Welcome to Gaia! ::

Hello Everyone! Welcome to our church's first sermon. I am Gini ~ known as beaufleur on Gaia. I've been a Christian for MANY years and want to share a not - talked about enough subject - the armour God gives us for protection that we desperately need.

Why do WE need armour?? Because we are expected to be warriors for the kingdom of God. I'll be using many scriptures in this, not all of which I'll post references (it will be too long then) but here's an EXCELLENT resource for Bible verses in every version every made:

http://www.biblegateway.com/

First off, why do we need protection?? John 10:10:

John 10:10 (Amplified Bible)

10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [a]overflows).

Make no mistake, the devil is out to STEAL, KILL, and DESTROY every Christian out there. That's why.

A quick illustration from a woman preacher named Delores Winder about the need for the armour. First off, (and I know her personally) she had a rare disease that was making ALL of her bones crumble into powder. She had been in a body cast for 12 years!!! Which was all that was holding her body together. She had a team of 12 or 14 doctors, huge, huge file, everything has been documented extremely well, and the Lord led a neighbor to take her to a Kathrine Kuhlman healing crusade where God completely healed and restored her. They had even burned out parts of her spinal cord to keep her from feeling all the pain. Her spinal cord was even healed totally. I encourage you to Google her name for more on her healing.

God began to call her to ministry and she kept fighting him. After years of not being able to take care of her family, she only wanted to stay home and do that, not travel and preach!! She was driving one day around a hairpin curve near her house when her steering wheel suddenly got white hot!! (It even left burn marks on her hands!) She let go of the wheel and found her car headed for a huge ditch, she braced herself for impact, but felt something lift her car and set it right side up in the ditch. Very quickly, an ambulance and police car arrived on the scene and they were stunned. They said that many people had gone into that ditch, and that no on had ever survived before!!

She was so shook up at what had happened that she called a friend who took her to her pastor who explained what happened. satan had tried to take her out by making the steering wheel turn white hot and God had had angels preserve her. BUT ... he warned her that God would continue to protect her for a time, but that she needed to learn how to protect herself with the armour. He taught her what it was and how to use it. I'm going to share that with you now. She taught it to me, and I've shared it with countless others.

The devil seeks to take us all out. Now, a lot of people think, okay, there's the armour fine, I've got it. But just like salvation, you need to claim it. And just like a soldier in battle (which is what we are!) we need to put this on every day!!

How?? The same way you claimed your free gift of salvation - verbally! This is something that needs to be proclaimed (said out into the universe for the devil and his angel and for God and His angels to hear!). I will go over that in a moment, first this:

Our main text for today is Ephesians 6:10-18. I will mark the main points in red, the reason we need this armour in blue. Also, as in all prayer, ALWAYS ask God to forgive your sins so that there is no block between you and Him, and you can hear Him clearly.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (King James Version)

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

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

12For 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.

13Wherefore 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.

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

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

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

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

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

These pieces of armour actually protect the parts of the body that they talk about. Also, the easiest way the Lord showed me to memorize this is from the top down. Therefore, that's how I'm going to present it - and I'll use the prayer the Lord gave me to do so:

Thank you Jesus, that you are my HELMET OF SALVATION
(it protects the mind and the thoughts!)

Thank you that you are my BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!
(protecting the heart and the back)

You are my GIRDLE OF TRUTH!
(belt, sash, diff versions use different words, it protects the inner organs)

And my SHOES SHOD WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE
(your feet, of course)

You are my SWORD OF THE SPIRIT - WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD!
(one of our biggest defensive weapons! SAYING verses out loud to fight the enemy)

My SHIELD OF FAITH, WHEREBY I CAN QUENCH ALL THE FIRY DARTS OF THE WICKED!
(Note the use of the word ALL - it means ALL!!)

And MY OVERALL COVERING OF UNCEASING PRAYER!
(how do we pray unceasingly! In our minds, in our hearts, if becomes a constant flow, almost an anthem of music within you - He'll show you gradually, or as you go throughout your day just thank Him for everything you see - you'll very quickly get into the habit of 'practicing the presence of Christ' - which is a book by a monk written in the 1700's about thanking Him for everything you do and see throughout the day - it's POWERFUL!!)

IN THE NAME, AND THE POWER, AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, AMEN!

There are a few other pieces scattered throughout scripture, as you claim the armour you will begin to pick them out here and there. Some off the top of my head are: the garment of praise, the garment of salvation, the robe of righteousness and there's a few others. Those are wonderful additions, but I challenge you to begin with just what is listed in Eph. 6.

If you're under attack, you're going to find life MUCH easier with the armour. No soldier goes out into battle without their protection, and without their weapons. As pastors have said to my friends and churches, 'if you're trying to do warfare without the armour, you're going to get hurt, you have to have your protection on'.

If you're like me and my friends, if you try to put it on in the morning when you first wake up, satan will begin throwing problems at you right away to keep you from praying and claiming your armour for the day. When this began happening, I went to Delores the next time she was at our church and asked her what to do. She said to start claiming it at night before bed since according to scripture, the night starts the day. (12 midnight is the start of our day) I did that, I still do, and that resolved the problem. I simply claim the armour for that night and the next day.

