A Sheep in Armor?

...so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6: 11b

The second half of verse 11 in Ephesians 6 is really sobering.  Notice it does not say: so that if the devil schemes, you can stand against it... No, there's no "if" here.  It is a given:  the devil schemes.  That's what it does.  The enemy is constantly scheming against us.  Like Peter reminds us in his first letter, chapter 5: 8

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5: 8)

Both of these men warning us about the reality of the enemy's state of constant attack know what they are talking about.  Paul and Peter, the pillars of the church, experienced in the faith, apostles of Jesus, one walking alongside Christ in the flesh, the other one in the spirit, both thoroughly tested and tried by satan...both victorious in the strength of the Lord.  They sure know what they are talking about.  And they are both giving us words of immense wisdom:  watch out!!

"Be alert and of sober mind."  "Put on the full armor of God."  Arm yourself so you can do your part to protect yourself against the certain and constant schemes of the enemy who is always looking for someone to devour...we are the devil's prey...we are what the lion hunts and kills to feed...and yes, prey usually does not have much hope for survival when lions are roaring and prowling, looking to devour them.  Indeed, there isn't much they can do.  What can a sheep really do to protect herself against a crouching lioness waiting to pounce? Other than to cry out for help, not much else.  We, however, are the sheep whose Good Shepherd has given a full armour to wear!  

I know, how crazy and ridiculous that image looks, right? A sheep dressed heat to ... hoof ... on an armour ready for battle.  That just doesn't compute.  Exactly!  That's the beauty of it! That's how Amazing Our Great God is!  He has given us, helpless sheep, a full armour so we can stand the attacks of the enemy!  All we have to do is put it on!  However, so many of us, me leading the line, do not realize it.  I still think of myself as that defenseless sheep that cannot do anything other than what prey does:  fall and be caught and destroyed.  I am so focused on how helpless I am as a sheep, that I forget I have a Good Shepherd who has given me an armour.  I'm so blinded by fear that my eyes can't see the truth.

And the truth is that, not only has the Good Shepherd given me an armour, the armour is just for protection so I can stand firm...the battle is actually not even fought by me.  He fights it.  He is the One Who Defeats the enemy!  I just have to stand firm!  And even more amazing, The Good Shepherd is also a Lion who is even more fierce and infinitely more powerful than the caricature of a lion the devil is.  

I am able to take a stand against the enemy.  I have been equipped with what I need in order to do just that.  Now, let's review the items in this armour one by one, praying that the Holy Spirit Who Lives in us enlightens our souls, strengthens our hearts, clears our minds and focuses our eyes so we can know the reality of Jesus in our lives.  In His Precious Name.  Amen!

Just Put It On

Therefore put on the full armor of God...(Ephesians 6: 13a)

I love shopping for clothing.  I just love it!  The idea of having new clothes to wear cheers me up.  And specially when it's a steal.  Bargain hunting is one of the thrills of life in my small and rather pathetic existence.  Thrift shops are like a sort of paradise for me.  Discount stores are my best friends.  I love yard sales; however, they make me extremely self-conscious so I don't break for them, unless I'm hanging out with someone else.  I guess I need a buddy in order to feel comfortable yard selling.  Anyway, if I weren't broke all the time, I'd be broke all the time because of all the shopping I'd be doing.  

The one thing I detest, though, is trying stuff on.  What a let down that is... There's no greater kill-joy than trying on something you really, really, really like, just to find out it looks terrible on you... what a dream crusher...

So, what do I do?  I avoid the fitting room.  I grab the stuff.  I bring it home.  I hold my breath.  I try it on.  Sometimes I hit a homerun.  Many times I strike out.

As I enter into a closer look at the Armor of God, I read Paul's first instruction:  put it on.  It's simple, just put it on!

Easy, right?

Well...how do I put it on, when I don't want to?

I'm OK getting it, and keeping it home.  But, do I really have to try it on?  What if it doesn't fit?  Can't I just keep it in the closet?  It sure looks good in there!  Every time I look at it, all shiny and impressive, it really inspires me!  I feel stronger just looking at it.  Why do I have to actually put it on?  I don't really need to do that.  I think, the fact I have it is enough, isn't it?  If I try it on, I run the risk of looking ridiculous.  What if it makes me look fat? Then, there'll be no point in keeping it...so I might have to return it...and then, what?

