THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD

"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. . ."

• BE STRONG IN THE LORD

6:10-13

At times in life we will need to quench, as this very book of Ephesians would say: the fiery darts of the wicked. How do we quench fiery darts? In this moment we ask that question in serene curiosity; it may even seem like the start of a philosophical discussion. But when fiery darts are actually aimed or moving toward us, the question ricochets within us in frantic panic.  Therefore it is better if we answer the question now so we are prepared later. We quench the fiery darts of the wicked with the living water of God. We put on the whole armor of God now so we are protected later. 

We must consciously put our armor on each day. The more consistently we put it on, the more strength and movability we have while we wear it. We become familiar with it, dependent on it, nimble in it. We make smooth and right movements in our behavior when we fit God's will to our body, mind and soul like a whole-body glove.

It is a process that requires consistent, daily, lifelong effort. When we first put it on, it might feel clunky. Unpracticed in it, we may not operate within it with ease. But as long as we keep it on the protection is sure. In Ephesians 6, Paul teaches us what the whole armor of God is and we will explore it in detail. But first, let's be super-clear about those fiery darts.

We cannot change the nature of the world. People have free will here and we can count on them to use it... for good or for bad. It would be impossible not to get negatively caught up in their (or our own) choices sometimes. Moreover there are negatives in life we cannot trace back to a single person or event, things like: illness, death, or failure. The whole armor of God is presented to us as both protection and weapon against all of it. It will get you through, but you must put/keep it on!

To put it on is relatively easy. We need only to remember our relationship with God and what we know about Him.

We need to wake each morning and remind ourselves: 

I am a child of a/the God with a plan. His plan has ultimate purpose and promise within it. I am here because He placed me. He placed me here with whole armor so that I will be prepared to endure, survive, rebound, live joyfully, work faithfully and thus accomplish my small, but active and beloved part in His plan.

That is how we put it on. But to keep it on... we will have had to put in the work. For we cannot rely or rest in those statements if we do not have a strong relationship with God as its foundation. We have to learn from Him and then put into practice everything He has said until we, to the best of our ability, emulate the life Jesus led. That is to say, living in such a way that we love others, exercise mercy, converse with God (pray often and wholeheartedly), and become familiar with His word. When we do that, we are ready not only to receive our armor but to wear it for even more purpose than navigating our personal lives.

Ephesians 6:12 explains that there is a battle that supersedes, but connects to, the smaller-scale battles we face on a personal level: 

"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."

With that in mind, we are able to emulate Jesus in these ways as well: to reject evil, to deny/resist temptation, and to thwart corruption. And it is important that we can do that and that we are aware of the fact that in doing so, we are participants in a larger battle. For God has waged a war against evil, even against its 'little' iterations here on earth that come in the form of greed, jealously, spite, anger, impatience, etc. We want/need to have God's whole armor on! Otherwise, we will either be collateral damage, desolate victims, or even supporters of the other side. 

Unless we put our armor on each day, we are vulnerable. We are vulnerable to the behavior of the wicked. We

If we do not put our armor on each day, we will be vulnerable to the fiery darts. If we do not put our armor on each day, we will be susceptible to steadily joining the side that fires them. It may seem dramatic, but honestly, we pick up the bow of destruction every time we lose patience, act on anger, choose selfishly, give in to temptation bit-by-bit. Much better than we equip ourselves with this armor, the whole armor of God.

• THE GIRDLE OF TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

6:14 

The Holy Spirit is our inner guide, a gift from God through the request of Jesus (John 14:16-17). 

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

Scripture teaches us to be wise... it invites us into a cavern of truth that only God and His children have access to. When we reach the limits of our own wisdom, the Holy Spirit of truth is there for our utilization. It is there to be called upon and consulted with so that we will not be deceived by false prophets, false intentions, or any other invasive falsity. Use your armor! 

Our own righteousness is armor. How so? Consider verse 8 of this chapter: "...whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord,...". We render, proliferate righteousness, we send it back to ourselves, when we extend it to others. God has designed that system and informed us of it. It would be ridiculous not to use that piece of 'symbiotic' armor.

• THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE (ON YOUR FEET)

6:15

Make prepared movements of peace toward the place God sends you, within the sphere God has placed you. Much of the world lives and moves haphazardly. Why would we live inconsistently or loiter when God has prepared us to establish peace? With peace in mind, our destination is clear. Our direction is that which promotes, restores, establishes, upholds peace. Resolution. Justice. Equality.

With our feet "shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" we put on a piece of armor that will keep us from veering off of God's path and definitely from traveling on any other.

• THE SHIELD OF FAITH

6:16

The shield of faith, the most crucial piece! Our main defense will always be our faith. Our faith is a shield in that faith equips us with all we need to block the brunt of the any force against us. Lets unpack faith.

Faith is our relationship with God. Our relationship with God is equipped with the most powerful, vigilant, intelligent being in all of creation, the comforter and spirit of truth that is the Holy Spirit, and the friendship of the savior of the world. Within all of that we have guidance, hope, counsel, provision, support, protection and sustenance. Grow that relationships! Talk to Him. Follow Him. Listen to His quiet, firm voice. For certain there will be a time you will need to use your shield. You will find yourself in a trench, surrounded, and you will need your shield of faith. Because surrounded though you may be by the enemy, by despair or whatever form of enemy, the angel of the Lord encamps around those who revere Him, and He delivers them (Psalm 34:7). With the shield of faith, there is always a layer of protection between you and the enemy, you and the depression, you and the failure, and that protection is the angel of the Lord. It cannot be pierced. 

• THE HELMET OF SALVATION, THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT 

6:17

You will need the helmet of salvation primarily when you lose faith in yourself, when you feel like you are more comprised of mistake than anything else. You will need the helmet, the gift, of salvation when life destructs. God and Jesus have declared us worthy, and Their opinion of us is the only one that counts. It counts even above our own. They pull us through the wreckage, they save us from ourselves and from others. We are saved from the fiery darts pelted at us here on earth; we are saved from the spiritual death that comes from firing them off ourselves, too... if we put that helmet on, if we undergo the process of salvation.

We cut through that veil of death when we use the sword of the spirit, the word of God. Scripture has taught us about good and evil. The word of God is a sword in that we cleave good from evil in all that we see and do.

• PRAYER 

6:18

A final piece of the armor: prayer. Pray to God. 

Nothing on earth, no form of self-help guide or counselor or meditation, no friendship or relationship or anything else can compare to how comprehensive a simple conversation with God is. We bear it all to Him and He guides our spirit to resolution, decision and comfort. 

1 Thessalonians 5:17

"Pray without ceasing."

Let your life be a constant conversation with God. In conversation with Him, alternate naturally between the genuine things that you feel throughout the day, the good and the bad. The requests and the gratitude. The sorrow and the joy. If you see something sweet, tell Him. If you feel doubt, tell Him. If you do not understand, ask Him. Observe all that He has created, learn about the things that most speak to you and ask Him about His choices, His process. 

Speak to Him throughout the day; take small pauses to speak to others rather than talking all day to others and only making small pauses to speak to Him. Learn to recognize His voice, the one beyond description: gentle but definite, invisible and soundless but undeniable. Talking to God is like taking ourselves in not just for counsel or comfort but also for service.

When we talk to God, we let a heart surgeon, a spirit-surgeon, an experienced mechanic fix and fine-tune and even nudge or restart our heart. Our conversation with God provides the subtle changes we need to make within ourselves to progress, to endure, to understand, to change or persevere. God's adept dexterity takes place while we blab away to Him and suddenly major reconstruction is accomplished. His special touch on our heart leaves imprints that sweeten and endure this lifetime and the next.

Indeed we 'blab' to Him because we trust and love Him, and it endears us to Him. After all, prayer encompasses each of the very few things we can ever actually give God (in return for all He does and will do for us): our attention, gratitude, time, love and trust. None of it is equal to everything He offers us, but He accepts it and cherishes it as though it is. Prayer provides you with what you need (and more) and God with what He deserves.

• SUPPLICATION

The other element of prayer is supplication. To supplicate is to humbly, earnestly ask. Ask of God and then accept His answer and His timing. Ultimately, He knows what we need, and better than we do (Matthew 6:8), but He has also opened a channel through which we can make requests. This channel is not in place to be jammed up with a barrage of unimportant, material requests. Rather the channel serves as a way for us to pray for the health and wellbeing of others and their places, and ourselves, in whatever capacity each individual might benefit.

