WHAT ABOUT THE ARMOR OF GOD?

A discussion arose about the armor of God. The question was asked of someone going through a hard time, "Did you put your armor on?" Someone else said, "I put it on daily."  Another said, "I never take it off."  I've heard discussions like this for years. Perhaps you have too.

All this meant, of course, the armor Paul spoke about in Ephesians 6:10-17, beginning with: 

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." And goes on to say, "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."    

So is this a matter of saying we're putting on our armor so we're supposedly impervious to the enemy's attacks? Or are we to picture ourselves in this armor so we're safe?  Did Paul mean for his readers to take this literally?  Or is there something else more sure that's meant here.

Paul lived in a Roman society which was largely a military society with soldiers everywhere ... in their armor. So he appropriated the familiar images of a soldier's uniform and weapons to describe how we are to disarm our enemy's attempts to harm us. 

 

Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth (See the diagram above on how to gird up your loins), having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.... "  

Years ago a pastor friend had come to town to speak somewhere and as I was praying for him, I had the sense that somewhere his armor had a chink in it, a vulnerable place.  So I told him, thinking it might warn him of some impending attack. His response put this whole issue in place for me where it has remained since.  My friend, whose name was Neil, began to "check his armor" in a way I had never considered before. I never forgot Neil's input on the armor. Since then I have gained some additional perspectives on this armor issue you might find helpful. Or come up with more on your own.

First of all, it says, "Stand."  Don't cower, or run, or bow to the enemy in some kind of intimidation or fear. Stand, confident that God is there for you and will help you in any situation. Stand up straight and tall. It's amazing how much more in control we feel when we stand like that. And don't forget to breathe. Shallow breathing increases our stress level. Breathe like you're free of any threats. 

Girding one's waist is how the soldiers would tuck up their togas in order to run or be ready for battle as you can see from the diagram above. To gird up your loins is to be sure you're ready for battle with the enemy so nothing trips you up, literally. Spiritually speaking it is to be sure that whatever battle you're taking on, wherever you are running toward, had better be based in truth. 

Where would you expect the breastplate to be?  Over your heart, right?  Our hearts are where our righteousness sits. It is with our hearts that we are aligned with God's own heart. If there's any chink in your armor where your heart is concerned, you're likely to be vulnerable to the enemy's lies or temptations. Be sure as well that your heart is not heavy with all that can make a heart heavy.  We aren't to stay or pray in "woe mode" but in alignment with His Word.  That also means in expectation of the fulfillment of God's promises and His answers to our prayers as we pray according to His will. What's the condition of your heart today?  Is part of your armor parked some place else with unbelief or sadness or unforgiveness? Do you need to go get it and maybe polish it so it gleams with the reflection of the face of Yeshua?

Did you ever notice that our feet are to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We are to prepare ahead of time - like now -- so that whatever comes, no matter who or what comes at me unkindly or worse, I'm going to walk in the forgiveness of God, in the kindness of Holy Spirit. The reason it says preparation is that when things come at us and we're blindsighted with the likes of  rejection or emotional pain, it's hard to not to react but when we've already prepared, should such occur, we've already made that "prep" in our minds, so wherever our feet may take us that we're confronted with, we're going to walk in love. 

Roman shields were usually six feet tall and made of leather. The way they are kept from becoming dry and cracked is to oil them often with olive oil.  Olive oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit's anointing. We all need to be under a fresh anointing from the Lord, which comes from spending time with Him, developing a relationship with Him so that we know that we know that He is there with us and for us, no matter what comes to us. Our shield of trust in Him is to be taller than we are. It might also be helpful to know that often a flank of soldiers would hold their shields above their heads when enemy weapons were coming against them from above.  Sheilds of faith are good for whatever direction something threatening to harm you is coming from. God is there wherever needed.

And lastly, though certainly, not least of all, the sword of the Spirit will do serious damage to the enemy when we use the Word of God against the devil and any situation he seems to be behind. When I began to write this and felt sad as I mentioned above, I yanked out my sword of the Word and changed my thinking based on what God had to say rather than what my feelings were which aren't always based on truth, are they? 

