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This morning as you may know the them is Glowing for the Lord!

Well, the first question that comes to my mind is How can a fat, bald headed preacher like me glow for the Lord?

Other then the top of my head at the right angle, this might be real challange.

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I can remember a time when I was much younger, much thiner, and had a lot more engery. It was around that time when the Lord called me to preach and I was so on fire that I must of been glowing, going and growing for the Lord.

Nothing could stop me from sharing the Lord with someone, no matter where I was, No body could tell me that it was not the right place, or time or situation to share my faith and new calling.

I was Glowing, going and growing for my Jesus!

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So, what slowed me down?

Was it age? Akes and pains? Other people that hurt me with words?

Why did I slow down? What caused it to happen?

Have I lost love for the Lord? Am I a has been?

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Have you ever wondered why a on fire, glowing, going, growing Christian for the Lord, has lost ther spiritual fire?

What happen to it? Where did it go and Who can I blame

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At first it seemed to me that whatever it was going to take to get that glowing, going and growing, started back up again, was going to be hard work and take a lot of time.

And then I found it! After failing in many parts of live and in the minstry, I found it!

Was it that hard? Was it going to take a lot of time?

Can other's get that glowing back in there live as well?

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This morning I would like to share my favorite Old Testament story with you. It so special to me because I was ready to quit and give up preaching and about everything else when the Lord lead me to this lesson.

Not only did it get me going once aging, it got me growing once again, it also got me glowing once again.

And the best part was that God did not ask me to do anything hard!

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Let's start today in the book of 2nd Kings 5, begining with verse 1

The story, which we're going to look at in this message, is relevant to every one of us because we're all moving in one direction or the other. We're either moving toward God or away from God. In other words where either glowing for the Lord or the light that once was, is been put out by something.

In this message I would like for all of us to consider which direction we're moving.

Please turn with me to 2 Kings 5.

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Naaman was a military man in Syria (Aram). His rank was Captain, although the word as it is used here would be more like "General" in our modern army.

Naaman was the man with the plan, He was kinda like a John Rambo, and John Wayne all rolled up in one.

Naaman was King Binadad of Syria's right hand man.

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He was to the Syrian wars what General Schwartzkoff was to the Gulf war and what Ezinerhower was to WW2 - a great hero - a highly decorated, living legend.

Syria's borders were more secure because of Naaman. Everyone could sleep better a night knowin that Naaman the man with the plan was on the job. His name was a household word.

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Of special note here is that Naaman was not one of God's Old Testament people. He was not an Israelite. He was a Gentile, a foreigner.

In fact, Syria was, at this time, one of Israel's enemies. Naaman had led raids into Israel and had taken POW out of Israel.

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Picture then Naaman, coming back from his military encounters at the head of his men, leading a long train of captives - the glint of a sword hanging from his side, medals pinned to his uniform, boots polished. He was a man's man.

It must have been tough for Naaman who was so successful, to come home each night and be reminded as he undressed that he had a disease that was eating away his life.

Naaman knew that if this deadly disease was not cured, he would be cast out of his home and into the streets to beg for the rest of his live.

He would not even be able to come into contact with his loved ones, as lepers had to cry out un clean- un-clean as othe came within a certain diatance of them.

Naturally he would be driven to seek a cure. As of verse one, though, there had been none. Then an interesting series of events began to happen.

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The name of the little girl isn't given. She was Jewish - a prisoner from one of the raids on Israel. She was a glowing little girtl.

She had no doupt in her life at all, She also shows us that one GLOWING person can still make big difference in there family, in their jobs and in their local church.

Somehow she had come to know of Naaman's condition.

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Looks can be deceiving.

A person can look very successful and secure on the outside, as Naaman was, yet behind closed doors, be something different entirely.

At times, I think, we are intimidated by successful people and, as a result, afraid to speak to them. We need to be reminded that unsaved people, no matter how successful, have a disease even worse than ancient leprosy - a disease for which we have cure.

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Sometimes God puts His answers in very humble places. In fact, watch as this story unfolds. Every time he moves another step toward the solution to his problem, it is because he listened to someone far below his rank and position.

The GLOWING , believing little girl's suggestion got to Naaman through his wife. Naaman must have been desperate for a cure because he went from there straight to the King.

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Take note of Naaman's thinking. He's thinking entirely according to the ways of the world. In the world, money talks, so he prepared to purchase his cure. He took what amounted to $20,000 of silver and $60,000 of gold and ten suits of clothes.

A big problem in dealing with many lost people is dispelling the notion that they can buy their salvation. I'm not just talking about rich people here. Many think that they can buy favor with "the Man upstairs,"

If not with their money, then with their good works. They don't understand that salvation is a gift. It cannot be earned because it is far too expensive for anyone to buy.

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Also notice that Naaman is thinking, If there is a prophet in Israel that has enough power to do this, The king must have more.

Naaman has some things to learn about God - and learn he will - if his pride doesn't get in the way.

So he orders his servants to load his best chariot with money and clothes, gathers a company of elite soldiers, and heads off for Israel.

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So now Naaman, The man with the plan, The Rambo, John Wayne, George W Bush all rapped up into one gets to the kings house.

The Kings reads the letter and say's "I don't want anything to do with this" Who do you think I am? God?

So the king wanted the money but he also wanted to make sure that if Naaman did'nt get healed, he would not have to fyight him

There's a man of faith! No way I'm going pay for a dying lepor.I want paid in advance

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So now, Naaman and his fancy Rolls Royce chariot, and all his money and all his people head toward's Elisha' s house.

