Would you stand if front of a goalie net in your street clothes, while hockey pucks are shot at you at over 100 mph? I hope you would come to the same conclusion as me--NO WAY!
I shared this thought with the church Sunday night as we began to look at Ephesians 6:10-14...
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place...
Paul shares his thoughts with us about the hockey pucks being shot at us daily by the devil and his crew. We have the choice to take these shots protected or unprotected. Together, we took a look at some of the armor God has provided in helping us stand and defend our “goal”...our life.
So today, are you going to put on the belt of truth--Jesus and his word? How about that breastplate of righteousness? I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t want my heart exposed to those pucks coming my way. Perhaps today would be a great day to tighten up that belt, throw on the breastplate, STAND & DEFEND!
On a lighter note, it is amazing how fast summer is going by. I absolutely enjoyed some beautiful sunsets and the warm summer nights of this last week. It has been nice to make myself go outside, stroll around the neighborhood, and wind down with the sun. If that's not something you've done in awhile, I would encourage you to give yourself permission to do so.
I look forward to seeing you this week at life groups, and at Journey on Sunday...Join us for the BBQ!
7.14.2009
7.07.2009
Home from Alaska
I’m back!
We landed at LAX, jammed home, changed clothes and headed for the Journey service. It was a wonderful trip on the Alaskan cruise, and even though I was really sick most of the time, I didn't allow that to stop me from taking in the beautiful sights, eating tons of food and sitting under the teaching of an amazing man--Chuck Swindol.
We saw Glaciers, walked through rain forests, toured 4 cities and viewed all kinds of wildlife. One of my favorite moments happened when I finally was able to spot an American Bald Eagle that was less than 100 yards away. I slowly approached as it sat 30 feet above me on a tree branch. For the next hour, with camera in hand (big lens...of course), I watched that eagle's every move. I was reminded of the passage in Isaiah 40:31
I want to thank Jim Bell and Greg Green for taking on the difficult topics of Angels and Demons. I hope it was good to hear about these topics, how to apply them to your life today in 2009, and perhaps even struggle with them as you figure out what God's thoughts may be on these issues.
I have the task of sharing with you the awesome tools God has left with us, to take on the fiery arrows the demons may send our way. We will be looking at Ephesians 6 over the next 3 weeks, so I would encourage you to read this in preparation for this week’s message--here's a little preview:
We don’t want to give the devil more credit than he does not deserve.
Invite a friend, it should be a real encouraging time.
P.S. No, I did not see any fireworks, as I was in Victoria, Canada on the night of the 4th of July. I couldn't understand why they wouldn't shoot off fireworks for me and Chuck. Oh well! Guess I'll have to go to Disneyland and let Mickey take care of that for me.
We landed at LAX, jammed home, changed clothes and headed for the Journey service. It was a wonderful trip on the Alaskan cruise, and even though I was really sick most of the time, I didn't allow that to stop me from taking in the beautiful sights, eating tons of food and sitting under the teaching of an amazing man--Chuck Swindol.
We saw Glaciers, walked through rain forests, toured 4 cities and viewed all kinds of wildlife. One of my favorite moments happened when I finally was able to spot an American Bald Eagle that was less than 100 yards away. I slowly approached as it sat 30 feet above me on a tree branch. For the next hour, with camera in hand (big lens...of course), I watched that eagle's every move. I was reminded of the passage in Isaiah 40:31
...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
The eagle just has strength oozing out of its appearance alone. What a special treat that was for me. Thank you God.
I want to thank Jim Bell and Greg Green for taking on the difficult topics of Angels and Demons. I hope it was good to hear about these topics, how to apply them to your life today in 2009, and perhaps even struggle with them as you figure out what God's thoughts may be on these issues.
I have the task of sharing with you the awesome tools God has left with us, to take on the fiery arrows the demons may send our way. We will be looking at Ephesians 6 over the next 3 weeks, so I would encourage you to read this in preparation for this week’s message--here's a little preview:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Invite a friend, it should be a real encouraging time.
P.S. No, I did not see any fireworks, as I was in Victoria, Canada on the night of the 4th of July. I couldn't understand why they wouldn't shoot off fireworks for me and Chuck. Oh well! Guess I'll have to go to Disneyland and let Mickey take care of that for me.
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