I’m Not Strong Enough to Lift my Shield

Ephesians 6:11-12 says, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

As I read through the armor of God as if it were a checklist, I ran into a problem. Verse 16 says to “…take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Hmmm. Am I using my faith like a shield? Am I using it to “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one?” This is where my problem arose. I can be walking along, having a good day with no problems, but when something arises that I can’t fix in my own power I don’t put up that shield of faith. I may use the corner to try to deflect the flaming arrows, but I’m not using the shield correctly.

Papa, forgive me for being unfaithful. Of course You are in complete control of my life, I know that Jeremiah 29:11 is true. Thank You Lord for working things out in my life for my good. I love You Papa.

? not sure?

I spent time praying this evening and asking Papa “what do you want me to read, do You have a word for me, Do You have verse for me to learn?”  All these questions and in the mist of it I felt like I just needed to shut and listen.  So I did and I heard HIM say read John 10:10.  And I thought, oh I know that one, that couldn’t have been HIM telling me to go through, but the more I sat there the more I know that’s exactly where HE wanted me to go.  I was really needed some help with some issues going on, and I really didn’t think that verse was going to be it.  Well when I got done, I opened my bible and read that verse and it wasn’t the one I thought it was, so I was a bit surprised and then more confused.  I have no idea what Iam suppose to get out of this verse.  I read it and read and even read different translations, and I mean it’s a good verse but I have no idea what HE is trying to show me or tell me through this verse.  So I really don’t have anything profound to write tonight.  I am really wondering what I am suppose to do with the verse.  It was very clear HE wanted me to read it, so WHY?  for me? or someone else? 
If any of my P2717 bros, have any insight, that would be great. Until next time, I will continue to ask HIM.

Church Study #4….Division

In the religious world today there are many different religious groups. Each has its own peculiar name, organization, doctrine, form of worship, and plan of salvation. Why are there so many religious groups?

Nearly all Bible students agree that in the New Testament there was only one church belonging to Jesus. Denominations did not exist. But today there are hundreds of churches all claiming to believe in God and most claiming to follow Jesus. Where did they all come from?

Could it be that people in all these churches are pleasing to God and are following Jesus? In 1 Corinthians 1:10 Paul rebuked the Corinthian church because there was division among the members there. If God condemned that division, why would He overlook the fact that far greater division exists today? In verse 13 Paul asked, “Is Christ divided?”  The clear answer is:No, Christ is not divided! Jesus does not contradict Himself. He does not teach one thing to one person, and then teach the opposite to someone else. But the modern denominations do contradict one another. How then can they all be following Jesus? Jesus is not divided, so denominational division did not come from Jesus. Where then did it come from?

In Acts 20:29,30 the apostle Paul spoke to a group of bishops and made this prediction: “…after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”  After Paul left, there would be apostasy among God’s people. Religious leaders in the church would pervert or change the gospel in order to get a following for themselves.

Peter, Paul, and other first-century disciples were Christians, but what denomination were they members of? None at all! Denominational division, as we know it, did not exist in the first century. All Christians were in one body, the church which belongs to Jesus(Matt. 16:18; Eph. 4:3-6).  First-century Christians were members of Jesus’ church, but not members of any denomination. Why can’t you and I do the same today?

I wonder if  Jesus was even pleased with the existence of so many different denominations? In John 17:20,21, Jesus prayed concerning those who believe in Him, “that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee.” In denominations today, are all people one as the Father and Son are one?

So, how can we be just Christians today without contributing to denominational division? Well, how did people do it in the first century? They obeyed the teachings of Jesus given in the gospel. Obedience to the gospel cleansed them from sin and then the Lord added them to His church (Acts 2:36-41,47).  If you and I follow the same gospel, won’t the same thing happen to us (see Acts 2:39)?

But suppose instead we follow the creed book or church law of some denomination. What then would we become? We would become members of that denomination, right? Or if we followed the laws of some other denomination, we would become members of that denomination. However, following just the New Testament would make us simply children of God, just like it did in the first century (1 Peter 1:22,23; Gal. 3:26,27).

Denominational doctrines make denominational members. The New Testament makes just Christians.  Consider the evidence that the existence of modern denominational division fulfills these prophecies. Modern denominational division came about over a period of hundreds of years because men departed from God’s will. Get back to God’s will and maybe we get back to God’s church?