Only ask for things which are motivated by pure intentions. We should always make our requests from a place of humility, acknowledging both God's power and our lack of it. For when we are weak, then are we made strong by God (2 Corinthians 12:10). For it is when we reach our limits that He steps in. When we have put in the effort, shown that we earnestly care about someone, and work toward something, God understands that our request is made with good, selfless intention. In all things show Him that you truly would do it, if you could... by doing what you can, because, as they say: talk is cheap. And then He will know that you are humble and earnest. And that is important because He trains/raises us to be the high quality character residence in heaven requires, and earth desperately needs.

Make supplications that are worthy of God and you will find that He provides other gifts, too... all the more sweet because though you did not ask for them, He knew you would like them.

• WATCHING WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE AND SUPPLICATION

We serve our God well, we wear our armor usefully when in it, we remain vigilant. God wants us to watch with perseverance and supplication for saints, people working for God's cause (within and without the church). Someone does not have to preach to be a vital worker in God's cause. Support those people who do good through supplication. Watch their surroundings, watch yours, so that evil cannot encroach and thwart.

Finally, persevere. Even when it is hard. Even when you do not want to. Push forward, you are moving toward the light. No matter what the situation suggests, no matter what the enemy says, no matter how dark the night, how long the day, persevere. When you do not know what to do, keep your eyes on God, like Jehoshaphat in his seemingly winless battle (2 Chronicles 20:12). He will be always ahead of you as you commit to persevere. You will not see it, as Elisha's servant did not see, but the mountain is full of horses and chariots of fire all around you  (2 Kings 6:17). God's army. God's armor and army, and God Himself, surrounds you on your mountain, your barrier, your difficulty, your pain or sorrow and he has lit it up. 

Scripture: Ephesians 6, John 16, Psalm 34, 1 Thessalonians, Matthew 6, 2 Chronicles, 2 Kings

WE ARE 'JOB'

 Has thou considered my servant Job . . . ?

• THE BURDEN OF THE FREEDOM OF FREE WILL

When ready to take a step forward in faith, Job is the place to start. It is one of the hardest pieces of scripture to read and can be even more difficult to understand. Even though it ends well, Job experiences deep anguish throughout the story. That anguish might cause us to remember our own or to fear the experience of it. 

The fact is that Jesus called us to take up our cross and follow Him. He promised us love, advocacy, hope, fulfillment, guidance and companionship, indeed He promised even more than that, because we need it. We build strong faith in Him, we lean heavily on His promises, we utilize the tools He gives us for a purpose. We have difficulties to battle in life, and we need His help through them. As His followers, we also participate in a bigger battle. Let Ephesians 6:12 remind you that...

"... 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."

Job's story is situated in such a way that it exhibits both battles... life. On one hand, we have family and livelihood; on the other hand, we have faith and kingdom. In both cases we we wrestle to be good/worthy, capable/productive... amidst a slew of the full ranges of adversity, emotion, and the burden of the freedom of free will.

Job is our special example in that he near-mastered (for all fall short of the glory of God) the elements of family, livelihood and faith and kingdom. Like him, with steadfast diligence, wholehearted love and commitment to God, we can maintain the beautiful blessings God builds within and around us. It is simple, yet it requires arduous work. It is good, fulfilling, rewarding work... but it is work and we must be glad to do it (after all, we are fellow-workers with God, 1 Corinthians 3:9).

• DEFY SATAN'S POSTULATIONS

Yes, we are fellow workers. Our actions are examples to others. The life we lead is a path; we are, to varying extents, responsible for those we convince (deliberately or even inadvertently) to follow it. We set an examples for our family, friends, or neighbors and acquaintances and even the people we may not see, who stand in or outside of our periphery. The story of Job reminds us that we are an example, also, to those who supersede this life, this earth: sons of God (angels), the good and the corrupt. Job was an example to Satan. God was proud to showcase Job as a faithful man, one who defied all of Satan's postulations that true love/faith does not exist.

