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Paul Issues A Call To Arms – Part 1:  The Armor of God

  

In these verses, Paul clearly states that our battles are not against humans (flesh and blood) but against spiritual beings and forces.  In order to win this battle, you MUST put on the WHOLE armor or God. 

 

Ephesians 6: 10-20

  

10.  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

 11.  Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

 12.  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.

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

 14.  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

 15.  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

 16.  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

 17.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

 18.  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

 19.  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

 20.  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

  

These things should be a part of your everyday life: 

 

TRUTH-  knowing what God’s word says instead of taking someone else’s rendering at face value.  Read it, meditate on it, memorize it.. That way, when false doctrines are presented to you, you’ll know they’re false.

 

RIGHTEOUSNESS-  being obedient to what God says in His word

 

PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE-  .  Again… Read it, meditate on it,  memorize it.  Be prepared whether it’s for a debate, answering questions, witnessing, or encouraging others.  You need to be able to quickly pull an answer and scripture off the top of your head, so to speak.  If you’re not studied up, you can’t do this and you’re liable to miss an opportunity to share God’s word.  Most people don’t carry their bible with them wherever they go so they can look up scripture, but even those that do could find that the precious time it takes to look up scripture sometimes also allows for missed opportunities, especially when witnessing to people.  That’s why it’s best to know it by heart.

 

FAITH-  KNOW what you believe, and don’t waiver.  Stand up for it.  Believe and know that God can handle any situation.  Don’t doubt Him because this opens doors and provides opportunities for the devil and those under him, spirit or non, to cause you a lot of unnecessary problems.

 

SALVATION-  In order to have authority over spirits and win battles, you must be a born again Christian.  Otherwise, your words will have no credibility with them.  When the Holy Spirit draws you to be saved, you’ll know it without doubt, because it’s almost indescribable.  Then you get on your knees (as a form of respect and reverence) and confess that He is Lord, repent of your sins, and ask Him to come into your heart and life and He touches you and you feel yet another indescribable feeling.  Sprinkling, blessing, baptizing with water…none of these causes you to be “SAVED”.  If one of these has been done to you, YOU ARE NOT SAVED UNLESS you have done the other too… confessed that He is Lord, repented of your sins, and asked Him into your heart and life.  Baptism is a symbol.  It’s an outward representation that identifies your death to sin (death of the “old” man) and your new birth in Christ (birth of the “new” man)  with the death and resurrection of Christ. Baptism means nothing without the Holy Spirit and people who don’t confess, repent, and ask Jesus into their heart and life don’t have the Holy Spirit living inside them.  Don’t agree with me?  The way of salvation is in His word….. (ALSO there are a few verses below about repentance, confession, baptism, and the Holy Sprit that relate to what I said here.)

 

Romans 10

 

9.  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

 10.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 11.  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

 12.  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

 13.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

   

Mark 1

 

14.  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

 15.  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

  

Luke 12

 

8.  Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:

 9.  But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

 10.  And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.

   

2 Peter 3

 

9.  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

   

Romans 6

 

3.  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

 4.  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

 5.  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

 6.  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

 7.  For he that is dead is freed from sin.

 8.  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

 9.  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

 10.  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

 11.  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

   

Romans 8

 

8.  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

 9.  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

 10.  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

 11.  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

   

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT-  The word of God.  Use it. 

 

Hebrews 4

 12.  For 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-  prayer is important in your relationship with God.  You should consult God on everything through prayer, no matter how small the problem seems.

 

Matthew 21

 

22.  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

  

PERSEVERANCE-  to remain constant in your faith and service to God.

  

SUPPLICATION-  making your requests known to God through prayer.

  

UTTERANCE-  allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through you

  

None of us are perfect, and we all need to change things in our lives.  We all fall short, but we can try our best to do what’s right and live for God in the proper manner.  A good relationship with Him is where it begins…a two-way relationship, not a one sided one where we don’t “do” but expect God to do things for us and answer our prayers.  It doesn’t work that way.

  

* This does not relate to every church, every church body, or every pastor *

There's something wrong in churches today.  In alot of them, there is one group of people who seems to think that they alone run the church.  What the body as a whole wants doesn't seem to matter at all.  Whatever happened to "One Body In Christ"?  Here's an example of one church that I know of...

