Shod… People with horses know that term well. I’m not a horse, but I like being well shod. Most people do, especially us girls…we like shoes.
There is a purpose for being shod…to cover the feet and make us able to take steps without subjecting our tender flesh to the bare ground. The older I’ve gotten, my choices have changed…the emphasis becomes more on comfort and purpose rather than style and appearance.
When I go on a day’s shopping trip, I take in consideration the amount of walking, and I make sure I’m shod accordingly. Every Christian should make similar considerations daily, we should be ‘shod’ appropriately, for we are shopping with Jesus, looking for others who will choose His offer. ‘He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (1 Peter 3:9)
He has already bought me…paid the price, I’m just waiting to go home with Him. Meanwhile, He is within me, with me every moment of every day. He’s not walking around in flesh anymore…He is RE-presented to the world now thru the flesh of His children. ‘Christ is in you..’ (Col. 1:27) That’s me… and you, if you‘re His.So what about the foot-gear in the armor we’ve been discussing? ‘..your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace..’(Eph. 6:15) The common soldiers of that day were shod with a type of sandal or ‘caligae’. They were strapped around the instep and ankle, with thick soles studded with protruding nails that kept them standing firmly in the sandy ground.
In the very real spiritual war that is going on all around you and I, we must be shod. But not with a spiked heel. We are to be shod and prepared with ‘the gospel of peace’ We can’t achieve any victory without this important basic piece of equipment. (shoes DO make the outfit !)
The gospel/good news/message….IS peace. Peace with God instead of conflict with Him. He is perfect, we are not. FAR from it in fact ! Conflicts (sin) exist in our relationships with each other. There is conflict between us and God. Conflict destroys personal peace and peace with others…family, friends, spouses, neighbors, strangers, other nations…. It gets to be a really awful mess. Painful. Hurtful. Damaging. There is a solution to the problem…reconciliation has been made possible. Peace with God will bring personal peace and peace with one another.
Ephesians 2 has a lot to say about this.. ‘In Christ Jesus, you who were far away, have been brought near… He Himself is our peace, Who has… destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…making peace, …, to reconcile ….them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility.’ (selected verses)
How you are shod will tell off on you. Is the gospel of peace what keeps you grounded, standing firmly, able to stand against enemy assault? Or is it your flesh….your tender , vulnerable, bare feet?
Friday, August 13, 2010
Breastplate...
Breastplate… Batman wore one with six-pack abs made into it. Remember? My breastplate doesn’t give me abs…but it protects the vital parts of me…my heart.
We’re still talking about this armor thing remember? We thought about the belt of truth previously. Now to this breastplate thing….get out your Sword (Bible) and look for yourself. There’s a table of contents in the front of your Bible to help you locate the books, Ephesians is in the New Testament section. Look at chapter 6, verse 14.
‘ ..with the breastplate of righteousness in place…’ Why does scripture use this picture to illustrate something to us? Just what IS righteousness anyway? And a breastplate?? Come on…
Batman’s breastplate turned bullets and protected him from blows to his ribs. (Fictional) Police have garments that serve as breastplates, they call them bullet-proof vests. They offer protection from attacks helping to slow down or stop a piece of lead screaming thru space, shot from a gun. I think it’s made of something called ‘Kevlar’. (Reality)
Dikaiosune = righteousness in the original language of scripture. The word dikaiosune has to do with character. Innocent, holy, absolute rightness. It was once spelled ‘rightwiseness’. So we are to ‘put on’ this thing to protect us…this thing called righteousness. Think you can fill that description? I can’t !! I am not innocent, far from holy, and absolutely never absolutely right !!
So how can I wear something I don’t have ?!!? Here’s The Good News, the absolute best news you’ll ever hear. I quote it from The Message translation…‘…anyone united with The Messiah gets a fresh start, …God settled the relationship between us and Him…He put the world square with Himself through the Messiah Jesus… God put the wrong on Him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God. ’ (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
There my friend is my rightwisesness. There is the only absolute right character you’ll find in me. My only innocence. Nothing holy in me except from Him. I want it firmly in place every single day. I have never accomplished it, try as I might…HE accomplished it. And HE continues the work in me to rid me of the stains and residues of sin…the stuff that keeps me from being innocent, holy, and right. It is an on-going process, will be until I draw my last breath in this body.
