August 1, 2010

Ephesians 6: 10-20 

  We Are At War!   

Ephesians

A final word:  Be strong with the Lord's mighty power.  Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil.  For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.   Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.

And pray for me, too.  Ask God to give me the right words as I boldly explain God's secret plan that the Good News is for the Gentiles, too.  I am in chains now for preaching this message as God's ambassador.  But pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.  

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Thoughts...

We are at war.  What does that mean to you?  Every day we have to make choices and decisions based on what we know, and hope we will make right choices, right decisions.  Everyday we are presented with alarming options.  Do we watch the TV show we used to watch before we became a Christian?  Should we expose ourselves to the visual exploitations, and the commercials, which only seem to become more rank in their attempt to lure us?  Should we keep that penny we see on the floor of an office building?  In the street?  Should we answer back with all the emotions we feel when we are wronged, or our God is being wronged?  Should we step up when we see another human being being injured or help a hungry and thirsty animal left stray?  Should we attact back when attacked?  Do we stay or do we go?  Which responsibility is more important?  There are many choices and many decisions.  We are at war within ourselves and we are at war with the world of darkness, which tells to go when we should stay, who says, 'Get 'em.' in a battle against wills.  Who says attack at every moment to kill, steal, or destroy.  THAT my friends is the Devil speaking to us...Satan...who creates the turmoil and allows us to wallow in it and be destroyed by it.

It could be queried as to whether we create our own turmoil or not.  If we are not focused on and hearing God and what he would have for our lives and do for the same, then we are hearing from the Devil, allowing him to present us with situations and traps in which we are sure to fail and fall into.  It's time to decide which side of the fence we want to be on....we cannot be warm or cold on this matter.  We must be hot...positive...committed, an unleashed power for Almighty God.

How we do this is to put on the 'Whole Armor of God' as noted in Eph. 6: 10-17 above.  I've highlighted and italicized in the text (to save time this morning) those things we must do to achieve this.  Please review that section now.  

There is never a time that we are not at war on this earth.  Once we get to heaven the victory is Jesus'.  And we can have victory here on earth, IF we follow God's commands and pay attention to the lesson Paul gives us today in Ephesians.  But we must also be born of water and Spirit to be successful, for and in, the name of the Lord.  We must be born again....be cleansed of our sins by being forgiven and washed anew through water baptism.  We must also be born of the Spirit, by asking Holy Spirit to come into our lives to lead us and direct us. 

Here are some more of Satan's tactics as noted in the The Life Application Bible NIV:

Doubt....makes you question God's Word and his goodness.

Discouragement...makes you look at your problems rather than at God.

Diversion...makes the wrong things seem attrative so that you will want them more than the right things.

Defeat...makes you feel like a failure so that you don't even try.

Delay....makes you put off doing something so that it never gets done.

THIS is a very small list.  In reference for Genesis 3:24 of the same text it says:  This is how Adam and Eve broke their relationship with God:  1)  they became covinced their way was better than God's; (2) they became self-conscious and hid; (3)  they tried to excuse and defend themselves.  To build a relationship with God we must reverse those steps:  (1) we must drop our excuses and self-defenses; (2) we must stop trying to hide from God; (3) we must become convinced that God's way is better than our way. 

Where is your heart?  Are you at war?  Do you need to put on God's armor?  I know I do.  I am not perfect.  No one is.  I have crises going on around me and in the lives of those I love with all my heart.  Lives are being fought for at this very moment. The churches are in crisis.  The world is in crisis.  Think Satan is not real?  Look around you.  This should convince you he is very much alive, well, and wreaking havoc.  But we have a leader for battle.  His name is Savior, Counselor, Prince of Peace.  We have God's armor.  We have Holy Spirit who teaches, comforts, guides and directs.  Prepare!

The time is coming...in fact it is here...we need to defend ourselves and those we love from the enemy.  We are in a battle for our lives and theirs.  We must step out in faith and fight the good fight....show ourselves approved.  We must 'press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God'.  Phil 3: 14.  So put on your armor and  fight the good fight.  Tell Satan he cannot have you or your loved ones.  That the victory is Jesus and you and they belong to him.  Do everything you can do to do everything you can do.  And don't stop.  Not until the victory truly is Jesus'.  You will know you have won when you or they see his face and feel his arms.  I pray for you that you will press on, loving the Lord with all your heart, all your mind and all your soul, and that you will fight the good fight to show yourselves approved and victorious.  And pray for me, too.  We are all in chains until we are victorious!         

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Let Us Pray

Dear God, Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.  Forgive me now and cleanse me by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that I may worthily love you and glorify your Holy Name.  Give me strength to persevere...fighting the good fight til the end which is victory in you, Lord, when I will come to you, see your face, and be embraced in your loving arms.  Let my loved ones have that victory, too, please.  Help me to know what to do and how to do.  Gently remind me, Holy Spirit, to keep my eyes on God, the Lord....my Lord and my God.  And please God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, when I am weak, please be strong.  Give life where life slips, and don't let it slip away.  Please help me to do all I can to help those I love most in life to have an abundant life in and with you.  My heart is heavy, my burdens feel overwhelming.  Carry me...and my loved ones, will you?  Embrace me and them in your living and loving arms.  Hold us close.  Lead us into the battle for our lives and help us to always know you are the light at the end of the tunnel.  And then, lead us home.  Thank you, Lord, God, Holy Spirit.  I cannot express how grateful I am to know you are there and you love me and those I love.  And that we will always have life and a home in your arms.  Thank you.  Amen.  

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NOTE:  I hope to always be able to continue to minister to those of you needing to be fed.  I want to thank you all for being my silent prayer partners throughout the last 2 years and ask you to not stop now.  The world is hungry.  The workers are few.  Please feel free to share this website or any message therein with anyone who you know might need a hug.  Know that my heart is with all of you as you step out in faith daily.  I will uplift you to the Trinity...that you might be part of the harvest!  May you continue to grow in the love and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  May we continue to be able to 'press on!' together.

Please read the benediction below and be embraced by it.  If you read it daily, you will be reminded that your calling is to walk with him and talk with him, grow in love and grace, and spew forth all you have learned as you grow, while bringing others into the family of Christ.  May we gird up each other, as we lift each other to the Trinity.  May the peace of God be with you always...even til the end of time.  Thank you.     

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More love.... 

  Benediction...Blessing

Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rythms of Grace'.

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation.  

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If you feel that the Church of the Holy Spirit has inspired or helped you, we'd like you to prayerfully consider tithing regulary to us or gifting us, so that we can further the work and carry out the will of the Father as proclaimed in Matthew 28:16 NLT

 to

 "Go and make disciples out of all the nations

baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:

I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

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  Our Current Cause

It is time to reach into the community and the world around you to see wherein lies the greatest need.  As you choose to focus on these areas, do so with a servant's heart.  Whether the need is for children, adults, or animals, or any cause in between that will help those in need, ask God how you can best serve his needs, what path you must take, and how long you should persevere.  Sometimes we are to be in the lives of others merely as stepping stones.  Sometimes we are to touch those lives forever.  Whatever journey you are called to take, whatever team you will be a member of, know this:  God is with you always...even til the end of time.  He loves you, is grateful for you, and will help you along life's way, especially if you are helping others along theirs, persevering with a servant's heart. 

Please accept my sincerest thanks....and God's....and may God richly bless you!   

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Trinity Missions

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As we grow, you will have options for allocating your gifts.

In the meantime, we hope you will trust us to direct them to where the need is the greatest.

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    One last thing....

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rythms of Grace'

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

   Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

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I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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