Affirming

"Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: 'Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all'." Proverbs 31.28b-29

Women need to be affirmed. They need to be told that they are loved, not because they forget, but because its part of who they are as women. It isn't a needy thing, but part of their make up. Women were created by God to be loved, part of loving them is telling them.

Her husband tells her that he loves her daily. He pours into her words of affection. But more than that, he affirms her. Her tells her that she's beautiful. He builds her up with his words. He tells her that she is the only one he's ever desired, reminds her that she stands out among women.

For a wife to know she truly is the woman of noble character, her husband must tell her how he sees her. It is a husbands job to love and affirm his wife. To show her how beautiful she is, inside and out, not simply to him, but to God as well. A husband must affirm his wife.

I'll be honest, this is one I need to work on. I love my wife. She's the most incredible and beautiful woman in the world. But she needs to be told that. I'm a pastor, I speak publicly for a living, but honestly sometimes with her it's just hard to get words out. So I have to find a way. Today I wrote her a note and put it in her purse for her to find later in the day when she's at work. Men, how do you communicate your feelings to your wife? Words? Music? Poetry? How ever you speak to her, and however she needs to hear it, tell her, and tell her often.

My wife just called me, an the edge of happy tears. She found the card and felt so special. I have affirmed her for the morning, but that doesn't mean I'm done for the day, just like saying I love you on our wedding day doesn't mean I've said if for life. It's a daily thing, like breathing. Affirm your wife, and watch how much more incredible she becomes because of it.

Peace be with you

Respected

"Her husband is known in the gates,when he sits among the elders of the land." Proverbs 31.23

The man of Proverbs 31 is not only trusting of his wife, but he is trusted by the people of his community. He is known by the public, and he sits with the leaders of the city. He is involved in the business of the community, people know him and respect him. This may seem like a fairly simple description; but as I was reading it I got the impression that this is more than simply being respected by the community.

As we read the last verses of Proverbs 31 we see the description of a noble woman, a wife of noble character, and in this one verse, I think it is telling us that her husband is a noble man, a man of noble character. I think this verse takes all of the characteristics of the woman, and here applies them to the man she is married to.

Men, if you want to marry a woman that is described here in Proverbs, then you have to be a man of noble character. To be worthy of a the woman described here, we must live to the same standards, with the same integrity and work ethic. Our passion for God must dominate our lives, our focus must be on Him and the benefit of others, especially the good of our families. We must be men of noble character.

Peace be with you

Trusting

"The heart of her husband trusts in her,and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." Proverbs 31.11-12

The first characteristic we see is that he trusts her. It isn't a head knowledge believing that she is capable, but it comes from his heart. He knows that he can trust her. He doesn't have to worry about anything in the home, in her work, or in their marriage. She does him good; not harm or evil, but good.

A husband must trust his wife. He must believe her, and believe in her. He must know that she is capable of incredible things. My wife and I were at a Tim Hawkins performance a few months ago and he was talking about how incredible his wife was. He made the joke, "If she ever leaves me, I'm going with her."

The wife of noble character works hard, and does so much, both in and out of the home. Her husband trusts her. He knows she is faithful to him, and he knows she is able to do whatever she sets her mind to. He trusts her, and therefore supports her. He wants her to do well and succeed in whatever she does. And when that happens he has no lack of gain. The love and respect he has from his wife grows, their marriage and life together is strengthened.

The wife of noble character, must have a husband who trusts her, that is his first characteristic, trust.

Peace be with you

The Proverbs 31...Man?

For Christmas I bought my wife a new Bible. She told me after opening it and looking through it that she always wanted one like it. It's a woman's devotional Bible. It has information about each book at the beginning, the main verses pulled out in each section, thought starters, reading plans, and the cover was blue and green.

I also bought her a highlighter that is specially designed for Bible pages in that it won't bleed through. And so after she had confirmed that she loved it I highlighted a passage for her, Proverbs 31.10-31. The heading in the NASB is "A Description of a Worthy Woman" while the NIV has it "The Wife of Noble Character". I read through it, and I see my wife. The characteristics of the unnamed woman are the same that I see in my wife; confident, sure, hardworking, respected, and in love with God. The woman is the focus of the chapter, many women desire that those same characteristics be said of them. But she is not the only one listed in these verses.

In order for a woman to be a wife, there has to be a husband. And in Proverbs 31.10-31, that man is seen. I believe that if a woman is going to be the wife described at the end of Proverbs, she must have the husband who is also described here.

The Bible has a lot to say to men, I've thought about starting another blog focused simply on that subject. For now we'll start here, and for the next few days we'll examine the man of Proverbs 31.

Peace be with you

Holiness

The big thing for the Church of the Nazarene is holiness. We are a holiness denomination. It's called by many different names, sanctification, Christlikeness, Christian perfection, to name a few. But it all comes down to the same thing, growth in grace to become more like Christ and go deeper in our relationship with God. Holiness is about life transformation.

Holiness is essential. Leviticus 11.44a, "For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy." God commands us to be holy. We are God's people, we reflect Him, and so we need to be like Him, to look like Him and act like Him. We must be Holy because our Father and Master is holy.

Look at Exodus to Deuteronomy, these books are filled with God telling His people that they, and all they own, build, and work on, is Holy because it is God's and that they are His people. Holiness is essential for those who belong to God. Hebrews 12.14, "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord." The NIV says, "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." In order to see God we must be holy.

Holiness is not absolute perfection. Sanctification is not the inability to sin. Though there are some who will claim that it is. Sanctification is being set aside for God's use. It is being cleansed from a desire to sin, not the ability, and that desire for sin is replaced by a desire for God. It comes after salvation, where we are cleansed of the stain and guilt of sin. Holiness takes us deeper and makes us more like Christ. It transforms us into the image of Jesus, Romans 8.29-30, "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."

God created us to be holy, and many feel that they can't be. I think part of this is due to a false understanding of holiness. And I think part of it is failing to realize that we don't make ourselves holy. Leviticus 21.8b, says, "for I the LORD, who sanctifies you, am holy." God is the one who sanctifies us. The blood of Christ washes us from sin, and the life that Jesus lived is our example of holiness, He is the model we are to imitate. The Holy Spirit works in our lives to help us become more like Christ.

Holiness is not an option, it is essential, because without it we will not see God. If our lives are not transformed into the image of Christ, we cannot see God because if we don't look like Christ we look like us, a sinful human being. Holiness is life transformation, and that is what Jesus came to accomplish. He talks all through the Gospel of John about giving eternal life. Eternal life is not something that must wait for heaven, it is available now, because it is holiness. It is a life transformation that God has made possible. God is holy. Jesus serves as our example of holiness, He shows us what God is like, and the Holy Spirit works in our lives to make us holy.

That is the point of Christmas. God loved the world that He sent His only Son to save the world as John 3.16 tells us. Jesus came to earth to show us what God is like, and to pay for sin. Jesus came to die and rise again so that we could be cleansed from sin and begin this journey of holiness. And He sent the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, so that we could become a holy people.

This whole post started with me talking to myself about how every sermon needs to be a holiness sermon. And when we see that holiness is about life transformation to mold us into the image of Christ, we see that holiness is the reason we preach. It is all about holiness.

Peace be with you

Christmas Crown

This is my first Christmas as a senior pastor, and honestly it feels like any other week right now. About a month ago a man in the church was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. There is no known cure, and we know that God is able to work miracles, but in many ways this disease is a death sentence.

As I've sat and visited him, there is this feeling that I really can't describe. I'm not freaking out. I had an incident my second week on the job where I was at the hospital with a family that didn't know if husband/dad/grandpa was going to make it through the night. I'm by no means an expert, and probably never will be, but the overwhelming shock of the situation is gone. It's just a different feeling sitting with a man who knows that unless God does something, he is going to die from this disease. It isn't like cancer where there is a chance of beating it. It really is a final countdown.

As we talked last week he told me that he's a little afraid because he's never been through death before, none of us have, but Jesus has. And Jesus will walk with us every step of the way. I was looking through a catalog a few minutes ago and I saw something I had gotten my mom for Christmas a few years ago. Most people have a star or an angel on top of their Christmas tree, my mom has a crown of thorns from Jerusalem. This Sunday, Christmas day, my sermon text is Philippians 2.1-11. It talks about how Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death. He came, to die; not to wear a crown of gold, but one made of twisted thorn branches.

