Wednesday, February 25, 2009

See Three Year Old And One Year Old Quoting Scripture




Are Your Children Filled With God's Holy Word? SEE... God's Holy Word

Here are a Three year old and a One year old saying Scripture by memory that their parents have taught them.
Not only have they taught them all of Psalms 1 and part of John 1 and Isaiah, but have taught them WHERE TO FIND THE REFERENCE IN THE BIBLE!

Praise God!!!!

These loving parents have been reading Psalm 1 to their daughters every evening. Taking TIME
to have them learn the Scripture. The results will be, children that will have these Scriptures in their minds for all of their lives. Tell me... isn't this worth the investment of time? Isn't God well pleased with this?

Yes, Yes, to both questions!

Friday, February 20, 2009

Are Your Children Putting On the Whole Armor Of God Daily? Part 2-Righteousness




Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; ...
(Ephesians 6:13-14)


Before I continue on in this series, I would like to take a moment to consider the Whole Armor Of God and what it is about. I feel the need to explain a little more about this: When I was saved.(see side bar.. "Not By Might Nor By Power. But By MY SPIRIT Says the LORD" ) God at that moment equipped me with His Armor, by giving me salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus is TRUTH (John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.)

Jesus
covers us with His RIGHTEOUSNESS (Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith..)

Jesus
is the GOSPEL OF PEACE (Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ..)

Jesus gives us saving FAITH (For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9)

Jesus
is our SALVATION (But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel...(2 Thess. 2:14..) "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God." (Psalms 62:7)

Jesus
is THE WORD OF GOD (In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14)

Jesus enables us to
PRAY (Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

In Ephesians 6 God tells us to take up the armor of God. Years ago we began to do this in obedience to His Word and now I understand better why we should. Taking up the armor of God daily, helps me to examine my heart and to think upon who Jesus is and what he is doing for me in the spiritual battle. It gives a greater perspective of the reality of God's protection upon us in the spiritual battle we are in. It prepares me to stand in this very evil day. Putting on the armor of God is like a word picture of what Jesus has done for us, a daily reminder.

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. (Romans 13:14)


Please See: Introduction Of Seven Parts
And: Part 1 -Truth

Now I would like to continue with:

PART 2 - THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS


Our next piece of armor is the Breastplate of Righteousness.

Contrary to the world's intellect that dictates to parents to build self esteem in their children, we need to communicate to our children that we have no righteousness of our own, we are not good!
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6) God clearly wants us to know that our human nature is terrible and wicked ; "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)
Should we tell our children differently? Let us tell them what God says about us, and point them to the ONLY ONE that can deliver us from our own pitiful nature; Jesus Christ our Lord!
We can explain to them that Jesus is the only Righteousness that God has provided for us. We can teach them that they have to answer to God for their actions, and have consequences for poor behavior...("Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol". Proverbs 23:13-14) It is right to point our children to God all day long and let them know He wants them to love Him and obey His Word! Perhaps they will not understand, but that is alright, pray for them and wait on God to bring the understanding. We need to obey God in teaching our children.

After my children and I had put on the belt of Truth, we put on the breastplate of Righteousness. We would place the cardboard breastplate piece on the soldier and then pretend to place it on ourselves. I would pray something like this: "Dear Lord Jesus I put on the breastplate of righteousness. Please protect my heart from wrong feelings. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit, through my life pour forth your fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."(Galatians 5:22-23) Please bear forth good fruit for the Kingdom of God. Let me listen to your leading and not obey what my flesh tells me to do. Thank you for your Righteousness that covers me through Jesus Christ. " Again, I didn't pray the same thing every time, but only as the Spirit of God would lead me. This was an example to my children and they would take turns and pray as well, in their own words.

Putting on the breastplate of Righteousness gives opportunity for thought to reflect on Jesus and His Holy Righteousness. If we are tempted to be proud for anything, just look at what Jesus says about our human nature... this causes me to fear God even more, that He should be so merciful to save a wretch like me!

Praise God forever more!

