Thank God For His Word!

How Does One Drown ?

Death by Drowning is a tragic and terrible thing. Most of us have heard of the great tragedies that have clamed the lives of many by DROWNING. The sinking of the Titanic in which hundreds DROWNED. The disaster of the ferry that sank in the storm crossing the Strait of Gibraltar that laid clamed to the lives of many others which DROWNED. The refuges that where fleeing for their lives from their war torn home lands, only to lose their lives by DROWNING in a perilous sea. A few years ago this nation listens in shock as a mother finally confesses to locking her two children in a car then sending the car into a lake where they DROWNED to death. A then there's the sad story of an unwatched toddler that falls over into a commode and can't pull themselves out and DROWNS.

All of these which I have just mentioned though different in the circumstances that brought about the same death, (DROWNING) had one element that was the same: IT WAS THE WATER THAT CAUSED THE DEATH! And even at that, IT WASN'T UNTIL THE WATER GOT INTO THEIR LUNGS THAT THEY DIED!

Their death was not just the result of them being in the water: IT WAS THE WATER GETTING IN THEM THAT BROUGHT ABOUT THEIR TRAGIC DEATH!

Friend of mine, Jesus made it clear that, IT'S NOT BEING IN THE WORLD THAT WILL KILL YOU, IT'S WHEN THAT WORLD GETS IN YOU! Shout Amen If You Know It To Be True.

We all know that people don't Drown just because they get in water, or just because water is all around them. If this were the case we would all have to quit taking showers and baths. But what ever you do, don't quit showering and taking baths! Who'll give me a big Amen on that? But when water, or any other thing gets into the Lungs (A Place Where It Doesn't Belong) and takes over, it cuts off the LIFE SOURCE; and THIS IS WHAT BRINGS ABOUT DEATH!

The same is true when we allow Money, Cars, Houses, Land, People, Families, etc.. (Things that if used right, and keep in their rightful place, God can and will use to be a blessing to us.) I want to deal more with this later. When we allow these things to take over a place "OUR HEARTS" they don't belong, then they cut off our SPIRITUAL LIFE SOURCE and DEATH WILL BE THE RESULT!

God Will Make It A Blessing

Have you ever noticed what a blessing things can be, WHEN THEIR USED RIGHT? Water is not a evil and bad thing just because some have Drowned in it. Food is not evil just because some have choked to death on it. Water and Food are actually good for us, and needed IF USED RIGHT! But it's not such a blessing when your eating or getting a drink and it goes to THE WRONG PLACE. I'd say that just about all of us have used the expression: IT WENT DOWN THE WRONG PIPE! After we got over our Choking and Gagging. Some words of wisdom, to take note of: CHOKING IS USUALLY CAUSED BY TRYING TO SWALLOW A PIECE OF SOMETHING TO BIG TO FIT DOWN THE HOLE THAT LEADS TO YOUR STOMACH! Or as the old saying goes; BITING OFF MORE THEN YOU CAN CHEW, AND THEN TRYING TO SWALLOW IT! What we need to realize is this: IF THE FOOD AND WATER DOESN'T MAKE IT TO OUR STOMACHS, IT WILL NOT BE THE BLESSING IT'S MEANT TO BE! Shout Amen Someone.

I feel that the Holy Ghost would have this generation know: YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN OCEAN TO BATH IN! IF USED RIGHT, A SMALLER AMOUNT OF WATER WILL DO THE SAME JOB. We must understand that some peoples NEEDS are greater then others. A family of 10 will most likely have NEED of more water then 1 person, or even a family of 3 or 4. But because this nation has gotten so use to being WASTEFUL AND GREEDY, many have become blinded to this.

There are those who really don't NEED more money, cars, houses, land, things etc.. BUT MANY OF THEM WILL TELL YOU THEY NEED MORE!

Someone may ask: Bro. Mike, don't you believe what the bible says in Mal.3:10 ? (Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.) I Sure Do. And When you stop ROBBING GOD in your tithes and offerings then you'll start receiving this kind of blessing from God. Now I want you to notice that this kind of blessing is not for the WASTEFUL AND GREEDY; because when God blesses like this it's not for us to HOARD and STORE UP to ourselves! God POURS OUT this kind of blessing so your NEEDS can be met, and you'll also have enough to MEET THE NEEDS OF OTHERS!

God said: There shall not be room enough for you to receive it. Someone said, I'll build BIGGER barns so I can keep it. That's what the FOOLISH RICH MAN said too. God didn't bless you that way for you to build YOURSELF bigger barns, if you've received that kind of blessing; IT'S SO YOU CAN BUILD A BARN FOR YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT DON'T HAVE A BARN BUT REALLY NEEDS ONE! Don't you get quiet on me, Shout Amen.

He's blessed you like that to help support the Preaching of the Gospel Around The World. You see, using these things RIGHT, is like the water and food making it's way to your stomach where it can be a blessing to your body, and not having it get into your lungs, or caught in your wind pipe where it will only be a curse, and eventually cause death.

So we see that it's not having money, or any other material thing that brings Spiritual Death, it's when these things Take Over your HEART and there's no longer room for the Love of God, Compassion, Caring, and Concern for others.

O what God would do through each one of us when we RESERVE OUR HEARTS TO HIM ALONE.

What If It Won't Submit?

Many of you I'm sure know the story of Abram and Sarai in the book of Genesis. God had made Abram a promise to bless his seed, and that through him all the nations of the world would be blessed. What a promise.

The word of God let's us know in Gen.16:1-3 (Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. ver.2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. ver.3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.) Friend, it is clear to see that they are Lifting Up The Wrong One to try and bring about the promise of God.

Notice, they have ELEVATED Hagar to place that she has no business being. She's a Maid, a Bond - woman, she is not to be ELEVATED to be the one that God will FULFILL HIS PROMISES THROUGH! Money, Material Possessions, the Natural are the servants, and THEY ARE NOT TO BE LIFTED UP AS THE THINGS IN WHICH GOD IS GOING TO FULFILL HIS PROMISES THROUGH! I feel like shouting a little bit. Glory.

Now that Hagar is LIFTED UP she no longer wants to obey Sarai. She feels like and is acting like she's the Queen. But when Sarai begins to deal hard with her she run's away.

Let's look at Gen.16:7-9 (And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. ver.8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. ver.9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.) Now it's clear to see what God wants Hagar to do; SUBMIT, OBEY THAT WHICH IS OVER HER AND NOT TO BE THE ONE GIVING OUT THE ORDERS!

Hagar returns and does good for awhile. She has a son by Abram named Ishmael; and Abram loves him. Afterwards Sharai bears Abram a son (The Son Of Promise) Isaac. The time comes to Honor Isaac the Son Of Promise, but we read in Gen.21:8-14 (And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. ver.9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. ver.10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. ver.11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. ver.12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. ver.13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. ver.14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.) IF IT WON'T SUBMIT, AND BE UNDER SUBJECTION TO THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD; CAST IT OUT!

You'll notice that the Word of God not only says in Heb. 12:1 to lay aside every SIN, but also EVERY WEIGHT THAT DOES SO EASILY BESET YOU! We can not afford to ELEVATE anything in our lives up to the level of the Will of God. God's will for our lives is to be LIFTED UP ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE! The Hagar's are to remain as servants to help, and NEVER to be LIFTED UP out of that place of SUBJECTION, and OBEDIENCE TO THE WILL OF GOD!