My breastplate of righteousness is always on. My heart is not just set right with God, but was changed. I want what He wants. And even when I don’t really…I WANT to want what He wants. He protects me in that way…drawing me to Him rather than letting me be content out of His perfect will.
My breastplate doesn’t give me six-pack abs. But it makes me look perfect to God. He sees perfection…the perfection of Christ. And knowing THAT….protects my heart.
We’re still talking about this armor thing remember? We thought about the belt of truth previously. Now to this breastplate thing….get out your Sword (Bible) and look for yourself. There’s a table of contents in the front of your Bible to help you locate the books, Ephesians is in the New Testament section. Look at chapter 6, verse 14.
‘ ..with the breastplate of righteousness in place…’ Why does scripture use this picture to illustrate something to us? Just what IS righteousness anyway? And a breastplate?? Come on…
Batman’s breastplate turned bullets and protected him from blows to his ribs. (Fictional) Police have garments that serve as breastplates, they call them bullet-proof vests. They offer protection from attacks helping to slow down or stop a piece of lead screaming thru space, shot from a gun. I think it’s made of something called ‘Kevlar’. (Reality)
Dikaiosune = righteousness in the original language of scripture. The word dikaiosune has to do with character. Innocent, holy, absolute rightness. It was once spelled ‘rightwiseness’. So we are to ‘put on’ this thing to protect us…this thing called righteousness. Think you can fill that description? I can’t !! I am not innocent, far from holy, and absolutely never absolutely right !!
So how can I wear something I don’t have ?!!? Here’s The Good News, the absolute best news you’ll ever hear. I quote it from The Message translation…‘…anyone united with The Messiah gets a fresh start, …God settled the relationship between us and Him…He put the world square with Himself through the Messiah Jesus… God put the wrong on Him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God. ’ (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
There my friend is my rightwisesness. There is the only absolute right character you’ll find in me. My only innocence. Nothing holy in me except from Him. I want it firmly in place every single day. I have never accomplished it, try as I might…HE accomplished it. And HE continues the work in me to rid me of the stains and residues of sin…the stuff that keeps me from being innocent, holy, and right. It is an on-going process, will be until I draw my last breath in this body.
My breastplate of righteousness is always on. My heart is not just set right with God, but was changed. I want what He wants. And even when I don’t really…I WANT to want what He wants. He protects me in that way…drawing me to Him rather than letting me be content out of His perfect will.
My breastplate doesn’t give me six-pack abs. But it makes me look perfect to God. He sees perfection…the perfection of Christ. And knowing THAT….protects my heart.
Armor...
Armor… Do you have pictures of King Arthur in your head? (He’s a myth, by the way.) A handsome knight in shining armor? (A righteous vigilante, putting down evil-doers for his queen?) Romantic huh?
Armor looks uncomfortable to me. Heavy. Bulky. Restrictive. David would not wear Saul’s armor when he went out to meet Goliath. Why? You tell me…1 Samuel 17 tells the story. Take up your Sword of The Spirit (Bible) and see for yourself.
Ephesians 6:11 advises me to ‘put on the whole armor of God’. Not part of it…the whole thing. And it doesn’t advise me to come up with my own outfit. It tells me to put on God’s armor. Why? ‘SO I may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.’ (verse 11) OK….so what is this armor?
Eph. 6:14 begins to tell us about it. Don’t take my word for it. Open up that Sword of The Spirit and see for yourself.
First….STAND. Decide you’re going to in fact PUT this armor ON. We can talk about what a good idea it is. That doesn’t give us a tiny little bit of protection. So…will you decide? Begin to arm yourself against the very real enemy?
Then, we must ‘ have the belt of truth buckled around our waist..’ There IS absolute truth. If you have no consistent views of truth, you are an easy target for the adversary to successfully attack. Ask God right NOW, to help you to see. Ask Him to remove the scales from your eyes, that you are not deceived or blinded by the enemy’s lies. What God says….IS. Period. Absolute.
In the time period this scripture was written, people wore long flowing garments, men and women alike. It was vital, when battle came, those garments must not be a hindrance. A belt, sometimes called a girdle, would be worn to secure all the garments in place. The loose parts would be gathered up and fastened inside a belt.