The thing is, the instruction is clear:  PUT. IT. ON.  The Armor of God is not meant to be hanging pretty in a closet.  It's not supposed to be a prized possession that one takes out on special occasions and puts it on display like a museum piece, for the world to see that we do have one.  It's not an antique we got at a flea market for a steal.  The Armor of God is given to us who belong to the Lord's Army, but it wasn't a bargain.  It wasn't free at all.  It was paid for by Jesus with His Precious Blood.  And it is our privilege, our duty, our right and our honor to wear it.  Therefore, it must also be our desire.

That desire comes from recognizing that the Armor of God is our defense.  It's God's gift to us so we can withstand the trials and tribulations of this world.  Without it, we are unprotected.  The enemy lies to us and uses our insecurities to keep us from doing what we are supposed to do: wear it.  He does that because he knows, better than ourselves, that without it we are vulnerable.  And one of his most effective weapons to prevent that we even try it on, is the mirror.  So, perhaps, it's time to get rid of it? Maybe it is time we stop being so self-conscious and look around at those whose armors are already on, and reach out for support.  Just like I feel I need a buddy to go yard selling, I might need the steady hand of my family in Christ to help me drop my insecurities and get into that fitting room, already, and just put it on...not paying attention to the mirrors that lie and distort reality. It's time to do whatever needs to be done in order to get fully dressed in His Armor.

Strengthened by the prayers of the faithful, I will rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to ignore the mirror, and mute the voices in my head that tell me it doesn't look good on me, that I don't deserve it, that I'm not worthy of it, and just put it on, and wear it each day...for the days of evil are already here, and I must be ready to stand firm.  In the Precious Name of Jesus, I pray.  Amen!

The Full Armor of God

Waking up to bad news from work is never a good thing, is it?  Well, that's what happened to me this morning.  I don't know about you, but, when I get bad news that personally affect me or my loved ones, my immediate reaction is to panic.  I know...the fruit of self-control has not yet fully blossomed in my soul...the Holy Spirit is still hard at work growing that one in me.  But this morning, something different happened.  For the first time ever, I did not panic. 

I'm still amazed!

I read the message, and after chewing on it a bit, I declared in my mind:  Lord, I trust You!  I trust You know what You're doing.  And I did not panic!  I had a flood of thoughts rushing through my mind, but I was able to continue to repeat in my heart that I was going to trust God and be still...and let Him be God on this one...I just repeated that over and over in my head until I sensed the wave of frantic thoughts begin to subside. 

Later, I reached for my copy of Sarah Young's devotional and read:

"When you approach Me in stillness and in trust, you are strengthened.  You need a buffer zone of silence around you in order to focus on things that are unseen.  Since I am invisible, you must not let your senses dominate your thinking.  The curse of this age is overstimulation of the senses, which blocks out awareness of the unseen world."

How fitting!

I knew, as soon as I read the bad news, that my only recourse was to be still and let Him be God, like Psalm 46:10 instructs us.  The paragraph from the devotional confirmed it, as it reminded me also of the realm of the unseen, the Spiritual world where most battles are fought.  Silence brought forth clarity to see with the eyes of my soul that my struggles are not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6: 12

The truth in that revelation that comes to us through Paul is evident to me in my current situation.  Yes, the forces of evil are acting against me, and what is happening at work is just the visible manifestation of what's going on in the invisible world.  My only defense is to allow God to be God and fight for me.  But, at the same time, I also have a job to do:  I must put on the full armor of God!

...so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6: 13-18

As I go through this particular struggle at work, I would like to meditate on these verses in order to invoke the Holy Spirit to guide me and explain to me exactly how to put on the full armour of God.  I hope you join me on this exploration of this marvelous passage so together we can be ready.  Join me in the dressing room...I need all the help I could get.  In the Precious Name of Jesus.  Amen!

