Guest Speaker Rev Harry Burchell

I’m honored to be with you today. And it’s been a while since I’ve been here I don’t know exactly how long. Maybe a year maybe longer. Oh one of the things I want to share with you before we get into the word when I was here is the last time I was in tremendous pain. I had a doctor at the time who would when I would go would go to see him well let’s add this pill and at one point. He had me on several. Narcotics and they weren’t working. Well there were times that made me happy. I was in pain for twenty years I had been examined. I’ve had several M.R.I. years of my back X. rays surgery and pain just continued to get worse. I was concerned about all the medication. I didn’t realize how much it was affecting me. In fact I might have fallen asleep on that front pew The last time I was here. I went to a pain management doctor and we were both praying about this because it was debilitating it affected my ministry. When I went to this pain management doctor I knew that when I went we were going to have to begin to change some things and I’m going to tell you what I prayed I had heard all kinds of stories about how bad with withdrawal was. But gone. God showed up. My last visit to the pain management doctor. One of his assistants. Read my chart and she said there’s something wrong. I think the nurse recorded something in correct. They’re showing here or there for two weeks you haven’t had any pain medication and I said That’s correct. She said How do you explain it I said it’s a God thing. She said or what your level of pain. You know how they do a scale of one to ten. I said my pain is maybe a one she said I don’t understand this. How do you explain it I said it’s a God thing. She said I want you to walk across the room they one of the things I had done I had diagnosed my back as being curved. I don’t know if the doctor told me you walk funny. I want to tell if you were take a one arm taken you’d walk funny to the assistant had me do all kinds of exercises bending twisting turning to touch your my toes and finally I told her I said if you don’t stop. I’m going to have to start to take pain medication again I wrote Old Man No. And she said Sit back down and I set down she said I want to ask you again. How do you explain this. And I told her I said it’s a God thing actually God has done what you see I could do it. God has set me free for what had been so terrible. For so many years big tears welled up in her eyes. She said I want to tell you something she said I’m a strong believer. But she said You’re the first miracle I’ve ever seen. And she told me when I got up to leave she said listen she said that medication you have Oxycontin. It was the last one. And she said if you need to take this again she said if you take two in the same day you’re going to be on a hospital that night. So strong it was. I know I know that my Redeemer liveth and I give him the glory for it. There are some days now. I’ve thought maybe I shouldn’t have retired when I did. But then God reminds me of his plans. I’d like to share a couple courses with you if you know them. You’re welcome to join him. But God is present. God is here. God has shown up with his manifest of Bres it’s God is here and we need to continue to give him the glory first precedence. Than. Yes Here is where our band aid airhole only holding us is Dana block and here I am. He’s call link. Oh your hair you can touch him. You. Where do the say he this hair and skin stand old Leopold the I will say is name be used here call a fierce call may not your name just came in here come out champ you go down for the say I’ve found her to where fain to guy beat I found the way those son is shot for eight days. I see her I’m sure for a. Come on. D.M. start your life me again clown The Reg was such a lull breath. Prayer. What’s it all about. When we pray. Do we have to make sure we have the visa no doubt the outs. The owls. And a correct order. Prayer is talking to God when I first went to seminary. One of the professors asked the question of the class. How many of you here are theologians I thought boy this is not going to be good. Do you start with big words being a theologian to simply someone who studies about God and we are all there. Theologians which one of the blessing is being in a church like this that preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ is that the world does not come in. To tell us what to do or not to do all they would like to. But God tells us through His Word. His word speaks to us. That’s a result of another big word that I heard at seminary cultural syncretism. I tried to take notes. Gary. But they always told me in school you write too large. I took I asked. I stopped a professor. So you could you spelled out for me. Called Traill syncretism there are churches today who are fighting a battle because the cold truth is affecting the church rather than the church affecting the culture. There are times it’s uncomfortable. In this world. It’s uncomfortable to be who we really are. They refer to it as leaving the comfort zone. You want to make people nervous. Go out and pray in public you want to make them more nervous when your prey grab them and hug. Even if you don’t know them. We want to talk about prayer today. We’re going to be looking at the Book of Acts. Prayer praise. And faith prayer prayer. And