Truth keeps all of our ‘self’ grounded and in place. Truth keeps us from being tangled up in the ‘stuff’ that surrounds us on every side, the struggles, skirmishes, and outright war that we face. Truth keeps the fleshly/human part of us standing firmly, supporting us, so that we all fight on the same ground, for the same side. The enemy wants us divided, wants us confused about what IS true and right. That’s one of his best tactics. I detest him for it.
Armor. God had one tailor made for me. He has one for you…if you’ll wear it.
Armor looks uncomfortable to me. Heavy. Bulky. Restrictive. David would not wear Saul’s armor when he went out to meet Goliath. Why? You tell me…1 Samuel 17 tells the story. Take up your Sword of The Spirit (Bible) and see for yourself.
Ephesians 6:11 advises me to ‘put on the whole armor of God’. Not part of it…the whole thing. And it doesn’t advise me to come up with my own outfit. It tells me to put on God’s armor. Why? ‘SO I may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.’ (verse 11) OK….so what is this armor?
Eph. 6:14 begins to tell us about it. Don’t take my word for it. Open up that Sword of The Spirit and see for yourself.
First….STAND. Decide you’re going to in fact PUT this armor ON. We can talk about what a good idea it is. That doesn’t give us a tiny little bit of protection. So…will you decide? Begin to arm yourself against the very real enemy?
Then, we must ‘ have the belt of truth buckled around our waist..’ There IS absolute truth. If you have no consistent views of truth, you are an easy target for the adversary to successfully attack. Ask God right NOW, to help you to see. Ask Him to remove the scales from your eyes, that you are not deceived or blinded by the enemy’s lies. What God says….IS. Period. Absolute.
In the time period this scripture was written, people wore long flowing garments, men and women alike. It was vital, when battle came, those garments must not be a hindrance. A belt, sometimes called a girdle, would be worn to secure all the garments in place. The loose parts would be gathered up and fastened inside a belt.
Truth keeps all of our ‘self’ grounded and in place. Truth keeps us from being tangled up in the ‘stuff’ that surrounds us on every side, the struggles, skirmishes, and outright war that we face. Truth keeps the fleshly/human part of us standing firmly, supporting us, so that we all fight on the same ground, for the same side. The enemy wants us divided, wants us confused about what IS true and right. That’s one of his best tactics. I detest him for it.
Armor. God had one tailor made for me. He has one for you…if you’ll wear it.
War...
War…It is real. It is here. You and I are IN it. ‘This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the devil and all his angels.’ (Eph. 6:12 The Message)
‘Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting, you’ll still be on your feet.’ (Eph. 6:13 The Message)
Are you prepared? Do you make it your business to stay prepared? The enemy has no shame, he will surely notice if you are not…and he will take advantage of the opportunity. He will attack when you are most vulnerable. There is no honor found in him. He ‘prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’…so ‘be self-controlled and alert’ (1 Peter 5:8)
The natural response to the awareness of danger is to seek protection. We will never succeed in protecting ourSELF from this enemy. He has the upper-hand, he won it in The Garden incident. It’s that curse. Death…and we can’t defeat death, remember? I have been saved from that curse…but the war goes on. The attacks still come. Daily. And I need protection. ‘Give me aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.’ (Ps.60:11)
There are many battlefields. The frustration and anger that shows up in the workplace. The behavior we display when a neighbor annoys us. The addictions that hold us captive. The attitudes of disrespect and dishonor to other people. The self-righteousness and pride in our hearts. Dishonesty. Gossip. Neglect. Putting ANY thing or ANY one above God. There is no place, no moment…that we are not standing on a battle ground.
Are you fighting? Or are you surrendered?
I want to fight. I have protection, and I have One weapon. ‘Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes….take up the Sword of the Spirit..’ (Eph. 6:11,17)
Get your Sword, and let’s look at this armor a little closer….
