Posted by: pastorapbell | September 22, 2011

as we link up our shields together

Although the shield of faith is an individual piece of armour, it has the capacity to interlink with other to form a formidable defence mechanism. We are exhorted by the apostle Paul to ensure that we always carry our shields with us as we are able to quench the fiery darts that the enemy throws at us (Ephesians 6:16). The darts that are thrown by the enemy are not ordinary darts but are designed to penetrate metallic objects like shields. So we are encouraged to have our shield made from toughened reinforced material.  When we join our shields with that of other believers, we can present an impenetrable wall that affords protection to all those behind it. This image of corporate protection is emphasised well by the imagery of a band of Roman Soldiers forming a circle and linking their shields together to withstand the attacks of the enemy. This is why we need each other. Although we can protect ourselves by carrying our shields, we achieve greater protection by being linked with others. This is one of the reasons why we are encouraged to operate like an army, become a disciplined person and work as part of the greater body. By yourself the shield offers limited protection, together with others you get all round protection.  Read Hebrews 12:1-13.

 

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Posted by: pastorapbell | September 21, 2011

as we take up the shield for offensive warfare

One thing that we must always have at the forefront of our minds is that God is far greater than the enemy we face. As we engage in the battle we are actually entreated to hide ourselves in Christ so that when the enemy tries to pick us off instead of seeing us he sees Jesus. In the Old Testament the ‘foreshadow’ of this was the instruction to Moses to daub the blood of an unblemished lamb on the door posts and the lintels of the doors of all those who belonged to God. The job of the enemy is to cause havoc. The promise from God is that we his children will live a life of peace and prosperity. For this to happen we must remain under his cover and therefore under his protection.

Hence why we are encouraged to put on the whole armour of God! One of the most important pieces of the armoury is the Shield of Faith. Without this it is impossible to please God. The shield is your belief system. Who are you listening to? What does God say about a particular issue? What is God saying about your family, your ministry, or your occupation? Our belief system is predicated on what we have heard and seen. This is why we are told that faith come by hearing the word (Romans 10:17). And that we should live by faith and so become just and will reflect the glory of God (Romans 8:28-30). So today take up the shield of faith, believe God and take him at his word, for He will do what he says he will do. Read Hebrews 11.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | September 19, 2011

as we preach with passion and demonstrate the power of the risen Jesus Christ

We don’t have to be perfect to tell our stories. In fact it is the imperfections in us that God uses to let others know how powerful he is. None of us are perfect and this is exactly why Jesus came to the earth. He was the supreme messenger who came to tell of and demonstrate a God who is intimately interested in our world. The technical term for this is immanence. Our God, Yahweh is personally interested in our world and our lives. He is not a God who created us and then went off on a long journey with the promise of coming back later, he created us for relationship with each other and with him. God gets excited when we reflect his glory and tell of his graciousness and greatness to those we come into contact with. This is why it is so important that the message we are declaring is one inspired by God and is about God. Some messengers forget this and tend to use the opportunity to convey the message about their abilities and their greatness. However, if we are to be true messengers of Jesus we need to be completely committed to him and to ensure that what we are conveying is about him and not us.

The first followers of Jesus went from town to town telling their stories. Whilst they did this Jesus showed up and healed the sick, drove out demons from the possessed, opened the eyes of the blind and delivered many. The statement from Peter to the crippled man sitting at the gate begging was their mantra. That is, silver and gold we don’t have but in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth get up and walk. Today many churches are so rich that they cannot use this as their mantra. And the message is not about the power of Jesus anymore it is about the church. So rather than inviting Jesus to come and perform miracles, churches have become social action centres and institutions where people with all sort of character traits can hide. Today let us share the good news and that is Jesus still heals, delivers and sets people free today. The social gospel is good but the gospel that demonstrates the power of God is far far better.  Read Actions of the apostles in Acts 5.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | September 16, 2011

as we use all available methods to spread the good news!

The way we convey the message is neither here nor there, it is the impact it has on the hearers that is important. Sometimes we can get so bogged down in the methodology that we miss the importance of the message. There are many books on preaching, homiletics, oration, captivating the audience and so on, however the most important thing in all of this exposition is making the name of Jesus known and ensuring that people have the opportunity the hear about him. This was the main criteria for the apostle Paul. He says this: “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain”. In the context that he wrote this, he was imprisoned in Rome under house arrest and unable to go out and preach the word. However he points out to the folks at Philippi that being under house arrest and not able to preach had given him an opportunity that he had previously overlooked, that is to write letters addressing theological concerns in the churches he had planted. We are so thankful that he was able to use his pen as his ‘shoes of righteousness’ to spread the good news and correct popular misconceptions at the time. We are still using his theological insights today. The fact that we can allow our lights to shine and our lives to become living epistles to those we encounter, speaks volumes to the inventiveness of God. We are trained to think that only in certain places called churches we can preach and spread the good news. However, we can preach without words and perform miracles without laying our hands on an individual. We can even convey the message through songs. With these myriad ways that we have, should we not use them? So put on the shoes of peace and start walking. Read Isaiah 61.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | September 14, 2011

as we put on our walking/dancing shoes!

