Day 13 - Monday

Day 13

 

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place," Ephesians 6:14 (NIV)

Today we examine the next piece of armor that Paul exhorts us to "put on."  This piece is called "the breastplate of righteousness."  At the time Paul was writing this epistle, the Romans were the ruling power over the civilized world.  When he writes of armor and warfare, much of his illustrations come from a Roman perspective.  The Roman breastplate was typically made of bronze, backed with leather. It was designed to protect the vital area. A blow through this was usually fatal.

What vital areas did the breastplate cover?  Only all the major internal organs that we all need to survive.  The most important of these, of course, is the heart.  And Paul says that the breastplate will protect our heart. 

 

But although a bronze piece of armor, backed with leather, can protect you and me from a physical blow of attack, it will not safeguard our spiritual heart.  Remember as kids we used to say the rhyme:  "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me."  Nothing can be further from the truth.  Some people have even made the comment that they would have preferred being struck than to have the words spoken to them which broke their hearts and spirits. 

 

Why is that?  Because first and foremost, we are spiritual beings.  And when someone or a situation wounds us at the "heart level," it harms us deeper than we can comprehend. 

 

Paul is saying to us that the defensive power of righteousness will cover and protect our hearts.  Maybe this is why Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.  He knows that when we let other things take first place in our lives, it will not be able to protect our hearts and possibly those things can even harm us. 

 

Let us begin this week, by looking for the righteousness of God to be great in our lives as we examine our hearts and learn what this breastplate is all about.

 

Prayer:  "Father, I've known what it is to have my heart wounded.  I know what it is to be in pain.  Let me this day be covered in your righteousness that I may be protected in the inward parts of my heart and soul.  In Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 12 - Sunday

Day 12

 

If there was ever any truth that we need to survive, if there was ever any truth that can protect us, if there was ever any truth that overwhelms all others, it is this: we are loved by God.  If that statement is hyperbole, read what Paul said about Christ's love:

 

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."  (Ephesians 3:16-19, emphasis mine.)

 

Indwelling knowledge is that which finds itself in our hearts rather than just our minds.  Notice that Paul prays we'll be strengthened in our inner being.  This is that deep seated place of our heart where we "know that we know."  This is the epitome of experiential knowledge. 

 

It is this revelation of the love of God that will protect us, give us power and authority to live victoriously in this world.  I pray today, as Paul did that you and I will meet and know you are truly loved unconditionally by God today.  God will never love you more than He does right now, nor will he ever love you less.  Nothing you can do will ever change his opinion of you or his love for you.  Rest in his love for you today. 

 

Prayer:  "God, I choose today to believe and trust in your love for me.  I choose to rest in your love and believe that you will surround me in your grace this day and forever.  In Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 11 - Saturday

Day 11

 

"Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil."  Luke 4:1-2a (TMSG)

 

Whenever I have read about Jesus being tempted in the desert by the devil, my attention has always been drawn to how he battled the enemy.  As we will examine later, he used the word of God, or the sword of the spirit as it is called in armor terminology.  Every time the enemy tried to coerce him to do something he didn't want to do, to cause him to sin or fail in his mission, Jesus always responded with the truth of God's word.  But as I was examining this today, I got thinking about what happened to Jesus before he went to the wilderness...

 

"After all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized. As he was praying, the sky opened up and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: 'You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.'"  Luke 3:21-22 (TMSG)

 

Before Jesus ever faced the devil in the desert, he heard something.  He heard who he was.  God clothed him with the truth of his identity.  That fragile part of us, the inner part of us, which we call our identity, who we really are when the lights go out and no one is around, this is what God clothed Jesus with truth.  He told him who he was.

 

Remember, when the devil's attack came in the desert, it wasn't on God, he stated "mostly" true statements about God, but the real attack the enemy made was upon Jesus' identity.  "IF he was the son of God," he would say over and over.  We only know of three encounters with the devil that Jesus had, but we don't know that it was only three.  What we do know is that the specificity of the attacks was about who Jesus was.  It seems the devil knew that if he could get Jesus to doubt who he was, he would be powerless to defeat him.

 

Now I wonder, and am beginning to believe, that it wasn't the words alone that Jesus spoke that thwarted the devil's temptations.  it wasn't just quoting words from the Bible that made him flee.  (Paul says that even the demons believe and tremble.)  How many times have I been in situations that I needed to fight the enemy, and threw the memorized words of the Bible at him and it did nothing?  Maybe, just maybe, it's because I didn't know who I was.

