"...these are the words of Him who has and wields the sharp two-edged sword." In Revelation 2:12 Christ discribes Himself as the one who has the sharp sword with two edges. The Sword is the Word of God with power to convict all men and to convert all who believe on Him.
Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God who made the heavens and the earth from absolutely nothing. He spoke and they came into being. John 1:1 states "In the beginning was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This same Word divides between those who are born from above and those who are not.
The Written Word is the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God that we can use as our weapon against Satan and all his principalities and powers against whom we wrestle.
In Hebrews 4:12 the author writes "the Word of God is quick, and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Prayer: There are answers to everything "under the sun" in your Word, dear Lord. Your Word is right and true. Your truth and mercy still endures. Your Word have I hidden in my heart so that I might not sin, and I will be faithful to You. Use Your Word through me to draw lost souls to you, I pray in Jesus name. Amen
Monday, May 24, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
My Shield
In the New World Dictionary of American English, the word ‘shield’ is: "a flat, usually broad, piece of metal, wood, etc., carried in the hand or worn on the forearm to ward off blows or missiles." It is also: "any person or thing that guards, protects, or defends."
God told Abraham, the one who was to become the father of the race of Israel, that he should not fear because "I am thy shield" (Genesis 15:1). David called God his shield in many of the Psalms. Here are just a few examples:
Psalm 3:3: "But You, O Lord are a ‘shield’ to me...".
Psalm 28:7 he says the Lord is his "strength and shield".
And in Psalm 33:20: "He is our help and our shield."
Paul says to "take up the Shield of Faith…"
The Lord, as our Shield, is both our shield to ward off the fiery missiles of Satan, and also He stands guard, He protects, and defends. He comes between each of His children and all of life, no matter what is happening. It may be the scorn given you by someone, or a group; it may be something very tragic happening in one’s life; it may be an illness or death of a loved one. It may even be a wrong choice, or a sin, yet He is still there to guard and protect. We may feel our faith is too weak, but He, as our Shield, is the Faithful one, and He never leaves us. Whatever it is, He is our Shield.
Prayer: O Lord, you are my strong shield for everything. You will help me through your Holy Spirit, to be an ‘overcomer’ as I learn with confidence that nothing can harm me when I have Your protective Shield of Faith around me. You are my Shield now, and will be until I am with You in Glory. Amen
God told Abraham, the one who was to become the father of the race of Israel, that he should not fear because "I am thy shield" (Genesis 15:1). David called God his shield in many of the Psalms. Here are just a few examples:
Psalm 3:3: "But You, O Lord are a ‘shield’ to me...".
Psalm 28:7 he says the Lord is his "strength and shield".
And in Psalm 33:20: "He is our help and our shield."
Paul says to "take up the Shield of Faith…"
The Lord, as our Shield, is both our shield to ward off the fiery missiles of Satan, and also He stands guard, He protects, and defends. He comes between each of His children and all of life, no matter what is happening. It may be the scorn given you by someone, or a group; it may be something very tragic happening in one’s life; it may be an illness or death of a loved one. It may even be a wrong choice, or a sin, yet He is still there to guard and protect. We may feel our faith is too weak, but He, as our Shield, is the Faithful one, and He never leaves us. Whatever it is, He is our Shield.
Prayer: O Lord, you are my strong shield for everything. You will help me through your Holy Spirit, to be an ‘overcomer’ as I learn with confidence that nothing can harm me when I have Your protective Shield of Faith around me. You are my Shield now, and will be until I am with You in Glory. Amen
Monday, May 10, 2010
Spiritual Armor (Part II)
Last week we talked about the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, and your feet fitted with the Gospel of Peace.
The rest of the armor is found in Ephesians 6:16 and 17: "In addition to all this, take up the Shield of Faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."
In the Amplified version it says: "lift up over all the (covering) shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked one." What a word picture this gives us. The wicked one, or Satan, is always trying to catch us. He not only throws darts, but they are life threatening fiery missiles. We must cloth ourselves with the life saving faith, which is our shield.
The next item is a Helmet. Helmets are worn for many reasons, in fact in many cases it is the law, such as construction sites, riding bikes, skateboards, even roller skates. Soldiers in the war zones wear helmets; the reason is of course to protect the head. Salvation is our Helmet, protecting us from a lost eternity and assuring us of our Hope for the future.
The last mentioned, by no means being the least, is the Sword of the Spirit. This is self-explanatory as it says it is The Word of God. The best place for the Word is to be hidden in one’s heart. In Psalm 119:11 it says, "the Word of God hidden in my heart that I might not sin against God." It is God’s Word that will cause Satan to turn and run. In the front of my Bible given to me when I was a little girl, is written "Sin will keep you from this book, but this book will keep you from sin."