As our minds are locked into what God wants to do, we will endeavour to continue the dressing process. And so we come to the putting on of our shoes. It is interesting that spreading of the good news firstly requires that we gird up our loins with truth; that is, we submit our whole lives to the pursuit of truth and ask the one who is truth and life to teach, lead and guide us. Secondly we recognise that the message is not about us or the methodology we enlist to convey the message, but it is about our father the creator of all of us and His son Jesus Christ. So our minds are renewed now (Romans 12:1-2), we are living and operating justly and ethically and so we can now gossip about our life experiences.

We will not be able to convince anyone unless we have had a personal real encounter with the risen Lord Jesus Christ. If we were to survey the scriptures we will find that all the authors are writing from an experiential encounter. The apostle Peter could talk about the man who sat at the gate beautiful for years until he spoke to his spirit (Acts 3:1ff), he could also speak about the time he walked on water (Matt 14:22-33). Dr Luke could speak about the lepers he saw cleansed (Luke 5:12), the paralytics who were cured without conventional medicines (Luke 5:17ff) and the three thousand souls who were added to the kingdom of God and baptised in Holy Spirit when the name of Jesus was exalted (Acts 2:41).

The apostle Paul had so many encounters so much so that he ended up writing 2/3rds of the New Testament.

So what experience have you had to share? It is this sharing of experiences that will draw people into the kingdomof God. We put on the shoes by sharing our experiences with those who are lost and without hope. John Knox of Scotland was quoted as saying “Lord give me Scotland or else I die” because the zeal of the reformers and the power of the Holy Spirit encountered him.

Today, put on your walking shoes and get out of your comfort zone. Read Isaiah 55

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Posted by: pastorapbell | September 9, 2011

as we pause to get our anxiety levels down, before we continue the dressing process

If our minds are not functioning right there is no way we can put on the next piece of clothing, our shoes. The battlefield is our minds and it is here that the enemy tends to attach us (2Cor. 10:4). He wants to create fear and anxiety in all our minds so that he can get us to defeat ourselves before we even enter the fray. The greatest killer for all of us is anxiety and the ability to allow us to become anxious is the major weapon of the enemy. In November 2001 my wife and I went on a cruise around the Caribbean, but we had to travel to America to board the ship. This was shortly after the Twin Towers were destroyed in New York in September 11. On arrival at Heathrow Airport we saw armed soldiers with machine guns guarding the place, which was scary, but even more frustrating was the fact that every piece of luggage we carried was searched. One of the most exciting times during our marriage could have been ruined by the heightened security that was put in place after the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York. The unseen enemy had put so much fear in the hearts of the authorities that they had gone right overboard in my opinion. The rise in anxiety level is the antitheses of what were are told to do by the word, Jesus. When he speaks, it is to our spirits and this is what He says: Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or your body what you will wear. Is not life more than food and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life span? (Matt 6:25-27 NRSV). And the apostle Paul encourages us to be “anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made know to the God. And the peace of or from God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7 NRSV).

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Posted by: pastorapbell | September 8, 2011

as we continue our dressing process – preparing for battle

Our consciences are so important that we need to consider how to fully protect it. There are many people in our circles who can have a massive impact on our lives. Our minds are so impressionable that one word from a person of influence can either elevate us to greatness or kill us. This is the main reason why we need to protect our hearts. This learnt behaviour can either limit our progress or accelerate it. A child who is constantly told that they are: ‘useless’ and ‘won’t achieve anything’ will invariably end up being useless and underachieving. Receiving and retaining negative messages in our ‘hearts’ causes us to live out these negative messages, incorporate them into our consciousness and then act them out. This is why we are encouraged in scripture to ‘have the mind of Christ’ (Phil. 2:5), ‘be transformed by the renewing of our minds’ (Rom. 12:2) and have our ‘hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water’, (Heb. 10:22).

The breastplate of righteousness then is there to protect our thoughts, our consciences and our dreams. Ultimately we will become what we think and believe about ourselves. And so to conclude today, we are reminded by the wise man Solomon that ‘as a man thinks so is he’ (Proverbs 23:7 KJV). Jesus picking up on this theme told his hearers that the important thing about any human being is not what they eat but what they say, Matthew 15:11. So guard your thoughts and in doing so protect your dreams. Read Matt 15:10-20.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | September 7, 2011

as we prepare ourselves before engaging the enemy!

