Rescue Mission Sermon, February 22, 2003
Posted by Brother Freedom
It is going to be hard to fulfill, but God is able to do it. You know I really believe here tonight, each one, [that] there is different needs. And I believe that God spoke to my heart this afternoon that HE wants to touch each one of you. And I am not going to walk down through the crowd. I’m not going to do nothing. And I don’t even know what the need is. But God knows. And HE is here to TOUCH you, afresh.
You know [the name of] “Jesus.” How many names do we know of famous people? You think about our President, President Bush. We’ve heard of him. Any one heard of Dan Quayle? He was a Vice President. There is many people associated with names in the Land we live in. There is many senators, all kinds of high positions that associates a name with an individual.
But I am here this night to represent, the Bible says, a Name that is above every name, the name of “Jesus.” [Philippians 2:9] The Bible says that “…every knee shall bow to ME, and every tongue shall confess…” [Romans 14:11] one day that HE is the Son, the living God.
And the Bible says that HE [Jesus] came with the Father. And HE helped make this world that we see this day. [Colossians 1:15-17] HE came and the World was made, and was made through Him, by Him through the Father.
And this same Jesus that we are speaking of was from the Father from the very beginning. According to the Word of God He came some 2,000 years ago as a man, as God Himself, as a man an individual that could care totally about us.
And the Bible says there was not any sin that comes our way or problem that Jesus wasn’t familiar with. It said HE “…was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” [Hebrews 4:15] And that lets me believe that HE was truly a man among men, that HE knew all about us before we ever was. And HE is very concerned about us. HE is very concerned about our welfare, our life that we live here. But HE is also concerned where we are going.
And I believe there will be a day that we will all end up into another place; I really do. I believe this Bible. This Bible is very clean. It is very clear. This Word causes us to clean up our lives. Praise God!
You know we don’t even have to do that [by ourselves]! God helps us to clean up. HE helps us to make us a better vessel of praise for HIS glory.
And I am here tonight to just recommend, if you have any need for anything, HE is the answer, whatever you are facing.
I just went through quite a crisis. And last night God finished it off. And that crisis has been ended. But I didn’t even know how it was going to be done. But God is very mindful of us. HE never, ever fails us.
The Bible says HE NEVER fails. There is something that God and Jesus can’t do and that is fail! You know we all fail through certain things. We make commitment and then we say, “Oh, I just forgot about that!” You know these things happen because in our finite minds we fail.
But God understands that. It says HE has seen us as made of dust. [Psalm 103:14] And yet HE has put our sins in the sea of forgetfulness, never to remember those sins. Remember, we are made of dust. That “made of dust” means we are able to have problems. But God is in the forgiving business!
Right now I am going to pray and I am going to pray that God will bless. The anointing of God will come down in a very special way. And I believe, the Bible says “…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” [2 Corinthians 3:17] And God HIMSELF wants to come down to touch us, to move upon us, as only HE can. And “…all things are possible to him that believeth.” [Mark 9:23] The Bible says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” [1 Peter 5:7] Isn’t that exciting?!
I mean I’ve found a friend that would come down [to me] as a Caterpillar mechanic and literally HELP me through the toil of labor. And the churches I went to, they thought: “Well, you know Brother [Freedom] can’t never do anything! He’s just a mechanic!” So I started praying and seeking God. I prayed for about eight years solid. And God spoke to my heart after eight years and says, “I have put a calling on you.”
I said, “Oh Great! I’ll go to Bible school!”
The Lord said, “NO!! No, don’t go to Bible school. STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!! And I will teach you about ME.”
And I am here tonight [because] God literally taught me, [about and through] the Spirit of God. And it was a BLESSING, that God could tell me things that I couldn’t even imagine. And God wants to make HIMSELF known in this last days. I believe that God wants to pour HIS SPIRIT upon HIS people! I believe that we are living in the last hours! And God wants to make HIMSELF known on “the behalf of them whose heart is” [made] “perfect toward HIM.” [2 Chronicles 16:9a] If we will call upon HIM, HE will answer us! I haven’t prayed yet and I will. I am getting up to that point TO PRAY. Hallelujah!
Are you happy? Glory to God! Give God the glory! Give God the praise! HE is worthy! HE wants to do a work in our heart! [The crowd joined in applause to the Lord]. HE wants us to be a people, the Bible says even “…a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” [Titus 2:14] Glory to God!