  

To sum this up, the armor of God isn't about whether you speak it into being effective, or can picture it on you, it's a matter of godly character!  Never taking it off means staying in line with God's ways, the way He taught Israel to remain in relatinship with Him, and, of course, being like Yeshua always. 

  

Strange Dream and what it meant

           I had a strange dream that a couple who are pastors and friends of mine and I were preparing for some hard times.  It woke me up at 5:30 a.m. I asked the Lord what it meant  and He told me, “You will need your notebook for this.” So I got up and wrote this down.  I have submitted it to a few people, my pastor friend included, who have felt this was from the Lord.  See what you think.  

              There are things about to take place in the world that will be perplexing to Christians who are expecting a revival in which people are saved and things are blessed as you have expected Christianity will be again in America.  There will be people saved and people will always be coming to Me but the idea, the concept people expect is not how things will take place.  You (plural) need to allow Me to reset your expectations of what Kingdom values are because a lot of what is expected is cultural but not Kingdom culture.  There needs to be a rethinking of what constitutes Kingdom culture.

                For instance, is "Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials" your automatic response to difficulties? Would you be willing to go the extra mile for your enemy? What I am telling you is not for immediate issues but are to let you know to prepare yourselves for days to come.

                This is a time of preparation, even a warning for what will come about in days, perhaps, after Donald Trump is no longer president.  For now, there will continue to be adversity from those who are warring against him and what he stands for.  At the same time, many Christians are expecting all to go smoothly and for America to become a Christian nation as it once was. But that was then; this is now. The days are becoming darker in the world and while there is Kingdom advancement today, and it will continue, so also will the kick-back from the enemy.  There will be an increase of darkness. Do not be alarmed by it. Have I not told you such days would come. I have also told you that there would be a great light – and the glory of the Lord would shine brightly in the darkness. Are not the stars able to be seen more clearly on darker nights?

                So this is a time to begin to prepare, to think more deeply about what it means to be light in the darkness. These messages of the need to prepare will seem like the messengers are just being negative to some people but they must also be warned against seeing the preparation as negative, for these preparations will carry the power of God to be strong in faith when things seem to be contrary to what you would want or expect. This is a time to begin to absorb My Word so that your prayers are one with My Word and therefore of Kingdom reality. For instance, not to make you more comfortable or happy in fleshly terms but to know the joy of the Lord as your strength, and the forgiveness of the cross even when times are not comfortable.

                You would do well to begin to consider what brings fear to your hearts so that you can put the fear behind you so your faith in Me becomes deep trust, regardless of the circumstances.  This is why “Consider it all joy” should be something to meditate upon. Not to do it on your own but because you can grab hold of the love of God that is poured out in your hearts. And this not only because you may feel My love in your hearts for yourselves, but secure in knowing I am a very present help in trouble. And also because of  My love in your hearts for those who appear as the worst of your – or other’s – enemies. Beware of taking on offenses, for yourself or others. 

                Remember that I died for all. My blood was shed for all mankind.  There is power that is and will always be available for loving your enemies and seeing them as having a great need for My love and to know Me.  Preaching the gospel is most effective when there are demonstrations of the Kingdom and not just the recitation of words. Love is the greatest demonstration of My Kingdom.

                This is not meant to frighten you but to redirect your thoughts (and your preaching and teaching for those to whom this applies) in order that for the next years there is a preparation for more difficult days to come.  I suggest you not just read this once and put it away. I suggest you print this out and reread it periodically. Keep it in your bibles and while this may seem irrelevant in the here and now, if you will take this word to heart and reconsider what it truly means to be My disciple – especially in difficult times such as was the case for those who lived in the 1^st century, you will be strengthened even now and signs of revival will begin to appear, even in ways beyond the expectations of most, as a Yeshua-like character is developed and you are increasingly conformed to My likeness.

                Remember I did say, “Peace I leave with you, not as the world knows peace….Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me.”  Further, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart”, which in N.T. terms would mean your spirit.  And lean not on what your mind would say, especially if you are listening to negative reports in the media, or even from among those who speak fearfully. There is no light to be gained in looking at the darkness!