Before the sermon I'm using a clip from the Skit Guys called "Christmas Connection". In it two guys are discussing what happened to baby Jesus, and one finally realizes that the Jesus born in the manger is the same Jesus that died on the cross. Once he puts it all together he says, "I guess we should just try to view Christmas instead of one isolated event and more of an ongoing story about our salvation." It's important that Jesus came, but more important than that is why He came.

I talked with my mentor yesterday, and he said, "Often times we look at death as a failure, as a loss, 'He lost his battle with cancer.' 'I lost my father.' But with Christians it isn't that way. Death is a gain, not loss and failure." As he was talking my mind went to Paul's words in Philippians 1.21-23, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;" For the Christ follower, death is gain. Death is the gateway to life that never ends, a perfect life with no sadness, sorrow, or pain. Paul said to depart and be with Christ is very much better.

Jesus came to make all of this possible. That is the point of Christmas. Jesus came to die on the cross, to defeat sin death and hell by rising again. He did this so that we can not only experience eternal life with Him in heaven, but so that we would be able to experience it now, and face the journey of death with courage and confidence. That is what Christmas is all about.

Peace be with you

Computer Problems

For the last two weeks my sermon writing day has began with computer issues. I have adopted my mentor's sermon writing process in part. Monday you read the text, that's it. He writes it out, sometimes I do this recently I haven't been just because the sections have been large. Tuesday I read and take notes on things I observe, questions that I have, and words or phrases that intrigue me and I want to look at in the original language. Wednesday is commentary day, reading what other people have seen and found. My mentor says one of the biggest mistakes you can make with sermon writing is consulting a commentary too soon because at that point you no longer know what your original thoughts are. After working with the text for three days, Thursday is the day I sit down to write, and for the last two weeks, Thursday has begun with computer issues.

I have spent hours in store and on the phone with people who aren't providing the customer service that a company should provide. People say they can't do anything and that I need to call this number. I call the number they give me another number. In store they say there is nothing they can do even though I have a warranty I paid for. It's a very stressful experience that I don't wish upon anyone. And it's the last thing you need when you're trying to write a sermon for Sunday.

But I've come to see in the last few hours that the computer issues have been God trying to get my attention. Last week I sat down Saturday to write the sermon for the next day, and as I'm writing it hits me that the message isn't for this week, God is leading me in another direction. I had to save it for the next week and come up with something new. Fortunately it's God who is guiding all of this and He doesn't drop the ball. He laid the four weapons of the enemy on my heart that past week because that was what He wanted me to preach.

This week is our children's Christmas program at church. There will hopefully be visitors, the parents of the children in the program. The section of John I was going to be using last week is fully focused on salvation, and my thought was God wants it this week so I'll save it, and it's pretty much done. But as I sat down yesterday to finish what I had started five days earlier, I was greeted by more computer issues. More time on the phone, more frustration, and once it's resolved, not motivation to write a sermon.

My wife and I went to lunch, and since she's going to be taking on Wednesday night children's ministry we were able to spend the afternoon together at a Christian book store looking for material and resources for Wednesday night church. While we were there I saw something that I had been meaning to buy but had forgotten about. It's a four dvd pack by Louie Giglio called The Heart of Passion. Last night we watched two of them, Indescribable and How Great is our God.

I have seen both of them before, but last night I was reminded of how awesome God is. In both of these Louie talks about the universe, the wonders that are out there, the size of all of it. Indescribable focuses on the greatness of God, how God is at the heart of everything, and how Jesus came to die on a cross. How Great is our God focuses on the size of the universe and us in it, how small we are compared to how big the universe is, and how small the universe is compared to God. And yet how God, the creator of all of it knows each of us by name, and cares about each of us. God Himself holds us together.

As I listened to him I realized that God wanted me to share that with the people this Sunday. That the God who made the vast universe, a universe full of wonders, billions of galaxies, countless stars, cares about us so much that He came to a speck in the universe to die on a cross in order to save us from sin. It truly is indescribable, God truly is so great.

Christmas is all about the creator showing us how much He loves us. He came to earth, a place you can't even see if you look at a picture of our galaxy, and died on a cross to save us. That is what Christmas is all about, it really makes computer problems seem insignificant.

Peace be with you

Mary, the Mother of Jesus

John MacArthur has a book called, Twelve Extraordinary Women, one of them is Mary. I haven't read all of it, but the parts I have are very good.

Mary is a woman who was highly favored by God more than any other woman in the Bible. She was chosen by God out of all of the women who have ever been born, to be the instrument that brought that brought the Messiah into the world. But while she is the most highly favored women, MacArthur points out that we must be careful not to elevate her too much. She was simply a woman. She is not the central focus of worship, her Son is.

Mary was a humble woman. She was an average girl, from a common family, in a poor town of Israel. She is pledged to be married to a carpenter. She is a descendant of David, but not from the royal line as Joseph was.

Mary is an example of faith, sincere worship, and trust in God. She was dependent upon Him. When the angle came to her she was probably a young teenager. An angel came to her and told her she would give birth to the Son of God. She asks how this can happen, physically it was impossible because she was a virgin, and the angle told her that nothing is impossible with God. This blessing came with hardships. Mary was an unwed girl, and everyone would have thought she had been unfaithful to Joseph. She could have faced stoning, and she would have been despised by the community. She knew all of this, but her response to the angel was, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word."

Mary humbly submitted to the will of God. She was a young woman, but had a mature faith. In Luke 1.46-55 we have what is known as The Magnificat, and Mary in it rejoices in God. She talks of Him as her Savior, one who has looked upon someone like her, and blessed her. She speaks of how He is mighty and has done great things, and that His name is holy. He gives mercy to those who fear Him, and shows His strength. He humbles the proud and the mighty, but He fills the hungry. He reminds Israel of His mercy. Mary saw God as the giver of every blessing, as the source of grace.

As Jesus grew she was there for Him. She loved Him as only a mother can. And even as their relationship changed from parent/child to Lord/servant, she stayed at His side, even at the cross she was present for her Son in His last hours. Mary is an example of a Godly woman, and a Godly mother. She was fully focused on the worship of God, even when it meant watching her first born take His rightful place and then suffer and die.

John MacArthur closes his chapter on Mary with this, "Mary never claimed to be, or preached to be, anything more than a humble handmaiden of the Lord...The lowly perspective reflected in Mary's Magnificat is the same simple spirit of humility that colored all her life and character. It is truly regrettable that religious superstition has, in effect, turned Mary into an idol. She is certainly a worthy woman to emulate, but Mary herself would undoubtedly be appalled to think anyone would pray to her, venerate images of her, or burn candles in homage to her. Her life and her testimony point us consistently to her Son. He was the object of her worship. He was the one she recognized as Lord. He was the one she trusted for everything. Mary's own example, seen in the pure light of scripture, teaches us to do the same."

Mary, the woman who gave physical life to Jesus through birth, serves as an example to all of us of faith, trust and worship. Let's emulate her life, not deify her and disgrace her memory.

Peace be with you

Joseph, the Carpenter who Raised Jesus

The last two weeks in our evening service at church we've looked at the people who were given the privilege to raise Jesus. As I was looking at their lives it's evident that they were models of God worshipers, as well as men and women and parents. Their lives and characteristics set them apart, and they were blessed with the privilege of spending years with Jesus.

Joseph is one of the famous characters in the Bible, but he is seen in only four chapters of the Bible, two in Matthew and two in Luke. Later in His ministry people identify Jesus as the son of Joseph, but tradition holds that Joseph died before Jesus began His ministry. We know that Joseph was a carpenter from Nazareth, that his father was named Jacob, and that he is a descendant of David's son Solomon, who followed his father as King.

Scripture tells us that Joseph was a righteous man. We see in scripture that he waited on, and obeyed God. We see compassion in him, and the protectiveness of a husband and father. Joseph did what few men in his position would have done. He could have had Mary stoned for adultery. But instead he risks his own reputation and standing in the community to be obedient to God. He raises a son that isn't his, he sets an example of masculinity to a young boy, and to all of us today.

