Leonard Missionary Baptist Church
Share Our Page
Announcements
OUR BUILDING IS 
ACCESSIBLE. ALSO, BECAUSE OF CHRIST, WE ARE SPIRITUALLY COMPLIANT AND Y2K READY. /ART/SOUND_BTN.GIF
 EDIFICE OF THE LEONARD BAPTIST CHURCH. ALL ARE WELCOME.
<B>THERE IS A WORD FROM THE LORD</B><BR><BR>
<B>Matthew 9:18-26 SUBJECT: MAKING ROOM FOR LIFE</B><BR><BR>
OUR GOD IS A GOOD GOD. HE IS GOOD AND IS GREATLY TO BE PRAISED HE IS A GREAT PROVIDER AND SUPPLIER FOR THE RECORD STANDS CLEAR THAT, REGARDLESS TO WHAT COMES OR GOES, )
HOWEVER, IN VIEW OF ALL THIS, MANY OF US FIND OURSELVES IN DIRE STRAITS. DOING WITHOUT, LIVING BENEATH OUR MEANS, IN DEBT, STRESSED OUT AND DEPRESSED. BENEATH A LOAD OF CARES AND CONCERNS, PROBLEMS AND PERPLEXITIES. MANY TIMES THIS IS BECAUSE, EVEN AFTER GOD HAS PROMISED US THESE THINGS IN LIFE, WE SURROUND OURSELVES WITH NEGATIVES. NEGATIVE PEOPLE, HANGING AROUND IN NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTS AND ENTERTAINING NEGATIVE IDEAS. THESE PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS CAN AND WILL LEAD TO THE NEGATIVE ACTIONS WHICH ULTIMATELY LEAD TO NEGATIVE RESULTS. THIS IS THE GIST OF THIS LESSON TODAY.
THE SUBJECT TEXT IN TODAYS LESSON COULD VERY WELL HAVE CENTERED AROUND A VARIETY OF TOPICS. ALTHOUGH THE SAME FACUS WOULD BE USED, THE OBJECT OF THE FOCUS COULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.
WE COULD EASILY HAVE SAID OR EMPLOYED THE SUBJECT; MAKING ROOM FOR PROGRESS OR PROSPERITY; OR MAKING ROOM FOR HEALTH OR HAPPINESS; OR ANY OTHER POSITIVE REPLACEMENT FOR NEGATIVE NOTIONS. WE HAVE FOR THIS LESSON CHOSEN "LIFE" FOR IT IS MY FEELING THAT IF ONE HAS LIFE, THESE OTHER THINGS COULD VERY WELL FLOW FROM IT. I FEEL THAT IF YOU HAVE LIFE YOU HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THESE OTHER LESSER DESIRES.
OUR LORD STRESSES IN HIS WORD "I HAVE COME THAT YOU MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE THAT EVEN MORE ABUNDANTLY. THEN AGAIN, HE ENCOURAGES US IN OUR PRIORITES, "FIRST SEEK THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU. BEFORE WE CAN HAVE OR ENJOY ANY OF THESE THINGS, WE MUST HAVE LIFE. IT'S THERE FOR YOU, ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS GET RID OF THE NEGATIVES; NEGATIVE PEOPLE, NEGATIVE IDEAS AND NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND MAKE ROOM FOR LIFE.
THE DISICIPLE MATTHEW, SIR NAMED LEVI, THE TAX COLLECTOR IS GIVEN FOR PENNING THIS GOSPEL.
MATTHEW IN HIS COMMENTARY PORTRAYS OR PRESENTS THE CHRIST AS KING. THIS IS SHOWN IN HIS REPRESENTATION OF JESUS AS A LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH.