                Judge not, lest you be judged means to not speak against one another, or others outside who are perceived as enemies, judging them as evil or worthy of being condemned. But judge as I, Yeshua did, of all needing Me. Be kind to one another as I have been kind to you.  This is a good place to begin thinking in Kingdom terms – with Kingdom love.

                Fear not, for I am with you always, even to the end.  You each have an end on this earth. Know securely that you can put your treasure in heaven. But be aware also that this can mean rewards in heaven for the way you have lived as Yeshua, working and acting on behalf of others, giving yourself to others for their good. Make love your quest! 

                If you will begin to allow these premises to take hold (in your preaching and teaching and) in all your lives, you will see a way to the power of the kingdom. There will be much healing that will come about as a result – healing of relationships and of your body’s illnesses.  Signs and wonders will take place but they are not the highest manifestations of revival, rather the turning from sin – even the presently acceptable sins that are a part of Christian values right now that are not of Kingdom holiness.

                It is the Father’s will that you become more like Yeshua as the goal of your lives.

Therefore, give your lives to knowing Me (Yeshua) more and more. Meditate on My own character, why I did or said what I did.  Know Me as I am available to you to know Me intimately by the Holy Spirit. Make this your priority for you cannot become any of what I have just told you or what the Bible says apart from the Holy Spirit who is also the Spirit of Holiness.  Put your dependence upon the Spirit of Holiness.  My born-again people are not told what you should do or become on your own strength or by your own doing, but by the power of the Spirit, just as I relied on the Spirit.  Remember I only healed when the Spirit was there for healing. Rely on the Holy Spirit to make you holy!  Put your trust in God to enable you, even as you work and believe and act as the Bible tells you to. 

This is much to absorb. I do not expect all this to take place now or at once. This is meant to make you aware of what the Father is now doing among you by His Spirit and what you are being apprised of to begin to be strengthened in greater measure in these areas in your lives. So you will be over-comers in all your ways.  One step at a time, dear ones. I am with You.

Lonnie Lane   5-10-17

The Awesomeness of God!

I was trying to publish this with a photo-shopped picture of the earth cupped tenderly in God’s hands. But try as I might, it wouldn’t load and so, no picture. So please image it, if you can.You may not see it immediately just as many people seem unaware of what this represents –the whole world safely in His hands.  Does that trigger a melody in your head right now? Everybody – let’s sing it together:  “He’s got the whole world in His hands…. He's got the whole world in His hands....”   Were you singing?  Ok,‘nuff of that. 

Years ago I was working in a hospital laboratory in the medical field. One day, shortly after having just become a believer in Yeshua, I was peering into a microscope at bacteria just as I had always done but this time a thought came to me. These microscopic critters I was watching were moving around, seemingly avoiding the antibiotic dot I had just put on the slide as if they had some form of intelligence. As I watched them move I wondered if they somehow communicated with one another. Did they ‘know’ each other? Did they warn one another of the antibiotic that could be harmful to them? Tiny as they were, they were beings, just as we humans are beings.  I was suddenly awed by the realization that God is as fully aware of these microscopic beings as He is of the massive planets He keeps humming along in orbit. And with that thought came the revelation that God cares as much about what is tiny to us as He does about what is immeasurably huge to us because everything is equally His.  

More thoughts came as I pondered this new revelation further. Space, that is to say, size is immaterial to Him.  That sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it, since we think of anything that occupies space as being material of some kind. Even the air or sky is made of what comprises atmosphere; it’s not nothing.  And outer- space is filled with planets, asteroids, even solar systems. We have no idea how large the universe is.  A new solar system (new to us that is; it’s been there all along) with seven orbiting planets around it has been found by NASA recently. One of the planets is suspected to be possibly life sustaining, such as our earth is.  It makes me wonder what other surprises God has for us to discover.  And while NASA doesn’t seem to be mentioning God being involved, to me – it’s all God!  

