How important is the Helmet of Salvation? Can't I get along in life with just faith?
What? Faith in What? The helmet of salvation is a very important part of the armor of God. Without salvation what is the point?
Think a moment about what part of your body is protected by an helmet. It's your mind! Your mind is protected by the Salvation that God provides through His Son. When someone claims to be a Christian but does not see the need to be saved they are only fooling themselves. They have been deceived.
You cannot be a Christian because your mom or dad or grandparent are Christians. You don't inherit your Christianity from your ancestors. You are not a Christian just because you do good things or because you are a nice person. You must be saved.
It is really quite simple. You realize that everyone has sinned against God. We cannot be perfect on our own. We need help.
God provided a way for us. He sent His only Son down to earth in the form of a man. Actually he started out as a baby. All we have to do is believe and accept the free gift.
The helmet of Salvation is simple. Believe and accept the Jesus is God's son and that he died for your sins. That's it. That's all. Simple.
Now the rest of the armor helps you grow in Christ and live in this fallen world but the helmet is simple. Now put that helmet on if it's not already on... If you need help ask someone who you trust and already has their helmet on.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Shield of Faith
How many times have you heard about the shield of faith that quenches the fiery darts of the evil one? Do you ever wonder why those fiery darts still seem to get past the shield and get you?
How big is your shield? In the time this was written the shields were large, very very large. They were made of wood with wet animal hides stretched over them. The shield was so large that the warrior was completely shielded. Is your shield large enough to completely hide behind it?
Are you stepping behind the shield? It won't do you any good to stand next to it or peek out. Are your hands securely holding it up? The enemy can shoot a whole lot of flaming arrows at one time and if you just lean against your shield it could fall over. You must hold onto it firmly.
Are you wearing the rest of the armor of God? You need the entire armor to be ready for battle against the enemy. This is a spiritual battle.
What is your faith based on? It must be based on the Word of God. The devil loves it when we discount God's word or doubt that what He says is absolute truth. The devil likes to confuse and twist truths until they are no longer truths but lies. He wants us to be confused and give up. There is no source of absolute truth other than God's Word. Your faith must have a solid foundation or it is just like the smoke from a fire, turning and drifting whichever way the breeze blows.
Let's get practical.
What do I need to do about this shield of faith?
I need to stay grounded in God's Word. Every day I need to be reading and meditating in the Bible. Meditating means thinking about it.
I need to check my own thoughts and motives against God's Word. Why am I doing what I am doing? Am I using my own intellect exclusively to reason my way through life? I am checking my conclusions with God's entire infallible Word to see if they line up?
I must remember that God cannot lie. He says I have a shield that will quench the fiery darts of the enemy. He also tells me that I have to pick it up and use it. It won't do me any good to leave it at home. I can't use another person's shield to protect me. I am responsible for the maintenance of my own shield. I am responsible to hold it up and stand firmly behind it.
Don't start looking around at other people's shields. Maybe their shield looks bigger or thicker than yours and you start to doubt if your shield can handle those fiery darts. Maybe they have bigger darts or more attacks coming. God says to pick up and use YOUR shield of faith. Jesus said that if you have the faith of a mustard seed you can move a mountain. Your shield is sufficient for you.
What do you think the soldiers in the battlefield did if they did get hit? Did they drop their shields and run away? I don't think so. I think they hunkered down behind their shield even more tightly and held on till someone came to help them. It happens.
We are not perfect and sometimes we get hit. We can learn from the hit. Don't drop your shield and run when the pain from a fiery dart hits you. Learn from it. Examine yourself for sin. Was there pride? Were you relying on God fully?
Don't allow the enemy to win or get you down. Get up the best you can and hunker down behind that shield and hold firm. Stand your ground. I can tell you that God didn't want you to get hit. He does not want to see you his precious child in pain. He will be there with you and for you. Ask for help while you heal. Learn to maintain your shield better. Find out what happened and use it to do better the next time.
There will be a next time. It's OK. Satan will continue to attack those whom the Lord loves and who obey His commandments. This is life on this fallen planet. You are the Lord's beloved and He will never leave you.
It's really pretty simple. Love God with all your heart, mind and soul. Put on that armor. Know that you are God's beloved child. Do it again tomorrow.
How big is your shield? In the time this was written the shields were large, very very large. They were made of wood with wet animal hides stretched over them. The shield was so large that the warrior was completely shielded. Is your shield large enough to completely hide behind it?
Are you stepping behind the shield? It won't do you any good to stand next to it or peek out. Are your hands securely holding it up? The enemy can shoot a whole lot of flaming arrows at one time and if you just lean against your shield it could fall over. You must hold onto it firmly.
Are you wearing the rest of the armor of God? You need the entire armor to be ready for battle against the enemy. This is a spiritual battle.