I was called upon to go down to Sonora, California. And they had a D8k [Caterpillar bulldozer] down there. And the transmission would not function. They had about six men, better mechanics probably than I am. And they couldn’t find out what the trouble was. I’m saying this here to give you a reference that if God be for you, who can be against you? [Romans 8:31b] “…greater is HE that is in you, than he that is in the world.” [1 John 4:4b] God is LITERALLY ONE that will stand by your side! It is the Word of God. HE says, “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” [Hebrews 13:5b] HE wouldn’t have said “Call upon HIM” [see Jeremiah 33:3] if HE didn’t want that to be so, that we would have that faith to believe that when I call upon God HE is going to hear my cry and ANSWER!
To me that is very exciting because if people don’t answer. They don’t [answer] sometimes. They just let you go. They don’t really care. BUT GOD CARES!!! God is in the caring business. And we don’t need to blame God because of people.
God is here to improve us, ALL. Hallelujah! HE forgives us, as we are. HE takes us as we are. And that is exciting for me! We don’t change BEFORE we come to God. God changes us AFTER we come to HIM! We just come to HIM as we are.
Say Lord I come completely to you this night. Oh glory to God HE takes us, Brother Gary, like we ARE! Hallelujah!
HE is here to BLESS you, to make your days exciting! “…the joy of the LORD is your strength.” [Nehemiah 8:10b] You can have that joy, that peace that passes all understanding [Philippians 4:7] Hallelujah!
I went down this afternoon. Had to go down to my brother that passed away, bless his heart. His father-in-law died. So I never even got home to do ANYTHING [before I came here tonight]. But I know [that] God, because I didn’t do anything, is going to bless here tonight! Because God can do what I can’t do! Can you understand that? God can do what we CAN’T do! And I trust totally on HIM that HE is going to bring every word, everything that is supposed to be spoken to HIS calling, to HIS obedience. And God is going to bless.
Before I pray, that poor little Caterpillar [D8k in Sonora] wouldn’t work. And so they said we know a praying mechanic. Let’s go get him and see if he has any luck with this machine. So I get in the back of this airplane. And the Lord spoke to me and says, “Remove the hindrance and I will let you know.” And I work on them [Caterpillar equipment] everyday, for a lot of years. So I got in the back of the plane and I prayed all the way down [to Sonora]. And I prayed in the Spirit. And I felt the tug of God. And God says, “Get rid of the hindrance and I will show you what is wrong.”
And sometimes God is faster in what HE gives you than you can even understand. And I seen this tire [stuck] in the right track [of the D8k dozer]. And I told the men that I was with [after arriving in Sonora]. You got to pull that tire out. And all these men started laughing at me. They said, “What kind of mechanic is this?? He has us pull out a dumb tire out of a track. Surely he’s not no mechanic. He don’t know nothing!”
That’s what people think. You know I didn’t know nothing. I took a tire out. Any foolish one [would do that]. But God told me to do that, as obedience! And as soon as I pulled that tire out, I stood up on the right track [of the dozer]. And as I went for the transmission filter, I was going to prepare to take apart, and look what was in it. And the Spirit of God just immediately [overruled and gave supernatural knowledge; I knew in a second [that] the left final drive was full of mud!
And I get up. And I get off [the right track]. They says, “What are you going to do now?” And I said, “I’m going to go back and check the left final drive.” They said, “Boy, isn’t this a crazy mechanic!”
And sure enough that final [drive] was totally overcome with mud. It was pumping that dirt into the transmission and no one had found out DIRT was in there [in the whole system] plugging up an orifice where that could not dump it’s pressure. The transmission has to modulate. And it could not modulate.
