Seattle, May 12, 2005.
63. A WISE AND FITTING PRAYER. The Apostle Paul carried a constant burden for the churches of his day. To the Colosions he wrote that he ceased not to pray for them. His prayer was one for a vital spiritual necessity in their lives and that was that they might be filled with the knowledge of the will of the Lord, and that in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Col. 1:9 Beyond the fundamentals of the gospel there are great treasures of wisdom and knowledge. With the Lord Himself, there is no end to His wisdom and knowledge for He IS both wisdom and knowledge. All of the treasures of the Lord are hidden and awaiting discovery by those who will diligently seek after them. Col. 2:3 The mysteries of the Lord were at one time sealed and hidden from the eyes of men. However, we have come to the age of knowledge. The increase of knowledge was to be a sign of the last days. Right now we are fulfilling that particular sign by running to and fro, by plane, by ship, by car and every other means possible. Knowledge has
mushroomed. The Internet has opened a broad spectrum of learning. Almost any subject is available on the monitor before us. No doubt, we are living exactly as was prophesied in Daniel 12:4 These are the last days.
PAUL WROTE TO THE PHILLIPIANS ON THIS SAME THEME. His prayers were directed toward them for a particular purpose. That their love might abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgment. Phil. 1:9 As knowledge increases in the world so the knowledge of Christ must increase in the church. The motivating force of seeking after Him is a love for Him. That love will bring about a beautiful and very intimate knowledge of who He is and exactly what His will is for us. Paul prayed for specifically three things. That they would approve and seek after those things that are excellent. True excellence is found in the Lord. That they would be sincere in their efforts to seek the Lord. Sincerity in serving the Lord is a gift from Him. No ulterior purposes whatsoever but a profound sincerity before the Lord Jesus. Then he prayed a most important prayer and that was that they might be without offense until the day of Christ. Phil. 1:10 The scriptures are replete with both an open and a subtle approach to that which is the will
of the Lord for these last days for His church. His will is that His church reach a standard of holiness, in the end of the age, that is equal to Himself. He is constantly working with us in cleansing and sanctification that when His building project is complete, it will be a perfect structure. Beautiful beyond human words and expectation. He will be glorified in a church that reaches an equality with Him in all things. His Bride will be glorified in and by Him. They share and share alike for they both have the same eternal goals. On earth, it is but the beginning of a love story that is everlasting and eternal. Precious, precious, precious are the words, when He shall appear, we shall BE LIKE HIM, for we shall see Him as He is. 1 John 3:2