I have been involved in heavy spiritual warfare for years, even kicking demons out of houses with a team of friends, and delivering people from evil spirits as well. THIS IS EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO DO, ESPECIALLY AS THE END APPROACHES! SATAN IS SERIOUS, AND AS ONE OF MY PASTORS ALWAYS SAYS, HE NEVER SLEEPS!

Don't be in fear over these things!! Just do the work and claim them, and trust me, you'll avoid LOTS of problems in your lives!! A temendous amount of evil has been kept from me by knowing how to protect myself, my home, and my family.

Go for it, children of God!!! He calls us Kings and Priests for a reason! We are to be a STRONG PEOPLE MIGHTY IN HIS NAME!

Here is just a taste of what He has for us:

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (Amplified Bible)

14But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ's victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere,

15For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which exhales] unto God, [discernible alike] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing:

16To the latter it is an aroma [wafted] from death to death [a fatal odor, the smell of doom]; to the former it is an aroma from life to life [a vital fragrance, living and fresh]. And who is qualified (fit and sufficient) for these things? [Who is able for such a ministry? We?]

17For we are not, like so many, [like hucksters making a trade of] peddling God's Word [shortchanging and adulterating the divine message]; but like [men] of sincerity and the purest motive, as [commissioned and sent] by God, we speak [His message] in Christ (the Messiah), in the [very] sight and presence of God.

Let us go forth to be the sweet fragrence of Jesus Christ and an aroma to those who are being saved and those who are perishing. Fellow heirs of Jesus Christ! There is a world out there who needs us to minister God's love to them! Let us go forth, standing strong in His armour to do battle, win souls, and bring people closer to Jesus Christ!

I love you all! And I pray a blessed day in the Lord to you! May Jesus Christ fill your hearts and your minds with His Love, His Power, and His Peace!! Amen!!

First of all, Gini this was extremely well done.

I have learned about the armour before, and encountered it many times, but this reminder was definitely neeeded and I've learned to see it all in a new light by the actual claiming of the armour daily.

Also:


Friends and family, the devil may seem big and bad but to be perfectly honest, look at the size of our God and focus on Him. Magnify Him, lift up the name of the Lord in our lives, and trust me....as my friend said, "He is just an 'itsy bitsy teenie weenie step-on-his-head with your foot' devil compared to our God whose throne is the heaven and the earth is his footstool."

A second reminder which was given to me from another friend is that Satan is just a fallen angel who has nothing else to do but go to hell and he's looking company.

Never fear him! Remember your God! Everytime you fear the devil you give him power...and take that which is supposed to be given to your God and give it to him.

Be wise! As small as the devil is, the battle is not YOURS but the LORD'S. If you try to fight him on your own, playing games and arguing with him... you will lose! He has been doing this for MILLENIA! But there are things which you have within you that he FEARS and QUAKES at as Christians:

arrow The power of the name of the Lord. Speak in HIS name, and the devil HAS to back off!

arrow The glory of God! Give God all the glory of the situation. Give Him glory for just being God. Ask Him to shield you in His glory.

arrow Prayer (which I plan on conducting Wednesday's sermon on). Prayer is WARFARE!

arrow Praise!! Everytime you lift up God, you lift Him above your SITUATIONS, your LIFE, and THE DEVIL!


okay... I feel like I'm conducting a second sermon so I'll stop here... xd

I wrote this (from a Christian book) for yesterday's devotional, but this I think goes with today's service. *Claps* Our first service! Awesome job, everyone!

Challenges in life are the enemy's way of trying to discourage our faith. Satan tries to make us think that we are weak and feeble. Then when we hit a rough spot, he hopes we'll turn into a bunch of whiners instead of turning to God.

The Scriptures say that we ought to rejoice when something goes wrong because is means we're doing something right. It means that the Devil is intimidated by what we're doing and how we're living.

When Paul was faced with trials, he said, "You know what, it seems like everythnig is against us, but we're not failures. We have faith, we have courage, and we're not to back off.We're going to keep on believing."
(paraphrase of 2 Cor. 4:8-9) Today, I encourage you to do the same.

Lord, I thank you that you have given me the strength to handle every kind of struggle. I thank you for the trials I am facing. I refuse to give up. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Praise the Lord Saints!!! That was awesome!!

Asha - cool addition and so very, very right on!! Those ARE our weapons and we can wield them mightily for God!!

Thank you for the righteous prayer Kalan!

And James, I love how cute you put things!! YES! I WILL be like Master Chief! And put my armor on EVERY day!!!

Halleluiah!!! Father, thank you for the fellowship and encouragement we've had today with the little church here on Gaia. We thank you that you ARE in the midst of us, creating a haven for your people to draw close to you and to each other. We love you Lord!! Thank you for loving us!!! As a friend of mine puts it:

Viva la Roix!!! (Long live the King!!!)

hee hee hee ...... what he ^ said!!!!