And that is like sin in our life! When dirt gets in, it causes problems! But I had the privilege of tearing that machine apart, cleaning it up, putting it back to work. And it run for years. And what I want to say is if God be for you who can be against you? [Romans 8:31b]
Father I pray for this wonderful people here this night. Father I pray that you will BLESS them, that you will enrich their lives, by the power of God. And Father YOU know if there is anyone hurting here this moment. I pray that you would take that pain our of their life, physically, spiritually, whatever way if their heart is aching. Father if their heart is crying out for YOU, I pray for a miracle of Heaven, right now. I pray for the mighty touch from Heaven. And Father I pray that YOU would bind all hindering forces who would come against this people. And I pray that you would loose the Spirit of God. I pray for the blessings of God to be upon these ones forevermore. And I pray, Lord God, for that one that is bound, that YOU would set them free. That one that is bound in alcohol, Lord God, that YOU would totally set them free, with whatever it is, whatever that addiction is, we pray that you would set them free. Those that are addicted to pornography and those things that bring us down, I pray that YOU would set them free this night. And Father I pray for VICTORY this night. In the Name of Jesus I pray that YOU will BLESS every life, here this night. I pray for every boy, every girl, every mother, every dad, every grandpa, every grandma. And father if they are not here we claim it for this City! In the Name of Jesus I pray for a mighty revival of these people. I pray that you would touch them from the very crown of their head to the very soul of their feet! Father I pray that you would give them VICTORY this night, in the wonderful Name of Jesus. They will KNOW they are saved this night before they leave this place. They will have the ASSURANCE, Lord God, that [if] they should die this moment, or something should happen to them, they would know where they are going. And Father we pray that you would BLESS this wonderful people. I pray that the BLESSINGS would be upon them. Guide them, direct them. Keep them in the hallow of Thy mighty hand. And Father we pray for these men, these women behind us, Father. I pray that YOU would BLESS them! And Father we pray for the directors that are here. We pray for this surrounding camp in the wonderful Name of JESUS! Hallelujah! Glory be to God! Oh hallelujah! Let’s give God a clap offering. [The audience joins in applause for the Lord.]
If we ever live in a day that we need help, we need it NOW! We need a supply of help because none of us know, really, what is going to take place. With God we have the answers. And God gives us the strength, the stamina to STAND. The Bible says, “…having done all, to stand.” [Ephesians 6:13] “Stand therefore, having your…shield of faith…,” [Ephesians 6] all these things, “…the shield of faith…” “…taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” [Ephesians 6:16] “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” [Ephesians 6:16]
We need the blessings of God here tonight, brothers and sisters. We need God’s blessings. And I would like to bring you down to the first step, which is knowing Jesus. What does it mean to know Jesus? It means to accept HIM as our Lord and Saviour, believing HE is the ONE that can change us. HE is the ONE that can help us. God uses that sacrifice of Jesus. That is why HE went upon that cruel cross, that through HIM, HIS flawless life upon that cross, that we could LIVE here this night, that we could be BLESSED by God, that we could be moved.
God cannot look upon sin, brothers and sisters! That is why HE had Jesus become that Saviour. HE became that perfect sacrifice. HE gave Himself freely, that we might LIVE, that we might have more abundant life. The Bible says in John 10:10, the enemy comes “…to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…” And I am here tonight to verify that! The enemy IS the enemy and he doesn’t want you to have a good life. He wants to KILL, destroy and steal your life! And the Bible says that he wants to destroy you, to take away that which God has given you.
And God says, “I want to kill you,” [and this is] where the killing is: God wants us to die-out to ourselves, the old man; and live our life and give it over to HIM. And the Bible says that in the book of Romans. [See Romans 6:6 and following] Read it! It talks about dying out to our former things, the things that will cause us to fail, the things that brings us down, the things that [cause us to] lose that joy in our mind. And we don’t have no peace. We have problems we face. And we have gotten to such a place that some people even take their lives! And there is problems with this World, that it is facing.
And the only answer to these problems right here tonight is THE LORD JESUS, the power of God that is able to strengthen us, build us up and bless us beyond understanding. And when we receive Jesus that is THE VERY BEGINNING of what God wants to do for us. There is a never ending learning in God! And I have to say that so many people don’t really KNOW God!! They don’t [know God] because God wants to bring us into the FULLNESS.
You know it is like a child when you bring him to school. He is in kindergarten. And he is bringing home a report card of an “A” or a “B,” whatever. He is doing great! But when he gets in the twelfth grade you want him to sort of grow with that. You don’t want him to stay forever in kindergarten.
And that is what we do. We stay in that low degree. And we say, “Well, I really feel bad. You know I am so gloomy.” And the Bible says, “…look up…your redemption draweth nigh.” [Luke 21:28] “…the joy of the LORD is your strength.” [Nehemiah 8:10b] We are to have that POSITIVE relationship to Jesus, that HE will take care of me. And believing that in your heart, that God can save me, and KEEP me saved, by HIS mighty power!
