Some of you have seen the huge sword that stands guard inside my front door these days. It is on loan from a very dear friend, and every time I pass by it I am reminded to pick up the
Sword of the Spirit, "...which is the word of God," (Eph. 6:17) The word of God is living and active and powerful. It penetrates through the darkness to do damage to the enemy and the evil that would seek to overcome us.
It is part of the full armor of God that Paul, in Ephesians 6, tells us to put on each day to fight the battle of the faith. This isn't a make-believe battle, friends. It is real. Our battle-cry is 1 John 4:4,
"Greater is he who is in you [me!] than he who is in the world."The
Shield of Faith is another piece of that armor. In battle, the shield and the sword work together. The sword pierces and cuts; the shield is the protector--the deflector. It prohibits the arrows of the enemy from penetrating us.
God wants us to live each day carrying a strong shield of faith by which he may protect us from the "flaming arrows of the evil one." What are those arrows? We know them well: an evil thought; a nagging false guilt; a statement of condemnation; an accusation; a tidbit of despair; a seed of contempt; a temptation; a lie from Satan himself.
I find it interesting that
this is something we must do ourselves. A shield is only valuable if it is picked up and carried; it's worthless if it's left on the ground. The shield of faith deflects the arrows
, "..and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith." 1 John 5:4
The power of Christ, folks, is within us, and it is greater than anything we will see, hear, or think. It is our calling as followers of Christ to pick up this shield daily and use it for protection, to stand firm in our faith.
Today some subtle but powerful arrows may be shot your way--arrows that are meant to lodge in your mind and destroy your peace...or hurt your heart....or send you on a dangerous detour......or cause you to doubt God's goodness.
Have you picked up your shield today? Only you can do it.
Greg~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THIS WEEK
There are no Sunday or Monday meetings scheduled for this weekend. Monday Classes start again on June 18th. Fellowship of Followers meets in a week and a half on Sunday night, June 10th.
If you didn't get your copy of the Summer Calendar remember to pick one up the next time we meet.
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SUMMER EVENTSSunday, July 1: . Tickets:
$27.00 per person.
If you've driven the 101 Loop lately you can see the big white tent! This is your chance to see a Cirque du Soleil show at a fraction of the cost. They are spectacular. This particular show combines two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and the art of clowning.
Call Bob at 623-326-9047 to
get your tickets now. We have only a few group tickets left at a great discount, so first come - first served.
A great mid-summer break!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ON-GOING
DivorceCare:
Wednesday Evenings, 6:30 PMCommunity Church of Joy
21000 N 75th Ave
Glendale
If you are going through a divorce or have unfinished emotions and feelings regarding a past divorce, come for this series of videos that can help you heal and move forward. This is a small group setting.
Call Jerry for more info at
623-972-7651.Healing from LossThis 12-week workshop involves reading, reflection, homework and sharing. The next workshop will begin this fall. Please call Greg for info:
602-622-1488.