 

The effectiveness of the armor, and the sword in our hands, depends on that ancient belt that held all things together.  Knowing, in heart, not just mind, who I am in Christ, and believing that truth, gives me power against the attacks of the enemy.  We defend from a position of power, from a position of truth.

 

Prayer:  "Father, show me who I am in Christ.  Teach me to face every situation and enemy in my life from a position of strength, that strength which is only found in knowing the truth of who you say that I am.  Thank you for your power and truth in my life.  In Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 10 - Friday

Day 10

 

"Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place." Psalm 51:6 (NIV)

 

Here the Psalmist tells us that God desires for us to have truth in our "inner" or inward parts.  This speaks to me that God desires us to know and experience truth not only outwardly or on the surface, but also from the depths of our being.

 

Jesus called the Pharisees who taught one thing, but lived another: "hypocrites."  This word in the original Greek simply means "play actor" and denotes someone playing a role.  A person who holds one belief about himself or others, but practices another is not "whole."  God desires for us to be whole people, not divided into fragments based on who we are with today and what is expected from us tomorrow. 

 

When what we believe, say and do all align and come into agreement together, we call it integrity.  In fact, one definition of the word, integrity, is "the quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness." 

 

With the belt of truth, God helps us to live out of a true understanding of who we are in him.  His word, the Bible, gives us these pictures of who we are in Christ.  What are some of those truths that will make us whole?  Here are just a couple, but I challenge you to search the scripture for more (and there are many, many more):

 

I am complete in Christ. – Colossians 2:9-10

I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God. – Romans 8:31-39

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13

 

As we take the word and surround ourselves in its truth, we will find ourselves becoming more and more whole.  Our inner and outer lives will align and we will be a testimony to those around us, those we work beside and with whom we share our lives.

 

Prayer:  "Holy Spirit of God, lead me into all truth and show me your wisdom.  Let me learn who I am in you and let me know how you see me.  Teach me wisdom in the inmost place of my heart.  In Christ I pray, Amen."

Day 9 - Thursday

Day 9

 

"So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist…" Ephesians 6:14a (TEV)

 

The loins, or the waist, was the place where the Hebrews believed that the generative power of a person resided.  This belt surrounds and protects the reproductive organs.  They believed that since life came through these organs, the loins also represented energy and life.

 

With that perspective in mind, let us ask ourselves:  what is it that our life is producing? 

 

Abraham and Sarah had waited for nearly 20 years, believing God's promise of a child.  Yet, nothing had happened.  Frustrated with the situation, Sarah finally offers Abraham her maid to sleep with and father a child.  Abraham agrees, somewhat too easily I would say, and soon becomes a father. 

 

Yet this is not the child of promise.  God had said that Sarah would become pregnant and that it was through her child that he would bless Abraham and the world.  This first child's name was Ishmael and forever he and Sarah's son, Isaac, would be at odds.  To this day, Ishmael's descendants and Isaac's descendants are locked in sibling wars. 

 

Paul tells us to surround our loins, the productivity of our lives, with truth.  It is easy in times of stress and fear to take matters into our own hands and move in directions that make sense to our mind.   How many times have we become anxious in our waiting on the Lord for his promise to be fulfilled and "made something happen"? 

 

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.  Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." Proverbs 3:5-6 (TMSG)

 

God promises that when we place our trust in his truth first, and allow him to lead us, he will keep us in the midst of his will.  We must fill our hearts and minds with the truth of his Word and his Spirit.  Then the decisions we make, and the life that is produced from these choices, will be ones that bless our lives and the lives of others. 

 

Prayer:  "Father, cover the productivity of my life with your truth.  Let me only seek to fulfill your will and give me patience to see your hand at work.  Lead me and keep me in step with you.  Through Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 8 - Wednesday

Day 8

 

"So then, take your stand! Fasten truth around your waist like a belt…" Ephesians 6:14a (GW)

 

Paul directs our attention first to our waist or "loins."  And it is there we are encouraged to put on truth like a belt. 

 

In the day and age the apostle was writing, a belt was like a girdle, wide and wrapped tight around the waist.  This belt held everything together.  It kept the outfit/armor working and in place.  When the person was getting ready to exert themselves, fight, do heavy toiling and work, they would tuck the long, loose flowing material into the belt so they would be able to move quickly and easily.

 

In this passage, Paul was telling us that truth will hold us together.  All the armor that we have and put on hinges on truth to make it work right. 

