No Life Group on the Thursdays of July 28 and August 4

No Life Group on the Thursdays of July 28 and August 4

Our shepherds are leaving for a vacation. So we, the sheep, get two weeks off...

Reminder: August 14 after Church we will be having our annual picnic.
Contact Robin about what to bring.


Something I found interesting, If you go to yahoo search and search for:
dennis cramer spiritual warfare god
We are the third listing (click here)!

Summary of the Armor of God

August 14 after church is our annual picnic.

There are many different levels of spiritual warfare, yet there are times when the battle is at a foundational battle. So the book is
Biblical Foundations of Freedom by Art Matthias
When Adam and Eve sinned, they hid from God. We have the same tendency. "When we chose to sin, we open the door for Satan's demons to manifest their nature through us."

Francis Frangipane says: By us being disobedient we give the enemy access to that area of our life. The mind, church and the heavenly places, these are the three battlegrounds.

We need to also recognize and discern the enemy. (Isaiah 5:13)

God's kingdom versus Satan's kingdom. The nature of God is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, virtue, purity, etc.

Satan's nature is rejection, hatred, violence, jealousy and envy, condemnation, etc.

The finished work of Jesus on the cross must be appropriated every day. Like the Israelites receiving their manna daily, we need to get our spiritual food daily, and to have sustenance for our spiritual man. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said to seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you.

Colossians 1:13
Colossians 2:15
Hebrews 2:14
These three passages are building up on what Jesus did, all the miracles. And these verses show how God is the same yesterday, today and forever. When Jesus walked on the earth He was fully divine and fully man, the mystery is that he fully emptied Himself. He appropriated the power of God.

1 John 4:4
Luke 9:1,2
Matthew 16:18,19
Some say that the "revelation from the Father" is the rock on which the church will be built.

Mark 11:22,24
Matthew 21:22
John 14:12
Revelation 12:11

Also, Romans 6:12-22 Let us not allow sin to reign in our body.

Ephesians 4:22-24 Put on the new man.

The Sword of the Spirit

From v.10 "be strong" means to be empowered, from the Greek. We have to take it up and do our part. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. It also say be strong in the power of His might. Not ours. (Link to Greek words used in Ephesians)

When they say the word of God, we think of the Bible. The word used in Ephesians is rhema--the spoken audible word of God for you. The word logos is meant for the printed word of God. Where else is the word rhema used?

John 8:47
John 15:7
Romans 10:17
Ephesians 5:26
Hebrews 1:3
1 Peter 1:25

The belt holds the scabbard which holds the sword. The Greek word, Machaira (photo), means a shorter sword and refers here to the Word of God which is the Sword of the Spirit.

The power of the word of God is seen in Genesis when God spoke and created the heavens and earth. "Death and Life are in the power of the tongue."--Prov 18:21 God desires to communicate with His people--He gives commands (laws, precepts, etc); He gives promises; He speaks testimony (he reveals who He is). He wants us to draw near to Him and He will draw near to us. "You are as close to God as you want to be"--Rick Joyner.

God knows what we need before we even ask Him. If God loves us so much why does He not, for example, save our children if we ask Him to? If we trust Him in that area, He will.

The story of Saint Augustine, is one of a prodigal son, whose mother prayed fervently for him.
Jack Deer's Surprised by the Voice of God

Isaiah 55:10-11. We have a great responsibility to make use of the Word of God and to use it correctly. Also, verses 8 and 9, we don't have to doubt because we don't have to worry about these things. Focusing on the doubts will "shrink" our Shield of faith; and focusing on God's promises will increase the size of the shield of Faith.

The Shield of Faith

Biblical Foundations of Freedon by Art Matthias

The use of the Roman Shield--they were inter-lockable so that a canopy between all the shields could be formed. It took unity to form that canopy. They would take a wooden shield and put a thick coat of leather on it and soak it in water prior to battle so that they could extinguish the flaming darts and arrows. It would also dry out, so it would have to be continually re-wet.

Similarly, we need to be in the word and be completely in the word regularly to enable our shield of faith. The children of Israel, couldn't enter the promised land because of their unbelief. They even worshipped the golden calf. We have to really go forward in faith and not shrink back in doubt and fear and unbelief, as well. We are all capable, Judas, Peter, and others betrayed the Lord. Even Peter said that Jesus was Christ and the son of the Living God. And shortly after, he betrayed the Lord. Matthew 16: 13-17w

1 Corinthiand 10:13-14

2 Corinthians 10:4-6

The battlefield of the mind; there are so many patterns of thinking that we don't realize are so engrained in us.

KAy Arthur, told of an African bird and how it protects her young. The screeching startles a hunter who notices a snake climbing up the tree, where there were baby birds. Then the mother bird flew off and came back quickly and covered the babies and then the snake saw the leaf and caused the snake to turn away. The hunter was puzzled. The leaf was poisonous to the snake. This is what God gave us, the shield of faith and helmet of salvation to take up the devil.

Our thoughts are either curses or blessings. Phil 4:8

Someone asked a preacher how to deal with lust and temptation. HE said, Temptations are like birds of the air, you have to swat them away and not let them build nests in our hair.

Hebrews 5:12-14

James 4:7
Resist means there is something that we are supposed to do. As we do this through experience, our shield (and faith) grows.

Romans 5:9-10 also v. 17
We were sinners far from God, and he took us out of death and gave us access to God; from death to life. What a huge transition! Yet, in Romans, three times it is said "how much more." We think of salvation as the pinnacle, but in Romans, how much more. This shows how little we truly understand about our salvation.

Romans 8:28-39

James 4:10

Ephesians 6:18-19