John Gill's Commentary says:

"and having on the breastplate of righteousness"; in allusion to Isa_59:17, meaning not works of righteousness done by men, though these are a fence when rightly used against the reproaches and charges of the enemy, as they were by Samuel, 1Sa_12:3, but rather the graces of faith and love, 1Th_5:8, though faith has another place in the Christian armour, afterwards mentioned; wherefore it seems best to understand this of the righteousness of Christ, which being imputed by God, and received by faith, is a guard against, and repels the accusations and charges of Satan, and is a security from all wrath and condemnation.

Barnes commentary says:

And having on the breast-plate - The word rendered here as “breastplate” θώρἀξ thōrax denoted the “cuirass,” Lat.: lorica, or coat of mail; i. e., the armor that covered the body from the neck to the thighs, and consisted of two parts, one covering the front and the other the back. It was made of rings, or in the form of scales, or of plates, so fastened together that they, would be flexible, and yet guard the body from a sword, spear, or arrow. It is referred to in the Scriptures as a “coat of mail” 1Sa_17:5; an “habergeon” Neh_4:16, or as a “breast-plate.” We are told that Goliath’s coat of mail weighed five thousand shekels of brass, or nearly one hundred and sixty pounds. It was often formed of plates of brass, laid one upon another, like the scales of a fish. The following cuts will give an idea of this ancient piece of armor.
Of righteousness - Integrity, holiness, purity of life, sincerity of piety. The breast-plate defended the vital parts of the body; and the idea here may be that the integrity of life, and righteousness of character, is as necessary to defend us from the assaults of Satan, as the coat of mail was to preserve the heart from the arrows of an enemy. It was the incorruptible integrity of Job, and, in a higher sense, of the Redeemer himself, that saved them from the temptations of the devil. And it is as true now that no one can successfully meet the power of temptation unless he is righteous, as that a soldier could not defend himself against a foe without such a coat of mail. A want of integrity will leave a man exposed to the assaults of the enemy, just as a man would be whose coat of mail was defective, or some part of which was missing. The king of Israel was smitten by an arrow sent from a bow, drawn at a venture, “between the joints of his harness” or the “breast-plate” (margin), 1Ki_22:34; and many a man who thinks he has on the “Christian” armor is smitten in the same manner. There is some defect of character; some want of incorruptible integrity; some point that is unguarded - and that will be sure to be the point of attack by the foe. So David was tempted to commit the enormous crimes that stain his memory, and Peter to deny his Lord. So Judas was assailed, for the want of the armor of righteousness, through his avarice; and so, by some want of incorruptible integrity in a single point, many a minister of the gospel has been assailed and has fallen. It may be added here, that we need a righteousness which God alone can give; the righteousness of God our Saviour, to make us perfectly invulnerable to all the arrows of the foe.

Let us teach our children to put on the whole armor of God!

Part 3- The Preperation of the Gospel of Peace
Part 4- The Shield Of Faith

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Are Your Children Putting On The Whole Armor Of God Daily? Part 1- Truth

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:10-12)

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth... (Ephesians 6:14a)

See Introduction to Putting On the Whole Armor Of God.
and please see more explanation in Part 2-Righteousness


Part 1: The Girdle of Truth


The Girdle--Here was the juncture of the main pieces of the body-armor, so that the girdle formed the common bond of the whole, it helped to hold the armor together.


Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth..


The center of our armor is truth. In John 17:17, Jesus said God's word is truth.
In John 18:37, Jesus said "Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." Pilot answered Jesus and said, "What is truth?" But if Pilot had known truth, he would have known Him. Jesus did say, "I AM the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. No one comes to the Father except through ME."

How do we put on the girdle of truth?