Only Jesus Can Ensure Our Entrance into God's Presence

A while back, I accomplished a feat that I've never undertaken before: I read the book of Numbers.  To my surprise, I found it pretty fascinating!  One thing that stuck with me for sure is how overwhelming the law is.  My eyes became glazed every time I read through chapters filled with the minuscia of regulatory language.  I couldn't help but to feel weighed down by the intricacies of the law that God handed down to Moses. Chapters 19 and 29 particularly, with all the rigor of cleansing and all the sacrifices required to celebrate the different festivals...I could not make my brain concentrate on how many bulls, lambs, goats and rams needed to be offered for each day, let alone the burnt offerings, the wave offerings, and the drink offerings...the grain, the oil...I got so very confused, my mind began playing tricks on me, picturing priests wearing fancy robes, waving flower-tortilla-type of bread at the sky while saying: na na, na na, na NA...sorry, please forgive me.

My point is... I cannot fathom even the thought of having to live under the law the way the Israelites had to....THANK YOU JESUS for coming to fulfill the law!

There's no way I could do this.  There's no way.  Reading through Numbers I understood how true it is when preachers tell us that the purpose of the law is to show us our need for Christ.  God chose the Jews to be the recipients of the law for humanity, as the great testimony of His "standard of absolute righteousness." (I love this phrase I read at Bible.org) In other words, to be saved by the law, we must fulfill every letter of the law.  It's not enough to do a good job at meeting most of the requirements.  Like James 2: 10 states:  For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

And who could ever say they have fulfilled all the law without ever stumbling over just one tiny point? Nobody!  Paul says it best in Romans 3 when not only he blurts it out by saying that Jews as well as Gentiles are all under sin, (Romans 3: 9) but he even goes farther as to prove it by quoting Old Testament Scripture in verses 10 - 18, a sample below of verses 10-12:

As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.” [Crossed referenced of Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles. 7:20]
There is  NO ONE righteous, not even one.

Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice, and the Only One who can cleanse us in order to be worthy of being in the Presence of God. We cannot do it on our own. It is Jesus' righteousness, which He placed on us as He took our sins on the cross, that makes us heirs, adopted sons and daughters, members of the family of God.  Otherwise...we would be the fools yelling that there is no God.

This does not mean, however, that we, as Christians under the New Covenant in Christ, are not under the 10 Commandments.  We are, Jesus said it.  In Matthew 22: 27-40.  In this passage, He says, in response to a Pharisee who is trying to trap Him by asking Him what is the greatest of all the 10 commandments: 

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Jesus came to fulfill the law, so we would not have to be judged by the law, but while we are still on this earth, we better strive to keep the law, for we are not under the dominion of sin anymore.  This means, our hearts have been claimed by God through Jesus.  Therefore, our desire is not of the flesh, but that of the Spirit...and, though we are still in a fallen world, we still strive towards the goal of sanctification by longing for what Jesus wants us to long for:  to seek Him first and obey His commandments!

What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”  So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Galatians 4: 1-7

I pray the Holy Spirit opens our minds and hearts to Scripture in order to discern the truth of God's love and the perfection of His plan, so we can have peace and be content in Christ, Our Lord and Savior, the Perfect Lamb, the Holiest Priest, The Redeemer of Our Souls, the Sustainer of our faith.  In His Precious Name, Amen!

Do Not Forget The Lord

One of Dan's most precious possessions is a handwritten letter from his Dad, which he wrote him when Dan was leaving for college.  I also have the blessing of treasured letters my parents wrote to me when I left home to come here to attend the university.  The relentless passing of time has reversed the roles, and now it is Dan and I who are preparing to be the parents that are sending a kid out into the world...a world to which we don't belong anymore...a land where we cannot go.  As I assume this new role in my life, I've been thinking about writing Grant a letter of my own too...

It's interesting how, as I think about this, I read Deuteronomy chapter 8, and it reminds me of that type of letter: the letter a loving Parent might write to his child who is going away to a place, where he/she cannot go with him.

