Looking For Volunteers: Intercession

LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS? INTERCESSION!

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (Watch: YouTube: Wade Hughes)

LET US HAVE AN ENGLISH LESSON. 4 KINDS OF SENTENCES. 1. DECLARATIVE: STATEMENT. 2. EXCLAMATORY, ! ,

3. INTERROGATIVE?, 4. IMPERATIVE, COMMAND. “Pray one for another!” is a command.

TEXT: James 5:16 (KJV) Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Growing up my mom would tell me two sad stories.

1. NO ROOM: THIS STORY IS STILL TRUE TODAY! BETHLEHEM… WE ARE SO BUSY WE MAKE NO ROOM FOR GOD’S PLAN.

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

PART OF THE PROBLEM OF MAKING ROOM WAS THERE WERE MANY WHISPERS AND RUMORS OF SUSPICION THAT MARY WAS A DIRTY LADY AND WAS CARRYING AN ILLEGITIMATE BABY?

THE LACK OF ROOM FOR JESUS HAS BEEN AN AGE OLD PROBLEM. Why was there NO ROOM FOR GOD’S ONLY SON? The church and the world never recognized God’s son was coming to earth to give himself for our sins. There was no WELCOME COMMITTEE. Everyone was BUSY paying their taxes. There were many people gathered in Bethlehem so much it was overcrowded. Everyone was DOING THEIR OWN THING!

I WOULD TELL Mom that I would give BABY Jesus my room and bed for Mary and Jesus. Are we so distracted and busy that we don’t have ROOM in our schedule?

HAVE YOU OPENED THE ROOM IN YOUR HEART OR IS OUR SCHEDULE SO FULL? WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES? HAVE YOU MADE ROOM FOR JESUS AND THE CHURCH? No room? Jesus can now identify with the poor outcast and oppressed people. Jesus came to this world void of all the comforts and accolades of this world.

I would wipe tears out of mom’s eyes as she told my older brother and I: THE WORLD STILL HAS NO ROOM FOR THE SON OF GOD.

2. MOM TOLD ME ANOTHER SAD STORY FROM THE BIBLE. The prophet Ezekiel was speaking God’s truth. All of the cities had trained armies and walls of defense. Seems there was talent all around that could stand in the gap, but it seems like no one saw the need. Maybe some saw the need but they were not willing to STEP UP AND HELP.

Mom told me angels were at God’s disposal. God created this world and he was in control. SEEMS NO ONE CARES ABOUT ETERNAL ISSUES. WHERE IS THE HOPE?

Ezekiel 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

Ezekiel 22:30 (MSG) "I looked for someone to stand up for me against all this, to repair the defenses of the city, to take a stand for me and stand in the gap to protect this land so I wouldn't have to destroy it. I couldn't find anyone. Not one.

COME WITH ME TO HEAR THE DIVINE HEART BEAT. MAKE THE HEDGE AND STAND IN THE GAP? WE NEED INTERCESSORY PRAYER. WHO WILL STAND IN THE GAP?

Stand in the gap? I read a story of a Marine in Viet Nam. The Viet Cong in battle had blown a hole in our lines and the enemy was advancing through the breach in the line. The Viet Cong had breached our lines so bad. They were going to attack from the front and the back. One of our brave soldiers grabbed several machine guns, ammunition and a bag of grenades. He ran over in the gap and skillfully used his weapons and stopped the hole in our lines until the Army troops could regroup. One soldier witnessed: As the hero stood in the gap. They said he was wounded in the legs, he fell down but he continued firing his weapons until he ran out of ammunition. One of his arms was blown off. He kept throwing grenades and he plugged the hole in our lines until another unit came to the rescue. This soldier gave his life to STAND IN THE GAP.

DO WE HAVE SOMEONE IN THE CHURCH TO STAND IN THE GAP FOR THE DRUG ADDICTS? DRUGS, ALCOHOL AND ABORTION ARE STEALING THE YOUNG PEOPLE. Our kids are not in Sunday School. Our families are vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks. WILL YOU RISK YOUR TIME AND EFFORTS TO PRAY FOR THE LOST AND BACKSLID DEN?

MOTHERS AND OLD PEOPLE STOOD IN THE GAP. I PASTORED IN THE MOUNTAINS OF EAST KENTUCKY. I LOVED TO HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE WORLD WAR II.

I was sitting on the porch with several old ladies and listened to their story. They lived up HAPPY HOLLOW in the 1940’s. They told that as they walked up and down the hollow or walking to town you could hear MOTHERS SITTING IN THE SWINGS LOUDLY PRAYING FOR OUR SOLDIERS IN GERMANY, AFRICA, ITALY AND ENGLAND. The mothers would be