It wasn't easy, I'm sure it was intimidating. There is a line in The Nativity Story Joseph and Mary are on there way to Bethlehem, they talk about how they will know when Jesus is more then just a child. As they talk Joseph says, "I wonder if I will even be able to teach Him anything."

Joseph was obediant to God. He took on a task that would be socially frowned upon, and a task that no one would feel capable of, but he was blessed greatly. This past week I realized that Joseph had more one on one time with Jesus than anyone else who ever lived. The hours they would have spent together in the carpenters shop, the son learning the skills of the trade from His father. A boy having a man pour time into His life. Jesus was fully human, and as every boy does, needed a man to help Him become a man. Joseph would have talked with Him about God, about the scriptures, about worship and righteousness.

Joseph is a model to all men. We are to be examples of righteousness in our lives. We must be willing to do the difficult thing. And when we have the opportunity, we must pour into the lives of boys. We must teach them the things of God, the things that make a man a man. We must bestow masculinity and initiate boys into manhood. Joseph did this with the human side of Jesus, and Joseph was blessed with time with God. Joseph is a model of a man and of a father.

Peace be with you

Two Men

As I've talked about the weapons of the enemy we've seen two Biblical examples of their usage. One in the beginning with the first humans, and they failed. With that failure came sin and death. But the second man came to make all things right. He came to pick up the battle where it left off and win the war. He faced the same weapons, and the same enemy, but He was victorious.

Romans 5 says, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Verses 12-21).

Jesus came and faced the same test as Adam and Eve. He faced the same weapons, but He was victorious. As in any fight there are hits that we take. Adam and Eve took them, were knocked down, and defeated. Jesus took the hits as well. His were worse because of Adam's loss. His involved a beating, a crucifixion, and a tomb. But Jesus got back up.

I think of a line for the movie Rocky Balboa, "But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you!"

I think of the line from the movie Robin Hood , "Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions."

Two men faced the same weapons wielded by the same deadly enemy. One man fell and didn't get back up, and because of that defeat the world is in the state that it is. Another man came to fight the same battle. It looked like He had been defeated, but what appeared to be a loss was really the ultimate victory. And it's a victory that He offers to us.

Jesus has showed us how to fight the battle against Satan; and it's a battle He has already won. He invites us to share that victory. The whole reason He came to earth was to win this victory, the prize is ultimate glory, and the redemption of the universe. And Jesus calls us to share in the victory, the redemption, and the glory.

We face the same enemy and the same weapons that Jesus faced. We will be knocked down, but we don't have to be defeated. There is a song by Chris Tomlin that I've written about before. It tells us that Jesus has overcome, that through His victory we have peace, and that in Him we can take the hits, rise and move forward victorious.

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

"Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions." The Lamb of God was humbly slain, the Lion of Judah rose in power. He calls us to rise with Him.

Peace be with you

Weapon 4: Division

Division, "the act or process of dividing; state of being divided."

Satan uses his final weapon in Genesis 3.1, "Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Indeed, has God said, "You shall not eat from any tree of the garden"?'" Did you notice how he divides them? It says he said to the woman. Verse 6 tells us that Adam was there with her, but Satan doesn't address him, just her. He doesn't invite Adam to share what God said. He divides them and Eve is forced to assume a role she was never meant to have.

When this happens, nothing good can occur. Eve takes the fruit and eats it, and then gives some to Adam who also eats. And when they do, sin enters the world. They cover themselves with fig leaves as verse 7 says, and then in verse 8 they hide from God. They are not only divided in the battle, but as a result of the loss they are cut off from God. They are divided from their source of life and as a result all of creation is cursed as well.

Jesus too is tempted with division. Satan tries to get Him to work for His own glory instead of Gods. In verse 3 he tries to get Jesus to selfishly use His power for His own benefit, and not rely upon God to sustain Him He tries to get Him to be separated from His true source of life.

Again in verse 6 Satan invites Jesus to take matters into His own hands. To test and see if the scriptures are true and put God to the test. Jesus again would be doing things His way, not God's. And in verse 9 Satan offers Jesus a way to fulfill His mission in a way that removes the cross. He simply needs to turn His back on God and worship him for a moment, and it can all go away.

Each time Jesus refuses, Jesus stays connected to His Father, His source of life. He brings the promises that scripture tells us of God. He remains faithful and trusts that God's plan is best, and that God will not abandon Him.

Division is the result of the other three. If we buy into the lies of Satan's first three weapons, division is a natural result. We are deceived that God and others don't care, or that we're the problem, and so we take off by ourselves. We are discouraged and embarrassed by results and so we avoid people who could help us. We have doubts that we can succeed, or that God will be faithful, and we run and look for the easy way. And in all of these situations we end up alone.

Division is a death sentence. Jesus said, "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand." (Mark 3.24) Where there is division nothing can get accomplished. Where people refuse to work together there can be no progress. Jesus beat division and stayed faithful and connected to His Father. We have the tools to do the same.

We surround ourselves with the belt of truth, and we refuse to buy into the lies of Satan. We cover ourselves we the breastplate of righteousness, and firmly stand in our relationship with God. We have sure footing because of the shoes of peace, and we stand our ground assured that God is with us. We take up the shield of faith and we stand in rank with others and fight together to win the battle. We put on the helmet of salvation and embrace the promise that we now belong to God and that nothing can separate us from Him. And we draw on the power of the sword of the spirit, and cut through the lies and barriers of the enemy.

We must stay connected to God and we must have fellowship with others. I think of the line from Gladiator as Maximus and the others prepare for their first battle in the Colosseum. He says to them, "Whatever comes out of these gates, we've got a better chance of survival if we work together. Do you understand? If we stay together we survive." If we stay together we survive.

Don't allow Satan to separate you from others and from God. Stand firm, pour into the truth of Scripture and spend time in prayer, communicating with God. Stay together, and we not only survive, but through the power of Christ, we kick tail.

Peace be with you

Weapon 3: Doubt

Doubt, "To be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe. To distrust."

Satan's third weapon is doubt. We see this again in Genesis 3.1, "Did God really say,..." Right at the beginning we see God's word brought into question. If Adam and Eve cannot trust what God has said, how can they trust God. Doubt is a powerful weapon becasue it begins so subtlety.

As soon as Satan can get us to begin to question the truth of God, and what God has really said, our trust in God is shaken. At this point, Eve misquotes God, adding things into God's instructions and boundaries. And at this point Satan is free to twist what God said further, and spin lies causing them to stumble.

It is ok to ask God questions; it's ok to wonder. But there has to be trust that no matter what God is right. God has our best interest at heart, and that no matter what happens it will result in the glory of God and the expansion of His kingdom.

Doubt is an attack not only on belief, our faith, but on our identity as well. We see this with Jesus in Matthew 4. "The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God...'" At the very beginning of the temptation, Satan begins by challenging who Jesus is. In Matthew 3, Jesus baptism, verse 17 says, "And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'"

Right before His temptation begins, Jesus is given an identity by His Father. Satan challenges that. It's an invitation for Jesus to prove to Himself that He is who the Father says. It's an invitation to use His power for selfish gain, to satisfy a need He has.

Doubt causes us to need to prove ourselves. It causes us to take matters into our own hands and do things in a way that God hasn't prescribed for us to do. But when our trust that God is able, or that He has our best interest at heart, what other option are we left with?

Adam and Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was useful for gaining knowledge they eat. They question God, and doubt that He knows what's best. They take matters into their own hands, and fall into sin; they curse all of creation with their doubt. Jesus responds to Satan's attack by falling back into the arms of His father. Matthew 4.4, "Jesus answered, 'It is written: "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."'"

The armor of God is given to us to overcome doubt. Truth surrounds us and reminds us that God has our best interest at heart. Righteousness is the relationship we have with God. Peace is assurance in the path we walk with God. Faith guards us from the lies Satan throws at us, twisting what God has said. Salvation reminds us that God has forgiven us, that we belong to Him, that we are His children. The Spirit is with us daily to remind us, we are to pour ourselves into the Word and find the truth of God there.

Doubt is a powerful weapon, but Jesus has overcome it. In His victory He shows us how to block and counterattack. Don't be overcome with doubt, but live off of the words of the Father.

