DEAD FLY #3 (Some how this dead fly got lost in the shuffle, satan probably hid it. Satan knows he can not defeat GOD.)

Ecclesiastes 10:1 (KJV) “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.”

Psalms 139:23,24  (KJV) “Search me, o GOD, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the ways everlasting.”

This is one thing I have learned, and you have probably have also, is to shine the light of “GOD’s WORD” on my own heart and not on someone else. Not on Jim, John, or Mary; not on the other members of the church but on me!! OH GOD SEARCH ME, TRY ME, OH GOD SEE IF THERE IS ANY WICKED WAY IN ME LORD

Maybe I forgot and left the lid off of the ointment and the ole flys got in there and got stuck and died. It doesn’t matter, really, how the “DEAD FLIES” got in there, the fact still remains that they are there and we’ve got to get them out of there, we have got to get the ointment back to were it’s good enough to bring healing to world, to do the work that GOD sent it for.  We left off with DEAD FLIES 1,2. LACK OF LOVE, LACK OF FORGIVENESS

Dead fly #3: Lack of “ARMOUR” the CHURCH, the BODY of CHRIST is no longer dressed for battle.

 1: Ephesians 6:10-18  There are so many thoughts that these particular scritures bring to mind, so many instructions for those of the church. So many of the born again Christians of these times that really don’t believe that there is a war going on. The word “wrestle” means “struggle” the lost people of the world are not you enemy, “satan” is your enemy and he is a wiley critter. He is real and he is tough, and he is a worthy opponent, not worthy of any praise but it’s good to know the strength of your enemy, so you are going to need to be dressed for “battle”, because you can not defeat him by your self, you will need every weapon that GOD can and will supply for you.

So, what kind of offensive and defensive weapons are we going to use. Not just SOME but ALL of them. Never go half-dressed for battle. Can you immagine being in a fierce battle without having weapons Defensive or Offensive. My dad was in the Artillery during World War 2, so could you imagine pulling into position to lay down a barrage and having no shells to use.

1: Truth: Loins girt about, 1st Peter 1: 13)(KJV) “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” satan can’t have your soul because if you are “Born Again” you are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 1:13)(KJV) “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of you salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were SEALED with the holy Spirit of promise,” and (Ephesians 4:30)(KJV) “And grieve not the holy Spirit of GOD, whereby ye are SEALED unto the day of redemption.” and (2 Corinithians 1:21,22)(KJV) “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is GOD; Who hath also SEALED us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” But, satan can really raise havoc with your mind, and that is why we as Christians should be renewing our mind daily. (Romans 12:2)(KJV) “And be not conformed to the world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of GOD.”

2: Breastplate: (2 Corinithians 5:21)(KJV) “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of GOD in him.” Our righteousness is as filthy rags, so the only righteousness we have is the “RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST” because JESUS was sin free. Listen to what the Apostle Paul told the Philippians in the 3rd Chapter and verse 9: “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of GOD by faith:”

3: Gospel of Peace: The GOSPEL of PEACE is the GOOD NEWS of JESUS CHRIST. GOD HIMSELF coming in the flesh, actively left heaven and came to this sin-laden earth, incarnate in the virgin womb of Mary, to “seek and save that which was lost” I hope you are glad he came and have chosen HIS sacrifice for the atonement for your sins. To have your feet SHOD with this message, means that you are willing help GO and spread HIS word. When JESUS told HIS disciples to go, listen to how HE said it in (Mark 16:15,16)(KJV) “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” I know that it is not popular in a lot of churches and places to preach “hellfire and damnation” but it is part of this great directive that JESUS gave and we must be going, going, going and taking the “GOOD NEWS of JESUS” to a lost and dying world for that is the only thing that will stop lost souls from burning in a flaming, hot place called “HELL”. You may say well I’m too old to go, do you go to the grocery store, PREACH IT THERE! Do you go to the barber shop, PREACH IT THERE! Do you go to the bank, PREACH IT THERE! Where ever you go, PREACH IT THERE! I worked at a stove manufacturer and they told me I couldn’t talk about JESUS or the BIBLE because it might offend people. OOPS!! I shared the gospel with engineers from all over the United States and from all over the world. I retired there after 23 years, I never could get them to fire me. 🙂 This company was one of the best mission fields I have ever seen. You work at a JOB, PREACH IT THERE!

4: Shield of Faith: The BIBLE says that the JUST shall live by FAITH, so what is this FAITH that the Apostle Paul writes about? You won’t find a better difinition for it than what you find right in the BIBLE. Listen how the writer of HEBREWS says in the 1st verse of the 11th chapter: (Hebrews 11:1)(KJV): “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

(Romans 3:21-27)(KJV)The kind of FAITH that the debt that JESUS paid for, with HIS precious blood on the cross, washed away your sin. A firm belief, a firm persausian that Jesus the Christ died for you and became your propitiation, my propitiation, and the propitiation for all of the world so that all might be saved. The whole of these verses can be summed up by the 28th verse where the bible records “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by FAITH without the deeds of the law.” The “firey darts” of the devil have been experienced by anyone and everyone that has tried to advance the propagation of the GOSPEL, so keep that “SHIELD OF FAITH” out in front of you as you progress for CHRIST! By the way, you won’t need one for the back because if you are not advancing forward for JESUS, satan is not worried about you and won’t be firing any of those darts at your back.

5: Sword of the Spirit: (Hebrews 4:12)(KJV) “For the word of GOD is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing assunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” GOD would not give you a weapon that was weak. HE has given you a WEAPON that is more “POWERFUL” than any other weapon known of. The WORD of GOD is what the HOLY SPIRIT uses to REGENERATE YOU, to RENEW YOUR MIND, and to REDIRECT YOUR PATH. READ IT! LIVE IT! SPEAK IT! Remember the WORD of GOD is INERRANT, INFALIBLE, and contains no mistakes.

6: Helmet of Salvation: Maybe you are thinking how do I get this helmet. A defensive WEAPON that protects one of the most vital parts of the body. The HOUSE, the DWELLING PLACE of the brain. You get it by calling upon the NAME of JESUS the CHRIST (Acts 4:12) (KJV) says “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” When the Apostle Paul was instructing the young preacher at Ephesus, Timothy, he said in his first letter in the 2nd chapter and the 5th verse “For there is one GOD, and one mediator between GOD and men, the man CHRIST JESUS;”

7: Prayer: And when dressed and ready with all of the other weapons “PRAY”, for that is how we communicate with the LEADER of our FAITH, the CHIEF CORNERSTONE, the HEAD of the BODY OF CHRIST! Prayer changes things and puts all of our other weapons into action! I want to close with reminding you of this one account of the life of the Apostle Paul, he and Silas were in prison in Philippi for the preaching of the Gospel. Paul and Silas were beaten with many stripes but at midnight were PRAYING and SINGING HYMNS of PRAISES to GOD and GOD caused an earthquake to come and delivered them from there bonds and opened the doors of the prison. This prompted the jailer to ask Paul and Silas about it all, listen to part of that account that is recorded in (Acts 16:29-31)(KJV) “Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Read the whole account in the 16th chapter of the Actos of the Apostles.