Participants: Shelley Quinn
Series Code: ASHF
Program Code: ASHF000123A
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00:19 Good evening and welcome
00:21 to our Wednesday night Bible study 00:22 here at Thompsonville Adventist Church. 00:25 This is a program called A Sharper Focus, 00:28 and we just... 00:29 At first, I want to welcome you who were here 00:31 for the live part. 00:33 And for those of you who are watching by television, 00:35 or internet, or listening on the radio, 00:38 we are very glad that you can join us as well. 00:41 Tonight we're going to take a little sidestep 00:45 from the regular study. 00:46 Pastor Lomacang is not here. I'm Shelley Quinn. 00:48 I'll be hosting 00:49 and I just have to tell you up front. 00:52 I'm kind of operating from a... 00:55 Whatever you might say, 00:57 a physical disadvantage with the lack of sleep. 01:00 But we are going to talk about something 01:03 that the Lord impressed upon my heart 01:05 just a couple of hours ago. 01:07 We lost one of our own today. 01:10 And it's not an easy thing to think about, 01:14 but precious Michael Berry has gone to rest. 01:18 And, when I heard, 01:20 he has had such a long struggle. 01:23 And it has been 01:24 such a faith building thing for us to watch this family. 01:30 They are so inspiring 01:32 because their faith is so great. 01:34 The Lord says or the Bible says in Psalm 116:15, 01:38 "Precious in the sight of the Lord 01:40 is the death of His saints." 01:42 So I thought what we would do tonight 01:44 is let's go to Scripture 01:46 for understanding and encouragement 01:48 so that we will know 01:50 how to be a source of encouragement 01:53 to those who are sick and praying for healing. 01:57 And to those who are the loved ones 02:00 who've been left behind and had lost someone. 02:04 Let's start with prayer. 02:06 Heavenly Father, 02:07 we come to You in the name of Jesus. 02:09 And, Lord, we know that right now 02:12 You are with our dear Sister Celestine 02:15 and her two precious young daughters, 02:17 Sphera and Nana. 02:19 Father, we ask in the name of Jesus 02:21 that You will be the lifter of their heads. 02:23 We ask in the name of Jesus that You will comfort them 02:25 as only You can. 02:27 And, Lord, I know that there are people 02:29 who are listening to my voice right now, 02:31 who are going through the same type of grieving, 02:36 and suffering, and wondering. 02:39 And, Lord, tonight, I pray in the name of Jesus 02:41 that You'll get me out of the way 02:43 that You'll speak to us through Your scriptures. 02:45 And that, Father, 02:47 You will show us in the Scripture, 02:51 Your precious plan for all of Your children, 02:55 in Jesus' name, amen. 02:58 Before we actually get 03:00 into the part of praying for the sick. 03:02 What I thought we'll do is let's turn to 1 John Chapter 5 03:06 and we'll begin with verse 14. 03:09 1 John Chapter 5 and let's begin with verse 14. 03:15 I think it is important when we're talking about prayer 03:18 to set the foundation 03:23 to know how the Bible instructs us to pray, 03:27 and the Bible has a lot to say on prayer. 03:30 So let's look at 1 John Chapter 5 03:33 and we'll look at verse 14 and 15. 03:37 John writes, 03:38 "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, 03:43 that if we ask anything according to His will, 03:47 He hears us. 03:48 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, 03:52 we know that we have the petitions 03:55 that we have asked of Him." 03:57 So basically what he's saying here 03:59 is this is the confidence, 04:01 the communication confidence 04:04 that when you are praying according to God's will 04:07 you have absolute assurance that God is going to hear you, 04:12 and He is going to respond and grant your request 04:16 if you're praying according to God's will. 04:19 How do we know though? 04:21 JD was telling us a story right before we began tonight. 04:25 How do we know 04:27 if we are praying according to God's will? 04:30 The first point that I want to make 04:32 is that God commissioned the Holy Spirit 04:36 to be our divine instructor in prayer. 04:39 In Romans 8:26, let's look at that. 04:44 Romans 8:26 04:48 because it is important as we come before the Lord 04:52 that we look to the Holy Spirit for guidance." 04:57 Romans 8:26 says this, 05:01 "Likewise the spirit also helps in our weaknesses. 05:06 For we do not know 05:08 what we should pray for as we ought, 05:12 but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us 05:16 with groanings which cannot be uttered." 05:21 You and I, when we are praying 05:24 for ourselves or for someone else, 05:27 we have a tendency to pray what we think is best, 05:31 don't we? 05:33 We're praying for what we want. 05:35 What we need to do is seek the spirit 05:39 as we go before the throne of grace, 05:41 seek his guidance 05:43 and commit your prayer time to his leading 05:46 with entire dependence upon him to guide. 05:50 And I'm going to share a few things 05:53 in just a few moments that will show you 05:55 how important that is. 05:56 But how do we know 05:58 if we're praying according to God's will? 06:01 This is His revealed will. 06:03 I'm holding the Bible. 06:05 This is God's revealed will. 06:08 This tells us about the character of God, 06:10 it tells us about His plan for you, for me, 06:13 for our loved ones. 06:14 So if we know 06:16 that we are praying with the spirit's guidance. 06:20 First of all, we must know we will... 06:21 He will never lead us in such a way 06:25 or have us pray anything that is contrary to Scripture. 06:29 I have to tell quick story here. 06:30 I had a college roommate, 06:33 who was a part in the young Republican Party. 06:37 And she worked for a Senator in New Mexico 06:40 and became absolutely convinced 06:43 that it was God's will that she marry this man. 06:46 There was only one problem. 06:48 He was married. 06:50 Now, here is a woman 06:52 who was a godly woman in many ways, 06:55 but very confused 06:57 because she had emotions for this man. 07:00 And her will was that 07:03 he should divorce his wife and marry her. 07:05 And so she is saying no, it's God's will. 07:08 God will never, 07:10 the Holy Spirit will never lead us in any way 07:13 that does not agree with His written word. 07:16 Now turn to Luke 22:42. 