‘Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting, you’ll still be on your feet.’ (Eph. 6:13 The Message)
Are you prepared? Do you make it your business to stay prepared? The enemy has no shame, he will surely notice if you are not…and he will take advantage of the opportunity. He will attack when you are most vulnerable. There is no honor found in him. He ‘prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’…so ‘be self-controlled and alert’ (1 Peter 5:8)
The natural response to the awareness of danger is to seek protection. We will never succeed in protecting ourSELF from this enemy. He has the upper-hand, he won it in The Garden incident. It’s that curse. Death…and we can’t defeat death, remember? I have been saved from that curse…but the war goes on. The attacks still come. Daily. And I need protection. ‘Give me aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.’ (Ps.60:11)
There are many battlefields. The frustration and anger that shows up in the workplace. The behavior we display when a neighbor annoys us. The addictions that hold us captive. The attitudes of disrespect and dishonor to other people. The self-righteousness and pride in our hearts. Dishonesty. Gossip. Neglect. Putting ANY thing or ANY one above God. There is no place, no moment…that we are not standing on a battle ground.
Are you fighting? Or are you surrendered?
I want to fight. I have protection, and I have One weapon. ‘Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes….take up the Sword of the Spirit..’ (Eph. 6:11,17)
Get your Sword, and let’s look at this armor a little closer….
Shadow...
Shadow….Somewhere today, somebody will watch to see if a groundhog sees his shadow. What’s the deal with being scared of a shadow? A shadow is simply the darkness that is cast by placing a body between light and what the shadow is cast upon. Why be concerned about a shadow?…
There is one shadow we are all concerned about. ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me..’ (Ps. 23:4) Oh, you may not think about it much if you’re healthy, especially if you’re young. But when something happens to endanger your life, you are concerned about staying alive. When the doctor has some bad report, you are concerned about staying alive. When your child falls and comes up bloody and screaming, you’re concerned about the shadow of death. Those are times when the shadow of death shows up, and when we see it, we wish for a way to escape. Like the groundhog, we want to stay away from it.
Just as the groundhog causes the shadow he sees, we’ve caused this shadow of death. ‘..you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it…you will surely die.’ (Gen. 2:17) If Eve hadn’t picked it, if Adam hadn’t joined her, even if every human being since that time had been perfect in obedience…I’d have done it. I’ve chosen the knowledge of evil often. Finding out for myself…disobedience…only to find out God was just protecting me when He said ‘don’t.
Ever since that time in The Garden, death has loomed…shadowing our lives, because there is sin between us and our Perfect Creator God, we all will die. There is no hole to crawl in …no escaping this shadow. Unless….
‘I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life….he has crossed over from death to life..’ (Jesus’ words in John 5:24)
‘all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into HIS death…’(Rom. 6:3 emphasis mine) ‘..be faithful even to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life.’(Rev. 2:10)
Our bodies will die, they are corruptible. Perishable. But ‘in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye…we will be raised imperishable and all be changed…clothed with the imperishable…immortality…death swallowed up in victory.’ (1Cor. 15:52-54) ’..death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man…in Christ, all will be made alive..as in Adam, all die. so in Christ all will be made alive.’(1Cor. 15:21,22)
The groundhog runs back into his hole in the ground. I run to the empty tomb of Jesus Christ. Death is defeated, and I’ve accepted the escape offered. This body is wearing out…it will stop working someday. The heart will stop pumping the blood…but my life is eternal. This body that will perish in a grave one day, will be replaced by one as glorious as that of Jesus Christ when He came out of His tomb. ….Talk about changes !!
There is one shadow we are all concerned about. ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me..’ (Ps. 23:4) Oh, you may not think about it much if you’re healthy, especially if you’re young. But when something happens to endanger your life, you are concerned about staying alive. When the doctor has some bad report, you are concerned about staying alive. When your child falls and comes up bloody and screaming, you’re concerned about the shadow of death. Those are times when the shadow of death shows up, and when we see it, we wish for a way to escape. Like the groundhog, we want to stay away from it.
Just as the groundhog causes the shadow he sees, we’ve caused this shadow of death. ‘..you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it…you will surely die.’ (Gen. 2:17) If Eve hadn’t picked it, if Adam hadn’t joined her, even if every human being since that time had been perfect in obedience…I’d have done it. I’ve chosen the knowledge of evil often. Finding out for myself…disobedience…only to find out God was just protecting me when He said ‘don’t.
Ever since that time in The Garden, death has loomed…shadowing our lives, because there is sin between us and our Perfect Creator God, we all will die. There is no hole to crawl in …no escaping this shadow. Unless….