 

As we have discussed earlier, truth is a person, Jesus.  And he promised that his Spirit would lead us into all truth.  When we stand in experiential relation to the truth, we find that we have freedom to stand in the face of the enemy of our lives.  It is not enough to memorize scripture or to study the Word, but unless it has become real in our hearts, minds and lives, it lays dormant, we will have "a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof."  (2 Timothy 3:5)

 

It is this relationship with the truth that holds us together and makes us strong.  It will help us when we are weak with doubt and fear, for it is not just the memorized word that will come to heart and mind, but the experienced, living God who embodies the Truth that will strengthen our faith and give us grace for the battle.

 

Prayer:  "God, You who are the truth, make me to know and understand your truth.  Show me your way and teach me how to walk in it.  Help me to have a relationship with you based upon your truth.  In Jesus I pray, Amen."

 

Day 7 - Tuesday

Day 7

 

"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth…" Ephesians 6:14a (KJV)

 

The garments of the ancient Middle Easterners being loose and flowing, it was necessary to wrap them about their hips when they wanted to exert or display their strength.  They didn't want to get their legs caught in their clothing if they needed to move quickly or to be on the defense.  Therefore, the phrase "gird up your loins" came into beginning. 

 

To gird your loins simply meant to be ready for anything.  A state of constantly being prepared.  Notice here what Paul says we should prepare ourselves with…truth. 

 

The need for "armor" reminds us that we are in a battle, and that we have an enemy.  That enemy was called the "father of lies" by Jesus himself.  And each day we face and are hit with lies that speak to us about who we are, what we do, and even accuse God to us. 

 

"You're not good enough."

"You're a loser, failure."

"God isn't interested in your situation.  He doesn't care…"

"You are worthless."

 

These are lies and there are many others that get spoken to us in the privacy of our own heart or through the mouths of other people in our lives.  Some of these have been with us since we were a child. 

 

The way we battle against the lies of the enemy is by listening to and receiving the truth of God about who we are.  He will never lie, and will always reveal is truth to us if we only will open our heart and ask him.  Listen to Jesus' words in John 16:13:

 

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come."

 

Truth that is experienced and received by the Holy Spirit is transformative and gives us power over the lies of the enemy.

 

Prayer:  "Holy Spirit, surround and protect me with the truth that replace the lies the world and the enemy has told me.  Make me always ready to stand firm in your truth.  In Christ's name, Amen."

 

Day 6 - Monday

Day 6

 

"Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness." Ephesians 6:14 (NLT)

 

Paul introduces us to the first piece of the armor, telling us to stand our ground, surrounding ourselves with truth.

 

Truth is probably one of the most controversial philosophic issues of our day.  People have argued "what is truth?" and "is there such a thing as absolute truth?" for years.

 

But the questions asked is where we miss the answer.  Truth is not a "what," but a "Who."  Jesus told us "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."  (John 14:6)  Truth is personified in Christ.  We cannot know truth simply through knowledge and learning more facts, but through experience.

 

We do not experience knowledge or information, but rather experience involves an interaction with a person or people.  Paul is inviting us to engage Jesus as Truth allowing Him to show us and explain to us "what is truth."

 

Truth is part of our defensive posture, because when we stand in the truth of God's love and grace for us, we are able to dispel the lies of the enemy that are thrown at us everyday. 

 

Take time today to ask Jesus to show you and speak to you truth about your situation and your life. 

 

Prayer:  "Jesus, I believe you are Truth.  Reveal truth to me today and show me your grace for this day and my life forever.  In Your name I pray, Amen."

Day 5 - Sunday

Day 5

 

"Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm." Ephesians 6:13 (NLT)

 

Armor is protective equipment.  Paul admonishes the Ephesians to put on every piece of God's armor.  Strange picture – Christians in armor.  But notice the purpose of the armor that God gives the child of God…"so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil." 

 

Paul's concern for the church is that they would be able to make a stand against the evil that reigns in the world.  And he sees our protection found in the "armor" which is several characteristics:  salvation, righteousness, peace, truth and faith. 

 

Christ is our salvation…he is our righteousness.  He is the Prince of Peace and his Spirit leads us into all truth.  And of course, he is the author and finisher of our faith.  The armor beckons us to put on Christ Himself. 

 

There is a story in the Old Testament of three young Hebrew men who held high positions in the king of Babylon's court.  When the king decided to order the nation to bow down and worship the idol made in the king's image, they refused and were sentenced to death by fire in the furnace.  Going into the furnace, the men declared, "our God will deliver us, but even if he does not, we will never bow." 

 

And into the furnace they went, but soon there was a stir by those who looked on, as they began to see movement in the furnace.  Though the fire had been turned up seven times hotter, the men were still alive, and not alone.  There was one who looked like the son of God standing with them in the midst of the fire!