The next piece of the armour we are encouraged to put on by the apostle is the breastplate of righteousness. Now if the belt of truth hold in all the entrails that try to push and pop out, then the breastplate is there to protect the heart from being damaged. A damaged heart can lead to all sorts of complications and eventually cardiac arrest. As we dress ourselves for the battle, we are encouraged to enter the fray with the right motives and attitude. Therefore the state of our heart is of vital importance. Isaiah reminds us that if we try to work for and do what God has called us to do in our own strength then we will fail since our righteousness is like filthy rages when exposed to the Shekinah glory of the Lord (Isaiah 64:6).

It is from the heart that the issues of life flow.  Jesus reminds us that it is from ‘the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks’ (Luke 6:45), so don’t get hung up over the food that you eat like the Pharisees did, once you are committed to him he is mandated to protect you. Another reason that the heart needs protection is that since Adam disobeyed God and plunged his descendants into sin, all of us have the innate propensity to sin; that is, rebellion and disobedience is our default position. And so another prophet, Jeremiah says this: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah: 17:9).

Although we now know that when the ancient prophets spoke about the heart they did not actually mean the cardio-vascular organ tat pumps blood around our bodies, we are aware that they were talking about the very centre of our being. That part of us that connects us to the eternal spirit and dictates how we behave. We now call this our conscience and once that is transformed by the washing of the blood of Jesus by faith, our consciences are pure again and we become like new born individuals. Technically we become conscientised, so our actions are in line with what we say and what we believe. So today put on the breastplate of righteousness and protect your ‘heart’ for it is from your heart that everything that you believe in flows! Read Luke 6:43-49.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | September 2, 2011

as we dress appropriately to fight the enemy

Have you ever wondered why things go wrong in your life when all your intentions are for all things to work together for you because you love the Lord? Well things will go wrong because we are in a battle and in this battle we are fighting an invisible enemy. It is rather like the war on terror that the former President of the USA George W. Bush declared against Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaida. Although you don’t where the enemy is lurking you are aware that he is out there somewhere waiting to attack. And this is the situation that Christians face. We know the enemy is out there and that he is waiting to attack us but often we enter the fray not fully protected. As Christians we must always be on red alert. That is we must always be fully armed and fully protected. So what is in our armoury and how do we ensure that we are fully armed. We are encouraged by the apostle Paul to put on the whole armour of God. And the analogy he uses is one of a Roman soldier in his army outfit. Interestingly the apostle starts the dressing process with the belt of truth. And so as we start the month of September let us dress ourselves for the battle that we are engaged in whether we realise it or not. And let us start by putting on the belt of truth. Firstly be true to yourself. Since lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, let us jettison lies and start to speak the truth. Furthermore, if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8) and the truth (God) is not in us. Also if we continue to tell ‘white’ lies we are living in deception and that is the way of life for the terrorist. He hides what he does because he knows deep down in his heart that it is evil. The belt
holds everything in and when our waist wants to get out of shape we can increase the tension and pull in our bellies. So today, put on the belt of truth by applying the word of truth to every aspect of your life. Be honest, avoid telling lies (there are no such things as white lies and black lies) and humbly ask God to lead you by His Spirit in the right paths for his name sake!
Read Ephesians 6:10-17, 1 John 1.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | August 30, 2011

as we stand firm against the wiles of the enemy!

The plan of the enemy is to cause confusion in the camp so that believers in God start to doubt him. This is why we are told to be aware of the wiles of the devil. Now the wiles of the devil are his schemes and his game plan. The purpose of his scheme is to deceive you and get you to the point of believing a lie. This is why we need our minds transformed to the point of believing God’s word even when we cannot see the end from the beginning. To walk and live by faith is a choice. We are all created with the ability to choose and the plan of the enemy is to influence us so that we choose wrongly. This is exactly what happened to Eve, the first woman. She listened to the scheme of the evil one and succumbed to his beguiling words. Did God say that? No, that can’t be right! These are the questions that often tend to thwart us. One of the main tricks of the enemy is to get us to doubt the word of God. When this occurs we start down the slippery slope of compromising on the words of life. The three main areas that the enemy targets are: our Families, our finances and our faith. Today as we move to another level, believe God and stand on his words and be encouraged as Isaiah the prophet reminds us that the Lord says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come and my deliverance be revealed.” Doing the right thing is the natural outworking of thinking the right thing. Read Isaiah 54.

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