‘I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life….he has crossed over from death to life..’ (Jesus’ words in John 5:24)
‘all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into HIS death…’(Rom. 6:3 emphasis mine) ‘..be faithful even to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life.’(Rev. 2:10)
Our bodies will die, they are corruptible. Perishable. But ‘in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye…we will be raised imperishable and all be changed…clothed with the imperishable…immortality…death swallowed up in victory.’ (1Cor. 15:52-54) ’..death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man…in Christ, all will be made alive..as in Adam, all die. so in Christ all will be made alive.’(1Cor. 15:21,22)
The groundhog runs back into his hole in the ground. I run to the empty tomb of Jesus Christ. Death is defeated, and I’ve accepted the escape offered. This body is wearing out…it will stop working someday. The heart will stop pumping the blood…but my life is eternal. This body that will perish in a grave one day, will be replaced by one as glorious as that of Jesus Christ when He came out of His tomb. ….Talk about changes !!
Personal...
Personal…My God is personal. (not remote) ‘…The Lord my God will go with me. He will never leave me. He will never forsake me.’ (Deut. 31:6 and Heb. 13:5) ‘You are near, O Lord..’ (Ps. 119:51) ‘..it is good for me to draw near to You, I have put my trust in You..’(Ps.73:28) Need some personal, reliable help? Where are you looking for it?
It’s hard to stop listing scriptures that tell how faithful He is, and how much help He offers. He is THE Friend of friends..The Wise Counselor. (Isa. 9:6) The narrative of scripture tells such a beautiful story of His love. From creation, to salvation….perfect self-sacrificing love. Why is it so difficult to grab hold of? Do we think it’s too good to be true? After all, most of us have learned the hard way what it is to be forsaken by someone we called friend. We’ve all been hurt by bad advice.
When we think of our Creator God in terms of what we know of human beings, comparing Him to us…we are making Him into an image. Our image. And He is not like us! ‘God is not a man that he should lie…or change His mind.. He does not speak and then not act. He does not promise and not fulfill.’ (Num. 23:19)
I tried personally to tend to my own behavior. I attempted to ’fix’ all the wrong things in myself. The wrong attitudes and bad behavior kept popping it’s ugly head up. ’..law (rule-keeping) made nothing perfect.’ (Heb. 7:19) Oh, I’m not ’fixed’ yet…it’s a work in progress. I am ‘being transformed by the renewing of my mind..’ (Rom. 12:2) ‘Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on…forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…’ (Phil. 3:12,13,14)
While He is faithful, I am not always. I sometimes turn a deaf ear to His Whisper. I brush off His Hand, choosing my will over His. (Even though experience has taught me that He always, always, always, knows best !) But ‘..as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge. I will tell of all His deeds.’ (Ps. 73:28)
‘Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth. Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name….for great is your love toward me…’ (Ps. 86:11,13)
He never forces His will. It is a personal choice….ask Him for an undivided heart. Be honest. Completely… with yourself and with Him. Make it intimate…and personal.
It’s hard to stop listing scriptures that tell how faithful He is, and how much help He offers. He is THE Friend of friends..The Wise Counselor. (Isa. 9:6) The narrative of scripture tells such a beautiful story of His love. From creation, to salvation….perfect self-sacrificing love. Why is it so difficult to grab hold of? Do we think it’s too good to be true? After all, most of us have learned the hard way what it is to be forsaken by someone we called friend. We’ve all been hurt by bad advice.
When we think of our Creator God in terms of what we know of human beings, comparing Him to us…we are making Him into an image. Our image. And He is not like us! ‘God is not a man that he should lie…or change His mind.. He does not speak and then not act. He does not promise and not fulfill.’ (Num. 23:19)
I tried personally to tend to my own behavior. I attempted to ’fix’ all the wrong things in myself. The wrong attitudes and bad behavior kept popping it’s ugly head up. ’..law (rule-keeping) made nothing perfect.’ (Heb. 7:19) Oh, I’m not ’fixed’ yet…it’s a work in progress. I am ‘being transformed by the renewing of my mind..’ (Rom. 12:2) ‘Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on…forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…’ (Phil. 3:12,13,14)
While He is faithful, I am not always. I sometimes turn a deaf ear to His Whisper. I brush off His Hand, choosing my will over His. (Even though experience has taught me that He always, always, always, knows best !) But ‘..as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge. I will tell of all His deeds.’ (Ps. 73:28)
‘Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth. Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name….for great is your love toward me…’ (Ps. 86:11,13)
He never forces His will. It is a personal choice….ask Him for an undivided heart. Be honest. Completely… with yourself and with Him. Make it intimate…and personal.
