Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 1/21/15

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 1/21/15

Ps 102 is filled with the cry that David is in trouble.  That is the way that it is in life.  There will be times that are full of lots of trouble.  It is wonderful to have the bible.  It is filled with experiences of people that have gone through what we are going through.

Psa 102:13  Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.

There are sixty-six books in the bible, and however many scriptures.  I covet your prayers that I have a good filter so I can be on target.  As Sister Dorothy was teaching Sunday school, she brought some of my message:

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.

It is vital that we realize that we have an adversary out there that has all sorts of tricks.  There are unknown numbers of things that the enemy works to war upon us and to war upon our mind.  They are principalities that will take us away from worshipping God and steal what God has entrusted us with.

As His children and brothers and sisters in Christ, it is vital that we put on the whole armor of God.  As born again brothers and sisters in Christ, it is important to realize that we are in a real wrestling match against the powers that are out there.  They are listed as principalities. 

We go to bed sometimes and wake up sometimes thrilled in our soul.  We feel, “I am on the mountain top and this eagle experience is glorious.”  Enjoy it because God has ordained that we be in the valley sometimes.  We will battle the battle of casting down imaginations and all these things.  If we put on the whole armor of God then all the powers that are out there cannot overcome us.

There are a lot of strong powers in the world today.  Some of them are not sinful if we keep them in their place.  If we allow anything to become a god to us, then we leave true worship.  Every one of us is well aware that, “My mind keeps drifting away to this when I go to pray.  I find myself crowding God and the things of God out instead of saying, “First I need to worship God today.””

These distractions have powers that work right with them that make it seem, “This is so important that it must be done ahead of everything else.  The only thing that is that important is taking care of our soul, preparing to be God’s child this day and preparing to do His will.

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.

There are those that want to rule, oppress whoever they come in contact with.  The rulers of darkness are a unique class of people.  They expect you to respect whatever they say but they don’t have any respect for your convictions.  This is an old battle.  It is hard to believe that people would want to control someone else. 

This is talking about people that love darkness, are living in sin, and want to move into your territory and begin to control your life.  They are everywhere.  They are probably in every block in every town.  People love control.  It is amazing how people in darkness love control.

Spiritual wickedness in high places.  As long as time remains there will be people that don’t have a possession that take on a religious profession.  That is spiritual wickedness in high places.

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.

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

When people come with a mean spirit it is vital that we handle it with the breast plate of righteousness.  We take a stand on the word of God and with the word of God.  We take a stand for truth.

When we run onto these kinds of things, we need to have an attitude, “You are on the wrong wave length here.”  We need to try to be a peacemaker between them and God.

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

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

Isn’t it wonderful that we can take the shield of faith?  We must have the shield of faith no matter our age or how many years we have been married.  The devil shoots at us to take away whatever God has given us.  The darts attack us in our mind, in our emotions, and whatever way they can. 

The marvelous secret is to get the shield of faith out there.  “This is stopping right here.  I am not going to go there in my thought pattern.”

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

The helmet of salvation protects our thoughts and our ears.  It is a wonderful thing to have the Word of God.  It is as a sword of the Spirit.  The words that I speak to you are spirit and life. 

When you are faced with something, it is a spirit that has come to visit you.  You can be saved however many years but the enemy will still come to accuse and to steal away what God has given us.  We can take the Word of God and say, “I am going on.”

Because I am who I am, by Sunday night I am exhausted.  I am visited before I go to bed every Sunday night by discouragement.  We have a shield of faith, the devil comes to steal everything that we have to be encouraged with.  There are a lot of things to be encouraged about.  As long as people are getting under conviction and counting the cost we have a lot to be encouraged about.

Take the sword of the Spirit.  God and life has brought me to a strong conviction of drunkenness, being sober, and sincere.  The enemy wants you and me to get drunk.  He won’t get me down to the bar.  The enemy is ever working to try to get you, not to backslide, but to just get so involved in whatever it might be that you lose the love of God out of your life. 

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

I try to pray individually for every saint of God and every child.  I have a personal interest in every soul in this congregation.  I want them to make heaven and their lives to blossom for God.  A praying wife can do wonders for a man, a praying saint, a praying mother and a praying grandmother can as well. 

The bible bombs all clicks and clans and all that stuff.  Pray for all saints.

The thought of, “Our Father;” When you pray and I pray, “Our Father:” Say there are fifty of us praying tonight before we go to bed.  Everyone that is saved in Canada saying “Our Father.”  Everyone that is saved in other states, saying, “Our Father.’  

We are all saints; everyone that is saved and walking in the light.  They don’t all have one man as their pastor.  It is those that know God.

We are so blessed, “Our Father.”

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,

Eph 6:20  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Eph 6:21  But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:

Eph 6:22  Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.

Eph 6:23  Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I went through some battles this week.  We will have battles.  Paul said, “Peace to the brethren.”  

Dear sister, dear children, has school been tough this week?  Not every teacher is saved, not everyone in the class is saved.  Sometimes things are very upsetting to the children. 

For the teachers: all students don’t learn the same way, not all parents appreciate your teaching.  There is no perfect job.  When we leave the world, peace. 

Being broken hearted is a part of life.  If some of your family is going through a valley then you are going through it too.  It is wonderful to get together with the body of Christ and they say, “Peace, may it all be at one again.  May it all be brought back together again.”

Love with faith:  faith works by love. 

Eph 6:24  Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. To the Ephesians written from Rome, by Tychicus.

We live in a world where people claim that they love God but they will never pass a test with sincerity.  They are religious.  They are not sincere; they are religious.