Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 9/17/14

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 9/17/14

Paul wrote to the Colossians but had never visited there as far as I know.  He was not the pastor at Colossi. 

Col 1:29  Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Paul was not their minister. 

Col 1:9  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

There will be times in our life when we feel like, “God am I really doing anything for you?”  If you pray earnestly, fervently, and diligently for souls, then you are doing a mighty work. 

We need to first realize how much we need each other’s prayers and then we need to realize how valuable the prayers of the saints are.

Col 2:1  For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

Col 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

He had a great love and a great concern for those dear saints. 

Tonight may God help you and me to realize that we need each other’s prayers and we need desperately to pray for one another.

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

‘Wiles’ means the methods of the devil and his trickery.  God has been really kind to us in Paradise and we appreciate it.  We never want to assume that we reach that place that the devil won’t try to sidetrack us, sideline us, or interrupt our burden.  He will.

The wiles are the different ways, means, plans, schemes, thoughts, and desires of satan that he brings to an individual to distract us.  It is so easy to get distracted. 

I am told that the lady that was driving an automobile became distracted, reached to the floorboard for something that dropped and she drifted over and would have killed two but the grandmother pushed the child out of the way and took the blow.

It is just as dangerous for us spiritually.  Every day the devil tries to sift us as wheat.  We ever need to be on guard to those wiles, schemes, plans, and thoughts that would come into our mind that would break us from being fervent in serving God.

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Strength comes from reading, studying the Word of God, praying, and from us edifying and being edified.

We must take the instruction: put on the whole armor of God.  For each of us that are saved, may there be nothing in our soul that would hesitate in measuring to anything that comes to our heart that God wants us to measure to: salvation, sanctification, baptism, or the cleansing of our nature from that which would lead us from God.  Put on the whole armor of God.

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

It is vital that we remember that this is not a battle against people.  You may run into those that are ugly but they have a spirit that makes them that way.  They have yielded to something that is unholy.

We as the church need to recognize that part of the battle will be in the world that we live.  We will meet with people without the grace of God that will upset us.  We want to remember that the devil is always working to try to get everyone that he possibly can to profess past their experience. 

When people claim to be saved and sanctified but act mean and ugly then that is spiritual wickedness in high places.  May every one of us take every precaution to keep our experience right with God and not ever yield to the wiles of the devil and be in this condition.

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

For everyone that has been recently baptized have it settled: from this day I’m going to stand and stay on fire for God.  You can keep the victory for the rest of your life but that doesn’t mean that you won’t encounter mean battles.  Take the whole armor and say, “By the help and grace of God I’m going to stand.”

Take the whole armor.

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Measure to these glorious truths that are taught and preached.  Not only have salvation and your sins forgiven but have it that, “I’m going to do right.”

You may have it in the knitting process of your soul, that you dropped a stitch, added a stitch missed a stitch or doubled a stitch.  You may say, “I’m trying really hard but there is something that isn’t right and not going according to plan.” 

Go to God.  Don’t try to figure it out in your mind.  “God help me to know if I missed, dropped or what I need to do.”

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

We war a warfare but it is not of carnality.  There are people that have gone however far they have gone.   Some feel that they have gone so far that they can never get back.  My job is to have my feet shod with the gospel of peace and tell them that the way back is a humble way.

Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Hold that shield out there.  Have an ear trained that when you hear that arrow coming you know that this arrow is coming out of darkness and not coming as the shepherd, get that shield up and stop it right away.

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

We may have less battles the more that we pray.  You say, “It seems when I start praying more then I start having more battles.”  Keep praying until the enemy gets tired of battling.

Eph 6:19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Paul said to pray for all the saints and pray for me also.