EVERY GENERATION NEEDS A MOVE OF GOD…

Spiritual Blog - Move of God

Joshua 24:31 – “Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the LORD which He had done for Israel.” NKJV

As I read this passage, the Holy Spirit quickened to my heart the words of my title, “Every Generation needs a move of God.” When I first came into the Way, the Faith, and became a Christian I heard about what God had done. Most of those telling me about what had happened in previous revivals or moves of God had not witnessed those things but had heard about them from others. Some were still around that had been in the brush arbors, town reshaping revivals, and seen the mighty move of God with the signs, wonders, and miracles that accompanied those moves. I longed to SEE IT personally.

Historically, every move of God the church has experienced diminished when those who saw it personally passed on to the other side. Tragically, in the Church, I have observed through historic study and personal observation that with each new move of God the old move tends to be antagonistic to the new. WHY? Often it is because those who were personally part of that move are no longer alive on earth and the adherents to that move are second-hand witnesses which allow the flesh to become involved. The flesh will always seek to protect and preserve its territory. A new move is a threat to “The Way We Do Things.” I cannot tell you how many times I have heard, “We never did it that way before” or “That is not how we do it.” We, humans tend to get into routines and depend on WHAT WAS (past experience) rather than seeking WHAT IS (present experience).

The tragedy of the text is a tragedy that has been witnessed in the Christian world from the beginning of the Church. I weep when I read the words, “Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the LORD which He had done for Israel.” The clear revelation is that the commitment and reliance on God waned once the leadership and congregation of Israel were no longer there to say, “I WITNESSED IT.” It became theoretical and historical rather than an experienced reality.

We will never be saved because our parents or grandparents were saved. Their experience will not transform our lives that must be personal and only through the Grace of God. We can be encouraged by the experiences of others and they can serve as inspiration for us to press in, but they are not sufficient to carry us through the storms of life. I preached on Moves of God in Church History once and was told, “I am not interested in what some previous generation had, I want a move of God today!” That caused me to stop and think, “Are we sometimes satisfied with WHAT WAS rather than being determined to have WHAT IS?” Are we trying to survive on the experience of others? Are we allowing history to be our foundation rather than pressing in and receiving a NOW WORD and a NOW MOVE of God for our own lives? I had a man tell me about how wonderful his marriage was and how incredible the power of love is when two people are united in God. That was inspirational and encouraging but I had no desire to live vicariously through his experience, I wanted that Love and Relationship personally. The same is true in the things of God. I don’t want to live vicariously through the reports of yesterday I want God today!

If each generation does not press into God and receive a move of God we will be like Israel and once those who experienced God die we will be left with history and history cannot replace experience. If you have never experienced a move of God in your personal life, I encourage you to set yourself to seek God for the outpouring of His Spirit in your life and your situation. If you have ever been in a move of God where His presence was so powerful that you could hardly stand and did not want to leave, you will never be satisfied with what someone else has experienced. The fire of commitment and the confidence in God’s Promises must be experienced realities not theoretical and historical memories.

Never be satisfied with anything but God’s Presence! God, bless you richly is my desire and prayer!

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CALCULATED WORTH…

Spiritual Blog - Value

Matthew 10:31 – “Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” NKJV

As I looked at this passage a thought came to my mind about our calculated worth to God. If you only look at the comparison to a small bird, I’m not sure that would make anyone feel worth very much. How many are many? If two sparrows are sold for a small amount that would indicate their abundance and low esteemed value to man. However, if we read the paragraph I believe we can see something in the heart of God as to the value of His creation to Him.

Jesus was teaching regarding giving our witness publicly to whomever and wherever we could. He instructed those listening to not consider the public opposition of the vileness of the Pharisees who might seek to silence them with death. He contrasted what man could do to us and what God could do to the disobedient. Then, He inserts His comments on the sparrows and it almost seems out of place, but is it? He says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.” Wow! God is concerned about even the small birds that in that region were so plenteous they were virtual nuisances. Other places identify that God cares for the grass of the field, the flowers that grow by the wayside, the cattle of the hills, and all creation. He emphasizes that saying, “But the very hairs of your head or all numbered.” That is nothing short of amazing! God cares enough about us and is so detailed in His attention to us that He has numbered the hairs of our head and when one falls out He says, “There goes hair number 714.” (I say that jokingly but the point is that He knows EVERY DETAIL of our lives.)