07:20 So first we need to be praying in accordance with God's will 07:25 being led by His Spirit. 07:28 In total dependence upon the spirit and the word, 07:31 but we also need to pray in submission to God's will. 07:36 In Luke 22:42, 07:39 Christ is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. 07:43 And what he says is this, "Father, if it is Your will..." 07:49 Let me put the emphasis. 07:51 Father, if it is Your will, 07:54 take this cup away from Me." 07:57 What cup is He talking about? 07:59 This cup of death that He's about to drink. 08:02 "Nevertheless not My will 08:06 but Yours be done." 08:08 Christ total focus when He was on the earth 08:11 was to do the Father's will. 08:15 And now He is facing a very real personal struggle 08:20 before He goes to the cross. 08:23 Here is the divine Son of God who is also the Son of man, 08:28 come in His humanity, He's facing this struggle 08:31 before He goes to the cross. 08:33 He's thinking about the shame of hanging there naked. 08:37 You know we always do... 08:40 If you see pictures 08:41 or you see statues or anything with Christ on the cross, 08:46 we always see Him draped. 08:47 But that's not the way they crucify people. 08:50 They did everything they could to denigrate the soul, 08:54 to bring total shame on them. 08:57 So they crucified them naked. 08:59 Here's the Lord of glory about to face crucifixion 09:03 where He will be crucified naked. 09:06 But more than a shame, He's thinking about the agony 09:10 of being separated from His Father. 09:13 And He is about to be completely separated 09:17 even though it was for only a short period of time. 09:20 But He's about to be separated from His Father, 09:22 and the thought of the shame and the agony 09:25 was overwhelming to Him. 09:27 Now, something that I like 09:31 is that it tells me, 09:33 it is never wrong 09:35 to express your personal feelings in prayer. 09:40 When we're praying, you know, there are some times... 09:44 if I'm upset with God. 09:47 Have you ever been upset with God? 09:50 Nobody's ever been upset with God? 09:51 Okay. Now, I'm seeing a few heads. 09:53 If things aren't going 09:55 like you think they're supposed to be going 09:57 and you're upset with God, 09:58 you may as well tell Him because He knows 10:01 that, you know, you can't go 10:02 do your sweet little patty cake prayer. 10:04 Now I lay me down to sleep and hide it from the Lord 10:07 because He knows everything that's going on in your heart, 10:09 doesn't He? 10:10 So it is okay to express your personal feelings, 10:15 but we have to be like Jesus 10:19 and have absolute trust 10:22 and total dependence upon the Father. 10:25 And we also have to be ready 10:29 to have an absolute yielding 10:32 of our will to do the Father's will. 10:34 If this was Jesus' attitude 10:38 that He was completely willing to do the Father's will. 10:42 Should ours be anything less? 10:44 Nah, I don't think so. 10:46 So Christ lived in a state of absolute humility 10:51 from His humble birth 10:53 in the stable. 10:57 He lived to fulfill the Father's pleasure 11:00 and become obedient 11:01 even to the humiliation of death on a cross. 11:06 And I want to say this, God doesn't cause suffering 11:11 even though He sometimes allows it. 11:13 And the reason He allows it is because 11:16 some of the greatest life lessons 11:19 we will ever learn are learned in the crucible of suffering. 11:23 Turn to Hebrews Chapter 2. 11:26 Hebrews Chapter 2. 11:29 And as we go there, think about that thought 11:32 that it isn't God who is causing 11:36 the pain and the suffering. 11:38 But why does He allow it? 11:40 There's a scripture in Peter that we'll look at 11:42 in just a moment. 11:44 But right now we want to look at Hebrews 2:8-10, 11:49 because this is speaking of our Lord. 11:52 And it says in verse 8, "You have put all things 11:56 in subjection under his feet..." 11:58 Speaking of Jesus. 12:00 "For in that He put all in subjection under him, 12:03 He left nothing that is not put under him. 12:07 But now we do not yet see all things put under him. 12:12 But we see Jesus, 12:14 who was made a little lower than the angels, 12:17 for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, 12:22 that He, by the grace of God, 12:26 might taste death for everyone." 12:29 Now look at verse 10 12:31 because this is where it really is amazing. 12:34 Verse 10, "For it was fitting for Him, 12:41 for whom are all things and by whom are all things, 12:45 in bringing many sons to glory, 12:47 to make the captain of their salvation 12:51 perfect through sufferings." 12:54 Wow! 12:55 This is talking about Jesus. 12:57 It was fitting for Him 13:00 that He might be made perfect 13:04 through suffering. 13:07 Have you ever felt 13:09 that God isn't hearing your prayers? 13:13 Anybody here ever experienced that part? 13:17 You know, our struggle will only be resolved 13:19 when we like Christ 13:22 are willing to come before the Lord, 13:24 and we are willing to humble ourselves 13:28 and to yield to God's will. 13:30 We have to pray with reverent submission to God 13:35 willing to do what He wants. 13:37 And our prayers are often simply 13:39 only the vain babblings 13:40 of our own imagination if you will, 13:42 our poor selfish hearts 13:44 because we're seeking our own pleasures 13:48 rather than the will of God. 13:50 Now, let me give you some examples here. 13:53 If we are praying for the unsafe... 13:57 Let's say we've got an unsaved family member, 14:00 an unsaved friend or an unsaved relative. 14:04 Can we pray with absolute assurance 14:08 asking God to save that person? 14:11 Do we have to say, "Thy will be done." 14:15 You know, did you know that the Bible says in 1 Timothy 2:4 14:20 that it is God's will that all men be saved. 14:25 So when I'm praying for someone's salvation, 14:27 I mean, I've got a scripture to stand on that says, 14:30 this is God's will. 14:32 So I don't feel like I have to say, 14:35 "Thy will be done." 14:37 What I'm praying for is, Lord, whatever it takes. 14:41 And sometimes you have to be careful 14:42 when you're praying whatever it takes. 14:44 But whatever it takes, Lord, you know, 14:46 and I pray that Father, open their eyes, 14:49 turn them from darkness to light 14:51 from the power of Satan to you 14:53 that they might receive salvation. 