When the Israelites were getting ready to finally cross the Jordan and take possession of the promised land, Moses gave them this admonition:  Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. Deuteronomy 8: 1

Moses didn't want the people of Israel to forget Their Lord and Deliverer, so he went on and reminded them, once again, of all that The Most High God had done for them ever since taking them out of Egypt.  He urges them to remember their Lord.  And he warns them not to get too comfortable in the future wealth they will find in the Land they are about to enter...not to take for granted the gift God is giving them...not to forget to be thankful and not to forget it all comes from the Lord's great provision.

He instructs them to remember to praise the Lord when they feel satisfied, and to remember to remain obedient, so they do not become proud...for pride will lead to forgetting all they owe to God.  He basically is asking them to be humble, otherwise their pride may make them believe that they are self-made and that they do not need God, which may cause them to say and act in ways that will separate them from the Most High, as he points out:  You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. Deuteronomy 8: 17-18

Do not forget this truth, Israel, Moses says, otherwise... If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 8: 19-20

Strong words, indeed.  However, only someone who truly cares and is led by the great love they feel in their heart is willing to utter such warning.  Among the few who would ever dare, we can count our parents. 

I will probably not be so strong in my letter to Grant.  But I pray the message he receives reminds him not to forget the Lord as he moves on.  As the world around us seems to crumble, I pray our kids remember they belong to Christ...and even if our society has forgotten, I pray this new generation remembers who is the One that Delivers us and Frees us from slavery.  I pray the young adults who are getting ready to fly this fall remember Him, even if everyone around them seems to have forgotten.  And I pray that as these kids remember...others will too...so our society may retrace its steps back to humility and stop following other gods, thus avoiding the destruction that may be upon us.  In the Precious Name of Jesus.  Amen!

Blue Skies and Checkout Lines

Isn't it incredible how the weather changes?  I mean, really, coming from a place like Panama, where it is basically 80 degrees all year long, and the weather person on TV has the exciting job to tell the audience whether or not to carry an umbrella...being here, in this neck of the woods, where one can go from the ice-age to tropic thunder in one day...I still find the way weather oscillates between paradise and...the opposite, truly amazing.  Like, yesterday...it was pucky grey, but today is delightfully sunny!  I don't get it!?

The good news is, I don't have to get it.  I don't have to question it.  I don't have to understand it.  I don't have to study it.  I certainly can't avoid it.  I really can't change it.  I just have to accept it.  It's the weather.  It is its nature to change and fluctuate.  If I don't like it right now, I just have to wait...because it will totally be different in a little while.  I just have to have the endurance to stay put and the patience to wait. 

The problem is, anyone who truly knows me is totally aware of my inability to endure the lightest of discomforts or/and exercise the tiniest bit of patience. 

Sigh...

I am the kind of person who allows her circumstances to affect her emotions and actions.  For example, there was an "incident" today at a store where someone felt like she needed to claim the spot in front of me in the checkout line, which she did, not without me silently shooting nuclear warheads of hate and anger to the back of her head.  Not only I wanted to strangle her; but, as soon as there was a bit of space, I placed the heavy load I was carrying in my arms on the belt right beside where she was standing, giving her an ever so slightly but highly intentional shove, disregarding the social distance regulations and never mind saying "excuse me."  Then, I respectfully backed away the necessary 6 feet, now arms free in case she decided to turned towards me and hit me with the gallon-sized bottle of water she was purchasing...I knew I could take her anytime!

Yep...

I didn't stop to think about anything.  I felt disrespected and I instantaneously got angry.  I didn't have the endurance to just let it go lightly nor the patience to consider she might have felt offended herself for something I might have done.  I didn't have the resolve to find an avenue that would allow the situation to be dealt with in a positive and effective manner.  I didn't have the stability of mind to just not allow her actions to bother me to the point of impacting my reaction.  She did something that bothered me.  Therefore, I did something I knew would bother her, back.   I wanted to feel avenged.  So I sought a way to do just that. 

The sky got cloudy and I wanted it clear. 