Then, our Lord says in our text verse, “Do not fear…” The message is that God is so concerned and cares for His creation that He knows when the sparrow falls and has numbered the very hairs of our head. THEREFORE, we should not fear because man can only kill our bodies but cannot touch our souls. He emphasizes our value to God and the instruction to be at peace and never let any man determine our destiny or message by saying, “…you are more valuable than many sparrows.”

If I calculated my worth based on the elements that make up my physical body, I would be depressed for if you combined all the elements in the human body it would be worth less than $2,000. But if you were to harvest the various body parts it could be worth millions and I am quite concerned that this market will become a Last Days Market where people are systematically selected to harvest their organs for commerce. Regardless of whether we calculate the worth of our bodies by the chemical components and elements or based on the Black-Market Value of our organs that could never compare to the Value that God has placed on us. He looks at far more than the value of the ‘dust of the earth’ that we are and to which we will return. He looks at our Eternal Souls and the fact that we are Eternal Spirits housed in a physical body.

What is our calculated worth to God? The best way that I can identify our worth to God is the Cross. God placed a valuation on each of us as being worth the death of His Son Jesus Christ. He values us enough that, “He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). Jesus values us enough that He was willing to leave His former estate in Glory, come to earth born of a woman, live among us as man and for man, suffer the shame and reproach of the Cross and be killed so that we could be FORGIVEN and LIVE ETERNALLY! That is our Calculated Worth to God and I challenge you to stop discounting your worth and to never again say, “I am a nobody. I am worthless. I am of no value.” That is an insult to God and when you read that you are worth more than many sparrows do not view that as God deeming you unimportant and of little value but that He considers you so valued that He has numbered the hairs of your head. My fellow believer, you are worth the Blood of Jesus to God and that makes you priceless.

God, bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

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THE POWER OF BEING SATURATED IN THE WORD…

Spiritual Blog - Word

Deuteronomy 11:18-21 – “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 20 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth.” NKJV

When Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil He continually refuted the devil with IT IS WRITTEN. Our Lord said, “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word, that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” The Bible makes it clear that THE WORD is Jesus and that TRUTH is the Word of the Father. We also know from Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” THE WORD OF GOD is not just important it is Life and Death. We are told in Proverbs 18:21 that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Nothing is more vital to Life than God’s Word and Words.

As the people of God were about to enter the Promised Land, Canaan God gave them in instruction as to how they were to saturate themselves with the word of God. He informed that it would be critical to their longevity in the land. The prescription of God for the success, longevity, prosperity, and permanence of Israel in the land involved their saturating themselves with the Word of God. Moses instructed them that every adult was to so invest themselves in the Word of God that they were literally saturated. They were also to instill in the hearts and minds of their children with the Word of God. This was not simply praying over the children and occasionally reading a passage but to teach the children in the home, when they got up in the morning and before they lay down at night, and when they walked by the way. Simply, they were to consistently and continually inculcate that word in the hearts and minds of the children. This is part of training up a child in the way he/she should go and he/she will not depart from it. This is or should be a massive undertaking with a sense of incredible importance.

America was founded with an understanding of that principle and one of the Founders and Framers, Benjamin Rush took the lead in promoting and insisting on the Bible being included in public education. Rush founded five universities and wrote numerous textbooks based on the importance of the Bible being taught to our children. He and many if not most of our founders believe that God’s Word, Principles, and Precepts were vital for the longevity of the nation and the continuation of that ideal that was at the heart of the Republic they established for us.

He gave five reasons for preferring the Bible as a schoolbook over all over compositions. He contended, and I agree, that Christianity is the only true and perfect religion; and that in proportion as mankind adopt its principles and obey its precepts, they will be wise and happy. He contended that a better knowledge of this religion is to be acquired by reading the Bible than in any other way. Additionally, his basis was that the Bible contains more knowledge necessary to man in his present state than any other book in the world. Also, he contended that knowledge is most durable and religious instruction most useful when imparted in early life. Finally, he believed that the Bible, when not read in schools is seldom read in any subsequent period of life. He believed that the earlier we impart the knowledge of the Bible to our children the more likely they are to not stray from its precepts and thereby preserve the Republic from generation to generation.

We cannot KNOW God if we do not know His Word. We cannot KNOW God if we do not commune with Him. We cannot KNOW God if we abandon His precepts and principles taught in His word. If we saturate ourselves in His word we will find that we have an answer for every man for the reason of the hope that is in us. We also find that when the enemy comes in like a flood we have a shield (God’s Word) can block that attack. We are able to face the deceiver, as Jesus did in the wilderness and having done all to stand to stand in the Word and declare IT IS WRITTEN!

