Tag: spiritual warfare

Conspiracy, Controversy, and Consolation

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, TRUTH7 Comments

After a holy day when it seemed the whole world joined in the celebration, let us look at the reason for our Lord’s death and resurrection and why we should be observing every Lord’s Day as a holy day.

Is there a conspiracy in the world? Yes!

The controversy concerns the identity of the conspirators and when and where the conspiracy began. Consolation is for those who live in peace, while enduring the conspiracy and the controversy.

Our sovereign God, Creator of heaven and earth,  has been, and always will be in control if the conspiracy, the controversy, and the consolation.

Our Lord God, ruler over His creation, keeps heaven holy, preserving His kingdom for His people – those who live in obedience to the rule of His kingdom.

The enemy uses every means and opportunity to war against God’s kingdom here on earth. This is the spiritual warfare the Christian encounters as we live for Christ and the truth.

The great conspiracy has always been “against the LORD and His Anointed” (Psalm 2). But the final attempt failed as Jesus rose from the dead, victoriously ruling in power over heaven and earth. This victory is now ours over every conspiracy the enemy may use against the Lord, His kingdom and His people.

Even as the conspiracy began with our first parents in the Garden of Eden, so did the controversy. Men want to blame other men as conspirators, not realizing that God’s enemy is not man, but as Paul identifies them.

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:11-13

Even as the enemy conspires through men to overcome God’s rule on earth, he continues to stir up contention among God’s people for unrest and anxiety, fear, and chaos. People use the sword of God’s Word against each other only to prove their inability to discern the truth.

God is Achieving His Purposes
As God rules over all (Psalm 103:19) He uses the works of the enemy to achieve His purposes.

Joseph’s brothers conspired against him, only that God would use their evil for good. (Gen. 37:18; Gen. 50:20)

The enemy was given permission to make Job’s life a hell on earth, but God used the enemy’s work to refine Job and make him an example for His people (Job 2:6; Job 42).

The religious leaders conspired to destroy Jesus and the truth He came to reveal. but it was the Father’s means to deliver His people (Acts 4:24-28). The conspirators were turned on their heels and the victory of our Lord was executed over death and the enemy (2 Tim. 1:10; Heb. 2:14-17).

Paul was part of the conspiracy until Jesus confronted Him on the road to Damascus and turned Him to repentance (Acts 9:1-6). Afterward, Paul witnessed God’s working through his afflictions to conform him to the image of Christ (Phil. 3:7-10).Consolation
The enemy was defeated on the day Jesus rose from the dead, He lives forever and we live through Him. (2 Cor. 13:4; 1 John 4:9).

We live in the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ. No longer tossed to and fro by the enemy’s lies and upheaval, we can console others with the good news of the victory in Christ.

Even as Isaiah prophesied against God’s people because of their rebellion, he was instructed to comfort His people (Isaiah 40:1). God judged, chastened, and sent His people into captivity. He restored them after seventy years ~ the number of years they had profaned His Sabbaths. God promised comfort through their affliction.

“I, even I, am He who comforts you.
Who are you that you should be afraid
Of a man who will die,
And of the son of a man who will be made like grass?” Isaiah 51:12

“And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.” 2 Cor. 1:7

“If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercies… be of one mind,” Phil. 2:1

We will continue tomorrow with more of God’s Word on comfort.

Gracious Father, we pray that you continue to work in the hearts of your people. Even while we are apart, strengthen our hearts to comfort and exhort one another, to be of one mind, and edify the body of Christ. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Words of Life ~ ARMOUR

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, PRAYER, TRUTH, Words of Life A-Z6 Comments

(If you have not read our last post which leads into this one, here is the link.)

The Old Testament uses the word ARMOUR as relating to physical warfare – the dress of a soldier and his weapons. The New Testament uses the word ARMOUR in reference to spiritual warfare using the weapons of God.

Old Testament H3627
Strong’s Concordance defines ARMOUR kĕliy kel·ē’; from H3615; something prepared, i.e. any apparatus (as an implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon)

We share two references, the most commonly known is in 1 Samuel 17:38 where David was at first armed with Saul’s armour, which David could not wear. He faced Goliath with only a stone and slingshot.