IF WE WOULD DEVIDE THE MESSAGE OF MATTHEW, WE MIGHT SAY THAT HIS PORTION OF THE TEXT WOULD HAVE THE CHRONOLOGICAL NUMBER "THREE" IN THIS PRESENTATION OF THE CHRIST TO THE WORLD. TAKE NOTE THAT JOHN QUICKLY STATES THAT THE PRESENTATION WAS NOT WHAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED FOR HE RECORDS THAT "HE CAME UNTO HIS OWN AND HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT". HE HASTENS TO REMIND US THAT AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM, HE GAVE THEM POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD.
AT ANY RATE, THIS IS MATTHEW'S NARRATIVE. MATTHEW YET PRESENT JESUS AS KING. THIS THIRD PART OF THE NARRATIVE MAY WELL BE ENTITLED "THE PROOF OF THE KING" FOR MATTHEW SEEKS TO PROVE TO A DOUBTING WORLD THAT INDEED, JESUS IS CHRIST THE KING. THIS PART IS PRECEEDED BY FIRST, THE PERSON OF THE KING AND SECONDLY, THE PREACHING OF THE KING.
OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN THE THIRD PART OF THIS THIRD PART. JESUS SETS OUT, IN HIS LOVE FOR HUMANITY, TO PROVE HIS KINGSHIP. HE DOES THIS BY MANY OPEN SHOWINGS OF HIS POWER OVER THE THINGS THAT CONFRONTED THE PEOPLE OF HIS TIME. HE SHOW HIS POWER OVER DEFILEMENT IN THAT HE CLEANSED THE LEPERS. HE CLEANSES THE LEPER--AND I AM SO GLAD TODAY THAT THERE ARE WITNESSES HERE THAT WILL VERIFY THAT HE WILL INDEED CLEAN YOU UP. MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHAT YOU DONE AND HOW LONG YOU DONE IT, HE CAN CLEAN YOU UP.
NO MATTER WHAT YOUR MIND SET MAY BE, HE'S A MIND CHANGER AND REGULATOR. WHEN HE COMES INTO YOUR LIFE, YOU CAN DECLARE, "I KNOW I'VE BEEN CHANGED, BECAUSE THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN HAVE SIGNED MY NAME".
THEN JESUS PROVES HIMSELF BY DISPLAYING HIS POWER OVER DISTANCE. HE HEALS A CENTURION'S DAUGHTER WITHOUT EVEN GOING TO WHERE THE GIRL IS. BECAUSE OF THE LITTLE GIRL'S FATHER'S FAITH, JESUS SIMPLY SAYS "GO THY WAY AND AS YOU GO, AND AS YOU HAVE BELIEVED, SO BE IT UNTO YOU".
NOW, OUR LORD, AS HE SPEAKS DURING AN ASSEMBLY, THE BIBLE SAYS THAT A CERTAIN RULER CAME UNTO HIM WORSHIPPING HIM. FOR SURE, THE LORD IS BUSY BUT I AM SO GLAD THAT JESUS IS NEVER TOO BUSY. I HAVE FOUND THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS GET TO JESUS. NOTHING AND NOBODY CAN KEEP YOU FROM HIM FOR I HEAR HIS INVITATION, "COME UNTO ME, ALL YE THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST".
THE MAN COMES TO JESUS WITH HIS PROBLEM--CAN'T YOU HEAR THE WORD, IF YOU HAVE ANY CARES, COME, CASTING ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM FOR HE CARES FOR YOU.
THE RULER DELARES, MY DAUGHTER IS DEAD, BUT IF YOU JUST COME AND LAY YOUR HAND ON HER, I KNOW THAT SHE WILL LIVE. IF YOU READ IN THE NARRATIVE, JESUS DOESN'T HESITATE. THE SCRIPTURE DELARES THAT JESUS ROSE...
DON'T YOU KNOW THAT JESUS ALWAYS RISES TO THE OCCASSION. NO MATTER WHAT THE PROBLEM, HE CAN SOLVE IT. TELL ME, IS THERE ANYTHING TO HARD FOR GOD? THANK YOU LORD!!!!!!!! YES, HE RISES TO THE OCCASSION. THE WRITER PENS IT THIS WAY, "HE STEPS RIGHT IN JUST WHEN YOU NEED HIM MOST". JESUS ROSE AND FOLLOWED THE RULER.