God is outside of space, that is to say that space as we think of it is irrelevant in defining God because He is, as theologians call it, “Omnipresent” – being present everywhere. There is no empty place that is without God. He is never not everywhere.  In the same way, He is outside of time.  He is always always! When Moses asked, “Who shall I tell them sent me” the Angel of the Lord (who presumably was Yeshua incarnate) said, “Tell them I AM sent you.”  But the Hebrew says it differently. It says I AM THAT I AM, which in Hebrew means more like I AM WHAT I ALWAYS WILL BE, and implies also that He always was.  It means whatever, wherever, whenever or however, He’s there. There is no place we can go that God is not.  

As I pondered these realities yet another awareness came to me, of the infinite magnitude of God and His power as I became aware also of the depth of His involvement with every aspect of His creation.  What I saw in my microscope and NASA’s new discovery of an entire solar system are equally of God.  This translates to me His concern and caring for each of us as individuals – none too small or insignificant, and humanity as a whole.  How awesome is He!  

We live in the midst of “world-bound” issues.  As new believers we may have difficulty imagining Him apart from our ideas of space and time. How can He be equally everywhere at the same time? We accept that He is but we can’t imagine what that is like.  It becomes even more amazing when we think of how He outfitted an entire planet that is entirely compatible with life for us.  Only touching on this briefly, the earth is soft enough to grow things, yet hard enough to walk on, to build upon, even supporting many-ton buildings. We have an ecosystem that circulates water by going from vapor to rain to streams and rivers to the ocean and back to vapor again. As for growing things, we have pliable soil, rain and sunshine in the complex systems that each of them bring to every little plant or each giant tree. The sunshine is just enough to warm us but not enough to burn us and all living matter up.  And it gives us light. What about the miracle of our bodies and how each cell and organ work together.  We are also dependent upon the ecosystem.  Including the sun because, for instance,  our Pituitary glands are sensitive to light, so when it gets dark at night, it then makes us sleepy and tells us it’s time to rest.  

[Note: That’s why if you are looking at your computer screen at night you don’t feel sleepy and can stay up late. It’s because your pituitary gland still thinks its day light.]

Needless to say I could go on about the miracle of our lives and the world that was created for us. Even though it varies around the earth, most of it is life sustaining. Even at the North or South Poles, where we cannot exist easily, life still flourishes.  For a photo of wildlife in the Antarctica, for instance, go to: http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/antarctica_animal.php .  Cute stuff.

Which brings up a question to me: Does God make those adorable animals so cute just for Himself?  After all, who goes to the Antarctica on vacation to see them?  And what about the beautiful flowers with the lovely aroma that grow where mankind has never been since the earth was created until recently? Does He create them just for His own delight? Does that perhaps translate for us into a knowledge of God that seems to indicate that He could be pleased with us in ways that we might consider that they’d be insignificant to God?  Does He, perhaps, smile with pleasure like a parent when their son or daughter does or says or makes something smile-worthy? 

So much to ponder about our wonderful God - like how big is God that He is capable of holding the world in His very able hands?  It’s a metaphor, of course, meaning God tenderly cares for even our earth, but He also cares for wee little you and me who live on it. It’s easy to lose touch with how little we really are in the vast scheme of things when we are so involved in the much lesser scheme of our own personal  lives.  We may be little in comparison to the whole, or even feel little and insignificant in comparison to some other people, but none of us insignificant to God.  He has His eye on each of us, helping us stay in orbit with His plan for our lives. Each of us lives in a colony, like the bacteria, moving around one another, bumping into and communicating and interacting with one another in our tiny sphere of influence. But size, or even importance as we see it, is a non-issue for God.  We are all equal to Him.

When Yeshua’s sacrificial death took down the middle wall that separated people, it meant that no longer would religion, caste, color, race; nor social status, whether rich or poor, free or slave, Jew or Gentile; no matter of education or abilities or accomplishments or titles or outward beauty or dress, nor lack of any of these was any longer a dividing issue.  At least for the early and pristine church. A slave and his master could - and were - equally members of their community of believers. The Holy Spirit is at work to restore the Kingdom in that way.  And we each get to be a part of it.  It’s enough to make a person wanna sing praises to Him.