Faith. We’re going to begin in a twelve chapter of Acts. Will begin at the first verse hears the word of the Lord. Now about that time. Herod the Kang stretched out his hand to harass some from the church then he killed James the brother of drawn with the sword and because he saw that it pleased the Jews. He proceeded further to see Peter also now was during the days of unleavened bread. So when he had arrested him he put him in prison and delivered him deforest squads of soldiers to keep him and tending to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter was therefore kept in prison but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church let me read that again. Peter was therefore kept in prison. But constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church and when Herod was about to bring him out that night. Peter was sleeping. Balland. With to change between two soldiers. And the guards before the door were keeping the prison now behold an angel. Of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the prison. And he struck Peter on the side and raised him up saying arise quickly and his chains. It’s fell off his sound then the angel said to him. Gird yourself and tie on your sandals. So he did and he said to them put on your garment and follow me. So he went out and followed him and did not know that what was done by the angel was real. But he thought he was seeing a vision when they were past the first on the second guard post they came to the iron gate that leads to the city. Which opened to them. Of its own accord. They went out. It went down one street and immediately the angel departed from him. And when Peter had come to himself he said. Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel. And has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people. So when he had considered this he came to the house of Mary the mother of drawn whose surname was Mark where many were gathered together. Praying and as Peter knocked at the door of the gate a girl named Rhoda came to answer when she recognized Peter’s voice because of her gladness she did not open the gate but Randy an announced that Peter. Stood before the gate. But they said to her You are beside yourself yet she kept insisting that it was so so they said it is his angel. Now Peter continued knocking and when they opened the door and saw them they were astonished. But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent he declared to them how the. The Lord had brought him out of the prison and he said Go told these things to James. And to the brother and and he departed and went to another place I would like to read a part of a commentary about the Scripture. Unceasing prayer is a key to Deliverance this conflict is a study an ongoing confrontation with evil but you know one thing about confronting evil today. If you don’t you need learn because evil will confront you the Herods symbolize Satan’s read let us attack on the church Herod the Great had sought to kill Jesus His Son slew John the Baptist’s his grandson beheaded James. And now was hiding Peter in prison for execution after the Passover while Peter suffered in chains the church suffered with him on their knees. Hour after hour of the rest followed in prayer. And when they had done all they could do God began God showed Oh God had a surprise. Suddenly an angel and nuts the ties the sixteen Guard general removed Peter’s chains. Listen to this nest next part but neither God nor His Angel did what Peter could do for himself he had to put on his garments and his sound and follow Him Nothing hindered their escape an iron gate opened. By itself and Ernest unceasing prayer brought deliverance. Curiously the only place. Peter found impassable was at his friend’s front door. Imagine that. Even those who pray sometimes fail to see or believe the speed with which God works when they prairie. There was a town in the southwest. If you’ve ever been in the southwest. You know how dry it can get I lived in Phoenix Arizona for three years. We went at one point two hundred and fifty three day. Without precipitation. So there was a small town in the Southwest and a local pastor there called to put a call out to the community and said we’re going to meet at the town square to pray for rain and God will do it. He tried to get him fired up marry you know what it’s like to try to get people fired up. If they build a fire or it might become an after you. So the town people all got together and and the preacher told them we’re going to be under pray now so that God will send rain and they pray and they pray on the pastor prayed until his voice was almost gone and standing beside him was a little boy he said preacher you don’t really have faith that it’s going to rain. And he supports charges. And he said well why didn’t you bring an umbrella. A prayer. Of prayer without ceasing. We know the Word of God tells us in one place that we should pray without ceasing do we pray just when the spirit moves or do we pray world of the spirit moves or not. Do we really believe that God is omnipotent omniscient omnipresent do we really believe that if we do we pray for rain we better have an umbrella. But you know what it doesn’t stop here within a sanctuary. I mentioned before if you want to get people’s attention. Pray when you’re in public a man by the name of Alan