 

When we take on the armor of God, putting Christ on, we find that we can resist the evil that the world throws at us.  No matter the fire, we will survive, without even the stench of smoke.

Prayer:  "Lord, today, I choose to put on Christ.  I choose to take on your salvation, your righteousness, your peace, your truth and your faith.  Protect me though I face the fires of life, and let me live to declare your victory.  In your name, Amen."

Day 4 - Saturday

Day 4

 

"Get out of bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!"  Romans 13:14 (TMSG)

 

We are revisiting yesterday's scripture, this time in The Message, because we want to look at the other part of this passage.  We not only need to repent of our sins, which means we turn from the things that keep us out of relationship with God, but the Apostle Paul gives us a hint to what will help us.

 

"Dress yourselves in Christ…"  Paul reminds us that we do not live this faith on our own, in fact it was Jesus who told us that we cannot do anything without him.  And this applies also to not letting sin rule our lives.  It takes living "dressed in Christ."

 

Taking on the presence of Christ in our lives is an act of our faith that we do everyday.  It is the acknowledgement that we are helpless to face the temptations and trials of life without the grace and mercy of Christ alive and active in our lives. 

 

I remember a particularly trying time in my life when I was finding myself crippled by stress.  The job I was in was overwhelming and I could barely function under the weight.  At the height of all of this, I found that if every morning I woke up, before I moved out of the bed, I would pray:  "God, I cannot do this job, live this day through, without you working through me.  I give you this job, and ask you to do it through me."  I began to find I had more grace to go to walk.  I was "putting on Christ."  I had come to the end of myself and allowed him to work and live and move through me.  Soon I had success and looked forward to going to work once again.

 

Paul said something like this when he wrote to the Galatians:

"Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  Galatians 2:20 (TMSG)

 

Over this Lenten journey we are going to explore the attributes of Christ that we can dress ourselves with that will help us find and fulfill the plan of God for our lives. 

 

Prayer:  "Jesus, I come today and ask you to live and move through me.  Give me grace for this day and help me to live fully in your peace and wisdom.  In Your name, Amen."

Day 3 - Friday

Day 3

"Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Romans 13:14 (NIV)

 

Part of Lent's focus is repentance.  Without the spiritual practice of repentance, we will never be able to fulfill God's will for our lives, nor find ourselves in a thriving relationship with God.  Sin is what keeps the communication blocked between us and God.  It dulls our hearing and turns our hearts away from the passionate search for our Savior.  Sin is like that delightful "Turkish delight" consumed by Edmond in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.  It will fill our souls until we find we are no longer hungry for that which is good and right. 

 

Millions of people throughout the world will "give up" something for Lent.  Chocolate, swearing, breakfast, smoking, vices that we want to "give up" will go by the wayside for a period of six weeks, and though we mean well and do well to practice this form of fasting, unfortunately many of us will pick these back up after Easter.  But let this Lent be a real period of examination of our hearts. 

 

Listen the Psalmist, King David as he invites God to search his heart:

 

"Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life."  Psalm 139:23-24 (TMSG)

 

Lent is a season for investigation.  But the good news is that God does not search our hearts to punish us for the sin that he finds there.  No, he searches our lives and hearts so that he can enter our hearts and bring rescue and freedom to us in the areas where we've allowed sin to restrict and bind us.  He brings grace to us if only we will ask and receive from him.  He will clothe us with Christ and we will find ourselves in friendship with him once again.

 

Prayer:  "Gracious God, let me have the courage to pray David's prayer.  Search me and try me and know my heart.  Forgive my sin and teach me how to walk in your way with your hand in mine.  In Jesus' I pray, Amen."

 

Day 2 - Thursday

Day 2

 

"A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." John 10:10 (TMSG)

 

St. Irenaeus said "The glory of God is man fully alive." 

 

I heard a preacher once say that the thing that makes you mad or makes you sad, or makes you pound your fist when you hear or think of it, could be a clue to the very thing you are called to solve, or help solve. 

 

What is it that makes you and me fully alive?  What stirs your spirit when you hear about it on the news, in conversation at work, or online?  What makes you lie awake at night thinking of how things could be different in that situation if only you had the resources?

 

Jesus said that he came to give us a real life, a better life than we've ever dreamed of.  But what does that mean to us?  Have we taken the world's definition of success and fame and decided that these are what will make us happy or "better"?  The world and its materialism only satisfy us for a little while.  Then we find ourselves seeking out more and more until we realize that we have a hole in our souls that nothing in this world can fill.