LISTEN TO THIS; THE TEXT NOW SAYS, WHILE JESUS IS ON HIS WAY TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN "IN THE MEAN TIME" MIRACLE. IN THE CROWD THERE IS A WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN SUFFERING WITH AN ISSUE OF BLOOD FOR TWELVE LONG YEARS. IN THE MEAN TIME, SHE TOUCHES THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT...IN THE MEAN TIME, JESUS ASKS, WHO TOUCHED ME?...IN THE MEAN TIME, I CAN HEAR HER SAY, "SAVIOR, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE BUT, WHILE ON OTHERS THOU ARE CALLING, DO NOT PASS ME BY"...HER ISSUE WAS DRIED UP AND SHE IS MADE WHOLE. HE IS AN IN THE MEAN TIME GOD...
THIS BRINGS US TO THE TEXT. AFTER THIS, JESUS ENTERS THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD GIRL... LET ME TELL YOU. I AM SO GLAD THAT HERE IS ONE DOCTOR THAT STILL MAKES HOUSE CALLS. HE WILL COME, I TELL YOU. HE'LL COME TO THE PROJECTS, THE REJECTED AND THE NEGLECTED. HE WILL COME.
JESUS ENTERS THE HOUSE. THE GIRL IS SURROUNDED BY SORROW AND SADNESS. DOOM AND GLOOM HAS THE HOUSE FULL. THE MINSTRELS ARE THERE PLAYING FUNERAL MUSIC; THE PEOPLE ARE MAKING NOISE BUT IT IS THE WRONG KIND OF NOISE. PERHAPS, IF THEY KNEW WHO WAS IN THE HOUSE, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN MAKING A JOYFUL NOISE. BUT THEY CALLED IN EVERYTHING THAT RELATES TO DEATH, SUFFERING, REGRESSION AND FAILURE. THERE IS NOTHING THERE PERTAINING TO LIFE. BUT JESUS; THAT ENOUGH SAID RIGHT THERE; BUT JESUS;
JESUS COMMANDS THEM TO "GIVE PLACE". I'M HERE NOW---HOW MANY KNOWS THAT THINGS GET BETTER WHEN JESUS GETS THERE. GIVE PLACE. IN OTHER WORDS, MAKE ROOM. THE GIRL IS NOT DEAD...STOP CRYING...YOU CAN'T SEE GOOD WHEN YOUR EYES ARE FILLED WITH TEARS, GIVE PLACE... THE PEOPLE BEGIN TO LAUGH. BUT HOW MANY KNOWS THAT HE WHO LAUGHS LAST, LAUGHS AND LAUGHS AND LAUGHS CAUSE I MIGHT NOT HAVE MUCH BUT I'M HAPPY WITH JESUS ALONE.
JESUS PUTS THEM OUT...ALL THE NEGATIVES AND WHEN THEY ARE OUT, HE TAKES THE GIRL BY THE HAND; AND I HEAR THE HYMNOLOGIST SAY, LET'S WRITE A SONG HERE. HE PENS "PRECIOUSE LORD, TAKE MY HAND...WON'T HE HOLD YOUR HAND?...JESUS TOOK HER BY THE HAND AND THE BIBLE SAYS THE YOUNG GIRL GOT UP.
THERE JUST MIGHT BE SOMEBODY HERE WITH A PROBLEM IN YOUR LIFE. YOU HAVE A HABIT. EVERYBODY AROUND YOU ARE SAYING THAT IT CAN'T BE BROKEN. HAVE YOU THOUGHT, THEY MIGHT BE SAYING THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE A HABIT AND FEEL THAT THEIR'S CAN'T BE BROKEN. IT JUST MIGHT BE THAT YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY THE WRONG PEOPLE. NO ALCOHOLIC OR DRUG ADDICT IS GOING TO TELL ANOTHER TO GO GET HELP. NO HOBO IS GOING TO TELL ANOTHER TO GO TAKE A BATH.