I encourage you to invest and immerse yourself in the Word of God and become Saturated with that Word. For it brings healing, hope, salvation, deliverance, and victory! God, bless you richly is my prayer!

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THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD – Prayer!

Spiritual Blog - Prayer

Ephesians 6:10-20 – “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 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. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 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. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 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, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” NASU

As we come to the finale of our consideration of the Whole or Full Armor of God we find the direction in verse 18 that we are to STAND utilizing ALL PRAYER and PETITION being WATCHFUL with PERSEVERANCE. That is a critical key to maintaining the Armor of God in our lives and utilizing the Weapons of Spiritual Warfare effectively. I cannot imagine why Prayer is not always included in any discussion of the Armor of God for without Prayer the Armor is ineffective and not fully utilized. It is through Prayer that we tap into the Strength and Power of God. It is through Prayer that we open the door for the Anointing of the Holy Spirit. It is through Prayer that we hear the voice of God and find guidance and direction for our lives. In a very real sense, PRAYER activates the Armor of God. We do not fight as one that beats the air but we have a purpose and that purpose is discovered in Prayer and enables us to go into battle fully clothed and prepared for battle.

No church or individual believer can move forward without prayer. As some have declared, “The Church moves forward on its knees.” When we put on the Full Armor of God we can be assured that the devil is going to launch a full-scale attack. He will hurl the fiery darts and flaming missiles of pride, envy, lust for the forbidden, the desire for recognition, itching ears, disappointment, discouragement, doubt, and division attempting to discredit and discourage. That is why the apostle instructed in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 for the believers to PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.

Prayer keeps the armor in good repair. Prayer keeps our minds focused on the things of God. Prayer opens the door to the ministry of the Holy Spirit from whom we receive the Anointing to do whatever God has designed and desired for us. Through Prayer, we discover our mission and purpose, receive marching orders, and whet our appetites for the things of God. Through Prayer, we enter the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and as we petition heaven we see the hand of God move.

I know believers who teach and believe that you PRAY once and never pray again but that negates the idea of PERSEVERANCE. What about the directive of Jesus to “Ask, Seek, and Knock” and those words in the Greek carry all three tenses, Past, Present, and Future. Simply, the Lord was instructing us to Ask and keep on asking, Seek, and keep on seeking, and Knock and keep on knocking. Remember the instruction of Galatians 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for IN DUE SEASON we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Emphasis mine). The instruction is to PERSEVERE and the promise is REAPING in Due Season IF and only IF we do not give up, give in and quit.

So, my beloved friend, I encourage you to make a personal study of the Armor of God and commit yourself to PRAYER and determine to PERSEVERE, having done all to stand you STAND and keep on Standing!

God, bless you richly is my prayer and desire.

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THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD – Sword of the Spirit…

Spiritual Blog - Sword

As we come to the conclusion of the list of outward armor that we are to be clothed with and utilize we find the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT. We find in Hebrews 4:12 that, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” We read in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” In John 17:17 Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” In John 1:1-5 we discover, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

Therefore, we know that the SWORD OF THE SPIRT is the Word of God and that Jesus is the Word and that Word is Truth. Jesus said in John 8:32 that we would know TRUTH and TRUTH would make us free. We know that there is no access to the Father but through Jesus and no Word of Truth but God’s word. When Jesus went through His time of testing in the wilderness He repeatedly utilized the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT against the devil saying IT IS WRITTEN. With the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, we can pull down strongholds and bring thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. We can see mountains removed and cast into the sea. We can see demonic powers flee. We can utilize all the armor of God STANDING FIRM on the Promises and Precepts of God. We can enforce the Victory of Calvary through the Word of God. How did those martyrs of the Book of Revelation overcome? By the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of their Testimony. What was their Testimony? The Word of God!

We need to Sharpen our Sword daily. NO, we cannot add anything to God’s word nor should we take anything from it. We cannot make it more powerful than it is or more complete, but we can STUDY to show ourselves approved as workmen not needing to be ashamed or put to shame by rightly dividing or interpreting and using the Word of Truth. We do that through STUDY of the Word of God and in that endeavor coupled with prayer we sharpen our Sword daily and are ready for battle, clothed in the armor of God. You can have all the protective armor you can find and never win the battle if all you do is hold a defensive position. You need to take up the Weapon of Warfare and wield it against the enemy and when we resist the devil, the Bible clearly says HE WILL FLEE!