Remote control...
Sometimes, the battery for our TV remote control is low and it doesn’t respond properly. Sometimes believe it or not, I just decide to walk over and do the controlling …impatient or irritated, making a statement of my ability to control the TV myself.
I do have a remote control that is capable of controlling EVERYthing. I often have it stuffed down somewhere though, like the TV remote control gets lost in the recliner.
‘…my Savior….has the power to bring everything under His control, transforming my lowly body to be like His….’ (Phillipians 3:21) No batteries required…His power really does keep going and going…. But I have the option of not using it. I can stuff it away ‘..Quench not the Spirit.’ (1Th. 5:19)
‘…the holy Scriptures…are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and useful in….training in righteousness…to be thoroughly equipped…’ (2 Tim. 3: 15-17) The manual will never be exhausted. It will always be fresh and relevant, teaching me how to use this Remote Control in more and more ways. But I have the option of not reading it.
Remote control….Our satellite equipment quit working properly. Yesterday, the service man came and installed new equipment, which included a new remote control device. It is different from the old one. Now we have to learn how to use it….
I suppose we could just get up and change the channels by hand, but like you…(admit it, you’re the same way..) we want to sit across the room in our easy chair and change the channels. We are discovering some new benefits from this remote control, things other than simply changing channels….I’m hoping it will control everything so we can do away with the other equipment controllers. We haven’t read all the manual yet, so I’m not sure. He has ‘given me everything I need for life and godliness through my knowledge of Him…’ helping me to ‘..add to my faith, goodness and knowledge, self control and perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness….and love.’ ( 2 Peter 1:3,6) This Remote Control will address every area of life, sending the Signal that selects the very best programming. But I have options for all sorts of programming. I get to choose.
We have a lot of things blocked on our TV, opted out of a number of channels that are available. Our Remote Control advised us against many of them. ‘ ..whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely…..think on these things…’ (Phil. 4:8)
‘ ..the Spirit of truth…will guide you into all truth…He will show you things to come…’(John 16:13) THIS is remote control. But I have the option of not using it.
Do you have Remote Control? Do you read the Manual? Do you appropriate His power Source, or use your own? It is available to you….but you have the option of not using it.
I do have a remote control that is capable of controlling EVERYthing. I often have it stuffed down somewhere though, like the TV remote control gets lost in the recliner.
‘…my Savior….has the power to bring everything under His control, transforming my lowly body to be like His….’ (Phillipians 3:21) No batteries required…His power really does keep going and going…. But I have the option of not using it. I can stuff it away ‘..Quench not the Spirit.’ (1Th. 5:19)
‘…the holy Scriptures…are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and useful in….training in righteousness…to be thoroughly equipped…’ (2 Tim. 3: 15-17) The manual will never be exhausted. It will always be fresh and relevant, teaching me how to use this Remote Control in more and more ways. But I have the option of not reading it.
Remote control….Our satellite equipment quit working properly. Yesterday, the service man came and installed new equipment, which included a new remote control device. It is different from the old one. Now we have to learn how to use it….
I suppose we could just get up and change the channels by hand, but like you…(admit it, you’re the same way..) we want to sit across the room in our easy chair and change the channels. We are discovering some new benefits from this remote control, things other than simply changing channels….I’m hoping it will control everything so we can do away with the other equipment controllers. We haven’t read all the manual yet, so I’m not sure. He has ‘given me everything I need for life and godliness through my knowledge of Him…’ helping me to ‘..add to my faith, goodness and knowledge, self control and perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness….and love.’ ( 2 Peter 1:3,6) This Remote Control will address every area of life, sending the Signal that selects the very best programming. But I have options for all sorts of programming. I get to choose.
We have a lot of things blocked on our TV, opted out of a number of channels that are available. Our Remote Control advised us against many of them. ‘ ..whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely…..think on these things…’ (Phil. 4:8)
‘ ..the Spirit of truth…will guide you into all truth…He will show you things to come…’(John 16:13) THIS is remote control. But I have the option of not using it.
Do you have Remote Control? Do you read the Manual? Do you appropriate His power Source, or use your own? It is available to you….but you have the option of not using it.
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