And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. 1 Samuel 17:38

Jeremiah 50:25 speaks of the Lord’s armoury and the weapons of His indignation.

The Lord hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.

New Testament G3833
Strong’s Concordance for ARMOUR panoplia pä-no-plē’-ä; full armour, complete armour, includes shield, sword, lance, helmet, greaves, and breastplate|

The Armour of Light

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Romans 13:12

The Armour of Righteousness

 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 2 Corinthians 6:7

The Armour of God

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13

 We stressed in our last post the need to Plan Your Day Around God’s Word. It all starts with God’s Word. We would not know of the need or the means of the Armour of God except through His Word. The whole armour of God is necessary for protection and surviving the warfare against Satan. Paul may have used the analogy from seeing soldiers in his imprisonment in Rome. Every part of the armour had its purpose as does the armour of the Christian, if we are to endure to the end. The belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and prayer are all worn together.

We cannot go anywhere without these, else Satan will catch us unaware, find us defenseless, and overcome us.

I will not speak of each of these parts of our armour but for a more detailed description of each of these, I share a link for Charles Spurgeon Commentary on Ephesians 6.

Many Christians remain in despair or doubt about how to live in this world of sin and temptation. We need to use the manual to learn who we are in Christ and how we can overcome the work of the enemy in our lives.

Gracious Father, You promise to share your glory with those who overcome the enemy. Draw us more closely to you, train us and fit us with a graceful armour according to your design, for the victory you give us in Christ our Lord. In His name, we pray. Amen.
Fran
Image: Google

THE WAR ZONE

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, TRUTH, Uncategorized5 Comments

I started this post yesterday thinking it would be a short one not assosiated with our current series, but as it was the Lord’s leading, it will probably be an added chapter.

The closer we are to the Lord, the greater is the warfare. He and we are still being attacked today. In every age, until the end of this world and His coming again to save His people from the evil one, He is drawing us nearer and keeping us close to Him.

We must understand the battle to which He brings us. It is a spiritual war within a physical world.

This world is not just a physical, visible world. It is encompassed within a spiritual world.
The battle between the two ~ the antithesis ~ began in the Garden of Eden and will continue until He comes again.

As we draw closer to that time of departure in the enemy’s last effort through death, we are witness to this warfare between the spiritual and the physical world. We live in the center of the warzone, with the weaponry used from all sides seemingly coming at the same time. We were experiencing this attack yesterday.

This comes now for Jerry and me as I am in the process of publishing One Month to LIVE ~ A Father’s Last Words; a recollection of the last three weeks with my dad as he was dying of cancer. He died on Labor Day, 1994, but while working on this project, the event has been almost as real as those days twenty-four years ago. We are close to the same ages as my parents were then; going through the same stages as they were before my dad was diagnosed with cancer. (Praise the Lord, the day ended amazingly victorious and fruitful; the first draft submitted, waiting for review.)

To Admonish
I share all this to alert those who are still young, to know where you are; who you are in Christ: to admonish you to draw nearer to HIm now, with all diligence through His Word, prayer, worship in a close-knit, Bible-led congregation of those whose lives are spent for His name’s sake, through His grace and for His glory. Herein, is the means of enduring as we understand the fiery trials that come.

  “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12

The WAR is real, unlike any physical battles on this earth. Unless you are prepared beforehand for the ending of your life for eternity with Him, you will perish when your world starts spinning out of control; your flesh wasting away, while losing all your mental faculties. You will have lost the battle without even knowing it.

You will pass into eternity in the arms of the Lord Jesus or into outer darkness with the enemy of God. If you believe HIs Word, you will see now, Beyond a Mere Christianity, the goal that lies ahead and prepare for the battles that all creatures will face in this lifetime. Among other things, it a battle for truth (Ephesians 6:10-18).