• BATTLE WITHIN THE KINGDOM

Satan did not believe that Job truly loved God. Satan believed that Job loved what God did for him. When he made this statement, not only did Satan manipulate the relationship between God and his child, but he also endeavored to fracture the very foundation of the kingdom of God. Here we can see the battle within the kingdom, and how all four elements are interwoven. We are Job in the sense that each of these four elements of life: family, livelihood, faith and kingdom, are relevant and active today.

Consider your tribulation, consider your blessing. Could there be, right now, an ongoing debate in heaven about your commitment? Your resilience? Your faith and love for God? Surely we know that God roots for you, and more even than that. He has put Himself on the line for you. He believes in you. His doubters do not. Do not give them, the doubters, the pleasure of being right. Fight. Believe in God as He believes in you.

• THE SELF-PITY BUS IS FULL AND HEADED NOWHERE

We all fall prey sometimes to well... self-pity-parties. In those moments, we forget who we are. We are God's children. As God's children, promises have been made to us. There is purpose even we we do not see it; even when we do not hear it, as Job did not hear Satan's conversation with God. That which is meant for evil against us is changed, is meant for good from God (Genesis 50:20). In our lowest moments, it is crucial to consider that perhaps there is a debate about us and that God has presently, vehemently taken our side.

Satan's darkness tries to tempt us. God's light tries to test us. Satan tries to wither us down to nothing. God tries to refine us down to our solid core. Our strength. Our resilience, our unbreakable part. Our spiritual backbone. Job wailed, the loss of just about everything, everyone nearly destroyed him. The one spark of life he had left was his relationship with God. His solid core that enabled him to withstand the pain, everything until God re-manifested blessing. Job hung his head. He was defeated in many ways. It is okay for you, too, to hang your head. But pray while you do it. Do so and there will be purpose in the pain, a beginning for an end.

And because our relationship with God is our solid core, we should not blame God. It is the nature of the world to cause disruptions in life. It is not the nature of God or the kingdom. Satan's intention is to prove you weak. God's intention is to prove you strong. Satan uses his (limited) power, time and effort to dismantle, to confuse, to destroy. But God is limitless. Powerful, exceeding the bounds of time and effort. God builds, explains, restores. We must know the nature of both God and Satan. We have to know who we are dealing with... who is gambling for or against us. We have to decide who will we prove right, through how we live here and now.

We have to choose God. And when we do, there is no reason for pity. We are blessed even when we are down, and we will not be down long.

• MUCH IS REQUIRED

It is important to mention the Bible verse "to whom much is given, much is required"(Luke 12:48). This was the case for Job. He had many blessings. His big-blessing required, though we could more accurately say, elected or qualified him, to be an example for the purpose of the kingdom. He was qualified, elected to do the hard work of fighting against those principalities and powers, rulers of darkness and wickedness. Job's case teaches us that hard work probably looks different from what we expect. Just because a person is not a preacher does not mean they are not orating an important message directly to an audience in which Satan himself is sitting. Each of us, in our way, preach a message that is crucial to the kingdom.

The verse from Luke 12 should not frighten you. Our blessing requires things that are easy to give, we just have to be diligent to give them. Things such as our gratitude to God, our surplus (more if we are inclined) to others, or time, our effort, our concern, our light to places and people that are deficient. And most importantly, to give our example to the world. We do not have to act or be perfect, we simply have to live well, in accordance with the scripture we represent as children of God. It is simple. It is much only in that it is so important and must be done without lapse. When it does feel like much, remember that God is with us every day and each moment offering to bear the weight, Matthew 11:28.

EVEN IF WE CANNOT YET SEE IT

Our tribulation may look different from Job's but the purpose is the same. Even if we cannot yet see it, as Job could not yet see it. The battle is the same; do you maintain the light of the kingdom? Do you serve as an example of its truth? Have you the faith to persevere? Hate says you cannot, you do not, you will not. Love says you can. You do. You will.

Scripture: Job 1

WHAT THE LORD DOTH REQUIRE

"Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book."

Revelation 22:7 

• WHAT DOTH THE LORD REQUIRE OF THEE BUT TO . . .

Deuteronomy 10:12-21

The focus of this sermon will focus Deuteronomy 10, but similar scripture can be found throughout the Bible. Some examples of those places are Proverbs 6, Genesis 4:6-7, Matthew 22:36-40, and Micah 6:8. Indeed we can also learn what God requires of us as we read about the people in this book, their triumphs and failures in life and faith.