Peace be with you

Weapon 2: Discouragement

Discourage, "To deprive of courage, hope, or confidence; dishearten; dispirit. To dissuade (usually followed by from ). To obstruct by opposition or difficulty; hinder. To express or make clear disapproval of;"

Satan uses his second weapon in Genesis 3 also. Discouragement is the act of removing confidence or hope from someone. Satan discourages Eve's trust in God. He begins by misquoting God, and then brings out a lie making God seem like the bad guy. Genesis 3.4-5, "The serpent said to the woman, 'You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'"

Satan discourages them from following God by shaking their trust in God. In verse one he says, "Did God really say...?" Eve misquotes what God said by adding limitations to what He gave. It opens the door for Satan to work. He makes his offer seem better than God's and Eve falls into sin.

Discouragement also hits us through difficult circumstances. We look at a task and begin to lose hope in the abilities we have to accomplish it. We can begin to doubt that God will come through for us. We can begin to wonder if God made a mistake in choosing us for the job. Jesus faced this weapon in the desert as well.

Matthew 4.8-9, "Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, 'All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.'" Jesus had come to save the world through His death on the cross. Satan here offers Christ the opportunity to save the world without the cross. If Jesus is given the world He can do what He pleases with it. He can save it without dieing for it. All He has to do is compromise just for a second.

I can imagine as Jesus is on the mountain top and Satan is making his offer, he adds a few other things, possibly along the lines of what Satan says to Jesus in the Garden in The Passion of the Christ. "Do you really believe that one man can bear the full burden of sin? ... No man can carry this burden I tell you. It is far too heavy. Saving their souls is too costly. No one. Ever. No. Never." Satan uses his weapon of discouragement well. He offers Jesus the chance to do what God sent Him to do, but in an easier way; a way that wouldn't involve pain or death, just a small bow, one single act of worship.

It's a tempting offer, an offer that seems hopeful, better and easier. But Jesus knew that He could not save the world by compromising and coming to our level. Instead He must stand firm, knees locked, and be encouraged that God's plan is the best. He defeats Satan's second weapon with the truth of Scripture and hope and trust in God. "Then Jesus said to him, 'Go, Satan! For it is written, "YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY."'"

Jesus overcame discouragement, where Adam and Eve gave in. Jesus knew that God's plan was the best plan, that God's plan was the only way. He wasn't discouraged by the difficulty, but encouraged by the love and presence of the Father.

We too must overcome discouragement, but we don't have to do it alone. God has given us truth, that shows us His plan is best. We have righteousness, the relationship with Him that guards our lives. Peace, which gives us sure footing on difficult ground. Faith, trust in God and what He says. Salvation, to guard our thoughts and help us hear what God is saying to us. And the Spirit, the sword, the word of God. It is a love letter to us, written from God's heart to ours to encourage us through the struggles of life.

With the weapons and armor of God, we can deflect and defeat Satan's second weapon of discouragement.

Peace be with you.

Weapon 1: Deception

Deceive, "to mislead by a false appearance or statement; delude". Delude means, "to mislead the mind or judgment of; deceive". Deception is the first weapon we see Satan use. In Genesis 3 he enters the scene of a perfect creation, in the disguise of a serpent. He begins talking to a woman and the first recorded line of Satan is "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"

Right away he begins to lead the creation away from God by presenting a question that begins to convince Adam and Eve that God is keeping something from them, that He is holding them back. Eve responds to his question "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" Eve has now misquoted God. Satan has done his work.

God had given them freedom to eat from any tree in the Garden (Genesis 2.16). God had never told them not to touch the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, simply not to eat of it (Genesis 2.17). Eve said they would die, but God had said that they would surely die (Genesis 2.17). In these statements Eve has taken away from God's generosity, making it seem like their right to eat the fruit of the garden, not as a privilege from God. She adds restrictions to what God has instructed, making God seem restrictive. She has taken away from the severity and surety of God's word; He means what He says, and His authority is absolute. Deception leads us away from the truth of God. It leads us away from the good that God has for us, because we become convinced that it is not the best. That is deception.

Satan works through deception gradually, giving partial truths. We see this same tactic with Jesus temptation in the wilderness. In Matthew 4.6 Satan quotes Scripture to Jesus, trying to get Him to throw Himself off of the Temple, proving Himself to be the Messiah of Israel. It sounds great, Jesus jumps, angles catch Him, the priests realize that He is the Messiah, they make Him King and He never has to go near the cross. But Jesus knows that a ministry based on miracles and wonders is doomed to fail. People's faith only lasts as long as the miracles do, and when it gets hard they are gone. We see throughout Jesus' ministry that He refuses to give Himself to people who only want Him for His miraculous power (John 2, 6). And Jesus responds to Satan's weapon of deception in the same way we are to. Jesus counter attacks with the Truth of Scripture.

God has given us the Belt of Truth to surround ourselves with. It is truth that keeps us from being mislead, and truth that keeps us focused on the true words of God. We battle deception with truth. We have the Breastplate of Righteousness to cover our hearts. Righteousness is protection from the relationship with God. It covers our bodies, front and back, and guards the relationship with have with God so we aren't lead astray. We have the Sandals of Peace. They give us sure footing as we follow God's plan for our life. We have the Shield of Faith, to protect us from all of Satan's deceptive lies. God has given us the Helmet of Salvation to cover our head. Salvation guards our minds and gives us assurance that we belong to God. We are protected from deception by the knowledge of salvation. Finally, we have the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. This is the same weapon Jesus used, and that Eve failed to use. No lie, no deception, can stand against the truth and authority of the Word of God.

Deception is a powerful weapon, and it is only the first one in Satan's arsenal. But God has armed us for battle, and has given us the tools to block, and counter attack this weapon.

Peace be with you

Four Weapons of the Enemy

I have been blessed with an incredible mentor, and several other Godly men who have guided me during the different chapters of my life so far. They've always been there to pour into me. During times of success they've reminded me of humility. During times where I've made mistakes, or could have done or be doing things better, they've offered correction in love. During times of doubt they have offered encouragement.

The last few weeks of ministry, and life, have been busy, chaotic, unstructured, abnormal, full, and anything else you can think of along those lines. Wrestling practice started the second week of November. We had the community Thanksgiving service. My wife put in her two weeks notice at work and ended up being promoted. A layman in the church was diagnose with Lou Gehrig's disease. And now the Christmas season is here. It's been a trying and draining time.

There have been good moments thrown in there. The job promotion for my wife was us stepping out in faith and God providing showing us that He would take care of us and that we could trust Him. Our new District Superintendents have been a huge blessing in this first month of their service. And I've gotten to throw out a few ideas for ministry and building the Kingdom. And as I've seen and heard many times, when stuff like this happens be ready for an attack.

I don't remember when my mentor and I had this conversation, but over the last few days I've been thinking about it. Today I sorted through the index cards in my man bag until I found it. There are four weapons the enemy uses against us. Deception, Discouragement, Doubt and Division.

Over the last few weeks I've experienced all of them. I was planning on just writing about discouragement and talking about how it affects so many parts of our lives. But then I remembered the conversation and found the card, and now I realize why it affects so much of life. Satan always uses the first person with each attack. He gets us thinking, "There must be something wrong with me." But know what? There isn't anything wrong with me, and there is nothing wrong with you. Jesus told us that Satan is a liar, the father of lies, and when he lies he speaks his native language (John 8.44).

Over the next few days I want to talk about each one of these. I've already talked about the weapons God has given us, and it is those weapons that protect us from and fight back with, against Satan's. I'll show what weapons we use against each of Satan's. Don't believe the lies he throws at you, believe the truth that God lovingly hands to you.

Peace be with you

Holiday Trees Response

I saw this this morning on a friends facebook and needed to share it. It's a response to the White House calling Christmas tree's Holiday trees.

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God ? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit.

If not, then just discard it.... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

Why He Came

This past Sunday I preached out of John 6.1-21, the feeding of the 5,000 and the walking on water. At the end of the service we took communion. I hadn't really planned what I was going to say for it, I found myself in one of those situations where I just trusted God would give me something.He did, but sadly I can only remember bits and pieces of it.

The people wanted Jesus as their King because He had feed them. They saw in Him, someone who could meet their needs. They had no interest in His way or the plan of God, they simply wanted Him because He had filled their bellies with bread. And these same people who now wanted to make Him King, would in a little over a year cry out for His crucifixion. Jesus knew that they only way they could ever really be satisfied was to have His body be broken for their sin. He had to take the punishment that their sin, and ours, deserved. He allowed His body to be broken so the world could freedom from sin.