14:57 And an inheritance among those 14:59 who are sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus. 15:03 So as we're praying for them, I even pray sometimes, 15:07 Lord, let there be angels on, bring angels unaware, 15:10 you know, bring Christian workers 15:11 across their path 15:12 or angels unaware if that's what it takes. 15:15 And I pray fervently and earnestly 15:17 when I'm praying for someone. 15:19 If they're paying for their salvation, 15:21 but I don't say, 15:22 "Thy will be done" because His will is that all, 15:27 my prayer is that Lord, let them work in You 15:31 that Your will be done. 15:33 But what about healing? 15:38 When we're praying for healing... 15:40 You know, the Bible says in Ephesians 1:11 15:42 that we have been given every spiritual blessing 15:47 in heavenly realms through Christ Jesus. 15:49 Every spiritual blessing is yours through Christ Jesus. 15:54 But it makes no such claim for physical healing. 15:59 Physical blessings aren't promised. 16:03 We are promised in John 10:10 that 16:04 "Christ came to give us an abundant life, 16:08 and even though many were restored to health 16:12 through the prayer of faith." 16:15 The evidence is overwhelming 16:17 that not all are restored to health, are they? 16:20 Even in the Bible. 16:22 I want to point to, turn to 2 Corinthians 12. 16:28 2 Corinthians 12, 16:30 and we're going to look at 16:36 beginning with verse 8. 16:38 2 Corinthians 12 beginning with verse 8. 16:47 2 Corinthians 12:8, 16:49 you guys are gonna beat me there. 16:54 Paul is praying for himself, 16:57 and let's see what God's answer is. 16:59 2 Corinthians 12:8, 17:02 "Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord" 17:05 how many times? 17:07 "Three times that it might depart from me. 17:11 And he said to me" what? 17:14 "My grace is sufficient for you, 17:17 for my strength is made perfect in weakness." 17:22 Paul prayed three times for healing. 17:26 God says, no. 17:29 I'm not healing you, 17:30 but it's for a bigger cause 17:33 because my grace 17:35 is made perfect in weakness. 17:40 My strength is made perfect in weakness. 17:42 My grace is sufficient and he goes on, 17:45 and here's what Paul's response is, 17:48 "Therefore most gladly I will boast in my infirmities, 17:52 that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 17:56 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, 18:01 in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, 18:05 for Christ's sake. 18:07 For when I am weak, then I am strong." 18:12 Well, I don't know about you, but... 18:14 I don't know that I take pleasure in infirmities, 18:16 and reproaches, and needs, 18:18 and persecutions, and distresses. 18:21 But when we're going through these sufferings, 18:23 if we would think about it, 18:25 we can look to the Lord and say, Father, 18:27 thank You that Your grace is sufficient. 18:31 Thank You that Your power is made perfect in my weakness. 18:35 Paul through whom God performed miracles of healing, 18:40 even using his handkerchief, mind you. 18:43 A handkerchief of Paul's to heal people 18:47 did not heal Paul. 18:49 And he also... 18:51 Turn to 2 Timothy 4: 20, 18:54 I want to show you something. 18:56 2 Timothy 4:20. 19:03 Paul also 19:06 had to leave his companion Trophimus 19:09 behind sick. 19:12 Look at this. 19:14 2 Timothy 4:20. 19:17 Here is the miracle working Paul. 19:20 God used him to perform so many miracles. 19:23 But here's what he says in 2 Timothy 4: 20, " 19:26 Erastus stayed in Corinth, 19:30 but Trophimus 19:32 I have left in Miletus," why? 19:36 "He was sick. 19:38 Paul's traveling companion was sick. 19:41 Paul, the mighty warrior of God, 19:44 the man through whom God had, had healed so many 19:48 couldn't heal his traveling companion. 19:54 So when it comes to healing, 19:58 Christ did not authorize us to demand healing. 20:02 We must be submissive to the will of God, 20:05 asking the Holy Spirit to guide us in prayer, 20:08 and God will reveal His mysteries to us 20:11 by His Spirit. 20:12 You know, I've just got to give you 20:16 something from Christ Object Lessons, page 129. 20:19 You want to listen to this. 20:20 Christ Object Lessons, 129. 20:24 She writes, 20:25 "Our prayers will take the form of a conversation with God 20:29 as we would talk with a friend. 20:30 He will speak His mysteries to us personally." 20:36 When you're praying and asking for the guidance 20:38 of the Holy Spirit, 20:40 you can count on God leading us by His Spirit, 20:45 never conflicting with the Word. 20:46 The Spirit will never say anything 20:48 that conflicts with God's Word 20:50 because this Word was inspired by the Spirit, right? 20:54 Holy men wrote 20:55 as the Holy Spirit inspired them, 20:57 but you can count on God to speak to you. 21:01 But now this brings us... 21:03 Turn please to John Chapter 5. 21:07 Excuse me, James Chapter 5. 21:10 Let's look at James Chapter 5. 21:13 Now, we're going to get into the meat of the matter 21:18 for tonight. 21:20 James Chapter 5. 21:22 If God did not promise us 21:27 physical blessings, 21:30 physical healing I should say, 21:31 he does bless us physically and spiritually. 21:35 How are we going to explain this scripture? 21:39 James 5:14. 21:43 James 5:14, 21:46 "Is anyone among you sick? 21:50 Let him call for the elders of the church, 21:52 and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil 21:56 in the name of the Lord." 21:59 I believe in anointing with all of my heart. 22:03 And I'm going to tell you a few stories about that. 22:07 But what we need to think about 22:10 when severe and sudden illness hits us, 22:14 whether it's an injury, or an illness, 22:17 or if we've had a prolonged period 22:20 like Michael, a prolonged period of illness. 22:25 We become physically distressed. 22:29 And if you're physically distressed, 22:30 very long, you can be emotionally depressed. 22:34 And then if you get into that state, 22:37 you can become spiritually oppressed. 22:41 So we need to always be praying for people who are ill, 22:46 especially if you've got someone you know 22:48 who is a shut in. 22:50 Pray for them that God will keep their spirits up 22:53 that they won't get depressed and they won't 22:55 because it's easy, 22:58 and I've been there myself when I've been sick 23:01 for a long period of time. 23:04 Praising God at first, thanking Him that, 23:06 you know, this was time He's sitting me down 23:08 that maybe I was gonna... 