The Sword of the Spirit is our weapon of defense, and our weapon of choice. "I will not forget your Word" (Psalm 119:16)
Prayer: Thank You for providing me with Armor, Lord, that I may stand against the wiles and schemes of the devil. You give me all I need; I must just use it. Amen
The rest of the armor is found in Ephesians 6:16 and 17: "In addition to all this, take up the Shield of Faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."
In the Amplified version it says: "lift up over all the (covering) shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked one." What a word picture this gives us. The wicked one, or Satan, is always trying to catch us. He not only throws darts, but they are life threatening fiery missiles. We must cloth ourselves with the life saving faith, which is our shield.
The next item is a Helmet. Helmets are worn for many reasons, in fact in many cases it is the law, such as construction sites, riding bikes, skateboards, even roller skates. Soldiers in the war zones wear helmets; the reason is of course to protect the head. Salvation is our Helmet, protecting us from a lost eternity and assuring us of our Hope for the future.
The last mentioned, by no means being the least, is the Sword of the Spirit. This is self-explanatory as it says it is The Word of God. The best place for the Word is to be hidden in one’s heart. In Psalm 119:11 it says, "the Word of God hidden in my heart that I might not sin against God." It is God’s Word that will cause Satan to turn and run. In the front of my Bible given to me when I was a little girl, is written "Sin will keep you from this book, but this book will keep you from sin."
The Sword of the Spirit is our weapon of defense, and our weapon of choice. "I will not forget your Word" (Psalm 119:16)
Prayer: Thank You for providing me with Armor, Lord, that I may stand against the wiles and schemes of the devil. You give me all I need; I must just use it. Amen
Monday, May 3, 2010
Spiritual Armor (Part I)
Paul has been telling his Ephesus believers about the battle all believers are in, that of fighting against principalities and powers of the darkness of this world. But he encourages them by telling them that God gives us Spiritual armor to put on, all we have to do is put it on.
So to continue in Ephesians 6, Paul says in verse 14 and 15 that we are to "stand firm with the Belt of Truth buckled around your waist, with the Breastplate of Righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace." This is quoted from the New International Version. To read it in the Amplified Version: "Stand therefore (hold your ground), having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God. And having shod your feet in preparation (to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news) of the Gospel of Peace."
Paul is telling us just what a good soldier of Jesus Christ needs to wear. First of all, it is important to have a belt. Belts can be used for many things, but one, and probably the most common use, is to hold ones clothing together and keep it from falling. Our spiritual belt is called the "Belt of Truth". In Jude 24 it says "Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling…" The Holy Spirit, also known as the ‘Spirit of Truth’ is given to us to keep us from falling.
Next we have the Breastplate of Righteousness. This is a protection for our heart and vital organs. It is like a ‘bullet proof vest’ used today to protect from bullets. Should a bullet strike, one will be bruised, but not broken. In Isaiah 61:10 we are told that "He has covered me with the robe of righteousness…" When the Father looks at us and sees us covered in the robe or Breastplate of Righteousness, He knows we are protected and whole, and yes, Holy.
Verse 15 states our feet should be shod in readiness to go; readiness to carry the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, to others. In Isaiah 52:7 it says, "how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tiding, who publishes peace…"
My Prayer: O my Lord! With my mind stayed on You I am covered with Your truth, Your righteousness and Your Peace. Thank you for helping me to stand firm. Amen
So to continue in Ephesians 6, Paul says in verse 14 and 15 that we are to "stand firm with the Belt of Truth buckled around your waist, with the Breastplate of Righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace." This is quoted from the New International Version. To read it in the Amplified Version: "Stand therefore (hold your ground), having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God. And having shod your feet in preparation (to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news) of the Gospel of Peace."
Paul is telling us just what a good soldier of Jesus Christ needs to wear. First of all, it is important to have a belt. Belts can be used for many things, but one, and probably the most common use, is to hold ones clothing together and keep it from falling. Our spiritual belt is called the "Belt of Truth". In Jude 24 it says "Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling…" The Holy Spirit, also known as the ‘Spirit of Truth’ is given to us to keep us from falling.
Next we have the Breastplate of Righteousness. This is a protection for our heart and vital organs. It is like a ‘bullet proof vest’ used today to protect from bullets. Should a bullet strike, one will be bruised, but not broken. In Isaiah 61:10 we are told that "He has covered me with the robe of righteousness…" When the Father looks at us and sees us covered in the robe or Breastplate of Righteousness, He knows we are protected and whole, and yes, Holy.
Verse 15 states our feet should be shod in readiness to go; readiness to carry the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, to others. In Isaiah 52:7 it says, "how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tiding, who publishes peace…"
My Prayer: O my Lord! With my mind stayed on You I am covered with Your truth, Your righteousness and Your Peace. Thank you for helping me to stand firm. Amen
Monday, April 26, 2010
Preparing for Battle
In Ephesians 6: 10, 11, Paul tells us that we need to prepare for a battle. We are warriors in a battle, and we are to be strong. Paul says: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." In the amplified version it gives more detail: "In conclusion, be strong in the Lord (be empowered through your union with Him); draw your strength from Him (that strength which His boundless might provides). Put on God’s whole armor (the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies), that you may be able successfully to stand up against (all) the strategies and the deceits of the devil."