In reality, though, unless I accept the natural rhythm of the weather...my efforts to modify it will only work against me, as they will be fruitless and exhausting.  I might have had a small victory at the store today: I sent my line nemesis a signal:  "I can break you like a toothpick if I feel like it!" "The only reason you are still alive is because I'm feeling magnanimous, little lady!" But, deep inside of me, I felt like I betrayed my desire to be a better person by letting my impatience and pride take over.  I forgot that the fulfillment of my deepest longings can only be found not in seeking them on my own, but in seeking His Face above all other things, and allowing Him to be the Lord and God of my life.

Sarah Young's devotional, Jesus Calling, reads today:  "My world is filled with beautiful things; they are meant to be pointers to Me, reminders of My abiding Presence.  The earth still declares My Glory to those who have eyes that see and ears that hear...I chose to pour My Light into you so that you can be a beacon to others.  There is no room for pride in this position.  Your part is to reflect My Glory.  I am the Lord!"

I feel the soft caress of the breeze coming in the window and instantly feel refreshed.  I look up at the intensely blue sky, and immediately rejoice.  The earth does declare His Glory, indeed!  Even when the days are grey, we know, underneath that thick layer of humidity and dark clouds there is a permanently blue sky.  We know that in the darkness of the moment, His Light cannot be turned off.  We know that even though we are broken, His Light shines through our cracks. 

Regardless of the changes in the weather or in the climate of our circumstances, His Creation is still beautiful.  And best of all, He is still in His Throne.  It's just a matter of patience, endurance and trust.  I just hope I remember that, next time I go back to the store.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials, so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

1 Peter 1: 6-7

Am I Ready?

When one enters Grant's bedroom (now one can actually enter it since Dylan went into a cleaning and organizing frenzy a couple of weeks ago, fed up with Grant's...how shall I put it politely? shabby/chic mayhem...) it is impossible not to notice the incredible collection of books sitting on his shelves.  After going through a horrible phase that started around 3rd grade until about 6th grade, when he would not be caught dead touching a book...Grant discovered the joy of reading.  Now, he permanently has one, often two books going...always looking ahead, so when he finishes those in hand, he's already set for the next one(s).

Well...last night, he read the last page of one of the first milestone-chapters of the book of his life.

Grant's graduation cap & gown now hang in the melancholic light of our spare room as a testimony of what just happened mere hours ago:  my son is now ready to start the next one.

The question is:  Am I ready?

Of course not.  I know life will never be the same. It doesn't matter if every time I look at him I still see the young boy I used to pick up and squeeze in my arms, he is a young man now.  It doesn't matter that my heart still feels the same way it has felt ever since the very first instant I saw him...time has actually passed and soon he will be out of my daily embrace.  It doesn't matter that hearing his voice is like the oxygen to my lungs, and that the very thought of spending days without hearing him leaves me gasping for air...he will move on.  I know it, but I'm not ready.

However, today, looking out the window to yet another grey morning, I lift up my eyes to the Maker of Heaven and Earth, and praise His Holy Name for giving me the gift of a son that I can see graduate from High School and go onto college.  I praise Him for the blessing of having a part of me...the very best part...walk toward a future, that, though seemingly uncertain due to the uncertainty of the times we live in...will most definitely reveal the hand of God on the way that future opens up in front of him as the Holy Spirit guides Grant's every step.  I praise The Lord for bringing me to this day, when I can allow my soul to fight the inevitable while I loosen the tight grip and prepare to let him go.

I praise God for giving Grant an unforgettable commencement ceremony, special and unique.  I praise God for keeping us together.  I praise God for the memories.  I praise God for the laughter and the tears.  I praise God for the frustrations and the joy.  And I pray that it will all continue for countless years, even if on a modified way.

May God shower Grant's life with many blessings forever.  May the new book he has already picked out be ever more exciting, full of amazing adventures, fun, learning and discovery.  May love flourish.  May God keep you healthy, safe and strong.  May He open your eyes so you can see through the eyes of Jesus.  May the hand of Our Lord and Savior be always on you.  May your main goal be to follow Him.  As for me...I'll be OK...just like every other Mother who has ever been in my shoes before...God will patch up my broken heart and I, too, will move on, trusting His love for my son is biggest than my own.  In Christ's Precious Name.  Amen!