But it wasn't enough for sin to deal out it's punishment, it had to be paid for. For that His blood had to be shed. Death was the only thing that could pay for sin. Romans 6 tells us that the wages of sin is death. Jesus couldn't simply take the punishment for us, He had to purchase us back.

The cross was the whole reason that He came to earth. On Christmas Eve during college I did something most people probably wouldn't do. I watched The Passion of the Christ. It was during college that I finally began to get it. The cross what why Jesus came. Jesus came to be King, but not one who was elected by popular vote; He came to be crucified that way. He came not to compromise and save the world by becoming like the world; but to life the world up to His level, to call the world to a higher standard, a higher quality of life.

Jesus came so that we could have life abundantly (John 10.10). He came to earth to show us how God would have us to live, to show us what God is like, and to make it possible for us to live in relationship with Him. Jesus came to bring us back to God, and to help us live as God would live life.

As December begins and the countdown to Christmas really starts, let's not forget the real reason we celebrate this time. God came down to save a lost and dieing people. He came to take our punishment, to buy us back, and to transform us into the people He created us to Be. Jesus made it possible for us to be Holy, for us to be Christlike. That is what we celebrate when we take communion. That is what we remember at Christmas.

Peace be with you

What is Green?

Yesterday I got to sit with my mentor and pick his brain about a ministry situation. I hope that everyone has someone in their lives like my mentor. Whenever I leave His presence I feel uplifted and encouraged, yesterday I almost shed happy tears.

As I listened to his wisdom I the big thing that stuck out to me was him asking, "What do you see that is green?" What is there in this current situation that is alive and growing? Where is the greatest potential? Where is there life?

As he asked me the question I began to think about the different things that are going on. There is a lot of brown, things that aren't going anywhere but we refuse to trim the branches because they've been there for so long. But among the brown, there are a few green buds poking through.

The different things that I'm getting to do in the community. The couple teen boys I'm getting to pour into. There is green there. My wife had some other thoughts, some things she sees. There is green, there is life.

In your life what is green? It may be a single blade of grass in a massive field, but there is green. Pray that God will show it to you. The green is where He's working. As we seek to do ministry, the prayer of our heart needs to be, "God open our eyes to what You're already doing." My mentor said that we have two options, we can do our way and ask God to bless our plans or we can be blessed as we fulfill God's plan.

When God shows you the green, grab a bucket of water and a bag of fertilizer, and pour into it. Watch it grow, and watch the green take over.

As this year draws to a close, and we prepare to begin a new one, begin to ask God to open your eyes to where He is already working. Ask Him to show you His plan for you in 2012. Ask Him to help you find the green.

Peace be with you

Thanksgiving and the Following days

There is a lot on my mind, this is going to be one of those blogs with a bunch of random thoughts.

My favorite day of the year is Thanksgiving. I love the time with my cousins. Its the one day of the year my paternal grandmother wants her whole family together. My grandma has been an incredible pillar of our family. She is the reason my cousins and I are so close. She's poured time into us. Many of my favorite childhood memories are around her kitchen table, in her backyard, basement, and living room, and all of them take place with the cousins that she made me be friends with. Because of my grandma, we enjoy time together, and soak up every moment we have.

But this year I began to notice a change. Time has passed and we're grown up. Four of us are now married, two have children. One won't come to anything due to family issues. Our conversations have changed from hopes and dreams of the future, to grown up conversations. Instead of playing games and building forts, we fall asleep on the floor watching football. We've changed, we've grown up, and I'm finding myself wanting to move in different directions.

I love my family, especially my cousins. But my wife and I have our own life now, and as we go down this road together it takes me in some ways, away from the traditions of the past. And I'm excited for the future with her. We've talked about traditions we want, about how we'd love to spend holidays in the future with our kids and friends; and I can't wait for them to happen. Time passes, and things change.

I think of Black Friday. A few times I've gone out, simply to get a good deal on what I got my sister for Christmas, or so my mom wouldn't have to go out to get something for my little brother at 4 am. But over the past few years I've grown to hate Black Friday. And this year I asked a question, What does God think of Black Friday?

I've been kicking it around in my mind for the last few days, and I don't know that I have an answer. Many people go out as I have in the past, to get good deals on gifts for others. But over the last year my view of stuff has changed. A year ago I was cleaning out foreclosed homes with my cousin and her husband. You see the stuff that people treasured in life, but had no where to take it when they lost the house. You see the stuff that had mattered, but not enough to keep when they had to leave, it's the stuff that didn't matter as much as the other stuff.

I don't want a bunch of stuff. As I get older I look at things I used to collect, things I used to think were really cool, or that I'd used forever. My in laws brought everything my wife owned to our house a few months ago. My parents have some boxes of my old stuff in their basement. Honestly part of me just wants to throw it all out. If I don't know what's in there, if I haven't needed it for the past seven years, then there is no way I'll miss it if I get rid of it now. I had looked through some of it before I moved because there was something I needed, and I found stuff I had forgotten I had. My wife and I are now looking at things we have and realizing we don't need it, that we don't want all of this stuff just sitting around.

Today I was reading in Genesis 26, and I saw this, "Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him, and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy; for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him" (vs 12-14). God made Isaac rich; He blessed him and gave him abundantly more than he ever could have needed. God does stuff like that. His blessings are so great that He gives us far more than we ever could need. God is rich, and He loves to bless those who are faithful to Him.

If God provides wealth, then it can't be a bad thing. Wealth and possessions in themselves aren't bad. The love of wealth is what is bad, as it says in 1 Timothy 6. The drive for more wealth, the focus on wealth instead of the giver of it; that is what is evil. And just because someone voluntarily lives in poverty it doesn't mean that they are righteous. Paul says in Philippians 4.19, "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." God says in Malachi 3.10, "'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,' says the LORD of hosts, 'if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.'" And as it says in Genesis 26, God blessed Isaac and made him rich.

We are blessed by God to bless others. God has given us wealth, let's be generous with it. If you don't think you're rich, watch the Nooma Video by Rob Bell titled, Rich. Let's look for ways to serve. This Christmas my wife and I are giving away stuffed animals. In college a buddy and I gave away roses to people in a nursing home on Valentines day. The church I am currently serving is going to be looking at child sponsorship. There are so many ways that we can bless others, God has blessed us so that we can be a blessing.

The random thoughts that I've just shared are the things that have been on my heart and in my head for the last few days. I guess these are the things that I've been convicted about, and the questions that I don't have the answers to.

My simple request of all who read this is that we would be a blessing to others. There is a song by a group called Nickelback, it's their only song I've ever heard, and they aren't a group I listen to, but the chorus this one song I think gets the idea.

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died

What if everyone cared? What if everyone loved? What if everyone shared? What if all of us were a blessing?

There is one other song by Brandon Heath, and the chorus says this,

Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken-hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me Your eyes so I can see

Ask God to open your eyes to see through His. See how you have been blessed, and be a blessing to others.

Peace be with you

Blessed to be a Blessing

Last night I had a rare opportunity as a Protestant minister to speak at a Catholic church for a community Thanksgiving service. Here I want to share some of the thoughts I gave last night.

As 2011 ends and we prepare to enter 2012 we, in America, must brace ourselves for the barrage of political campaigning that will take place. As in every American campaign there will be a phrase that we hear a lot because it has become politically correct to say, "God bless America." As I look around I can honestly say that God has blessed America. We enjoy many freedoms that other nations don't, as well as one of the highest standards of living anywhere in the world. God has blessed America. The question we need to ask is not how can God bless us more, but how can we be a blessing to others.

In the Bible when God blessed someone the intention was that they in turn would be a blessing to others. Genesis 12.1-3, "Now the LORD said to Abram, 'Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” I will bless you and you shall be a blessing. In you all the families of the earth will be blessed. That is how God works, through people.

We are blessed to be a blessing. The problem is that humans are selfish by nature. Some of our first words are "No!" and "Mine!" It is our tendency to take things that we are given and hoard them for ourselves, that's human nature. But Christian nature is selfless. It is the nature of a Christ follower to be generous and to bless others.