There's a group of people in this church, some of them founders, who feel that since they started the church, things should always be run their way.  Never mind what's best for the church as a whole.  It's what's best for that group.  There've been many pastors over the years, but the really good ones that preach the bible as it is, (hell, brimstone, and all) and step on people's toes during almost every sermon, get dismissed or run off, even if the church has started to grow under them.  Why is this?  I think some just don't like to be corrected, even if it is by God's word.  They think they know what's right and woe to those who tell them different.  The body as a whole is supposed to have a vote in everything, and the Pastor is supposed to be able to work with the body and lead the church.  But. who's to say that the votes aren't overridden when they're counted by those who think they know best?  Everything is backwards.  They bring in Pastors who are convenient and who won't make many waves, but under those, the body just isn't getting fed and going to the church is more of routine than getting your hunger for the word satisfied.  There are too many clics, and too many people competing with others when it comes to clothes, cars, etc.  It's like they've lost site of what really matters.  They're so absorbed in self, that they've lost site of their purpose as christians.  People aren't welcomed inthe church like they should be, unless they look a certain way.  I've seen people that have sat there during the service and were only approached by 2 or 3 people, if that, when there's 150 or more in the sanctuary.  Who knows if that person could've gotten saved that day if they felt welcomed enough to go to the altar? 

And speaking of the altar...no Pastor or whoever, should call for a dismissal prayer when people are still praying at the altar.  Let the pianist play softly or let someone sing until everyone is finished, even if it takes an hour.  Alot of people won't go to the altar unless there's something that they really need to pray about, so let them pray, pray with them, or pray for them.  Don't dismiss them.

I don't know how you are, but if I don't feel welcome somewhere, I just sit where I am for a while, and eventually get up and leave.  What if unsaved visitors feel the same way?  Some have drinking buddies, drugging buddies,  and friends they see at clubs...they're accepted amongst those people, but not in church?  When will christians (or people who call themselves christians) get a clue?  God looks on the heart.  You don't have to dress fancy, drive a fancy car, or have a fat bank account to be accepted by him.  All you have to do is come as you are, repent, and ask him into your heart and life.  He created all of us, and loves us all.  Why can't we love each other?

We all need to clean up our personal lives, and our churches so that God's work can be done properly.  When churches are once again a place where someone can worship God instead of a social center, maybe more christians and non-christians will attend and more people will be fed spiritually and saved.

This is the end of my sermon for today.  No one's perfect, including myself, but there are alot of things all of us can improve on and/or change.   

 

 

 

The Spirit World (Seeing what alot of others don't see)-some of my experiences
Current mood: contemplative

 

First of all, I don't think that only people dabbling in or practicing the Occult religion are the only ones who experience things when it comes to spirits.  God made some people to be more "in tune" than others, though I don't know all the reasons.  One possible theory is relating to spiritual warfare, allowing some to "see" so that people are aware of spiritual beings in this world instead of them only being able to rely on what others tell them;  and I believe that some are called to deal with spiritual warfare just like others are called to preach.  Am I?  I'm not sure, but  I wanted to share some of my experiences to break the ice.

The first one I can remember was when I was probably around 3, give or
take a year. I was playing in my room and I heard something to my
right. It came from underneath my crib and when I looked, there was
a charred looking black figure sitting there, a little smaller than me with yellow
eyes doing the "come here" motion with it's finger really slow. I
looked at it for a second, then ran out of the room as fast as I
could. I didn't want to play in there anymore for a while.

Another time, I heard my dad call my name and I answered to let him
know I was coming. When I got into the kitchen I asked my mom where
he was and she said he wasn't even home.

I kept having times where I heard things or saw shadow figures out
of the corner of my eye while I was young, but as I got older, I
started having dreams and would know something was going to happen
before it did at times and I started seeing things in more detail
when I did see something.

In college, I started trying to learn more about the spirit world
and spiritual warfare. There was an instance where I left school
half a semester early and went back home only to have things start
up again. One night while I was sleeping, I awoke to feel something
pressing on my chest so hard I couldn't hardly breathe, but even
though I was awake mentally, I couldn't get my eyes to open. I had
to literally fight to get them open, and after they opened, I heard
footsteps in my room, and felt a really bad presence, but no one was
there (that I could physically see). I rebuked the spirit in the
name of Jesus and it left, but I was still freaked out.

