracles. Amen. 46:48 In Verse 35, "He returned, He walked 46:51 in the house to and fro, He went up, 46:53 he stretched himself upon him." 46:54 So he's thinking, he's thinking, he's working, 46:56 he has a plan and his plan for 46:58 every dead human being is different. 47:00 We have directions and instructions though 47:02 from the spirit of God. 47:03 Ellen White tells that speak to the living, 47:06 speak to the dead as though they are living, 47:08 speak to the dead as though they are living, 47:13 inspire people with hope and courage in a better way. 47:19 He stretched himself upon and the child sneezed 47:21 and the child opened his eyes, he became one with him. 47:26 Jesus is the elder brother of our race. 47:29 He is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. 47:32 He was tempted in all points like as we are. 47:37 He was born under the law, born of a woman, 47:41 born under the law of sin and death. 47:45 Well he does this and he calls her, 47:48 she stands there again, every time he calls her 47:52 she is responsive and she's there 47:54 whether she's gonna get something out if it or not. 48:00 Verse 36, "He called Gehazi and says call the Shunammite. 48:04 He called her, when she was come unto Him, 48:08 He said, take up your son." 48:13 Verse 37, "She took time to praise and thank God. 48:17 She went in, she fell at His feet, 48:19 she bowed herself to the ground, 48:21 she took up her son and she went out." 48:26 The Bible says that God inhabits praise. Amen. 48:33 He inhabits praise. Praise is not something 48:36 that we do out of feeling. 48:39 It is something we do out of obedience. 48:41 We praise God because we love him. 48:43 We do not praise Him because things are going well. 48:46 We praise Him because of who He is. 48:49 There is a difference between thankfulness and praise. 48:51 I am thankful that I have food in the refrigerator, 48:54 I am thankful for my husband, 48:55 I am thankful for all these goodies I have in my life. 48:57 But I praise Him because of who He is, 49:00 everyday I have something to praise. 49:02 I may not always feel thankful. 49:06 I may not have a material thing to thank God for, 49:09 but I can always praise God 49:12 for who He is and what's He gonna do. 49:14 It says, it is impossible to please God without faith. 49:23 Because He that cometh to him must believe that he is 49:25 and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. 49:29 Well did they leave a word out? 49:30 What do you mean, believe that He is, is what? 49:32 That He is who He says He is. 49:34 Everyday I can praise God because 49:36 He is who He says He is. 49:39 That's what Bible study does for me. 49:42 You know we use the-- we use the Bible 49:45 like Ouija board, okay God 49:46 I've go this totally, show me the text. 49:49 I am gonna open up, put my finger on it, 49:51 that's the one for me. 49:53 No, that's not why we study the Bible, 49:54 it's not the Ouija board. 49:56 We study the Bible because it shows us who God is. 50:05 Because we're gonna see him face to face. 50:09 We will see Him as He is. 50:10 We have to know who He is, 50:12 if we're gonna see Him as He is. 50:16 She went out, she continued forward. 50:20 She continued on with her life. 50:22 And friends there are some terrible things happen to us. 50:25 We had some tragedies, some of those dead 50:28 don't get raised, we got to go forward. 50:31 You got to go forward. 50:33 You got to leave them with God and go on 50:35 with your ministry in your life, amen. Amen. 50:40 I am just gonna read part of the song very quickly because 50:42 Dr. Messene is with us, he's gonna have 50:44 some closing remarks, this is the words to a song 50:49 and I think we will do well to pay attention to these words. 50:54 There lived a man and a woman in a town called Shunem, 50:58 he made a-- and made a home 51:00 for Elisha and found favor in his eyes. 51:05 So God sent a miracle, the only thing they longed for. 51:09 Within the year they would hold 51:12 a son as Elisha prophesied. 51:16 One day they went from the field, 51:19 brought the child to his mother. 51:20 She held his head there on his knee 51:23 until he died at noon of day. 51:25 She didn't tell anyone, she ran straight 51:29 to the man of God and if anybody asked her, 51:32 she replied, while on her way, it is well, it is well. 51:39 There is peace in my despair knowing God will hear 51:43 my prayer and I will cling to the promise that He brings. 51:47 Even death can have no sting, no power in hell 51:52 in His presence, I will dwell where it is well. 51:57 She had learned the lesson 51:59 that wherever God is, it is well. 52:02 Elisha stood by the bed side 52:05 where she laid the boy when he died. 52:07 He prayed a prayer upon him 52:09 and he breathed new life again. 52:11 Friend, God doesn't ever change, 52:14 if you'll have that woman's faith. 52:16 He'll send you a miracle and until then 52:20 you can say it is well, it is well. 52:24 There is peace in my despair knowing God has heard 52:28 my prayer and I will cling to the promise that He brings. 52:32 Even death will have no sting, no power in hell. 52:37 In His presence, I will dwell where it is well. |
Revised 2014-12-17