The Bible says that we are to call upon HIM and HE will answer us and show us great and mighty things, that we know not. [See Jeremiah 33:3] “Casting all your care upon HIM..” Isn’t it glorious?! “Casting all your care upon HIM; for HE careth for you.” [1 Peter 5:7] That means my problems, everything that I have, Brother Gary, that I could cast them on JESUS, my way-maker, that wonderful ONE that become my salvation, that peace-maker, the “…greater is HE that is in you, than he that is in the world.” [1 John 4:4b]
God says, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” [John 14:27b] “…In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you…” Brother Micah, if HE goes away HE is going to come back and receive us unto Himself, that where HE is we shall live there also. [See John 14:1-3]
What a blessed hope! HE IS that hope! HE is our strength! HE is our Almighty God! HE goes beyond our understanding! You can come to that realm that you can KNOW what God is speaking to your heart. It takes time! But it is AVAILABLE! And while you are there God KEEPS you in a blessed hope, because HE gives others to help you, to strengthen you, until you come to that place, that place that we can ALL reach for! IT IS AVAILABLE here tonight!
And I want to encourage you that HE can even touch an old Caterpillar mechanic, hallelujah! I am seventy years old, soon to be seventy-one, hallelujah! God is ABLE to strengthen your body, to keep you in the hallow of HIS mighty hand, here tonight. God will never let you go. HE LOVES you, “…for God is love!” [1st John 4:8b] “For God so loved the world,…” That is you and me! “For God so loved the world,…” [John 3:16a] I love you! And God has told me that HE loves us the same way.
You know I don’t like these old harsh, hard preachers. It should be that they are preaching to THEMSELVES! I believe that God is love. And I believe that if I have anything it is going to SHOW!! And what you have is going to show! Hallelujah! And that is REALLY GOD! Oh, hallelujah!! Glory to God!
I realize that God says, “Hey! I want you to just be touched right where you are!” I started seeing a partnership that came on me that I couldn’t lose! I could not lose, brothers and sisters! I COULD NOT LOSE! The only way I could lose is not doing it. And that is our problem. It is so easy that we don’t want to do it. We think, “Well, I can’t do that!”
I will guarantee you that the enemy will tell you that you can’t do it. But here tonight I want to speak to every one of you that you CAN do it! [You can go God’s way!] You tell him [the devil] that he is a liar!! You are NOT, NO LONGER his [the devil’s] property. But God has paid a price for each one of you, that “… ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” [2nd Corinthians 6:16b]
You might think that is funny. [Some unbelievers in the audience laughed] But I will tell you it is REAL! “…Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” [2 Corinthians 6:16-18]
I would like to say here tonight that God has showed me that many, many people are not going to make Heaven. What a horrible catastrophe that is going to come upon this World. And God is calling, “COME HOME MY people! COME!! COME all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I want to give you rest!” [See Matthew 11:28]
But, people will NOT take heed that GOD [is calling]. The Bible says, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” [Hebrews 2:1] That means [it is] VERY serious! And the Bible says, “And…knowing the time…” [Romans 13:11] And I believe we are very close to the time, where we take it mathematically, that Jesus is predicted to come through the clouds of glory. It is three, two thousand year sections. And basically we are passed [that time]. We are very close to the count down.
You talk about count downs of space ships, and all these things. But God is having a count down, very soon. And HE says, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed…” I am not here to scare you! I’m here to help you! “…The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness,…” That is US! That is our responsibility. “..let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” [Romans 13:11-12]
God has given us a light as a support mechanism that is beyond anything that I can describe, anything that these brothers, anyone can even see! This support is GLORIOUS! God says “Pray unto ME!” HE wants us to pray, that we might rid ourselves of bad spirits, of problems which many of us had when we were birthed into this World.
The Bible says in Ephesians the second chapter, “And you hath HE quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world,…” This is the Scripture! “…ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” [Ephesians 2:1-2] In times past we have all been there!
You might think this funny. But God is taking a record, an account. And you know your life is worth more than anything that you could imagine! My life is almost gone. But many of you here, God permitting, you could live quite a long time.
