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ell I’ve told this story before,
but never at a more fitting time. There’s a guy
drivin’ a Model-T Ford across the panhandle of Texas,
flat open spaces, and his car broke down—an ol’ Model-T.
He’s sitting there in the heat. A big ol’ Texas
cattleman in a big ol’ long black Cadillac came roaring
down the road and he flagged him down. Said, “I
can’t get my little car started. Would you help
me?” And the man said, “Sure, I’ll tow ya into the
next town. It ain’t too far down the road.”
So he hooked this big black Cadillac onto that little
Model-T and took off down the road to tow him into the
next little town. Got to thinking about his
problems and forgot about the Model-T. He’s just
roaring down the road. Comes to the next little
town, just roars right on through it, doesn’t even slow
down. And the cop in the little town called ahead
to the next town. He said, “There’s a big black
Cadillac breaking every speed law roaring down the road
fast as lightning. You set up a roadblock and stop
it in the next town. But you ain’t gonna believe
what I’m gonna tell ya next. There’s a little ol’
Model-T behind him just honking like everything trying
to get around.” After the band, and that song,
getting up here to preach I feel like that Model-T.
But God’s Word will clear the road.
Well, I’m gonna start in Matthew, Chapter 9.
Remember I have messages I preach every year.
Since my heart attack last February of which I am fully
recovered, I told you—I told you after my heart
attack—and I date my life ‘before HA’ and ‘AHA’—I
learned a new name for these annual messages: Nitro
Pills. Nitro pills,
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people that have a potential heart problem carry nitro
pills. I never had one until the night of my heart
attack and before the surgery they gave me a nitro pill
and the relief from pain that it gave I now know why
they’re carried. Nobody cares about nitro pills
except people that need them, but they are precious when
you need them. I don’t think I need them anymore,
but just in case I’ve always got my nitro pills close
by, even when I preach. Somebody close by has my
nitro pills. These messages are like that.
There’s about 12 of them—used to be 7. When you
need them they’re ‘spiritual nitro pills.’ If you
don’t need them just tune out, but try not to look like
you’re tuned out. Look like you’re on the floor
and you’re saying, “Where’s my nitro pills?” And
this message is one of those.
I start in Matthew 9, 9:2. “He entered into a
ship,” speaking of Jesus, “and passed over, and came
into his own city. And, behold, they brought to
him a man sick of palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus
seeing their faith said unto the sick of palsy; Son, be
of good cheer; thy
sins be forgiven
thee.” The word is tharsei in the Greek,
tharsei. And in the same chapter, 22nd
verse—and you can compare all the Gospels and you’ll
find this story repeated and pick up all of the
elements—a rich man, Jairus, has come to Him, pleads
with Him. His daughter’s near death. Would
he come? Saying to Jesus “I know if you come and
touch her she’ll be healed.” Now I want you to get
into the drama of these life and death circumstances.
The man of palsy—friends, in another account, have torn
the roof off, tried to get through the crowd, and
lowered him too sick to walk himself in front of Jesus,
and in their view he needed healing. And Jesus
says something strange: “Be of good cheer,” the King
James has it, “thy sins be forgiven thee.”
Now He’s pulled at by this man Jairus. “My
daughter’s home; |
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