The secret to generosity is contentment. If we learn to be content, we will have no problem with giving things away. Paul tells us the secret of contentment in Philippians 4.11-13, "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

The word Paul uses for contentment is autarkeia and the Greco-Roman audience he wrote to would have understood that word as being entirely self-sufficient. There was a philosophy known as Stoicism, and self-sufficiency was their highest goal. They believed that the will of God could not be stopped, and sometimes His will involved loss of possessions or the death of a loved one, both of these caused pain. TO avoid this pain of loss the Stoics tried to remove desire and emotion from their lives, they tried to be dependant upon nothing and no one. But this existence is one without relationships and love, so it ends up being lonely and in some ways just as painful.

Paul says to his audience that he has attained their highest goal; he has become content in all things. The stoics believe that this was a human achievement attained by self-discipline. Paul says to them, it isn't through anything I have done, it is a divine gift. Christ is the one who gives me strength to endure any circumstances I face. Paul knew that the only thing that mattered was Christ, and that nothing would ever be able to separate him from Christ. Because he had Christ and would always have Christ, Paul was content.

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday, let us reflect on all of the ways we have been blessed. As we gather with family, or remember family who are no longer with us, let us find strength in the presence of Christ that is available to us. As we prepare to celebrate the Christmas season, let us look for ways to be a blessing to others. We have been richly blessed, let us be a blessing to others.

May Thanksgiving be the Ash Wednesday of Advent. May Advent be to Christmas what Lent is to Easter, a time of preparation and reflection, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. His presence is the greatest blessing we have been given. Let us take it and bless others.

Do you know how a life of being content and blessing others ends? Genesis 25.8, "Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people." Abraham was blessed by God and a blessing to others. He died satisfied with life. 2 Timothy 4.7-8, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing." Paul was content with the presence of Christ in his life. He knew that he would stand in the very presence of Christ and receive the crown of righteousness.

Their ending can be yours as well. You can die satisfied with life. You can face death with the same words as Paul. Embrace the person of Jesus Christ. We have been greatly blessed, let us be a blessing.

Peace be with you

Fit for Service

2 Timothy 2.20, "Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor."
It's one of those verses I never really understood, and didn't really care to look at to find the meaning. But yesterday my study of 2 Timothy took me there.

The Church is a large house, consisting of a lot of people. And in the church there are people who are the real deal. Christians who truly can claim that title. Those who do everything out of a love for God, and desire nothing but to become more like Christ. Everything they do is done out of love for God and so that they can become more like Christ. These are the gold and silver vessels. They are fit to be used for the service of God, the greatest honor there is.

These people are the fine dishes that you use for the holidays and family gatherings. The best plates that you take care of, because they were handed down to you from your grandmother. These are the plates that you use for the special occasions, and make sure they don't chip or break, because they have history and meaning.

But then there are other dishes. The ones you use everyday that you bought at goodwill or a garage sale. These dishes if they break you notice, but it doesn't hurt you that it's gone. Not all people in the church are genuine. Some people don't live up to the name they claim.

I read somewhere that people don't live up to it because they don't really believe it. If we truly believe something we have to live by it, we can't just proclaim it. What we truly believe transforms us.But in the church there is a mixture of people, and some of them are simply proclaimers.

2 Timothy 2.21, "Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work." This should be the goal for all member of the Church. To be cleansed from impurities to be used by God for service.

Barclay said this, "No Christian should ever think of being fit for honour but always being fit for service." The Church is to serve, the members of the Body of Christ are to serve.

May we become vessels of honor. Let our motivation be an unquenchable love for God and for others. Let us always be fit for service so that we can be used by the Master.

Peace be with you

Sphragis

My study of 2 Timothy has been slower, more interrupted, and less enjoyable than 1 Timothy due to these circumstances. But yesterday as I was reading through William Barclay on 2 Timothy 2.19 I came across an interesting Greek word.

"Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.'"

The word for seal is sphragis. Sphragis is a seal that proves ownership of something. A seal placed on a sack would show that the contents were genuine and hadn't been tampered with. It would show who the sack belonged to and where it came from. But the seal also had other uses. It would function as a brand name or trademark. A sphragis would be placed on a bottle of eye ointment to show what kind of ointment it was. A sphragis would also be used in architecture. The mark of the architect would always be placed on what was built, a monument, statue, or building, to show who was responsible for it's design, or the purpose that the structure had been built for.

The text says that the foundation of God has a seal. It declares who it belongs to, and the function that it exists for. In this it shows the content to be good and focused on what is good. The firm foundation of God is the church, the body of Christ. Scripture tells us that there are many members that make up the body (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12). God has marked the church with His sphragis declaring that we belong to Him.

But the seal also declares our function. We are to abstain from wickedness. We are to turn our back upon sin and face God and His righteousness. As we abstain from evil we move towards God. The church is made up of those who belong to God and strive for righteousness. We are not perfect in the church, but our focus is on God, and we are striving towards Him. Paul says it so well in Philippians 3.12-14,

"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Jesus Christ sealed us with His blood. When we accept it we belong to and are sealed as His. With this must come a life transformation. We are to abstain from wickedness and purse the things of God. Holiness, righteousness, Christlikeness. We are sealed as Gods, and must live lives that show who we belong to. The Lord knows those who are His, and those who claim to be His must live out what they claim.

Allow God to place His sphragis on you, live out the function that He created you for, Christlikeness.

Peace be with you

Virus

I was at a seminar a few weeks ago and was told about a virus. The Luke 10.2b virus. It's a prayer based out of Luke 10.2, "And He was saying to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'"

How it works is you set an alarm on your phone to go off at 10:02 am everyday, and when it does you stop and pray that God will send you out into His harvest as a worker and that He will send other workers into the fields to work. For the last few weeks I've been doing this. For the last month I've been preaching on joining the work, discovering and using our Spiritual gifts, and working together to "re-build the walls". This past Sunday the message was out of John 5, the healing at the Pool of Bethesda.

In this story Jesus commands the man who has been laying there for 38 years to get up and walk. He is healed, stands and walks by God's power, but he still had to stand up and walk. God doesn't call the equipped, they don't see the need to trust Him. Instead God equips those He calls. When God calls you to a task He will empower you to do it. When God tells you stand up and walk for the first time in 38 years, He will strengthen you to do it. When God calls us to do the impossible He will give us the power to do it, but we've got to be willing to take that first step of faith and trust that He will come through.

We are all called to serve. We are all called to be laborers in the great harvest. Catch the virus, set your phone alarm for 10:02, and each day, "beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." Spread the virus. When your phone goes off and people ask you what's up, tell them about Luke 10.2. "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;" spread the virus.

God has a great work that needs to be done, the workers are few, will you join them? Catch the virus, spread it, join the work.

Peace be with you

Not Home

Last Friday my wife and I went up to Michigan for the day. It was the first out of state trip we've taken since our honeymoon. We got up at 3:30am and drove five hours to Frankenmuth, MI, the home of Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, the world's largest Christmas store.

As we drove I passed things that held memories. I passed Cabela's, our final destination in Michigan, and thought of the time Casey and I got up at 6:30 and drove an hour and a half just to be two of the first 50 people in the store to get a free $20 stainless steel coffee mug. We passed exit 84 on route 23, the exit Casey, Colin and I had to push the car to when we ran out of gas on the high way coming back from another Cabela's trip. Exit 90 was where I used to get off to get to my apartment. Exit 117 was where I would go to meet with a group of youth pastors every Thursday morning, and the exit I took to go to Steve's, my hunting buddy's, house.

We spent a few hours in Frankenmuth, it was great to see my wife like she was, all excited like a five year old on Christmas morning, seeing her face when she saw the countless different ornaments, and the lights. We had a great time.

On the way back we stopped in Flint/Burton/Grand Blanc, where I had lived and ministered for ten months. We drove by the church I used to work at. I don't know what I was expecting to feel when I got there, it was the first time I'd been back since I left last October. Honestly though, I felt nothing. No feeling of being home, it felt kind of foreign, almost as if I'd never been there.

We went and got a pizza from Benito's, and then to Tropical Smoothie (just because they have kiwi and Robeck's doesn't), and then headed to Cabela's and then home. I'd remembered everything, exactly how to get everywhere I used to go, but it all felt strange. Whenever I go back to other places I've served, (Bedford, Mount Vernon etc.) it feels like going home. Even though things have changed, things are added other things are missing, it still feels familiar, warm and inviting. But Flint didn't have that feel.