By prayer. Here we have an opportunity to examine our own hearts before God. For those who are in the faith, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and know Him personally, rejoice at this thought! It is a sobering thing to think that we may be deceiving ourselves in some way, since "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." (Jeremiah 17:9-10) God also said: "Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah." Psa 4:4 We need to come before God asking Him if there is some deception within our own hearts, "level" with Him and be willing for Him to reveal any sin that you need to confess, so that you might walk in truth with a clear conscience.
"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Corinthians 13:5)



When I put on the girdle of truth I pray something like this, "Dear Lord, I put on the girdle of truth. You said you are truth I want you to fill me with your truth. Let me not lie nor deceive myself. I want all truth to be in my members. Let your Word of truth fill me today", I do not pray the exact same thing every time, but as God moves my heart, I pray. But I do put on truth, It is HIS armor and I put it on as He told me to do, it is an important piece of spiritual warfare.


But how to communicate this to our children?


When my little ones were learning to put on the armor of God, they learned mostly through the example I set. We would gather together for prayer in the morning and have the cardboard soldier there, ready to be dressed for battle. We had already talked about the reason we put on the armor, They took turns to put on the Velcro pieces, one would place the girdle of truth on the soldier and we would pretend to place the girdle about our waist, then we prayed... they heard me confess my sins asking God to fill me with His truth and His Word to be in my mind I was very open to them about my need for God to keep me from lying and deception. Hearing these things made them realize that only God can keep us from our own evil nature. They took turns praying and then we went on to the next piece of armor.



This was an example set for them for God to use as they grew. It helped them to understand better that we have an unseen enemy, that we need to come to God for protection, that He has the armor to equip us to stand in the evil day. My daughter Leah, who is now 20 years old, told me that putting on the armor of God daily as we did, helped her to become sober about the spiritual enemy we face. It was a symbol for her of God's protection and a reminder to obey Him.
It also helped her to understand the discipline and need for daily prayer and coming to God for help.



Yes, it took TIME .. and the best investment of my time for LIFE! Teaching our children to live holy and godly lives is what our God has asked us to do! Is there any job more important than this for a godly mother?


Matthew Henry in his commentary writes:

1.] Truth or sincerity is our girdle, Eph_6:14. It was prophesied of Christ (Isa_11:5) that righteousness should be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. That which Christ was girded with all Christians must be girded with. God desires truth, that is, sincerity, in the inward parts. This is the strength of our loins; and it girds on all other pieces of our armour, and therefore is first mentioned. I know no religion without sincerity. Some understand it of the doctrine of the truths of the gospel: they should cleave to us as the girdle does to the loins, Jer_13:11. This will restrain from libertinism and licentiousness, as a girdle restrains and keeps in the body. This is the Christian soldier's belt: ungirded with this, he is unblessed.


John Gill in his commentary writes:

"having your loins girt about with truth; by which is meant the Gospel, and the several doctrines of it; see Eph_1:13; and to have the loins girt with it, shows, that it should be near and close to the saints, and never departed from; and that it is a means of keeping them close to God and Christ, and of strengthening them against the assaults and attacks of Satan; and is of great use in the Christians' spiritual conflict with their enemies; the girdle is a part of armour, and so considerable as sometimes to be put for the whole, Isa_5:27; and here it is mentioned in the first place:"



Let us teach our children to put on the whole armor of God!
.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Are Your Children Putting On the Whole Armor Of God Daily? -- INTRODUCTION OF SEVEN PARTS



Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. Therefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you shall 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: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thus with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
(Ephesians 6:10-18)



As I woke up to the radio alarm one morning, I was hearing a sermon about putting on the whole armor of God. I listened with great interest and remember very keenly hearing the, "still small voice" of God in the depth of my soul, telling me to apply this to my life. I heard the sermon again that day, (This station played sermons twice daily) and began to study Ephesians Chapter 6.

I WAS ALARMED! Was I hearing that we should put on the armor of God daily?
Could this be? But according to the sermon I had heard and the Word of God, yes, this is what we should do. I became very, very sober at the thought that my walk with God is daily . . Luke 9:23 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. " and Ephesians 6:10-18, (above), this tells me I must put on the armor of God in order to stand in the evil day. I thought, this certainly is an evil day!