Here in Deuteronomy 10, Moses addresses the tribes of Israel. They have committed themselves to this faith, to God. They were born into the faith because of the everlasting covenant God made with Abraham, but now they had to live it. By God's will and hand, they were miraculously extracted from enslavement in Egypt. God, through Moses and Aaron, led them to a new land. An inheritance of land God promised to Abraham's posterity.

But before arrival, they needed to be prepared. Any place or person that represents God needs to endeavor to match His righteous character and standards. Because as children, followers, servants, fellow-workers with God, we influence people either toward or away from Him. We know that to have God is to have a comforter, counselor, friend, guide, protector and provider. We would never want, through bad behavior, to steer someone away from all that He is. 

But there is also personal benefit to life in accordance with what God requires of us. In Deuteronomy 11:8, Moses explains that God provides these directives that we may be strong. Life requires strength, in all its forms: mental, emotional, physical, spiritual. We derive what we require by fulfilling what God requires.

The journey through the wilderness, the preparation the tribes of Israel undertake before their inheritance foreshadows our own arrival into our ultimate inheritance: the kingdom of God. The promised land. Moses provides a comprehensive list of what is required to obtain what is offered through grace:

• . . . Fear the Lord

The word used here is yārē' and it means to morally revere. We should hold ourselves to moral standards out of respect for God and in agreement with His definition of righteousness. Our moral reverence should cause us to be more obedient to God than to any temptation or inclination toward immoral, immature or base behavior (when they inevitably arise).

Proverbs 9:10 states that the beginning of wisdom is fear, that is: moral reverence, of the Lord. Through this verse, in combination with Deuteronomy 10:12, we can understand why God requires fear/yārē' of Him. Immoral, immature, base behavior is the behavior of the weak and foolish. It is unwise. God encourages our reverence of Him not out of pride, but out of selflessness. He wants us to be wise. 

Through moral reverence, we overpower weak/foolish/immoral behavior and replace it with behavior that is productive to our life, heart, relationship, friendships, opportunities, etc. Our fear/yārē' of God contributes to our quality of life.

• . . . Walk In All His Ways

God and Jesus lead by example. Our commitment to their example cannot be half-hearted. This faith is a wholehearted lifestyle. We falter, we err; but we must always strive to follow all of His ways. Not just the ones that are convenient to us. Not just the ones we remember from a few, sporadic skimming of scripture. We need to be submerged, rooted, incorporated into it. Not just a member but a pillar. A well-rounded student and follower.

For to follow all His ways is to arrive at the proverbial doorstep of the kingdom of God. To follow half of His ways is to be halfway off. Less than halfway commitment is even worse... is even lost. There is no need to be lost, though so many are, when God's word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, Psalm 119:05.

God encourages us to follow Him because His example is a lifestyle that not only strengthens, supports and leads us, but does the same for the people who our lives touch.

• . . . Love Him

In order to truly, properly, love God, we must develop and maintain a relationship with God. We must both talk and listen to each other through unceasing prayer, 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Faith in God is in part a life spent in conversation with God. We learn who He is and while doing so, we learn that He already knows exactly, precisely who we are.

But to love God is even more than to have made a consistent commitment to conversation with Him. It is appreciation for His character, His creatures and creations which surround us. Earth has been His easel; God has painted a portrait of who He is in the  venation of vibrant leaves, the color and shapes of blossomed flowers, in the peaks of mountains, in windblown snow and sand, in the strength of waves and in the variety of fruits and spices, animals and so much more. There is so much to appreciate about Him; His attention to detail, His delight in giving life . . . He is extraordinary.

Love of God is a requirement because it is one that cannot be manufactured or faked. Only those who genuinely appreciate the life He proffers can have it. And we must genuinely appreciate the life He proffers because those who do not would ruin it. The kingdom of Heaven is not a place that will be ruined. 

• . . . Serve Him With Whole Heart and Whole Soul

God requires authentic, heart and soul-deep service. Each person is infinitely precious to God. Indeed there is joy in heaven when even just one sinner repents and changes his/her life, Luke 15:7. There is more joy for that one person than for ninety people combined who were already headed to heaven. It hurts God to lose one, even one individual.