A few years later, my mom and dad got divorced and we (my mom,
sister, and me) moved into a new home. It had been lived in before
and I noticed some brown spots on my wall, later to find that it was
blood spatter. I don't know what happened in there, but I know it
wasn't good. My sister has seen alot of things too over the years.
Seems like the women in our family, on my mom's side have that gift,
if you want to call it a gift. Anyway, my sister had a really bad
feeling every time she was in her room. I kept having them too, but
nothing really happened in there that I can remember until after my
sister and mom both got married and I was there alone. The TV would
change channels by itself sometimes, and a couple of times I saw
shadow figures (mostly like big, hairy, spider-like blobs) going up
the walls in my room. No where else, just there. I would feel
a "presence" from time to time, and one night when I had my bible
open on the table by my bed, I was awakened by a really loud sound
like a book slamming shut. I immediately felt a presence and rebuked
it.

I didn't have too many more incidences until I married my husband.
We stayed in the same house and there was one night that freaked me
out more than any other time I can remember. I did something that I
probably shouldn't have. I ordered a book called "How Psychic Are
You" because I wanted to find out more about the subject. There was only one exercise I was willing to try because I had a hard time sleeping at night and I wanted a little relief.  I didn't really think about all the other avenues related to it at the time.  It was a breathing
exercise that is supposed to help you relax and go into a deeper sleep at
night. (trust me, I repented of this the next day and the book went out with the trash...you can't mess with those things unless you want to open yourself up to even more activity...that same night, the following is what happened)  In the middle of the night something woke me up, but I
stayed really still and just listened. All of a sudden I saw this
figure of a little girl with long stringy hair that covered her face
so you couldn't make it out. She ran around to the other side of the bed, stopped there, and started
staring at my husband. This other adult type figure came in behind
her and had what looked like a chimpanzee type creature on it's
shoulder. It just stood at the foot of the bed for a few minutes.
While it did, I kept trying to speak so I could rebuke them, but
couldn't get any words out until about the fourth or fifth try.  My voice just would not come out. 
Finally, after being able to get the words out, they disappeared.
Needless to say, I didn't sleep much that night. I threw the book
away the next morning. After that, I didn't see much of anything
for several months. Me and my husband moved our family one city
over and things got alot better. The first time I saw anything here
was a few weeks ago. I saw what looked like the back end of our
new puppy going into the bathroom, and I went to check only to find
that she was alseep in my husbands lap.

I've also picked up alot of orbs in photos I've taken over the last
few years. You can see some of these in the photo slide. (if the slide doesn't appear, let me know and I'll try and fix it)

PLEASE share your experiences because I know that I'm not the only one that has experienced things like this.

r

If I can endure for this minute

     whatever is happening to me

No matter how heavy my heart is

     or how dark the moment might be--

If I can remain calm and quiet

     with all my world crashing about me,

Secure in the knowledge God loves me

     when everyone else seems to doubt me--

If I can but keep on believing

     what I know in my heart to be true,

That darkness will fade with the morning

     and that this will pass away, too--

Then nothing in life can defeat me,

     for, as long as this knowledge remains,

I can suffer whatever is happening,

     for I know God will break all the chains

That are binding me tight in the darkness

     and trying to fill me with fear...

For there is no night without dawning,

     and I know that my morning is near.

The Spirit world is something that alot of people seem to be interested in, but many of the christians I know are afraid to talk about it because it scares them. God created it, and it's there. Every day, we go through spiritual battles, but some people are more prone to actually seeing, sensing, or hearing things out of the ordinary. I don't know why that is, but I do know that God gives each christian authority, through Christ, over spirits. The following verses state it...

"Matthew 10:1---And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease."

"Acts 10:19-20---Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."

I want to openly discuss this subject and talk about things that I've experienced and things others have experienced without people thinking any of us are crazy. I want everyone to be honest about things they've seen, felt, heard, and their feelings about the whole situation.   Please send me a message or comment if you'd like to share something.

Some people believe in ghosts. I personally don't believe that people are "stuck" here when they die.

"Luke 16:22-23---And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."

I believe that they either go to heaven or hell (no ghosts). Demons (evil spirits/fallen angels)though, remain in constant battle with us spiritually, but through Christ, we overcome.