We are at war, a battle every day. Though it is unseen by our human sight, it is a very real battle. In verse 12 (again from the Amplified version) Paul says: "For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood (contending only with physical opponents), but against the despotisms, against the powers, against (the master spirits who are) the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere."
If we are in such a great battle, how are we going to stand against the forces we cannot even see? As it said in verse 11, we are to put on God's whole armor, which He supplies us with. And then in verse 13 he tells us again: "Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day (of danger), and having done all (the crisis demands), to stand (firmly in your place)." We are given spiritual armor with which we can stand firm and fight against these evil powers that would like to destroy us. He has not left us helpless, but He has left us with a responsibility, and that is that we must pick up each piece of armor and make use of it. For the next few weeks I will go through each piece of this armor to help us know just how to use it and put it on.
My Prayer: David told Goliath: "…I come against you in the name of the Lord…" (I Samuel 17:45). Your name, Oh Lord, is above all names! Your Glory is above all the earth! Without You I am nothing, but with You I can do all things. With You, nothing is impossible! Satan may have his schemes and lies, but You have conquered Satan. You have crushed his head. Your armor will cover me. Psalm 27:1 states: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life…" I have confidence in You! I will wear Your armor! Amen
We are at war, a battle every day. Though it is unseen by our human sight, it is a very real battle. In verse 12 (again from the Amplified version) Paul says: "For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood (contending only with physical opponents), but against the despotisms, against the powers, against (the master spirits who are) the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere."
If we are in such a great battle, how are we going to stand against the forces we cannot even see? As it said in verse 11, we are to put on God's whole armor, which He supplies us with. And then in verse 13 he tells us again: "Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day (of danger), and having done all (the crisis demands), to stand (firmly in your place)." We are given spiritual armor with which we can stand firm and fight against these evil powers that would like to destroy us. He has not left us helpless, but He has left us with a responsibility, and that is that we must pick up each piece of armor and make use of it. For the next few weeks I will go through each piece of this armor to help us know just how to use it and put it on.
My Prayer: David told Goliath: "…I come against you in the name of the Lord…" (I Samuel 17:45). Your name, Oh Lord, is above all names! Your Glory is above all the earth! Without You I am nothing, but with You I can do all things. With You, nothing is impossible! Satan may have his schemes and lies, but You have conquered Satan. You have crushed his head. Your armor will cover me. Psalm 27:1 states: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life…" I have confidence in You! I will wear Your armor! Amen
Monday, April 19, 2010
My Lord Is ...?
In Matthew 22:42 Jesus asked, "What do you think of Christ? In Matthew 16:15 He asked His disciples "Who do You say that I am?"
What does the Bible say about ‘who our Lord is?’ In Psalm 24 He is called the King of Glory. Verse 10 states "Who is (He then) this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory, Selah…" When He returns to set up His kingdom on earth, His name is written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords" (Revelation 19:16).
II Samuel 22:2, 3 says "The Lord is our rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer…He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower and my refuge, my Savior." According to Psalm 28:7 He is my strength, and my shield. Psalm 59:9, He is my defense. Psalm 23, a familiar Psalm to many, the Lord is called ‘my Shepherd’. Also in I Peter 2:25 He is referred to as our Shepherd as well as our Bishop. Hebrews 7 and 8 calls Him our High Priest. Hebrews 8:1 "We have such a High Priest, One who is seated at the right hand of the majestic (God) in heaven."
Some nights when I have difficulty going to sleep, instead of counting sheep, I go through the alphabet using names describing my Lord. Not only does it help me fall asleep, but when I wake up, He is the first on my mind.
My Prayer: Lord, I love saying names for You. Throughout Scripture there are so many different names to describe You. You are my beloved and the One Whom my soul loves. You are worthy to be praised! You are precious to me, my Chief Cornerstone. Worthy are You O Lord, to receive Power, and Glory. You are all things; You created all things, and yet Your desire is to me. You know my name!! You know my every thought!! O Lord, How Great You are! Amen
What does the Bible say about ‘who our Lord is?’ In Psalm 24 He is called the King of Glory. Verse 10 states "Who is (He then) this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory, Selah…" When He returns to set up His kingdom on earth, His name is written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords" (Revelation 19:16).