What is your faith based on? It must be based on the Word of God. The devil loves it when we discount God's word or doubt that what He says is absolute truth. The devil likes to confuse and twist truths until they are no longer truths but lies. He wants us to be confused and give up. There is no source of absolute truth other than God's Word. Your faith must have a solid foundation or it is just like the smoke from a fire, turning and drifting whichever way the breeze blows.
Let's get practical.
What do I need to do about this shield of faith?
I need to stay grounded in God's Word. Every day I need to be reading and meditating in the Bible. Meditating means thinking about it.
I need to check my own thoughts and motives against God's Word. Why am I doing what I am doing? Am I using my own intellect exclusively to reason my way through life? I am checking my conclusions with God's entire infallible Word to see if they line up?
I must remember that God cannot lie. He says I have a shield that will quench the fiery darts of the enemy. He also tells me that I have to pick it up and use it. It won't do me any good to leave it at home. I can't use another person's shield to protect me. I am responsible for the maintenance of my own shield. I am responsible to hold it up and stand firmly behind it.
Don't start looking around at other people's shields. Maybe their shield looks bigger or thicker than yours and you start to doubt if your shield can handle those fiery darts. Maybe they have bigger darts or more attacks coming. God says to pick up and use YOUR shield of faith. Jesus said that if you have the faith of a mustard seed you can move a mountain. Your shield is sufficient for you.
What do you think the soldiers in the battlefield did if they did get hit? Did they drop their shields and run away? I don't think so. I think they hunkered down behind their shield even more tightly and held on till someone came to help them. It happens.
We are not perfect and sometimes we get hit. We can learn from the hit. Don't drop your shield and run when the pain from a fiery dart hits you. Learn from it. Examine yourself for sin. Was there pride? Were you relying on God fully?
Don't allow the enemy to win or get you down. Get up the best you can and hunker down behind that shield and hold firm. Stand your ground. I can tell you that God didn't want you to get hit. He does not want to see you his precious child in pain. He will be there with you and for you. Ask for help while you heal. Learn to maintain your shield better. Find out what happened and use it to do better the next time.
There will be a next time. It's OK. Satan will continue to attack those whom the Lord loves and who obey His commandments. This is life on this fallen planet. You are the Lord's beloved and He will never leave you.
It's really pretty simple. Love God with all your heart, mind and soul. Put on that armor. Know that you are God's beloved child. Do it again tomorrow.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Joy Comes in the Morning
So when does morning come?
Have you ever been surprised by the depth of a sorrow? I would expect deep sorrow and grief if a person close to me died. I would expect grief to continue if I had lost a child. I would expect sorrow and grief in a time of local disaster. I know that a break in a close friendship causes deep grief. I know that loss can cause deep sorrow.
I have lost special pets before...Snowball, Frisky, Joe. Why is this little one so hard to get over? Was I this sad before? Does the sorrow fade away from the memory? Did I become too attached to a small furry creature this time? Is it because he was so young? Or is it just a snowball effect, one straw too many for the camel?
God promises Joy in the morning. When does morning come?
Does it come each day when the sun rises? Is morning a metaphor for after a period of darkness?
These are the questions that I have pondered in the last few days.
I can tell you with absolute confidence that morning will come.
God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He cannot lie. His word says joy will come in the morning and joy WILL come in the morning. I know this without doubt. Joy will come...
Better yet while in the darkness of grief and sorrow I have the comfort that only God can provide. He doesn't mind that I am sad right now. He wipes the tears from my heart. He holds me close to him and whispers words of comfort and promise in my ear. He reminds me that everything is His and he gives and takes away. There is purpose in everything we experience. He is God.
I exist because God created me. I live to have a relationship with my creator. My God gave His own Son for me. He gave up His own Son even if just one came to Him. I am not worthy of this great sacrifice however I gratefully and joyfully accept it.
Do I see morning coming? I see the bright glow of the sun beginning to rise in the east. It is coming with colorful rays glowing red and orange in the clouds. You must look to the east to see the morning arrive. If you are still looking to the west you will only see the darkness of night. Look up! Keep your eyes on the Father and He will bring you through your grief and sorrows.
Joy Will Come in the Morning
Have you ever been surprised by the depth of a sorrow? I would expect deep sorrow and grief if a person close to me died. I would expect grief to continue if I had lost a child. I would expect sorrow and grief in a time of local disaster. I know that a break in a close friendship causes deep grief. I know that loss can cause deep sorrow.
I have lost special pets before...Snowball, Frisky, Joe. Why is this little one so hard to get over? Was I this sad before? Does the sorrow fade away from the memory? Did I become too attached to a small furry creature this time? Is it because he was so young? Or is it just a snowball effect, one straw too many for the camel?