and one of our churches was visiting a church going there for a Bible study and a man walked up to him and said I need prayer and he began to describe this physical problem that he had Alan said well let’s pray right there on a vestibule he was just a visitor in the church East not ordained he’s not sent forth he’s got a big best guess he commenced a praying raid on the spot and he said the man just bowed his head and stood there are several what do you think he was going to do run the other way but what happened is that there are a hush fell over the vestibule this is a church that had about five hundred people in it. I had talked to one and I asked him I should do you pray for people everywhere you go. He said you. So do I said they ever ask you Who do you think you are. We see God God God is motivating in ways that I have never seen or experienced Sandy and I were at Applebee’s late one night. We have an unusual schedule. Probably Gary and his wife understand the strange schedules you get into when you’re in a ministry. We hadn’t eaten for breakfast on it was about eleven o’clock that night we got in there we were exhausted we sat down at a table young lady came to ask what would you like to drink. We ordered our drinks. She left the table. I told Sandy. I said that young woman needs prayer and a cigar is going to bless that young woman tonight. When she came back with our drinks Sandy simply said now we’re going to have prayer just a moment because we’re praying for people is there anything you would like us to pray about friend. You don’t know what’s going on with people that you meet that you may not know personally but God knows what’s happening in people’s lives when Sandy asked her Is there anything you’d like us to pray for that young woman hit her knee. Right there beside that table. It began to sob we prayed she thanked us God touched her you see we have to give glory. To God because what God’s doing. God is doing not us. She told us she had never met people like your before. And I told her Honey you probably never will again. We’re different. Monks were by nuns and we were at Ruby Tuesday’s on a Sunday afternoon with some of the church folks. Just getting seated around one of those big round tables and out of the corner my eyes I could see somebody running from the back to the front. And just as I turned and looked you know who it was. It was that young woman we prayed for to be she come runnin up and grab Sandy she said what you prayed for God did and she said I’m so glad to say I figured I’d never see you again. I need you to pray for my brother now. So we stopped everything and prayed I mention Alan to you Alan is a good man knows the Lord has been serving God for most of his adult life but he wasn’t sure about this thing about healing it you know it’s funny how social norms and values can affect even what we do it. Church. That’s just an observation it’s not a condemnation just an observation. You know an example as an elevator you get on an elevator try to Washington D.C. get on an elevator start a conversation. You’re going. People get off at the elevator to next for you don’t talk when you’re in an elevator. Of course I remember the commercial was at a Haines commercial. You don’t know this man got on the elevator the elevator risk for me is that I feel good all under. Some of you might be too young to remember that. Well you see Allen was just so unsure and at one of our leadership days there were people there from Mount Airy who had a class about praying for hearing. Gary I have to tell you. They start of music and people started all through that classroom. And you know I believe in divine healing but I have to tell you the truth I missed the mark because typesetter and I prayed Lord don’t let him come and pray for me. I had asked the Lord to forgive me. That’s why I could talk about it today. Well one’s wife was in that class. Donna God moved on her and she told her husband. It’s an unusual situation they live almost where our conference center is but they’re members of L. recently United Methodist Church. What he did a number of years ago he came up here and bought a big farm the first Sunday I met him he said I don’t know why I’m here but I believe God wants me here. You know and they drive up every week and Donna told him he said she said you know there have been healing services at one of our churches of modern Alan I want you to go with me. History. Response was boy. I don’t know. This before he started praying for people all over the place where he went but two weeks maybe three weeks later he called us and he said listen he said I’m going to a healing service at Monterey United Methodist Church. Could you two find time to come down. We said sure welcomed. I watched as the healing service began and Alan said there is eyes got real big. He still wasn’t sure about this thing about God show on up. He still wasn’t sure about God’s surprise or God’s manifested presence. We talked with them a little while we came back home were about two months went by and he called one day he said you’re never going to believe what happened but he kept gone to the healing services. He said A man walked up to me that I do not even know and said Would you please pray for me I have melanoma skin cancer. So Alan said we’re sure. And Alan told me he said Pastor Birch I wasn’t even sure