23:10 He's gonna speak to me more or something. 23:12 But after a while you start feeling like, 23:14 "I'm no use, I'm this and that." 23:17 You start feeling down, 23:18 and it can even get to the point 23:20 if it goes on long enough 23:21 where somebody doesn't even feel like 23:23 picking up their Bible. 23:24 So we all need the encouragement 23:29 that the power of prayer will bring, 23:31 but we need to pray to understand God's plan 23:34 and seek to cooperate with His will. 23:37 Now, I want to point out here as well. 23:39 When it says anointing him with oil, 23:42 is there any 23:44 sacramental efficacy in the oil? 23:49 Is the oil something that's magic 23:51 that you put on someone's head? 23:53 No. What is the oil a symbol of? 23:56 The oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. 23:59 You know, this whole idea of holy oil began... 24:05 Well, it began and it was kind of 24:07 to overcome the idea of a magic potion, 24:11 you know, that the pagans had these magic potions 24:13 so suddenly it was a holy well, 24:15 like there's some magic in the oil, 24:16 but that's not what it is. 24:18 Now let's look at verse 15. 24:21 James 5:15, 24:24 "And the prayer of faith will save the sick, 24:26 and the Lord will raise him up." 24:28 What? 24:30 I just got through saying, 24:31 we can't demand, physical healing, 24:34 but the prayer of faith will save the sick, 24:36 and the Lord will raise him up. 24:38 And if he has committed sin, he will be forgiven. 24:40 Confess your trespasses to one another, 24:42 pray for one another that you may be healed. 24:45 The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man 24:49 avails much. 24:51 I have been the recipient 24:56 of an instantaneous and miraculous healing. 24:59 My husband has been the recipient 25:03 of an instantaneous and miraculous healing. 25:08 There is no doubt that God intervened. 25:12 And we see this around the world 25:14 that the prayer line gets, 25:16 3ABN prayer line gets many calls. 25:19 I believe that God is still in the healing business. 25:22 But as I said, 25:25 "When we think of the miracle of restored faith, 25:28 it's like the miracle of forgiveness of sins." 25:32 It's in the name of... 25:33 The power of the name of Jesus Christ, right? 25:36 But we cannot demand it. 25:39 Anointing must be done according to God's will. 25:42 I believe that what it is saying here, 25:45 the prayer of faith will save the sick, 25:47 the Lord will raise him up 25:49 if He sees that it is best for him. 25:53 Let me give you an example of what I'm saying. 25:56 The first time that JD was healed miraculously. 26:00 This goes way back. 26:02 We'd only been married a couple of years 26:05 when suddenly 26:06 my precious husband has some kind of condition. 26:09 He has strep B that is resident in his body, 26:12 it hides, and it has popped up a number of times, five times, 26:16 and he's nearly died each time because he gets septicemia, 26:20 and they can't figure out where the source is. 26:23 He's had surgeries, he's had all kinds of things. 26:25 But two years after we married, he is in the hospital. 26:29 He's at the point of death. 26:31 And finally, I mean it is getting so bad, 26:34 his hematocrit was so low that they tell me, 26:39 we don't know what to do, 26:41 you know, we're not, it could be leukemia, 26:44 acute leukemia. 26:46 But it's not got 26:47 all the markers of acute leukemia. 26:48 They were scratching their heads. 26:51 He was getting to that point of talking. 26:54 This is a young man. 26:55 And he's talking about, I need to get my will, 26:58 I need to do this, I need to do that. 27:00 And I'm thinking, 27:01 uh, I can see that his emotions, 27:04 you know, his attitude was depressed and coming down. 27:08 So I talked with the doctor, and I said, 27:11 you know, he'd already been in the hospital 27:13 couple of weeks. 27:14 I said, "Can you send him out? Can we do home health care? 27:16 You know, let's do the IV antibiotics at home." 27:19 So they send him home. 27:21 And the nurse would come out twice a week to take his blood. 27:25 He'd been home just two weeks. 27:28 There's no change in his hematocrit. 27:30 I mean, he is... 27:32 You know, they're telling me he could go at any time. 27:35 Well, she came out on a Wednesday. 27:37 She took his blood and left. 27:40 And that evening, 27:42 I've missed Wednesday night prayer meeting. 27:45 But as Wednesday night, 27:46 right before Wednesday night prayer meeting happened, 27:49 I was praying so earnestly to the Lord. 27:52 And I said, "Father, Lord, heal him." 27:54 And all of a sudden it was like call the elders 27:58 have them come tonight, 28:00 and anoint him and pray for him. 28:03 Okay. 28:04 I called the church and get a hold of the elders. 28:06 And they said, "Yeah, we'll come do an anointing." 28:08 Now, we weren't Adventist at the time. 28:09 But, anyway, they said, "We'll come do an anointing." 28:12 And then they said, "How about tomorrow afternoon." 28:14 I said, "No, the Lord said it had to be tonight." 28:17 And you know something, they came that night. 28:19 It was like when they got there after church, 28:22 and we anointed him. 28:24 And I knew that I knew, that I knew, 28:28 God had healed him. 28:29 I mean, it was just that clear to me, 28:33 God had healed him. 28:34 When they finished with the prayer, 28:37 they're all standing around talking about the weather, 28:39 and I'm thinking, "What's wrong with you people? 28:41 Don't you know what God just did? 28:44 We need to be praising the Lord." 28:46 I didn't say it, but that's my thought was. 28:48 So I called the doctor the next day. 28:52 And I say, "Can you send out the nurse today 28:55 to take a sample, a blood sample." 28:58 And they said, "No." 29:00 He said no 29:02 because your insurance won't cover it 29:03 because she was just there yesterday. 29:04 I said, "That's okay, send them out. 29:06 We'll pay for it." 29:08 So finally the doctor calls me, 29:10 and he was hard to get hold off, 29:11 but he calls me. 29:13 He says, "I'm not sending the nurse out." 29:14 I said, "Yeah, you've got to 29:16 or else someone have to go and do x-ray." 29:17 I said, "I'm going to get his blood taken today." 