Therefore our service as children of God, as fellow-workers with Him (1 Corinthians 3:9), is immensely important. Our actions impact that one person He roots for from heaven. We cannot be careless with what is precious to God. We must care too, like He does, with our whole heart and our whole soul otherwise we might break or neglect some precious person that is fragile, and so precious to Him.

More than that, we simply cannot get the righteous-work done that we need to do if we do not have the faith to do it. Our service to God requires generosity, trust, humility, kindness, wisdom, patience, mercy, perspective, objectivity in greater amounts and deeper quality that we could ever mine without Him. Each person and situation is unique and only He can provide what we need to do the work that needs to be done in or around them.

• . . . Keep the Commandments 

The 10 commandments, with some clarification:

Exodus 20:1-17

• 1 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

There are many ideologies and philosophies in the world. There are many religions and spiritualities. The elements of all can become intermixed and convoluted. More than that, there are the figurative "gods" a person can have. Things they place their trust in instead of God.

• 2 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them...

Idol worship exists in modern day. Perhaps we (most of us) do not make little figurines and then worship them (though some still do), we do become infatuated with our things. We place our trust in things and people other than God and we place our values in things and people other than God. 

We must be careful not to serve our vanity or greed.

• 3 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

Even more than to resist using His name as a curse word, this commandment directs us to represent God well and honor Him. We should not be flippant about His name, His word or our faith.

• 4 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

God has determined that it is important for us to rest, to reflect on Him and scripture and faith. In Hebrews 4, we learn that Jesus became our sabbath. Our rest is in our relationship with Him and our faith in Him. It is imperative that we make the time to focus solely on God, to rest from the world.

• 5 Honor thy father and thy mother.

For many, this commandment is easy, or relatively easy, to do. Others have complicated or even disastrous relationships with their parents. At the very least, God wants us to appreciate them bearing us. For this life is an opportunity of inheritance of the kingdom of God.

• 6 Thou shalt not kill.

God prohibits premediated, malicious murder. In fact, the punishment for murder is death (Deuteronomy 19:11-12; 1 John 3:15). However we know that there is forgiveness when regret/shame/repentance is absolute (from David's example in 2 Samuel 12). 

Moreover, we know that God supports capital punishment, self-defense, defense of the innocent, and battles against evil because much of the Old Testament revolves around just that.

• 7 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

• 8 Thou shalt not steal.

In some ways, theft is the ultimate sin. In addition to stealing physical things, a corrupt person can "steal" another person's life by taking it. They can steal someone's faith by corrupting it. They can steal someone's peace of mind or safety. They can steal opportunities, joys and so much more. 

• 9 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

• 10 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house... nor anything that is thy neighbor's.

• . . . Circumcise Your Heart 

Romans 2:25-29

In the Old Testament, circumcision of males was a symbol of their inward faith.  In the New Testament, Paul explains that circumcision of the heart, rather than literal, is a figurative phrase for our inward faith and outward actions. Those who keep the righteous law are circumcised of heart. 

• . . . Love the Stranger

The tribes of Israel were once strangers. In Egypt. They were badly mistreated. In their new land, their own home, God wanted them to remember what it felt like to be a stranger. He wanted them to use that experience to treat strangers in their land better than they were treated in Egypt.

Often our own difficult experiences help us to empathize with others.

• . . . Cleave to Him

There is so much in the world that pulls at us, so much that distracts us. Cleave, cling, to God instead. Do not let the stress, the speed, the chaos, the temptations of the world pull you away.

• . . . Swear By His Name

Count on God. Lean on God. Trust in God. Boldly. 

• A PURE RIVER OF WATER OF LIFE

Revelation 22:1-5;7


God has graciously extended an invitation to His kingdom. The glories of His habitation are an inheritance we can claim, while here on earth, to receive after life on earth. How do we claim it? We do what is required.  And what do we inherit?


We are given a glimpse of the promised land in the very last chapter of the Bible.

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

The first element of the Promised Land is something earth as we know it cannot provide, something millions, billions fear the loss of: life. But more than the gift of  life, from God we receive life abundant. Whole, consistent clarity, provision, healing. The presence of God, and Jesus, their Light and righteous reign everlasting.