My point in sharing all this, is to make someone reading this who needs to know that nothing is too big or too small for our God to be involved you or your concerns.  When my father was a fairly new 60-something year old believer he told me one day that he had certain weighty things on his mind. I suggested he share them with the Lord to see what He might say to him, but Dad’s response was “Oh, I’m sure He’s much too busy.”  I think what he really meant was “to busy for me.” I assured him that the Lord is never too busy for anyone who wants to share our concerns – or the blessings of our lives with Him.  After all, He may well have put us in those positions either to bless us or to help us to grow wiser and stronger in Him, to make us more like even Yeshua who “though He was a Son, He learned obedience through the things that He suffered” (Hebrew 5:8). Nothing is without divine purpose or intervention for His people.  “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28) – one of my go-to trust builder verses when I need to put things into perspective again. 

Abba is committed to making us into the likeness of His beloved  Son. And consequently, dear reader, He has your whole world in His Hands!   And for another thought about time, I more than once have heard, “He’s often late, but He’s always on time.”  We may be in a hurry but He never is. The word for wait in Hebrew has a root meaning of braiding things together.  Sometimes we just have to wait until He does the braiding.  The delay doesn’t mean He isn’t working on our behalf. He’s just weaving the necessary parts together. Patience does need an element of faith, doesn't it?   

I may be overstating all this but my motive for writing so much is that it may be of value to present a greater awareness of our God and how awesome He is and how involved He is in every area of our lives.  Maybe some of these thoughts will make a difference in the lives of other people you know or come in contact with, as you share some of this with them to let them know that their lives are His hands regardless of their present circumstances. I’m picturing some of you making a difference for some folks in knowing this. It can be a life changer. It was for me. 

I suggest you ask Him to show you where He is in even the details of your life and you may be surprised at what you become aware of.  Don’t down play His still small voice – expect it. It may come as a thought you never had before. I love those "Aha!" moments when they come, like the ones I got from looking in a microscope, something I did daily for years and never saw before. Be consciously alert to some of the God-shaped circumstances that unfold in your life. Ask Him to help you be aware of even the smallest joy -- they are His gifts to you. 

  

Considering all these things about our wonderful God makes me have a surer sense of His hands securely around me.  Forgive me if I get a little spontaneously poetic:  

I’m singing in the rain,

holy water got turned into wine,

ordinary things began to shine,

 forever invaded my sense of time.

I'm still singing in the rain.

The Ahhh of Shabbat

While living in Israel with my daughter and her family for a few months I experienced what God means by Shabbat being given to us as a gift. As it always begins on Friday at sundown.  Shops and businesses begin to close around 3:00 p.m. to be home and ready for Shabbat at sundown.  At least in the little town in which she lived flowers were sold on street corners for hubbies to take home to their wives, and even the smell of chicken soup can be detected wafting through the air as wives prepare the Shabbat dinner.  Any tasks that had to be taken care of were completed before sundown. The floors were mopped and the house was clean. There was nothing left that had to be done and all were present at sundown for the beginning of the Day of Rest. Whether you watched the sunset like in the photo or in your home, the Sabbath was always welcomed at sundown with a sense of quiet joy and ....well, relief, of having come to the Shabbat. 

I recall feeling a sense of peace in the day that I almost never experienced otherwise. The only thing I can compare it to is when as a kid when school gets out for the summer and you have nothing - not one thing that is required of you. No homework, no papers to write, not tests to take, no pressures of  competition or achievement. Nothing is demanded of you. As my father would say, you are free from the 'have-to's and the 'musts'. Nothing nags at you waiting to be done. It can all wait.  Ahhhh.

Imagine - I mean really imagine - that you live where the whole city around you gets quiet. No one is driving. The cars aren't honking or whoshing past one another. (Can you feel the release of just that sentence? I did.)  It's a day set apart by God and for God, which also means for those you love to share it with. Often on Saturday, the day of Shabbat, friends or family would walk over to share lunch or we would go there. Living in proximity to one another means you could amble over, no hurry, and don't have to drive. Nor would you. You might even notice things of beauty as you take a walk that you miss in the rush of other days.  Over a lunch of left over chicken sandwiches or such, you would talk about whatever was pleasant, perhaps discuss what the Torah passage for the week meant for our lives. You might even play a game of Scrabble together. Its a day to enjoy!