29:19 So finally, he humored me, he sent the nurse out. 29:23 She took his blood. 29:25 The results, 29:27 the day before his hematocrit was so low, 29:29 he was at death's door. 29:32 Now, she takes his blood, 29:34 and that evening the doctor calls me back, 29:36 and he says, "Mrs. Quinn, 29:39 I may have to send the nurse out again tomorrow 29:41 to retake this blood work." 29:44 And I said, "Yes, and you've got the results." 29:47 He said, "Well, I'm going to have to send her out 29:49 to take the blood again tomorrow." 29:50 I said, "You've got the results. 29:52 What are they?" 29:53 He said, "Ma'am, you're not listening to me, 29:54 I'm sending her out tomorrow." 29:56 So we're going back and forth like this. 29:58 And finally, he says to me, 30:00 "Yes, we got the results, but they got to be wrong. 30:03 This is absolutely medically impossible. 30:06 It is scientifically impossible 30:08 because his hematocrit is totally perfect." 30:11 I mean, they were doing bone marrow tests, 30:13 bone, and you know, this is a kind of miracle 30:15 that a bone marrow transplant 30:18 you would only hope could perform. 30:20 And so he sends the nurse out again the next day. 30:24 His hematocrit was perfect. 30:26 They took him off the IV antibodies, 30:29 and he was healed. 30:31 Now, just 20 years later I guess, 30:35 I was in Birmingham. 30:36 We were at Birmingham. 30:39 And I was doing a series on faith, on faith, mind you. 30:43 A whole series at a church. 30:46 And doing five different sermons on faith. 30:50 JD get sick Friday night. 30:53 He comes Sabbath morning to church with me. 30:55 But he says, 30:57 "If I have to leave in the middle of the service, 31:00 don't be surprised because I'm not feeling well." 31:03 And I said, "Okay." 31:05 He said, "Can you get a ride home?" 31:07 I said, "I'm sure somebody will take me 31:08 back to the hotel." 31:09 I saw him leave in the middle of the service. 31:12 At lunch, the potluck, there was a lady there, 31:15 actually it was Jennifer LaMountain sister. 31:17 And she said, "I'm a home health nurse. 31:20 I'm actually on duty today. 31:21 But I came to hear you speak this morning. 31:23 I got off for this morning." 31:25 And I told her about JD. 31:27 She said, "Why don't I run by the hotel? 31:29 I'll check on him." 31:31 And she said, 31:32 "If there's anything up, I'll call you." 31:34 We go through lunch, finished launch. 31:36 I'm doing my next series, 31:38 the next part lesson. 31:43 They wait till after that to hand me this note 31:47 from her saying, 31:48 "He needs to go to the hospital immediately." 31:51 We go to the hospital. 31:53 He is at death's door. 31:56 Now, everyone is calling me, 31:58 and I'm trying to compress the story. 32:02 For eight days the doctor, infectious disease, 32:05 doctor is coming in, saying, 32:08 "He could die any day, any moment. 32:09 Do you realize how serious this is?" 32:11 And it's like, "Yes, I do. 32:12 We do realize." 32:14 I heard JD on the phone with his brother say, 32:17 "If it's my time, I'm ready to go. 32:19 I've never been closer to the Lord." 32:22 And I'm thinking, "I'm not ready. 32:25 I'm not ready." 32:28 And I'm like this little robot 32:30 trying to be really quiet in the room but do everything. 32:33 And I'm holding everything together for his sake, 32:37 because I thought if I ever let go... 32:39 Once the dam breaks, that's going to be it. 32:41 So I'm not praying long pressing 32:44 in kind of prayers to God. 32:46 What I'm praying are these little gas be prayers, 32:50 "Help, help, Lord." 32:52 All day long, just little gas be prayers. 32:55 The eighth night, 32:57 I went back to the hotel about midnight. 33:00 And finally, 33:02 I pressed into the presence of the Lord. 33:06 And sure enough just as I knew would happen, 33:08 when I did, the dam broke. 33:10 I mean, the tears were flowing, and I'm begging God, 33:15 begging God to save my husband. 33:18 Now people have been calling me, 33:20 and texting me, and emailing me, saying, 33:22 "Oh, God's not through with JD yet. 33:26 You know, he's doing too great of a work." 33:28 I've been praying with a young pastor's wife, 33:32 whose husband was doing an incredible work, 33:35 writing books, 33:36 taken a church from 50 to 250 in like three years. 33:40 He was doing an incredible work for God. 33:44 And we're praying for his healing and he died. 33:46 So when people are telling me, 33:48 oh, you know, I didn't know what God's will was 33:53 at this time. 33:55 And as I am praying, and crying, 33:57 and weeping before the Lord, pleading with God, 34:01 I suddenly hear myself say this, 34:05 "Father, You are God. 34:08 You know the end from the beginning, I don't. 34:11 If you know that You could raise him up, 34:15 and he might turn away from You, 34:18 then Lord, I know you've got his eternal benefit in mind. 34:24 And suddenly 34:26 when I decided to let God be God, 34:28 to trust God's will, suddenly 34:32 I had perfect peace. 34:35 My eyes were focused on the Lord. 34:37 And as Isaiah 26:3 says, God says, "I'm righteous. 34:42 If you will keep your eyes focused on Me, trusting in me, 34:47 I promise you perfect peace." 34:50 That's Isaiah 26:3. 34:53 So we have to remember that God says, 34:57 "I'm God, there's no other one like me. 34:59 I'm the one 35:00 who declares the end from the beginning." 35:02 And God is the one who will lead us 35:07 to help us understand 35:09 when someone might be healed and when they might not. 35:12 Now I want to share one more quick story 35:14 before we get back into scripture. 35:16 I was in New Zealand doing a... 35:20 We were doing some women's, 35:23 it's was women's ministries where this happened at. 35:26 And in Christchurch a woman came up to me 35:30 at the beginning of the weekend. 35:31 And you know what she said to me? 35:33 She came up and she said, 35:34 "I know you're always touting the power of the Word. 35:40 You're always talking about how powerful God's Word was. 35:43 She said, "My son, 35:46 my 11 year old son just died of leukemia." 35:50 And she said, "Did we not have enough faith? 