But you know, there does come [a] time when all of us are going to stand before God. There is a time, a count down. You know you might say, “Well, I just want to get my supper tonight and leave here.” But I want to encourage you: There is something for you! And something is available. And I pray that you can feel the tugging of God’s mighty hand upon you this night, that God’s blessings would be upon you, that HE would move upon you as only God can move.“…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” [2 Corinthians 3:17] “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. HE will not suffer thy foot to be moved: HE that keepeth thee will not slumber.” [Psalms 121:1-3]
I’m going to read that. That is Psalms 121. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD,…” “My help cometh from the Lord…” Does anyone want to say that with me?? [The whole congregation repeats “My help comes from the Lord.”] It don’t come from the enemy! We want it to come from God! Hallelujah!
“HE will not suffer thy foot to be moved:…” HE is saying your foot doesn’t have to be moved if God orders you. The Bible says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and HE delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with HIS hand.” [Psalms 37:23-24] God can order our steps, brothers and sisters. Though we fall, God says, “I will FORGIVE you! Just try! Just try!”
God is not a hard task master, as men of this World [are]. There are hearts of men that are very cruel. I was in Korea, I seen the cruelty that took place in war. I understand these things. But God is NOT that way! God is above a gentleman. And that is why God will not force Himself upon you, dear brothers and sisters. HE gives you a chance. You can either accept, or you can reject. And God is very long suffering, “…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” [2nd Peter 3:9]
It says, “Behold, HE that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” [Psalms 121:4] HE kept Israel, and HE is keeping Israel now. And here this day prophecy [tells us] Israel is going to be in these last days. Here my words, what I am saying: Israel is God’s time piece [regarding] what is going to take place.
According as I believe the stage is all set. And I tell you, when they get over there in Iraq, it could be the last war. Where do we stand this night if it were the last war?? Where do we stand if God miraculously would move in a way that we don’t understand??
The Bible predicts that one third of the Earth shall be destroyed. And another third shall feel the heat of that destroying power. It is in the Word of God.
But we know that Israel will not be destroyed, because God’s hand is upon Israel. That was God’s chosen people. But God has sent HIS call to the Gentiles, which all here tonight [are]. I am making this very plain. There is a responsibility here tonight to HEAR from God. God wants to bless as HE has never blessed before. HE wants to do supernatural things. HE wants to bring forth HIS POWER, HIS anointing. And the church in many places is crippled, because they don’t allow the Spirit of God to move.
But I am here this night to declare that God is able to move in a MIGHTY way. I am just enough of a believer in my God. My God can do ANYTHING! MY GOD CAN DO ANYTHING! Hallelujah! Greater is HE that is in me, than he that is in the world! [See 1 John 4:4b]
And here tonight I want to encourage you in the Name of Jesus. You CAN go forth. And you CAN be that blessing. And you must declare in yourself that you must want it, that you want for Heaven! And Heaven is going to be a wonderful place.
But I tell you those that go to that pit [of Hell]… the Bible says it is going to be a terrible place. It wasn’t even meant for man. It was meant for the [fallen] angels that come against God. Satan is the one that comes against God’s people all the time. A lot of people are going to go to the wrong place!! But here tonight you don’t have to! God has you here tonight that you might receive and hear HIS call, that you might amend your ways, that you might come to that place that many of you here might KNOW HIM. And I believe that you do. But you can go higher in the Lord! I want to go deeper, higher and wider in HIS blessings! As long as I live I want to cry out, “Lord I want MORE of you, here this night! I want YOUR blessings!”
For, “The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.” Oh hallelujah! “The Lord is your shade upon thy right hand.” Oh praise God! “The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” [Psalms 121:5-8]
Oh Hallelujah! What a loving Father! God loves us so much! The Bible says, “HE came unto HIS own, and HIS own received HIM not.” That’s Jesus speaking. “HE came unto HIS own, and HIS own received HIM not.” His own was Israel. The Bible says, “But as many as received HIM, to them gave HE power to become the sons of God,..” [John 1:11-12] And I am here to declare that God is all powerful! I am here tonight believing that God can do anything. But HE won’t come against our hearts.
But [in] that day of judgment HE is going to say, “Why did not you hear MY cry, MY people? Why did you not take advantage of what I could do for you? For I have given thee MY hand. I have given thee MY strength, and thou has regarded not.”
[At this point in the message the Holy Spirit Himself takes over the sermon for about a paragraph and speaks directly to the congregation. This sometimes happens when the power of the presence becomes very strong and Brother Freedom diminishes as the Spirit of God increases.]
