Brother Gary Wednesday Night 2/24/16

Brother Gary Wednesday Night 2/24/16

It is vital that we receive the grace of God to our benefit, to receive not the grace of God in vain.  Can you imagine what it was like when Brother Warner got the song, In the Light of God? 

Along a dark and gloomy path
I groped beneath the shades of death. 
No hope beyond my dying breath
‘til light from the Savior came. 

In the light of God, now my soul is singing,
All, all is bright. 
In the light, of God,
I’m now in the light of God.”

2Co 6:3  Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:

2Co 6:4  But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

In all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God: By the Word of truth.  We live in a world where it is getting harder and harder to find a sinner.  Everyone is praying and has a religious lingo. 

It is the truth that sets you free. 

We want to be prepared and start praying now that God will create a hungering in the soul of our new neighbors that they will know the truth.

By the power of God.  May God help me and you to grasp: “God help us to not limit the power of God.”  My mind argues when I think of talking to someone, “They won’t want to hear it.”  I have had people call me and say, “I am pretty sure you are thinking this or that.”  No I am not. 

When you feel a burden for someone and you hear a voice, “They wouldn’t…” by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left. 

Maybe some of you can get dressed with just one hand, but most of us need both of our hands to get everything together.  We need to be well armored on the right hand and on the left.

Take the shield of faith. 

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

The shield of faith is either built for you or built by you.  Taking the shield of faith.  The shield of faith is huge.  It is as big, or bigger, than you are.  It is designed to cover every area of our life. 

There are many areas in our life.  If you and I don’t have a shield of faith big enough that covers every area of our life, then when social security for example falls apart and you get a letter, “We had to cut it in half because there is not enough money to go around,” then you will fall to pieces.

We have to have our family on the altar.  If you haven’t let God build the shield of faith for you or you haven’t built your shield of faith so big that your relatives cannot get to you, then the enemy will move in on you and you will go over, “Why did my sister marry however many people and the same guy three times?”  Should I get an attitude toward a dead person? 

We have to have that shield of faith.  It will not be incidental that so in so knows how to push your buttons.  It isn’t them but more, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood.”  Flesh and blood enters into this wrestle; what they do wars on our mind.

We live in a world where people watch TV 24/7 in some houses.  In order for you and me to win this battle then we need a shield of faith bigger than we are. 

Everyone here has lost sleep because of their family.  They went to bed, and maybe couldn’t get to sleep, “What is going to happen?  Is my relative going to go out into eternity lost?”  Am I going to let this distract me so that I come into the house of God and don’t sing?  Am I going to let this heartache, we know heartache, keep me from functioning in the body of Christ?

The design of the enemy is to send something in that paralyzes us and wounds us.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities.  We all know the domino effect of things.  This happens and then that happens, then one more thing happens.  May God help me and you to have a shield of faith bigger than we are. 

The enemy is out to use every principality that he can to hinder us spiritually.  If the enemy can get us to be sickly spiritually then it hinders the whole body of Christ.

We fight against powers.  We need to have the shield of faith big enough that when the powers of darkness come against our soul we say, “You are not going to cast me down, take me from my devotions, or keep me from seeking God.”

The rulers of darkness of this world:  There are a lot of rulers of darkness even in Sanders County.  If the enemy can get that spirit to us, if the shield of our faith is not bigger than we are and stops that thing, then we are hindered in our journey.

We sang the song, “I’m glad that I counted the cost.”  We don’t want to miss heaven.  I want to make it. 

We wrestle against spiritual wickedness in high places.  The enemy will look for someone that will fail spiritually and then him bring that as a war against your soul.

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 to our benefit to put on the whole armor of God.  If the enemy can get to you he will have you wrestling in your mind and in your emotions.  He will get you to do things so that your conscience is not keen.  We want our conscience keen.

The enemy is wrestling in the thought of devouring our soul.  He uses all the tricks of darkness.  Wherever you think that the enemy will show up from, it probably will not be there. 

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.

We wrestle against principalities.  The enemy likes to use things that he can make look real and then magnify.  We wrestle against these things.

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;

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.

I believe that we serve a God that wants us to be alert enough spiritually that when the enemy is over there shooting his darts, we hear it coming and we lift up that shield of faith. 

I talked to a blind man recently that told me that he loved floating the rivers and especially the white water.  He is young and people say, “Aren’t you afraid to do that?”  He told them that if you listen then you will know what is ahead of you.” 

“When you hear this certain sound then it is this and if you hear this other then it is this.  But if you hear this sound then it is really important that you be careful.  For if you get into those wrong then you will go down and be capsized.”

God wants you and me to be prepared.

Peter was writing to those that were saved and sanctified.

2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

God wants us to build the shield of faith and then begin to add virtue.  Love people right and have them in their right place.  God helped me to see anew this week that I am no one’s savior.  Only God can see people saved.  We want to love and care for them. 

To our virtue we want to add knowledge and know about life.  We don’t want to just blunder.  There are some things that will help me spiritually and there are some that are a snare to me.  People that take chances can end up snared forever.

We need to have knowledge.  God gave us this treasure in earthen vessels.  We need to set good standards and stay with them.  Have temperance in every part of our life.  Take care of this earthen vessel.

We have to have a shield of faith.  I believe that I have to build my shield of faith by practical experience.  God teaches us patience.  We sometimes have run ahead of God and later we wished that we would have prayed longer, sought counsel, and viewed the experience in the light of eternity.

We want to keep our conscience pure, clean, and alive.  A good conscience brings godliness. 

Brotherly kindness: when the enemy tries to work something between you and a brother, then brotherly kindness.  It is mighty nice when Brother Figeroa calls and says, “Brother I want you to know that I love you.  How are you?” 

My brother called for the first time in years and wants us to come see his new furniture, it is mighty nice.  If you have called your brother many times and he has never called back, he is walking a different road than you are, we don’t keep track.

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If these things be in you and abound…

Make sure that you have that shield of faith that is bigger than you are for we are in the battle of battles.  But we can take the shield of faith and be more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ.

Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.