35:55 We prayed the Word of God over here. 35:58 We prayed so hard for him. 36:00 And we thought that we believe that God would heal him 36:06 if we would just have enough faith." 36:09 And I was just getting ready to speak, 36:10 so my answer to her was this. 36:13 It was the beginning of the week. 36:14 And I said, "I'm going to give the eight presentations 36:18 during this weekend. 36:19 And I said, 36:21 "If you don't have the answer to your question, 36:23 come, sit and talk with me at the end of this time." 36:27 Because I knew God 36:29 was going to give her the answer in everything. 36:31 But it's hard 36:32 when someone's emotionally overwrought, 36:35 it's hard to just give them a couple of scriptures 36:37 and say, this is what happened. 36:39 And she did come up at the end. 36:41 And she said, "I understand now." 36:44 You see what she and her husband had 36:47 was faith in faith. 36:50 Do you know what I'm saying? 36:51 Sometimes, and there are, 36:53 I mean, I was once caught up in this myself 36:56 when I first heard, "the faith message." 37:00 What I was taught 37:02 was if you only had enough faith, 37:05 God had do whatever it was you were asking of Him. 37:09 That's what some people are being taught out there 37:11 really. 37:12 So my faith was in faith, not in God. 37:16 But if we will remember that when we pray, 37:21 we've got to come to God 37:22 with absolute trust in His divine love, 37:27 His perfect power, His wisdom and His will 37:31 because "precious in the sight of the Lord 37:36 is the death of His saints." 37:37 He is not going to let someone die 37:41 unless He knows it is for their greater benefit. 37:44 Does that make sense? 37:46 So what do we do? 37:48 Now, we're looking at 37:51 what's going on here in our own family. 37:55 You know, a lot of people are not here tonight 37:57 because they're with Celestine in St. Louis. 38:00 And this is a tragic case, 38:02 when a father dies leaving a young wife, 38:06 two young daughters, it touches all of our hearts, 38:10 and Michael was such a breath of sunshine, 38:13 wasn't he? 38:15 Any no matter how sick he was, he was always smiling. 38:17 He always was saying... 38:19 He was always up. 38:21 His attitude was one of total faith in God. 38:25 What do you do 38:27 when someone has lost a loved one? 38:30 Let's look at some simple steps that we could do. 38:34 First pray, pray for that person. 38:38 They need your prayers more than at any other time 38:43 when you're going through the grieving process. 38:46 You can share scriptures of encouragement. 38:50 One of my favorite to share is Psalm 3:3 38:55 that says, 38:56 "You, oh, Lord are shield for me, 39:00 my glory and the one who lifts up my head." 39:06 I was praying with a lady who lost her sister. 39:09 And as we were praying, 39:11 I prayed that scripture over her. 39:13 And I said, "Father, 39:15 You are the lifter of our heads. 39:18 And I pray right now 39:19 that You would cup Your hand under her chin 39:22 and just lift her eyesight, 39:26 lift her vision, lift her face, 39:28 so that she's looking directly unto You." 39:33 And as I'm praying for, 39:34 all of the sudden she's giggling. 39:37 And I said, "What's going on?" 39:39 And she said, "Just before you said that" 39:42 she said, "I felt this stranger's pressure 39:45 under my chin, " 39:47 and she said, "I was already beginning to tip my head up 39:49 and then you're praying this." 39:52 So she really believed God was the lifter of her head. 39:56 Another good one to share, Psalm 34:18. 40:01 Psalm 34:18, 40:04 "The Lord is near 40:06 to those who have a broken heart. 40:08 He saves such as have a contrite spirit." 40:12 Sometimes people feel so very much alone 40:18 when they're grieving. 40:20 I lost my sister last July. 40:23 And, well, a year ago, July. 40:25 And it's an interesting thing. 40:29 Even though I mean, I was at peace with her death. 40:32 When we got the autopsy report, 40:35 she simply went to bed for a nap and never got up. 40:40 And I could actually say, 40:42 "I praise God for letting her go 40:45 in such a gentle way." 40:47 Because the autopsy report showed that 40:49 she could have had a major stroke at anytime. 40:51 She had liver problems. 40:53 There were a lot of a number of things going on 40:55 that were conflicting. 40:57 She couldn't have had treatment for one 40:58 without ruining her, the other. 41:01 So, but when I was going through this grieving, 41:05 she was my last living relative, 41:07 and she was like my baby. 41:08 I was always more her mother than her sister. 41:12 And it was such an interesting thing 41:14 because sometimes we get so busy. 41:16 I don't know if y'all do this, 41:18 but for me, I compartmentalize things. 41:21 I'll put things over here in a little box. 41:23 And it's kind of like Scarlett O'Hara when she said, 41:26 "I'll worry about that tomorrow. 41:28 I'll get busy." 41:29 And I just, you know, 41:30 and then it takes that moment of silence 41:33 where, whoops, the lid on that box comes open, 41:36 and it's kind of like the Jack in the box 41:38 where it rears its head. 41:40 And then this grieving is coming back. 41:42 But, you've got to remember, 41:45 even if you don't feel like God is close to you. 41:47 The Lord is close to those who have a broken heart. 41:51 Psalm 147:3, we'll just make a list here 41:55 because we need to go on. 41:56 Psalm 147:3, 41:59 "He heals the brokenhearted, 42:01 He binds up their wounds." 42:04 He's curing their pains and their sorrows. 42:08 And then here's one of my favorites. 42:10 Deuteronomy 33:27. 42:15 Deuteronomy 33:27, 42:18 "The eternal God is your refuge, 42:22 and underneath are the everlasting arms." 42:26 We've all seen. 42:27 I won't say we've all seen, 42:29 but most of us have seen footprints in the sand, 42:32 the poem. 42:33 And it goes on talking about, 42:35 I thought you'd never leave me or forsake me, 42:37 but I can see these footprints in the sand. 42:40 And here we are, 42:41 there's two pairs of footprints. 42:43 And all of a sudden, 42:44 there's just one pair of footprints. 42:47 What's up, Lord? 42:50 And the Lord answers, He responds. 