God promises Joy in the morning. When does morning come?
Does it come each day when the sun rises? Is morning a metaphor for after a period of darkness?
These are the questions that I have pondered in the last few days.
I can tell you with absolute confidence that morning will come.
God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He cannot lie. His word says joy will come in the morning and joy WILL come in the morning. I know this without doubt. Joy will come...
Better yet while in the darkness of grief and sorrow I have the comfort that only God can provide. He doesn't mind that I am sad right now. He wipes the tears from my heart. He holds me close to him and whispers words of comfort and promise in my ear. He reminds me that everything is His and he gives and takes away. There is purpose in everything we experience. He is God.
I exist because God created me. I live to have a relationship with my creator. My God gave His own Son for me. He gave up His own Son even if just one came to Him. I am not worthy of this great sacrifice however I gratefully and joyfully accept it.
Do I see morning coming? I see the bright glow of the sun beginning to rise in the east. It is coming with colorful rays glowing red and orange in the clouds. You must look to the east to see the morning arrive. If you are still looking to the west you will only see the darkness of night. Look up! Keep your eyes on the Father and He will bring you through your grief and sorrows.
Joy Will Come in the Morning
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
My Little Spit is Gone
Spit/Henry passed on Monday. He had liver failure. He was not in pain but starting to feel uncomfortable. I was not there. Chuck was the brave husband who took him in when he started to seem to be in pain. The Vet said it was congenital and that orange cats are predisposed to liver disease. He probably was born with this. His under color was always yellow, not the pink you see in most other cats.
I got home yesterday. The house is so quiet without him. Charlie, Peaches and Orion miss him too. It is so strange to walk into the bedroom and no Little Spit. His dishes are gone. His litter box put away. He is buried in the backyard with his collar on. We will miss him. He was the best cat ever.
I got home yesterday. The house is so quiet without him. Charlie, Peaches and Orion miss him too. It is so strange to walk into the bedroom and no Little Spit. His dishes are gone. His litter box put away. He is buried in the backyard with his collar on. We will miss him. He was the best cat ever.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
My Little Spit
I am already missing my Little Spit. He has cancer. We have been nursing him for about 2 months now. He is not going to make it. He is only 3. I knew something was not quite right with him since he was a baby kitten but hoped he would be ok. He is the sweetest cat ever. He loves to cuddle and is always there when anyone in the household needs a little extra love. We will miss him so very much.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
A New Year
Goodbye 2009...Welcome 2010! We leave the past with thanksgiving and welcome the new year with expectation. May the Lord pour out His Blessings on each and everyone of you in the coming year.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
I'm that guy...
You know the one...the one on the early shows of American Idol, not the obnoxious, foul mouthed, totally weird one but the other one, the one that people like but just aren't any good. That's Me!
You know the one, the one that Paula likes but Simon and Randy don't, but they aren't mean because they like the person just not the talent.
You know, the one that when they search their minds for something to say they say things like - "You have excellent pitch. Maybe you just need a little more time to grow." "You smile through the whole song." "You have a 'nice' voice." "We're just not sure you are what America wants." Then out you go without that magic gold ticket.
You know the one, the one with the group of family and friends who are waiting outside the audition room with Seacrest. When you come out without the ticket they are shocked! How can this be? They hug you and tell you that you really are fantastic. That you should have gotten a ticket to Hollywood. It must have been mean ole Simon. Then they talk to the camera defending you while you walk calmly down that long hall. Away from your dream, away from those who think you are just not good enough.
You know the one. The one whom others dump everything that is going badly for them on you. The one that people seem to think they can tell anything. The one who then knows stuff that the person is later sorry they told. The one who gets the bad, sad, sinful confessions but never the good stuff. The one that is always available to listen but rarely listened to...
You know the one. The one in the back of the room making things work. The one who you don't notice unless something goes wrong. Then, even if it is quickly fixed and dealt with and everything else goes smoothly, all you remember is the problem not the solution.
You know the one. The one who wears the same clothes and shoes for years. The one who doesn't always wear makeup. The one whose hair often is in need of a trim or even some style. You make judgments about that one based upon your own prejudices and background.
You know the one. The one that is practically invisible. You forget that one is in the room and sometimes say things right in front of her that should not have been said. Then later when you realize that you might have been heard you blame her for hearing.
You know the one. The one that is easy to disregard. The one that is easy to forget. The one that is only thought to invite if you link her with another, like her husband or one of her children. Of course that is only if you remember that she is married and has children.
Well, I think you can think of at least one person who is like the one I've described.