Flint was never home. I love the teens and the young adults I got to do ministry with. I loved the youth pastors I got to spend time with, but never had Flint become home, never had I really been accepted and welcomed into the family there.

I took many lessons from my time there, and I honestly know that those lessons are the reason God sent me to Michigan. They were things I wouldn't have learned at home in Mount Vernon or at Bedford. Flint was part of my wilderness experience, a time of wondering and learning from God. It was hard, it was draining, and it hurt, but it was only temporary.

Our time in the wilderness is crucial, it's where we learn to depend on God, to rely upon Him for our very survival. He's the only one who got me through my time in Michigan. When I moved there I was alone except for Him, and most of the time I was up there He was all I had. He gave me some people who helped bandage some of the wounds I received, and He'll do that for all us in our time in the wilderness. But a majority of it has to be simply us and Him. I've never felt as alone as I did in Michigan (taking nothing away from the true friends I made there, I love and thank you all), God really was all I had most of that time.

When I sat to write this I didn't really know where it was going. I don't know who needs this, but just know that in your wilderness time, when it feels like you're all alone, God is there. I've started to notice that at stages of life there is a verse I constantly have to go back to. Right now it's 1 Timothy 4.12, "Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe." For Michigan, the verse was Joshua 1.9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Whatever your Wilderness/Michigan experience is, be strong and courageous. Do not tremble and don't be dismayed. The Lord YOUR God is with you wherever you go.

Peace be with you

The Full Armor of God

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6.10-12.

My favorite book is Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. I just finished it for the third time. In it he talks about the heart of a man. He looks at how God created us and the longings of our heart. Inside the heart of every man there are two questions and three desires.

The questions: "Am I dangerous?" "Do I have what it takes?"

The desires: A battle fight, a beauty to rescue, an adventure to live

The armor of God is crucial for a man to put on. It is only with His armor that our desires are able to be fulfilled, the longings satisfied. Only with the armor of God on me am I ready for battle. Only when I am dressed in my God given armor am I able to storm the castle, slay the dragon, and rescue the princess. Only when I am covered with God's armor am I ready to set out on this adventure of life.

It is only when I am covered with the equipment that God gives me that I am able to not only endure the hardships of life, but victoriously conquer them through His strength and power. I can't have just part of the armor, I need each piece or part of me is left vulnerable. All of the armor is connected, each piece works with the others for the purpose of winning the battle. It is armor that is just for us, fitted to us, so that we can move with ease. It is armor that is ours to train with, to learn how it works and how to use it. It is armor that we must always have on so that we are ready for any attack at any time.

God wants us to be ready. He doesn't want us to be caught off guard, and so He has equipped us for combat. You are dangerous, and you have what it takes. Receive the armor that He offers you. Wear it, train with it, learn how to use it. And then join the battle. Suit up, it's time to march.

Peace be with you

Dressed and Ready for Battle

We're suited up, covered and armed with the full Armor of God. We are surrounded by truth, protected by righteousness and salvation, ready to move with peace, and armed with faith and the Word. Here is a warrior who is ready to "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." as Paul said in 2 Timothy 2.3. We are ready to march out and meet the enemy, confident that our armor and weapons are ready to go to work.

But there is one final element that we must add before we charge the front lines of the enemy. Ephesians 6.18, "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints," Prayer, our communication with our General. It is no good marching into battle if we have no communication from the one giving the lifesaving orders.

Paul tells us that prayer must be constant, not simply in our moment of greatest need. I think of the story of Elijah on Mt. Horeb. God tells him to go stand on the mountain because He is passing by. There is a wind, an earthquake, and a fire, but the Lord was not in any of those incredible, powerful forces. Instead there is a gentle blowing, a still small voice, a quite whisper that God is in. In the midst of chaos and noise if you haven't heard the voice of God, if you don't know the voice of God, you won't be able to pick it out. But if we are like Elijah, spending constant time alone with God, where we know Him intimately, where we know His voice distinctly from all others, then even in the thickest battle we'll be able to hear His guidance and instruction.

Secondly, our prayer must be intense and focused. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 5.8 that we must be self-controlled and alert because our enemy the devil is prowling like a lion, looking to devour us. Our prayers must be intentional, our prayer time must be something we covet and guard. We must be selfish about it, and let nothing distract us from it. Our prayers must be heart felt, not simple half-hearted, repetitive prayers we've been saying since we were five. Our prayers need to be communicating the deepest hurts and needs on our hearts to God. We must be focused on who we're talking with so that we can hear what He says in return.

Lions go for the animal that is off by itself, straggling behind, not paying attention. We must be focused in our lives, intentionally focused on God ready for battle at all times. But we must also make sure we don't get alone. I've talked about Spartans a lot recently, and a single Spartan is a force to be reckoned with. A single Spartan can do more than hold his own in a fight. But a single Spartan is nothing compared to that Spartan standing beside his brothers in the phalanx.

Third, we must pray for and with others. We must pray for those who are fighting beside us. We must pray for those who are fighting on another battlefield. No matter how strong we are, we cannot fight this war, we cannot win this battle on our own. We must have each other’s backs at all times. We must pray for others as they fight this battle with us.

Prayer is part of our preparation for battle; it's how we suit up. Prayer is part of what sustains us in battle; it's our communication with the General for instruction and encouragement. Let us pray, and let us firmly stand our ground, dressed in the full Armor of God, ready for battle.

Peace be with you

Piece 6: Sword

Ephesians 6.17b, "and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." The sword Paul is talking about is the Roman gladius. It's the sword carried by Maximus in Gladiator, and in this one case I choose the Roman weapon over the Spartan xiphos. The gladius was slightly longer, and very effective in combat. When combined with a shield, it's a great weapon.

The sword is a weapon both for offense and defense. It blocks and deflects incoming attacks, but it also enables the wielder to strike back. The sword is a crucial piece of the armor. It must be cared for, it must be sharpened and polished so it is kept ready for the fight.

The Bible refers to the Word of God as a sword. In Hebrews 4.12 it says, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." The gladius had an edge on each side of the blade, it was sharp, it penetrated whoever got in the way of the blade. It was an effective tool for battle.

We are in a spiritual battle with Satan. And God has not simply given us defensive protection, but He has equipped us to be able to go on the offensive. He's given us a sword to use in combat. The Bible is our weapon.

Jesus showed us how to use it in combat against Satan in Matthew 4. Jesus is led into the wilderness to be tested, and after forty days of fasting Satan brings the assault. He attacks Jesus identity, and tries to get Jesus to stumble. But look at each of Jesus' responses, "Jesus answered, 'It is written:'... Jesus answered him, 'It is also written:'... Jesus said to him, 'Away from me, Satan! For it is written:'..." (Matthew 4.4a, 7a, 10a). With each attack Jesus wields Scripture. He blocks each attack and then attacks back and puts Satan to flight.

We cannot win a battle without a sword. We cannot win a Spiritual battle that is waged against God, and those who serve Him, without God's sword. Scripture memorization is a Spiritual discipline that seems to have fallen by the wayside in past years. One pastor friend suggested that the reason for this is possibly the number of translations that are in print today. There are so many ways to word each verse that there is no standard translation of memorization. But we must discipline ourselves to memorize scripture.

Here are some suggestions that I have. Find a translation that you like and understand. Note that The Message is not a translation, but a paraphrase. It's great for reading but for memorization use a translation that breaks up the verses. There are many so find one you that you understand. I use the NASB because it's the most literal translation of the text.

Second, take a few verses at a time. Don't set out to memorize an entire book the first week, you'll get overwhelmed and probably give up. But a few verses at a time, and over time you will have the entire book memorized. My suggestion is as you read make notes of the main verses of the chapter. Read and re-read it until you see the theme and can identify the main verse in that section, and memorize that. As you do this, you'll be able to identify the different themes of the different chapters of the Bible.

Third, find a good way to review. One way I've found that helps is writing each verse on a 3x5 index card. Put the reference in the top left and bottom right corners and in the lines of the card break up the verse by punctuation. Put one phase per line, and memorize the verse phrase by phrase.

Here's an example.