II Samuel 22:2, 3 says "The Lord is our rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer…He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower and my refuge, my Savior." According to Psalm 28:7 He is my strength, and my shield. Psalm 59:9, He is my defense. Psalm 23, a familiar Psalm to many, the Lord is called ‘my Shepherd’. Also in I Peter 2:25 He is referred to as our Shepherd as well as our Bishop. Hebrews 7 and 8 calls Him our High Priest. Hebrews 8:1 "We have such a High Priest, One who is seated at the right hand of the majestic (God) in heaven."
Some nights when I have difficulty going to sleep, instead of counting sheep, I go through the alphabet using names describing my Lord. Not only does it help me fall asleep, but when I wake up, He is the first on my mind.
My Prayer: Lord, I love saying names for You. Throughout Scripture there are so many different names to describe You. You are my beloved and the One Whom my soul loves. You are worthy to be praised! You are precious to me, my Chief Cornerstone. Worthy are You O Lord, to receive Power, and Glory. You are all things; You created all things, and yet Your desire is to me. You know my name!! You know my every thought!! O Lord, How Great You are! Amen
Monday, April 12, 2010
Jeremiah 33
Young people of today will not remember this, but when I was very young, telephone numbers had an exchange name, followed by the number. You are no doubt familiar with the song from the 1940’s entitled Pennsylvania 6-5000. This is a good example of what I am talking about. In small towns, one gave the phone number to a ‘telephone operator’ instead of dialing it. All this reminiscing is said in order to explain a quote we used to say about the Bible verse Jeremiah 33:3. We called this God’s telephone number; Jeremiah 3-3-3. Here’s why—it says "Call to me and I will answer you…" The Lord tells us to call on Him, and He promises to answer. He doesn’t say he will give us the answer we desire, every parent knows this is not wise; but He does promise to answer.
The previous verse, verse 2, states "Thus says the Lord Who made (the earth), the Lord Who formed it to establish it—the Lord is His name." Then he goes on to say "Call on me". To me this is a Wow! The maker of heaven and earth is telling us to just "call" on Him, just pick up the phone, just connect to Him, and He will answer.
There are other promises in this first part of Jeremiah 33 that have grabbed at my heart. I realize the Lord was speaking to the Israelites, but I feel these verses are given to us to show what a gracious God we have. We, too, have angered and saddened our Lord. In verse 5 he says "…I have hidden My face from this city because of all their wickedness:" But then our gracious Lord says "Behold I will lay upon it health and healing, and I will cure them and will reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth." Our Lord will ‘heal’ us from our sins; He will cure us and give us peace.
Verse 8 states "I will cleanse them from all the guilt and iniquity…and I will forgive all their guilt and iniquities by which they have sinned and rebelled against Me." All we have to do is call upon Him and He will ‘forgive’.
Verse 11 sounds to me like our "Sacrifice of Praise". "…the voices of those who sing as they bring sacrifices of thanksgiving into the house of the Lord. Give praise and thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good:"
Verses 15-17 talks about our Messiah, our Righteousness. Here are some excerpts…"at that time will I cause a righteous Branch (the Messiah) to grow up to David…" "The Lord is Our Righteousness (our Rightness, our Justice)."
To summarize the blessings I found in Jeremiah 33:1-17:
1. Just Call and God will answer
2. He will cure and give peace
3. He forgives our iniquities
4. We give our "Sacrifice of Praise"
5. The Messiah is our Righteousness
The previous verse, verse 2, states "Thus says the Lord Who made (the earth), the Lord Who formed it to establish it—the Lord is His name." Then he goes on to say "Call on me". To me this is a Wow! The maker of heaven and earth is telling us to just "call" on Him, just pick up the phone, just connect to Him, and He will answer.
There are other promises in this first part of Jeremiah 33 that have grabbed at my heart. I realize the Lord was speaking to the Israelites, but I feel these verses are given to us to show what a gracious God we have. We, too, have angered and saddened our Lord. In verse 5 he says "…I have hidden My face from this city because of all their wickedness:" But then our gracious Lord says "Behold I will lay upon it health and healing, and I will cure them and will reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth." Our Lord will ‘heal’ us from our sins; He will cure us and give us peace.
Verse 8 states "I will cleanse them from all the guilt and iniquity…and I will forgive all their guilt and iniquities by which they have sinned and rebelled against Me." All we have to do is call upon Him and He will ‘forgive’.
Verse 11 sounds to me like our "Sacrifice of Praise". "…the voices of those who sing as they bring sacrifices of thanksgiving into the house of the Lord. Give praise and thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good:"
Verses 15-17 talks about our Messiah, our Righteousness. Here are some excerpts…"at that time will I cause a righteous Branch (the Messiah) to grow up to David…" "The Lord is Our Righteousness (our Rightness, our Justice)."
To summarize the blessings I found in Jeremiah 33:1-17:
1. Just Call and God will answer
2. He will cure and give peace
3. He forgives our iniquities
4. We give our "Sacrifice of Praise"
5. The Messiah is our Righteousness
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