Here in America it is much harder to maintain that kind of arriving at a 'Shabbat Ahhh,' with nothing nagging at you that should be done when Saturday is so busy all around us.  Even if Saturday is a "day off" it's still packed full of what-to-do. Shabbat is meant to be the one day of the week set apart by God for rest - truly a day off from all the demanding 'have-to's' and the 'must's. It's meant to be a day to meet with the Lord and loved ones in an atmosphere of peace, serenity, rest and delight. I still attempt to keep the day set apart unto the Lord. No rushing through my 'devotions' in the morning, giving Him the allotted half hour or hour in the morning as I might do in a work day. But often spending time reading my Bible to enjoy my relationship with Him, to learn more about Him (selah!).

Or taking time to talk with God about the things in my life, in my mind or heart, to explore or resolve with Him some deep issues in my life which I never get to in the busyness of other days. And then there's the enjoyment of being with folks you love and who love you. This is also restorative. It's affirming. And enlightening as we share our thoughts with one another. Talking with friends about our extraordinary, amazing and wonderful God is one of the greatest joys of my life. I want to know what others know about God, what their lives in God are like.  But there are so many other ways to just enjoy being together. One Shabbat a while ago our whole family, three generations, went to the zoo. It wasn't exactly physical rest, but it was a joy just to see my 3 year old grandson Hudson's wonder as he fed a leaf to a giraffe who leaned toward him for it. It still makes me smile as I remember it, one of Shabbat's lingering joys.

We observe Shabbat, not out of any sense of compulsion, but because we love God. Shabbat is 'of' Him. It is significant enough that He made it one of only two signs of our covenant with Him (1). A day of rest is given to us by God because we are created with a need for it. It's a day when a nice long nap is legal. But also, the Lord wants to be with us. People who spend significant time with God generally carry the peace of Shabbat - His peace - with them throughout the week. I recall Larry King on his TV show interviewing Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister. Larry asked him how it was that he who probably had more stress on his shoulders than any other leader in the world, seemed so peaceful. Netanyahu replied, "I take a day off every week," meaning, of course, Shabbat, which, it is known, is partially spent with his teenage son in the Bible.

Friends of mine, believers in Yeshua though not necessarily Jewish, tell me that keeping Shabbat in some ways influences their lives for good; they can feel the difference in their peace level generally and look forward to the next Shabbat which enables us to put all the demands of the world on hold, and lets our minds and bodies recoup. Often the 'have-to's' and 'musts' take on a different sense of importance or priority when we suspend even thinking about them for a day.

Today being Shabbat, I woke up at a sleepy 9:30 a.m. with a yawning sense of wanting to share Shabbat with you, my dear readers.  - you being whosoever would read this as an invitation from God to you. This invitation is for a day off, for Shabbat, starting Friday evening to Saturday evening, by the way.  If you recall, God created days to begin with rest at sundown. And may I add, being with friends on this day is not a day for discussions of political or other controversial issues that carry negative emotion-stirring unrest. No arguments! I suggest you allow all such issues to be put in God's hands for Him to work out, a least for the day.

In the name of Yeshua, who is Lord over all, I give you permission in the Lord, to take the day off, to put aside all cares and worries, turning them over to God asking for His help and solution. Perhaps you might share a meal with folks you love, or even someone you've wanted to get together with but somehow never do. Wouldn't that be a treat?  

Oh, and one more thing. Shabbat means Saturday (though if your life makes it impossible, then make another day your Shabbat unto God). The Hebrew days of the week are known by numbers: Day 1, Day 2, etc.  Only the 7th day has a name - Shabbat.

I now wish you Shabbat Shalom, a peaceful Sabbath.  I'm going to go make pancakes, one of my Shabbat delights.

(1)  The other 'sign' of the Covenant is circumcision. It is still done in the flesh on every Hebrew/Jewish boy at 8 days old, just as God instructed Abraham.  According to the New Testament, it is now a circumcision of the heart that is required in our relationship with God. That is that we have committed ourselves to a covenant with God that we are His, even as He is our God and we will live accordingly.  As circumcision was a permanent 'sign' of covenant with God, even so Shabbat is meant to be a permanent resting in God as our way of life.