I want to move to the next portion of this command to Having Done All to Stand and address the often-omitted portion of the Full Armor of God, PRAYER, and PERSEVERANCE. We will address that next time but until then, may the LORD richly bless you as you walk in His Word, Way, Will, and Warfare.

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THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD – Helmet of Salvation…

Spiritual Blog - Helmet

We have considered the GIRDLE or BELT OF TRUTH, the BREASTPLATE of RIGHTEOUSNESS, the GOSPEL SHOES, and the SHIELD of FAITH. Now we come to the next and final defensive piece of armor, the HELMET of SALVATION. In the armor of a soldier, the helmet protects the head or the brain and in the spiritual, it protects the MIND. We are told in Philippians 2:5 to “Let this mind be in your which was also in Christ…” We know that we are TRANSFORMED by the “Renewing” of our minds. We know that the Mind of Christ is conveyed by the Holy Spirit as He teaches us all things. As we have our heads or minds covered by the HELMET of SALVATION we can bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and think thoughts of heaven, not earth. We need to be Saved or Sozoed in our Minds so that we can embrace the Full Salvation of Christ and Stand on His Promises with confidence.

The Bible says in Proverbs 23:7 that, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. We are not to think of ourselves more than we ought but to think soberly, as God as given to each of us a measure of faith. As our minds are under the covering of God, the Blood of Jesus, the Grace of God, and protected with the Armor of God we can apply the principles of Christ, utilize the Armor and Weapons, which are spiritual, pulling down strongholds. We can direct our thoughts which formulate our actions in the direction God has designed and desired. Our minds will not be filled with scattered and unrestrained thoughts which lead to confusion and destruction. With the HELMET of SALVATION covering us, we are able to walk in Peace, prepare for our Purpose, and pursue His Purposes for our lives.

Ephesians 1:13-14 – “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” In light of that passage, the HELMET of SALVATION is not only protection but a seal so that when the enemy sees us he sees Christ and knows that we belong to God. He knows that when we speak, we speak with the Power and Authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. In that light, the HELMET of SALVATION is not only defensive but offensive and becomes a weapon of warfare to use against the enemy and facilitates our ability to STAND after having done all to stand.

We will pause here and consider the next item tomorrow, the SWORD of the SPIRIT as we complete our Battle Clothing. We are engaged in a Spiritual War and must not only have the biblically afforded protection but the spiritual weapons and know how to use them.

May the Lord be with you and bless you as you enjoy this day in Jesus!

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THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD – Shield of Faith…

Spiritual Blog - Shield

We have considered the BELT of TRUTH, the BREASTPLATE of RIGHTEOUSNESS, and the GOSPEL SHOES. Now we turn our attention to the SHIELD of FAITH. It would seem, on the surface that the listing of this piece of armor is out of place. One would not anticipate taking up the shield before being fully clothed with armor but this is interposed between the GOSPEL SHOES and the HELMET of SALVATION. Could there be a reason? I can answer that in a simplistic fashion and realize that it will not fully suffice but what is one element required for Salvation? It is Faith, right? The Bible tells us that it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God without faith. We are told that God has given to every man a, or the measure of faith and we are told that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Faith is more a heart commodity than one of the head but the mind cannot be omitted for we are told that we are TRANSFORMED by the ‘renewing’ of our minds.

Faith is more than believing in the existence of God it is holding firm to the promises, precepts, and principles of God. When our faith is strong our love is strong and our sense of security in His Grace is strong. We know and believe that God is Who He says He is, will do what He says He will do and Keeps His Covenant to a thousand generations. When our faith is strong in the Power of God it is impossible for the devil to break through and steal, kill, or destroy. With the SHIELD of FAITH, we are able to protect the entire body, heart, soul, mind, spirit and being from the flaming missiles of the enemy. Those thoughts that are to be brought captive to the obedience of Christ are protected and those foreign destructive doubtful thoughts are kept out or blocked by our SHIELD.

Faith is an incredible protector for it leads us into the Presence of God and covers us like a shroud or shield us from the onslaught of the enemy. Remember Daniel in the lion’s den, faith kept him safe. Remember the three Hebrew Children in the furnace, faith kept them from the flames. Remember Paul being shipwrecked, faith kept the serpent from harming him as well as countless other times. The SHIELD of FAITH is not just personal protection, for when understood as the armor of a Roman Soldier, the shields would be joined together and protected the entire squad, troop, or legion. We are iron sharpening iron and we draw from each other’s strength. With the SHIELD of FAITH, we are able to protect each other as well as protect ourselves and the life that we now live in the flesh we live by the faith of the Son of God. With faith, we can face any challenge, confident of the outcome because our Lord has already won the victory.