 

Joy is that which we find when we move from having a "hole" in our soul to our soul becoming "whole."  And it is so much more than simple happiness, for happiness relies only on what is "happening" at the moment.  Christ invites us to follow him into eternal life now, as we join him in what he is doing in the earth.  As we do this, trusting him to lead us, we find ourselves filled with joy, which cannot be taken away by circumstance.

 

Gil Bailie spoke of this when he wrote:

"Do not ask what the world needs.  Ask what makes you come alive and go do that.  Because what the world needs are men who have come alive."    

 

Prayer:  "Father, take my hand and lead me into life eternal, now and in my world today.  Show me where you are working, what I can do to help you and let me come alive in serving you.  In Christ, Amen."

Day 1 - Ash Wednesday

Day 1 – Ash Wednesday

 

"…Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried; you started out as dirt, you'll end up dirt." Genesis 3:19b (TMSG)

 

Ash Wednesday is a day that brings us once again face to face with our own mortality.  We've all stood by the grave of a loved one.  We all have experienced the touch of grief.  This is a human experience.  It is one of those things that give us common ground with our fellow human beings.  We all live, and we all know what it means that death will one day come.

 

This day reminds us that we are not going to live forever in this body, on this earth.  As the minister/priest places the mix of ashes and oil on our heads in the form of the cross, we become identified with the brevity of life.  And therefore, it's importance.

 

This Lent, as we begin on a journey together toward the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, let us start with the appreciation of life.  I am reminded of Tim McGraw's famous song, "Live Like You Were Dying." 

 

He said I was in my early forties, with a lot of life before me
And one moment came that stopped me on a dime
I spent most of the next days, looking at the x-rays
Talking bout' the options and talking bout' sweet times.
I asked him when it sank in, that this might really be the real end
How's it hit 'cha when you get that kind of news?
Man what did ya do?
He said

I went skydiving
I went rocky mountain climbing
I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu
And I loved deeper
And I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denyin'
And he said some day I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin'

 

In this journey of Lent, let us begin by appreciating the life we have, laying down those things which keep us from living it fully and turning our eyes toward the cross.

 

Prayer:  "Lord, this day, as I bear the sign of the cross on I forehead, may I remember you have given me this life as a gift and to live fully everyday.  In Christ's name, Amen."

Looking back: A repost...

I reread this tonight and thought it was worth posting again. It is good to look back sometimes... 

Sunday, February 8, 2009

it's go time

Last night, we had a renovate prayer event in which we participated in three prayer stations focusing our hearts and prayers on the future of renovate and the path forward. Afterward, we spent some time sharing with each other what we heard from God. Here are some of the things we heard:

Bec - “Welcoming others with open arms...”

Dave - “We are finished with the 'brokenness' of ourselves. It's time to rebuild. Identity (our previous church plant from a few years ago) had to die, so renovate can be birthed, but will always live in us.”

Kareen - “Community means that we need to trust each other completely. There is beauty in all of this. Everyone is a masterpiece even if we don't see it. This is our masterpiece.”

PJ – Felt like he was visiting the grave of Identity, but was stepping over it. Coming to the grave, but moving on, moving forward, leaving the past behind.

Brian – 1 Corinthians 1:3-11 - “Comfort – we have been comforted so that we can comfort others who come to us.”

Stephen - “Time to move on; prepare, start doing things. Saw a pitcher pouring out. We need to start pouring out, but at the same time remembering to continue being filled up so we don't dry out/burn up.”

Bec – (Referencing the painting we all took part in at the preparation stage) “There is a vibrant, red-orange circle in the middle. We need to keep ourselves centered in God.”

Kareen – (Referencing the painting also) “I can see dark and light at the same time in the painting. There is light in all the dark times for us to find.”

Jennifer - “It's time to step out of our comfort zones and try new things. Each one of us have new things to do and to try.”

Stephen and Kareen both felt drawn to the front of the building to look outside of the church and to pray.

Brian wrote some things down for us:
“God has said, 'Do not wait on the perfect time for things to come. God is NOW and IS perfect.”
“Just as something like a small outlet on the wall can keep the music from playing...our church is still perfect without it.” (By the way, that was a test!)
“Don't worry about the little things that may not fit right away.”
“This 'church' is and will be built on trial and error.”

David also felt that those of us who were a part of Identity had been discovering our identity and that without us finding our identity we could never have “renovated” anything.

Needless to say, it was a great, productive night. To sum it up, I think God is saying to renovate:
It's time to go!