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:10-11, 13

Dear Father, how do we hold to your Word or stand in these days of the battle? The spirit and the flesh are always at odds, and we have no means of holding or standing except in Christ who has called us to eternity with Him. You know that this puts us right in the middle between you and the evil one. You know we cannot endure except as you stand with us and fill us with the power of your Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. Lead us in the paths of righteousness for your name’s sake. This is our only hope and our assurance of salvation. We thank you and praise you in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Fran

Please listen to these two sermons from Northern Ireland on Things That are Eternal, Things That are Eternal Part 2. You will be graciously blessed.

Image:Google

Asking in the Spirit

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, PRAYER, TRUTH4 Comments

As I was thinking of a title for this post, Paul’s words in his letter to the Ephesians came to mind. In relation to spiritual warfare, he said at the end of his description of “the armor of God” ~ “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18screen-shot-2016-12-16-at-10-16-56-am-1

As I am blessed to be a part of the WordPress Christian community, getting to know some of you and how God is working in your hearts, I am learning how to be vulnerable, putting aside fear of rejection. In this post I am looking for joint-heirs of God’s kingdom, who are “about the Father’s business.”

Even as I pray in the Spirit, I am asking in the Spirit for your help as I continue in my ministry of publishing our Little Books About the Magnitude of God.

There are three reasons I am asking for your support and three things that you can do to help.

  1. Jerry and I do not receive any of the profits. They are designated for missions and charity (Missions To The World, Heart Cry Missionary Society, Samaritans Purse, and others as God leads.)
  2. The expenses for the first five books published in August were out of pocket, and we don’t expect to recover this.
  3. After twenty-five years of writing and six years blogging on the truth of God’s grace, we entered a dimension of this world that we never expected to indulge. WordPress is an Internet experience that is mild in comparison to publishing books. For almost a year, we researched, read books about the process of publishing, watched videos and webinars, and sought to follow those who are making the six and seven figure incomes. After book cover designs, editing and formatting, our hopes were not to get rich from selling our books. We are already “rich” in Christ, and only wanted to give away our books at first. Then we were led to seeking a profit for His glory ~ for missions, so as to extend the message of the kingdom to the world.

There is an even greater desire to publish since we began almost a year ago, which has to do with why others are making the big money in publishing. The best sellers are what the world is looking for ~ thrillers, violence, mystery, fantasy, the occult, erotica, everything immoral and in opposition to the kingdom of God. The air waves are filled with and supplying the spirit of this world, and we hear, and see the results every day.screen-shot-2016-12-16-at-9-47-22-am-1

With a click, the world is spending money to advance its own kingdom. My hope is to channel some of those clicks and money to the eternal kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest competition seems to be our niche ~ Christian non-fiction.

Three ways you can help (simpler than the reasons).

  1. Pray in the Spirit with supplication for all saints, those who write and those who read, that we may discern the truth in what we write and what others read. And as Paul asked his readers, “and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, as I ought to speak.” Ephesians 6:19
  2. Read our books. (eBooks or print) They are short reads and inexpensive compared to others. (Someone has said that they are dirt cheap) We do not ask that you buy unless the Lord leads and you want the profit to go to missions or charity. We do not ask for donations.
  3. Rate and write a short review on your blog and Amazon. For all who are willing to rate these, we offer a free copy of any of our books. We need these for encouragement to others.

You can view all our books on Amazon. We will be publishing our sixth book next week ~ A Broad Review of Andrew Murray’s HUMILITY.

As a joint-heir in Christ, of the family of God,  if you feel led to be a part of this ministry, Father and Family Books ~ Proclaiming the Legacy of God’s Kingdom,  please comment and let me know how you can support us, or how to send you a copy.

Sometime in the near future I would like to spotlight other authors, as we are discovering others who are publishing for the kingdom. We ought to do this for each other and the kingdom.

Dear Father, we thank you for those we have met online as we have been proclaiming your grace and your glory.  We pray for these as they write what you put on their hearts, recognizing with joy how you are working in each one.  This encourages me to believe that you are doing a great work in the next generation to publish the good tidings that are found in your written word and your Living Word, your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Lead those whom you want to read the truths that you have given me over the years, for your glory and our joy.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.