42:53 And He says, 42:54 "The time that you only saw the one pair of footprints 42:58 is the times when I was carrying you." 43:01 So we've got to remember that God is with us. 43:04 Another thing that you can do 43:06 is share your personal testimony 43:10 with someone who is just lost, 43:12 if you've experienced the same loss. 43:15 I believe with all of my heart that I'm not the person 43:20 who can give a grieving widow 43:23 the best comfort. 43:26 You know why? 43:27 I've never lost my husband. 43:30 You cannot, someone cannot give a mother 43:34 who's just lost her child the greatest comfort 43:37 if they've never lost a child. 43:40 2 Corinthians 1:3 and 4 says this. 43:43 Just write this one down too. 43:46 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord, 43:49 Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion 43:51 and the Lord of all comfort 43:53 who comforts us in all our troubles, 43:57 so that we can comfort those 44:01 in any trouble with the comfort 44:04 we ourselves have received from God." 44:09 So God comforts us, 44:11 but He expects us to be that channel of blessing 44:15 and to let that comfort pour from us to them. 44:19 So if anyone is, if someone has been widowed, 44:22 we all want to try to comfort, 44:24 but the one who will get through 44:28 to that widow will be the one 44:31 who has walked that journey with the Lord 44:35 where the everlasting arms have been beneath them. 44:39 So that's what's important. 44:41 Another thing that we can do is just be there to listen. 44:47 Don't do all the talking. 44:49 Be there to listen 44:52 and mourn with them. 44:55 You know, sometimes we think that... 45:02 We try to cheer people up from their mourning. 45:05 We need to encourage them to mourn. 45:08 Grief is a very natural thing and people can feel guilty 45:13 when they're going through the grieving process. 45:16 They feel like they have to put on, 45:19 you know, the verbal camouflage 45:21 and act like, yes, I'm doing fine. 45:24 There's different, everybody do, 45:26 everybody grieves differently. 45:28 And there's different stages to grief. 45:31 So we've got to be there to support, 45:33 to mourn with them and let them go through it. 45:37 Another thing, 45:38 be careful what you say to someone who is grieving. 45:43 If you don't know what to say, 45:46 put a guard at the doorpost of your lips, hush. 45:49 Just don't talk. 45:51 The worst thing that you can do is 45:53 go up to someone and say, 45:55 "I know what you're going through." 45:57 No, you don't, even if you've lost a mother, 46:01 and they've just lost a mother or you've lost a child, 46:04 and they've just lost a child or you've lost a wife, 46:07 and they've just lost a wife. 46:08 You don't know what they're going through. 46:11 And it is, you talk to so many people, 46:14 I talk to so many people 46:17 who will say that people 46:18 who said that to them that in the midst of their grief 46:21 they felt to thank her. 46:23 In the midst of their grief, it was like, no, you don't. 46:27 And another thing. 46:28 We were in England, 46:29 I was doing a series at a church. 46:34 Well, it was a major church retreat. 46:36 There were probably 700-800 people there. 46:40 And I said, 46:42 "What would you do?" 46:46 And this is, you know, 46:47 let's say that a mother has just lost her husband 46:51 and her two children in a car wreck. 46:53 And someone comes up to them, 46:55 some well-meaning soul and says, 46:58 "Oh, sister, don't worry because Romans 8:28 says, 47:04 'All things work together for the good of those 47:06 who love the Lord 47:07 and are called according to His purpose.' " 47:09 What would you do 47:12 if someone came up and said that to you 47:15 if you were grieving, 47:16 all things work together for good? 47:18 I mean, how is we even understand 47:21 that scripture in the light of great loss. 47:25 I'll tell you how. 47:26 You can't disconnect Romans 8:28 47:30 from Romans 8:29, 47:32 the way it should read is the two of them together, 47:35 so that it sounds like this. 47:37 "All things work together for good for those 47:39 who love the Lord 47:40 and are called according to his purpose, 47:42 for those He foreknew, 47:44 he also predestined to become conformed 47:49 to the image of His Son." 47:52 The way in which God works something for our good 47:55 when we're going through 47:57 a horrible, grieving process 48:00 is He makes us a little more like the man of sorrows, 48:03 Jesus Christ. 48:05 He makes us, 48:06 He makes our hearts a little more malleable. 48:09 We become a little more humble. 48:11 We become more sensitive to the needs of others. 48:16 So now another thing that we can do to help people 48:21 is do acts of kindness. 48:24 If someone has lost a loved one, 48:27 you can mow their lawn, 48:29 take them some food, do something for them, 48:32 find out what they need. 48:34 And if you can't help them financially 48:36 and they're in financial need, 48:38 find a way to get people together 48:40 to help them financially 48:42 because sometimes people don't have enough money 48:44 to even bury a loved one. 48:46 And we need to be able to help them. 48:50 Here's the good news. 48:54 Let me go back. 48:56 I don't want to skip this. 48:58 I thought, I looked at the clock wrong. 49:01 Sometimes, this is not the good news. 49:04 Sometimes people who have lost a loved one 49:08 are very fearful of the future. 49:11 When you have a young mother and two young daughters 49:16 who've lost their source of income, 49:18 you can become very fearful of the future. 49:21 How will God provide for me? 49:23 How are we going to make it in other words? 49:27 When people are in that, as I said, 49:29 we need to be there to help to be... 49:31 We don't need to just pray that God will help 49:33 because sometimes the way He helps, 49:35 He uses our hands to dip into our pockets 49:38 to help, right? 49:40 But let me give you a couple of promises there 49:44 that you can share with someone. 49:46 Psalm 32:17. 49:49 I love this one. 49:52 When you're fearful of the future, 49:54 Psalm 32:17 says this, 49:58 "You are my hiding place. 49:59 You shall preserve me from trouble. 50:02 You shall surround me with songs of deliverance." 50:07 God is my hiding place. 50:10 He's a strong tower to which I run, 50:14 but if we get to that point, 50:16 I love this song 50:18 that was written using this scripture. 50:22 This is something to remember to share with people. 