In church we're working through John, and each week I pick out the main verse from the text I'm preaching on. This week it was John 4.50

John 4.50

Jesus said to him,

"Go; your son lives."

The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off.

John 4.50

The nice thing with index cards is that they are easy to stack and are easy to review with. We need to memorize as many verses as possible. If you remember from Gladiator, Maximus doesn't just have one sword when he goes into battle. The first sword, the one he carries on his belt, gets stuck in a tree after he attacks an opponent. You think, "Dang, what now?" And then he pulls out a second sword that is strapped to his horse and continues the battle. The more vereses we have memorized the more swords we have available for the battle. Jesus had many swords at his disposal, not simply John 3.16 and Genesis 1.1, those wouldn't have done much in His wilderness battle. The more swords we have available, the better equipped we are for combat.

Secondly, we have to keep our swords ready for battle. They need to stay polished and sharp. A dull blade isn't much use in battle. We need to review the verses we have memorized. After a while you'll notice that you spend more time reviewing than memorizing new verses, this is a good thing. It means we've learned the Word of God, that it's "Hidden in our hearts" as the Psalmist says.

I'll admit, this is an area I'm working on, Scripture memorization is something I've slacked at recently. But the steps I've just shared with you are my plan to memorize verses. We cannot march into battle with no sword, God has given us the most powerful weapon ever, lets train with it, learn how to use it, and then take the fight to the enemy.

We are protected by Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Faith, and Salvation. Let's take up our swords, and take the battle to the enemy. Suit up, prepare for battle.

Peace be with you

Piece 5: Helmet

Ephesians 6.17a, "And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION,"

It says "take" that word can also mean "accept". A soldier would accept his helmet from the officer in charge of distributing the armor. We accept salvation from God. It is nothing we do to earn it, but God freely gives it to us. He hands us salvation as we prepare to march into battle.

Salvation is being freed from sin. It is protection from the past, and it is assurance to march forward into the future. The helmet offers protection to the head during combat. Salvation is to guard our minds.

When Christ forgives us, when He sets us free, we receive salvation. John 8.36 says, "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." When Christ sets us free, we are free. We can be assured of our salvation, and our minds are to be guarded by that assurance. The assurance gives us protection so we don't give up the fight. We march forward confident of the salvation we have received from God, knowing that nothing can take it away from us. John 10.28, "and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand."

Salvation is ours in Christ. It gives us strength to overcome the temptations and sin we face in the future. The assurance of salvation gives us the confidence to fight, knowing that we are in the hands of Christ, and nothing can take us from Him. Salvation is our helmet.

Salvation is forgiveness and freedom, it is assurance that comes from faith in Christ and what He has done for us. Faith is strengthened through the peace God gives us through the message of His Gospel. We receive the peace of God when we have enter into a relationship with Him, and we do that by coming to Him through truth. Put on the armor; receive your helmet, and prepare for battle.

Peace be with you

Piece 4: Shield

Ephesians 6.16, "in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." Paul is writing about a Roman solider dressed for battle. In this case the shield he has in mind is a four foot by two and a half foot rectangular shield. I used to watch Deadliest Warrior, and the Roman Centurion representative said that this shield was the greatest shield ever made. I must disagree, when it comes to shields, I'm a Spartans fan all the way. Though it's not accurate to what Paul has in front of him, it's the one I have in my mind when I envision armor and battle.

The purpose of a shield is to defend from attacks. The text says to take it up so we can extinguish the flaming arrows that Satan hurls at us. Satan will through lies, temptations, and discouragements at us in order to get us to stumble. The shield is crucial because it provides another layer of protection. Arrows could pierce the breastplate of the soldier. An ax or sword could cut off an arm or leg; a mace could crush the skull even with a helmet on it. The shield absorbs these blows, it protects the body, and it's crucial for battle.

Our shield is faith. When Satan throws a fiery dart of a lie at us, our faith in who Jesus is and what He taught protects us. When Satan throws another dart of discouragement our faith in Jesus' view of us and His plan for our life covers us from it. When Satan throws the dart of temptation at us, our faith in Jesus keeps us focused on Him and guards our lives from sinning. Faith is crucial, faith protects us.

When people think of a shield they think defense, and in the case of the Roman shield that's what you get. It's big, it's heavy, and it protects the soldiers. But as I said before, I'm a Spartan at heart. The reason is that the Spartan Shield is much more versatile. It's a big shield, a circle that is three feet across. It covers the Spartan from the knee, where his greaves end, to his neck, until his helmet begins. It covers the carrier and the Spartan next to him when standing, and if need be he can crouch behind it and be fully covered from any attack.

But unlike the Roman shield, the Spartan shield is a great weapon as well. It is versatile and can be used to protect and attack an enemy. On Deadliest Warrior they tested the impact of being hit with this shield and it was at the same level as some car accidents, that's power. Faith is not simply a defensive protection; it allows us to go on the offensive. Our faith can be used as a weapon against Satan. We share our faith in Christ, we live out our faith, and lives can be transformed by it.

The shield is crucial. Faith is crucial. Our faith is strengthened through the peace God gives us through the message of His Gospel. We can receive the peace of God once we have entered into a relationship with Him, and we do that by coming to the truth. Put on the armor, take up your shield, and prepare for battle.

Peace be with you

Piece 3: Sandals

Ephesians 6.15, "and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;" This is another piece that was misrepresented in my plastic Armor of God play set. The picture I had in my mind was a pair of greaves, or metal shin guards, which would protect the legs of the soldier that weren't covered by the shield. But that isn't what Paul is talking about.

Roman soldiers wore sandals that were thickly studded with nails. They functioned like cleats do today, providing grip and traction, allowing the solider to cover distances at greater speed. The nails in the sandals also gave the soldier sure footing during combat.

We are told that the sandals we are to put on come from the preparation of the Gospel of peace. There is peace of mind in knowing that you won't slip during battle; that you won't fall during a march. Sure footing gives a soldier piece of mind, and our sure footing comes from the Gospel.

Time spent in the Bible gives us sure footing. We are constantly reminded of God's promises and His provisions. Through time spent in the Word of God we are prepared for the difficulties of life. We can go over the mountains, through the valleys of life because of the peace given through the words of God.

The shoes also allowed for faster travel, and through the study of the Gospel, we are able to take it to those who haven't heard it. We prepare ourselves by studying the Gospel, by putting on the sandals, and then we go, and take the Gospel to others. Satan will try and keep us from this task. He'll try to discourage us, to make us stumble and fall, but the Gospel shoes are firmly fastened to our feet.

The truth of God leads us to a relationship with Him. That righteousness protects us in battle. Our relationship is deepened through study of the Gospel, and the peace of the Gospel fills our lives and gives us sure footing in combat and speed as we move towards the fight. Strap on the Sandals, and prepare for battle.

Peace be with you

Piece 2: Breastplate

Ephesians 6.14b "and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS," Righteousness is a right standing relationship with God. It is an essential characteristic of a Christ follower because it is the evidence that we are living for God. Righteousness means that there is nothing separating us from God, nothing is keeping us from going to Him, and nothing is keeping us from hearing Him. Righteousness is essential.

The breastplate is a crucial piece of equipment for a solider. It was made of metal and covered a solider front and back, from neck to thigh. This piece offers protection of most of the vital organs in the body. It allows the solider to attack without fear of injury.

Righteousness gives us protection for battle. A life that is righteous can stand up against any accusation and prove it false. A life lived in a right relationship with God has nothing to hide, and can proudly display all of it's deeds before anyone without fear of something being seen. Satan cannot accuse a solider of God, because that solider is covered in His righteousness.

Even though the breastplate covers the whole torso of the solider, it's main function is to protect the heart. The heart is essential to life, without it blood cannot flow through the body. The heart is also the organ we associate with love and relationships. The breastplate, righteousness, is there to guard our source of life, and to protect our ability to build relationships.

The righteousness of God covers us and clothes us for battle. We come to the righteousness of God through the truth of God. Fasten the belt around your waist, then cover yourself with the breastplate. The truth will not be believed unless it is shared from a righteous life. Righteousness is an essential part of the armor, it allows us to march boldly into battle, unafraid of any attack the enemy may hit us with. Strap on the breastplate and prepare for battle.

Peace be with you