I have decided that it doesn't matter. I know that this is me. I know that I cannot change it. I know that God must have made me this way for a reason. I am 'the one' because that is just the way it is. It is not a flaw. It is not sin in my life. It is not even consequences. There have to be people like 'the one'.
I will continue to sing my heart out. It doesn't matter what others think. I am not singing for them anyway. I will continue no matter where I am.
I will continue to listen to the hard stuff. I always pray for them. I know that God does not need my prayers to move but it is for my benefit to intercede for others. I will continue to listen with the attitude that God is revealing needs that sometimes just need stating. I will continue to pray and leave these needs in the capable hands of God and then forget about it. People don't need to worry. God takes these secrets that are sometimes unwisely shared and I really do forget after leaving them with Him. They are not mine to keep or share with anyone other than the Father.
I will continue to put others needs ahead of what I want. You will still see me wearing the same clothing and shoes until they wear out. I would ask that you stop judging me. I choose others. It would be easier to just make sure I have the latest and greatest styles but then I see someone who really NEEDS and my wants just fade away. Besides I'm almost old enough to wear that red hat and purple dress. Maybe if it helps you; think of me as eccentric or eclectic. I do.
Mostly I will accept the personality, gifts, and shape that God knitted into me when I was being formed. I will continue to grow and become closer to my Lord and Savior. One day when I am dancing before God in Heaven you will see me and say "Hey, isn't she the one...who loves God and others?" That is the goal, that is the prize I will continually seek.
PS
I did warn you that my blog is a glimpse into my thoughts...
You know the one, the one that Paula likes but Simon and Randy don't, but they aren't mean because they like the person just not the talent.
You know, the one that when they search their minds for something to say they say things like - "You have excellent pitch. Maybe you just need a little more time to grow." "You smile through the whole song." "You have a 'nice' voice." "We're just not sure you are what America wants." Then out you go without that magic gold ticket.
You know the one, the one with the group of family and friends who are waiting outside the audition room with Seacrest. When you come out without the ticket they are shocked! How can this be? They hug you and tell you that you really are fantastic. That you should have gotten a ticket to Hollywood. It must have been mean ole Simon. Then they talk to the camera defending you while you walk calmly down that long hall. Away from your dream, away from those who think you are just not good enough.
You know the one. The one whom others dump everything that is going badly for them on you. The one that people seem to think they can tell anything. The one who then knows stuff that the person is later sorry they told. The one who gets the bad, sad, sinful confessions but never the good stuff. The one that is always available to listen but rarely listened to...
You know the one. The one in the back of the room making things work. The one who you don't notice unless something goes wrong. Then, even if it is quickly fixed and dealt with and everything else goes smoothly, all you remember is the problem not the solution.
You know the one. The one who wears the same clothes and shoes for years. The one who doesn't always wear makeup. The one whose hair often is in need of a trim or even some style. You make judgments about that one based upon your own prejudices and background.
You know the one. The one that is practically invisible. You forget that one is in the room and sometimes say things right in front of her that should not have been said. Then later when you realize that you might have been heard you blame her for hearing.
You know the one. The one that is easy to disregard. The one that is easy to forget. The one that is only thought to invite if you link her with another, like her husband or one of her children. Of course that is only if you remember that she is married and has children.
Well, I think you can think of at least one person who is like the one I've described.
I have decided that it doesn't matter. I know that this is me. I know that I cannot change it. I know that God must have made me this way for a reason. I am 'the one' because that is just the way it is. It is not a flaw. It is not sin in my life. It is not even consequences. There have to be people like 'the one'.
I will continue to sing my heart out. It doesn't matter what others think. I am not singing for them anyway. I will continue no matter where I am.
I will continue to listen to the hard stuff. I always pray for them. I know that God does not need my prayers to move but it is for my benefit to intercede for others. I will continue to listen with the attitude that God is revealing needs that sometimes just need stating. I will continue to pray and leave these needs in the capable hands of God and then forget about it. People don't need to worry. God takes these secrets that are sometimes unwisely shared and I really do forget after leaving them with Him. They are not mine to keep or share with anyone other than the Father.
I will continue to put others needs ahead of what I want. You will still see me wearing the same clothing and shoes until they wear out. I would ask that you stop judging me. I choose others. It would be easier to just make sure I have the latest and greatest styles but then I see someone who really NEEDS and my wants just fade away. Besides I'm almost old enough to wear that red hat and purple dress. Maybe if it helps you; think of me as eccentric or eclectic. I do.
Mostly I will accept the personality, gifts, and shape that God knitted into me when I was being formed. I will continue to grow and become closer to my Lord and Savior. One day when I am dancing before God in Heaven you will see me and say "Hey, isn't she the one...who loves God and others?" That is the goal, that is the prize I will continually seek.
PS
I did warn you that my blog is a glimpse into my thoughts...
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