As I grew in the understanding of putting on the armor of God piece by piece, and practiced doing so, I became very excited to see the spiritual strength and deliverance God gave me through doing so.

It came to my attention that my young ones needed to know about the armor of God, but how was I to communicate this lesson to them? And so with prayer and seeking God's direction, I came up with a plan.

WE MADE A SOLDIER!

Our soldier and his armor pieces were made from cardboard. The soldier himself had to have armor placed over his clothing, so we used Velcro strips to fasten the pieces. Our soldier looked somewhat like the one pictured above. The children colored in the armor pieces and we wrote on each one it's meaning.

I explained to my young ones the duties of a Roman soldier and what each piece of armor was used for:

The Girdle--Here was the point of junction for the main pieces of the body-armor, so that the girdle formed the common bond of the whole, it helped to hold the armor together.

The Breastplate--The breastplate covers the vital parts, as the heart, to help protect from the sword of the enemy.

The Sandals or shoes-- the sandals, bound by thongs over the instep and round the ankle, and having the soles thickly studded with nails so they could stand their ground in times of battle.

The Shield-- The shield here described is that of the heavy infantry; a large, oblong shield, four by two and a half feet, and sometimes curved on the inner side. It served to shield from hard blows and arrows that were covered with a type of pitch and set on fire.

The Helmet--The protection for the head. The helmet was originally of skin, strengthened with bronze or other metal.

The Sword--serves both for attack and to parry the thrusts of the enemy.

I told them to think how a Roman soldier had to act on the mornings when a battle was about to begin. He would rise quickly when awakened, and immediately put on his armor piece by piece so he would be ready when the battle cry was heard, it meant his very life.

I told them to imagine this soldier jumping up and dressing in a clown suit instead of armor and then running out to the battle field. He wouldn't last long would he? No, because he had no protection and he would be cut down right away, not only that, but the enemy would probably laugh at him.

Then I explained our spiritual enemy, the devil. We memorized Ephesians 6 and talked about the unseen battle that is in the spiritual realm. We talked about the Captain of our souls, the Lord Jesus Christ, and how He has all power over the enemy. Jesus told us to put on the armor, it is HIS armor, not ours, and we need to obey Him. The children were very excited about the whole idea and began the practice of putting on the armor.

This introduction about putting on the whole armor of God is simply to explain why we do so. For the next seven blogs I hope to explain each piece of God's armor and how we have been putting it on almost daily for the past 16 years, not as a ritual but as a living reminder and example of the spiritual battle we are all engaged in.

Here is a commentary by John Gill about the Armour of God, that I appreciate very much:

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God... Not that which God himself is sometimes clothed with, and uses against his enemies; but what he has provided for his people, and furnishes them with; the particulars of which are after mentioned: and it is called "the armour of God", because it is prepared by him for his people, and is bestowed on them by him; and because it is in its own nature divine and spiritual, and not carnal; and because it is provided for fighting the Lord's battles, and is used in them; and because the efficacy of it is from him, and the execution it does is owing to him: and it is whole, complete, and perfect; and all of it is useful, and no part to be neglected, but all to be taken and "put on"; which is not to make and provide this armour, but to take it, as in Eph_6:13; as being ready made and provided, and to expect and prepare for battle, and make use of it; and this supposes saints to be in a warfare state, and that they are in the character of soldiers, and have enemies to fight with, and therefore should be accoutred with proper and suitable armour, to meet them:

that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; who is the grand enemy of Christ and his people, and a very powerful and cunning one he is; so that the whole armour of God should be put on, which is proof against all his might and craft, in order to stand against him, oppose him, and fight, and get the victory over him, which in the issue is always obtained by believers; for they not only stand their ground in the strength of Christ, and by the use of their armour confound his schemes, and baffle all his arts and stratagems, but are more than conquerors through him that has loved them.

To be continued...God willing!

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
(Ephesians 6:10)

Please See: Part 1-Truth
And: Part 2- Righteousness
Part 3- The Preperation of the Gospel of Peace
Part 4- The Shield Of Faith