Put yourself on the front porch of Elisha's house in your imagination. You hear thundering hoof beats in the distance. You see a plume of dust rising from the desert floor and through the shimmering heat you see horses and men approaching.

Then they all come up outside the house. Naaman is out front. Having received directions to Elisha's house, he stops, gets off his horse, and knocks on the door.

He expects what he is used to seeing - people coming out and bowing the knee due to his high position. Look what happened instead.

Oh, it's Naaman, sir, what can I do for you sir?

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Here is Naaman in his expensive clothes, money in his wallet, ready to bargain with the prophet and the guy doesn't even come to he door!

I don't know why Elisha didn't come to the door, Maybe he was watching TV or something, but anyway, he sends a servents to the door to tell the man with the plan to go jump in a muddy lake.

The Jorden was used as a septic tank back in there day's it wasn't a clean trout pound.

Naaman wasen't to happy with the message.

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Naaman was like many today. Instead of humbly listening to God when the message didn't match his expectations, he got mad. No hick prophet was going to treat him this way!

Naaman had a fit! Had you had one lately?

Have you had one lately? A moments anger causes a day's sorrow. Naaman was mad! He was hot, He had a fit.

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Naaman was expecting a show that was worthy of his status and position and instead he got a message from a servant telling him to go dip in one of Israel's muddy river

The whole entourage of men, horses, and chariots, turned around and thundered off in a cloud of dust with Naaman raging out in front of them all.

This tendency is precisely why you'll find a church in existence today to fit nearly every human preference.

You'll find churches that cater to homosexuals and left wing agendas. You'll find churches that consider a woman who kills her unborn child as some kind of hero.

You'll find churches that cater to the rich without ever mentioning the needs others.

You'll find churches that preach human success and leave out the message of the cross.

Why are ther so many different kinds of churchs?

Did you notice that again it was a servant who spoke to Naaman. - the little girl, then Elisha's servant, and now his own servant?

Is there a message here for us? If you want God's blessings, you have to stoop!

Naaman's servent said to him, Boss he didn't ask you to do anything hard. If he would had you would have done that. Why not just wash and be clean?

Finally, Naaman stooped. He humbled himself and went down to that muddy Jordan River and washed.

Do you suppose he felt a little dumb? Maybe a little embarrassed?

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What happened in that muddy water that made Naaman well?

Naaman never showed any obenience to God, He showed it to the king and too money, but not to God untill a servent made some sence to him.

Once you have obedience in you life, God has something to work with. Obedience is the first step to all the blessings of god.

But Naaman is still a leper and is faced with the same thing that many of us are today.

Are we going to finish what we started for God, or will we quit and die.

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Pride can be a church killer. Pride can keep us from walking forward a nealing at an altat to recieve a blessing fron God. Pride is very expensive.

Now that Naaman had obedience in his life God needed pride out of his life, but he still was a leper ans was faced with the same choice.

Do I finish what I started for God or quit and die?

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Boy, did Naaman get mad when things didn't go his way.The Bible say's he became wroth. Just because he didn't get his way.

That never happen's to General Baptist. Does it?

Once we get obedience in our live and pride out, many tines we find ourselves in place in which we can through a fit.

Remember how wroth Naaman became when things didn't go his way?

It seems like when we start doing things for the Lord we always expect everything to go our way and when they don't, we get wroth. God needs that out of our live before we can glow.

Now once again Naaman is faced with finishing what God started or Quiting and dying.

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Naaman sure did not show much faith. The little maid did. She made a difference even in a bad circumstance.

At times we start to do something for the Lord and it goes well and then we just wait and even expect something to go wrong. Then we can say I didn't expect it to happen anyway, I didn't have my hope's up.

A much more honest way to put that is a lack of faith or doubt.

Do you feel like you prayer life is a gamble? Like playing the lottery?

God's word teach's us to have faith, most of all when things don't look good.

Now that Naaman Has Obedience in his life, Pride out, Anger out, Doubt out. He once again is faced with finishing what he started.

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Naaman became wroth, because things didn' go the way he thought they should.

Once we become Obedient to God, and allow God to wash the Pride out, and the Anger out and the Doubt out, you would think that we would be glowing brightly right?

Is I thought keeping you for being the one who can make an difference? Is I thought keeping you from Glowing for the Lord like you used to?

I thought is something we much look more at, the older spiritually we become.

Naaman is once again faced with finishing.

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Naaman, now is becomingI a man of God. One he became Obedient, and allowed God to wash away Pride, Anger,Doubt, and I thought, he gained Cahracter.

Godly Character is just what the little maid had. It can make a difference.All of our church's need men and women of Godly Character.

Yet Naaman is faced with finishing what God startde one more time.

At times we gain character and use it to make money, Have you ever seen a great preacher all of a sudden become a different person, because of money?

Naaman still was not complete

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At this point Naaman didn't care what other's thought about him in the muddy Jorden, he knew God was completing a work in his life.As he washed for the senveth time God made him glow.

He was healed, His flesh was clean, He glowed!

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If you're moving toward God, then I salute you. I encourage you to pursue Him with your whole heart. You won't be disappointed.

It you're moving away from God, it's time to return to where you once was.

The amazing thing is this. God is not asking you to do anything hard! Why not was and be clean. Why not Glow for the Lord.

Maybe it's Pride that needs to be washed away. Maybe it's Anger, or Doubt, or I thought.

What can wash away you sins, Nothing, but the blood of Jesus.

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As a Pasor I can say that one glowing person can make such a difference in the church. Many times is one negative person that makes a difference and the church has problems, or maybe even splits.

I ask each of you today to go back to your church and make a difference. Go home glowing for the Lord.

God is asking you to do anything hard.