The SHIELD of FAITH enables us to take on the HELMET of SALVATION and take up the SWORD of the SPIRIT. Let the faith of God rise in your heart and seek first Him and His kingdom. Invest yourself in His word for we do not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. That Word produces faith. I have said it this way, “Faith is a product of heaven, not earth. When God speaks, faith is transmitted. When man hears, faith is received. When man acts, faith is released. When God acts, faith is complete.” It is a product that begins and ends in God and He has given it to us through His Spirit and His Word.

We need to delve into the next piece of armor the HELMET of SALVATION but that will have to wait until next time. Until then, God bless you richly is my prayer and desire!

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THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD – Gospel Combat Boots…

Spiritual Blog - Gospel Shoes

We have covered two pieces of the Full Armor of God, the GIRDLE or BELT of TRUTH, and the BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. Now we come to the third item listed in Paul’s discourse, the GOSPEL FOOTWEAR, “feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace.” That description covers more than just Gospel Combat Boots or Shoes it covers the heart and root of the gospel and that is a vital area of consideration. In Roman and Grecian militaries part of their success was attributed to the soldiers being well shod and able to endure long marches with incredible speed over very rough terrain. Therefore, having our feet, which represents our walk and our life, shod with the Gospel of Peace is powerfully important in our Spiritual Warfare. Notice this says,” …and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace.”

PREPARATION is a key element in this piece of armor. Preparation denotes readiness and is a continual reminder that we are to be workmen that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth and we are to be ready always, instant in season and out of season. This is to be on ‘firm footing’ with the Gospel but it is more than just the Good News it is the Gospel of Peace. The Peace of God and the Greek word is “Eirene (i-ray-nay) and means to be ‘set at one again.’ This is being firmly rooted and settled in Jesus, prepared and ready with a firm foundation to present the Gospel, the Good News to whomever, wherever, and whenever. In Albert Barnes’ notes on the Bible, we find that the Roman soldier’s sandals were “often fitted with nails, or armed with spikes, to make them hold firm in the ground.” That is our condition with the GOSPEL SHOES, standing on a firm foundation, ready and prepared to STAND FIRM and DECLARE THE GOSPEL.

PREPARATION or READINESS means constant vigilance as a good soldier is every alert and aware of his surroundings. He cares for his armor and equipment for they may mean the difference between life and death or victory and defeat. Our PEACE SHOES have a two-fold purpose, defensive and offensive. Defensively we have to be able to stand on a solid foundation if we are going to lift the Shield of Faith and the Sword of the Spirit and do battle. We have to have confidence in our position and condition in Christ, know that our foundation in His Grace is sure. Offensively, we have to have sure footing that we can both withstand an assault and launch one. The GOSPEL SHOES are shoes properly fitted for the journey, designed by the Lord Himself and empowered by the Holy Spirit’s Anointing.

Jesus is our Peace and when we are anchored in His Peace, secure in His Salvation, confident in His Grace and prepared for battle, we can deliver the Gospel with a power and authority the devil cannot withstand. We truly can go into all the world and preach the gospel and expect the results Jesus declared.

I desire to address this more fully and take up the next piece of Spiritual Armor so we will pause here and deal with the SHIELD OF FAITH in the next devotional. God, bless you richly is my prayer and desire!

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THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD – [Part 2] …

Spiritual Blog - Armor

Last time, we considered the first piece of armor mentioned, the GIRDLE or BELT of TRUTH and its importance and the reason for it being the first mentioned. Now, I’d like us to proceed with the other items mentioned and their order. The second piece of armor listed is the BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. The Roman breastplate was what most would call the “Coat of Mail” which had a hole for the head to fit through and covered from the thorax to the thighs both front and back. I have preached that we have no armor for the rear but if we use this analogy that would be inaccurate. We know that, in the natural, enemies will try to sneak up from the rear and snipers pick off the stragglers in a column of soldiers. God would never leave us defenseless to the rear although we are not people of retreat, we are covered from behind as well as from the front and sides. I feel the need to remind you of Isaiah 52:12, “…for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” Also, Psalm 91:11-12, “For He will command His angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Also, Proverbs 2:7-8, “…He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones.” Another powerful promise and reference is Isaiah 58:8-9, “Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will call for help, and He will say: Here am I.” Hallelujah!