Love… forever

Romans 8:38-39 (NLT) 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angles nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Oh how many times I’ve listened to this verse in various translations over the years.  I bet I’ve heard or read it a hundred times…  But, for some reason, today I really heard this verse with new ears. I began to read it really slow and let each phrase sink in.

“…nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.” Nothing? What about my own sinful pride? What about my deceitful and desperately sick heart (Jer 17:9)? Nothing? Thank you Lord that you have more grace and mercy in your heart than I have sin in my nature. Thank you Lord.

“Neither death nor life…” I am forever tied to His heart. Whatever happens to my physical body, to my flesh-suit is irrelevant to the eternal security of my spirit. Thank you Lord.

“…neither angels nor demons…” Even the spiritual beings have no bearing on how may Daddy loves me. Thank you Lord.

“… neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow…” Even my mind has no effect on God’s love for me. As I’ve studied over the past week, my mind can affect my ability to relate to Him, but it doesn’t keep me from God’s love for me. Thank you Lord.

“… not even the powers of hell can separate us [me] from God’s love…” That is powerful. Just because I am under attack and even when its sifted through Father’s hands, His love for me is still the same. I just have to endure and rest in knowing that He still loves me the same. Thank you Lord.

“No power in the sky above or the earth below – indeed nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us [me] from the love of God…” Nothing! Not even my own self – because I am part of “all creation” – can separate me from God’s love. Thank you Lord.

“... that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That is the key. Jesus Christ HAS to be Lord. He has to have COMPLETE control. I have to be in TOTAL SURRENDER to Him in order to have the confidence and peace of NEVER being out of God’s love. Thank you Lord.

Thank you God for your love… a love that isn’t affected or controlled by me; a perfect love that is inpenetrable to the effects of my sin; a love that never ends; a love that never changes.  Teach me to love you the same way… with your heart and not my own.

I Surrender All

2 Chronicles 25 was more of the same.  Guy comes in, obeys God and does pretty well; quits following God and things go bad.  I’m begining to see a pattern.  Obedience = good with blessng; Disobedience = bad and death.

What was interesting this morning was 2 Chronicles 25:2 “And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart.”  Not with a loyal heart?  How would you like that said about you?  I started thinking about that phrase.  How many times could that / can that be said about me?  Even once is to many.

In Luke 10:27 Jesus said “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind.”  I know that this king failed because he became disobedient; what I wonder is if he would have become disobedient had he given God all of his heart.  When we separate our hearts and give parts of it away to other people or things, we cannot fully surrender ourselves to our Lord.  God does not want pieces of us.  God wants us all.  Deuteronomy 4:24 “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”; Deuteronomy 5:9 “…you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God…”; Exodus 34:14 “you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”

Finally, James 4:5 says that the Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously.  So, what does all this mean?  I think it means God deeply desires a close intimate relationship with us.  He deeply desires me.  He also knows that apart from Him we can do nothing.  He wants what is best for us.  He also knows that when we separate ourselves from Him and do not surrender our whole hearts that we set ourselves up for failure.  He wants a relationship with us and He wants us to succeed.  Neither of these things will happen if we do not give Him our whole hearts.

This is not a new thought for you or for me.  We know these things, but I also know that it is far too easy to slip back into a partial heart giver.  I get consumed in my worship time or my Bible study and I am “on fire for God”.  But, then I notice that I am not respondig to my wife the way I should, or I snap at my children.  Wait, I am totally sold out and in ove with Jesus.  Oh really? Then why is your fruit looking a little bit bruised?  At these points, when I examine my heart, I see that some of it might have been reserved for work, or even worse, a bit is reserved back for me.  After all, I have been really tired, I have been really stressed, I have been….  Next thing I know, I am worshipping, praising, etc. but not with the whole heart. 

Gentlemen, God wants us all.  Every bit and our ultimate success or failure in life depends upon the degree to which we submit ourselves to Him.

Papa, I give you everything today.  I submit to you my pride, my will, my everything.  Help me to be so filled with the Spirit that my life shows forth your fruit.  I want whatever success YOU have planned and the way you see it.  I give you everything today, and tomorrow I will choose to do the same.  I love you and I want others to see your love in me.