“For I AM here to STRENGTHEN thee. If thou shall come I will heal thee and I shall bless thee. And I shall inspire thee. And I shall keep thee if thou can have faith in ME, saith the Spirit of God. I shall move upon thee in a mighty way, in a great way. Be not deceived by the enemy that shall come against thee. But I say come to ME, casting your cares upon ME, for I careth for you. Be SOBER because the adversary the devil going around as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist, steadfast in the faith. Here this night thou must RESIST that power in MY faith, saith Spirit of God. And thou shall come. Draw nigh unto ME, and I shall draw nigh unto you. Call upon ME and ye shall find ME. Speak to ME and I shall hear thee. And I shall supply thy need, oh saith the Spirit of God.”
The Spirit of God is here to bless you, to strengthen you this night. He wants to HELP you as you have never needed help before. I need that help! I want to say, “I want MORE of God!” And I don’t care what you talk about me, what you say about me, because I know HE is REAL! HE is glorious! I don’t have no reputation. But the ONE that I am calling has a reputation! HE is glorious! HE is the reputation of all reputations! HE will never leave you. HE will never forsake you. HE will fight your battle. HE will save your life.
When I was nine years old I had the privilege of another boy saving my life. [Brother Freedom fell into a deep hole in a creek and was drowning.] And God told me right then HE saved my life to do a work. Hallelujah! I seen God move in a mighty way. HE is glorious! Hallelujah! Oh, HE is wonderful!
HE overlooks our problems, if we will just ask. But sometimes we get such: I don’t know how to describe it. But we think we are very macho, I think. We are sort of ashamed to let anybody know that I could step to that degree of asking God to come into my heart. And through that we are very deceived, because it is not even anybody’s business when you come to God.
God lets you have a secret and a special touch, that God will even allow you, at that time. You are so timid, God will let you grow because you planted that seed within your heart. And in planting that seed you just literally accept God. You accept what HE has for you, and HIS abundant life, HIS blessings forevermore, HIS peace that passes all understanding, HIS countenance.
The Bible says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show HIMSELF strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward HIM.” [2 Chronicles 16:9a]
God wants to make HIMSELF strong in you, that they will hear HIS voice, that God will answer their cry, that God will be their Father, and they shall be HIS people.
The Bible says, “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of HIS understanding. HE giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might HE increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” [Isaiah 40:28-31]
There is a GREAT peace, a blessing within God! I cannot say enough that God is within. Everything that you will want is in God. And I will tell you when I get out of step with God there is something like a…, it really hurts here. Right now there is a peace, a joy. Hallelujah! There is something here that you can desire above any desire you have. And that peace, that you know all is well.
There is a song, “When peace like a river attendeth my soul…IT IS WELL with my soul.” When you can say it is all well, when the problems come your way you say, “I have the Lord on MY side; greater is HE that is within me than he that is in the World.” The joy of the Lord is our strength. [Nehemiah 8:10]
Why did God say that the “joy of the Lord” is our strength? Because when we lose that joy, our body, they have proven it: this heart rate gets higher. We get fatigued. We get a [breakdown] we don’t have with the joy of the Lord. We see people who live to be 70, 80 years old when they have the joy of the Lord. There is something about their countenance. God says HE will come down and even touch our countenance. HE will touch [faces] because God understands. HE says we are “…fearfully and wonderfully made…” [Psalm 139:14] HE made us. There is differences in each one of us. We are different and God sees you as a different one. HE sees you as an individual. He says even your hair [is] numbered by HIM. HE knows exactly how many hairs that I have, though I’ve lost some. And HE knows how many I have lost, how many that I have. HE is THAT wonderful!
You know I was going up here a few years back. And God is humorous, I believe. I got up one morning. I was really sleepy. And I made a vow to the Lord that I would read two and a half hours, tithing my time reading HIS Word, before I went to work. And when I went to work driving, I drove a lot, I would PRAY. And this morning it was very difficult for me for those two and a half hours. It was about three o’clock in the morning. And I said, “Lord, I can’t get awake.”
And the Lord spoke to me, just VERY clearly, “Before this day is over you will be wide awake!”
Just like that. That was the end of it. So I went down that morning to work on a DW20 and worked on the steering gear on it, and a few other things. Pretty soon this customer came in and said, “I want you to go up to a certain fire.” He said, “I’ve got two Cats (bull dozers). I need you to go up and look at them.”