how to pray but he said I stumbled through it and the man thanked me and about four weeks later the man got in touch with him he said sir he said I don’t know what kind of power you have. But he said I just came from the doctors and he said there is no sign of skin cancer melanoma. It’s gone. And he said whatever you works in church one Sunday morning and Ehlers Lee again. Sandys the pastor there. I’m a pastor’s wife. Well Gary it came out so quick. The first Sunday I was here they come up to do our guest on the pastor’s wife. It just slipped out and. My daughter Susan says Daddy you open your mouth and your brains fall out. But that may be true to. What I just say help me out of all. That. You know. Thank you very much. I need all the help I can get no. Some people say you know when you get old you lose your current memory. Of it. There’s a family that Sandy and I know really well they live on a farm on top of a mountain and I tease them all the time I say when we get to your place it’s the young end of the road. It is you go any further. Yeah that better be on a horse or on some kind of a four wheeler they’re so far out when it gets bad in a winter. Therefore we’ll drive won’t go up the way. Debbie was very sick. She had been to the doctors they had done blood work and a doctor called around he said I need to talk to you. She went into the doctors and he said I’ve never seen blood work like yours you said everything is off the charts. I believe they made a mistake. Go have it done again. Have you ever been in a position. Lord I have. Debbie went back for the same bloodwork. Same information came back the doctor called her and again he told her he said I don’t know what’s keeping you alive. He said you should be dead. She was sick. We were really worried about her a young woman. I told Sandy. When I found out about it. I said if they’ll come to church Sunday. God will heal her not because of me I didn’t even pray for her but that Sunday I called that Sunday. Not only did her and her husband come out the whole family come out they filled I hope you it when it came time for the altar service. I went back and I told her I said Debbie you need to come up front this church is going to stand on the go for you. She came up from the whole family came up and the whole family knelt at the altar. You see I see something happening that I’ve never seen before. Don’t ask me to explain it except to give God the glory. You know it’s funny it in churches today. It’s hard sometimes to get people to come to the altar. But that church came up surrounded her you know who was the first person to lay hands on her. Alan. Alan did he had his wife stood there and began to pray and and others began to enter say just see the church needs to stand in the gap. People are so worried about the election. I’ve got just one short comment about it. You have a choice every They’re voting for a liar and a criminal or for the court just or. That’s all that’s all I’m saying. And we’re asked Gary and his wife we’re not supposed to talk about politics right. No indeed. Only the church could stand in the gap for this country right now for it. Only the church could do it. It weighs upon us to be praying people and willing to stand in the gap and ask God to intervene. After the service where we prayed for Debbie and her whole family. She called the next morning and she said I don’t know what happened. But she said when I was at that altar. She said I felt such a peace sweep over me. She said I don’t know anything about what happened or didn’t happen. Physically but she said all that I knew was that people that never even knew me loved me that day she went back for a third batch of blood tests. We got a call by the end of the week. Pastor Sandy my blood is normal. And the doctor said this can’t be. Our saw the double tests that were done and he said you know what. He said I believe you have cancer. Do you know dear friend. And I respect our physicians God uses them but they’re human. And they’re not always right but he told her he said I want to send young to remove one of your lymph glands and he said I think we’ll find the culprit but we had to go out by the farmer he must been near the end of the road anyway right. We went out to the farm and Debbie came out and she said she that scar on my neck. That’s where they took that lymph node. She said you know what. The results were negative. Yeah yeah gone bad is removing by His Spirit the Word of God declares that the annoying taking breaks the yoke of bondage which Peter was locked up. He wasn’t just in chains they had him in solitary confinement the Bible says he was in the inner prison. It had sixteen guards watching so he could not escape. But prayer was made without ceasing by the church. It’s interesting. Whenever Peter got out on a realisation of what was happening. You might read out to say well how do you think it was a vision. I want to tell you what when God shows up. It’s such a surprise when we see God’s work and we see God move. It’s always a surprise when I see God move again. And it’s like I’ve never seen it happen before when God shows up here Jesus God is here. God or if you have been Methodist. Yes. Well I wonder because most Methodist sit in a back. I’m sorry I should have said. Oh my. Wow. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. You see this is why we give God glory. This is why Paul said in one place he said in all things give thanks for this is the will of God concerning you in Christ Jesus Mary it’s not easy to always give thanks. That’s a lesson if you’re a little bit further in here about Herod Herod had done horrible things to Scripture Kaptur some of the things that he did and some of the things his family was responsible for but amazingly we might have prayed God far down on right. Have you ever felt that way. Oh no. And she was angelic as a child to one. But Herod set himself up on the throne and the people bought into what was happening and they kept canning herit is divine Herod is divine and the Scripture read it. Will show you a horrible death. You know why because Herod didn’t give God glory. That’s something to think about. So we need to pray we have to pray pray without ceasing you know part of what that means it means that whenever you go to bed at night and you’ve said your prayers and you have had your devotions that you’d be willing to say God if you need me to intervene knock on. Hard door and I’ll get on my knees and begin to pray God will take us at our word when we leave here today we’re going to Ehlers Lee Allen. Here we mentioned Alan got fired up about prayer and I’ll never forget the Sunday morning he stood up with two signs in his hand that looked like two big stop signs and it said above and below the stop sign. If you want prayer or stop here. And he said we need to set up a prayer station on from the church. I’m sorry to say that everybody had an excuse to not do it. Oh it’s so hot we had a hot summer yes we did wait until it gets cooler. I remember the Sunday morning we were getting to Ehlers Lee and as I pulled across in front of the old church got ready to make a left turn. I stopped and I turned a sound. Yes So we got to do it now we have to do it now. Timing is critical in listening to what God has to do and I told her I said if nobody comes out here. We’re going to do this because God has ordained that it be done. She said are right. We announced it. We go out there. We have this little girl’s Ebo they called it a zebra but it’s actually square. But that’s all right. I don’t care what they call as long as the little shoes that we set those signs up on the highway one. Near the Morial. And the other one at the other side of the property. I set up an electronic piano. I have an amplifier that I’ve used in cat meetings. This has been so wild. They’ve asked me to turn it down. It can’t meetings. I use it out the fire one morning I’m on Savage. And I see her come running down the center aisle the church aside all the church. Turn it down. We take that out there set out thing up and crank it as loud music and go there been some times by God’s strength. And by God’s presence I’ll sing for two hours solid but you know what happened. One morning we were out there it was rainy and there’s a post office right nearby and the fire department is right nearby and on the other side is a flea market that’s right nearby and I notice a young woman with a little boy walking down the side of the road with a picture in her hand she had just come from the flea market. She came over one of the things I love about young people today you don’t have to wonder what’s going on in your mind. No mind games us older folk you young people go to pray for us. Oh I you know how it works after the service she could handle the past hour your pastor I feel great. He could feel like his right leg is about to fall off. Yes the young person how are you good. And they mean they better mean it. They’re young. This young woman walked up. I stopped playing and she very simply said these. Words. What’s going on here. And that’s why she said what’s going on here and I told her I said just what we call prayer station do you have anything you’d like us to pray about and immediately she said I needed a prayer for both of my grandparents their health is failing. I don’t like what obsidian. So we had for nothing fancy. Once again. No these are the. Or cultural syncretism or see all edgy. None of that stuff we just go before the Lord and I ask her to go to church. She said well I’m Catholic. I said well when was the last time you’ve been to mouse. She said all she said a long time she said I need this young woman she was seventeen I need to get back to God. Not back to church. I need to get back to God. Incidentally when we prayed for these two young people just this little boy’s maybe eight or ten years old. She got done praying this little boy said. I don’t know what happened but I just felt something like electricity grid on my back and he said I think it’s God God is doing something that I’ve never seen before. I told her I said Young lady I sell my make you a deal. I said you come to this Methodist Church Sunday I’ll sit with you and she said but I’m Catholic. I said That’s all right I said I put my watch on the P.. When I preach but it doesn’t mean a thing. We walked in church Sunday morning. There she had a little boy said. We had a church picnic this young woman baked cookies for the picnic and when she came to the picnic the people just loved daughter and she said you know what I feel like about part of this you see what I’m getting. And other Saturday we were out there and I saw this man walking his dog. Beautiful German Shepherd. I didn’t