A Birthday Thought To Ponder (or who is that person I see in the miirror??)

                                                              

On this day of my birth now so many years ago I think of what many people say, "If I knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself." To that I say, "no you wouldn't." You did things because you wanted to do those things. I remember doing an interview with Steve Brown of Key Life ministeries about dealing with the flesh and the difficulties that arise in that obedience as a believer and Steve simply responded, "we sin because we like it." Simple yet profound.                                   

"You were Dead in trespasses and sins." Scripture says, "You were blinded by the god of this age." The physical desires of the flesh ruled your life. It is the nature of humanity to do what is contrary to the will of God. We're not just a little sinful...a little disobedient. We all at one time followed the course of this world, the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience and were BY NATURE Children of Gods wrath. Just as the others. (Eph. 2:1-5)                                                      

If you are a Christian and desire to know and do the will of God it's because God has poured out His grace and mercy upon you to believe. It's the gift of God not of works. So that none of us can boast. Yet dear Christian that does not cancel out God's will and plan for you. On the contrary it establishes it. For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus "for good works" which God has prepared in advance for us to do.                                                                                                                                     

I celebrate the day of my physical birth with great thankfulness to God for his opening my cold dead, vile, disobedient heart to His truth. Do I still struggle with sin, with the things I did in my youth. I would like to say sure. But then that would be a lie. For there is a battle raging aganist God's people. Yet each day God in His divine wisdom and knowledge helps us, helps all His chosen people, to move further away from those rotting acts of disobedience to that freedom that comes from Him who is our master, Lord and king. The God of all creation. Who saves us not because of the righteous things we have done but because of His mercy. (Titus 3:5)                                                                                      

But we are swimming upstream against a world that wants you to conform to its seductive ways. Take heed. And remember this: your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Resist him in the faith. Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. (Eph. 6:10-18)            Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him....trust in the Son He sent and in whom God the Father is well pleased. Listen to Him....Obey the truths He has set out for you, and God shall direct your paths.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:3-5)

It's War!

                                                           A Good Solider of Christ 

Here's a hymn I bet many of you have never heard of,  let alone sung in your church....

Onward Christian soldiers!

  Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus

  Going on before.

Christ, the royal Master,

  Leads against the foe;

Forward into battle,

  See, His banners go!

 Onward, Christian soldiers!

  Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus,

    Going on before.

You dear Christian are a solider in a battle every single day. Whether you realize it or not.       

This is War.

                                             

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:3-5)

At the name of Jesus

  Satan’s host doth flee;

On then, Christian soldiers,

  On to victory!

Hell’s foundations quiver

  At the shout of praise:

Brothers, lift your voices,

  Loud your anthems raise!

Onward, Christian soldiers!

  Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus,

    Going on before.

 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers , against the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day,  (Eph 6:10-13)

That serpent of Old, the devil, satan is an enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may destroy. (1 Peter 5:8) He is relentless.  Seeking to devour you....to keep you  from knowing truth.... he is the "god of this age" and the whole world is under the control of the wicked one. (2 Cor 4:4; 1John 5:19)  He appears as an "angel of light" Tickling the ears of the unsuspecting with hypnotic delusions toward lustful desires that lead down a path to destruction. 

He has been given the authority over this present, evil world-system.  (Luke 4:5-7) A world we are not to love. Those cravings of sinful mankind, the lust of the eyes and boasting of what we have or do, comes not from the Father but from the world. And  that world is passing away along with the desires thereof. (1 John 2:15-17)  

He is an adversary who stands in opposition to everything holy. He is the deciever of the whole world. (Rev. 12:9) For he is the father of lies. There is no truth in him. And he is a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44) And he is your enemy,  seeking to devour you. 

So be strong in the Lord and the power of His might... 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,  and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (that is, all the Lord's people)  Eph. 6:13-18

Onward, Christian soldiers!

  Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus,

    Going on before.

 “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 2:3)

                                         

Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;  who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:21-24)

You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,  he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,  so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7)

                                               

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,  not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:8-10)

The literal becomes a methaphor for Truth.

The literal wearing of the soliders accoutrements is a methaphor for what is a spiritual reality.