50:25 And then Isaiah 43:1-3. 50:32 Isaiah 43:1-3. 50:36 The Lord says, 50:37 "Fear not, for I have redeemed you." 50:41 I've ransomed you by paying a price 50:43 instead of leaving you captives. 50:46 "I have called you by your name, 50:50 you are Mine. 50:52 Renese, God has called you by your name. 50:56 Isn't that...? 50:58 I love it when you know that God knows your name. 51:02 I love that scripture. 51:05 He says," When you pass through the waters, 51:07 I will be with you..." 51:09 When you at home or in your car who are listening to this. 51:13 If you're going through a great grieving process, 51:16 if you're going through fiery trials, 51:18 just know that God is there with you. 51:22 He says," When you pass through the waters, 51:24 I will be with you through the rivers. 51:25 They will not overwhelm you. 51:28 When you walk through the fire, 51:29 you will not be burned or scorched, 51:31 nor will the flames kindle upon you, 51:34 for I am the Lord, your God, 51:36 the holy One of Israel, your Savior." 51:39 God is always there. 51:42 He will give you His peace 51:44 if you will keep your eyes focused on Him, 51:48 trusting in Him. 51:49 Let me give you those two scripture references 51:51 for those who are taking notes. 51:53 Isaiah 26:3 says, 51:56 "You will keep him in perfect peace 51:57 whose mind is stayed on You," because he trusts in You. 52:02 And Philippians 4:6 and 7, 52:05 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer 52:09 and supplication with thanksgiving 52:11 let your request be made known to God. 52:14 And the peace of God 52:15 which surpasses all understanding 52:18 will guard your hearts and minds through Christ. 52:21 Jesus. 52:23 Now, the good news. 52:25 Here's the good news. 52:28 Even though we know 52:29 our precious friend is suffering greatly, 52:32 she and her daughters right now. 52:35 We absolutely are convinced 52:38 from the fruitage of Michael's life 52:41 that he will be in that first resurrection. 52:45 When Jesus said, 52:46 "All who are in their grave will hear My voice." 52:50 We believe he will be 52:51 in the resurrection of the righteous, 52:54 lest he's going to... 52:56 We look for the blessed hope 52:58 in the glorious appearing of our God 53:00 and Savior Jesus Christ. 53:02 Look at Isaiah 25, 53:04 we're going to look at 53:05 just a couple of scriptures quickly. 53:07 Isaiah 25. 53:11 And let's look, we'll begin with verse 8. 53:16 Isaiah 25:8. 53:21 There's so many wonderful promises 53:25 in the Bible about the coming of the Lord. 53:28 Isaiah 25:8, 53:32 "He will swallow up death forever." 53:35 Hallelujah. 53:36 "And the Lord God 53:38 will wipe away all tears from all faces. 53:43 The rebuke of His people He will take away 53:45 from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken, 53:48 and it will be said in that day, 53:50 'Behold, this is our God, we have waited for Him, 53:54 and He will save us.' " 53:56 This is the Lord. 53:58 We have waited for Him. 54:00 We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation. 54:05 The joy of knowing that your loved one 54:10 is sleeping in Christ 54:12 when someone passes is the joy of knowing, 54:16 you're gonna get to spend eternity with them, 54:20 even in the midst of the sorrow, 54:23 that is the joy. 54:24 Now, I also must say this. 54:26 There are sometimes people who aren't sure. 54:30 They're thinking, 54:31 "I don't know if my loved one is safe" 54:32 and it torments them. 54:34 First of all we can't judge... 54:37 We can tell by the fruit, 54:38 but we can't always know 54:40 what happened in that person's heart 54:42 right before the end. 54:45 You only hope if they weren't walking right 54:47 that they had time to respond to the Lord. 54:50 Now, let's look at 1 Peter Chapter 3. 54:55 1 Peter Chapter 3. 55:00 And we're going to look... 55:01 Excuse me, let's look at 1 Peter 1:3. 55:05 1 Peter 1:3. 55:14 We're actually going to read down through verse 9. 55:17 "Blessed be the God 55:18 and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 55:22 who according to His abundant mercy 55:24 has begotten us again to a living hope 55:27 through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 55:31 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled 55:35 that does not fade away, 55:37 reserved in heaven for you, 55:39 who are kept by the power of God 55:42 through faith for salvation ready to be revealed 55:46 in the last time." 55:48 Hallelujah. 55:49 I just love the fact that we are kept 55:51 by the power of God through faith for salvation. 55:54 But He's going to raise us up to this inheritance 55:56 that is incorruptible and unreserved. 55:59 Verse 6 says this, "In this you greatly rejoice, 56:04 though now for a little while, if need be, 56:08 you have been grieved by various trials, 56:11 if need be, 56:13 you have been grieved by various trials, 56:15 that the genuineness of your faith, 56:17 being much more precious than gold that perishes, 56:20 though it is tested by fire, 56:22 may be found to praise, honor, and glory 56:25 at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 56:27 whom having not seen you love. 56:30 Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, 56:33 you rejoice with joy inexpressible 56:37 and full of glory, 56:38 receiving the end of your faith, 56:41 the salvation of your souls." 56:43 So when does this happen? 56:47 When do we get 56:50 this eternal life, this gift? 56:53 Turn to 1 Corinthians Chapter 15. 56:56 1 Corinthians Chapter 15, and we're going to begin 57:01 with verse 51. 57:04 1 Corinthians 15:51. 57:13 1 Corinthians 15:51 says this, 57:19 "Behold, I tell you a mystery: 57:23 We shall not all sleep..." 57:26 What is a sleep referring here? 57:28 The death. 57:29 "We shall not all sleep, 57:31 but we shall all be changed in a moment, 57:34 in the twinkling of an eye, 57:37 at the last trumpet." 57:38 When is this going to happen? 57:40 At the last trumpet, 57:42 for the trumpet will sound 57:44 and the dead will be raised incorruptible. 57:47 Finally we're going to reach that perfection. 57:50 And we shall be changed, for this corruptible 57:54 must put on incorruption 57:56 and this mortal must put on immortality. 58:01 So then death will be swallowed up. 58:04 Hallelujah. |
Revised 2018-12-06