I said, “Okay, I’ll go.” So I got up there and the [forest] fire had gone up over the top of these two machines. And I had to walk about five miles [into the forest]. There was about five of us or so in this party (walking to where the Cats were). But the Spirit of God was so glorious to me that I took off and I out-walked everybody. I was at least a mile ahead of them. But the presence of God was just all over me.
And I am here tonight to declare there is NOTHING like God! There is NOTHING like GOD! If you think getting drunk and all these things [is something], the Bible says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the SPIRIT;” [Ephesians 5:18] Oh hallelujah! Think about a high, there is NO high like God’s high! There is no dope, there is no [drug], there is NOTHING that equals the Spirit of God! HE is the glorious ONE!! And there is no “hang overs” with HIM!
As I was going up through that fire [that burned out area of the forest fire], about three-thirty in the the morning, about 24 hours from the time that I was praying. And the Spirit of God says, “Are you wide awake??!”
I says, “YES I AM!!!” Hallelujah! And the joy of the Lord was all over me! When I do things right the Spirit of God just comes upon me. It is just like manna from Heaven! Right NOW I feel it, the direction of God’s anointing all over. HIS GLORY is real!!!
I hate to be looked at to be a guinea pig, but I will be that here tonight! It is REAL! IT is GLORIOUS!! HE is WONDERFUL!!
And you know, even that fire, a man came to me to pick me up [and go back down the mountain], as I walked that way. I was walking out [after checking the Cats out and a man came in a pickup truck to take Brother Freedom back down the mountain.]. And the Spirit of God, it was just like so fast. I said [to the man driving me out], “Back up.”
And the driver says, “What’s wrong?”
I says, “BACK UP!” And there was a big pine tree, about six foot through that had been burnt through inside of it. And it was marked for me, I believe! And if I hadn’t have been in tune with God, I believe where I had been, I would have been crushed. That vehicle would have been crushed. [They backed up and the tree fell, landing on the spot where they had been a moment before!]
I believe time after time I have seen God intervene. God is on your side. The Bible says, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” [Romans 8:37] Hallelujah! “…greater is HE that is in you, than he that is in the world.” [1 John 4:4b] “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” [Romans 8:26] Pray in the Spirit of God!
God is here to BLESS us, to instruct us here tonight. I don’t know how to say this any greater, say it any more. But I know that God is here to touch you, physically touch you right now. HE is here to strengthen you. It is up to you to choose.
Joshua said, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” [Joshua 24:15]
And here this day I want to serve God! I want to please God. The Bible says in Colossians, “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing,…” That is what God desires of us, “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;…” That is what God desires! “Strengthened…” God gives us time to do these things. “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;…” [Colossians 1:10 ff] God gives you joyfulness, joy to serve!
“Now unto HIM that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” [Ephesians 3:20]
[Brother Freedom had the congregation repeat the above verse together, aloud.]
Isn’t that something?? HE can do “ABOVE” that!
I pray here tonight that you will feel just a little of how I feel. I pray that you may. God is my reason for living. And I have had a real blessed night. I’ll tell you of the blessings of the Lord. It says, “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and HE addeth no sorrow with it.” [Proverbs 10:22]
God allows us to walk IN HIS PRESENCE! You know, it is not a dull life. And it is not a harsh life. Some people might say that, but it is not! I know that there is some sacrifice. But praise God, God is worthy, and HE will make you fit for that occasion to go through that, whatever you go through.
The Bible says, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. HE maketh me to lie down in green pastures: HE leadeth me beside the still waters. HE restoreth my soul: HE leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for HIS name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for THOU art with me; THY rod and THY staff they comfort me. THOU preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: THOU anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell…” That is us! “I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” [Psalm 23]
We can have that assurance!
Father I pray for a mighty blessing upon these ones here tonight. I pray that you would speak to their hearts as only you can. And I pray that you would bring HEALING in this body this night. I pray for salvation to be in the lips of these ones, Father God, that they are too timid, don’t want anyone to know. I pray that they will speak quietly this night. And Father make it very easy for them to accept YOU. And Lord I pray that you will do a work within these ones. I pray the blessings of God shall be upon them. Father I come against the powers, the darts that would come against them. And I pray for angels to remove problems. I pray that your angels would guard around these ones in a very special way. I pray that you would bring them protection, that you would bring them GUIDANCE, that you would let them have that liberty as your child, as that one, Father God. Oh hallelujah! Glory to God. We give you praise and honor. And we PRAISE you in the wonderful Name of Jesus.
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