I am so grateful that God sends His Spirit to enlighten His people, time and again. In those times where God does not feel present, pray pray pray that you will know His presence! That we may move from the expectations to FEEL toward the joy of KNOWING is one of the greatest triumphs we might experience here on this earth. Paul compared everything in his life to the joy of KNOWING God (Phil 3:8) - and he called it all horse s*** (or some other similarly crass term). King James blushed and just called it rubbish, but we all know Paul was not a shy author.
We will not always feel His presence, but we know He promises that He will never forsake us (Heb 13:5)
We will not always feel like attending a church service, but we know He deserves praise, and praise is commonly found in corporate worship (practically... all of the Psalms)
We will not always feel that God is fairly treating the poor, but we know that a sparrow does not escape the concern of God (Matt 10:29)
We sometimes may feel that we are strong and independent, denying our need for a Savior. But we had better know that this feeling is fleeting - to realize that He is life. He is our oxygen. He is the abundant life!
That people may not see the need of a Savior is an honest reality in our modern world, and as Christians, we had better know a response to this very important question of need. It is not difficult to know the cause of war when the enemy presents itself clearly, and I may not feel that indifference is a threat to the Truth. When my enemy looks to be a peaceful human being not looking to duel, I am going to look like a real punk if I begin sparring with him - using my Sword of the Spirit. You say, 'En garde,' and he makes no attempt to draw any recognizable weapon. If we examine this situation, might we conclude that his shield and his demeanor are now to be his weapon of choice? Or the onlooker who perceives an attack on a defenseless individual. Does he use this as a weapon? Or my fear of being shamed. He can use ME as a weapon against ME. Like swinging them around by their own ponytail!
I cannot express in words how difficult our calling to fight for Truth in the event of indifference. In our post-modern society, our enemy has changed His tactics. Why are we still wearing red coats, like a bunch of targets? Was that EVER the attire God told us to wear? Our real battle gear is described fully in Paul's letters to the Ephesians in chapter 6. I mean, look at this uniform. It's genius.
1. You've got a Belt of Truth - going to battle with the correct information, motive, and against the true enemy
2. Breastplate of Righteousness - onlookers may see your preceding and current good works and glorify God (Mt 5:16)
3. Shoes fitted by the readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace - because no crosstrainer shoe can compete with their agility.
4. Shield of Faith - a firm belief that God will do what He promises, blocking attacks against you from all angles. Sidenote: if I am in fellowship with other believers, our shields can now join to provide even more coverage
5. Helmet of Salvation - covering your head, because clearly you need one to sustain life
6. Sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God) - know God's Word by reading your Bible and listening to the Holy Spirit. Satan knows the Word too. So know it well enough to determine when he has manipulated what it really says.
7. And constant prayer!
We, as Believers, must now examine the new rules of engagement to know how to strike - remembering that we are still battling against the same enemy (Satan) and not the human being in need of God's love (Ephesians 6:12).
We will not always feel His presence, but we know He promises that He will never forsake us (Heb 13:5)
We will not always feel like attending a church service, but we know He deserves praise, and praise is commonly found in corporate worship (practically... all of the Psalms)
We will not always feel that God is fairly treating the poor, but we know that a sparrow does not escape the concern of God (Matt 10:29)
We sometimes may feel that we are strong and independent, denying our need for a Savior. But we had better know that this feeling is fleeting - to realize that He is life. He is our oxygen. He is the abundant life!
That people may not see the need of a Savior is an honest reality in our modern world, and as Christians, we had better know a response to this very important question of need. It is not difficult to know the cause of war when the enemy presents itself clearly, and I may not feel that indifference is a threat to the Truth. When my enemy looks to be a peaceful human being not looking to duel, I am going to look like a real punk if I begin sparring with him - using my Sword of the Spirit. You say, 'En garde,' and he makes no attempt to draw any recognizable weapon. If we examine this situation, might we conclude that his shield and his demeanor are now to be his weapon of choice? Or the onlooker who perceives an attack on a defenseless individual. Does he use this as a weapon? Or my fear of being shamed. He can use ME as a weapon against ME. Like swinging them around by their own ponytail!
I cannot express in words how difficult our calling to fight for Truth in the event of indifference. In our post-modern society, our enemy has changed His tactics. Why are we still wearing red coats, like a bunch of targets? Was that EVER the attire God told us to wear? Our real battle gear is described fully in Paul's letters to the Ephesians in chapter 6. I mean, look at this uniform. It's genius.
1. You've got a Belt of Truth - going to battle with the correct information, motive, and against the true enemy
2. Breastplate of Righteousness - onlookers may see your preceding and current good works and glorify God (Mt 5:16)
3. Shoes fitted by the readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace - because no crosstrainer shoe can compete with their agility.
4. Shield of Faith - a firm belief that God will do what He promises, blocking attacks against you from all angles. Sidenote: if I am in fellowship with other believers, our shields can now join to provide even more coverage
5. Helmet of Salvation - covering your head, because clearly you need one to sustain life
6. Sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God) - know God's Word by reading your Bible and listening to the Holy Spirit. Satan knows the Word too. So know it well enough to determine when he has manipulated what it really says.
7. And constant prayer!
We, as Believers, must now examine the new rules of engagement to know how to strike - remembering that we are still battling against the same enemy (Satan) and not the human being in need of God's love (Ephesians 6:12).
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