The Armor of God

What kind of sense does it make for us to be in the midst of a battle and to leave our armor over in the corner, collecting dust?? That's right, it doesn't. Yet, we do just that. 

We are in a spiritual war. You, me...every person.  Some of us are, without a second thought, doing exactly what the enemy approves of. 

(Living in and of the world. Choosing not to live for Christ. Maybe even refusing to buy-in to this whole "Jesus" thing. A very self-indulgent and self-centered mind set. A "What about ME?" mentality.) 

Some of us want to resist the enemies commands, but we had taken our armor off, leaving ourselves vulnerable. We are weak against him. 

(We have not kept the Word of God hidden in our heart and consistently spoken on our lips. We choose not to stand on God's Word and promises. Our armor may only partially be on; we aren't fully protected. We pray to God when times are tough, and "forget" to when times are better.)

Some of us choose to put our armor on fully. Our enemy doesn't stand a chance, although he wouldn't dare stop trying to penetrate the impenetrable. 

(We choose to read, speak, and release the promises of God over our lives. We refuse to walk in fear, because we know we have the God of Angel Armies battling on our behalf. We obey His commands and we trust in Him. We love Him, because He first Loved us. We choose to claim the victory over the battle, because He promised the Victory is already ours!) 

Ephesians 6:11-18 (NLT)

"Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

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. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."

~I pray this encourages you to evaluate your spiritual life. I pray you find strength, because you turn to Him...to Jesus. His gift of Life is absolutely free!! 

If you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and would like to know how to, leave a comment below or private message me. I would love to share a prayer with you to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior! 

Be blessed! 

~Rue

The Blessing

Hello out there...Jayley here. The holiday season is always a very stressful time for me especially with a blended family. Hurts haunt me from the past...New hurts are made..but through it all I try to stay positive.  The reality is I probably put too much emphasis on the holidays and have ideas I try to fulfill about what the day should look like.

Hello. ...me playing God once again.  :)

Knowing this is a time of weakness for me and a time I can really fall prey to the enemy has made me very aware of my need to stay in constant contact with My Lord.  In addition to my daily routines I like to kick it up a notch by occupying any free time I have with Godly wisdom. This helps fight off the depression which can quickly take me captive if I am allowed to mind wander the past.

I have been reading this really great book given to me by a friend. It's called "The gift of the blessing". Such great wisdom in here...it talks about t he elements of the blessing parents should strive to bestow on their children.  And they discuss what happens when the blessing is not given, or given partially.  I truly know my calling at this season in my life is to give this blessing to the children God has placed in my family. I see the holes in some of my children's lives right now and I recognize what those holes X an and will do if not addresses. I can see the damage to one's soul created by living without the blessing. It's blaringly obvious in my husband and I too have elements missing.

So what are these elements so vital to a child?
1. Meaningful touch. Have you hugged your child lately..held hands...petted their hair?
2. Spoken words...what comes out of the mouth plants seeds that can be weeds or flowers. What are you speaking?
3.Expressing high value. Our children believe they will be what we say they can be.
4. Picturing a special future. Teach your child to dream and believe the greatness they were created for.
5.An active commitment.  Bestowing the blessing is something a parent gas to commit to.  Not a one time act. A continuous,ongoing act of love. Get to it!