say anything when he walked by. I have to tell you I was a little bit hesitant. This guy is built like a gorilla. I mean when he moved he was fighting his muscles to move because he was muscle bound. Your friends there are no coincidences with God There is only if you’re a believer there’s only God’s direction in your life and for some unbelievers who don’t even know you had God’s already pulling them through what we called in a Methodist moment is perineal Grace. Well it wasn’t a coincidence then that he turned around and came back by and I said wow it’s a good look at dog fellow he’s what and I thought Oh my goodness I’ve met my brother he doesn’t hear either. And he come across the street and he said I’m sorry he said My hearing is real bad. What did you say I said that’s a good looking dog it came end of the square as you go and set down and we explained what we were dog and he said all God he said I need prayer. He said My wife and I are split up and he said I know that I’ve reached the point that only God can straighten out the mess. We had prayer with them. State all the time he left. Haven’t seen him since that doesn’t mean God’s not working. She received a phone call at home. This young man’s name was Andrew gender the phone and a woman said my name was Donna. You minister to my son at your prayer station. I need help. We met with her and I saw as she told her story. A woman who had been through terrible things. It’s a miracle. Isn’t it that she is alive and that her kids are alive. And while we sat there in the fellowship hall talking. God began to speak and I told her very simply I said Donna gone. Is going to set you free. Remember the story. Peter. Don’t forget the story of Paul and Silas. There are many things. Dear Friend of combined us. There are many things that can lock us down and we feel like we can’t get free from it but if the church prays without ceasing the answer rollcall. I told her I said God’s fiction to set you free. And I said it’s going to happen at home. When it happens I said the first thing you’re going to experience is a rage. She looked at me she said her rapist Yeah I said all the years that you’ve been in bondage. And I said you have kept it balled up. I said a part of your freedom will be when that rage surfaces and I should let it rip. As I’m telling you this because it’s gone. I said if you have a dog put it out of the house because your heard it. I said if the kids are at home tell they’re going to have to leave a while and I said You go ahead and find a newspaper report to shreds pick up a pillow and smack it as hard as you and all of a sudden she said Wait. She said I just felt joy. In my heart and she said it’s a first time in over twenty years that I felt anything in my heart I felt joy. She said God’s going to do this. Yes we constant church is going to pray without ceasing God’s going to use a woman just like God use an Allen God bless him. He’s taken a life speaking classes. He’s a certified speaker and now he’s a lame minister and he filled one of our pulpits two Sundays. He came back to church here you’d love it. He came back over by the church and he said you don’t never believe what happened. They put my name on the side. Now. Oh my. I told you this was too long. I want to thank you for your patience. Pray praise and have faith faith requires an act of faith without works is dead. We know that right. Faith requires an act and God may move different you through you. I don’t ask anybody to be like me but I ask you to pray to be like Jesus and you can ask this couple here you can ask this woman on the front row when you’re serving people sometimes you meet people during race. But you know what God will do. God will put a love in your heart for them. And it’s a surprise as one of God’s surprises. If any of you would like prayer today for any reason God is concerned about what concerns you. That it. Nobody needs to know what you’re concerned about I was preaching at a youth camp and a little girl came up to me she said preacher you said God concerned about anything. We’re concerned about I said Yes young lady. That’s right. And she said I can’t tie my shoes. Now I could have prayed which I did but you know what I did I set a little girl done I said watch me. I taught her how to tie or shoes that was a feat for made. My wife says I still time my shoes wrong she said but you’re like the rest of the man. Ah. You know I have to be careful. You know over twenty years ago. I was her pastor. Now she is mine. Gary show question my When I was having trouble with all that medication I was on she knew I was falling asleep and gone from Mount Savage jealously she said Did you hear that story I told about popcorn. I said. What did I ended up say. Yeah I didn’t hear that and she didn’t tell a story about popcorn either. If any of you would like special prayer just come forward if not that’s fine. I’m going to pray for you anyway. Lord I thank you for the opportunity to be in your house today. God I ask you to minister to everybody within a sound of my voice. God teach us to pray without ceasing teach us to give your praise and thanks even when it doesn’t feel good teach us how to move in faith and to have an act of faith and Lord in all things we want to glorify you together because you alone are God and you will not share your glory with another a man.