Clean

Our hope and prayer is that the presence of the Lord has brought you communion, the power of God has given courage, and the accountability of the Holy Ghost has kept you clean before Him.  Let’s talk about that…

Since most of you were not with us last Wednesday night at Wahoo Baptist, I will share part of our preaching.  Matthew 8 gives us the scene of Jesus ministering to four sets of people with very different problems. But, all needed to find one common thing; the Will of God.  They all needed His Word and His touch.  Take the time to go back and study these accounts.  Today, though, let us focus on the first person in verses 1 through 3.

We read that there came a leper.  His horrible existence was marked by an incurable disease and isolation from all society.  His illness was part of the Curse of Humanity, sin, which brought all pain upon mankind.  But, he Came to Jesus.  Verse 2 says the leper Worshipped Jesus; Man’s Humility (I Peter 5:6).  He called Jesus Lord; Recognized His Deity, Divinity (Philippians 2:9).  The leper proposes unto the Lord, If Thou Wilt; Acknowledges God’s Authority, Sovereignty, and Seeks His Mercy (John 5:27).  Think of this regarding God’s Sovereignty… It is God’s Avenue of Approved Action or Allowed Suffering.  If ‘it’ is not His Will, He Won’t.  If it is, He WILL (Philippians 2:13).  When the leper says Thou Canst he is Exalting God’s Ability as Almighty.  He said, GOD CAN!!  The greatest soul-winner I have ever known, Brother Sammy Scruggs says ‘God can do anything but fail!’

The heart of the leper’s request was, Make Me Clean.  He needed God’s Purifying, His Purging.  Our logical reason focuses on the fact that Jesus, by His will and word, “be thou clean,” cured that leper and gave him a new life free from the pain of sickness.  Our message today is that our prayer to the Lord today might just need to be, Make Me Clean.  ‘But I’m not a leper…’  Maybe, but think of how the issues of our life could be cured if we prayed, Make my ___________ clean.  If the works of our hands were clean we would find a more pure service for Him.  If our walk was clean we would draw more men to the Cross of Calvary.  If our words were clean we would have fewer criticisms and conflicts, arguments and apologies.  If what we wore were clean our witness to the world would be noticeable and consistent.  If our thoughts were clean, oh my… oh me.  If only our thoughts were clean, what a ripe field for revival our churches would be.  Come to think of it, if our thoughts were clean then our works, walk, words, and what we wore would all be clean.  Let us band together in prayer this week that the Almighty God of Heaven upon His throne would make our thoughts clean.  I believe we would see that our life would be more Joyful and productive, more gracious and peaceful.  We can be certain He Can and He Will answer that prayer.

God Bless You,

BroAdamB