EVERYBODY AROUND YOU HAVE TOLD YOU THAT YOU CAN'T GET THAT JOB.. GET OUT FROM AROUND THEM CAUSE SOON YOU WILL START TO BELIVE THEM. YOU HAVE TO COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM. TELL THEM TO GET OUT...
EVERYBODY SAYS YOU CAN'T DO IT... YOU CAN'T GET IT.. YOU WON'T MAKE IT... YOU CAN'T HAVE IT... MAKING ALL THAT NEGATIVE NOISE.
YOU HAVEN'T FOUND THAT RIGHT MATE YET...EVERY RELATIONSHIP IS A BAD ONE. YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MIND AROUND YOU... YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IT YOURSELF...DON'T YOU KNOW THAT SUBCONSCIOUSLY, THE KIND OF PERSON YOU DON'T NEED IS THE ONE YOU OUTWARDLY ATTRACT. YOU HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY NEGATIVE THOUGHTS...NEGATIVE IDEAS, NEGATIVE ADVICE AND NEGATIVE PEOPLE. CAN'T YOU SEE THAT NEGATIVE THOUGHTS LEAD TO NEGATIVE ACTIONS AND NEGATIVE ACTIONS LEAD TO NEGATIVE RESULTS.
I'VE COME TO TELL YOU THAT JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE. PERHAPS HE CAN'T GET TO YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY TOO MANY NEGATIVES. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS MAKE ROOM...GIVE PLACE. GIVE PLACE TO LIFE FOR WITH JESUS, YOU CAN LIVE AND DON'T HAVE TO DIE...
PUT AWAY YOU NEGATIVES... GET AWAY FROM NEGATIVE PEOPLE... YOU'VE GOT TO SPEAK TO THOSE NEGATIVES... GET OUT OF MY HOUSE... GET AWAY FROM MY CHILDREN... GET OFF MY JOB AND MY PROMOTION... GET OUT OF MY LIFE... GET OUT OF MY FINANCES... PUT THEM ALL OUT. AND MAKE ROOM FOR HAPPINESS, PEACE, LOVE, PROSPERITY, POWER. YOU ARE ALIVE AND THE BIBLE SAYS LET EVERYTHING THAT HATH BREATH, PRAISE THE LORD...
SPEAK IT OUT OF YOUR MOUTH, I AM NOT GOING TO DIE...I AM GOING TO LIVE...I AM GOING TO LOVE SOMEBODY THAT LOVES ME... I AM GOING TO PROSPER... I WILL HAVE PEACE BECAUSE I HAVE POWER...I'M GONNA
Our Ministry
Deacons - Earnest Dean, Chairman / Charles C. Clemons, Secretary
Trustees - Connie Chatman, Gail Cunningham, Henry Dempsey,
Andrew Gray,Ella Stokes-Simmons, Derick Simms, Robert Simpson, Gloria G.Stewart, Leonard Taylor,Frank Watson, JR.,Wuakita White
Member Pastors
Rev. A. A. Boyd - Holy Olivette MB Church
Rev. Frederick Lemons - St. John's MB Church
Rev. George Guy, III - New Paradise MB Church
Rev.'s Frank & Nancy Ward - Power of Prayer Ministries
Rev. James Z. Williba - Christ Love Devine
Update This Web Page
Take control of the web page by creating a user account now and using the CHURCH ID and PASSWORD assigned to you at the time the website was created to associate your web page with your new user account. If you have an existing user account, sign in and add the site to your account dashboard.
I Don't Remember Our ID/Password?
If you don't have the ID/Password combination for this page, please type the code '' below to have it sent to the e-mail address on file.
Map & Directions
Page Seen: 3,953 times