Posted by tdcrocker on 2008/8/28 16:14:39 (580 reads)
"Stand therefore...having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace." (Ephesians 6:14-15, Amp)
My background in Operations taught me one thing ... Preparation. Being prepared will protect you when disaster hits. When it comes to fighting spiritual battles, that's a word we would do well to remember. Most Christians don't pay much attention to it. We don't prepare ourselves in advance. We walk around blind until the devil makes his move, then we try to fight him with the Word... and we usually lose, and don't understand why.
I used to do the same thing until the Lord taught me differently. I used to wait until my meetings or events began to pray. Satan would come against them from one direction, I'd fight him there. Then he'd move around and attack in another area, and I'd fight him there.
The Lord has shown me that by waiting until the last minute to take my stand, I was giving satan time to build up his forces against me. Consequently, I was losing most of my battles.
Years ago, the Tylenol Company had a real scare. Someone was tampering with the bottles on the shelves. The reason Tylenol is still the Company they are today is because they already had a disaster plan ready. As Christians we can learn from this. Is your disaster plan already in place? Are you already preparing for battle before it strikes or are you waiting for satan to strike the first blow?
Begin to pray about your family, your church, your business now, be prepared, getting the stage set spiritually before we ever begin. Instead of letting Satan get his forces fixed, Start throwing him out before he ever gets a foothold.
Don't let the devil catch you off guard. Be prepared! Start praying and speaking the Word of faith now!, over your family, your church, your business. Have your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace continually not having to rush to put your boots on. Then when satan causes trouble, you'll be will equipped to win the battle.
They immediately left their nets and followed Him. —Mark 1:18
A royal dignitary was greeting residents at a nursing home, when he was surprised by the unresponsiveness of one woman who just sat there and stared at him. Finally, the dignitary asked, “Do you know who I am?”—to which the woman responded: “No. But that nurse over there helps us with those kinds of things.”
Many people are confused about who Jesus is. But through His Word, God helps us know and enjoy the real Jesus. You will find Him wonderfully compelling. Tough fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots gave up everything to follow Him (Mark 1:18). Women felt safe with Him. Crowds stood in awe of His power and authority.
Jesus is not content to be just our “fire insurance,” saving us from eternal punishment in hell. Rather, He wants us to know Him for who He really is, and He desires to connect with us on a deeper, more personal level.
If you are weary of a religion that is about rules and regulations, then welcome to life beyond the rituals. Welcome to a relationship in which you can find companionship, comfort, wisdom, and reality. Welcome to the wonderful privilege of getting to know Jesus and the joy of following Him.
Get to know Him—and you’ll grow to love Him more and more each day. —Joe Stowell
Which of all our friends, to save us, Could or would have shed their blood? But our Jesus died to have us Reconciled in Him to God. —Newton
I will set him in the safety for which he yearns. —Psalm 12:5
King David looked out at the world and was troubled. He didn’t need the Internet to paint a bleak picture of society or The New York Times to remind him of crime and suffering. Even without a cable news show to give him all the bad news, he saw the evil.
He looked around and saw that “the godly man ceases.” He noticed that “the faithful disappear.” In his world, everyone spoke “idly” to his neighbor “with flattering lips and a double heart” (Ps. 12:1-2).
This description may sound like the theme of a TV show, but it was life, circa 1,000 BC. While we may view society’s evils as much worse than anything before, David reminds us that evil is not a 21st-century innovation.
But David’s words also give us hope. Notice his reaction to the bad news he bore. In verse 1, he turned to God and cried, “Help!” Then he implored God with specific needs. The response he got was positive. God promised that because He rules righteously, He would provide protection and safety (vv.5-7).
When you are discouraged by all the bad news, cry out for God’s help. Then bask in the confidence of His assurance. Three thousand years after David, God is still, and always will be, in control. —Dave Branon
When through life’s darkened maze I go And troubles overwhelm my soul, Oh, grant me, Lord, the faith to know That You are always in control. —D. De Haan
We have nothing to fear, because God is in control.
Psalm 12
1 Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.
2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
3 The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.