The BREASTPLATE of RIGHTEOUSNESS is critical to our walk, work, word, and warfare in Christ. Our hearts covered with His Righteousness is vital for us to walk in His peace, power, and protection. He makes us the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. It is not by works of righteousness that we have done but by His Grace that we are saved, protected, healed, and delivered. The Bible makes it clear that God demands Holiness and desires His children to walk in Right Standing with Him demonstrating His Righteousness to an Unrighteous generation. We are to be lights shining into a darkened world and that can only be a reality as we are clothed in Truth, The TRUTH, and filled with His RIGHTEOUSNESS. His Righteousness will draw to Him and lead people into His Peace.

We walk, not in our righteousness but His. Remember the human frailty and failure of David. Remember the denial of Peter and the failure of men of God throughout history but then also remember that God’s Grace clothes us in God’s Righteousness and we walk JUSTIFIED before Him. The BREASTPLATE of RIGHTEOUSNESS is vital if we are to be His epistles known and read of men and to fulfill the Great Commission and Go into all the World bringing people to Spiritual Freedom!

It seems that this will take longer than first anticipated but there is much more that I desire to convey about the FULL ARMOR of GOD so we will pause here and pick up next time with the GOSPEL SHOES. May the Lord richly bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Jesus.

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THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD…

Spiritual Blog - Armor of God

I have heard many sermons, read many books, and heard many theories on the Armor of God and most of the time the omit the last few verses about Prayer and Perseverance. I have heard sermons and theories that suggest that this is a formula to be done in a ritualistic fashion daily. I usually resist spiritual formulas for I have found that frequently they result in trusting the formula rather than focusing on, seeking, and trusting God. That is tragic and troubling but human nature desires a simple 1-2-3 formula to make things both easy and convenient. Christianity is neither and both depending on WHO we are trusting.

I believe that God’s Word, the Bible, is His infallible rule of faith and practice and it is GOD’S WORD, making it Truth of the highest order. I also believe that God engineered every recorded passage in the order they were recorded for a reason. I do not ascribe to random chance but that God had a plan and purpose and placed every passage in the place and order we find them for a reason. Likewise, when I study things like the “Full or Whole Armor of God” I am convinced they are at the conclusion of Paul’s words to the Ephesians for a reason and to indicate their importance. I also believe that the order they are listed is of importance and it would behoove us to consider them in the order listed and seek to discover why they are listed and the purpose or significance of their order. That is an impossible task in a short devotional and every time I examine this I discover something I had not seen before, so this is an ever, expanding journey for me, as is much of the Bible.

Let’s take my premise and theory that these pieces of armor are where they are for a purpose and in the order in which they are listed for a reason. I also understand from a practical consideration of how a Roman Soldier would put on his armor the order listed is not necessarily the order he would follow. Is that a discrepancy? Not in my mind, but let’s consider what the armor is and what its function is as we consider the order and importance of each item.

The first piece of armor listed is the GIRDLE or BELT OF TRUTH. The purpose of the belt for the Roman Soldier was to hold all the other pieces together and allow him to move freely as well as fight, without encumbrance. I believe that this piece of Spiritual Armor is first because it is described as a covering for the loins rather than just being listed as a belt around the waist. The latter could be exactly what is being described but it is my conviction that the loins were mentioned because of them being the source of reproduction and the BELT or GIRDLE OF TRUTH covers our sexual purity as well as is the source of Life that comes forth from us. Therefore, ensuring that we are pure in our interpersonal relationships is critical to being a good Soldier of the Cross. The Loins indicate the importance of reproduction and connecting it to the spiritual reminds us that all that is reproduced in us is to be filtered through TRUTH. It also indicates the need to be READY and PREPARED for battle at all times! The Bible makes it clear that Jesus is The TRUTH and Jesus made it clear that TRUTH is the Word of the Father. We also know that Jesus is the Word of God and that Word was made flesh and dwelt among men. It was through the Word that the worlds were framed and everything that was made was made or created. TRUTH is the first piece of armor listed because of its importance. When we put on the GIRDLE or BELT of Truth we are putting on the Lord Jesus Christ and He is holding everything together in our lives so that the rest of the armor can function and we can fight the good fight of faith.

We are told to SEEK FIRST the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and if we get first things first in our armament we will be able to more effectively receive and utilize the rest of the armor. God is always about First Things First and if we allow that to become fixed in our minds we will become seekers of truth and truth is Jesus!

I have much more to say on this subject but will pause here and pray that the Holy Spirit will burn this in your heart and cause you to become a seeker of truth more than you have ever been. God, bless you richly as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

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